J.K. Rowling is perhaps one of the most well-recognized writers of this generation. Her Harry Potter series is one of the most-read book series even today.

In her personal life, she has made some statements lately which have been deemed controversial by some. Keep reading to learn more about what has happened…

J.K. Rowling’s book series was already an international bestseller when it was adapted into a movie. However, the film franchise grew just as big and catapulted the young actors who played the famous characters into international stardom.

Daniel Radcliffe, who played Harry Potter, and Emma Watson, who was Hermione Granger, seemingly had a wonderful relationship with Rowling, who wrote the characters they brought to life on the screen. But things might have become strained between them lately.

Rowling seems to have expressed her dissatisfaction with the two actors recently. On X (formerly known as Twitter) she wrote a thread for the long-awaited Cass Review. The review was by Dr. Hilary Cass, a pediatrician who was analyzing gender identity services for minors in the UK. The findings said that there was a “lack of high-quality research” on the effects of puberty blockers on children.

Following the review’s publication, Rowling took to X to express her anger over what she referred to as “severe medical malpractice.”

“Even if you don’t feel ashamed of cheerleading for what now looks like severe medical malpractice, even if you don’t want to accept that you might have been wrong, where’s your sense of self-preservation? The bandwagon you hopped on so gladly is hurtling towards a cliff,” she wrote earlier this week.

She went on in her posts, writing, “If I sound angry, it’s because I’m bloody angry. I read Cass this morning and my anger’s been mounting all day. Kids have been irreversibly harmed, and thousands are complicit, not just medics, but the celebrity mouthpieces, unquestioning media and cynical corporations.”

While she had not named celebrities especially, her pointed remarks toward Emma and Dan came after a follower sent her a tweet saying, “Just waiting for Dan and Emma to give you a very public apology … safe in the knowledge that you will forgive them.”

The author responded to the tweet and in doing so, directly addressed the stars in question. She said, “Not safe, I’m afraid.” She went on, writing, “Celebs who cosied up to a movement intent on eroding women’s hard-won rights and who used their platforms to cheer on the transitioning of minors can save their apologies for traumatised detransitioners and vulnerable women reliant on single sex spaces.”

In 2020, when Rowling was involved in major headlines for her controversial comments on transgender people, both Radcliffe and Watson made statements. The entire event started because Rowling retweeted an op-ed piece where she had an issue with the article using the term “people who menstruate” instead of using the word “women.”

“‘People who menstruate.’ I’m sure there used to be a word for those people. Someone help me out. Wumben? Wimpund? Woomud?” she tweeted.

People flooded her mentions with their opinions about what she had written. Many people were upset by her implication and wanted to ask her to leave it alone.

Even though she faced a lot of backlash for her tweet, she stood her ground. She later said in another tweet, “If sex isn’t real, there’s no same-sex attraction. If sex isn’t real, the lived reality of women globally is erased. I know and love trans people, but erasing the concept of sex removes the ability of many to meaningfully discuss their lives. It isn’t hate to speak the truth.”

Following her controversial statement, Radcliffe released an essay at the time for The Trevor Project to extend his support to the transgender community and also apologized for any pain the author’s words might have caused to people.

Watson also released a statement that supported the trans community. She wrote, “Trans people are who they say they are and deserve to live their lives without being constantly questioned or told they aren’t who they say they are.”

“I want my trans followers to know that I and so many other people around the world see you, respect you, and love you for who you are,” she went on.

Have you ever noticed how some celebrities look so similar? Sometimes you’d swear they were separated at birth. Hollywood is riddled with look-alikes, and sometimes the resemblance between stars is so uncanny, it’s downright spooky.

O.J. Simpson, America’s famous football star acquitted of murder in 1995, has died at the age of 76. This news comes just two months after O.J. dismissed rumors that he was in a hospice

King Charles may be ready to let bygones be bygones to some extent as regards the rift between he and his son, Prince Harry.

According to Page Six, the King, currently undergoing treatment for an undisclosed form of cancer, is planning to invite Harry and Meghan Markle to a huge get-together for the Royal Family at Balmoral later in the year.

Though relations between the Sussexes and the monarchy have been seriously damaged over the past few years, some royal fans retain hope that the situation may be salvaged. However small those chances seem, it would appear that the first hurdle to any eventual parlay is getting the parties involved all in one place.

Yet that’s only a potential bonus as far as Charles is concerned, and reportedly not the reason he’s prepared to extend an olive branch across the Pond.

No, as per a well-placed royal insider speaking with Page Six, the King is keen to have Harry and Meghan make the journey to British shores because he wants to spend more time with his grandchildren.

Given the tumultuous circumstances that have plagued the King’s relationship with Prince Harry in recent years – and all that Harry and Meghan have said since moving to the US – it should come as small surprise to many that Charles hasn’t seen nearly so much of Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet as he would have liked.

Harry has returned to his homeland on a number of occasions, including earlier this year after his father’s cancer diagnosis was made public, but Meghan and the children haven’t traveled with him.

And it’s perhaps in light of his health woes that Charles is growing more concerned with the nature of the relationship – or lack of – that he shares with Archie and Lilibet.

“I can see Charles desperately wanting to see the children, and extending this olive branch to Meghan and Harry,” the aforementioned royal insider told Page Six. “He may decide that life is just too short. Balmoral is truly the perfect, restful place for a reunion. If he does issue an invite, then Harry and Meghan should surely agree to the visit.”

Archie and Lilibet have only been to the UK on one occasion since their parents decided to make their famous royal exit in 2020, according to the Express – that for the late Queen Elizabeth’s Platinum Jubilee.

Tensions remain obviously high between Harry, Meghan and the rest of the royals, with a number of serious grievances aired by the Sussexes via their infamous interview with Oprah Winfrey, as well as the subsequent Netflix documentary they released, and of course, Harry’s tell-all memoir, Spare.

Last year Harry and Meghan were relieved of their UK residence, Frogmore Cottage, meaning that they now have no official base if and when they choose to visit. This, coupled with security concerns the couple are said to have, has made any potential visit that doesn’t fall into the realm of absolutely essential highly unlikely.

As a result, it will be interesting to see how the Sussexes react if Charles does extend an invite to Balmoral. Harry has recently gone on record to confirm his intention to return to the UK for professional commitments, and it’s expected that he will make the trip for the tenth anniversary of the Invictus Games on May 8.

Whether or not his family will be with him remains to be seen.

The well-publicized separation between Kevin Costner and Christine Baumgartner has had its fair share of ups and down, and it would appear that the train of speculation and rumor shows no signs of slowing.

The couple have officially been divorced since September 2023, with reports insisting that both are in the process of moving on and finding new romances

There’s now been a twist in the tale courtesy of an insider who has claimed that Costner “always suspected” that his ex-wife was having an affair with financier Connor.

Earlier this month, Baumgartner finally relented under a storm of gossip, admitting that she and Connor are dating.

Following that update, the aforementioned insider told Us Weekly that Costner had a strong inkling that “something was going on between Christine and Josh”, adding that the pair’s “close bond was a real elephant in the room.”

Earlier this month the Daily Mail published a series of snaps of 49-year-old Christine and Josh, including one wherein the former, a fashion designer by trade, appeared to be seen dropping the latter off at his home.

After the two were sighted during a summer vacation to Hawaii last July, Baumgartner was forced to answer a question about their relationship with one another while in her divorce court proceedings.

“No,” Baumgartner answered when asked where Connor was her boyfriend. The 49-year-old then insisted that Connor had slept in a separate room while the pair were on vacation. The Mail, however, say that Baumgartner and Connor then took a second trip to Hawaii in December.

Indeed, according to the Mail, sources have confirmed that Christine and Josh’s romance has been “going on for some time”.

The insider said: “They’re together and they have been for a while. They spent time before Christmas together in Hawaii while Kevin was presumably in Aspen with the kids.”

Isabella Strahan took to social media this week to offer an unexpected update on her battle with cancer.

The 19-year-old daughter of former NFL star Michael Strahan was left crying “happy tears” as she explained that she would now only have to face four rounds of chemotherapy instead of the planned six.

Isabella was diagnosed with medulloblastoma, a cancer at the base of her brain, last year, announcing it during an interview that aired on Good Morning America in January 2024.

“I’m feeling good. Not too bad,” Isabella said at the time.

Isabella was diagnosed with medulloblastoma in October 2023 after experiencing headaches for a month during her first year of college at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles.

“I didn’t notice anything was off till probably like Oct. 1,” she said in the GMA interview. “That’s when I definitely noticed headaches, nausea, couldn’t walk straight.”

At first she blamed vertigo, but after she woke up one day in late October and began throwing up blood she knew something was seriously wrong.

“I was like, ‘Hm, this probably isn’t good.’ So I texted [my sister], who then notified the whole family.”

Since her diagnosis the road has been a tough one for Isabella as she fights to recover. In her latest YouTube video the teenager provided a positive update though, revealing that she would only have to go through four rounds of chemotherapy instead of six.

“These are happy tears,” she said in the April 10 video. “It’s not even considering crying when it’s happy tears.”

Given that Isabella finished her second road of chemo in March, she’s now halfway done.

“I’ll be done in May. And I can kind of try and have a summer to feel better,” she added. “And I’m so happy cause I thought I’d be done at the end of July. I was supposed to do six rounds in total. And then I really would just have to go straight back to school. I’m so happy.”

“I literally think that in a lot of ways, I’m the luckiest man in the world because I’ve got an amazing daughter,” her famous father Michael said in January.

“I know she’s going through it, but I know that we’re never given more than we can handle and that she is going to crush this.”

Here’s to sending love and strength in Isabella’s direction! Leave a comment if you’d also like to send prayers.

According to a royal expert, the late Prince Philip had a rather pointed nickname for the Duchess of Sussex, and it wasn’t so kind.

The nickname suggested a comparison to Wallis Simpson, the controversial wife of the former King Edward VIII, drawing parallels between Meghan Markle and Wallis, both American and divorced when they married into the royal family.

Prince Philip supposedly referred to Meghan with a name that made reference to this connection.

Wallis Simpson and King Edward VIII

Wallis Simpson, an American divorcée who became the Duchess of Windsor, was one of the most controversial royal figures in recent history after King Edward VIII decided to abdicate the throne in December 1936 (after less than a year as a monarch) to be able to marry her.

At the time, royals were prohibited from entering into a marriage with a divorced person – a rule that did not change until 2002, just three years before the then-Prince Charles married Camilla, per the Royal Observer.

Following King Edward and Wallis Simpson’s marriage, they were not allowed to return home without the permission of his brother, the new King George VI, as there were fears it could potentially cause public unrest, Vogue detailed.

During their years of exile, the Duke and Duchess of Windsor constantly attracted headlines – with one of their most shocking incidents occurring in 1937 when they visited Nazi Germany and were photographed giving the notorious Nazi salute upon meeting Adolf Hitler.

Prince Philip’s brutal nickname

Royal biographer Ingrid Seward shed light on Prince Philip’s perspective during an interview with GB News, suggesting that he thought Meghan and Wallis Simpson had many similarities, leading to the adoption of a discreet nickname for the Duchess of Sussex.

Allegedly Prince Philip, who Seward says was known for his astute judgment of character, couldn’t overlook the resemblances between Meghan and Prince Harry and Edward and Mrs. Simpson.

“I think that Prince Philip was very canny about people and he didn’t always see bad in people, he often tried to see the good in them,” Seward said.

“He just could not get away from the similarities between Meghan and Harry and Edward and Ms Simpson, which his why he used to call her the Duchess of Windsor. Not to her face though, he used to call her DOW,” she added.

In her book ‘My Mother and I‘, Seward delved further into Prince Philip’s reservations about Meghan, describing him as “wary” of the former Suits actress and her potential impact on the royal family.

While Prince Philip saw Meghan as potentially disruptive, Queen Elizabeth II held “high hopes” for her, indicating differing perspectives within the royal family regarding Meghan’s role and influence.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle left royal life

Since stepping back from their royal duties in 2020 and relocating to California, Meghan and Harry have maintained a relatively low profile within the royal sphere.

While Harry is set to visit the UK for the 10th anniversary of the Invictus Games, with a service to be held at St. Paul’s Cathedral on May 8, according to the Daily Express. Meghan is expected to remain in the US, citing safety concerns and a desire to avoid stirring up controversy.

Despite occasional returns to the UK for significant events like Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral in 2022, Meghan has opted out of attending others, such as King Charles III’s coronation, which Harry attended alone last year.

When Kate Middleton underwent her abdominal surgery in January, it was initially believed was that she would be back to royal duty after Easter. However, everything changed in February when she received her cancer diagnosis, which was announced to the public in March.

King Charles and the Princess of Wales are both undergoing treatment for their respective diagnoses, though, when they will be back on royal duty is not yet known. Meanwhile, it has been reported that Kate still did some royal work from her hospital bed at the London Clinic. 

Although we don’t know when Kate Middleton will be back performing her royal duties, now, several weeks after her cancer diagnosis was first announced, one royal expert claims she could be back sooner than expected. It is undoubtedly leaving royal fans with a lot of hope.

On March 22, Kate Middleton revealed that she is undergoing “preventative chemotherapy.” The cancer diagnosis announcement, which was published as a video through the Prince and Princess of Wales’ social media channels, left many royal fans worldwide shocked.

Kate Middleton

Kate chose not to share what kind of cancer she is battling. However, as she underwent abdominal surgery in January, it could be a clue as to where it began.

“In January, I underwent major abdominal surgery in London and at the time, it was thought that my condition was non-cancerous. The surgery was successful. However, tests after the operation found cancer had been present. My medical team, therefore, advised that I should undergo a course of preventative chemotherapy, and I am now in the early stages of that treatment,” Kate Middleton said in the video, filmed in the garden at Windsor.

“This, of course, came as a huge shock, and William and I have been doing everything we can to process and manage this privately for the sake of our young family. As you can imagine, this has taken time. It has taken me time to recover from major surgery in order to start my treatment. But, most importantly, it has taken us time to explain everything to George, Charlotte, and Louis in a way that is appropriate for them and to reassure them that I am going to be ok.”

Since her abdominal surgery in mid-January, Kate Middleton has been absent from royal duties. As King Charles received his cancer diagnosis in January – and the Prince of Wales at first was expected to be back to royal duty after Easter – many believed she would be taking on a lot more responsibility together with Queen Camilla and her husband, Prince William.

Kate spent 13 days at the London Clinic after her abdominal surgery.

Kate Middleton sent letter to grieving widow from her hospital bed

The private hospital in central London, just one hour’s car ride from Windsor, was opened by the then Duke and Duchess of York in 1932 and has become a hospital many celebrities have visited.

Kate Middleton isn’t the only royal family member to have been a patient there. In 1980, Princess Margaret was treated at the London Clinic to have a benign skin lesion removed, and in 2013, Prince Philip underwent what was described as an “abdominal investigation.”

Although Kate, of course, didn’t perform any royal engagements in public while recovering at the London Clinic, it’s reported that she didn’t entirely distance herself from her work.

In early February, Kate Garraway, whose husband, television host Derek Draper, passed away in January following complications from COVID-19, appeared on Good Morning Britain, revealing that members of the public, as well as Kate Middleton, had sent her a letter with condolences.

“And from the royal family — Catherine and William sent a beautiful letter, and I know Catherine has been in hospital herself,” Garraway said.

“Even the King — because there is somebody [who] knows about grief — that anticipatory grief where you know something has a risk of happening and how different it is when it does happen.”

Kate Garraway was not the only one receiving a letter from Kate Middleton during this time.

Kate sent royal fan ‘thank you’ note after surgery

On April 6, X user @AllemarieHoll1 left royal fans with melted hearts with a story of how she received a letter from Kensington Palace, the office of the Prince and Princess of Wales. In January, she and her family sent a card to Kate Middleton following her abdominal surgery and got a response.

“Back in January, when we were informed our beautiful Princess of Wales had undergone surgery, I sent her a card with our (my family and I) sincerest best wishes for healing and, of course, an abundance of love,” she wrote as reported by Express. “Today, I received this beautiful acknowledgment, and I can honestly say I shall treasure this my entire life.”

The thank you card to her and her husband had Kensington Palace printed at the top and stated, “Thank you for your kind well wishes to Her Royal Highness The Princess of Wales. Your thoughtful gesture is very much appreciated.”

Moreover, the user joked that her husband thought they had been invited to a royal garden party.

“The envelope has Kensington Palace on the back lol hubby thought he was going to have to get his suit out for a garden party (silly him) but he is just as blown away as I am to received this beautiful, and much treasured card. Continued prayers and healing to our beautiful Princess of Wales,” X user @AllemarieHoll1 continued.

Royal fans quickly responded to the X user’s beautiful story, praising Kate Middleton for her response.

Queen Camilla broke silence on Kate Middleton before Easter

One user wrote, “Wow this is such a beautiful response… You have a beautiful heart to have sent her a card which I’m sure meant so much… How can one find her address… I’d like to send one too…”

Another added, “How very special, dear friend. Your kindness was appreciated.”

Royal fans worldwide have sent Kate Middleton their best wishes in this very challenging time. Unsurprisingly, both the Princess of Wales and King Charles decided not to attend church on Easter Sunday, and for the Easter week, Camilla took on royal engagements herself.

During a visit to Shrewsbury, she met many royal fans at a farmer’s market. There, Camilla, for the first time, spoke about Kate after the cancer diagnosis announcement – when two young girls gave the queen a sign.

It read, “Send our love to Kate,” and was decorated with hearts, stars, and other cute drawings.

Queen Camilla, of course, stayed when she saw the sign. According to royal expert Rebecca English, she told the young girls, “I know that Catherine is thrilled by all the kind wishes and support.”

Both Kate Middleton and King Charles are receiving tremendous support from their royal family members while they are undergoing cancer treatment. Meanwhile, one royal expert claims that it isn’t the members of the loyal family whom she is leaning on for support but her parents and siblings.

Kate Middleton’s parents are “the real anchors in her life,” royal expert says

In an interview with Entertainment Tonight, royal expert and author Katie Nicholl said that the Princess of Wales has turned to her family for love and support.

“She has a really tight group of friends and, particularly in Norfolk, really close friends there. But I think the real anchors in her life are her parents… and her brother James… and her sister Pippa,” she said.

“While you certainly don’t see them photographed together very often, they are very much there in the background. They are absolutely fundamental.”

Katie Nicholl continued by explaining that Kate Middleton’s parents felt “very relieved” that their daughter’s cancer was found in its early stages.

“Catherine is going to have the very best doctors in the world looking after her, so she’s in safe hands,” Katie Nicholl added. “Carol and Michael, they’ve always been an incredibly strong couple and also very down to earth… what they’ll be doing right now is they’ll be coming together and supporting her — and not just William and Kate, [but] their grandchildren, too.”

Carole and Michael Middleton didn’t share an official message after their daughter’s shocking cancer announcement in March. However, her brother, James, did. In an emotional post on Instagram, James Middleton shared his support for his sister, together with a picture of the two as kids.

“Over the years, we have climbed many mountains together. As a family, we will climb this one with you too,” James captioned the post.

Kate Middleton will most likely not be back on official royal duty for quite some time. However, it’s important to point out that we don’t know the exact details of her current health status.

Royal expert says Kate Middleton could “attend certain events” during cancer treatments

Although we don’t know exactly what will happen in the coming months, positive updates are always appreciated. GB News royal correspondent Cameron Walker now claims that the Princess of Wales might be closer to reappearing in public than anyone could have expected, saying that she “might attend certain events” moving forward.

“Because of the princess’ cancer diagnosis, she is undergoing preventative chemotherapy at the moment. What I am hearing from those close to the princess is that she may well decide to attend certain events if she feels up to it and if she’s keen to go,” Cameron Walker said.

“But in terms of a return to full-scale public duties and as a full-time working royal, I suspect that’s some time to come yet. But perhaps, maybe we’ll see her at some point this summer.”

The royal expert concluded, “But it just honestly depends on how her treatment goes.”

When you marry, you promise to love your partner in sickness and in health.

Over the years, divorce among couples has become increasingly common — but 22-year-old Matt Davis and his wife Danielle have certainly defied the odds.

I had thought that love at first sight only happens in the movies, but Matt and Danielle are proof that it can occur in real life too. As per reports, the young couple had only known each other for eight weeks when they tied the knot!

They loved each other above all else, and could not wait to start planning their future together. Unfortunately, fate had other ideas.

Just seven months after they were married, Matt fell into a coma. Everything changed one hot, summer day when Matt was involved in a bad accident.

After doing all they could, doctors wanted to turn off his respirator, but then Danielle did something that produced a miracle

It was a terrible motorcycle accident that put Matt in hospital.

Doctors found that the 22-year-old had broken several bones, injured internal organs, and had a traumatic brain injury.

At the hospital, Danielle was told the words no one should ever have to hear: “Your husband will probably not wake up”.

After lots of discussion and tests, doctors advised Daniel Matt’s life-sustaining treatment should be stopped. They were convinced that there was nothing else to be done.

But Danielle refused to give up hope.

“We didn’t really even have a chance to start our life together, and I didn’t want to give up,” said Danielle.

Matt’s father died 2 years ago and his mother was too sick to take care of her son.

Danielle decided to bring Matt home and take care of him 24 hours a day. She gave up everything — just to take care of her husband.

Her refusal to give up hope would eventually be rewarded.

After 3 months in a coma, the impossible happened: Matt opened his eyes!

Danielle realized that he was trying to say something, but he couldn’t get the words out.

She kept asking him and suddenly she heard his husband burst out: “I’m trying!”

Danielle couldn’t believe it: “It was the most beautiful thing I have ever heard!”

But the journey back to a normal life was far from easy.

Matt fought every day to get better, step by step. He had to re-learn everything from the beginning, even talking, standing, and walking.

He still has trouble remembering things before the accident.

His relationship with Danielle, their wedding — everything was gone.

But Matt is 100 percent sure: “I’m glad I married Danielle!”. Without her unconditional love, he wouldn’t be alive today.

Today, Matt is feeling better and can live a normal life. He can walk, talk, and ride a bike — he even does yoga. Fantastic!

Daniel’s struggle for her husband’s life led to a miracle. Although the doctors had given up hope, Matt was fighting his own battle to come out of the coma.

Their story shows that true love can accomplish anything!

In a world that may seem dark, cold, and hopeless, there are stories like this that really warm my heart.

Partly because Danielle never stopped fighting for her husband and showed what true love is, and partly because Matt did everything to heal and get his life back when the odds were against him.

If you found this article interesting, check out the one below!

The iconic Top Gun movie catapulted Tom Cruise to stardom.

But the woman who starred as his love interest in the movie, Kelly McGillis, went down a wholly different path.

Today, it’s hard to recognize the 65-year-old actress – she’s faced a lot of age shaming over the last few years…

I don’t think I was the only one who couldn’t help but think of Kelly McGillis when I went to the cinema to watch Top Gun: Maverick, the sequel to the classic 80s film. I knew that she wouldn’t appear – but somehow, I still hoped that I would get to see her.

Obviously, McGillis never showed up, while Tom Cruise and Val Kilmer reunited in a very emotional scene. According to McGillis, she wasn’t asked to join the cast. In 2019, Entertainment Tonight wondered if the filmmakers of Top Gun: Maverick had offered her a role in the sequel.

“Oh my god no. They did not, nor do I think they would ever,” McGillis said,

“I mean, I’m old and I’m fat, and I look age-appropriate for what my age is, and that is not what that whole scene is about.”

However, the 65-year actress didn’t seem to care about being left out of Top Gun: Maverick, which became the smash blockbuster movie of 2022.

“I’d much rather feel absolutely secure in my skin and who and what I am at my age, as opposed to placing a value on all that other stuff,” she said.

The truth about her character in Top Gun

In the eighties, McGillis was one of only a handful of women who could command million-dollar fees. In Top Gun, the well-known actress starred as the astrophysicist and training school instructor Charlie Blackwood.

The blonde, long-legged, beautiful actress made a lasting impression as Maverick’s love interest – her brainy-but-gorgeous character became iconic.

“I don’t think anything prepared me for what I guess was becoming a household name kind of thing,” McGillis said told LA Times.

“It was really intimidating to me. I don’t aspire to be famous. I just aspire to be an actress, and that movie kind of startled my reality in a big way. I got very insecure. I didn’t know who I could trust to be my friend anymore.”

Charlie was actually based on another iconic person – Christine Fox. Fox was a famous civilian flight instructor and mathematician who the producers met while doing research for the movie.

She would later have an impressive career at the Pentagon – Fox became Acting Deputy Secretary of Defense, the highest post ever held by a woman at the Department of Defense.

How Kelly McGillis got the role of Charlie was a bit of a coincidence. She was scheduled to do another movie, but it fell through. Paramount called her and asked if she could do Top Gun instead, McGillis liked the script and then drove to San Diego for the production.

”I felt it was a Western in the sky. I had no clue how visually impeccable it would be. I think Tony Scott brought so much to that movie visually,” she said.

Her role in Top Gun turned McGillis into a sex symbol, but she was also hailed for her screen performance. The on-screen chemistry with Cruise was obvious, and Kelly really liked her co-star off-set as well.

”I think Tom is terrific. He’s the sweetest guy. He is very genuine and sincere and respectful. And I just loved working with Tom. I think he is wonderful,” she said.

At the time, McGillis was compared to great screen beauties like Grace Kelly, Ingrid Bergman and Lauren Bacall.

But Kelly could never take that comparison seriously.

”I have never thought of myself as a great beauty. In my teen-age and prepubescent years when one forms one’s ideas of oneself, I think primarily I was very over-weight and had a very low self-esteem,” she told Intelligencer Journal in 1986.

Turned her back on Hollywood

Although I and many others remember McGillis for her role as Charlie in Top Gun, it wouldn’t be fair to her to only talk about that movie – because she has done so much more in her life and career.

She stormed Hollywood in 1985 with her breakout role, portraying an Amish widow in Witness. After her success with Top Gun, she starred in the controversial film The Accused, playing a tough lawyer. McGillis was then cast in several television and film roles throughout the 1990s, but none of the films bolstered her career.

After that, the outspoken actress broke all the rules and turned her back on Tinseltown. She refused to do the scripts she was given, she cut her blonde hair, left Hollywood, had babies, and piled on the weight.

“I think just my priorities in life changed. It wasn’t like a major decision that I made to leave, it was just that other things became more important,” she told Entertainment Tonight.

Kelly McGillis husband

After leaving Hollywood, she focused on her family and took time out to raise her now-grown daughters, Kelsey and Sonora.

Shortly after The Accused premiered, McGillis fell in love with Fred Tillman – a man that had no connection to show business. But Fred and Kelly shared the same interests; they liked sailing and beaches.

Kelly, who was born in 1957 and grew up with sand between her toes in Newport Beach, California, felt like she had found the man of her dreams.

McGillis and Tillman tied the knot, bought a yacht, and sailed to Europe.

The family then settled down in Key West, Florida, and opened a restaurant together, called Kelly’s Caribbean Bar & Grill.

But McGillis’ past always seemed to catch up on her. According to the Top Gun star, she didn’t go to Florida to escape – but she had a lot to deal with personally.

She drank too much, and was uncertain about her sexuality. For a year or so, she was a ”wreck.”

“I was never really unhappy. It is just that I wanted to reclaim my anonymity, to live my own life. I think that if you have children, it is you who should look after them. I didn’t want my kids to think of me as a movie star, I wanted them to know me as Mommy,” she told The Daily Telegraph in 1999.

Coming out

In 2002, McGillis divorced Tillman. Seven years later, she came out as a lesbian during an interview with SheWired. According to the actress, her coming out had been an ongoing process since she was 12.

“Life is a freaking journey, and it’s about growing and changing, and coming to terms with who and what you are, and loving who and what you are,” she said.

While McGillis was running her restaurant in Key West, she met bartender Melanie Leis. Sadly, their relationship was shaky and self-destructive; both had a problem with different substances and went into rehab. McGillis drank excessively.

Nevertheless, the partners in crime married in New Jersey in 2010. McGillis’s ex-husband, Fred Tillman, attended the civil union ceremony.

“He was my greatest, bestest friend, and he still is,” McGillis told Daily News, adding: ”I was gay before I had kids. I had a really tough time coming to accept myself.”

Kelly McGillis and Melanie Leis broke up in 2011.

Kelly McGillis today

As of now, Kelly is said to be living in a log cabin in the hills in Hendersonville, North Carolina. She wears her gray hair short and prefers the comfort of pants – enjoying her quiet, happy, and content life far away from Hollywood.

“I am concentrating teaching acting privately in small studio that goes with a school in Asheville, North Carolina. I feel it is my time to give back and that’s something that I know how to do,” she said in 2014.

 

Looking at McGillis today, it sure looks like she has given up her own acting career. It was a while since we saw her on-screen – her latest credited project is from 2018, when she starred in the TV movie Maternal Secrets.

“You hear women of my age talk about this all the time,” she said. “I think this industry is not particularly kind to women who are over 50. I am not into the coloring of my hair, doing the Botox and getting a face lift. I want to grow up to be a character actress,” she said in 2013.

As mentioned, Kelly appeared in the news a lot in 2022. Because of her absence on Top Gun: Maverick, people wanted to know what happened to her and why she wasn’t cast in the sequel.

According to the director Joseph Kosinski, he wanted to take the film in a different direction with different characters – that’s why Kelly was left out. It had nothing to do with her appearance, according to Kosinski.

Kelly McGillis will always be the hot astrophysics engineer to those of us who were there to see her in all her glory. A woman like her, in a movie like the original Top Gun, is an act that can never be followed. Period.

It takes so much more grace and beauty to leave such an industry to care for herself and prioritize her family. That’s more impressive to me than anything.