Rihanna is clearly not a fan of the relationship, and her action seems to suggest that there is more to the rumor. Does Rihanna feel betrayed that Lopez's pursued her ex-boyfriend?
The Instagram unfollowing seems especially poignant since, as E! News points out, Lopez and Rihanna have a long history of friendship.
Prior to the Drake love triangle rumors, the two were presumably on great terms.
Rihanna even sent Lopez a pair of boots she designed with Manolo Blahnik, and Lopez loved them so much she couldn't help but share a photo.
Jennifer lopez instagram pic 1
Jennifer lopez instagram pic 1
Lopez also gushed about Rihanna in a March 2015 interview with E! saying, "I'm a huge Rihanna fan… and I feel like she's such a girl's girl, which I love, because I'm a girl's girl and she seems very sweet."
The dating rumors between Lopez and Drake started at the beginning of December. Drake reportedly attended two of Lopez's Las Vegas shows back to back. He then hosted a dinner party in West Hollywood, which Lopez attended.
Drake instagram pic 1
Drake instagram pic 1
And while Rihanna may feel there's bad blood, Drake and Lopez have yet to react. Both still follow Rihanna on social media.
It's crazy to think that just a few months ago, Drake was presenting Rihanna with the Video Vanguard Award at the 2016 VMAs. Are those days really gone forever?
Do you think Drake is a better match for Lopez or Rihanna? Sound off in the comments below.
Prince William and the former Kate Middleton, Dutchess of Cambridge, are reportedly planning to move their family from Anmer Hall in Norfolk to Kensington Palace in London.
E! News reports multiple sources confirm the move, which would be made for the sake of 3-year-old Prince George, who is due to start school in 2017.
A source told the outlet that Prince William and Kate are considering sending Prince George to the Wetherby School, an all-boys private institution where Prince William and his brother, Prince Harry, attended as children. The school has also hosted a bunch of other famous Brits including David and Victoria Beckham's boys, Elizabeth Hurley's son, Hugh Grant and Andrew Lloyd Webber.
While Prince William and Kate have the Wetherby School at the top of their list, they apparently haven't decided for sure just yet where Prince George will attend.
The house in Norfolk was a wedding gift to the couple from Queen Elizabeth II.
"It's no secret that William doesn't like the media intrusion into his life, and in the country he can escape," a source told the outlet in the Summer 2016 article. "The Queen and the Prince of Wales have given their blessing for William to live this life, and William is very grateful. It's enabling him and Kate to raise their family in a way that's as close to ordinary as they can get."
If Prince William and Kate do decide to move their family to Kensington Palace, it will, no doubt, be a departure from their life out of the spotlight.
Truth time: You’re a picker, I’m a picker, we’re all pickers. And as much as we shame you for messing with your zits, bumps, and blackheads (you really shouldn’t do it—picking destroys your skin and can lead to scarring and infections, so keep your hands off your face), it’s also an inevitable part of life that is weirdly satisfying…until the self-loathing kicks in, and you hate yourself for ruining your skin. Which is probably why the internet is straight-up obsessed with pimple-popping and black-head squeezing videos, to the point where some of them have racked up more than 20 million views, like this gem:
Yeah, more truth time: I literally had to cover my eyes when researching these videos, because even its preview set off my gag reflex (I, for one, am not a subscriber to these channels). Clearly, though, there’s a market for videos like this, seeing as the internet freaked out this week over a blackhead-removal video posted to Facebook, with more than 22-million people having watched it so far.
But because you’ve probably already seen it, been entranced by it, and shared it with all of your friends, we’ve decided to do the gross dirty work of rounding up a new set of blackhead-squeezing videos to appease your picking needs, which have a combined view count of 60 million—so you know they’re good. Scroll down to see the darlings of the internet, and make sure you’re not anywhere near food when you click play. Happy Friday!
If you’ve ever read anything I’ve written, you’ll know I have insanely sensitive and dry skin. Like, sometimes, it just flakes off my face in the middle of the day for no reason, or my eyelid will start swelling up in response to some nonexistent threat (I AM BEAUTIFUL). So, obviously, retinols and I have never been on good terms, seeing as their main function seems to be to irritate and destroy your skin.
Of course, retinols are not out to get you, despite the flakes you’ve probably endured in the past. In reality, they’re actually just trying to stave off Mother Nature for a few more years by speeding up your cell turnover to give you newer, fresher, younger-looking skin. The downside to this, of course, is that they’re not exactly gentle in the process, meaning anyone with dry and-slash-or sensitive skin (*raises hand*) has to be especially careful with the strength of the retinol they use and how they use it.
A good rule of thumb, says dermatologist Mona Gohara, MD and assistant professor of dermatology at Yale School of Medicine, is to use a pea-size amount of your new retinol to clean, dry skin once a week for one week, then twice a week for two weeks, three times a week for three weeks, and then, only if you’ve had zero irritation thus far, apply it every other night indefinitely. If this idea still freaks you the hell out, or if you’ve tried this method and your skin cracked and flew away, then try applying your retinol over your normal nighttime moisturizer (after waiting 20 minutes for it to sink in) to partially dilute the formula.
Also, don’t get discouraged if your skin flakes for a few weeks after you add retinols into your routine. “Generally, it can take up to four weeks before your skin starts adapting to the retinol and building its tolerance,” says dermatologist Joshua Zeichner, MD, director of cosmetic and clinical research at the department of dermatology at Mount Sinai Medical Center. So yes, you need to fully commit to your retinol for at least a month while your skin adapts—so no going rogue or getting lazy on your skin.
And lest you go pick up some random drugstore retinol and burn your skin off, we asked Gohara and Zeichner to tell us their absolute favorite retinols for dry, sensitive skin. Each of these seven products are derm- and beauty editor-approved to be safe for your skin (provided you use them correctly—there’s only so much we can do, here), and all of them will keep annoying little wrinkles at bay for, well, as long as you use them.
Sephora is a dangerous, magical place. No matter what your intentions are when you first go in (“I just need dry shampoo!”), you inevitably will leave with your rent’s worth of beauty products in a bag. But, hey, at least you got more member rewards points, right? Egh.
The thing is, we know you’re not going to stop going to Sephora anytime soon. And we also know that it’ll never stop being an addictive buffet of beauty products, so we figured we’d save you the hassle of figuring out what to buy (or not to buy, according to the voice of reason in your head that you haven’t listened to since you bought a bandana shirt in 2003) by rounding up the coolest and newest products coming to Sephora in November.
And, lucky for you, everything on this list under $30, so you won’t need to guiltily text your friends that you just spent waaaay too much at Sephora for the hundredth time this year. Click through to see our favorite liquid lip stains, mini fragrances, and shimmery eyeshadow palettes. Happy shopping!
We were going to make a joke about these lipsticks being bite-sized, but we figured we'd spare you. Aside from the word play, the real draw of these four lipsticks is their dual-end capabilities: On one side is a rich, pigmented base color, and on the other side is a sheer, iridescent "top coat" for a perfectly ombréd finish. (Sephora, $14)
Sample the best of Atalier Cologne with eight beautifully elegant perfumes in scents ranging from warm vanilla to crisp mandarin and ginger. (Sephora, $25)
Eyeshadow palettes are great in theory...until you buy one and realize only two of the shades look acceptable on human beings. This eight-shade palette includes rich, matte blacks, shimmery tans, and glitter-infused greys to help you create the ultimate cold-weather look, no matter your style. (Sephora, $12)
We already had a crush on Formula X for its no-chip formulas (seriously, these polishes will last a full week without flaking), but add three muted, universally flattering shades and a Huda Kattan endorsement, and we're officially in love. (Sephora, $13 each)
Move over, Kylie Lip Kits. This adorably tiny kit features the four best-selling shades from Sephora's lip stain collection, and, unlike most liquid lipsticks you've probably tried, not one of these babies will dry out your lips. (Sephora, $12)
Ole Henriksen All Four Love 3 Little Wonders + Cleanse
Let us all just take a moment to "aww" at the teeny tiny sizes of these products. OK, resume. This little skin-care kit—just in time for holiday travel—includes Ole's cult-favorite Truth Serum Vitamin C Collagen Booster (an A.M. anti-aging serum), the Sheer Tranformation night cream (for dry, discolored skin), the Invigorating Night Treatment (a fine-line-smoothing gel), and the African Red Tea Foaming Cleanser, all for $25. Yup. (Sephora, $25)
According to the publication, Harris filed for divorce on Dec. 7 in Georgia's Henry County. E! News shed more light on the reason for the split after a source reportedly told them that the couple had been going through a bit of a rough patch, and that "arguments and disagreements over some issues led them to split."
However, the source revealed that despite their decision to divorce, they intend to remain amicable and will "still be friends for the kids and family." This is a statement echoed by Us Weekly, who reported that Harris and T.I. spent Christmas together.
The couple have been very open about sharing their relationship with the public, and have documented their lives on their reality TV show T.I. & Tiny: The Family Hustle. However, according to Us Weekly, rumors of marital trouble started in October, after Harris posted a photo on Instagram of herself and Floyd Mayweather — T.I. has a bit of a history with Mayweather: they were involved in a brawl on the Las Vegas strip back in 2014.
Neither Harris nor T.I. have addressed the news publicly, but we expect that what they really want during this time is privacy.
Kim Kardashian West and Kanye West are probably together at home right now rolling their eyes at the reports about their marriage being in trouble. And West's recent tweet seems to confirm that despite what the tabloids are saying about the state of his marriage, there's no need for concern.
Taking to Twitter on Tuesday, Dec. 27, West sent fans a simple "Happy holidays" message, but it was the picture that accompanied his message that was of real importance: In it, you can see West sporting his new blond hairdo while he holds his son, Saint. Also in the picture is his wife, Kim, who can be seen holding their daughter, North.
The sweet photo may even be enough to shut down those persistent divorce rumors for good, because it proves that the couple are spending time together (including the holidays, although there have been reports that West ditched the Kardashian clan's annual Christmas party), and that they're still a united family unit.
Kanye West Twitter
Kanye West Twitter
This is a statement echoed by fans, whose comments on the picture seem to indicate great relief.
reaction to Kanye West photo
reaction to Kanye West photo
reaction to Kanye West photo 2
reaction to Kanye West photo 2
reaction to Kanye West photo 3
reaction to Kanye West photo 3
The picture marks the second time we've seen West and Kardashian West together within the last week — on Dec. 23, they were spotted together at The Nutcracker ballet at the Redondo Beach Performing Arts Center — and we think it's now safe to say that the reports about marital discord have been largely exaggerated.
Using an “old married couple” as the benchmark for people who have boring sex is inaccurate according to a new study by psychologists at the University of Minnesota and Stony Brook University.
Popular culture tells us that our sex lives deteriorate as we age, but that conventional wisdom is being challenged by what the authors of the study call "sexual wisdom." In other words, life experience, knowledge and better judgment may also result in more satisfying sex.
“This is consistent with the improvement we see in other life domains with age, and highlights the benefits of life experience for sexuality as people learn more about their sexual preferences and their partners’ likes and dislikes,” the authors of the study wrote on The Conversation.
They also noted that the increase in sexual satisfaction was strongest in the context of “good-quality romantic relationships, where sexual exploration and a focus on partners’ pleasure is more likely to take place.”
Participants in the study indicated that they place more emphasis on sexual quality rather than quantity — so they may be having sex less often, but when they do it, they do it well.
Using an “old married couple” as the benchmark for people who have boring sex is inaccurate according to a new study by psychologists at the University of Minnesota and Stony Brook University.
Popular culture tells us that our sex lives deteriorate as we age, but that conventional wisdom is being challenged by what the authors of the study call "sexual wisdom." In other words, life experience, knowledge and better judgment may also result in more satisfying sex.
“This is consistent with the improvement we see in other life domains with age, and highlights the benefits of life experience for sexuality as people learn more about their sexual preferences and their partners’ likes and dislikes,” the authors of the study wrote on The Conversation.
They also noted that the increase in sexual satisfaction was strongest in the context of “good-quality romantic relationships, where sexual exploration and a focus on partners’ pleasure is more likely to take place.”
Participants in the study indicated that they place more emphasis on sexual quality rather than quantity — so they may be having sex less often, but when they do it, they do it well.
Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt's divorce has been very ugly, and, for the most part, very public. But over the holidays the couple's children were able to enjoy some sort of normalcy when their therapists gave them the green light to see both parents.
However, the decision to give Pitt access to the couple's six children reportedly left Jolie incredibly unhappy, this according to a new report from InTouch Weekly.
"Angelina [was] furious about this. She's having a meltdown. She can't believe it's happening," a source told the publication of Jolie's alleged reaction to her kids being able to visit Pitt at his home on Christmas.
The source also claims Jolie did everything in her power to change the terms so that the visit would take place at her own house, but her requests were reportedly declined — which left her "furious."
While one parent may be left angry and upset, it's very good news for the other: according to the source, this latest decision by the childrens' therapists is considered a "big victory for Brad" because Jolie reportedly didn't want him to see his children this Christmas. Although the two oldest children, Maddox and Pax, were reportedly given the option not to visit Pitt.
We don't know exactly what's happening behind-the-scenes in the Jolie-Pitt household, but allowing the children to spend time (especially important holidays) with both their parents seems the first logical step towards healing the family. However, it could be a long time before this custody battle is resolved, because the couple are continuing their court battle over the joint custody of their children (Jolie reportedly wants sole custody), with the latest development coming last week: Pitt filed court documents requesting to have their court documents sealed.
He reportedly also slammed Jolie for making everything so public (such as the names of their children's therapists and other mental health professionals).
Do you believe the latest reports about Angelina Jolie not wanting Brad Pitt to see their kids on Christmas? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
New Year's Eve is just around the corner, and if you're not up for partying until midnight with your kids (or at all), Netflix is offering a great way to celebrate the new year with your family without losing your sanity.
Netflix NYE Countdowns
Netflix NYE Countdowns
As in seasons past, Netflix has unveiled a collection of on-demand New Year's Eve countdowns. Queue up a countdown for as early as you want, and ring in the "new year." Then you can crash immediately afterward or stay up and play dirty card games all night with your grown-up friends.
On the other hand, you might be the adventurous type who doesn't mind their kids staying up until midnight. You can watch a Netflix countdown at midnight! Your kids are sure to be more entertained by characters they know and love counting down with them.
If you're feeling extra-celebratory, you can play the entire roster of on-demand countdowns on repeat to keep the party going all night long.
You and your kids will have plenty to choose from — characters from a ton of different shows are on hand to help your kids ring in the new year. This year's options include characters from Word Party, Puffin Rock, Luna Petunia, Beat Bugs, All Hail King Julien, Skylanders Academy, Trollhunters, Project Mc2, Fuller House and Chasing Cameron.
When the chocolate cravings hit, they can make you feel like an animal. But you can maintain some of your dignity if you indulge those cravings with something from Starbucks' new Tuxedo Collection. Sounds like something you'd pick up from Tom Ford? No worries; these treats are much more affordable and you can bring the kids along with you.
So, here's the scoop on these three handcrafted drinks.
Tuxedo Mocha: Hot espresso over mocha sauce and white chocolate mocha sauce with steamed milk added to create a dark and white swirl. Topped with whipped cream and a mocha drizzle on one half, for that black and white effect. Oh yes, and don't forget the dark chocolate curls. You can get the Tuxedo Mocha hot or iced.
Tuxedo Frappuccino: Mocha sauce and white chocolate mocha sauce are blended with Frappuccino roast coffee, milk and ice. This one gets that same black and white whipped topping along with the dark chocolate swirls.
Here's the thing, though — these drinks are available only through Jan. 1, so don't delay getting fitted for your "tux."
Zach Galifianakis and his wife Quinn Lundberg’s second son was born almost two months ago. We would have told you earlier if we had known. The couple just hid it from us, like they deserve a private life. (They probably do deserve a private life.)
Anyway, Rufus Emmanuel Lundberg was born on Nov. 7, 2016. Rufus, by the way, means "red-haired." It is a very good name, and we approve. We don’t know whether or not we can approve of the name of his older brother because once again, the couple is keeping secrets from us. Although we do know that Zach is an extremely strict dad.
No word on whether the baby was born with a full beard, but we like to imagine that this is so. If any pictures emerge, we’ll probably draw a beard on that baby. This is how we entertain ourselves at SheKnows.
Men obsessing over penis size is so common that it has become a pop culture cliché. A favorite subject of insecure men everywhere, a proverbial dick-measuring contest even popped up in the 2016 presidential campaign when the now-president-elect thought it was necessary to nationally defend the size of his own member.
But when you think about it, there really is no equivalent for women. Never once have I been out with the gals and we’ve assigned value or settled an argument based on the size of our clitorises. That would not only be logistically challenging, but basically impossible without an MRI, since most of the clitoris is internal. So how big are clitorises anyway?
In an excerpt from his new book If Our Bodies Could Talk, James Hamblin shed some light on the subject, providing dimensions for the average nonaroused clitoris (0.06 to 0.2 inches), indicating that during arousal it roughly doubles in volume. The glans — or the external part of the clitoris — is typically 0.09 to 0.17 inches wide and 0.15 to 0.26 inches long, and accounts for only about one-quarter of the organ.
Interestingly, Hamblin noted that people on the smaller end of the clitoral size spectrum tend to have fewer orgasms — a relationship that does not exist for people with penises. And there’s good news for everyone: The clitoris actually gets bigger with age.
Unlike the penis, the clitoris has no reproductive purpose and exists solely for pleasure, with at least 8,000 nerve endings (the penis has about half of that spread across a much larger surface). So for us, size truly doesn’t matter.
Update: Dec. 28, 2016, 9 a.m. PT: The state of Utah is asking the U.S. Supreme Court not to consider the Brown family's case.
The state filed a brief this week responding to the Brown family's lawsuit seeking an end to Utah's ban on polygamy citing the ban as a condition of Utah's statehood — Utah was required to ban polygamy when it became a state in 1894 — and asking the U.S. Supreme Court to uphold it.
"The Enabling Act’s polygamy ban, which Petitioners have not challenged in this case, was to be ‘irrevocable without the consent of the United States and the people of’ Utah," Utah Solicitor General Tyler Green wrote. "Utah’s founders complied and adopted the ban, which remains part of Utah’s constitution."
Green also argued that Utah's ban on polygamy has gone largely unenforced, and that law enforcement officials have only sought out polygamists when other crimes like abuse, fraud and child-bride marriages are involved.
Update: Nov. 2, 2016, 7:14 a.m. PT: The U.S. Supreme Court seems to be interested in the case. According to The Salt Lake Tribune, a spokesman for the attorney general's office, Dan Burton, confirms the court asked the Utah Attorney General's Office to respond to the appeal from the Sister Wives family.
Original article:
As you may already know, polygamy is not a method of marriage that is used only in the household of Kody Brown and his wives on TLC's popular reality series Sister Wives. In fact, the idea of a man marrying more than one woman at a time is a common practice for a select number of families — oftentimes because they practice religions that encourage polygamy — and is practiced both within and outside of the United States. And now Kody Brown and his four wives (Christine, Meri, Robyn and Janelle) are taking what originally began as a 2012 lawsuit against the state of Utah to a more national level: Their petition against the criminalization of polygamy is headed to the U.S. Supreme Court. Yep, a reality television show could be changing the ways marriage is viewed in the United States as we know it.
In fact, Brown and his four wives officially filed the request on Monday, Sept. 12 for the U.S. Supreme Court to hear their case for legalizing polygamy.
Now, before you begin passing judgment, it should be noted that nationwide legalization of polygamy isn't exactly what they're asking for. If anything, the Sister Wives stars are looking for justice in terms of their own religious freedom and the freedom of speech and to privacy in regard to the ways they are choosing to live their lives instead of constantly facing threats of prosecution or any other possible legal charges that may hang over what they refer to as their "spiritual union," making this the first time in over 100 years that the U.S. Supreme Court is looking at a case related to polygamy. Things just got really real.
But what brought them to this point? Well, after their 2012 case against Utah, Brown and his wives actually did take a step in the right direction for the polygamist cause. The federal court overturned Utah's bigamy law in 2013, therefore legalizing the idea of polygamy to a point where one could not be arrested because of it. However, when the cause they sued Utah for in the first place contained no backing, their case was thrown out in April 2016. And they will now be taking what began as a statewide ban onto the national stage as soon as a Sept. 10 hearing.
Meanwhile, the possible passing of the petition could also directly affect the already bonded family, as Brown has a legal contract with only one of his wives, Robyn, therefore resulting in what could be three more televised wedding ceremonies to legally bond the polygamist family as one if their petition goes as planned. And who knows? Maybe this could even be means for Brown to introduce another wife into their family. We'll just have to wait and see.
For those of us who follow Carrie Fisher's sweet dog on Instagram and worried about his fate, there's good news: He's reportedly going to be adopted by Fisher's daughter Billie Lourd.
Fisher's dog is kind of famous in his own right. The 4-year-old French bulldog named Gary went with Fisher pretty much everywhere she went, even to interviews and events. He was a service dog for her bipolar disorder, and it didn't hurt that he's freakin' adorable. He was right by her side on her flight from London to LA when she suffered her heart attack, and sources say he even visited her at the UCLA medical center while she was there.
TMZ reports that Lourd also has a French bulldog named Tina and that the two dogs are already best friends. According to a family friend, Fisher always wanted Lourd to take care of Gary if anything happened to her. If, for some reason, things don't work out with Lourd, the friend said that Gary will definitely stay in the family.
Carrie Fisher's dog Gary tweets about her death 2
Carrie Fisher's dog Gary tweets about her death 2
Fisher suffered her heart attack on Dec. 23. On Dec. 27, Lourd's publicist shocked the world with news that Fisher had died. Since then, fans and celebrities alike have been paying tribute to the late actress, best known for playing Princess Leia in the original Star Wars trilogy.
The year 2016 may very well go down in history as one of the wildest and weirdest years in recent history. This sentiment is no less true for Kelly Ripa, whose year has been dominated by workplace drama but luckily, not totally consumed by it. When she wasn't busy making surprise guest appearances (read: making great shows even greater), she was test-driving different co-hosts for Live! and doing it in style. If anything, Ripa has shown us all that even when the unexpected happens, there's no reason to wallow in it. Instead, the best thing to do is brush yourself off and keep moving forward.
Ripa's indomitable spirit and trademark wit have also defined her year. It's interesting to note that while Ripa is not a frequent social media poster, when she does post, she makes sure it's a moment that counts. That's pretty indicative of how Ripa has remained strong during what would appear to have been an otherwise unsettled year for the daytime talk show host. She has chosen to highlight the positive and focus on the good times, which I think we can all agree is the best course of action when it seems like there's nothing but drama surrounding you.
Unexpected Live! drama
Kelly Ripa Addresses Strahan Controversy
Kelly Ripa Addresses Strahan Controversy
Perhaps the defining narrative in Ripa's public life was the drama surrounding Live! and co-host Michael Strahan's unexpected (and slightly messy) departure. After four years, Strahan announced he was leaving Live! in April 2016. The announcement reportedly blindsided Ripa and the production team behind Live!, all of whom had no clue that Strahan was departing for greener pastures over at Good Morning America.
Ripa was noticeably curt to Strahan in his final days as co-host and made headlines when she took a week off from Live! without notice. Ripa's public apology to her viewership was heartfelt and earnest. She expressed that she needed time to process the news.
Andy Cohen weighs in, Strahan return rumors begin
Image: Derrick Salters/WENN.com, WENN
At the time of the event, Ripa's close friend and, later, Live! co-host Andy Cohen noted Ripa's distress at not being told of Strahan's departure and cited their chemistry as one of the reasons the news was so shocking.
While she felt hurt that she wasn't immediately told of Strahan's departure, she was going to press onward and wished Strahan well in the transition process. There were recent rumors that Strahan was trying to return to Live!, although that should definitely be taken with a grain of salt. Strahan's made no public announcement as of yet.
Since April, Ripa has had a bevy of famous faces play co-host on Live!. Initially, many thought that this was simply an audition process, much like what had happened when Ripa's previous co-host Regis Philbin left and Strahan came aboard. It would appear that this is not the case, since Ripa is still co-hosting with a new guest each week. While there is no clear-cut consensus on whether Ripa will find a permanent co-host, it's been a ton of fun to see who sits in the chair next to Ripa each episode.
Notable co-hosts have included Alec Baldwin, Fred Savage, Carrie-Ann Inaba, Jim Parsons, Andy Cohen, and Ripa's best friend Anderson Cooper. Who knows what 2017 will hold for Ripa and the Live! team? But one thing's for certain: Ripa is ready to move on from the drama and keep the good times rolling. Can you blame her? I have my fingers crossed she keeps bringing on new co-hosts every week, if only because it proves that Ripa can get along with literally anyone and make great television at the same time.
Ripa kills it on Halloween, per usual
Image: Live! with Kelly
Proof that she can work with anyone and have literally a metric ton of fun was her iconic Halloween episode with co-host Jerry O'Connell. Ripa and O'Connell had a whale of a time dressing up as 2016's most recognizable and beloved characters. While O'Connell donned Negan's leather jacket and baseball bat, Ripa repped Lemonade with Beyoncé's trademark yellow dress and the "Hot Sauce" bat. She also did a hilarious impression of Donald Trump — orange visage and all — as well as Suicide Squad's Harley Quinn.
Ripa's family matters were major in 2016
Kelly and Mark Youtube
Kelly and Mark Youtube
When she wasn't busy rightfully ruling the roost at Live!, Ripa was documenting some major family milestones. Ripa's social media feeds were dominated by her family life this year, and it was so much fun to be able to share in Ripa's maternal joys. The most exciting milestone was definitely Ripa's 20-year anniversary with husband Mark Consuelos. For a celebrity marriage, 20 years is a ridiculously long time to stay married, but don't get it twisted: That's a good thing.
The duo has been delighting in one another's company for years and are arguably an example of a successful celebrity marriage. When Consuelos co-hosted Live! with Ripa in December 2016, the two were riffing off each other as they spoke to the audience about how they eloped. Now, two decades and three children later, the couple is just as lively and in love as they ever were — and it shows.
Ripa was also there to document birthdays, an adorable father-daughter moment as her middle child Lola accompanied Consuelos to the premiere of Nine Lives, and youngest son Joaquin's wrestling matches. I mean, honestly, could it get any cuter? And through all of it, Ripa remained focused on documenting the good times because those are the moments worth remembering.
2016 was definitely a wild year for Ripa. Who knows what awaits her in 2017?
Joe Maldonado had been a member of his local Cub Scout troop for a little over a month when his mother, Kristie Maldonado, received a phone call from the Scouts telling her that her son, who is transgender, could no longer be a member because he was born a girl.
Maldonado says that the fact that her son was transgender was not a secret — in fact, he has been living as a boy for over a year now and is accepted as male by his school. She also said that none of the boys in his troop ever made Joe feel unwelcome: "Not one of the kids said, 'You don't belong here,'' she said in an interview with NorthJersey.com. It was a few of the parents who complained about Joe, proving once again that when adults make discriminatory decisions on the basis that they are "protecting their children," they are often ignoring what their kids feel and are, instead, protecting their own bigotry.
The Boy Scouts have been behind the curve on equality and fairness. It was just last year, in July of 2015, that they finally lifted their ban on gay adult scout leaders (although local scout groups and those sponsored by religious organizations still have the right to make their own decisions about hiring gay men because, apparently, the Boy Scouts believes that their members should have the right to be hateful).
This is the first known incident of transgender discrimination in the Scouts, which has refused to say whether not they have any written policies on the issue (we're going to go ahead and put our money on "no"). They recently began allowing transgender kids into their co-ed programs, but not into the Cubs or Scouts. Meanwhile, the Girl Scouts admitted their first trans member in 2011 and address the issue on their FAQ page, saying that applications from transgender girls on considered on a case-by-case basis with the child's safety in mind, but that if the child has been living as a girl and is recognized as a girl by her community, then "Girl Scouts is an organization that can serve her in a setting that is both emotionally and physically safe."
The Boy Scouts, who seem to be making this all up as they go along, told NorthJersey.com through their communications director, Effie Delimarkos, that the group would use birth certificates to "confirm legal status." This will be news to every other parent of a boy in the Scouts, who we're sure has never been asked for their child's birth certificate to prove their gender. Delimarkos also stated that the issue of trans kids is different from that of gay kids because "gender identity isn't related to sexual orientation."
Excellent try, Boy Scouts. It's sadly hilarious that just a few years ago you wouldn't allow gay boys in, but now you're citing your protection of their rights as a defense for why you won't accept trans kids. Your policies of discrimination just get narrower and narrower as the world becomes bigger and bigger. And your new birth certificate policy is going to end up biting you in the butt because, as Justin Wilson, the executive director of Scouts for Equality points out, this "new, unfair, arbitrary standard" would, therefore, allow transgender girls to join the Boy Scouts.
We have no doubt that public pressure will once again force the Boy Scouts to do the right thing. It's just unfortunate that good kids like Joe Maldonado, who loved your organization and couldn't wait to be a part of it, have to be hurt in the process.
Yeah, you can just ignore those if her Instagram is any indication.
Amy, the black sheep cousin of the Duggar family, posted a sexy Christmas snap to her account showing her getting awfully cozy under the tree with her husband of just over a year.
"Merry Christmas from the Kings to you and your family!" she wrote alongside the pic, which is awfully steamy by Duggar standards.
Amy duggar gets steamy in xmas pic amid divorce rumors
Amy duggar gets steamy in xmas pic amid divorce rumors
If this cuteness says anything, it's that Amy is fighting back against the divorce rumors that have been following her and Dillon over the last few months. The couple is set to appear on the upcoming season of Marriage Boot Camp, premiering in early January, and promos for the season have revealed some definite issues in the King marriage.
In one particularly explosive clip, Amy describes a time that Dillon allegedly lifted her up by her throat "all the way up to the ceiling." Considering that footage was filmed only seven months into their marriage, it looked like they had plenty to overcome if they were going to make it for the long haul.
That's why the timing on Amy's sweet Christmas pic feels like a direct response to the rumor mill. Every marriage has its problems, and she and Dillon are obviously no exception. But based on that particular family Christmas photo, we probably shouldn't expect to hear their divorce news any time soon.
With Flip or Flop's Christina and Tarek El Moussa headed for divorce — and both moving on — there's bound to be a strange dynamic or two in upcoming episodes of the show.
But what about their new significant others? Tarek is reportedly having a fling with the family nanny, while Christina has fully moved on with a new boyfriend, contractor Gary Anderson. Will he appear on Flip or Flop alongside the show's stars?
"I can’t imagine it lasting," an insider told In Touch Weekly of Christina's relationship with Anderson. "He’s got two grown daughters and doesn’t want any more kids. He doesn’t even like to be around [young] kids!"
So what's he even doing with Christina? The insider says it's all about her being a younger woman.
"I think it’s more of her looking up to him as a father figure," the source said. "Gary is also loaded. So I guess if you’re already used to someone like Tarek who has money, you’re going to go after someone like Gary."
There's also some new intel that claims Anderson may have had something to do with Christina and Tarek's split. According to an insider, "Christina fell for Gary while he was working on her and Tarek’s pool" three years ago, although Anderson had a girlfriend at the time.
That source says the big blow-up that led to the police being called to the El Moussa home just before they announced their divorce, was caused by Anderson.
"Tarek saw Christina’s phone and [believed] there was some inappropriate texting going on between her and Gary," the source said. "That’s when he blew up."
