The daily gossip: President Biden is now part of the extended 'Real Housewives' family, a very exciting teaser from Netflix, and more

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1. President Biden is now technically related to a Real Housewife
2. Netflix teases a major David Fincher announcement
3. Demi Lovato explains that calling aliens 'aliens' is offensive
4. Dwayne Johnson doesn't rule out presidential bid but acknowledges 'I don't know the first thing about politics'
5. Brooklyn Nets say Kyrie Irving can't play or practice until he's vaccinated

published 12 October 2021

President Biden is now part of the Real Housewives extended universe. On Monday, Biden's nephew, L.A.-based attorney Cuffe Owens, married Real Housewives of Orange County alum Meghan O'Toole King, with the president and first lady in attendance at the Pennsylvania nuptials. Owens and King had a "whirlwind romance," according to Brides, having only gone public with their relationship two weeks ago; earlier this year, King was dating her friend Will Roos, according to People, and she also finalized her divorce from former MLB star Jim Edmonds following their separation two years ago after allegations that he was cheating. Speaking of Edmonds, he and his older daughter from a previous marriage, Hayley Edmonds, posted a photo of themselves on Sunday wearing T-shirts that said "Anti Biden Social Club," according to Page Six — real mature.

This is not a drill: On Tuesday, the official Twitter account for Netflix teased that "something special is coming tomorrow from David Fincher…" The tweet immediately set off speculation about a new season of Mindhunter, the beloved true-crime TV show by the director that was suspended prematurely after its second season in 2019. But that wasn't the only fan theory to circulate on Tuesday afternoon. "Mank: Let There Be Welles," speculated Indiewire critic David Ehrlich. "Eight," predicted another fan. "Time for 2ODIAC," suggested another.

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Demi Lovato would like for you to stop calling extraterrestrials "aliens," describing the A-word as "derogatory" to potential visitors to our planet. The singer, who "searches for the truth about … UFO phenomena" in their new Peacock show, explained in an interview with Pedestrian.tv that "we have to stop calling them aliens because aliens is a derogatory term for anything. That's why I like to call them ETs! So yeah, that's a little tidbit. A little information that I learned." It's true that the word alien, "when used in reference to immigrants or those who come from other countries, has become controversial and considered dehumanizing by immigration advocates," according to CNN, although it's a little more unusual to hear someone take issue with the term as it refers to UFO operators. Still, definitely don't count on Lovato releasing that long-rumored song called "Aliens": "It sounds cool," they admitted to E! News, but "my fans should know that I do not call them aliens."

Will presidential candidate The Rock ever go from sitcom plot point to reality? Dwayne Johnson still isn't fully ruling it out. In a new Vanity Fair profile, the actor was asked about the possibility he could one day run for president, something the Jungle Cruise star has teased in the past. After seeing indications that many of his fans are into the idea, he told Vanity Fair he has done a "small amount of research and analysis to see where this comes from and to see what it could look like in the future." He also said he isn't ruling out the possibility and that "indicators are all very positive — in, for example, 2024, and in, for example, 2028." At the same time, Johnson, who endorsed President Biden in 2020, noted that his "leadership qualities" don't guarantee he would be a good candidate. "You know, at the end of the day, I don't know the first thing about politics," Johnson said — not that that's stopped anyone before.

The Brooklyn Nets have announced that Kyrie Irving will not be able to play or practice until he's eligible to become a "full-time member of the team" following his "personal" COVID-19 vaccination decision. Brooklyn Nets General Manager Sean Marks said in a statement Tuesday that the one-time flat-Earther "has made a personal choice," which "restricts his ability to be a full-time member of the team." As a result, Irving will not play or practice until he can be a full participant, Marks said. The COVID-19 vaccine mandate in place in New York City, where the Nets have their home arena, requires having at least one dose of a coronavirus vaccine to enter indoor gyms, according to CBS News. Irving has refused to reveal whether he has been vaccinated against COVID-19, simply saying, "There's just a lot of questions about what's going on in the world of Kyrie, but I would like to keep that private."

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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.