Drew Afualo Can't Stop Digging + Bethenny’s $42 bagel + Stephen A.'s Thumbs Down

Drew Afualo's damage control is making things worse, not better — I'm breaking down where it went wrong.

Then: Bethenny Frankel's $42 bagel and what it says about diet culture's rebrand, the BookTok drama I accidentally started this week, and why the NABJ gave Stephen A. Smith a thumbs down award.

Let's get into it.

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IG:⁠@kjmiller

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/200570826-kj-miller

References:

Lemme Fix It! Podcast:

https://www.youtube.com/@FixItpod

The Kara Goldin Show:

https://karagoldin.com/podcast/

Drew Afualo and ER Fightmaster:

https://www.them.us/entertainment/celebrity/controversy-drew-afualo-er-fightmaster

Bethenny Frankel’s Cafe in the Hamptons:

https://www.fastcompany.com/91591361/bethenny-frankel-supermodel-cafe-response-skinny-culture-back

My TikTok on BookTok:

https://www.tiktok.com/@iam_kjmiller/video/7675084494814153997?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc&web_id=7626447009641842206

Authors of Color I’d recommend:

Kennedy Ryan:

https://kennedyryanwrites.com/

Tia Williams:

https://www.tiawilliamswrites.com/

Ashton Lattimore:

https://www.ashtonlattimore.com/

S.A. Cosby:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/S._A._Cosby

Tayari Jones:

https://www.tayarijones.com/

Addie E. Citchens:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Addie_E._Citchens

Abby Jimenez:

https://www.authorabbyjimenez.com/

R.F. Kuang:

https://www.rfkuang.com/

Elaine Chou:

https://www.elainehsiehchou.com/

NABJ Gives Stephen A. Smith Thumbs Down:

https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/tv/story/2026-08-16/stephen-a-smith-lashes-out-after-receiving-nabj-thumbs-down-award

What I’m Reading:

The Great Alone, by Kristin Hannah:

https://kristinhannah.com/books/the-great-alone/

Dominion, by Addie E. Citchens:

https://us.macmillan.com/books/9780374609337/dominion/

The True Love Experiment, by Christina Lauren:

https://christinalaurenbooks.com/books/the-true-love-experiment/