Plus inside dish from the red carpet to the C-suite, including Paul Giamatti’s late night snack and Neve Campbell’s ‘Scream’ redux.

Giving up smoking is the easiest thing in the world. I know because I’ve done it thousands of times.” The words of Mark Twain work surprisingly well when applied to Selena Gomez‘s relationship with social media. The most followed woman on Instagram, fresh from a viral moment at the Golden Globes where she whispered something to Taylor Swift, announced to 428 million IG followers on Jan. 9 that she’s “off social media for a while” to focus on “what really matters” (with a pic of music producer boyfriend Benny Blanco).

Her fans were less than shocked because it’s far from the first time the 31-year-old has put her phone face-down: She did it in 2018, in 2020, in February and again in November after receiving backlash over comments about the conflict between Israel and Hamas. “I’m done. I don’t support any of what’s going on,” she wrote. “I wish I could change the world. But a post won’t.”

After the most recent departure to start 2024, Gomez wasn’t gone for long as she posted a video clip the next day featuring her kitchen collaboration with chef Gordon Ramsey making a breakfast burger followed by an image of her attending an event for her Rare Beauty. As for how the back-and-forth affects her credibility, Kris Ruby, president of Ruby Media Group, a New York-based social media marketing agency, says it may not.

“This is pretty normal. People often say, ‘I’m leaving to take a break and then they are back the next day. It speaks to the power of how addictive social media really is,” Ruby explains. “Social media is a powerful business tool, particularly for celebrities and social media influencers. It is very hard to walk away from that and those brand deals. It’s become so engrained in business culture that it’s almost required to be on platforms. The real question is for people who want to take a break: How can you use it to run your business while also taking a detox? And what is the right amount of time to take a personal detox? Even if it’s for a day, the goal is to stick with it.”

Focus Features Capitalizes on Giamatti’s Viral In-N-Out RunThe Holdovers star Paul Giamatti brandishes his Golden Globe after a celebratory meal at In-N-Out. COURTESY

After a brutal 2023, Hollywood is back in business, and that means requisite awards season traditions are getting dusted off, too.

Case in point: Following a heartfelt best actor speech at the Golden Globes, The Holdovers star Paul Giamatti graced the press room and then high-tailed it to Westwood where he joined his agent, UTA’s Billy Lazarus, manager Perri Kipperman, and publicist Molly Kawachi of ID-PR, for burgers and fries at In-N-Out on Gayley Avenue. A fellow diner posted a sneaky pic of the veteran actor enjoying his meal with a Golden Globe standing tall on the table while Giamatti looks down at his phone, presumably answering congratulatory text messages.

The pic went viral — actor Michael Warburton shared the image on X, where it received 1.3 million views — and kudos to Focus Features (and communications firm Ginsberg/Libby) for capitalizing on the moment and sending out In-N-Out gift certificates to press. “Your health and stamina are of the utmost importance to us now that we’re in full swing with awards season. Unfortunately, In-n-Out doesn’t offer an intravenous vanilla shake option, so we figured a gift certificate would be the next best thing,” reads the offer email.