Mailbag for July 31, 2026
On fuckass Jared Leto, Law Roach and Crystalle Cox and operation Tomdaya, Mr and Mrs Smell Like Prada, does Jennifer Lawrence need to revive her career, on BTS opting out of Grammy consideration
Dear Squawkers,
TW: sexual assault
Just over a year ago, the opening section of this weekly mailbag was about Jared Leto. You can read it here. This was after Air Mail published Elena Clavarino’s piece detailing the accusations of NINE women, several of whom were underage when Jared Leto allegedly sexually assaulted them or committed sexual impropriety when he was with them.
In that mailbag from June 2025, I wrote about how there are a lot of people who know about Jared’s predatory behaviour; I reposted the Twitter exchange between Dylan Sprouse and James Gunn, where they reveal very publicly that Jared has a Reputation. Somehow there are still very online people who have never seen this.
As noted in that mailbag, the story was barely getting any attention. Perhaps because Air Mail had limited circulation behind a paywall. And also because of our batshit news cycle. And my point, at the time, was that people continued to be so much more fixated on trashing Blake Lively – like putting their whole soul into it – than interrogating why the entertainment industry had not only tolerated but encouraged Jared Leto’s career, with opportunity after opportunity, for so long.
Now here we are again, a year later, and this time it’s the BBC with a whole ass documentary, Jared Leto: Hollywood’s Dark Secret, in which TEN women have come forward with allegations about Jared, and four of them were willing to go on camera. Jared has since released a brief statement of denial which, infuriatingly, supplanted many of the original headlines about the BBC’s report.
The BBC, however, definitely has a larger footprint than Air Mail. And they’ve made the documentary accessible on their player and on YouTube. But it’s geo-gated which means even though there’s less of a restriction on who can access the film, there remains a restriction, nonetheless. Here’s a short clip that isn’t blocked by region.
As far as I’ve seen, and this part of the mailbag was written on Wednesday night, it’s getting more traction than the Air Mail piece, sure, but it’s nowhere near trending. Nobody’s making eight TikToks a day about it like they were (and probably still are) with the Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni scandal. This week, Kayleigh Donaldson wrote a brilliant and maddening piece about the “ragebait economy” and how every five minutes we’re being ragebaited by a fucking troll, and we all lose in the process. Because as a result, issues that we should be enraged about, like fuckass Jared Leto, are barely breaking through.
To go back to the mailbag from a year ago, I mentioned that Jared had two projects that were still due for release: Tron: Ares and Masters of the Universe. Neither movie did well so there’s not much of a case to be made right now for casting Jared Leto, should anyone actually be interested. And for those who are calling for him to never be cast in anything ever again, he actually doesn’t have any acting roles booked at the moment. Plus, he’s kept a pretty low profile. He did not attend the premiere of Masters of the Universe earlier this summer and was not a presence on the press tour. He also hasn’t been to the Met Gala in three years, and we all know how that prick loves to stunt on that carpet.
He did, however, turn up two weeks ago at a UFC event in Las Vegas, which is perfect, that’s exactly where he would be. He could probably show up at another one tomorrow and be met with a standing ovation.
Speaking of standing ovations, his band is going on tour next year through Europe. This is relevant because according to one of his accusers in the BBC documentary, when he invited her to an after-party after a show in London in 2013, believing that she was 17 at the time, he said that “age is just a number, and anyway, we’re in Europe”. Touring is when he targeted so many of his alleged victims. What impact will this documentary – on top of the decades of accusations – have on the tour…if any? Like a year from now will I be writing the same open?
Let’s get to the mailbag…
Question from Romana:
I’m curious if Lainey or Sarah have any insight on how it works between Law Roach and Crystalle Cox when they’re styling Zendaya and Tom for joint events— like does Law text Crystalle a color palette? Does he send her a preview? Surely, they collaborate to some degree? Or have Tom and Zendaya ever shown up to something looking like they dressed for different kinds of events/weather/color schemes?
Lainey’s Answer:
I can’t recall seeing Tom and Zendaya showing up to something looking like they’re dressed for different events, like Adam and Jackie Sandler. If I’m trying to be fair to Adam here, this was when the Knicks were on their NBA championship run, LOL. But still, I’m sure we’re all familiar with his red carpet style approach and how Jackie does not rock up to an event in gym clothes.
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With Tom and Zendaya, though, while they’ve never clashed necessarily, I wouldn’t say that they’re always matchy matchy. And besides, even though lately it feels like they’re always on red carpets together because of The Odyssey and Spider-Man: Brand New Day, this is actually not commonplace. If they’re not in the same movie, they are never walking carpets together. He will sneak in or not go at all to her events, and it’s the same for her.
But there is one occasion that I remember well…and it’s because of the dress. Custom Louis Vuitton, leather, oxblood, belted. He was in sneakers but also, in oxblood.
This, for sure, was coordinated ahead of time. Her dress came first, obviously, since it was custom, and he picked a t-shirt to go with it. Low lift, but I don’t blame him since he knows better than anyone else that the focus would be on her. What was extra sweet about this, however, is that it was at the launch of his zero-proof beer, Bero. Like she and Law went to all that trouble to serve a killer look to help attract more attention to his brand-new business.
So, to go back to your question about how Law Roach and Tom’s stylist Crystalle Cox collaborate, if at all, for joint events – thank you for asking because I’ve been wanting to talk about this, but maybe in a different direction than what you were getting at.
Crystalle used to be Law’s assistant, not sure if everyone knows this. Remember, Law used to style BOTH Zendaya and Tom. But when he decided to retire (obviously he has since unretired), he gave Crystalle his blessing to work independently with Tom since they had established a good connection. Which tells us something about their community, and especially Law. He trained Crystalle, and with Crystalle, he clearly hasn’t been one of those people who holds back his assistants from developing their own careers. Law speaks often about mentorship and guidance, and here’s an example of someone he has mentored and guided and who is now known as the stylist to Tom Holland, the movie star who stars in the two biggest movies of the summer.
Is there communication between Law and Crystalle when Tom and Zendaya are appearing together? Of course – but that communication is deeper than just the outfits, there is so much history here. That history is part of the whole Tomdaya operation. In Law, Zendaya has someone who is more than just a stylist but one of her closest friends, a creative collaborator, a big brother, sometimes even a co-pilot since, together, they launched her career to new heights through her looks.
In Crystalle, Tom has someone who came up through someone he already knew and trusted, deeply. And that trust is critical to a couple that has captured so much public fascination and yet has managed to keep so much of their relationship private. I keep repeating it, but it needs to be repeated: we don’t know anything about their wedding, TMZ and DeuxMoi had no idea it even happened. No one outside of their tight inner circle scooped the story and the only reason we know is because a member of that inner circle very strategically, deliberately, intentionally shared it… AND WE STILL HAVE NO IDEA WHEN AND WHERE AND HOW AND WHAT.
These styling relationships are key to how they have managed to lock shit down: they are surrounded, insulated actually, by those whose loyalty has been tested and developed over time, with a lot of care, and presumably a lot of respect.
Question from Andréanne:
I was really surprised to see that Prada has announced Zendaya as a global beauty ambassador… Why do you think her and her team made that choice? She has other fashion contracts, and its not like she needs an opportunity to be visible right now, or that she needs the money… I would even go as far as to say: is there a risk of overexposure with the timing of the campaign drop? I am really confused by that choice.
Lainey’s Answer:
I think maybe it’s confusing because so many outlets missed the finer points of this partnership. Zendaya is the new global ambassador for Prada’s new fragrance, Prada Paradoxe Sweet Chemistry. The fragrance is launching on September 1, her 30th birthday. There’s some nice timing and synergy happening here.
Because exactly a year ago, Prada released a new men’s fragrance, Prada Paradigme. And the global brand ambassador for that was…Tom Holland. So, these two are now Mr and Mrs Smell Like Prada. It’s adorable but it’s also strategic. They didn’t just sign on for any fragrance, the prestige here is in being the face of an entirely brand-new fragrance – and the negotiating power that comes with it.
Tom’s Prada Paradigme was an instant blockbuster fragrance in its first year, a key sales driver for L’Oréal Luxe (which licences Prada Beauty) into the double digits. They are hoping to do the same with the new fragrance marketed towards women with Zendaya and Prada Paradoxe Sweet Chemistry.
Beauty has always supported and supplemented luxury fashion. Prior to Prada, Zendaya’s existing brand partnerships are with Louis Vuitton, Rolex, and On Running. (She no longer reps Bvlgari.) That’s luxury clothing, luxury timepieces, and fitness apparel. Fragrance and beauty were her open stream. And the thing about fragrance and beauty is that this is where the real money is, because it’s the gateway. Most people can’t afford to wear LV and Rolex. But they can feel like they’re engaging with luxury with makeup and fragrances, especially fragrances. That’s always been the truth in the marketplace – brands and fashion houses rely on the income from the beauty and fragrance lines to fund the fashion side of the business.
Fragrance is extremely lucrative, and fragrance junkies are obsessive. There’s a lot of excitement and anticipation over Prada Paradoxe Sweet Chemistry, especially after all the hype from Paradigme. No matter how people actually felt about the scent, it’s undeniable that the fragrance moved. This is a good deal for her, a smart deal– on top of the fact that it’s just really cute that they have his and hers fragrances now under the same roof.
Question from Patty:
What does Jennifer Lawrence need to do to revive her career, if she wants it revived? Having 2 young kids at home, maybe she has set limits on how long and how far she will go to shoot a movie.
Sarah’s answer:
JLaw does have two young kids at home, and she worked a TON in the 2010s, so much that she felt the sting of overexposure. She’s obviously been much more selective with her work over the last few years, having only starred in four films since X-Men: Dark Phoenix in 2019. And let’s not forget, she already has an Oscar. Sure, maybe she would like another one, but she has already summited her profession’s ultimate peak. I’ve heard something before about winning an Oscar young being a kind of curse, because after you’ve done it…what else is there? Some people call winning an Oscar too young an ambition killer. Obviously, not always the case (see also: Emma Stone), but look at how many actresses win Oscars in their early 20s and then kind of flounder for a while before finding a new groove. It even happened to Adrien Brody after The Pianist.
That said! JLaw has a new film with Martin Scorsese and Leonardo DiCaprio coming up called What Happens at Night. It’s already in post-production, though there is no release date yet announced, it seems highly likely we’ll see this film in this year or next year’s award season. She is working, albeit at a much more selective pace.
Which brings us back to those young kids. Photos of JLaw with her kids in New York pop up frequently. I never go for them because I find kids inherently uninteresting and also, they did not ask to be born to famous parents. It’s one thing when a celebrity’s kid starts edging into the real world, like Violet Affleck engaging in public speaking, or Suri Noelle (formerly Cruise) appearing in a Shakespeare play (she’s definitely coming to Hollywood). But JLaw’s kids are very young, and I am not interested in stroller parades, so I ignore those pics. But they are there. She’s with those kids a lot.
My assumption is after winning an Oscar and making bank in her 20s, JLaw is now slowing down. The impetus to work constantly is gone, she has a young family, she has every reason and privilege to work less, so she is working less. She also has her production company, which has several films in the works, including that Scorsese movie and a Miss Piggy project with Emma Stone and Cole Escola. So, she’s working behind the scenes, too. If she starts ramping up her output, we can revisit this, but for now, I assume she’s working exactly as much as she wants to.
Question from Lorraine via DM:
Hi Lainey, With BTS opting out of Grammy consideration—specifically after the Academy’s move to relegate non-English acts into new regionalized categories—this feels like a major watershed moment for the celebrity ecosystem. When the biggest group in the world decides they don’t need Western institutional validation, it upends the classic prestige-for-viewership exchange. I’d love to know your take on three angles: Gossip Machinery & PR Leverage: How does this alter Western media’s leverage over global megastars when acts stop participating in the traditional U.S. award campaign circuit?
Lainey’s Answer:
As much as I hope it’s a major watershed moment for the western celebrity ecosystem, I’m not sure that it will be. Ultimately one of the reasons is because of gossip machinery and PR leverage. The Recording Academy has now issued an official response about BTS not submitting for Grammys consideration this year – a weak ass statement that doesn’t say much, other than double down on the reasoning behind the creation of the Asian Pop category; a classic case of wrong and strong.
But this isn’t how most western legacy media outlets will approach it. For them, it’s good enough to give them a pass to not challenge the shitty way the Recording Academy has approached the growing influence of music and musicians who don’t perform in English by centering their own interests. After all, even without RM, Jin, Suga, j-hope, Jimin, V, and Jung Kook, the Grammys will go ahead, to be broadcast on ABC in February 2027. Which means ABC has a vested interest in making sure the event and the academy behind it isn’t disparaged. ABC is Disney, so there are significant stakeholders involved here who will prop up the Grammys and the Recording Academy for as long as they can. I’ll be shocked if BTS comes up in the fall in the Grammys conversation in a meaningful way when shortlists and nominations are announced.
I mean, it’d be amazing if on Grammy night reporters are inclined to actually ask industry players and other artists what they think of BTS’s decision but my guess is that they’ll be looking for different soundbites depending on who’s nominated. And this year, the heavy hitters going into the major categories could be Ariana Grande, Olivia Rodrigo, Olivia Dean, Harry Styles, Bruno Mars, Rosalía, and of course Taylor Swift. For western media then, given the gossip currency of that list of artists, BTS might not even be an afterthought. Which is fuckery, no doubt. But that’s symptomatic of how we ended up here in the first place. If it were any one of those artists who did what BTS just did, it would be top story headline news for days in English.
As many others have pointed out, though, with the exception of Rosalía among the projected contenders for the major Grammys this year, this situation underscores the idea that these are “local” achievements. That’s a reference to how Bong Joon-ho referred to the Oscars, when he said that “The Oscars are not an international film festival. They’re very local.” And then proceeded to win the biggest Oscar, LOL. His point stands, though, and may even be more apt when applied to the Grammys in the sense that their prestige and international reach have been steadily diminishing, I would argue at a much faster rate than the Oscars who’ve been better at stewarding their brand.
With their very public declaration that they do not intend to pursue Grammy nominations and therefore Grammys themselves, while on a massive sold-out world tour, BTS is strengthening the case that the Grammys are indeed local. When just one member doing a livestream of himself playing video games can attract a bigger audience than the Grammys telecast, it puts into perspective how we’re measuring popularity and relevance.
But here’s the thing about the watershed moment – it IS a watershed moment…for BTS. As I wrote in my post the other day at LaineyGossip, they have transcended beyond the desire for validation from this western institution, and it represents growth. Because they were super transparent about wanting that Grammy, badly, just four or five years ago. And to go from that to where they are now, where they’ve publicised in 7G that they’re not interested is freeing. It frees them creatively and spiritually, and that’s the real win for them going forward.
Because they made this call for themselves. It’s worth nothing that we still don’t know if other artists under their label and its subsidiaries can or will do the same. Considering that HYBE has formal operations in America, and certainly relationships with American institutions and the music industry, I can’t imagine that their own company would have pushed them in that direction. What we can assume, then, is that HYBE didn’t stop them…or maybe that they couldn’t stop them. And that’s pretty radical, that they have used their success to assert this kind of autonomy. There are very few acts out of Korea with that kind of power in their platform, and BTS has used theirs. We may not see other Korean artists, and artists from non-western cultures, make a similar choice in the immediate future, and this year in particular. But when and if they feel so inclined, there is now a template.
But over in Korea not everyone has embraced this decision. BTS and Korean media have a thorny relationship and there are some critics who’ve been given a platform to come out against their Grammys stance. Which, I’m sure, didn’t surprise the members. Korean media still holds much more influence over celebrities there than their counterparts in the west. And there are definitely people in Korea who are not impressed by BTS waving off one of America’s most well-known cultural institutions. So, it’s not just that BTS isn’t adhering to traditional media and celebrity behavioural expectations outside of their home borders, they’ve been doing the same in Korea…which is arguably riskier for them. A watershed moment indeed as they continue to land on, stand on, and stamp on how they are approaching 2.0 of their careers, iykyk.
Question from KathyK:
Now that BTS has declined to participate in the Grammy’s nonsense, do you think they’d perform at the Super Bowl if asked? Would they benefit from the appearance? Next question, do you think that their decision will impact other Kpop groups in submitting work or that they will take advantage of the opportunity?
Lainey’s Answer:
This may seem like a cynical response, but I do think there will be other groups/artists who will submit for consideration in the Asian Pop category. In Korea, Epik High’s Tablo was the first and most high-profile artist to show support. And from what I’ve seen it’s been crickets from everyone else. The submission deadline is August 28, so we’ll get a better sense in a month who goes for it…and what the resulting discourse will be.
I’m not here to judge any artists about their decisions, especially since for some of them, most really, who don’t have BTS’s influence and reach, it might not entirely be in their hands; their labels and managers etc will have a lot to say about it, so it would be unfair to put it all on the artists. What’s important to consider in this conversation though is that BTS would have never moved like this selfishly, as in just looking out for themselves. They made their decision on principle – the principle that music should not be defined by language or region. And it’s not unlike what Beyoncé said when she won the Best Country Album Grammy for COWBOY CARTER:
“I think sometimes genre is a code word to keep us in our place as artists, and I just wanna encourage people to do what they’re passionate about and to stay persistent.”
BTS telling the Grammys to keep it was them co-signing Beyoncé’s message about genre being a “code word to keep [artists in their place]” and BTS clearly sees the new Asian Pop category as another wall that separates the art and the artists’ creative flow – literally gatekeeping. Their protest against those gates, then, isn’t just an act of self-service. It’s meant to, like Beyoncé, resist the arbitrary compartmentalisation of music by community.
As for the Super Bowl, I do think they would perform if they were invited, because they told us they’d be into it. But you will note, RM didn’t just say yes, the way he used to answer a few years ago when asked about their Grammy ambitions. This time, he qualified it. “Maybe if the time goes by and the thoughts in people change.”
RM is well aware of what the resistance would be. And obviously the first step in confronting it would be for the NFL and Jay-Z to actually extend the ask; to follow up on the Benito Bowl with the BTS Bowl in trying to extend the league and the sport’s appeal beyond its current perceived audience and especially since the Super Bowl in 2027 is being played in Los Angeles, with the largest population of Koreans outside of Korea. But not just limited to Koreans since BTS is huuuuuuuge in Latin America and this is where the NFL is seeing the most growth.
The business case is definitely there but I don’t know if, to quote RM, “the thoughts in people [will] change”.
As for the schedule, right now they’re supposed to be in Australia around the time of the Super Bowl but, as I said before, Benito reworked his tour to accommodate a Super Bowl appearance, and the same could likely be possible in BTS’s case, if this is even in the realm of possibility. Because there are other artists who, if they’d be willing, are also perennially “on deck” to do it in terms of clout and catalogue. Taking Taylor Swift out the equation since Travis Kelce is still playing, there’s Miley Cyrus, Adele, Ariana Grande, and Harry Styles. Any one of those would be a get for the league.
Keep squawking and keep gossiping,
Lainey and Sarah
Oh, so Jared Leto is entering the allegations to right-wing pipeline. Got it
It's Friday, I'm fried and hot and want a nap. I am so glad I clicked on the Mailbag email. The questions are so good, the answers are thought-provoking, and all of a sudden I feel refreshed. Thank you for this community and for everyone that contributes to it. Have a fab weekend, all!