
Sophie Turner claims she broke up A-list couple with one tiny move at Hollywood afterparty
The Game of Thrones star, 29, who recently clapped back at critics for shaming her as a single mom, laid it all out during her Thursday appearance on Late Night with Seth Meyers.
As she and Meyers reminisced about first meeting over a decade ago at San Diego Comic-Con, Turner revealed the night 'quickly went south' at the event's afterparty.
'We were going to have a great night… and I can't name names 'cause I'll get in trouble… but I had brought my best friend from school days and she saw an actor she absolutely loved and asked if I could just say hi…' Turner began.
She admitted she'd never met the unidentified actor before, so she gave him a weak little wave from across the crowd.
'And that was it,' she said… But it wasn't.
The Game of Thrones star, 29, who recently clapped back at critics for shaming her as a single mom , laid it all out during her Thursday appearance on Late Night with Seth Meyers
'And then later on I see this girl looking at me and she's a famous actress and I was like 'I have to go tell her how much she means to me',' Sophie recalled.
'So I dance on over and she goes, 'Can you stop f****** flirting with my fiancee?' And I was like 'Who's your fiancee?' And she points to the guy that I waved at and I still have no idea who this man is.'
She concluded, 'Turns out, they broke their engagement off that night because of my [wave].'
With a laugh, she added: 'I didn't realize I held this power.'
The jaw-dropping confession comes just over a week after Turner fired back at a troll who accused her of having 'forgotten' she was a mother of two.
On August 4, the Game of Thrones alum posted a carousel of snaps from a concert.
While most followers loved seeing her enjoying a night out, one commenter decided to throw shade.
'Lmfao, I think she has forgotten that she has two kids,' the troll wrote beneath her post.
Turner, who shares daughters Willa, five, and Delphine, three, with ex-husband Joe Jonas, wasted no time in clapping back.
'Ah I'm so sorry sometimes I forget some people can't think for themselves,' she shot back. 'So… Get this… There's this crazy thing called shared custody. Maybe, just maybe, they were with their dad that day.'
Her razor-sharp reply was met with applause, as fans rushed to defend her.
'Why can't a mom of two kids do this??' one person asked. 'No one ever asks a Dad where their kids are [eye roll emoji],' another pointed out. 'Moms can have fun for the love of God,' a third declared.
Others noted that Jonas is currently on the JONAS20: Living The Dream tour, performing 52 concerts across the globe.
Turner's unapologetic response comes less than a year after she and Jonas reached a co-parenting agreement in October 2023, ending a heated custody battle that followed his September 2024 divorce filing.
Despite their rocky split, Jonas has publicly praised his ex.
'I have a beautiful co-parenting relationship that I'm really grateful for,' he told motivational speaker Jay Shetty in a TikTok interview. 'Having an incredible mom, Sophie, for those girls is like a dream come true.'
He added that it's important for his daughters to have strong female influences in their lives. 'I think what values I want for them are to be open-minded and have a big heart, be able to walk into any room and feel confidence and know that they can do literally anything they want. As young girls, looking up to great women is what I want for them,' Jonas said.
When asked if his daughters might follow in their famous parents' footsteps, he admitted: 'We might want them to wait a little while.'
Turner herself has been candid about the strain of her public breakup.
'I mean, those were the worst few days of my life,' the Joan actress told Vogue last year.
'I remember I was on set, I was contracted to be on set for another two weeks, so I couldn't leave. My kids were in the States, and I couldn't get to them because I had to finish [ITV drama] Joan.
'It hurt because I really do completely torture myself over every move I make as a mother – mom guilt is so real,' she admitted.
Joe and Sophie started dating in 2016, and he proposed one year later; they then eloped in Las Vegas in 2019, which was followed by a lavish wedding celebration in France that summer.
By that time, Turner had already cemented herself as a household name for her role as Sansa Stark on HBO's Game of Thrones, which had just wrapped its eight-season run.
Joe was also enjoying a career resurgence with the Jonas Brothers' reunion, releasing their chart-topping album Happiness Begins and embarking on a global tour.
In the years that followed, Turner took on film roles like X-Men: Dark Phoenix and led the upcoming ITV drama Joan, while Joe kept busy touring and recording with his brothers.
But despite their high-profile romance and public appearances as one of Hollywood's most-watched young couples, the pair announced their split in 2023, finalizing their divorce the following year.
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Metro
21 minutes ago
- Metro
Who is on Strictly Come Dancing 2025? Full list of contestants revealed
All 15 celebrities for the Strictly Come Dancing 2025 line-up have officially been confirmed. The BBC reality competition series hosted by Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman is back for another year of jaw-dropping dance routines and emotional journeys for our cohort of famed contestants. Strictly has had a difficult couple of years after pros Giovanni Pernice and Graziano Di Prima were removed from the show (and replaced) after behavioural accusations from former partners came out against them. Earlier this month, the long-running series came under scrutiny once more with reports that two stars had used cocaine, and one veteran worker had been offered drugs at a party. Meanwhile, beloved pro Gorka Marquez confirmed he would not be competing this year, much to everyone's devastation, but would make a cameo in some of the group performances. Wake up to find news on your TV shows in your inbox every morning with Metro's TV Newsletter. Sign up to our newsletter and then select your show in the link we'll send you so we can get TV news tailored to you. Amid all changes, however, it remains one of the BBC's flagship shows with a fresh set of faces ready to take to the dance floor. So who is in the official 2025 line-up? Kristian Nairn is the 15th and final celebrity joining the dance competition. Kristian is best known for playing Hodor in Game of Thrones, but is also a DJ and recently played Wee John Feeney in two series of the HBO comedy Our Flag Means Death. The news was announced with the 14th contestant on Vernon Kay's BBC Radio 2 show on August 15, which was guest-hosted by Gary Davies. On joining Strictly Come Dancing, Kristian Nairn says: 'This will be a huge challenge for me physically, but I'm ready to rise to it! 'It's a surreal and wonderful opportunity to shed one of my left feet!' Karen Carney is the 14th celebrity to be announced for the new series of Strictly Come Dancing. The news was revealed on Vernon Kay's BBC Radio 2 show this morning, which was guest-hosted by Gary Davies. The star is a former footballer who is now the lead female pundit for both men's and women's football, across TNT and ITV. On joining Strictly Come Dancing, Karen said in a press release: 'It really is a dream come true to be a part of this year's Strictly Come Dancing line up. 'I'm such a huge fan of the show and I can't believe I'm finally getting the chance to take part. I'm so excited to meet everyone and get dancing!' Lorraine's very own US showbiz reporter Ross King was confirmed as the 13th contestant on the TV show. The star revealed the news on Friday morning on Lorraine, revealing he flew into the UK this morning to announce the news. 'My dear old mum used to always say, you know, 'you'll never know till you give it a go'. That was her expression. Just do your best. That's all you can do,' he told Ranvir Singh on the show. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video He added: 'Obviously, I'm never going to win, but if I'm like, the most improved, that's, if I can improve. I've been lucky. I've done musicals, but I don't dance. And, you know, I've been lucky that they put me in a routine and then they all dance around me and make me look good!' He added that he'd only really covered Scottish dancing before so couldn't say if he was looking forward to latin or ballroom more. On joining Strictly Come Dancing, Ross said in a press release: 'From the bright lights of Hollywood to the glittering ballroom – it's a dream come true to be part of such an iconic show. 'I can't wait to learn from the best, meet my fellow contestants, and, most importantly… try not to step on too many toes! Let's give this the best that I can! As my mum always said: 'You'll never know till you give it a go!'' Stefan Dennis, who's best known for playing Paul Robinson on the popular soap Neighbours, will be swapping the Australian beach for the ballroom. The actor, 66, was the twelfth celebrity to join the new series and the news was announced when he met his fellow dancer Vicky Pattison on the This Morning sofa. Sorry, the video was not found Stefan says he's signed up for the series because he's been looking for an opportunity to step out of his comfort zone in the world of television, adding he's 'looking forward to the sparkle and reaching for the sky.' While Stefan's best known for spending 40 years on Ramsay Street – appearing in 6,000 episodes of Neighbours – he's also appeared on a number of UK TV shows including The Bill, Dream Team, River City and Casualty as well as starring in the West End musical Blood Brothers. Vicky Pattison is the eleventh celebrity contestant announced to appear on the show, as announced on This Morning on August 14. The star is best known for appearing on Geordie Shore, but has made a name for herself since appearing on the show as a TV personality and presenter. The star admitted on the morning TV show that she's a 'drinker not a dancer', comparing herself to moves to a 'drunk aunty'. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video On joining Strictly Come Dancing, Vicky commented: 'I'm absolutely buzzing to be part of this year's Strictly Come Dancing lineup… but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't terrified. 'I am not a natural dancer! However, it's such an amazing opportunity for me to step out of my comfort zone and to challenge myself in a completely new way, and I just really hope I don't make too much of a fool of myself!' This won't be the first competition series Vicky has appeared on after becoming Queen of the Jungle on I'm A Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here! in 2015, plus appearing on Celebrity MasterChef and Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins. Thomas Skinner is the tenth celebrity contestant confirmed to be part of the show, as confirmed on Hits Radio with Sam Thompson. The TV personality, social media star and businessman is best known for his appearances on The Apprentice. The star said he was delighted to be joining the show: 'I'm beyond excited to be joining Strictly Come Dancing. I've tackled the boardroom and some big breakfasts in my time but stepping onto the dance floor under that glitter ball is next level stuff! 'I've never danced in my life (other than at weddings) but I'm ready to graft and of course have a laugh. Bring on the sequins, sambas and most importantly, the BOSH to the ballroom!' To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Skinner is a somewhat controversial pick after spending time with JD Vance, and his casting has been criticised by others in the media. The star shared snaps with the vice president at a beer-fuelled BBQ on Monday, captioning one post: 'Here is a pic of Me and Vice President @JDVance towards the end of the night after a few beers. 'I'm overdressed in my suit, but when the VP invites you to a BBQ, you don't risk turning up in shorts an flip-flops. Cracking night in the beautiful English countryside with JD, his friends and family. Once in a lifetime. Bosh'. Trailblazing model Ellie Goldstein has been announced as the ninth contestant on Strictly Come Dancing this year. She made history in 2023 as the first model with Down syndrome to grace the cover of British Vogue. The news was announced on BBC Breakfast with Ellie saying: 'I'm absolutely over the moon to be joining the cast and pros of Strictly Come Dancing this year. 'It's a show I've loved watching for so long, and the chance to now be part of it feels like a dream. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video 'I know it's going to be challenging, but I'm ready to do it with the glitter and glamour and make some magic on that dancefloor. Let the Strictly journey begin!' Some fans may also recognise her from CBBC's Mallory Towers where she plays a guest lead role. After showing off her dancing skills in the studio the disabliity campaigner told the hosts she was 'honoured and excited'. She has already declared her dream partner would be Nikita Kuzmin, saying she 'loves him so much' and even quipped her plan is to 'marry him'. The star is coming with some experience under her belt, explaining that she has regular dance lessons. Former England rugby captain Chris Robshaw will join the Strictly Come Dancing cohort as the eighth celebrity. The sporting icon became captain at 23 years old, earning 66 caps for England and captaining the national team 43 times. In 2016 he led the team to a Six Nations Grand Slam victory. 'This is about as far out of my comfort zone as it gets! I'm hoping to take my dad dancing to a whole new level, and my mum can't wait to drag me along to her Zumba class. 'Let's see if a rugby sidestep works in the Cha Cha Cha,' he said. He confirmed her appearance on The Scott Mills Breakfast Show on BBC Radio 2. It's not the first reality show he has competed on. He last appeared on Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins but was forced to withdraw after an injury. Singer and 2024 RuPaul's Drag Race UK finalist La Voix is the seventh contestant sliding onto the dance floor. On joining Strictly Come Dancing, La Voix said: 'I've performed for royalty, RuPaul and Simon Cowell, but nothing fills me with more excitement (and quite a bit of terror) than the thought of dancing in front of millions on live Saturday night TV. 'Strictly is a national institution and I can't wait to get started. All that's left to say is: good luck to my partner! Here's hoping they can help me go from La Voix into La Danse.' She confirmed her appearance on The Scott Mills Breakfast Show on BBC Radio 2. In fact, the entertainer is a force to be reckoned with on the reality TV stage, previously appearing on Queens for the Night and Queen of the Universe. Not only is she a Britain's Got Talent semi-finalist but she even has her own live show, La Voix meets, in which she interviews names like Dawn French and Joanna Lumley. The sixth and latest contestant twirling onto the ballroom will be George Clarke. George is known as George Clarkey online, where he is a YouTuber and social media star known to millions for his comedy content. He also co-hosts The Useless Hotline podcast. On joining Strictly, he said: 'Never thought I'd say this, but I'm doing Strictly! Honestly, I've got no idea what I'm doing but I'm excited to get stuck in and potentially fall over a fair bit.' George confirmed the news in an appearance on BBC Radio 1's Going Home Drivetime Show on Tuesday (August 12). When he was revealed as the sixth star, George joked: 'I feel like a lot of people will still be saying, who?' So how did he keep this a secret when he has a podcast? 'I was meant to be doing a marathon at the end of the month. Can't really do that, because I'm dancing. So I've had to be like, 'Oh God, I'm still training. I promise.'' Balvinder Sopal was confirmed as the latest celebrity to join Strictly Come Dancing on Tuesday morning during Good Morning Britain. Richard Arnold was in Walford to confirm that an EastEnders legend was joining the ranks. 'I can't stop butterflies. Every time I think about it, they just go, so, yeah,' the actress who plays Suki in the soap said. 'I dabbled a little bit. I did ballroom and Latin as a kind of hobby, and I really love it. And I think when you've got a passion for something, you're naturally kind of inclined to enjoy it. So I'll definitely enjoy it.' 'I don't know if I'll be any good!,' she added, saying she loved the drama of Latin dancing. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video 'It is about telling the story with your feet, with your body, and not speaking. So, you know, won't have to learn any lines, which would be great, but it'll be like learning a new language, I think!' she said. She confirmed she'd still be appearing on EastEnders during her stint, and wasn't sure how she'd hack it – but was excited to find out. She added that she thought her mother would be proud of her: 'This is her dream. Actually, I think she would have been extremely proud. So, yeah, hold mom's legacy.' To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video The latest additions to the Strictly line-up were confirmed on Monday's instalment of The One Show, with the secret even kept from hosts Alex Jones and Roman Kemp. The BBC show confirmed three new names who will battle it out for the glitterball trophy, with Dani Dyer the first to walk out into the studio. How hard was it keeping this a secret? 'So hard,' Dani said on the show. 'Especially when there was speculation and stuff, people kept coming up to me, and I'm such a bad liar. I'm going to have to send so many apologies.' The 28-year-old reality star, and daughter of national treasure Danny Dyer, was rumoured to have signed a pre-show contract earlier this year. When asked what her parents made of the news, Dyer said they're 'so excited'. 'It's just such a fun, magical show,' she said, 'and to be asked to do it was just such an honour. So, yeah, they're just so excited for me.' She did admit she's nervous though. 'I think it's picking up the routines and being on live telly, it petrifies me. It's just the whole thing of being able to perform.' The training starts now! Next up on The One Show was Alex Kingston, who tuned in from a holiday in Italy to confirm she had signed up for the Strictly ballroom. The 62-year-old actor, who played River Song on Doctor Who (aka The Doctor's wife) opposite three Doctors on screen, was one of the names rumoured to be involved ahead of the line-up announcements this week. 'I was super excited, and now I actually am terrified,' she told the programme. Speaking about why she decided to take the plunge, Alex said it was 2024 contestant and fellow actor Sarah Hadland who convinced her. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video 'In 2019 I did a play with Sarah Hadland and we both admitted that we desperately wanted to be in Strictly,' she told hosts Alex Jones and Roman Kemp. 'When I then saw Sarah performing last year, I just thought, she's done it, and not only has she done it, she went all the way. 'I reached out and just asked her what her experience of having been part of the show was, and she was really honest with me about how hard it is, how overwhelming it can be, but also how it absolutely changed her life, and she would do it again in a heartbeat. 'It just gave me the chance to make the decision for myself as to whether I wanted to go for it. And I just thought, I'm in my 60s, just go for it.' To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink was the third contestant to appear on The One Show, confirming he will be swapping the pitch for the ballroom. Alex Jones in the BBC One studio was clearly in shock when he appeared, saying she didn't think he would ever agree to it. The ex pro footballer said his four daughters were part of the reason he decided to sign on up to the show. The 53-year-old said from the red studio sofa: 'A few years ago, I would say the same, but I'm a father of all girls, and Strictly is part of our home life. I've got into it. I like the show, and let's have a go. 'Honestly, I have no idea what to expect. I have a little bit of rhythm.' Jimmy played for clubs including Leeds United, Atlético Madrid and Chelsea, carving out a prolific goal-scoring career in the Premier League and across Europe. Since retiring, Jimmy has become a familiar face in football punditry as well as a football club manager of clubs including Burton Albion and Northampton Town. He also served as an assistant coach for the England national team. Olympian and star of BBC's Gladiators, Harry Aikines-Aryeetey, was the first famous face confirmed to be gracing the Strictly ballroom this autumn. The TV personality already took part in last year's Strictly Come Dancing Christmas Special with pro-partner Nancy Xu and now he is back for round two. 'After the Christmas Special, it was so nice I just had to do it twice! I'm so excited to be part of the Strictly family this series and I'm ready to give it all I've got. 'I'll be bringing tons of energy to light up the dance floor. Let's hope I'm as quick picking up the routines as I am on the track,' he said in a statement. The multi-gold-medal-winning Team GB sprinter was announced as Nitro in the high-stakes BBC gameshow in 2023. He will no doubt be bringing all his skills to the dance floor. More Trending If there is one thing Harry is used to, it's being the best of the best, not only competing at the 2016 Rio Olympics but also securing the BBC Young Sports Personality of the Year award in 2005 aged 17. Not to mention being a three-time European champion and two-time Commonwealth champion. So he'll be a force to be reckoned with on the dancefloor. Strictly Come Dancing returns on September 20, 2025, a week later than its usual start date. A version of this article was originally published on August 11. Got a story? If you've got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@ calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we'd love to hear from you. View More » MORE: What is Gary Lineker doing now? 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The Independent
an hour ago
- The Independent
Pessimism hasn't served us in dating – it's time we followed Taylor Swift's lead
Is there anything more nauseating than a really ostentatious romantic gesture? You know, the kind where someone proposes by hiding a diamond ring in a chocolate soufflé while a string quartet arrives out of nowhere, or sends 100 red roses to your office so you can barely get to your desk amid the endless floral arrangements, not to mention mockery from your colleagues. While some of these acts might have us wincing or reaching for the sick bag, for others, it's a literal dream come true. At least, that was the case for Taylor Swift, who has revealed the details behind her unlikely, almost cinematic, meet-cute with her boyfriend, American footballer Travis Kelce. Speaking on Kelce's podcast, New Heights, which Kelce hosts with his brother, Jason, Swift, after announcing her upcoming new album, The Life of a Showgirl, told listeners: 'This podcast got me a boyfriend'. The 35-year-old musician went on to explain how Kelce had famously spoken on their podcast about attending one of Swift's concerts and feeling disappointed that he hadn't met her. 'If I had never gone to that show and been mesmerised and just been captivated, and then left with such a desire to want to meet you, I would have never gone on here and told everybody how butt hurt I was,' Kelce recalled. The plan had been for him to give Swift a friendship bracelet with his phone number on it. "He thought because he knows the elevator lady, that he could just talk to her about getting down to my dressing room," Swift said of Kelce's unsuccessful attempt to meet her. For whatever reason, though, his public declaration worked, and the two met soon after. 'This felt like I was in an '80s John Hughes movie, and he was just standing outside my window with a boombox, being like, 'I want to date you!'' Swift said, adding: 'This is sort of what I've been writing songs about; what I've wanted to happen to me since I was a teenager.' Kelce replied: 'And I was sitting there at the Eras Tour listening to every single one of those songs, like, 'I know what she wants me to do'.' It's all too easy to write this off as saccharine celebrity nonsense because, away from a Hughes film, these are the kinds of stories that could only happen to two incredibly attractive, wealthy, and famous people. They already exist in another realm, so of course, their romantic relationships will be just as otherworldly. Why wouldn't we mere mortals be cynical of that amid all of the ghosting, catfishing, and general disappointment that make up the modern dating landscape? Consider Dua Lipa and Callum Turner, another celebrity couple whose love for one another couldn't be more apparent, both on social media (take a look at Lipa's feed) and in paparazzi photos (check out those snaps of the pair canoodling in front of the Eiffel Tower). Or Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis, who recently went viral for being captured dancing together at a Backstreet Boys concert. Part of me wants to squirm and recoil at all this, to dismiss it all as empty showmanship designed to make us resentful about our objectively inferior lives. But another part of me is a little less jaded and thinks that these over-the-top, incredibly public displays of romance are actually exactly what we need to see more of right now. Dating has never had worse PR – just ask anyone single. There are far too many stories of regret, heartbreak, and shattered expectations. But pessimism serves none of us. So perhaps it's time to challenge our inner cynic and look at stories like Swift's with a more hopeful, inspired gaze. We might live in different worlds, but love can happen to all of us. Who's to say it can't do so with a little pomp and pageantry?


Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
Food at the woke Tesla Diner? The paper boxes probably taste better than some of the contents, says Joel Stein
The world's first Tesla Diner opened in West Hollywood last month, on a Monday at 4.20pm. That is, according to stoners everywhere, the time of day at which one is supposed to smoke marijuana, which perhaps tells you all you need to know about how Elon Musk expects people to operate his self-driving Teslas. Four days after its opening, I'm driving to meet my 16-year-old son there. Despite all the Trump-heiling and USAID-cutting and subsequent Tesla car burnings, Elon Musk has built his first diner/recharging station in one of the most liberal corners of one of the most liberal cities in America. When we arrive at 9.30pm, it's mayhem. 'I think this is now the most dangerous neighbourhood in Los Angeles,' my son says about what is normally a pleasant stretch of the city. Teslas are queuing around two blocks. Over the blare of Tesla horns, Tesla owners scream out of their Tesla windows at each other, and especially at the staff trying to manage the parking-lot entrances. People weave through the crowd jammed into the lot, recording everything on their smartphones as if they were war reporters. Eventually we find my friend Igor, who lives a few blocks away, standing in a very long line. An Elon Musk fan (who has kept that fact quiet recently), he has been excited since the project was announced seven years ago and has watched the diner and its 80 charging stations slowly being built over the past 18 months, turning his neighbourhood into the world's premier Tesla tourist attraction. Now Igor surveys the Mad Max chaos around us and says, 'As a local resident, I'm horrified.' One of the challenges was finding a chef. Suzanne Goin, who runs all the food at the Hollywood Bowl, said no – and then exchanged her Tesla for an electric BMW. Wolfgang Puck, the famous Austrian chef, declined. When Walter Manzke, the Michelin-starred chef of LA restaurant République, told the New York Times that the diner sounded 'exciting', the online backlash was so furious, he quickly backtracked. When those queueing on the sidewalk are told there is a three-hour wait, most of them don't leave. Igor tells me that if you're driving a Tesla, which I am, you can park in a charging station and order food from the screen in your car. But those parking spots are all full, too. I've never seen anyone literally jump up and down with excitement until Igor spots a Tesla exiting the lot. I grab the lone empty Supercharger spot in the parking lot/drive-in movie theatre. We plug in the car and giddily order £95 worth of food from the dashboard screen (you can also order inside on screens that look just like Tesla dashboards). The charging is so fast that my car is filled in ten minutes. Half an hour later a guy approaches with two bags of food. He is not, as promised in Musk postings on X, a woman on roller-skates or a robot, which are the two main male-fantasy ways to have food delivered. But we do not want to eat in our car. We have come here to see the Tesla Diner. Luckily, the woman at the door lets us past the red velvet ropes keeping back the angry crowd. The reason, she explains, was that we were nice, as opposed to screaming at her. Inside, it's pretty cool. In 2023, Musk promised the diner would be 'Grease meets The Jetsons with Supercharging' and that's exactly how it looks. The circular chrome retro-futuristic structure was designed by Stantec, the Canadian architecture company that built the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex. It looks a bit like Pizza Planet from the Toy Story movies. The white spiral staircase is sort-of futuristic, though the much-hyped humanoid Optimus robot prototypes that Tesla is developing, displayed behind glass, feel a bit Hard Rock Cafe. The robot dishing out popcorn has finished up for the day, which is a surprise since I did not know robots had time off. But this is very much a union town. The upstairs closes at 11pm, which seems weak for a '24-hour diner' (especially since its wraparound deck offers a great view of LA). It transpires that service is 24 hours only for Tesla drivers who order on the app, from their cars. For everyone else doors open at 6am and close at midnight. But the most surprising aspect, considering Musk's rants against transgender rights (despite the fact that Vivian Jenna Wilson, one of his 14 known children, is trans) are the bathrooms. All of them are marked 'gender neutral'. This is a woke diner. The food is sourced from bakeries, dairies and farms that are within the charging range of a Tesla (about 350 miles). The chef who eventually took the job is someone I know called Eric Greenspan. He responded to my email a few weeks before the diner opened by writing the most ominous of messages: 'Hey, Joel. Good to hear from you. I've got no comment on that project currently, but it certainly seems like a cool place. Looking forward to checking it out when it opens.' His food, which I've enjoyed before in forms from grilled cheese to Peking duck delivery, is even more underwhelming. It comes in paper boxes that look like Tesla Cybertrucks and probably taste better than some of the contents. The tuna melt (£10.50) is great, the strawberry shake (£6) is nicely packed with real berries, the Tesla Burger (£10) is OK. The rest is awful. The Lime Rickey soda (£6) is flat. After one bite of the egg sandwich on a buttermilk waffle (£9), Igor declares: 'This should be sent to Mars.' Is the impossibly flavourless waffle raw? You would return it if you'd bought it at a corner shop while you were really stoned. Musk had demanded that all the dishes be 'epic', which these definitely are not. The 'Epic Bacon' is in fact simply 'bacon'. Most of our fries are left untouched, along with all of that Lime Rickey soda. But no one inside seems to care. Teens happily crayon their version of the future Tesla on their placemats. The nice couple sitting next to us, one of whom teaches special-needs kids, own two Teslas and buy up all the merch they can, including a wind-up Tesla destined to be played with in the classroom. The most surprising thing is the lack of protesters. A few had been there earlier, but they were overwhelmed by the Tesla lovers. Sure, Musk is feuding with Trump, but the enemy-of-my-enemy-is-my-friend theory falls apart when they're both cool with Nazis. The people enjoying their non-epic burgers and fries aren't excited about a diner. They are excited about optimism. For decades every sci-fi movie and TV show has been dystopian. Everyone I know in LA is sure they're leaving their kids a worse world. That's not what the Tesla Diner says. It says that drive-ins and burgers are the right direction. Clean energy. Huge metal trucks. Local ingredients. Robots making popcorn. Gender-neutral bathrooms. Driving home through West Hollywood, I pass a bunch of self-driving Waymo cars on the street, and food-delivery robots on the pavement. The future, for the first time in a while, felt like it might just be OK. Though I suspect a lot of what I am feeling comes from putting the Tesla Diner in my rear-view mirror.