The daily gossip: A win for Prince Harry, a wedding at Oprah's house, and more

(Image credit: Toby Melville - WPA Pool/Getty Images)

Jump to category:

1. Prince Harry wins 'significant' damages in libel case against British tabloid
2. Gayle King's daughter got married at Oprah's house
3. David Lynch's big 'announcement' was actually a big letdown
4. Lady Gaga has been quietly and fiercely protecting Tony Bennett for years
5. Miley Cyrus offers to be Gwen Stefani and Blake Shelton's wedding singer

published 1 February 2021

1. Prince Harry wins 'significant' damages in libel case against British tabloid

If you come for the sixth-in-line-to-be-king, you best not miss. Prince Harry has won "significant" damages after taking legal action against a British tabloid for "false and defamatory" claims. The ex-royal settled his dispute with Associated Newspapers, publisher of The Mail on Sunday and the MailOnline, following the publication of a story titled "Top General accuses Harry of Turning his Back on the Marines." As MailOnline explained in a December apology, although the tabloid reported that Harry had been "accused by a top general of turning his back on the Royal Marines since withdrawing from his military roles in March," the Duke of Sussex had in fact "been in contact in a private capacity."

Gayle King has friends in high places, and you know what? Good for her! King confirmed on CBS This Morning on Monday that she helped her daughter, 32-year-old Kirby Bumpus, secure Oprah Winfrey's house as her wedding venue to marry Virgil Miller last year. The $100 million, 23,00-square-foot mansion, which Winfrey calls the Promised Land, sits on 42 acres, so there was plenty of room for guests to social distance. King emphasized that Winfrey wasn't willing to break protocol for her friend, either: "[Bumpus' brother] Will and I were not allowed in the house, so I didn't get a chance to zip up her dress or help her in it, but I knew Oprah covered all that, so I knew she was in good hands," King said.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Director David Lynch ignited a flurry of rumors when he teased this weekend that he had "an announcement" to make on Monday. Theories ranged from the possibility of a fourth season of Twin Peaks, to details about Lynch's mysterious project code-named Wisteria, to the possibility of a new movie. No such luck. In his daily weather report video on Monday, Lynch said: "This is a day I was going to announce that I was going to take a break from doing the weather report and picking the number of the day. But then I read the comments yesterday — and it hit me once again what a great group you all are … So we're gonna continue on." In other words, Lynch's announcement was … that things will remain the same.

For years, Lady Gaga has helped keep the secret that her collaborator, legendary singer Tony Bennett, has been living with Alzheimer's disease. In a moving new piece for AARP the Magazine, Bennett's loved ones decided to go public about his diagnosis (Bennett himself couldn't give his input because he's "incapable of understanding," his caretaker explained). Bennett's family ran the decision by Gaga, who considers Bennett "an incredible mentor, and friend, and father figure," and worked with him on an album in 2014 and a new LP that will be out this spring. Danny, one of Bennett's sons, said he specifically wanted to check with Gaga first "because she watches his back all the time. She was like, 'Absolutely, it's just another gift that he can give to the world.'"

Miley Cyrus is gunning to be the wedding singer at the impending nuptials of Gwen Stefani and Blake Shelton, but Shefani seemed a little less enthused. Everything started when Stefani complimented Cyrus on her performance for NPR's Tiny Desk Concerts series: "Talented geeezzzz," Stefani wrote. Cyrus replied by writing, "when my [heroes] tweet me, I get horny," followed by her offer to "be your wedding singer!" Cyrus added her promise "to be on my best behavior. Or worst. Whatever you want! It's your special day!" Stefani awkwardly wrote back a simple "thanks puppy," which is definitely a "no f'ing way."

Explore More

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.