#MAGFAB: Laverne Cox Flies High, Lensed by Andy Jackson in ES Magazine February 2022
Laverne Cox uses her high heel pump as a phone in ES Magazine fashion story.
Actor and trans activist Laverne Cox plays a starring role in Netflix’s highly anticipated ‘Inventing Anna’, occupying the top spot on Netflix US in the week ending Sunday, Feb. 13. Anna Sorokin was a Russian native who identity-morphed into a Germany heiress named Anna Delvey.
As the focus of the nine-part series from Shondaland, the TV production company founded by writer and producer Shonda Rimes, Anna Delvey [played by actor Julia Garner] was a con artist who duped New York City’s top-echelon of beautiful people while trying to swindle millions from big-league banks during the 2010s.
Laverne Cox plays Kacy Duke, a celebrity personal trainer and life coach to people like Denzel Washington and Julianne Moore. Duke became deeply entangled in Sorokin’s web of grand-scale deception.
Laverne Cox appears in the February 2022 issue of the Evening Standard’s ES Magazine. Scott Shapiro styles Cox in images by Andy Jackson [IG]. /Hair by Ursula Stephen; makeup by Keita Moore;
Laverne Cox wears one-shoulder orange dress for Evening Standard Magazine.
One of Lavern Cox’s next projects is a comedy series called ‘Clean Slate’, a half-hour series in which Cox plays a trans woman who returns to her native-state Alabama after a 17 years absence. In perhaps a sign of the times, her estranged father Henry, who lost a son is not face-to-face with Desiree, a “determined, proud, trans woman, Desiree.”
Laverne Cox hails from Mobile, Alabama, where she was bullied with hate and shame over her complex sexual identity as a young teen. Today’s confident trans activist attempted suicide at age 11.
Lavern Cox’s trans status because she does speak about in her ES Magazine interview. Hannah Marriott describes the actor/activist as “a treat to watch” before the camera. . . . She is a virtuoso under the photographer’s bright lights, pouting, smizing, arching her back, spiralling one hand into the air with a dancer’s flourish.”
When Cox became famous — the first openly trans person to cover Time and Cosmopolitan magazines, the first openly transgender primetime Emmy nominee and Daytime Emmy Award winner — she made history.
#RHOA: Mike Hill Has the Sweetest Message for Cynthia Bailey on Her Birthday
Mike Hill is making sure Cynthia Bailey feels all the love on her birthday, even as she continues to compete as a houseguest on Season 3 of Celebrity Big Brother. The Real Housewives of Atlanta alum’s husband took to Instagram to dedicate the sweetest message to his spouse as she turned 55.
On February 19, Mike penned a heartfelt birthday tribute to Cynthia on Instagram. “Happy Birthday to the most beautiful woman in the world!! It’s hard to believe that you can improve but like a fine wine, you just get better with time,” he captioned several glowing photos of Cynthia.
Mike went on to add, “55 may be the speed limit in some places but there are no limitations for what God has in store for your future. I can’t wait to have a front row seat to see you do it.”
He concluded by writing, “I know you’re in the ‘house’ but I can’t wait to get you home to celebrate & love all on you!!”
Cynthia couldn’t help but respond to the sweet post, responding with a series of red heart emojis in the comments.
Mike isn’t the only one celebrating Cynthia’s special day on Instagram. Cynthia’s daughter Noelle Robinson also took to her own Instagram Stories to share a sweet message to her mom.
other-daughter duo on vacation. “This is the longest I’ve ever gone without speaking to you and I miss you so much @cynthiabailey.”
RHOA’s Kandi Burruss also made sure to commemorate her friend’s birthday. “Happy Birthday to my girl @cynthiabailey!!!!” she captioned a photo of the duo on February 19. “Sending you love even though I know you are locked in the Big Brother house. Everybody give @cynthiabailey some bday love!”
#MusicNews: PJ Morton Reconnects With JoJo On Self-Care Anthem ‘My Peace’ & Preps ‘My Peace Tour’
Three years ago this week, PJ Morton and JoJo released their duet “Say So” on Valentine’s Day 2019. It was love and first listen for us, and the song would go on to become an instant classic and GRAMMY Award-winning hit. PJ and JoJo are hoping that lightning strikes twice with their latest single, the groovy duet and new self-care anthem “My Peace” featuring Mr. Talkbox.
PJ and JoJo are all about radical self-care on “My Peace.” They are sick and tired of being sick tired dealing with other people’s stuff, and they keep it real on their quest to focus on themselves and their needs. “Gotta be all about me before I’m all about you / If I don’t take care of me I’m no good to you,” they sing in unison on the pre-chorus. They go on to share, “So if you’re not adding to my high / I’m going to have to tell you goodbye,” and cutting someone off in the name of self-preservation never sounded so sweet.
These two are unapologetic about protecting their peace on “My Peace,” and the song is one that many can relate to. That was all in PJ’s plan. He shared via press release, “I wanted to write a song that was a duet and gave two perspectives but wasn’t necessarily about a relationship. I think after going through so much these last couple of years, many people really got down to what’s truly important. And most realized that nothing is worth their peace.”
Fans have been watching Morton craft this song on TikTok and across his socials since December. We’ve seen the track evolve from a piano ballad to PJ adding a beat and beefing up the pre-chorus to give “a real Mint Condition vibe.” Then he invited JoJo to give a woman’s perspective and lastly added some electronic flourishes from Mr. Talkbox and the classic horns from Outkast‘s “SpottieOttieDopaliscious” into the mix. These brief videos of PJ’s creative process have been exciting to see the artist making his art.
“My Peace” is the most recent single from PJ Morton who is putting the finishing touches on his next album Watch The Sun. He finally released the Ready To Love theme song in full last month and is still promoting his contrite love song “Please Don’t Walk Away.” As for JoJo, “My Peace” is on-brand for the singer who most recently shared her mental health struggles with the public on her EP trying not to think about it.
Ironically, “Please Don’t Walk Away” and trying not to think about it were released on the same day last year. We don’t know if that was just a mere coincidence or a matter of just how in sync these two artists are. One thing we know for sure, though, is that PJ Morton and JoJo just need to go ahead and record an album together already. The people and the culture need it.
LISTEN HERE
While we wait for that item on our music wishlist to be fulfilled, we’ll have “My Peace” on repeat and be singing along to all the words thanks to the lyric video featuring animation by Brik.Liam (who also designed the single cover). PJ is hoping that his fans know all the words to “My Peace” and can sing along with him this March on his My Peace Tour.
PJ Morton’s My Peace Tour has six dates scheduled on its first leg, which will begin in Birmingham, Alabama on March 11th. The tour will take PJ to a few different Southern cities as he gets back on the road after being sidelined during much of the pandemic. He will also perform at the return of the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival on April 29th. Make plans to see the Live Show Killer do what he does best when you visit PJ Morton’s website to purchase tickets to this tour. Scroll down to see his tour dates
#HipHopNews: Pusha T Says He’s Moved Past Drake Beef
Pusha T is putting his beef with Drake to bed.
Nearly four years after their rivalry, the “Diet Coke” rapper is looking back on one of hip-hop’s most explosive feuds. When asked about their history, Pusha said he’s moved on.
“I’ve already looked past that,” he said during an interview with Complex’s “360 With Speedy Morman.” “I don’t look towards that anymore. … Bygones are bygones, as far as I see.”
He also reflected on Drake and Ye’s reconciliation, saying it “works really good” to see them reunite even though it surprised him. He and Kanye spoke about ending the beef before December’s Free Larry Hoover concert.
“I told [Ye], ‘That might be good for you,'” he added.
He also addressed Drake’s recent video where his son Adonis is seen speaking French. “I been around the world thrice times I mean what I say,” Drake captioned the post, quoting lyrics from Clipse’s “Cot Damn.”
The reference struck fans as surprising considering Pusha’s “Story of Adidon” diss, but Pusha didn’t think much of it. “I thought he was propping up his son, speaking French,” said Pusha, who was asked if he thought the lyric was “sus.”
“No, not with his son, never. I wouldn’t think that. I wouldn’t put my son in, like, that type of energy,” said Pusha, who welcomed his son in June 2020.
He noted Drake was a Clipse fan, so he understands why he chose that caption. “I think it was just drawing a parallel to, like you said, his son speaking French. I don’t think it was anything more than that.”
Pusha is now gearing up for his highly-anticipated new album, which was produced by Kanye West and The Neptunes. The follow-up to 2018’s Daytona is expected to drop in the next few months. “There’s no album that’s better than mine this year,” he once again proclaimed.
Chris Brown Facing Battery Allegations In Florida From Two Different Women Who Claim Rapper Drugged & Raped Them
Chris Brown is facing some serious allegations and is at the center of two separate alleged battery incidents.
According to reports, Miami Beach Police are investigating allegations of battery by two women against superstar Chris Brown, 32. Both alleged incidents occurred more than a year ago. Reportedly, the first woman claims she was drugged and raped by Chris Brown while attending a yacht party near Diddy’s home on Dec. 30, 2020.
According to a police report, The second woman said she decided to leave the party because she didn’t feel comfortable. However, a couple of days later she and a friend were invited to Chris Brown’s Miami Beach hotel suite. Reportedly, while there Chris approached the unnamed woman and shoved one of his fingers, which had a white powdery substance on it, in her mouth. The report continues and claims that the woman blacked out for several hours and woke up in the suite without her friends or her cellphone.
The woman filed a report with Miami Beach Police after reading about a lawsuit filed in January by the first alleged victim who attended the same yacht party.
As previously reported, news broke last month that a woman is suing Chris for $20 million for allegedly drugging and raping her. According to the suit, the woman claims she was raped by Chris after he served her drinks. The suit adds that the next day, the victim received a text from Chris ordering her to take a morning-after pill. Both incidents are being investigated by the Miami Beach Police
Chris Brown has yet to address the latest claims against him. However, when the initial story broke, Chris shared a message to his Instagram story claiming the allegations in the civil lawsuit filed against him weren’t true.
What are your thoughts on this entire situation?
#BoxOfficeNews: 'Uncharted' Debuts at No. 1 at the Box Office!
The long wait for the Uncharted movie sure has paid off, at least for the studio. A video game adaptation over a decade in the making, Uncharted exceeded expectations and is estimated to make $45 million across the extended Presidents' Day weekend. The film’s three-day tally of $40 million is higher than the $35 million that was estimated going into its debut weekend.
The unexpectedly strong opening marks a back-to-back win for Sony and star Tom Holland, who is coming off one of the biggest hits of all time. Uncharted isn’t his only film in the top five this weekend; Spider-Man: No Way Home is estimated to make $9.1 million across four days, finishing at the number three spot in its 10th weekend.
Uncharted has had an infamously troubled road to release. At one point, Holland’s co-star Mark Wahlberg was supposed to play protagonist Nathan Drake, but the project kept stalling after several directors dropped out for various reasons. Over the years, David O. Russell, Seth Gordon, Neil Burger, Shawn Levy, Dan Trachtenberg, and Travis Knight were all attached before Sony landed on in-house talent Ruben Fleischer, who’d previously directed two Zombieland films, 30 Minutes or Less and the massively successful Venom for the studio.
Uncharted’s debut is also particularly solid for a video game adaptation; a category of films that has had a notoriously difficult time finding the respect and success that it wants. The 2018 Tomb Raider reboot, for instance, debuted with under $24 million in its opening weekend. Duncan Jones’ Warcraft had a three-day opening in the same vicinity back in 2016. Sonic the Hedgehog was an outlier, with a spectacular $70 million four-day opening over the Presidents' Day weekend in 2020.
Like Uncharted, the weekend’s number two movie, Dog, also exceeded expectations. Helmed by Channing Tatum and his longtime creative partner Reid Carolin in their directorial debuts, Dog made $14.4 million over four days. The crowd-pleaser earned an A- CinemaScore.
Sony’s No Way Home tailed not far behind. But the big news this past week came when it overtook James Cameron’s Avatar to become the third-highest grossing movie of all time. No Way Home has made $772 million domestically since its mid-December debut, and has dominated the box office virtually every week since then.
Disney’s inherited Fox title, the older-skewing holdover Death on the Nile made an estimated $7.6 million over four days in its second weekend, after topping its first. The film’s running domestic total stands at $26.3 million, which is slightly less than what its predecessor, Murder on the Orient Express, which debuted in 2017. Both films are based on classic detective novels by Agatha Christie, and feature director-star Kenneth Branagh—recently Oscar-nominated for his semi-autobiographical film Belfast—in the lead role as famed detective Hercule Poirot. The film was understandably a tough sell at a time when its target audience is still clearly hesitant about venturing outside.
Paramount’s Jackass Forever rounded out the top five with an estimated $6.1 million across four days, taking its running domestic total to $47.6 million. That’s a solid result for a movie that cost a reported $10 million to make and comes over a decade after the last main entry in a franchise believed to be dormant. And albeit on a smaller scale to Sony’s one-two punch of Spider-Man and Uncharted, it marks a back-to-back win for the struggling Paramount after January’s Scream, which finished this weekend at the number eight spot.
Uncharted will likely repeat next weekend, before The Batman takes the box office by storm on March 4..
‘The Wendy Williams Show’ to Officially Be Canceled in June, Sherri Shepherd Show to Premiere This Fall
‘The Wendy Williams Show’ is officially coming to an end in June. Sherri Shepherd’s deal has been finalized and ‘The Sherri Shepherd Show’ [working title] will now replace Wendy’s this fall.
According to lovebscott.com:
“The producers informed everyone that the [Wendy Show] was being canceled at the end of June. Then in the next breath they hired everyone to work on the new Sherri show.”
Earlier this week, Wendy popped up on Instagram with a new video from a new account — and that wasn’t just because she’s trying to regain control of her personal narrative.
The @WendyShow Instagram account is no longer under her control.
As previously reported, Wendy Show execs have been trying to end her show and find a suitable replacement for several years now — but to no avail.
Our production sources tell us that Wendy has been ‘checked out’ for quite some time and had become increasingly difficult to work with prior to her medical leave.
“[Wendy] had become somewhat unbearable, having tantrums and throwing things at people. Basically, the consensus among the crew is that she didn’t wanna be there anymore. Her illnesses may have exacerbated that feeling.”
Despite Wendy’s health battles and multiple hiatuses, Debmar-Mercury decided to renew Wendy’s show after their planned replacement, ‘The Jerry O’Connell Show,’ fell through with awful ratings.
It’s unclear if Wendy will make a return to the purple chair before her show ends, but we wish her all the best in her recovery..
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Brian Flores joins Steelers as LB coach amid lawsuit against NFL
Brian Flores has his next NFL job, and it's not a head-coaching position.
The Pittsburgh Steelers announced Saturday they have hired the former Miami Dolphins head coach as a senior defensive assistant and linebackers coach.
The hire comes after Flores filed a class-action lawsuit against the NFL, the Dolphins, the New York Giants and the Denver Broncos claiming racial discrimination in their hiring processes for coaches and executives. His legal team confirmed in a statement the lawsuit will proceed despite his hire.
Flores was surprisingly fired by the Dolphins last month after going 24-25 in three seasons, including a 9-8 record last year that just missed the playoffs. Before that, he worked for a decade in various positions under Bill Belichick for the New England Patriots, finishing as the team's defensive play-caller and linebackers coach.
From the Steelers:
"I am excited about Brian Flores joining our coaching staff given his history of developing and teaching defensive players during his time in the NFL," Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin said. "Brian's resume speaks for itself, and I look forward to him adding his expertise to help our team."
The position likely isn't intended to be a long-term one, as Flores is almost certain to pursue another head-coaching position next year. Of course, there's one rather large complicating factor.
Brian Flores is suing the NFL and working for it at the same time
Flores' lawsuit came at the start of a head-coaching carousel that would see nine head-coaching jobs open. None were filled by Flores, despite his relatively strong results in Miami with a roster not many considered to be playoff-worthy.
The Dolphins hired San Francisco 49ers Mike McDaniel, who is biracial, to fill Flores' position.
The impetus for the lawsuit, as claimed by Flores, was what he called a "sham" interview with the Giants, who eventually hired Buffalo Bills head coach Brian Daboll. Despite still waiting to interview for the job, Flores allegedly received a text message from Bill Belichick congratulating Daboll on the job by mistake. Flores, who has also alleged that Dolphins owner Stephen Ross offered to pay him to tank in his first season, described the situation as humiliating and something he's trying to prevent in the future, despite the risks to his career.
Flores went as far as alleging the Houston Texans hired Lovie Smith over him due to his lawsuit, which Texans general manager Nick Caserio claimed to be untrue. The Giants, Broncos and Dolphins have also denied Flores' allegations.
Even the Steelers are not a neutral party in Flores' lawsuit, as they and 28 other NFL teams were listed as potential defendants with the intention to identify teams engaging in discriminatory conduct. Even if the case eventually gets moved to arbitration, which the NFL is expected to pursue, the Steelers aren't exempt from the legal proceedings, despite hiring the plaintiff.
Chrissy Teigen reveals she's undergoing IVF again after loss of son Jack
Chrissy Teigen has revealed that she is undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF) again more than a year after losing her son Jack just 20 weeks into her third pregnancy. Teigen and husband John Legend, 43, previously conceived daughter Luna, 5, and son Miles, 3, via IVF.
On Saturday, the 36-year-old cookbook author told fans on Instagram that she's taking shots to stimulate her egg development in hopes of creating "some strong, healthy embryos."
Sharing a photo of herself doing what appear to be Pilates stretches, Teigen added that the shots have left her feeling bloated, which in turn has prompted some unsolicited speculation about her body and any possible pregnancy. It's speculation that Teigen would like to stop — and not just for herself.
"The bloating is a bitch, so I humbly beg you to stop asking if I’m pregnant because while I know it’s said with excited, good intentions, it just kind of sucks to hear because I am the opposite of pregnant!" she wrote.
She went on to urge her followers to "please stop asking people, anyone, if they're pregnant," adding, "I’d rather be the one to tell you and not some poor woman who will look you in the eyes through tears." Her message echoed her 2019 response to a commenter who asked if she had a "baby bump."
"I know you didn't mean it to be rude but think twice about asking this, there are people who have trouble conceiving and it hurts every time," Teigen wrote back. "I'm not pregnant but would be happy if I were. But I'm also happy not to be."
Teigen also shared that she "honestly [doesn't] mind" taking shots ahead of her egg retrieval, but did not disclose whether she would carry the pregnancy herself, or use a gestational surrogate. Following her partial placenta abruption with Jack in September 2020, the model had indicated that she would not be pregnant again.
"I love being pregnant, so so much, and I’m sad I never will be again," she wrote that December. "But I am lucky to have two amazing little ones who are transforming into big little people more and more every single day.”
The newly sober star has been candid about her and Legend's past struggles to conceive, which ultimately saw the couple pursuing IVF to conceive their two oldest children.
Usher Eyes Return To Las Vegas For New Residency
The R&B superstar recently announced he will headline a new Vegas residency at the Dolby Live theater at Park MGM this summer.
This will be Ursher’s second straight summer in Sin City after he sold out 20 shows for his residency at the Colosseum at Caesars’ Palace last year.
The residency includes 23 action-packed performances from July 15 to Oct. 29.
On Instagram, Usher wrote that he is “so excited” to be returning to Vegas with a BRAND NEW residency.”
Per a press release, the new immersive show will be custom-designed for the Dolby Live stage.
Fans will feel like they are not just watching a performance, but are a part of it. Every guest will have an up-close and personal experience with Ursh, and the exclusive, only-in-Vegas spectacle will be filled with the multi-talented entertainer’s smash hits spanning his 20-year career.
Usher is slated to share new music with attendees as well.
Last year, the Grammy award-winning artist performed on roller skates for fans, brought out special guests like Diddy, Babyface, and Lil Jon, and even printed his own Usher Bucks for good measure.
In an interview with Billboard, Usher spoke about how and why Ush Bucks were created.
“The idea behind Usher Bucks was really as a way of promoting the residency. And since then, there has been more conversations, thus proving roads lead to Las Vegas,” he explained. “Stay tuned. We’ve been working on the merchandise for the night and that was the start of it.”
General ticket prices for Usher’s upcoming Las Vegas residency begin at $79. Fans will have the opportunity to purchase meet and greet packages and VIP seats.
Pre-sale tickets are available now and general tix go on sale to the public Friday, Feb. 25.
Jeffrey Epstein Associate, Jean Luc Brunel, Found Dead By Suicide In Prison
Disgraced modeling agent and Jeffrey Epstein associate Jean Luc Brunel has died by suicide in his prison cell Saturday night in Paris.
His death was confirmed by the Paris prosecutor’s office. They told ABC News that Brunel was found dead in his prison cell Saturday around 1:00 a.m. local time at La Sante Prison. Lawyers for Brunel also told the news site that Brunel died by suicide. However, the prosecutor’s office declined to confirm those details of Brunel’s death. He was awaiting trial in France.
The fashion agent was arrested at Charles de Gaulle airport in December 2020 while trying to fly to Senegal. He was suspected of being a member of infamous financier Jeffrey Epstein’s global underage sex ring. Brunel was eventually charged with rape of minors over the age of 15 and sexual harassment.
In a statement, Brunel’s lawyers said:
“[Brunel’s] distress (despair) was the one of a 75-year-old man who was destroyed by the judicial-media lynching and we should question it. Our client firmly asserted he never abused any women. He made multiple efforts to prove it. His decision was not led by a feeling of guilt but by a deep feeling of injustice,” Brunel’s attorneys Mathias Chichportich, Marianne Abgrall and Christophe Ingrain added.
This latest death attached to the big scandal sparks more conspiracy theories around the Epstein affair after the financier also died in prison while awaiting trial in what authorities concluded was a hanging.
The Cast Of “Martin” Reunites For A 30th Anniversary Tv Special
The previously no-way-it-would-happen Martin television show reunion is really on the way. Martin Lawrence, Tisha Campbell, Tichina Arnold, and Carl Anthony Payne II have reunited for the 30th anniversary tv special set to air on BET+.
Unfortunately we will all be missing the presence of Tommy, the funny best friend of Martin, Thomas Mikal Ford, who passed away in 2016 at age 52.
“Martin is one of the most beloved sitcoms in our community, both because it is hugely entertaining and because it played a pivotal role in changing the narrative of Black voices in entertainment and in culture through the portrayal of young, ambitious Black leads and healthy Black relationships,” said Scott Mills, CEO of BET.
Thirty years after it’s premiere the new special, as reported on Deadline, will look at the show’s origin and evolution. It will feature interviews with the cast and original directors. As well as musical performances and behind the scenes commentary. It will highlight the importance and impact of the show that shaped a generation.
“To be able to sit here thirty years later with this amazing cast that has had such an impact on pop culture is truly a blessing,” Martin Lawrence shared. “I am always humbled that the fans still want more of the show and its characters. I am looking forward to the reunion special.”
Martin and Gina back together on your television for the good of mankind. Tisha Campbell echoed the excitement in an instagram post captioned “Y’all ready?! We ARE!!!”
The Martin reunion is executive produced by Martin Lawrence, Robert Lawrence, Rae Proctor and Stacy Lyles through his company Run Tel Dat Entertainment.
The reunion special, hosted by Affion Crockett, is tapping today, February 20th. While a specific premiere date has not been confirmed by BET+ but is slated to air later this year. All five seasons of Martin are currently streaming on BET+.
Pistons Cade Cunningham Named MVP Of Rising Stars Challenge
2022 NBA All-Star Weekend got underway on Friday night with the Rising Stars Challenge. With a new format and a series of games, were four seven -man rosters coached by Hall of Famers Isiah Thomas, Rick Barry, James Worthy and Gary Payton.
When it was all said and done, Team Barry outlasted Team Thomas to win the 2022 Clorox Rising Stars Challenge with Detroit Pistons Cade Cunningham being named MVP.
“It was a lot of fun,” Cunningham said after claiming the event’s MVP award. “Great teammates, great coaches, great atmosphere … I had a good time,
Keke Wyatt Announces Her and Her Husband Are Expecting Baby No. 11
Keke Wyatt just announced she’s adding another addition to her family!
Kekeshared the exciting news on her Instagram with a series of pictures of her baby bump and her family.
“My husband, Zackariah David Darring and I are proud to announce that our family will be adding a “plus 1″ to the Wyatt Bunch!”
Together, the little one will be KeKe and her husband Zackariah’s second child. The couple welcomed their first child, Ke’Riah Darring, in January 2020. However, this baby will be making Keke a mom for the eleventh time.
Nevertheless, congratulations to Keke and Zackariah on their newest bundle of joy!
Queen Elizabeth II tests positive for COVID-19 with cold-like symptoms
Queen Elizabeth II has tested positive for COVID-19, Buckingham Palace announced Sunday.
The palace said Britain's longest reigning monarch, 95, is experiencing mild cold-like symptoms and that she expects to continue light duties at Windsor Castle over the coming week.
“She will continue to receive medical attention and will follow all the appropriate guidelines,” the palace said in a statement.
The queen is fully vaccinated, having received three shots of a coronavirus vaccine.
Earlier this month, Prince Charles tested positive for COVID-19. It was the second time he contracted it. Four days later, Duchess Camilla tested positive. Both are fully vaccinated and had received a booster shot.
The palace did not say whether either had recently met with the queen.
People in the U.K. who test positive for COVID are required to self-isolate for five days, a restriction that the British government intends to lift this week for England.
As the news spread, senior British politicians sent get-well messages. Prime Minister Boris Johnson tweeted: “I’m sure I speak for everyone in wishing Her Majesty The Queen a swift recovery from COVID and a rapid return to vibrant good health.” Opposition Labour Party leader Keir Starmer wished the queen "good health and a speedy recovery. Get well soon, Ma’am.”
In October, the queen spent a night in the hospital for unspecified "preliminary investigations" and after she "regretfully" canceled two other much-anticipated in-person appearance on doctors' orders, according to palace statements.
She then spent two weeks resting at Windsor Castle where she has mostly been living since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in spring 2020. She kept up with "light, desk-based duties."
The queen marked 70 years on the throne on Feb. 6. She was proclaimed queen on that date in 1952 when her father, King George VI, died at Sandringham, the monarch's estate in Norfolk, following surgery for lung cancer.
The palace released a new picture of the queen to commemorate the occasion, showing her smiling broadly and wearing a pale green dress, sitting in front of one of her red despatch boxes containing government papers, with a picture of her father by her side.
What's the difference between queen and 'Queen Consort'? Camilla's future title, explained
The day before, she held a low-key reception for locals and volunteer groups in the ballroom at Sandringham, where she cut a cake featuring the Platinum Jubilee emblem. Photos from the gathering show her smiling, joking and unmasked, wearing a pale blue dress embroidered with daisies at the waist, pearls and what appeared to be a platinum double flower brooch. She cut the cake while holding a walking cane, her ever-present black purse over her arm.
Her lengthy reign will be celebrated with a four-day Platinum Jubilee of parties, parades and pageants to begin June 2, when the weather is (usually) better.
The queen has a busy schedule of in-person engagements in the weeks ahead, including a diplomatic reception at Windsor Castle on March 2 and the Commonwealth Service at Westminster Abbey on March 14. On March 29, she has a remembrance service at Westminster for her husband Prince Philip, who died in April 2021 at age 99.
On the eve of the anniversary of her accession, the queen issued a message of gratitude to her people and to her family, and said for the first time that her "sincere wish" is that Duchess Camilla of Cornwall will be known as "Queen Consort" when Prince Charles succeeds her.
"And when, in the fullness of time, my son Charles becomes King, I know you will give him and his wife Camilla the same support that you have given me," her message read, according to the statement issued by Buckingham Palace. "And it is my sincere wish that, when that time comes, Camilla will be known as Queen Consort as she continues her own loyal service."
Her announcement about Camilla provided some finality to the longstanding question of what to call the former Camilla Parker Bowles, once so controversial for allegedly breaking up Charles' marriage to the late Princess Diana that she used the Duchess of Cornwall title instead of Princess of Wales.
The queen's jubilee arrives after a series of personal crises. Last week, her son Prince Andrew settled out of court with accuser Virginia Roberts Giuffre, who says she was sex trafficked to the prince by disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein when she was 17. Andrew, who has vigorously denied the allegations, agreed to pay an undisclosed sum and donate to Giuffre's charity in support of victims' rights.
The Duke of Edinburgh, the queen's husband of 73 years, died last spring at the height of the pandemic. Strict social distancing rules forced her to sit alone during the funeral service, a spectacle that touched many who had also suffered bereavement amid COVID.
AND FINALLY FROM “THE CRAZY PEOPLE SHOPPING AT WALMART” FILES
HE’D BE IN JAIL.
A man who is clearly not allowed within 500 feet of a child celebrates every holiday at once
HAVE A GREAT WEEK AHEAD ALL!!!
EFREM
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