Coachella 2018: What The Cameras Missed
The Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival attracts thousands of young people to Indio, Calif. for two weekends in April every year. Some of the biggest names in the game headline the show — perhaps you've heard of Beyoncé — while other side stages host an eclectic blend of lesser-known acts and rising stars such as the Walmart Yodeling Kid!
Of course, celebrities also attend and, for them, it's like spring break on steroids. They dress like they all went to the same costume shop that only carries "Sexy Hippie," they stay in lavish rentals that surround the festival grounds, and they party all day and night in exclusive VIP areas.
Being the star magnet that it is, Coachella gets plenty of press, but there are always moments celebs try to keep from the prying eyes of the paparazzi, like perhaps when Justin Bieber busted some sick moves while wearing nothing but Hawaiian-print shorts and socks. So, who are the big names who managed to keep their haute hippie hijinks under wraps? Let's take a look at the things the cameras missed at Coachella 2018.
Seriously, what was on this phone?
We're starting with a biggie here because we can't believe the tabloids didn't go wild with this story of how rapper Tyga's friend dropped his phone in a lake. Okay, we may be overstating the importance of this incident. However, Page Six reported that "a spy" witnessed the chaos that ensued after the "Rack City" rapper scrambled to retrieve his friend's submerged iPhone.
"Tyga caused a scene, prompting a search by nearly everyone on the property," the spy said, referencing Vegas hot spot 1OAK Nightclub's party at the Gravity SUV mansion. The hero ended up being "Sushi by Bou's chef David Bouhadana," who "dove into the water with goggles" and apparently found the phone before attempting the old "put it in rice" trick.
At the time of this writing, it's unclear whether Tyga's friend's phone is functional, or whether he'd recently backed it up on the cloud.
The cold-chella shoulder
In August 2017, reality TV star and model Kendall Jenner sent the rumor mill aflutter when she was spotted on what appeared to be a date with Detroit Pistons star Blake Griffin. Though they never did anything as official as declaring their love on Instagram, the pair was spotted getting cozy several more times over the next few months.
That is, until a source poured cold water on the whole romance by telling E! News that they "were never serious." It's a bummer, because when has a Kardashian woman's relationship with an NBA player not worked out before, right?
Anyway, People reported that Jenner and Blake's behavior at Coachella did nothing to respark the romance, or even the rumors of it, because the pair seemed to be actively avoiding each other. The mag claims that they ended up at the same party, a bash thrown by the Los Angeles club Bootsy Bellows and McDonald's, where their only interaction was when Griffin "walked past Jenner's table as she stared at him, and she then turned to whisper something to a friend." The drama!
Perhaps it had something to do with Radar Online's suggestion that Jenner was spotted during her guest DJ set "getting cozy with a mystery guy." Double drama!
A knight in shining Hawaiian shorts
A few days after being caught as the shirtless dancing hero of Skip Marley's set, the cameras missed Justin Bieber allegedly saving a woman from a terrifying situation during a party at the music festival. According to TMZ, the Biebs was just chilling at the bash when "a guy walked in, spotted a woman ... and went ballistic."
Insiders told TMZ that the guy "appeared to be on drugs" and that he "grabbed the woman by the throat and would not release her." That's when Bieber and his buddy allegedly intervened, "screaming at the guy to let her go," but he wouldn't, so the "Sorry" singer clocked him. The woman got away from the alleged choker, who was then tossed from the party and was later spotted "chasing an SUV ... apparently believing [Bieber] was inside."
Amazingly, no one involved in the incident was arrested, according to a follow-up story by TMZ, who reported that police didn't have any witnesses saying Bieber punched the guy, the guy didn't want to press charges, and no one even reported the alleged choking incident that started it all. Oh well, just another day at Coachella, we guess.
Only Beyonce chooses photos of Beyonce
Page Six reported that Beyoncé's publicist emailed news outlets ahead of her legendary Coachella set, asking that they not "publish fans' pictures," but instead, "stick with the approved shots" of the show. The tab also pointed out that it's not the first time Queen Bey's team has attempted to finesse her public appearance.
In 2013, the same move backfired when BuzzFeed published an email from Bey's publicist, requesting the removal of "some unflattering photos on your current feed." Of course, the site then dutifully reposted the exact photos listed in the publicist's email, which showed the megastar in various awkward poses, making strenuous faces. The repost of the email and photos drew even more attention and created a whole other story about Beyoncé's alleged excessive attempts at controlling her image that otherwise likely wouldn't have happened.
In the case of Coachella 2018, however, the story of Beyoncé's publicist once again creating a controversy before there's even a controversy doesn't hold a candle to their client's epic, mic-drop of a show that literally left the internet in tatters for days afterward.
Behind the scenes of Beychella
It takes a lot to put together a Coachella set so legendary that the entire festival gets renamed after you, but Beyoncé was clearly up for the challenge. In preparation for her epic performance that was somehow simultaneously a retrospective, a reunion, and a mold-shattering live show, Beyoncé put in work.
According to TMZ, just days ahead of the show, Beyoncé was said to be holed up in a secret studio space in Los Angeles with "7 security guards patrolling the studio inside and out," in order to ensure that no detail of the performance would be leaked. On top of that, Beyoncé also pulled off what now appears to be the master stroke of a veteran illusionist when she allegedly hired 100 additional backup dancers a week before the show.
Of course, she didn't have anywhere near that number when it came to showtime, which means the move could very easily have been a diversion tactic, meant to obscure the massive set-up she required to include the 200-member HBCU marching band, which served as the backbone of her set.
In fact, Variety gave much of the credit to the collegiate squad for being "the missing ingredients needed to ratchet her catalog a step up into greatness," but as far as we're concerned, Beyoncé not only solidified herself as the defining pop star of her era with her Coachella set, but she also became the David Copperfield of music.
The Weeknd had a busy… weekend
And now we head back into the decidedly less revolutionary territory of: Who else possibly hooked up with whom at Coachella? According to People, singer The Weeknd and model Bella Hadid (above left) fell into that category when they were "sitting on each other's laps and all over each other all night long." That's according to a source who also said, "They definitely looked like they were fully back together."
But before you go scanning Selena Gomez's social media for side-eye subtweets and Insta-shade, Hadid has seemingly already put the kibosh on the hookup rumors. In response to an E! News Instagram post claiming the exes were "kissing all night," Hadid replied, "It wasn't me," followed by a shrug emoji and a detective emoji.
We're not even sure what that means, but we do know that something the cameras didn't miss was The Weeknd smoothing up on another model, Chantel Jeffries (above right), the day after the alleged Hadid canoodle. For now, it would seem that a Hadid/Weeknd reunion isn't in the cards, but at least the "Earned It" singer seems to be having a good time.
Are Tyga and Iggy dating on the DL?
Prior to the aforementioned drama of #WetPhoneGate, rappers Tyga and Iggy Azalea may have made their low-key couple entrance at the TAO x Revolve Desert Nights party on April 12, 2018. According to Us Weekly, the "Mo Bounce" rapper and Kylie Jenner's ex entered the party "hand-in-hand" and then spent "at least two hours" privately chatting backstage.
E! News picked up the story and delved a little deeper, framing the alleged Coachella PDA against the backdrop of a business meeting the pair attended on March 25, 2018, as well as a previous roller skating date and a joint performance during "a hip-hop festival in Melbourne."
At the time of this writing, neither Tyga nor Azalea have confirmed or denied any relationship. Guess we'll just have to wait and see if anyone issues any vague emoji-laden denials to social media anytime soon.
Trouble in fake hippie paradise
While Coachella has allegedly sparked new or renewed romances for some celeb couples, for longtime girlfriends Kristen Stewart and Stella Maxwell, it may have had the opposite effect. Though the stars were snapped by plenty by festival photogs, the cameras missed the pair being blatantly standoffish to one another, according to Radar Online.
The tab alleges that the Twilight actress and her model boo "barely spoke to each other" at a party hosted by Poppy LA. On top of that, they did not hold hands and were not "kissing like they usually would," according to one source. "Kristen spent most of the event giggling and flirting with a brunette pal ... she looked very close to her, often leaning in and having private conversations while Stella walked off," another insider said.
Stewart was even spotted "rolling her eyes at Stella," which one of the sources said was likely an indication that they had a fight prior to the party. Considering the fact that Kristen Stewart has literally built a film career on rolling her eyes, we'll go ahead and take this rumor with a grain of salt.
Kylie Jenner already got a night off from mom duty
Even though her baby, Stormi, is just two-and-a-half months old, "cool mom" Kylie Jenner was able to spend a night partying with her baby daddy, rapper Travis Scott, and all of their famous friends at not one, but two exclusive parties at Coachella 2018. According to People, the newly neon-pink-coiffed reality star hit up both the TAO X Revolve Desert Nights party, which was "held in a secret location," as well as a pop up event to market her new makeup line with older sister, Kourtney, cleverly named Kourt X Kylie.
The pop up event was also a launch for sister Kendall's new monthly Beats 1 radio show, called Pizza Boys, which she hosts with her friend, DJ Daniel Chetrit. Kylie was said to have kept a "relatively low profile" at the event while Scott and Kendall performed until the wee hours of the morning. Kudos to the new parents for even having the energy to leave the house, let alone party til dawn at two of the hottest VIP gatherings of the year.
Bella Hadid got some super duper digits
Remember how the first weekend of Coachella sparked possible rumors of a reunion between The Weeknd and Bella Hadid until she scuttled them with a denial and some mysterious emoji? Well, maybe it was because Hadid had her eye on another MC, up-and-comer SuperDuperKyle, with whom she allegedly exchanged digits, according to Page Six.
Spies told the tab that they spotted Hadid being "flirty" with the 'iSpy" rapper, noting that he is "kind of an It guy in music right now," and that "she was on a mission." Neither the super duper rapper nor the Victoria's Secret model have commented on any possible hookup, but one thing is clear: For celebs, Coachella seems to be almost more of an IRL dating app than it is a concert experience.
Two shots of shade with salt and lime
Like Blake and Kendall, and Kristen and Stella on weekend one, Amber Rose and her ex, 21 Savage, apparently engaged in a little passive-aggressiveness while attending weekend two of the luxury music fest in the desert. According to a source who spoke with Page Six, the model and the rapper, who both attended the COMBSFEST Coachella House party, "had tables right next to each other, but their encounter was quite icy."
The apparent awkwardness of the situation was felt by both camps who allegedly "drank Tequila Avion right from the bottle throughout the entire evening." This new chilly dynamic is a break from just a month ago when Rose talked about their split on REAL 92.3 L.A.'s Big Boy Neighborhood Show (via Us Weekly), saying, "My heart is still with him. So hopefully we can work it out, but if we can't, the love is still there. So, you know, we'll hopefully be able to be friends."
Sounds like things have definitely changed, but tequila straight from the bottle has a way of doing that pretty quick.
There was a secret tiki bar
We're positive there are plenty of places to grab a cool brew at Coachella, but does anything sound as refreshing and cool as beverage at a secret tiki bar? According to 102.7 KIIS FM, for the second year in a row, the elaborate music fest has tucked away a tiki bar somewhere within the "normal area" of the grounds, meaning no VIP pass is necessary. But you will need cash, and probably a lot of it depending on how secretly sloshed you want to get — cocktails cost $16 each. But the air conditioning is complimentary!
Blogger Natalie Lai discovered the tiki bar in 2017 and was lucky enough to locate it again in 2018. She wrote of the obscured oasis on her blog that it was "near one of the eating areas," and that it was a nice little spot that held "about 10-20 people at a time." Lai also revealed that the down low drinks were top notch, as the bar was staged by Please Don't Tell, what she describes as "one of the major bars in NYC."
Secret bars, dramatic phone rescues, hook ups, possible break ups, and Beyoncé — is there anything Coachella doesn't have?