The daily gossip: February 27, 2020

(Image credit: REUTERS/Marco Bello)

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1. Ex-girlfriend of Lady Gaga's new beau pens op-ed describing how weird her life is now
2. You won't recognize Taylor Swift in 'The Man' music video
3. Jordan Peele somehow turns 'Say My Name' into a horror track for Candyman trailer
4. Disney+ announces Proud Family reboot
5. A new 'conspiracy theory' hints at intense Instagram feud between royal couples

published 27 February 2020

1. Ex-girlfriend of Lady Gaga's new beau pens op-ed describing how weird her life is now

Googling your ex's new partner is never a good idea, but what happens if he starts dating one of the most famous women in the world? Lindsay Crouse, an opinion writer at The New York Times, is finding out the answer the hard way: Her former boyfriend of seven years is Lady Gaga's new "mystery man." "As you can guess from the fact that you've probably never heard of me, I'm not famous," Crouse writes. "So suddenly it's like I'm star-gawking by proxy." But Crouse claims there are no hard feelings: "Lady Gaga is amazing. Comparing yourself with her is incredibly motivational, and I recommend you try it, regardless of how you relate to who's dating her."

Taylor Swift is no longer the same girl — in fact, if you didn't know any better, you wouldn't think she was a girl at all. In her latest music video for the feminist anthem "The Man," the 30-year-old singer convincingly transforms into an obnoxious bro who fist-bumps, man-spreads, and parties his way through life. "[Swift's] makeup and CGI makeover is so impressive that you might watch the entire video wondering when the pop diva is going to appear," raved the New York Post. But while Swift might not know what it's like to be "Leo in Saint-Tropez," that doesn't seem to be slowing her down: She starred in, wrote, produced, and directed the entire video herself.

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When it comes to songs you might expect to hear in a horror movie trailer, Destiny's Child's "Say My Name" is not going to be at the top of your list. Still, you can count on director Jordan Peele's production company, Monkey Paw, to turn a beloved song into something that will make you want to sleep with the lights on. After memorably setting the trailer for Us to the R&B classic "I Got 5 on It," Peele returned Thursday with a teaser for Candyland (he produced and co-wrote the script; Nia DaCosta directs). With Candyland posed to be a "reimagined" sequel to the 1992 film of the same name, the trailer uses a creepy, slowed-down version of "Say My Name" that you can definitely expect to hear in your nightmares. Watch it here.

The Lizzie McGuire reboot might be dead in the water, but that isn't stopping Disney+ from going forward with its other nostalgic revivals. On Thursday, the streamer announced it will be bringing back the animated sitcom The Proud Family with its original voice cast. The show, which initially ran from 2001-2005, doesn't have a premiere date yet, although it does have a new name: The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder. "In our minds, the show never really went away, as we still had tons of stories left to tell," producers Bruce W. Smith and Ralph Farquhar said in a joint statement.

Over at The New York Times, Caity Weaver laid out a fascinating "royal Instagram mystery" proposing that something fishy is afoot when it comes to the follower counts of Prince William and Kate Middleton's @KensingtonRoyal account, and Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's newer @SussexRoyal account. "From the outset, @SussexRoyal was runaway popular," Weaver writes, adding that within a month and a half, Harry and Meghan's account amassed as many followers as @KensingtonRoyal had managed in four years. And yet "it seemed, from the outside, that no matter how many followers @SussexRoyal gained, it could never quite catch up" with William and Kate's account. Coincidence? Or is @KensingtonRoyal "receiving follower boosts in the form of bots" to keep it ahead?

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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.