The daily gossip: Caitlyn Jenner wants to be vice president, Netflix is building a big-budget franchise around Ryan Gosling, and more

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1. Caitlyn Jenner apparently texted Kanye West about being his running mate
2. Netflix wants to start a James Bond-like franchise starring Ryan Gosling
3. Ellen DeGeneres' employees speak out about toxic work environment
4. Princess Beatrice secretly got married 2 months after canceled wedding
5. The Chicks' first studio album in 14 years is their 'most intensely personal effort yet'

last updated 17 July 2020

1. Caitlyn Jenner apparently texted Kanye West about being his running mate

Kanye West may or may not still be running for president, but Caitlyn Jenner isn't taking any chances. Jenner "says she's already texted Kanye about being his running mate," TMZ reports, and "while it sounds like she's joking about being Ye's veep, ya can't exactly rule it out." True enough! Problem is, West, who wants to run as a member of the "Birthday Party," already has a VP picked out: Michelle Tidball, a Wyoming-based "biblical life coach." Tidball, though, is already being scrutinized for having "some very bad ideas about how to treat mental illness," including … doing more chores? Jenner is looking better and better!

Netflix has reportedly signed on to its largest-budget film to date, The Gray Man, starring Ryan Gosling and Chris Evans. Joe and Anthony Russo, the siblings behind Marvel movies like Captain America: The Winter Soldier and Avengers: Endgame, will direct, with the film intended to be the start of a Jason Bourne or James Bond-like series, with "the potential to inspire several follow-ups with Gosling's character at the center," Variety writes. The Gray Man has reportedly been given an eye-popping budget of $200 million, in the ballpark of 2018's Black Panther. Joe Russo told Deadline "the idea is to create a franchise and build out a whole universe. We have all committed to the first movie and that's got to be great to get us to the second movie."

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While there have been negative rumors about working for Ellen DeGeneres for years, 11 current and former employees of her daytime television show confirmed to BuzzFeed News that "they faced racism, fear, and intimidation" behind the scenes. "That 'be kind' bulls--t only happens when the cameras are on," one former employee claimed. Another said they were scolded for creating a GoFundMe to pay medical costs not covered by the company's health insurance, out of concerns about how it would make DeGeneres look: "They were more concerned about Ellen's brand instead of helping me out." "I think it is a lot of smoke and mirrors when it comes to the show’s brand," another former employee said. "They pull on people's heartstrings … But that's not always reality."

Princess Beatrice and Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi reportedly secretly got married in Windsor on Friday in a small 20-person ceremony that counted Queen Elizabeth, Prince Philip, and the bride's father, Prince Andrew, among the guests. The hush-hush nuptials came two months after Beatrice, 31, and Edo, 37, had originally planned to marry in a 150-guest ceremony in London on May 29, although the coronavirus pandemic obviously put a stop to those plans. The couple were "very keen for the queen to come so the wedding had to happen before she goes up to Balmoral so this was a great opportunity," an insider told the British tabloid, The Sun. "So many guests were disappointed not to make the big day but understood the reason for it."

On Friday, the band formerly known as The Dixie Chicks — now simply The Chicks — released their first studio album in 14 years, Gaslighter. Critics are describing the album as "stunning," "slick," and the band's "most intensely personal effort yet, with song after song apparently inspired by [Natalie] Maines' 2019 divorce." The album deals with heartbreak and resilience, but also offers startling honesty about Maines' separation from actor Adrian Pasdar, including a song about "the girl who left her tights on my boat." "I was like . . . 'Are we actually allowed to put that in the song?'" Justin Tranter, who collaborated on lyrics, explained to The Washington Post before realizing "I knew the answer to my own question."

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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.