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Bella Ramsey – who plays Ellie on HBO’s the Last of Us, which has now returned for its second season – has spoken about the decision to share that they are non-binary

Bella Ramsey has spoken about their decision to share that they identify as non-binary. The Last of Us star said that it’s “been a mixed bag,” since going public with her personal update.

The actor, now 21 – who plays Ellie on the hit HBO show based on the popular computer game, which has now returned for its second season – first spoke about their “fluid” gender and being non-binary in 2023. They have since shared that whilst they/them feels the most “truthful,” they are open to being referred to by other pronouns.

They have now reflected on the decision to open up about their identity publicly. Speaking about sharing two years ago that they are non-binary, Bella told the Observer recently: “Part of me looks back and I wish that I didn’t, because I didn’t want it to become a headline and a big thing.”

Bella said that “obviously” it would attract attention but revealed that at the time they “didn’t really understand that”. The Game of Thrones star added that they weren’t “really prepared” for the reception to their comments.

They however continued by sharing that their experience has provided representation for other people. Bella said: “But on the other hand, people have said to me that it’s been very helpful for them seeing some representation. “

The award-winning actor said that whilst it’s been a “mixed bag,” it’s been positive overall. They said: “So it’s been a mixed bag, but overall, I think it was a good thing, just for me living more freely, without feeling like I’m keeping a secret. “

Bella said that they now tell people that they will “talk about it” but they don’t want it to be “the focus” any more. They added that they are “quite chill with it,” before sharing with the outlet that they want everyone else to be like that too.

It has been over two years since Bella spoke publicly about their gender identity for the first time. The acclaimed actor opened up about their life for an article that was published by the New York Times back in January 2023.

They said: “I guess my gender has always been very fluid. ” Speaking about growing up, Bella added: “Someone would call me ‘she’ or ‘her’ and I wouldn’t think about it, but I knew that if someone called me ‘he’ it was a bit exciting. “

Bella shared at that time that they would opt for “nonbinary” on a form if available. They however stated that they are “very much just a person,” before sharing that they aren’t particular over certain pronouns for themself. Bella told the outlet: “Being gendered isn’t something that I particularly like, but in terms of pronouns, I really couldn’t care less. “

Although open to other pronouns, months later, whilst speaking to Vogue, Bella shared that they/them feels the “most truthful”. They explained: “Being called ‘they’ is the most truthful thing for me. That’s who I am the most.”

In the same interview, Bella spoke about being supported by colleagues on the Last of Us – which premiered that same year. During the discussion, they said that they were offered different undergarments as part of their wardrobe, with options including a “regular” bra and a binder.

Bella said in the interview: “[The costume supervisor would say] ‘You just pick whatever is most comfortable for you today,’ and in the end it was just a binder. ” The actor commented: “There was never anyone pressuring me. “

They shared similar praise for those working on the show – which is based on the video game series of the same name – in the interview with the Observer, published yesterday. Bella spoke to the outlet amid the second season airing at the moment, in which their character Ellie develops a relationship with Dina, played by co-star Isabela Merced.

The show has been described as “progressive” and Bella is said to have told the outlet that that can have an impact on introducing mainstream audiences to queer storylines. And the actor said that on set there is “no having to hide” or feeling like “you’re out of place,” adding that “everyone feels like they belong” and that “hopefully” viewers feel the same.

Prince Harry once had a very close bond with his sister-in-law Princess Kate – but their relationship has been left in tatters following the Sussexes’ criticisms of the future Queen

Prince Harry and Kate Middleton once shared a close bond. Harry often spent time with his brother William and Kate, forging a heartfelt connection with the future Queen, even describing her as “the sister I’ve never had and always wanted.”

However, their relationship took a dramatic turn following the release of Harry’s candid memoir Spare, which deeply strained their once-strong connection. In the book, Harry made several pointed accusations against the Royal Family — and Kate was not exempt.

He partly blamed both William and Kate for encouraging him to wear a Nazi costume to a party; suggested that Kate felt “on edge” due to inevitable comparisons with Meghan, and claimed a disagreement over bridesmaids’ dresses left Meghan “sobbing on the floor. ”

The revelations reportedly hurt William and Kate deeply and Harry faced criticism for airing his grievances so publicly, particularly knowing the Royal Family’s tradition of not responding.

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In his retelling of the infamous disagreement over Princess Charlotte’s bridesmaid dress, Harry seemed to suggest that Kate was unwilling to compromise, despite Meghan’s obvious distress. An insider said that the memoir “paints Kate as rigid and overly formal, contrasting Meghan’s laid-back Californian approach”.

However, many were quick to stand by Princess Kate. Royal photographer Arthur Edwards was among those to speak out. “Harry has publicly targeted his sister-in-law in a way that’s not just damaging to her but to the entire family dynamic,” he said.

Ingrid Seward, editor-in-chief of Majesty Magazine, noted: “Harry’s decision to drag Kate into this narrative was both unnecessary and hurtful. She’s always been the epitome of grace under pressure, and this incident paints a distorted picture of who she really is.”

Kate is said to have been deeply hurt by Harry’s actions but chose to remain silent on the matter, instead focusing on her royal duties and her young family. In more recent years, her health has been her main priority after being diagnosed with cancer – though she is now happily in remission.

Of course, it wasn’t just Spare that caused issues with the Sussexes. They spoke out against the royals in the infamous Oprah interview, and in Meghan and Harry’s Netflix documentary they again took aim at Kate, accusing her of being overly-formal on their first meeting. “Even when Will and Kate came over, and I met her for the first time, they came over for dinner, I remember I was in ripped jeans and I was barefoot,” Meghan said.

“Like I was a hugger, I’ve always been a hugger. I didn’t realise that that is really jarring for a lot of Brits. I guess I started to understand really quickly that the formality on the outside carried through on the inside. “

Prince William is also believed to have been greatly angered by his brother, with his attacks on his wife said to have been the final straw for the future king. Royal expert Katie Nicholl said: “I do know that William was very angry that Harry had drawn Kate into it when he felt Kate was blameless throughout. She acted very much as the peacekeeper, she tried to get the brothers back on an even keel, and for Kate to be dragged into this mucky saga was upsetting for her and certainly did infuriate William.”

And, according to The Sunday Times, despite Harry’s hints about wanting to reunite with his family, the Prince of Wales simply can’t get past the comments he made about Kate. “William is unlikely to forgive Harry any time soon for his slights against Kate in Spare, among them the suggestion she was cold towards Meghan. Those close to William say his brother rarely comes up in conversation.”

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Sat comfortably in a large chair at the New Afrika Shrine, his family’s legendary Nigerian music venue, Femi Kuti was surrounded by history.

The concert hall is an homage to his father Fela Kuti’s original Shrine, which had also been located in the northern outskirts of Lagos before its demise.

Femi’s own music awards are scattered around, recognition for his determination to keep fighting the good fight his Afrobeat legend father was known for — calling out corruption and injustice in Africa’s most populous nation.

Part of a family defined by its determination to speak defiantly about what was going on around them — whether through lyrics or protest or both — Femi Kuti, however, is ready to turn inward, and focus on the “virtues that have guided me in my life”, he told AFP in a recent interview.

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Those reflections will be apparent in the 62-year-old’s upcoming album, “Journey Through Life,” his 13th record, set to release on April 25.

In the upcoming record, he sings about “the kind of advice I give myself to where I am today,” he said. The title track, for example, is “not political”.

But listeners should not expect a member of the Kuti clan to give up politics completely.

From Afrobeat to Afrobeats

The elder Kuti came to define Afrobeat, the 70s-era jazz- and funk-inspired genre that would later give birth to the modern, R& B-inspired Afrobeats — plural — style shaking up the global music industry today.

He was also a poster child of protest — using his lyrics to call out government abuses, even under brutal military juntas that ran Nigeria off and on before its latest transition to democracy in 1999, two years after his death from AIDS.

Femi Kuti’s grandmother, meanwhile, was a women’s rights and independence activist.

It might be a given, then, that the virtues that guided Femi Kuti would be political in nature — though he has tempered his expectations of what exactly music can do.

“My father used to say music is the weapon. I think music is a weapon for change, but it can’t be the soul,” he said. “We still need organisations. ”

After all, the elder Kuti was repeatedly beaten and jailed by authorities — and with an incomplete record to show for it. Democracy might have eventually taken hold, but the corruption he railed against has been trickier to uproot.

“Self-reflection makes me think maybe it’s not possible to change the world. But one thing I’m sure of is that I can change myself, I can make myself a better person,” Kuti told AFP.

New songs, same struggles

Femi Kuti has spent the last four decades as the heir to his father’s activism and musical style.

Together with his son Made and brother Seun, he keeps the New Afrika Shrine a sweaty, bumping place to be each Sunday night, and continues to tour internationally.

The album, Kuti promised, is “still very political” — and Kuti has some of his own thoughts to share as well.

“I’ve been singing political songs for 38 years,” yet not much has changed. In “Nigeria, it’s gotten worse”.

“Corruption must stop in the political class,” he said. “Everybody thinks the only way to be successful is through corruption. ”

“The health care — there’s nothing that works,” he said.

“We can’t afford a good education (for children). ”

These days he is unlikely to be beaten or jailed like his father — which traumatised his family growing up, he said.

Though things are not always rosy for musicians in the modern political climate either.

Broadcasting authorities earlier this month banned “Tell Your Papa”, by Eedris Abdulkareem, for its lyrics blasting President Bola Tinubu’s handling of the economic and security situation in the country.

The government is pursuing painful — though necessary, it argues — economic reforms, while insecurity from jihadist groups continues to menace the country’s north.

“It will probably be very hard for me to not talk on political subjects,” Kuti admitted, before an electrifying live performance at an all-night show.

“I’ve lived it all my life with my father”