Category: 5. Entertainment

“This place looks Disneyland,” says Dakota Johnson admiringly. It’s her first visit to Karlovy Vary, and her attempts to take in the local sights and delicacies have been sadly scuppered by the sheer number of sightseers on the spa town’s picturesque main drag. “It was kind of hard to get around, so I went to the gym instead,” she recalls. She does, however, admit to having tried absinthe — an extra-strong local spirit also known as The Green Fairy — the night before. “It burned my nose,” she says. “Is it healthy? I only had a mouse-sip.”

Johnson has two films at the festival, Celine Song’s surprise sleeper Materialists and Michael Angelo Corvino’s Cannes hit Splitsville, both female-skewed, adult romcoms set in the modern world of relationships. Though she jokes about her dark side (“I would love to play a psychopath”), right now Johnson has found herself in a good groove. “I’m so interested right now in romance and love,” she says, “and how it can help people and save people and ignite some hope in people’s hearts.”

Speaking of Materialists in particular, she says she thinks that its central dilemma — should her character Lucy end up with the suave, rich Harry (Pedro Pascal) or the hard-scrabble John (Chris Evans)? — is something everyone can relate to. “The question is, do you fight for the life that you think you want, or do you fight for being truly seen and truly loved?” she asks. “Even if that means not having a certain amount of money or not having a certain kind of lifestyle. I think that it’s a really good question. Now, because of social media, and because of the state of the world, people think they’re supposed to have a certain kind of life, because of what it looks like on the internet. But we’re human beings. Wouldn’t it feel better to just feel truly loved? Maybe that’s something that people should ask themselves, and then maybe we would all treat each other better.”

Staying with Materialists, it helped, she said, that director Song — like Lucy — was once a professional matchmaker. “I spoke with her a lot,” she says, “and it was mostly just hearing stories of her experiences, and how she felt people were more honest with her than they would be with their friends or family, or even their therapist, because people become so desperate to lock down a certain ideal. And Celine found it so interesting that it was more about material aspects of living than it was about emotional, visceral, soulful aspects. So that was incredible research.” She laughs. “And I also learned that dating sucks.”

Meaning what? “Well, I don’t honestly know. I don’t have personal experience, but I know from friends of mine that trying to find your person is just difficult. It’s both beautiful and scary and I think it makes every human question their worth, which is sad. Some dating apps are incredible, and I know people that have gotten married and are so in love from them, and people who have been set up by friends or matchmakers. There’s no right or wrong answer to love.”

Reminded that her first screen appearance was over 25 years ago, in Antonio Banderas’s directing debut Crazy in Alabama, Johnson, now 35, was quick to point out the 11-year gap between that film and the first professional acting jobs that followed in 2010. “Yes, of course that was my first job, but I played my mother’s daughter, and I was directed by my stepfather, and I held my sister who was crying the whole time. But after that, I was addicted. I was just like, ‘Get me out of school, I just want to do this. Please!’ And they wouldn’t let me. I wasn’t allowed to do any auditions or anything until I was 18 and I left home. So, I guess, looking back, I’m grateful for the period of time that I had to just be a kid. And then I feel unbelievably grateful for the life I’ve had, the career I’ve had, the people I’ve worked with and met, and the places I’ve been.”

Talking about her career, it seems that everything is on the table for her, and not just with her production company Tea Time Productions. “I would love to do theatre,” she says. “I would love to do a play. There’s been a couple [of opportunities] in my career that have been presented, but it didn’t work with a filming schedule. So, I think at the right time, absolutely. I would love to do that.” There’s also a vague possibility of a musical career. “I can sing, but I have a fear of singing — like, stage fight. But I’m obsessed with music.” In support of this, she cites a regular monthly playlist on Spotify, which you can find here, if you like The Beach Boys, Arthur Russell, Sly Stone and more.

She’s also an avid reader — “I love a hard copy,” she says, “but I also have an iPad, because I want to help the environment — and runs a book club in her increasingly limited spare time. How does she choose, now that the book club has been going for a year? “We get manuscripts really early on from publishing houses, and so we’re able to mark up what books we’re going to be having in the club six months in advance.” Right now, just for pleasure, she’s reading Miranda July’s new book. “I loved her last book, The First Bad Man, and this one is called…” She struggles for a really long time to remember… “All Fours.” She laughs. “My dog chewed half of its cover, so that’s probably why I don’t remember the name.”

Next up for her is Michael Showalter’s Verity, a rare “erotic thriller” for the director of largely comedic indies. Then there’s a project she refuses point blank to discuss (“It’ll be a special one”). But looming on the horizon is the likelihood of Johnson making her directing debut. “I think I will direct a feature, a very small one, hopefully soon. And it’s really close to my heart and very close to Tea Time. We’re making it with Vanessa Burghardt, who played my daughter in Cha Cha Real smooth. She’s an incredible autistic actress. What’s funny is I feel like I’ve always felt that I’m not ready to direct a feature. I don’t have the confidence, but with her I feel very protective, and I know her very well.” She pauses. “I just won’t let anybody else do it. That really is the real answer.”

Swimsuit Model Suffers Wardrobe Malfunction At Wimbledon originally appeared on The Spun.

A Sports Illustrated Swimsuit issue model suffered an unfortunate – but relatable for many – wardrobe malfunction at Wimbledon over Fourth of July weekend.

The 2025 Wimbledon tournament is entering its second week. Many of the top seeds on the men’s side remain – including Janik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic – but there have been several upsets on the women’s side of the bracket.

Wimbledon is known for its prestigious grass courts, its strawberries and cream dessert and its numerous celebrities in attendance. One prominent Sports Illustrated Swimsuit model was in attendance over the Fourth of July holiday weekend. However, she suffered an unfortunate wardrobe malfunction.

Brooks Nader, a 28-year-old model from Louisiana who previously landed the cover of Sport Illustrated, suffered an unfortunate wardrobe malfunction during her time at Centre Court over the weekend.

The swimsuit model was rocking a black-and-white, polka-dot shirt with a long, white denim skirt with a zip-up front. However, the white skirt ended up being the wrong call.

“Tries to be chic,” the 28-year-old influencer wrote on the clip. “Starts 🩸 at Wimbledon.”

Nader admitted to having a period accident while at Wimbledon. Of course, something like this has probably happened to every woman on the planet at one time or another. Nader is being praised for being open and vulnerable about her wardrobe malfunction at Wimbledon.

“You’re so real for this,” one fan wrote.

“Dare I say you’re more chic now,” one fan added.

“Happens to us all,” another fan added.

“I really love that you shared this,” one fan added.

Meanwhile, Wimbledon will continue with its men’s singles and women’s singles coverage throughout the weekend.

ABC and ESPN have full coverage of the 2025 Grand Slam tournament this year.

Swimsuit Model Suffers Wardrobe Malfunction At Wimbledon first appeared on The Spun on Jul 6, 2025

This story was originally reported by The Spun on Jul 6, 2025, where it first appeared.

Jonathan Bailey praised his co-star Scarlet Johansson for maintaining a positive energy on the set of Jurassic World Reborn.

Bailey and Johansson played Dr Henry Loomis and Zora Bennett in the film, which followed them as they embark on a mission to harvest dinosaur DNA for life-saving drug development.

In an interview with the People Magazine, the Wicked star said about The Avengers alum, “[Johansson’s] super funny, intelligent, kind. She led the film with such incredible energy, and that’s on and off camera.”

Apart from Bailey’s acknowledgement, their other co-stars Gracia-Rulfo described Johansson as the group leader and organiser for dinners and off-day trips.

In an interview with Variety he said, ” Johansson is unaware of who she is. I tell her, ‘You know you’re Scarlett Johansson?’ She goes in the world like, ‘La, la, la,’ and that’s so beautiful.”

Previously in an interview Johansson talked about how her came dream came true through this movie, adding, “I think as a huge fan, I’m just excited for ‘Jurassic’ nerds to see it because I think they’ll like it a lot.”

“And I hope that there are other 10-year-olds that have the same experience that I did when I saw the first ‘Jurassic’ in theaters, where they can just be completely carried away for two hours. It makes you dream,” she said.

The Jurassic World Reborn is now running in theatres.

Long established as an allegory for the immigrant experience, especially when viewed through the personal histories of Superman‘s comic book co-creators — second-generation Jewish immigrants Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster — DC Studios co-CEO James Gunn said his forthcoming film entry of Kal-El keeps in tune with the original 1938-created vision.

“I mean, Superman is the story of America,” the Superman helmer told The Times U.K. in a new profile. “An immigrant that came from other places and populated the country, but for me it is mostly a story that says basic human kindness is a value and is something we have lost.”

When asked how the blockbuster may be perceived in predominantly red versus blue states, especially amid prevailing anti-immigrant and refugee sentiment, Gunn responded, “Yes, it plays differently, but it’s about human kindness and obviously there will be jerks out there who are just not kind and will take it as offensive just because it is about kindness. But screw them.”

Releasing July 11 in theaters, David Corenswet stars as the iconic bespectacled superhero, depicted in the movie as an already established reporter at the Daily Planet dating Lois Lane (Rachel Brosnahan). When he gets drawn into conflict at home and abroad, the Man of Steel — and his trusty flying dog Krypto — must contend with swiftly shifting public opinion as tech billionaire Lex Luthor (Nicholas Hoult) spots an opportunity to ascend.

“Yes, it’s about politics,” Gunn said of his take. “But on another level it’s about morality. Do you never kill no matter what — which is what Superman believes — or do you have some balance, as Lois believes? It’s really about their relationship and the way different opinions on basic moral beliefs can tear two people apart.”

While Gunn said the Warner Bros. Pictures movie aims to balance its message and fun family appeal, the ultimate goal is to tell a human story.

“This Superman does seem to come at a particular time when people are feeling a loss of hope in other people’s goodness,” the Guardians of the Galaxy director shared. “I’m telling a story about a guy who is uniquely good, and that feels needed now because there is a meanness that has emerged due to cultural figures being mean online.”

He continued, “And I include myself in this. It is ad infinitum, millions of people having tantrums online. How are we supposed to get anywhere as a culture? We don’t know what’s real, and that is a really difficult place for the human brain to be. If I could press a button to make the internet disappear I’d consider it. And, no, I don’t make films to change the world, but if a few people could be just a bit nicer after this it would make me happy.”

After a year of musical chairs in fashion, September is gearing up to be one of its biggest show months ever: with debut collections slated from new creative directors at brands including Matthieu Blazy at Chanel and ex-Balenciaga designer Demna at Gucci.

On Sunday in Paris, Michael Rider, who recently succeeded Hedi Slimane at Celine, decided to get a head start.

Acting as a sort of amuse bouche for how he plans to shape the brand’s future, Rider showed a mixture of men’s and womenswear.

The show took place at the brand’s sprawling atelier, a short hop from the Tuileries Garden. Guests included the actor Naomi Watts and, fresh from 18 months of South Korean military service, Kim Taehyung, from the K-pop band BTS, who attempted to shelter from the rain under a giant silk foulard that had been erected above a courtyard.

It was a full-circle moment for Rider, an American designer who previously worked under Phoebe Philo during her tenure at the brand from 2008 to 2017.

While fans of her work, known as “Philophiles”, had hoped Rider would reinstate that era of louche tailoring and minimalism, his opening looks quickly curtailed such expectations. Instead of oversized silhouettes, there was a series of skinny jeans and even skinner trousers, hugging calves so tightly, they should have come with a circulation warning.

These lean silhouettes were a nod to his predecessor, Slimane, who honed his signature sharp-edged style during his stints at Saint Laurent and Dior Homme before introducing it to Celine.

Despite initial criticism, Slimane proved lucrative for Celine’s parent company LVMH. According to analysts, he was estimated to have doubled Celine’s annual sales to €2.5bn (£2.1bn), transforming it into LVMH’s third-largest brand, sitting behind Louis Vuitton and Dior. However, in October, he resigned with rumours of failed contract negotiations to blame.

It’s now up to Rider to pick up that moneyed baton.

Rider’s appointment comes at a difficult time in the fashion industry, with a significant slowdown across luxury markets (for the first quarter of 2025, LVMH reported a 4% sales drop across fashion and leather goods).

At the annual general meeting in April 2024, LVMH’s chief executive, Bernard Arnault, said: “Celine is chic, hip, sexy fashion for young people even if the prices are what they are, and it works.”

Rather than wiping the slate clean, during this period of uncertainty, it appears that Rider is set on evolving on the brand’s existing tried and tested formula.

Speaking backstage after the show, Rider said he “did not want there to be a sense of erasure”, adding that “there was a foundation to build on. That to me felt modern, it felt ethical, it felt strong.”

Rider balanced this homage to the past by intertwining it with his own fashion story. There were nods to his American roots and recent stint as design director of Polo Ralph Lauren, with punchy, coloured knitted V-neck jumpers, neat Oxford shirts and striped ties. Simple evening looks in black including an off-the-shoulder dress and satin lapelled blazers seemed to subtly recall his previous time at Celine.

Accessories, which are easier for luxury brands to shift than a £5k coat, were a focus. Models’ fingers came covered in multiple gold and primary coloured rings. Chunky bangles were stacked on forearms. Giant chain link necklaces were mishmashed. Keyrings jingled with everything from dices to miniature Eiffel Towers.

Rider said he wanted to inject an element of fun. “I would never want to be perceived as cynical. Having a sense of humour in the luxury space is a beautiful thing,” he said.

Bags ranging from colossal woven baskets and enormous leather totes to dainty pouches were emblazoned with logos ranging from a simple C to a “Triomphe” monogram, first created by the house’s founder Céline Vipiana in 1971.

Rider said he was drawn to a logo’s fluid nature. “They can move from something really tasteful to quickly something that is very different from that. They can be many things.”

This coming week, the couture shows in Paris will be filled with delightful, hand-crafted fashions on the runway—and the front rows will be filled with A-listers, too. Ahead of all the stylish action kicking off in the City of Light, one such star—Dua Lipa—has already been spotted checking in to and enjoying the opulence of the Ritz hotel. (Where all the fashion VIPs are known to stay during Fashion Month). And naturally, Lipa nailed a perfectly effortless Parisian look.

The pop star—who has been busy touring this summer—found an ideal day-off look that struck the right balance of chic, yet easy-breezy. It’s the French girl way! She paired summery staples like straight-leg blue wash jeans and a striped button-up dress shirt (styled completely open, safe for one button) with more fashion-minded accessories, like a golden quilted Chanel 25 bag and stiletto sandals.

Photo: Backgrid

Now, will Ms. Dua Lipa dial up the fashion ante for sitting front row at the shows this week? You can count it. She was already photographed making a store visit to Schiaparelli, which means we can likely count on seeing her at that star-studded affair. But even before all of the couture chaos begins, the star clearly knows a thing or two about dressing like a local—and eating and drinking like one. Her last trip—avec partner and husband-to-be Callum Turner—saw the pair head to buzzy bistro Chez Janou, the opulent Costes hotel, and for an intimate late-night dinner at Bistrot des Tournelles.

With this elevated casual look, Lipa looked like a true Parisian heading to the café for a croissant. It’s what Emily In Paris fashion only aspires to be.

Since the beginning of the year, Andrew Garfield and Monica Barbaro have been quietly dating. They’ve yet to have a glitzy red carpet moment together, but there’s been a few brief glimpses of the Hollywood couple at the beach and on vacation. They enjoy keeping a low profile.

But this weekend, at the star-studded Wimbledon tennis tournament in London, the duo decided to make things a little more official. Garfield and Barbaro attended Sonay Kartal and Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova’s match together—and not only did they coordinate outfits, but the couple even enjoyed a cheeky courtside kiss, for all the paparazzi and prying eyes to see.

Let’s start with those complementary ensembles, though. Nothing makes it official like a his-and-hers fashion moment: The two actors were photographed heading into the arena wearing all-white looks that were coordinated to perfection. Barbaro wore a silky white slip dress with strappy heels, while Garfield chose a classic button-up, cuffed pants, and a knit sweater tied around his shoulders. Wimbledon is all about preppy style, after all, and the duo clearly did their style homework ahead of attending the match.

Photo: Getty Images

This volume tells the fascinating story of how one of the most iconic buildings of the Victorian era came into being. Bringing material and archival evidence to life, it gives voice to its makers: from artisans and engineers to royalty and policy makers. This extraordinary piece of architecture reveals itself as a gateway to a new understanding of the political, artistic and scientific aspirations of a generation whose legacy still shapes the social and cultural landscape of today.

This groundbreaking study takes one of London’s most iconic buildings and deconstructs it to offer new insights into the society that produced it. As part of the new cultural quarter built in South Kensington on the proceeds from The Great Exhibition of 1851, the Royal Albert Hall was originally intended to be a ‘Central Hall of Arts and Sciences’. Prince Albert’s overarching vision was to promote technological and industrial progress to a wider audience, and in so doing increase its cultural and economic reach.

Placing materiality at its core, this volume provides an intellectual history of Victorian ideas about technology, progress, and prosperity. The narrative is underpinned by a wealth of new sources – from architectural models and archival materials to 19^th century newspapers. Each chapter focuses on a particular element of the Royal Albert Hall’s construction, chronicling the previously overlooked work of a host of contributors from all walks of life, including female mosaic-makers and the Royal Engineers.

Lighting, ventilation, fireproofing, ‘ascending rooms’, cements, acoustics, the organ, the record-breaking iron dome, and the organisation of internal spaces were all attempts to attain progress – and subject to intense public scrutiny. From iron structures to terracotta, from the education of women to the abolition of slavery, in the making of the Royal Albert Hall scientific knowledge and socio-cultural reform were intertwined.

This book shows, for the first time, how the Royal Albert Hall’s building was itself a crucible for innovation. Illustrious techniques from antiquity were reimagined for the new mechanical age, placing the building at the heart of a process of collecting, describing, and systematising arts and practices. At the same time, the Royal Albert Hall was conceived as a ‘manifesto’ of what the Victorians thought Britain ought to be, at a crucial moment of its socio-economic history: a symbolic cultural hub for the Empire’s metropole.

This is the Royal Albert Hall: a central piece of the puzzle in Britain’s march towards modernity.

Dr. Simona Valeriani is based at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, where she is a senior lecturer. She is an historian of architecture and technology with a background in building archaeology. This book is the result of a long standing interest in the topic (see the V&A display ‘Building the Royal Albert Hall’, 2017) and of a prestigious Leverhulme Trust Fellowship (2018-2020).