THE OTHER STUFF . . .

Meghan Markle's Secret Baptism and Prince Louis' Christening Share a Special Connection. Prince Louis is following in his new aunt, Meghan Markle's footsteps. When the royal baby is christening on July 9, his service will be held at the same place where Meghan was baptized just three months ago: The Chapel Royal at St. James's Palace in London. The service will be conducted by the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Most Reverend Justin Welby, who also baptized Meghan and officiated her nuptials to Prince Harry. (Welby also christened Prince George in October 2013 and Princess Charlotte in July 2015.) In early March, Meghan was baptized into the Church of England in a secret ceremony with Harry by her side. The 45-minutes service, was also attended by her now father-in-law, Prince Charles, and Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall. Meghan was confirmed immediately following her baptism, which means she is now able to join her husband at Holy Communion. The Duchess of Sussex was following royal tradition. Kate Middleton was also confirmed into the Church of England in a private service at St. James's Palace in the weeks leading up to her 2011 marriage to Prince William. (Kate had been baptized as a baby, but the confirmation ceremony marked a firm commitment to the Church of England.) The move was a significant nod to William Harry's grandmother, Queen Elizabeth's role as head of the Church of England. The royal family will gather at The Chapel Royal next month to celebrate the christening of their newest family member. While Louis' big brother, Prince George's christening was also held at St. James's Palace's Chapel Royal, Princess Charlotte's ceremony took place at Sandringham's St. Mary Magdalene church in Norfolk -- in the same church where her late grandmother Princess Diana was christened. Little Louis will likely be christening in the same gown his siblings wore on their big day -- a replica of the historic royal christening gown first worn by Queen Victoria's daughter, also named Victoria, in 1841. (People)

America Ferrera to edit timely, star-studded essay collection on diversity and culture. America Ferrera has a book on the way that feels just right for the current political moment: America Like Me: Reflections on Life Between Cultures. EW has confirmed that the Emmy-winning actress and activist is curating and editing a star-studded and very timely essay collection on growing up between cultures in America. Ferrera will share her own perspective of growing up the daughter of Honduran immigrants in Los Angeles in the book, and other contributors include Lin-Manuel Miranda, Roxane Gay, Issa Rae, Kumail Nanjiani, Congressman Joaquin Castro, Kal Penn, Uzo Aduba, Jenny Zhang, Michelle Kwan, Padma Lakshmi, and many others. All of the writers are immigrants, children or grandchildren of immigrants, indigenous people, or people who otherwise grew up with deep and personal connections to more than one culture. "I have always felt wholly American, and yet, my identity is inextricably linked to my parents' homeland and Honduran culture," Ferrera said in a statement. "I have yearned my whole life to see my complex cultural identity reflected in the larger American narrative. I am proud to share these personal stories that honor and reflect the experiences of so many Americans." According to Gallery Books, Ferrera will be donating a portion of her proceeds from American Like Me to the Immigrants We Get the Job Done Coalition, which includes 12 nonprofit organizations that provide support to immigrants, refugees, and asylum seekers throughout the United States. American Like Me: Reflections on Life Between Cultures will publish Sept. 25, and is available for pre-order. (Entertainment Weekly)

Living his best life! Kevin Smith was overcome with emotion upon realizing that he no longer needs to shop at a store specializing in plus size apparel. "Visited the @destinationxl I've been going to for over a decade. Since I've lost weight, I was looking to get some new jeans," the 47-year-old filmmaker, who has dropped more than 43 lbs since suffering a heart attack in February, captioned an Instagram photo of himself at DXL Men's Apparel on Wednesday, June 20. "But I was shocked and delighted to hear, 'We're a specialty store. We don't carry jeans that small.' I nearly cried. I've lost too much weight to buy jeans at a Big & Tall store! And let's face it: tall was never my issue!!" Smith, who partnered with Weight Watchers to achieve his weight-loss goals, expressed his gratitude to the company for helping him adopt a healthier lifestyle. "This @weightwatchers Ambassador was so happy, he bought a few suit jackets to celebrate! Feeling fitter, not bitter! #KevinSmith #wwambassador #weightwatchers #newclothes #freestyleeffect." The exciting news comes one week after the Clerks director revealed he is closing in on his goal of losing 50 lbs. Smith detail about his weight-loss journey while speaking exclusively to Us Weekly in April. "Weed kind of actually works, believe it or not, as an appetitive suppressant to some degree," he told Us of his experience smoking marijuana. "I don't get the munchies ... It just didn't have that effect on me. I would smoke instead of eating. That became gratifying. Same way that I need to feel good, I was like, 'You know what? I feel good smoking. Skip the cake and just have yourself a smoke.'" Additionally, Smith's general physician and cardiologist told him that cannabis likely saved his life as he was under the influence while having a heart attack, which altered his state of mind. "Even though they tell me I had a heart attack, I didn't feel like I was in pain, so I never panicked," he previously told Us. "I was super f -- king calm. After I got to the hospital, I said to [my doctor], 'Hey man, I hate to admit this, but I was blazed as f -- k the day I had the heart attack.'" His doctors told him that the drug likely helped him remain stable during a very stressful ordeal. (US Weekly)

50 Cent is a huge tipper. 50 Cent doesn't skimp when dining out. The "Power" star, 42, was spotted at the Jue Lan Club in Chelsea four times this month, with an insider telling Page Six that during one visit, he left a $300 tip on a $200 check. We're told he chowed down on dishes including chicken satay, shrimp fried rice and Beijing chicken. He is set to return to the small screen alongside his $5 million mansion on "Million Dollar Listing." "Power" also comes back on July 1. Reps for 50 Cent didn't immediately return our request for comment. (PageSix)

Tommy Lee is getting married on Valentine's Day 2019 and wants everyone to feel the love, even his estranged son, Brandon, who he still wants at his wedding. Sources close to Tommy tell us he's planning on sending an invite to his eldest despite their drama over Father's Day. Y'know, Tommy called his sons "a**holes" and said they didn't value things ... then Brandon called Tommy an absentee father, and posted a vid of Tommy knocked out in March after their fight. We're told Tommy's hoping time heals all wounds, with his wedding to Brittany Furlan still months away. Our sources say Tommy thought he and Brandon put the KO behind them when he decided not to press charges. We're told Tommy only resorted to airing out their feud on social media because Brandon's blocked his number and emails. All that said, we're told Tommy still tells friends he loves Brandon, and wants him at the wedding. (TMZ)

Imagine going to the grocery store and running into a dude wearing a shirt that says he wants to KILL YOUR FAMILY! That's what happened to Kendall Jenner on Wednesday ... but, there's one twist -- the guy with the grudge happens to have a body that SLAAAAYS. Kendall says she was going out to get some milk when she ran into a super jacked dude sporting a "Kill The Kardashians" shirt at the market. So, Kendall did what anyone in her situation would do ... she posted the video on IG. No word on who the dude is ... but, good lord. #ArmsArmsArms. By the way, it's not the first time we've seen this shirt out in the wild -- remember Slayer guitarist Gary Holt wore it onstage during a concert back in 2015 ... after Kendall was spotted out in a Slayer shirt. (TMZ)

Melania Trump unexpectedly showed up to a border facility to get a firsthand look at what's going on ... and offer a lending hand in reuniting children with their parents. The First Lady arrived at a child detention center Thursday in Texas and started her visit by recognizing the medical staff, social workers and other employees for their "heroic work" in caring for kids separated from their families. Melania said, "I want to thank you for your hard work, your compassion and your kindness you're giving them in these difficult times." She added, her goal is to learn more about the situation and help out in any way she can. Her trip comes the day after President Trump signed an executive order to keep families at the border together. He told reporters Thursday, Melania went to the border because she's been bothered by what's going on there. According to the Washington Post ... Border Patrol agents have been instructed to stop sending parents with children to federal courthouses for prosecution. The White House hasn't confirmed. President Trump had said Wednesday his "zero tolerance" policy would continue. (TMZ)

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Fall Book Discussion and Movie Series

Book discussion group to meet

City Page Survey