dua loves h-town

Pop superstar Dua Lipa introduces her 80+ million Instagram followers to Houston

That girl is poison: Dua Lipa loved Poison Girl in Montrose.

Celebrity spotting in Houston is hardly new — given our top-tier status as an arts, dining, and entertainment hub. But celeb sightings at places we love? That’s worth reporting.

And so it goes with British pop sensation Dua Lipa, who may have gained a whole new horde of local fans with her exquisite taste in dining and entertainment options.

In town for a highly anticipated show in support of her Future Nostalgia album at Toyota Center, Lipa shared all the H-Town love on Instagram — and to her more than 80 million followers — starting with a visit to one of the city’s most beloved dive bars, Poison Girl.

The three-time Grammy Award winner/model/star posted some fire photos of herself posing against Poison Girl’s pinball machines and some red-shot snaps in a see-through and starry ’fit.

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(Speaking of her red-hot Houston love, her “Sweetest Pie” collab post with the Bayou City’s Megan Thee Stallion drew lots of love. “So excited i’m crying sugary icing out of my tear ducts!!!!!!” she exclaimed.)

Staying in Montrose, Lipa stopped by the Rothko Chapel to “meditate and contemplate” even posing for a pic with Rothko staff after said meditation and contemplation.

No trip to H-Town would be complete for a Houston newbie without a visit to Space Center Houston. Lipa looked totally Trinity from The Matrix as she posed for a vid at Mission Control, declaring that she was “GOING 2 MARS!!!” (Mad love to Lipa for eschewing the lame “we have a problem” caption here.)

Pop superstars have to eat, and eat Lipa did, making choice and well-advised stops at Truth Barbecue and Nancy’s Hustle. Lipa posted a pic of the famous Nancy Cakes (a no-brainer order at the award-winning restaurant) and a beefy pic of ribs and brisket at Truth — recently named the No. 3-ranked BBQ spot in the state by Texas Monthly, as CultureMap reported.

Where did she stay? Given its proximity to Toyota Center and its tight-lipped penchant for hosting stars — and given our familiarity with its suites — our guess (and per her IG pic) is Four Seasons Downtown.

Cheers to Lipa and her team for a proper Houston trip and for avoiding clichés. Oh, and we respectfully suggest she contact Eric Sandler for dining tips on her next visit.

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Thanks, Queen Bey

Pop icon Beyoncé donates $100,000 to University of Houston Law School

Photo by Erza Shaw Getty Images

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Pop megastar Beyoncé Knowles-Carter has donated $100,000 to the University of Houston Law Center Criminal Justice Clinic through her BeyGOOD Foundation. The gift will allow the clinic to hire fill-time faculty to head it, benefiting the students who study there.

“I am delighted that the BeyGOOD Foundation has made this very generous gift to the UH Law Center,” said Leonard Baynes, dean of the UH Law Center. “Not only will this funding help establish a full-time criminal justice clinic that provides pro bono legal services in our community, but it will also supercharge our already excellent criminal law and justice programming.”

The clinic is one of nine at UHLC. It helps students learn to navigate the criminal justice system, especially on behalf of clients that are underserved by skilled attorneys. People of color are affected disproportionately by a lack of good, ethical representation.

Beyoncé, the most decorated artist in Grammy history and easily the biggest musical star native to Houston, has a long history of advocating for criminal justice reform. She was a staunch supporter of the police reform following the deaths of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile, asking law enforcement to “stop killing us” in a web post. In 2020, she penned an open letter to the Kentucky attorney general asking for justice in the death of Breonna Taylor.

Through her BeyGOOD Foundation, established in 2013, Beyoncé has focused mostly on expanding the prospects of Black-owned business and offering education opportunities to students. Forwarding the cause of legal representation in Texas while also helping out marginalized communities compliments her other philanthropic work.

“At UH Law, we envision a legal profession where ‘everyone has the opportunity to prosper,’ as BeyGOOD envisions, and we will achieve this vision by providing access to strong and effective legal representation in criminal proceedings,” Baynes said. “And together, through this gift, the BeyGOOD Foundation and UHLC will shepherd the next generation of criminal justice attorneys in the city of Houston, the state of Texas and the nation.”