By Neia Balao
5:41am PDT, Apr 30, 2021
From having a McDonald's meal inspired by your order to buying designer purses for your pet, join Wonderwall.com as we round up our April 2021 edition of stars are nothing like us… starting with this reality TV and beauty mogul… On April 24, Kim Kardashian took to Instagram to show off the spacious garage that houses her kids' mini drivable play vehicles. As shown in the photograph, her children's collection of whips include baby Jeeps, Ferraris, Mustangs and more! Of course, this isn't the only way the reality star, businesswoman and lawyer-in-the-making spoils them: She also had a mini-town built for them in the backyard of their family home (see it on Dailymail.com). Dubbed "Lil' Hidden Hills," it includes miniature versions of everything from a guard house, a KKW Beauty boutique and a '50s-inspired West diner to a Starbucks, a West Financial Group-branded ATM, ice cream and Lego castles and a firehouse and has a main street that's the perfect place to drive a mini luxury vehicle…
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Given that her Savage x Fenty lingerie brand is now valued at $1 billion, it's no surprise that Rihanna — who also happens to be the richest female recording artist on the globe — has an incredibly impressive real estate portfolio to match. According to The Hollywood Reporter, in April, the music star and beauty mogul purchased the $10 million house next door to the $13.8 million Beverly Hills estate she bought just three months prior. The 3,500-square-foot Tudor-style house has four bedrooms and four and a half bathrooms. Combined with the neighboring 7,600-square-foot mansion she purchased first, Rihanna's $23.8 million Beverly Hills compound covers more than an acre of land. Talk about living large.
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We appreciate her generosity! During an April interview with Nancy O'Dell's newly launched channel on talkshoplive, Oprah Winfrey revealed that she's been mailing $15,000 checks to people in need amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. "I literally have been, people don't know this, going through the newspaper finding stories of people who weren't doing well in their life, sending them money, trying to help because I know I have been blessed," she explained. "I sent the maximum amount that the government allows you to give a person, which is $15,000 per person, and saying I know it's going to be awhile before you're working let me help you out," the billionaire said, also noting that she'd created a list of people she knew would be out of work due to the ongoing pandemic. "I called it my personal pandemic relief package for friends," she further shared. "I think it has made me more thoughtful — the more blessed I become the more I think about people who are not and what can I do to help them."
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BTS are be the next big stars to collaborate with McDonald's! Starting May 26, McDonald's locations in the United States can order a BTS meal, which consists of a 10-piece chicken McNuggets box, medium fries, a medium Coke and Cajun and sweet chili dipping sauces that are inspired by South Korean McDonald's menu items. "We're excited to bring customers even closer to their beloved band in a way only McDonald's can — through our delicious food — when we introduce the BTS signature order on our menu next month," said Morgan Flatley, chief marketing officer of McDonald's United States. This isn't the first time the food chain has worked with some of music's biggest names — they've previously joined forces with Travis Scott and J Balvin to release specially curated meals.
The Academy Awards is known for its decadent annual gift bags — and 2021's freebies haul, which was provided by a private marketing company as usual, was loaded with some very expensive goodies despite the ongoing global health crisis. According to Forbes, this year's most expensive swag bag — which was curated by Distinctive Assets for the 25 2021 Oscars directing and acting nominees (including big winners Yuh-Jung Youn, Daniel Kaluuya and Frances McDormand) — had an estimated value of $205,000 (a $20,000 drop from last year). The items inside were meant to be reflective of two events that drastically impacted our lives in the last year — the social justice movement sparked by George Floyd's murder and the impact of the coronavirus pandemic. "We did want the bags to feel like they had a bigger purpose than just, 'Here's a bag full of free stuff,'" said Distinctive Assets founder Lash Fary. "So all of the bags that we've been doing have been from female-owned businesses, Black-owned businesses, disabled entrepreneurs and companies who give back — even ones that you wouldn't necessarily think give back." Though many of the items in the bag promote health and wellness, it still also included some luxurious getaways, like a $12,000 four-night stay at Southern California spa Golden Door and a three-night getaway at the Pater Noster Lighthouse on the island of Hamneskär in Sweden. There's also a free session at Art Lip — a cosmetic surgery clinic run by Dr. Thomas Su that specializes in innovative liposuction techniques.
Sometimes we don't always want the life of a famous celebrity… especially when they're responsible for their ex's extravagant spending habits. On April 16, Page Six reported that Robert De Niro was struggling to pay for estranged wife Grace Hightower's "thirst for Stella McCartney" and need to buy expensive jewelry, according to the actor's lawyer. While the Oscar winner has been funding his former wife of 21 years' lifestyle, her lawyer claimed that he's been shaving dollars off the amount he gives her — he reportedly previously paid $375,000 monthly toward her credit card expenses but has since shifted that to $100,000. "Mr. De Niro is 77 years old, and while he loves his craft, he should not be forced to work at this prodigious pace because he has to," Robert's lawyer said to the court. "When does that stop? When does he get the opportunity to not take every project that comes along and not work six-day weeks, 12-hour days so he can keep pace with Ms. Hightower's thirst for Stella McCartney?"
Only an A-list celeb's previously worn shoes would sell for a hefty sum! As announced by Sotheby's in April, a pair of Nike Air Yeezy 1s worn by Kanye West for his 2008 Grammy Awards performances of "Hey Mama" and "Stronger" are now the most expensive sneakers ever sold. The prototype sneakers were purchased for $1.8 million in a private sale by sneaker marketplace RARES. "After touring museums around the world, the Air Yeezy 1 was obtained in a record-setting deal with Sotheby's and will be made available to the sneaker community that made it so valuable to begin with; in the summer of 2021," RARES said in a statement.
After two years on the market, Bette Midler finally sold her Fifth Avenue Manhattan triplex for $50 million, it was revealed in April. While it might seem like just another high-profile celebrity real estate deal, it's more than that — Bette made an enormous profit. According to the New York Post, she initially purchased the Upper East Side apartment for $3.5 million in 1996 — which means she made $46.5 million! The luxurious New York City apartment, which spans 7,000 square feet, includes seven bathrooms, a private elevator and a stunning rooftop garden and terrace.
On April 6, Cardi B took to Instagram to show off the luxury items she recently purchased for her 2-year-old daughter, Kulture. "Ooo, I went crazy shopping. All for Kulture though, nothing is mine — all KK," she said while showcasing four Chanel boxes, three Dior boxes and one Dolce & Gabbana bag. "This is what happens when God gives me the baby girl I always wanted. I shop more for her than I do myself," the "Up" rapper captioned the post. The extravagant haul for her mini-me included a light pink mini Chanel flap bag, two Lady Dior bags and a Saddle bag. Hey, if you got it, flaunt it!
Kylie Jenner donated $500,000 to create a hospital lounge especially for teenage cancer patients that opened on March 31. The makeup mogul made the decision to financially contribute to the creation of "Hey, I'm Here For You Teen Lounge" at Nashville's Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt in honor of her friend, singer-songwriter Harry Hudson, who was diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma in 2017 (the lounge was also named after his 2020 album and cancer charity). "I am so grateful for Kylie's friendship and the impact she's had on my life and my cancer journey… She has always been there for me, and together, we wanted to figure out a way to be there for other young people who are battling this disease," Harry said in a statement.
According to a March report from Page Six, Paris Hilton recently purchased a Bleu de Nord Togo Birkin handbag for herself at Privé Porte in Miami. The heiress, however, didn't stop there — she also spent a cool $5,500 on an Hermès Micro Kelly Charm bag for her little Chihuahua named Diamond Baby. "Loves her Birkin," Paris captioned a photo of her fur baby playing with the bag on her Instagram Story on March 25.
In a Vogue Beauty Secrets video released on March 30, Gwyneth Paltrow shared her own beauty routine and revealed that when it comes to makeup, daughter Apple Martin definitely knows more than her. "My daughter is very into the beauty world. She knows everything! she has these amazing long nails that are painted in such cool ways. She has her lashes. I mean, she knows how to contour — that girl is just on fire with her routine," said Gwyneth. "I don't know where she got it from, but she definitely did not get it from me; I can barely put on concealer." So how much does Goop founder Gwyneth's luxurious routine full of high-end creams and serums cost? Almost $900! Just one product in her repertoire — Vintner's Daughter Active Botanical Serum — retails for $185!
To the surprise of absolutely no one, Kim Kardashian has added yet another piece of fine jewelry to her already elite collection. On April 13, the SKIMS founder took to Instagram to share a selfie that featured her gorgeous new necklace with a price tag that isn't for the faint of heart. According to Brilliant Earth's Kathryn Money, the custom piece — which was created by Jay Feder Jewelers — cost somewhere between $25,000 to $40,000 "depending on the quality and specific characteristics of the stones." The necklace, which features a rectangular lock design, if crafted from more than 20 carats of pavé diamonds. A few weeks earlier in March, Kim debuted another pricey piece of bling — a diamond and opal grill that covers her lower teeth from Gabby Elan Jewelry that's estimated at $18,000. "New opal birthstone grill alert," Kim wrote alongside a photo of the decadent grill on Instagram.
On April 16, Dirt reported that Dwayne Johnson just purchased a 3.67-acre Los Angeles property for $27.8 million! The stunning home, which was built in 1993, was previously owned by "Mad About You" star Paul Reiser. Despite having been on the market for $30 million, it seems The Rock was able to shave a couple million off the asking price! The extravagant estate located in Los Angeles's Beverly Park area includes six bedrooms, a full-size tennis court, a baseball diamond and state-of-the art gym. There's also a 2,500-square-foot guest house which, added to the main home, means there nearly 18,000 square feet of living space in total!
As reported by People on April 12, Madonna purchased a home in Los Angeles that was previously owned by another big name in the music industry — The Weeknd! The "Material Girl" hitmaker bought the "Blinding Lights" singer's 12,547-square-foot pad in Hidden Hills for $19.3 million. The three-acre property includes a seven-bedroom main house, a two-bedroom guest house, a spacious chef's kitchen, a wine room, a cabana, a spa and multiple terraces.
Floyd Mayweather is no stranger to setting world records — and we wouldn't be surprised if he just set another one! On April 13, Page Six reported that the pro boxer visited Miami's Privé Porter in Miami and spent $80,000 on four Hermès Birkin bags in just 10 minutes! While we don't know who the bags were for, the source told Page Six Style, "it was implied [they were] for his [own] ever-growing collection."
