LONDON (AP) — British children’s author and comedian David Walliams has denied allegations of inappropriate behavior after publisher HarperCollins dropped him.
Walliams, 54, is one of the U.K.’s bestselling children’s book authors and a former judge on the TV show “Britain’s Got Talent.”
In a statement on Friday, HarperCollins said: “After careful consideration, and under the leadership of its new CEO, HarperCollins UK has decided not to publish any new titles by David Walliams. The author is aware of this decision.”
A spokesperson for Walliams said in a statement that he “has never been informed of any allegations raised against him by HarperCollins.”
“He was not party to any investigation or given any opportunity to answer questions. David strongly denies that he has behaved inappropriately and is taking legal advice,” the statement said.
The publisher said it would not comment on internal matters, “to respect the privacy of individuals.”
“HarperCollins takes employee wellbeing extremely seriously and has processes in place for reporting and investigating concerns,” it said.
Walliams has published over 40 children’s books and sold more than 60 million copies worldwide, according to his website. Several of them, including “Gangsta Granny,” have been adapted into a BBC comedy dramas and stage productions.
Walliams left his role as judge on “Britain’s Got Talent” in 2022 after apologizing for making “disrespectful comments” about auditioning contestants.
Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
James Cameron just reignited Hollywood chatter by claiming he wrote the 1991 cult classic action movie Point Break, which was directed by his then-wife Kathryn Bigelow. Cameron said in a recent interview that he “flat out got stiffed by the Writers Guild,” insisting he deserved official credit for the screenplay. His comments have sparked fresh debates about who was really behind the adrenaline-fueled hit starring Keanu Reeves and Patrick Swayze.
Peter Iliff talks about James Cameron’s claims that he penned Point Break
W. Peter Iliff, the officially credited screenwriter of Point Break, responded to the claim Cameron made in profile for The Hollywood Reporter. Iliff acknowledged in an interview with PEOPLE that Cameron, as executive producer, contributed a few scenes, but the Writers Guild of America (WGA) awarded Iliff sole screenplay credit.
“The WGA arbitration process is one of fellow writers reading all the drafts and rendering a credit decision,” Iliff responded. “That jury gave me sole screenplay credit for Point Break, with shared story credit with Rick King.”
Iliff also acknowledged Cameron’s role, calling him “my hero” and praising the ways he helped shape Point Break. “There’s enough glory for everybody, and it’s great that Jim should be recognized for his work that made Point Break the movie that it became,” Iliff said.
Iliff explained that Point Break started as a concept by director Rick King and went through several filmmakers before landing with him. At one point, Ridley Scott was even attached to direct, but Kathryn Bigelow ultimately took the helm.
“She went on to make a fantastic, iconic movie,” Iliff said. The film follows Keanu Reeves as FBI agent Johnny Utah, who goes undercover to take down a gang of bank robbers led by Patrick Swayze’s Bodhi.
Cameron hadn’t gone into detail publicly about his screenplay contributions until now. Fans reportedly say he penned a “final, uncredited draft” that amped up the action. Iliff recognized that Cameron’s tweaks helped shape the film but stressed that the WGA’s ruling credited him as the primary writer.
A 2008 superhero film directed by Peter Berg and starring Will Smith is scheduled to leave Netflix at the beginning of January. As its streaming window comes to a close, Hancock is drawing renewed attention for its portrayal of a powerful hero.
Here are all the details on the Sony Pictures film and its upcoming departure from Netflix.
Will Smith-led Hancock will be leaving Netflix in January
Hancock, the 2008 superhero film starring Will Smith, is set to leave Netflix in January, marking the end of its current streaming run on the platform. The movie will no longer be available after January 1. This gives viewers a short window to watch or rewatch the film.
Directed by Peter Berg, the film follows John Hancock, a superpowered figure. His public image has deteriorated due to his reckless behavior and alcohol abuse. He repeatedly saves lives across Los Angeles. However, the extensive collateral damage left behind during his rescues has made him widely disliked.
The story takes a turn when Hancock rescues public relations consultant Ray Embrey from an oncoming train. Grateful for his life, Ray becomes determined to restore Hancock’s reputation as a legitimate hero. The story expands as Hancock becomes involved with Ray’s family.
Alongside Smith, the cast features Charlize Theron as Mary Embrey, Jason Bateman as Ray Embrey, Jae Head as Aaron Embrey, and Eddie Marsan as Kenneth Parker Jr.
Hancock proved to be a major commercial success, grossing approximately $629.4 million worldwide against a reported $150 million production budget. According to Box Office Mojo, it earned more than $227 million domestically and over $401 million internationally.
Despite its financial success, the film’s critical reception was mixed. It has a 42% score on Rotten Tomatoes and a 6.4 rating on IMDB. Will Smith notably won a BET award for his performance in the film.
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Joe Ely, the influential Texas-born singer-songwriter whose blend of honky-tonk, rock and roadhouse blues made him a favorite among other musicians and led to collaborations with Bruce Springsteen and the Clash, has died. He was 78.
Ely died in Taos, New Mexico, of complications from Lewy Body Dementia, Parkinson’s and pneumonia, with his wife and daughter by his side, according to a post on his Facebook account Monday night and later confirmed by his representatives.
Ely was considered a key figure in the progressive country music movement as a founder of the influential country-rock band The Flatlanders with Jimmie Dale Gilmore and Butch Hancock, and later as a solo artist.
“Joe Ely performed American roots music with the fervor of a true believer who knew music could transport souls,” said Kyle Young, CEO of the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum.
“But his true measure came through in the dynamic intensity of his powerhouse live performances, where he could stand his ground aside fellow zealots Bruce Springsteen who recorded duets with Ely, and the (Rolling) Stones and the Clash, who took Ely on tour as an opening act,” Young said.
After signing with MCA, Ely released his first solo album in 1977. He would release more than 20 albums over his career, including “Love and Freedom” earlier this year.
Born in Amarillo, Texas, Ely stayed connected to his Texas roots through decades of recording and performing that lacked a mainstream breakthrough but made him a favorite of other artists.
“Every time I start a new album I head up to West Texas and drive around, you know, drive on those old cotton roads and in the wide-open spaces, and every once in a while I’ll come across a place where I’ve spent some time,” Ely told Texas Monthly in 2011.
It was a soundcheck for a show in London that led to the collaboration with British punk band the Clash. Ely would later open for the Clash at several shows and sang backup vocals for their hit song “Should I Stay or Should I Go?”
Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
PARIS (AP) — France’s first lady has defended her use of a sexist slur to denounce feminist protesters, saying the comments were “clumsy” but made in private when “I didn’t see that someone behind me was filming.”
Speaking to online media outlet Brut, Brigitte Macron acknowledged in a video interview published Monday evening that her language had been “very direct.” But she said she’d been trying to reassure French actor Ary Abittan when she described feminist protesters who disrupted one of his shows as “dirty b – – – – – s.”
That scene was filmed earlier this month. She was in discussion backstage at the Folies Bergère theatre in Paris with Abittan, an actor and humorist previously accused of rape who was about to give a performance. The previous night, feminist campaigners had disrupted his show with shouts of “Abittan, rapist!” Brigitte Macron asked Abittan how he was feeling. When he said he was feeling scared, she replied with the derogatory and sexist reference to the women, adding: “We’ll toss them out.”
The comments triggered a backlash, including from campaigners against sexual and sexist violence, and political opponents of her husband, President Emmanuel Macron.
In her interview with Brut, Brigitte Macron said in the relatively rare public declaration that “I completely understand” that some people were shocked, but added that “it absolutely wasn’t meant to be public” and that she’d not been speaking as the French leader’s spouse.
“I am not always the wife of the president of the Republic. I also have a private life and this was a private moment. I am sorry if I hurt women victims. It’s them and just them that I am thinking of,” she said.
“I certainly wouldn’t have used those terms in public,” she said.
But she also criticized protesters for targeting Abittan, saying that she “cannot bear that a performance is interrupted. Someone is on stage. He is trying to give everything that he can give. How does he carry on afterward? What is the meaning of this censorship being placed on artists? It’s something that I don’t understand. We aren’t judges.”
Magistrates terminated the investigation of the 2021 rape allegation against Abittan because of a lack of evidence in 2024, a decision then confirmed on appeal in January. Activists with the feminist campaign group “Nous Toutes” (“All of Us”) disrupted his show to protest what it described as “the culture of impunity” around sexual violence in France.
Asked by Brut if she regretted her comments, Brigitte Macron said: “I cannot regret speaking. I don’t want to regret. It is true that I am the wife of the president of the Republic, but I am also myself above anything. And when I am in private, it’s true that I can let myself go in a way that is absolutely not adequate but I needed to reassure him.”
“I reassured him certainly in a way that was clumsy. But I had no other words at my disposal at that moment. And regardless, I think we have a right to speak and the right to think.”
Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Timothée Chalamet recalled feeling like he might get “murdered” during his brief time with rapper Kendrick Lamar. He imagined what newspaper headlines would look like, while also thinking, “That would be a crazy end [to my] Wikipedia [page].”
Timothée Chalamet revisits his Kendrick Lamar interview during rapper’s feud with Drake
Timothée Chalamet recently appeared on the 7PM in Brooklyn with Carmelo Anthony podcast. During his conversation with the hosts, he shared what his thought process was like when he was in an interview with Kendrick Lamar before the Super Bowl LIX Halftime Show.
“I was like, ‘Wow, he’s in the middle of this beef. Could you imagine if this is how I go out?’” the Dune actor wondered. “’Actor Timothée Chalamet murdered.’ That would be a crazy end [to my] Wikipedia [page],” the Oscar-nominated actor added.
Elsewhere in the conversation, the Marty Supreme star shared his takeaways from meeting with the rapper. He said, “My big takeaway from Kendrick was—it was during all the huge beef last year—I was just so amazed. I was so impressed that this man, who was so calm sitting next to me, and I was like, “Wow, he’s engaged in a gladiator sport right now.”
However, he admitted that it’s not something that he could ever do. He continued, “As much as I love hip-hop and all… I was sitting next to him, and I was like, ‘Wow, I could not do that.’ You know, like his calmness. I couldn’t believe like you could be that big at war with somebody that big and go about your life. I don’t know.”
“That was just unfathomable to me,” he admitted. “Otherwise, he’s somebody I grew up listening to, and I just appreciated him,” the 29-year-old added.
Kendrick Lamar and Drake’s feud reignited in 2024 when Lamar dismissed J. Cole’s “Big Three” claim (himself, Drake, and Lamar as modern hip-hop’s top artists) on Future and Metro Boomin’s “Like That” in March 2024. This led to a massive clash between Drake and Lamar, where they released diss tracks about each other and made some serious accusations.
In January 2025, Drake sued Universal Music Group, Lamar’s record partner, over his song “Not Like Us,” alleging defamation. However, in October, the federal court dismissed the case. Meanwhile, Lamar earned five Grammy Awards for the aforementioned song.
Nick Reiner was reportedly not at the Brentwood, California home of his parents, Rob Reinerand Michele Singer Reiner, when their bodies were discovered.
Per a Monday, December 15, report from ABC News, investigators believe Nick, 32, left the Brentwood neighborhood and traveled to an area near the University of Southern California in University Park, Los Angeles. According to the outlet, authorities were able to “quickly” find him at a metro station near the campus and arrested him for murder around 9:15 p.m. local time, approximately six hours after his parents were found dead.
Per photos obtained by Page Six, Nick, wearing a black jacket and white stripes, could be seen pressed to the ground by a Los Angeles Police Department officer before being escorted to a police car.
Us Weekly has reached out to the University of Southern California for comment.
Rob Reiner and wife Michele Singer Reiner‘s son Nick Reiner has been arrested on a murder charge after the couple were stabbed to death at their home in Brentwood, California, Us Weekly can confirm. The Los Angeles Police Department Parker City Jail told Us on Monday, December 15, that Nick, 32, is currently in custody […]
Rob, 78, and Michele, 68, were found dead in their home on Sunday, December 14. The LAPD later confirmed that the couple both suffered “apparent stab wounds.” Us confirmed the following day that Nick had been taken into custody and arrested on a murder charge. He is currently being held in Los Angeles’ Twin Towers jail with no bail.
One day prior to their deaths, Rob and Michele attended a holiday party at Conan O’Brien’s home alongside Nick on Saturday, December 13. A source exclusively told Us that Nick was acting “creepily” at the celebration before leaving, going “up to people” at the gathering and “asking if they were famous.” Per TMZ, Nick and his dad engaged in a “very loud argument” at the party before his exit, which other attendees overheard.
Nick’s troublesome history and fraught relationship with his parents was well documented over the years. A second insider close to the situation told Us that Nick has “always been hostile and volatile” toward his family, noting that his “problems were going on for so long, so while everyone is in a state of shock right now, it’s not entirely surprising.”
“A lot of his anger was directed at his parents for many, many years,” the source continued. “They did everything a parent could possibly do to help him. Even in his younger years, they really tried to get him help. And then it became a cycle of seeking treatment for him, kicking him out, or him leaving the house, him moving back in.”
His hostility also extended toward his siblings, the insider shared, saying that sister Romy “has been so traumatized by Nick’s behavior,” adding, “She has always been so close with her parents, and watching their constant pain over Nick has impacted her and the whole family so much.”. (Rob and Michele shared kids Nick, Romy and son Jake. Rob was also the dad to daughter Tracy, whom he adopted while married to late ex-wife Penny Marshall.)
Another insider revealed that Rob and Michele’s issues with Nick had been “so much of their life,” noting that the pair were “honest” about the struggles with this son. “Everyone who knew them and loved them is struggling right now, because it was never a secret,” the source explained.
Nick himself has been vocal about his struggles with drug addiction over the years, which led to his first rehab stint at the age of 15. After several treatment attempts and subsequent relapses, he ended up homeless while traveling through multiple states.
“I was homeless in Maine. I was homeless in New Jersey. I was homeless in Texas,” Nick told People in 2016. “I spent nights on the street. I spent weeks on the street. It was not fun. “If I wanted to do it my way and not go to the programs they were suggesting, then I had to be homeless.”
Nick eventually got clean, and in 2015, he cowrote Being Charlie, which was directed by Rob and followed the early days of his addiction battles. Cary Elwes portrayed the father, while Nick Robinson starred in the titular role.
Although the father-son duo said that working together was “therapeutic” and allowed them to see things from each other’s point of view, they admitted while promoting the film that there were “disagreements” along the way.
“There were disagreements. At times it was really rough [working on the film,” Rob told the crowd at an event for the movie, while Nick said, “Sometimes it would get overwhelming for me. I really wasn’t sure I wanted to do this.”
Rob Reiner’s son Nick Reiner had “always been hostile and volatile” toward his family before he was arrested over claims he murdered his parents, sources exclusively tell Us Weekly. “Nick’s problems have been going on for so long, so while everyone is in a state of shock right now, it’s not entirely surprising,” sources close […]
Nick opened up even further about his ups and downs with drugs during a 2018 episode of the “Dopey” podcast, where he confessed to stealing $200 dollars from his parents at age 15 to lose his virginity to a sex worker. He also revealed he once “wrecked” his parents’ guest house while high.
“I got totally spun out on uppers — I think it was coke and something else — and I was up for days on end,” he shared on the episode. “I started punching out different things in my guest house. I literally punched the TV.”
When asked if there was a thought process to destroying the property, Nick replied, “You’re crazy. No logic.”
The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives’ Demi Engemann and husband Bret are feeling a little fruity! The reality television stars poked fun at the recent social media furor created by costar Jessi Ngatikaura earlier this week when the hairstylist revealed the meaning behind the couple’s “fruity pebbles” sex story from season 1. In a new […]
While Jessi did not clarify what tea had been spilled during the MomTok meetup, many fans have presumed she was referring to her now-viral drama with Demi Engemann.
Jessi and Demi, 30, had been at odds for the entire course of The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives season 3 following their respective encounters with Vanderpump Villa’s Marciano Brunette. (Jessi admitted that she had an emotional affair with Marciano, 32, whom Demi claimed assaulted her during Villa. He has denied the assault allegations.)
Jessi and Demi’s drama soon escalated to a back-and-forth war of words, culminating in the JZ Styles founder revealing the NSFW sex act that Demi and her husband, Bret Engemann, enjoy in the bedroom.
“Since she wants to be petty and be an asshole, I think I am just going to go ahead and say that grandpa Bret likes to drink her piss like it is dirty soda,” Jessi claimed in an Instagram Story video last month. “He gulps it down like water. And that is what fruity pebbles means.”
Demi’s sex life with Bret, 48, raised eyebrows during season 1 of Mormon Wives when the other women claimed that Demi told them she and Bret have done something that smells like “fruity pebbles.”
While Demi initially declined to share more, she issued a response to Jessi’s comments last month.
“What my husband and I did one time behind closed doors was a consensual and private experience in our marriage,” Demi wrote in a November statement. “I won’t let a private act between my husband and I be a distraction from a serious act that I did not consent to.”
She continued, “It’s very telling that she’s choosing to break [a] story line and bring it up now, only after her own affair has come to light. This is nothing more than a desperate attempt to shift attention away from her own behavior.”
For some The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives couples, going on a reality TV show made their marriage stronger — while others crumbled under the pressure. When Hulu debuted The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives in September 2024, viewers were introduced to Jen Affleck and husband Zac Affleck, Demi Engemann and husband Bret Engemann, Whitney […]
As Demi and Jessi’s feud escalated, Taylor was away filming season 22 of The Bachelorette.
“Teaser: Last night was one of the BEST nights of my life,” Taylor wrote via her Instagram Stories on Thursday, December 11, hinting that production recently wrapped. “Can’t wait to talk about [it] in like six months LMAFO [sic].”
While Taylor did not elaborate further, she did previously tell Us Weekly that it was her “goal” to get engaged on the Bachelor Nation show.
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“As my mom likes to say, I do fall in love quickly,” she exclusively told Us in September. “I always call myself a lover girl because I, like, fall for people and I have done that in the past. … I’m going to take my time, I’m going to kind of, like, get to know people. Maybe I learned things I didn’t like or do like that I didn’t even know. I think this is gonna be really good for the long-term effect.”
Taylor was previously married to Tate Paul, with whom she shares two children. Taylor also welcomed son Ever with ex Dakota Mortensen last year.
The Bachelorette premieres on ABC Sunday, March 22, 2026, at 8 p.m. ET.
Taylor Swift can do it with a broken heart — and with a stomach ache.
The pop star, 35, revealed during her Wednesday, December 10, appearance on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert that she performed with stomach bugs on more than one occasion on her Eras Tour.
“For me, when I’m on tour, especially the Eras Tour, I just make a decision at the beginning of the tour that there’s no option to not go on stage,” Swift explained. “That’s not an option, and it’s not an option to perform, like, ‘I think I’ll do this show at a level six tonight.’ That’s not an option.”
The “Lover” singer continued, “Even if you have the stomach flu, which I had multiple times during the tour, my goal was, like, never let them know you have the stomach flu.”
Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour may be over, but fans can still hold onto the memories. Swift, 35, celebrated the two-year anniversary of the tour’s kickoff by sharing an exclusive performance from opening night at the 2025 iHeartRadio Music Awards on Monday, March 17, from the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. “This is amazing, hi, thank […]
Swift said one thing that helped her push through “physical pain” was her costumes, including her bedazzled Versace bodysuit, which she wore to kick off each show in the Lover era.
“I was constantly in a lot of physical pain, but when I put that on, I was just like, ‘No, this is popping. I’m doing it,’” she added.
Swift told Colbert, 61, that it was important to her to keep up with her scheduled shows because it meant so much to her fans.
“It’s also about knowing there’s something bigger than you, and for me on that tour, the bigger thing was these people have saved up their money, they have rearranged their schedules, they have arranged transportation, they’ve had parties, they’ve created costumes, they’ve made sweatshirts, they’ve made friendship bracelets,” she explained. “I’m doing the show.”
Kate Green/Getty Images
Swift’s Eras Tour consisted of 149 shows across five continents. Only three dates out of the two-year tour were canceled due to a suspected terror attack at Ernst Happel Stadium in Vienna, Austria, in August 2024.
“Having our Vienna shows canceled was devastating. The reason for the cancellations filled me with a new sense of fear, and a tremendous amount of guilt because so many people had planned on coming to those shows,” Swift wrote via Instagram at the time. “But I was also so grateful to the authorities because thanks to them, we were grieving concerts and not lives.”
The Grammy winner continued, “I was heartened by the love and unity I saw in the fans who banded together. I decided that all of my energy had to go toward helping to protect the nearly half a million people I had coming to see the shows in London. My team and I worked hand in hand with stadium staff and British authorities every day in pursuit of that goal, and I want to thank them for everything they did for us.”
As the Eras Tour winds down, Taylor Swift is getting emotional about saying goodbye to everyone who made it a special journey. After a standing ovation for her performance of “Champagne Problems” on Saturday, November 23, the 34-year-old pop star attempted to thank fans on behalf of herself and members of her band. Swift, however, […]
Swift concluded her Eras Tour in December 2024. Now, one year later, she is set to shed light on her journey in Disney+’s The End of an Era, a six-part behind-the-scenes docuseries that chronicles the development and impact of the Eras Tour. Along with the docuseries, Disney+ will release The Final Show, a concert film of her last Vancouver show that includes the Tortured Poets Department set.
“It was the End of an Era and we knew it,” Swift wrote via Instagram in October when the projects were announced. “We wanted to remember every moment leading up to the culmination of the most important and intense chapter of our lives, so we allowed filmmakers to capture this tour and all the stories woven throughout it as it wound down. And to film the final show in its entirety.”
Taylor Swift: The End of an Era and Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour: The Final Show premiere on Disney+ on Friday, December 12.
NEW YORK (AP) — You don’t need to major in astrophysics at Harvard to become an actor — but it doesn’t necessarily hurt, either.
“I thought that’s what you go there to do. It’s like why are you paying all this money to go to this fancy school if you’re not going to study a hard science to try to save the world? … But I was quickly humbled,” chuckled Chase Sui Wonders, who began failing classes within her first few weeks. Her college application essay had been about making movies, so she decided she “might as well just pivot back to what I know best.”
“The attention’s definitely weird, but can feel good,” said the 29-year-old, flashing her warm smile throughout the interview. “The most energizing thing about the whole thing is when you get recognition, the phone starts ringing more, and these other avenues are opening up that I always kind of dreamed about.”
“The Studio” amassed an astounding 23 Emmy nominations in its debut season, taking home a record-breaking 13 wins. But Wonders may not have seemed like an obvious choice for comedy with her past roles, including the 2022 film “Bodies Bodies Bodies” and her breakout role, the teen-themed series “Genera+ion,” which was canceled by HBO Max after one season. But all it took was one virtual video audition to land the role of Quinn Hackett, the hyper-ambitious, cutthroat assistant-turned-creative executive under studio head Matt Remick, played by the show’s co-creator and co-executive producer Seth Rogen.
“I had always … felt like, ‘I think I’m kind of funny,’” she laughed, acknowledging feeling she had to prove herself working alongside comedic heavyweights like Rogen, Catherine O’Hara, Kathryn Hahn and Ike Barinholtz. “That pressure felt really daunting and scary. But I think, hopefully, I rose to the occasion.”
Despite mere degrees of separation from Hollywood as the niece of fashion designer Anna Sui, an acting career seemed unattainable growing up in Bloomfield Township, a Detroit suburb. Born to a father of Chinese descent and a white mother, Wonders and her siblings were primarily raised by their mom after their parents divorced.
An extremely shy child and self-described tomboy, she developed a love for sports — she won high school state championships in both ice hockey and golf — and spent much of her childhood making videos with her siblings. Thanks to her mother encouraging her to take performance arts classes, she was able to break out of her shell. But coming from an achievement-driven family, all signs pointed to a career in business.
A corporate track nearly began after struggling to break into the industry, and she even considered taking a job in Beijing to begin her adult life in the business world. But with only a week to decide on the job offer, she decided to give Hollywood one more shot. Three months later, she booked “Genera+ion.”
“There have been different moments in my life where I’ve been seriously humbled,” said Wonders, who has aspirations of directing. “It just has taught me just not to take it all too seriously. … I do feel absurdly lucky that I get to be on set with all my friends and telling a bunch of jokes and being a weirdo on screen.”
Next up for Wonders is the Gregg Araki-directed “I Want Your Sex,” starring Olivia Wilde, and she’ll star in A24’s horror thriller “October.” She’ll also appear in the upcoming “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” reboot, with Oscar-winning filmmaker Chloé Zhao directing the pilot. And of course, a second season for “The Studio” is in the works.
Red carpets and magazine covers couldn’t be a more antithetical life for the girl who assumed she’d climb the executive ranks at one of the major car companies headquartered in Detroit. Instead, she’s climbing the Hollywood ladder — and she wouldn’t tell her younger self to speed up the process.
“It’s so fun how life surprises you,” said Wonders. “I wouldn’t tell her anything. I would tell her it’s all going to make sense in the rearview mirror — but no spoilers.”
Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Wenne Alton Davis, known for her role in The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, has tragically died at the age of 60. Her talent agent confirmed the news in a statement, and authorities have since released details about the incident.
Wenne Alton Davis dies after being hit by an SUV
Wenne Alton Davis died after an SUV struck her while crossing West 53rd Street and Broadway in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. According to reports, the vehicle was a black 2023 Cadillac XT6 that hit Davis while making a left turn on Monday, December 8, at around 9 p.m.
“[Davis] sustained severe trauma to the head and body,” an NYPD officer told PEOPLE. “EMS responded and transported [Davis] to Mount Sinai West, where she was pronounced deceased.” They further stated, “The operator of the 2023 Cadillac XT6 remained on scene and was not injured as a result of the collision. There are no arrests at this time, and the investigation remains ongoing by the NYPD Highway District’s Collision Investigation Squad.”
Later, Davis’ agent, Jamie Harris, confirmed the sad news in a statement. He said, “She had a huge love for New York, for acting, for her colleagues at J.F.K. and, most of all, her family and her circle of friends (which was also huge).” (via The New York Times)
As per her agent, Davis moved to New York in her 20s to make a career in stand-up comedy. However, she later expanded her work to include acting roles. She did so while taking a security job at Kennedy International Airport to make ends meet.
Davis appeared during Marvelous Mrs. Maisel’s series finale episode, titled “Four Minutes,” where she played the role of a cop. The episode aired on May 26, 2023. Before appearing on the show, she also worked on projects like Girls5eva, New Amsterdam, and Rescue Me.
NEW YORK (AP) — Behind the Wizard of Oz in the two-part “Wicked” movies were people actually pulling the strings. They set the table for the hit double-punch movies long before the cameras ever rolled out: The casting directors, helped pick who made it to Oz.
“Our job is to know the actors that are out there or know how to find the actors that we don’t know,” says Bernard Telsey, one of the heavy hitters in the world of casting, who, with Tiffany Little Canfield, populated both “Wicked” movies.
Casting will get some Oscar love next year. A new prize for achievement in casting was added to the Academy Awards in March, a step casting directors believe is long overdue. The 98th Academy Awards will air live on ABC on March 15, 2026.
“It’s really hard for people to understand what it is that we do because it’s so private,” says Telsey. “It’s only going to make the profession that much stronger and people that much more aware of what we do.”
The Emmys have three categories for casting, and the Critics Choice Awards just added a casting trophy this year. The casting industry has its own prize, the Artios Awards, first held in 1985. But the Golden Globes and Tony Awards don’t recognize the profession.
“When casting is great, it sometimes feels invisible. Because it’s so well done, you don’t see the fingerprints,” says Destiny Lilly, president of the 1,200-strong Casting Society who also works with Telsey.
“I think that it’s taken time just to get recognition for that art because a lot of the work that casting directors do happens before a lot of the rest of the production team is brought on board.”
Telsey, along with his team at The Telsey Office, casts in every medium, from the films “Mary Poppins Returns” and “Kiss of the Spider Woman” to TV shows like “The Gilded Age” and “Only Murders in the Building.” He came up through theater, casting such Tony Award-winners as “Maybe Happy Ending,” “Kinky Boots” and “Hairspray.”
“Wicked” and “Wicked: For Good” represented one of his team’s biggest challenges, filling hundreds of roles and dance parts over more than a year of filming and across continents.
Even though it may have seemed inevitable that Cynthia Erivo was a natural Elphaba and Ariana Grande was a shoo-in for Glinda, that’s hindsight. Like all casting decisions, it was a bit of a gamble.
“Not until they got in the room were you like, ‘Oh, this is magic. This has to be. There is nobody else to play the part but the two of them,’” he says. “You don’t really know until you get to see it.”
To keep tabs on as many actors as possible, Telsey goes to the theater four or five nights a week and spends weekends trying to catch up on TV and movies. Twice a week, he and his staff meet to trade tips about who they’re seeing and make recommendations.
“Every day you feel like you’re behind and there’s another hundred actors I don’t know and how am I going to meet them and how am I going to see them? So it’s a constant race,” he says.
Casting directors first talk with the directors, writers and producers to get a sense of what their vision is for the project and then get the right actors to audition. Telsey likens it to how a costume designer must know all the potential different fabrics and colors out there.
Lilly recently scored a coup by suggesting comedian Bill Burr join the latest Broadway revival of David Mamet’s “Glengarry Glen Ross” alongside Kieran Culkin and Bob Odenkirk. It was Burr’s stage debut, but Mamet’s explosive dialogue seemed to fit perfectly.
“I think that there’s so many people who haven’t done theater who can really shine. They just need to be given the right opportunity and the right project and have the right director working with them,” she says.
Over the years, Telsey has seen the walls between film, TV and theater work fall away as actors change mediums freely. He doesn’t subscribe to the belief that stage skills are so very dissimilar from screen skills.
“It’s a myth that they’re different. They’re technically different, but they’re the same. Good acting is good acting,” he says. “Glenn Close can do a musical, a play, a television show and a movie and be nominated in every … category. Those things have changed over the last 20 years.”
Telsey, whose first big breakout casting was the show “Rent” — “just a little musical that nobody wanted to do,” he jokes — has also seen technology change the job, especially as auditions move online, streaming TV explodes and the movie and film business get more global.
“I think we’re always educating our teams with the need for casting to be bigger and to be covering more ground,” he says. “Most projects you have only a short amount of time to find a cast. Time is not on our side. It’s only going to get tighter as budgets get smaller for the future.”
Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
MonsterVerse fans have much to rejoice about, as Apple TV has reportedly greenlit a prequel for the Monarch: Legacy of Monsters series. Ongoing speculation suggests that executives at the renowned streaming service have agreed to expand the world of Monarch with a spin-off series that will come out after the premiere of its upcoming Season 2.
Monarch: Legacy of Monsters prequel series reportedly happening
According to a report published by Nexus Point News, Apple TV is moving ahead with a prequel show for Monarch, which will see Wyatt Russell reprise his role as the younger version of Lee Shaw. Notably, the Thunderbolts* star’s real-life father, Kurt Russell, portrays the present-day Lee Shaw in the MonsterVerse’s premier TV show.
While precise plot details regarding the prequel project remain under wraps, at the time of writing, sources have claimed that the series will take place during the Cold War era. As such, it will seemingly deal with the emergence of monsters at a time when the United States of America was embroiled in deep-rooted political tensions with the Soviet Union.
Joby Harold of Obi-Wan Kenobi fame will reportedly take the reins of the Apple TV series, serving as the showrunner of the Monarch prequel. He will also executive produce the show along with his wife and professional partner, Tory Tunnell, under the banner of their production company, Safehouse Pictures, as per the report. Wyatt Russell, in addition to playing a leading role in the series, will executive produce the show as well. Interestingly, Harold and Tunnell have already executive-produced Monarch: Legacy of Monsters.
The unnamed Monarch spin-off becomes yet another addition to the super-successful MonsterVerse franchise, which has spawned five films and one live-action TV series so far.
Production on the show will reportedly commence in Prague in the summer of 2026. As such, the prequel series is expected to arrive after the premiere of the upcoming Godzilla x Kong: Supernova movie, which is currently on track to release on March 26, 2027, as well as Monarch Season 2, which comes out on Apple TV on February 27, 2026.
The singer debuted a new song while on the Jolly Polly Pirate Ship on Thursday, November 27. He was wearing a pirate costume of his own (complete with green sunglasses) and, yes, made sure those signature dance moves were on full display. He was gyrating his hips throughout the entire song, using the pirate ship as a prop.
Kids on the float with him couldn’t help but cheer for the performance as Mr. Fantasy has risen to fame since going viral on TikTok.
While the younger generation was absolutely thrilled Mr. Fantasy was getting his flowers on Thursday morning, others were rather confused. For those not on that side of TikTok, Mr. Fantasy is (allegedly) actor KJ Apa. Although, if you ask Mr. Fantasy, he is unfamiliar with the Riverdalestar.
“I mean, I think I am a good actor. If I was given the right opportunity, I would be quite good. I think I’m honest enough to be an actor,” Mr. Fantasy shared during a September interview with The Hollywood Reporter. “Often the best performers, like James Franco, they seem to have honesty. It exudes off of the screen, and so yeah, of course I’d be very interested, you know. I’d love to work with James Franco, if I haven’t already mentioned that. If I was to do it, I don’t think I’d do it without him.”
NBC
Mr. Fantasy posted his first TikTok this past August and in just three months, he gained one million followers on the app. His debut single, aptly titled “Mr. Fantasy,” became a viral sensation. He’s since released the followup single “Wayuwanna,” and has taken the internet by storm.
The up-and-coming singer has even made surprise appearances on Dancing With the Stars, and made several TikTok videos with the show’s professional dancers.
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Fans are convinced that Apa and Mr. Fantasy are the same person — especially considering they’ve never been spotted in the same room together. Mr. Fantasy has, however, never heard of or seen Riverdale. Apa starred as Archie Andrews on The CW show from 2017 to 2023. (Even Apa’s Riverdale costars are huge Mr. Fantasy fans, even though he doesn’t know who they are either.)
The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade doesn’t go off without a hitch every year. The world’s largest parade originally began in 1924 and has become the go-to watch on Turkey Day. From the giant balloons to the musical performances, there’s something for everyone in the household to enjoy before digging into their Thanksgiving dinner. Thank You! […]
While Mr. Fantasy is working only on music projects right now, he might have more coming in the future.
“I’m not trying to define myself, do you know what I mean? I sort of just am me. That’s how I’m trying to inspire people, by just being who they are, because that’s the biggest gift that we have,” he shared in the same THR profile. “I’m sorry to say it, but we were born all very different, and I think it’s very important to inhabit this thing that you are, instead of trying to be someone else. It’s very difficult now. We’re in a time where we all want to be like the big star, Austin Butler, or these other amazing people like James Franco. I’m guilty of it, aren’t I? Shoot me.”
This week’s Survivor 49 episode gave fans the real taste of the Tribal Council, leading to a wild elimination that no one saw coming.
The latest episode, teeming with blindsides, sneaky advantages, once again reminded fans of the fact that no one is safe in the game of Survivor.
Who was eliminated on Survivor 49 this week?
The spotlight landed on Jawan Pitts as he became the latest contestant to go home, despite his bold game plan. Growing up a natural provider and caretaker, Pitts faced early hurdles, like struggling to make fire on Day 2. This caught Savannah Louie’s eye.
What started as an alliance soon soured, with small clashes over belongings and doubts about his reliability pushing him to the bottom of the Uli majority. Even teaming up with Sage Ahrens-Nichols couldn’t save him. In the end, Pitts got blindsided in a Tribal Council.
The Tribal Council was full of multiple game advantages. Kristina Mills used the real idol to cancel votes targeting Steven Ramm, while Rizo Velovic used a fake idol just to stir the pot and see who’d bite.
Meanwhile, Louie used her Extra Vote from a split Tribal Council, tipping the final count to 5-3-1.
The episode also shed light on personal growth amid the cutthroat game. Mills faced an emotional low before the Reward Challenge. She became emotional thinking about her late mother and the isolation and loneliness she felt on the island.
“I don’t even have my mom anymore, and it’s f—ing not fair. It’s not fair,” Mills said.
Her vulnerability, especially during a tricky balance beam challenge, turned into a moment of strength as she pushed through, even as her team fell short. Jeff Probst called this a survivor moment, hinting at how personal struggle can fuel resilience and determination.
After the shocking Tribal Council, the players still in the game are Sage Ahrens-Nichols, Kristina Mills, Steven Ramm, Rizo Velovic, Sophie Segreti, Savannah Louie, and Sophi Balerdi.
NEW YORK (AP) — After President Donald Trump’s reported intervention, Paramount Pictures is set to distribute Brett Ratner’s “Rush Hour 4,” a project that Hollywood had eschewed after earlier sexual misconduct allegations against the director.
Paramount Pictures on Tuesday was in closing talks to distribute the film, according to a person close to the negotiations who requested anonymity because they weren’t authorized to announce a deal. Paramount would be stepping in to take a distribution fee on the film, not finance it.
In 2017, during the #MeToo movement, six women said Ratner sexually harassed them in a Los Angeles Times report. Warner Bros., which had a $450-million co-financing deal with his production company, severed ties with Ratner. Ratner, who denied the allegations, hasn’t produced a film this decade.
But on Sunday, Semafor reported that Trump personally requested Paramount take on “Rush Hour 4.” Paramount recently merged with Skydance in a $8 billion deal that required regulatory approval from the Trump administration. Trump has praised the studio’s new chairperson and chief executive David Ellison, the son of Oracle executive chairperson and prominent Trump supporter, Larry Ellison.
The White House didn’t immediately comment Wednesday.
Ratner had been shopping “Rush Hour 4” after Warner Bros., which released the three previous films in the franchise, passed on the project. The movie would reteam Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker in the action-comedy series launched in 1998, with sequels in 2001 and 2007.
Ratner has managed to get one other film made: a documentary on first lady Melania Trump. Earlier this year, Amazon MGM Studios acquired the film for a reported $40 million. It’s set to open in theaters Jan. 30.
Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
The Riverdale alum, 29, recalled filming horror film Forbidden Fruits with Tung, 23, earlier this year — before TSITP aired its final season on Prime Video — and asking the question on everyone’s lips: Does Belly end up with Conrad (Christopher Briney) or Jeremiah (Gavin Casalegno)?
Unfortunately for Reinhart, Tung wasn’t giving away any spoilers.
“She was very secretive about it, which was fine,” Reinhart told host Jimmy Fallon. “I was like, ‘I have no stake in this game, you can tell me.’ She’s like, ‘I’m not allowed to tell you.’”
Despite not being able to extract any spoilers from Tung, Reinhart said of her costar, “She’s so wonderful, she’s fantastic,” adding that they bonded over starring on hit teen dramas.
“I felt very protective of her. She’s the sweetest person,” Reinhart added.
Of course, fans of TSITP know by now what happened at the end of the show’s third and final season as Belly wound up with Conrad, despite initially getting engaged to his brother, Jeremiah.
Although the TV show concluded in September, Belly’s story is far from over, as Amazon’s Prime Video and MGM Studios announced a spinoff movie to conclude the series.
“There is another big milestone left in Belly’s journey, and I thought only a movie could give it its proper due. I’m so grateful to Prime Video for continuing to support my vision for this story and for making it possible to share this final chapter with the fans,” creator Jenny Han, who also wrote the book series the show is based on, said in September.
“The Summer I Turned Pretty has struck a chord with audiences everywhere, creating moments of joy, nostalgia and connection that have made it a global sensation,” added Amazon MGM Studios’ head of film, streaming and theatrical, Courtenay Valenti, and Prime Video and MGM Studios’ head of television, Vernon Sanders. “We’re proud of the series’ extraordinary success and couldn’t be more excited to partner again with Jenny Han to bring fans an unforgettable next chapter.”
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Earlier this month, Casalegno opened up to Us Weekly about the Jeremiah story line he was “hesitant” to film, revealing that he thought his character might have moved on too quickly with Denise (Isabella Briggs) after calling off his engagement to Belly.
“It might be a little too early for him to be jumping back into a relationship — if Gavin was giving advice,” Casalegno told Us. “But he’s not, so whatever makes him happy. … Go for it, but I am definitely hesitant about a relationship for him,” he added.
As for Jeremiah’s relationship with Denise, the actor said: “I think Denise does see Jeremiah in a different light. Belly growing up with Jeremiah, there’s like a little bit of familiarity that might have stunted things. Denise is more real and brings different parts of Jeremiah out of him — but I don’t know if that is a good or bad thing.”
Sadie Sink is soon set to appear in the final season of Stranger Things, which also served as the red-haired actress’s breakout. Sink has since been linked to multiple projects, including the upcoming Spider-Man movie.
Ahead of Stranger Things Season 5, Sink sat down for a detailed interview, where she also addressed dyeing her hair.
Sadie Sink on why she might never dye her red hair
Sadie Sink has grown larger and larger since her defining role in Stranger Things. Not only did she impress with her acting, but her character also became a pop culture sensation. She will soon reprise the role in Stranger Things Season 5, where she is expected to have a crucial role.
Sink sat down for an in-depth interview with Glamour ahead of the season’s premiere on Netflix, where she went over many things, both about the show and about her career and life, in general.
In one of the questions, Sadie Sink addressed her red hair and whether she would ever dye it. “I’ve thought about it, but I’ve never dyed my hair. Anyone who has red hair knows the ups and downs of your relationship with it,” Sink responded to the question of dyeing her hair in the interview.
“Sometimes you’re like, Yes, I love my hair. It’s the best thing ever. And then sometimes you’re like, Oh my God, I hate it. I just want to change it. But no matter where you stand, what you hear your entire life as a redhead is to never dye your hair. “People pay so much money for that hair.” So I never have, and I don’t think I will,” she explained.
Sink added, “I like the idea that my hair isn’t dyed. I don’t have any piercings or tattoos or anything…I like the idea of never doing anything.”
So, it seems that Sadie Sink will not change her look in the future.
BANGKOK (AP) — A court in Thailand said Wednesday that it has issued an arrest warrant for a co-owner of the Miss Universe Organization in connection with a fraud case.
Jakkaphong “Anne” Jakrajutatip was charged with fraud then released on bail in 2023. She failed to appear as required in a Bangkok court on Tuesday. Since she did not notify the court about her absence, she was deemed to be a flight risk, according to a statement from the Bangkok South District Court.
The court rescheduled the hearing for Dec. 26.
According to the court’s statement, Jakkaphong and her company, JKN Global Group Public Co. Ltd., were sued for allegedly defrauding Raweewat Maschamadol in selling him the company’s corporate bonds in 2023. Raweewat says the investment caused him to lose 30 million baht ($930,362).
Financially troubled JKN defaulted on payments to investors beginning in 2023 and began debt rehabilitation procedures with the Central Bankruptcy Court in 2024. The company says it has debts totaling about 3 billion baht ($93 million).
JKN acquired the rights to the Miss Universe pageant from IMG Worldwide LLC in 2022. In 2023, it sold 50% of its Miss Universe shares to Legacy Holding Group USA, which is owned by a Mexican businessman, Raúl Rocha Cantú.
Jakkaphong, who is transgender, resigned from all of the company’s positions in June after being accused by Thailand’s Securities and Exchange Commission of falsifying the company’s 2023 financial statements. She remains its largest shareholder.
Her whereabouts remain unclear. She did not appear at the 74th Miss Universe competition, which was held in Bangkok earlier this month.
This year’s competition was marred by various problems, including a sharp-tongued scolding by a Thai organizer of Fátima Bosch Fernández of Mexico, who was crowned Miss Universe 2025 on Nov. 19. Two judges reportedly dropped out, with one suggesting that there was an element of rigging to the contest. Separately, Thai police investigated allegations that publicity for the event included illegal promotion of online casinos.
On Monday, JKN denied rumors that Jakkaphong had liquidated the company’s assets and fled the country, but there has been no immediate reaction regarding the arrest warrant. She could not be reached for comment.
Jakkaphong is a well-known celebrity in Thailand who has starred in reality shows and is outspoken about her identity as a transgender woman.
Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Dexter: Resurrection creator Clyde Phillips recently provided a major update on Season 2. The showrunner has confirmed that work on Season 2 is officially underway, offering a tease of the show’s production timeline. The announcement comes as anticipation continues to grow among fans following the success of the first season.
Clyde Phillips on when production for Dexter: Resurrection Season 2 will start
During a recent appearance on The Dark Passengers: A Dexter Podcast, showrunner Clyde Phillips revealed when production on Dexter: Resurrection Season 2 is scheduled to begin.
Phillips stated that the writers will need “roughly five months” to complete the scripts. Since the writers’ room officially opened on October 6, the writing phase is projected to continue until early March 2026. It is also typical for adjustments to be made once production has begun, suggesting that revisions of scripts will likely continue during filming.
Phillips also provided the first concrete update on the upcoming season’s filming schedule. Cameras are set to start rolling on Monday, April 13, 2026. Production will once again take place in New York City, which remains the primary setting for the story. Michael C. Hall, Jack Alcott, James Remar, and other cast members are expected to reprise their roles when filming begins.
For now, Paramount+ has not announced when Season 2 of Dexter: Resurrection will premiere. Given the writing and filming calendar, the service is anticipated to provide a streaming window once production begins.
Dexter: Resurrection premiered on July 11, 2025, and aired its finale on September 5. The series brought Michael C. Hall back as Dexter Morgan, a serial killer who targets criminals who escape legal consequences. In the first season, Dexter survives the violent events of Dexter: New Blood and secretly moves to New York. There, he tries to rebuild his relationship with his son Harrison and protect him.
After the strong response from viewers and high engagement numbers on Paramount+, the streaming service officially announced in October that Dexter: Resurrection had been renewed for a second season.
