Meghan Markle Loves These Ultra-Affordable Winter Boots 

Though much of the interview surrounded Shailene's passion for environmental protection and preservation, but she made it clear that she approaches the people in her life the same way she approaches her passions — with great tenderness and care. It's part of why she actually hasn't talked about Aaron much since their breakup. She said, “I haven’t shared much about my relationship with Aaron because it always makes me cry. It was not right. But it was beautiful.”

That was her only direct mention of the NFL star, but it wasn't the only time she addressed the relationship. Shailene explained that she "had a really awful, traumatic thing happen in early 2022" — AKA around when she and Aaron ended their engagement. When talking about that time, she said, “I felt like I lost my soul, my self, my happiness, my joy. I really understood depression and anxiety and, like, complete soul detachment.”

She apparently remained in what she referred to as a "toxic situation" while she held space and empathized with "someone else." She said, “Empathy kind of kept me in this loop of feeling everything for everyone.”

According to Shailene, she relied heavily on her best friend Kris Zero to get out of her depression by blaring music, taking her surfing, cleaning up hike trails, etc. She said, “I knew I was depressed when I looked at a tree and felt nothing. That was the lowest low of my life.”

And though it's been almost three years since the split, it's clear the repercussions still reverberate throughout her life. The author of the article noted that Shailene teared up when bringing Aaron up by name — but one moment really stood out throughout the entire article. As the Outside crew prepped for the forthcoming photoshoot, Shailene chatted with everyone around her. After previously "coo’ing" over a photo of the writer’s daughter during their conversation, the Big Little Liesactress quietly said, “One of my biggest dreams is to be a mom.”

Sending big hugs to this scorpio sun, pisces moon, and cancer rising!

1. Emma Stone

Real Name: Emily Jean Stone

Back when Easy A alum Emma Stone was trying to break into the industry as an actress, she chose to go by a different name because there was already a person with the same moniker in the SAG.

So, in a 2017 interview with W Magazine, the Poor Things star shared that she wanted to go by Emily J. Stone, but decided against it. “So to ask a 16-year-old to pick a new name is really an interesting process, because I was like, ‘I’m going to be Riley’... And so my name was Riley Stone for about six months,” she told the publication at the time. “I changed it to Emma because you know it’s closer to Emily, but most people call me ‘M,’ that know me well.” Honestly, I think you could've pulled off the J, Emma.

2. Lady Gaga

Real Name: Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta

Turns out, the Bad Romance singer wasn’t gaga for her real name when she decided to break into Hollywood. Before entering the music industry, Germanotta chose her stage name “Lady Gaga” after she was apparently inspired by the 1984 Queen single “Radio Gaga.” Huh, who would’ve thought?

3. The Weeknd

Real Name: Abel Makkonen Tesfaye

Years before the world knew him as “The Weeknd,” Tesfaye chose his professional name when he left home at a young age. During a Reddit Ask Me Anything segment, the singer revealed, "I left home when I was about 17 dropped out of high school and convinced [my friend] Lamar to do the same.”

He continued, “We grabbed our mattresses from our parents threw it in our friends sh—ty van and left one weekend and never came back home. It was gonna be the title of HOB [House of Balloons]. I hated my name at the time though so I tried it as a stage name. It sounded cool. I took out the “e” because there was already a Canadian band named the weekend (copyright issues).”

4. Gigi Hadid

Real Name: Jelena Hadid

In case you didn’t know, the proud mom went by “Gigi” early on in her childhood. (FYI: Gigi was also her mom’s childhood nickname too.) But in a 2015 interview with Vogue, Hadid shared that everyone started calling her “Gigi” once she started grad school.

“In first or second grade, there was a girl named Helena and it got confusing with the teacher who had to call out our names, and so the teacher asked my mom, ‘If I needed to call Jelena a nickname, what would it be?’ And my mom was like, ‘I call her Gigi sometimes,’ and the name stuck,” the supermodel explained at the time.

5. Meghan Markle

Real Name: Rachel Meghan Markle

Before she became the Duchess of Sussex, Markle simply went by her first name: Rachel. But now, she goes by her middle name professionally. Markle is rarely addressed by her first name in public. However, an exception was made in 2018 when The Sun reported that the late Queen Elizabeth II blessed Markle’s marriage with now husband Prince Harry and addressed the duchess by her full name.

6. Brad Pitt

Real Name: William Bradley Pitt

Apparently, Brad Pitt is another celebrity who likes going by his middle name. But, according to Page Six, the longtime actor actually prefers introducing himself by his first name when he’s flirting with women.

7. Marilyn Monroe

Real Name: Norma Jeane Mortenson

We're throwing it back with this celebrity name! Fun fact: Mortenson took the name Dougherty after her first marriage. But how did she come up with the name we're all so familiar with? Per Time, the beloved actress chose to say goodbye to her last name after a 20th Century Fox studio executive thought that there would be too many mispronunciations with her last name. So, she decided to drop her last name in exchange for her mom’s maiden name: Monroe. In addition, the exec gave her the name “Marilyn” because she reminded him of a 1920s Broadway star named Marilyn Miller.

8. Reese Witherspoon

Real Name: Laura Jeanne Reese Witherspoon

Speaking of Jeane's, did you know Reese Witherspoon's name is actually Laura Jeanne? Yup, according to Vogue, the Legally Blonde star took on her mom’s maiden name early on in her career and the moniker Reese Witherspoon was born. It's also why she only calls Big Little Lies costar Laura Dern "Dern."

9. Natalie Portman

Real Name: Neta-Lee Hershlag

Originally, Portman was given a traditional Hebrew name before immigrating to the United States in 1984, where her family changed their surname to Portman. Then, the actress’s first name, Neta-Lee (which was her maternal grandmother’s maiden name) later became Natalie.

10. ​Cardi B

Real Name: Belcalis Almanzar

Though everyone knows her as Cardi B, her diehard fans can attest to the fact she was given a different name at birth. Born Belcalis Almanzar, her stage name is actually short for Bacardi (you know, like the rum). While appearing on an episode of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, the rapper shared the origin of her pseudonym.

“My sister's name is Hennessy,” the rapper told Fallon. “So everyone used to call me Bacardi, and I started calling myself Bacardi, which eventually was shortened to Cardi B.”

11. Chloe Bennet

Real Name: Chloe Wong

While promoting her new show Interior Chinatown, Chloe Bennet sat down with Brit + Co and shared why she felt the need to go by a different name than what she was given at birth, which is Chloe Wong. “Early on in my career, my mixed race seemed to be so much more of a thing than I ever understood it as growing up,” the Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D alum explained. “I come from a very diverse household and my dad is Chinese. I think I felt more Chinese than what the world perceived me as and that was a weird concept for me.”

The 32-year-old actress went on to share how she changed her surname to Bennet (aka her father’s name) on her resume and she started booking more roles. “I am still not Chloe Bennet. I am Chloe Wong,” she says in the interview.

12. Kit Harington

Real Name: Christopher Catesby Harington

Many of us are taught how to pronounce our given name from a very young age. But for Kit Harington, the Game of Thrones star wasn’t told his first name until he was 11 years old. In a 2014 interview with Glamour, the British actor explained how his parents refrained from telling his real name because “they could see that I wanted to be Kit, but Christopher was a bit of a tradition.”

He continued, "My brother’s name is Jack, but his real name is John. Kit is traditionally an offshoot of Christopher, it’s just not used that often. My middle name is Catesby.”

13. ​Jamie Foxx

Real Name: Eric Marlon Bishop

Did you know Eric Marlon Bishop chose his stage name “Jamie Foxx” when he first started doing stand up? Back in 2015, Foxx sat down with David Letterman and explained how he tried aiming for a “unisex name” when it came time for him to choose a professional alias.

“I noticed that like 1,000 guys showed up and only three girls, but the three girls would always get a spot,” the singer and actor revealed when recounting the time he signed up for a slot in the standup lineup. “So I went to the list and wrote down a unisex name…Jamie Foxx.” And it looks like the name just stuck.

14. ​Lana Del Ray

Real Name: Elizabeth Woolridge Grant

Until the age of 25, Lizzy (aka Elizabeth) Grant reinvented herself and took on a new name when she tried breaking into the music biz—and that’s how Lana Del Rey came to be. According to The Guardian, she not only changed her name, but her entire persona and image. #Iconic

​15. Bruno Mars

Real Name: Peter Gene Hernandez

Before he caught a grenade for us, the Finesse singer was called Bruno by his family because, when he was a baby, he resembled the professional wrestler Bruno Sammartino. But when it came to his last name, the Hawaiian-born musician thought it would be best to drop it and adopt the Mars surname. “Your last name’s Hernandez, maybe you should do this Latin music, this Spanish music...Enrique's so hot right now,” he jokes in a 2013 interview with GQ.

16. ​Lucy Hale

Real Name: Karen Lucille Hale

Lucy Hale has a secret…her full name is Karen Lucille Hale. As it turns out, the Pretty Little Liarsalum decided to ditch her first name and go by the nickname of her middle name: Lucy.

​17. Demi Moore

Real Name: Demetria Guynes

Long before she starred in The Substance, the longtime actress (born Demetria Guynes) tied the knot with rock star Freddy Moore at the age of 17 and took his last name. Though the marriage ended after four-and-a-half years, she’s been known as Demi Moore ever since.

18. ​John Legend

Real Name: John Roger Stephens

Tonight’s the night that…you’re going to learn how John Legend got his stage name! In a 2008 interview with MTV News (via People), the EGOT winner shared the story behind how he came up with his professional name. “John Legend is a nickname that some friends started calling me, and it kind of grew into my stage name,” he said at the time. “‘Legend’ is something that I never would have chosen for myself originally. It grew to the point where more people in my circle would know me by that name than by my real name.”

19. Miley Cyrus

Real Name: Destiny Hope Cyrus

Don’t worry, Destiny Hope Cyrus can buy herself flowers! As it turns out, the Grammy-award winner’s stage name dates back to her childhood, when her family would call her “Smiley,” which ultimately turned into “Miley.” And the rest is history.

20. Halsey

Real Name: Ashley Frangipane

Turns out, Halsey’s stage name is not anagram of her first name, Ashley. Back in 2015, the singer sat down with VEVO and revealed that she was inspired by Halsey Street in Brooklyn, where she would spend weekends making music with her friend.

21. Meg Ryan

Real Name: Margaret Mary Emily Anne Hyra

Apparently "Meg Ryan Fall" isn't a totally accurate moniker because Meg's real name is Margaret Mary Emily Anne Hyra! Meg is a common nickname for Margaret, but she got Ryan from her maternal grandmother's maiden name.

22. Nina Dobrev

Real Name: Nikolina Kamenova Dobreva

Originally born Nikolina in Bulgaria, our favorite Vampire Diaries star (and recent fiancée!) adopted "Nina" for her stage name because she reportedly figured it would be easier for fans to remember.

Get in the spirit with these Christmas in New York photos!

The only thing more magical than a Christmas tree in Manhattan? A Christmas tree in Manhattan covered in snow. Yes, please.

There's an endless supply of coffee shops in the city, and when they feature bright red color palettes, it just means the corner gets some Christmas cheer all year long.

I love how this photo captures the energy of the city. The hustle! The bustle! The lights!

It wouldn't be Christmas in New York without a trip to Radio City Music Hall. Rockettes anyone?

Another iconic part of any trip to New York during the holidays is ice skating at Rockefeller center. You'll feel like you're in a movie!

And right up the stairs after ice skating, you'll find Rockefeller plaza lit by angels and stars. You can almost hear the trumpets!

Feel like you're an elf in the North Pole when you check out these larger-than-life red baubles.

The Rockefeller tree is a gorgeous, gorgeous girl. Stop by after 10pm to avoid the crowds!

You'll also find that the simple details of Christmas in New York will take your breath away too. Like these boughs and red bows!

Match the holiday decor with your brightest red sweater(and black knee high boots while you're at it).

Just because New Yorkers don't have front yards doesn't mean they can't have outdoor decor. Look at this festive fire escape!

Gorgeous lights are all over the city — like this spot just outside the Plaza and Central Park.

Bask in the glow of a holiday-themed Empire State Building. It only happens once a year!

Even the New York Public Library lions are getting into the spirit!

And inside the iconic library, you'll find even more Christmas trees decorated with pinecones, bows, and fake snow. Absolutely magical.

The most fun thing about walking around the city at Christmas is seeing all the shops full of garland, lights, and bows!

And Christmas in New York means plenty of stoop decor — wreaths, lights, garlands, oh my!

Keep scrolling to see even more Christmas in New York!

You'll find lights on every street corner!

Take a trip to DUMBO (Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass) for an iconic photo opportunity and (hopefully) some snow too.

Christmas in New York can brighten even the dreariest winter day.

Remember what I said about bright red restaurants? Well, add a Christmas tree and you've got yourself an extra-festive street corner.

Saks Fifth Avenue might not be doing a light show this year, but it's always a good time to go down memory lane.

Minimalist decor helps landmarks like The Vessel stand out against a dark night sky — and serve as a lesson in enjoying simple details.

Nobody does a bright and colorful Christmas like Tiffany & Co. I mean, just LOOK, at this tree!

If you've been missing Tumblr, and listening to "I Look in People's Windows" by Taylor Swift on repeat, I chose this vibey picture with you in mind.

There's never a shortage of oversized Christmas icons in the city! These giant candy canes make me feel like I'm in Santa's workshop.

Grand Central Station is decked out for the season with garland, wreaths, and red and green lights.

Christmas in New York wouldn't be complete without these iconic locations.

Cartier always makes Christmas in New York feel more sophisticated and their starry design for 2024 is breathtaking.

I'm dreaming of a White Christmas in New York!

The Columbus Circle shops always have the brightest (and most colorful) Christmas stars.

New York isn't all apartment buildings! Take a trek out to Dyker Heights to see some serious Christmas lawn decor.

Not a fan of red or green? There are plenty of other color options ;).

"Snowflakes and nutcrackers" sounds like the perfect way to start a Christmas song.

Eloise at Christmastime is one of the ultimate Christmas movies, and Christmas in New York simply isn't Christmas in New York without the Plaza. Seeing it during the holidays is like nothing you've seen before.

This photo of the Empire State Building looks the way "River" by Joni Mitchell sounds. And I love it for that.