By Wonderwall.com Editors
9:23am PST, Dec 2, 2019
Do you remember your first post on Instagram? We're willing to bet it wasn't received with as much fanfare as Jennifer Aniston's first photo on the social media site! The actress joined Instagram in October 2019 with one of the most epic selfies the platform has ever seen — a "Friends" reunion shot featuring all of her old co-stars. The post was so popular that it actually crashed her page! Jen scored more than 8 million followers within a day and set a Guinness World Record for reaching a million followers on the platform faster than anyone (she hit the mark in just five hours and 16 minutes).
Leave it to Jennifer Lopez to get Joanna Gaines to commit to an assignment outside of Waco, Texas. (She and husband Chip Gaines work exclusively near their home so that they can be close to their five children.) A month after the singer-actress, who's a major fan of "Fixer Upper," revealed that boyfriend Alex Rodriguez surprised her on their second anniversary by getting Joanna to chat with her on FaceTime to offer some tips on how to fix up a property they recently purchased in Malibu, J.Lo and the HGTV star were photographed inspecting the beachfront pad as a camera crew rolled. "Joanna is going to help Jennifer remodel her home. Jennifer wanted to walk the space with Joanna in person," said an "Entertainment Tonight" source. "It was really just an opportunity for them to walk the space together and for Joanna to hear Jennifer's vision for the space." The insider added that, for now, "there truly is no formal plan for any of the footage" but it "could possibly end up" on the new network Joanna and Chip are launching in 2020.
RELATED: The business of being Chip and Joanna Gaines
If you earned a million dollars, what would be your first splurge be — a new car? A house? Proving that celebrities truly are not like the rest of us, Oprah Winfrey recently revealed that her first big purchase after she earned her first $1 million was… towels! "I love great towels. Towels that are so big and fluffy you could wrap yourself, your whole body in them," she said in a video for O, The Oprah Magazine. As for the brand? Oprah said they were Ralph Lauren.
Martha Stewart left the Internet shook when she revealed her hack for making scrambled eggs using a cappuccino maker in a video shared by the Food Network on Facebook in January. "It steams the eggs into the softest, fluffiest scrambled eggs," she said while demonstrating how to prepare the breakfast staple using the cappuccino maker's steam wand. Yes, Martha, because we all have our own cappuccino maker at home…
Celine Dion revealed to late-night host James Corden on a May 2019 "Carpool Karaoke" segment that she has perhaps 10,000 pairs of shoes stored in a warehouse in Las Vegas. Though she didn't want to volunteer just how many she owns, he pushed until she gave up that estimation. And it turns out a warehouse isn't actually the only place she's stored her footwear: Celine explained that at her old home in Florida, she had a computer system that opened doors and turned shelves to show off all her footwear options so she could choose. And in front of that closet, she had a counter made of glass and crushed diamonds — "not real diamonds," Celine noted, "just to make sure that you don't think I'm that loco."
MailOnline reported on April 4 that Kensington Palace dropped nearly $20K on around 600 Laurel hedges to block tourists and paparazzi from photographing Prince William and Duchess Kate as they leave their royal residence via helicopter. (The royal helicopter lands in the massive field at Kensington Palace almost daily.) The row of bushes, which reportedly spans 950 feet, will take a few years to grow tall enough to completely obscure the view of the Cambridges' home.
Supermodels certainly aren't like us mere mortals. Naomi Campbell proved her continuing supermodel status at the 2019 Met Gala when she arrived with her very own human wind machine. Yes, the legendary diva came equipped with an assistant carrying a "large rectangular piece of plastic," according to Page Six, which he used to direct a stream of air in Naomi's direction as she posed for pictures, creating the perfect movement as photographers snapped away.
On the April 2 episode of "The Ellen DeGeneres Show," Woody Harrelson dished on a recent vacation in France with superstar pals including longtime bestie Matthew McConaughey, Chris Rock, Bono, Sacha Baron Cohen and Isla Fisher. "We all kind of ran into each other, you know, just moseying around France," joked the Oscar-nominated actor. "No, we were in the South of France at Bono's," he clarified — not that that's any less impressive! "I take a friendship tour pretty much every year," he continued. "I thought about calling it 'a bender where I leech off my rich friends,' but I thought, nah, 'friendship tour' — it's better. … You just go and stay at their house and drink." What a dream!
On the April 14 episode of "CBS Sunday Morning," Kris Jenner revealed that her daughters make six figures posting about various products and brands on social media. "My daughters are constantly getting offers to post something for a company or a brand on social media," she said, explaining that the women have different fees based on which social media platform they're posting on and whether the sponsored post is going on a story, which disappears after 24 hours, or a page. "It's definitely six figures," she said, adding that daughters Kim Kardashian West and Kylie Jenner have the highest fees and that the price goes up if the sponsored product is "a pharmaceutical product — if it's something that you're going to drink, or ingest, or put on your body" … like weight-loss shakes, for example.
According to the March 2019 issue of Entrepreneur magazine, which hit the Internet on Feb. 26, "Property Brothers" stars Drew Scott and Jonathan Scott made more than half a billion dollars in sales in 2018. "There are probably less than 100 actors who make more than we do across our empire," Jonathan bragged to Entrepreneur. "We thought it was the bee's knees to be a successful actor, but pursuing that would have never opened up this world to us." The magazine detailed their various business ventures, which include six HGTV shows, a production company, a furniture and home decorating line, books and an upcoming FOX sitcom based on their lives.
Did you go to your 20-year high school reunion? Chances are, even if you did, you didn't get the reception Chris Evans got! The "Avengers: Endgame" star headed back to his hometown in Massachusetts for the event in May on the same weekend his movie became the second-highest grossing film of all time. A manager at the restaurant where the reunion took place told Boston.com that Chris was having fun and that "many people wanted to take pictures with him."
There were very few people outside of the cast and crew of "Game of Thrones" who know how the hit HBO fantasy-drama ended before it finally concluded on May 19. One of them happened to be Sophie Turner's love, Joe Jonas. The actress told "Entertainment Tonight" on March 29 that her beau spent so much time on set while she was shooting the eighth and final season of the beloved series that "he kind of figured" out what happens and asked her to fill him in. After Sophie spilled the beans, Joe signed a non-disclosure agreement to legally bar him from divulging any on-set secrets.
No gift cards for Goop! Gwyneth Paltrow's Mother's Day Gift Guide hit the Internet in April, and it was chock-full of all the out-of-touch recommendations we'd expect from our favorite over-the-top Oscar winner. Among the most extravagant items on the list, which would set you back more than $82K in total, were a $15,500 Hermès bag, a $3,750 Chanel purse, a $356 tablecloth, an $88 leather memo envelope, a $5,490 heart pendant necklace, a $2,140 ring and a $1,220 stainless steel casserole dish.
Everything Kim Kardashian West touches turns to gold. The most recent example of this? Her SKIMS Solutionwear line that launched in September 2019 sold $2 million worth of product in just a few minutes. Traffic to the SKIMS site was so massive that right before the sale was scheduled to go live, Kim's team actually had to delay the launch for an hour to make sure the site could handle all the customers. The successful start is reminiscent of her KKW Beauty line launch back in 2017 when she sold $14.4 million worth of product and sold out in less than three hours.
Most ladies dream of a Birkin bag — the crème de la crème of designer bags. But if you're Cardi B, a Birkin bag is just one small part of your Mother's Day gift. Yep, husband Offset bestowed wife Cardi B with not one but two Birkin bags for the holiday and also added a diamond watch and dozens of rose bouquets to the mix for an incredibly over-the-top first Mother's Day gift in 2019.
The Sun reported on March 27 that Ed Sheeran has dropped more than $54 million on real estate in the past seven years. According to the British tabloid, he's picked up eight flats, six houses and a restaurant in the London area through his company, Maverick Properties, which he launched with his manager four years ago. So, you know, if his career as the top-earning solo artist in the world ever fizzles out…
The perks of being a royal! When it came time for Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan to renovate their new home, Frogmore Cottage, it was British taxpayers who footed the bill. The public covered $3.06 million of the couple's upgrades, though they didn't have to pay for everything. When it came time to add "fixtures and fittings" to the five-bedroom home near Windsor Castle, Harry and Meghan picked up the tab.
Celebrities have deep pockets — and sometimes, they put them to good use! Hugh Jackman did just that in May when he gave a homeless man 100 British pounds while out in Glasgow, Scotland. A witness spotted the star not only offering some help in the form of cash but also inviting the guy for a meal at a fancy restaurant after the two got to know each other.
In other royal vacay news… In July 2019, Prince William and Duchess Kate reportedly dropped around $68K on a two-week stay at the Villa Antilles in the Endeavor Hills on the Caribbean island of Mustique. The duo — along with their three kids and Kate's parents — enjoyed the property's many star-worthy features, including a 60-foot infinity pool overlooking the ocean, a private garden, an al fresco dining space and in-house staff including a chef, a housekeeper and a butler.
While we're lucky if our husbands remember to make reservations, Dwayne Johnson's wife has the luxury of knowing her hubby can shut down an entire restaurant so they can have a meal together. The Rock took over a restaurant in Hawaii at the end of August in order to have a very private meal with his new wife, then took to Instagram to share the experience, which he called "wildly surreal" because he was able to "sit in the middle of a restaurant undisturbed, eat, have drinks, watch TV's [sic] above the bar and just relax and enjoy company" for the first time in public in years. For good measure the superstar added that he would "never complain about fame" but just wanted to share that it was "nice" to "steal a moment in public like this."
Grace Jones might have turned 70 in 2018, but that didn't stop her from walking the runway — or, rather, dancing down the runway — and totally stealing the spotlight at the Zendaya x Tommy Hilfiger presentation during Paris Fashion Week on March 2. The model-actress flaunted her ridiculously fit figure in a gold bodysuit with a high neckline, which she wore with a multi-color jacket and over-the-knee boots — sans bottoms, of course! Can you even imagine stepping out on the public stage in an outfit like that at age 70?!
If you think it's stressful hosting friends from out of town for a weekend visit, just imagine this… In mid-August 2019, Elton John and husband David Furnish hosted longtime friend Prince Harry, his wife Duchess Meghan and their new son, Archie, for a "private stay" at their home in Nice, France. The royal family made headlines because they arrived via an expensive private jet that many critics assumed was paid for by the palace, but on Aug. 19, 2019, Elton took to Twitter to explain that he'd footed the bill: "After a hectic year continuing their hard work and dedication to charity, David and I wanted the young family to have a private holiday inside the safety and tranquility of our home. To maintain a high level of much-needed protection, we provided them with a private jet flight," Elton tweeted.
Busy Philipps turned 40 in June 2019 and celebrated with an extravagant beach vacation she described as a "destination wedding (to myself)." So what, exactly, did these festivities entail? A $1,600 dress by the brand Zimmermann, for one, plus time in one of the star's self-described "favorite places in the world" — Flora Farms in San Jose del Cabo, Mexico — where dozens of her closest friends partied all night.
Halsey took to her Instagram Story on April 21 to reveal how she celebrated Easter: "I hid a couple grand in Easter eggs in the yard," she wrote across a video showing her friends impatiently waiting for the Easter egg hunt to begin. We hope her pals realize how lucky they are!
Can you imagine taking home $8M for just a few hours of work? According to Variety, that's how much Ariana Grande scored to headline the final nights of both weekends of Coachella 2019: April 14 and April 21. She also made history as the star-studded music festival's youngest-ever headliner.
When it came time for David Beckham and Victoria Beckham to celebrate their 20th wedding anniversary on July 4, 2019, they spent it like any other world-famous, stunningly beautiful and successful couple would — they took a private tour of Versailles! Yep, the British stars headed to France to tour the palace, where they sipped champagne and wandered the grounds before heading into Paris for a romantic dinner at one of the top restaurants in the world, Guy Savoy.
Sometimes stars use their otherworldly bank accounts for good. In July 2019, The Hollywood Reporter revealed that Oprah Winfrey donated $22.5 million in company stock to her Oprah Winfrey Charitable Foundation, the organization that supports her Leadership Academy in South Africa.
How extra was Orlando Bloom's Valentine's Day proposal to Katy Perry? So extra! The singer revealed on the Feb. 25 episode of "Jimmy Kimmel Live" that the actor popped the question during a helicopter ride over Los Angeles. Recalled the chart-topper, "Actually, the funny part is we had champagne in the helicopter and the [ring] box was in his pocket and he had written down everything he wanted to say in a note to divert [my attention]. He was gonna pull [the ring] out while I'm reading it. So I'm reading it, but I'm hearing the champagne is broken, the bottle is everywhere, and I'm still looking at the note because he's pulling out this box that's too big for his coat pocket and it rips his coat pocket and his elbow goes into the champagne, and I'm like, 'No, I'm just reading the note. I know you're not doing anything.'" After Orlando asked Katy to be his wife, the helicopter landed on the rooftop of a building in downtown Los Angeles, where the "American Idol" judge's friends and family were waiting to surprise her. "He did so well," Katy gushed. Indeed!
Want a beauty tip from Dolly Parton? Sleep with your makeup on! You heard right — despite hearing our whole lives from beauty experts that you must wash off your makeup before bed, this superstar claims she waits until the morning to clean her face. She told The New York Times about her routine in June 2019 and had a pretty interesting reason that really only applies to celebs: "I clean my face in the mornings. You never know if you're going to wreck the bus, you never know if you're going to be somewhere in a hotel and there's going to be a fire. So I leave my makeup on at night and clean my face in the morning."
Aaron Paul proved that stars are nothing like us when it comes to throwing 40th birthday parties. The actor shelled out a reported $300,000 to ring in his milestone 40th b-day in the Dominican Republic alongside wife Lauren Paul, "Breaking Bad" co-star Bryan Cranston and other pals. The group stayed at the Ani Private Resorts Dominican Republic estate for 12 nights and enjoyed activities like swimming, snorkeling and kayaking during the getaway.
Even in prison, celebs stick together. On the April 10 episode of "The Jenny McCarthy Show," Pauly D said that "Jersey Shore" co-star Mike "The Situation" Sorrentino became friends with disgraced Fyre Festival mastermind Billy McFarland while serving time behind bars. "They play Scrabble together," revealed the reality TV star, who said that The Situation also crossed paths with the hacker responsible for leaking nude photos of some of Hollywood's biggest stars including Jennifer Lawrence.
Jennifer Lopez celebrated her 50th b-day in July 2019 with a wedding-sized bash for 250 guests at Emilio Estefan and Gloria Estefan's mansion on Star Island in Miami. She also celebrated with a lavish gift from fiancé Alex Rodriguez: a red 2019 Porsche 911 GT3 convertible. The superstar took out her new whip — which reportedly starts somewhere in the neighborhood of $120,700 — for a test run on July 24, and according to a video A-Rod posted on YouTube five days later, it was the first time the superstar had driven a car in 25 years! After her beau revealed her surprise gift, J.Lo exclaimed, "Oh my God, I'm gonna have to drive? … I've never driven a car like that. … I've never driven a car period!" (Hey, if she doesn't want the car, we'd be happy to take it off her hands!)
According to TMZ, Drake and Adele dropped some extra cash to bowl in peace with a few friends in mid-February. The duo reportedly rented out an entire bowling alley in the Los Angeles area as part of their platonic night out on the town. Their evening also included dinner at Jerry's Famous Deli and a visit to a vape lounge.
Woody Harrelson stopped by "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" in October 2019 and chatted about his summer vacation, sharing a pretty incredible story about whose clothing he got to wear to Wimbledon in July. While spending time in England with friend Olivia Harrison, the widow of Beatles guitarist George Harrison, Woody realized he hadn't brought a suit with him to wear to the tennis championships — so Olivia lent him one that had belonged to her late husband, and it fit like a glove.
The Hispanic Federation and the Flamboyan Arts Fund announced on April 8 that Oprah Winfrey pledged to donate a cool $2 million to hurricane recovery efforts in Puerto Rico. "I wanted to join in the revitalization efforts of an island so rich in culture, beauty and heritage," said the media mogul. Half of the donation will reportedly go toward long-term recovery needs, and the other half will go toward preserving arts and culture on the island.
Imagine having the power to revive a small business! Kacey Musgraves used her massive fame for good in late August while on tour in Los Angeles. The star stopped by a tiny store called Tom's One Hour Photo in L.A.'s Koreatown where she heard how the owner's business had slowed in recent years because of the rise of digital photos, so she helped launch an Instagram account for the place, sparking some serious attention that was focused on the small business. The shop's new Instagram account quickly accrued more than 75,000 followers and Kacey updated fans to let them know that Tom's business was booming.
Bella Thorne revealed in mid-January that her six-bedroom home in Los Angeles — dubbed the Trippy Twins Fun House — is now available to rent as a shooting location. "Welcome to my crib! Whether you are looking for an interesting tour in LA, throwing a party, or need a location for your photo or film production, we are here to serve you!" she wrote on her home's official Instagram account. Page Six reported on Feb. 12 that the actress planned to offer guided tours of her home — which she bought in late 2016 with the money she made from endorsement deals on social media — for $50 per person. Those looking for more than a quick trip to the "fun house" can rent the property for $150 an hour for a film shoot or $250 an hour for a photo shoot, though a video shoot longer than six hours will set you back $4,000. Bella also offered a catering package.
On March 21, Alex Rodriguez took to Instagram to show off the handwritten note President Barack Obama sent him and Jennifer Lopez to congratulate them on their engagement. "This means the world to us," the former baseball star captioned a photo of the letter, which read, "Jennifer & Alex — Michelle and I just wanted to congratulate you on your engagement. After 26 years together, we can say that whatever challenges life may bring, sharing them with someone you love makes it all better." Talk about friends in high places!
Another star who invested in her own birthday this year? Katy Perry, who celebrated her 35th birthday in October 2019 by bringing 64 friends and family members to Egypt. Those lucky guests were treated to an all-expenses-paid 10-day vacation that saw them riding camels and watching the sun rise over the pyramids. It's good to be Katy's friend!
Postmates revealed in late January that Kylie Jenner spent $10K on the app-based delivery service last year. On average, she uses Postmates every other day. She also holds the unofficial record for most Postmates orders in a 10-minute window (four). The makeup mogul relies on Postmates for everything from coffee and alcohol to meals and ingredients, and she once ordered a single carrot from Bristol Farms.
According to fashion blog LoveThe Sales.com, which kept tabs on every public appearance Duchess Meghan made from the time she announced her pregnancy until she retreated from the spotlight to give birth in early 2019, Prince Harry's wife spent more than $637K on her maternity wardrobe. On average, each of her maternity looks — including jewelry — has cost a little more than $8K. That's reportedly seven times what her sister-in-law, Duchess Kate, spent on her pregnancy wardrobe.
According to E! News, Kevin Hunter dropped $40K at Flawless Jewelry on a custom diamond-encrusted Frank Muller watch for Wendy Williams on March 28 — exactly two weeks before she filed for divorce after more than two decades of marriage.
This one comes as no surprise: When tapped with curating a gift guide for Father's Day for ex Kourtney Kardashian's Poosh website, Scott Disick came up with an over-the-top list. Among the items? An $89 three-pack of plain T-shirts, a $600 caviar set, a $1,000 set of knives, a $3,025 Bottega Veneta briefcase and a $10,500 office lounger. This reality TV family is truly nothing like the rest of us.
Matt Damon is the proud new owner of the most expensive condo in Brooklyn. Curbed reported on Jan. 2 that the Oscar winner dropped $16.75 million on the six-bedroom penthouse apartment in the former Standish Arms Hotel. It reportedly features white oak flooring, a kitchen decked out with Italian Carrara marble slab countertops and mosaic-tiled master bathrooms.
A rep for "Fixer Upper" couple Chip and Joanna Gaines confirmed in late February that the pair had bought the 106-year-old Cottonland Castle in Waco, Texas. "For nearly two decades, Chip and Joanna Gaines have admired the property as a hallmark of the Castle Heights neighborhood — they've even made past attempts to purchase it," said the rep. "The property is an iconic piece of Waco's history and while specific plans have not yet been determined, one thing is for certain: Their efforts will focus on fully completing the home's long overdue and well-deserved restoration." According to the Waco Tribune-Herald, the 6,700-square-foot property was listed at $425,000 and has changed hands several times over the years — partly because it's so costly to maintain. It's unclear how much exactly Chip and Joanna ultimately dropped on the pricey pad.
We know J.Lo's love don't cost a thing, but her overalls are a different story! In September 2019, the star stepped out in a pair of white overalls by Brunello Cucinelli that have an insane price tag of $1,235. Yep, that's more than a thousand dollars for a pair of plain white overalls. The singer-actress rocked the ridiculously expensive piece of clothing with a simple black tank top underneath.
How did Angela Bassett ring in her 61st birthday? Well, it wasn't like a regular 61 year old, that's for sure! The star blew out candles on a broccoli cake — a pile of broccoli with a candle in the middle — that she confessed on "The Late Late Show" was "not the best ever." But maybe that's why she looks so great for her age?
In July 2019, The Mail on Sunday reported that in new book "Friends with Benefits," New York Times bestselling author Ian Halperin detailed Jennifer Aniston's $242K-per-year "inner and outer health" regimen, which reportedly includes therapy, yoga and laser skin resurfacing. According to the British tabloid, the writer alleged that the actress spends more than $1,500 per month on her skincare regimen, which includes high-end facial oils and serums. She reportedly spends nearly $1K per session to have her hair highlighted and drops nearly $4K per month on her trainer — her diet coach costs about the same per month. "Six figures a year are spent on clothes and even greater sums on travel, which Aniston believes is 'key to staying young and curious,'" wrote the tabloid.
Most of us rescue our four-legged friends, but Justin Bieber didn't feel so inclined when adding two new cats to his family with wife Hailey Bieber. The pop star bought two exotic Savannah cats he named Sushi and Tuna for a pretty unbelievable price tag: According to PETA — which in October 2019 criticized the pop star for his outrageous animal purchase from an Illinois breeder — Justin paid $35,000 for the pair.
If you're a famous face, you can recruit other famous faces to surprise your loved ones. Case in point: Adam Sandler's daughter Sadie celebrated her bat mitzvah in early 2019, and the star tapped pal Adam Levine — last minute, no less — to come sing some songs for her big party. Adam opened up about it to "Entertainment Tonight" in June, sharing that all he had to do was send a text. "He's just such a good dude," Adam gushed of the Maroon 5 frontman. "I texted him, he responded right away, and said, 'Yeah, I'll come by.'" It helped that Adam is a Los Angeles local and was in town. "He grew up out here, he used to go to bar mitzvahs at this place we did it at, and he swung by, did three songs and the crowd, of every age, was going crazy — kids, adults," Adam said.
Now this is over the top! TheJasmineBrand revealed that Tyler Perry Studios' splashy opening extravaganza in October 2019 cost its namesake star $16 million. What exactly was included in that hefty price tag? Tyler reportedly covered travel expenses to Georgia and accommodations for all the A-list stars in attendance — like Oprah Winfrey, Beyonce, Halle Berry and more — which included chartering private planes. He also shelled out for more than 100 chandeliers, bought $700,000 worth of carpeting and lighting and threw a fireworks show that cost $1 million. He also paid a pretty penny to have Jennifer Hudson and Mary J. Blige perform at the big event. Wow!
According to Australia's The Daily Telegraph, Kendall Jenner banked somewhere north of $500K — which one source described as "an under-estimate" — to make an appearance at the opening of a new Tiffany and Co. store in Sydney on April 4. She reportedly spent less than 24 hours Down Under — meaning she spent more time traveling to and from Australia than she actually spent in the country.
Adam Levine pocketed more than $1M after his used Mercedes sold at a Sotheby's auction in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, in late March. To be fair, though, it wasn't just any Mercedes but a 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Gullwing with only 51,000 miles on the odometer. The extremely rare ride — only 1,400 were made between 1954 and 1963 — originally sold for just $11,000.
On the Aug. 15, 2019, episode of "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert," Kirsten Dunst revealed that she couldn't hold Ennis, her son with partner Jesse Plemons, on Sundays because of her job playing a woman who works at a Florida waterpark on the Showtime series "On Becoming a God in Central Florida." Why, exactly? "I had a spray tan every Sunday for this role," she said. "I remember Monday morning my mother-in-law is texting me. She's like, 'I think Ennis has a little bit of brown, reddish hair coming in right here!' I was like, 'Lisa, that's my spray tan!' So on Sundays, I couldn't hold my kid. … I couldn't put him to bed on Sunday nights because I would just get spray tan all over him!" Only in Hollyweird!
While most people waited in long drive-thru lines at Popeyes to give the fast food joint's new chicken sandwich a try, stars like Diplo got extra-special treatment. The chain heard that the DJ-producer wanted to try the hard-to-get menu item so execs sent a private jet filled with the sandwiches in his direction. Diplo took to Instagram to reveal the elaborate stunt, adding, "Wendy's your move," to a photo caption, alluding to the social media feud between the two restaurants. No word on what this fancy delivery service cost the food chain (or if there were any apologies for all those carbon emissions).
What celebrity do you most associate with the Juicy tracksuits trend of the aughts? If you said Paris Hilton, you'll be glad to know the star owns more than 100 Juicy Couture tracksuits to this day. She told The Guardian in October 2019 that she has one in every color, noting, "That's my uniform when I'm chilling at home or going to the beach — anything that doesn't involve a red carpet." Glad to see some things never change!
During a joint interview with W magazine that hit the Internet on Feb. 8, Barbara Palvin and Dylan Sprouse revealed that they had their first date in China six months after meeting at a party in New York. After following each other on Instagram, the former child star slid into the Victoria's Secret model's DMs, but he didn't hear back from her until six months later … after he'd traveled to China for a six-month movie shoot. Barbara was also due in China for work, but when her gig fell through, she decided to meet Dylan there anyway. Can you imagine traveling halfway around the world for someone you've only met once?!
Need more proof that Ed Sheeran is nothing like us? The Sun reported on July 21, 2019, that in an effort to curb noise complaints, the singer-songwriter dropped $5 million to snap up two properties next door to his $24.7 million home in London, as well as the apartment above the Fat Punt, the new restaurant, bar and music venue he owns in London's Notting Hill neighborhood.
When the Jonas Brothers hit No. 1 with "Sucker," their first single following a six-year hiatus, Nick Jonas celebrated by dropping $200K on a new Mercedes-Maybach for his new bride, Priyanka Chopra. "When the hubby goes number one.. the wifey gets a @maybach!! Introducing…Extra Chopra Jonas…haha…I love you baby!! Yaaay! Best husband ever," the actress captioned a slideshow of photos showing off her new ride on Instagram in mid-March.
In real estate news, TMZ reported on April 1 that 50 Cent sold his 50,000-square-foot, 21-bedroom, 25-bathroom Connecticut super-mansion for $3 million and then donated the entire haul to his G-Unity Foundation, which supports non-profit organizations that focus on low-income and underserved communities. The extremely impressive pad reportedly features nine kitchens, an outdoor infinity pool and grotto, an indoor pool, a helicopter pad, a casino, a nightclub, basketball courts and a pond.
Simon Cowell dropped big bucks on his little one's birthday party this year. According to The Sun, he spent nearly $40K on son Eric's "The Greatest Showman"-themed 5th birthday bash at the Mandarin Oriental hotel in London on Feb. 16. "Simon spared no expense in making sure it was the perfect occasion for little Eric. The kids got to sing their favorite songs from the film and the whole place was decked out just like the circus," said a spy. "Everyone was joking that Simon was like Hugh Jackman's character because he was the ringmaster. Loads of celebrities were invited with their families and Eric's own friends came too."
TMZ reported on March 11 that Kim Kardashian West recently committed to paying a stranger's rent for the next five years after she caught wind of his story on Twitter. Matthew Charles — who served 20 years of a 35-year sentence for non-violent drug and weapons charges — was released early under new prison reform laws, a cause that's near and dear to the reality star's heart, but was unable to secure housing for himself due to his record. That's when Kim stepped in to help.
Taking your dog to a restaurant with an outdoor patio is one thing, but letting your dog sit with you at the table inside one of New York City's hottest dinner spots is an entirely different matter! Justin Theroux did just that at the Waverly Inn on Feb. 17. "Date Night at the Waverly… Lady and Tramp-ing," he captioned an Instagram video showing his rescue Pitbull, Kuma, swiping a french fry from right out of his mouth during their night out on the town. It's not only time the actor has brought his four-legged friend along to a NYC hotspot. Recently, Kuma joined Justin during a photo shoot for Nobleman Magazine at Midtown's Fine & Rare, during which the restaurant's owner, Tommy Tardie, reportedly gifted them a $1,273 bottle of Yamazaki 18 for their next visit. Lucky pup!
Imagine renting a $6.5 million penthouse apartment in New York City. For most of us, that's probably not a reality. Now imagine letting your pet bunny have free reign in this luxurious space, doing its business as it pleased. That's what allegedly went down in Constance Wu's rented space this spring according to Page Six, which reported that the "Fresh Off the Boat" star allowed her rabbit, Lida Rose, to pee and poop wherever it wanted to — resulting in some serious problems for the apartment's cleaning lady and owner. Yikes!
The Tennessee Equality Project announced on April 8 that Taylor Swift recently donated $113K to their cause, which fights anti-LGBTQ legislation in Tennessee. "I'm writing you to say that I'm so inspired by the work you do, specifically in organizing the recent petition of Tennessee faith leaders standing up against the 'State of Hate' in our state legislature," the pop star said in a handwritten letter shared by the organization on Facebook. "Please convey my heartfelt thanks to them and accept this donation to support the work you do and these leaders are doing. I'm so grateful that they're giving all people a place to worship."
Blue Ivy Carter is just 7 years old and she already has a hit single: Beyonce and JAY-Z's firstborn child landed on the Billboard Hot 100 during the first week of August 2019 with "Brown Skin Girl," a song from her mom's "The Lion King" companion album, "The Lion King: The Gift." Blue is credited as a songwriter and featured vocalist on the track, which peaked at No. 76 on the chart.
Andy Cohen's son, Benjamin Allen, arrived on Feb. 4. Just four days later, it was time for baby's first ride on a private jet. The Bravo star took to Instagram to share a photo of himself and his newborn baby boy modeling his new "#DadGear" while aboard a private plane.
Britney Spears infuriated fans on Aug. 15, 2019, when she took to Instagram to show off a pair of $6,000 Christian Louboutin heels that she's never even worn before: "Four years ago I bought my first pair of Christian Louboutin snakeskin heels that were 6,000 dollars …. PS I've never worn them!!!!" she wrote in the caption. Can you imagine spending that much money on a piece of clothing and then tucking it away in your closet?!
There's health-conscious to us normal folk, and then there's the celebrity version of health-conscious. Model Miranda Kerr made headlines in 2019 when she revealed the hardcore measures she takes to safeguard her home and family. Among her methods? An air purifier, anti-radiation stickers for her phone, EMF detectors, mopping the floors with hot water and eucalyptus oil, an alkaline water filter and a switch in the home she shares with husband Evan Spiegel that turns all the power off while they sleep "except for the fridge and security cameras."
On Aug. 9, 2019, Lady Gaga took to Facebook to announce her plans to "fully fund the classroom project needs" of 14 classrooms in Dayton, Ohio, 125 classrooms in El Paso, Texas, and 23 classrooms in Gilroy, California — the sites of recent mass shootings — through her Born This Way Foundation. She explained, "[These classrooms] will now have access to the support they need to inspire their students to work together and bring their dreams to life."
How much did you spend on your baby's first birthday party? Rappers Cardi B and Offset spared no expense when daughter Kulture turned 1 in July 2019 (though it's no shock when you remember how much Cardi spends on jewelry for the tot)! She shelled out $400,000 on the bash, which featured an elaborate dessert table and a "Word Party"-themed cake, but as luck would have it, it all went down on the same night as New York City's massive power outage. (Fortunately, they had a generator on hand.) Cardi took to Instagram to share party details with fans. Among the gifts Kulture received? A $100,000 diamond chain featuring a "Word Party" characters diamond-and-enamel pendant.
During an interview with Popsugar that hit the Internet on Jan. 15, "The Bachelor" makeup artist Gina Modica dished on star Colton Underwood's seven-step skincare regimen, which you too can adopt for a whopping $575. The products the reality star uses to keep his moneymaker in tip-top shape include Glycelene's beauty serum ($125), rejuvenation crème ($95) and eye serum ($85), Dermalogica's solar defense booster ($55) and three more relatively affordable products.
Drake is bringing new meaning to "Hotline Bling." He commissioned Jason of Beverly Hills to create a custom diamond-encrusted 18k white-gold iPhone X case featuring the OVO owl logo with diamonds for eyes. According to Page Six, the phone accessory set him back $400K. "Because we can't do basic! Diamond iPhone case cover for our friend @champagnepapi," the jeweler captioned a slideshow on Instagram in mid-February.
Who would you guess owns the biggest Chanel bag in the world? Well, unless you said Floyd Mayweather Jr., you'd be wrong! The boxer flaunted his wealth in July 2019 by showing off the bag in question on social media, explaining, "I heard you can get the biggest Chanel bag in the store if you want it; well, this is the biggest Chanel bag in the world." He noted that he received it from the late Karl Lagerfeld. Among the other items he flashed on the video? $1.8 million worth of $100 bills and a diamond-encrusted Audemars Piguet Arnold Schwarzenegger limited-edition watch.
Serena Williams and Amal Clooney reportedly dropped big bucks to host Duchess Meghan's baby shower in February. According to Tatler, the bash took place at the Grand Penthouse Suite at The Mark hotel in New York City, which goes for $75K a night — making it the most expensive hotel room per night in the United States. The tennis star, who's been friends with Prince Harry's wife for years, reportedly picked up the bill for the 10,000-square-foot suite, which features a 2,500-square-foot rooftop terrace overlooking Central Park, five bedrooms, four fireplaces, six bathrooms, two powder rooms, two wet bars, a dining room, a conservatory and a living room that can be transformed into a full-size grand ballroom. Michelin-star-rated chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten reportedly catered desserts for the shower, while renowned harpist Erin Hill served as the entertainment. Following the A-list affair, Meghan jetted back to London on a private plane chartered by Amal for a cool $163K. "Amal was already flying back and covering all the costs so it made total sense," a source told The Sun. "Amal was more than happy for Meghan to fly back with her. … It's absolutely not the case that the taxpayers or the royal family paid for the cost of the jet. The flight didn't cost Meghan a thing." Meghan didn't pay for her $100K private flight to NYC either: According to Vanity Fair, a friend in Toronto owns the aircraft and covered the costs as a gift to the expectant mom.
Jennifer Aniston celebrated her 50th birthday as only a true superstar can. First, she hosted a star-studded bash in Los Angeles on Feb. 9. On hand for the A-list affair were ex-husband Brad Pitt, ex-boyfriend John Mayer, Katy Perry and Orlando Bloom, George Clooney and wife Amal Clooney, Brad's other ex Gwyneth Paltrow, Kate Hudson, Reese Witherspoon, Robert Downey Jr., Demi Moore, Courteney Cox, Ellen DeGeneres, Keith Richards, Barbra Streisand and Laura Dern. Then she and 11 friends — including Courteney, Amanda Anka (Jason Bateman's wife) and Molly McNearney (Jimmy Kimmel's wife) — jetted off to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, to keep the party going. But the trip didn't exactly go off without a hitch: The crew's G4 private jet was forced to make an emergency landing after losing a tire during takeoff. That'll certainly puts a damper on your A-list party week!
Kylie Jenner celebrated her 22nd birthday aboard the Tranquility, a 300-foot-long superyacht worth $250M that costs a jaw-dropping $1.2M per week to charter. The boat reportedly accommodates 22 guests and features 10 cabins, a sauna, a steam room, a Jacuzzi, a helipad, a beauty salon, a spa, a theater, a gym, a massage room and a swimming pool, as well as a 29-person crew. The makeup mogul's guests included now-ex Travis Scott and daughter Stormi Webster, mom Kris Jenner and boyfriend Corey Gamble, Scott Disick and girlfriend Sofia Richie and Kylie's pal Stassie Karanikolaou.
How many women celebrate their 50th birthdays by posing in a tiny bikini and then sharing the photo with millions of people? That's exactly what bona fide freak of nature Kyle Richards did when she turned the big five-oh on Jan. 11. "I'm 50. There. I said it. Anyone who knows me knows that I always think I'm dying so the fact that I even made it to here is a miracle," the reality star captioned the stunning shot of herself, which you can see here. "I am so grateful for this beautiful gift called life," she continued. "I never imagined I would feel so good, healthy and at peace (most of the time) I love my children, my husband, my family, my friends, my dogs, my work… SO MUCH. What else could a woman ask for? Thank you all for your birthday wishes 🙏 My cup has runneth over."
Russell Wilson and Ciara got "His & Hers" G-Wagens for Valentine's Day 2019. The football star took to Instagram to show off their fancy new whips — a silver one for the singer and a black one for him.
Does your job have any perks? "Poldark" star Aidan Turner learned that working on his BBC1 drama had one interesting upside — free furniture! Yep, since the show was in its final season and Aidan had a home to furnish, he got permission from his executive producer to take Ross and Demelza's kitchen table and benches from the Nampara set!
Gucci Mane won Valentine's Day 2019. The rapper splashed out on a 60-carat sparkler for wife Keyshia Ka'oir Davis that's estimated to be worth multiple millions of dollars. "To my beautiful wife @KeyshiaKaoir Davis. For all the Valentines I missed I wanted to upgrade your wedding ring to this 60ct flawless oval ROCK💎#Brrr," he captioned a video of the jaw-dropping bling on Instagram. It was the least he could do considering the fact that just a few days earlier, Keyshia gifted him a 35-carat pinky ring worth more than $1 million for his 39th birthday on Feb. 12. "My wife just froze my pinky 35ct 💎 Brrrrrrr," he captioned a video of the pinky rock.
Have you ever heard of babysitting a car? In September 2019, it was reported that Tracy Morgan paid a bartender to keep an eye on his $2 million Bugatti while he ate dinner in New York City. The comedian reportedly gave $100 to the employee who'd just finished his shift at Carmine's Italian Restaurant. While Tracy dined on fried calamari and chicken and veal parmigiana, the bartender made sure the pricey vehicle — which was hit by another car minutes after Tracy drove it off the lot in June 2019 — was safe and sound.
When you have a private jet, it means you've made it… so what does it mean when you get a private jet for free? You'd have to ask Drake, who in May 2019 was given a 767 Boeing airplane by Canada-based airline Cargojet, according to TMZ. The plane, which has been nicknamed "Air Drake" and customized with the rapper's OVO owl as well as luxe decor, retails for up to $200 million. The company reportedly feels the plane pays for itself thanks to the publicity attached to Drake's name, which means he just needs to travel the world and take pictures of his aircraft. Must be nice!
When Taylor Swift heard about a 16-year-old fan who was battling cancer, she reached into her pockets and donated to the teen's GoFundMe. Trinity Foster's page had a fundraising goal of $10,000, which Taylor gave her along with a sweet note that read: "Trinity, I saw photos of your album release party that you did in your hospital room and wanted to say thank you for being so kind and supportive! I hope I can give you a hug in person soon, but in the meantime I wanted to send you this and all my love. Your friend, Taylor."
Just another day in the life of an A-list celebrity? Around the same time that he was photographed helping Oprah Winfrey ride a bicycle during Google Camp in Sicily (see the photos here), Bradley Cooper was also caught on camera saving Katy Perry from taking a tumble into the shallows as she struggled to board a dinghy on the rocky Italian coast. (See those photos here.) The pop star, the Oscar-nominated actor and the media mogul were just a few of the bold-faced names who flocked to Sicily for Google Camp in late July and early August 2019. When they weren't meeting to discuss global warming during the three-day summit, which reportedly cost the tech company a whopping $20M to produce, the A-listers were sailing the open seas aboard the Eos, Barry Diller's $200M definitely-not-environmentally-friendly yacht.
