Vanity Fair

Jenna Ortega got a crash course in online celebrity media in 2023 after she revealed she changed lines on the set of ‘Wednesday.’ In what became a notorious interview, Ortega shared that she became “almost unprofessional” at times while filming, changing lines that she felt weren’t authentic to the character. She recounted seemingly prickly exchanges with the show’s writers: “They would be like, ‘Wait, what happened to the scene?’ And I would have to go through and explain why I couldn’t do certain things.” Her comments came at a tender time for Hollywood writers, and the backlash she received was swift. “Everything that I said felt so magnified…. It felt almost dystopian to me,” she tells VF. “I felt like a caricature of myself.” In her September cover story, the actor reflects on her comments and teases what fans can expect in the hit series’s forthcoming season. Read the full interview: https://lnkd.in/enHuC7Zp

Presenting our September cover star, Jenna Ortega. The 21-year-old actor found her big break as a Disney star, but her overnight ascent came with Netflix’s hit series ‘Wednesday’—now the streamer’s most viewed English-language series ever. “A majority of the last year and a half has felt very far from me,” Ortega tells Michelle Ruiz. She describes the experience almost like a sci-fi thriller: “very dissociative and alien and out-of-body. When people mention my name, it’s almost like my name has been taken from me. Now I just feel like I’m floating and…I’m up for interpretation.” Her star will only shoot further with the release of ‘Beetlejuice Beetlejuice,’ a sequel to the beloved 1988 film. In VF’s September cover story, the Emmy nominee discusses her “sacred” bond with Winona Ryder, her experience with child stardom, the public backlash to her script changes on the set of ‘Wednesday,’ and much more. Read the full interview: https://lnkd.in/enHuC7Zp

It’s been four years since Meghan Markle and Prince Harry walked away from their royal roles, sparking an endless stream of media attention and second-guessing in the UK. This year, the biggest royal headlines—from historic health challenges for Kate Middleton and King Charles III to royal banquets and honor ceremonies—have been coming from Windsor Castle and Buckingham Palace. Meanwhile, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are carving out their own semi-royal, and very philanthropic path, thousands of miles from their former home. Despite the usual tabloid rumblings, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are having a pretty solid year, expanding both their charitable commitments and Netflix offerings. After four years of high and lows in America, it’s time for the question on everyone’s lips: Will they ever return to the fold? Learn how Meghan and Harry are building their entertainment and philanthropy legacy on VF's DYNASTY: https://lnkd.in/eFSTsnzi

Doug Emhoff, husband of Kamala Harris, is the internet’s newest boyfriend. The election may not be until November, but the second gentleman is winning social media users’ hearts. “I need Gen z to see this picture of Kamala’s husband in the 80s and make him TikTok’s white boy of the month,” reads one post on X with more than 2.2 million views, accompanied by a fuzzy-focus photo of a young Emhoff with an earnest expression. At this point, Emhoff has cemented his role as a professional Wife Guy, and he’s shown himself to be the best in his field. Read more from VF's Kase Wickman: https://lnkd.in/e7qWcEMS

The 2024 presidential election is shaping up to be the weirdest in history—just ask Democratic political operatives. The left’s latest talking point has emerged: Those Republicans are straight-up weird. It’s become the Democrats’ go-to taunt for their opposition. Last Thursday, the campaign for Kamala Harris, whose brand-new presidential bid is off to a running start, said the quiet thing out loud in a press release reacting to an interview Republican nominee Donald Trump gave to Fox News: “Trump is old and quite weird.” Jesse Lee, a former senior official in the Obama-Biden White House, tells VF that the revived messaging matches the candidate: “When you look at somebody like JD Vance…once the weirdness gets into the bloodstream and gets into the ether, everything sort of starts to feed into it....And that’s really the most effective kind of narrative and framing you could do, where it takes on a life of its own.” Read more from VF's Kase Wickman on the Democrats’ “big weirdo” political strategy: https://lnkd.in/dhemM-FH

#SimoneBiles is the most decorated gymnast in history—but her journey to greatness wasn't easy. For VF, she reflects on the early days of her gymnastics career: https://lnkd.in/dF396hvm

Simone Biles returned to gymnastics last August, following a two-year hiatus, and immediately became the most decorated gymnast in history—a feat she describes as “kind of surprising.” Later today, Biles will compete in the women’s team final at the 2024 Olympic Games. “Just taking [the] risk of allowing myself to be vulnerable in front of a crowd competing again was a win for me,” she tells VF. For VF’s February cover, Biles opens up about her return to the sport, her complicated feelings about being lauded as a “mental health advocate,” and more. Revisit the interview: https://lnkd.in/ggxtJMti

From a slightly off-center romantic dramedy to a striking coming-of-age debut, the best films of 2024 (so far) run the gamut. See VF's full rundown of this year's must-see films—and where you can watch them right now: https://lnkd.in/engkhMKw

Many cities have aspired to be the next Silicon Valley. But in El Segundo, founders are defining themselves in opposition to it. For over two years, in the small, unassuming beach town, dozens of young men have gathered with a singular mission: to save America. They will do this, they say, by building the next generation of great tech companies. They spend their workdays toiling in labs and manufacturing lines, their nights sleeping on couches and bunk beds. Some are making drones to try to control the weather. Others are building nuclear reactors and military weaponry designed to fight China. These founders have settled on a place where they can act as faithful foot soldiers of American industry as well as bold incubators upending Silicon Valley’s status quo. “This is not ‘San Francisco lite’ or ‘San Francisco plus a little bit of hardware,’” says one. “It’s a different world from San Francisco and it has a completely different mindset.” Read the full story: https://lnkd.in/eD67f7Af

As the threat of another Trump presidency looms, America turns its eyes to Barack and Michelle Obama, who remain two of the most important politicians in the world—whether they like it or not. As President Joe Biden’s stock crashes, voters wonder where the Obamas—who maintain tremendous influence—stand. “The silence is deafening,” says Representative Mike Quigley, who knows former president Barack Obama and who has called on President Biden to bow out of the race. “If President Obama was all in, he would be all in.” The Obamas could be the closers of this election. They “can expedite a reset,” says one Democratic consultant, “but they can’t win this for Biden.” For VF, Kate Andersen Brower reports on Barack Obama’s influence with the party and the public, how he is advising Biden, and how the outcome of this election could shape his own legacy. Read the full story: https://lnkd.in/eYZaPuix Photo: Kevin Lamarque/REUTERS