The daily gossip: Time reveals its most influential people of 2021, Allison Mack heads to prison, and more

(Image credit: Time)

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1. And the most influential people of 2021 are…
2. Allison Mack reportedly checked into prison early
3. It turns out the royal family of Monaco is seriously messed up, too!
4. Emmys host Cedric the Entertainer has been hoping 'not to get canceled' before the show
5. Don't expect an Oscar Isaac red carpet moment from Andrew Garfield

published 15 September 2021

1. And the most influential people of 2021 are…

Prince Harry and Megan Markle, Britney Spears, Simone Biles, Dolly Parton, and Lil Nas X are among the 100 most influential people in the world this year, according to Time's annual list released Wednesday. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, who earlier this year sat down for a bombshell interview with Oprah Winfrey about stepping back from the royal family, embraced Time's honor by also posing for their first magazine cover together. Spears was likewise honored, with her longtime friend Paris Hilton writing the accompanying essay in tribute to the singer's strength throughout the #FreeBritney movement: "Despite the darkness that has surrounded her life, Britney embodies joy and shares the light of her beautiful heart, forever the superstar." See the full list — which also includes Shohei Ohtani, Billie Eilish, Kate Winslet, and Joe Biden — here.

Smallville actress Allison Mack has reportedly checked herself into prison two weeks early, according to TMZ. Mack previously pleaded guilty to one count of racketeering and one count of racketeering conspiracy over her role in NXIVM, where the FBI alleged she recruited women to what she said was a mentorship group but was actually a sex-trafficking cult in which "slaves" were "exploited, both sexually and for their labor." Mack tearfully told the court during her sentencing that her membership in the cult was "the biggest mistake and greatest regret of my life," and that "from the deepest part of my soul, I am sorry." Mack will serve her three-year sentence in the same low-security prison for female inmates in Dublin, California, that interred Lori Loughlin and Felicity Huffman for their roles in the college admissions scandal.

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Could it be? Are all royal families royally messed up? Take this story in Celebitchy about Prince Albert of Monaco — the son of Prince Rainier III and Grace Kelly — who fathered a son in 2003 with Nicole Coste, a flight attendant. Because Prince Albert never married Coste, their son, Alexandre Grimaldi-Coste, is not technically in line to the Monegasque throne; Prince Albert didn't even acknowledge him until 2005. In a new interview with Paris Match, Coste claimed that to make matters worse, Prince Albert's wife, Princess Charlene, whom he married in 2011, was openly hostile to Alexandre. "[D]uring the engagement period, I experienced things that alerted and shocked me," alleged Coste, a Togolese immigrant to France. "For example, [Charlene] changed my son's room, taking advantage of his father's absence to move him to the employee wing. As a mother, I cannot find words to describe these actions." Prince Albert tepidly defended his wife, telling People that she is "more acceptant now."

When it came to this year's Emmys, Cedric the Entertainer didn't want another Kevin Hart situation. The comedian is set to serve as host of the annual Emmy Awards on Sunday, and he told USA Today that as soon as he was hired for the gig, the "first thing that crossed my mind was when Kevin Hart got canceled for the Oscars." He added that he immediately asked himself, "Wait a minute, what have I done in the last three months that is going to get me canceled before I even go to work?" The Neighborhood star cracked the same joke in a separate interview with The Associated Press, quipping, "Just try not to get canceled beforehand, that's the biggest thing."

Jessica Chastain "never, never" expected last week's red carpet moment to go viral. Her Scenes from a Marriage co-star Oscar Isaac gazed at her lovingly before kissing her arm at the Venice Film Festival, and the internet swooned. "My left arm is a bit jealous of my right!" the actress joked. Andrew Garfield, Chastain's co-star in the upcoming film The Eyes of Tammy Faye, saw the video and made sure she knew not to expect the same treatment at the premiere. "I texted her and said something along the lines of, 'I hope you don't expect me to lick your armpit on the red carpet,'" Garfield said on The View. Chastain wasn't convinced. "Garfield, we've gotta sell this movie!" she replied.

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Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.