QUOTES:
Camila Mendes, Power Your Confidence
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“I never knew I had an eating disorder until my sister had an eating disorder as well. She’s bulimic. My situation was never a comparison, I would purge every once in a while, thinking it’s not a big deal.”
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“I don’t dress like Veronica (on Riverdale) normally…Playing that character who was so put together; she always looks perfect. The pressure of playing a character like that made me perceive myself differently.”
- “Power Your Truth” featuring headliner Chrissy Teigen, moderated by celeb hairstylist Jen Atkin: The real-life BFF duo kept the fans laughing as Chrissy shared outrageous anecdotes and advice with the packed crowd. At one point, daughter Luna joined her mom onstage. When asked if her marriage to singer John Legend was a failure, Teigen joked, “Absolutely.” Getting more serious, Teigen spoke about how she knew John was the one and how she knew he would be a good father, advising the audience, “Marry the nerd. Marry the dorks...We call John Googy Browser. He’s always googling. You can ask him anything and he knows it immediately.” Following, Chrissy brought daughter, Luna, to the Playground to hang out on the swings before signing books for fans in the Pop Shop.
- “Power Your Evolution” featuring headliner Mandy Moore, moderated by This is Us co-star Susan Kelechi Watson: Moore recalled her most memorable auditions, stating “Mamma Mia. I remember auditioning for that . . . I totally bombed the audition. Crazy, Stupid, Love — totally bombed that audition, too,” and shared teasers for the next season of This is Us; saying, “There is a big surprise in that first episode that people are not going to see coming. We get to live back in Jack and Rebecca’s early ‘70s days after they come back to Pittsburgh from their road trip in California. . . it’s the land of hats and fun ‘70s jewelry.”
- “Puppies + Wellness”: This Is Us star, Milo Ventimiglia, and actress Amanda Seyfried, who appear together in the upcoming film The Art of Racing in the Rain, spoke at the Samsung Galaxy Soul Space. About the film, Ventimiglia said, “It’s a really, really beautiful film. I’m in the business of tears. I cried a little bit.” Ventimiglia and Seyfried were joined by adoptable puppies (yes - real puppies!) as part of a partnership with the Best Friends Animal Society. Seyfried shared, “I flaunt my dog, I was probably a dog in my past lives. Behind the scenes, it was all about how to stay away from dogs...if you don’t jive with my dogs, you’re out of here.”
- “Be Your Own Powerhouse” featuring headliner Issa Rae, moderated by Insecure Executive Producer Amy Aniobi: Rae discussed how she turned a passion into her reality. When asked what advice she’d give her younger self, she said, "Chill. Stop comparing yourself to other people: what's meant for you is meant for you and only you.”
- “Power Your Confidence” featuring headliner Camila Mendes, moderated by model & designer Candice Huffine: Riverdale star Camila Mendes spoke about empowering one’s own confidence. Mendes said, “It’s scary [being on social media] because. . . You can delete your post, but it’s everywhere. You’ll never escape the choices you make.”
- “Power Your Pride” Presented by GLAAD: The spirit of Pride Month was celebrated with a panel hosted by charitable partner GLAAD bringing together some of the biggest voices in the LGBTQ+ community: Nico Tortorella (Actor, Younger), Alicia Garza (Principal and Founder, Black Futures Lab), Carmen Carrera (RuPaul's Drag Race), Brad Goreski (fashion stylist and TV personality), David Burtka (actor and chef) and GLAAD Director of Talent Engagement, Anthony Ramos, who led the conversation.
- “CBD: Not Your Average Flower, Presented by Manitoba Harvest”: On the Samsung Galaxy Soul Space Stage, actress Alison Brie got candid about the CBD trend sweeping the nation, stating, “Hollywood has been comfortable with cannabis for a long time. [There are] more dispensaries than Starbucks in LA.”
Other key moments from the festival featured some of young Hollywood’s biggest stars; Sydney Sweeney (HBO’s Euphoria), Peyton List, (Disney Channel’s Jessie), and Sasha Pieterse (Pretty Little Liars) joined forces for a panel entitled “Being Your Own Role Model.” In the Pop Shop, fashion designer Jenna Lyons was interviewed by Loosely Connected hosts Janet Francis and Meredith Mohr for an upcoming episode of the podcast. Authors Wendy Walker (The Night Before), Andrea Bartz (The Lost Night), Rachel Howzell Hall (They All Fall Down), Michele Campbell (A Stranger on the Beach) participated in a panel and book signing. The Class, Simone De La Rue, Deja Riley, and Anna Victoria, and other fitness leaders charged up the crowd with empowering workouts.
other participating talents from the weekend included: Cindi Leive (journalist); Stacey Bendet (CEO, Creative Director of Alice + Olivia); Cynthia Rowley (designer), Kit Keenan (entrepreneur); Jenny Mollen (author and actress), Krista Williams and Lindsey Simcik (Almost 30 Podcast); Candice Huffine (model and designer), Chyna Rae (trainer, TONE IT UP); Sadie Lincoln (Founder & CEO, barre3), Lauren Bush Lauren (CEO & Co-Founder, Feed), Katelyn Ohashi (gymnast), Aija Mayrock (activist), Kwanza Jones (investor, artist, philanthropist, CEO of SUPERCHARGED by Kwanza Jones), Alyson Charles (mystic and spiritual teacher); Jessamyn Stanley (yoga instructor), Lauren Ash, Biet Simkin (Founder, Center of the Cyclone) and more.
Mandy Moore, Power Your Evolution:
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“I’ve learned that family can look any which way you want it to. I’ve learned a kind of strength and resilience I didn’t know was possible. I’ve learned that grief can take any form . . . There’s a treasure trove of life advice packed into each episode, and I feel so lucky that we get to live out these experiences and these stories.”
Power Your Pride, Presented by GLAAD
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Brad Goreski: “I grew up in a hockey-playing town and I was a tap-dancing kid. In Canada. It was no surprise to anyone. I was bullied all through high school; I was told so many times to be someone else.”
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David Burtka: “With this generation of my kids, it’s a completely different place were living at and it’s amazing. We’ve come such a long way and fought such an amazing fight. In school, in their class, they have three sets of gay marriages. They see all different types of people.”
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Nico Tortorella: “The fluidity in that is the ability to play. Wear a suit. Wear a dress. Wear a jock strap. Wear whatever you want. …..We take ourselves so fucking seriously. I realized the privilege because of what I look like, because of my job, everything. I knew I could step out on the red carpet with a dress and I’d be celebrated. It’s not just about me, it’s about everyone else too, and then I get to look cute.