Pop Culture

The conservatorship that has controlled the life of Britney Spears for 13 years neared a possible end on Wednesday after a judge suspended her father, and the pop super-star said later that she was “on cloud 9 right now.” At a contentious three-hour hearing, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Brenda Penny removed Jamie Spears from

According to Texas attorney general, the barbaric abortion law has been great for trade.  By Bess Levin September 30, 2021 As states around the country roll back abortion rights, we’re hearing a lot of arguments explaining why forcing a person to carry a pregnancy against their will is actually a positive thing. In Mississippi, the

Purported Democrat Joe Manchin has been one of the major roadblocks standing between his fellow lawmakers and substantive, meaningful legislation. Along with fellow Senator Kyrsten Sinema, Manchin is attempting to nearly singlehandedly derail President Biden’s Build Back Better plan—a massive $3.5 trillion spending package that invests in clean energy, affordable housing, healthcare, childcare, and much

Gloria Estefan has revealed that when she was 9 years old she was sexually abused by someone her mother trusted. The Cuban-American superstar spoke for the first time publicly about the abuse and its effects on her during an episode of the Facebook Watch show “Red Table Talk: The Estefans” that aired Thursday. “He was

As Zoolander turns 20, we’re looking back at its unusually prescient take on image and self-presentation. By Jake Kring-Schreifels September 29, 2021 Ben Stiller in Zoolander, 2001.CBS / Getty Images When Ben Stiller debuted his professionally good-looking character Derek Zoolander at the 1996 VH1 Fashion Awards, it was easy to laugh at him. Over the

Derek Zoolander was born into the very world that he’d so deliciously send up: the 1996 VH1 Fashion Awards. The character made his first appearance in a short film written by a surrealist comedian named Drake Sather, starring Ben Stiller. At the time, our obsession with the fashion world was reaching new heights. Supermodels were

A Los Angeles judge on Wednesday suspended the father of Britney Spears from his 13-years-long role as the controller of the singer’s business affairs. Read more: Britney Spears conservatorship case back in court “The current situation is not tenable. It reflects a toxic environment which requires the suspension of Jamie Spears effective today,” Los Angeles

Since the Times’ bombshell report on Ozy’s questionable metrics, which entangled CEO Carlos Watson, the company’s board has opened an investigation, a new hire has publicly quit, and A&E has canceled a partnered broadcast. By Caleb Ecarma September 29, 2021 New York Times media columnist Ben Smith dropped a bomb Sunday night by revealing how

Courtesy Candace Mayeron Curse of the Chippendales, a new discovery+ docuseries, peels back the curtains on the Chippendales saga, a twisty (and almost unbelievably real) tale involving a murder, an international manhunt, and lots of oiled men in g-strings. The famous male revue began as a stunt in Los Angeles in the 1980s, but soon

The Britney Spears case returns to court on Wednesday after a summer of surprise turns, shocking allegations, an  engagement and mounting expectations that the 13-year-old legal arrangement that controls the singer’s life will soon end. After years of glacial progress, the past two months have seen the “Circus” singer’s father, Jamie Spears, make a surprise

Before I dive in, I have to apologize for not looking more into this back when I fangirled about the teaser trailer for The Harder They Fall. I had no idea these were actual Black historical figures being portrayed and thought it was a just a stylish, Black take on the Western genre. But now

An Impeachment: American Crime Story producer calls Monica Lewinsky and Linda Tripp’s taped conversations “the best artifact of female friendship that exists.” By Julie Miller September 28, 2021 On Impeachment: American Crime Story and in real life, Linda Tripp was tempted to tape-record her friend Monica Lewinsky for a complicated hodgepodge of reasons, political and

This marks the pair’s first official collaboration since 2009’s “Already Home.” By Grant Rindner September 28, 2021 Photographs courtesy Getty Images; Collage by Gabe Conte 2021 has been a pretty stacked year for the Western (like the Angelina Jolie vehicle Those Who Wish Me Dead, Clint Eastwood’s Cry Macho, and the upcoming The Power of

Cadence Weapon has won the 2021 Polaris Music Prize for his album Parallel World. The Edmonton-raised rapper’s full-length record — which fuses hip-hop, electronic and grime music into a reflection on social injustice — was selected by an 11-member grand jury as the best Canadian album of the year, based on its artistic merit. The

He apparently insisted it was “not small or toadstool-shaped,” despite reports to the contrary. By Bess Levin September 28, 2021 After five years of books about Donald Trump, it might seem like there is truly nothing left to say about the 45th president and his time in the White House. We know he‘s insane. We

Fall may be approaching, but the inaugural season of Bachelor in Paradise Canada promises to heat things up. The show, an offshoot of The Bachelor and The Bachelorette, features singles from the franchise in a more “relaxed” environment as they continue to search for love. It can get messy, as we’ve seen in the American

Welcome to Shelf Life, ELLE.com’s books column, in which authors share their most memorable reads. Whether you’re on the hunt for a book to console you, move you profoundly, or make you laugh, consider a recommendation from the writers in our series, who, like you (since you’re here), love books. Perhaps one of their favorite

For years, decades even, allegations swirled that R&B superstar R. Kelly was abusing young women and girls, with seeming impunity. They were mostly young Black women. And Black girls. And that, say accusers and others who have called for him to face accountability, is part of what took the wheels of the criminal justice system

It’s the night that changes everything for the main figures in Love Is a Crime: December 13, 1951, the day Walter Wanger shot a gun at Jennings Lang. Nearly 70 years later, podcast cohosts Karina Longworth and Vanessa Hope attempt to unpack “one of the biggest, most widely gossiped-about scandals in Hollywood history” in this

Instagram—which is a part of Facebook—has decided to pause plans to launch a “kids” version of the app aimed at tweens ages 10-12. Instagram CEO Adam Mosseri made the announcement via a Twitter thread, where he discussed the company’s decision to take a step back to approach Instagram Kids with more thought and care. Mosseri

It’s personal for Dog the Bounty Hunter. The outspoken reality TV star, whose real name is Duane Chapman, has joined the search for Gabby Petito‘s fiancé, Brian Laundrie, after his fans started reaching out to him to help. He said he was already in Florida on a honeymoon with his new wife, so it wasn’t

One of them represented the gynecologist accused of sexual assault by 200 patients.  By Bess Levin September 27, 2021 The last time we checked in with the legal comings and goings of Congressman Matt Gaetz, things were not looking too hot for the Florida Republican from the perspective of not being charged with numerous crimes.

For decades, he worked tirelessly to make himself the biggest movie star on the planet. Then he hit his “fuck-it 50s” and everything changed. Now, as he prepares a raw new memoir and a pair of films tackling racial themes, Will Smith is ready to speak his truth. By Wesley Lowery Photography by Renell Medrano

Disgraced R&B superstar R. Kelly was convicted Monday in a sex trafficking trial after decades of avoiding criminal responsibility for numerous allegations of misconduct with young women and children. The jury found Kelly guilty of racketeering on their second day of deliberations. He faces a sentence of 10 years to potentially life in prison. Kelly

The former president doesn’t need facts when he can still use his election-related lies to galvanize his base and splinter his party.  By Charlotte Klein September 26, 2021 Donald Trump made clear over the weekend that he still wants to force Republicans to pay a political cost for failing to help him overturn the 2020

Saturday night, musical artist Lizzo appeared on New York City’s Central Park stage for the Global Citizen Live event. Dressed in a hot pink cat suit with removable ruffled sleeves, the performer wowed audiences with her biggest hits, including “Truth Hurts” and “Juice.” The Grammy award winner wanted to share more than music while she