Table of contents for 25-Jul-16 in Us Weekly

ELLEN& PORTIA Putting Each Other First Ellen DeGeneres never forgets to make her wife of nearly eight years,Portia de Rossi, smile. “Her happiness is my happiness,” the Finding Dory star, 58, recently revealed to Parade. “True love is caring more about the other person’s happiness than your own.” De Rossi, 43, lives by the same motto. “Portia speaks so highly of Ellen and appreciates her so much,” says a source close to the pair. “They have an incredibly open and honest relationship. They try to be as transparent as possible.” ZAYN&GIGI In the Saddle! Unlike Gigi Hadid, Zayn Malik is not a natural equestrian. When the model, 21, took him for horseback-riding lessons, “she was jumping over hurdles,” the singer, 23, told Paper magazine. “I just sat there like, ‘OK,…

With reporting by Gabrielle Bernardini & Amy Sultan Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner did not celebrate their independence July 4. As is their tradition, the two took daughters Violet, 10, Seraphina, 7, and son Samuel, 4, to the annual parade in Los Angeles’ Pacific Palisades. Camped out in lawn chairs, watching equestrians and a marching band, the fivesome ate watermelon, blew on plastic horns and played with the family’s golden retriever. More than a year after the couple of 10 years announced their split, neither party has filed divorce paperwork. Instead, the Justice League actor, 43, and the actress, 44, are cohabiting in their $17.5million, fivebedroom mansion, albeit in separate bedrooms. (Garner revealed in the March issue of Vanity Fair that she sleeps with Violet; Affleck bunks in the guest…

KALEY CUOCO The actress, 30, was in the doghouse after posting a pic of her pups sitting on the American flag July 4. She apologized the next day, writing, “I am not perfect. I am a proud American today, tomorrow and always.” MILEY CYRUS During a 2014 concert, Cyrus, 23, twerked with a Mexican flag — on the nation’s Independence Day. Lawmakers condemned the pop star, but she avoided a threeday jail sentence and $1,200 fine. JUSTIN BIEBER Another day, another Bieber scandal. First, the singer, 22, kicked an Argentine flag in Buenos Aires in 2013. Then in May, he reportedly tossed the symbol out a car window after a fan gifted it to him. MADONNA Rebel heart, indeed. The Queen of Pop, 57, draped herself in the Philippine flag…

“I prefer the words ‘one of the greatest athletes of all time.’” Responding to a reporter who asked her about being one of the greatest female athletes, SERENA WILLIAMS “I saw my size as being an advantage, whereas so many women see it as a disadvantage.” On finding it easier to break into comedy after gaining weight early in her career. REBEL WILSON “A woman can be seeking attention and alsomaking a statement. They don’t have to be mutually exclusive.” Defending Kim Kardashian’s nude photos, EMILY RATAJKOWSKI “He’s her world.... She comes to me, she wants boobs, she wants food... but when she looks at him, it’s like these dreamy, weird, different eyes.” On husband John Legend and 3-month-old daughter Luna, CHRISSY TEIGEN “I never feel better afterward. I feel more…

Getting Help Singer Chaka Khan, 63, has checked into rehab for an addiction to fentanyl, the same prescription pain medication her close friend Prince overdosed on April 21. Mr. & Mrs. November Derek Jeter, 42, and Hannah Davis, 26, married in St. Helena, California, July 9. The Sports Illustrated swimsuit model wore a custom Vera Wang gown. Ready for Baby Russell Brand, 41, confirmed July 8 he and blogger fiancée Laura Gallacher are expecting their first child. New Gig Ariana Grande, 23, will play awkward teen Penny in NBC’s Hairspray Live! musical December 7 alongside Derek Hough, Jennifer Hudson and Martin Short. Vocal Action Beyoncé, 34, posted a call to action titled “Freedom” on her website July 7 in the wake of the fatal shootings of two black men, Alton…

With reporting by Laura Daquino, Cloe Read, Alissa Schulman & Omid Scobie Taylor Swift had nearly given up on her fairy tale. The singer — who once proclaimed, “There’s still that core of us that believes that it’s true and that if you find the right person, you can have that love story” — told Us in 2014 that her relationship expectations had sunk to a new low. Explaining the meaning behind her breakup anthem “Wildest Dreams,” she said, “Now when I meet someone and there’s chemistry, my first thoughts are, When this ends, I hope you’ll remember me well.” But since meeting Tom Hiddleston, she’s envisioning a happy ending. At the time, her 15-month romance with Calvin Harris was disintegrating, and Hiddleston swooped in as the perfect, yes, Prince…

QUEEN LATIFAH KINTNER > Throw a belt on it! Yeah, that will fix it. CHERYL HENRY > Check the toner because there’s a print error. HILARY DUFF SANCHEZ > I’m campaigning to stop Hilary’s look SIENNA MILLER MILLER > This outfit sssucks. REDFOO SANCHEZ > Not a good example of purple reign. AUDRINA PATRIDGE KEMBLE > Look who swung onto the red carpet! MARGOT ROBBIE KINTNER > Only Tarzan digs this…

EJ Johnson’s mom still packs his lunch... sort of. “I always forget to have a snack,” says the star of the E! docuseries EJNYC (Wednesdays, 9 p.m.). “So my mom sneaks nuts or a protein bar into my bag. I’m grateful!” The single NYC resident, who is the son of Cookie and basketball legendMagic, dumps out his Chanel tote for Us. GOOD SCENTS “I never leave the house without a Jo Malone London fragrance. I’ll carry a giant bottle. I’m so sensitive to smells, so I have to have perfume.” SMOOTH MOVE “If I’m traveling, I always have a small container of La Mer moisturizer so I don’t walk off the plane all dried out and crusty. I have to make sure my skin is together! I also like Chanel…

Melissa’s Big Brood Melissa Rycroft just brought home daughter Ava’s favorite toy: 8-week-old brother Cayson. “She loves giving him his pacifier or helping hold the bottle,” the Bachelor alum, 33, tells Us of her 5-year-old. “He’s almost like a real-life baby doll.” Rycroft, also mom of Beckett, 2, with husband Tye Strickland, 35, is grateful for the help. Jokes the Goody Ouchless spokeswoman, “We have our good days and then I have days where I just don’t have enough arms!” Q: Does Beckett pitch in too? He doesn’t really understand. He calls him “baby” and gives him kisses. Q: Is Cayson a chill baby? I could not ask for a better third child. He is easygoing and really not fussy. Q: Are you considering a fourth? I said he is…

Even Jessica Alba makes the occasional fashion misstep. “There are photos of me in really low-waist jeans where my butt crack is hanging out,” the Honest Company cofounder, 35, admits to Us. “I look back at that and I’m just like, ‘No, that’s unnecessary!’ ” Since then, the self-professed “denim junkie” has mastered choosing and styling jeans: “I’m a Cali girl. We live in our denim!” She recently used her style savvy to design an 18-piece collection for DL1961 (out July 15). The line, which uses environmentally friendly materials, “is about embracing girls with curves who aren’t stick-thin,” Alba says. The entrepreneur shares her denim rules with Us. 1Choose a High-Waist or Flare Style to Appear Taller Alba says “legs look longer” in bottoms that sit high on the hips.…