Adele swoons over ‘incredible’ Rich Paul after divorce ‘f–king devastated’ her

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She’s rolling in the deep.

Adele has found true happiness for the first time with Rich Paul following her heartbreaking divorce from Simon Konecki, she revealed in a new interview with Rolling Stone.

The “Easy On Me” singer, 33, said that being with the sports agent is the most “incredible, openhearted, and easiest” relationship she’s ever been in.

“I always had this fear from a really young age that you’re going to leave me anyway, so I’m going to leave or I’m not going to invest myself in anything,” she said.

But Adele found that with Paul, she’s “not frightened of loneliness anymore.”

The 15-time GRAMMY winner started dating Paul, 39, over the summer, after filing for divorce from Konecki in 2019. Adele and Konecki, who were together since 2011, finalized their divorce in March.

Adele says her relationship with Rich Paul is the most “incredible, openhearted, and easiest” one she’s ever had. Getty Images

Adele admitted, however, that she and Konecki have remained amicable as they continue to co-parent their 9-year-old son, Angelo. She told Rolling Stone she simply lost herself amid their marriage.

“I didn’t really know myself,” she confessed. “I thought I did. I don’t know if it was because of my Saturn return or if it was because I was well and truly sort of heading into my thirties, but I just didn’t like who I was.”

She added that divorcing Konecki was hard on her, despite knowing it was the right decision.

Adele filed for divorce from Simon Konecki in 2019. WireImage

“It made me really sad,” she said. “Then having so many people that I don’t know, know, that I didn’t make that work … it f–king devastated me. I was embarrassed. No one made me feel embarrassed, but you feel like you didn’t do a good job.”

She began writing a new album, “30,” as an open letter to their son as opposed to writing a collection of songs centered around her divorce.

While perfecting her upcoming music, Adele ended up meeting the love of her life, Paul, on the dance floor at a mutual friend’s birthday party, where she recalls the DJ playing too many songs by her close pal Drake.

“I was like, ‘You should play something else. I love Drake. But you should play something else,’” she joked.

The pair have since gone Instagram-official, and Adele’s new album is expected for release on Nov. 19.

Adele and Rich Paul Were Spotted Looking Glamorous in London

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This weekend marked Adele’s first U.K. performance in four years, and her boyfriend, Rich Paul, was there to cheer her on.

The sports agent joined the pop star at the recording of her U.K. television special, An Audience with Adele, Saturday night. After the show, the two were photographed leaving the London Palladium together. In the pics, which you can see here, Adele wears a sparkling black off-the-shoulder gown and silver jewelry, and has her hair styled in elegant curls. Paul dons a black turtleneck under a dark-gray velvet suit with a bright-purple pocket square.

The show was attended by a number of celebrities including Beyoncé, Emma Watson, Dua Lipa, Naomi Campbell, Idris Elba, and Andrew Lloyd Webber, per People. The performance will air on ITV in the United Kingdom on November 21, following the release of Adele’s fourth studio album, 30, on the 19th.

The “When We Were Young” singer went public with Paul, who represents basketball stars including LeBron James, at Game 5 of the NBA Finals last July. The couple made their relationship Instagram official in September when the singer posted a J.Lo-style photo dump that included a pic of herself and Paul at his client Anthony Davis’s wedding.

Since their first outing, the couple have been spotted at restaurants in several cities, and Adele even joined Paul at another NBA game. The “Hello” singer wore a luxe brown leather suit and coordinating Louis Vuitton coat to sit courtside at the NBA season opener between the Los Angeles Lakers (James and Davis’s team) and the Golden State Warriors in October.

Quinci LeGardye Quinci LeGardye is an LA-based freelance writer who covers culture, politics, and mental health through a Black feminist lens.

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Rich Paul speaks on record about extended Ben Simmons saga

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The Ben Simmons saga has featured extensive reporting citing anonymous sources. On Thursday, however, a prominent figure spoke on the record and criticized how the Sixers have handled Simmons.

Rich Paul, the CEO of Klutch Sports and Simmons’ agent, said to The Athletic’s Shams Charania, “I truly believe the fines, the targeting, the negative publicity shined on the issue — that’s very unnecessary and has furthered the mental health issues for Ben. Either you help Ben, or come out and say he’s lying. Which one is it?”

After requesting a trade in the offseason, holding out of training camp, briefly returning to practice and then being suspended a game for conduct detrimental to the team, Simmons told Sixers teammates on Oct. 22 that he was not mentally ready to play.

Paul wants the Sixers to prioritize Simmons’ well being instead of pushing for him to return to action.

“I don’t think the 76ers are a bad organization,” Paul said. “Josh Harris and David Blitzer are great governors, they’ve done a great job with the organization. I have respect for Daryl Morey,” Paul said. “Ben has a mental issue, let’s support him. I’m happy he got to a place where he realized and accepted help. I understand it’s a business, but even in business, you need humanity.

“I have a great level of respect and love for the city of Philadelphia, as someone who loves the game, but this isn’t about that. This is about Ben getting back to a place mentally where he can be back on the floor — and only Ben can tell us when that is. We have to allow him to do that.”

Sixers head coach Doc Rivers said Thursday before his team’s loss to the Raptors that Simmons attended a pregame film session, which took place at Wells Fargo Center.

“He was in our film,” Rivers said. “And I honestly didn’t know, but he was — because he was in the back, but I didn’t see him. And not on the floor during shootaround. But he’s been around more and he’s doing all the things that I know of that he’s supposed to do. Honestly, and I said it last week … once the season starts, I’m just focusing on that and I let Daryl and (general manager Elton Brand) and those guys handle all the other stuff.”

Asked if he expected Simmons to join the Sixers on their upcoming six-game road trip, Rivers said, “We play the Toronto Raptors tonight. I don’t know who’s going to be on the road trip. And I’m not trying to … that is the least thing on my mind right now. I don’t give it two thoughts.”

Even if there’s no timeline for Simmons’ potential season debut, it’s clear the Sixers want him to progress toward playing.

“As it stands, short of a doctor’s evaluation declaring he can’t play, the team expects Simmons to ramp up to return,” Charania reported.

Paul expressed openness toward Simmons appearing for the Sixers again but emphasized that’s not his primary concern.

“This is no longer about a trade,” Paul said. “This is about finding a place where we can help Ben get back to his mental strength and get back on the floor. I want him on the floor playing the game that he loves. I want Ben on the floor whether that’s in a 76ers uniform or any other uniform, that’s not up to me, but I want him in a state where he can resume play. We want to cooperate and want to work him back on the floor.”

Oprah Winfrey on Adele’s new romance with Rich Paul: It’s the ‘first time she’s actually been in love and also loved herself’

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Oprah Winfrey is sharing a glimpse of her big interview with Adele.

The interview legend says she listened to all the British songstress’s albums on repeat and fretted over her outfit ahead of the sit-down, which took place in the rose garden at Winfrey’s Montecito, Calif., estate and is part of Sunday’s CBS concert special Adele One Night Only. She said they talked about Adele’s new album, 30, and life — divorce, single-parenting and falling in love again.

(Photo: CBS)

Winfrey, who had never previously met Adele, told bestie Gayle King and the CBS Mornings team on Friday that she had a custom suit the color of “my favorite rose” made for the interview. She then “fretted” over her outfit after learning Adele would be wearing a neutral suit as well, even calling King to discuss her fashion dilemma.

Winfrey said when she does interviews with any “person of significance,” she asks them before what they want out of it. She said Adele replied, “‘I just want to be able to share my truth and talk about what I’ve been through and express that in the most natural way.’ And that’s exactly what happened in that interview.”

.@Oprah says @Adele’s new album, “30,” is more than just a divorce album, but that her song “Hold On” is going to be an “anthem throughout the world for anybody struggling with anything.”

The special, “ADELE ONE NIGHT ONLY,” airs this Sunday on @CBS. pic.twitter.com/7iYPX2VoTB — CBS Mornings (@CBSMornings) November 12, 2021

Winfrey said what Adele shared about her divorce from Simon Konecki will help “save” and “liberate a lot of people — male, female — in marriages that no longer work. Because one of the things she shared was that she wasn’t miserable-miserable. She had an idea her whole life, of what marriage and family was going to look like. The reality of that was not really making her happy.”

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Winfrey says Adele has “freed herself from the marriage, but they obviously still have a great relationship because they’re raising their son together,” referring to Angelo, 9.

She also said behind the divorce was Adele wanting to “present a happy person to her son, which I think is so liberating,” the OWN founder said. “Because so many people stay for the children, making themselves miserable. Then the children grow up with a miserable mother. I think that’s going to help a lot of people.”

Winfrey said Adele considers her divorce was really “divorcing herself” and getting to the point of loving herself enough. She also spoke about her new boyfriend, sports agent Rich Paul in the chat. He was there for the interview in the garden, which was also the site of King’s daughter Kirby Bumpus’s February wedding.

Singer Adele, left, and Rich Paul, center, attend an NBA basketball game between the Golden State Warriors and the Los Angeles Lakers in Los Angeles, Tuesday, Oct. 19, 2021. (AP Photo/Ringo H.W. Chiu)

Winfrey said Adele’s new relationship is the “first time she has actually been in love and also loved herself.”

A new teaser of the interview was also shown on the morning show. In it, Winfrey analyzes Adele’s song “Hold On,” which Adele said was about her friends supporting her at her lowest amid her split.

The singer said those two words were spoken to her by friends when she was “struggling” amid the “process of divorce. The process of being a single parent. The process of not seeing your child every single day wasn’t really a plan I had when I became a mum.”

She said going through all that — while trying to take care of herself, her home and her business — was a lot to manage.

EXCLUSIVE: In an exclusive clip from their wide-ranging interview, @Oprah asks @Adele about the “brutally honest” lyrics on her new song, “Hold On.”

Adele told Oprah that her friends would tell her to “hold on” whenever she was “struggling.” pic.twitter.com/5BlG2ctZzF — CBS Mornings (@CBSMornings) November 12, 2021

“So many people know what I’m talking about,” Adele said. “I just felt like not doing it anymore… My feet hurt walking through all of that concrete.”

Winfrey said on CBS Mornings the song is “going to be the national anthem throughout the world for anybody struggling with anything. That song is so poignant and beautiful.”

The Adele One Night Only special — which Adele previously said will include new songs, old songs and some filthy jokes — airs Sunday, Nov. 14 at 8:30 p.m. ET on CBS. It will also stream live and on-demand on Paramount+.

Rich Paul Serves up a Heaping Platter of Horse Poop

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You read that Ben Simmons article at The Athletic? I felt like I needed a cigarette afterward, and I don’t even smoke.

The title is Ben Simmons feels 76ers want to force him to play; team responds: Exclusive. It centers around quotes from agent Rich Paul, who has turned the era of player empowerment into a total joke, highlighted by this particular client trying to force a trade out of Philadelphia by entering a taboo mental health loop with no end in sight.

From the story:

“I truly believe the fines, the targeting, the negative publicity shined on the issue — that’s very unnecessary and has furthered the mental health issues for Ben,” Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul said. “Either you help Ben, or come out and say he’s lying. Which one is it?”

Well, the fines began before “mental health” ever became a thing. If Ben was really struggling in this department, he should have shown up to media day and training camp, communicated that to the Sixers, and accepted team help. Instead, he took two weeks of fines and then just turned up, out of the blue. The timeline negates any sympathy he might have been receiving.

A 76ers team official told The Athletic on Thursday it is “absolutely not” the case that they are forcing his return or accusing him of lying. The team’s position is that he should partake in all team activities until there is information from its mental health professional or Simmons that would preclude him from playing.

A scan of the local scene shows that something like 95% of people side with the Sixers and maybe 5% side with Klutch.

“In this case, we have to get Ben help and not put finances above mental health,” Paul said. “As an agent, I understand contractual obligations and I hold myself accountable in this business. But if someone is telling you something, we can no longer turn a blind eye in today’s world. “This is no longer about a trade. This is about finding a place where we can help Ben get back to his mental strength and get back on the floor. I want him on the floor playing the game that he loves. I want Ben on the floor whether that’s in a 76ers uniform or any other uniform, that’s not up to me, but I want him in a state where he can resume play. We want to cooperate and want to work him back on the floor.”

“We want to cooperate.”

What a load of horse shit. This guy will say anything. He has zero interest in getting Ben back on the floor “in a 76ers uniform.” He’s the architect behind this strategy of exploiting mental health in order to keep Ben off the floor while still collecting a pay check.

Last one:

Paul drew a contrast between the situation with Simmons and that of Houston Rockets guard John Wall, another of his clients, who is being paid by Houston while sitting out the season, even though he is healthy enough to play. “John is able to play, but Houston is OK using the (Collective Bargaining Agreement) to pay him not to play,” Paul said. “So which way is it? John is perfectly healthy and ready to play, and it’s OK in the CBA. We are being professional with both instances, but how can it go both ways? John and the Rockets have been professional about their situation, and we are also expecting the same with the 76ers.”

WHAT?

These two things aren’t remotely similar. John Wall isn’t playing in Houston because the Rockets are tanking and rebuilding. They are putting young guys on the floor. It’s the same thing Oklahoma City did with Al Horford. The reason Ben isn’t getting paid is because he refused to show up and do what was asked of him. He plays for a title contender.

Christ almighty. Rich Paul is probably the worst thing to happen to the NBA in 10 years. He’s reason #1 why the “player empowerment era” needs to come to an end. We’ve gone beyond individual brand building to the exploitation of mental health, in a time where people like Lane Johnson are being shown privacy and respect (when he previously would have been labeled a “pussy”). Society really has turned the corner on this topic and views it in a different way.

And we conceded months ago that Ben likely had a tough time dealing with the family issue involving his sister last season. It could not have been easy to focus and play when something serious like that was public knowledge. Add the pressure of being a NBA superstar in a big sports city, and he certainly had plenty on his shoulders and plenty on his mind.

That’s why Rich Paul deserves a ton of blame here for making it worse, and at the same time insulting other people with legitimate mental health issues. In trying to find an exit for his client, he’s pulled both sides deep down into the mud and has dirtied this thing to the point of embarrassment. Obviously he doesn’t care, and might end up getting his way, but it’s pretty sad to have to go these lengths to make it happen. To serve up a heaping load of horse shit this large. It’s a load of shit larger than the dinosaur turd from Jurassic Park: