THE OTHER STUFF . . .

Harry and Meghan's royal tour sounds just like your dream holiday. Note to self: marry royal. We're in the middle of 2018 and so far the only thing we're certain about is that boy, we wish we had married royal. Harry and Meghan have been having a hell of a year following their engagement news, the wedding of the year, the birth of their nephews, houses for gifts, cottages (that look more like castles) to call home and don't get us started on Meghan's glorious new wardrobe. As if that wasn't enough to make us jealous, the couple is now embarking on a work trip - that sounds more like the holiday of our dreams. Taking to social media to break the news, Kensington Palace publicly stated: "The Duke and Duchess of Sussex will undertake an official visit to Australia, Fiji, the Kingdom of Tonga, and New Zealand in the Autumn ????????????????The tour will fall on the occasion of @InvictusSydney 2018." (Don't you love that the Kensington Palace is using emojis?) Yes, the newlyweds are heading to Australia, Fiji, the Kingdom of Tonga, and New Zealand. The trip will take place this fall and will coincide with the Invictus Games in Sydney from 20th-27th October. The full statement explains that the duo was invited by the countries themselves to grace them with their royal presence (what is life?!). It reads: "The Duke and Duchess of Sussex will undertake an official visit to Australia, Fiji, the Kingdom of Tonga, and New Zealand in the Autumn. Their Royal Highnesses have been invited to visit the Realms of Australia and New Zealand by the countries' respective governments. The Duke and Duchess will visit the Commonwealth countries of Fiji and Tonga at the request of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office." Mostly because we can't wait to see them. This will be *great*. (British Glamour)

The Wax Figure of Ed Sheeran Is Creepily Spot-On. This is certainly the shape of Ed Sheeran, but is it him? Not so fast! Some may be surprised to know that this is actually a wax figure of the four-time Grammy winner. The statue, created for Madame Tussauds, was unveiled on Tuesday at Lady Dinah's Cat Emporium in London as a nod to Sheeran's love of four-legged furry friends. Whoever crafted the figure certainly did their homework since the faux Sheeran is outfitted in his signature flannel, jeans with scruffy hair and a beard. Naturally, he's also holding a guitar. For those who want to see the wax Sheeran for themselves, it will be on display at Madame Tussauds in London on June 19. Sheeran is far from the first star to get the wax treatment. (Eonline)

And just like that, True is almost 2 months old! The youngest KarJenner family member kicked back with a bath ahead of her special milestone in an adorable in a new snapshot shared by proud mom Khloe Kardashian on her Instagram Story Monday night. The 33-year-old Keeping Up with the Kardashians star shared the photo of True smiling as her mom carefully held her toward the camera. Kardashian also couldn't help but gush about her daughter's 2-month birthday on Tuesday, tweeting, "I cannot believe my girl is going to be two months old tomorrow." "Where is the time going but at the same time, every milestone I look forward to! I'm on alert every day to hear her first giggle I cant wait for the giggles," she added. True's bathtime snap came as photographs of her parents out on a date night surfaced. Kardashian and Tristan Thompson headed out on Saturday in Cleveland, Ohio, while celebrating a friend's birthday at the Marble Room Steaks and Raw Bar. The new mom looked relaxed in a tan hat and black top as Thompson stepped out in a black and white Givenchy sweatshirt as well as a black baseball cap. The pair has remained together despite Thompson being accused of cheating. The star recently shared her daughter's birth chart, compiled by Susan Miller of Astrology Zone, and explained that Aries, Aquarius and Pisces are all prominent in her personality. "She'll grow up being close with both of her parents," Kardashian wrote of her baby girl. "However, she has a desire to travel and will probably move away from where she grows up, potentially for college. Her home will be filled with books." "She attracts unusual people around her and is stimulated by them. She's also attracted to powerful people who could be detrimental to her finances," she continued, adding of True's romantic future, "She'll likely marry someone in entertainment or politics, and they'll have a forever-after fairytale romance." Kardashian explained "True will do really well in college and may go for advanced degrees at the best schools," potentially favoring a career in writing or film. "She would be a great writer, publisher, reporter or documentary filmmaker -- so, she definitely needs a camera!" the Good American designer said. "She could even be a lawyer." "She'll also be interested in making something that people will buy and she doesn't mind being behind the scenes, making big decisions. Failure isn't an option for her," Kardashian added. Last week, Kardashian shared an aww-worthy video of her daughter in a full ballerina outfit, complete with matching pink tulle skirt, socks and bow. "Hey Mama! Hi Baby True. Lookin' like a little lady," the new mom said before True's face wrinkled up in an adorable sneeze. "Bless you, Mama!" (People)

Tiffany Trump bridged partisan politics with partying on Saturday. The first daughter was seen hanging with Naomi Biden, granddaughter of former Veep Joe Biden, at Surf Lodge in Montauk. The pair are college pals from Penn. Guarded by "very discreet secret service," a spy said, were also Andrew Warren and Peter Brant Jr. Jaden Smith performed for a crowd that included Nina Agdal and Jack Brinkley-Cook. Trump was also seen at Il Mulino Hamptons. (Page Six)

Offset's $150,000 diamond-studded chain is back where it belongs -- around his neck -- so police have officially closed the book on the once-missing bling ... TMZ has learned. Law enforcement sources tell us NYPD wrapped up its grand larceny investigation into Offset's chain, which allegedly got jacked while he was in town last month for the Met Gala. We're told cops saw Offset post a video showing the chain back in his possession, and that led them to consider the matter resolved. Sources say police believe the chain was returned. The Migos rapper posted the video of the necklace safely around his neck, less than a week after the theft was reported. Offset bragged, "Still got my s**t. Come on, ya'll know better than that." We broke the story ... Offset's chain was allegedly stolen from his NYC hotel room sometime after the Gala. Someone in his camp filed a police report, saying the hardware was worth $150k. Cops say no suspects were ID'd and no arrests were made. It's unclear how Offset got the bling back. (TMZ)

Michael Phelps is about to strike gold again ... this time on his Arizona home, which he's hoping to sell for $1.6 million more than he paid for it. Phelps bought the house in Scottsdale a couple years back for $2.5 million. The 5-bedroom, 7-bath spread was brand spanking new at the time. It's now listed for $4.125 million. The former Olympian and his wife, Nicole, welcomed baby no. 2 in February, so it's possible they're looking to expand ... although this pad ain't exactly small at 6k square feet. There are also 4 fireplaces and a 350-bottle wine storage. Probably best of all is the huge pool where Phelps worked his stroke. Talk about a selling point! (TMZ)

Alexa Ray Joel, the daughter of singer-songwriter Billy Joel and supermodel Christie Brinkley, insisted she never received special treatment growing up in the spotlight. "I was raised in a pretty old-fashioned way, believe it or not," the 32-year-old recently told Closer Weekly. "Literally, if I didn't say 'please' and 'thank you' to the waiter, I'd get a little [tap on the shoulder], 'You have to say please.'" And while her parents divorced when she was just 8 years old, Joel said she never rebelled during her teenage years. "I hear how Drew Barrymore grew up going to the bars -- I was never allowed," said Joel. "I was sheltered." Instead, Joel was required to have family time with the now-69-year-old artist and 64-year-old Sports Illustrated cover girl -- and she wouldn't have had it any other way. "We would sit around and play music," Joel recalled. "My dad would play piano, I would sing 'Sound of Music,' and my mom would dress me up. I just had so much fun with them that I never got into the crazy party scene." Joel still shares a close, loving bond with her parents. In fact, Brinkley is eager to guide her daughter as she prepares for her upcoming wedding to restaurateur Ryan Gleason. Joel announced her engagement on Instagram earlier this year. Joel has always relied on her folks for support. Back in 2015, she told Fox News that her father has greatly influenced her as she embarked on her own career as a solo artist, all while making a name for herself. She described how her father would support her by quietly catching some of her performances while wearing a cap to avoid being recognized. "He can transcend genres and do all of these different voices," she shared. "He can do that more doo-wop, Frankie-Valli-and-the-Four-Seasons sound that he does on '52nd Street,' but he can be more of a classic rock 'n' roll guy, which he does on 'Glass Houses.' "I learned about embracing all different genres as opposed to just getting attached to one. I just learned so much from him. He's like a musical encyclopedia." And as for Brinkley? Joel said she's inherited plenty of style from her mom. The two women posed together, along with younger sister Sailor Brinkley-Cook, for the 2017 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit issue. At the time, Joel recalled how growing up in a famous family was hard because critics would make fun of her face. Still, Joel previously told Fox News it was Brinkley who encouraged her to be confident, as well as to embrace herself, inside and out. "I've learned pretty much everything from my mom," said Joel. "She's taught me a lot about just taking care of yourself -- skin care, great makeup tricks. She's very good at putting together that very effortless-style look ... [And] she's got the best style. She's really the most stylish woman I know. I'm just trying to keep up!" (Page Six)

Rosie O'Donnell's pregnant daughter, Chelsea, files for divorce. Chelsea O'Donnell has taken steps to officially end things with husband Nick Alliegro. Page Six confirms that in April, Chelsea, Rosie O'Donnell's eldest daughter, filed for divorce from Nick in the state of Wisconsin. The pair, who met in 2015, have been married two years. The news comes one day after Rosie's rep confirmed that the estranged mother-daughter duo have "reconnected" and that Chelsea, 20, is pregnant with her first child with new partner Jacob Bourassa. Bourassa took to Facebook to share the pregnancy news with two sonogram images, saying, "Loves of my life can't wait to meet my little one." Rosie, 56, spoke candidly about her and Chelsea's relationship with mental health advocate and specialist Mark Henick. "She's doing much better now and we're communicating," she said in the recorded conversation from her New York City home on Sunday. "She's in a relationship that seems to be positive and not dangerous anymore, which is a huge plus." Rosie says that Chelsea has a house and is living with her boyfriend and her dogs, "which make her very happy." Over the years, the O'Donnells have had to weather some tumultuous periods -- including a brief time when Chelsea was reported missing. She has also accused Rosie of abusing her. Rosie says that Chelsea has since apologized, adding, "It's very hard for her to believe that I could forgive her. It's hard for some other people in my life to do that as well. So, we're working on it one on one." (PageSix)

Ice Cube, Clyde Drexler and BIG3 league execs are currently taking part in high-level discussions to start a BIG3 league in China ... TMZ Sports has learned. Here's the deal ... Cube, HOFer-turned-BIG3-commish Drexler and other officials are in Beijing as part of a 3-day trip to announce that the league will play exhibition games in China. It's pretty cool ... after the upcoming BIG3 season ends, players and coaches will travel to China and hoop in exhibition games with players from China's 3-on-3 league, the JYB -- started by Taiwanese star Jay Chou. But, that ain't the end game ... we're told it's only the 1st of a 2-part plan. Step 2? An entirely new BIG3 League in China ... that'll tour the country. We're told it's not a done deal just yet ... but the league is optimistic it's gonna happen. (TMZ)

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Fall Book Discussion and Movie Series

Book discussion group to meet

City Page Survey