Two of Europe’s most fashion-forward royals joined forces on Monday, June 1 in Madrid, Spain—and Queen Letizia showed how summer styling is done.

The Spanish queen beat the heat in a white linen dress as she joined King Felipe and Prince Albert and Princess Charlene of Monaco to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the first diplomatic mission between their two countries.

Letizia's cap-sleeved dress by Mantú was perfect for early June dressing with its twirly skirt and breezy fabric. But she gave her linen dress an edgy touch with the addition of bold gold jewelry by Spanish brand Suma Cruz.

Letizia wore the label’s Acacia Bracelet wrapped around her arm, with the leaflike gold design inspired by the acacia trees common in Spain. The queen added Suma Cruz’s matching earrings and a gold clutch by Magrit, per Royal Fashion Police.

As for Princess Charlene, she had a Cinderella moment in a new pale blue lace dress by Oscar de la Renta. The sleeveless, belted design featured a floral lace pattern and a romantic skirt, and she finished off her look with Gianvito Rossi slingbacks in a similar icy blue shade.

Princess Charlene's trip to Spain comes after French Mother's Day, which took place on Sunday, May 31. She shared a special photo of herself with her 11-year-old twins, Prince Jacques and Princess Gabriella, for the occasion, with all three coordinating in ivory outfits.

"Wishing all moms a Happy Mother’s Day. ♥️" the Monégasque royal family captioned the Instagram post.

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Prince Albert and Princess Charlene’s twins celebrated their 11th birthday on December 10, and marked the occasion with some very on-trend portraits. The brightly-toned photoshoot seemed to lean into Pantone’s 2026 Color of the Year, Cloud White. Prince Jacques wore an ivory waffle knit sweater while Princess Gabriella wore a sequined sleeveless dress for the official portraits. They were taken by photographer Vanessa von Zitzewitz, a renowned German photographer, in one of the Palace’s formal white-and-gold rooms.

In an Instagram post, the Prince’s Palace of Monaco shared “A very happy birthday to Hereditary Prince Jacques and Princess Gabriella, who celebrate their 11th birthday today.” Prince Jacques and Princess Gabriella were born at Monaco’s Princess Grace Hospital Centre in 2014, over three years after their parents’ glamorous royal wedding.

Although Princess Gabriella is two minutes older than her brother, Prince Jacques is the heir to the Monegasque throne. Monaco’s male-preference primogeniture means Prince Jacques supersedes his sister in the line of succession.

The two royal children are often seen at major events for Monaco’s royal family, from balcony appearances to the family’s Christmas card.

The Prince’s Palace released the family’s 2025 Christmas card earlier this week, and it wasn’t the twins who took center stage. The family’s dog, a chihuahua named Harley, added to the charming festive photograph.

While ordinary people still occasionally send holiday cards, there's nothing quite like a royal Christmas card photo. Case in point: Princess Charlene, Prince Albert, and their twins—Prince Jacques and Princess Gabriella—posed for a flawless festive photograph that's probably impossible to beat.

Sharing the adorable Christmas photo on the official Instagram account for Monaco's royal family, the caption explained, "The Princely Family is pleased to share their greeting card with you."

In the sweet family snap, Prince Albert and son Jacques coordinated in matching navy blazers. Princess Charlene and daughter Gabriella sat together, with their adorable chihuahua, Harley, placed between them.

Princess Charlene wore a sold-out Ralph Lauren Collection Platinum Holliday Gown, which is made from metallic knit fabric and features a delicately pleated skirt, long sleeves, and a turtle neck. She cinched her dress at the waist with a Ralph Lauren Collection Tooled-Buckle Calf-Suede and Calfskin Belt, which is sadly no longer available to shop.

Gabriella wore a light pink princess dress featuring layers of floral tulle, which she accessorized with a pair of silver Mary Jane flats.

2025's holiday snap stands in stark contract to the Monaco royal family's 2024 Christmas card photo. Just last year, Charlene, Albert, and the twins kept their holiday picture extremely casual, with the entire family wearing neutral sweaters.

It appears as though Princess Charlene and her family have decided to end 2025 in the most luxurious way possible. Still, they'll probably resurrect their snug Christmas sweaters just in time for the holiday.

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Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are preparing for Thanksgiving at their home in California, but in Monaco, there's another royal family with American ties. When Philadelphia-born Grace Kelly married Prince Rainier III of Monaco, she introduced some of her favorite American traditions to the country's royal family—even if one Thanksgiving dish was rarely seen in Monaco at the time.

Prince Albert revealed in a previous interview (via People) that his mom always made sure they had a special Thanksgiving celebration when he was growing up. "We either had a Thanksgiving lunch here at the palace, or we would join the American Club over there on the Riviera or the Monaco/USA Association," he said. "They had Thanksgiving luncheons either at the Hotel de Paris or in another location, and so we would participate in that."

However, the prince shared that turkey was then considered an unusual dish in Monaco. "Turkey wasn't common on European tables," he said. "We had turkey in the '60s and '70s because these organizations which had links with the U.S., of course. But it was virtually unknown in France and there was very little of it."

Despite the rarity of turkey, Princess Grace—who died in a car accident in 1982—was a stickler for holding on to her American tradition. Prince Albert shared that his mother "insisted" on having the dish, adding, "and if we didn't have turkey at the palace for Thanksgiving, we would have it at Christmas time."

Albert now shares 10-year-old twins Prince Jacques and Princess Gabriella with wife Princess Charlene, and he said that he's carried on Princess Grace's traditions with his own kids in an "on and off way."

Prince Albert explained that he does celebrate Thanksgiving, but sometimes "other commitments get in the way, sometimes travel schedules, and so we don't celebrate every year."

The Monégasque Royal Family stepped out for a rare whole-family engagement on Monaco’s National Day. La Fête du Prince, meaning the “Prince's holiday,” is officially celebrated every November 19th in honor of the reigning head of state, Prince Albert. Princess Charlene and Prince Albert’s adorable twins, Princess Gabriella and Prince Jacques––who turn 11 next month––stole the show in their patriotic outfits.

Princess Gabriella wore a classic red coat with a Peter Pan collar over a bright red dress with organza sleeves, paired with a coordinating headband from Philip Treacy and Mary Jane shoes from Gianvito Rossi. Prince Jacques looked every inch a prince in a custom miniature military uniform.

Monaco’s extensive royal family came together for the events, including Charlotte Casiraghi, Princess Alexandra of Hanover, Andrea Casiraghi, Pierre Casiraghi and his wife, Beatrice Borromeo. Beatrice gave birth to their third child, a daughter named Bianca Caroline Marta, only six weeks ago. Charlotte Casiraghi, Princess Grace’s eldest granddaughter, wore a Cher Horowitz-esque skirt suit for the day’s events.

The royal family began the day’s commemorations with a mass at Monaco Cathedral, followed by a balcony appearance by the whole family at the Prince’s Palace. Prince Albert and Princess Charlene, joined by Prince Jacques, Princess Gabriella, Princess Caroline and Princess Stephanie, attended a military parade in the courtyard of the palace. Prince Jacques even joined in on the military salute, copying his father.

Princess Gabriella and Prince Jacques regularly join their parents for official occasions, such as Monaco's National Day, state visits, and Christmas celebrations. Last year, Princess Gabriella matched her mom, Princess Charlene, in coordinating lavender outfits for the annual La Fête du Prince celebrations. These early introductions to royal duties will surely prepare them for a future representing the royal family, as Prince Jacques is the heir to the throne.

Grace Kelly might have died in 1982, but her influence lives on in Monaco’s royal family—and around the world. The Hollywood actress turned princess was one of the style icons of the 20th century, and Princess Charlene brought back memories of the mother-in-law she never knew on Wednesday, July 9.

Charlene wore a pleated ivory Zimmerman dress with black detail for a visit to the Carlades region of France with husband Prince Albert and their twins—and the look is giving serious Princess Grace energy. The late royal wore a gown with a similar caped top to the 1980 Monaco Red Cross Ball, posing with a 22-year-old Prince Albert at the time.

Princess Charlene's dress featured a boho-style black and brown pattern on its skirt and black floral print trailing down its pleated bodice, and she let the striking style do the talking by pairing it with simple pearl studs. Princess Gabriella, 10, also got in on the summery maxi vibes, wearing a sleeveless white dress with a colorful floral pattern for their outing.

Princess Gabriella happens to hold the title of Countess of Carlades, and a botanical garden dedicated to the princess was inaugurated during their visit, as well as a media library. In Vic-sur-Cère, the family also attended the inauguration of Square Princess Gabriella, where the pre-teen received the key to the city from mayor Annie Delrieu.

In a photo shared on the royal family's Instagram account, Princess Charlene, Prince Albert, Princess Gabriella and Prince Jacques posed under the same tree where Albert's grandmother, Princess Charlotte, was photographed in 1912—and Gabriella held up the photo to prove it.

The 10-year-old twins have been joining their parents on more engagements in the past year, with the duo—who celebrated their first communion in May—dressing up for National Day in November and wearing coordinating sweaters for the family's laid-back Christmas card.

In June, Jacques and Gabriella took part in their first state visit, joining their parents to welcome French president Emmanuel Macron and his wife, Brigitte, who were hosted by King Charles and Queen Camilla at Windsor Castle this week.

Princess Charlene of Monaco has made a major announcement about a previously planned international trip. Rather than traveling to Japan with husband Prince Albert, and their 10-year-old twins, Princess Gabriella and Prince Jacques, Charlene has shared a press release revealing why she's been forced to "drop out" of the trip.

Per a press release from Monaco's Royal Family, "H.S.H. Prince Albert Il will travel to Japan on the occasion of Monaco's National Day, celebrated on June 28, 2025, as part of the World Expo 2025 Osaka Kansai." The press release further explained that Albert would instead be accompanied by his sister, Princess Stéphanie, her three children—Louis Ducruet, Pauline Ducruet, and Camille Gottlieb, as well as Louis's wife, Marie Ducruet.

As for why Albert's wife and children needed to cancel their involvement in the trip, the press release stated, "H.S.H. Princess Charlene was due to accompany H.S.H. the Sovereign Prince of Monaco to Japan, together with Hereditary Prince Jacques and Princess Gabriella. In light of current events taking place in the Middle East, this has led to the decision that H.S.H. Princess Charlene and the Princely children would not be participating in this trip."

As reported by People, despite Princess Charlene deciding to "drop out" of the trip, she still "wishe[d] to express her sincere thanks to the teams of the Monaco Pavilion, as well as to the partners and hosts who were to welcome her in Japan, for their understanding and ongoing commitment," per a press release.

Despite missing the trip to Japan, Princess Charlene is set to celebrate a special milestone with husband Prince Albert next month. The pair tied the knot in a civil ceremony on July 1, 2011, meaning 2025 marks their 14th wedding anniversary.

Princess Charlene and Prince Albert of Monaco share two children—twins Princess Gabriella and Prince Jacques. The 10-year-olds can be quite "hard" to keep "under control," according to their mother, former Olympian Charlene. Having recently reached an important milestone while wearing adorable matching outfits, Gabriella and Jacques surpassed yet another milestone during a state visit.

On Saturday, June 7, Jacques and Gabriella joined their parents to welcome the president of France, Emmanuel Macron, and his wife, Brigitte Macron, for the couple's state visit to Monaco. As noted by Hello! magazine, Prince Jacques and Princess Gabriella's appearance at the event "marked the first time that the children had taken part in a state visit."

An Instagram post shared by the Royal Family of Monaco's official account said, "Their Serene Highnesses Prince Albert II and Princess Charlene welcomed, this Saturday, June 7, the President of the French Republic, Mr. Emmanuel Macron, and Mrs. Brigitte Macron, on the occasion of a state visit on the sign of friendship and co-operation between France and the Principality of Monaco." The caption continued, "Crown Prince Jacques and Princess Gabriella were also present to greet the presidential couple, demonstrating the familial and solemn character of this official reception."

Elaborating on the significance of the meeting, the caption noted, "During this visit, discussions highlighted the depth of historical, political, and human ties that unite the two nations." The post continued, "This meeting illustrates the continuity of a relationship based on shared values, mutual trust and a shared willingness to build together answers to great contemporary challenges."

If Jacques and Gabriella's appearance at Saturday's official engagement is any indication, Monaco's royal twins might start taking part in even more important events alongside their parents.

Princess Charlene and Prince Albert of Monaco are raising 10-year-old twins, Prince Jacques and Princess Gabriella. On Sunday, May 11, Monaco's Royal Family shared two new photos of the Monegasque royals celebrating an important milestone.

In two photos, Jacques and Gabriella could be seen posing in white robes, and standing with their proud parents. "On this day of First Communion, we extend our heartfelt congratulations to Hereditary Prince Jacques and Princess Gabriella who received this sacrament with faith and reverence," the caption explained.

While Prince Albert wore a navy suit with a silver tie for the occasion, Princess Charlene wore a blue shirt dress with capped sleeves and gold round buttons.

In November 2024, Princess Charlene opened up about Jacques and Gabriella in a wide-ranging interview with Gala magazine. "Gabriella is very curious," Charlene told the publication. "She is very intrigued by the world and life in general. She asks lots of questions and demands a lot of attention." Discussing her son, Charlene noted, "As for Jacques, he is curious and observant. [He is] more reserved, he is naturally very calm."

Former Olympic swimmer Charlene also got candid about aging during the interview, and how getting older has impacted her sporting ability. "I walk, I cycle, I swim too, but not as much as before," she told the outlet. "I don't practise swimming as intensely as in the past. When I was young, I trained very hard, I challenged myself physically. These days, it's all about moderation."

Prince Albert's wife continued, "It can be quite difficult because my nature is to want to beat records, win medals and surpass my limits." Charlene continued, "But, at nearly 47 years old, I can no longer do that...my body won't let me. My spirit and my heart might, but my body says no!"

Monaco's royal twins Princess Gabriella and Prince Jacques, 10, joined their parents Princess Charlene and Prince Albert for a traditional religious celebration on Sunday, Jan. 26—and Gabriella channeled some serious Princess Charlotte energy in the process.

The family attended a ceremony honoring Corsica and Monaco's patron saint in the church of Sainte-Dévote, with young Gabriella dressed in a Ralph Lauren black watch tartan coat. The skirted design, which featured gold buttons and black velvet trim on the collar, resembled the looks Princess Kate and Princess Charlotte wore to church for Christmas 2024.

Like Gabriella, 9-year-old Charlotte also wore a blue and green checked design for her Dec. 25 outing, while mom Kate sported a long green coat with a black watch tartan scarf that coordinated with her daughter's outfit.

Instead of Mary Janes like Charlotte, Princess Gabriella paired her sold-out outerwear—aptly named the "Princess" coat—with tall black leather boots similar to Princess Charlene's.

During the unique Monégasque celebration, Prince Albert and his family lit a fishing boat on fire. This is meant to represent the boat where Saint Dévote was placed after Christians rescued her body from being burnt and attempted to send it to Africa.

Instead, the boat landed in what is now Monaco where a church stands in her honor. Years later, a man attempting to steal Saint Dévote's relics was caught and his boat was set aflame on a beach in Monaco. Little did they know that nearly a century later, a little princess and her twin brother would be recreating the scene.

Princess Gabriella has been making plenty of stylish appearances with her family in recent months, wearing everything from a sophisticated lavender dress coat on National Day to a casual beige sweater in the princely family's Christmas card photo. And while her Ralph Lauren coat is no longer available, Trotters makes an extremely similar design for your own little princess.

The Kardashians might be known for their seriously glam holiday house tours, but Monaco's royal family just dropped a Christmas Eve Reel that puts any Hollywood home to shame. Prince Albert and Princess Charlene gave royal watchers a look at their palace decor on Dec. 24, sharing a gorgeous video that's giving us major Christmas envy.

"Joyeux Noël 🎄 Merry Christmas," the post read. "In this festive season, our warmest wishes for a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year 2025."

In the clip, a towering Christmas tree decorated in traditional red and gold shades sat in the middle of a blue-themed room in the Prince's Palace of Monaco. The tree featured red tartan bows, berries and dried orange slices for a very Victorian touch.

No ornament was left unsparkled and no garland ungilded in the room, which featured dramatic arches and heraldic crests on its walls. Further decorations included red centerpieces accented with pinecones, orange slices and twisted tartan ribbon, along with a lit-up swag of garland draped around the intricate royal fireplace.

At the end of the clip, the camera zoomed in on the royal family's surprisingly casual 2024 Christmas card, which features Charlene, Albert and their 10-year-old twins Prince Jacques and Princess Gabriella dressed in neutral sweaters.

The beige, brown and ivory decor featured in their Christmas card is certainly different than the glittery red and gold theme shown off in the new Reel. This year's holiday greeting also marks a huge departure from the family's typically ultra-glam Christmas photos featuring evening gowns and tuxes.

Beige sweaters aside, the Monegasque royals have been busy spreading Christmas cheer around the principality in recent weeks.

Prince Albert, Princess Charlene and the twins took part in a favorite tradition on Dec. 18 as they distributed gifts to local children at the palace, with Gabriella echoing her stylish mom in a bright red coat and matching headband. The twins also enjoyed a starring role in a holiday ceremony on Nov. 30 as they officially turned on Monaco's Christmas lights.

But with a palace this decked-out, who needs to leave home for a light display?

Monaco's cutest twins just dropped a birthday reveal that's part Taylor Swift fan moment, part palace perfection, and fans can't get enough of this dynamic duo. Princess Charlene and Prince Albert's children, Princess Gabriella and Prince Jacques, have officially hit the big 1-0, and the palace shared a sweet Instagram Reel to mark the moment.

The twins, who celebrated their golden birthday by turning 10 on Dec. 10, posed in a variety of pictures in the post, captioned, "Happy birthday to Hereditary Prince Jacques and Princess Gabriella! 🎂 Their Serene Highnesses are celebrating their 10th birthday today."

Jacques—who is the heir to Monaco's throne—and Gabriella rocked everything from casual looks to their royal finest in the Reel, but one particular photo stood out. The twins, decked out in a suit and perfect pastel pink coat, posed in front of a fountain while lifting their arms up and forming heart-hands.

Charlene and Albert's kids clearly got the memo about Taylor Swift's iconic hand gesture, proving that even royal children aren't immune to some Swiftie moments. Perhaps they can hang out with Prince George and Prince Charlotte, who got to take a selfie with the pop star herself during an Eras Tour in London over the summer.

Swiftie moments aside, the twins showed off their best regal looks while taking part in Monaco's National Day last month, with Gabriella coordinating with her mom in a lilac coat dress and Jacques wearing a mini-me version of his dad's military uniform.

The twins also got playful in the pics, posing on top of what appears to be a riding lawn mower while wearing coordinating denim shirts, jeans and sneakers. Little Jacques looked like the spitting image of his royal mom in another photo, rocking a pair of sunglasses with a tan bomber jacket.

"Best wishes ! ❤️ you can see so much love in their eyes, it's beautiful. May all your wishes come true," one fan commented on the Reel, while another royal watcher wrote, "Happy birthday to lovely twins. I love how they are each other's best friends. Wishing you nothing but smiles and laughter.🎁🎂❤️💖."

We've been treated to several appearances from Princess Gabriella and Prince Jacques in recent weeks, with the two attending a Christmas lighting event on Nov. 30 and starring in the family's ultra-casual holiday card, which was released on Dec. 2. Here's hoping for some more festive fun from this royal duo.

When it comes to royal Christmas cards, you can always count on Monaco to deliver some big-time holiday glamour. Gowns! Tuxedos! Velvet! Sequins! It's my personal favorite card to see each year, but for 2024, the Prince Albert and Princess Charlene took quite the departure from their usual Christmas greeting.

On Monday, Dec. 2, the Prince's Palace released the royal family's official card, and this year, they're dressed in...beige sweaters? It's certainly a different look for the couple, who posed with their adorable 9-year-old twins, Prince Jacques and Princess Gabriella, in front of a fireplace while wearing neutral tones.

True to form, Princess Charlene did add some sparkle to her attire, wearing a brown turtleneck with hints of glitter in its knit fabric, but her choice of brown jeans was certainly not her usual Christmas vibe. Even the Christmas tree adopted the same neutral aesthetic as it was decked out in brown, gold and-ivory themed ornaments.

It's definitely a more relatable photo than their typically ultra-luxe cards of the past. In 2023, Princess Charlene wore an off-the-shoulder bronze velvet evening gown and Gabriella dressed in a sweet velvet dress as Jacques and dad Prince Albert sported tuxedos for their holiday photo. Behind them stood a sparkling gold tree fit for a palace along with floor-to-ceiling metallic gold sprays of branches.

And in prior years the mom of two has worn a number of other dramatic dresses, like the green ballgown she wore in 2022 or the shimmering, sheer gown she wore in 2020, when the royals used a snowy blue theme for their card.

Along with their cute Christmas card moment, Prince Albert, Princess Charlene and family have been busy with plenty of other celebrations in recent days.

The family of four attended the Christmas Illuminations event on the Place du Casino in Monaco on Nov. 30, when the twins helped officially kick off the season by turning on Monaco's holiday lights. They also stole the show during National Day, coordinating with their parents in a mini military uniform (Jacques) and lilac dress (Gabriella).

And with Jacques and Gabriella's 10th birthday approaching on Dec. 10, we're sure to be treated to another glimpse of the royal twins soon enough.

Prince Albert of Monaco and his wife, Princess Charlene, stepped out in style to celebrate the country's National Day on Tuesday, Nov. 19, but it was their 9-year-old twins that truly stole the show.

Prince Jacques—who will one day take over his father's role as Sovereign Prince of Monaco—and Princess Gabriella joined their parents for the celebrations at the Prince's Palace on Tuesday, and they couldn't have looked cuter.

The hereditary prince matched with dad Prince Albert in a tiny black uniform complete with cap and medals, and his jacket was trimmed with two crowns at its neckline. The 9-year-old even gave a salute during a ceremony held in the palace courtyard.

Little Gabriella coordinated with her stylish mom in a periwinkle coat dress with embellished floral detail on its collar and skirt, accenting her hair with a ribbon-trimmed headband in a matching shade. Meanwhile, Princess Charlene rocked a smart lilac trouser suit and a tiny disc-shaped fascinator for the occasion.

Princess Charlene also brought out her rarely worn engagement ring for the occasion, which jeweler Steven Stone tells Marie Claire "features a massive three-carat, pear-cut diamond flanked by smaller diamonds in triangle arrangements."

Former Olympic swimmer Charlene recently opened up about her life as a mom, telling Gala, "Gabriella is very curious. She is very intrigued by the world and life in general. She asks lots of questions and demands a lot of attention."

"As for Jacques, he is curious and observant," the princess continued, describing her son as "more reserved" and "naturally very calm."

The twins, who will turn 10 on Dec. 10, starred in a post on the palace's Instagram account, with Jacques wrapping his arm around his sister as they pose on a staircase outside the palace. "Hereditary Prince Jacques and Princess Gabriella wish you a happy National Day. 🇲🇨," the post read.

Gabriella and Jacques weren't the only royal kids who took part in National Day. Many of their royal cousins were also in attendance, including Princess Caroline's model daughter, Charlotte Casiraghi, and her sons Raphael and Balthazar.

Here's hoping for more sweet appearances from Charlene, Albert and family during the holiday season ahead.

Welcome to Nice Talk, hosted by Marie Claire Editor in Chief Nikki Ogunnaike. Each week, Nikki sits down with fascinating women—entertainers, entrepreneurs, creators, athletes, and changemakers—to discuss money, power, and style. “Well-behaved” women have long been discouraged from speaking on these topics—style should be effortless, and conversations about money or power aren’t “proper,” “ladylike,” or “nice.” But Nikki's definition of a Nice Talk is one where all parties walk away feeling empowered. You can listen to Nice Talk with Nikki Ogunnaike on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

A'ja Wilson and her fellow WNBA teammates have long spoken out about the gender pay gap in professional basketball, and she thinks it's time for allies to stand up for them.

The Team USA and Las Vegas Aces player shares on the latest episode of the Marie Claire podcast "Nice Talk" how she thinks the issue of pay disparity between men's and women's sports can be best addressed, noting just how important it is for others in positions of power to advocate for the women on the courts.

"I can scream at the top of my lungs, 'I want my money in my bank account,' but who are the people who are on foot that can get the job done?" Wilson says. "That's where I lean to. That's where I tap into the most: making sure that those people who are in those spaces understand, 'No, this is something that you really want to invest in.'"

The star athlete explains on "Nice Talk" how she thinks it's essential that allies who can represent individual players and teams "speak highly" of them, and fight for fair deals and partnership opportunities—all the while emphasizing that money can be made by working with the WNBA, too. She explains, "I think the biggest thing is always showing up and being present and letting people know that, 'This is why you need to invest in us.' Because I feel like people sometimes got to see the product for real to really understand, 'Do I want to invest in this?'"

Wilson adds, "I may not be there to have that seat, but you do, and if you're really about it, this is how you can start addressing it at the table."

Thus far, the Olympian has partnered with multiple brands, including Nike, who named her one of the brand's signature athletes and she launched a collection with. "This is huge that a Black woman can sit here and say, 'That's my shoe. That's my collection that people are wearing,'" Wilson says of the collaboration. "I don't take a moment [like that] for granted."

While the Las Vegas Aces player notes that the fight toward pay equity isn't easy, she emphasizes that it's essential for the future of the WNBA. "Sometimes those conversations aren't the easiest, because people may not want to hear that, or they're like, 'This, isn't it.' But when you get those people that want to know more—that want to actually do the work—that's the people that I love to stay close with, because long term, not just now, you're planting seeds, so now the next generation can then flourish," Wilson says.

"Change doesn't happen overnight," she continues. "We're just now starting to see this huge growth of WNBA, and it's been 28 years. So understanding that when you can plant those seeds with those allies, we're going to start reaping the benefits sooner or later."

"I think the tides are slowly starting to turn because people are starting to invest and people are starting to see, 'Oh, no, these women get it done, both on and off the court,'" adds Wilson.

The basketball star, who will soon play in this summer's Olympic Games, opens up more about adjusting to becoming a celebrity athlete within the past few years, how she shies from setting high goals, and more on this week's episode of "Nice Talk." The podcast is available now wherever you listen to podcasts.

The Prince of Wales’ full name is Prince William Arthur Philip Louis—but it was almost something else entirely, had his father, then Prince Charles, gotten his way.

Instead, William’s mother Princess Diana won out, and William was the name chosen for the former Prince and Princess of Wales’ eldest son. Charles, The Mirror reports, wanted Albert or Arthur for his firstborn—but Diana nixed it. In an interview for Andrew Morton’s book Diana: Her True Story—released in 1992 as a biography, but revealed after her death in 1997 that it was really more of an autobiography, as Diana was a contributor to the tell-all—Diana revealed that she actually chose not just William’s name but Prince Harry’s, too (his full name is Prince Henry Charles Albert David—but more on him in a moment).

When asked who picked out the boys’ names, Diana said “I did,” and added “I chose William and Harry, but Charles did the rest [meaning the middle names]. He wanted Albert and Arthur [for the first names], and I said no. Too old!”

Sorry, just trying to imagine William and Harry as Albert and Arthur. Anyway…

Back to Harry: in 2022, while speaking with winners of the WellChild Awards, Harry was talking with a child named Henry when he said “My name is Henry, as well,” he said. “But everyone calls me Harry. I have no idea why.”

The Mirror reports that “Harry is the diminutive form of Henry, a popular nickname that dates back to medieval England,” the outlet reports. “Most monarchs given the name Henry in the past have been nicknamed Harry, including the infamous Henry VIII.”

The more you know!

For the record, Albert and Arthur did end up in the boys’ (well, men now) names after all—if you’ll notice, one of William’s three middle names is Arthur, and one of Harry’s three middle names is Albert. A compromise, if you will, between Charles and Diana—but Diana, you picked well. 

Hollywood is, by all accounts, a stressful place—even if you find success. Fights between actors, directors, singers, and other professionals aren't uncommon, especially considering the amount of money on the line (and the egos to go with it). Sometimes it's a rivalry between contemporaries over who gets the top billing as actor or singer. Sometimes it's a conflict over which story gets told, whether it be in a romantic relationship or professional interaction, and who emerges the "victor." Sometimes it's all-out war based on longstanding resentments (some of these rivalries turned into outright feuds by the end).

Either way, when a private fight turns public, and a lasting competitive relationship develops, people are fascinated to watch it unfolds. Below, 32 of the biggest Hollywood rivalries ever.

Sean Young and James Woods

Playing a troubled married couple on The Boost, the two actors got into it—legally, as it would turn out, with Woods suing Young for stalking and the lawsuit being settled out of court (Young received $227,000 in legal fees). The two dispute how it all started; Young maintained it resulted from his having a crush on her and her turning him down. Accusations and rumors would circle for years.

Liam and Noel Gallagher

The band Oasis officially broke up in 2009, but Liam and Noel Gallagher had had a contentious rivalry long before (with disputes about the direction of the band, allegations of drug and alcohol use, physical fights, and no-shows on important performances). Following the breakup, the two continued to trash each other.

Lauren Conrad and Heidi Montag

For the good girl and the villain of The Hills (and there's debate over which one is which), the journey from BFFs to rivals was well-publicized. In season 3, Conrad ended her friendship with Montag over the latter (allegedly!) starting a rumor about a sex tape between Conrad and Jason Wahler.

Florence Pugh and Olivia Wilde

The production of Don't Worry Darling was...troubled, let's say (and includes more than just this feud), but one of the most intriguing aspects was Olivia Wilde's effusive praise for Florence Pugh, which Pugh mostly did not return—all of which was muddied by leaked tapes in which Wilde appears to be dismissive of her lead actor. The two were chilly towards each other at the premiere.

Raquel Welch and MGM

When Raquel Welch was suddenly fired and replaced in the film Cannery Row, she sued media company MGM—and won. (Technically, you could say the rivalry was between Welch and the much-younger actor who replaced her, Debra Winger, but the battle over supremacy centered around MGM's claim that Welch was temperamental, and Welch's claim that they only used her to get funding for the movie.)

Faye Dunaway and Roman Polanski

Faye Dunaway objected to Roman Polanski's treatment of her on the movie Chinatown, with accusations ranging from allegedly not letting her take bathroom breaks to plucking out her hair because it was ruining a shot. (This was one of the last films Polanski made before fleeing the country after being convicted of sexual abuse.)

David Letterman and Jay Leno

Once Jay Leno became host of The Tonight Show and his contemporary David Letterman was snubbed (Johnny Carson had hoped Letterman would be his successor), the media assumed the two were bitter rivals. Jay Leno would later say, "It was a friendly rivalry, everyone else made it much worse than it really was."

Tyra Banks and Naomi Campbell

The real problem here was the '90s modeling industry, which was struggling with inclusion and diversity. Banks, who was younger than Campbell, said she looked up to her but that Campbell made life tougher for her, even saying (allegedly), "You’ll never be me. Don’t think you can be me." 

Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis

While they were under contract to work together, Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis made 16 feature films—and Martin eventually became irritated that his "straight man" role was increasingly sidelined in favor of Lewis' comedic persona. The two broke up publicly and didn't speak for 20 years before reconciling.

Gwyneth Paltrow and Martha Stewart

When Gwyneth Paltrow was launching lifestyle brand Goop, Martha Stewart was asked about it and (in so many words) insinuated Paltrow was copying her success. Several jabs followed, including Stewart titling an article "Conscious Coupling" and Paltrow making a "Jailbird Cake."

Olivia de Havilland and Joan Fontaine

It's a little unusual for two big Hollywood rivals to be sisters...and yet here we are! Apparently they were even rivals when they shared a room as kids, but it culminated in the two being nominated for Oscars in the same year and having to share a very awkward table at the ceremony. Oh, and Fontaine claimed to have to been excluded from her mother's memorial service.

Paris Hilton and Lindsay Lohan

The battle of the '00s it girls was legendary in the press (which reaaaally glorified their struggles and objectified both of them). The two were spotted fighting in a nightclub in 2006 (with Lohan reportedly dating Hilton's ex Stavros Niarchos), and the rest was history. Recently Hilton said the two had put the feud to bed, adding, "We’re not in high school. I think it was just very immature and now everything is all good."

Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie

It's not totally clear how these friends became frenemies, but when Hilton hosted SNL (not inviting Richie) and Richie (very allegedly) hosted a watch party of Hilton's sex tape, it caused a massive rift. Never fear, though, because the two were spotted laughing at Paris' wedding in 2022.

Lady Gaga and Madonna

Lady Gaga has, naturally, said that she considers Madonna a source of inspiration. But Madonna called one of Gaga's songs “reductive” (fans cited that “Born This Way” resembled Madonna's earlier "Express Yourself"). The two appeared to reconcile; Madonna referenced the singer in a performance in 2024 but swore there's "nothing against Lady Gaga. Love her.”

Elton John and Madonna

The longstanding friends turned enemies when Elton John called "Die Another Day" the worst Bond song ever in 2002. Public jabs resulted; In an off the cuff segment between interviews in 2012, John called her a “nightmare” and a “fairground stripper." John even weighed in on the Madonna-Gaga feud, calling Madonna “nasty and ungracious." But he's also praised her 2023 concert tribute to victims of AIDS, so...who knows.

Sarah Jessica Parker and Kim Cattrall

Reportedly (and not verified), the tension between the Sex and the City costars centered around salary and roles on the show. Rumors abounded in the late 2000s that the actors weren't speaking, and in 2017 Cattrall admitted she and her costars had "never been friends" and that she turned down a third movie. When Parker expressed condolences for Cattrall's brother's death, Cattrall wrote, on Instagram, "You are not my family. You are not my friend. So I’m writing to tell you one last time to stop exploiting our tragedy in order to restore your ‘nice girl’ persona."

Taylor Swift and Katy Perry

After Taylor Swift started working with some dancers that had toured with Katy Perry, then Perry rehired them for another tour, Swift said the song "Bad Blood" was based on this interaction: "She basically tried to sabotage an entire arena tour. She tried to hire a bunch of people out from under me...So now I have to avoid her. It's awkward, and I don't like it." After some back and forth, the two appeared together and hugged each other in Swift's music video for "You Need to Calm Down."

Taylor Swift and Kanye West

The relationship between Swift and the rapper is volatile (and too long to cover here), but when West interrupted Swift's acceptance speech at the 2009 MTV Music Awards to proclaim that Beyoncé should have won Best Female Video instead, it kicked off a long and public animosity.

Marilyn Monroe and Jayne Mansfield

Reportedly, Jayne Mansfield was seen as a younger, blonde replacement for Marilyn Monroe (Mansfield was game to accept comparison; in this photo, she's putting her hands on Monroe's handprints on the Walk of Fame as a part of a publicity stunt). Monroe was not a fan, to put it mildly.

Laurence Olivier and Marilyn Monroe

During filming for The Prince and the Showgirl, Laurence Olivier reportedly said to Monroe, All you have to do is be sexy, dear Marilyn.” In response, she apparently became uncooperative on set. Monroe's then-husband Arthur Miller later noted, "As she had done with so many people, she had idealised Olivier, who, as the great and serious artist, must be above mortal considerations of the kind so common among the Hollywood flesh-mongers she thought she had escaped.”

Elton John and Rod Stewart

The two singers have long had a contentious relationship. It started when Stewart changed the words to a cover of John's "Country Comfort," and resulted in a number of public jabs back and forth. Case in point: Stewart said that John's 2018 tour “stinks of grabbing money” and John wrote in his memoir that Stewart was the "feral spirit of rock and roll." Lol.

Cardi B and Nicki Minaj

Minaj has been involved in a number of public feuds/rivalries over her career; there's rumored beef with Cardi B, including fan theories on lyrics dissing each other, Cardi B (allegedly!) trying to fight Minaj, and social media rants. Also! Minaj's husband filmed a video seemingly looking to fight Cardi B's then-partner Offset; A judge sentenced him to house arrest for probation violation.

Nicki Minaj and Miley Cyrus

When Miley Cyrus mentioned Nicki Minaj in a New York Times interview in 2015, Minaj responded in her acceptance speech at the MTV VMAs, saying, "Back to this b***h who had a lot to say about me the other day in the press. Miley, what's good?" (The two apparently reconciled on social media in 2018.)

Johnny Carson and Joan Rivers

Rivers credits her first appearance on The Tonight Show as helping to jumpstart her career, and the two comedians had great chemistry (Rivers also acted as substitute host when Carson was on vacation.) But when Rivers was approached to do her own show, Carson was so infuriated he hung up on her over the phone and never spoke to her again.

Debbie Reynolds and Gene Kelly

Reynolds was young and inexperienced when she was cast in Singing in the Rain, which apparently infuriated her costar Gene Kelly. Reynolds later explained that he “criticized everything I did and never gave me a word of encouragement. He was a severe taskmaster.” (The two later reconciled.)

Debbie Reynolds and Elizabeth Taylor

In what could only be described as a tabloid dream, Debbie Reynolds' husband Eddie Fisher left her for...her good friend Elizabeth Taylor. The two friends would later reconcile and become closer than ever, with Reynolds later noting, "You have to look at what life is all about, and is it worth it? And, is he worth it? The friendship was perhaps worth more."

Orson Welles and William Randolph Hearst

When Orson Welles made a (critical) portrait of magnate William Randolph Hearst via the film Citizen Kane, Hearst was so incensed that he did everything in his power to squash the film—including, apparently, blackmail, negative newspaper coverage, support from famous friends, and FBI involvement.

The Rock and Vin Diesel

Since 2016, there have been reports of animosity between the two Fast and the Furious actors, starting with The Rock's claim that some of his fellow actors were “candy asses"; costars later confirmed there was tension on set. After much back and forth, though, The Rock said he was returning to the franchise in 2023.

Katherine Heigl and Shonda Rhimes

In 2008, Katherine Heigl withdrew from the Emmys for a Grey's Anatomy nomination, saying she didn't feel "I was given the material this season to warrant an Emmy nomination." Heigl was pretty quickly written off the show, with Rhimes later saying in 2014 regarding her show Scandal, "There are no Heigls in this situation…I don't put up with [expletive] or nasty people. I don't have time for it." 

Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera

While much of this rivalry was driven by the media—the good girl (Spears)/bad girl (Aguilera) narrative in particular—there was some IRL animosity. Spears said in 2004, "When someone has been rude to you so many times, it’s like, ‘You know what, Christina, I’m really not about the fake anymore.'" Aguilera retorted by calling her a "lost little girl." But the two apparently have no beef anymore.

Frank Sinatra and Marlon Brando

Apparently there was some intense behind the scenes drama on the set of Guys and Dolls, with Sinatra referring to the non-musically inclined Brando as "Mumbles," and Brando deliberately ruining takes of a scene in which Sinatra was eating cheesecake so that the singer was forced to continue eating all day. By the end of the film, they weren't speaking to each other.

Bette Davis and Joan Crawford

A rivalry so legendary that it inspired a TV anthology series? That's Bette Davis and Joan Crawford! It apparently began when Crawford's divorce news overshadowed Davis' movie, and continued for decades—including Crawford "stealing" a romantic interest, film roles taken from one another, rumors that Crawford was interested in Davis, Davis playing a "washed-up actress" based on Crawford, and the two angrily starring in the same movie: What Ever Happened To Baby Jane? Davis once snarked, "[Crawford] slept with every male star at MGM—except Lassie."

In recent years, cinephiles have been pining for the “return of the rom-com.” As it turns out, they don’t make ‘em like they used to—be it because Hollywood studios can’t figure out how to invest in them, talent isn’t interested in starring in them, or because they’ve taken on new flavors in both the indie and streaming spaces. But that doesn’t stop us from being nostalgic for their golden age—the aughts—and thankfully, the best 2000s rom-coms are always available for us to (re)watch.

Of course, the romantic comedy had preceding eras (Nora Ephron’s Meg Ryan trilogy forever!), but the 2000s are when they let the treacly and a dash of magical realism take over for full swoon-worthy effect. With signature meet-cutes, grand gestures, tearful proclamations of love, and charming A-listers in the leading roles (plus some incredible aughties fashion), they continue to be among the best feel-good movies of all time. Aughts-era rom-coms certainly weren’t perfect—their leads were overwhelmingly white and straight and often subscribed to pretty traditional gender roles—but there’s something about seeing a frazzled working woman bump into the wildly handsome future love of her life on the bustling streets of N.Y.C. that’ll instantly put you in a good mood.

To bring on the nostalgia (and make you believe in love again), we rounded up the best rom-coms the 2000s have to offer, complete with multiple appearances from Sandra Bullock, Matthew McConaughey, and J.Lo, naturally.

'13 Going on 30' (2004)

When Jenna Rink (Jennifer Garner) wishes to be “30, flirty, and thriving” on her 13th birthday in 1987, her wish comes true, and she’s magically transported to N.Y.C. in the early aughts. She has no recollection of what led her to her dream life—becoming her high school’s queen bee and landing a job at her favorite magazine—so she sets out to find her former BFF Matty (Mark Ruffalo) to pick up the missing pieces. As it turns out that the two have drifted, their reunion is all the more special and ignites in them the joie de vivre that we need not lose as we grow up. (Razzles, anyone?)

WATCH IT

'27 Dresses' (2008)

Next time you’re feeling bridesmaid-ed out, revisit this 2008 film and, specifically, the titular two dozen-plus dresses that poor Jane (Katherine Heigl) has racked up in her lifetime of fulfilling the classic “always the bridesmaid, never the bride” cliché. Then, since you’re already here, you might as well stick around to see her reluctantly fall in love with wedding skeptic Kevin (James Marsden) and finally stand up to her sister Tess (Malin Akerman) over her increasingly heinous behavior (don’t even get me started on what she does to their mom’s wedding dress!).

WATCH IT

'Bride and Prejudice' (2004)

The much-beloved 2005 adaptation of Pride and Prejudice may not qualify as a rom-com, but this 2004 take on the Jane Austen classic certainly does. It stars Aishwarya Rai in the Elizabeth Bennett role—here named Lalita Bakshi—while Virgin River’s Martin Henderson appears opposite her as Will Darcy. It’s a Bollywood-style musical-dramedy version of P&P, which works surprisingly well for the centuries-old tale.

WATCH IT

'Bridget Jones’s Diary' (2001)

If you’re not Pride and Prejudice’d out, here’s yet another adaptation of Austen’s story. This time, it’s led by Renée Zellweger, a klutzy British journalist who finds herself torn between her fun but caddish boss, Daniel Cleaver (Hugh Grant), and her stuffy childhood friend, Mark Darcy (Colin Firth). You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll be desperate to find someone who loves you, too, “just as you are.”

WATCH IT

'Deliver Us From Eva' (2003)

Fun fact: Gabrielle Union has starred in not one, but two modern adaptations of Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew. After appearing as a side character in 1999’s 10 Things I Hate About You, she took center stage in 2003’s Deliver Us From Eva, playing a woman whose younger sisters’s significant others get so fed up with her overprotective ways that they hire a “master player” (LL Cool J) to seduce her. Things don’t exactly go according to plan. There may be a kidnapping plot and fake funeral involved, but fear not: Since this is an early-aughts rom-com, you can be sure there’s a happy ending on the horizon.

WATCH IT

'Down with Love' (2003)

Is there a more underrated ‘00s movie? We don’t think so! The Renée Zellweger and Ewan McGregor-led film was far ahead of its time and a campy delight, fit with incredible costumes and production design, cheeky dialogue, and even a dance montage. An homage to the mid-century “no-sex sex comedies,” Zellweger plays the author of a women’s liberation book that sees men as disposable, and McGregor plays the man-about-town, womanizing journalist she butts heads with. Do opposites attract? Do they learn a bit about love even as they advocate sex without commitment? Watch, find out, and have a sexy, swinging ‘60s time.

WATCH IT

'Failure to Launch' (2006)

The main love story here is certainly a good one. It’s a fake-dating setup, where Sarah Jessica Parker’s Paula is hired to convince 35-year-old Tripp (Matthew McConaughey) to move out of his parents’s home. And don’t sleep on Failure to Launch’s supporting cast. You’ve got Zooey Deschanel as Paula’s neurotic roommate, who ends up scheming with Tripp’s man-child friends, played by Justin Bartha and Bradley Cooper. Plus, Kathy Bates and Terry Bradshaw appear as Tripp’s beloved roommates (er, parents)!

WATCH IT

'Fever Pitch' (2005)

Jimmy Fallon’s post-SNL movie career was short-lived, but we thankfully got Fever Pitch out of it before he moved on to late-night talk shows. In the 2005 film, he plays Ben, who seems to be a nearly perfect boyfriend to Lindsey (Drew Barrymore). But, much like the changes that gremlins experience if they eat after midnight, Ben transforms every fall...into a crazed Boston Red Sox fan. It begs the eternal question that plagues lovers of diehard sports fans (and actual athletes) everywhere: Is one goofy man really worth going to dozens of hours-long sporting events every year for the foreseeable future?

WATCH IT

'Forgetting Sarah Marshall' (2008)

When it comes to heartbreak, there aren’t many situations worse than being abruptly dumped, then going on a solo vacation to cheer yourself up, only to find that your ex is staying at the same hotel for a romantic getaway with their new partner. That’s the premise of this movie, but luckily Peter (Jason Segel) can make the most of a bad situation by stirring up a new romance with hotel concierge Rachel (Mila Kunis)—she even gets him to perform an excerpt from his Dracula puppet musical, and for that, we should all be eternally grateful.

WATCH IT

'Hitch' (2005)

Will Smith plays the titular character, a so-called “date doctor” who teaches unlucky-in-love men how to form loving, long-term relationships with women. His track record is impeccable until he starts trying to use his signature moves on the cynical Sara, played charmingly by Eva Mendes, so he has to step up his game—as in, taking her via jet ski for a private tour of Ellis Island to track down her ancestors.

WATCH IT

'The Holiday' (2006)

This 2006 Nancy Meyers film may be a wintertime classic, but it hits just as hard year-round. Cameron Diaz and Kate Winslet play two women who are frustrated with their lives and decide to swap homes for the holidays. Diaz’s Amanda heads to a cozy English cottage—where she runs into a very handsome Brit (played by Jude Law)—while Winslet’s Iris gets to bask in the L.A. sunshine and finds a bit of romance herself with Jack Black’s Miles. Truly, a win-win.

WATCH IT

'How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days' (2003)

Kate Hudson plays a magazine writer whose last assignment before she goes after the Serious Journalism Job™ of her dreams has her detailing her attempts to attract and then drive away a man within 10 days. Meanwhile, Matthew McConaughey makes a bet with his friends that he can make any woman fall in love with him within—you guessed it—10 days. Of course, they unwittingly choose each other as their respective targets, and chaos ensues.

WATCH IT

'Knocked Up' (2007)

Judd Apatow has made many raunchy comedies, but don’t discount how sweet they are at their helm! Take Knocked Up, for instance. Seth Rogen and Katherine Hiegl play a pair of strangers who have a one-night stand, and one thing leads to another, a.k.a. Hiegl’s Alison gets pregnant. As Alison decides to see the pregnancy through, Rogen’s Ben has a lot of growing up to do, but they grow closer nonetheless. Bonus: The supporting cast featuring Leslie Mann, Paul Rudd, and young Maude and Iris Apatow is hysterical, making this a rom-com with an emphasis on the com.

WATCH IT

'Last Holiday' '(2006)

What would you do if you only had a few weeks to live? That’s the question that kicks off 2006’s Last Holiday when shy saleswoman Georgia (Queen Latifah) gets horrible news, immediately decides to quit her job, and spends her remaining days traveling to Europe and working alongside a professional chef. Meanwhile, the coworker she’s secretly in love with (played by LL Cool J) has learned about her diagnosis and is racing to meet up with her to confess his feelings—amid a battle against a brutal snowstorm and the ticking clock.

WATCH IT

'Love Actually' (2003)

Why settle for one love story when you could have several of them? This beloved Christmas classic follows a handful of interconnected romances around the holiday season in London—from the Prime Minister’s fling to a young boy who’s down bad over one of his classmates. It’ll get you in the spirit, make you feel “love is all around,” and swoon over Hugh Grant’s charming dance moves.

WATCH IT

'Maid in Manhattan' (2002)

Long before he was Voldemort in Harry Potter, Ralph Fiennes played a charming politician named Chris who catches feelings for Jennifer Lopez’s Marisa, after mistaking her for a fellow high-profile guest at a swanky Manhattan hotel. In reality, she’s a single mother (to an adorable tweenage Tyler Posey!) working as a housekeeper at the hotel. But she’ll keep the ruse going as long as possible before having to find out just how star-crossed their love story really is.

WATCH IT

'My Big Fat Greek Wedding' (2002)

Nia Vardalos wrote and starred in this 2002 rom-com—one of the best wedding movies of all time. She plays 30-year-old Toula, who’s stuck working in her sprawling Greek family’s diner but dares to dream even bigger: to go to college, to get a new job, and even—gasp!—to marry someone who isn’t Greek. What follows is a sweet and often hilarious story of how true love can overcome cultural differences, and how a spritz of Windex can fix just about anything.

WATCH IT

'The Proposal' (2009)

The fake-dating trope is a staple of the genre for a reason. It works especially well here, as Ryan Reynolds plays an aspiring book editor who begrudgingly agrees to marry his no-nonsense boss (Sandra Bullock) so she can avoid being deported back to Canada. You’ll never guess what happens after all that time spent “pretending” to be in love!

WATCH IT

'Serendipity' (2001)

Kate Beckinsale and John Cusack’s Sara and Jonathan have an adorable meet-cute over the last pair of gloves at Bloomingdale’s and then spend a magical evening wandering around N.Y.C. But that isn’t enough for superstitious Sara, who decides to let fate take the wheel by writing her phone number in a copy of Love in the Time of Cholera and Jonathan’s on a five-dollar bill, declaring that they’ll each find the other’s number if they’re truly meant to be. No spoilers here, but let’s say it takes fate a very long time to decide on these two.

WATCH IT

'She’s the Man' (2006)

So many of the world’s best teen movies—like 10 Things I Hate About You and Clueless—are based on centuries-old classics. So is the case with She’s the Man, which takes inspiration from Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night. In translating the Bard’s twisty plot to a high school campus circa 2006, Amanda Bynes plays Viola, who dresses up as her twin brother so she can play on his school’s soccer team after her own school cuts its girls's team. Viola quickly starts to fall for her roommate, Duke (Channing Tatum), who’s pining over Olivia (Laura Ramsey), who has a crush on Viola-as-Sebastian. Just wait 'til the real Sebastian (James Kirk) shows up and throws a wrench in that whole love triangle (square?) situation.

WATCH IT

'Something's Gotta Give' (2003)

Nancy Meyers and Diane Keaton always make movie magic together. Here, we’re smitten with all of the chunky sweaters Keaton sports, the decor of her Hamptons home, and the adorable enemies-to-loves relationship that plays out between her and fellow Hollywood heavyweight Jack Nicholson. They meet in an uncomfortable circumstance—with Nicholson’s Harry dating the 20-something daughter (Amanda Peet) of Keaton’s Erica—but a comedy of errors pushes them together (and leaves us feeling giddy).

WATCH IT

'Sweet Home Alabama' (2002)

If you ever ran away from your hometown and still think about the one that got away, or you’re charmed by a Southern accent, allow Sweet Home Alabama to win you over. Reese Witherspoon stars as a plucky N.Y.C.-based fashion designer who heads to the small, rural town that raised her to announce her engagement—and inevitably reconnect with her childhood sweetheart (Josh Lucas). Yeehaw!

WATCH IT

'The Sweetest Thing' (2002)

The Sweetest Thing fits into the rom-com category—thanks to frustrating miscommunications, a crashed wedding, and the truly wacky series of mishaps that Cameron Diaz’s Christina encounters as she tries to win over Peter (Thomas Jane). But just as important to the story are Christina’s relationships with her roommates Courtney and Jane, played by Christina Applegate and Selma Blair, respectively. Who else but a true best friend would suggest a spontaneous road trip purely to help you chase down your crush?

WATCH IT

'Two Weeks Notice' (2002)

A criminally underrated entry on both Sandra Bullock and Hugh Grant’s rom-com resumés, Two Weeks Notice deserves far more attention. It’s a classic opposites-attract story, with Grant playing an arrogant billionaire and Bullock as the do-gooder lawyer he hires as chief counsel for his real estate development company. There’s lots of sassy repartee and snappy one-liners, but it all leads to a classic rom-com grand gesture that could melt any heart.

WATCH IT

'The Wedding Planner' (2001)

Matthew McConaughey makes the list again, this time playing a pediatrician, Eddie, who rescues a woman named Mary (Jennifer Lopez) from a dumpster speeding down the hills of San Francisco. Sparks fly immediately, but it’s only a matter of time before they discover that Eddie’s fiancée (who is not Mary) has hired Mary as their wedding planner. Perfect!

WATCH IT

Fans of Korean movies have had a great year. As streamers like Netflix continue investing in South Korean content and projects with stacked casts get U.S. distribution, the new Korean films of 2022 ranged from sweet rom-coms to thrilling spy flicks to heart-wrenching dramas. Ahead, the best new Korean movies of 2022 (and once you've made your way through them, consult our guide to the best K-dramas and best Korean movies of 2023).

'Love and Leashes'

Two idol actors (Girls' Generation's Seohyn and U-KISS' Lee Jun-young) star in this rom-com about two co-workers pursuing a BDSM partnership. Ji-woo is forming a crush on new colleague Ji-hoo when she accidentally receives his package, containing a human-sized dog collar. Instead of freaking out, she becomes interested in BDSM, and Ji-hoo asks her to enter a dominant/submissive relationship. Will the pair stick with BDSM, or take their relationship to a romantic level?

Watch on Netflix

'The Pirates: The Last Royal Treasure'

This remake/sequel to the hit 2014 film follows another group of swashbuckling antiheroes in 14th century Korea. When self-proclaimed "good bandit" Wu Mu-chi (Kang Ha-neul) and his men are marooned in the middle of the ocean, they're rescued by pirate captain Hae-rang (Happiness' Han Hyo-joo) and her crew. The two groups stumble upon a map to a lost royal treasure and band together to recover it, going up against a mercenary crew lead by the villain Bu Heung-soo (Kwon Sang-woo).

Watch on Netflix

'Yaksha: Ruthless Operations'

Squid Game's Park Hae-soo and GOT7's Jin-young co-star in this spy-against-spy action thriller set in a northeastern Chinese city. Former lead prosecutor Han Ji-hoon (Park) is recently demoted to a legal aid position with Korea's National Intelligence Service (NIS). While working in a city near the North Korean border, he gets wrapped up into a world where spies from the north, the south, China, Japan, Russia, and even the US wage war over government secrets. The titular Yaksha, played by Sol Kyung-gu, is the city's ruthless NIS' operative who brings Ji-hoon onto his team.

Watch on Netflix

'Midnight'

Before he portrayed a hero cop on Squid Game, Wi Ha-jun played a deranged serial killer in this 2021 thriller that's just hitting VOD in the U.S. Do Shik's latest target is Kyung Mi (Jin Ki-joo), a young deaf woman who lives with her deaf mother (Kil Hae-yeon), and witnesses him in the process of killing another victim. The unique thriller tells the story from Kyung Mi's perspective, using sound mixing and sign language to show how the heroine evades the killer's hunt.

Watch on Prime Video

'Spiritwalker'

In this mystery thriller that just hit U.S. streamers, The Outlaws' Yoon Kye-sang plays Kang I-an, a man whose consciousness switches to a different body every twelve hours. After waking up from a car crash with no memory, skilled fighter I-an has to piece together his identity while outrunning many people from both sides of the law who want to kill him.

Watch on Prime Video

'In Our Prime'

This heartwarming drama shows the friendship between Ji-woo (newcomer Kim Dong-hwi), a private school student who's ostracized because he's poor, and Hak-sung (Oldboy and I Saw The Devil's Choi Min-sik), the school security guard who's also a mathematical genius who defected from North Korea. When Ji-woo asks Hak-sung to teach him math, the unlikely pair bond and learn important lessons from each other.

Watch on Prime Video

'The Roundup'

This sequel to 2017's action hit The Outlaws sees Train to Busan and Eternals' Ma Dong-seok (a.k.a. Don Lee) return as "beast cop" Ma Seok-do. Four years after the events of The Outlaws, Detective Ma and Captain Jeon Il-man (Choi Gwi-hwa) are sent to Vietnam on a covert operation to take down Kang (My Liberation Notes' Son Sukku), a sadistic man who kidnaps rich Korean travelers for ransom.

Watch on Prime Video

'The Witch 2: The Other One'

This highly-anticipated sequel to 2018's The Witch: Subversion (available on Viki) follows a new young girl (played by Shin Si-ah) who's an experimental test subject in a secret lab. After she survives an accident that leaves the lab in ruins, siblings Kyung-hee (Extraordinary Attorney Woo's Park Eun-bin) and Dae-gil (Sung Yoo-bin) shelter her and offer a normal life, while several people search for her, including mercenary Jo-hyeon (Seo Eun-soo).

Premiere: June 17 in theaters

'Hansan: Rising Dragon'

Director Kim Han-min returns with the prequel to 2014's The Admirals: Roaring Currents, the most-watched Korean film of all time (available on Prime Video). This 16th-century historical epic depicts Battle of Hansan Island in 1592, where Admiral Yi Sun-shin (played by Park Hae-il) fended off the Japanese navy as they attempted to conquer Korea.

Premiere: July 29 in theaters

'Carter'

This upcoming film from action director Jung Byung-gil (The Villainess, Confession of Murder) follows Carter, a top intelligence agent who wakes up one day having completely lost his memory. He's then thrown into a huge mission, as he works through his amnesia while trying to unravel the mission's countless mysteries.

Watch on Netflix

'Emergency Declaration'

In this star-studded disaster thriller, authorities investigating a viral terrorist threat discover that the suspect has boarded an international flight to the U.S. When a healthy passenger dies of a sudden disease on board, the flight crew and people on the ground come together to save the rest of the passengers. Among the cast are Parasite's Song Kang-ho, Squid Game's Lee Byung-hun, and Run On's Im Si-wan.

Premiere: August 12 in theaters

'Seoul Vibe'

This action-packed film takes place in 1988, on the day of the Seoul Summer Olympics' opening ceremony. In the middle of the festivities, the Sanggye-dong Supreme Team are investigating the movement of illegal slush funds. Seoul Vibe's all-star cast includes Hellbound and Burning star Yoo Ah-in, Reply 1988's Ko Gyung-pyo, and Extracurricular's Park Ju-hyun.

Watch on Netflix

'Special Delivery'

Parasite and Record of Youth's Park So-dam stars in this Fast & Furious-style action film as Eun-ha a Busan junkyard worker who works nights as an elite courier for fugitives. When her passenger for her latest job is captured and she's left with his son, Eun-ha has to take care of the kid and the million-dollar access code he's holding, all while outrunning the cops.

Watch on Viki

'Alienoid'

This genre-bending film from director Choi Dong-hoon shows a war between aliens and humans taking place in both historical and present-day Korea. When a mysterious time portal opens, the lives of Goryeo-era Taoists searching for a legendary sword collide with fighters from 2022 chasing an alien imprisoned in a human's body. The players include a Taoist warrior (Reply 1988's Ryu Jun-yeol), an alien-escorting guard (Our Blues' Kim Woo-bin), and a woman who can shoot thunder (The Handmaiden's Kim Tae-ri).

Premiere: August 26 in theaters

'Confidential Assignment 2: International'

This sequel to the popular 2017 film reunites North Korean detective Im Cheol-ryung (Crash Landing on You's Hyun Bin) and South Korean detective Kang Jin-Tae (The Pirates' Yoo Hae-Jin) back together to catch a North Korean crime organization leader (Space Sweepers' Jin Sun-Kyu). This time, the duo is also joined by an FBI agent (Daniel Henney) and Jin-tae's sister-in-law (Girls' Generation's Yoon-A).

Premiere: September 7 in theaters

'Decision to Leave'

Returning with his first Korean film since 2016's The Handmaiden, Park Chan-wook directs this story about a police officer (The Host's Park Hae-il) investigating a crime that took place in the mountains. When he meets the victim's wife, played by Tang Wei, the officer develops mixed emotions of both suspicion and interest.

Premiere: October 14 in theaters

'20th Century Girl'

This rom-com starts in 1999, when 17-year-old Na Bo-ra (Lovers of the Red Sky's Kim Yoo-jung) meets her first love, Hyun Jin (Hospital Playlist's Park Jung Woo). Years later, after their sweet but heartbreaking relationship, she meets him again, and it revives the teenage romance that was almost forgotten. 

Watch on Netflix

'Hunt'

Squid Game star Lee Jung-jae makes his directoral debut and stars in this 1980s-set spy thriller. As an elite South Korean agent (Lee) hunts for a North Korea spy, he becomes increasingly aware of his own country's dark truths. Innocent Witness star Jung Woo-sung, who co-founded the entertainment agency Artist Company with Lee, also stars.

Premiere: December 2 in theaters

'Broker'

Squid Game star Lee Jung-jae makes his directoral debut and stars in this 1980s-set spy thriller. As an elite South Korean agent (Lee) hunts for a North Korea spy, he becomes increasingly aware of his own country's dark truths. Innocent Witness star Jung Woo-sung, who co-founded the entertainment agency Artist Company with Lee, also stars.

Premiere: December 26 in theaters

It wasn’t so many years ago now—maybe around 2016, when the news cycle first started to feel really, constantly cataclysmic—that “self-care” entered the zeitgeist. More than just an instinct to turn inward, self-care can be a necessary and oft-overlooked element of active participation in a scary world: You have to put your own oxygen mask on before helping others; burnout isn’t the road to creating positive change; avoiding compassion fatigue is the only way to stay useful. Sometimes that means doing something just for yourself, or taking some time away from social media, or picking up a new habit like meditation or cooking or running. All good things!

But self-care’s fraternal twin, wellness, offers a more complicated method of coping. Whereas self-care is framed as a strategic retreat before returning to the hard work of world-saving, the pursuit of wellness rarely requires turning back outward at all. The distinction that’s emerged is that where self-care can be actively undertaken, achieving wellness can be a vague, ever-shifting goal post that offers no way of determining when it’s been accomplished. And because it’s so hard to pin down, wellness has created a new foothold for some pretty daring snake oil salesmen. Sometimes they might even try to literally sell you snake oil, but more often it’s an expensive rock to be inserted into a body cavity. (Don’t do that, by the way.) 

Fortunately, several smart and hilarious minds are challenging this conception and adding science, inclusivity, and truly thoughtful analysis back into the conversation. The podcasters hosting the shows below honestly assess wellness fads, deep dive into accepted-as-true claims, and explore the kinds of meaningful self-care that might actually make you feel better. 

Maintenance Phase

Ever wonder what a calorie is actually measuring? Or why protein became such a major part of American diets? Or why some parts of the culture view being fat as a moral failing? Each episode of Maintenance Phase, hosted by Michael Hobbes and Aubrey Gordon, deploys tons of research and clever storytelling techniques to answer these and other burning questions about wellness and diet culture. The hosts are charming, smart, and bring so much empathy and humanity to what can turn out to be some tough topics. Get ready to unlearn everything you thought you knew about the health “facts” you grew up hearing.

Food Psych

Registered dietitian Christy Harrison helps listeners make peace with food. She calls diet culture a “life thief” that leads to body phobia and disordered eating while pretending to be about health and wellness. Instead, Harrison talks to guests about how listeners can improve their relationships with food, body image, and fat acceptance. 

Poog 

Comedic besties and self-described “hags” Kate Berlant and Jacqueline Novak admit that they love wellness culture, even while they also characterize it as scammy. Ostensibly a show about two hilarious people trying out the strangest wellness fads they can find (note that the podcast’s name is just “Goop” backwards), Poog gets surprisingly deep when Berlant and Novak discuss their insecurities, their health, and how they navigate being a person with feelings in an intense world. It’s like comedy and therapy in a single podcast. 

The F*ck It Podcast

When this podcast started in 2016, host Caroline Dooner mostly discussed the same subjects covered in her book The F*ck It Diet—namely, exchanging the body image issues and disordered eating that diet culture hath wrought for intuitive eating and radical self-acceptance. More recently, the podcast has evolved to look at lots of issues that may seem couched in wellness, but that tend to cause misery. Dooner explores the myths of virginity, productivity culture, and “healthy” dieting in a way that’s irreverent and relatable. 

You Are Good

Less about debunking wellness claims and more about reframing self-care, Sarah Marshall (who also hosts the excellent You’re Wrong About podcast, formerly co-hosted by Michael Hobbes of Maintenance Phase—worlds collide!) and Alex Steed are just two friends who like movies and…can’t that be enough? Each episode of You Are Good takes a classic, feel-good movie (think 9 to 5 and Practical Magic) and uses it as a vehicle for talking about feelings, what it means to find comfort, and the hosts’ and their guests’ own unique experiences of the world. The hosts are so kind and respectful to one another that it becomes a lesson in active listening and offering emotional support, making You Are Good the podcast equivalent of a warm bath at the end of a long day. 

Sounds Like a Cult

You know that saying, “If it looks like a duck and quacks like a duck, it’s probably a duck?” Sounds Like a Cult hosts Amanda Montell and Isabela Medina-Maté use this general duck framework to assess various trends to determine if they’re merely a healthy pastime or if they are, well, a cult. Past topics include SoulCycle, multi-level marketing, and sororities, and the hosts look for red flags like exorbitant upfront expenses, fans who become more like preachers for the cause, reviews about a fad’s “life-changing” properties, and pyramid-shaped business plans. The show is well-researched, wonderfully produced, and a little dishy—like discussing trends with your best friends over cocktails. 

Decoder Ring

Television critic Willa Paskin wants to figure out how strange cultural ephemera came to be, and of course that means Decoder Ring veers into wellness territory. Paskin and the podcast's producers do firsthand reporting and go deep on history, making each episode feel like an important document that will explain to future generations (or maybe visiting aliens) why Jane Fonda’s workouts were such a big deal, when “hydration” became a fixation, and how storytelling became a buyable product of its own. 

Diet Culture Rebel

Bonnie Roney once had a fraught relationship with food. As a young gymnast, she spent years on restrictive eating plans, often followed by secretly binge eating—which she thought was a lapse in her own “discipline” but which was actually the result of diet culture myths and an anxiety-inducing relationship she’d developed with food. After becoming a registered dietitian and working on her own feelings around eating, she now hosts a podcast that aims to untangle why so many people feel guilt around food, and how to break free from harmful diet culture cycles. 

Conspirituality

Some wellness trends are silly but essentially harmless. Others, however, can send would-be devotees down a dangerous rabbit hole that leads to things like anti-vax sentiments, pyramid schemes, and even extremist politics. It’s a surprisingly well-trod path, and Conspirituality hosts Derek Beres, Matthew Remski, and Julian Walker want to understand just how New Age pseudo-philosophy started to merge with far-right conspiracies—and how to help people who have gotten sucked in. The hosts cover a new group or individual capitalizing on people looking for betterment each episode, and even keep a running list on their website of so-called "wellness influencers" who have publicly endorsed dangerous conspiracies. 

Sometimes the best way to feel seen is by reading an incredible memoir and realizing, through another person's story, we're not alone in our thoughts and feelings. This year's exciting new memoirs can help us do just that. From Viola Davis's Finding Me to Selma Blair's Mean Baby, find Marie Claire's running list of highly-anticipated 2022 memoirs to order, below. Bookmark this page for updates throughout the year!

Odds are, you've checked out at least one of Netflix's viral international hits. Often, among the streaming giant's American hits, a show like the Spanish thriller Money Heist (a.k.a. La Casa de Papel) or the binge-worthy K-drama Squid Game will become a mega-hit, with millions of people exploring a different country's TV offerings afterward. Maybe you tuned into (and loved) a show like Lupin, the popular French crime drama, meaning it's time to check out Netflix's other French-language offerings.

These French-language shows, from countries including France, Canada, and Belgium, span multiple engrossing genres, from comedies to sci-fi to reality TV and docuseries, to straight-up horror. Viewers also get to dive into the language (team subs, no dubs), picking up some basic skills (educational TV!). Here are some of the best French-language shows to check out.

'The 7 Lives of Lea' (2022)

This wild mystery comedy combines time travel and body swapping: The day after 17-year-old Lea stumbles upon a male corpse, she wakes up in 1991 in the dead boy's body. Over seven episodes, she goes back and forth between the present and the past while trying to solve—and prevent—the murder.

WATCH NOW

'The Billionaire, The Butler, and The Boyfriend' (2023)

Francophiles who also love true crime need to check out this three-part docuseries about Liliane Bettencourt, who was the wealthiest woman in the world at the time of her death in 2017, and her scandalous friendship with celebrity photographer, François-Marie Banier.

WATCH NOW

'Black Butterflies' (2022)

In this tense psychological thriller, struggling author Adrien takes a job ghostwriting the memoir of Albert, an older man with a murderous secret. The show switches between the present-day and flashbacks as both Adrien and a determined detective begin to look more into Albert's past.

WATCH NOW

'Call My Agent!' (2015–2020)

This workplace comedy melds reality and fiction. It's set at a fictional talent agency where the clients are real-life French celebrities.

WATCH NOW

'Can You Hear Me?' (2018–2021)

This French-Canadian series follows Ada, Fabiola, and Carolanne, three friends who live in a low-income neighborhood in Montreal. The chemistry between the three leads, as they cope with their messy lives in different ways, will make you want to spend more time with your best friend.

WATCH NOW

'Chef's Table: France' (2016)

These four documentary episodes take a peek behind the scenes of the French culinary arts scene, following four chefs who make some of the world's best cuisine. So much amazing food!

WATCH NOW

'The Circle: France' (2020)

If you seriously can't get enough of Netflix's reality shows, why not tune into the international versions? There's a French rendition of The Circle, and it's filled with just as many wild contestants and top-notch catfishes as the U.S. show.

WATCH NOW

'Class Act' (2023)

This BAFTA-winning miniseries is a decades-spanning "fictionalized biopic" on Bernard Tapie, the late TV-host-turned-business-mogul who has been called the French Donald Trump.

WATCH NOW

'Criminal: France' (2019)

Another franchise with multiple international versions, Criminal is made for crime fans who want to be on the edge of their seat. The French version follows a new group of interrogators and suspects enveloped in thrilling stories of deception.

WATCH NOW

'Don't Hate the Player' (2024)

This reality competition series is like Survivor meets Surviving Paradise: 13 players start in a grubby camp and compete for a spot in a luxury villa and a prize pot of €150,000.

WATCH NOW

'Family Business' (2019–2021)

With France moving toward legalizing marijuana, the struggling son of a dysfunctional family decides to turn their kosher butcher shop into a cannabis cafe. The whole family of larger-than-life characters ends up on the wrong side of the law as nothing goes smoothly.

WATCH NOW

'The Forest' (2017)

This Belgian crime drama follows the small-town disappearance of a 16-year-old girl, though the town in question is a picturesque village surrounded by the Ardennes Forest. As the police begin to investigate, a concerned teacher uncovers some unsettling secrets.

WATCH NOW

'The Hook Up Plan' (2018–2022)

Rom-com fans, this one's for you. Elsa is about to turn 30 and still reeling from a relationship that ended two years ago. Her friends Emilie and Charlotte have a unique solution: hire an escort to take her out.

WATCH NOW

'Into the Night' (2020–2021)

This Belgian thriller will make even the most frequent fliers squirm in their seats. A group of plane passengers find themselves in the middle of a natural disaster, where sunlight carries a fatal toxin. The fliers have to keep outrunning the sun to survive.

WATCH NOW

'Lupin' (2021– )

Inspired by the literary character Arsène Lupin, Assane Diop (Omar Sy) is a thief and master of disguise on a mission to avenge his father, who died imprisoned for a crime he didn't commit. Come for the cinematic heists, stay after falling for the compassionate heart of the titular thief.

WATCH NOW

'Marianne' (2019)

This horror series follows an author in a small French coastal town. When she decides to stop writing about her book series' central villain, the titular Marienne, she ends up haunted by the character in real life.

WATCH NOW

'Mortel' (2019–2021)

A paranormal teen drama, Mortel follows three high schoolers, Sofiane, Victor, and Luisa, who use magical powers to find Sofiane's missing brother.

WATCH NOW

'Osmosis' (2019)

If you've been craving new episodes of Black Mirror, this one-season sci-fi drama may be just what you need. In futuristic France, an experimental dating app matches singles with their true love with 100 percent accuracy by mining their brain for data.

WATCH IT

'The Parisian Agency: Exclusive Properties' (2020– )

Fans of Selling Sunset must check out this reality series, which is filled with grand Parisian apartments, stunning French estates, and even a castle or two. Rather than the O Group, this international gem follows the Kretz family of agents and their super-rich clients.

WATCH NOW

'Vampires' (2020)

If paranormal romance is your thing, this teen drama about with half-human vampires is a must-watch. 16-year-old Doina is torn between two worlds, as she tries to make it through high school while exploring her bloodthirsty urges.

WATCH NOW

There's been a ton of upheaval among the U.S. gymnastics team during the 2020/2021 Tokyo Olympics: After gymnast Simone Biles quit the team finals and individual all-round, attention turned to the other members of the team, particularly Sunisa "Suni" Lee, the first Hmong American gymnast to qualify for the Olympics. Lee did not disappoint, taking home the gold medal in a bit of an upset: She's only the sixth American gymnast to ever do so, and the fifth consecutive American to win gold at the Olympics. Not only that, but a 2020 injury—a fractured ankle—had been bothering the athlete, making her win all the more impressive. So now Olympic viewers are wondering: who is this incredible gymnast, whose performance might have been the most exciting and nail-biting event at the Tokyo Olympics? Here's what we know about her.

Who is Sunisa Lee?

The 18-year-old gymnast attends Auburn University Gymnastics and is in the class of 2025. Her parents John Lee and Yeev Thoj immigrated from Laos, and she has five siblings. Her father, whom she says "sacrificed everything" so she could pursue gymnastics, built a balance beam in the backyard when they couldn't afford to buy one. She started training when she was 6 years old, and has been on the women's national gymnastics team six times.

Lee has also had her share of personal setbacks recently, and it wasn't always clear that she was headed to the 2019 Olympics. Her father suffered a spinal cord injury in 2019 and is now paralyzed from the waist down—and Lee was forced to compete in the national championship almost immediately after.

In June 2020, she helped win team gold at the world championship (and came closer to Biles than anyone had in a long time), then she fractured her ankle in a fall and had to sit out for months. She lost an aunt and uncle to COVID-19 (she had to say goodbye over Zoom) and thought she might have contracted the virus herself. In interviews, she's said a gold medal win would be for her father, family, and the Hmong community. "I fought off the negative thoughts and the sadness, and just focused. Now I feel like I’m maybe tougher because of it. No, not maybe. I am tougher because of it," she told the New York Times.

Lee also told ELLE she's been devastated by the recent rise in anti-Asian hate, saying, “People hate on us for no reason ... It would be cool to show that we are more than what they say.” She said she also felt depressed when the Olympics were postponed.

She's supportive of her teammates, including Simone Biles.

Surprisingly, Lee and Biles became close after the Olympics announcement, and they two chatted regularly in the months between when the Games were supposed to start and the actual start date. At the Games, after Biles announced her withdrawal and the U.S. team went on to win silver, Lee filled Biles' spot on the floor. It was “the most pressure I’ve ever felt in my life," she explained. Reporters have said that she's spent the majority of her career (like a lot of other gymnasts) in Biles' shadow. But thanks in part to Lee's performance, the U.S. team took home silver.

Lee also shared an Instagram post to praise and support Biles after the withdrawal, saying, "proud of you & everything you’ve accomplished! thank you for being a role model and someone i look up to every single day. you not only inspire me as a gymnast but as a person as well. your fearlessness and ability to do the impossible does not go unnoticed, we love you!! 🤍"

Lee's epic performance at the Tokyo Olympics was nail-biting.

With a final score of 57.433, Lee edged out Brazilian Rebecca Andrade by just over 0.1. It came down to the wire: Lee opened with a difficult Yurchenko double twist on the vault, then an uneven performance and 15.3 on the bars and a strong 13.833 on beam. Heading into the final rotation on floor, which Andrade is apparently stronger at, Lee gave an incredibly strong performance—her personal best in Tokyo—and Andrade went out of bounds. In essence, Lee out-performed herself on three of the four categories to pull off a win. Lee's community had a watch party at home, and they went crazy when they watched Lee's win.

Lee has been enjoying her hard-earned success ever since — including after Olympian gymnast Aly Raisman asked her for her autograph and Lee absolutely fan-girled out. In an interview with Hoda Kotb, Lee dedicated the win to her dad, saying, "This has been our dream forever...I wish he was here. He always told me if I win the gold medal he would come out on the ground and do a backflip. It's sad that he can't be here, but this is our dream and this our medal."

But John told reporters, "I’m going to tell her I’m so proud of her ... I want to tell her team that no matter what, you all support her and I want to tell Simone that she truly is the GOAT because she let my baby girl bring the gold medal."

If you are a fan of gorgeous period pieces about the royal family (come ye, come ye, everyone who loved The Crown), epic romances that put The Notebook to shame, and prolonged sexual tension, then rejoice! Queen Victoria is here to rule your life.

PBS aired the first episode of its new Masterpiece series Victoria on Sunday night, and it's as beautiful as it is addictive. MarieClaire.com spoke to the show's star Jenna Coleman about the fiery passion between Victoria and Albert, how much of the series is fiction vs. reality, and what to expect this coming season and beyond.

There's a Reason the Chemistry Between Victoria and Albert Is So 🔥

"We're friends in real life and had been for years. We already had a good working relationship. We both really researched our characters, and both had similar ideas. It's just easy."

Victoria and Albert Really Were Bodice-Ripping Levels of In Love

"The love between them was so strong. Things like the scene in the ballroom when he rips his shirt so he can put the flower in. All of that's real, it actually happened. There are diaries–it's all there. It was very important to get their passion."

Yes, There's a Season Two, and Yes, It'll Be Even More Passionate

"Going into Season Two next year, they have huge arguments. They were an incredibly tumultuous couple, yet they loved each other fiercely. That's going to be incredibly fun to play in 2017. But Victoria was incredibly romantic—she loved romance."

Victoria and Albert's Wedding Night Is Passionate—and Based on #Facts

"There is an account of their wedding night where Victoria writes how Albert beheld her in kisses, and how it was the most heavenly night she's ever spent, and how she's the luckiest woman in the world—that this angel of a man could possibly adore her. She's really candid. They stay in the same bed together, and in the morning he puts her stockings on. It's first love and she's brimming with it."

All the Costumes Are Genius, but Jenna Coleman Has a Feminist Favorite

"The riding outfit—when she and Albert go running in the forest. It's navy with a red collar. There's something quite masculine about it: it's the same as the men's uniform, but she has a big skirt. There are so many military jackets out this season, so it's amazing to see fashion harkening back."

Behind-the-Scenes of the Show = Wayyyyyy Less Glamorous

"Maneuvering in and out of cars is hilarious, and I've often got a backpack on. It's really cold so you arrive in this beautiful gown, but you have a rucksack on, and a crown, and a coat, and you're trying to navigate your way. It's quite hilarious. Definitely less elegant off screen. Often, you've got wellies hidden underneath the costume!"

And Finally, Here Are Two Truths and a Lie About Next Season....

"There may be a return of a very popular character. There will be numerous births. And there may also be numerous deaths. Very opaque. Very opaque. Oh, and perhaps the invention of the Christmas tree...."

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When you think of modern dating, you don't usually think of 1,225 page novels by bearded Russian writers who spent their free time looking like this:

But before Sex and the City was shedding light on the complications of coupling up, Tolstoy was over in Russia penning the 19th-century version of a cable TV drama. Anyone who's been watching the Lifetime miniseries knows War & Peace is basically a soap opera starring men in furry hats who woo women in similarly furry hats, while illustrating some valuable (and surprisingly contemporary) dating lessons. Including but not limited to: when given the chance to make out in the snow, take it. 

If War & Peace has taught us one thing, it's that we should have an equal-opportunity disdain for both the player and the game. Poor Sonya Rostova (played by Aisling Loftus) is learning this lesson the hard way thanks to her unyielding crush on her cousin, Count Nikolai (Jack Lowden)—a man who openly flirts with other women and once told her, "I've fallen in love before and I expect I will again." Uh, romantic? To be fair, it was cute when Nikolai went against his parents wishes and proposed, but still: if your boyfriend says he's into other women, time to move on. Also, maybe don't date your cousin.

Due to #ThePatriarchy, the women of War & Peace tend to spend their time at home while their boyfriends gallantly fight in hilariously large hats. This means almost all the primary relationships are long distance, and most are strained at the best of times. Take Sonya again: she spent months pining for Nikolai when she could have been out living life and perfecting whatever the 19th-century version of an OK Cupid profile is. Lesson learned: don't wait for your date. 

When the characters in War & Peace fall, they fall hard. Hard—like "let's get married even though the only thing we have in common is the ability to eye-sex on the dance floor" hard. Relationships lacking a strong foundation tend to burn out, a fact Natasha learns when she falls for Prince Andrei and then is like, "meh, forget it, I wanna live in the woods" once he peaces off to Europe.

War & Peace's lovably earnest protagonist, Pierre (Paul Dano), might be Uncle Scrooge-ing it when it comes to wealth, but his wife (Tuppence Middleton) has no sexual interest in him whatsoever, and their relationship suffers because of it. Yes, Princess Helene's sole purpose is to make Pierre miserable, but there's something deeper to be said here. Sex is a normal part of healthy relationships, and if you're not having it, it might be time to 👋👋 👋.

Oh, you thought you and your roommate were best buddies who would never cross that invisible line? Nope, s/he's been pining for you this entire time. Case in point, this conversation between family friends Denisov and Countess Natasha:

Denisov: "I think about you all day, dream of you at night."

Natasha: "Oh dear."

Nailed it.

Much like the rest of us, couples in old-school Russia spent their time scrolling through their texts and obsessively checking Instagram. By which we mean staring vacantly out the window waiting for carriages and/or trolling the mailman. The complete absence of chill is all too familiar, which is ironic given how cold winters are there. 

Fact: Dolokhov literally cannot stop flirting with (and in Helene's case, sleeping with) his friends' wives/girlfriends. This is a terrible idea no matter what century you're inhabiting, and one that landed Dolokhov in a shoot-out. This guy was literally almost murdered for sleeping with Pierre's wife, and he still went and proposed to Nikolai's girlfriend. 

If your best friend sleeps with your boyfriend, however, challenge them to a casual duel. Kidding, don't do that. But you could challenge them to a pizza eating battle, because then everyone wins.

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Do you remember your first mixtape? Whether you made or received mixtapes in the past, Cassette from My Ex: Stories and Soundtracks of Lost Loves will surely strike up some nostalgia. Edited by Jason Bitner, Cassette from My Ex contains a collection of 60 essays about relationships and mixtapes from musicians, magazine editors, VJs and more. Packed with comical and poignant tales of first love, friendship and heartbreak, the stories are relatable and at many times, bittersweet.

At the New York launch party, Bitner informed the audience of the origins of the project. After finding an old suitcase filled with 60-70 cassettes in his basement, one tape stood out. It was a mixtape he was given junior year of high school by his first girlfriend. Instantly transported back to January of 1991, Bitner realized if he held onto the tape for so many years, he surely could not be alone. Thus began Cassette from My Ex.

Joe Levy (editor of Maxim), Claudia Gonson (pianist/drummer of The Magnetic Fields) and Michael Hearst (musician and writer) provided insight into their mixtape days. The panel debated the mixtape process with Bitner, who hosted the evening. Whether it was spending countless hours tracking the tape to perfection or delicately designing the artwork to accompany the tape, all agreed that nothing was more satisfying than sitting on the floor with their record collection and crafting the perfect mixtape. Move over iTunes playlists; let's bring back the mixtape.

From the hilarious hand-me-down tale of a woman who discovers two of her boyfriends dated the same woman, Melissa, who made them both the same mix (a huge don't in the mixtape world) to the heartbreak of learning of an ex's suicide, each story is written from the heart and begs the reader to turn the page and discover the story behind the next mixtape.

"We made each other tapes because we believed that music articulated what we could not otherwise express," Ben Greenman wrote in his essay, "Sorrowful, Standing." Vincent Chung seemingly agreed in his write-up, "Snowball's Chance in Hell." "To me, receiving mixtapes isn't about discovering new music expertly mixed with sweet transitions. They simply have to encapsulate the author's personality, and the cassettes were always ideal in their imperfections."

Cassette from My Ex will surely find you laughing and when finished, in search of your old mixtape, or possibly inspire you to make one for someone else. Either way, Jenny Reader said it best. "Times change, people change, but the tunes that become entwined in the fabric of your life? That's as gritty and real, and as unchangeable, as it gets." 

Annie Reuter is a freelance writer and music blogger who covers concerts and music festivals around the country. In constant pursuit of the next show to attend and band to interview, Annie keeps up her own music blog, You Sing, I Write, where you can read more on the latest up-and-coming bands.

Sex when your friend's in town? Sure, say Susan Kim and Elissa Stein, the authors of Flow: The Cultural Story of Menstruation. We talked to them about their lively, irreverent book, and about why something so natural still gets such a bad rap.

MC: Why do we tend to be mum about our monthlies?

SK: They've been viewed with fear since the days when people didn't know where the blood was coming from.

ES: And religion didn't help. Ancient faiths found it unclean. Even the Bible warns men against shaking hands with a woman during her period, because she's impure.

MC: And having sex while menstruating was certainly out of the question--which still feels true today.

SK: For some guys, the idea of seeing blood on themselves gets at a very deep Freudian fear of castration.

MC: It makes women anxious, too.

SK: Right. Because we're sexually vain: I don't want to slink across the floor in a negligee with a streak down my leg. Even though it might be good for you--orgasms during your period can help prevent endometriosis.

ES: They can also relieve cramps and release oxytocin, the love hormone, bringing feelings of calm and well-being at a time when you could really use them. And some women report increased libido during their periods. Why would you deny yourself?

MC: But what about the mess?

SK: Buy a cheap Fieldcrest towel in dark red, throw it down, and give it a whirl. You might like it. You might not. But it's not like you're sacrificing a baby to a Druid god.