86 Comments

Just a note of gratitude for The Squawk! I love the in-depth responses, the insight behind-the-scenes about all the business pieces, and the chance to share all my random comments and questions with people as interested as I am. Thanks LG team and all my Squawkers!

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Thanks for the insight on the video clips! I love hearing about the work behind the site. I thought they were too well put together to be AI generated but it’s so hard to know these days. I’m much more of a reader than a watcher but I will look at those videos differently now!

I think waiting out the JLo and Ben story makes sense. For me the coverage of it by other publications is more interesting to discuss than the possibility of “are they or aren’t they?”

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Thank you for asking the question about the video clips, Ketri. I've wondered about them myself and appreciate Jacek's answer. Loving every bit of Show Your Work around here. :-)

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My thoughts on the timing of Rory‘s divorce announcement – my guess is that he and his wife have been separated for a while or have been planning to divorce for a while. He won Wells Fargo and he is predicted to do well this weekend. One thing I’m learning about golf is that these golfers go hot and cold. A win one weekend is indicative (but not a guarantee obviously) of success the next. He and his team probably thought – he’s in contention to make a run at the PGA championship. If he wins, people will be looking to see his wife and daughter greeting him on the 18th hole. If they are separated or divorcing, obviously she wouldn’t be there and people would speculate why not. I think it is to get ahead of a story and out in the open rather than people whispering about it should he win this weekend.

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We were talking about this the other day and discussed the possibility that they released the info after a win because if he announced it after missing a cut, for instance, the poor play would be blamed on marital "distractions". I agree that they've probably been holding this for a while and doing it right after a victory removes that narrative and also gives reporters plenty to ask about and not "when will you finally win your next major".

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I heard it shocked everyone. So if they were having issues, they kept that tight. Rory doesn’t do tight all that well, though.

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I was curious what the tea was on this dude and my mouth is completely ajar after reading the r/FauxMoi thread about it. He sounds like an absolutely terrible partner and gross human.

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Golf gossip sounds layered. Like, yes marriages break up... but now I'm thinking about how there's golf groupies. Are there levels? A pro golfer? A caddy? The suits in the suites who run corporations? Is that how they got together? Will she trade up?

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Do you mean Rory?

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Yes!

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Really?! What’s the tea??

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I think this is a really good guess. Given it was h that filed it seems very orchestrated.

Also Lainey can I get you to add Sahith Theegala to your list of golfers you support? He’s a good vibes guy and has the fun chaos of Jordan Speith in his up & downs around the green.

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Yes and no on Sahith. Dude also has a temper so depending on how you look at that on the course, it could make him a bit less likeable.

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Scheffler went up about 100 notches for me today. I have, at the risk of sounding like a bloated arse, some deep connections in the golf world, and Scottie is the only one whose image matches the real guy.

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Really? The way it was first reported, he sounded like a privileged ass hurrying to his tee time. Amy P needs to spill about her golf connections!

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Haha! If Drive to Survive told what really goes down between these guys and their wives, the pearls would be clutched to strangulation.

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So it was a ton of chaos this morning because they were backed up due to the really sad accident with the pedestrians. Golfers had been told that they could proceed to the grounds and he was in a marked courtesy vehicle. The police officer in question was in a yellow rainajcket which made him indistinguishable from a volunteer or security guard. Scottie by all accounts (Jeff Darlington from ESPN literally saw everything) didn’t pull a “do you know who I am” and the police officer ripped open the door when he rolled down his window.

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How did he end up with a charge of assault on the officer? The reporting made it seem like he was doing the aggressing. It's so interesting that the rest of the story makes sense because a courtesy vehicle implies that it specifically belongs wherever it is heading if connected to an event. He was charged and back on the green. It was so odd from the outside as someone who is not dialed in.

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I should edit this to say Scottie is ONE OF the few whose image matches the real dude. Morikawa, Matsuyama, and Finau are three more.

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I agree about Hatton! I love that dude, and now I can’t cheer for him. Huge bummer.

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His tears post waste management a few years ago endeared him to me as someone who also has the ability to nuke a ball in critical situations. Get it on the temper “tempering” your appreciation of him.

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I love the extended golf knowledge in our Squawk tribe here!

My jury is still out on him. I don't mind golfers with a temper but it has to be entertaining. His is that bubbling, unpleasant type like he's trying to hide it but can't. Tyrrell Hatton's is hilarious. It's a shame he took the LIV money. The Tour could use him.

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Tyrell is the best. His vibe in Ryder cups are impeccable.

I love niche sport knowledge here in the squawk. I’ve got F1 and golf covered and we know we have a deep pony crew here as well 😂

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Charleze Theron had been in this business for AGES by the time Mad Max filmed, and we've never heard stories of her having to bring in producers for protection from her castmate.

F*** Tom Hardy, especially given the context of her role and protection toward other women in the Mad Max universe. When Soderberg said, "I don't know why hundreds of people aren't dead," I think Tom is high on that list.

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The director and producer of these Mad Max movies are trash. Not one but two emotionally scarred lead actresses? Such douche bro boys club bullshit.

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Thanks so much for the Squawk everybody! It's such a good read--I love the show your work content. I also appreciate the editorial values and standards around what shows up. And I appreciate that the sight doesn't do a story like "Biebers pregnant" unless there is an insight that can be provided. We all know they're pregnant--we don't need Lainey to tell us. But if you do tell us it's always a jumping off point for analysis and deeper insight. I love that so much. Thank you team!

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Agreed 100000% on this! The analysis is why this is the only “celebrity” website I read wholly now (like all the articles, every day)- and anything else is just linked from the articles on LG.

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Such a well thought out mailbag! Love the Show Your Work/inside baseball of LG.

So, @Jacek since you have insight into our site activity, and after 20 years of reading have likely tracked my IP address, can you see how many times I clicked the Andrew Scott/Quinn video in yesterday’s open or— 👀

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Re. Anya - She was giving an interview to one of the biggest news outlets on the planet for a super high profile movie that was *just* released, so I think she literally said everything she possibly could have said about any on-set strife without causing tons of controversy. I would bet that she'll further elaborate on what made it so difficult, but to me, her comment about waiting months to be *permitted* to omit a scream full of rage as Furiosa really speaks volumes.

I said what I think about the Bennifer sitch in another post. All I know is that someone looked pretty glum on a recent red carpet when she really should have radiated and glimmered like she typically does, and someone else seemed pissy and potentially inebriated during a recent roast.

Keeping with the divorce topic, since I've seen concerned comments: I personally think that Blake and Ryan are fine. I think she's way more likely to be pregnant with kid #5 than considering a split. They seem to have a dynamic that wouldn't personally work for me (it's kinda tradwifey), but they strike me as pretty harmonious.

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I didn’t think Ben and JLo were in trouble until I saw him on Brady’s roast. He was very weird. He made no sense and was just rambling and then he just took off.

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I wondered about that too when I saw signs of discord. I don’t think it’s good to gossip about relapses, lots of addicts relapse, and also relapsing isn’t the only hard part of sobriety - my Dad is off alcohol now, but still would rather be on his phone than engage with his life. I felt like rumblings might also be because things aren’t good, he’s messing up somehow, but a decision might not have been made.

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There's something about Rory. He broke up with Caroline Wozniacki by phone, after the wedding invitations had gone out - she said she was blindsided - and it looks like he might have been similarly abrupt with his wife. Of course you can break an engagement or end a marriage unilaterally, it doesn't mean you're a cold-hearted snake, but there's just something about him, something not good. We may or may not ever find out what.

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Yep—Reddit stories about him are wild. Sounds like a real irish lasshole

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Ooh this is very interesting.

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Bennifer rough patch. Her album, movie, and documentary not doing well, his kids’ grandparent passing, and a coming out…he is a dad first and it has been a time, I’m assuming. Blending families is tough, and they both have big lives and some career misses lately. It would be a hard period for most people.

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I’m so here for the sports gossip. I don’t know these people because I don’t know sports, but similar to celebs, athletes are in the public eye. And their relative lack of personal branding, styling, PR training, makes the human element even more intriguing. I hadn’t watched a Super Bowl in ages and yes I watched it for Travis, and I really enjoyed the game!! I thought Butker was an amazing kicker on field and then to hear his speech?? Omg what a 360

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I grew up in such a sports obsessed family—my dream was to work for ESPN—and after working there/ in sports for a decade, I’m no longer a sports fan. I appreciate and respect those who make up the industry that provides joy, employment and purpose to many but—I should not have seem how the proverbial sausage was made. Just assume that most (male) athletes who we idolize are gross human beings, and should NOT be idolized!

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Not me getting a reply in the Mailbag - thank you!! And I also got the vibe it was down to creative differences - “I couldn’t protect someone I cared about” referring to how she felt Furiosa should be brought to life on screen.

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PLEASE I need to know if anyone else is watching/listening to the podcast the cutting room floor?!? I just binged watched about 2 hrs worth and I had to come here first to know if anyone else is obsessed as I am?! OMG! Lainey! PLEASE tell me you’ve seen this?!? Anyone? No one in my real life would care, and this place is my little niche community lol

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The latest one with Karla Welch is a good one! She talks about the business side and how she and her client approach styling strategically, especially if they want to land a deal with a big fashion house. I used to keep up with the podcast a bit more, but after the Leandra Medine drama, I needed a break.

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That’s what sucked me in! The latest episode! How stylists have changed the game when talking strategies and goals! I don’t know about Leandra drama, but I guess now I’m going to have to go down a rabbit hole! Is it too early for an edible? lol

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My other favorites are Dressed and Articles of Interest. Their episodes tie fashion and clothing to larger topics.

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I'm late, but did you see that she just interviewed the host of Articles of Interest?

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Ah no, I didn’t see that! I’ll check it out, thanks! ☺️

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Thank you! I will look into them!

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It was a time. Presently, I enjoy her work and I feel like she spends a lot of time in preparation.

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What is the Leandra Medine drama?? 👀 it's a new one or do you mean when Man Repeller imploded (I still follow Haley Nahman, Crystal and others, iykyk)

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Recho said something flippantly that plays into harmful tropes. I don't know if it's still up, and I think her point was that Leandra had the resources to alter her appearance to fit into the dominant society and remove her ethnic features (like she was removing a physical characteristic to fit in with the mainstream...a way to pass, but not skin color related). It was a phrase that was not in her lane to use, even if many choose this. It wasn't her lane to just drop that phrase on her. Someone from Leandra's own culture could get into it. Recho was pointing out that the Leandra's depiction of her struggle was omitting her methods to assimilate. Like if Halsey was talking to Issa Rae about struggles to fit in. It exists, but Halsey presents white. Mixed Black people struggle, but not the Issa Rae type struggle. If that makes sense. Recho was trying to say that, but took a wrong turn into the wrong lane.

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Question, do you guys listen in Patreon? In Spotify they only have previews, as far as I can see, or have I miss something? Btw, Shilo Byrd is a personal hero of mine (I draft patterns as a hobby 😅), sometimes she comments the catwalk shows in her Instagram, super interesting from a fitting point of view.

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I'm on Patreon. Draft patterns as a hobby feels bigger than a hobby. This must be a quiet passion?? (everything is quiet these days).

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The Leandra stress is how I discovered Recho. The lesson was don't let annoyance get your mouth write a check your butt can't cash. Leandra was trying to find a common struggle and that reach was the straw that had Recho crossing a line for many. That was a phrase for someone else to use within their respective culture to pushback on the irregular logic.

It's a good listen. Recho is PREPARED.

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I had to search for where I read this because I wanted to come back and DISCUSS. I have so many thoughts. Law Roach was tap dancing around the point regarding Leibovitz (sir knows she's not good at lighting dark melanin, but what else could he say publicly?). Karla only doing red carpet schooled me because I didn't know there was a street stylist. Recho had me looking up Anthony Vaccarello. And now Roland Mouret has company in my mind. Big Designers haven't been great so it's nice to see stellar work. I might start pay attention to the names again.

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It's on my list of to-do.

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I heart JLo and Bennifer 2.0 so hopefully this is all rumors. But spidey senses went off in this recent JLo interview with ET on her new movie. She's asked about Ben and she's defensive and skirts the question a little and is generally spikey throughout the interview. And she usually gushes when she talks about him/them. That said I'd be cranky too if I was doing junkets and spending 8 hours a day prepping for a tour that's not selling great :(

https://www.etonline.com/media/videos/atlas-jennifer-lopez-on-if-she-and-ben-affleck-train-for-their-action-movies-together

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That being said, since everyone and their friend on TikTok has been saying how terrible she is to peasants, having sat next to Ben in a Toluca Lake thai restaurant —when it was just us dining one afternoon— days after Argo came out—I can report that he was just the most delightful, gracious and kind person. And I think good people should be with good people. I don’t wish divorce on anyone’s children but also won’t be super heartbroken if they aren’t the best long term match for each other.

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TikTok gossip about Jlo? Has she been on the naughty list in years past? People complained about Mariah, but it turned out she was just in Mariah Land. JLo is human so an off day is possible, but I must have missed her being mean to people. Ben hanging with his divorced friend Brady is not a good choice. Brady doesn't understand appreciation of a good woman.

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I quit social media in December, but yes, J Lo has been getting dragged on TikTok for about a month, or so I hear. Lots of people sharing stories about how terrible she is too pretty much everyone. When there’s smoke…

I am not positive, but think the stories might have hit a fever pitch after J. Lo got a pretty beloved blind item influencer kicked off the platform, thus tanking her income, and ability to support herself, and, potentially leading to her death. 😔

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I quit social media, including my beloved Tik Tok, on Monday and I swear my mood has improved and I have more energy. I thought I’d have more time. I didn’t anticipate physical changes.

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I should have quit it years ago! So much happier, more productive and sleep better!

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Lainey has been discussing TikTok as unreliable gossip so I understand her stopping someone from capitalizing from blinds (which were also discussed). It's so terrible that trying to stop negative stories would turn into a loss of life. TikTok sounds like a free for all.

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So well said! I agree with you.

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Ooof, yeah she seems very off here and not her usually effusive with praise and adoration for Ben after being asked this Q. I know that couples go through shit, and would hope those two can work things out if in fact they are as bad as the rumor mill is suggesting.

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Just popping in to say a big thanks for answering my question! <3

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I just want to say thank you Sarah for linking the Walker Texas Ranger clip. This bit is truly my top tier Conan moments and I haven't watched it in awhile. God I love that man

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Did I lose 45 minutes watching those clips? You bet I did!

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