

Everything To Know About Taylor Russell, Harry Styles' New Rumored Girlfriend
Canadian actress Taylor Russell has quickly become an indie darling since racking up acting credits in projects like the controversial 2022 film Bones and All. There, she landed one of her first major film roles, starring alongside Dune actor Timothée Chalamet. But it's her love life off-screen that has been getting her major buzz this past summer. The 29-year-old is reportedly dating "As It Was" singer, Harry Styles. Taylor and Harry were first seen holding hands while out and about in London, and the PDA has gotten more heated with every glimpse of the rumoured couple.
Aside from who she is seeing romantically, Taylor was most recently spotted turning heads during Paris Fashion Week, where she was making a pantless statement. She donned a striking oversized "tin coat" over her shoulders while attending the Loewe Spring 2024 show this past Friday.
@voguemagazine Bonjour, #TaylorRussell! The actor stepped out in style, with her own spin on the pants-free trend for #Loewe's spring 2024 show during #ParisFashionWeek. #TikTokFashion
Taylor's tendency to dabble in the experimental when it comes to fashion and stylistic expression captivates all who have witnessed her impeccably styled red carpet looks.
When she's not slaying red carpets, she is taking her acting chops to the stage. Taylor is currently starring as Connie in the stage play The Effect at the National's Lyttelton Theatre in London.
Who Is Taylor Russell?
Since deciding to take acting seriously post-high school, Taylor has landed a few supporting roles that would eventually lead to her breakout performance in the Netflix sci-fi series Lost in Space. After that success came a role alongside Kelvin Harrison Jr. in the movie Waves. Of course, those early career wins eventually paved the way for Bones and All, which really helped put her on the map.
Aside from red carpet fashion, being Harry Styles' new bae, and acting, what else is there to know about one of Hollywood's hottest new stars? Keep reading for 10 things to know about Taylor Russell.
1.Taylor Russell didn't grow up wealthy and recalls being on welfare at a time.
"I didn’t grow up in a wealthy family. My parents struggled; we were on welfare. Things changed a lot, so there was always an opportunity for reinvention, to create something new.” - via ELLE, November 2019
2.Taylor was born in Vancouver and moved 16 times before her 18th birthday.
@dazed Someone please advise ⚠️ Taylor Russell at the @LOEWE SS24 show #DazedFashionTV #TikTokFashion #TaylorRussell #Loewe #SS24 #PFW #ParisFashionWeek
Perhaps her acting ambitions are in her blood because Taylor takes after her father, who was also an actor for a living. Taylor Russell was born July 18, 1994, in Vancouver, Canada, but would move a whopping 16 times before she turned 18, a demand in the pursuit of her father's acting career and what would unintentionally set the tone for her adaptability.
In a 2022 interview with Dazed, she described her mother as an artist as well, though she doesn't rep the title as readily as Taylor or her father does. She also noted her family's inherent bohemian outlook on life. She shared, "I think it’s just part of their souls in some way. And it manifests in me, too.”
3.Before acting, there was ballet. Taylor Russell did ballet her whole life.
For Taylor, although acting would become her eventual love affair, her longest love came in the form of ballet. In a 2019 interview with Coveteur, she spoke about how her love for ballet would eventually lead to her love for acting:
"I did ballet my whole life, I love dancing. I wake up every morning and dance for 15 minutes, and it’s the only way I can get out of bed. I wanted to act when I was younger, but both of my parents worked full-time and couldn’t really be there for me on set. So they were like, ‘If you want to act, you have to wait until you’re old enough to do it on your own.’ After high school, I took an acting class and just knew that’s what I wanted to pursue. In many ways, I’m built for it, because I don’t really expect life to be a steady stream. I moved 16 times when I was a kid.”
4.Taylor Russell on what she'd be doing if it wasn't acting:
“Hands down, I would be a kindergarten teacher. There’s nothing else I’d rather do. I love kids.” - Coveteur, 2019
5.Taylor Russell has a lightning bolt tattoo that is a replica of her hero Patti Smith's tattoo.
In her 2019 interview with ELLE, she admitted the punk singer and poet was "one of my heroes" and even has the same thin lightning bolt as Patti Smith but on her left wrist. A lightning bolt that cements the affinity she has for one of her idols. She also revealed that Patti's Just Kids is one of her favorite books, and she's read it at least 10 times.
In the Winter 2022 issues of Dazed, she spoke about her love for Patti's poetry again, "Her words are so deeply ingrained in the map of my body." She added, "I discovered her writing when I first moved here [to New York], and I felt akin to her in so many different ways, ways that have revealed themselves to me more with time and reflection.”
“There’s a line I’ll never forget, and I think it captures how I really feel: ‘No one expected me. Everything awaited me.’”
6.Taylor Russell on her insecurity and not wanting to be too fragile:
@thepeoplegallery #streetstyle #ootd #streetwear #fashion #thepeoplegallery
"I’m looking forward to the day that I’m 60, when I can have some real gusto behind the things that I’m saying. I’m working with actors right now who are a lot older than me, and everything they say is so meaningful. Because they’ve said it in a whole host of ways in their real lives already, one thousand times over.
"And my insecurity is always that I don’t have enough soul behind me for the words to really hit. I just want to keep gathering that, and the only way to do it is by being around people who keep shit real. You have to keep it real, because if you rely on things that will fade, everything’s going to shatter really quickly. And I never want to be that fragile.” - via Dazed, 2022
7.Taylor on her dream actors and directors she wants to work with:
“I love Paul Thomas Anderson. I love Mélanie Laurent so much. Marion Cotillard. I love Léa Seydoux, all the French actresses. My favorite director is Maïwenn. She did a movie called My King with Vincent Cassel. It’s like the French Blue Valentine. It’s one of the best films ever.” - Coveteur, 2019
8.Taylor on feeling shame when she was her most 'unlovable' and 'ungraceful':
“We are so ungraceful as human beings. At my most unlovable and ungraceful, I’ve felt so much shame. What would be so great in those times is to have someone embrace you. That’s when you need it the most.” - via ELLE, November 2019
9.Taylor Russell on her views on love amid rumors of a relationship with Harry Styles:
@daydream_delusion It’s not the same as it was. #harrystyles #taylorrussell #harrystylesvids #loveontour #couple #london #love #larrystylinson #onedirection #fyp #foryou #foryoupage
“I mean, love, a lot of the time, feels like a drug, you feel so insane. Being with the person all the time, you’d do anything for them. You’re like, ‘I wanna have all of this stuff with you and I wanna do everything with you.’ That feels like, especially when you’re not in love all the time… I have my distinct loves of my life and so I can remember the feelings of them pretty specifically and intensely. When I think about them, and being in love, it definitely feels like a drug. But honestly, I didn’t experiment with drugs much when I was a teenager and in my twenties.” - via The Face, August 2023
10.Taylor isn't big on 'volunteering' her feelings and she thinks 'it's weird.'
“I’m never going to be volunteering all of my feelings. I’m somebody who, annoyingly, complicatedly, needs things to be asked and pulled from me to talk about it. But even then I’m like, ‘I’m sorry, is this too much? Is this too much?’ So I need a partner who is going to do that or else it’s never going to work," she expressed her reluctance to vulnerability with The Face.
“It’s weird,” she added. “It’s like that thing when you feel vulnerable or on display for saying something, or talking too much or whatever. Saying something about yourself and then feeling like, ‘Oh no, I shouldn’t be talking about myself. I should be asking about you, because that’s the thing I should be doing and it’s not that interesting. We don’t need to talk about me, don’t worry. I’ll handle it.’”
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Featured image by David M. Benett/Jed Cullen/Dave Benett/Getty Images
Exclusive: Gabrielle Union On Radical Transparency, Being Diagnosed With Perimenopause And Embracing What’s Next
Whenever Gabrielle Union graces the movie screen, she immediately commands attention. From her unforgettable scenes in films like Bring It On and Two Can Play That Game to her most recent film, in which she stars and produces Netflix’s The Perfect Find, there’s no denying that she is that girl.
Off-screen, she uses that power for good by sharing her trials and tribulations with other women in hopes of helping those who may be going through the same things or preventing them from experiencing them altogether. Recently, the Flawless by Gabrielle Union founder partnered with Clearblue to speak at the launch of their Menopause Stage Indicator, where she also shared her experience with being perimenopausal.
In a xoNecoleexclusive, the iconic actress opens up about embracing this season of her life, new projects, and overall being a “bad motherfucker.” Gabrielle reveals that she was 37 years old when she was diagnosed with perimenopause and is still going through it at 51 years old. Mayo Clinic says perimenopause “refers to the time during which your body makes the natural transition to menopause, marking the end of the reproductive years.”
“I haven't crossed over the next phase just yet, but I think part of it is when you hear any form of menopause, you automatically think of your mother or grandmother. It feels like an old-person thing, but for me, I was 37 and like not understanding what that really meant for me. And I don't think we focus so much on the word menopause without understanding that perimenopause is just the time before menopause,” she tells us.
Gabrielle Union
Photo by Brian Thomas
"But you can experience a lot of the same things during that period that people talk about, that they experienced during menopause. So you could get a hot flash, you could get the weight gain, the hair loss, depression, anxiety, like all of it, mental health challenges, all of that can come, you know, at any stage of the menopausal journey and like for me, I've been in perimenopause like 13, 14 years. When you know, most doctors are like, ‘Oh, but it's usually about ten years, and I'm like, ‘Uhh, I’m still going (laughs).’”
Conversations about perimenopause, fibroids, and all the things that are associated with women’s bodies have often been considered taboo and thus not discussed publicly. However, times are changing, and thanks to the Gabrielle’s and the Tia Mowry’s, more women are having an authentic discourse about women’s health. These open discussions lead to the creation of more safe spaces and support for one another.
“I want to be in community with folks. I don't ever want to feel like I'm on an island about anything. So, if I can help create community where we are lacking, I want to be a part of that,” she says. “So, it's like there's no harm in talking about it. You know what I mean? Like, I was a bad motherfucker before perimenopause. I’m a bad motherfucker now, and I'll be a bad motherfucker after menopause. Know what I’m saying? None of that has to change. How I’m a bad motherfucker, I welcome that part of the change. I'm just getting better and stronger and more intelligent, more wise, more patient, more compassionate, more empathetic. All of that is very, very welcomed, and none of it should be scary.”
The Being Mary Jane star hasn’t been shy about her stance on therapy. If you don’t know, here’s a hint: she’s all for it, and she encourages others to try it as well. She likens therapy to dating by suggesting that you keep looking for the right therapist to match your needs. Two other essential keys to her growth are radical transparency and radical acceptance (though she admits she is still working on the latter).
"I was a bad motherfucker before perimenopause. I’m a bad motherfucker now, and I'll be a bad motherfucker after menopause. Know what I’m saying? None of that has to change. How I’m a bad motherfucker, I welcome that part of the change."
Gabrielle Union and Kaavia Union-Wade
Photo by Monica Schipper/Getty Images
“I hope that a.) you recognize that you're not alone. Seek out help and know that it's okay to be honest about what the hell is happening in your life. That's the only way that you know you can get help, and that's also the only other way that people know that you are in need if there's something going on,” she says, “because we have all these big, very wild, high expectations of people, but if they don't know what they're actually dealing with, they're always going to be failing, and you will always be disappointed. So how about just tell the truth, be transparent, and let people know where you are. So they can be of service, they can be compassionate.”
Gabrielle’s transparency is what makes her so relatable, and has so many people root for her. Whether through her TV and film projects, her memoirs, or her social media, the actress has a knack for making you feel like she’s your homegirl. Scrolling through her Instagram, you see the special moments with her family, exciting new business ventures, and jaw-dropping fashion moments. Throughout her life and career, we’ve seen her evolve in a multitude of ways. From producing films to starting a haircare line to marriage and motherhood, her journey is a story of courage and triumph. And right now, in this season, she’s asking, “What’s next?”
“This is a season of discovery and change. In a billion ways,” says the NAACP Image Award winner. “The notion of like, ‘Oh, so and so changed. They got brand new.’ I want you to be brand new. I want me to be brand new. I want us to be always constantly growing, evolving. Having more clarity, moving with different purpose, like, and all of that is for me very, very welcomed."
"I want you to be brand new. I want me to be brand new. I want us to be always constantly growing, evolving. Having more clarity, moving with different purpose, like, and all of that is for me very, very welcomed."
She continues, “So I'm just trying to figure out what's next. You know what I mean? I'm jumping into what's next. I'm excited going into what's next and new. I'm just sort of embracing all of what life has to offer.”
Look out for Gabrielle in the upcoming indie film Riff Raff, which is a crime comedy starring her and Jennifer Coolidge, and she will also produce The Idea of You, which stars Anne Hathaway.
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Feature image by Mike Lawrie/Getty Images
From Cardi B To Mary J. Blige, Meet The Woman Behind Your Favorite Celebrity's Glam Team
What would you do if you just got laid off from your corporate job and you had a serendipitous encounter with someone who gave you the opportunity of a lifetime? Tamara Taylor was faced with that decision in 2013 after she was let go from her sales profit and operations coach job in the restaurant industry and met a then-up-and-coming stylist, Law Roach, on a flight to L.A. She and Roach struck up a conversation, and he shared how he was looking for someone to run his business and was impressed by her skills. While she took his business card, she was unsure if it would lead to anything. But, boy, was she wrong. Two weeks later, after packing up her home to move back to her hometown of Chicago, she called Roach; he asked if they could meet the following day, and the rest is herstory.
Taylor founded Mastermind MGMT, an agency that represents some of Hollywood’s best “image architects” like Roach, Kellon Deryck, and Kollin Carter, who are responsible for creating unforgettable style and beauty moments for celebrities like Zendaya, Megan Thee Stallion, Taraji P. Henson, and more. Taylor and her company possess an array of functions, but her biggest role is to be her client’s advocate. We hear endless stories about how creatives aren’t paid or underpaid in the entertainment industry, but Taylor ensures that her clients get their piece of the pie. The entrepreneur opened up about her company and her non-profit, Mastermind Matters, in an exclusive interview with xoNecole.
“I always say that I'm an artist advocate first, deal closer second. So my primary focus is to just make sure that the artist is getting everything that they deserve, whether it's compensation or, you know, certain accommodations, but just making sure that they have everything that they need to be able to show up and provide the best service that they're hired for,” she explained.
“So you know, in the beginning, it was hard because I didn't have any experience, and the artists who I was working with at the time–we were learning together, meaning neither of us had assisted anyone. We didn't have mentors in our specific fields. So every deal was like a new learning experience for us from the styling side and also from the business side, and so it took, you know, doing some research, using some very creative tactics, to find out information in the industry and just starting to request accommodations that I knew other artists were granted, who maybe didn't look like my artists.”
Photo by Christopher Marrs
Ten years later, there’s still not many people who are doing what Taylor is doing. However, things have gotten easier thanks to the research and connections she made in the beginning. During Mastermind MGMT’s ten-year anniversary celebration, she announced her non-profit, Mastermind Matters, which is a 501(c)(3) non-profit that focuses on helping young entrepreneurs through a 12-week program. The program is divided into “two routes.” The first route is for aspiring creative artists who want to start a business from their talent and all the things they need to learn about business, such as taxes, life insurance, etc. The second route is for practicing creative artists who are already in the industry but need resources such as how to plan for retirement or how to sustain themselves if they can’t work for a short amount of time, i.e., the pandemic.
“I just feel that I'm able to have a business and be successful because of their art as well. And so there are things that I know, I tried to teach it to them but understanding that I can only do so much because I'm not a subject matter expert in those fields,” she said. “So I at least want to be able to provide the resources, and then if they make their grown decision not to do it, then that's on them. But you know, I could be guilt-free and taking advantage of the resources that I'm also providing to them.”
Taylor continues to be an innovator in her industry by always pushing the boundaries of creativity and thinking one step ahead of everyone else. The Chicago-bred businesswoman is moving into the tech space thanks to a new invention created with her clients in mind, and she is looking forward to bigger collaborations in the future. Follow Mastermind MGMT on Instagram @mastermind_mgmt for more information.
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Feature image by Christopher Marrs