The Water Polo Scandal That Rocked LA’s Most Elite Private School

Plus: Before Celebrities Die, They Talk to Brad Falchuk

View in browser | Update preferences SUBSCRIBE FOR FULL ACCESS Vanity Fair has a strong tradition of investigating abuses and scandals at elite educational institutions—Nancy Jo Sales's personal excavation of her Exeter years; Evgenia Peretz reporting on the teacher who allegedly groomed young women at Miss Hall's; and how Brett Kavanaugh's alma mater, Georgetown Prep, wrestled with its demons (also by Evgenia, an expert at the form) are among my favorites. This week, we published another entry in that canon: VF contributor Deanna Kizis's exclusive story about allegations that rocked the water polo team at Harvard-Westlake, the top-tier LA private school. Read that if you haven't already. Elsewhere, we have VF's Savannah Walsh in conversation with Brad Falchuk, familiar as Gwyneth Paltrow's husband, now on camera himself in Famous Last Words, his Netflix series in which he interviews celebrities before their deaths, only to be aired posthumously. Brad tells Savannah all about the delicacies and difficulties of creating such a sensitive, intimate project. And in the spirit of sharing words from those who have passed, because his memorial took place yesterday, I'll leave you with a piece by the great William Langewiesche, who died last year. "Should Airplanes Be Flying Themselves?" is a magazine classic. CLAIRE HOWORTH, DEPUTY EDITOR Why this ad? The Deep End BY DEANNA KIZIS In 2024, top water polo player Lucca van der Woude was arrested at Los Angeles's Harvard-Westlake School—allegedly under suspicion of sexual assault. The criminal case against the player was closed, and the elite academy maintains it did nothing wrong. But a new civil suit accuses the school of risking the safety of two students of color—while allegedly protecting the white teammate who made their lives unbearable: "It was just straight, blatant racism." READ MORE Get more as a Vanity Fair subscriber Exclusive offer: Subscribe to get one month of Vanity Fair free START YOUR FREE TRIAL More Great Reads MEDIA Before Celebrities Die, They Share Their Famous Last Words With Brad Falchuk BY SAVANNAH WALSH "I get to hear all this great wisdom and humanity, and I really want everyone else to hear it—but I never want anyone else to hear it," the TV creator turned first-time host tells Vanity Fair about his groundbreaking new interview format. READ MORE THEATER Daniel Radcliffe Loves Playing a Neurotic Creative—and Wants You to Join Him BY CHRIS MURPHY The Tony winner talks to VF about his audience-participation play Every Brilliant Thing, sharing Broadway with his Harry Potter pal Tom Felton, and why he's done talking about J.K. Rowling. READ MORE MUSIC Megan Moroney Is an "Emo Cowgirl" With Big Ambition BY ERIN VANDERHOOF The country singer-songwriter on her pink and tiger-print era, the singer she idolizes, and her much-discussed friendship with Morgan Wallen. READ MORE From the Archive The Human Factor BY WILLIAM LANGEWIESCHE Airline pilots were once the heroes of the skies. Today, in the quest for safety, airplanes are meant to largely fly themselves. Which is why the 2009 crash of Air France Flight 447, which killed 228 people, remains so perplexing and significant. From the October 2014 issue, Vanity Fair's William Langewiesche explores how a series of small errors turned a state-of-the-art cockpit into a death trap. READ MORE Why this ad? Countdown to Oscars Casting Directors Hate the Spotlight—but for the Oscars, They'll Make an Exception As the Academy Awards prepare to honor them with their very own category, the industry's foremost ensemble-wranglers reflect on what this moment means—and hope it'll shed some light on their misunderstood, oft-overlooked profession. Wagner Moura Can't Help but Speak His Mind On Little Gold Men, the The Secret Agent star talks politics, a World Cup win vs. an Oscar win, and his greatest fear. KPop Demon Hunters Songwriter EJAE Put Her Whole Heart—and Her Past—Into "Golden" "After getting dropped, my dream to become a singer—I let that go," the musician tells VF. MORE FROM VANITY FAIR POLITICS BUSINESS HOLLYWOOD STYLE ROYALS CELEBRITY This e-mail was sent to you by VANITY FAIR. To ensure delivery to your inbox (not bulk or junk folders), please add our e-mail address, vanityfair@newsletter.vf.com, to your address book. View our Privacy Policy Unsubscribe Copyright © Condé Nast 2026. One World Trade Center, New York, NY 10007. All rights reserved.