And just like that, Love Island USA is over for the summer. While it feels like this season has run for 100 years and 5,000 episodes, the Islanders actually only spent 32 days inside their Fijian villa. On last night’s finale, after 35 episodes, frontrunners Bryce Dettloff and Trinity Tatum were voted by America as the winners of Season 8. A win for “Brinity” never seemed in doubt, though. The couple partnered up immediately and coasted to the $100,000 check, even as the chaos of Casa Amor and various dumpings swirled around them. Now, after a month of daily episodes, our evenings are finally free again (at least until the reunion).

While he never made it to the villa, Jurassic Park star Sam Neill certainly knew what it was like to spend time trapped on an island with volatile creatures. On Sunday night, the New Zealand actor’s family announced that he had died. While Neill had previously battled cancer, his death, at age 78, was “sudden and unexpected” given that he was cancer-free at the time. While he was certainly most well known (especially to Millennials) for playing Dr. Alan Grant in several Jurassic Park films, he also starred in Dead Calm, The Hunt for Red October, The Piano, and Peaky Blinders. RIP to one of the legends of my childhood.

This weekend also brought the 2026 Wimbledon Championships to an end, with Italian Jannik Sinner and Czech Linda Nosková taking home the men’s and women’s titles. As someone who only watches tennis as an excuse to drink an Aperol Spritz on an outdoor patio, I was more interested in the celebs in the audience, who included Kate Middleton along with Prince George and Princess Charlotte. Prince George has seemingly grown two feet overnight, and endured the heat in a full suit and tie like a champ.

And speaking of young royalty…

Update On My Close Personal Friends - Jay-Z treats fans to an array of special guests

Across the pond, America’s closest thing to a royal family, the Carters, took the stage at Yankee Stadium as a part of Jay-Z’s 3-night concert series celebrating the 30th anniversary of his debut album Reasonable Doubt. On night one, Jay-Z not only brought out his wife, Beyoncé, but also his daughter Blue Ivy Carter, who took the opportunity to flex on the haters yet again. After busting out her dance moves on two tours with her mother, the 14-year-old showed off her piano skills while Jay-Z performed “Feelin’ It.”

Jay-Z wasn’t stingy with the guest performances, either. On night two, he welcomed Eminem to the stage, before rounding out night three with Beyoncé, Teyana Taylor, and Rihanna. RiRi performances are rare these days, so snagging her for a “Run This Town” duet was certainly a coup for Mr. Carter. While on stage, she said, “Oh my God, I missed this sh*t y’all!” so let’s PRAY that this experience will push her back into the recording studio. We need new music that’s not for a movie soundtrack.

Be So For Real - Taylor Swift paid $160,000 for wedding permits

How much does it cost to shut down New York City? Apparently, over $160,000. At a recent press conference, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani was asked whether Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce would pay the city for closing several city blocks around Madison Square Garden on their wedding day, as well as for the numerous city police officers assigned for security.

“Taylor Swift has paid already the cost of the permit that was lodged, which was over $160,000 for the event and for the response to that event,” Mamdani said. “That was a permit that was finalized, I think, in just the days before the event itself.”

When you think of wedding vendors, you don’t often think of the NYPD, but apparently that was a six-figure line item for T&T.

Current Hyperfixation - Collin Gosselin is besties with Alexia Umansky

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The world of reality TV is a strange place filled with all manner of unexpected connections. Not only did we learn this weekend that Love Island winner Bryce has been friends with Glee stars Chris Colfer and Kevin McHale for years, but also that Collin Gosselin, one of the eight kids who grew up on Jon & Kate Plus 8, is friends with Alexia Umansky, the daughter of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills stars Kyle Richards and Mauricio Umansky.

Collin, who is releasing a bombshell memoir about his parents Kate and Jon Gosselin, posted a picture with Alexia on Instagram Friday with the caption, “Went for the pasta [pasta emoji] stayed for the good laughs and conversation. So good catching up with friends over dinner in LA!!” Alexia then reposted the image to her story, along with a shout-out to Collin’s upcoming book, In the Shadow of Eight, which comes out on October 13. It remains unclear how Collin and Alexia know each other, but they have both been on reality TV since childhood.

Another question I have is, given that Alexia is rumored to be on the Next Gen NYC spinoff Next Gen LA, could we see Collin pop up there as well? Only time will tell.