A Strange Phenomenon

Hi friend,

Ads for Another Simple Favor, the sequel to 2018’s perplexing hit A Simple Favor, have been popping up all over our social media feeds recently. The movie’s out Thursday on Prime Video, but there’s been little other promotion for it. As the Wall Street Journal reports, that’s because the film’s lead – star Blake Lively – is laying low instead of doing the media rounds due to the complications of an ongoing lawsuit with Justin Baldoni.

As one legal analyst says in the WSJ article, “they [Baldoni’s attorneys] will be combing through every single action, interaction, and comment regarding the press around this movie…If they see any interactions between the co-stars that they see as maybe not friendly, it’s possible that they may try to subpoena them and bring them into the civil trial to show some sort of a pattern of her behavior on set.” That puts not only Lively, but also her co-stars, in a tricky position. And it flips what started as a complaint about his actions on set into a very public dissection of every move she makes.

As with Lively and Baldoni, the origin of the Depp-Heard legal conflict was obscured by layers upon layers of breathless, beat-by-beat tabloid coverage and internet commentary. If you recall, Depp sued Heard for defamation because of a piece she wrote for the Washington Post about abuse. It did not mention his name, like at all. (You can read it – here is a gift link.) He took her to court over this, she was pilloried online, and now she’s essentially in hiding in another country under a different name. Meanwhile, Depp is making a return to Hollywood with a new film. 

In an article about the hatred both Blake Lively and Meghan Markle elicit online, writer E.J. Dickenson mentions that, “Much of the groundswell of pro-Depp sentiment on social media was later found to be inorganic; it is perhaps worth noting that Depp’s crisis PR team during the trial is now working for Baldoni.” Perhaps!

Lively is in a sort of purgatory for at least another year; her trial with Baldoni is scheduled for March 9, 2026. Until then, any misstep is potential fodder. The WSJ piece provides the example of a recent pit stop at her friend’s donut shop where critics seized on the fact that her hair was down/not covered by a hairnet. “After Lively shared images from the visit, social media users spammed the shop’s Yelp page with negative reviews, triggering an ‘unusual activity’ alert,” they report. “One person even made an anonymous complaint to the Wilton Health Department, which investigated the shop and cleared it of any wrongdoing.” This was all covered in the tabloids, including on TMZ.

What will we make of this moment in 20 years? Perhaps it will be the fodder of a book like Sophie Gilbert’s Girl on Girl: How Pop Culture Turned a Generation of Women Against Themselves, which hits shelves today (Bookshop, Amazon). “For much of the aughts, the most popular pastime across culture and entertainment was watching and looking at women,” she writes. The more famous and successful a woman became, she argues, the more resentment they’d receive for their seeming omnipresence. Times have changed, but our fascination with gawking at famous women? That endures.

Below, more of what we’re thinking about, shopping for, and trying out this week.

Bye,
Your friends at Gloria

It’s a seasonal thing. As soon as it starts to get sunny, we find ourselves reaching for whites. Tees, lacy shirts, button-downs, even jeans. They anchor any outfit, and look crisp together. From optic white to ecru and cream, our favorites are below.

• A good cut with just the right amount of stretch. Massimo Dutti High-Waist Skinny Flared Jeans, $100. Size 2 to 12.

• This cotton-silk blouse is beautiful. Citizens of Humanity Anika Top, $198. Size XS to XL.

• Love the shape and the color. Caron Callahan Lewiston Sweater, $295. Size XS to L.

• Feels fancy, but also not too dressy. Dissh Von Cream Linen Shirt, $105. Size 2 to 12.

• The hem detail on this full white skirt is pretty. By Malene Birger Pheobes Cotton Skirt, $280. Size 32 to 44.

• A sophisticated classic. J.Crew Garccedilon Classic Shirt in Baird McNutt Irish Linen, $98. Size 00 to 24.

• A dream dress. Loeffler Randall Poppy Lace-Trim Dress, $395. Size 00 to 12.

• Cute and easy. Everlane The Curve Overall, $168. Size XXS to XXL.

• A better than basic tee. Agolde Runa Tee, $53.90. Size XS to L.

• Expensive, but lovely. Loulou de Saison Remy Knotted Silk Twill Top, $365. Size XS to XL.

• This feels very Dôen. Old Navy Fit & Flare Sleeveless Midi Dress, $40. Size XS to 4XL.

• We like how substantial Cos’s tees are. Cos Clean-Cut Regular T-Shirt, $45. Size XS to XL.

• We have these pants in two colors, and now we want the cream, too. Nili Lotan Shon Jean, $395. Size 24 to 32.

• A white button-down that won’t overwhelm you. Alex Mill Cropped Jo Shirt, $145. Size XS to XL.

• A silk trench feels so luxe. Cuyana Silk Classic Trench, $598. Size XS to XL.

• The seam detail on the back elevates this tee. Athleta Essential Slub Tee, $22.50. Size XXS to 3XL.

Shop the Story

TO WATCH The new Apple TV+ show Carême (out tomorrow) is being described as a combo of The Bear and Jason Borne, with lots of lusty scenes in French. It is based (loosely) on a true story. Also! Stacy London and Clinton Kelly are out with a more joyful, less critical version of their massively popular makeover show. They’re calling it Wear Whatever the F You Want, and all the episodes drop today on Prime Video.

TO DOWNLOAD We recently subscribed to this amazing executive assistant service powered by real humans and supported by AI. It’s helped us cross off so many tasks off our to-do list, like finally organizing thousands of photos into printed albums, meal planning (our least favorite thing), and making reservations for upcoming occasions like graduation and Mother’s Day. It’s been an enormous help. The offer plans starting at only $29 a month and they’re offering Gloria readers a chance to try it for two months at 50 percent off with the code GLORIA50 here. #partner

TO TRY If you are the type of person who finds that T-shirts just do not fit right on your body, we just tailored one of ours (at the dry cleaners) and it made a huge difference. This is particularly relevant for those of us who have to buy up a size to accommodate boobs, but then find that the length and the arms are off.

TO LISTEN As we wait for the next episode of Your Friends & Neighbors, we’re getting the full Jon Hamm backstory via this Hollywood Reporter podcast. He shares so much, including early childhood tragedy to trying to make it in Hollywood in the ‘90s to the success of Mad Men.

The first story that truly nails what Erewhon is all about. • These guys need to get some hobbies and/or friends they can hang out with IRL. • “Meta’s ‘Digital Companions’ will talk sex with users — even children.” • This is a great cover.

_{*Gloria may receive an affiliate commission on purchases made through our newsletter.}