Hamnet’s Chloé Zhao Reveals She’s Training to Become a Death Doula

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Chloé Zhao is embracing a new eternal title.

The director of Hamnet recently began training to be a death doula – a person who offers emotional, spiritual, and practical care to those nearing the end of life – as a way to face her own anxieties about death.

In a recent interview with The New York Times published on January 24th, Chloé, 43, shared that she had just completed Level 1 training in the U.K. She described a training session where participants researched how different Indigenous cultures around the world approach death, both historically and in modern times. She noted that the fundamental experience of grief remains constant across cultures and throughout time.

She explained that our understanding of death has changed dramatically. Traditionally, grief was openly acknowledged and culturally supported, but now, with a strong focus on extending life at all costs, death is often seen as a failure, and there’s a sense of shame surrounding it. We’ve moved away from accepting death as a natural part of life, and modern medicine often treats it as something to be conquered rather than accepted.

Chloé has been exploring her own feelings about death and grief, and how the finality of loss has affected her ability to form close relationships.

She admitted she’s always been afraid of death, explaining, “I’ve been so scared that I haven’t truly lived, or been able to fully open my heart to love. I’ve feared losing love, and for me, that feels like a kind of death.” She views reaching her 40s as a positive turning point, a chance for personal growth and renewal.

As she continues to understand herself better, Chloé has realized she can no longer avoid confronting these feelings of change and growth.

She acknowledged that her body was changing and that she was becoming aware of her own mortality. Because of this, she felt she needed to prioritize her health and well-being to ensure her later years were manageable.

Her work on the 2025 film Hamnet, which won Best Picture at the Golden Globes, gave her insight into the grieving process. The film portrays William and Agnes Shakespeare (played by Paul Mescal and Jesse Buckley) as they cope with the unexpected loss of their son, Hamnet (Noah Jupe).

Chloé pointed out that while circumstances change, our basic instincts remain the same. The urge to protect children, for example, will always be with us, though the specific reasons why we feel pain might vary depending on the situation.

Keep reading to see more celebrity confessions…

In June 2024, football player Jason Kelce jokingly tweeted about someone suggesting he doesn’t wash his legs or feet. He responded with, “What kind of weirdo washes their feet…” after a fan made the observation.

The retired Philadelphia Eagles player later doubled down on his comments.

On his podcast, New Heights, Jason Kelce jokingly asked, “What kind of person washes your feet?” He then added that he’d only scrub them if they were visibly dirty.

More than ten years after telling a story about witnessing a clown’s death in a car explosion at the circus when he was a child, the Twilight actor has confessed that the story was made up.

Robert remembered telling The New York Times Style Magazine in December 2024 that he reacted with complete surprise, saying, ‘What on earth? Are you possessed?’

As for what he said during the 2011 Today interview promoting his film Water for Elephants?

He explained that one of the clowns had died in an accident. Their small car exploded while they were performing, and it was a frightening experience for everyone there. People immediately rushed out.

Grandma knows best.

In an October 2022 episode of The Kardashians, Kim Kardashian shared a personal story about how her grandmother, Mary Jo “MJ” Campbell, unexpectedly played a role in a private moment with her then-boyfriend, Pete Davidson.

I was telling my family – MJ, my mom Kris, and Khloe – about a weekend Pete and I spent at the Beverly Hills Hotel. We were just relaxing by the fireplace, chatting for ages, and it reminded me of something my grandmother used to say. She always believed the ultimate way to truly enjoy life was to, well, be intimate in front of a fireplace! So, we decided to honor her memory and do just that. It was a fun, spontaneous moment!

Grandma’s reaction? A nod of approval.

Kim jokingly remarked, “It’s weird to think about your grandma right before being intimate!” MJ responded with a laugh, “I know, but everyone has a past!”

Mila Kunis and Ashton Kutcher have a very close family, including their children, 8-year-old Wyatt and 6-year-old Dimitri, and their love for each other is endless.

So much so, that the Black Swan actress revealed they keep an open-door policy at home.

She told TopMob News in September 2022 that this also includes accidents in the bathroom. She explained it’s become normal for her family and kids to just accept bodily functions as they happen.

Mila explained she finally gave in after her family repeatedly asked to come inside. She said she eventually thought, ‘Never mind, I’ll just leave the door open.’

Pre-kids, she might not have imagined she’d flush that particular boundary away.

She said she never imagined she’d become comfortable enough to use the restroom with the door open.

Ghouls just want to have fun.

During an October 2022 episode of The View, while discussing a woman who claimed her home was haunted by “sexual ghosts,” Sara Haines posed a surprising question to her co-hosts: “Is it possible to get pregnant from a ghost?”

Oh my gosh, can you believe it? Someone asked about getting pregnant by a ghost on ‘The View,’ and Joy Behar – amazing Joy Behar! – just casually dropped that she’s, um, experienced with ghosts and definitely didn’t get pregnant! I’m still reeling. It was the most Joy Behar thing ever, and I need to replay it like, a thousand times.

“I’m going to leave that be,” Whoopi Goldberg responded. “I’m not sure everyone heard what Joy said, but I’m just going to move on from it.”

Jenna Bush Hager and Hoda Kotb are very close friends, but Hoda recently learned something surprising about her “Today” co-host. While preparing for an episode of “Today with Hoda and Jenna,” Hoda found out that Jenna always goes without underwear.

During a November 2022 episode of Today with Hoda and Jenna, Hoda recounted that they both needed to quickly change outfits. She then playfully revealed that she realized Jenna doesn’t wear underwear.

Jenna’s rationale? Well, no underwear might just be more convenient to her.

Honestly, I just love how much more flattering the shape is! And the best part? It really simplifies packing – you need so much less stuff. There are just so many benefits, it’s amazing!

Looks like someone hasn’t been keeping up.

Britney Spears related to a recent viral quote from Keke Palmer – “He could be walking down the street, I wouldn’t know a thing” – and confessed she wasn’t familiar with Pete Davidson or Scott Disick.

Britney shared a funny video from March of Pete Davidson—who was dating Kim Kardashian at the time—and Kourtney Kardashian’s ex, Scott Disick, having a night out. She said the video had her laughing a lot.

I’m so glad Britney reposted this – it was hilarious! She said she didn’t even know who was in the video, but it cracked her up, and honestly, me too! She had to share it again, which just proves how funny it is.

Before Chris Evans became famous as Captain America and was named People’s Sexiest Man Alive in 2022, Jana Kramer dated him and thought he was a handsome and charming guy.

The singer shared on her podcast, Whine Down with Jana Kramer, that this happened over ten years ago. While she doesn’t remember exactly how many times they went out, she does remember their final meeting.

Jana, who was around 26 at the time, said Chris asked her to come over when he had some friends visiting from Boston.

Jana recalled that the last thing she remembered was her partner going to the bathroom right after she’d eaten asparagus – which she noted makes your pee smell unusual. They didn’t end up intimate that night; he stayed out with friends, and the next morning she left his house feeling embarrassed – what she jokingly called the ‘asparagus walk of shame’.

She added, “I never heard from him again.”

Not all of these confessions are amusing.

In December, television writer Elisabeth Finch confessed that she had fabricated a story about having a rare bone cancer. She originally shared this false diagnosis with ELLE magazine eight years prior, and it even became the basis for a plotline on Grey’s Anatomy.

Elisabeth recently shared with The Ankler newsletter that a lie she told at age 34 was the biggest regret of her life. She explained that the falsehood grew over time, becoming a heavy burden she carried for years. She also clarified that she has never been diagnosed with cancer.

Finch, who was temporarily removed from their role on the ABC medical show before ultimately quitting, admitted, “I messed up badly. It was completely unacceptable, and I take full responsibility.”

Beauty is pain, but Kim Kardashian might be able to stomach it.

The reality star told The New York Times she’d consider almost any procedure to look younger.

She admitted in June that she’d even consider something drastic – like eating something truly unpleasant every day – if it meant she could look younger. She seemed genuinely open to the idea, saying, ‘I just might.’

In a July 2022 interview with Allure magazine, Kim admitted she was mostly kidding when she made the comment, but she didn’t think it was a bad idea.

Kim admitted, after some thought, that she’d likely do almost anything for youth, saying she’d probably even eat something disgusting like poop if someone promised it would make her look younger, as long as she ate it daily.

She wasn’t sure how much she could eat. “Perhaps just a small bite,” she said. “I definitely couldn’t manage a full bowl.”

Jelly Roll could’ve used some saving from himself.

During an April 2025 interview on The Jennifer Hudson Show, the singer behind “Save Me” shared a particularly embarrassing story, and he didn’t hesitate to reveal all the details.

“I pooped myself one time,” he admitted. “I did, I’m sorry.”

Okay, look, I’ve followed Jelly Roll – Jason DeFord, that is – for years, and honestly, I don’t think he ever meant for things to get this intense. He’s not a bad guy, you know? He just… lives his life, and sometimes that life hits hard. I really don’t think he anticipated causing this much damage, not at all.

Honestly, he really believed it was all just hot air, and he seemed genuinely devastated. He kept apologizing, saying he saw the whole crowd turn on him right before his eyes – going from cheering him on to completely shutting him out. It was heartbreaking to watch, and he clearly felt awful about what happened.

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2026-01-29 18:48