Poor Little Reich Girl?
Countess Lara Cosima Henckel von Donnersmarck gleefully paraded her lavish Euro-nobility lifestyle to a huge TikTok following, until it was wrongly suggested her ancestors had helped the Nazis
Balancing the Court
Bryant Johnson, the go-to personal trainer for most of the Supreme Court’s liberal wing, looks back at his run at the nation’s most exclusive gym
Biting the Hand That Feeds You
With huge social-media followings, pet influencers—yes, that’s a thing—are landing big brand deals. The issue for agents: the animals’ catty owners
The Attention-Whore Index
Who will take the first title of the year? Nikki Haley? Jeff Koons? You-Know-Who? Plus, the world’s most delectable stories, collected for your reading pleasure!
An Almond a Day Keeps the Calories Away
How a dieting trend bred a generation of women with eating disorders—and mommy issues
Oh, Mon Depardieu!
Scores of sexual-harassment charges are finally catching up with France’s most decorated actor. And that’s when the culture wars stepped in
Jane Birkin
Born in England and adopted by France—the singer, model, and muse, as seen through the eyes of her longtime friend and compeer
Baroness Bra Comes Undone
Before Michelle Mone sat in the House of Lords, she made a fortune in lingerie. Now that she’s accused of selling defective P.P.E. to the government, gravity is working against her
The View from Here
In Putin’s Russia, the only way that women are equal to men is in the brutality of their punishments
The View from Here
Growing up Greek in New York City was a double-edged sword—pride in one’s ancestry mixed with fear of the fez
The Attention Whore of the Year Awards
Harry? Donald? Elon? Meghan? Whom did you choose as the biggest swanker, windbag, and blatherskite of 2023?
By Hook or by Crook
David Henty can mimic Picasso, Monet, Modigliani, Caravaggio, Basquiat, and more. The ex-convict may be the world’s greatest art forger, and he has the plaque to prove it
Burn After Watching
How a flamboyant Frenchman who rose to fame for restoring lost film classics—and burning old film onstage to impress audiences—ended up on trial for manslaughter
Taliban Fanboys
“Lord Miles” is a twice-captured, twice-rescued danger tourist seeking to monetize his cozy ties to the terrorist rulers of Afghanistan
The View from Here
From Kabul’s Serena to Jerusalem’s King David, war hotels have long served as headquarters and havens for international journalists. In the war in Ukraine, the Kharkiv Palace is the new gathering place
The View from Here
A veteran comedy writer is suddenly rendered speechless
The Attention-Whore Index
Can a weeping Kim Jong Un defeat a cheering Shohei Ohtani? Not if Elon Musk and his conspiracies have anything to do with it. Plus, bizarre news from around the world
Al Jaffee
The ingenious Mad-magazine cartoonist was as quick-witted and irreverent in person as he was on paper
Drawing a Blank
Fergie guest-hosts the ill-fated British chat show This Morning, offering underwhelming relationship advice and struggling to read the teleprompter
I Was a Trump Ghostwriter
Back in the 1990s, when Donald Trump was still in his larval stage, it was almost possible to feel sorry for him
The Attention-Whore Index
So-called racist royals and a disloyal ambassador vie with Donald Trump and his recurring dishwasher obsession. Who is demanding the most of your attention? Plus: the world’s strangest stories, collected for you!
Marina Cicogna
The Italian countess transcended her gilded background to become Europe’s first major female film producer
The Whole $59 Million Yards
Dress by Dior and music by Maroon 5—yes, the viral “wedding of the century” was between a car dealer’s daughter and her 29-year-old groom facing serious jail time
When the Penguins Went Red
Thirty years ago, the owners of the Pittsburgh Penguins decided to bet big on Moscow’s legendary Red Army hockey team. What came next was both a miracle and a nightmare
