Oop! Things got a little awkward after Paige Hurd appeared on The Crew Has It podcast and addressed her relationship with former Power Book II: Ghost co-stars Michael Rainey Jr. and Gianni Paolo.
Paige Hurd Confronts ‘Power’ Co-stars Michael Rainey Jr. And Gianii Paolo
In a recent interview on The Crew Has It podcast, Michael Rainey Jr. and Gianni Paolo sat down with their former co-star Paige Hurd for a candid conversation. While discussing what she has been up to lately, Hurd shared that she is currently busy planning her wedding. Gianni asked if he and Michael were invited to the big day.
Hurd took that moment to confront the pair, responding, “I didn’t know you two would want to come.” She went on to explain that Gianni had removed her from his Close Friends list and that she learned from a fan that Michael had unfollowed her on social media.
She then asked both men, “When was the last time I spoke to you?”
Michael remained mostly quiet, while Gianni pulled out his phone to check their messages. Hurd also pointed out that the trio had plans to link up during Paris Fashion Week but never connected, despite being in the same building multiple times.
Social Media Users
Soon after the clip went viral, fans took to Instagram to share their thoughts.
One user, @93thug_life, wrote, “They both liked her and she thought they just wanted to be her friend. She was blindsided, that’s wild 😳🥺.”
Another user, @sashaleigh, commented, “I thought maybe he unfollowed her while he was with Hailee! It prolly was cause of her engagement now that I think about it 👀.”
User @4c.vay added, “Oh this intenseeeeeeee 😩😂.”
Meanwhile, @mattyplatty_ wrote, “Tbh, would y’all invite y’all coworkers to your wedding??? Acting is just another job.”
Another fan, @raysoflove_21, shared, “Based on only seeing this clip and feeling the energy, I’m not sure why sis even went to the interview.”
User @iamyanidadon added, “I feel like this conversation shoulda been had off camera 🥴.”
@royalaniek commented, “Men being men acting like they didn’t do anything wrong.”
While @micjones.13 wrote, “If she’s getting married, it’s really not that deep.”
And @driveciara added, “She don’t even realize that boy like her.”
Paige Hurd Prepares For Marriage To NBA Player Royce O’Neale
As the conversation continues online, Paige Hurd remains focused on her next chapter.
The actress is preparing to marry NBA player Royce O’Neale. The couple announced their engagement in People magazine in March 2025 after O’Neale proposed during a romantic dinner in Cabo in February.
According to People, the two met in early 2024 and made their relationship Instagram official in January 2025. The Phoenix Suns forward shared that he had admired Hurd for years, having grown up watching her in TV shows and movies.
The curtains are closing on Power Book II: Ghost, but before they do, Lovell Adams-Gray poured all he had into arguably the series’ most complicated character.
Source: John Nacion / Getty
At midnight, Gray will be one of several STARZ in the conclusion of the spinoff series as the finale airs, and he told BOSSIP that it’s been an honor playing Dru Tejada who stepped up to fill a void left by his father after his mother Monet (Mary J. Blige) killed him.
“He makes his own choices and saved his family,” said Lovell referencing a pivotal moment in the show when Dru decides to join forces with Detective Carter (Michael Ealey). “That’s a huge void to fill, and standing on his own feet is a part of his maturing and growing up.”
Gray also dished to BOSSIP about the honor of working with his cast mates and the writing team who’ve inspired him to dig deep to bring the ferocity of Dru to life.
“All the Tejadas have a really complex narrative and storyline. The actors, Woody, Latoya, even Zeke, they’ve all brought an added layer to their characters, which has inspired the writers to dig even deeper. They go deep every time, so I have to go deep too.”
Source: Jared Siskin / Getty
Speaking of going deep, Dru has been deeply affected by tragedy after tragedy—his father’s death, having to kill his lover Gordo Castillo, and enduring heartbreak with his ex, Everett.
As the clock ticks closer to midnight, fans are hoping for a glimmer of happiness for him.
“I think the more Drew grows his hair out, the happier he is,” Lovell joked to BOSSIP, giving a subtle hint that Dru may find some peace in the final episodes. “So if the hair is growing, you know, okay, Drew’s feeling a little bit better today.”
Still, while Dru’s hair might be growing out, he’ll face yet another tragedy; the death of his mother Monet who was killed in a hail of bullets by Noma at her (sham) wedding to Cane.
Source: Starz / Starz
And while Dru and his big brother Cane (Woody McClain) typically have bad blood and appear to be polar opposites, viewers might see them team up to get vengeance.
“It’s been a huge gift working with him,” said Lovell about McClain. “He cares so much about the work and his character, and we both get to go deeper as artists. Kane may have a hardened exterior, but his interior is more empathetic and softer. On the other hand, Dru, who may seem softer, has an interior that is hardening.”
Source: Starz / Power Book II: Ghost
No matter how things end, we’ve enjoyed seeing Lovell Adams-Gray skillfully portray Dru’s emotional evolution amid the actor’s lasting impact on the Power universe.
Will YOU be watching the series finale of Power Book II: Ghost?
Welcome to Look Back At It, a monthly column where some of the most iconic Black actresses in Hollywood reminisce and reflect on the roles that made them stars. For this month’s installment, Mary J. Blige breaks down her career—from Mudbound and How to Get Away With Murder to her current Starz series, Power Book II: Ghost.
In 2018, the musician and actress Mary J. Blige became the first Black woman to be nominated in multiple categories in the same year at the Academy Awards. She earned two nominations for her work in Dee Rees’s Mudbound—one for Best Original Song and the other for Best Supporting Actress. “Those were complete surprises,” says Blige as she reflects on the moment. “I wasn’t even confident about my acting [at that time], but that let me know, ‘You can act.’”
Throughout her career, Blige has honed her skill while playing an array of iconic women like Dr. Betty Shabazz in Betty & Coretta and Dinah Washington in Respect. She’s also guest-starred on the popular television shows Black-ish, Empire, and How to Get Away With Murder. Now, she’s Monet Tejada, the fierce matriarch at the heart of Power Book II: Ghost.
“One thing that threads through all of my characters is that they’re all no-nonsense,” she says. “They’re all strong women. I have to play characters like that to be able to pull from a real place. Can I play a weak woman? Probably. But right now, this is what it is.”
Now, she’s setting her sights behind the camera. Her production company, Blue Butterfly, already has two movies with Lifetime, and she says there’s more to come. “Maybe I’ll direct one day, but I don’t know if I have the patience to deal with people,” Blige adds with a laugh.
Below, Blige takes us through her most iconic roles to share the deep friendships she’s made on set, the joys of acting with people she admires, and the ways she’s evolved onscreen.
Tanya in I Can Do Bad All By Myself (2009)
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Tyler Perry’s I Can Do Bad All By Myself – trailer
“This was the first time that I officially met Taraji [P. Henson]. We acted together and then became friends. I Can Do Bad All By Myself reminds me of her and our friendship.”
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“I got to work with one of the most amazing actresses in the business and an amazing woman. I felt so proud and grateful to stand beside Angela Bassett while working on Betty & Coretta. She’s one of the best. I mean, she’s right there with Meryl Streep for me. I watched Angela transform her face and everything on this film. It was the most unbelievable thing to watch. I still go to her for inspiration.”
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Annalise Goes to the Hair Salon – How To Get Away With Murder
“It was an honor to do Viola Davis’s hair in How To Get Away With Murder, which was one of the biggest shows at the time. Being her hairstylist was crazy, but also amazing.”
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“Wow, what a historical moment. This was amazing on every level. I was completely caught off guard and surprised by how much the critics and the audience loved this film. And the Oscar nominations were a big surprise. Mudbound was challenging because I was going through so much in my life and was so insecure. And for the film, I had to peel back the things that were making me feel secure. You couldn’t wear weaves and you couldn’t wear lashes and you couldn’t wear nails. You had to have on old-timey clothes. I had be that person. That was a challenge because it kind of hurt my feelings a little bit, but it also gave me confidence in just looking like that. That’s who I am.”
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“I had a blast. The word fun comes to mind when I think about The Umbrella Academy. We lived in Canada for five months and I met some great people. And, of course, I learned how to shoot guns and do martial arts.”
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Power Book II: Ghost | Official Trailer | Season 3
“Now, I’m comfortable with just falling into [acting]. Monet has given me so much confidence and she’s one of my favorite roles that I’ve played. For this character, I have to visit dark places in my real life. I have to go back to those places and grab that stuff to get those emotions to Monet. But this show is so much fun. The cast is amazing. The writing is amazing. It’s a blessing. I’m just so grateful to Courtney [A. Kemp, the show’s creator] and 50 [Cent, the show’s producer].”
