What Do Prince Harry, Britney Spears, and Ari Emanuel Have in Common?
Plus: 60 New Movies We Can’t Wait to See This Fall
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August 30, 2026

To those on the outside, celebrity ghostwriting seems like a walk in the park—you get paid to hang out with a famous person and organize their deepest secrets for public consumption. What’s the downside? Those with any experience in the profession will answer that question with unparalleled eagerness, Vanity Fair’s Maxwell Adler learned, with even the indefatigable Buzz Bissinger (of Friday Night Lights fame) swearing off the endeavor. And now there’s AI, which might lead some celebs to believe they no longer need an ink-stained wretch to smooth out their on-set anecdotes. How will this play out for the booming memoir biz? Read the story and find out.


While VF features editor Hillary Busis doesn’t cite Silicon Valley’s ongoing move to the far right as a reason for dumping wearable tech in her latest “Nominated for Oblivion” column, I don’t think that’s because she’s not concerned about it—she just had so many other points to raise regarding the tiresome ubiquity of rings, watches, and other devices that make adult life one never-ending Presidential Physical Fitness Test that Sergey Brin’s Trump ties failed to make the cut. If you want an excuse to leave your Fitbit on the charger today, here you go.


Besides, if you’re a male with a certain level of fame, there’s probably an X user poised to generate a flatteringly jacked image of you even before you close a single ring on your Apple Watch, José Criales-Unzueta reports. It’s a strange, AI-enabled trend tied to the protein-packed fixation on an unattainable version of “masculinity” that’s pickling brains around the world. Inevitably, the same celebrities who appear so swole on social media will appear before us in the flesh—say, while promoting one of the 60 new movies our staff can’t wait to see this fall—where they will look disappointingly human. So not only is AI coming for ghostwriting gigs, but it’s about to make me think the cast of Avengers: Doomsday has really let themselves go? What a time to be alive.

EVE BATEY
EDITOR

BOOKS

 

What Do Prince Harry, Britney Spears, and Ari Emanuel Have in Common? Expensive Ghostwriters, Of Course

 

By Maxwell Adler

 

High-demand for celebrity memoirs has led to a cottage industry for talented writers looking to make money. Now, as AI raises new questions about originality and disclosure, VF goes inside the business of ghostwriting to see how the new technology is changing the nature of the industry. Read more


Why this ad?

TECH

 

Sergey Brin’s MAGA Makeover

 

By Sylvia Varnham O’Regan

 

Once Democrat supporters, Google cofounder Brin and his girlfriend, wellness influencer Gerelyn Soto, have dined with Donald Trump and backed conservative candidates in California, including former Fox News host Steve Hilton and reality TV star Spencer Pratt, underscoring Silicon Valley’s growing foothold in right-wing politics. Read more

NOMINATED FOR OBLIVION

 

Pull the Plug: Making a Case Against Wearable Tech

 

By Hillary Busis

 

No more beeping, booping, or buzzing. One writer on why she’s opting out. Read more

MOVIES

 

60 New Movies We Can’t Wait to See This Fall

 

By VANITY FAIR

 

Featuring everyone from Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt to Zendaya and Mikey Madison. Read more


Why this ad?

CATFISH

 

The Trouble With Viral AI-Enhanced Images of the Bodies of Mayor Mamdani, Adam Sandler, and More

 

By José Criales-Unzueta

 

Mayor Mamdani, Adam Sandler, Pedro Pascal, and more famous men are now incredibly jacked, at least according to anonymous X users. Read more

MONEY