The Press Box - The 2018 Year in Celebrity | Jam Session (Ep. 555)

Episode Date: December 26, 2018

'Jam Session' recounts its favorite celebrity moments of 2018, including stories it couldn’t believe happened in this year (1:27), breakout stars of the year (20:16), memorable celebrity real estate transactions (26:59), and the stories it'd like to leave behind in 2019 (30:18). Hosts: Juliet Litman and Amanda Dobbins Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hey, it's Liz Kelly and welcome to The Ringer Podcast Network. After a three-year hiatus, Bill Simmons is back with his NBA trade value rankings for the 2018 and 2019 season. You can check that out, as well as our year-in-review articles wrapping up everything 2018 on the site. Also, throughout the holidays, we will be sticking to our regular podcast schedule, so make sure to tune into your favorite shows, as usual. Happy holidays from The Ringer. Welcome to the Year on Jam session. I'm Juliet Littman. I'm Amanda Dobbins.

Amanda, there was so much celebrity gossip this year. What a year it's been. In news stories. Yeah, seriously. We were going over what happened this year. And there was a few that I just couldn't believe from 2018. So we're going to go over those. Talk about some other award slash categories and relive this great year.

We're going to do a journey back in time throughout 2018. And I don't know. I think it'll be useful. Maybe our feelings have changed. I don't know. Let me start this with a question. Julia, do you think that your feelings on? all of these issues have changed since we talked about them the first time.

I feel like I've softened on some of the ones that I was really fired up about. But I don't know if my opinions have changed. I don't know. Let's go through them and we'll find out. I'm hoping that I've evolved. I always hope for that as well. Okay, thanks. Who's the said? Yeah.

Okay. Here we go. First category. Top three stories. We can't believe we're 2018. All right. Here's my number one. Army Hammer's track suits.

Oh, my God. That was literally this year when Army. Army Hammer didn't get an Oscar nomination for Call Me By Your Name and then had a total meltdown and just wore Adidas track suits for like a month. Emotionally, like where did that hit you? Like we're on the emotional register like pain, sorrow, grief, happiness, enjoyment, excitement. What was it for you? Well, I like Army Hammer was upset that he did not get nominated for an Oscar for his performance.

I feel that his Oscar nomination was stolen by Christopher Plummer. who I respect, but who did not need to be nominated for an Oscar for covering other people's asses because they hired Kevin Spacey once upon a time. Anyway, so I felt grief about the nomination. And then I actually, I feel that the tracksuits were when Army Hammer really became a star, if you will. Like that was when he became a celebrity with his own narrative that we invested in. So in that sense, I feel joy. You know? It's like he found a bit and the bit cemented him.

Exactly. So in that sense, I feel great. What's he doing press for right now? He's back. Yes. Wow. So he is in a movie that opened on Christmas called On the Basis of Sex. Oh, yeah.

You saw it. What did you think? And it's the Ruth Bader Ginsburg biopic, starring Felicity Jones as Ruth Bader Ginsburg. And Army Hammer plays her husband. And it's directed by Mimi Leader. I really enjoyed it. I was pretty moved by it. And also, there's just a huge portion of the movie that's like, what if you were a truly amazing feminist lawyer and also you were married to Army Hammer?

It's like really like being married to Army Hammer is one of the major ideas that this movie has and how great it is. And I would agree with that. So I recommend it. I also just think, what a year for Army? Really like, I know. Sorry very low. He's back again. He's a full celebrity.

It's nice. He really is a full celebrity. People like to get photo ops with him. There's also a moment recently where him and Justin Thoreau were like prancing around Instagram together. Yes. He's like in. He's in with the celebrities who matter and that's a big deal.

I should know that Justin Thoreau is also in this movie. So I think they were on a press tour, but he's on that level. It's great. All in one year. Who would have thought? I'm happy for him. Yeah. Me too.

Okay. Another story that feels like it's from forever ago, like honestly feels like from when I first met you like many years ago. Ellen Pompeo writing for the Hollywood reporter about how she demanded so much money and power. Yes. We had some heated conversations about this story, and now I can barely remember it. So in our defense, this was January 17, 2018, was when this story was published. So it really kicked off 2018, and it's been a long year.

I would agree that this feels like ages ago, and I now can't think of Faye Dunway without thinking of her Prius. Oh, my God. And it's also like, I mean, it now feels like Ellen Pompeo has been this brash, outspoken, says whatever, successful woman, like her entire life. She is now, it's not like this happened recently. It's cemented as if this is the way that Ellen Pompeo always was. Totally. It only happened in January. It's really true.

The first quarter of 2018 had so much force between the time. up campaign and still really being rocked by a lot of the Me Too stories. And I wouldn't say, like, it feels like that time is over, but it just feels so much less sensational because the movement came so quickly. And in some ways, I do think it's lost a little bit of steam. But I also just think that maybe at this point with so many, like, so many stories that, like, I've come out about, like, women, you know, demanding what they're owed and not standing out for the horrible treatment that they have had to live through quietly, like Eliza Daschku recently writing for the Boston Globe about her experience on Bull. Like, Ellen Pompeo kind of, like, I think was at the beginning of this wave.

And like, it's like a credit to her that it doesn't feel as sensational anymore. Absolutely. I think we talked a lot about, especially when all the Weinstein stuff was coming out and then, which segued into Times Up and Me Too, for a long time, we didn't really feel like we had a language for how to talk about these things. it just was not something that was talked about in public for a very, very long time. And so we were both, well, not we, like everyone was both kind of learning and absorbing and horrified by all this information and also really learning how to talk about it publicly. And I think part of what made this Ellen Pompeo article so surprising and something we talked about a lot is because we hadn't really heard a lot of women talk about equal pay in this way and also with such authority. but I do also agree that the whole conversation about how women are portrayed in Hollywood and really how women are treated and thought of in professional spaces and at the world and large has really moved really quickly in some ways in the last year and maybe it's lost momentum. And also maybe it's just that we are more used to it and we do know how to talk about it.

I don't know if I'm being too positive because like Lord knows there is a huge amount of work still to be done. but it does, I do respond to it a little bit differently now than I did even in January, which is fascinating. Yeah, I agree with you. I think that they're, you know, like, it's really, sometimes feels so hard to be positive in our current climate in America. But I do think there's been, like, very quickly a lot of gains made. And even just like the way that certain women are celebrated, like, I just feel like

the institution that as Reese Witherspoon came really quickly. And that's awesome. And that, I'm sure the big little eyes coming back will not stop. And I think it actually is a good point that like let's celebrate for a second, even though there's still so much more work to be done and conversations to be had. Like we just feel less scandalized or rocked by Ellen Pompeo because we've come a long way in 11 months. That's true. I should also note, I don't know if you saw the Ellen Pompeo Hollywood Reporter roundtable that happened at the end of the year. Ellen Pompeo is still going and Ellen Pompeo knows that there is still work to be done.

It's a pretty remarkable video where she just kind of takes the. the floor for two minutes to talk about how there aren't enough women of color on the actual roundtable that she's on, which shout out to Alan Pompeo. So we actually have a clip of it. This day has been incredible. And there's a ton of women in the room. But I don't see enough color. And I didn't see enough color when I walked in the room today. And I had a meeting with a director of another endorsement project that I'm doing.

I said, you know, when I show up on set, I would like to see the crew look like the world. that I walk around in every day. And I think it's up to all productions to make sure that your crew looks like the world we see. As Caucasian people, it's our job. It's our task. It's our responsibility to make sure that we speak up in every single room we walk into. That's awesome. So yeah, Ellen Pompeo.

Shout out to her. That makes me so happy as a staunch-grazed anatomy supporter. It hasn't been on in like six weeks and I really missed it. I checked Hulu yesterday to make sure I hadn't missed an episode. to make sure I had I missed an episode when I wasn't paying attention. I feel like the conversation we just had also belongs in our next category, which we won't reveal yet because, you know, tension and momentum are important in podcasts. So we'll come back to that. But we should finish off our top three stories we can't believe we're in 2018.

This one less empowering. It's the nexium sex cult, which... I'm sorry, I shouldn't laugh. It's not funny, but... It's not funny, but it's wild. It's so wild that there's already a podcast about it. And that's how you know it's like forever, forever a thing. The economy moves very quickly.

It really does. I should say, Alyssa Beresnack wrote a story that I recommend on The Ringer, and it's basically it's about blind items and how gossip coverage has changed, basically, and we take things a bit more seriously because they can be the starting point to actual news as we define it in 2018, especially after Me Too. And a lot of it is about, the lead of it is about the sex cult because there had been rumors about it for years and blind items. So in some ways, I think the podcast is also just because this is one of those things that was percolating under the surface. And then reporters did good

work finally to expose all of it. But yeah, like it wasn't a shock when it finally came out. Yes. Even though it is still like a completely sensational, unbelievable story. Yes. But that, it came out in 2018. It feels like ages ago. Although it also could have been like any year because like we said, like it was percolating for a long time. Yes. unbelievable. I hope that anyone who was hurt by that cult is doing better. Good luck to them. As do I. Okay. Next category. Top three stories that will transcend 2018. This is a wide collection of stories. Yes. Number one is Ariana Grande and Pete Davidson. And let's just begin by saying that I hope Pete Davidson's okay. He seems like a really genuine, sweet guy who is having a hard time right now and wish him the best. Yes. And that said, I don't think he's going to be getting any less famous anytime.

soon. No. I mean, that was fascinating and I think, you know, we kind of knew this when it started, right? They were together for what? A summer? Four months max? Maybe, yeah, I think it was the summer. The summer of love. The summer of Ariana and Pete. And we got a lot out of it. We got a ton of great content. We got the concept of BDE. We got the song Thank You Next, which is the song that finally made me in Ariana Grande Stand after how many years. That song is for. flames. It's really good. As she says in the song herself, but it really, really just is absolutely excellent. So it gave us a lot. And it was a very fun relationship to watch. I mean, you know, two young kids chasing love, good for them. I'm with you. I worry about the aftermath just because

I think some of, I mean, you know, Pete Davidson has been extremely open about his mental health struggles. And I think kind of the acceleration of his fame in that moment has. certainly added to that, or it has just put him in kind of a unsustainable pressure vise, which any person would have an extremely hard time with. So I hope that that lessons for him. Yeah. I think it's like, I don't mean to trivialize any of this because I do, you know, I hope for the best for him. And she's been through so much. But I think it's also just like what he is going through and kind of like the whiplash of dating her and then not dating her. The testament is just how famous she is. Like it was her year. It's kind of I didn't,

earlier in Jam Sessions' life, we were like, we don't really get Ariana Grande. And while I still am not like a super fan, I admire her, I now can like grasp her celebrity, which is absolutely huge, like just crazy big. Yeah. And I mean, it has been a tough year for Pete Davidson. We should talk about Ariana, who in addition to this breakup, still working through a lot of grief and emotions from the Manchester bombing. Then her former boyfriend, Mac Miller, died tragically.

It's a lot. And it's a lot to go through in a young age. It's a lot to go through in public for both of them. And yeah, I mean, I'm grateful for all the positive stuff we got out of it. It was fun to watch them. And, you know, to an extent, I think they knew that. I think that Ariana has certainly played into it after the fact with the thank you next song and the thank you next video. They were not shy about sharing their relationship.

I hope that they each come out of it okay. That's kind of where I am. And we're in, we're watching that happen in real time. But I hope it works out. Good luck to them. And I think, and to your point, to the point of this category, which is the three stories that will transcend 2018, this was one of the biggest stories of the year,

celebrity-wise, but I also think it's ongoing. So we will be revisiting both Ariana and Pete. Yes, we will in 2019. Yeah. Next. Yes. Thank you next. A comeback this year, in the tabloids at least,

was Lindsay Lohan, because she has a beach club in Mekonos, Greece. She gave a bonkers interview to the New York Times. She ended up in a viral video on Instagram. Every time that video. Oh, man. It's so good. And she's got an MTV reality show starting next year early in 2019. Yeah.

So, Lindsay Lohan is both back and, like, here to stay. for at least a little bit. She also had the other scandals of, like, getting into a fight in Paris. This is, I was going to say, I should clarify, the viral video that I was laughing about was the one where she dances really weirdly. Yes, the dancing and, you know, the absolutely heinous one where she chases a family in the street and, you know, reenacts hundreds of years of American, terrible foreign policy. So I, well said.

I mean, that I was only, the one where she was dancing was great. the other one was horrifying. And in a way that encapsulates the year in Lindsay Lohan. And really the whole Lindsay Lohan experience when we're, we come right down to it. In some ways, she's changed and in some ways things are still the same. Absolutely. She's, she is just so, like, I don't even know how to explain her. She is so enigmatic at this point.

That's why I'm like so excited about the TV show is because I think she's both enigmatic, but also incapable of, like, hiding what she's about anymore. Yes. So I think the reality show is going to be like, incredible. incredibly informative. Another thing that is notable about Lindsay Lohan to me is that she really does span generations. It's something that you and I are interested in and Bill Simmons is interested in. And also, I think, a lot of our much younger ringer staff are really invested in, I think, because they all loved the parent trap, which great taste, so did I.

But you don't really get celebrities who are that many people of that wide a range or invested in. Yeah, that's true. And Lindsay is still, for better or for worse, really in the mix. So we'll see. As you noted, I really, you put this in this category and it's the most Juliette thing and it brings me great joy. And you are right. We will continue. It will transcend 2018.

The show comes back in January. I think part of it also is that Mean Girls is like an internet certified movie. That's true. And so like everyone loves it and like celebrates it. Yes. All right. See you next year, Lindsay Lohan. See you next year.

Okay. And lastly, possibly our biggest event of the year, the rural wedding, which took place in May and lives in the drama for which is still unfolding. Every day. What a soap opera? We're kind of lucky. This is like sort of what you hope for when it comes to a royal wedding. So we were talking a couple weeks ago about how the recent press coverage of Megan Markle has been grossly unfair. And I agree with that entirely.

I don't know if you saw there was a Vanity Fair piece that it took me forever to run the paper. well, but I finally did. And it was just about, like, her American family. And, like, the sister who won't shut up, Vanity Fair thought that they needed to do a piece about her. Really? I wish the press would stop talking to her family because, like, it's just irrelevant. And, like, they're not, like, even, she's not even close with them.

Also, here's some free media criticism. If I'm reading Vanity Fair, I don't care about the sister who won't shut up in the press. That's not why I'm reading Vanity Fair. But anyway, I agree with everything that we say. I think it's been extremely unfair. to Megan Markle. I will say as a narrative since May, this is why you watch the royal family. They are just a living soap opera. And it has been fascinating. And it has brought a lot of issues, like real issues for us to talk about, which is from, you know, Megan Markle being the first black

woman to be in the royal family to what a, you know, what we want of working women to America versus Britain to just all sorts of like, it's fascinating. It's really fun to talk. about and also there is kind of some substance. So I've really enjoyed it. I still feel bad for her. I think she's going to have a crappy Christmas and that sucks. I totally agree. Yeah. It's not ideal for her. And the other thing is like the royal wedding was an awesome wedding and a really cool like international event. And I feel like that's being a little obscured. That was a great time. That's very true. We had a lovely, lovely time watching it. You got up very early. God bless you. I did. I devired it, which I really recommend. Yeah.

Yeah, great international event. Everyone loved talking about it. She looked great. The kids were cute. Yeah. She had the choir and the cellist. It was great. Good fun.

Yeah. So I agree with this. Really one of the only weddings that I have enjoyed watching this year. And then it's been fun ever since. So I hope they work it out, I guess. I hope that I do feel for her. And I also think it's very dumb for the royal family to not be able to solve this problem and make her an asset for them. I see that you've noted here on our book.

I guess in line with the three stories that will transcend 2018, you seem to have noted for how long you think this story will transcend 2018 on our document, and you want to share that? A seven-year estimate, you know? Okay, so you think it will matter for the next seven years until. That's how long I gave the marriage. Yeah, I mean, I agree with you. I agree with you.

I'm starting to wonder if we were too generous, to be quite honest. Really? Think less? Well, you know, my reasoning for thinking that it wouldn't last is the same, which is just that she's, she is an accomplished person who has lived a normal life. And now she has like royal flunkies mad because she's texting them asking how to do her job. That would drive me nuts too. I wouldn't want to live my whole life like that. Yeah, I know.

And it doesn't seem like it's happening faster than I, than we anticipated. Yeah, I know. It's also, it just seems like Harry's being put in this just shitty position where he has to like choose sides all the time. I guess that's having in-laws. Yeah. I mean, that's true. But I think that they could at least all, at least make their press secretaries work together. I feel like if you are a literal prince of the United Kingdom, that you can tell your press secretaries to work together and figure it out.

Figure it out, people. We really want you to. Yeah. Okay. So we'll obviously revisit that. Royal Baby to come next year. Yeah. I can't wait.

It's one once you do in March? Yeah. We don't really know. They said this spring. Got it. Yeah. Okay. Okay.

Next. Breakout stars of 2018. Here we go. Mostly related to Netflix. Of course we have America's sweetheart, who I think you've kind of moved on from. Let me know what you think. Noah Centeno. Yeah, it was a nice moment.

Yeah. He had a time and it's over. I'm reinvesting my energy in Alana Condor, who was also the star of Two All the Boys I loved before and will be the star of the sequel, which Netflix just announced. Is he in it too? I don't know. I mean, for that character's sake, I hope not. Here is a tip to anyone who is still in high school or in college and somehow listening to this podcast.

God bless you. Staying with the high school boyfriend is hard. I've seen it done. It can be done successfully, but it's really hard. And you don't want to limit yourself to the lax bro too early in life. What you want to do is you want to have that hot tub experience. You want the magic of high school. And then you got to move on.

You got to see the world. That's what I have to say. So I hope the same is true for the character and to all the boys I love before, too. I'm still not over the fact that she just got into the hot tub in like a nightgown and then wasn't dripping wet afterwards. I didn't make any sense. Maybe it was like dry fit? Would you? I guess.

I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. Kids like athleisure. Anyway. It didn't make any sense. That's okay. Yeah.

Do you think people are over him? Probably not. Like I'm sure that there is a very large contingent of young people and people who, you know, use Instagram as their television who are still very into Noah Santoneo. I think kind of the Peter Kovinsky hive has, it's been, it's decelerated. How about that? I don't really think they're at in force as much, though I will say I had a friend who only watched two other boys I love before like a month or so ago.

She has young children, cut her some slack. And she was just immediately like, where can I find the Peter Kovinsky hive? I need to be a part of this right now. So it does have a long tail. Yeah, it's a moving experience. Yeah. Yeah. I haven't watched the movie again, have you?

I haven't, which is funny. I've talked about it a ton, and it was really delightful. I don't know why I haven't. I guess I've watched clips. That's the other thing. It was so immediately easy to relive it on the internet in real time that I didn't need to go back and watch it. Yeah. It's a really delightful, charming movie, but I think I'm too old to watch it multiple times.

Yeah, that's true. Okay. Let's keep it going. The other people broke out this year. Glenn Powell and Zoe Deutsch. Also from Netflix? Yes. Set it up. Yes. Great job by them. What a delightful movie. Glenn Powell's now going to be in Top Gun 2. Right. That's wild. Yeah. I really recommend reading Andrew Grosito's profile of Glenn Powell on The Ringer. They went to a rosé garden and they did the floss with some small children and then abandoned the children. children, and it's really delightful. He is just a movie star. I agree that Zoe Deutsch is also just extremely charismatic. It's really exciting when you see someone on screen and you're just like, oh, that person has it. And they both do. So that's exciting.

Where does she go next? That's a little bit less obvious to me in terms of her fame and celebrity. Yeah, you know, I think she probably has to do like some indie movies to show a range, etc. You can't, I don't know. like maybe she wants to be a superhero, but... Yeah. She's going to be in Zombiland, too, which I'm weirdly excited about. Okay.

Well, that's good. Zambuland 1 was great. And she kind of, like, looks the part. And then she's also in the Ryan Murphy Netflix show, The Politician, which I think is probably a pretty good get for her. Yeah. I think staying in the Netflix system is actually great for these people at this point. They really are minting stars at this moment.

And it works for her in round one, so why not try? Our final breakout stars. Those queer eye guys were everywhere. They really were. Jonathan Van Ness in particular. And Anthony, who now runs like a slow food, fast food thing in New York City. I'm not really sure about it. I just see beautifully composed pictures on Instagram.

Yeah. They just seem like they're living their best life and, like, everyone loves them. They're very, very charming. Have you watched any of those shows? I watched the first season of queer eye, and I loved it. I mean, they're a great game. That was in February of this year. It all happened this year, which is so nuts because I really truly feel that they just went everywhere overnight.

I find that show unbelievably charming. I really think that they are, it's just life-affirming. They're very good at what they do. And I really don't think Bobby gets enough credit for just renovating entire houses in 24 hours. He does great work. Does it make you nervous, the renovation? Yes, but there's something about, show. I got out to the production team and the location scouting team for Queer Eye because they find places where it's just like there's nowhere to go but up, you know?

You know it's going to be better and the people are going to be grateful. And that's nice, actually. It's nice that they remove sort of the priciness of personal taste or whatever from it. And it's just they're doing things to improve people's lives. Sure. Okay. I mean, it's a great show. I think, you know, it's a feel-good show and also easy to binge. It's the kind of thing that would have been on an HGTV back in the day.

Yes. And I love that kind of stuff. So I'm for it. Yeah, good for them. All right, let's move on. But first, let's talk about today's sponsor. Today's jam session is brought to you by Class Pass. Class Pass is the fitness membership that gives you access to over 10,000 studios and gyms around the world. Try any workout from boot camp to Pilates to yoga and more. all bookable with one easy-to-use app.

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And this is possibly the most jam session category of all the jam session year in categories. Juliet, are you ready? I'm so ready to discuss. The memorable real estate transactions of 2018. Yes. So good. Okay. Where should we begin?

I mean, what was your favorite? What was my favorite? I mean, my absolute favorite is the house that Leonardo DiCaprio has owned for many years. And apparently a cousin was living in somewhere in Silver Lake, which is my dream home. That was it. I just couldn't believe that my dream home that I cannot afford is owned by Leonardo DiCaprio. So that was my favorite. It's a real twist.

think of him as a Silver Lake guy at all. No, and I just really didn't think that he would have sort of a charming Spanish bungalow that's also secretly quite spacious, and they haven't done some dreadful renovation to the kitchen or to the floors, you know? It's really, it's charming. Anyway. I know. It was a great one. Yeah. I was relieved to finally see Mandy Moore's house after so much buildup of the renovation, the home in Pasadena. Yes. And it was really nice. There were some great green accents, some lovely spaces for reading. She did a really good job. So that was almost like a relief. Yes, it was beautiful. And then she got married at the home. I love a home wedding. I do too. You know, I really do too. It was ingrained in me and Father of the Bride.

And I still, it looked beautiful. There were a lot of photographs of her wedding on her own Instagram, a day later, which whatever. But it all looked beautiful. It really did. It was exciting for her. A more salacious real estate transaction, we must note, is Jennifer Anderson had a big architectural digest spread, which was a prelude to her announcing her separation from Justin Thoreau. Yes. In the piece, Justin Thoreau is still in the home, and they're presenting like they're married. It seems unlikely that they were. Though, I don't know. Who knows?

They could have done this interview, like, a year ago. It's true. There's a theory that sometimes right before a celebrity divorce becomes public, they try to get an architectural digest spread. to raise the value of their home, which definitely seems in play here. And if true, I like it. Very smart. Use the tools you have, you know. Yeah.

And probably the biggest purchase of the year, which also is hard to lose 2018, with Taylor Swift buying up an entire block in New York City in Tribeca. Really, this year? I think so. My word. We haven't heard a lot about Taylor Swift in 2018. I know, you know, her boyfriend has been in like 14 Oscar movies or, you know, not quite Oscar movies this year.

he really, in at least three, he plays like the guy that you don't like very much in all of that. Just to clarify, she spent about 50 million in February of 2018. Well, good for Taylor Swift. I know, so much space. Okay. Biggest Taylor Swift story of the year, that was that she didn't go to Carly Claus's wedding. Yes. I mean, I don't know.

I don't really think that they're friends anymore. I think they're just trying to save face. Yeah, for sure. Which I respect that, actually, if you don't want your dirty laundry in public, then pretend that you're friends. The royal family could learn a thing or two from them. But anyway. Yeah, agreed. Okay. Next. Stories we'd like to leave behind in 2018 for various reasons.

Yeah. I'll go first. Yeah. The Troubles of Ben Affleck with Shauna Sexton and the infamous paparazzi photo of Jennifer Garner handing him a bag of Jack in the Box on his way to rehab. Yes. That was a low point. I hope for me and for Ben. And I hope he's doing better.

I just, like, want to love Ben Affleck. And I don't, I don't begrudge him the addiction stuff at all. I mean, that's a really hard to disease that he has to deal with every day. The Shawna Sex and stuff is really hard for me. Like, it's just, like, do you have to flagrantly date the younger nanny? It's not a great choice. We also skipped over the back tattoo. Yes.

Which was this year. Yeah. You know, I also want more for Ben Affleck. and for Jennifer Garner and for everyone in their universe in 2019. Me too. It was memorable and not in the way that we like things to be memorable. And I hope that they evolve. Yeah.

Here's the bigger and better things. Yeah. Another one that I'm just really over is Tristan Thompson and Chloe Kardashian. Yeah. I mean, you were never like really into it in the first place. No, I wasn't. Yeah. I definitely was not.

Tristan Thompson cheated on her while she was pregnant. That's horrible. and I cannot forgive it. Can I just say I recently watched the, I caught the Kardashian episode that is about Chloe going into labor and also finding out that Tristan was cheating, like that all happens at once.

And it's one of the more candid, unscripted Kardashian episodes that I've seen and it was pretty riveting. And very sad, yeah, because they're all, Chris and Kim and Courtney are all in Los Angeles. And Chloe is alone in Cleveland when the photos break. And they actually show they're interviewing Kim in real time

as she gets notifications that the pictures are out. And they have Kim just being like, she's going to go into labor. This is, she was like, this is horrible. Oh my God, that is horrible. Yeah.

And so then she does go into labor. And they're in Los Angeles, and they're trying to figure out how to get to Cleveland in time, and they're like face-timing with her. And she's asking whether, like, contractions are supposed to feel like period cramps. And it's, like, really intense. And it made me, yeah. I said all this because it made me feel really bad for Chloe again.

And they're going to be fine. Like we've said this before, they have like a ton of money. And they have chosen to make so much of their life public. And a lot of this comes from their own choices of how they live. But I felt really bad for her in that moment. That's awful. Yeah. Okay.

Next couple. Okay. Haley Baldwin and Justin Bieber married? I believe that she's now Haley Bieber. Haley Bieber, you're right. I wouldn't change my name. Baldwin's a better name than Bieber, and it's like storied, you know? Yes, she also has her own career.

But, you know what? Yeah, she's a model. People should do what they want to do with the names. I'm not litigating it anymore. I'm leaving that in 2018. I hope it works out for them. Me too. I don't think it will.

How long do you give them? I don't either. Probably end the next year. Okay. I don't know. You know, the thing is they made it legal. So it takes a little while to unwind those things and maybe they'll just, I don't. I don't think it'll happen instantly.

Me neither. Okay. I think like 18 months of marriage seems about right. Yeah. Okay. All righty. We'll see. Good luck to them.

And finally, the one story that I wish we didn't talk about it all and yet we had to reconcile with was the ongoing drama of Kanye West. Which is still going. Yeah. It's very, very tough. And I just don't agree with a lot of what Kanye West said this year. And I found the weight. in which she said it to be very difficult,

and I also just wish him health. And it's very tough to watch. That's where I am with it. Yeah. There's just so many lows. And it's hard to know what happens for Kanye. I mean, we're still waiting on a new album, right? Yeah.

I mean, I thought one of the one positive things that happened this year was that he was supposed to release the album in the fall and then on Black Friday, and he decided not to. said it wasn't ready. And, you know, that implies some level of creative care and trying to take time with things, which I think is good, both for the art and for him. So hopefully that continues. You know, the most recent Tweetstorm was, I don't even think he was that wrong about things. It was just kind of like, this is sad. And I hope that he has the support that he needs. And it works things out.

Yeah. Good luck, man. Yeah. To everyone in this category, we say to you, good luck. Indeed. And for a better 2019. Yes. And lastly, stories we never want to forget. Oh, boy.

This first one. Grimes and Elon Musk. In Adelaide Banks, she should be involved, too. First of all, Grimes and Elon Musk dated, and they went to get breakfast tacos at home's date, which is in my neighborhood. I'm one of my favorite places. So there's that. Oh, yeah.

Yeah. And then Azalea Banks claimed that she was like trapped in their house for a weekend. Right. Yes. Just a really bad year for Elon Musk. Not great. And then Grimes released a song that made all of the 25-year-olds who still wanted to believe in her no longer believe in her. So it was a tough year. I should say this story was ridiculous. And it seems it seems like Elon Musk smokes a lot of weed, but otherwise that everyone, One is kind of like in okay health states. So I feel all right making fun of them.

Yeah, great. I don't want to forget this because it's important to remember how ridiculous all these people and especially Elon Musk are. Like, let us never idolize tech people like we did Elon Musk again because this was ridiculous. What's happening? I don't really know. I mean, it was very, very entertaining. And also, we should remember. not to invest in these people emotionally or probably with actual money given the way that he handled

his Tesla stock. Elon Musk, good luck to you. Yeah. Hope that you have a better year. Yeah. Or that I don't hear from you anymore that I remember and also can leave behind. How about that? Yes.

Okay. Absolutely. There we go. All right. Ready for the next one? The next one is sensational. You are hiding a child. Push it to you to Drake.

Probably the best feud of 28. of 2018. It was exhilarating. You know, what's amazing is that we still have not met the child, which is incredible. I think this is one where just the aftermath of it and that this happened, I believe, in May and or kind of the late spring. And it was a huge deal. And we really thought that, you know, Drake has been defeated.

And guess what, Drake has not been defeated. Drake is still Drake. He is still one of the most successful pop stars out. He released an album, kind of acknowledging the child. But we really thought the whole pop order was going to shift as a result of this. And we were wrong. It didn't. Absolutely wrong.

And I think that's a fascinating testament or maybe not testament, just like a statement about Drake and pop idols right now and how the internet works, but also how he is so good at inserting himself in the conversations that he wants to be a part of and taking himself out of the conversations. that he does not want to be a part of. Totally. This was a really big deal, and yet Kiki Do You Love Me came afterwards and seems like an even bigger deal. Exactly. He's really...

He's a skilled celebrity. He is a skilled celebrity. And I think even Kiki Do You Love Me was such a part of the internet that he really then leaned into. You know, it became a meme. And then he kind of let the internet investment in this thing take over

and take up more space than you are hiding a child, which it did. If you let the internet, if you leave the internet to its own devices, it can do ridiculous and amazing things. But it's just incredible. Here we are at the end of 2018. Don't know where the child is, still hidden. And Drake still probably the largest pop star in the world besides Beyonce. I think it's Beyonce, Drake, and Ariana Grande.

Yeah. I really do. Really nuts. Okay. And finally, it may not be the biggest. story of 2018, but it's definitely the biggest story to you and me. And that was the story of learning about David Geffen and his yacht and the wonderful summer that he had of the Mediterranean. Yacht season is forever in our hearts on Jam session. Absolutely. Thank you to David Geffen.

Thank you to his yacht. Thank you to his Instagram. Thank you to all of the celebrities who did not make David Geffen sign an NDA in order to be in their presence. Like I really honestly still can't believe that Oprah is on David Geffen's Instagram willingly, but it happened. And, you know, thank you to the idea of summer. That's so beautiful, Amanda. I completely agree. That's just what I want to say. It lives with us always.

You know, this is, this was the official podcast of celebrity summers. And it still is, even if it's December and the end of the year. Honestly, it's like, it's truly something for me to aspire to. Like, that is a life that I would like to lead. I know what it looks like and I'm appreciative to have literal pictures of it. I agree. I think about it sometimes when I have a lot of work to do or I'm feeling blue. At least I know that somewhere in the Mediterranean, rich people still hang out together in luxurious spaces and then documented on Instagram.

They're still living it up. Yeah. That's just great stuff. Any final notes on celebrities of 2018? I don't think so. I think yacht season is really is what I want to take into 2019. A great final note. Yeah.

Thank you so much for listening. I'm Julia Lippman. I'm Amanda Dobbins. And we'll be back next year. Happy New Year, everyone.