To quote many-a-mommy-influencer: Congrats friends, we made it to Friday!
Oh, what a week it was, filled with ups and downs and more celebrity news than you could probably handle, which is why we're here to help. Heading into the weekend, we're rounding up the headlines you really need to know about in order to small talk your way through that awkward dinner you have planned and even have a few nuggets of info to share. You know how you'd turn to CliffsNotes to pretend you actually did the assigned reading in high school? We're just like that, only slightly snarkier and far more interesting. (Apologies to Lord of the Flies and The Catcher in the Rye.)
This week, there was a major update in Britney Spears' conservatorship case, new insight was given into a major Hollywood split and Married at First Sight came this close to changing its named to Divorced Once the Cameras Stop Rolling.
Here's what you might've missed this week:
Britney's Big Win: Britney Spears secured a small victory in court as she fights for her freedom, with a judge granting the superstar permission to choose her own layer during a court hearing on July 14.
Represented by a court-appointed attorney—Sam Ingham, who asked to resign on July 6—since her conservatorship began 13 years ago, Britney will now have former federal prosecutor Mathew Rosengart acting as her private lawyer.
Following the judge's decision, a joyous Spears took to social media, with the 39-year-old thanking fans for their support in an Instagram post and sharing that she feels "blessed." And she wasn't the only Spears family member to sound off, though Jamie Lynn Spears cryptically said she wants to "end the bulls--t" after her sister's legal win, while mom Lynn Spears shared a bible verse from the book of John: "The light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it."
Read more about Britney's new lawyer and what it means for the fight to end her conservatorship here. And, as always, #FreeBritney!
And the Award Goes To...: It was a good morning for The Crown and The Mandalorian when the 2021 Emmy nominations were announced, each series snagging 24 nods. Marvel had quite an impressive showing, as well, with WandaVision earning 23 nominations, not to mention Black Widow grossed over $200 million at the global box office and Loki is coming back for a second season on Disney+. Take that, Thanos!
While there was a lot to celebrate, like Pose star Mj Rodriuez making history by becoming the first transgender nominee for the Best Actress category, there were still plenty of snubs and surprises. Bonjour, Emily in Paris' quelle shocking Outstanding Comedy Series nod!
Host Cedric the Entertainer will helm the 73rd Emmy Awards on CBS Sunday, Sept. 19.
Jason Sudeikis Breaks His Silence: Ahead of Ted Lasso's return, the Emmy nominee is opening up for the first time about his split from Olivia Wilde, admitting to GQ that he still doesn't have complete clarity on the end of their relationship. (And, yes, he discussed the infamous tie-dye hoodie he sported at the Golden Globes.)
"I'll have a better understanding of why in a year," he told the magazine, "and an even better one in two, and an even greater one in five, and it'll go from being, you know, a book of my life to becoming a chapter to a paragraph to a line to a word to a doodle."
Though it was understood at the time that Jason and Olivia—they share two kids—split in early 2020, the actor confirmed that they called off their seven-year engagement in November of that year.
Olivia has since moved on with Harry Styles, the pair first meeting on the set of her new film Don't Worry Darling, while Jason is now dating Ted Lasso co-star Keeley Hazell. As for the exes? A source told E! News their "relationship as co-parents is a work in progress. They are figuring it out as they go." Aren't we all?
Reality TV Romance Report: Moment of silence for the fall of not one, but two Married At First Sight season 12 couples. First, Clara Berghaus and Ryan Oubre announced their decision to divorce, with Clara making it even more official by sharing on TikTok about relating to Taylor Swift's Red album, the true nail in the coffin, as any true millennial knows. Then, Erik Lake and Virginia Coombs opened up about their secret split earlier this summer in an exclusive statement given to E! News.
"We've made best efforts to keep some parts of our relationship out of the public eye," the pair said. "This entire process has been difficult as is without the constant chatter of public opinion. Contrary to popular belief, we've been together and trying to make our marriage work since Decision Day. While we have decided to get a divorce, we aren't closing the doors on a possible future together."
Elsewhere, Katie Thurston pulled off a Bachelorette bloodbath this week, eliminating five men in one episode, including early frontrunner Connor B. But Katie's loss is Bachelor in Paradise's gain as ABC announced Connor B., Aaron, Tre and James will all be hitting the beach on the spinoff later this summer.
In other Bachelor Nation news, congrats (and many happy tears) are in order for Ashley Iaconetti and Jared Haibon, who announced they are expecting their first child in February 2022.
Plus, HBO Max unleashed the first trailer for its new reality dating competition series FBoy Island, which is so wild that it makes BIP look like Rumspringa, and The Challenge announced its stacked cast for season 37, including two Survivor winners. Can they outwit, outplay and outlast the drama that show can deliver? (P.S. Two Challengers are already setting the record straight on their relationship after that kiss in the trailer.)
Lewk of the Week:
Timothee Chalamet at the 2021 Cannes Film Festival. If he wears it, we will swoon.
Instagram of the Week:
What was life before Kravis? Did it even have any meaning? (P.S. A source told E! News that Travis Barker and Kourtney Kardashian "have talked marriage" and "are in it for the long haul." Is someone cutting onions or is this what emotion feels like?!)
Quote of the Week
"I hope that everything happens for a reason and you really don't know it at the time," Chrishell Stause exclusively told E! News of living her best life following her divorce from Justin Hartley. "Right now, here I am and I hope that I could inspire other people…I hope that maybe I can be a beacon of light where it's like, 'You've got this girlfriend. You got this. Your best years are ahead.'"
Stitch that on a pillow and stage it in a home we can't afford on Selling Sunset, babe!