PHOTO CREDITS | ABC The Bachelorette/Craig Sjodin
THE BACHELORETTES S.19 E.10 | FINALE PART I
PHOTO CREDITS | ABC The Bachelorette/Gizelle Hernandez
It’s been a long road, but we’re here at the end of ABC’s The Bachelorette! Jesse Palmer lets us know that it’s going to be quite the ride and has Rachel Recchia and Gabby Windey with him on the couch with a live studio audience. We pick up where we left off last week as Zach pulls her aside to let her know that their Fantasy Suites was a bit off. She agrees but says that she was trying to get clarity and to find the missing piece. He let her know that he needs to go and she says that she wishes that she could have gotten there. She gives Tino and Aven the rose. Apparently the fact that they just talked all night, he felt that there was a disconnect.
Interestingly enough, Zach is in the audience to talk with Rachel about what took place and to get some of the answers that he needs from the experience. He apologizes for calling her out on her character and he says that he was so surprised in that moment and he didn’t mean for it come off that way. She lets him know that her feelings were real and she wasn’t putting on an act.
After they hug it out, Rachel is with her family including her dad, Big Tony! She preps her parents and close friends as she’s excited to see how they feel about Tino and Aven. She greets Aven and lets him know that her family is excited to meet him. He brings flowers and a cigar for Big Tony. Big Tony sits down with Aven and says that he loves his daughter and wants to know what he should know about him as there will be another man in that chair the next day. You can definitely feel that they vibe, but when he talks with her friends, he lets them know that he’s on the road to being in love with her. When Rachel talks with her father, he lets her know that he put his guard down a little as he liked the things that she said about him. Her friends realize that he is not all the way there. When she sits down with her friends, they tell her that he seemed iffy on an engagement right now. She’s surprised as she feels that this is out of left field. She feels lied to and she decides to talk with him as she would have never brought him if she didn’t feel sure that he would be ready.
When they recap with one another, he says that he liked her family and he thought that things went well. Rachel tells him that she heard that he was not ready. He says that nothing has changed and he wants to make sure that this is right for both of them right now during this time. She feels that he isn’t being truthful and Aven says that the dynamics are slightly odd as there is still another man that is in the mix. This is definitely going to be a major disconnect between the two of them.
Jesse chats with Gabby and Rachel about what happened so far and agrees that what happened with Aven is shocking! We then see Gabby connecting with her family as they prepare to meet the only man that’s left, Erich. He has met her grandfather again and he’s beginning to get to know her family and lets them know that he has fallen in love with her. It seems like her family likes Erich and Jesse lets us know that people want Grandpa Joe to be The Bachelor as many people would give them their rose.
We’re back with Rachel as she meets up with her family who’s about to see Tino. She tells them that his family doesn’t care for her and of course that creates questions with everyone. Her mom feels that she needs to ask more questions as everyone knows how she feels about what happened with Aven. Her mom asks whether she thinks his family will come around. She knows that when families come together, it makes the marriage better.
We check in with Rachel for her last date with Aven to get clarity on what happened as she feels that they are not on the same page after what went down with her family. He asks if she would like some champagne and she lets him know that it’s time to get down to the matter at hand.
He tells her that he needs more time with her, to visit her in Florida and to know more so that they can be engaged and have a real life. Aven continues his circular conversation and we all see that he’s not ready and she ultimately breaks up with him.
We see them live talking to one another and we can tell there is a lot of care between them, but they have gone in separate directions. Aven admits that he should have communicated fully on where he was with everything. At this point, we are down to Tino and Rachel as well as Gabby and Erich in this extended Part I finale of The Bachelorette. It seems like we will end the night with Gabby and Erich.
Their final date allows them to make sure that they are on the same page. Erich lets her know that he does love being with her, but wants to take it slow and to let them be themselves. Gabby wants to leave with a proposal and Erich says that he really wants to date her and to get engaged prior to that, that’s not what he wants. She wanted clarity on where she is, but she’s realizing that they are not on the same page.
Each night during this season, we tweet about The Bachelorette and you can chat along with us (@AthleisureMag + with our Co-Founder/Creative + Style Director, Kimmie Smith @ShesKimmie) to see what’s taking place!
Each week we will let you know who our faves were from the last episode and if we’ve changed up since then as it pertains to who we think should go to Hometowns.
We also suggest a podcast that we’ve become obsessed with over the past few seasons, Wondery’s Bachelor Happy Hour to get their feedback!
WHO IS AT HOMETOWNS
![ERICH [Gabby]](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/55982406e4b014bac5e42764/1657589521787-HE4QWFJRS909FS7317ZQ/ERICH_29_Bedminster+NJ.jpg)
![TINO [Rachel]](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/55982406e4b014bac5e42764/1657588780832-OYABQ16HOWK8MYX9VA0N/TINO_27_Playa+Del+Rey+CA.jpg)
THE BACHELOR CONTESTANTS
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PHOTO CREDITS | ABC The Bachelorette/Craig Sjodin
THE BACHELORETTES S.19 E.10 | FANTASY SUITES PART II
PHOTO CREDITS | ABC The Bachelorette/Gizelle Hernandez
Tonight we’re on the 2nd night of the Fantasy Suites on ABC’s The Bachelorette! It’s clear that tonight will have a lot of new information for us to take in that has been teased throughout the season with Rachel Recchia and Gabby Windey. Jesse Palmer has his work cut out for him. We pick up with Gabby and Erich who were talking about the fact that she is still in the process and he doesn’t like it. In this case, you’ve signed up for a show where this is very much so the format, so it shouldn’t be an issue that is surprising to everyone. Although they talked about this off camera during Fantasy Suites, it’s the rehashing of this that we can is on Gabby’s mind. Gabby reaches out to Jesse so that she can gain some perspective and talk through her feelings.
She prepares for her overnight date with Jason and knows that she needs to make the decision that is the right one for her. Jason in his confessional lets us know that since his Hometowns, he knows he is there for Gabby, BUT he isn’t ready to be engaged! Jason and Gabby are going to play tennis which he used to play in college! She wants to show that she can enjoy or at least do something that he is passionate about. He teaches her how to serve and you can see the ease that is between them. It looks like a great fit, but we know that Jason has expressed his own concerns. From the tennis court, they head to the pool and Erich can hear their date while he’s looking out his balcony.
Back on the date, they catch up on how Hometowns was for both of them and how Jason’s parents were. The vibes seem positive and they’re reasonably on the same page. As they move to dinner, he knows that he needs to be transparent. He tells her that he is not fully there yet because of the environment and he wonders what’s real and what’s not. Again, Gabby has to leave the table and talk through what is happening and think about what this means in terms of the new reality that she is faced with. When he sees how she is doing, he lets her know that he is still in it, but he wants to do it outside of this bubble. Her decision with him is whether she wants to move forward with him or not. Even though everything is up in the air, she decides that she will spend the night with him because it could change things and she could get to know more about him.
Even though they had their night, by the time they were behind closed doors, it took a turn and it seemed like he couldn’t talk to her about the future. SHe realizes that he never loved her or intended to be with her and she sends him home.
We switch to Rachel who is about to have her final date with Zach to have a great day with him. Their date involves exploring the town while they get to know one another even more. They enjoy some tequila in a tasting at a little outdoor bar. They talk about the Hometown experience that they had and how much fun she had with his family. They explore foods, readings and so much more as they get to know more about one another. The date has put them both at ease and it seems like everything is going in a positive direction. Her biggest concern beyond being at this point on the other side with Clayton is, how will she decide which of these men are the ones for her?
As they transition into the evening portion of their date, Zach is looking forward to talking with her more as he sees his future with her and wants to be her husband. She lets him know that the week has been an interesting one as she was at this point previously with Clayton and she doesn’t want to bring those emotions into her present and future. He recognizes that this is tough and he wants to make sure that she is loved and cared for. They opt to do the Fantasy Suites.
We catch up with Zach and Rachel the next morning and we are aware that there was an extensive conversation between the two of them. Zach says that when he woke up, he was feeling confused because going into the night he wasn’t confused - now he is. Rachel told him that he may not be ready for a commitment due to his age and then she kicked up her questioning to the point where he was caught off guard. Her concern came out of nowhere to him and he feels that she was putting on a front! He decides that he wants to talk to Jesse. Visibly upset, with a few tears, he tells him what took place and how he feels about it. He explains that he feels a bit lost as every other interaction that he has had with her, he felt that there was a connection, but at Fantasy Suites, he realized that they both acted differently. When the cameras were not on them, he felt that the way she was acting wasn’t authentic and she kept harping on his age of 25 (where she is 26). He was surprised by this and he realizes that there may not be a future there. Jesse tells Zach that he needs to talk to her and let her know.
We check in with Gabby and we know that only Erich is left and she is grappling with the fact that the person that is here, may not be the person she is meant to be with. But she knows that she must follow her heart.
The guys get ready for the rose ceremony and they chat a bit with Jesse about where they are mentally in this process. We see Aven who is still very happy with how his dates have been and he has no reservations. Tino also feels confident as they have great dates; however, he knows that the Hometown with his parents wasn’t the easiest. Zach is feeling unsure and sick to his stomach heading in to see Rachel at the ceremony. He tells Jesse that before she offers the rose, he wants to talk to her to get the clarity that he needs. Rachel’s men assemble and look at the 2 roses that will be given out. Rachel arrives and Jesse catches up with her and tells her that Gabby will not be at the rose ceremony because they are on 2 separate journeys. So at least we know that Gabby is not leaving and this totally makes sense.
Rachel says that she is so excited and happy to see them and to have spent time with him. Before she hands out the roses, Zach asks to talk with her.
Gabby decides that she needs to speak with Erich to lay out what she feels and to be clear about where she is coming from and what she deserves.
Erich is getting ready for the rose ceremony and he realized that he shouldn’t have harped on things that they had already discussed off camera. She heads over to his room to tell him that with the craziness of the week, she has really learned a lot about herself and she didn’t realize the decisions would be this hard. She explains that she was so upset because she felt like he didn’t trust her. In their time together, she saw what it was that she deserves and she felt that he taught her that. She tells him that he is the only one left and that she loves him. Erich is definitely excited at the turn of events and she tells him that she has to process everything on her own terms because it is foreign to her. She says that there is no point in having the rose ceremony because it is her and him.
Elsewhere in Mexico, Zach tells Rachel what has been bothering him. Apparently, the finale is so crazy, they didn’t even get into it and we have to wait until next week!
GABBY’S REMAINING MEN | Erich
RACHEL’S REMAINING MEN | Aven, Tino, Zach
GABBY SENT HOME | Jason
Each night during this season, we tweet about The Bachelorette and you can chat along with us (@AthleisureMag + with our Co-Founder/Creative + Style Director, Kimmie Smith @ShesKimmie) to see what’s taking place!
Each week we will let you know who our faves were from the last episode and if we’ve changed up since then as it pertains to who we think should go to Hometowns.
We also suggest a podcast that we’ve become obsessed with over the past few seasons, Wondery’s Bachelor Happy Hour to get their feedback!
WHO IS AT HOMETOWNS
![AVEN [Rachel]](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/55982406e4b014bac5e42764/1657588601108-J205D6OAU8O43BE34YSL/AVEN_28_San+Diego+CA.jpg)
![ZACH [Rachel]](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/55982406e4b014bac5e42764/1658796978812-WMW0AEYS62JGDUT9IWDE/ZACH_25_Anaheim+Hills+CA.jpg)
THE BACHELOR CONTESTANTS
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PHOTO CREDITS | ABC The Bachelorette/Craig Sjodin
THE BACHELORETTES S.19 E.9 | FANTASY SUITES PART I
PHOTO CREDITS | ABC The Bachelorette/Gizelle Hernandez
Okay now, we have a back-to-back night of ABC’s The Bachelorette! Definitely looking forward to what’s happening as last week’s clips showed an interesting season! We are back with Rachel Recchia Gabby Windey, Jesse Palmer and the remaining men in Mexico! We know that there will be overnights and this is the weekend that things went topsy turvy for both women when we they were in Clayton’s season.
The ladies catch up to talk about the decisions that they have to make. Rachel likes Tino, but she can’t shake the fact that his parents were not her biggest fans. She knows that he does care for her because he said that he was falling in love with her. She feels that she needs clarity on him. WIth Zach, she knows that the pieces are there and that she has never been left in the dark with him. She doesn’t feel like she is ready to commit to him. She really likes Aven and knows that they have a great foundation with one another. She’s nervous because she hasn’t told him how she feels about him. She knows that he is falling in love with her, but she was too nervous to say it back.
Gabby loves her connection with Jason and feels that he is the most emotionally available. She is falling for him, but she doesn’t know if he is with her! She has so much fun with Johnny, but she feels that they are in different places in their lives. She also had great banter with Erich and she let him know that she is falling in love with him - just like he is with her!
Fantasy Suites will take place this week and both are prepared to fall in love this week. Gabby and Erich are up first and enjoy swimming in this lagoon. They jump off of this structure with various heights which definitely would make us scared. They eventually take the big leap and we continue on with the next portion of their date with the dinner where they can get to know more about one another. Erich lets her know that he is in love with her and doesn’t want to leave Mexico without her. She lets him know that she is falling in love with him. They take another leap by going to the Fantasy Suites together.
We catch up with Rachel as it’s time for her overnight date. She kicks it off with Aven! We also see Tino looking upset that she will be on dates and that he can’t imagine her doing any overnights with anyone! Aven and Rachel are on a yacht laying around and getting to know one another. They talked about Aven’s Hometown and he lets her know that his parents liked her and accepted her. Rachel acknowledges that they made her feel that way!
Jesse checks in with Tino to see what his thoughts are. Tino says that waiting when you’re not getting a date card is a tough situation. Tino lets Jesse know that their Hometown was great, but his parents left her with a feeling that wasn’t the best for her. Tino feels the process is worth it; however, he knows his parents definitely added some drama to the situation - especially his father! He tells Jesse that he has fallen in love with Rachel since Bruge! He feels his family will have an effect on her decision.
The day date portion of Rachel and Aven’s day continues to the evening when they get to know more about one another. She lets him know that she was nervous to respond that she felt the same way. She explains that on her last journey, the love word was thrown around carelessly. She finally tells Aven that she is falling in love with him. She also knows that he is ready to be engaged. He reads the Fantasy Suites card and of course, they make their way there! They wake up the next day and Rachel lets us know that Aven is the whole package!
Rachel’s next date is with Tino. She continues to think about the fact that his family was not receptive of her and she wants to talk with him about it later that night! They ride horses and sit near a pool to talk about the past couple of days. Tino acknowledges that the night portion of their Hometowns didn’t go the way expected. We hear in Rachel’s confessional that if she’s not feeling it, she doesn’t see a path forward. In his, he states that he hopes that they can enjoy their date, but when the night portion comes - he wants to be able to dig into the layers to tell her about it so that she can be happy and comfortable with everything that has transpired. As they settle into their dinner portion of the evening, Rachel tells him her experience being with his parents. She even highlights that his father really left an impression. They tell each other that they love one another and they partake in the Fantasy Suites.
We pick Gabby up with Johnny! They’re also on a boat known as the Moonshine as they lounge and continue to chat with one another. Although they are having a great date in the daytime, as they look at the ocean, she asks him if he’s prepared to be engaged. He doesn’t really answer and she feels that he is not ready to commit. Johnny says that he can’t commit and they part ways before continuing on the journey. Because she knows that they are in separate places, she sends him home.
While she sends Johnny home, Jesse asks if Jason is ready to get engaged and he says he isn’t. This is pretty tough ultimately for her.
Erich sends her a note asking to meet him on the bridge. At first, it’s a happy surprise, but he rehashes a conversation that they had in the Fantasy Suites - where he feels like this portion of the experience is cheating on him. Gabby feels defensive that they are going over this again and feels that he’s adding a negative spin on the time that she needs. She feels like he is testing her and she doesn’t like it!
Tomorrow, we’ll continue with the remainder of the Fantasy Suites to see how it all shakes out!
GABBY’S FANTASY SUITES DATES | Erich + Jason
RACHEL’S FANTASY SUITES DATES | Aven, Tino, Zach
GABBY SENT HOME | Johnny
Each night during this season, we tweet about The Bachelorette and you can chat along with us (@AthleisureMag + with our Co-Founder/Creative + Style Director, Kimmie Smith @ShesKimmie) to see what’s taking place!
Each week we will let you know who our faves were from the last episode and if we’ve changed up since then as it pertains to who we think should go to Hometowns.
We also suggest a podcast that we’ve become obsessed with over the past few seasons, Wondery’s Bachelor Happy Hour to get their feedback!
WHO IS AT HOMETOWNS
![JASON [Gabby]](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/55982406e4b014bac5e42764/1659401469296-SZ3XBQ6EYJ9UB61A0B2P/162684_3598_V1.jpg)
THE BACHELOR CONTESTANTS
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IT'S ABOUT THE MUSIC | CHEAT CODES
It may be the end of the summer, but festival season continues and here in NY, we're excited for Labor Day Weekend when Electric Zoo brings some of our favorite DJ/Producers to Randall's Island for 3 days of music from Sept 2nd - 4th! We caught up with one of the acts who will hitting the stage to get the scoop ahead of their performance.
Matt Russell, Trevor Dahl and KEVI make up Cheat Codes, a trio that has been collaborating with a number of people from Demi Lovato, Afrojack and Wiz Khalifa to name a few. They shared how they came together, how they got their name and their collaborative process. They also talk about dropping HELLRAISERS Part 1, 2 and 3, upcoming country music with Jimmie Allen and Dolly Parton and of course their upcoming performance for EZoo!
ATHLEISURE MAG: When did each of you fall in love with music and what was the moment that you realized that you wanted to be a DJ?
MATT RUSSELL: 3rd grade music class, they handed me a recorder, I made hot cross buns sound like Beethovens 5th, and it was over. We didn’t start the project by DJing we just wanted to make songs, and once we started gaining momentum we had to learn very quickly. Our first DJ gig was rough, let me tell you.
AM: Tell us how the 3 of you came together to become Cheat Codes?
MR: We all met in LA, but came from different musical backgrounds. Trevor was doing acoustic singer songwriter music, Kevi was a rapper, and Matt was in an indie/hip hop project. I was making beats for KEVI’s rap project, and Trevor needed a studio, so he turned my laundry room into a dope recording set up. We had the idea to just mess around and do a session together, and thats when we wrote Cheat Codes first song “Visions”.
AM: Where did the name Cheat Codes come from?
KEVI: My brothers were in this band called Clear Static, and they had a lot of early success. They were opening for Duran Duran at Madison Square Garden and I came out to support them, but was dumbfounded by everything they were accomplishing. So I asked my bro Tom, how you doing this, and he told me “I found the cheat code little bro” haha!
AM: As a trio, what do each of you bring to created your DJ group?
TREVOR DAHL: We all handle different roles, which allows us to do more and not get burned out. Matt handles a lot of the live set, live edits, etc. I finish a lot of the production on the songs, and Kevi handles a lot of the visual aesthetic, as far as merch idea, album artwork ideas etc. but we collaborate with each other on everything. We usually agree on most things.
AM: How do you find inspiration when you are creating new music?
MR: Well we do a lot of collaborations, so I think that makes it easy. Just trying to find something that works well for both artists, but is still representative of our sound.
AM: What’s your process when it comes to creating your music – do you have set roles?
K: It just depends on each song, but we all write and bounce ideas off each other. We all have vocals on different records as well. But dividing and conquering helps us do a lot more for sure.
AM: You have collaborated with Demi Lovato, Kaskade, Afrojack etc. When you’re collaborating with other artists, what are you looking for when you’re thinking about whether you can work together?
TD: Just an idea that sounds like Cheat Codes, but still works for the other artist. With Demi, we had the demo idea and we just thought her voice would sound awesome on it so it was kind of a no brainer. With Kaskade and Afrojack we really wanted to lean on their production sound and write some cool vocals that would compliment their ideas, so those were a little more production driven.
AM: How would you describe the Cheat Codes sound?
MR: At this point we’ve done every genre basically so we’re its hard to put in a few words. We kind of have different eras, where early on it was almost tropical house leaning, then kind of went more pop, dance, but we definitely hate being put in a box, we get bored easily.
AM: I’m a huge fan of Squid Games and I can’t wait for when the next season drops, you made Way Back Then an Official Squid Games Remix. How did that come about?
MR: Well we binge watched the show, stayed up all night actually. We were having an argument on the best way to watch it, with Korean voiceovers and subtitles or English dubs, then the idea hit.
AM: Tell us about HellRaiser Part 1, 2 and 3 as you released these albums over the last 18 months. What was the concept behind it and why is it a series of 3 albums?
MR: It was originally 1 album, and then Covid hit. We couldn’t tour for 8 months, so we just spent extra time in the studio, once we had all these ideas, it didn’t sound like 1 cohesive project, there were more 3 distinct sounds, so figured why not, we’ve never done an album before so lets go big.
AM: We know that you have been teasing a country album for awhile. Why was this a genre that you wanted to incorporate your sound into?
MR: We've always been song and vocal driven, and one of our early influences was Avicci, so it never seemed too out of bounds for us. When we were making Hellraisers, we had this record called "Never Love You Again." It was never intended to be tended to be a country record, the production is more dance, but we just needed a very soulful voice that matched, and little big town jumped on. Something about their harmonies and soul made the record what it is, so we kind of went down a rabbit hole.
AM: Is there a synergy between EDM and country music?
K: Yeah for sure, I mean EDM is so global, and its taken us so many places around the world, some of the best times to blast country music is on a road trip, or hitting up an isolated place, and I think that works really well especially in a festival environment. Just bringing good vibes and people together.
AM: Jimmie Allen is going to be on this record, what can you tell us about the music that you worked on with him and what was that like?
MR: What I like about this record is, it's not a typical country record. Jimmie's vocals aren’t overly twang, and the lyrics aren’t about trucks or anything. So it became this easily accessible thing whether you like dance music or country or pop.
AM: Are there other country artists that are also on this record?
TD: We have Matt Stell, MacKenzie Porter, Madddie and Tae, Lady A, and we’re working on one with Dolly as well.
AM: With it coming out Sep 30th, what are you doing to promote this album, will you participate in country festivals and will these songs also be incorporated into other sets that you’re doing outside of the country scene?
K: Yeah, we've already performed some of the records at different electronic festivals this summer, so it kind of just depends on the vibe and the edit. We’ll be doing Rodeo World in Vegas in December, so catch us at the official after party.
AM: You’ve been creating so much music, are there other projects that are coming out that we should keep an eye out for?
MR: Yeah we’re already working on the album after this, so stay tuned, we can’t really talk about it though.
AM: We’re looking forward to EZoo as you’ll be here in NY! What are you excited about for this festival?
MR: We play in NYC all the time, but I think this will be the biggest festival we’ve played here, definitely electronic based. I think I heard everyone's dressing up as animals, so I’m excited to fulfill my fantasy as a sexy elephant. Stay tuned.
AM: When you’re performing at EZoo, do you have routines that you do prior to your set to get prepared for the show and do you have things that you do after your show to relax?
MR: Yeah we usually play “Kill, Marry, F$#%” and then follow that up with 30 burpees and we’re ready to hit the stage. Afterwards we relax by putting on our noise cancelling headphones and listening to ASMR.
AM: How do you balance your schedules from when you’re performing a festival, being on tour, your residencies, creating music etc?
TD: Yeah we just have to prioritize what’s most important, so we’ll usually block off time to be in the studio where we won’t play shows no matter what. But organization is key for sure.
IG @cheatcodes
PHOTO CREDITS | Cheat Codes
Read the AUG ISSUE #80 of Athleisure Mag and see IT’S ABOUT THE MUSIC | Cheat Codes in mag.
Featured
PHOTO CREDITS | ABC The Bachelorette/Craig Sjodin
THE BACHELORETTES S.19 E.8 | LAST HOMETOWN + MEN TELL ALL
PHOTO CREDITS | ABC The Bachelorette/Gizelle Hernandez
We pick up where we left off on ABC’s The Bachelorette for Aven and Rachel Recchia’s Hometown which took place in Salem! The two had a great time learning about love spells and finding out about the town’s history. Rachel met his family and even with their questions, she knew that they enjoyed meeting her and she felt much better than she did with some of her dates! Interestingly enough, we didn’t get to see who received roses but we heard that everyone minus Tyler (who was sent home).
We see Rachel, Gabby Windey, Jesse Palmer and the remainder of the men at the Men Tell All special. We heard about all the drama that we’ve been hearing all season long. Jacob apologized for his behavior with Gabby and Hayden wasn’t even there to talk about how inappropriate he was. It seems like the next few weeks are definitely going to take us into some twists and turns!
GABBY’S HOMETOWN DATES | Erich, Jason, Johnny
RACHEL’S REMAINING HOMETOWN DATES | Aven, Tino, Zach
Each night during this season, we tweet about The Bachelorette and you can chat along with us (@AthleisureMag + with our Co-Founder/Creative + Style Director, Kimmie Smith @ShesKimmie) to see what’s taking place!
Each week we will let you know who our faves were from the last episode and if we’ve changed up since then as it pertains to who we think should go to Hometowns.
We also suggest a podcast that we’ve become obsessed with over the past few seasons, Wondery’s Bachelor Happy Hour to get their feedback!
WHO IS AT HOMETOWNS
![JOHNNY [Gabby]](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/55982406e4b014bac5e42764/1661224620739-3L9K4IM01CQQSIS12YV4/JOHHNY_25_Palm+Beach+Gardens+FL.jpg)
THE BACHELOR CONTESTANTS
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PHOTO CREDITS | ABC The Bachelorette/Craig Sjodin
THE BACHELORETTES S.19 E.7 | IT'S HOMETOWNS
PHOTO CREDITS | ABC The Bachelorette/Gizelle Hernandez
We’re back watching tonight’s ABC’s The Bachelorette and it’s Hometowns! Rachel Recchia and Gabby Windey are separating and packing as they will go to their men’s hometowns! Jesse Palmer checks up on both of them to figure out how they are doing as they prepare to leave the ship.
Gabby heads to New Orleans for the first time to meet up with Jason! She will only visit 3 men! He takes her around New Orleans to wear and throw beads and she gets to meet his family and connects with them.
Now Rachel is with Zach in his hometown where they get to watch planes taking off.
Back to Gabby, we go to Johnny and his hometown. As soon as he meets her, he lets them now that they will hang with his family first so she can meet them. Gabby was very nervous - but we can’t fault her since she didn’t really get any alone time with her. Although she wins his family over, Johnny tells his mom that he doesn’t know if he is ready yet for that.
Rachel is at the Jersey Shore with Tyler. She’s excited to be with him, but feels that they are the most behind in terms of their relationships. They hang out on the board walk and she realizes even more that she isn’t in the same place with him as she met a number of his friends. She doesn’t want to continue the date. He heads home where he has to tell his family that she broke up with him. This was definitely a rough date.
Gabby’s final hometown is with Erich in New Jersey. He lets her know that they will go to his parents first before their date. She meets his family and they receive her well, but they tell her how important it is to have and keep your commitments. Later on, during their date they both share how they are falling in love with one another.
Now Rachel is with Tino in Santa Clarita, CA. His parents have a lot of questions and it doesn’t feel like they are on board with this process. His father is very doubtful about whether their relationship is sustainable. While Rachel talks to his mom, she sees that even if Tino wishes to go forward, his family will not be behind this and has heavy skepticism. When you look book at when Tino talked to her before meeting the parents, when she voiced concern over whether his parents would like her or not, he shut it down quickly saying they would. After meeting his parents, he shared that he wished that he had been more upfront with her.
Although Gabby has completed all of her dates, Rachel still has one more Hometown date with Aven. It will be interesting to see how that one goes and to see who the ladies will continue to move forward with next week!
GABBY’S HOMETOWN DATES | Erich, Jason, Johnny
RACHEL’S REMAINING HOMETOWN DATES | Aven, Tino, Zach
RACHEL SENT HOME | Tyler
Each night during this season, we tweet about The Bachelorette and you can chat along with us (@AthleisureMag + with our Co-Founder/Creative + Style Director, Kimmie Smith @ShesKimmie) to see what’s taking place!
Each week we will let you know who our faves were from the last episode and if we’ve changed up since then as it pertains to who we think should go to Hometowns.
We also suggest a podcast that we’ve become obsessed with over the past few seasons, Wondery’s Bachelor Happy Hour to get their feedback!
WHO IS AT HOMETOWNS
THE BACHELOR CONTESTANTS
Read the latest issue of Athleisure Mag.
Featured TV Show
REMAINING FOCUSED | JULIANNA PEÑA "VENEZUELAN VIXEN"
We're very excited about this month's cover, Bantamweight Champion Julianna Peña who will be fighting Amanda Nunes in the title fight in Dallas on Jul 30th for UFC277. This anticipated rematch is one we'll be glued to and just ahead of it, we took some time to catch up with the 'Venezuelan Vixen' herself! We wanted to know about her journey in the MMA, being the first woman to win The Ultimate Fighter - Season 18, joining the UFC, being a coach on Season 30 of The Ultimate Fighter, and how she trains to be Octagon ready!
ATHLEISURE MAG: What led you to MMA and when did you fall in love with the sport?
JULIANNA PEÑA: When I was 19 years old, my sister asked me to join a women’s cardio kickboxing class with her and I needed to lose some weight, so I joined the class. It came naturally to me and I wanted to explore it more. I immediately fell in love with it. And when I eventually started winning fights, the joy combined with the rush of winning solidified my obsession for MMA.
AM: You’re known as the Venezuelan Vixen. How did you get that name?
JP: I have to credit that to my coach that gave me that name early on in my career.
AM: What did you learn about competing on The Ultimate Fighter and becoming the first woman to win in Season 18?
JP: I learned that I still had so much more to learn, and that I still do. Not only is every fighter different, every FIGHT is different. Because as I’m learning and growing, so are my competitors. It taught me to never feel as though I know everything. There is always more to learn, more room to grow, more fights to win, and more fighters to challenge ahead. Always a student of the game.
AM: Last season, you and Amanda Nunes were coaches for The Ultimate Fighter. How did it feel to be there as a coach versus competing and what does it mean to you to work with those who are coming up and to give them the tools that they need to operate at their best?
JP: It was really interesting to be a 135lb woman giving advice to male MMA fighters twice my size! It was a little strange at first because I wasn’t sure how they would take my advice when we’re in very different divisions with different disciplines. But it soon became second nature. It was exciting to see them grow but it was also difficult getting to know them, their strengths/weaknesses, and then having to see them get eliminated. It was also very interesting to coach against Amanda because I was able to get a better understanding of her approach and methods, whereas before, I had only known what it was like to be fighting against her in the cage.
AM: We always like talking about workouts that athletes do that optimize their work in the sport, what are 3 workouts that you do?
JP: I love to run. All my workouts are what I do for and in camp. But running and strength/conditioning/lifting weights are others that I do. I love to swim and do yoga if I get the time.
AM: What is a typical training session/day like for you and how is it different when you are preparing for a fight?
JP: I train 2-3 times a day except on Sundays when I’m not in camp. I train MMA a few times a week but not nearly at the pace I do while I’m at camp.
AM: When it comes to training, how important is the mental aspect of it to you and how do you strengthen that area?
JP: The mental aspect of MMA training is just as important as the physical aspect of the sport. Especially as a mother, it’s very important for me to prioritize that work/life balance. I'm constantly reminding myself to remain focused and avoid unnecessary distractions while I’m training, so that I can, not only be the best fighter, but also be the best mother I can be to my daughter.
AM: In looking at your IG, we loved seeing your daughter Isa standing with you when you were doing promos for your fight last year or even when you’re training in the gym. It reminded me of being able to watch my mom work when she owned her own couture boutique. I think it’s powerful for kids to be able to see what their parents do. How is it to balance your duties as a mom, training, being a champion fighter and also building other areas of your brand/portfolio?
JP: Thank you! That’s so incredible that you have such fond memories of your mother and that you had a role model that also struck a great balance between work and parenthood. At the end of the day, my daughter comes first. She is the greatest joy in my life. And my duty to her to be a good mother is my ultimate responsibility. She will always come first. And the rest seems to fall into place as long as I continue to stay focused and motivated. Isa will forever be my biggest win in life.
AM: If we want to eat like an MMA fighter, what are the foods you eat that assist you in being an amazing champion and what are items you enjoy splurging on?
JP: My splurge is PINKBERRY or frozen yogurt of any kind. I train so much I can virtually eat what I want but I use Eat Clean Chicago to help prep me for the week and it ranges from spaghetti to baked chicken or salmon depending on the day.
AM: You have an amazing record 12-4-0. You are fighting Amanda Nunes in Dallas for a title rematch main event for UFC 277 on July 30th. When you fought her last year, you won the Bantamweight Title. Heading into Saturday’s fight, what are the days leading up to game time like when you touch down in Dallas?
JP: I’m actually already in Dallas! I got in earlier this week. Fight week is always a bit crazy – there are media interviews, press conferences, weigh-ins, and more.
And all of that is still in addition to an even more intense training schedule. Put it this way, I can’t wait to enjoy a bit of free time and sleep next week!
AM: After a fight, what do you do as you come down from all the energy and focus that you needed in the Octagon?
JP: Other than enjoying my victory?? I enjoy time with my daughter!!! That’s the easiest way to come down from that adrenaline rush that comes with months of training. Just fun and relaxation with Isa and my family.
AM: In addition to fighting, you are also a commentator for MMA fights as well. Why is this something that you wanted to add into your portfolio and what do you like about doing this?
JP: I love to talk and I love MMA. I always want MMA to be a part of my life!
AM: Earlier this summer, you threw the 1st pitch at the White Sox/Dodgers game in Chicago! How exciting was that experience for you?
JP: That was beyond exciting! The Chicago White Sox were so welcoming and truly made it an experience I will never forget. And it’s always fun to meet the players and coaches because it makes watching the game so much more fun. If they ever want me back, I’m a phone call away!
AM: When you’re not training or prepping for a fight, how do you take time for yourself?
JP: I spend my free time with my daughter. I’m so busy all the time between training and my other endeavors so any free time I have, I spend it with her. I haven’t sat on my couch in three months. I’m looking forward to putting my feet up.
AM: With all the successes that you have had, being a champion in the UFC and being able to do what you love – what do you want your legacy to be in the sport?
JP: I would love to be remembered for my ability to bring home victories even when the odds are stacked against me; being able to have opened the doors and break barriers for other working mothers. If you believe in yourself and are determined enough, there’s no reason that you can’t have it all. I dream of being inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame one day.
PHOTOGRAPHY CREDITS | Pillar Marketing Corporation
Read the JUL ISSUE #79 of Athleisure Mag and see REMAINING FOCUSED | Julianna Peña “Venezuelan Vixen” in mag.
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9LIST STORI3S | LA LA ANTHONY
PHOTO CREDITS | ABC The Bachelorette/Craig Sjodin
THE BACHELORETTES S.19 E.6 | CLOSER TO HOMETOWNS
PHOTO CREDITS | ABC The Bachelorette/Gizelle Hernandez
We’re back watching tonight’s ABC’s The Bachelorette and we’ll be in Amsterdam! Rachel Recchia and Gabby Windey are excited as they know that Hometowns is around the corner. It’s sure to be a big week ahead. The ladies catch up and the guys are getting ready for their dates.
The date card arrives for Rachel’s men and they find out that Zach will be on the 1-on-1 - his 2nd one. Tino definitely has thoughts on the fact that he’s not on the date.
The men over at Gabby’s receive news on who will get the 1-on-1 and it’s Nate.
Jesse Palmer catches up with the women to find out how they are holding up. Both are excited but we hear how Gabby is really thinking about what it would mean with Nate as he has a child and she doesn’t know how she would be as a mother.
While the remaining guys wonder why Nate got the date, we wonder if Logan really means to be there for her. Gabby and Nate walk around the city getting to know one another. We realize that she has even more misgivings then we thought that she had regarding being with Nate and her daughter. She lets him know that she feels so much for him, but she doesn’t know if she is ready to be a mom even though she knows that if she met his daughter, she would fall in love with her. Ultimately, she sends him home and they only have their first half of the date. She wonders if she made a good decision as he was so kind to her even when she let him know that she was sending him home.
Rachel’s date take place in a large tulip field where they only bloom for 2 weeks. Zach seems so excited to be on the date. They pick tulips, ride bikes, enjoy cheese, get wooden shows and bought some lemonade! They even head to a windmill which adds a quaint layer to their date and keeps it casual where they can get to know a lot about one another. They even enjoy being in a hot tub to take in the atmosphere. Their date continues at a museum where they see a number of art pieces and they continue to talk about their relationship. They connect and continue to be vulnerable with one another. She gives him the rose and we begin to see who will be at Hometowns!
While Rachel is having a great night, Gabby makes her way to the remaining men and you can see that she’s down after sending Nate home. Prior to her arrival, the guys agree that they want to be there for her as they know it’s tough. She let them know that she is there because she wanted to tell them what happened in person and she hoped that they weren’t freaked out. They let her know that they are there for her and they can understand why she feels the way that she does. After letting them know, she leaves them and lets them know that she will see them soon.
Gabby’s group date includes Logan who has yet to be with the other men in such a large setting officially. Erich, Jason, Johnny and Spencer. Their date is about being open-minded and to explore how they can communicate with her. They meet a woman who welcomes them in a room lit in red with a whip. You can definitely see the nerves on the men as they figure out their safe words. They answer some intimate questions, they get blindfolded while Gabby whips and puts whip cream on them.
The men continue to the after party of this date as there us a rose on the line which gets one of them into Hometowns. Gabby is visited by Jesse and lets her know that Logan tested positive for COVID-19. They have to cancel the cocktail party to ensure everyone’s safety. No rose is given out tonight and Jesse lets them know that the event is not taking place. That also means that Logan is no longer in the mix due to getting COVID-19.
Rachel’s group date is next with her 4 men. They get a chance to hang out while taking in the city with cheese and to get some 1-on-1 time with her as well. It’s another date where there is an element of the strong man. In this date, just like the other one, then men are asked to take off their shirts. Rachel puts sunscreen on them and they shoulder cheese wheels that are tied to wooden planks. Each time, they add an additional layer of cheese wedges. The final round had 8 wedges (4 on each side) - this is definitely not a comfortable challenge. Tino ends up winning the challenge although Ethan was pretty close in winning it. She spends some time with each one which is nice and they will continue onto their date later in the evening where they can dig deeper. That night she chats with Aven, Tyler, Ethan and Tino. Ultimately, Tyler gets the group date rose. Tino is upset because he feels that they had a connection and he didn’t get a rose that night. He feels that he needs to rethink everything at this point.
Although Logan was sent home, the ceremony continues and Gabby has 3 roses to give as she has decided that she won’t see 4 families. Rachel gives Aven and Tino a rose so we now know who will be going to Hometowns.
GABBY GAVE ROSES TO | Erich, Jason, Johnny
RACHEL GAVE ROSES TO | Aven, Tyler, Zach,
DIDN’T RECEIVE A ROSE | Ethan, Logan, Nate, Spencer
Each night during this season, we tweet about The Bachelorette and you can chat along with us (@AthleisureMag + with our Co-Founder/Creative + Style Director, Kimmie Smith @ShesKimmie) to see what’s taking place!
Each week we will let you know who our faves were from the last episode and if we’ve changed up since then as it pertains to who we think should go to Hometowns.
We also suggest a podcast that we’ve become obsessed with over the past few seasons, Wondery’s Bachelor Happy Hour to get their feedback!
WHO WE THINK WILL GO TO HOMETOWNS
![TYLER [Rachel]](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/55982406e4b014bac5e42764/1658197671266-OBXA0BU091HT4WF31UZ6/TYLER_25_Wildwood+NJ.jpg)
THE BACHELOR CONTESTANTS
Read the latest issue of Athleisure Mag.
Featured TV Show
VACATION VIBES | LA LA ANTHONY
It's always fun to touch base with those that we have interviewed previously. La La Anthony is a woman who is always on the go, whether she's on our favorite shows The Chi, POWER and Black Mafia Family. She's always fresh off of wrapping a project and in plans for the next one. In addition, she has always been an entrepreneur and earlier this year, she launched her hair care line, INALA which focuses on strengthening and providing our follicles much needed nutrients.
We caught up with her to talk about these projects as well as as how she tries to find those moments where she can recharge! She looped us in on what we should keep an eye out for, finding balance and how she enjoys vacation vibes year around!
ATHLEISURE MAG: We have always been a fan of your projects whether it’s The Chi, POWER and obviously more recently, Black Mafia Family.
LA LA ANTHONY: Oh thank you!
AM: We can’t wait to see the upcoming season. What made you decide that you wanted to be part of the show and what do you love about playing your character, Markaisha Taylor?
LLA: You know, I love Black Mafia Family because it’s a true story which just gives it a different depth and different layers! I knew about them and I had heard about them – Meech and Terry, so now being able to be part of their story is just so incredible! Obviously, 50 Cent is the producer who also produced POWER so, I always you know love working with 50 and he’s also one of my closest friends. So that was 2 of the main reasons that I wanted to be on-board and the character will really get introduced in the 2nd season and you’ll really see a lot of her and the relationships that develop over time. I think that people are really going to be into it.
AM: Is there anything that you can tell us about the upcoming season or will we need to wait until September?
LLA: You definitely have to wait! These things stay super under wraps! But we did finish filming so now things are just being edited and I think that it’s going to be an incredible season and I think that people are just going to be really excited for it.
AM: Since you are always involved in so many things, are there other TV or film projects that you have going on that we need to keep an eye out for?
LLA: I have a Netflix movie coming out with Gabrielle Union and that should be out at the top of the year. I also have a Netflix movie with Jonah Hill, Lauren London, Nia Long that’s coming out probably around the top of the year. Kenya Barris directed that one. There are some projects in the can that will start coming out and that’s always exciting when you can start off the new year with some new projects and things like that!
AM: Absolutely and with such amazing names and great casts for both of those.
Earlier this year, you launched INALA. Why did you create this line and what does the name mean?
LLA: INALA is my real name backwards – my real name is Alani so it’s a cool spin on that. It was something that was important to me because I worked on it when we were spending a lot of time at home during the pandemic. I really experimented a lot with rice water and saw amazing benefits to my hair when I was making the rice water at home. I was like, how can I bring this to people out there and really help with hair growth, hair strength, edges and all of that stuff. Especially with people who wear wigs, weaves, braids and protective styles all the time that we do to save and preserve our hair. I worked with some experts and came up with INALA and the Power Potion has been amazing and the results have been great. We have the Reset Rinse and now we’re working on just launching some new products because everything has been so great and people have been loving the results and have been really happy about everything.
AM: I think rice water is amazing and I have been a long time skincare fan of Japanese and Korean Beauty skin products that use this in it. So what is the benefit of using rice water as it pertains to hair?
LLA: It’s just known to help with strengthening hair. It’s known to help with hair growth, keeping hair to have a luscious glow to it – it’s literally like I say that rice water is just magic! The rice grain itself contains all of these nutrients that are essential for all this that I’m talking about. So what we did is put ours along with the 100% rice complex. It has biotin in it and different vitamins and minerals that really boost your hair growth and hair strength. The results have been crazy! When you see before and after pictures and people start talking about their experience with the products, it’s been really amazing.
AM: Because you have your hand in a number of pots, how do you take advantage of the summer and take time for yourself?
LLA: That’s something that I’m still working on. Because I am so busy and I do need to find that balance so it’s something I’m working on. You know, I have a trip coming up with my son soon and it’s just going to be him and I. It’ll be a couple of days where he and I will be able to be off the grid and to have some fun with him. I’m really looking forward to that. I did tell myself that in August and in some of September, I do want to do a bit more traveling mostly with my son and kind of just disconnect from work for a little while. You know, I was on BMF and as soon as it wrapped, I did an independent film called Water Boys and just finished that so I haven’t had so much downtime at all. So, I really feel like it’s important to have a healthy balance!
AM: You partnered again with Baileys and helped them with the National Colada day which was on July 10th. How can we continue to celebrate that and what did you do to enjoy all the amazingness that is the Colada?
LLA: Well see, I don’t take a lot of vacations! So what I love about Baileys Colada is that it gives you vacation vibes wherever you’re at. It’s just one of those things that when you taste it, in your mind, you’re on a beautiful island somewhere or laying up doing absolutely nothing. I think that that’s how we’re able to continue celebrate it no matter where you are or what you’re doing. You can bring the beach vibes and the vacation vibes to you by having it for sure!
AM: What were your inspirations behind the cocktails that you created?
LLA: I love the versatility of them and it was based on my Puerto Rican roots which I love. The Piña Colada which a lot of people don’t know this, the Piña Colada originated in Puerto Rico, so it all kind of went hand in hand, so when I came to them with the idea, they loved it and were so receptive that I definitely wanted to bring my roots into it. So we came up with the 3 cocktails and I feel like it’s a nod to my culture, my heritage and it’s just really cool to be able to bring all of that together.
IG @lala
PHOTO CREDITS | Baileys Colada
Featured
PHOTO CREDITS | ABC The Bachelorette
THE BACHELORETTES S.19 E.5 | WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE?
PHOTO CREDITS | ABC The Bachelorette
It feels like ABC’s The Bachelorette will dig deeper as Rachel Recchia and Gabby Windey continue to navigate their journey. By dividing the men last week, they are able to focus on what they’re looking for without the distraction of trying to see if the man that they are interested in is there for them.
We kick off the week in Belgium. We’re still not over how Logan took Rachel’s rose, but is really interested in Gabby.
Tino, Zach, Meatball, Ethan, Tyler and Logan are on a group date with Rachel. Aven will have the 1-on-1 date with her. Logan goes to Rachel’s to see her ahead of the group date. He lets her know that after getting all the roses from her that he wants to be with Gabby. It’s such a tough spot for her to be in and to have to go through!
We also feel like every guy for the most part that tries to switch to the otherside, it doesn’t bode well for them. It' will be interesting to see what happens with him.
The guys for Rachel’s date are meeting her in Bruges. The guys don’t know why Logan is there but they enjoy seeing a mud match. Rachel is back in her room upset that yet another man has left prior to a rose ceremony. Firmly in her legitimate feelings, Jesse Palmer swings by to see what’s going on. She lets him know how this is devastating and she feels that the guys have to keep picking her back up and she feels that it is tough on them.
She decides to cancel the day portion of the group date, but plans on attending the after-party.
Logan talks to Gabby to let her know that he broke up with Rachel and that he wants to move forward with her. He’s in limbo as he has to wait to hear back from her on whether he will have that chance.
Gabby goes straight to Rachel to let her know that she knows and to see how she is doing. It’s interesting how the two of them always talk with one another and even when they’re hurting, they explain that if they feel they should continue with someone - they should! It would have been interesting to see how this segment may have been different with Kaitlyn and Tayshia as it was a girl moment where they really needed to have your bestie pick you back up again.
At the afterparty, the remaining men for Rachel are excited to get some time with her and they note that there is a rose on the table. They hope to still have a good time with her. Rachel apologizes for not holding the morning date. She fills them in on what happened and says that if they don’t want to be there, they should go. Ethan asks to spend some time with her. He lets her know that he is there for her and they share a kiss.
Tino tells her that by not having that group date, he didn’t feel seen. Meatball chats with her as well as the rest of the guys as they go above and beyond to make her feel better. She lets them know that she wanted to show up for everyone and to be at 100% because that is what she is asking of them to do with her.
The group date rose goes to Tino. Zach feels bothered by it; however, he is happy for Tino.
Gabby’s group date has the remaining men (minus Logan who is in limbo and Johnny who will have the 1-on-1 date). The men are touring Bruge, they take a boat ride on the river, enjoy some waffles, play soccer in the park with little kids and she gets to see their personalities. They continue on playing Belgium games where they play rock, paper, fish slapped across their face.
The men meet up for the after-party portion as they reflect on how much fun they have had. Logan arrives and the look of shock on their faces leaves some tension.
Logan gets to sit with Gabby and chat with her, somehow, we don’t believe him when he says he wants to be with Gabby either. She gives the group date rose to Nate.
Logan thinks there is some tension with the guys in the fact that he has switched over. He hopes that Rachel finds her person. Aven and Rachel have their 1-on-1 date. They take a carriage ride through the city as they explore Bruge. They enjoy some chocolates at a local shop, they stop by a group of women who make lace on veils. They look over the city in a watchtower as the sun sets which looks spectacular. They make their way to dinner to spend more time and to talk about things that they need to know about one another.
Aven shares how stability and security is so important to him. His mom made him a bracelet that he has given to Rachel to hold for awhile in hopes that things turn around for her as he knows how tough it has been. She gives him the date night rose. They go outside to watch the fireworks.
Nate loops Johnny on Logan joining the group. Johnny and Gabby have their 1-on-1 date. Their date took place on a beer farm where they enjoyed a flight to sample the flavors. They get to sit in a Bruges Beer Tub. They have a fun time trying the treatments that they share with one another and sitting in the beer. They continue on to dinner where he talks about his feelings, being vulnerable and wrestling with emotions that he’s not sure where they came from. He receives the date night rose.
All the men assemble for the cocktail party. Logan being there makes everyone uneasy from him ruining the group date for the men on Rachel’s side and potentially taking a rose from those on Gabby’s side. Gabby’s men connect with her and he opts to bring fish to slap her as a way to connect to the group date that he wasn’t on.
At the rose ceremony, Mario, Michael and Meatball didn’t receive roses. Gabby’s men are shocked that he’s there and now they know that they have to step it up. They will continue onto Amsterdam.
GABBY GAVE ROSES TO | Erich, Jason, Johnny, Logan, Nate, Spencer,
RACHEL GAVE ROSES TO | Aven, Ethan, Tino, Tyler, Zach
DIDN’T RECEIVE A ROSE | Mario, Meatball, Michael
Each night during this season, we tweet about The Bachelorette and you can chat along with us (@AthleisureMag + with our Co-Founder/Creative + Style Director, Kimmie Smith @ShesKimmie) to see what’s taking place!
Each week we will let you know who our faves were from the last episode and if we’ve changed up since then as it pertains to who we think should go to Hometowns.
We also suggest a podcast that we’ve become obsessed with over the past few seasons, Wondery’s Bachelor Happy Hour to get their feedback!
WHO WE THINK WILL GO TO HOMETOWNS
![ETHAN [Rachel]](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/55982406e4b014bac5e42764/1660017322675-4LI3RRYG8UIKD9G4G2TS/ETHAN_27_NY+NY.jpg)
![NATE [Gabby]](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/55982406e4b014bac5e42764/1658197615088-BTADD1Z3JR693M3ULROR/NATE_33_Chicago+IL.jpg)
THE BACHELOR CONTESTANTS
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Featured TV Show
PHOTO CREDITS | ABC The Bachelorette
THE BACHELORETTES S.19 E.4 | RACHEL + GABBY'S SEPARATE JOURNEYS
PHOTO CREDITS | ABC The Bachelorette
ABC’s The Bachelorette starts with Rachel Recchia, and Gabby Windey pleased that they will be on separate journeys. We see that Meatball (James) was given a second chance. The guys in the house hear Hayden talking smack about Gabby and Rachel’s reaction to when he said he didn’t want to be with Gabby. James feels that because he has been given a second chance, he doesn’t want to ruin it - I’m sure that he will bring it up. Jesse Palmer joins the guys at their home and lets them know that the journey will continue, but the women are in France. He also lets them know that Tino (for Rachel) and Jason (for Gabby) will be flying out not to Paris to have 1-on-1 dates with them. The remainder of the men will fly out later in the day to have their journeys continue on.
Rachel and Gabby chat in a cafe as they wait for the men to arrive. Rachel shares how she felt awful that 3 men rejected her rose publically which makes her wonder if the men she has chosen are there for her. Gabby says that the highest highs come after the lowest lows.
Jesse meets with the rest of the guys and lets them know that they will be on Virgin Voyages and the men will be split into their 2 groups. The entire ship will be for them. They each have their own common areas, quarters etc. So it will be nice to see the focus shift a bit. We see each of the dates taking place in the rain in Paris from finding the perfect beret, making crepes and taking stunning sites - these are the dates that they deserve.
The double date comes back together as they enjoy each other and the men chat about their date while The Bachelorettes catch up to see how things are going. For dinner, they go back in their individual dates to try to find out more about one another. Tino and Rachel have their dinner in a cathedral which looks amazing and he asks how she is doing after the brutal rose ceremony. She appreciates him checking in and says that she wants to talk about family, goals, etc. She lets him know about her insecurities and her expectations. She wants to have her career and she wants her husband to understand that she can fly around the world, but also have a family. Tino talks about how both of his parents worked and they were a partnership and everyone came together. We’re loving Tino for Rachel and he gets the 1-on-1 rose! She lets him know that she likes what she sees and cares about him.
Back on the ship, Gabby’s date card arrives for Nate, Kirk, Quincey, Erich, Michael, Mario, Spencer, Johnny on the group date.
Back at Gabby and Jason’s date they have their dinner at another location. Gabby calls out that he is reserved and he acknowledges it and says that he was put out of his comfort zone and he was uncomfortable with being there because he is sensitive with his energy. Growing up, he felt that he wasn’t good enough when he would look at other kids and he would try to prove himself with tennis, hated it and then quit. He said it takes him a bit to warm up because it was years of feeling those emotions. He lets her know that through his therapy, he learned that he had to speak up to get what he wanted. He doesn’t know if Gabby thinks he is making sense, but she says that she gets it. She explains that with her estrangement with her mother, she felt those feelings and felt that her love was taken away from her and she had to go through therapy to learn how to receive love. Thankfully they connect and it’s nice to see where they have similarities and how they could support one another. She gives him the 1-on-1 rose and the belief that this could go somewhere.
Gabby’s group date involves the men boxing French style. Whoever wins will have a 1-on-1 date with her for a rose. Rachel has also arrived and is bringing her men to watch as well ahead of her group date. Rachel hears Gabby’s guys profess their feelings, but Rachel’s men aren’t giving her eye contact and interacting with her across from the boxing ring. We also hear Logan say that maybe he made the wrong decision as he sees Gabby and thinks that he should have went with her.
The winner of the boxing match is Spencer who will have the 1-on-1 date. Rachel is breaking down feeling that her men are not really that into her. At the Pink Agave lounge on the ship, they have their time together to get to know one another.
Rachel is going through it because her guys are not making her feel wanted. The guys are oblivious to what is taking place and are excited to do a competition. She questions whether she should be the bachelorette. She tells the guys that she is upset because she feels unseen and that no one came over to acknowledge her. She realizes that when she spoke to them, they looked shocked that she had a bad experience.
The group date kicks off and all the men race to her and give her hugs. She lets them know that she wants to be chosen. The date is with a flirtation coaches as they show how thy flirt, french kiss their own hands, smell the guy’s armpits, and writing love letters to Rachel. She appreciates the effort and as the winner will conclude in a dinner date for a 1-on-1, she needs to think about it. Logan is still debating on his feelings for Gabby even though he accepted Rachel’s rose!
Tyler and Rachel have a 1-on-1 with one another. She loved that he had a poem at the ready to tell her. He lets her know about his past and how he bought someone he loved a house, but she didn’t want that life. He was heartbroken, but he is not closed off to love. Tyler accepts the rose.
Logan pulls Jesse aside and lets him know that he thinks that he should let Rachel know that he has feelings for Gabby, He also wants to talk to Gabby to see if there are feelings there.
The men assemble ahead of the rose ceremony. Logan plans on going to the cocktail party to talk with Gabby. Both women say that they enjoy that they are on their separate journeys. Nate and Gabby bond and their chemistry is undeniable. Hayden connects with Rachel and talks with her about his dog and how he is close to passing away. He wants her to know that he is there for her - but he didn’t share how he was rude to Gabby!
So while he fumes with others that he didn’t get the reaction that he wanted (we felt that she acknowledged it), James fills her in on how he was beyond inappropriate. She thanks him for letting him know and she addresses Hayden immediately. She lets him know what she was told, he denied it and she walked him out.
Rachel was so upset that they decided to cancel the cocktail party and go straight to the cocktail party. A number of guys didn’t get talk with Rachel and Logan is concerned that he didn’t get to say what he wanted to say to Gabby. Logan accepts the rose knowing he wants Gabby and the guys on Rachel’s side are saying that they need to let 1 week go by with no drama.
GABBY GAVE ROSES TO | Erich, Jason, Johnny, Mario, Michael, Nate, Spencer,
RACHEL GAVE ROSES TO | Aven, Ethan, James, Logan, Tino, Tyler, Zach
DIDN’T RECEIVE A ROSE | Hayden, Jordan, Kirk, Quincey
Each night during this season, we tweet about The Bachelorette and you can chat along with us (@AthleisureMag + with our Co-Founder/Creative + Style Director, Kimmie Smith @ShesKimmie) to see what’s taking place!
Each week we will let you know who our faves were from the last episode and if we’ve changed up since then as it pertains to who we think should go to Hometowns.
We also suggest a podcast that we’ve become obsessed with over the past few seasons, Wondery’s Bachelor Happy Hour to get their feedback!
WHO WE THINK WILL GO TO HOMETOWNS
![JAMES [Rachel]](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/55982406e4b014bac5e42764/1659406621841-4BOOVXDAA7MLE646CQ36/JAMES_25_Winnetka+IL.jpg)
THE BACHELOR CONTESTANTS
Read the latest issue of Athleisure Mag.
Featured TV Show
PHOTO CREDITS | ABC The Bachelorette
THE BACHELORETTES S.19 E.3 | THE JOURNEY CONTINUES
PHOTO CREDITS | ABC The Bachelorette
ABC’s The Bachelorette starts with Rachel Recchia, and Gabby Windey asking about how they will begin to designate which guy if focused on them. They know there are some that have a set person in mind, but they know that the ones that have yet to figure it out, need to start making decisions. Jesse Palmer meets with them to let them know that each of The Bachelorettes will have a 1-on-1 date. There will also be a massive group date as well. Rachel’s date will be Zach. Their date includes a touch base with Karamo from Queer Eye, where he styles them in fun looks for their date at an exclusive movie premiere.
While Rachel is on her date, Gabby goes to hang out with the guys and they’re enjoying hanging out with themselves. She eventually leaves them and feels that they are not giving their best effort. She feels that they’re being lax because there are 2 women available.
Back at the house, Gabby feels like she’s not being embraced and feels uncomfortable. She feels that the people that she wants to like her, don’t.
The next date card arrives and Erich is chosen for the date with Gabby. Now we know that Erich is kind of playing with both of the women and hasn’t hidden this fact from the guys in the house.
Back on Rachel’s date, they have a red carpet experience where they get their pictures taken and they view a movie in a large empty theater. Matt White plays on the piano for them as Me & You plays which has photos/videos of Rachel as a kid and growing up! Zach also has a compilation as well. It’s a pretty cute date and Rachel hears his mom congratulating him and wishing him well on his journey. Rachel’s mom also sends her well wishes too. They share that their dads took them to airstrips just to see pilots take off and they can’t believe that they both experienced that. Zach admits that he is falling for her during the confessional and he is given the date night rose.
Even when Gabby gets knocked down, we love how she bounces back! She heads over to the guys’ house and picks up Erich. Their date card said that 3 is a crowd - her grandfather is with them! They are doing a sound bath - this is a very Gabby date! They continue on to go bowling and Gabby finds a woman to be on her grandfather’s team while she is on a team with Erich. They kiss and she feels a lot better then she did the day before. They continue on to the next part of the date for dinner. Gabby gets overwhelmed as they’re talking because she’s upset with her feelings about her mom and she feels that she’s so complicated when Rachel isn’t. She talks with Jesse as she tries to figure things out. They talk for a bit more and she gives Erich the date night rose.
Celebrity photographer Franco Lacosta takes images of the women in bridal gowns, but then the guys arrive and as this is a large group date they have a number of outfits - the guys have sexy car wash, maternity looks, a family photo and then men on the flight as well as those in the hospital - it’s a crazy date to be sure! They also do a few proposal photos as well.
The date continues at SoFi stadium where the Chargers and the Rams play. They have time on the field to get to know more about them and to really start sorting the men as well. There’s great chemistry between Aven and Rachel which is so nice to see. Rachel is so happy with the connections that she is having. Gabby sits down with Tyler and lets her know that he has feelings for and wants to pursue Rachel. She is also told this by Hayden and Jacob say the same thing.
Aven gets the group date rose from Rachel. Rachel lets them know that because of the tough week, she can’t give a group date rose to anyone. Gabby tells Rachel what took place with the various guys. She wasn’t annoyed with them wanting Rachel, but she didn’t like the insulting way that they went about it.
As the men wait at the cocktail party prior to the rose ceremony, Jesse lets them know that it is canceled. He lets them know that this process is not working for them. The women will continue separately. If they accept the rose from the person who gives it to them, that is the person that they will be focused on - that’s it.
The men assemble as they have decisions to make. The women feel that it’s time that the beginning of the separation process will need to happen so that they can genuinely be on their journey. Gabby acknowledges that there was a struggle in having 2 Bachelorettes and she lets them know that some convos were hurtful to her. Rachel gives a rose to Tino and he accepts it, Logan accepts her rose, Termayne doesn’t accept his rose - he is placed back in line and can’t offer that rose to someone else, Alec doesn’t accept the rose, Tyler accepts his rose, Ethan accepts his rose, Jordan accepts his rose, Meatball doesn’t accept his rose and Hayden accepts the rose. Gabby gives Nate the next rose and he accepts, Johnny accepts his rose, Spencer accepts his rose, Jason accepts his rose, Mario accepts his rose, Kirk accepts his rose, Quincey accepts his rose and Michael accepts the rose.
When a guy didn’t accept the rose, although he was placed back in line, the rose was removed from Rachel.
Interestingly enough, Meatball who decided not to take Rachel’s rose towards the end went back to her and asked if she could give them more time. Now that both women are on their separate journeys, we’ll see if the guys will continue to stay with the women that they have chosen.
GABBY GAVE ROSES TO | Erich, Nate, Jason, Johnny, Jordan, Kirk, Mario, Michael, Quincey, Spencer
RACHEL GAVE ROSES TO - Aven, Ethan, Hayden, Jordan, Logan, Termayne, Tino, Tyler, Zach
DIDN’T RECEIVE A ROSE | Alec, Jacob, James/Meatball, Jason, Termayne
Each night during this season, we tweet about The Bachelorette and you can chat along with us (@AthleisureMag + with our Co-Founder/Creative + Style Director, Kimmie Smith @ShesKimmie) to see what’s taking place!
Each week we will let you know who our faves were from the last episode and if we’ve changed up since then as it pertains to who we think should go to Hometowns.
We also suggest a podcast that we’ve become obsessed with over the past few seasons, Wondery’s Bachelor Happy Hour to get their feedback!
WHO WE THINK WILL GO TO HOMETOWNS
![HAYDEN [Rachel]](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/55982406e4b014bac5e42764/1657589150214-9F3YS3XJW4UQUP2GP92Z/HAYDEN_29_Tampa+FL.jpg)
![JORDAN [Gabby]](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/55982406e4b014bac5e42764/1658197783262-J990CMXTRXUTCZL6IVU2/JORDAN+H_25_Tampa+FL.jpg)
THE BACHELOR CONTESTANTS
Read the latest issue of Athleisure Mag.
Featured TV Show
LEAD WITH WONDER | ALYSIA REINER
This month, we're catching up with one of our faves Alysia Reiner (who graced our cover back in 2017 for our JUN ISSUE #18). She has been in a number of shows that we have enjoyed from Netflix's Orange is the New Black, HBO's The Deuce and ABC's How to Get Away with Murder. Her commitment to her roles and how she peels back the layers of her character like an onion is what makes us excited to see what she will do next. As a storyteller, Alysia is an actress and a producer who is compelled to find stories that explore themes that are at the forefront of what we're navigating as a society.
We caught up with Alysia in late May days before the launch of Disney+'s Ms. Marvel. We talked about how we navigated the pandemic, the power of storytelling, how she approaches her projects, her work in front of and behind the camera, what we can see her in next, the importance of representation and women's ownership of their bodies and how she advocates for these issues.
ALYSIA REINER: How are you, how was your pandemic? Congratulations for keeping the magazine afloat!
ATHLEISURE MAG: Wow obviously we went through it and we had to make a lot of decisions. The fact that we were able to keep it going was amazing!
I can only imagine as for you during the pandemic, you were working!
AR: It’s funny because when it all shut down, I started getting offers for work as early as that first summer. I turned down a lot of things because I just didn’t feel safe enough, just the way you were talking about. It was before vaccinations and it was just like, no this is not worth risking my life for and risking my family's lives for. In those early days, you just didn’t know!
Different people took it very differently and took it more seriously! I mean, we took it very very very seriously from the beginning and it wasn't until Ms. Marvel came that I felt that they had the money quite frankly to keep it really safe. They were testing every day! When the deal closed, within an hour, they had someone come to my house to test me – within an hour!
AM: Ok, they were like, “we’re going to start right!” That’s amazing! It’s so fun to be able to catch up with you as the last time we were with you it was for our cover for your June cover shoot 5 years ago - in person of course. At that time Orange is the New Black was about to release it’s 5th season, Better Things had it’s 1st season that was already out there and you were dropping your clothing line.
So being able to catch up as you have such a presence and I always love hearing from you – it’s good to see what you’ve been up to! I have always thought that you should be a super hero and/or in the Marvel universe so it was no surprise to me to hear that which is so exciting.
You’ve been in a number of shows that I have loved seeing you in How to Get Away with Murder, The Deuce – which I loved your character in that. I was like, “that girl can rock some sunglasses!”
AR: I mean on a fashion level, that was so freaking fun right? The 1970’s style, I can live in! It’s so fun!
AM: It’s fun to see you in STARZ's Shining Vale and you’re going to be in Ms. Marvel, what do you love about being a storyteller and a creator?
AR: I think my favorite part is telling stories that help evolve humanity you know? I have been really lucky to have been part of some seminal art in that way like Orange is the New Black which really changed the way people saw incarcerated people, particularly incarcerated women. The amount of women that have been incarcerated has increased by 731%. 731% in the past 30 years and it’s not because women are being more illegal. It’s about this system of slavery that we have embraced and if anyone has not seen Ava DuVernay’s 13th, it’s a really seminal piece about what I mean by that. But, how we see the incarcerated population, mass incarceration and the business of incarceration and additionally how we see the trans community.
There has been some incredible things that we have seen from trans humans and acceptance of that as well as push back from people that are deeply afraid. But, I always say that that’s how you know you’re succeeding is when people get afraid. I feel so grateful to be part of that kind of filming. With Better Things, we saw an authentic flawed mother in a way that we had never seen before. Now with Ms. Marvel, we’re getting our first ever Muslim superhero. It feels so outrageously wonderful and I feel so lucky to be part of that storytelling. That’s my favorite part. I was talking to someone last night, another producer friend. She was at a meeting for the Oscars for The Academy and someone said and I’m paraphrasing here – that really in America, the 2 ways people get their information is education and entertainment.
It’s so deeply important that our education system isn’t banning books and that people are able to learn everything from Critical Race Theory, the Holocaust where some people are trying to fight against that so it’s deeply important that we educate people on that. But the truth is entertainment has become a piece of our educational system and so for me, there’s a level of responsibility with that. I want to enlighten people and to entertain them obviously, but I want to connect with them and I don’t want people to feel so alone. I want them to feel part of, connected, loved and that they belong. I also want to be able to illuminate certain things that people don’t know because it’s only when we know about things, that we can change them.
AM: What do you look for when it comes to taking on projects whether it’s from the actors lens or a producing role?
AR: I think it’s exactly that. I look for if this is a story that needs to be told and I am the best person to tell this story. Is this a story we have seen a 100 times before? I will be honest. I was asked to look at a project a few days ago and I chose not to do it because first of all it was a story that had been told a lot of times and I felt it had some stereotypical tropes in it and some tropes that were very specifically about an image and the importance of one’s looks essentially. I was like, I don’t need to tell that story. I don’t need to be part of this essentially antiquated ugly duckling storyline. I feel like it’s one of the stories that we have told since the beginning of time. The ugly duckling that turned into the swan, but I don’t feel like we need to tell that story anymore. We can write a new story about how we perceive ourselves and how we love ourselves regardless of what we look like. I guess the question is, what is the new story there? I haven’t cracked that but I do know that I don’t think I need to keep telling that story.
AM: Do you have a process that you go through when you begin to prepare for your characters?
AR: I feel like every character tells me something else. I sort of have to ask the character what they need. Certain characters it’s about a pair of glasses or an accent or a psychological gesture. Some is about research. Is it a period of time that I wasn’t alive during. So each character, sometimes it’s internal and sometimes it’s external. So each character sort of talks to me and tells me what they need if that makes any sense.
AM: In looking at your other projects that you’ve done. You have Egg which you produced and acted in. How did this come about and how did you get attached to it?
AR: Oh, such a good question. Egg was based on a play that I did almost a decade before. I thought it was such a seminal piece about motherhood and the choice to be a mother. When I first did the play, I was not a mother yet and I hadn’t decided if I wanted to be yet. I loved the questions, conversations and thoughts that revolved around the issue. Around what it means to be a mother, what does it mean to be a father, what does it mean to be a parent, what does a family mean, what are those dynamics, what does it mean to be childless, what does it mean to be childless by choice and why does society have so much problems with that? I loved that piece and thought there was such insightful wisdom in it and it was hilarious. The writer did such an extraordinary job with balancing those two things.
Almost a decade later, I bumped into the writer on a ferry from Fire Island. She was coming from Kismet, Fire Island, so I like to say she was coming from Kismet. She said that she just wrote the screenplay for Egg and if I wanted to read it. I said, yes. A decade later, it was still all of these things that we don’t talk about. I remember before I became a mother, all of these people were asking me when I was going to be and it’s as if it was anybody’s business!
AM: I was going to say that! It’s like to ask that question, you don’t know if the person may not physically be able to or simply chooses not to because they like their lives as is.
AR: Exactly! It blows my mind how people think that it’s their business! Once I had my child, it became about when I would have a second child. I was disgusted and horrified at people’s responses. I would say, I don’t think that we’re having anymore and people would say, “oh, just the one?” They were like mourning for the second child that I wasn’t having. You just have no idea what’s going on in anyone else’s life and what’s best for them.
It’s the same conversation that we’re having now with abortions. I am so ok if you are deeply Christian, deeply Catholic and think it’s a sin and horrific to have an abortion. I am so down with that. I don't care who care who you are and you can believe whatever you want, just give me ownership of my own body. That is my only request. Every human deserves ownership over their own body. This whole thing is so deeply saddening to me. The idea of children being born and unwanted – can we just talk about that? People being forced to have children, so you’re bringing a child into the world that is unwanted and that is absolutely heartbreaking.
AM: We're days or weeks away from hearirng the decision on Roe v Wade which has been around for 50 years, if SCOTUS strikes it down, what other precedents that have been established like contraception, interracial marriage, gay marriage – how will these be handled?
AR: It’s in so much trouble.
AM: It’s mindboggling to me.
AR: I will advocate for and love on every human being to have access to their own body. That’s really important to me and that’s a big piece of what Egg Is about. It’s on iTunes and we sold it to Gravitas so you can now watch it online. I think it’s a really important time to watch it as it’s about this moment. There is a conversation in this movie that’s about abortion. So it’s really important that we have these conversations and that we don’t stop. That’s part of arts power is to help have those conversations.
AM: Circling back to what we were talking about before, how did you get attached to Ms. Marvel?
AR: I don’t know how everybody gets attached to a Marvel project. I would say that for me, it came up out of the blue. I never auditioned for anything, I didn’t know I was being considered and they are so secretive that essentially, all I knew was that I was being considered for a new show called Ms. Marvel and that I had to sign a NDA to even be considered for it. My lawyers had to do the contracts for it and they wouldn‘t even tell me my character's name until we signed. I couldn’t read anything, it was top, top, top secret. Even though it’s coming out in June, it’s been top secret to the very end. They won’t let me say anything except that I’m in it and I had a blast! I’m so excited to be part of the Marvel family, not only because of this particular story which has the first Muslim superhero, but that they keep on breaking boundaries in the world of cultural change. In the Eternals we saw a gay superhero and a blind superhero, a deaf superhero and they really use the art and the comics as a way of a Trojan Horse to talk about the things that we are sometimes afraid to talk about on this planet right know. I am so excited to be part of that family of storytellers that are down with talking about things that other people may be afraid to talk about.
And representation, authentic representation of all communities.
AM: Can you tell us about where this series sits within the MCU? We read somewhere that there is another movie coming out and will you possibly be in this movie as well.
AR: I am not, but there is some crossovers with some of the Marvels. There is definitely potential for my character to cross over additionally in the future.
AM: That’s very cool! What was it like being on that set?
AR: It was so much fun! It’s a great group of humans. Sana Amanat (Marvel Rising: Initiation, Marvel Rising: Secret Warriors, Marvel Rising: Chasing Ghosts) our showrunner, is so fantastic and what’s so exciting about her is that the character is loosely based on her and that’s so cool. To be with the person that it is based on is awesome. Another magical surprise was that Meera Menon (You, Outlander, Dirty John) who directed my first picture that I was a producer in for Equity was the director of a couple of the episodes. Marvel is so secretive that they didn't even tell her that they were casting me. I texted her and I was like, hey I’m coming to Atlanta for a project and I heard you were there and she said she was and she didn’t even know. I thought maybe she put in a good word for me she had no idea. It was so fun to be back on set with her and it was so exciting when Kevin came to visit. We became a really tight group of humans. We may have gotten a tattoo together. One of the actresses that I got really close to is named Yasmeen Fletcher (Andi Mack, Upside Down Magic, Let Us In) and she turned 18 right at the end of our shoot. She brought her uncle in and he's a tattoo artist for her birthday and we may have gotten matching tattoos.
AM: There is something about entertainment being a way to educate because you can hear something, but when you’re watching it you can think about it and you’re seeing things happen. Even if it’s not an experience that you’re aware of, it has to change you as a person one way or another or to at least get that element of being able to look out for it.
Going Places is another project that you’re involved in that’s coming out soon, what can you tell me about this movie and why did you want to be attached?
AR: It is so fun! So, the filmmaker is Max Chernov (Star Trek, Star Trek Into Darkness, Blood Brothers) and I read the script and I thought of my God it’s so fun this is such a ride that I want to be on. We had just wrapped Ms. Marvel, there were a lot of stunts involved in this project and I wasn’t afraid because I had just done Ms. Marvel. But I did know what questions to ask now that I would have never known because I did Ms. Marvel. When the offer came in I asked them would there be a stunt coordinator, would there be a stunt double? Because I did my own stunts on Ms. Marvel, but they did have all of those people just in case I couldn’t do my own stunts. It was so much fun. I did stunt training and stunt fighting. I loved it so much.
Similarly, it’s a high action adventure comedy that has some deep things to say. I love something that is deeply entertaining that also has some deep things to say. Ms. Marvel does it by talking about racism quite frankly. Going Places does it about our perception of success and what does it mean? Similar to Ms. Marvel, it’s about high school students and it looks at what success is and what does it mean. These high school students have just graduated and are on their way to college and the amount of pressure they put on themselves. In this moment, when I’m looking at every headline that you’re reading right now that talks about this generation. The teens of today are under such pressure and they’re really struggling with mental health. I love this script because it goes there about what the pressure we’re putting on young adults – teenagers. I now have a 13, and is technically a teenager. What does it mean to be successful. I like to call the COVID times the meditation retreat that none of us signed up for. I really see it that way. How can we use this experience to really grow ourselves, to learn and to really evolve? I don’t think that we can do that unless we are willing to really go deep and to look at what’s not working. We have so many kids that are not happy.
So something is not working friends. How do we change that? I feel so deeply that I only want my kid to be happy and I don’t care about her grades and whatever. I care that she does her best because I want her to feel the esteem about that. Really looking at what are the messages that we’re sending young people going into the world and why is not working really – let’s be honest. There is a disconnect there. So many young people are so deeply unhappy.
AM: This is true. Because you have played in so many roles. Are there roles or topics that are sitting on your vision board that you would like to do through this art?
AR: Ooo such a good question! I think I’m deeply curious in this moment it would be really fun to do a period piece. I’ve done it on stage and I did it for one movie, but I would like to do more in the past. Something that is deeply gripping and talks to the moment today which would be the Salem witch hunts. It would be interesting to do that as we’re pretty much primed for that right now. So that’s really interesting to me. If there were a way and I was just talking about this yesterday with some producers – I’m really curious how we tackle abortion and the war on women right now. What does that look like, how do we do it it in a way that it is the Trojan Horse where more people will watch and that it isn’t just a preaching to the choir situation. Doing it in a way that everyone is watching. I know that Handmaids Tale is that but to an extent is there a different version that really talks about it in a different way and maybe not in a dystopic way that Handmaids Tale so clearly is. Those are issues that I’m really curious about. I’m producing a movie right know called Flat or James Thomas Thinks The Earth is Flat which is an unlikely buddy comedy between an 8th grade Black science student and a very infamous NBA player who thinks the Earth is flat. The 8th grade student has to convince the NBA player that the Earth is in fact an oblong sphere in his science fair. It’s so fun and a real buddy comedy and a real movie for anyone from 9 to 99. We have Kelly Park (Call Me Kat, How I Met Your Father, The Game) who is the director who is a fantastic director. She has done a bunch of TV including The Upshaws, Grace and Frankie – she has incredible TV credits. I’m producing it with Diana DiMenna who produced What the Constitution Means to Me and Thoughts of a Colored Man and Spencer Paysinger, the TV show All American, is based on his life and he is the writer and producer. Another actor Brian Tyrell Clark – I’m super excited about that. That’s the kind of storytelling that I want to tell. We’ve never seen – at least I have never seen a movie about a brilliant 8th grade Black science student. And I will probably be one of the very few white people in the the movie. The movie is predominantly a black story and it’s about Black joy and obviously, it’s a Trojan Horse to how science and medicine has failed the Black community which it has in a 100 different ways and we will be going there. We also really want to celebrate a beautiful family. They are a beautiful intact family and we want to celebrate a Black scientist coming into the world and to celebrate his brilliance and intelligence. I’m on the board of the Geena Davis Institute and we talk about when you see it, you can be it. The importance of representation and how so many girls when they saw The Hunger Games, the amount of girls that took up archery or when Queen's Gambit came out, the amount of people that took up chess! That’s our dream for Flat that we get this huge ginormous blockbuster hit so that kids can be excited about science!
AM: That I so exciting and can’t wait until this comes out.
AR: I am so exited about that for multiple reasons but also being the environmentalist that I am, I believe that science is an innovation from youth and the ability to see things in a new way and to reimagine what can be possible. It can change everything.
AM: Like we’ve been talking about, if you’re not being represented, there isn’t an easy way to know this is something that you would want unless you have the path to place you there. I think this is awesome.
We were also talking about the madness of the pandemic and a lot of us had to adjust our lives and to figure things out. We also had random hobbies and interests that came out of this. But you became a firefighter or you trained for it at least!
AR: (Laughter) I am officially a Probational Firefighter. I passed all my tests!
AM: I mean! How did you decide that this was something that you wanted to do and what was it like training. We love watching 9-1-1 and 9-1-1: Lonestar and any type of show along those lines. I can imagine you doing anything, but I didn’t have that on the Bingo card – but I can see it happening.
AR: During the pandemic, we lived on Fire Island which is a small island off the coast of Long Island. It’s a series of villages where there are no guards. In our village, there is no police, no hospital, no doctors full-time. The only thing there is volunteer firefighters. I feel like that community created a safe haven for myself and my family. I like to say that when I was a little girl I would read Little House on the Prairie books – I loved them! I dreamed them! I dreamed that one day I would live that way but I knew that it wouldn’t be possible. Then the pandemic happened and I lived like Little House on the Prairie. I was alone on the island, there were very, very, very few people on the island. In our community, maybe there were 10 families and no one was going near each other. It was a really seminal moment in my life and I was so deeply grateful to that community as it felt that it saved my life by giving me health and safety and I wanted to give back to the community. Really all there is is volunteer fire. Similar to anything that I have ever done that is really really really hard, I had no idea how hard it was going to be going in. So, I said yes and I thought I want to do this and it’s going to be easy. I didn’t think it would be easy but I didn’t think it would be so hard. I started my training and some day I may actually write a book about it.
AM: You absolutely should!
AR: It challenged me on so many levels that I didn’t anticipate! The first level was my teachers were all older white men and a majority of them being Republican I believe. I had never spent so much time with so many older white men in my entire life. I was not educated that way – I grew up in NYC – it was a very different crowd. I didn’t feel that I was good at this. I’m still learning. I have a lot of acumen for a lot of things that I do in my life and I feel pretty good as an actor, I feel that I’m not a super strong producer but I have produced a couple of successful movies, I have movies that are in development and a number of TV shows that are in development – I know what producing is and I know how to do it successfully. I have been married for more than half of my life now and I feel pretty successful at that and I feel successful as a parent and my child is doing great. I do not feel successful as a firefighter. Every day I would come home from training and you can ask my husband, my chief, my best friend – hours of tears happened.
I felt like I could not do this. The physical work was really, really, really hard and I am incredibly strong, you know me, I work out everyday, but there is a level that I just couldn’t. The body weight it takes to hold a hose, you’re carrying 70lbs of weight on your body and you’re carrying tools and climbing up a ladder and a gas mask on with oxygen on your back and you’re blindfolded basically. It’s bonkers and then I was never good at standardized tests as a kid and every week, we would get these tests and then we had a 4 hour exam at the end. I have to tell you that the first few exams I did, I failed! I hadn’t felt like a failure in a really long time and I really, really, really felt like one – because I was failing. I’m not exaggerating and I had to become ok that I got a 70 and not a 100. I have an A type personality, I need a 100.
AM: Same!
AR: I wasn’t getting 100s and I would train at home physically every single day. I passed in the end. My training will never stop. I will continue to train because part of being a firefighter is always being ready for an emergency.
AM: That’s pretty amazing and I can definitely see how it would be a little humbling as well. But to also know that your commitment to your community and to give back in a way that was able to give back to you in terms of being a safe haven was so important that you were able to navigate that to get to where you ultimately wanted to be able to do which I think is cool.
AR: Aw well thank you!
AM: I can imagine that that was really tough. I thought, well dang, some people were just making sourdough bread during the pandemic!
AR: One of my best friends when I called her hysterically crying and snotty, she said you know what, do your best. If you fail, it will be the best parenting lesson that you could ever give your child. She said, show your child that you can do your best, still fail and still get back up! I have the chills even saying that again and I said ok, I’ll give it my all and if I fail, it will be the best parenting lesson of all. That got me through. I called her later and said, “I’m a horrible mother, I passed!”
AM: But she also got to see that sometimes you can give 100% of yourself and you may not get that back and that’s realistic too! Things happen.
AR: She saw me coming home hysterically crying, struggling with standardized tests which was really, really, really good for her.
AM: What do you want your legacy to be seen as for all the work you do in front of and behind the camera, the activism that you do and just the way you dig in as someone who is so present?
AR: Wow, the first thing that comes to mind is my dad was a management consultant and the motto for his company was, “make a difference and have fun.” I put that on his gravestone and it’s really my words to live by. The words that I think about for my life are love, service and wonder. Our production company is called 2 Wonder Full To Be Limited and my biggest goal particularly as I age is that the older people get, the more that feel to know things, that the uncertainty is untenable and I want to be more and more willing to not know and to be comfortable with the uncertainty and to be ok with that and to not need to know. I want to keep on wondering. I would say that wonder is my biggest legacy because it’s only when we wonder we can keep on growing and learning and that we can keep on loving other people as opposed to whether you know that someone is doing something that is wrong and you know and you’re mad – there isn’t a lot of space there. But if you wonder, you can think about why someone did something. I wonder – there’s a little breath there. I guess my hope really is that it’s my dad's thought to make a difference and to have fun. That fun is really key. As I learned in my course, joy is an act of resistance and now more than ever it’s so important that we value joy!
AM: I love the word wonder!
AR: Yeah, I love the word wonder.
AM: When you say it, it’s nice sometimes to think about that as opposed to the black/white or win/fail. But when you say wonder, it gives you that air to breathe and maybe to put yourself in a number of positions and maybe I should do that a lot more because sometimes I’m like no – it’s this.
AR: Well, it’s comforting to know. To love yourself through that. It’s comforting when you think you have the answer, but to wonder, that’s where the air is.
PHOTOGRAPHY CREDITS | PG 43 - 51 + PG 169 - 171 9LIST STORI3S Laurie Bailey | PG 52 - 57 STARZ/Shining Vale |
Read the JUN ISSUE #78 of Athleisure Mag and see LEAD WITH WONDER | Alysia Reiner in mag.
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THE POWER OF RELATIONSHIPS | BETTY WHO + ELAN GALE
We love reality shows and a number of our readers enjoy The Bachelor/The Bachelorette and even tweet along with us during each episode. We love seeing the social interaction, the dates, experiences and more. Prior to the pandemic, reality shows that focused on relationships went to the next level with an array of social experiments from Love is Blind, The Circle, The Ultimatum and more. These shows break new ground and really allow us to analyze how we interact with another.
On June 24th, The One That Got Away hits Prime Video. It allows people to look at their past to see if someone at that time could be a great fit for them. We caught up with singer/songwriter, Betty Who who is the host of this show. We talk about how she got attached and what we can expect. We also talk with Elan Gale who serves as the showrunner and executive producer delves into the intricacies of relationships with us.
ATHLEISURE MAG: It was such a great show to watch as who doesn’t love how we continue to explore social experiments when it comes to dating? What drew you to this show to want to be part of it?
BETTY WHO: I am such a fan of reality dating shows and it actually started with The Bachelor! I wasn’t really a fan of this and being in this sort of world. Then I got the chance to perform on The Bachelorette in Becca’s season. I was shooting it and I was thinking, “this is crazy – this world and this whole thing.” So I got super into The Bachelor and The Bachelorette and that’s how it introduced me to the world and now I feel like I’m a connoisseur and I’m all about it now! So when this conversation sort of started, someone came to me and asked if this would be something that I would be interested in. I was like, “guys, I don’t want to oversell it but, I would crush this job!” I think that this is a very powerful combination for me. I feel very lucky and yet very perplexed as to why they booked me, but I did what I could and I think that I showed up and showed out I think!
AM: I think that it’s such an amazing fit because in watching you, we’re used to the formats of The Bachelor and The Bachelorette where the host is interacting with the primary person and the people competing. In this situation, we have 6 people that are exploring themselves, you coming in and connecting with them and being able to interact with them when they’re broken down in the experience of it all! There are some intense moments and being able to see you in that way, what was your takeaway in watching all of this?
BW: I think that I really appreciated the opportunity to have conversations with those contestants in that moment. I think that as someone in my personal life, I really want to be warm and a safe space for my friends. I want to provide that warm energy with people and that’s something that I also like to do on stage as an entertainer. You want to create that safe space where people want to be able to come in and enjoy themselves. It was a new way for me to stretch my muscle in that way as it was 1-on-1, but still in this very highly curated environment where it’s still fundamentally about entertainment for us. I love to have a job, I love to entertain and I love to have all of these incredibly talented and creative people who know so much more about how to make a reality television show because what do I know? They’re like, do this and I’m like, ok this is such a fun adventure and I was in good hands! I think that that is a huge part of my enjoyment and experience on the show being such a positive one. I give that all to the people who sort of held my hand along the way. I feel very lucky.
AM: I saw the initial 6 episodes via the screener ahead of the launch on Jun 24th and I can’t wait to see the remaining 4! I really want to know as every episode I was transfixed!
BW: I’m so glad that you’re hooked! This is exciting!
AM: I am so hooked. As a reality junkie – I love this format.
BW: Oh, so you’re our target demo! So if you’re loving it, this is good news!
AM: For sure! At first when I heard the concept about the portal I was a little confused about it. But then I started watching it and getting how you guys delved into picking people from there past. Although at one point, I was like, wait they literally just got the guy that followed her on Instagram? I’d be mad too. To see you reasoning with her and asking her to go back one more time because there was a better person, was pretty funny.
BW: Um yeah, we’re definitely a little bit shady! But I think that that is my favorite part! I was watching to do some prep before I hosted a television show. I was looking at getting a lay of the land. I saw all of these hosts that did different things and I was watching Nick and Vanessa from Love is Blind.
AM: Love that show!
BW: I love that show and I was checking everybody out and I know that this isn’t a dating show, but I think that Jeff Probst – how shady Jeff Probst is on Survivor is one of my favorite things about the show! The way that he says, “so and so, I see you’re still having a tough time over there.” He is not afraid to stir shit up and I think that that’s especially amazing. I pray for a season 2 so that I can get even more. I just wanted to be nice the first time around and to have everyone like me as I was totally a fish out of water. But now that I know what’s going on, I’m ready to start some stuff up – you heard it here first!
If you have enjoyed watching The Bachelor/ette, Elan Gale executive produced both of these shows for a decade. A few years ago while we were tweeting along with others about these shows during a season, we noticed Elan talking about the episodes and providing insights.
With the launch of TOTGA, we talk about the power of relationships, what makes a good show and the impact of our interactions.
ATHLEISURE MAG: As long time watchers of The Bachelor/The Bachelorette, it’s amazing to chat with you and we love interacting with you on Twitter to hear your thoughts. Before we get into The One That Got Away, what is it about relationships that you love delving into as this is something that has been a large part of your career in creating these shows?
ELAN GALE: Great question! I think that the honest answer is that I have always felt that my relationships are the greatest things in my life. I have a hard time focusing on anything else if I’m being really honest. I always found that I only know what I know. I am only around the people that I am around, I only have relations with people that are in my life and generally from where I’m from because that’s where we are and that’s how we meet. Relationship shows have always given me an opportunity to just watch other people interact with each other and watch them build bonds that hopefully are life changing. It doesn’t necessarily mean that the relationship has to be permanent. I think that that is something that often we put too much emphasis on because almost all of our relationships are impermanent and it doesn’t mean that it’s not important or that it doesn’t change us or make us grow.
So watching people focus on things that are non-linear like relationships which are probably the most important aspects of their lives as well – I think it’s really interesting and it’s a window into how we interact with each other. I think that people are really interesting! I like watching them do whatever the hell they want to do!
AM: So what do you find to be the secret sauce in terms of putting that into TV as a medium? What are the dynamics that make a good show about relationships?
EG: I think that more than anything, we’re looking for people who are effusive. Anyone could be a good TV dating contestant really. What’s hard is finding people who want to explore their emotions in real time. When something happens to me, I process it. I take some time and I’m pretty shy about how I interact with my own emotional life. I would go so far as to say, almost a little cowardly in the way that a lot of people who come on this show aren’t. There’s an incredible bravery in being able to say that I am going to go through all of these intense emotions, but I’m also going to allow people into that and to let them into my world. So finding people who have specific points of few, strong emotions, strong desires, but simultaneously willing to be able to get it wrong because that’s what we usually do. We almost always get it wrong until we get it right! But it doesn’t mean that those are the most compelling relationships either!
Looking at relationships that are raw and based on feelings rather than logistics, I think that TV shows do a really good job of removing the logistics from relationships. I think that’s also one of the things that people find the most jarring about them. It doesn’t feel real to me because the logistics are taken away. But I have found personally, and maybe this is just me, I have found that when I am falling in love, when I’m in a relationship and when I am with people that I feel are important parts of my life – logistics do kind of take a back seat. If we’re going to continue to claim that relationships are the most serious driving force in our lives, then putting logistics to the side is probably a good idea. You can probably figure that out later. The weird magic of love and whatever is the stuff that you can’t do later and you can’t figure that out thoughtfully over time – I don’t think.
AM: I don’t think so either! What brought you to want to be part of this project. I watched the screeners and I’m obsessed, the fact that all of the screeners weren’t available at once made me mad because I’m so invested and I want to know what happens!
EG: I’m so glad you liked it. Thank you for watching!
AM: It was a great watch. I took a Sun and just let the storytelling unfold!
EG: That makes me so happy! Honestly, these 6 people just went for it. This is a terrifying show. You don’t know who is coming through that portal and who you are letting into your life. That is such a bravery that they had to step into this – I don’t have it! That’s part of what was so exciting to me. I have a similar relationship that I think that most of the people in the audience had – I wish I could do that to have the tenacity and the openness!
AM: I could never!
EG: For me, I have done so many dating shows where strangers meet strangers. There is such an interesting dynamic there and I love those kind of shows. I love watching those shows, but secretly probably the show that I am most addicted to is 90 Day Fiance. What I love about this show is that by the time you meet these people, they really have complex relationships. You have to peel it back like an onion as a viewer. So this – all the things that I love about dating shows, people meeting for the first time and adding this layer of complexity where you get to watch people who they were, previous iterations of themselves and for me, I really wanted to approach this show differently from any other show. I wanted to treat it like sci-fi. I wanted the portal to be like a real-time machine and if I’m being honest, this might sound really crazy – for me the show took more inspiration from Rick & Morty than any other dating show I have worked on in the past. Looking at this like one tiny sliver of the multiverse where you can suddenly live a life that you have never lived for a short amount of time and see what that life may have been like. Yeah, if those relationships can go back into the real world, maybe they do – I don’t know. But if they do, that’s really interesting and beautiful, but more importantly, this slice of life, this time and this place where nothing really exists is interesting. In the first episode, Jeff meets someone who he hasn't seen in 15 years. They were 2 people and now they're 2 different people just like everyone else is. Getting to watch them date for the first time, but also being able to come to terms with how they’ve changed and to see that through the eyes of someone that’s dating them, it’s really one of the most transformative processes for me as a viewer. At the end of the day, that’s what I am. Getting to watch them and these things that were happening and to be able to watch them and to really see them going through it! The thing that I am most excited about is that no one was focused on results. Everyone got a happy ending but it doesn’t mean that it’s the one that audiences were expecting. I think that we’re set up to believe that dating shows end like this. And maybe they don’t have to. Maybe dating is enough. Maybe moments with people and experiences that you share, looking inward on yourself through the eyes of someone who knew you back then – maybe that’s enough. I think it is and I think that that’s what makes the show so different.
AM: That’s so true. I think that when you look to The Bachelor/ette where you have a designated person that is available although in the upcoming Bachelorette there are 2 – but you have the designated person and then you have this whole group of people who are another dynamic. The idea that you have a couple of people for a certain person and how they interact with the separate house and the main house, that’s something because they’re also bringing in their own versions of the person that they know. That’s a whole other sociological study right there!
EG: I think you made a really good point. One thing that I think that this show does really nicely is that it plays up the dynamic friendships that the leads have with each other and of course with the arrivals as well. They’re going through this incredible process together and it’s something that no one else has ever been through before. The bonds are permanent and we don’t just revel in the rivalries on the show. Someone goes out on a date 2 days ago and their friends are hoping and wishing and praying that they come home happy and had a good time. Again, it’s all about building that universe. We talked about this on set. We called our location Lacuna. You never see it on camera – it’s just something that we talked about internally.
Lacuna is an unwritten piece of a story or a missing page in a book. We just kind of tried to build an environment where whatever story that person had been living, it was paused for a moment. They were encouraged to write a new story in this period of time and they go off into the world. Maybe it folds nicely into what you already have or maybe it doesn’t but it’s going to be interesting and it’s going to be messy. That’s what I love so much about the show too! Life is a fucking messy, disaster 90% of the time! Acting as if things are linear, perfect and meant to be – maybe they are, but there is also something about embracing chaos. I think dating is chaotic and I think that that is also what makes it fun. I’ve never gone on a first date and went, “it’s remarkably average and I can’t wait to do it again.”
AM: How did you go about finding the arrivals? There were those like the person from the confirmation, another who went to school together and then you had the one who just followed the lead on Instagram?
EG: Honestly, it was the most complicated process that I have ever been part of. Primarily, the way that our casting team did it was talking to family and friends of the individuals and trying to figure out people who they would be interested in. The leads also gave lists of people that they thought about, wondered about or were curious about. So there was some kind of dynamic combination of people that their mom or sister might have thought was perfect for them, a best friend or if they were close to their ex – someone that they thought that they knew. It could also come from someone from their very very long list or someone who was fascinated by them on their social media and felt more connected than maybe they actually were.
I think it also points out the way that we all create our own histories. We all tell our own stories or what part of our lives are important or not. I think that in a lot of the cases of the leads that they may have been more impactful on the lives of others than they realized. That’s really empowering for a lot of people where something that you said, or something that you did or a look you gave someone – even if it wasn’t meant in a romantic way, it stuck with them and made you important enough to go through a whole casting process, get on a plane, go to LA and then just walk through a portal to see someone. You had to have meant something to someone to fill them with a feeling and that’s a great place to start a relationship. Even if it doesn’t go somewhere because everyone can feel that a question that has haunted them, can be answered in a way that everything else is guessing. It’s fun to have a moment in life where you get to answer the many questions where I don’t know about you, but I’m haunted and plagued and live in a state of permanent regret! If I could go somewhere – can you imagine knowing what the sliding door version of your life is or lesser so the Butterfly Effect of Ashton Kutcher version? It’s a good movie, underrated – fun!
AM: Like you said, in watching this show, removing the dating/romantic aspect – you think about the coffee cart guy you see everyday on the corner and during the pandemic, you didn’t have it and you felt that there was a hole. The concept of relationships and interactions and what it means to you and the other person is an interesting dynamic.
What do you want people to walk away with in watching this. Should we all be digging into our past to find our relationships to figure our shit out?
EG: It’s such a good question! I’m not confident that the takeaway should be that we should go back into your past to find your future. I don’t think that’s the answer. I do think that the takeaway should be, that if you are actively looking for love, you should leave no stone unturned. I think that most people will not find their future from their past. A lot of people might. But if you’re curious about something and you have been looking for this long, maybe you don’t need a portal to do. Maybe you do and I’m glad that these people did, but these days you can pick up a phone. You can send an email and ask a question and it will probably lead nowhere because most things in life do. It might lead you somewhere really magical and you might find the one that got away and that would be pretty fucking cool.
IG @bettywho
PHOTOGRAPHY CREDIT | Prime Video
Read the JUN ISSUE #78 of Athleisure Mag and see THE POWER OF RELATIONSHIPS | Betty Who + Elan Gale in mag.
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PHOTO CREDITS | ABC The Bachelorette
THE BACHELORETTES S.19 E.2 | HOW WILL WE NAVIGATE THE SEASON?
PHOTO CREDITS | ABC The Bachelorette
ABC’s The Bachelorette is well underway. Last week, they opted to only send home 3 people and to keep most of the men so that they could actually get to know them more.
The men have moved into the mansion and find that there are not enough beds for everyone that is there so they are literally sleeping wherever there is space! Rachel Recchia, and Gabby Windey let them know that their date will be a pageant so that they can get to know them more. They are given a gift - speedos. Jesse Palmer lets them know that the prize is that they will get to go back to an exclusive party with The Bachelorettes.
Each man disrobes and shows their front and back of their outfit and has a skill that they get to share.
They decide to invite Aven, Logan, Brandan, Jason, Johnny, and Colin for the after party where they can get to know the ladies better. Both of them admit that they have an interest in some of the same people. Rachel pulls Jason aside and he lets her know that although he thinks that she’s cool, he is there for Gabby! Rachel feels that the conversations that she is having are very surface level and she doesn’t feel anything just yet. Thankfully, she got a kiss from Logan and she feels that the night turned around. Of course, Logan also kissed Gabby as well. Both will give a first impression rose tonight. Rachel lets Gabby know that she got a kiss from Logan and Gabby asked if she’s really into him. Rachel says that she will pull back if Gabby is really interested. They both realize that they will have to navigate this new terrain. Rachel gives the 1st impression road to Logan and Gabby gives hers to Johnny.
There is a 1-on-1 date. Rachel invites Jordan V to come out. Before he heads out, we see his packed suitcase being placed on the stairs. She knows that he is here to meet her and they bonded over race cars. She drives away with him in a classic Chevy. She drives him to a plane where they can experience Zero Gravity.
Back at he house, the guys try to figure out who is there for which woman and some are saying that they are still open trying to figure it out. Chris shares his thoughts on Fantasy Suites and how he won’t stand for the person he is interested in sleeping with multiple people. The guys who happened to be near him said that it was way too early to talk about that and it is a jerky position to take.
They continue their date for a dinner and it’s great to see Rachel so happy that she has found someone that she clicks with.
Back at the mansion, the guys ask Chris to clarify his position. He doesn’t want to talk with the men about his opinion and the guys don’t like how he is controlling and comes off as rude. Nate shares that men who act like with preconditioned love, that it is oppressive and that it’s not acceptable.
Back on Rachel’s date, we see that she likes Jordan V, but now we get he sense that although everything on paper sounds good, she’s not feeling that connection.
At the house, the next date card arrives with a 1-on-1 with Nate for Gabby. He’s bringing a bathing suit for their date.
Rachel continues to talk with Jesse and walks though her feelings. She comes back to him and tells him that she enjoyed spending the day with him; however, she lets him know that something about their dynamic isn’t working. She walks him out and he says that he understands. At least we get to hear the private concert that they would have danced too - Brett Young and Ashley Cooke. The guys see his luggage get removed.
Rachel and Gabby talk about the night before and both of them realize that things are serious. Gabby hopes that she will still be interested in him as she is slightly shaken by what happened with Rachel and her date. Nate comes over to the house and Gabby offers Rachel to have some champagne with them. Gabby sees that she should be feeling how Gabby and Nate are with one another. Nate and Gabby look at the view and they share a kiss. A helicopter arrives to take them on an aerial tour and drops them off where they can sit in the hot tub and enjoy some nibbles to get to know more about one another.
They continue onto the next portion of their date at dinner. Nate lets Gabby know that he has a 6-year-old. Gabby lets him know that she is a daddy’s girl and that she commends him for being so close to her. She does wonder whether she’s ready to be a mom herself. She gives him a rose so that he can continue on the journey.
The men wonder about how the rose ceremony will be as they all get ready and assemble. Will each one hand out a certain amount of roses? Jesse asks them the natural question - how will you navigate when both of you like the same person? Rachel says having someone with her helps and Gabby says it’s too early for them to get to that point. They both arrive for the cocktail party. They let the men know what they’re thinking and they begin to have conversations with people. Mario connects with Rachel and although she likes him, she is aware that he received Gabby’s first impression rose. Gabby sees them talking 1-on-1. Both women enjoy great conversations and activities. The guys wonder if they should let them know about Chris and how he acted. A few guys pull Gabby aside to tell her what happened with Chris’ ultimatum and she shares it with Rachel. They feel that they should talk to him to hear his side of the story.
Gabby doesn’t even mince words, she gets to the matter at hand, why it’s inappropriate for him to talk about Fantasy Suites and they ask him to leave. He comes back in the house and grabs the men who he felt were involved - before it gets too far, it’s time for them to have the rose ceremony.
With 27 men remaining, there will be a big cut and those getting roses, they will be coming from both of them - very interesting! Some men want to be able to declare a person.
RECEIVED ROSES | Gabby - Johnny, Nate, | Rachel - Logan, | Joint Roses - Alec, Aven, Erich, Ethan, Hayden, Jacob, James, Jason, Jordan, Kirk, Mario, Michael, Spencer, Quincey, Tino, Termayne, Tyler, Zach
REMAINING MEN STATING THEY ARE THERE FOR | Gabby - Jason, Nate | Rachel - No one has stated yet
MEN WE’RE SEEING PLAY BOTH SIDES | Logan, Mario, Matt
DIDN’T RECEIVE A ROSE | Brandan, Chris, Colin, John, Jordan V., Justin, Matt, Ryan
Each night during this season, we tweet about The Bachelorette and you can chat along with us (@AthleisureMag + with our Co-Founder/Creative + Style Director, Kimmie Smith @ShesKimmie) to see what’s taking place!
Each week we will let you know who our faves were from the last episode and if we’ve changed up since then as it pertains to who we think should go to Hometowns.
We also suggest a podcast that we’ve become obsessed with over the past few seasons, Wondery’s Bachelor Happy Hour to get their feedback!
WHO WE THINK WILL GO TO HOMETOWNS
![JAMES [Gabby]](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/55982406e4b014bac5e42764/1657596876683-086NMPNV5KPIOHWR4OF5/JAMES_25_Winnetka+IL.jpg)
THE BACHELOR CONTESTANTS
Read the latest issue of Athleisure Mag.
Featured TV Show
THE GRILL MASTER | CHEF DAVID ROSE
You don't need an excuse to come together with friends and family for great conversation and good food! If you opt to make it more of an intimate affair with your significant other or to enjoy solo, a great meal is always welcome!
In Nov 2020, we chatted with Chef David Rose about how to prepare for the holiday season. At that time, we were navigating the pandemic and celebrations looked different from years past. As we continue to navigate the new normal, we're excited to think about fun times ahead! We talk about his first cookbook EGGin': David Rose Cooks on the Big Green Egg (Volume 4), the art of grilling and how we can create great meals for Father's Day and other events that we're excited about - even if it's just a random day ending in "y."
ATHLEISURE MAG: Since we last talked, EGGin Volume 4 came out late last year. Can you share with our readers about this cookbook?
CHEF DAVID ROSE: I’m really excited about this! EGGin’ is in it’s 4th volume but it’s my first cookbook! This cookbook has everything from mains, sides, salads and desserts – everything that you need is in there that you want that can be grilled! It’s your heart’s desire! It’s just a celebration of food, a celebration of every culture, every region – every state has their own culture of open fire barbecue and open grilling. From asado in South America, to North Carolina in the South to Alabama to Texas to Korean and Jamaican. So this book covers it all and pays an homage to everything and doing it in a sensational way. We have the honor of hitting #1 on Amazon for a couple of days back in Feb around my birthday. So it was the perfect celebration for my 40th! So, the book is huge and it’s doing very well.
AM: Every time we see you on Instagram, Good Morning America etc – it’s like, that man loves to grill!
CHEF DR: I do! If you can’t see my Instagram and don’t know that I love grilling, I don’t know how else to show it!
AM: What is it about grilling that you love and why is it good to prepare foods in this way?
CHEF DR: For me it’s just something that, the cave men got it right all that time ago, thousands of years ago. Raw meats, fire – put it right on there! If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. I’m from the school of utilizing that and the Jamaican culture, I’ve grown up around these amazing grilled foods – especially jerk chicken and there’s something about the grill being the secret ingredient where you can infuse flavor with different types of wood, different types of marinades and anytime you smoke something, brown is flavor, brown is deliciousness. You get that great char on there and it brings out that deep caramelization, sweetness and savoriness and fruits and vegetables and finish. I’m one of those guys where grill season – I don’t know what grill season is – for me, it’s 24/7, 365 and even if it’s snowing – the grill is still going to be hot so we’re going to have to cook!
AM: Well, for people who aren’t familiar with grilling – let’s say those that it’s their first time. What are 3 tips that you have for someone who has that grill, but they’re not sure about using it?
CHEF DR: Yes, yes ok. The first thing I would say is that a clean grill, is a happy grill. Every time you finish and start up, you want to brush off all that debris, grit and grime. There could be an accumulation of food, maybe a critter that might have got up in there. Because you don’t want none of that on your food. After you’re done cleaning it, always use an oil with a high smoke point to oil it down like a grape seed oil, canola, vegetable oil – because the last thing you want to do is to spend all that time seasoning and marinating and then the meat, protein or vegetables stick to the grill. You always want to oil the grate so that the food releases. That way, you can taste it and eat it.
I’d also recommend secondly, getting a digital meat thermometer. That way, it takes all of the guesswork out of whether the steak is ready or not ready. Is your chicken 165° yet? A high quality digital read out thermometer is a great investment!
And 3, get a copy of EGGIN’, David Rose Cooks from the Big Green Egg and keep your freezer chock full of Omaha Steaks so you can be ready to grill from your hearts desire! There is a Harris Poll that was done earlier this year that says 83% of Americans agree that having high-quality meat on-hand to prepare at a moment’s notice would make their lives easier. So with those three things, I think that those are pretty good tools to get them started.
AM: I love it and like you’re saying, grilling can take place any time of year! I’m originally from Indiana, I live in NY, I love a grilled meal! Now that it’s the summertime and with all the holidays coming up, how do we stay grill ready in terms of keeping our fridges stocked?
CHEF DR: You know, the great thing about working with Omaha Steaks is that we carry a variety of steaks, poultry, seafood, ready to eat sides and meals. The steaks are expertly carved and trimmed and we age them, especially our Private Reserve for a minimum of 35 days and that maximizes tenderness. We do a flash freezing process and what that means is that when the food is at the height of perfection, the flash freezing presses that pause button and until you thaw it out, it’s going to remain in that status of deliciousness. It’s a great thing to have everything at the ready because you never know when you’re hearts desire or a craving might hit. So it lets us do the hard work for you – by delivering you those quality meats and having those recipes that we do have on the website where we have them for days like Father's Day. I have a sensational recipe with their Private Reserve filet and it’s a Blue Cheese and Chive Compound Butter and a loaded Hasselback Potato. I’m not sure if you know what a Hasselback Potato is -
AM: Oh, I know my potatoes!
CHEF DR: Ok, ok you know! Hasselback Potato, thinly sliced, cheese, bacon and sour cream – that and the filet, it’s love! What better way to show dad or yourself, how much you care and to love yourself with our steaks that can be delivered anytime because that’s the gift that keeps on giving – at least until you eat it.
AM: Once again, what’s really great about this time of year is the impromptu nature of things. Whether you have a deck, backyard, rooftop, front stoop or wherever you’re eating. If we’re coming to your house for an impromptu meal, what are you making for us?
CHEF DR: Alright, well definitely there will be a ribeye on there. The ribeye is my favorite and we carry this Ribeye Crown Steak – it’s the ribeye cap, the most tender and coveted part of the steak so you’re definitely going to find some of those. We have some sensational St Louis ribs so you will find some of that. I’m Jamaican so I’m going to have to have some of my snapper on there. We serve Jamaican Snapper Escovitch with a marinade of pickled onions, scotch bonnet peppers, pimento, garlic and whenever I’m cooking especially around my family, spices are always in the mix. Of course, Lobster Mac & Cheese because what is a barbecue without Macaroni & Cheese and just make it better with Omaha Steaks Lobster Tails so it’s a win-win.
AM: A lot of people when they’re grilling, they do think about meats and vegetables. But the grill can also be used for a lot of things. What are dishes that people don’t realize that are totally a grillable food?
CHEF DR: Oh yeah! In EGGin’, there’s quite a few cocktails – smoked cocktails. We have a Charred Pineapple Margarita, we have a Grilled Watermelon Sangria and also smoking adds a really good element to baking! You can bake sweet items on there. We have a Smoked Peach Crostata a Jamaican Rum Raisin Bread Pudding – so the great thing about the Egg and grilling on it is that it can go low and slow, it can do hot and fast and once you put the plates on there called the convector, that essentially turns the Egg into a convection oven. So then you can bake, do pizzas and anything that your heart desires. There is nothing that I have yet to throw at the Egg that it can’t do. So that along with the Omaha Steaks with their meats, poultry and sides, you can’t lose.
AM: I love hearing about this and is there anything that you can share that’s coming up that we should keep our eye out for whether it’s more cookbooks, TV segments etc?
CHEF DR: Yes for sure! I have a couple of really good events coming up in the near future! I have Essence Fest which I will do for the very first time that’s coming up in July so I’m very excited about that! I have a book signing and a demo coming up with that! I will also do the Macy’s NBC 4th of July Fireworks Special and I will do a demo for that as well! It’s kind of exciting as well as a surreal moment! Growing up in NJ, I would always watch it so it’s a full circle moment. We have some great recipes coming down the pipeline, even more deliciousness with Omaha Steaks not just for Father’s Day but for everyday consumption for meals and Sunday cooking with the family.
AM: Well Chef, that’s a lot that’s going on and congratulations on everything! A few years ago I did Essence Fest for the My Black is Beautiful booth where I shared style tips and get ready! There are a lot of people that come through there so definitely eat your Wheaties!
CHEF DR: I’m ready – I stay in shape, I’m ready!
PHOTO CREDITS | PG 60 Omaha Steaks | PG 63 - 67 Facebook/Chef David Rose |
Read the JUN ISSUE #78 of Athleisure Mag and see THE GRILL MASTER Chef David Rose in mag.
Featured
PHOTO CREDITS | ABC The Bachelorette
THE BACHELORETTES S.19 E.1 | A HISTORIC SEASON!
ABC’s The Bachelorette it’s finally here! This season, we’re following the journeys of 26-year-old Rachel Recchia, a flight instructor and 31-year-old Gabby Windey, an ICU nurse. Jesse Palmer asks the same questions that we have been wondering - how is going to work, how will they choose - how do them men navigate two women that are looking to find love? At least we know that these ladies will support one another and we look forward to seeing their families as they both got great soundbites in.
Throughout the first 20 mins, Gabby and Rachel ask how will this work out, their families ask and even Jesse asks them when they arrive at the mansion waiting for the men. Bumps along the road is definitely an understatement - but the men arrive and we get to see them all arrive as even navigating the hugs seem a bit awkward - who is first, do you do a group hug?
The entrances are always interesting from the man with the meatballs, chicks, headphones and more. Of course, there are also the cringey ones like the guy who arrived barefoot, the one who mixed up their names and those who continued to talk about Clayton when they introduced themselves.
Now that they have met all of the men, the ladies know that they get to take time with the men to find out more. At first, it seemed like they would talk to each man together (which they did with the twins as well as the magician) - thankfully, they are intent on having their own experience and we see them take 1-on-1 time to get to know them. The women have their moments and Jesse lets them know that the women will each have a 1st date rose. Interestingly enough, there are guys who are focused on a specific person, but there are a few guys who are trying to meet both of them. Erich chatted with both but only kissed gabby but let it be known that he would just leave it open to see where it would go.
Gabby picks Mario and Rachel picks Tino which makes sense as she liked him immediately when he pulled up with the forklift. Now the remaining guys have to wait to see who gets the rose as everything about this season will be breaking the rules.
At the rose ceremony, both women acknowledge that it’s a long night and they couldn’t get to everyone, but they will now select the men. They ask for Roby, Justin Y and Joey to talk with them and they lead them out of the house and let them know that there isn’t a connection there as they did talk to those 3. They then stated that since they didn’t get to talk to some of the other guys, they will cancel the rose ceremony so that they can get to know them better. Of course, the men are happy that they are still there and it’s sweet of them that they pulled the men aside that they did have the opportunity to chat with who weren’t a fit - to let them know that it wouldn’t work out with them.
RECEIVED ROSES: Alec, Aven, Brandan, Chris, Collin, Erich, Ethan, Hayden, Jacob, James, Jason, Johnny, John, Jordan H, Jordan V, Justin, Kirk, Logan, Mario, Matt, Michael, Nate, Quincey, Ryan, Spencer, Termayne, Tino, Tyler and Zach.
DIDN’T RECEIVE A ROSE: Roby, Joey, Justin Y
We started with 32 men who were competing to learn more about Gabby and Rachel, 3 have been eliminated. They opted to try to get to know more of them. What will next week bring and at what point will the men begin to make their interests known?
Each night during this season, we tweet about The Bachelorette and you can chat along with us (@AthleisureMag + with our Co-Founder/Creative + Style Director, Kimmie Smith @ShesKimmie) to see what’s taking place!
Each week we will let you know who our faves were from the last episode and if we’ve changed up since then as it pertains to who we think should go to Hometowns.
We also suggest a podcast that we’ve become obsessed with over the past few seasons, Wondery’s Bachelor Happy Hour to get their feedback!
WHO WE THINK WILL GO TO HOMETOWNS
![JORDAN V [Rachel]](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/55982406e4b014bac5e42764/1657588600202-M21TOFTDY5E4K3W3K7JE/JORDAN+V_27_Alpharetta+GA.jpg)
![MARIO [Gabby]](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/55982406e4b014bac5e42764/1657588701179-5VOF7BE68MUF86DWINY3/MARIO_31_Naperville+IL.jpg)
![RYAN [Gabby]](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/55982406e4b014bac5e42764/1657588602676-TB4DMRJDHLDZTZICHBGW/RYAN_36_Boston+MA.jpg)
THE BACHELOR CONTESTANTS
Read the latest issue of Athleisure Mag.
Featured TV Show
ENERGY & EVOLUTION | DIMITRI VEGAS & LIKE MIKE
We're big fans of good vibes and sounds that transform us to a special place. Without a doubt, when it comes to some of our favorite DJ/producers Dimitri Vegas and Like Mike has been our go-to for well over a decade! This month's cover is the perfect way to kick off an amazing summer ahead with this incredible musical brother duo - Dimitri Thiavos and Mike Thiavos.
We wanted to find out more about this duo who has performed at Electric Daisy Carnival, Electric Zoo, Creamfields and Tomorrowland to name a few. In addition to their phenomenal tracks, we know that they have projects that they're also focused on whether its acting in the upcoming Jurassic World: Dominion, clothing lines, comic books and more. We talk about how they approach their music, how they got into the industry, collaborations that they do with a number of artists and upcoming music.
ATHLEISURE MAG: When did you first fall in love with music?
DIMITRI THIVAIOS: From a very early age, we were both into music, but I was the first to really get into buying records and djing etc. Seeing music as much more than just a hobby, but more a career. I started djing when I was 13 and really pushed myself from very early on to try and make a career out of djing, which led me to moving to Majorca and then later Ibiza.
MIKE THIAVOS: Electronic music has always been a part of my life growing up, as that was the main style of music being heard on radios and played out on a mainstream level in Belgium since the early 90’s and even before I was born, remembering the countless “top hits” cd’s being played by my parents on our seemingly everlasting trips in our car without AC to Greece over summer (laughs)… but next to always having been intrigued by my brother’s musical antics and trying to learn and copy my older brother’s behavior, as most younger siblings do. I started writing songs around the age of fourteen, after being introduced to the wonderful sound of hip hop, venturing down my own musical journey shortly after. Finally being old enough to travel by myself at the age of sixteen I moved to Ibiza in 2001, simultaneously banging out hip hop albums on the white island, I gradually fell in love with house music, as anyone would having the opportunity to spend late nights to the groovy beats of various house legends at Pacha Ibiza. My love for music was widespread and I was becoming way more experimental with my musical taste going from classical music to funk of the early seventies and grimy electronic beats in the eighties. Still today I think that is the foundation for the countless big sounds I’ve created and the endless unreleased songs on all my old devices, I must have made over a hundred albums by now ranging in different musical genres.
AM: When did you realize that you wanted to be DJs/producers?
MT: Although I love deejaying and as it’s not really rocket science, I’ve always considered myself a performer, musical creator, and a producer instead of a DJ. Making music is where I can find the real art of expressing myself with whatever mood I’m in in that moment, both instrumental and vocally, in sound and lyrics.
I would say the producing of electronic music started after coming back from working abroad for a couple of years and realizing the market and prospect for making rap albums wasn’t a very lucrative thing being from Belgium back then (although it’s a different story now). So going back to our roots of electronic music was an inevitable but nevertheless easy decision for me to make.
After inviting Dimitri to move into my apartment the ball really started rolling when we decided to work together as a team. I learned all my earliest tricks from Dimitri who was already very knowledgeable when it came to software and computers.
It took me a couple of years before I was able to fully produce my own tracks and get into making sounds like ‘Mammoth’ and ‘Tremor,’ but it was a wonderful journey that has continued until this very day.
AM: What’s your process like when it comes to creating your music and where do you find inspiration?
MT: I create sounds and make songs every day that I can; it’s a ritual and something that brings a certain type of fulfilment that almost nothing else can bring me…almost like a drug. Not being able to let out my creative drive will make me feel on edge and I’m always happy being able to return to my studio, as being on tour and having a heavy tour schedule sometimes makes it hard to have a creative outlet. But then there’s other ways of doing that like writing, drawing or designing fashion, architecture or even ideas for movies or businesses that could change our planet and way of life in a positive way, cooking and food are also amongst some of my biggest passions.
Whenever I make a song that could be a good fit for DVLM I always send them to Dimitri to get his thoughts and feedback.
DT: We are always bouncing ideas around for new tracks, especially when on the road as you get a lot of inspirations from daily life and of course shows.
AM: Do you have specific roles when it comes to how you go about creating your music or planning your setlists?
MT: Dimitri has always had full control over our sets and mashups. I’ve always taken the part of being the hype man. But I do like to come up with crazy ideas or songs or concepts to bring back from the past. I do mostly focus on the production side of it, for example trying to make the sickest intros for our biggest shows of the year.
DT: Not really, our thing has always been about an equal share on the creative side. We’re willing to take risks and try new methods and ideas. If you want to be forward-thinking with your career and to keep everything fresh you need that openness.
AM: How do you balance your working relationship while also being siblings?
MT: We grew up together, so we’re used to being in each other’s lives. It’s familiar to us and if anything, it makes it easier to communicate ideas and be honest with one another about what we want to achieve.
DT: That honesty and dedication for the same targets is what makes it work.
AM: How do you define your style of music?
DT: It is difficult to put our sound into one category or genre. We love such a wide array of music across many genres, and I think that is reflected in our music. One thing that always runs through our music is energy. Our style is mainly upbeat and has an energy that people can vibe to.
MT: We get inspiration from so many different areas in life, and I think that shows in the people we work with. We try to work with people who inspire us, for example, we’ve been lucky enough to collaborate with some of the best names in music, such as Snoop Dogg, Wiz Khalifa, Hans Zimmer, Natti Natasha and Daddy Yankee.
AM: Is there a different approach when you’re working on your own music versus when you’ve worked on projects with the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise or various artists that you collab with whether for remixes like Coldplay or Lady Gaga or editing for Sean Paul, Jennifer Lopez or Pitbull?
MT: Of course, you must respect the creative side of other artists when you’re collaborating with someone else and everyone has a different approach to their work in the studio, but we love that.
DT: With remixes it’s a little different because we are there to bring our sound to the project, so it’s about respecting the original but also remembering our role is to apply our style and vision to the project.
AM: When it comes to collaborating with someone whether it’s a film or person, what do you look for?
DT: For us its simple, we have to be into the music they’re making or inspired by the project.
AM: Who are 3 people that you have yet to collaborate with that’s on your list?
DT: Lost Frequencies, Dr Dre
MT: Keinemusiccrue, Artbat, Eminem
AM: You have won a number of accolades for your work, played in major clubs, have ongoing residencies and have been in major festivals year after year, what does it mean to you that you have this reach and love with your fans?
DT: It means everything to us. Our fans are incredible and the support they’ve shown us over all these years is something impossible to put into words. To be a part of such an unbelievable scene, perform at these amazing events and share it with the best fans in the world is a dream come true.
AM: Musically, as well as looking at your social feed, you have an incredible group of people who you have creatively worked with, as well as are friends with, from Steve Aoki who was a previous cover, Afrojack, Martin Garrix, David Guetta and more. How does this fuel your work to be surrounded by these creatives?
DT: Every day we are inspired by all our music friends and colleagues. To witness our scene become so internationally accepted, and to see our friends help build the foundation of that is something very special. It’s never been a competition for us, we’re blessed to have such amazing people in our life and happy to see each of them flourish and have their successes inspire our own career.
AM: You guys are always working on a number of projects, do you have any upcoming ones that you can share with us that we can keep an eye out for?
DT: With touring now back on the agenda, we have a lot of new music ready to go so stay tuned for announcements soon. What’s next from us is collaboration with a legend of the harder side of dance music, Brennan Heart. This one is going to blow the roof off!
AM: What festivals will you perform at this summer?
DT: We’ve a busy schedule this summer and excited to be back on the road again. Fans can catch us at Ushuaia Ibiza for our summer residency, as well as AirBeat One, Balaton Sound, Barcelona Beach Festival, Neversea Festival, Dance Valley, Creamfields, and of course we’ll be at our home Tomorrowland.
AM: What are your 3 favorite events to play?
DT: Playing our own shows at Ushuaia Ibiza, or our end of year parties at the Antwerp Sportpaleis, are always a special occasion because we get to be a part of the whole process.
MT: And being a part of Tomorrowland.
AM: How do you stay in shape as you’re on the road frequently and we’re always looking for routines that we can include in our workout?
MT: Touring life can be intense, both physically and mentally, especially when you’re on extensive touring schedules. Sleep is a vital part of looking after yourself when touring but it’s hard to keep a steady circadian rhythm, also having the right nutrition and staying away from stimulants is key. We manage it by fitting in time to exercise regularly.
AM: How would you define your personal style?
DT: Casual but stylish.
MT: My style is a combination of different influences picked during my life and the constant drive to improve and find a better version of yourself, ever evolving and not holding on too much to old ideals.
AM: You do a lot of traveling, what are your 3 favorite cities that you enjoy visiting?
MT: My absolute favourite city is Athens but I do love spending time in New York, Los Angeles and Miami.
DT: Ibiza, Ibiza and… Ibiza (jokes).
AM: In addition to working together, both of you have a number of projects that you’re involved in. Dimitri you’ve been acting in movies such as Men In Black: International and Rambo: Last Blood and you’ll be in the upcoming Jurassic World: Dominion – what was it like to be involved in this and what can you tell us about it?
DT: An incredible experience both as an actor and more so as a fan of the franchise. A real childhood dream come true. Being a part of these amazing movie projects and around so many phenomenal actors and actresses has taught me so much already. I’m super excited to see the movie on the big screen with my friends and family. Anyone who follows me knows I’m a huge fanboy of the movie and comic business, so I’m truly honoured to be a part of these projects. And now with my first lead role in the movie H4Z4RD coming up, I can’t wait to do more stuff…
MT: On a personal level, I’ve designed my past two houses, created a new label and fashion line and several concepts for restaurants that are about to be put into fruition and am invested in very forward-thinking companies and concepts that are hopefully taking the world by storm in the nearby future. The ultimate goal is combining all passions and curating unique experiences that are unmatched.
AM: You’re a comicbook fan, we recently interviewed Rodney Barnes where we talked about his work with Marvel, Star Wars and the Killadelphia series. How did you fall in love with comic books and what are your 3 favorite comic books?
DT: For as long as I can remember, I’ve always been fascinated by comic books. I grew up on stories like Ninja Turtles, Batman, Spider-Man, all of which were and remain my favourite superheroes. I still collect comics and have a room dedicated to my passion of all things Marvel and DC.
AM: You also have Dino Warriors – what was the thought behind creating this and what can you tell me about it?
DT: It’s been a dream of mine to create my own universe within the comic industry. I’ve had the Dino Warriors idea in mind for a long time. Teaming up with David Uslan and his father Michael, the originator and executive producer of the Batman movie franchise, felt like the perfect moment for this project to come to live.
I’m proud to say that we also have onboard one of IDW Publishing's most critically acclaimed writers Erik Burnham, best known for writing Ghostbusters, Back to the Future, Transformers, A-Team, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles comics. As well as Jim Starlin (creator of Marvel's Infinity War uber-villain Thanos and more), Brett Booth (Spider-Man, the Fantastic Four, and the X-Men), Stephen Segovia, known for his work with DC Comics and Marvel and Valiant Entertainment, and Diego Galindo (Power Rangers, Dungeons & Dragons, and Stranger Things) are all part of the projects creative team.
AM: What is Smash Universe?
DT: We’ve a deep-rooted passion in other creative art forms beyond music, everything from film to esports so we decided to launch our lifestyle agency Smash Universe to allow us the freedom to explore these areas more. The project had been in our minds for a while. We got introduced to Miranda Huybers, a gaming industry veteran who was part of Activision’s “Call of Duty” team, by one of our team members, and it immediately felt good. Miranda brings a wealth of knowledge to the table, along with our Smash The House team and our manager Nick Royaards. Add to that Nick Depauw, head of SMASH esports, Nick Royaards, as well as Perry van de Mosselaar and Dwayne Megens from our label Smash The House and we have the nucleus of a formidable team.
AM: Mike, I know you just had a collaboration with BLACK BANANAS – the tracksuit looks cool. How did this collaboration come about, and will you continue to work with them?
MT: There’s a long connection with Tomorrowland and the popular Dutch streetwear. It’s a friendship that’s lasted over a decade. We wanted to lay down casual street wear, athleisure, that symbolizes the ideologies of both BLACK BANANAS and my label GREEN ROOM.
A perfect combination was found with the inspiration from the world of football, hence the captain style armband.
This is just the beginning of our story working together.
AM: You also released a solo album, “Pain, Love, & What Comes After”, how long did it take to put this album together and why did you want to release it?
MT: I would say it’s an accumulation of some of my favourite songs and collaborations created in the past 5 years. It was a very personal project for me, highlighting some of the most emotional and captivating moments of my life, depicting a beautiful but sometimes also sad story and, outside of mine and Dimi’s work together, was a chance to showcase a different side of my musical creativity.
AM: You had your first solo set in Vegas last month. What was that like and will you have upcoming solo sets that we should keep an eye out for?
MT: Being able to play out my new music and curating a night by myself was an incredible experience that asks for more!! It was a chance to showcase my new sounds and to be around so many incredible people that decide to fly in from all over the world. The energy and buzz from that experience was one of the best I’ve ever felt, and I could feel all the love. I was really nervous on the night, especially since it’s a totally different sound than what people are used to hearing from us as DVLM. It’s literally taking it back to our roots and some of the earliest vibes we grew up loving. I’ll be doing more shows again soon, planning a US solo tour at the end of this year so stay tuned.
AM: In terms of the Dimitri Vegas and Like Mike brand from your music, touring and additional projects, how do you want your legacy to be seen?
MT: Well, we’re far from over. We’ve got so much more planned, so many exciting projects coming up and new shows scheduled. Although never having a clear vision of the path, I'm absolutely confident there are many more goals to achieve, so answering this question right now doesn’t feel right. Evolution is key.
AM: How do you take time for yourselves when you’re not in your projects?
MT: Grounding and healing yourself and being creative in different ways is a big part of my time off and spending it with friends and family is what matters most for us.
PHOTOGRAPHY CREDITS | Front/Back Cover + PG 16 - 25 + 28 - 31 Boy Kortekaas @boythecollector | PG 26 -27 + PG 70 - 71 9DRIP Benhoudijk |
Read the MAY ISSUE #77 of Athleisure Mag and see ENERGY & EVOLUTION | Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike in mag.
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