Canyon Crest Towne Centre in Riverside seems to have added a hot new business: a rumor mill. It’s busy pumping out hearsay, half-truths and chisme. Say what you will about its business practices, this mill knows its way around social media.
Ever since beloved independent bookstore Cellar Door Books announced Jan. 19 that it had lost its month-to-month lease, gossip began flying that five or six other businesses had also had their leases vacated.
Many accepted this number as fact, even though nobody could name more than two other businesses, one of which turned out to be leaving by coincidence. Then on Thursday, Jan. 26, an online news site posted a story that said “we have spoken to other business owners who have had their leases terminated” before naming six goners.
Except this list was faulty too. The owner of The Sacred Journey said she has a lease and had not been contacted by the site. The writer admitted to her in an email that he had merely “reported what I was told by other business owners.”
Where is Perry White when you need him?
Shoppers stroll at Canyon Crest Towne Centre in Riverside on Friday morning, Jan. 27, 2023. The upscale neighborhood center with its fountain, water features and red-tiled roofs is suddenly a hotbed of gossip and rumors about evictions. (Photo by David Allen, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
Who is staying: The Sacred Journey, Canyon Crest Ice Cream and Water
Who is in limbo: Romano’s Italian Restaurant, Marisa’s Italian Deli
In other words, so far the fatalities total only two.
“We have never been a month-to-month tenant here. We just signed a new lease in November,” said manager Trisha Smothers of Lot 22 Olive Oil, which has been named on Facebook, NextDoor and Instagram as being in jeopardy.
A message in the window of Lot 22 at Canyon Crest Towne Centre in Riverside thanks customers for caring but says the store has a “solid” lease and isn’t leaving. The manager says hundreds have asked. (Photo by David Allen, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
“Thank you for coming in instead of printing something without checking with us,” Smothers added. “It’s caused a lot of chaos here in the shop this week. Hundreds of phone calls, people coming in and asking if we’re closing.”
How would such a rumor get started? “Your guess is as good as mine,” Smothers said.
Canyon Crest Ice Cream and Water is midway through its five-year lease and isn’t departing either.
“That’s someone spreading a rumor,” said Dal In, whose wife owns the shop. “Many people are asking me.”
The Sacred Journey isn’t going anywhere either, at least not on the physical plane.
“We have not had a lease termination. We have a lease and we’re still under lease for several more years,” said Cary Pealer, whose wife, Michelle Orlijan, owns the store that stocks spiritual tools like candles, incense and stones.
Pealer said his wife spent Thursday replying to social media posts that listed her store as getting the boot. Orlijan also posted an email of apology from the news site that had included her store.
Pealer was, commendably, calm and composed despite rumors of The Sacred Journey’s premature end.
Dal In, whose wife owns Canyon Crest Ice Cream and Water, says the shop has 2 1/2 years left on its lease at Canyon Crest Towne Centre in Riverside. He doesn’t know why rumors are circulating that their shop is being evicted. (Photo by David Allen, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
However, Kiddos 101, an indoor play space for young children, must close March 31, just like the adjacent Cellar Door Books. Both have month-to-month leases and are not paying common-area maintenance fees.
As toddlers played with toys or on Kiddos’ inventive soft features, parents joining them, Julius Hahn, who founded the business in 2016 with wife Larissa, said management offered no conversation about the lease, just a notice to vacate.
He called that a “cold and callous approach” and a far cry from the warmth of Mark Thompson, who founded the neighborhood center in 1979 and ran it until his death in 2021.
“He built this up from scratch. He believed in small business,” Hahn said of the man he always called Uncle Mark. “You’re dismantling a man’s legacy.”
Some 15 children were playing quietly amid classical music and ambient sounds, sunlight streaming through the windows. Hahn said he can’t afford to move anywhere else and the business will go out with a party.
“We’re planning on closing on our anniversary, March 23,” Hahn told a customer.
Parent Malorie Rutledge said her daughter Asher, 2 1/2, is “a true COVID baby” who didn’t like people and had no social skills when they started coming to Kiddos. Now, “her social skills and motor skills have just blossomed. It’s honestly changed her life,” Rutledge said.
Asher, who was wearing a ballerina outfit and a “Toy Story” backpack almost as big as she was, used to cry when she saw Julius Hahn (or almost anyone else). Now she gave him a high-five and a hug.
Ramona Ivascu sips a sample of olive oil at Lot 22 in the Canyon Crest Towne Centre on Friday, Jan. 27, 2023. The shop had to post a message to customers after unfounded rumors that it might be evicted, evidence of the turmoil at the Riverside shopping center. (Photo by David Allen, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
The lease situation is in flux at Romano’s and its sister restaurant, Marisa’s Italian Deli. “We’re still in the process of negotiating,” said employee David Ludden, who said the restaurants are on month-to-month leases but are current on rent. “We’re told they will get back to us next week.”
Romano’s will mark 24 years at Canyon Crest in April — if it’s still there by then. Romano’s on Jan. 15 closed its downtown outpost, Raincross Pub and Kitchen, which had live music, and the next day began building a stage inside Romano’s, where live music should return on Fridays and Saturdays starting Feb. 16.
“We’re hoping for the best,” Ludden said of negotiations.
Center management didn’t reply Jan. 19 when I asked what other businesses, if any, were affected and didn’t immediately respond to a second request Friday.
Cellar Door Books, an independent bookstore in Riverside, received a notice to vacate its space at Canyon Crest Towne Centre, setting off a furor in the community. (Photo by Watchara Phomicinda, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)
The back-and-forth on social media about the changes at Canyon Crest has been politically charged.
Cellar Door and its customers questioned whether its ouster is payback for its inclusive attitude, masking policy and quarterly Drag Queen Story Time.
Many conservatives pushed back, saying that if six other businesses were getting the boot, that proved Cellar Door was not targeted.
One woman has left dozens of Facebook comments to that effect, demanding apologies from Cellar Door and Rep. Mark Takano, D-Riverside, who visited the store in support. Canyon Crest management also said those complaints were “totally and completely unfounded and could not be further from the truth.”
That’s a strong denial. Or it might be protesting too much. Regardless, the online gossip is confusing the public, either accidentally or deliberately.
“It is very curious,” bookstore owner Linda Sherman-Nurick told me Friday, saying she thinks it’s deliberate. “Sure looks like a diversion to me. It seems incredibly disingenuous.”
David Allen’s contributions crest on Sunday, Wednesday and Friday. Email dallen@scng.com, phone 909-483-9339, like davidallencolumnist on Facebook and follow @davidallen909 on Twitter.
A ‘Gossip Girl’ Editing Error Went Viral on TikTokMarcel Thomas - Getty Images
TikTok has once again noticed a Gossip Girl wardrobe malfunction involving the living legend known as Serena van der Woodsen. The moment in question involves Serena—played by Blake Lively, obviously—wearing a fitted orange dress to lunch with Dan Humphrey, aka Gossip Girl himself. :)
We initially see the full look, but when the camera cuts to another angle of Serena checking her phone and holding a bag, it’s clear Blake is fully wearing sweatpants under her dress.
The video is currently making rounds though it first went viral in 2020:
Back then, a commenter on the post explained the reason for the sweats, saying, “LOL, I worked on set, it’s because she ripped her dress.” But honestly, the cast was papped while filming a lot, and Blake wearing sweats and Uggs under her dress wasn’t unheard of:
Alo Ceballos - Getty Images
Anyway! In other Blake news, People reports that she and Anna Kendrick are gearing up for the sequel to A Simple Favor, which is in “advanced negotiations” to begin production in the fall—and it looks like they’re filming in Capri, Italy. Apparently, most of the supporting cast from the first movie (potentially including Henry Golding, Andrew Rannells, Linda Cardellini, Dustin Milligan, and Jean Smart) will be back for the sequel, while Paul Feig is returning to direct.
TBD what the movie’s about, but Anna Kendrick told E! News, “I’ve actually read the script now and it’s so good,” adding that her character “got like a little bit more savvy in her, [but] she’s still Stephanie at the end of the day.”
Canyon Crest Towne Centre in Riverside seems to have added a hot new business: a rumor mill. It’s busy pumping out hearsay, half-truths and chisme. Say what you will about its business practices, this mill knows its way around social media.
Ever since beloved independent bookstore Cellar Door Books announced Jan. 19 that it had lost its month-to-month lease, gossip began flying that five or six other businesses had also had their leases vacated.
Many accepted this number as fact, even though nobody could name more than two other businesses, one of which turned out to be leaving by coincidence. Then on Thursday, Jan. 26, an online news site posted a story that said “we have spoken to other business owners who have had their leases terminated” before naming six goners.
Except this list was faulty too. The owner of The Sacred Journey said she has a lease and had not been contacted by the site. The writer admitted to her in an email that he had merely “reported what I was told by other business owners.”
Where is Perry White when you need him?
Shoppers stroll at Canyon Crest Towne Centre in Riverside on Friday morning, Jan. 27, 2023. The upscale neighborhood center with its fountain, water features and red-tiled roofs is suddenly a hotbed of gossip and rumors about evictions. (Photo by David Allen, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
Who is staying: The Sacred Journey, Canyon Crest Ice Cream and Water
Who is in limbo: Romano’s Italian Restaurant, Marisa’s Italian Deli
In other words, so far the fatalities total only two.
“We have never been a month-to-month tenant here. We just signed a new lease in November,” said manager Trisha Smothers of Lot 22 Olive Oil, which has been named on Facebook, NextDoor and Instagram as being in jeopardy.
A message in the window of Lot 22 at Canyon Crest Towne Centre in Riverside thanks customers for caring but says the store has a “solid” lease and isn’t leaving. The manager says hundreds have asked. (Photo by David Allen, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
“Thank you for coming in instead of printing something without checking with us,” Smothers added. “It’s caused a lot of chaos here in the shop this week. Hundreds of phone calls, people coming in and asking if we’re closing.”
How would such a rumor get started? “Your guess is as good as mine,” Smothers said.
Canyon Crest Ice Cream and Water is midway through its five-year lease and isn’t departing either.
“That’s someone spreading a rumor,” said Dal In, whose wife owns the shop. “Many people are asking me.”
The Sacred Journey isn’t going anywhere either, at least not on the physical plane.
“We have not had a lease termination. We have a lease and we’re still under lease for several more years,” said Cary Pealer, whose wife, Michelle Orlijan, owns the store that stocks spiritual tools like candles, incense and stones.
Pealer said his wife spent Thursday replying to social media posts that listed her store as getting the boot. Orlijan also posted an email of apology from the news site that had included her store.
Pealer was, commendably, calm and composed despite rumors of The Sacred Journey’s premature end.
Dal In, whose wife owns Canyon Crest Ice Cream and Water, says the shop has 2 1/2 years left on its lease at Canyon Crest Towne Centre in Riverside. He doesn’t know why rumors are circulating that their shop is being evicted. (Photo by David Allen, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
However, Kiddos 101, an indoor play space for young children, must close March 31, just like the adjacent Cellar Door Books. Both have month-to-month leases and are not paying common-area maintenance fees.
As toddlers played with toys or on Kiddos’ inventive soft features, parents joining them, Julius Hahn, who founded the business in 2016 with wife Larissa, said management offered no conversation about the lease, just a notice to vacate.
He called that a “cold and callous approach” and a far cry from the warmth of Mark Thompson, who founded the neighborhood center in 1979 and ran it until his death in 2021.
“He built this up from scratch. He believed in small business,” Hahn said of the man he always called Uncle Mark. “You’re dismantling a man’s legacy.”
Some 15 children were playing quietly amid classical music and ambient sounds, sunlight streaming through the windows. Hahn said he can’t afford to move anywhere else and the business will go out with a party.
“We’re planning on closing on our anniversary, March 23,” Hahn told a customer.
Parent Malorie Rutledge said her daughter Asher, 2 1/2, is “a true COVID baby” who didn’t like people and had no social skills when they started coming to Kiddos. Now, “her social skills and motor skills have just blossomed. It’s honestly changed her life,” Rutledge said.
Asher, who was wearing a ballerina outfit and a “Toy Story” backpack almost as big as she was, used to cry when she saw Julius Hahn (or almost anyone else). Now she gave him a high-five and a hug.
Ramona Ivascu sips a sample of olive oil at Lot 22 in the Canyon Crest Towne Centre on Friday, Jan. 27, 2023. The shop had to post a message to customers after unfounded rumors that it might be evicted, evidence of the turmoil at the Riverside shopping center. (Photo by David Allen, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
The lease situation is in flux at Romano’s and its sister restaurant, Marisa’s Italian Deli. “We’re still in the process of negotiating,” said employee David Ludden, who said the restaurants are on month-to-month leases but are current on rent. “We’re told they will get back to us next week.”
Romano’s will mark 24 years at Canyon Crest in April — if it’s still there by then. Romano’s on Jan. 15 closed its downtown outpost, Raincross Pub and Kitchen, which had live music, and the next day began building a stage inside Romano’s, where live music should return on Fridays and Saturdays starting Feb. 16.
“We’re hoping for the best,” Ludden said of negotiations.
Center management didn’t reply Jan. 19 when I asked what other businesses, if any, were affected and didn’t immediately respond to a second request Friday.
Cellar Door Books, an independent bookstore in Riverside, received a notice to vacate its space at Canyon Crest Towne Centre, setting off a furor in the community. (Photo by Watchara Phomicinda, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)
The back-and-forth on social media about the changes at Canyon Crest has been politically charged.
Cellar Door and its customers questioned whether its ouster is payback for its inclusive attitude, masking policy and quarterly Drag Queen Story Time.
Many conservatives pushed back, saying that if six other businesses were getting the boot, that proved Cellar Door was not targeted.
One woman has left dozens of Facebook comments to that effect, demanding apologies from Cellar Door and Rep. Mark Takano, D-Riverside, who visited the store in support. Canyon Crest management also said those complaints were “totally and completely unfounded and could not be further from the truth.”
That’s a strong denial. Or it might be protesting too much. Regardless, the online gossip is confusing the public, either accidentally or deliberately.
“It is very curious,” bookstore owner Linda Sherman-Nurick told me Friday, saying she thinks it’s deliberate. “Sure looks like a diversion to me. It seems incredibly disingenuous.”
David Allen’s contributions crest on Sunday, Wednesday and Friday. Email dallen@scng.com, phone 909-483-9339, like davidallencolumnist on Facebook and follow @davidallen909 on Twitter.
It seems that instead of hitting the hotspots when he’s in town, the Toronto-based superstar rapper just takes his own portable party with him these days — including entertaining pals in a 10,000-square-foot, $75,000-a-night hotel suite that included a dining room for 24 people.
Champagne Papi was in New York this week for his much anticipated two-night stand at the Apollo Theater.
And rather than take his chances in the wilds of clubland, sources say he just moved his entourage around from ultra-private bash to ultra-private bash.
After one of the big shows (which was so lively that one fan plunged off the balcony onto the main floor, but was quickly on their feet) the “Sticky” rapper rented out swank Upper East Side members club Casa Cruz for a party just for his friends and family.
He also treated pals to a party at the Ned, where he DJ’d himself.Instagram/Ned Nomad
“He pulled out all the stops with food, drink and gifts to thank them all for their unwavering support over the years,’ said an insider. “It was extremely exclusive.”
And after the other show he had an even smaller group for dinner at Cucina Alba in Chelsea, we hear.
Meanwhile, his hotel suit had plenty of space to entertain.
His suite features 10,000 sq/ft and multiple fireplaces.The Mark Hotel
We hear he stayed at the $75,000-a-night penthouse at the Mark Hotel — reportedly the largest and most expensive hotel room in North America — which boasts 10,000 square feet with five bedrooms, six bathrooms, four fireplaces, a steam room, a dining room that fits up to 24, a full kitchen, a grand piano and a balcony with “ridiculous” views.
He also kept his pals close, we’re told, renting rooms for his entourage at the same Upper East Side spot.
The rapper is well known for his party lifestyle, and for his luxury habits.Instagram/Drake
Singer Sam Smith was also staying at the hotel for his “Saturday Night Live” appearance, according to sources, and had to deal with the fans and paparazzi chaos that came in the wake of Drake every time they went out.
Early Thursday morning, Drake even brought the DJ-ing in-house, taking to the decks at private club the Ned, said a spy.
Drake put on a blockbuster two-night stand at the Apollo Theater during his stay in the city.Getty Images
We’re told he spun tunes in the Magic Room on a DJ set-up atop a baby grand piano until 3a.m.for guests including “Gossip Girl” star Whitney Peak.
The bash, hosted by Richie Akiva, kicked off at midnight.
He is a big hero who is in his middle age. He is known for his friendship with different women in his life.
His taste for women changes from time to time an dhe never hesitates to develop relationships with as many women as he can.
There are several gossips about his affairs. There's a rumor that he faced some problem with the police in a foreign country in this regard.
The point is that he has been moving close to a woman in recent times. He is a relative of an ex-politician.
No one knows how the relationship sprouted between them but the gossip is making rounds that is hooked to her. The names would come out if they are spotted together at any instance.
And just like that, our only source into the scandalous lives of Manhattan’s elite has been axed. Last week, showrunner Joshua Safran announced that Gossip Girl would not be moving forward with a third season at HBO Max. So this season finale may be a series finale, and if it is the last we’ll ever see of Julien & Co., at least they went out on top.
Let’s cut to the chase: They catch Kate Keller! Of course, she can’t resist Zoya taking the credit (and rights meetings) and falls for the perfectly produced bait to lure her in. Lock her up, I say! What a satisfying ending for a character who has caused us so much grief. And let’s give it up for those cameos. We get Andy Cohen! We get a Nate Archibald Spectator mention! We get Eric van der Woodsen’s husband! And even better, we get someone other than Camille de Haan (who is literally such a bitch!) putting the plan into play.
And what a treat! The band gets back together for our finale after calling an emergency meeting at Dumbo House. This is Gossip Girl at its finest. I am obsessed with their conniving ways, utterly delighted that they use their access — a direct line to Roger Menzies plus a burner Realme, which I (and everyone else) had never heard of — to their advantage, and totally tickled by the alias Eugenia Sandoval. And I’m thrilled by their phishing scam that Kate obviously falls for. If she didn’t have Jordan in her life, the jig would have been up last season. The fact that the Gossip Girl account was tied to her email or phone number proves she lacks the genius to steer the ship, but I digress.
Julien has access to the account, and our group quickly realizes that one of their own is feeding Gossip Girl spoilers. These kids don’t know who to trust! Luna La is over these stupid-ass high-school games. And Obie Bergmann, that fucking little tattletale rat! But Obie, like most teenage boys, is messy. After the group disbands, defeated and doubtful, Obie goes through Julien’s phone while she’s in the shower. He makes a fatal error however. He doesn’t leave the phone as he found it. If you’re going to snoop, make sure to take note of what accounts a phone is logged in to and how a bed is made (or not) and leave the scene as if nothing has happened. Why is Obie so addicted to Gossip Girl? Why is he acting as a double agent? It’s because this Freudian case study is obsessed with screwing over his family and naïvely believes that Gossip Girl is the only one who can make it happen.
After some tapping around, Julien realizes that Obie is the weak link and quickly alerts the others. This wouldn’t be a Gossip Girl finale without a final plan by Julien. And it sounds foolproof for once! They are going to stage a takeover of the account before taking public ownership of it. Once they get the credit, the attention-obsessed anonymous behind the account will burst onto the scene. Zoya volunteers as tribute to fall on the Gossip Girl stake, and Audrey gets her mom to whip up a dress from rehab. They’re going to go public at none other than the Met Gala. I scream. Yes! This is absolutely what this show is about — teens meddling at high-stakes, exclusive events.
Gideon delivers, and Zoya’s initial look is a slay. Audrey is giving Marie Antoinette, and, of course, Aki is wearing a suit from the Consistency Project. Andy Cohen pops up, declaring that the new Gossip Girl is far more brutal (I beg to differ) and laments that there’s not even a Chuck and Blair (fair point). Eric van der Woodsen’s husband makes an appearance claiming that GG brought his husband to ruins.
Oh! I almost forget about all our little side story lines amid our mission to take down GG. The throuple is on the brink of downsizing into a couple — much to Max’s dismay. He hooks up with Heidi, but Aki and Audrey hook up without him, and it seems like there’s too much shit to weather the storm. Julien has the audacity to tell Oscar de la Renta’s Fernando Garcia that Luna isn’t a model … which is one of the most ridiculous things I, and Luna, have ever heard. Have you looked at the legs on that girl? And her cheekbones could cut glass. She’s a born model! But this (rightfully) sends Luna over the edge, and I feel we won’t see her around these parts again. Obie promises Julien that he will not stop the steal, and she reluctantly grants him access to the account. He uses it, predictably, to bring his family down. And guess what? No one cares.
Zoya walks the red carpet in a Kiki Hope original with a message plastered across her apron (?) that reads “I Am Gossip Girl.” The crowd goes wild! Who is this random teenage girl? Audrey slips her mom’s name to the press and secures coverage (a true pro). Jordan feels so blessed. They’re finally free! Someone else has taken the credit. They can go on with their lives. Kate pretends to agree, but you can tell she’s seething. Then she receives the push notification that breaks the camel’s back, and the rest is history … for two months at least.
Cut to la dolce vita. It’s summer vacation, and Julien and Obie, Audrey and Aki, and fifth wheel Zoya are shacking up in the Fendi private suites in Rome. Luna La has made it big — she’s starring in an international Oscar de la Renta campaign — and looks down on the group from billboards that span the sides of buildings. Meanwhile, Monet is stuck under Camille’s clutches on a family vacation. This feels cheap. These two carried the show! The least we can do is grant them some shots on location. Aki has no clue why they’re in Rome but is happy to be there all the same. The couple hasn’t heard from Max, who is going full Chuck Bass at Berghain. Zoya meets Philip Price (played by Aaron Dominguez), and we get a glimpse of what her love life could look like if it weren’t cut short by the overlords at HBO.
Then we get the real reason why we’re on holiday. Julien Calloway has yet another scheme up her sleeve: meeting her mom’s sister Aunt Naomi, who is living out an Under the Tuscan Sun fantasy. Julien wants to get to know her long-lost family and makes the trek à la The White Lotus’s Di Grassos. My only issue with this ending is it makes me think of my least-favorite character, Nick Lott. Did Nick not know anything about his ex-wife or her family? I understand Davis being in the dark but Nick? He is far too nosy. But loving this show means loving its plot holes, so I guess I can’t complain.
As for what’s next, I’ll be rewatching the original. XOXO.
• Beautiful gowns: Kate’s interpretation of Carrie Fisher’s “You’re right, you’re right, I know you’re right.”
• It wouldn’t be the finale without a final Shanism: Thank you for “Call Me by Your Lame.” (“Tritanic” was pretty good too.)
Sheffield Unitedboss Paul Heckingbottom has confirmed interest in Sander Berge, 24, amid rumoursLiverpoolandChelseaare keen on the Norway midfielder.(TalkSport)
Manchester United's20-year-old Swedish forward Anthony Elanga is being linked with a move to Dutch giantsPSV Eindhoven.(AD, via Sun)
Arsenalare set to make an improved offer for Moises Caicedo afterBrightonrejected an opening bif of £60m for the 21-year-old Ecuadorian midfielder, who says he wants to leave the Seagulls.(Telegraph - subscription required)
Borussia Dortmundsporting director Sebastian Kehl says they are yet to receive any approaches for midfielder Jude Bellingham amidManchester United'sinterest in the player.(Manchester Evening News)
Chelseahave reached an agreement to signLyon'sFrench full-back Malo Gusto for £26.3m with the 19-year-old expected to remain with the French side until the summer.(The Athletic - subscription required)
Nottingham Forestare interested in signing Costa Rica goalkeeper Keylor Navas, 36, from Paris St-Germain on loan. (Fabrizio Romano)
Arsenalhave rejected a £7m bid fromMonacofor Belgium's Albert Sambi Lokonga with the Gunners reluctant to let the 23-year-old go while they are light in midfield. (Foot Mercato - In French)
Brazil forward Gabriel Martinelli, 21, has agreed a new contract atArsenalthat will more than double his salary at the Premier League leaders.(Sun)
Romaand Italy midfielder Nicolo Zaniolo has rejected a move toBournemouthwith the 23-year-old not wanting to leave his home country this month. (Tutto Mercato - In Italian)
Marseilleappear to have beatenLeeds UnitedandLeicesterto the signing of 22-year-old Morocco midfielder Azzedine Ounahi.(RNC Sport, via Mail)
Leedshave no interest in signingShakhtar Donetsk'sBrazilian winger Tete, 22, despite reports in France linking him with the Premier League side.(Leeds Live)
However,Leedsare hopeful of completing the loan signing of 24-year-old USA midfielder Weston McKennie fromJuventus.(Fabrizio Romano)
Sevillaboss Jorge Sampaoli has spoken publicly of his desire to sign 21-year-old Spanish winger Bryan Gil fromTottenham.(Sun)
HBO Max's once-buzzed-about standalone sequel to The CW series of the same name, based on author Cecily von Ziegesar's popular book series, ended its run Thursday after two seasons. But the sleek drama made sure to still go out with a bang.
Aki, at one point, was able to create a way for the group to gain access to Gossip Girl's booming Instagram page, using a fake account sharing a deceptive tip alongside a hacker link. Though Obie attempted to warn Kate about the plan, it was too late. The students were in — and yet, they quickly realized that once Julien's own information popped up under the user's info that the account holder found a way to hide their actual identity.
It's Max who then pointed out: "Someone must've tipped her off."
"Not just someone," Luna added. "One of us."
It was revealed that Kate's boyfriend, former teacher Jordan (Adam Chanler-Berat), rerouted the account information to make it so that Julien's details were there instead. And given what a close call this was for Kate to be hacked, Jordan suggested that "it's time" for her to give up being Gossip Girl. She, however, was far from interested in that.
Because Julien still had access to the Gossip Girl Instagram account on her phone, she was able to discover that Obie — her own boyfriend — was the one who tipped off the account holder. Obie messaged Gossip Girl with a new plan of action, using the social media app's vanish mode feature. But his attempt to delete the exchange failed as he mistakenly placed it under general messages, which Julien realized after seeing Kate's response over her mutual agreement with Obie to help each other out.
Julien later called a meeting with everyone but Obie to discuss a new plan of action: one of their own will identify as Gossip Girl on the official account, taking the "reins" from Kate in an attempt to outdo her at her own game. Per Julien, the moment in question will occur in a "spectacular, headline-grabbing photobomb on the Met Gala steps, of all places."
"And when the real GG sees you claim credit," Max inserted, "she won't be able to resist outing herself in order to regain glory."
Zoya, in turn, offered to pose as the faux Gossip Girl. "It has to be me. It makes the most sense," said Zoya, who has often been an outsider to the group, even frequently feuding with half-sister Julien.
"She started when I arrived. Dan was an outsider," she continued, referencing former Gossip Girl account creator Dan Humphrey, played by Penn Badgley in the original series. "He also talked about himself almost as much as anybody else. So let's lean in. People have to believe it's true if it's going to work."
The group also agreed that in order to make this work, they have to be willing to expose their biggest secret through the account and "get more scandalous" and "more brutal" than Gossip Girl ever had before.
Later on, the gang took their places at the Met Gala to begin their takedown scheme. Secrets soon began flowing, including Monet's mother being "the brain's behind the union-busting scandal" her father pinned on Zoya's dad and how Max cheated on his throuple partners Aubrey and Aki with Obie's older sister. But it was the revelation that Aubrey and Aki were excluding him from the relationship in private that led Max to break things off later that evening.
Realizing what was going down, Obie confronted Julien about her new scheme. But Julien called out his own behavior of working with Gossip Girl, which Obie defended by saying it felt like his "only choice" in exposing his family's bad deeds. He then got permission to use the account, where he live-streamed a private conversation with his sister, exposing her misdeeds. This led to him being escorted out of the event.
Zoya eventually made her way up the Met steps, wearing a gown augmented by Aubrey's designer mother Kiki, reading: "I AM GOSSIP GIRL." After photographers on site snapped her photograph, security escorted her off the premises.
Julien was distraught over the scheme being "a total bust," saying to Aubrey that her little sister Zoya "goes down for all of it" while Gossip Girl gets to "vanish into the ether." Later venting to Obie about her frustration with this, her beau said: "What's the best way to catch flies? Money."
After witnessing the faux unmasking action unfold from afar, Kate's boyfriend Jordan said she's now "free" and "no one will ever know" that she is actually Gossip Girl. But Kate appeared to be disappointed by that — and she only grew increasingly so later that night upon seeing a news blast from The NY Spectator, owned by Gossip Girl OG Nate Archibald (Chace Crawford), that Shonda Rhimes, Ryan Murphy and Danny Strong were meeting with Gossip Girl at Minetta Tavern to discuss a movie deal.
Upon making her way over to the restaurant, Kate is escorted toward the table where the meeting is commencing with Danny, saying: "Mr. Strong, you can't believe these women. They're not Gossip Girl, and they don't have the rights to her story."
"Ms. Keller?" Julien said in astonishment as an equally stunned Zoya said, "Oh, my God."
Kate then shared: "I'm Gossip Girl, and I can prove it. I refuse to allow anyone else to take credit."
To that, OG Gossip Girl alum Jonathan Whitney (Matt Doyle) — who dated, and is now married, to Serena van der Woodsen's (Blake Lively) younger brother Eric (Connor Paolo) on the former series — turned around. "And credit you shall have," he said, surprising Kate. "Tomorrow morning, in fact, on the front page of the Spectator."
HBO
Even more surprising, Andy Cohen, who was seated in the back beside Obie, chimed in to say: "And tomorrow night, on my show!"
"Eric's at the Spectator right now giving the exclusive to Nate," Jonathan added.
Andy said he wanted to see Gossip Girl for himself, and noted how it was "a twist" to discover that a teacher was behind the new iteration. "Also, kinda gross," he said.
The Bravo producer's appearance at the unmasking wasn't random, however. Earlier on in the episode, Andy bumped into Obie at the Met Gala and told the student he recognized him because he's "a big Gossip Girl fan."
At that same moment, Jonathan chimed in to mention his disdain for Gossip Girl, recalling how the website previously "outed" Eric. He also noted how "complicated" it all was upon later discovering that Gossip Girl turned out to be his now-brother-in-law.
After Andy said this generation's Gossip Girl is "far more brutal" compared to its predecessor, Jonathan added: "I hope someone finds whoever it is and stops them."
But Andy and Jonathan weren't the only ones who assisted in the unmasking of Gossip Girl. Zoya's lawyer father, Nick (Johnathan Fernandez), questioned why Kate would "cyberstalk and bully teenagers into being scared, hurt, confused [and] isolated," as well as her role in hurting his family, in particular. Nick also pointed out the legal repercussions at stake for Kate, including first-degree harassment and stalking in the third degree.
"Whatever happens to me, I'll be able to sleep at night knowing I succeeded. I made you better," Kate said as authorities were preparing to escort her out. "I made you good."
"You didn't make us anything," Julien said as Zoya added, "And in a year's time, we'll have all forgotten about you. But you? You'll have lost everything."
HBO
The end of the episode picked up two months after the events that transpired.
Julien, Zoya, Aki, Aubrey and Obie jetted off on a fun-filled summer vacation in Italy. All the while, Luna is finding success as a model, landing a major billboard through her Oscar de la Renta campaign. (The opportunity was also offered to Julien at the Met Gala, but they both fought over it because when the Oscar de la Renta rep handed both of him his business card, Julien said Luna was just her stylist.)
As for Max, he was shown being thrown out of a club while drunk. He also picked up a strange man.
In the last scene, Julien, Zoya, Aki, Aubrey and Obie stroll down the streets of Italy with ice cream in hand. Obie then says to a roaring cheers: "Here's to our future, in a Gossip Girl-free existence. May she rest in pieces, having given us back our peace."
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Gossip Girl premiered on HBO Max in 2021 and scored an early season 2 renewal. This latest season premiered in December. Creator Joshua Safran announced its cancellation on Jan. 19.
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