The screen flickers to life with that familiar intro chime, the one that means celebrity chaos is about to be served piping hot. “Drake Shades Taylor Swift for midnight success in the most petty way. Is Pete Davidson officially over Kim Kardashian after being spotted with this actress? All that and so much more in today’s show.”

Susan Morad leans into the camera, her energy already at an eight and climbing. “What is up, you guys? It’s your girl, Susan Morad. And before we jump into all the details surrounding Drizzy shading Tay, let’s look at some other major stories this week to determine if they’re fact or cap.”

The control room cue light flashes. The segment is locked in. But underneath the polished intro, there’s something else. A tremor. A countdown. Because this isn’t just any gossip segment. This is the one where the biggest rapper in the world decided to get cute with the biggest pop star in the world. And the internet, as it always does, chose violence.

“Did Emily Ratajkowski confirm that Pete Davidson dating rumors? That seems like facts.”

Susan pulls up a screenshot. Emily’s face, that knowing half-smile. Dion Warwick’s tweet sitting underneath it like a punchline waiting to land. “I will be dating Pete Davidson next.” And then Emily liked it.

The internet, predictably, lost all chill.

“Do you remember when that whole city pretended that kid was Batman because he was like sick? That’s what this feels like.”

An insider close to Emily revealed to E! News that the actress and Pete have gone on a few dates. They reconnected after Pete texted Emily wanting to get together to catch up.

Susan shakes her head. “It’s not okay, though. It’s not.”

But here’s the thing about Pete Davidson. He has a superpower. The man dates up like it’s an Olympic sport. Kim Kardashian. Ariana Grande. Kate Beckinsale. And now Emily Ratajkowski. The pattern is unmistakable. And somewhere in a gated community in Hidden Hills, Kim is probably watching this segment with a glass of something expensive, wondering if she made a mistake letting that one go.

“Did Olivia Rodrigo share with me that Selena Gomez’s documentary made her cry? That’s fact.”

Susan’s voice softens. “Yes, you heard that right. I was lucky enough to attend Selena Gomez’s ‘My Mind and Me’ premiere, where I met Queen Sel herself. And yes, she’s incredibly sweet, kind, and a rare beauty indeed.”

Olivia Rodrigo also attended the premiere. Susan was lucky enough to meet her too. “I know, how is this real life? She shared with me that she cried so many times while watching the film and that she thinks it’s going to help so many people. I couldn’t agree more.”

The camera lingers on Susan’s face for a second too long. There’s something genuine there. Not the polished host smile. The real one. The one that says she knows what it’s like to cry at something that makes you feel less alone.

“Did Kim Kardashian get backlash after North West revealed her favorite movie? That’s facts.”

North left the internet divided after she shared on TikTok that her favorite movie is “The Conjuring 3,” which is rated R. North is nine.

Kim’s joint account with North has comments disabled. But that didn’t stop viewers from voicing their opinions.

The comments section, if it were open, would be a war zone. “She’s nine!” “I watched worse at her age.” “Kim is such a bad mom.” “It’s just a movie, relax.” The usual script. The one where everyone pretends they know how to parent someone else’s child.

Susan moves on quickly. Because the real story, the one simmering underneath, is about to boil over.

“Did JoJo Siwa call out Candace Cameron Bure again? That’s facts.”

Candace recently made some comments about Great American Family projects focusing on “traditional marriage.” The words sat in the air like a grenade with the pin pulled. For obvious reasons, it didn’t sit right with the internet.

JoJo, who called out Candace for being rude before, entered the chat.

Susan reads from the screen. “JoJo posted this news headline alongside a caption that read: ‘Honestly, I can’t believe after everything that went down just a few months ago that she would not only create a movie with the intention of excluding LGBTQIA+ but then also talk about it in the press.’”

JoJo ended her post saying this is rude and hurtful to a whole community of people.

And it looks like Candace’s on-screen sister from “Fuller House,” Jodie Sweetin, has taken sides.

“How rude,” Susan says, and the reference lands because everyone in the room grew up on that show.

“Ashley Tisdale and Austin Butler related? That is apparently facts.”

Ashley was on the latest episode of Ancestry’s “Two Lies and a Leap” series when she learned that her and Austin are 10th cousins once removed.

Ashley explained during the episode: “No wonder we have such a connection. We’ve always said we were brother and sister.”

As far as Austin’s response, Ashley shared that he replied “No way” after she texted him the news.

Susan grins. “I literally am gonna cry.”

But the smile fades. Because the next segment is the one everyone has been waiting for.

“Drake is facing backlash after he’s seemingly throwing shade at Taylor Swift for the success of ‘Midnights.’ Does Drake really have bad blood over Tay’s success? I’m beside myself. Yeah, really.”

The screen fills with screenshots. Drake’s Instagram stories. His latest album “Her Loss” with 21 Savage dominating the charts, holding every spot between number two and number nine on the Billboard Hot 100.

But Taylor’s “Anti-Hero” remained in the coveted number one slot.

For three consecutive weeks.

The longest running number one song in the history of Taylor’s career.

Drake shared a screenshot of the Billboard Hot 100 chart to his Instagram stories. Taylor’s name sat at the top like a crown. And Drake, in a move that can only be described as aggressively petty, covered Taylor’s song title and name with a bunch of emojis.

Popcorn. An eight ball. A head massage emoji. A cloud. A bunch of others.

Concealing it from his followers.

Not subtle.

Drake captioned the screenshot: “Congrats my brother,” tagging 21 Savage.

Interestingly, Drake didn’t cover Sam Smith and Kim Petras’s name for “Unholy,” which held the number ten position.

Here’s the hinge. The moment where a celebration becomes a confession.

Following his not-so-subtle shade, many Taylor fans took to social media to slam Drake for his actions.

One fan wrote: “Drake being petty towards Taylor because she blocked him on the charts. Like beef for real? It was your decision to release your album right after hers.”

Another tweeted: “Low-key this is kinda embarrassing having to cover up the number one spot because you low-key jelly. Salty.”

And there were loads more like those. Some pointed out the difference in Drake’s attitude when it’s a male artist versus a female artist. When Bad Bunny broke Drake’s record, he congratulated him. No emojis. No covering. Just class.

But when Taylor does the same thing?

“You know what that means, right?” Susan says. “Double standard.”

She pauses. Lets it land. “I mean, he didn’t say ‘I’d be the man’ for nothing.”

But it didn’t end there.

Following Drake’s post, Vinylz, the producer of Drake and 21 Savage’s track “Rich Flex,” seemingly threw his own shade at Blondie.

He posted a photo of Billboard’s Global 200 albums chart where “Rich Flex” sat in the number one spot. He wrote: “The world knows what the real number one song is. Rich flex. No tricks on this side.”

The irony is thick enough to cut. No tricks. On a post that’s literally trying to trick people into thinking Drake was number one.

Susan shakes her head. “That’s not all. Drake also seems to have removed his post from social media. The one from April this year of him hugging Taylor with the caption ‘They too soft to understand the meaning of hard work.’”

Gone. Deleted. Like it never existed.

And that’s the part that stings. Because that post meant something. A moment of solidarity between two artists who understand what it means to be at the top. And now it’s been memory-holed because Drake couldn’t handle being number two.

As for Taylor? She made history since releasing “Midnights.” She became the first ever artist to occupy the entire top ten spots on the Billboard Hot 100 in its 64-year history.

Sixty-four years.

Elvis didn’t do it. The Beatles didn’t do it. Michael Jackson didn’t do it. Taylor Swift did.

Something tells us she might follow Drake’s latest moves under “Vigilante Shit” and we might hear about it on her next album.

Susan leans into the camera. “Listen, I was just as confused about Drake’s posts because he has openly talked about his admiration for Tay and her music in the past. And while he might just be feeling salty about Tay blocking him from the number one spot, I think we should all be able to celebrate everyone’s success without having to discredit anybody else’s. Am I right?”

The question hangs in the air.

“Taylor and Drake both deserve their spots on the charts. So best to leave the shade and pettiness behind, because then people will focus on praising your success.”

The number sits there. Sixty-four years. Three consecutive weeks. One number one spot covered by a cloud emoji.

The fans noticed. They always notice.

One fan wrote: “Drake covering Taylor’s name on the chart is the most childish thing I’ve ever seen from a grown man. You’re 36 years old. Act like it.”

Another: “He congratulated Bad Bunny. He congratulated everyone. But Taylor? He covers her name with emojis. We see you, Drake.”

And the comparison that stung the most: “Remember when Taylor congratulated Drake on his success? Remember when she showed up to his show? Remember when she posted about his album? She’s never been anything but supportive. And this is how he repays her.”

The court of public opinion doesn’t have a jury. It has a hashtag. And the hashtag was not on Drake’s side.

Susan takes a breath. The energy in the room shifts. Because the next part isn’t about celebrity gossip. It’s about something else entirely.

“Speaking of success, I feel like I won the lottery, you guys. Because after a very stressful experience of trying to get tickets to Taylor’s ‘The Eras’ tour, I managed to score floor seats.”

She smiles. It’s genuine.

“Come up for me this week. It really feels like Tay tickets. And I hope you guys were lucky too, Clever fam.”

But then her face changes. The smile softens. The eyes get a little glassy.

“So I have some news to share with you. Today is my last day at Clever. As I say goodbye and move on to other exciting opportunities in 2023.”

The camera holds on her.

“So I wanted to say to all of you, from the bottom of my heart, thank you. Thank you for all the love and support you’ve showed me here on Clever News over the last three and a half plus years.”

Three and a half years. That’s the number that matters now. Not 64. Not three weeks. Not 1.7 billion or ten thousand dollars.

Three and a half years of showing up. Of reading comments. Of learning names she’ll never know.

“I have absolutely loved talking entertainment news and pop culture with you guys. You’ve made my job so much fun. And while I don’t know each of you by name, I really do feel we are a little family here on this corner of the internet.”

Her voice cracks. Just a little.

“Reporting for you guys has really felt like talking about the tea with my friends. Because you are. We’ve really gone through every high, low, and all the drama in between in the world of pop culture together over the last few years. Am I right?”

She’s talking to the camera, but she’s looking at something else. Something behind it. All the faces she’s never seen. All the comments she’s read at 2 AM. All the moments where someone said “thank you for making my day” and meant it.

“I also wanted to say thank you to every person who’s left me a thoughtful, sweet, or supportive comment on our videos. I’m sorry to anyone I didn’t get a chance to respond to directly, but I want you to know I read all of your comments. And they always really make my day and really make me smile. Because I love nothing more than knowing I’ve added something to your day. Whether it’s good energy, good vibes, made you laugh or smile, made you feel heard or that your opinions are being expressed, or just getting you caught up on the latest tea.”

She pauses.

“Your continued support and love has really made me the host I am today. So thank you.”

Here’s the thing about goodbye segments. They’re never really about the person leaving. They’re about the people staying. The ones who pressed like. Who subscribed. Who defended you in the comments when someone said something nasty.

Susan knows this. That’s why she’s doing it right.

“I also wanted to say thank you to the amazing Clever News team behind the scenes that work very hard to deliver the content we do. It really is a team effort. They are a very passionate and dedicated team that you don’t see on camera. And I’ve loved having the pleasure of working with them. And I’m especially grateful for the platform the team has given me to connect with all of you while doing what I love.”

The control room is quiet. The producers are watching. Some of them are crying. They won’t admit it.

“And let me just say this. This is not a goodbye. I’m still here.”

She leans in. “If you follow me on my personal YouTube and TikTok, you already know that I’ve been covering all the latest in entertainment news daily on my social channels. So make sure you head over to @susanmorad on YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram and follow me there so we can keep this love going and I can keep you up to date on all the latest tea.”

She smiles. “I’ll drop my handles in the comments.”

“I love you guys. I’m not gonna say I’ll miss you because I hate goodbyes, and I already told you how we can stay in touch on socials. But of course I’m going to miss you and our Clever fam.”

She raises an imaginary glass.

“Cheers to you. Cheers to us.”

Her voice drops to a whisper.

“From always, your girl, Susan Morad. And on that note, I have two words left to say.”

Beat.

“Susan out.”

The screen fades. The logo pulses. And somewhere in America, someone is already typing a comment about Drake, about Taylor, about the double standard, about how Susan made them cry during their lunch break.

Three and a half years. That’s the real number. Not the chart positions. Not the emojis. Not the petty shade.

Three and a half years of showing up.

And now she’s leaving. But the machine doesn’t stop. It never stops. There will be another host. Another segment. Another celebrity feud. Another countdown.

But for one moment, at the end of a segment about Drake being petty, Susan Morad reminded everyone why they watch.

Not for the gossip.

For the person delivering it.

The one who cried at Selena’s documentary. Who scored floor seats to Taylor’s tour. Who read every comment, even the mean ones, and kept showing up anyway.

She said she’ll be on her personal channels. And if you know what’s good for you, you’ll follow.

Because the tea doesn’t stop. And neither does she.

Let’s sit with Drake for a second, though. Before we go.

The man is 36 years old. He has more number one hits than almost anyone alive. He has a net worth that would take most people seventeen lifetimes to earn. And he covered Taylor Swift’s name with a cloud emoji because he couldn’t stand being number two.

That’s not competition. That’s insecurity.

The fans saw it. They called it out. They compared his reaction to Bad Bunny and found him wanting.

“Drake being petty towards Taylor because she blocked him on the charts,” the fan wrote. “Like beef for real? It was your decision to release your album right after hers.”

That’s the part Drake forgot. He chose the release date. He knew “Midnights” was dominating. He knew Taylor was on a historic run. And he still dropped “Her Loss” right in her wake.

That’s not a bad strategy. That’s a challenge. But if you’re going to challenge the queen, you have to be ready to lose. And if you’re not ready to lose, you shouldn’t play the game.

Drake played. He lost. And then he covered her name with emojis.

The producer, Vinylz, made it worse. “No tricks on this side,” he wrote, on a post that was literally a trick. The irony meter exploded.

And somewhere in a recording studio, Taylor is probably writing this all down. Because if there’s one thing she’s known for, it’s turning petty beef into platinum records.

“Vigilante Shit” is already on “Midnights.” But there’s always room for a deluxe edition.

The Emily Ratajkowski and Pete Davidson situation is its own kind of petty.

Pete texts Emily. They go on a few dates. The internet loses its mind. Emily likes a joke tweet from Dion Warwick. And suddenly it’s a whole thing.

But here’s what nobody’s saying. Pete Davidson has a type. It’s not brunettes or blondes or actresses or models. His type is “women who just got out of something complicated.”

Kim Kardashian after Kanye. Ariana Grande after Mac Miller. Emily Ratajkowski after Sebastian Bear-McClard. The pattern is almost too perfect.

He’s not a boyfriend. He’s a palate cleanser.

And Kim? She’s probably fine with it. She’s probably already moved on to something else. Someone else. Because that’s what Kim does. She doesn’t look back. She looks forward, at the next headline, the next cover, the next thing that keeps her name in the conversation.

But Pete texted Emily. He reached out. He wanted to catch up.

That’s not nothing. That’s the move of someone who doesn’t like being alone. Who needs the validation of someone new. Who can’t sit with his own thoughts for more than ten minutes without picking up his phone.

The insider said they “reconnected.” That implies a connection to begin with. And if there was a connection, that means Pete and Emily have history. Which means this isn’t random. This is a pattern with deeper roots.

North West’s favorite movie is “The Conjuring 3.” She’s nine. The movie is rated R.

Kim’s account has comments disabled. Smart move. Because the comments would be brutal.

“Bad mom.” “Too young.” “I can’t believe she lets her watch that.”

But here’s the thing nobody wants to admit. Most nine-year-olds have seen worse. The internet is a horror show. The news is a horror show. A movie about a demonic possession is practically a bedtime story compared to what’s actually happening in the world.

North is fine. She’s probably more fine than most kids her age. She has resources. She has support. She has a mother who, whatever else you think about her, shows up.

The backlash is performative. People typing outrage because they’re bored. Because it’s easier to be mad about a nine-year-old’s movie preferences than to look at the actual problems in their own lives.

Susan moved on quickly. Smart. Because there’s no winning that argument. Only losing slowly.

JoJo Siwa vs. Candace Cameron Bure is the culture war in miniature.

Candace says “traditional marriage.” JoJo says “that excludes LGBTQIA+ people.” The internet picks sides. Nobody changes their mind.

But JoJo’s post was smart. She didn’t just call Candace out. She pointed out the timing. “After everything that went down just a few months ago.” She reminded everyone that this isn’t new. That Candace has been here before. That she knew exactly what she was doing when she gave that interview.

And Jodie Sweetin, Candace’s on-screen sister from “Fuller House,” took sides against her.

That’s the part that stings. Not the strangers on the internet. The people you worked with. The people who know you. When they turn, it’s not politics anymore. It’s personal.

“How rude,” Susan said. And everyone felt it.

Ashley Tisdale and Austin Butler are 10th cousins once removed.

Ashley’s response: “No wonder we have such a connection. We’ve always said we were brother and sister.”

Austin’s response: “No way.”

It’s a nothing story. A fun fact. A piece of trivia that will live in a BuzzFeed listicle forever. But it’s also a reminder that Hollywood is smaller than anyone thinks. That everyone is connected. That the six degrees of separation is actually more like two.

And somewhere, a publicist is already figuring out how to turn this into a joint interview.

The Olivia Rodrigo and Selena Gomez moment was real.

Susan was there. She saw it. Olivia cried multiple times during Selena’s documentary. She told Susan it’s going to help so many people.

That’s not a soundbite. That’s not PR. That’s a young woman recognizing something in another young woman’s pain. That’s empathy, unscripted and unguarded.

Selena’s documentary is raw. It doesn’t hide the breakdowns. The hospital visits. The moments where she didn’t think she’d make it. Olivia saw herself in that. A lot of people will.

And Susan got to be there for it. Got to hear it first. Got to hold that moment and then share it with all of you.

That’s the job nobody sees. The moments between the segments. The conversations that don’t make the final cut. The times when celebrities forget the cameras are there and just talk to you like a person.

Susan was good at that. That’s why she lasted three and a half years. That’s why people watched. Because she wasn’t just reading a teleprompter. She was connecting.

Now she’s leaving. Moving on to other opportunities.

The comments will be flooded with “we’ll miss you” and “thank you for everything” and “I’m not crying, you’re crying.” Some of them will be from people who never commented before. Who lurked for years, watching every video, never pressing like, but feeling like they knew her anyway.

Those are the ones who will follow her to her personal channels. Who will keep watching. Who will make sure her next thing works.

Because that’s how it works now. The platform doesn’t matter. The audience follows the person. Not the logo. Not the brand. The person.

Susan understood that. That’s why she’s going to be fine.

Drake will be fine too. He’ll drop another album. He’ll have another number one. He’ll cover someone else’s name with emojis, and the cycle will repeat.

Taylor will be fine. She’ll write a song about this. It will go number one. She’ll thank Drake in the liner notes for the inspiration.

The machine keeps spinning.

But for one moment, at the end of a segment about petty beef and chart positions, Susan Morad said goodbye. And the internet got quiet. Just for a second.

Then the comments loaded. And the tea kept spilling.

Because that’s what we do. We watch. We comment. We move on. Until the next thing. And the next. And the next.

Susan out.

But not really. Because she’s still here. On YouTube. On TikTok. On Instagram. Still talking about the tea. Still showing up.

Just somewhere else.

And that’s not a goodbye. That’s a see you later.

Cheers to you. Cheers to us.

From always, your girl.