Hampton Habitues

Good News Gossip About Our Notable Friends And Neighbors 

Goodbye summer and hello fall! Things might have slowed down a bit, but there’s still plenty going on out here in the land of sun and sea.

Elite Enemies

The East End is yet again at the forefront of a new television series. Based on the book by The New York Times best-selling author Carl Weber and viewable on BET, Carl Weber’s The Black Hamptons is showing the rest of the world how it’s done here on the island. 

Set in Sag Harbor, the four-part series tells the tale of old money versus new, as it relates to the black elite. The storyline mainly focuses on the Brittons, whose money has seasoned via their banking business, and the Johnsons, a feisty nouveau riche family, the show features their brewing feud over a coveted piece of property. 

According to BET, The Black Hamptons “not only features the glitz and gloss of the Black elite but also exposes the underbelly of wealth and prestige … with a mix of legacy families thriving for generations, friends, wannabes, and thirsty developers.” 

Starring Lamman Rucker, Vanessa Bell Calloway, Elise Neal, Brian White, Karon Riley, Mike Merrill, Blac Chyna, and more, the epic promises sprawling mansions, enormous yachts, and sparkling beaches and plenty of drama. Can’t wait to watch what might very well be my new favorite show!

Wait and Sea

This summer’s surprise visitor, Kate Hudson, has a brand-new role in the upcoming Knives Out sequel. Oh goody! Hudson will join returning cast Daniel Craig, as Detective Benoit, plus Edward Norton, Dave Bautista, Janelle Monáe, Katherine Hahn, Jessica Henwick and Ethan Hawke in Knives Out 2. Not much information is available at this time, but we do know that the suspense will be set in and around Greece and will deal with a murder mystery at sea. The film is set to screen on Netflix in December. 

About Time

Zoe Kazan, a familiar face out East, will star with Carey Mulligan in the feature film She Said, which will hit theaters in November. The movie is based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning investigation and The New York Times best-selling book, She Said: Breaking the Sexual Harassment Story That Helped Ignite a Movement.  

Picking up the #MeToo movement from the beginning, the film features Kazan and Mulligan as real-life reporters Megan Twohey and Jodi Kantor, who broke one of the most significant social justice stories of a generation. Directed by Maria Schrader and written by Rebecca Lenkiewicz, the drama sets the story for how the investigation ended up shattering decades of silence about sexual assault and America’s cultural norms around sexism. Can’t wait to check it out!

Match Point

Hamptons habitué Serena Williams might have closed the door on one part of her mega-successful career but it looks like she’s opening a window into another. In August, she spoke at the invite-only 1640 Society Family Office Wealth Forum, colloquially referred to as “the Davos of the Hamptons,” to talk about her VC Fund, Serena Ventures. 

The tennis legend and 23-time Grand Slam Singles winner announced during this year’s U.S. Open that she would be retiring from the courts. She will now be focusing her considerable energies into investing in her portfolio, which boasts approximately 50 companies including Noom and MasterClass, while looking for opportunities to help fund businesses with diverse points of view. 

Reeling in the Years

Cheers to Iris Apfel, who celebrated her 101st birthday at the Hamptons Synagogue Children’s Center, Jack’s House, in Westhampton Beach about a month ago. The feisty fashionista, who calls herself “the world’s oldest teenager,” is best known for her dramatic flair, statement jewelry and over-the-top eyeglasses. Her birthday party also served as a fundraising opportunity for fans to purchase pieces of Apfel’s legendary collection, with proceeds benefiting the Hamptons Synagogue.