2016 saw a lot of…me.

Time to bare it all and be honest. If your phone got hacked, how many nudes would be discovered?

⚽ Fans of The People We Meet on Vacation will be seeing a lot more of star Emily Bader, who has officially signed on to play legend Mia Hamm in a movie about the 1999 U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team victory in the World Cup. And the internet approves of this casting.

🪷 We officially have our first four guests (cast members) for season four of the White Lotus. Alexander Ludwig (Vikings), AJ Michalka (The Goldbergs), Steve Coogan, and Caleb Jonte Edwards. And while I don’t really know who any of them are, but I trust Mike White with everything.

👀 One person who felt uncomfy with the Globes seating arrangements last week? Pam Anderson. Seated next to Seth Rogen, who made the tv miniseries Pam & Tommy without ever contacting Anderson. She hopes he will one day apologize, and so do we.

🎧 All is not well with Alex Cooper’s podcast network, Unwell. Some drama stirred this week when influencer Hannah Kosh posted a cryptic message saying her podcast was cancelled and it would be a “juicy chapter in the memoir.” And some heavy hitting journalistic stalking reveals, the Daily Dirty isn’t listed on the Unwell Network website….

🇮🇹 It’s Milan Fashion Week, and some notable celebs hitting the runway include Heated Rivalry’s Hudson Williams for Dsquared2, Maya Hawke for Prada, and Tom Hiddleston for Ralph Lauren who is having a real moment in Italy.

🍋‍🟩 Oprah and Gayle were giving big girlie vibes in a recent interview, where Gayle prodded Oprah to reveal she once had 17 shots to win a drinking contest in Santa Barbara.

⛷️ Ahead of the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics, Lindsey Vonn (who initially announced retirement in 2019 and had a knee replacement in 2024) has been dominating the alpine ski World Cup circuit with an unmatched streak of podium finishes at 41. Women can literally do anything.

🎬 Stranger Things fans are opening the “Divorce Gate.” This theory now claims the show only suffered after Ross Duffer and filmmaker Leigh Janiak ended their marriage. Fans say the series’ best years ran parallel to their relationship — and some even argue Leigh was the silent creative engine behind it all. Not for nothing: she did create and direct Netflix’s Fear Street trilogy.

📱Are Vertical Dramas about to get their A-list moment? Who can really say. But Taye Diggs will be taking his turn at the short-form storytelling.

Carol: It is a very important sports weekend. It’s College Dance & Cheer Nationals. I cheered through high school, so much like all the men who think they could catch a pass in the Divisional Playoffs this weekend, I too, believe I can “relate” to these athletes.

There’s plenty of winners yet to be crowned. But a huge congrats to Hailey & Josh, the reigning partner stunt champions, and to Ohio State Jazz team, my jaw was on the floor the entire time. Also, a special shout out to LSU hip hop team who remains my most anticipated watch every year. Never forget.

Skylar: In September of 2025, I made a promise to myself to live life never afraid. To stay aware of how lucky I am to be alive, and to stop letting anxiety run the show over things that, in the grand scheme, really don’t matter. (FYI, literally four minutes ago I texted Carol asking if she removed me from her “close friends” list.. So you know it’s a lot of work to practice what i’m trying to preach) 

So I fully know that my above promise sounds like the kind of well-intentioned mantra we all tell ourselves after seeing something that really resonated. But mine didn’t come from a podcast quote or moving miniseries. It came from sitting at a memorial in Northern California with my family, surrounded by friends, natural beauty, and gripped by grief, as we mourned the loss of my cousin Cassy.

Cassy died just months earlier at 24 years old in a climbing accident in France. Watching the people you love grieve is brutal at any age, but there is something uniquely devastating about losing someone so young, so alive, so clearly in motion and inspiring those around them. Cassy was that person. A cross-country track star. An outdoor adventurer. A UC Berkeley grad who was in graduate school in Norway, working toward becoming an advocate for refugees. She ran, climbed, hiked, and somehow still had the time and thoughtfulness to curate playlists for the people she loved across the world.

All year, it’s been hard to accept that someone with that much ambition, warmth, and forward momentum was given so few years.

Sitting there, surrounded by tears and shared stories, it felt impossible not to want to do better in her name—to live lighter, braver, and more honestly. To carry forward her loyalty, her curiosity, her commitment to showing up fully. To build a life that reflects who she was and who she was becoming.

And if I’m being real (because I can’t lieeee), I haven’t always lived up to that promise. In the months since, I’ve caught myself slipping back into my old habits like a pair of comfy slippers. Overthinking, self-doubt, jealousy, insecurity, and plenty of spiraling over things that are so small compared to what actually matters.

Today, January 18th, Cassy would have turned 25. Her family encouraged all of us who love her to get outside, get active, and share those moments so donations can be made in her name to organizations that mattered deeply to her: the Norwegian Refugee Council, Project Send It, and Back on My Feet.

So today, I spent several hours hiking in less-than-ideal North Carolina conditions, thinking about her. And I wanted to share a quote that was shared at her memorial, that feels especially fitting. Not just for Cassy, but for anyone we’ve loved and lost:

“They say you die twice. One time when you stop breathing, and a second time, a bit later on, when somebody says your name for the last time.”

So today, and this week, if you’re outside, moving your body, or just taking a moment to breathe, I hope you might think the name Cassy Haskell. Say the names of the people you miss. Share a story. And maybe live just a little more boldly in their legacy. Even if it’s hard.

Have a disgusting number of notifications on your phone? You’re in the minority. Nearly 70% of the girlies revealed they simply can not see a red bubble on their phone, with only 8% being ok with a bit of chaos.

It turns out the most intimate thing you can do in 2026 is show someone your Discover/FYP. Baring your soul now means handing over the algorithm that knows you better than your therapist.

I had low expectations and was instantly horrified to see the inside of my mind reflected in 9 tiny squares. For added vulnerability points, we invite you to play Guess Who with screenshots of our Discover tab.

Probably too late to say “I’ll show you mine if you show me yours?” But in the spirit of girl(ie)hood - we’d love to see a screenshot of your Discovery/FYP.

We have some upcoming live shows and we’d love to see you there.

Next week we’ll be doing a very special stand up show at Duckworth’s Comedy Club and we want to pack the place with the best girlies. If you’ve never been to a live show, or you have a girlie who hasn’t this is going to be a great show to bring a first timer. We have surprises in store, and we are hoping to tape part of the show, special style. Tickets are selling fast, so get yours today.

Romance novel girlies, come chat with us on February 7th at Triple C Brewery. It’s an all day book fair with Front Paige Media, and at 12pm, we’re doing a mini version of our show followed by a q&a with romance author Rebecca Wrights. Get your tickets here.

Hi, it’s us, and if you’re here, we really do still want to hear from you. A friendly reminder that you can hit reply to this email and literally tell us whatever you want. What you liked, what you didn’t, and maybe even the stuff you want us to chat about that we are totally missing.

🍸 We are gearing up for our Martini Mission to launch very soon, and still looking for the spots you’d love us to sip at.

And lastly, share GCG with a friend, and check out the Substack for all the things we can’t fit in the newsletter (shocking to think we have more to say).