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Welcome back to The Daily Courant, your afternoon digest of Puck’s best new reporting.

First up today, Lauren Sherman has the goods on the explosive fashion industry scandal at Caastle, Christine Hunsicker’s “clothes-as-a-service” platform. Over the weekend, a stunning letter from the board accused Hunsicker of misrepresenting revenue figures by hundreds of millions of dollars, apprised shareholders of a federal investigation, and outlined the company’s
“severe and immediate liquidity problem.” Lauren explains why the fallout could be bigger than one Rent the Runway competitor… 

Plus, below the fold: Kim Masters chronicles how Hollywood is processing the creeping MAGAfication of Ari Emanuel’s Endeavor. John Ourand examines an R.S.N. showdown for the ages. And Abby Livingston
reveals the high-stakes, possibly premature jockeying among D.C. consultants over potential Democratic ’28 presidential aspirants.

Meanwhile, on the pods: Lauren Sherman chats with the inimitable Marisa Meltzer on Fashion People about her forthcoming Jane Birkin book and tangential industry intrigue. On The Grill Room, Dylan Byers and Jon Kelly consider the
various dramas engulfing D.C.’s chattering class. And on The Powers That Be, Leigh Ann Caldwell joins Peter Hamby to assess how Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez muscled her way into the Democratic mainstream.

FASHION

In 2018, Christine Hunsicker launched Caastle, a sort of B2B version of Rent the Runway. She courted brands by pitching
the business as a way for them to generate sales on their surplus stock and bring in new customers. She even claimed Caastle generated hundreds of millions in revenue in 2024. But, on Sunday, Caastle’s board told its investors the company was in “a severe and immediate liquidity crisis,” and that Hunsicker was resigning as C.E.O. amid a law enforcement investigation into some alleged creative accounting. According to multiple sources, Caastle’s 2024 revenue wasn’t nine figures, but only
$16 million. Lauren was told the board is trying to keep the company afloat by raising bridge funding, but they gave a clear warning to their investors: “If you have received any financial or capitalization information from Christine in the past, you cannot rely on that information.”

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HOLLYWOOD

Ari Emanuel, a frequent claimant to the moral high ground, has been oddly quiet about some controversial figures
connected to his growing businesses. As C.E.O. of UFC’s parent company, you’d think that Emanuel would be aware that UFC C.E.O. Dana White had welcomed online misogyny peddlers Andrew Tate and his brother to Las Vegas for a Power Slap tournament and UFC 313. (A source says Ari was not aware.) Emanuel is also catching flak for his friendship with Elon Musk, as Endeavor itself appears to be more accepting of Trump allies (Conor McGregor, Mel Gibson, the Saudis…) putting their handprints on the
culture. According to one former WME insider: “They don’t care! That is the ultimate hypocrisy of this town.”

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SPORTS

Comcast icing out regional sports networks with threats of blackouts? We’ve seen this movie multiple times over the past
year. On Sunday, viewers were treated to a three-minute-long rant from YES Network C.E.O. Jon Litner, who warned of a potential blackout and accused Comcast of “bullying.” This tactic, which the broadcast giant has employed before, has served to relegate networks like YES to smaller, less visible digital tiers. However, Comcast has a small stake in the network that broadcasts Mets games, so there has been an effort by YES to convince regulators that Comcast is putting its proverbial finger on the scales. Meanwhile,
Yankee Global Enterprises has a majority stake in YES and a fan in Donald Trump—who still has a few connections to the Yankees organization. On Sunday, Trump’s F.C.C. chair, Brendan Carr, signaled support for a quick resolution, and warned Comcast that the F.C.C. could address claims of discriminatory conduct directly.

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WASHINGTON

Among D.C.’s gimlet-eyed consultants, the jockeying to align with prime ’28 Democratic candidates has already begun.
After all, there is enormous financial upside for those who attach themselves early to promising presidential candidates—these are billion-dollar enterprises that throw off tens of millions in fees. Meanwhile, Democratic leadership is quietly observing and rating these emerging acts like NFL coaches grading rookie prospects before the draft. Despite the lack of appetite for the old guard, some of the perceived contenders are the usual suspects: Harris, Buttigieg, Klobuchar. However,
some in Washington think the party may be jumping the gun when midterms are hardly around the corner.

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FASHION

Lauren is joined by Marisa Meltzer, author of the forthcoming book It Girl: The Life and Legacy of Jane Birkin.
They discuss what’s behind Gwyneth Paltrow’s recent P.R. push pegged to both her return to acting and the restructuring of Goop, her lifestyle mini-empire. Marisa then compares and contrasts the memoirs of two important New Yorkers: Graydon Carter and Keith McNally. The duo also discuss the Thirteen Lune controversy, the portrayal of older women in media, and why they wish they were shopping at Brooks Brothers but aren’t.

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MEDIA

Jon Kelly swings by The Grill Room to chronicle the current media moment in Washington, D.C.: the evolving
major players, the business models, and the after-hours schmoozing that lubricates the whole town.

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WASHINGTON

Leigh Ann Caldwell joins Peter to talk about what the future holds for Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who, at 35, is already
one of the most scrutinized and compelling figures in the political arena. She’s increasingly generated buzz as an emerging leader for the Dems ever since Chuck Schumer voted with the G.O.P. on the funding bill. Now, Washington is wondering whether she’ll challenge for Schumer’s seat—or are her sights set even higher, like a run for the Oval in 2028?

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