Table of contents for February 19, 2018 in People

‘I went from thinking, “I don’t have a story” to “Oh, wait, I have 100 stories.” I think a lot of people are having these reckonings with themselves.’—NATALIE PORTMAN, recalling an “unacceptable” encounter with a producer, to Porter ‘I did get that text from Sophie being like, “So tell me about Joe,” and I was like, “Go for it.” ’—HAILEE STEINFELD, on how she played matchmaker for pals Joe Jonas and Sophie Turner, on Nova 96.9 ‘Whenever we can show that even if we’re not together, we love each other unconditionally, and become that fine example to our children, they’ll grow up to be good human beings, hopefully.’—NICK CANNON, on how he and ex Mariah Carey set a good example for their 6-year-old twins, to People ‘He’s driving, and…

George and Amal Clooney have been quietly nesting since the birth of their 8-month-old twins Ella and Alexander, but on Feb. 3 George, 56, whisked the human rights lawyer from L.A. to Big Sur, Calif., for a 24-hour getaway to celebrate her 40th birthday. The actor-director opens up about how they first met on the Feb. 9 episode of David Letterman’s Netflix show My Next Guest Needs No Introduction. In 2013 “I got a call from my agent who said, ‘I met this woman who’s coming to your house who you’re going to marry,’” George said. “My mom and dad were visiting, so my parents were there, and we just talked and we stayed up all night talking.” But “I didn’t know if she wanted to go out with…

‘WHAT’S HAPPENING IN THE WORLD AND WHY IT’S HAPPENING, THAT’S WHAT THRILLS ME. THAT’S WHY I GOT IN THE JOB’ Stepping into the open coanchor spot on CBS This Morning in January six weeks after Charlie Rose was fired over sexual misconduct allegations meant John Dickerson had to give up hosting Face the Nation, move from D.C. to New York City with his wife and two teenage kids and get used to a much earlier schedule. “Fortunately the adrenaline gets going pretty lickety-split,” he says of his pre-dawn routine. “[But] by 11 a.m., I’m ready to take a nap.” Joining hosts Gayle King and Norah O’Donnell holds extra special meaning for the Whistlestop author, whose late mother, Nancy Dickerson, became CBS News’s first female correspondent in 1960. “My mom…

Lesley Murphy An alum from Sean Lowe’s Bachelor season, Murphy, 30, says she loved the “Survivor-esque” vibe of the Winter Games, which pairs U.S. favorites with international Bachelor stars for snowy challenges and romance. The journalist appreciated fans’ support after she had a preventative double mastectomy last year: “I had no idea the impact my story would have,” she says. Ben Higgins Eight months after his split from his fiancée, Lauren Bushnell, former Bachelor Ben Higgins is back. “I really want to find somebody,” the 29-year-old said last October. Ashley Iaconetti Fans have seen her get emotional more than a few times over the years, but the tears may be over for the TV host, 29. “She fell for someone during the Games,” says a source. “She’s really happy.”…

Frasier star John Mahoney never seemed to age, but then for audiences he was never young either. The actor, who died at age 77 Feb. 4 in Chicago, hadn’t pursued an acting career until he was well into his 30s—so when the classic NBC series launched the first of its 11 seasons in 1993, he arrived fully formed, like a mature oak that skipped the sapling phase. He’ll always be remembered as Frasier’s Martin Crane: A retired Seattle police officer who walked with a cane (many people assumed his limp was real), he usually made a beeline for his recliner, where he’d try to make sense of his fussily sophisticated sons, psychiatrists Frasier (Kelsey Grammer) and Niles (David Hyde Pierce). “I’m not a scene stealer,” he told Time Out…

‘You lose part of yourself when you’re abused. I lost a part of myself, and I’m getting it back by speaking out’—ALY RAISMAN Walking into a Michigan courtroom Jan. 19, Aly Raisman was on a mission. The Olympic gold medal winner was one of hundreds of young women abused by former USA Gymnastics doctor Larry Nassar who were appearing in court to give victim-impact statements before Nassar was sentenced. “I felt very strong,” says Raisman. “I felt like I had so much I wanted to say.” In a 12-minute statement that had many in the courtroom in tears, Raisman excoriated Nassar and took aim at the gymnastics organizations that she says “enabled” the former doctor to abuse hundreds of young girls and women under the guise of medical treatment.…

The weekend trip was supposed to be a celebration of friendship. Hollywood elite couple Robert Wagner and Natalie Wood had invited actor Christopher Walken, her costar in the film Brainstorm, to join them for a post-Thanksgiving sail off California’s Catalina Island on their boat Splendour, a 60-ft. yacht Wood and Wagner had selected together after their wedding. But in the darkness of night on Nov. 28, 1981, Wood vanished from the boat; her body was found the next morning floating about a mile away. The tragic loss of the glamorous actress of 50 films and 43-year-old mom of two was all the more horrific because of her well-known terror of dark water and the knowledge that her final moments were spent succumbing to the inky waves. ‘THERE WERE FOUR…

Long before Prince Harry fell for American actress Meghan Markle, another Yank famously captured the heart of a British royal. Wallis Simpson was a spirited but plain-looking Baltimore girl of modest means; Edward, Prince of Wales, was the heir to the throne who couldn’t resist her. Refusing to give up their “romance of the century,” as it was called, the prince, who became King Edward VIII in 1936, abdicated just 10 months later so he could marry his twice-divorced beloved. Though there were rumors that both were gay and that Wallis was a hermaphrodite and a German spy, their story lives on as one of history’s grand passions. Now, in Wallis in Love (excerpted here), author Andrew Morton sheds new light. Drawing on lost interviews and letters, he paints…

STYLE TIP! No need to go bold from head to toe: Follow the lead of these stars and pair a brightly hued shoe with neutral pieces to give your ensemble an eye-catching upgrade.…

PETE WENTZ’S FAMILY meals match his rock-star lifestyle. “We tend to be pretty low-key,” the Fall Out Boy bassist, 38, says of dinnertime with his brood: longtime partner Meagan Camper, 28, their son Saint, 3, and 9-year-old Bronx, his son with ex Ashlee Simpson. “Sometimes we Postmate from somewhere to keep it easy; otherwise we will have something that’s in our wheelhouse. The kids love to go to Benihana once every few weeks!” The pop-punk band has been on tour promoting its seventh album, Mania, and when Wentz’s family comes along, “we get catering on the bus,” he says. “I’m not sure I would subject everyone to sitting at the table with us; it can be kind of chaotic! But when Jaden Smith was on tour with us, he…

BEN AND ERIN NAPIER HAVE risen to HGTV stardom restoring historic houses in Laurel, Miss. Erin, 32, integrates her signature southern style into these old spaces, while Ben, 34, uses his woodworking skills to create custom touches on a budget. The couple—who welcomed their first child, Helen, in January—also have a home-goods store, the Laurel Mercantile Co., run by their friend Aly Smith, 28, who recently relocated to Laurel with her husband, Jordan, 33. After living in a camper for six months, the Smiths turned to the Napiers to help them update a three-bedroom home built in the 1940s. “It was perfect because of location, style and size, but it was so ’90s-suburbanized,” Erin says. She and Ben ripped up dingy carpets, repainted walls and replaced out dated features…

You play a cop with a big heart in this film. What drew you to the part? The script was really sweet, and the role was less about being a cop and more about being empathetic. Plus, I got to work with my friends Robin Weigert and Toni Collette. What was it like working with Dakota Fanning? Terrific. Like all great actors, she could snap in and out of character at will. It was amazing to see that level of control and focus. What was the highlight of your November wedding to Meredith Salenger? Seeing how happy, excited and over-the-moon giddy my daughter Alice, 8, was about the whole affair. It just made her really happy. What’s a lesson you’ve learned about fatherhood? There’s no nailing it. Once you…

‘I’VE BEEN IN LOVE WITH THIS GOWN SINCE IT HIT THE RUNWAY, AND ON VANESSA IT WAS MAGICAL,’ SAYS KIRBY’S STYLIST MICAELA ERLANGER…

You’re launching your own QVC clothing line, Brooke Shields Timeless. What made you want to dive into fashion? I spent so much time trying to look the way other people wanted me to look that somewhere along the line I lost a little sight of what I was motivated to wear. My closet was just a bunch of noise. I started to put together my favorite pieces that I would never get rid of, and that was the genesis of it. What do your daughters Rowan and Grier think of it? They’re impressed I have a label that has my name on it. They think that’s supercool. But they won’t let on that they think it’s cool! Is there anything in your closet you’re saving for them? I have…

John Stamos is a bachelor no more. On Feb. 3 the Fuller House star, 54, wed model Caitlin McHugh, 31, at the historic Little Brown Church in L.A.’s Studio City (inset). “It was a very touching ceremony,” says a source. “There were tears, but mostly smiles.” The couple continued the celebration at Stamos’s Beverly Hills home. “Caitlin was absolutely stunning,” the source says of the bride, who wore a white strapless ballgown. The newlyweds, who got engaged last October after two years of dating, are expecting their first child later this year. The source adds, “They looked so happy!”…

PEOPLE STILL COME UP TO ME ABOUT MY SO-CALLED LIFE. I MET A MAN THE OTHER DAY OBSESSED WITH BROKEDOWN PALACE. YOU JUST NEVER KNOW’—ON THE ROLES FANS ASK HER ABOUT In Homeland your character is a bipolar CIA officer who’s always saving the world. Isn’t that exhausting? About three-quarters into filming the season, I do start to feel the burn. But I’ve been playing Carrie for so long that I’ve really internalized her. Her psychological makeup is within me, for better or for worse. How do you spend your time during the show’s hiatus? For a couple of years I was busy giving birth and nurturing an extremely tiny person, so that was consuming. But I’ve done a play; I recently did a film. It’s nice to deviate…

Fredrik Eklund is sitting in the living room of his sprawling Connecticut estate answering e-mails when he suddenly stops and looks up toward the ceiling. “Do you hear them?” he giddily asks, pointing to the nursery one floor above. “Do you hear them crying? They’re awake!” Wasting no time, he happily heads off to retrieve his new born twins, son Fredrik Jr. and daughter Milla, from their afternoon nap. “They’re sleeping well, but sometimes I think those two have a little side meeting,” he says, smiling. “They’ll decide, ‘Okay, today you’re going to be bad, and then when you fall asleep, I’m going to be bad.’ They’re in cahoots! Twins are double the work but definitely double the joy!” ‘With everything we do now, we think of our kids…

3 WAYS TO GET THE PERFECT RED LIP Choose the right hue. If you have fair skin, use a shade with blue undertones. Darker complexions glow in orange-based colors. Prep your pout. Exfoliate lips with a gentle sugar-based scrub to buff away flakes for a smooth lipstick application. Define the edges. Trace a cotton swab dipped in concealer around the border of your mouth to clean up smudges.…

‘Kate and Meghan may become the greatest of friends. Time will tell’ Kathy Ellis via people.com For February 12, 2018 Kate and Meghan I so loved the article on Princess Kate and Meghan Markle. They will surely become great friends—and there is not an ounce of jealousy between them. I totally adore them both and wish the best for the royal family. Judy Young via e-mail These two young ladies are lovely and an asset to the royal family. Evangeline Chiu via people.com Girl Scouts Murder I am so glad you published a story about the unsolved 1977 murders of Girl Scouts Denise Milner, 10, Lori Farmer, 8, and 9-year-old Michele Guse. People here in Oklahoma have been so torn up since it happened. I remember being a little…

FOR THE PAST SEVEN months Kylie Jenner’s rabid fan base has been desperately trying to keep up with the reality star’s ultraprivate pregnancy—to no avail. The typically ubiquitous reality star and beauty mogul, 20, all but disappeared last fall after multiple sources confirmed that she was expecting a baby with her new boyfriend, rapper Travis Scott. But on Feb. 4 Jenner resurfaced on social media to announce the arrival of her little girl. “My pregnancy was one I chose not to do in front of the world,” she wrote on Instagram. “I knew for myself I needed to prepare for this role of a lifetime in the most positive, stress free, and healthy way I knew how. I knew my baby would feel every stress and emotion so I…

Bradley Cooper & Irina Shayk The actor, 43, and model, 32, parents to 11-month-old Lea, are staying mum about engagement rumors, though Shayk has worn an emerald ring on that finger for more than a year. Scott Phillips & Julie Bowen After 13 years of marriage, the Modern Family star, 48, and the real estate investor are separating, multiple sources confirm. The pair are parents to three sons: Oliver, 10, and twins John and Gustav, 8. Sarah Silverman &Michael Sheen The comedian, 47, tweeted on Feb. 5 that she and the British actor, 49, have “consciously uncoupled” after dating since 2014, adding, “We live in different countries & it got hard.”…

Billie Lee, 33, was looking for a fresh start when she landed a job hostessing at SUR, the restaurant on Bravo’s Vanderpump Rules; now she hopes to bring trans visibility to TV. Raised in a trailer park in Indiana, Lee struggled to find work after moving to L.A., where she realized she identified as transgender. She turned to prostitution and felt suicidal until getting sex reassignment surgery with the help of Gossip Girl actress Leighton Meester, who hired her as a hair and makeup artist. Of finding success, Lee says, “it was the universe telling me to keep living your truth.”…

BABIES Broadway composer Lin-Manuel Miranda, 38, and his wife, Vanessa Nadal, have welcomed a baby boy named Francisco. He joins big brother Sebastian, 3. • Lady Antebellum’s Hillary Scott, 31, welcomed identical twin daughters—Betsy Mack and Emory JoAnn— with her husband, Chris Tyrrell, on Jan. 29. They join the couple’s daughter Eisele Kaye, 4. • Golden State Warriors’ Steph Curry, 29, and his wife, chef Ayesha Curry, 28, are expecting their third child. They are also parents to daughters Riley, 5, and Ryan Carson, 2. DIVORCE Million Dollar Listing Los Angeles’ Tracy Tutor Maltas has filed for divorce from her husband of 13 years, Jason Maltas. They share daughters Juliet, 11, and Scarlett, 8. RETIRING Singer Paul Simon, 76, announced on Feb. 5 that his spring tour will be…

As millions across the nation collectively mourned the death of Jack Pearson on This Is Us, Milo Ventimiglia, the star who plays him on the hit NBC series, was grieving right along with them. “I understand the emotion of the episode,” says the actor. “I’m truly heartbroken when I think about how Jack’s passing impacts his family. It weighs on me.” Fans of the show have long been prepared for his untimely death, teased in the first season (Jack succumbed to a heart attack from smoke inhalation after his family’s home was engulfed in flames), but it was a tough blow nonetheless. Yet Ventimiglia says the feverishly anticipated episode provided a sense of relief. “There’s an idea of acceptance,” he says. “Let’s now focus on how the man lived…

Spencer Stone remembers almost every detail about Aug. 21, 2015, when his life changed forever. But two facts from that day stand out: “I was covered in three different people’s blood, and my face smelled like gunpowder,” he says. That day Stone, an Air Force staff sergeant, and two of his childhood friends, Army National Guardsman Alek Skarlatos and kinesiology student Anthony Sadler, charged and tackled a would-be terrorist on a train to Paris carrying 554 people. “I remember coming off the train almost deliriously laughing,” recalls Stone, who was slashed and nearly lost a thumb in the attack. “Like, ‘Oh, my God. I can’t believe I just survived that.’ Now the three heroes are experiencing a new life-altering event: They’re starring as themselves in The 15:17 to Paris,…

This is one bird that wasn’t going to fly. On Jan. 27 Dexter, an emotional-support peacock, joined its owner—Brooklyn artist Ventiko—for a flight to Los Angeles from New Jersey’s Newark Liberty International Airport but was turned away by United Airlines officials before reaching security. A rep for United told People that customer service asked Ventiko to leave the peacock at home on three separate occasions. “The animal did not meet United’s guidelines for a number of reasons, including its weight and size,” said United’s Charlie Hobart, adding that he’d never heard of someone trying to board a plane with a peacock. Ventiko and Dexter—who has nearly 15,000 Instagram followers at @dexterthepeacock— drove to Los Angeles instead. On Feb. 1 United announced changes to its emotional-support animal policy, requiring a…

1 cup (8 oz.) plus 1 Tbsp. unsalted butter, softened, divided¼ cup honey1½ tsp. table salt, divided¾ cup fresh blueberries¾ cup fresh blackberries¼ cup granulated sugar1 cinnamon stick1 cup (about 4¼ oz.) all-purpose flour½ tsp. baking soda1 cup whole-milk ricotta cheese1 cup whole milk6 Tbsp. (3 oz.) unsalted butter, melted2 large eggs, at room temperature 1. Beat 1 cup softened butter, honey and ½ teaspoon of the salt in a medium bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed until well-blended, about 2 minutes. Set aside. 2. Combine blueberries, blackberries, ½ cup water, sugar and cinnamon stick in amedium saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until thick and syrupy, about 20 minutes. Remove from heat; discard cinnamon. Cover compote to keep warm until ready to serve. 3. Whisk…

‘On harder workout days I need to eat more calories in order to replenish nutrients and help my body recover’—HILARY KNIGHT The Verdict The plant and animal proteins in Knight’s chili at lunch and the variety of vegetables throughout the day give her “a nice mix of smart carbs, protein and produce to fuel her highly active lifestyle,” says Chicago-based dietitian Dawn Jackson Blatner. Also her after-dinner snack of popcorn “is a good choice when she’s feeling munchy at night because it is naturally a whole grain.” Plus, for anti-inflammatory benefits Knight could “sprinkle turmeric and black pepper on the popcorn,” says Blatner. Total Calories: 2,240 TIP! CHERRY JUICE REDUCES MUSCLE SORENESS, SAYS BLATNER…

Last Class I Took Yesterday I took a stunt class for the new season of Go T. It’s sword work and combat fighting. The [trainers] have all these big pads on, so you’re allowed to just go crazy. Last Time I Danced New Year’s Eve probably. I danced all night with my friends at clubs. I’m definitely the one that’s making sure everyone else is out there. You know that song where it’s like, [she sings] “Everybody’s dancing in the moonlight?” We always dance to that. Last thing I took from the Go T set They have these pools of fake blood so they don’t have to clean it up, and I took a load of those and put them on the table and pretended I had a really…