The daily gossip: June 8, 2020
Harry Potter actress has the perfect response to J.K. Rowling's latest controversy, President Trump "likes" Insecure, and more
- 1. Harry Potter actress Katie Leung subtweets J.K. Rowling after transphobic remarks
- 2. Does Trump watch HBO's Insecure?
- 3. Percy Jackson author claims the adaptations would have been better if they were just '2 hours of blank screen'
- 4. Catherine Lowe recalls thinking she'd been cast on The Bachelor 'just to check a box'
- 5. Kendall Jenner promises she didn't post that obviously-fake protest picture
1. Harry Potter actress Katie Leung subtweets J.K. Rowling after transphobic remarks
Harry Potter actress Katie Leung had zero patience for the latest controversy involving J.K. Rowling. The author faced backlash over the weekend after offering her unsolicited — and transphobic — criticism of an article that referred to "people who menstruate." Leung, who played Cho Chang in the Harry Potter films (a character critics have described as a stereotype, her name being "a mashup of two Asian last names"), responded by tweeting: "So, you want my thoughts on Cho Chang? Okay, here goes…" She shared a series of links to resources for black trans women and LGBTQ people of color, making Ravenclaws everywhere proud to call her one of their own.
2. Does Trump watch HBO's Insecure?
President Trump is … an Insecure fan? In an extremely bizarre twist, the president of the United States "liked" a fan reaction to Sunday night's episode of the HBO show — and it's his only "like" to date. "This is how I wanted tonight's episode of Insecure to end … D--n Molly," read the tweet from @shiningheaux, which included a GIF that responded to a development between the show's protagonist, Issa, and her friend, Molly. "What the f--k is this," Insecure's creator, Issa Rae, tweeted after she discovered the presidential "like." Kumail Nanjiani, who co-stars with Rae in Netflix's The Lovebirds, was also surprised: "Well I found one thing I have in common with him," Nanjiani wrote. "We're both big fans of @IssaRae."
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3. Percy Jackson author claims the adaptations would have been better if they were just '2 hours of blank screen'
No one does drama like YA Twitter does drama, and Monday's comes courtesy of Rick Riordan, the author of the Percy Jackson series. Apparently he disliked the 2010 and 2013 movie adaptations as much as you! Responding to a tweet about Disney+ potentially censoring a scene in The Lightning Thief, Riordan wrote, "They should censor the entire thing. Just two hours of blank screen." A user called it "refreshing" that Riordan disliked the movies as much as fans. "Well, to you guys, it's a couple hours entertainment," he replied. "To me, it's my life's work going through a meat grinder." Riordan assured "we're gonna fix it soon," meaning the forthcoming Percy Jackson Disney+ TV series where he will be involved "in every aspect of the show."
Vulture The Hollywood Reporter
4. Catherine Lowe recalls thinking she'd been cast on The Bachelor 'just to check a box'
Bachelor Nation is continuing to speak out against the show's glaring lack of diversity. After Rachel Lindsay's comments last week about how being affiliated with the show at this point is "embarrassing," Catherine Lowe — who married Sean Lowe after winning his season of The Bachelor in 2013 — said she was "grounded" to realize she was "one of the faces that represented people of color." Ahead of the couple's season airing as part of The Bachelor: The Greatest Seasons — Ever! tonight, Catherine explained she was "flattered" to be cast but "I knew that one of the reasons I was probably chosen was because I was Filipino." She added, "I counted myself out to be [Sean's] fiancée" because "I thought I was there just to check a box."
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5. Kendall Jenner promises she didn't post that obviously-fake protest picture
The next time you find yourself idly wishing you were a celebrity, consider all the time famous people spend telling fans that obviously-photoshopped pictures of themselves are, indeed, fake. Over the weekend, an image of Kendall Jenner holding a "Black Lives Matter" sign went viral due to it being an obvious photoshop fail (the first clue: the sign didn't have a shadow). Kendall swiftly clarified that she hadn't posted the picture herself, tweeting: "This is photoshopped by someone. I DID NOT post this." Kendall, of course, starred in that majorly tone-deaf Pepsi commercial awhile back, so fans who fell for the pic can be forgiven. Still, thanks for saving us that cringe, Kendall!
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.
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