There is always something bittersweet about the end of summer. Although it can be fun to get the kids ready to go back to school, it seems the long days of swimming in the pool and having popsicles for breakfast (we're not here to judge!) go by all too quickly. No matter how fast the time goes, we suspect that almost everyone hopes they'll have the best summer ever, but this year, we feel pretty confident that we know EXACTLY who really loved summer 2023!
Yep, we're talking about Taylor, Beyoncé, Margot, and more. They are just some of the stars who hit historic career highs and joyful personal milestones this summer. From selling out stadiums all over the world to the pink perfection of the biggest hit movie in years, we're here to celebrate the celebs who were responsible for some of our favorite pop culture moments this summer. We're also here to make a bold fall prediction: We should all be prepared for a whole bunch of little Barbies and tiny Taylors when Halloween rolls around this year. Summer may be over soon, but these celebs may also end up having the best fall too!
More from CafeMom: 15 Celebrities Who Were Spotted at Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour
John Mulaney
Not only does John Mulaney's son (with partner Olivia Munn) just get cuter and cuter, but John also is experiencing some real career highs after a rough few years. His Netflix special Baby J was nominated for two Emmy awards, and he just announced a tour with Jon Stewart and Pete Davidson that quickly sold out.
Beyoncé
Beyoncé is back on tour, and people all over the world are HERE FOR IT! Her concert has been huge and people are obsessed with her show, including the fact that it features her 11-year-old daughter Blue Ivy as a dancer. We're guessing it is fair to say that Blue Ivy is also having a pretty amazing summer as well.
More from CafeMom: Beyoncé & Jay-Z's Daughter Blue Ivy’s Most Iconic Moments
Kourtney Kardashian
Kourtney Kardashian Barker and husband Travis have been open about their desire to have a child together and about the fertility challenges they faced along the way. We can't help but be happy for Kourtney living her best pregnant and glowing life this summer!
Zooey Deschanel
Zooey Deschanel recently shared the news on Instagram that "Forever starts now!!!" and flashed a sparkly new engagement ring from her partner, Jonathan Scott. Zooey and Property Brother Jonathan have been dating for four years and got engaged on a European vacation that included her children. Love that blended family energy!
Taylor Lautner
Most Swifties have long considered Twilight star Taylor Lautner (who is, yes, also married to a woman named Taylor) to be the singer's least problematic former boyfriend. Taylor Swift must agree, because she not only welcomed him to the stage during her Kansas City show, but she also cast him as the lead in her I Can See You Video. We suspect he was pretty pumped to be able to show off his amazing martial arts moves and to get cheered on by a stadium full of Swifties.
Taylor Swift
We're going to call it: 2023 was the summer of Taylor! Her Eras tour has been the biggest concert tour in years and some experts are predicting that it might go on to be the most profitable concert tour EVER. We're here for the friendship bracelets, the fun outfits, and the joy of a stadium full of people losing their minds.
More from CafeMom: See Channing Tatum in His 'Daddy Era' at Taylor Swift Concert
Ryan Gosling
If Taylor Swift was the concert of the summer, than Barbie was the movie of the summer (maybe of the whole year?). We loved so many things about the instant classic movie, but we have to give a special shout-out to Ryan Gosling, whose role as Ken is already getting him Academy Award buzz!
Chrissy Teigen
We were all heartbroken for Chrissy Teigen and John Legend when they experienced pregnancy loss in 2020 and so happy for them when they welcomed daughter Esti in January 2023. Little did we know that another little blessing was already on the way! Chrissy and John welcomed their fourth child, born via surrogate, this summer, and baby Wren is SO CUTE.
Diana Taurasi
Phoenix Mercury star Diana Taurasi, a mother of two, has long been considered one of the greatest players in WNBA history. She cemented that status this summer by becoming the first WBNA player to score more than 10,000 points in her career. She's a beast!
Phil Dunster
Ted Lasso fans had a bittersweet 2023 as the series seemingly came to a close after three seasons. Most fans came to love the charmingly self-absorbed character of Jamie Tartt and were thrilled to see actor Phil Dunster get his first Emmy nomination for the role this summer. He'll be competing against friend and fellow Ted Lasso actor Brett Goldstein for the Outstanding Supporting Actor award.
America Ferrera
Actress America Ferrera's instantly iconic Barbie movie rant about the challenges of being a woman made many women cry and cemented her status as one of our favorite feminists in Hollywood. She's also getting Oscar buzz for the role, so we're expecting some more Barbie pink on lots of red carpets in the next year.
Kylie Minogue
Australian singer Kylie Minogue has been making hit music for decades, but she still managed to release one of the biggest songs of the summer in 2023! Her song Padam Padam was an international hit and became her first US Top 10 song in almost a decade.
Kristen Bell
Lots of us have go on trips and throw dinner parties in the summer, but few of us are able to drop photos on social media that show that our vacation dinner parties include guests like Jennifer Aniston and Courteney Cox! Her dinner party friends are literally Friends. Kristen and husband Dax dropped the photo from their Idaho vacation and we just hope we get invited next time.
Lionel Messi
Soccer star Lionel Messi has been one of the most popular international players for years, and fans of American soccer lost their minds when it was announced that he'd be starting with Inter Miami this summer. Ticket sales went through the roof when he joined the squad, and he is easily the most famous (and well-paid) star in US soccer at the moment.
Lindsay Lohan
After some rough years following childhood fame, it appears Lindsay Lohan has found success and happiness. She's returned to acting, she got married to Bader Shammas in 2022, and now she has welcomed her first child! Her son, named Luai, arrived earlier this summer.
Margot Robbie
Barbie herself had a very good, and very profitable, summer! Margot Robbie is not only the star of the film, which has already grossed more than $1.2 billion, but she was also one of the producers of the film. Some estimates predict that between the two roles she could end up earning more than $50 million from the film. That will buy a lot of Dream Houses.
