General Hospital has Willow Corinthos (Katelyn MacMullen) cooking up a new scheme to hide her awful secrets and it looks like she has a new target. She is so desperate to keep hidden what she did to Drew Cain (Cameron Mathison). And if others have to go down as collateral damage, you know, she’s prepared to play dirty.

We’re going to talk about how Willow approaches Jack Brennan (Chris McKenna) with a deal that might involve using Nina Reeves (Cynthia Watros) to trap Valentin Cassadine (James Patrick Stuart). Let’s get into it.

Willow Meets With Jack Brennan on General Hospital

So, this week, Willow meets with Jack up at her official congressperson’s office and she tells the local WSB chief that they are in a position to help one another, which is pretty interesting, smells like a rat, right? And recently, Nina had told Willow about the traffic cam footage that Jack deleted from the PCPD server, but he’s still hanging on to it.

So, Nina made a deal to help Jack get Valentin if he would help Willow’s case in her trial for shooting Drew. And Nina told Willow that he disappeared the footage and now she owes Jack and he’s cashing in by making her get Charlotte Cassadine (Bluesy Burke) to tell her where Valentin is hiding.

Willow Preparing for the Worst on GH

And the problem is Willow doesn’t trust Nina and she thinks that her mom might protect Charlotte over her since the other girl’s just a kid. And that’s why Willow got Nina’s fingerprints on the syringe that injected Drew with some of that paralytic agent that’s keeping him under control. So, now Willow’s basically done all she can to make sure Nina can’t work against her. But Jack remains a major problem. And we know more than anything Willow wants those traffic cam photos gone for good.

Willow May Offer Jack A Deal

I don’t know if she will directly tell Jack that she knows he erased the footage from the police server and has a copy. But honestly, Willow might be direct like that. She might tell Jack, “Look, I know you have photos of me from that night.” And Willow might tell Jack this whole sob story about how the footage looks bad, but she’s really not guilty. I don’t think she’ll confess to him.

And she can tell Jack that even though she didn’t shoot Drew, she knows that the pictures could harm her political career. And Willow might blather on about loving Drew and that’s why she’s got him at home so she can take care of him. You know, Willow could lay on the whole I’m Miss innocent crap real thick. And she could make Jack an offer that he can’t and won’t refuse.

Willow may tell Brennan that she knows he’s desperate to find Valentin. Because he’s a dangerous criminal and an international fugitive. And Willow can remind Jack that she is not either of those things. You know, Willow can try and say she’s just a mom and a congresswoman trying to make a change in the world and how she’s devoted to caring for her paralyzed husband, you know, who’s a veteran, all that blah blah about Drew. And so Willow could offer Jack a deal. He deletes the photos once and for all if she gives him Valentin.

Jack Would Keep All Three Women In Play on General Hospital

Now, I definitely think Jack would take that deal if that’s what Willow offers, but at the same time, I don’t think Jack would stop any of the other deals he’s got in the works. You know, he made that offer to Jacinda Bracken (PaigeHerschell), and so she’s willing to conspire with him to help out Michael Corinthos (Rory Gibson).

And of course, Jack is still trying to blackmail info about Valentin out of Nina. So, I don’t think Jack is going to stop pressuring Nina or working with Jacinda. I think Jack would keep all three women in play, Willow, Nina, and Jacinda. Because let’s face it, Brennan’s a sneaky spy and he always thinks about contingency plans.

General Hospital: Jack Tempts Jacinda

So, I do expect Jack to keep tempting Jacinda to get info out of Charlotte, but I don’t think Jacinda is going to get too far. Because Charlotte isn’t dumb. But Jacinda might be able to get confirmation that Valentin is definitely still in Port Charles. That would be helpful to Jack. That would narrow down the search. Because he’s probably got WSB agents all over the world looking around for Valentin on General Hospital.

And if Jack can focus the search in Port Charles, that would help him a lot. So he could focus his search strictly in town, pull back the other agents, and just tear things up looking for Valentin. And of course, Jack would not suspect that Valentin is hiding in Carly Spencer‘s (Laura Wright) attic. So that’s a big point in Valentin’s favor.

Nina Is About To Feed Jack Fake Info on GH

And then of course with Nina, she’s about to start feeding Jack fake information that Valentin gives to her and tells her to share. And that should send Jack further afield on a wild goose chase. But Nina’s info might be enough so that Jack feels like he’s making progress. And Valentin wants Nina to give Jack information to tell him that there’s a spot where he and Charlotte meet in secret so that Jack will show up there and then Valentin can trap him.

However, Willow could throw a big old wrench into those plans if she finds out about it. So, we could see her pumping Nina for info. So far, she hasn’t told Willow that Valentin was at her apartment, but there is a chance Nina might mention it, saying, “Oh, I’m working this out. I’m going to save you.” You know, and if she does, she might also tell Willow that she is working with Valentin to shut down Brennan once and for all.

Willow Could Sacrifice Valentin

But we know that Willow in any given situation always does the most selfish thing, even if it puts other people at risk. So, she might actually turn around and warn Jack that Valentin met with Nina, but slipped in and slipped out before she could call anybody and tell them.

I don’t think Willow would directly sell her mom, Nina, down the river, but she might tell Jack that she thinks that Valentin is using her mom. So, we could see Jack show up at that meeting spot, but he’s got a bunch of agents hidden nearby if he has been warned it’s a trap. So, I think Willow could absolutely hatch a plan that sacrifices Valentin to protect herself.

I mean, what reason does Willow have to protect Valentin? You know, and of course, Jack capturing him would hurt Charlotte, but we already know Willow prioritizes what she wants over everybody else. And honestly, she’s never really liked Charlotte. So, I could definitely see Willow playing a dirty trick to trap Valentin trying to save her own butt.

This Could Be a Deal Breaker for Carly on General Hospital

Another reason I think this is all interesting is because of Carly. She already hates Willow for what she’s done to Michael with the cheating and just everything. And once it comes out that Willow was conspiring with Jack, I think that could be a deal breaker for Carly where she is 100% done with Jack.

Because when Carly finds out Jack had photos that would have implicated Willow and exonerated Michael, I think that’s going to be it for Carly. Also because he recruited Josslyn Jacks (Eden McCoy) into the WSB, you know, has been lying to Carly’s face for a long time and then let Michael be at risk of being prosecuted for Drew’s shooting.

So, with May sweeps kicking off today and Drew communicating with Elizabeth or trying to and then this deal Willow makes with Jack, to me, it definitely feels like Willow is poised for an epic fall. I think she’s going to go down in May sweeps. And this also aligns with a recent leak from our source that said Willow was going to end up in Shadybrook. So things are about to get super soapy in Port Charles.

The internet is weighing in on a resurfaced livestream clip of D4vd, where he is told he assaults children. It’s unclear when the video was recorded, but the clip has sparked widespread reactions as he remains in custody without bail in connection with Celeste Rivas Hernandez’s death.

RELATED: From Stardom To Handcuffs: Everything To Know About D4vd, The Singer Arrested In Connection To Celeste Rivas Hernandez’s Death

Resurfaced Livestream Clip OF D4vd Fuels Ongoing Online Discussion

In the resurfaced video circulating on social media, D4vd appears on a livestream sitting next to someone in what looks like a home kitchen. He wears a black T-shirt, and the person sitting next to him is also dressed in black. As comments roll in on the stream, he looks over and says, “I media-trained you.” The person responds, “No, you didn’t.” He replies, “That’s controversial.” 

After that, the person replies to him, saying, “It’s controversial r*ping kids.”

Immediately after, D4vd and the individual cut the stream and say bye to viewers. At this time, it remains unclear when the livestream took place, but the comment sparked several reactions from viewers watching in real time.

Social Media Weighs In On Resurfaced Livestream Video Of D4vd

Responses to the resurfaced livestream footage also flooded over in The Kind Joe’s and Gossip League’s comment sections. Plenty of folks were left in shock, while others wondered why the video didn’t pop up before the singer’s arrest.

Instagram user @toastedvanillalmond wrote, “Oh wow…” 

Instagram user @nico1ee11e wrote, “This seems like a music industry problem, hope more get exposed.” 

While Instagram user @vivbgrams wrote, “Where was all of this ‘resurfaced’ footage many months ago?”

Then Instagram user @megan.burress wrote, “Media trained 😒🙂‍↔️” 

Another Instagram user @yvettearealestate wrote, “How do people get to the point of unaliving another human being?? This is so sickening!!” 

Instagram user @duchess_e wrote, “Parents need to be investigated!!!” 

Then another Instagram user @crazyalien24 wrote, “I will never understand how some women backed him and probably still back him. Nothing but red flags 🚩” 

Lastly, Instagram user @thatcarguy_t wrote, “This whole situation is mad.” 

Latest Update On D4vd Amid Ongoing Celeste Rivas Hernandez Case

On April 16, photos circulated showing D4vd, formerly known as David Burke, getting arrested in Hollywood, California. Then on Monday, April 20, footage from his arraignment appeared on X (formerly Twitter). TMZ reports that authorities have charged him with lewd and lascivious sexual acts with a person under 14 years old, mutilation of a human body, and first-degree murder in the death of Celeste Rivas Hernandez. Officials have also filed “special circumstances” charges, including lying in wait, committing the crime for financial gain, and murdering a witness to an investigation.

The musician pleaded not guilty to the allegations and has requested a preliminary hearing within 10 days. Prosecutors allege that D4vd sexually abused Hernandez between September 2023 and September 2024, when she could have been as young as 12 years old. Prosecutors also believe he killed her on or around April 23, 2025, and mutilated her body on or around May 5, 2025. They believe the incident happened because he suspected that she would expose their sexual relationship.

NEW: Singer D4vd sits stone-faced during his hearing where his lawyers entered a plea of not guilty to the murder of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas.

Officials say D4vd (David Burke) allegedly killed Rivas when she threatened to expose his s*xual relations with her (a minor) because… pic.twitter.com/aw3pZy4Eky

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— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) April 20, 2026

RELATED: Footage Shows D4vd At Arraignment As He Reportedly Pleads Not Guilty To Murder Of(( Celeste Rivas Hernandez (VIDEO) 

Rachel Zoe joined “The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” after being absent from reality television for over a decade. Now, ahead of the highly anticipated “RHOBH” season 15 reunion, she’s confronting fellow newbie Amanda Frances over claims she made about everyone knowing her during the season. This comes after Frances recently revealed she secretly tied the knot in 2025.

In the recently released “RHOBH” preview, Andy Cohen asked Zoe about why she stated that Frances “acts strong but plays the victim at the same time.” In response, the famed designer said, “I think the conflict that I’ve had is what you just said about how you want to teach women and how you want to walk into every room and everyone knows who you are.”

After that, Frances claimed she had never said that everyone in the rooms she entered knew who she was. However, as the cast says she said it, a clip is shown of her more clearly explaining herself. Frances stated in the flashback, “I’m in a world where everyone gets me, and everyone loves it, and all my friends take my courses, and everyone has this foundation of like what Amanda is about.”

She later said in the flashback, “There hasn’t been a world in a long time where people didn’t know who I was and what I built and why.”

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Amanda Frances Stood Up For Her Stance

As the “RHOBH” reunion clip continued, Frances attempted to defend herself in the conversation with Zoe. Stated that she meant people “know my heart. They know my intention.” From there, Erika Jayne chimed in, seemingly confirming that she didn’t add the part about people knowing her heart.

After some discussion, Frances stated that if Zoe “knew who I was and what I do, you’d know that that is not what I meant,” leading the Bravo legend to say, “But I don’t.”

At the end of the clip, Jayne said to Frances, “We’re trying to know you. You’ve rubbed everybody the wrong way. It’s hard to do that in this group.”

Fans Are On Amanda Frances’ Side

Zoe, although new to “RHOBH,” has quickly become a fan-favorite. In fact, many viewers claim she’s the best part of what is otherwise a dull season. However, the internet is mostly on Frances’ side regarding the new reunion clip, with many acknowledging that the flashback proves she was right.

One person said on TikTok, “Video replay says they’re all wrong and jelly.” Someone else wrote, “It’s crazy how much they hate on Amanda.” A different social media user stated, “Damn that flashback literally proved Amanda right.”

Another “RHOBH” watcher chimed in, writing, “I feel like she was pretty clear and they misunderstood her on purpose.”

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Lastly, a different Bravo fan said, “I couldn’t stand Amanda at first, but then flipped when the hate on her was so boring and forced.”

Amanda Frances Recently Became Emotional Discussing Rachel Zoe

Frances appeared on an episode of “Reality with the King” in March 2026 to promote “The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills.” While on the show, the topic of Zoe came up, with Frances stating that she learned from watching the show that she didn’t like her.

Frances told Carlos King, “Rachel was nice to my face 100 percent of the time. Until the reunion. She never said one negative thing, one skeptical thing, one cynical thing, one questioning thing, until the reunion. She was 100 percent nice to my face 100 percent of the time.”

Regarding learning otherwise, Frances recalled, “I found out she didn’t like me from watching the show. To find out someone who the whole world looks up to, you know, is looking for the worst in you.”

Amanda Frances Is Married

When Frances debuted on “RHOBH,” she introduced the world to her fiancé, Eddie Tsivislavsky. Over the course of the show, she spoke openly about planning her wedding and sparing no expense. However, according to PEOPLE, she confirmed on Instagram in April 2026 that they had tied the knot in a courthouse wedding on September 9, 2025.

The Bravo star also confirmed a traditional ceremony will take place later this year, in October. She said in the post, “The word is out. This past September, the love of my life and I were married in a private civil ceremony in Laguna Hills, CA.”

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We all love a good creature feature. From Jaws, Alien, Godzilla, to Jurassic Park, when done right, the movies thoroughly entertain fans worldwide, irrespective of language or region. The blend of themes like horror, survival, or sci-fi further elevates the feature and glues the audience to their seats. Among them is the Predator franchise, now owned by The Walt Disney Company since the House of Mouse merged with 20th Century Studios.

First started in 1987, starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, director John McTiernan’s Predator became a phenomenon. We follow Dutch (Schwarzenegger), a leader of a paramilitary rescue team on a mission to save hostages in a Central American rainforest, who encounters a deadly Predator. The 64% Rotten Tomatoes-rated movie became a huge success, earning $98.3 million worldwide. A sequel, Predator 2, was directed by Stephen Hopkins with a story set a decade after the events of the original and brought in a new cast led by Danny Glover. However, it wasn’t received as well as its predecessor, but it has since become a cult classic.

It seems fans are revisiting the feature for a nostalgia hit, given Predator and follow-up Predator 2 are on Tubi’s top 10 list, as per FlixPatrol. While Predator 2 is at the top spot, the original feature is at the fifth, and the list also includes Tommy Lee Jones’ U.S. Marshals, Martin Scorsese’s iconic Goodfellas, Tom Cruise’s A Few Good Men, among others.

Arnold Schwarzenegger Can Return for Another ‘Predator’ Movie

In the years since the success of the original film, the franchise expanded with four more movies, prequels, and anthologies. Director Dan Trachtenberg took over the reins with a successful prequel, Prey, which led to Killers of Killers, the success of which was followed by the theatrical entry Predator: Badlands. The movies are unarguably some of the best in the franchise, which has grossed over $700 million worldwide. Now, fans are eagerly waiting for another film.

While there was some contention about the director’s return to Disney IP after his overall deal with Paramount, he cleared the air by revealing that he’s indeed working on the next film. And Trachtenberg might take the franchise back to its roots in the next one. It seems fans might get more than what they asked for, as Schwarzenegger previously revealed that he’s in “talks” for the next movie. He praised Trachtenberg’s survival-driven vision, “They did an additional Predator, and the director (Dan Trachtenberg) has been doing a great job of that,” he said. Adding, “Now, he wants me to be in the next Predator. We’ve talked about it. As a matter of fact, FOX studios has kind of rediscovered Arnold.” While nothing is set in stone, fans will have to wait and see what pans out.

Meanwhile, Predator and its follow-up are streaming for free on Tubi. Stay tuned to Collider for more such updates.

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Release Date

June 12, 1987

Runtime

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107 minutes

Writers

John Thomas, Jim Thomas

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Producers

Joel Silver, John Davis

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By Robert Scucci
| Published 4 seconds ago

If you’ve ever heard somebody talking about entering a fugue state and have no idea what the hell they’re talking about, you should point them to 2013’s Under the Skin. In it, Scarlett Johansson is a sort of traveling serial killer who abducts unsuspecting men in her van, brings them into a jet-black, liquid hellscape, and then does the unthinkable with their bodies. The entire plot plays like a fugue state in the sense that we’re witnessing an unnamed protagonist drive around endlessly, losing track of long stretches of time, coming to terms with the horrific acts she commits, and continuing on her journey once she gathers herself.

I watch, read, and listen to a lot of true crime, and while Under the Skin leans heavily on sci-fi, there are parallels that are hard to ignore. If you’ve read anything about Jeffrey Dahmer’s crimes, you know that he’d have to get blackout drunk before getting to the slicing and dicing because somewhere deep down, he was ashamed of what he was doing. Canadian serial killer Robert “Willie” Pickton, who was suspected of murdering 49 women but only charged with 21 and convicted of six, stalked his victims by driving his truck around Vancouver, waiting for the perfect opportunity.

The Female And Her Crimes

Known only as the Female, Scarlett Johansson is a woman of few words in Under the Skin. She spends her time driving around, luring men into her van under false pretenses. Sometimes she acts like she’s looking for directions, and sometimes she plays the good samaritan card, offering men rides to their destinations. Those who take the bait end up being seduced by the Female into an endless, murky black void of unknown origin. There, these men get submerged in the muck and their bodies collapse in on themselves. Naked, afraid, and in some form of suspended animation, the men disintegrate, and then the Female moves on to her next target.

The entire film operates on these interactions, and there’s not much else to the plot. Watching the Female go from place to place forces you into the fugue state being depicted, as there’s no real way to clock the timeline or how long she’s been operating like this. Between the stylish, mysterious abyss scenes and the scenes set in the real world, it’s impossible to tell if this has been going on for days, weeks, or months. What we do know is that somewhere along the way, the Female starts to feel empathy, which leads to her undoing.

Clear Themes, Muddled Motives

While Under the Skin’s ending is very open-ended and vague, and also one of the most wtf moments I’ve seen in a minute, its themes were not lost on me. Continuing with the serial killer analogy, one thing that’s made crystal clear is just how differently men and women experience the world. In most cases, women are rightfully guarded when walking alone at night because they’re on heightened watch for predators. Statistically, they’re more at risk of being abducted. Men, on the other hand, have no qualms getting out of the cold and into a stranger’s van, which in the film is the worst possible thing they can do because it means certain death.

This role reversal, compounded by the fact that all of this abducting pretty much happens out in the open, exposes just how vulnerable we can be if we put too much faith in a perfect stranger. Conversely, the Female’s moments of empathy almost make her sympathetic, which is dangerous because she’s demonstrated time and time again what horrific acts she’s capable of.

Until the third-act reveal (again, wtf) the dark void scenes remind me of the fantasy worlds that serial killers are known to have, like Jeffrey Dahmer’s “Infinity Land.” And like with Dahmer, we’re never really informed of the Female’s motives. She clearly has some sort of insatiable urge to kill, and she takes her victims to this mysterious place that’s either a real alternate dimension or a manifestation of her subconscious, but outside of that, we’re left in the dark as to why she acts the way she does.

Under the Skin is a total vibe piece like 2010’s Beyond the Black Rainbow. It doesn’t tell a story in the traditional sense, but rather thrusts a visceral experience onto the viewer so they can feel just as uncomfortable as the people being depicted on screen. It’s a heavy watch, but beyond cool to look at when things get existential. Just know that you’ll probably remember life before viewing this film and life after it, because it’s a very intense watch.

As of this writing, Under the Skin is streaming for free on Tubi.

Russell Brand reveals he did not say ‘I do’ to Katy Perry for all the right reasons.

The comedian doubles down on his brief marriage to the phenomenal singer, revealing his thoughts on why their union was so short-lived. He placed all his cards on the table while describing his ex as a genuine lover, amid bearing full responsibility for their failed marriage.

Russell Brand recently gained attention for sexual assault allegations. The podcaster previously admitted to having sexual relations with a 16-year-old when he was almost twice her age.

Brand spilled the tea on the backstory surrounding his brief marriage to the iconic singer, sharing that he went into the union for the wrong reasons. The comedian admittedly said, “I didn’t handle that marriage very well” during his appearance in an interview with Megyn Kelly. He revealed that he was already struggling with his own life, feeling unfulfilled, and thought saying vows to the singer would help his self-esteem.

“Here’s me taking total responsibility for all the mistakes I made in that marriage. I wanted to grab her like this kind of, ‘There, got it,’” he said, adding that he felt like he was inadequate on his own. Brand continued revealing that he viewed Perry as a “glorious thing” and, as a result, pushed for them to get married early. “I felt inadequate and insecure and that I wasn’t enough and that if I was married to her, I’d somehow be a better person and more important,” Brand added before admitting that he has since realized his faults.

The 50-year-old comedian shared during his appearance on SiriusXM’s “The Megyn Kelly Show” that his expectations of Perry put a great amount of unnecessary pressure and strain on their union. Brand and the “Roar” singer said their vows in October 2010. He filed for divorce just after their marriage clocked a little over a year later in December 2011, citing “irreconcilable differences.” Their divorce was eventually finalized in July 2012. 

The Podcaster Described His Ex As A ‘Really Lovely’ Person

In his interview with the political commentator, Brand did not exempt talking about the love he shared with Perry. He described being in love as an amazing experience, adding that the “Unconditionally” singer was a very young woman with big dreams at the time they got married.

Talking about the popstar, Brand said, “She has an innocence. She’s a very beautiful person. She’s also incredibly driven and has worked really, really hard. I saw her working really hard. But she was really, really, really lovely.” He saw her achieve her dreams of becoming a world-famous pop star, but still struggled with the mindset of obligations he hoped she would fulfill for him during their marriage.

Brand admitted that there were times when he felt lonely while she was focused on her work, but tried to snap out of it with the consolation that he married a pop star. This only left him questioning why the relationship was not working. The former couple has not been in touch since Brand disclosed his intentions of splitting up. However, he told Kelly that he stays in touch with Perry’s parents “cause they’re good Christian folks.”

The Songwriter Had A Bizarre Nickname For Brand

During the height of the sexual assault claims made against the actor, it was revealed by TV personality Piers Morgan that Perry had given Brand a nickname with an eyebrow-raising meaning. Morgan revealed that the iconic vocalist had dubbed her ex Rasputin, which is Russian for “debauched one.” Yahoo! details that the name is also associated with a high-profile man from the 1900s Russian court who was renowned for seducing women. 

While it is unclear why Perry gave the actor the nickname, he reportedly admitted that he was “thrilled” by it. The nickname could not be revealed at a better time than when he was facing sexual assault allegations from different women. One of the women accused the British actor of raping her against the wall without a condom. She narrated that they met in June 2012 and had engaged in subsequent consensual sexual activity at his Los Angeles home.

However, on the morning of July 1, he proposed that she engage in a threesome with him and a friend waiting in his bedroom. She declined and “tried to get away from him,” but Brand pushed her to a wall, grabbed at her underwear, and pulled it to the side. She claimed she repeatedly asked him to “get off,” but he did not oblige; instead, he raped her against the wall without a condom.

In April 2025, Brand was charged with five counts of assault and rape after four different women made allegations against him. The alleged assaults took place in the U.K between 1999 and 2005. The earliest claim by one of the women dates back to 1999 and allegedly took place in the south of England; the next happened about two years later.

The Blast reported that one of the women claimed that she was indecently assaulted in London in 2001. The third woman had similar claims but with a different timeline. She revealed that Brand had sexually assaulted her in London between 2004 and 2005. The last claim was more specific, with the woman alleging that the actor orally raped and sexually assaulted her in London in 2004.

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By December, the charges increased as the Metropolitan Police brought further charges of rape and sexual assault against Brand, related to two additional women and incidents allegedly from 2009. The comedian has denied the allegations, and in May 2025 and February 2026, he pleaded not guilty to the charges, maintaining that all his past sexual encounters were consensual. He is scheduled to appear in court on October 12, 2026.

Russell Brand Rises To His Own Defense Amid Katy Perry’s Silence

Perry has not issued any statement or publicly addressed the sexual assault charges raised against her ex-husband since they made headlines. Brand, however, has spoken in his own defense, stating that he did no wrong sleeping with a 16-year-old when he was thirty in London.

The actor disclosed that the incident occurred during his days of promiscuity, noting that he feels no remorse for having sex with someone almost half his age at the time. The Blast shattered that while he did not reveal the identity of the individual, he stressed that he was not in the wrong for engaging in the sexual escapade, as 16 is the age of consent in the U.K.

The comedian reiterated that he has only had consensual sex with all his partners, including the 16-year-old. Admittedly, he shared that in the past, he was mostly not kind to his partners, but he never assaulted them by doing anything against their will and without their consent.

Is a response from Katy Perry to Russell Brand brewing?

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By Jonathan Klotz
| Published 1 hour ago

Science fiction is a way for creative people to envision how the problems of today will look through the lens of the future. Gene Roddenberry created Star Trek: The Original Series in 1966 to be a Western in space where humanity was united in an utopian view of the future, but a few years earlier, across the Atlantic in England, the married couple Gerry and Sylvia Anderson were working a futuristic series all about making Earth a better place.

Though the resulting series, Thunderbirds, was about a family leading rescue missions around the globe using advanced technology, it’s best remembered because every single character was a puppet. 

Thunderbirds Are Go

That’s right, Thunderbirds had no on-screen human performers, with everyone from the heroic Tracy family to the villainous Hood, played by skilled puppeteers and voice actors. Each puppet had multiple heads to convey different facial expressions, multiple interchangeable parts, and could weigh up to 300 pounds when fully costumed and assembled. The most impressive feat was how the puppets were synced with the voice actors using magnetic tape and an electromagnetic switch in the head that converted sound waves into electrical impulses, which then moved a lever in the lower jaw to simulate speech. 

As impressive as the puppetry was, and still is in fact, the other part of Thunderbirds that lingered with a generation was the impressive Thunderbirds themselves: five advanced vehicles referred to by number,  piloted by one of the sons of inventor Jeff Tracy, that include a submarine (4), a space station monitoring system (5), a hypersonic plane (1), a massive aircraft carrier (20), and a spaceship (3). Long, lingering shots over the impressively detailed vehicles took up a good chunk of each episode’s run-time, but not only did no one complain, it helped establish a tradition of reusing impressive launch sequences used in later shows, including Voltron, Power Rangers, and Paw Patrol. 

A Sci-Fi Show About Saving Lives

Thunderbirds isn’t only a technical marvel, the plots pushed the envelope by allowing International Rescue, the Tracy’s organization, to live up to its name, and every episode was focused on a rescue mission. Granted, a lot of those rescues were the result of the machinations of the evil Hood as he attempted to manipulate markets and make himself filthy rich, and the Tracy family’s ally, Lady Penelope, was a rich super-spy solving mysteries alongside her butler Aloysius, but the spotlight always ended up on one of the Tracys in their Thunderbird rescue vehicle. The only modern equivalent is, of all things, Paw Patrol, which also leaves out violence and most of the crime (though you know that chicken is up to no good), to focus on the use of advanced technology to save lives, not take them.

Almost every sci-fi series of the last 30 years includes violence and conflict, which is what makes the Thunderbirds’ success, as a mostly nonviolent show, even more impressive. Defying expectations, the series went on to become a hit in its native England and the rest of the Commonwealth, but also in the United States and, amazingly, Japan, where the International Rescue organization would influence the Science Patrol of Ultraman, and the vehicles themselves helped plant the seeds of the later Mecha anime boom, including Neon Genesis Evangelion and Gundam. In fact, the show is so beloved that even the modern remake became a success.

The Remake Was A Hit

Thunderbirds Are Go, the 2015 CGI/live-action hybrid remake, updated the series for the modern era, lasting three seasons and 78 episodes, it managed to relate to modern kids and kept the spirit of the original series alive. Before he passed away in 2012, Gerry Anderson gave the remake his blessing, and again, the focus was on using the Thunderbirds to perform daring, high-tech rescues, including, in the final season, an elaborate deep-space rescue that pushed the machines and the Tracy boys higher, further, and faster than ever before.

Between the original and the modern remake, Thunderbirds was kept alive as a pop culture reference thanks to Matt Parker and Trey Stone’s Team America: World Police, which parodied the puppetry on the big screen, but the series was released on VHS, DVD, and later, Blu-Ray, keeping it accessible for every generation. Well, that, and the forgettable live-action remake in 2004, directed by Jonathan Frakes and starring Bill Paxton as Jeff Tracy, Ben Kingsley as the Hood, and Vanessa Hudgens as Tin-tin, the team’s mechanic. In an interview with The Guardian, Gerry Anderson referred to the film as “In fact, it was the biggest load of crap I have ever seen in my life.”

Thunderbirds Is Still Amazing Today

The live-action movie failed, and rightfully so, because it abandoned the groundbreaking puppetry of the original and became a generic action movie, though it again focused more on non-violence than even other kid-friendly sci-fi films. Even today, Thunderbirds stands out for the amount of mileage the production team got out of a cast of puppets and elaborate real-world models. It’s a testament to creativity and, unlike most modern sci-fi, it also dares to envision a future in which technology is used to save lives, and amazingly, there are people who will do the right thing because it’s the right thing to do.

Every episode of Thunderbirds, including the iconic, award-winning theme song, is streaming on Peacock.

Roommates, something unsettling went down in Baton Rouge this afternoon. And while details are still coming together, what started as a routine day quickly turned into a scene no one expected. Shoppers at a popular local spot suddenly found themselves caught in chaos, with authorities rushing in and families left searching for answers. Here’s what we know so far…

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Louisiana Mall Shooting: Food Court Dispute Turns Violent, Leaving Multiple Injured

According to officials, a shooting broke out around 1:22 p.m. on Thursday at the Mall of Louisiana. Initially, it was reported that the incident left at least 10 people injured, including two in critical condition. However, NBC News now reports one person died from their injuries, while five people were injured.

Baton Rouge Police Chief TJ Morse confirmed the incident was not random, but stemmed from an argument between two groups inside the mall’s food court that escalated into gunfire. “Unfortunately, there were some innocent people that were in the area that might have also caught some rounds,” Morse shared.

Heavy Police Response As Shoppers Flee Louisiana Mall Shooting In Panic

Additional details from the scene paint a clearer picture of just how chaotic things became in those moments. Around 1:40 p.m., dozens of police units surrounded the Mall of Louisiana as panicked shoppers rushed to exit, with some stopping to embrace loved ones while others recorded the aftermath on their phones. Witnesses described a heavy law enforcement presence, with ambulances and fire trucks stationed outside as officers urged people to avoid the area and redirected traffic.

Officials later reiterated that the shooting appears to have been targeted, and surveillance footage reportedly shows two groups arguing before shots were fired. Meanwhile, Mayor-President Sid Edwards vowed that those responsible would be caught, calling out the violence and assuring the community that authorities are actively working to bring the suspects into custody.

Victims Hospitalized As Officials Urge Public To Avoid Area

Emergency responders transported multiple victims to the hospital, while others arrived by private vehicles. Our Lady of the Lake Hospital issued a statement asking family members to report to the main entrance. This, while noting that the facility is on secured access, and requesting that visitors avoid coming unless necessary. Officials, including Mayor-President Sid Edwards and Governor Jeff Landry, set up a command post. And urged the public to stay away from the area as multiple agencies continue investigating.

NBC News adds that five suspects have been taken into custody.

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