Actor Elliot Page is seen with TV host Oprah Winfrey on the set of The Oprah Conversation in an undated handout photo.
HO/The Canadian Press
Actor Elliot Page is revealing how happier he feels after having top surgery and how important he believes it is to support health care for transgender people.
“I want people to know that not only has it been life changing for me, I do believe it is life-saving and it’s the case for so many people,” the actor tells Oprah Winfrey on her new show for Apple TV+.
During the interview, Page teared up when Winfrey asked him what has brought him the most joy.
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The Oscar-nominated star of Juno, Inception and The Umbrella Academy said it was the little things — like wearing a T-shirt, having a towel around his waist after a shower or touching his chest — that made him “feel comfortable in my body for probably the first time.”
The full interview from The Oprah Conversation was released Friday.
Page urged officials to support health care for transgender people and allow them access to sports. Some lawmakers are seeking to ban transgender youth from playing sports that match their gender identity. “Children will die,” Page said. “And it really is that simple.”
He said the surgery has given him newfound energy “because it it such a freeing, freeing experience,” adding: “This is incredibly new. I feel like I haven’t gotten to be myself since I was 10 years old.”
Page came out as transgender in December, an announcement that was widely greeted as a watershed moment for the trans community in Hollywood. He told Winfrey the decision was “imperative” in light of the violence against transgender youth.
“It felt important and selfish for myself and my own well-being and my mental health,” he said. “And also with this platform I have, the privilege that I have, and knowing the pain and the difficulties and the struggles I’ve faced in my life, let alone what so many other people are facing, it absolutely felt crucial and important for me to share that.”
Time spent in Nova Scotia allowed me to look inward
Page says time spent alone in Nova Scotia during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic allowed him to connect with his body and open the door to recognizing he was a transgender man.
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The Halifax-born actor told Winfrey that being forced to step away from the entertainment industry during a widespread shutdown allowed him to “fully listen” to himself.
“It was probably the first time in my life where I really felt comfortable and OK alone,” said the 34-year-old actor.
“It used to be incredibly difficult for me to even just sit with myself.... I think I realized getting into that space and surrounded by nature more it was almost like steps into relaxation.”
Throughout the nearly 50-minute interview, Page reflected on growing up with “a very binary system” of gender standards that only intensified with the stardom of Hollywood. He said he felt “profound discomfort and disconnection with my body” around the time of puberty and that worsened as Page was tossed into the Oscar campaign for Juno.
“I remember it felt so impossible to communicate with people how unwell I was because obviously there is so much excitement,” he said.
“The film unexpectedly became a big hit, I became quite known... all these things and I felt I couldn’t express the degree of pain that I was in.”
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Page said he feels a responsibility to use his platform to speak out against “devastating” rhetoric coming from anti-trans and anti-LGBTQ activists.
In the United States, bills targeting the rights of transgender youth are being introduced in parts of the country, spanning issues including medical care and school sports.
Asked what he’d like to tell young trans people as they face an onslaught of anti-trans rhetoric, Page said he wanted to tell them, “I see them. That they exist. That they are real.”
“I just want kids to know that they’re loved,” he said.
“And I’m going to continue to do what I can to try and help this society shift how it treats transgender people.”
With a file from David Friend at The Canadian Press.
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Josh Duggar’s booking photo, released by the Washington County Sheriff’s DepartmentPhoto: Washington County Sheriff’s Office via Getty Images
Josh Duggar, best known for his starring role on TLC’s reality series 19 Kids And Counting, has now been charged with receiving and possessing child pornography. Arrested yesterday by U.S. Homeland Security, Duggar appeared in court on Friday, where he pleaded not guilty to the two charges against him.
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Duggar starred on all five seasons of the reality series, which began life as 17 Kids And Counting in 2008. The series was canceled in 2015, after allegations surfaced that, as a teenager, Duggar had sexually abused at least five underage women, including some of his younger sisters. (In that case, the charges against him were never fully investigated by law enforcement, because the statute of limitations had expired by the time the allegations came to light.)
If convicted, Duggar faces up to 20 years in prison and $250,000 in fines on each of the two counts. Per People, his attorneys released the following statement earlier today:
Josh Duggar has been charged in a two-count indictment. He has pled not guilty to both charges and we intend to defend this case aggressively and thoroughly. In this country, no one can stop prosecutors from charging a crime. But when you’re accused, you can fight back in the courtroom—and that is exactly what Josh intends to do.
Duggar is currently awaiting a bond hearing, while being held in an Arkansas jail. If released on bail, he will be required to live “in a residence where there’s no minor in the home.”
In his first televised interview since coming out as transgender, Canadian actor Elliot Page reflected on what his transition has been like, why trans visibility matters and the importance of defeating anti-trans bills in the United States.
The Halifax-born actor spoke with Oprah Winfrey on The Oprah Conversation, which aired on AppleTV on Friday.
"It's an incredible sensation that I am experiencing and it keeps unfolding," Page said.
"This is incredibly new. I feel like I haven't gotten to be myself since I was 10 years old, but [it's] all these moments of joy, of euphoria in my body, of just feeling a different way, every single day."
The actor is best known for his Oscar-nominated role in Juno, as well as the sci-fi action hit Inception, and most recently The Umbrella Academy on Netflix.
Page, 34, told Winfrey that posting the news widely felt imperative to not only counteract the anti-LGBTQ and anti-trans backlash he'd been seeing in the U.S., but also for his own well-being.
"With this platform I have, the privilege that I have, and knowing the pain and the difficulties and the struggles I've faced in my life — let alone what so many other people are facing — it absolutely felt just crucial and important for me to share that," he said.
Page said previously there were times in his life he knew he was trans, but he wasn't ready to share it. In 2014, he came out as gay.
He said he thought it would relieve some of the constant "white noise" in his head.
"It did relieve a lot for me … but no, the discomfort in my body, it absolutely did not go away," he said.
But now, after coming out as trans and having gender-affirming chest reconstruction surgery, the discomfort has faded.
Page, who was born in Halifax, is the first transgender man who appear solo on the cover of Time magazine. (Wynne Neilly/Time)
"I wanted to share with people just how much it has changed my life and I want people to know that not only has it been life-changing for me, I do believe it is life saving," he told Winfrey.
He also said it's important to share because of the current "attack" on transgender health care in the United States.
Some states have passed laws or implemented executive orders this year limiting the ability to receive gender-affirming medical treatment like puberty blockers and hormone therapy — a move that heavily impacts trans children.
"I want to tell them that I see them. That they exist. That they are real," Page said of transgender children.
"Looking at the attacks against trans kids right now and the rhetoric, I can't imagine what it feels like on top of everything else, and I just want kids to know that they're loved and I'm going to continue to do what I can to help this society shift how it treats transgender people."
Mainstreet NS8:24One of Halifax's favourite sons, Elliot Page, makes the cover of Time -- we have local reaction
Host Jeff Douglas speaks with Jay Aaron Roy, owner of Cape & Cowl Comics in Lower Sackville NS, and Mia Pohl who studies fine arts at NSCAD University, in Halifax. 8:24
Page also called on allies of the LGBTQ community to support and advocate for trans lives by combating the detrimental bills that could impact many trans people.
He said his own transition has allowed him to feel comfortable in his body for the first time ever.
"I guess from where I'm sitting now, all I know is — the degree of comfort, sense of home, ability to be present — feels so profound and life-changing," he said.
"And so what I look forward to is getting to move through the world in that way and continuing to become the person that I've always wanted to be and that I hope to be and keep working toward being."
Just a few weeks after accepting it, British actor Noel Clarke has been stripped of his BAFTA award and is the subject of numerous newspaper stories across the UK after more than twenty women have come forward to accuse Clarke of sexual harassment, groping, bullying, and sharing sexually explicit pictures and videos without consent.
The former “Doctor Who,” “Bulletproof” and “Kidulthood” star has vehemently denied all the allegations bar once making an inappropriate comment about one woman for which he later apologised.
After the BAFTA award was handed out in early April, numerous women broke their silence. They allege Clarke, who is married, is a serial abuser and uses his power to prey on and harass female colleagues.
Allegations include claims Clarke secretly filmed a co-star’s naked audition then showing the tape to other people, groping and exposing himself to female colleagues, and numerous advances of unwanted sexual contact. The accusers range from performers to crew to producers and interns.
BAFTA says in a statement: “In light of the Guardian’s piece, which for BAFTA provided for the first time detailed accounts outlining serious allegations regarding Noel Clarke’s conduct, we have immediately suspended the award and Noel Clarke’s membership of BAFTA until further notice.”
Clarke has been a staple of the UK’s film and TV industry for the past fifteen years and is currently starring in the series “Viewpoint” and the film “SAS: Red Notice”.
Last month, Netflix dropped a trailer for its CG animated film, The Mitchells vs. the Machines, produced by Phil Lord and Chris Miller of The Lego Movie and Into the Spider-Verse fame. I said, “It isn’t nearly as bewilderingly awesome as either of Lord and Miller’s previous two animated outings from what we can see, but it still looks like a good time.” I would like to retract that statement because the movie now looks outstanding to me.
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Netflix released an enormous 4:30-minute clip, where the Mitchells are trapped in a mall, Dawn of the Dead-style, and attacked by every single item with a microchip in it. It made me laugh out loud multiple times:
I still don’t know if Mitchells is going to end up in the same echelon as The Lego Movie and Spider-Verse, but if not, it’s going to be damn close. The movie has the same wild, kinetic energy as the other Lord and Miller movies, and is so packed with jokes that some of them hit hard by sheer quantity. And yes, as I previously mentioned, the gag that there are Furbies in the mall is an easy joke, but dammit, you can’t have Furbies say things like the screencaps above and below and not make me laugh:
The Mitchells vs. the Machines is out today on Netflix. I’ll be watching it the minute I’m done writing nerd news.
For more, make sure you’re following us on our new Instagram @io9dotcom.
Josh Duggar, who formerly appeared in TLC reality show 19 Kids and Counting, was arrested Thursday by the Washington County Sheriff’s Office in Arkansas on unspecified charges. He is currently being held without bond.
In 2015, Duggar admitted to sexually molesting five underage girls 13 years prior, when he was only 14. He also revealed that two of those girls were his younger sisters, Jill and Jessa, and he conceded to a porn addiction and cheating on his wife, which rocked the family’s strong Christian fanbase.
In a message posted on Facebook at the time, Duggar wrote: “I acted inexcusably for which I am extremely sorry and deeply regret. I hurt others, including my family and close friends.”
He sought treatment at a faith-based rehabilitation centre following the confession, but no charges were ever filed against him. He also resigned from his role as a lobbyist for an organization called the Family Research Council, which describes itself as “advancing faith, family, and freedom in public policy and the culture from a biblical worldview.”
“Back 12 years ago our family went through one of the most difficult times of our lives,” said his parents Jim Bob and Michelle in a joint statement at the time. “When Josh was a young teenager, he made some very bad mistakes and we were shocked. We had tried to teach him right from wrong. That dark and difficult time caused us to seek God like never before.
“Even though we would never choose to go through something so terrible, each one of our family members drew closer to God. We pray that as people watch our lives they see that we are not a perfect family. We have challenges and struggles every day. It is one of the reasons we treasure our faith so much because God’s kindness and goodness and forgiveness are extended to us — even though we are so undeserving. We hope somehow the story of our journey — the good times and the difficult times — cause you to see the kindness of God and learn that He can bring you through anything.”
TLC cancelled the show following Duggar’s revelations, after a highly successful run from 2008 until 2015. (The network has aired another Duggar-related show, Counting On, since late 2015.)
Online records show that Duggar was booked and placed on a federal hold at Washington County Detention Center in Fayetteville, Ark. Under the charges heading, the records state, “hold for other dept.” Authorities have not stated why he was arrested, but have confirmed he was arrested by Homeland Security.
His place of work, a car dealership in Arkansas, was raided by Homeland Security in late 2019, but it’s unclear if Duggar was implicated in that investigation. It’s also unknown if that raid is related to his current arrest.
Last year, Duggar reportedly lost a civil lawsuit over a property title dispute.
His arrest Thursday took place mere days after announcing that he and his wife, Anna, are expecting their seventh child together. They are already parents to Mackynzie Renée, 11, Michael, 9, Marcus, 7, Meredith, 5, Mason, 3, and Maryella, 1.
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Duggar is expected to appear in front of a judge on Friday.
Anne Douglas, widow of the late legendary Hollywood actorKirk Douglas, died Thursday at the age of 102, her family said.
"It is with great sadness that the Douglas family announces the passing of their matriarch, Anne Douglas, peacefully at home in Beverly Hills this afternoon at age 102," family spokesperson Marcia Newberger said in a statement.
Kirk Douglas was the star of such films as "Spartacus," "War Wagon" and "20,000 Leagues Under The Sea." He died in February 2020 at age 103.
The celebrity couple had married in 1954 and had two sons.
Anne Douglas was a philanthropist and publicist, according to the statement. She is survived by children Peter and Joel. She was also the stepmother of actor Michael Douglas.
Los Angeles police say the woman who returned Lady Gaga's stolen French bulldogs was among five people arrested in connection with the theft and shooting of the music superstar's dog walker.
Police say detectives do not believe that the thieves knew the dogs belonged to the pop star.
They believe the motive for the February 24 robbery was the value of the French bulldogs — which can run into the thousands of dollars.
The dog walker, Ryan Fischer, is recovering from a gunshot wound and has called the violence "a very close call with death" in social media posts.
Attack occurred off Sunset Boulevard
He was walking Lady Gaga's three dogs — named Asia, Koji and Gustav — in Hollywood just off the famed Sunset Boulevard when he was attacked.
Video from the doorbell camera of a nearby home shows a white sedan pulling up and two men jumping out.
A police officer is seen speaking to a Los Angeles resident after the shooting of Lady Gaga's dog walker in February. (Mario Anzuoni/Reuters)
They struggled with Fischer and one pulled a gun and fired a single shot before fleeing with two of the dogs, Koji and Gustav.
The video captured Fischer's screams of, "Oh, my God! I've been shot!" and "Help me!" and "I'm bleeding out from my chest!"
Singer offered $500K reward
Lady Gaga offered a $500,000 reward — "no questions asked" — to be reunited with the dogs.
The singer had been in Rome at the time filming a movie.
The dogs were returned two days later to an LAPD station by a woman who police initially said appeared to be "uninvolved and unassociated" with the crime.
It's not immediately clear if the 50-year-old woman received the reward.
Police say the woman turned out to be in a relationship with the father of one of the suspects.
4 men, 1 woman charged
Police arrested three men — an 18-year-old, a 19-year-old and a 27-year-old — on Tuesday on suspicion of attempted murder and robbery.
The 19-year-old suspect's 40-year-old father and the 50-year-old woman were arrested on suspicion of accessory attempted murder.
Police allege the four men who have been charged are all documented gang members.
The five suspects were charged Thursday by the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office.
All five were being held on $1 million US bail each.
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Former U.S. reality TV star Josh Duggar is in federal custody in an Arkansas jail.
The 19 Kids and Counting regular was arrested by authorities on Thursday and held without bail.
Details regarding the charges he faces are currently unknown, but the 33-year-old’s legal trouble emerges more than a year after his office at an Arkansas car dealership was raided by Homeland Security agents in November 2019 as part of an undisclosed federal probe, according to TMZ.
His arrest comes days after his wife, Anna Duggar, announced she is expecting the couple’s seventh child.
Noel Clarke, who recurred on Doctor Whoas Mickey Smith between 2005 and 2010, has been accused of sexual harassment and bullying by 20 women.
According to The Guardian, Clarke is also being accused of "unwanted touching or groping, sexually inappropriate behaviour and comments on set, professional misconduct, taking and sharing sexually explicit pictures and videos without consent." Clarke denied all the allegations except one, admitting that he made inappropriate comments about one woman. However, he says he apologized and denies the rest of her claim.
"In a 20-year career, I have put inclusivity and diversity at the forefront of my work and never had a complaint made against me," Clarke said in a statement. "If anyone who has worked with me has ever felt uncomfortable or disrespected, I sincerely apologise. I vehemently deny any sexual misconduct or wrongdoing and intend to defend myself against these false allegations."
The news comes just a few weeks after Clarke received a BAFTA (British Academy of Film and Television Arts) award. Following the March 29 announcement that Clarke would receive his award, the organization received "anonymous emails and reports of allegations via intermediaries, but no evidence was provided." BAFTA said that it was under no obligation to investigate Clarke and was given no information to allow it to begin a proper investigation.
"We take this matter extremely seriously," BAFTA said at the time. "We encouraged the people who contacted us to report the matter to the appropriate authorities and also engaged an independent victim support expert to provide them with professional advice, and that support remains in place."
"We will continue to review this matter, and should any allegations be substantiated we will take appropriate action," it added.
However, after The Guardian published its story, BAFTA amended its statement. "In light of the Guardian's piece, which for Bafta provided for the first time detailed accounts outlining serious allegations regarding Noel Clarke's conduct, we have immediately suspended the award and Noel Clarke’s membership of Bafta until further notice."
One of the women, Gina Powell, worked for Clarke as a producer between September 2014 and March 2017. She said that he harassed her, at one point telling her he was going to "to fuck her and fire her" before deciding to keep her on. Powell also stated that Clarke showed her secret footage he took of a naked audition for Jahannah James. Both James and her agent were told the audition would not be filmed. A casting director for the audition said there is "absolutely no way" Clarke could have filmed the tape.
A detailed account of the allegations against Clarke can be found in The Guardian's story.
Samuel Gelman started at CBR as a news writer in August 2019 before becoming a news editor in November 2019. While he has always loved superhero, sci-fi and fantasy films and TV series, it is only recently that he began reading comic books themselves. An adamant defender of The Last Jedi and the series finale of Lost, he can be reached at sam.g@cbr.com or through his Twitter, @SamMgelman.
The latest numbers of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Canada as of 4 a.m. ET on Thursday, April 29, 2021. There are 1,202,737 confirmed cases in Canada. _ Canada: 1,202,737 confirmed cases (83,354 active, 1,095,266 resolved, 24,117 deaths).*The total case count includes 13 confirmed cases among repatriated travellers. There were 7,751 new cases Wednesday. The rate of active cases is 219.32 per 100,000 people. Over the past seven days, there have been a total of 55,276 new cases. The seven-day rolling average of new cases is 7,897. There were 54 new reported deaths Wednesday. Over the past seven days there have been a total of 350 new reported deaths. The seven-day rolling average of new reported deaths is 50. The seven-day rolling average of the death rate is 0.13 per 100,000 people. The overall death rate is 63.46 per 100,000 people. There have been 31,173,221 tests completed. _ Newfoundland and Labrador: 1,066 confirmed cases (31 active, 1,029 resolved, six deaths). There were four new cases Wednesday. The rate of active cases is 5.94 per 100,000 people. Over the past seven days, there have been a total of 17 new cases. The seven-day rolling average of new cases is two. There have been no deaths reported over the past week. The overall death rate is 1.15 per 100,000 people. There have been 240,741 tests completed. _ Prince Edward Island: 179 confirmed cases (11 active, 168 resolved, zero deaths). There were two new cases Wednesday. The rate of active cases is 6.89 per 100,000 people. Over the past seven days, there have been a total of five new cases. The seven-day rolling average of new cases is one. There have been no deaths reported over the past week. The overall death rate is zero per 100,000 people. There have been 141,161 tests completed. _ Nova Scotia: 2,290 confirmed cases (489 active, 1,734 resolved, 67 deaths). There were 75 new cases Wednesday. The rate of active cases is 49.93 per 100,000 people. Over the past seven days, there have been a total of 434 new cases. The seven-day rolling average of new cases is 62. There have been no deaths reported over the past week. The overall death rate is 6.84 per 100,000 people. There have been 524,112 tests completed. _ New Brunswick: 1,890 confirmed cases (123 active, 1,731 resolved, 36 deaths). There were eight new cases Wednesday. The rate of active cases is 15.74 per 100,000 people. Over the past seven days, there have been a total of 86 new cases. The seven-day rolling average of new cases is 12. There were zero new reported deaths Wednesday. Over the past seven days there have been a total of two new reported deaths. The seven-day rolling average of new reported deaths is zero. The seven-day rolling average of the death rate is 0.04 per 100,000 people. The overall death rate is 4.61 per 100,000 people. There have been 295,747 tests completed. _ Quebec: 347,690 confirmed cases (9,948 active, 326,834 resolved, 10,908 deaths). There were 1,094 new cases Wednesday. The rate of active cases is 116.02 per 100,000 people. Over the past seven days, there have been a total of 7,293 new cases. The seven-day rolling average of new cases is 1,042. There were 12 new reported deaths Wednesday. Over the past seven days there have been a total of 70 new reported deaths. The seven-day rolling average of new reported deaths is 10. The seven-day rolling average of the death rate is 0.12 per 100,000 people. The overall death rate is 127.21 per 100,000 people. There have been 8,165,807 tests completed. _ Ontario: 455,606 confirmed cases (38,853 active, 408,765 resolved, 7,988 deaths). There were 3,480 new cases Wednesday. The rate of active cases is 263.7 per 100,000 people. Over the past seven days, there have been a total of 26,483 new cases. The seven-day rolling average of new cases is 3,783. There were 24 new reported deaths Wednesday. Over the past seven days there have been a total of 199 new reported deaths. The seven-day rolling average of new reported deaths is 28. The seven-day rolling average of the death rate is 0.19 per 100,000 people. The overall death rate is 54.21 per 100,000 people. There have been 13,794,497 tests completed. _ Manitoba: 38,211 confirmed cases (2,206 active, 35,034 resolved, 971 deaths). There were 189 new cases Wednesday. The rate of active cases is 159.94 per 100,000 people. Over the past seven days, there have been a total of 1,582 new cases. The seven-day rolling average of new cases is 226. There were three new reported deaths Wednesday. Over the past seven days there have been a total of 10 new reported deaths. The seven-day rolling average of new reported deaths is one. The seven-day rolling average of the death rate is 0.1 per 100,000 people. The overall death rate is 70.4 per 100,000 people. There have been 669,192 tests completed. _ Saskatchewan: 40,614 confirmed cases (2,443 active, 37,685 resolved, 486 deaths). There were 213 new cases Wednesday. The rate of active cases is 207.27 per 100,000 people. Over the past seven days, there have been a total of 1,731 new cases. The seven-day rolling average of new cases is 247. There were four new reported deaths Wednesday. Over the past seven days there have been a total of 17 new reported deaths. The seven-day rolling average of new reported deaths is two. The seven-day rolling average of the death rate is 0.21 per 100,000 people. The overall death rate is 41.23 per 100,000 people. There have been 757,668 tests completed. _ Alberta: 186,679 confirmed cases (20,938 active, 163,668 resolved, 2,073 deaths). There were 1,839 new cases Wednesday. The rate of active cases is 473.51 per 100,000 people. Over the past seven days, there have been a total of 11,449 new cases. The seven-day rolling average of new cases is 1,636. There were six new reported deaths Wednesday. Over the past seven days there have been a total of 21 new reported deaths. The seven-day rolling average of new reported deaths is three. The seven-day rolling average of the death rate is 0.07 per 100,000 people. The overall death rate is 46.88 per 100,000 people. There have been 4,087,512 tests completed. _ British Columbia: 127,889 confirmed cases (8,256 active, 118,057 resolved, 1,576 deaths). There were 841 new cases Wednesday. The rate of active cases is 160.38 per 100,000 people. Over the past seven days, there have been a total of 6,138 new cases. The seven-day rolling average of new cases is 877. There were five new reported deaths Wednesday. Over the past seven days there have been a total of 30 new reported deaths. The seven-day rolling average of new reported deaths is four. The seven-day rolling average of the death rate is 0.08 per 100,000 people. The overall death rate is 30.62 per 100,000 people. There have been 2,458,068 tests completed. _ Yukon: 81 confirmed cases (zero active, 79 resolved, two deaths). There were zero new cases Wednesday. Over the past seven days, there have been a total of three new cases. The seven-day rolling average of new cases is zero. There were zero new reported deaths Wednesday. Over the past seven days there has been one new reported death. The seven-day rolling average of new reported deaths is zero. The seven-day rolling average of the death rate is 0.34 per 100,000 people. The overall death rate is 4.76 per 100,000 people. There have been 8,918 tests completed. _ Northwest Territories: 51 confirmed cases (six active, 45 resolved, zero deaths). There were zero new cases Wednesday. The rate of active cases is 13.29 per 100,000 people. Over the past seven days, there have been a total of six new cases. The seven-day rolling average of new cases is one. There have been no deaths reported over the past week. The overall death rate is zero per 100,000 people. There have been 18,113 tests completed. _ Nunavut: 478 confirmed cases (50 active, 424 resolved, four deaths). There were six new cases Wednesday. The rate of active cases is 127.06 per 100,000 people. Over the past seven days, there have been a total of 49 new cases. The seven-day rolling average of new cases is seven. There have been no deaths reported over the past week. The overall death rate is 10.16 per 100,000 people. There have been 11,609 tests completed. This report was automatically generated by The Canadian Press Digital Data Desk and was first published April 29, 2021. The Canadian Press
Ryan Fischer was shot in the chest while out walking the singer’s dogs in Los Angeles two months ago.
The woman who returned Lady Gaga’s stolen French bulldogs was among five people charged Thursday with attempted murder and robbery in connection with the theft and shooting of the music superstar’s dog walker.
Detectives do not believe that the thieves knew the dogs belonged to the pop star, the Los Angeles Police Department said in a statement. The motive for the February 24 robbery, investigators believe, was the value of the French bulldogs – which can run into the thousands of dollars.
The dog walker, Ryan Fischer, is recovering from a gunshot wound and has called the violence “a very close call with death” in social media posts. He was walking Lady Gaga’s three dogs – named Asia, Koji and Gustav – in Hollywood just off the famed Sunset Boulevard when he was attacked.
“This was a brazen street crime that left a man seriously wounded,” District Attorney George Gascón said in a statement. “We have alleged very serious charges in this case and have faith that justice will be appropriately served as this case unfolds in court.”
Lady Gaga sings the national anthem during the 59th Presidential Inauguration at the US Capitol for President-elect Joe Biden in Washington, January 20, 2021 [Greg Nash/Pool Photo via AP]
Video from the doorbell camera of a nearby home shows a white sedan pulling up and two men jumping out. They struggled with Fischer and one pulled a gun and fired a single shot before fleeing with two of the dogs, Koji and Gustav.
The video captured Fischer’s screams of, “Oh, my God! I’ve been shot!” and “Help me!” and “I’m bleeding out from my chest!”
Lady Gaga offered a $500,000 reward – “no questions asked” – to be reunited with the dogs. The singer had been in Rome at the time filming a movie.
My beloved dogs Koji and Gustav were taken in Hollywood two nights ago. My heart is sick and I am praying my family will be whole again with an act of kindness. I will pay $500,000 for their safe return. Email KojiandGustav@gmail.com to contact us. pic.twitter.com/3NY9u7Mw2K
The dogs were returned two days later to an LAPD station by a woman who originally appeared to be “uninvolved and unassociated” with the crime, police initially said. It was not immediately clear if the woman, identified Thursday as 50-year-old Jennifer McBride, received the reward.
McBride turned out to be in a relationship with the father of one of the suspects, the LAPD said Thursday.
Police arrested James Jackson, 18; Jaylin White, 19; and Lafayette Whaley, 27, in connection with the violence. They are charged with attempted murder, conspiracy to commit robbery and second-degree robbery, according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office.
Jackson, who authorities say was the shooter, also faces charges of assault with a semiautomatic firearm and a felon carrying a concealed firearm in a vehicle. White faces one count of assault by means of force likely to produce great bodily injury.
The site where Lady Gaga’s dog walker was shot and two of her dogs were stolen in Los Angeles, California, US [File: Mario Anzuoni/Reuters]
White’s father, 40-year-old Harold White, and McBride were arrested and accused of being accessories to the attack. The elder White also was charged with one count of possession of a firearm and McBride faces a charge of receiving stolen property.
Jackson, Whaley and the Whites are all documented gang members, according to the LAPD.
The five suspects were charged Thursday by the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office. It was not immediately clear if they had lawyers who could speak on their behalf.
All five were being held on $1m bail each, online jail records show.
Lady Gaga did not immediately address the arrests on her social media accounts Thursday afternoon. Fischer and Lady Gaga’s representatives did not respond to requests for comment.
There are some fan theories that the song is, in part, about Billie's ex, Q, who Billie started dating when she was 16 and he was 22. In particular, they point to lyrics like "You swear you didn't know (Didn't know) / You said you thought she was your age." Her documentary, The World’s a Little Blurry, explores their volatile relationship further.
In an on-camera interview with Oprah Winfrey for Apple TV+, the actor's first since disclosing that he is transgender, Page talks about his trailblazing decision and the "joy" that has come with it.
In fact, in one clip, Winfrey asks what has brought him the most joy since revealing his truth. Page, who gets emotional while answering the question, says it's the little things that bring the most happiness.
"It's, you know, getting out of the shower and the towel is around your waist, and you're looking at yourself in the mirror and you're just like 'There I am,'" he says in a clip released to press. "And I'm not having the moment where I'm panicked... It's being able to touch my chest and feel comfortable in my body probably for the first time."
The full interview will be released on Friday.
The Oscar-nominated star of movies like "Juno" and "X-Men: Days of Future Past" shared his trans identity -- and preference for "his" and "him" pronouns -- in a heartfelt letter posted to Instagram in December.
In print interview with Vanity Fair and trans journalist Thomas Page McBee, Page added that it is not lost on him that his joy is coming at a time of great trials for the trans community, and he intends to be an advocate.
"I feel emerging joy and excitement one moment, and then in the next, profound sadness reading about people wanting to take gender-affirming health care away from children," he said. "I feel so grateful to be at this place in my life, and I want to use the strength I have to help in all the ways that I can."
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Stefanie Dazio, The Associated Press Published Thursday, April 29, 2021 5:46PM EDT
LOS ANGELES - The woman who returned Lady Gaga's stolen French bulldogs was among five people arrested in connection with the theft and shooting of the music superstar's dog walker, Los Angeles police said Thursday.
Detectives do not believe that the thieves knew the dogs belonged to the pop star, the Los Angeles Police Department said in a statement. The motive for the Feb. 24 robbery, investigators believe, was the value of the French bulldogs - which can run into the thousands of dollars.
The dog walker, Ryan Fischer, is recovering from a gunshot wound and has called the violence “a very close call with death” in social media posts. He was walking Lady Gaga's three dogs - named Asia, Koji and Gustav - in Hollywood just off the famed Sunset Boulevard when he was attacked.
Video from the doorbell camera of a nearby home shows a white sedan pulling up and two men jumping out. They struggled with Fischer and one pulled a gun and fired a single shot before fleeing with two of the dogs, Koji and Gustav.
The video captured Fischer's screams of, “Oh, my God! I've been shot!” and “Help me!” and “I'm bleeding out from my chest!”
The doorbell video shows a white sedan pulling up and two men jumping out. They struggled with Fischer and one pulled a gun and fired a single shot before fleeing with two of the dogs, Koji and Gustav.
Lady Gaga offered a $500,000 reward - “no questions asked” - to be reunited with the dogs. The singer had been in Rome at the time filming a movie.
The dogs were returned two days later to an LAPD station by a woman who originally appeared to be “uninvolved and unassociated” with the crime, police initially said. It was not immediately clear if the woman, identified Thursday as 50-year-old Jennifer McBride, received the reward.
McBride turned out to be in a relationship with the father of one of the suspects, the LAPD said Thursday.
Police arrested James Jackson, 18; Jaylin White, 19; and Lafayette Whaley, 27, on Tuesday on suspicion of attempted murder and robbery.
White's father, 40-year-old Harold White, and McBride were arrested on suspicion of accessory attempted murder. Jackson, Whaley and the Whites are all documented gang members, according to the LAPD.
The five suspects were charged Thursday by the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office. It was not immediately clear if they had attorneys who could speak on their behalf.
All five were being held on $1 million bail each, online jail records show.
Lady Gaga did not immediately address the arrests on her social media accounts Thursday afternoon. Fischer and Lady Gaga's representatives did not respond to requests for comment.
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Chris Jackson / Getty Images
Prince William had been secretly dating Kate Middleton for almost a year when the paparazzi caught the young couple on the ski slopes of Klosters, Switzerland, in April 2004. From that moment, Kate’s private life ended and she was in the crosshairs of the British press, the first publicly acknowledged girlfriend of the future king.
It’s been 17 years since those photos were taken; 10 years since Kate Middleton walked down the aisle of Westminster Abbey to marry her prince and officially become the Duchess of Cambridge, a member of the royal family.
But those photos marked the beginning of six years of hell for Kate and her family. Some paparazzi photos of Kate while she was dating William eerily recall images taken of Diana before her engagement to Prince Charles was announced.
I reviewed tens of thousands of stories from the UK outlets that make up the official royal press system, known as the “royal rota”: the Daily Express, the Daily Mail, the Daily Mirror, and the Sun — all tabloids — and the Evening Standard, the Telegraph, and the Times from April 1, 2004, when the Sun broke the news of Kate and William’s relationship, to April 29, 2021, their 10th wedding anniversary. Specifically, I looked to see if there was a change in how the press covered Kate after she was officially engaged to William. There was.
Two major shifts happened after those initial nightmare years. First, Kate got married, and the coverage around her toned down, the criticism now focusing on her hair and wardrobe instead of her middle-class roots, or her and William’s perceived laziness and love of expensive vacations.
Second, Meghan Markle married Prince Harry. And in the eyes of the press, Kate could suddenly do no wrong.
The news outlets and the Palace didn’t return requests for comment.
How the British press — especially in this case the “red top” tabloids — cover the royals and engage with the Palace media operation matters. Every week, millions read their coverage of the House of Windsor, the historically colonialist head of 54 nations around the world and an institution that is grappling to stay relevant in a changing society. By what these outlets choose to cover and how, they are able to put forth and perpetuate narratives about specific members of the royal family — especially the women who marry into it — agitating race, class, and gender divides that can hyperpolarize readers.
Even though Kate’s parents had built a multimillion-dollar business, the fact that Kate’s mother had been an airline flight attendant and her father a pilot — the working class — was the subject of relentless classist jabs. They scoured the Middleton family tree for problematic members (and landed on Kate’s uncle Gary Goldsmith, who supplied a constant stream of tabloid fodder).
Her phone was hacked 155 times by one tabloid reporter at the now-defunct News of the World. She and her sister, Pippa, were nicknamed the “Wisteria Sisters'' due to their perceived social climbing. Paparazzi took photos up her skirt when she entered and exited vehicles. Endless stories citing anonymous sources were published about how members of the royal family, including the Queen, disapproved of her relationship with William.
This is the harassment that was transferred to Meghan, even after she became the Duchess of Sussex.
Kate personally hasn’t received very much serious negative press in the past decade since she became the Duchess of Cambridge in 2011, according to my analysis, and when she has, the Palace has mostly been quick to either comment or threaten legal action. (Even UK Prime Minister David Cameron leaped to her defense after a brutal 2013 essay.)
The review showed that only rarely is Kate the sole target of serious negative press — tabloid and commentator criticism of the Cambridges is usually directed at her and William.
Indeed, the vast majority of coverage of Kate specifically is neutral rather than overly positive or negative — straightforward reporting of royal engagements she carries out, what she wears. The bulk of her negative coverage concerns the superficial: Her hair. Her hems. Her eyeliner. Her fashion choices. Even her expressions.
Even when topless photos of her sunbathing were published, the near-universal reaction in the press was outrage at the invasion of privacy, not shaming.
After Harry and Meghan wed and became Duke and Duchess of Sussex on May 19, 2018, negative stories about Kate became rare, and when they did appear, they were relatively benign.
According to an analysis in the Guardian, from May 2018 to January 2020, when Harry and Meghan announced they were “stepping back” from life as senior members of the royal family, Meghan was the subject of more than five times as many negative stories as Kate in the UK press (43% versus 8%). My review indicated that many of these negative stories about Meghan could also be counted as positive stories about Kate, as she was often cited as an example of what a royal duchess should be.
And it’s true that Kate has barely put a foot wrong in her 10 years as a duchess, while in her short tenure as a working royal, Meghan made some legitimate mistakes, such as reportedly weighing in on Ireland’s abortion referendum in 2018.
In this review, I found that in the three years since Harry and Meghan’s wedding, a prominent, positive narrative shining a spotlight on the Duchess of Cambridge has emerged in the UK media: Kate the perfect working royal. Kate the supermom. Kate the fashion icon. Kate the peacemaker. Kate the “saviour of the monarchy.”
Here are 44 examples — selected for their representativeness of these publications’ broader output — tracking how coverage of Kate changed from before she became a duchess and then again after Harry and Meghan’s wedding.
April 1, 2004:
"Privately, William has been proudly showing off Kate with her curvaceous figure and long, dark hair to friends for some months. ...
"She was the lissom figure who strutted the catwalk under his mesmerized gaze at a student charity fashion show soon after they both arrived at their Scottish university. He paid £200 for a front row seat, and his youthful appreciation was clear as Kate pirouetted in a see-through lace dress over a black bra and matching knickers." —Daily Mail, Apr. 1, 2004
Aug. 5, 2005:
"Now there is speculation that [William and Kate's] meeting at St Andrews may not have been entirely down to chance.
"The suggestion is that the attractive brunette's 'yummy mummy' mother Carole pushed her in the direction of the Scottish university with hopes of a royal encounter. Yesterday society journalist Matthew Bell claimed Kate may have been persuaded to forego her first choice of university in favor of an offer from St Andrews after learning William was heading that way." —Daily Mail, Aug. 5, 2005
Oct. 6, 2005:
"With her chestnut mane and leggy good looks, Prince William's girlfriend Kate Middleton is emerging as a safe bet to win his hand in marriage. But the race hasn't been won yet and there's a host of blue-blood beauties of impeccable breeding eager to ride off with Wills. At a recent party, prime pedigree Isabella Anstruther-Gough-Calthorpe captivated Wills to such a degree that poor Kate was all but ignored." —Mirror, Oct. 6, 2005
Dec. 26, 2006:
"Revealed for the first time, the extraordinary, dirt-poor family past of the girl who would be Queen. ... Though polished, sophisticated and in every way fit to accept Prince William's proposal of marriage, Kate brings to her nuptials a vital lineage which will qualify her to be truly entitled the People's Princess." —Daily Mail, Dec. 22, 2006
Jan. 9, 2007:
"With rumors of an imminent engagement to Prince William reaching fever pitch, she was greeted by more than fifty paparazzi and television cameramen who followed her to her car under the watch of policemen. The scenes prompted the prince to express his concern at the on-going 'harassment' of his girlfriend, saying he wanted 'more than anything' for her to be left alone." —Daily Mail, Jan. 9, 2007
April 16, 2007:
"In the rarefied world of the House of Windsor, it was an unforgivable faux pas by a woman who might become mother of the future Queen. Carole Middleton, standing proudly alongside her daughter Kate, was chewing gum. Non stop. ...
"For Mrs Middleton, opening the newspapers the next day was a rude initiation into the media-driven world that her daughter had graced without putting a foot wrong in five years. The photographs merely confirmed the prejudice among some royal observers, mainly in the tabloid press but also among some of William's acquaintances, that Mrs Middleton was 'too common' for the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh." —Telegraph, April 17, 2017
April 17, 2007:
"[Kate's] mother, a former air stewardess, who not only, we are told, addressed the Queen with the phrase 'Pleased to meet you' rather than the accepted 'How do you do?', but was also known to have let slip a word toffs consider quite the ghastliest blasphemy: toilet. ...
"The prince's friends reportedly jokingly whispered 'doors to manual' in Miss Middleton's presence, a cheap reference to her mother's erstwhile career." —Telegraph, April17, 2007
May 26, 2007:
"Since splitting from Prince William, Kate Middleton seems to have had very little trouble in keeping either her chin, or her profile, high. ... According to one well placed source: 'Kate and Pippa have already been dubbed The Wisteria Sisters - they're highly decorative, terribly fragrant and have a ferocious ability to [social] climb.'" — Daily Mail, May 26, 2007
July 11, 2007:
"A parliamentary committee said the Press Complaints Commission (PCC) should have intervened sooner to protect Miss Middleton. ... 'We conclude that editors, in failing to take care not to use pictures of Kate Middleton obtained through harassment and persistent pursuit, breached ... the code of practice.'" —Telegraph, July 11, 2007
May 31, 2008:
"‘The Queen has had conversations with a few trusted friends about how to tackle what is being called the Kate problem,’ a senior aide told The Mail on Sunday.
"‘On the few occasions the Queen has met Kate, she has thought she is a nice enough girl. But the Queen has admitted she has no idea what Kate actually does.
"‘Privately she is very concerned about what the repercussions could be if Kate is not in a stable job as and when William is ready to propose.'" —Mail on Sunday, May 31, 2008
Sept. 18, 2008:
"With her sequined halter-neck top, bright yellow hot pants, pink leg-warmers and matching bracelet, there was certainly no missing Prince William's 26-year-old girlfriend. ... Friends are wondering if Wills is ever going to get round to asking Kate to marry him. Looks like he needs to get his skates on too and pop the question. ... He'd be mad not to." —Mirror, Sept. 18, 2008
Dec. 20, 2008:
"Kate was dressed to the nines in an electric blue dress. But she showed more than she planned as she climbed into a waiting cab - and flashed her underwear at photographers." —Daily Mail, Dec. 20, 2008
Note: This story was first reported by News of the World.
"Prince William was last night forced to cut ties with Kate Middleton's uncle after he was filmed giving hard drugs to an undercover reporter. He was left with little option but to disown Gary Goldsmith — only brother of Kate's mother Carole — after he also made lurid boasts about his relationship with the Royal Family.
"Goldsmith, 44, bragged about a holiday William and his niece had taken at his £5million villa on Ibiza before 'chopping' up lines of cocaine and offering to set the journalist up with high-class prostitutes." —Daily Mail, July 19, 2009
June 27, 2010:
"Centuries of foreign blood have made the royal family short, dark, twitchy and petulant — yet somehow still bad at fashion and chitchat. Diana brought a beautiful, blonde Britishness; Kate will bring some much-needed quiet — the latest in a new breed of vanilla royal consorts. ...
"To this day, she’s a girl with little or no concern about her career. For many, the fact that she apparently does nothing all day long apart from comb her hair and think about placements and tablewear is her greatest shortcoming. But like it or not, she was a professional wife from the start." —Sunday Times, June 27, 2010
Nov. 16, 2010: Prince William and Kate Middleton announce their engagement.
Chris Jackson / Getty Images
"The Prince of Wales is delighted to announce the engagement of Prince William to Miss Catherine Middleton. ... [They] became engaged in October during a private holiday in Kenya. Prince William has informed The Queen and other close members of his family. Prince William has also sought the permission of Miss Middleton’s father." —Clarence House official statement, Nov. 16, 2010
Nov. 21, 2010:
"Prince William is taking steps to protect Kate Middleton from the pressures that led to tragedy in the life of his mother. Aides say William has abandoned many of the past conventions of royal courtship and marriage to ensure his future wife does not feel undermined. ...
"The couple will jointly decide the best way to introduce her to royal duties. Like the Queen and Prince Philip in the early days of their marriage, their priority is to create a family home together out of the limelight." —the Times, Nov. 21, 2010
April 26, 2011:
“'Kate’s not necessarily the most dynamic girl on earth, but she’s been hemmed in by not wanting to do anything wrong,' says the friend. 'She is bright, artistic and a hard worker. If she hadn’t met William, she would have had a conventional career, but she’s been driven by a desire not to do anything that’s tricky for him. She never wanted to do anything that could harm William.'
"Or harm her own prospects of getting her hands on the ultimate prize, some might add. The girl who at school was said to 'never do anything wrong' is possessed of a steely inner resolve. 'Kate isn’t interested in [social] position,' insists another royal insider, 'her attitude is, William’s my man. There’s this incredible possessiveness and she was damned if she would lose him to another girl who loved him less than she does.” —Telegraph, April 26, 2011
"On Friday 29 April 2011 at 11 o'clock HRH Prince William of Wales and Miss Catherine Middleton were married in Westminster Abbey... Upon the occasion of their marriage, The Queen conferred titles upon Prince William and Miss Middleton. Henceforth they would be known as The Duke of Cambridge, Earl of Strathearn and Baron Carrickfergus, and Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cambridge." —Buckingham Palace, April 29, 2011
May 4, 2011:
"While a royal bride might feel it anticlimactic to swap the pomp of her wedding day for a summer ball on a blustery island off the coast of Wales, the Duchess appears to embrace the prospect of her rural retreat.
"In part, this is because she has been wonderfully grounded by her upbringing, latterly spent in the leafy Berkshire enclave of Bucklebury. But more pertinent still, it is because what she really wanted all those years was to become, not a princess, but a wife. And from what we have seen so far of this English rose-made-royal, it is a role she will perform to perfection." —Telegraph, May 4, 2011
May 2, 2012:
"Every time she bobbed down to talk to one of the youngsters, her face was completely obliterated by a cascade of dark curls. She would flick it out of the way, fondle and fiddle with it and I lost count of the number of times she had to tuck it behind her ear. At one point she looked like Cousin It from the Addams Family — all hair, no person. It was so distracting." —Daily Mail, May 2, 2012
Jan. 11, 2013:
"Beauty, they say, is in the eye of the beholder. But as the Duchess of Cambridge’s first official portrait was unveiled to the public yesterday, art critics were, unusually, largely united in their condemnation. ...
"Kate, on her first official outing for almost a month, was far more polite. ‘It’s just amazing. Absolutely brilliant,’ she told the artist, Paul Emsley, when she met him at the National Portrait Gallery, where the picture will hang." —Daily Mail,Jan. 11, 2013
Feb. 12, 2013:
"British newspapers are unlikely to print it but other magazines around the world are expected to follow [the Italian magazine's] example. That will trigger a new row between the Palace and overseas media over the right to privacy.
"A Palace spokesman said last night: 'We are disappointed that photographs of the Duke and Duchess on a private holiday look likely to be published overseas. This is a clear breach of the couple’s right to privacy.'" —Express, Feb. 12, 2013
July 26, 2013:
"Much has been made of the ‘Middle-Class Monarchy’, and this is where Kate’s power lies. She was right there, rescuing Prince William right back, as she will continue to do for the duration of the marriage, or the monarchy – whichever lasts longer (my money’s on the marriage). She has truly saved Prince William, and he knows it." —Telegraph,July 26, 2013
March 8, 2014:
"The couple have flown to an exclusive resort on the Maldives, leaving their baby with Carole and Michael Middleton — plus his own security detail — at their Berkshire mansion. But the decision sparked a storm on social networking sites Mumsnet and Twitter.
"Critics said they were wrong to leave the young Prince for so long, while others were concerned about the extravagance of their stay only a few weeks after the whole family, including George, went to Mustique." —Daily Mail, March 8, 2014
March 22, 2014:
"Claudia Joseph, author of Kate: The Making of a Princess, warns: 'As Kate and William sink deeper into a luxury cocoon, their brand managers will have to fight harder to convince us they really do connect to the people. The common touch is subtle — and it looks like they might just have lost their grip.'" —the Sun, March 22, 2014
May 27, 2014:
"I couldn’t help but think that surely Kate could have tried a little harder to keep her modesty under wraps? As a relatively seasoned member of the Royal Family, isn’t it time she made more of an effort to cover up?
"After all, every woman — especially a public figure who is constantly photographed — knows that a lightweight fly-away dress and the merest threat of a breeze hardly marks the right occasion to wear the skimpiest knickers in your drawer." —Daily Mail, May 27, 2014
July 28, 2015:
"The Duchess of Cambridge was happy to let a few of her glossy chestnut locks go grey while she was pregnant with Princess Charlotte, but hairdresser to the stars Nicky Clarke has urged the future queen never to do so again. ... ‘Kate needs to get rid of her grey hair — it’s not a good look,’ he tells me at a party at his Mayfair salon." —Daily Mail, July 28, 2015
Nov. 15, 2015:
"Becoming a mother has made Kate so impassioned about campaigning for children that she has decided to give more speeches to get her message across, even though she finds public speaking daunting. Until now, as a new member of the royal family she has found it difficult to come to the fore, sources said.
"But the 33-year-old has been honing her oratory skills to overcome her fears so she can 'lead conversations' about issues most important to her. The mother-of-two plans to step out of William’s shadow to take her own charity work to 'the next level', according to royal insiders." —Express, Nov. 15, 2015
Dec. 13, 2015:
"With her normally lustrous and bouncy hair scraped into an updo and her eyes puffy and lined, the 33-year-old Duchess of Cambridge looked absolutely shattered as she left Peter Jones, the Sloane Square department store. Along with her shopping, she was clutching a checked tablecloth under one arm. Some online critics unkindly suggested that Kate – wrapped up in a £325 houndstooth coat from Reiss – looked closer to 40 than 30." —Daily Mail, Dec. 13, 2015
Feb. 14, 2016:
"Royals are permitted to take flights between residences according to Buckingham Palace’s visits committee, although the Queen regularly chooses to travel to and from Sandringham by train.
"While the two trips were not entirely comparable – not least because Kate made the journey to and from Anmer Hall – the difference between their modes of transport was certainly notable." —MailOnline, Feb. 14, 2016
March 8, 2016:
"William and Kate invited just a single photographer who took a small number of posed pictures on the brief trip. [Their] decision to travel without telling British media has landed the young parents at the centre of a privacy row. [The] family reportedly chartered [a] private jet owned by Duke of Westminster to fly to Courchevel in the French Alps. It comes after Prince William was accused of being 'workshy' over his lack of royal engagements and hours at work." —Daily Mail, March 8, 2016
March 19, 2016:
"When William and Kate first married they insisted they didn’t want to be hidden in the ivory tower of royalty. They wanted to be with the people doing what they did, not surrounded by riches and privilege. Now they are doing just that." —Daily Mail, March 19, 2016
Dec. 30, 2016:
"One royal insider said: 'The Cambridges are the reluctant royals. They would much rather be at home with the children but so would most British parents. Unfortunately, ordinary people don’t get the choice.'" —the Sun, Dec. 30, 2016
Jan. 23, 2017:
"Last night one Bafta insider revealed: 'William has faced serious criticism from the film industry for missing the Baftas the last two years, despite being our president. As a result of that feedback, he made it clear he wants to go this year and even bring Kate. It would be a real show of his commitment towards Bafta and create headlines around the world. But it was then expressed by senior staff within Bafta that Kate’s attendance will totally distract from all the film stars there.'" —the Sun, Jan. 23, 2017
March 14, 2017:
"'The possibility of them being booed, or heckled, on their walkabouts, or finding some barbed comments in the welcoming speeches, is a cause for concern,’ says a royal source." —Daily Mail, March 14, 2017
May 27, 2017:
"A source at the Queen’s nearby Sandringham Estate said: 'Sadie’s a hard worker but the job’s demands got too much, even for her. They wanted her to spend more time at Kensington Palace and her work was increasing all the time. She wasn’t having a normal life outside work. Sadie’s serving her notice and it seems nothing will change her mind. It’s their loss.'" —the Sun, May 27, 2017
"On 19 May 2018, the wedding of Prince Harry and Ms. Meghan Markle took place at St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle. On the morning of the wedding it was announced that The Queen had conferred a dukedom on Prince Henry of Wales; The Duke of Sussex. His titles are therefore Duke of Sussex, Earl of Dumbarton and Baron Kilkeel. On her marriage to The Duke of Sussex, Ms. Meghan Markle [became] known as Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Sussex." —Buckingham Palace, May 19, 2018
Oct. 2, 2018:
"It appears that Kate Middleton isn’t above closing her own door either, as she was filmed today following suit at the Paddington Recreation Ground in London. ...
"Following the frenzy that occurred after Meghan shut her door, royal fans were quick to point out that Kate Middleton regularly does the same – and shared numerous videos as proof." —the Sun, Oct. 2, 2018
Oct. 13, 2018:
"The mum-of-three was captured giggling as a huge gust of wind threatened to fully blow up the hem of the dress at Princess Eugenie’s wedding to Jack Brooksbank.
"Thankfully Kate handled the situation like a pro and managed to smooth down the dress as she left St George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle with husband Prince William." —the Sun, Oct. 13, 2018
Dec. 24, 2018:
“Their protection officers were keeping a discreet distance so they looked like any other family out grabbing last-minute Christmas bargains.
"When Kate got to the checkouts I plucked up courage to ask if she’d do a selfie with me and my kids. She very politely declined. She was so nice, explaining she was just doing a bit of Christmas shopping.” —the Sun, Dec. 24, 2018
Sept. 15, 2019:
“Kate is a huge inspiration, as she has provided a princess masterclass since she married William, and Meghan realizes she has a lot to learn from her. Kate has been constantly graceful and elegant — flawless, actually — and has an intuition for how ordinary British people think and feel about things, which Meghan has struggled to grasp." —the Sun, Sept. 15, 2019
Nov. 2, 2019:
"'Like the finest of wines, she has taken years to mature to perfection, but the woman you see today has no peers on the global stage,' a well-placed royal source tells [the Sun]. ... The fact that even royal insiders are making complimentary comparisons to Diana speaks volumes about how far Kate has come." —the Sun, Nov. 2, 2019
Jan. 24, 2020:
"When she first came into the Royal Family she was understandably shy, a bit stiff and wrongly considered by some to be aloof and standoffish. Now Kate can instantly put everyone in the room at ease. ... It’s a rare skill and one that will be invaluable as the Royal Family undergoes a modernisation period, becoming leaner, more streamlined and remaining relevant.
"That’s not going to be plain sailing, especially with scandals such as Prince Andrew’s involvement with convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein refusing to go away. But Kate is their trump card, and like her late, much-missed mum-in-law, could one day be our Queen of Hearts." —the Sun, Jan. 24, 2020
March 22, 2020:
"With the Duke and Duchess of Sussex now out of the picture, the onus on the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge has never been greater. Yet as the royal couple prepare to step up to the front line in boosting morale, the Duchess of Cambridge has already been doing her bit to secure the future of the monarchy in the public’s affections. ...
"The girl from Bucklebury is fast becoming the nation’s sweetheart. Having largely been seen but not heard during the formative years of her now almost decade-long marriage to Prince William, there is a sense that the 38-year-old mum of three has not only found her voice but decided to turn up the volume." —Telegraph, March 22, 2020
May 31, 2020:
"The lawsuit concerns the magazine's 'Catherine the Great' article. The Duchess of Cambridge is upset about how the magazine represented her family, how it discussed her children and how it referenced her weight. The Tatler article had also claimed Kate had fallen out with Meghan Markle ahead of her wedding with Prince Harry. Kensington Palace have issued a strong rebuke of the article and labelled it as having a 'swathe of inaccuracies and false representations.'
"This is a highly unusual move for the princess. Kensington Palace have sent legal letters on her behalf to have the "Catherine the Great" article taken down. Another point of contention was that the article suggested Kate feels 'exhausted and trapped' by the increased workload following Harry and Meghan's decision to step back. The princess is said to be furious about the claims made in the article." —Express, May 31, 2020
Sept. 14, 2020:
"The Queen has praised her grandson's wife, the Duchess of Cambridge, for her moving lockdown photography project in a rare personal statement. Kate asked Brits to send her photos which summed up their experiences during the coronavirus lockdown, with the aim of putting together a series that captured the nation’s mood and feelings during the pandemic. ...
"To mark the final series being announced, the Queen released a statement praising Kate and everyone else who sent in an image. She explains that she's looked through many of the final images, saying she and Kate were 'inspired' by what they saw." — Mirror, Sept. 14, 2020
April 3, 2021:
"Unlike some of her royal relatives, Kate, 39, has barely put a foot wrong in her public embrace of worthy causes over the past few years. ...
"All this might well be encouraging news for a family that seems to specialize in disaster mismanagement. After the transatlantic travails of the Duke of York and the ongoing agonies of the Sussexes, a duchess who gets things right might yet prove an invaluable asset." —the Times,April 3, 2021
April 20, 2021:
"There was one big winner: Kate, Duchess of Cambridge, whose poise and nimble thinking made sure she was assertive enough to catch the camera lenses and tactful enough to head out of the way, allowing the feuding brothers to walk together in the procession. ...
"Whatever difficulties she might have had ... Kate bears it with equanimity, good grace and a hefty amount of eyeliner. When the extremes present a problem, the wisest answer is to rely on moderation. And amid the Sturm und Drang, with a lot of men around her in a strop, the centrist duchess is quietly nailing the part." —Evening Standard, April 20, 2021
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Lady Gaga sings the national anthem during the 59th Presidential Inauguration at the US Capitol for President-elect Joe Biden in Washington, January 20, 2021 [Greg Nash/Pool Photo via AP]
The site where Lady Gaga’s dog walker was shot and two of her dogs were stolen in Los Angeles, California, US [File: Mario Anzuoni/Reuters]
