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Vanderpump Rules Cast: Meet the Season 12 Newbies!

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Vanderpump Rules is set to return with a brand new season…

… featuring a brand new cast.

As reported about a year ago, the long-running Bravo franchise has gotten a face and a name-lift, as a complete cast overhaul has been confirmed and, as of November 3, announced.

The network released a trailer and a handful of promotional photos on Monday and revealed just who will be starring on Season 12.

(Bravo)

Joining the Bravo-verse for Season 12 of Vanderpump Rules are:

Venus Binkley, Jason Cohen, Shayne Davis, Chris Hahn, Angelica Jensen, Marcus Johnson, Audrey Lingle, Natalie Maguire, Demy Selem, and Kim Suarez.

This next generation of SUR-vers (get it?!?!) will begin to ratchet up their own drama starting Tuesday, December 2, at 9 p.m. ET.

“I’ve always said with my staff,” Lisa Vanderpump says in the aforementioned preview. “‘Give me anything, but don’t give me boring.’”

The new staffers seem to agree.

As Venus Binkley notes, for example: “We’re able to work, party, have sex.”

(Bravo)

As for what viewers need to know about these new cast members? They each spoke to Bravo and offered fans a Season 12 preview based on the following biographies…

Venus Binkley sees himself as the glue that holds the SUR staff together and the confidant everyone turns to for advice … and the latest gossip. Venus feels out of place in the West Hollywood dating scene, but his friends encourage him to step out of his comfort zone. When he finds himself roped into the drama between Marcus, Kim and Natalie, diplomacy goes out the window and he’s forced to pick sides.

Shayne Davis winds up in the center of the drama at SUR, even though he’s the only one of their friends who doesn’t work there. He’s laser-focused on his sobriety, but that doesn’t stop him from a night out on the town. Between acting, improv and screenwriting, Shayne’s social calendar is close to capacity, but he always makes time for dating. With one foot in and one foot out of the pool of ladies at SUR, Shayne might just make a splash he’s not ready to clean up.

Natalie Maguire has been SUR’s lead bartender for two years and is ready to level up to bar manager, but Lisa may not be on the same page after her recent outburst. Closest in the group to Venus, the two started at SUR on the same day and have been inseparable ever since. Outside of SUR, Natalie is pursuing her pop music career with full force but still makes time for men, making her love life a major source of friction within the group.

Marcus Johnson has been working at SUR for years, but after the loss of his parents, he has been struggling to focus at work and prioritize his relationship with his girlfriend, Kim. Closest to Venus and Shayne, he leans on his friends to help him move forward. Marcus is all about new beginnings and is shifting his energy to his DJ career and social life, but will need to learn if his fresh perspective and newfound career ambitions will strengthen his relationship or strain it.

(Mark Hunter/Bravo )

Kim Suarez works at SUR while juggling her aspirations in the entertainment industry and a tumultuous relationship with her boyfriend, Marcus. When others in the group meddle, Kim wonders if her on-again, off-again romance will affect her performance at SUR.

Aspiring actor Jason Cohen is a happy-go-lucky server who has charmed everyone at SUR. His infectious personality and good looks have won over a few of the ladies and disarmed many of the men. He works at SUR alongside his cousin Chris and the pair have been attached at the hip since childhood. In between acting classes and shifts at SUR, Jason tries to date a new co-worker, but his attempts backfire.

Demy Selem has been the manager at SUR for seven years and as the longest standing employee among the group, she knows all the inner workings of the SUR employees. Demy is all business when it comes to her role at the restaurant, but being the boss has an impact on her friendships, especially with Natalie. Can she sip the tea with the crew and also call the shots?

Jason’s cousin Chris Hahn is a bartender at SUR and has been living in Los Angeles for three years. He moved to the city with a dream of becoming an actor, but pivoted to pursue music and views SUR as a steppingstone to larger opportunities. Single and mingling, Chris is looking for a partner and a long-term commitment. When Chris and Audrey start dating, discussions of a future trip cause complications.

Audrey Lingle is all bubbly charm and girl-next-door charisma, making her loved by (almost) everyone on the staff. She’s recently single, chasing new flings and her dream of being on the big screen, but when someone at SUR catches her eye, a certain bad boy might just get the best of her.

Angelica Jensen is the newest addition to SUR’s staff, but immediately makes waves within the group. She set her sights on modeling, acting and … friends Jason and Shayne, but a game of broken telephone threatens their possible connections.

“This is SUR, we’re a family,” Lisa adds in the trailer. “They’re not perfect, but they’re mine.”

Vanderpump Rules returns Tuesday, December 2, at 9 p.m. ET on Bravo.

It will be preceded by Don’t miss a Raise Your Glass to 11 Seasons look-back special with Andy Cohen and Lisa Vanderpump on Tuesday, Nov. 25, at 9 p.m. ET.

Vanderpump Rules Cast: Meet the Season 12 Newbies! was originally published on The Hollywood Gossip.

​The Hollywood Gossip

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Entertainment

Diane Ladd Cause of Death: Oscar Nominee, Mother of Laura Dern Was 89

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We have sad news to report out of Hollywood today:

Diane Ladd, the Oscar-nominated actress and mother of Laura Dern, has passed away at the age of 89.

News of Ladd’s passing comes courtesy of a statement from her daughter:

Diane Ladd and Laura Dern attends the 92nd Annual Academy Awards at Hollywood and Highland on February 09, 2020 in Hollywood, California.
Diane Ladd and Laura Dern attends the 92nd Annual Academy Awards at Hollywood and Highland on February 09, 2020 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)

“My amazing hero and my profound gift of a mother passed with me beside her this morning at her home in Ojai, California,” Laura Dern said in a statement to The Hollywood Reporter.

“She was the greatest daughter, mother, grandmother, actress, artist and empathetic spirit that only dreams could have seemingly created. We were blessed to have her. She is flying with her angels now.”

Born Rose Diane Ladner in Laurel, Mississippi on November 29, 1935, Ladd was the only child of veterinarian Preston Paul Ladner and actress/housewife Mary Bernadette Ladner.

A second cousin of legendary playwright Tennessee Williams, Ladd married fellow actor Bruce Dern in 1960.

Diane Ladd attends ELLE's 24th Annual Women in Hollywood Celebration at Four Seasons Hotel Los Angeles at Beverly Hills on October 16, 2017 in Los Angeles, California.
Diane Ladd attends ELLE’s 24th Annual Women in Hollywood Celebration at Four Seasons Hotel Los Angeles at Beverly Hills on October 16, 2017 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images)

She landed a steady stream of television work throughout the sixties, but it wasn’t until 1973 that she scored her breakout role.

That was the year when a young Martin Scorsese cast Ladd as Flo, the brassy southern waitress in Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore.

“Kiss me where the sun don’t shine,” and “I could lay under you, eat fried chicken and do a crossword puzzle at the same time, that’s how much you bother me” were just two of the many quotable lines of dialogue Ladd delivered in the surprise hit.

The film received rave reviews and earned Ladd her first Oscar nomination.

“The movie’s filled with brilliantly done individual scenes,” Roger Ebert wrote in his review (per The Hollywood Reporter).

Actors Diane Ladd, Bruce Dern  Laura Dern attend the Walk of Fame star ceremony for Bruce Dern, Laura Dern And Diane Ladd on November 1, 2010 in Hollywood, California.
Actors Diane Ladd, Bruce Dern Laura Dern attend the Walk of Fame star ceremony for Bruce Dern, Laura Dern And Diane Ladd on November 1, 2010 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Valerie Macon/Getty Images)

“Alice, for example, has a run-in with a fellow waitress with an inspired vocabulary [Ladd]. They fall into a friendship and have a frank and honest conversation one day while sunbathing. The scene works perfectly.”

Alice went on to spawn a long-running TV sitcom, but Ladd was on to bigger and better things.

She went on to score two more Oscar nominations, for her work in Wild at Heart and Rambling Rose.

Diane’s only other child died at the age of 18 months, and in her later years, she was almost as famous for her close relationship with Laura as she was for her acting.

Our thoughts go out to Diane Ladd’s loved ones as they mourn the loss of a screen legend who was said to be a world-class mother and grandmother.

Diane Ladd Cause of Death: Oscar Nominee, Mother of Laura Dern Was 89 was originally published on The Hollywood Gossip.

​The Hollywood Gossip

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Erika Kirk Slammed as ‘Fake Grieving Widow Grifter’ By Irate Podcaster

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Last week, Erika Kirk took the stage at the University of Mississippi to introduce Vice President J.D. Vance.

Kirk is still mourning the death of her husband, Charlie Kirk, the controversial podcast host who was shot and killed during a speaking engagement in Utah in September.

But while Erika has mentioned her late husband’s life and work at all of her recent appearances, many have been put off by the notion of a newly widowed single parent booking speaking engagements and podcast appearances in the weeks after her partner’s murder.

Erika Kirk speaks during the memorial service for her husband, political activist Charlie Kirk at State Farm Stadium on September 21, 2025 in Glendale, Arizona.
Erika Kirk speaks during the memorial service for her husband, political activist Charlie Kirk at State Farm Stadium on September 21, 2025 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)

Kyle Kulinski criticized for Erika Kirk meme

One such critic is left-leaning journalist Kyle Kulinski, who shared a meme last week that ruffled quite a few feathers.

The format was one that will likely be familiar to any social media user:

A Spirit Halloween costume inspired by Erika’s public persona, promises an accurate “Fake Grieving Widow Grifter” costume.

The costume includes “fake teardrops” and “skin-tight black leather mourning pants,” the latter a reference to the outfit Erika wore when she introduced Vance at Ole Miss last week.

(X/Twitter)

Kulinski’s post was promptly called out by many on the Right who felt that he was making light of Kirk’s death.

“Awful. Shame on you,” wrote one such user, according to the Daily Mail.

“Wow, you’re a horrible human being,” another added.

“No one is requiring you to mourn Charlie Kirk. They’re asking you not to be a satanic piece of sh-t who celebrates brutal murder,” wrote rightwing commentator Blaire White.

“The bar couldn’t be lower, and it’s still too high for millions of you. Sick.”

Erika Kirk, widow of Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk, and U.S. Vice President JD Vance embrace on stage during a Turning Point USA event at the Pavilion at Ole Miss at the University of Mississippi, on October 29, 2025 in Oxford, Mississippi.
Erika Kirk, widow of Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk, and U.S. Vice President JD Vance embrace on stage during a Turning Point USA event at the Pavilion at Ole Miss at the University of Mississippi, on October 29, 2025 in Oxford, Mississippi. (Photo by Jonathan Ernst-Pool/Getty Images)

Of course, White and others made similar jokes in the wake of other recent acts of political violence, including the attack on Nancy Pelosi’s husband, Paul Pelosi.

But because we live in the age of hypocrisy — a time when both sides call each other out for behavior they routinely engage in themselves — no introspection takes place, and the cycle continues.

Kulinski’s joke was certainly insensitive. However, it seems that it was not his intention to mock Charlie’s death, but rather to point out the strangeness of seeing Erika take the stage amid pyrotechnics so soon after her husband’s murder.

Perhaps that’s too much nuance for such a sensitive subject.

But the problem with our current political landscape is that there’s no room for nuance on any subject, and the least generous assessment of a person’s comments is also the most common one.

Erika Kirk Slammed as ‘Fake Grieving Widow Grifter’ By Irate Podcaster was originally published on The Hollywood Gossip.

​The Hollywood Gossip

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Politics

Trump endorses dozens ahead of Tuesday elections — but doesn’t name Earle-Sears

President Donald Trump endorsed more than 50 Republicans on Sunday night — but didn’t specifically name Virginia gubernatorial hopeful Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears ahead of Tuesday’s critical elections.

In dozens of social media posts, the president threw his support behind both first time hopefuls and those seeking reelection, including Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders. Earle-Sears, facing off against Democrat Abigail Spanberger, was not mentioned by name among the 53 endorsements Trump issued Sunday.

The president, however, made clear that he hopes voters cast their ballots for the Republican candidates in Virginia and in New Jersey, where Jack Ciattarelli is in a heated battle against Mikie Sherrill for the governor’s mansion. Trump endorsed Ciattarelli in October.

“Why would anyone vote for New Jersey and Virginia Gubernatorial Candidates, Mikie Sherrill and Abigail Spanberger, when they want transgender for everybody, men playing in women’s sports, High Crime, and the most expensive Energy prices almost anywhere in the World?” Trump said in one post. “VOTE REPUBLICAN for massive Energy Cost reductions, large scale Tax Cuts, and basic Common Sense!”

Trump has hedged around an official endorsement for Earle-Sears, telling reporters last monththat the “Republican candidate” in Virginia should win “because the Democrat candidate is a disaster.” Last week, the president joined the term-limited Gov. Glenn Youngkin for a virtual rally for the entire Virginia Republican ticket.

Some polling shows Earle-Sears trails Spanberger by double digits.

Neither the White House nor Earle-Sears campaign immediately responded to requests for comment.

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Ben Shapiro blasts ‘intellectual coward’ Tucker Carlson amid staff shakeup at Heritage

Conservative podcaster Ben Shapiro blasted Tucker Carlson on Monday, calling him “the most virulent super-spreader of vile ideas in America,” adding fuel to an incident that sparked a staff shakeup at the Heritage Institute.

In an episode of “The Ben Shapiro Show” released Monday, Shapiro criticized Carlson’s podcast episode with Holocaust-denier Nick Fuentes, saying Carlson failed to push back on Fuentes’ bigotry.

“The issue here isn’t that Tucker Carlson had Nick Fuentes on his show last week. He has every right to do that, of course,” Shapiro said. “The issue here is that Tucker Carlson decided to normalize and fluff Nick Fuentes and that the Heritage Foundation then decided to robustly defend that performance.”

Carlson declined to comment when contacted Monday.

Shapiro’s critique is the latest crack in a conservative movement splintering over Carlson’s inflammatory interview with Fuentes. The interview, which aired last week, was laced with antisemitic references and sparked division within the Republican Party over whether the discussion should be allowed or condemned. On the podcast, Fuentes praised Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin and claimed the “big challenge” to unifying the country was “organized Jewry.” Carlson, a former Fox News host who retains a large following, said Republican Israel supporters suffer from a “brain virus.”

The podcast episode was received differently by two bastions of conservative thought: The Wall Street Journal’s editorial board condemned it, while Heritage Foundation President Kevin Roberts defended it, criticizing the “venomous coalition” attempting to “cancel” Carlson after the interview.

“I disagree with and even abhor things that Nick Fuentes says, but canceling him is not the answer, either,” Roberts said. Roberts later explicitly condemned antisemitism and detailed his disagreements with Fuentes.

Shapiro pushed back on Roberts’ characterization. “It is not cancellation to draw moral lines between viewpoints,” Shapiro said. “In fact, we used to call that one of the key aspects of conservatism.”

The incident sparked internal changes at the Heritage Foundation. Ryan Neuhaus, Roberts’ former chief of staff, resigned from the conservative think tank Monday, a Heritage spokesperson confirmed. Neuhaus had reposted statements defending Roberts’ statement on X.

“[Neuhaus] is a good man, we appreciate his service, and we have no doubt he will serve the movement in another capacity,” the spokesperson said. The Hill first reported on his resignation.

Carlson’s interview with Fuentes came on the heels of other high-profile incidents of antisemitism on the political right. Last month, a nominee to lead the Office of Special Counsel withdrew his nomination after bragging of his “Nazi streak” in a text message; days earlier, POLITICO reported on a leaked group chat of Young Republicans who praised Hitler and joked about the Holocaust. The same week, a Nazi symbol was discovered hanging in a GOP congressional office.

Shapiro, a prominent conservative podcaster who hosted fundraisers for Donald Trump and Senate GOP candidates during the 2024 cycle, warned that a “splinter faction” of white supremacists is being “facilitated and normalized” into the Republican Party’s mainstream, aided by Carlson.

“The main agent in that normalization is Tucker Carlson, who is an intellectual coward, a dishonest interlocutor, and a terrible friend,” Shapiro said.

At the annual Republican Jewish Coalition annual leadership summit last weekend, top GOP Jews attempted to distance Carlson from the GOP mainstream. Matt Brooks, CEO of the RJC, told reporters that antisemitism is “a very small, limited problem in our party,” and attendees waved printed placards that read, “TUCKER IS NOT MAGA.”

Shapiro, who is Jewish, warned that the GOP is “being eaten by its radicals.”

“The left followed its radicals to electoral hell,” Shapiro said. “Apparently, many on the right wish to do the same.”

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Federal workers’ union president says he spoke to Dems after calling for shutdown end

Federal workers’ union president says he spoke to Dems after calling for shutdown end

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President of largest federal worker union calls for end of shutdown | The Conversation

President of largest federal worker union calls for end of shutdown | The Conversation

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The POLITICO Poll results: political violence (2025-11-03)

Results from The POLITICO Poll for the Nov. 3, 2025 story “America is bracing for political violence — and a significant portion think it’s sometimes OK”

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Health

Can A Stroke Cause Hair Loss? Here’s What To Know

Falling hair may not be on the list of the commonly known side effects of a stroke. But is there a link between the two — and if there is, can the hair regrow?

​Health Digest – Health News, Wellness, Expert Insights

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The Best Exercises For Strengthening Your Wrists

One way to prevent wrist injuries is by performing strength-building exercises. These simple exercises are the best for strengthening your wrists.

​Health Digest – Health News, Wellness, Expert Insights