The Alien franchise has always understood something most sci-fi releases eventually forget: space should feel terrifying. Not adventurous, not hopeful, but terrifying. Across nearly five decades and nine films, the franchise has built one of the most instantly recognizable worlds in genre cinema, filled with corporate greed, synthetic paranoia, biomechanical horror, and people making catastrophically bad decisions the second they encounter something beyond their comprehension that they should not touch.

That atmosphere is exactly why the franchise works so well as a weekend binge on HBO Max. Watching all nine films together, including the questionable Alien vs. Predator crossovers, highlights how flexible Alien became without ever fully losing its identity. The series shifts between survival horror, war movie chaos, existential sci-fi, gothic tragedy, and creature feature insanity while still feeling tied to the same cold industrial nightmare. And that clarity of identity is easier to appreciate when the films are watched as closely together as possible.

The Original ‘Alien’ Movies Still Feel Untouchable, And Probably Always Will

Alien and Aliens remain one of the strongest back-to-back combinations in sci-fi history because the movies compliment each other rather than competing with one another. Ridley Scott approaches Alien like a haunted house story trapped inside a rust-covered freight ship drifting through deep space, while James Cameron turns Aliens into a full panic spiral built around military escalation and collapsing control. Watching the two films close together makes the franchise’s range immediately obvious. The original thrives on silence, dread, and slow-building inevitability, while Aliens pushes in the exact opposite direction without weakening the tension. The xenomorph becomes more aggressive, the scale becomes larger, and the violence becomes louder, but the fear still comes from how fragile humanity looks against something designed purely to survive and spread.

Even the later sequels become more compelling during a marathon because they are willing to get stranger and meaner than most modern studio franchises. Alien 3 strips the series down into something bleak and fatalistic, while Alien Resurrection fully embraces grotesque sci-fi weirdness. Neither movie is as universally beloved as the first two, but both benefit from the franchise’s willingness to let different filmmakers push the mythology into uncomfortable territory rather than endlessly recreating the same film.

The Prequels and ‘Alien vs. Predator’ Movies Are More Fun Than Their Reputations Suggest

Image via 20th Century Studios

One of the best parts of binging the entire franchise is realizing how much easier it becomes to appreciate the weirder entries once they are viewed as pieces of a much larger mythology instead of standalone disappointments weighed down by release expectations. Prometheus and Alien: Covenant become especially interesting in that context because they lean harder into existential horror than straightforward creature terror. Instead of simply repeating the structure of the earlier films, the prequels focus on creation, artificial life, and humanity’s obsession with reaching beyond limits it does not fully understand. Michael Fassbender‘s performance as David ends up becoming one of the franchise’s strongest connective threads because his fascination with perfection and authorship feels fundamentally tied to Alien‘s larger themes.

Then there are the Alien vs. Predator movies, which honestly become pretty entertaining once the pressure of taking them overly seriously disappears. Alien vs. Predator understands the basic assignment of smashing together two iconic monster franchises and letting the spectacle carry the fun. Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem leans fully into chaotic creature horror in ways that feel messy but undeniably memorable. Neither movie reaches the highs of the core Alien films, but they still fit naturally into a franchise built around hostile creatures, bad corporate choices, and escalating biological disasters.

The ‘Alien’ Franchise Still Feels Completely Unique

Part of what keeps Alien so bingeable is that no other sci-fi franchise really feels like it, including even the latest film release, Alien: Romulus. The series has such a specific visual and thematic identity that even weaker installments remain compelling to look at. H.R. Giger‘s biomechanical designs still feel invasive and deeply upsetting decades later, and the franchise’s industrial environments continue to influence horror games, sci-fi films, and television across the genres. The xenomorph also remains one of the greatest movie monsters ever created because the horror surrounding it never feels shallow, and the continued use of practical effects for the perfect organism delivers an unsettling tangibility. Every stage of the xenomorph’s life cycle is built around bodily violation, infection, and loss of control, which gives the franchise a physical discomfort many creature features never achieve. The xenomorphs evolve constantly, but the underlying horror always stays recognizable.

That atmosphere is ultimately what makes the Alien series such a satisfying weekend binge. These movies are not just connected through lore or recurring creatures, though they have plenty of both to provide. The movies are connected through tone, texture, and a shared understanding that humanity keeps walking directly into nightmares it was never prepared to survive. By the end of the marathon, the franchise leaves behind one of sci-fi horror’s harshest and clearest truths: in the Alien universe, humanity’s greatest threat has never been space itself, but the belief that any nightmare can be controlled once it becomes profitable.

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Release Date

June 22, 1979

Runtime

117 Minutes

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Writers

Dan O’Bannon, Ronald Shusett

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A resurfaced clip of “Game of Thrones” star Jack Gleeson opening up about why he stepped away from acting for a while is making the rounds online. The footage has sparked conversations about how convincingly the actor blurred the line between his TV character and real-life personality.

Rumors had long circulated that the “GoT” star took time away from the screen because of backlash and bad reviews tied to his portrayal of Joffrey Baratheon in the hit HBO series.

Gleeson famously announced in 2014 that he was “retiring” from acting following the on-screen death of his character.

Gleeson set the record straight about the myths that have followed his acting career since he largely disappeared from screens.

In a resurfaced clip that has since gone viral online, the 33-year-old Irish actor looked noticeably different, swapping his signature blonde hair for brown locks and sporting a matching mustache.

After portraying what many still consider one of television’s most hated characters, Gleeson announced his “retirement” from acting. Critics speculated that the decision was fueled by the backlash that followed his role on the hit HBO series.

At the time, he only made brief appearances in small independent films and a handful of TV episodes before eventually returning to the screen in Netflix’s crime series, “House of Guinness.”

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Gleeson Addresses Myth About His Acting Career

In the viral X video, Gleeson addressed the speculation that has followed his acting career for years as the host asked him to “put an end” to the rumors “once and for all.”

“Well, I can say, thankfully, it wasn’t because I received any sort of abuse from anybody,” Gleeson said, during the premiere of “House of Guinness.”

“I know that can happen … I don’t know, it can happen. People confuse the character with the actor,” he added, referring to his much-hated portrayal of Joffrey.

Jack Gleeson Revealed What He’s Been Up To

Elsewhere in the conversation, the “Reign of Fire” actor opened up about what he had been doing during the years fans rarely saw him on screen.

According to 7 News, Gleeson considered returning to school at Trinity College Dublin before eventually co-founding the Collapsing Horse Theatre Company with friends during his acting hiatus.

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“After ‘Game of Thrones,’ or even during, I was continuing to act,” he explained. “But it was more just with a theatre company I had set up with some friends in Dublin.”

“And I don’t know, I was just more into that at that time,” he continued. “But then I started to miss screen acting, and I got back into it… It’s just where I was at that time.”

Gleeson Fans React To His Shocking Transformation

Internet users have flooded the comment section of the trending video to react to Gleeson’s remarks.

“I honestly thought maybe he had received too many bad reviews from playing Joffrey,” one X user wrote.

“He was likely getting a lot of sh-t online, but I met him over a decade ago in Brussels in front of a theatre, so he is definitely telling the truth,” another person shared. “Super humble and approachable guy, much the contrary of who he portrayed in ‘Game of Thrones’ lol.”

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One fan was also stunned by the actor’s new appearance, writing, “Wow, Joffrey with a mustache is crazy. He’s actually one of the sweetest people. I saw a video where he was a guest in a college class answering questions for the students. Very chill dude.”

Jack Gleeson Said He Simply Stopped Enjoying Acting

In a 2021 interview with Entertainment Weekly, Gleeson explained that his passion for acting had simply faded over time, which ultimately led him to step away from the profession at just 21 years old.

“The answer isn’t interesting or long-winded. I’ve been acting since age 8. I just stopped enjoying it as much as I used to,” Gleeson shared at the time. “Now there’s the prospect of doing it for a living, whereas up until now it was always something I did for recreation with my friends, or in the summer for some fun. I enjoyed it.”

“When you make a living from something, it changes your relationship with it,” he continued. “It’s not like I hate it, it’s just not what I want to do.”

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High Potential is going to look different when it comes back for season 3 following a change behind the scenes.

Multiple outlets confirmed that Nora and Lilla Zuckerman are taking over as co-showrunners and executive producers amid their overall deal at 20th Television, which produces High Potential.

“We are so grateful to be working with Craig, Karey, Simran and our partners at 20th and ABC on this exciting new chapter of High Potential,” the duo said in a statement on Wednesday, May 6. “The fact we get to collaborate with Drew, Sarah and Andrea at Goddard Textiles and the incomparable Kaitlin Olson is a dream come true.”

They continued: “We’re looking forward to climbing into the brilliant, bustling mind of Morgan Gillory and crafting intricate mysteries worthy of her genius.”

Related: Which ‘High Potential’ Stars Are — And Aren’t — Returning for Season 3?

High Potential is returning for a third season — but not everyone is coming back after that surprise cast exit. The hit ABC series, which premiered in September 2024, follows Morgan (Kaitlin Olson), a high-potential intellectual who teams up with the LAPD to assist the department in solving murders. Morgan gets paired up with Karadec […]

Before High Potential, the Zuckermans were showrunners on the hit Peacock series Poker Face. They also wrote for shows such as Suits, Agents of SHIELD, Prodigal Son and Fringe and are currently working on the Scream 8 script. The Zuckermans were previously attached to Hulu’s Buffy the Vampire Slayer, which ultimately did not move forward.

The duo is taking over after Todd Harthan exited the show at the end of season 2. News broke in March that Harthan departed to focus on the upcoming live-action adaptation of Christopher Paolini’s YA book series The Inheritance Cycle. The adaptation — titled Eragon — is cocreated with Paolini and Harthan will serve as coshowrunner alongside Todd Helbing.

High Potential, which premiered in September 2024, was created by Drew Goddard. The pilot was written by Goddard, who was expected to executive produce alongside Sarah Esberg, Rob Thomas, Dan Etheridge, Pierre Laugier, Anthony Lancret, Jean Nainchrik and Alethea Jones.

Thomas, meanwhile, was expected to serve as the showrunner before exiting in June 2024 — months before the series premiere. Harthan was ultimately announced as the new showrunner who also served as an executive producer.

The police procedural follows a high-potential intellectual — Morgan (Kaitlin Olson) — who teams up with the LAPD to help solve murders. She gets paired up with Karadec (Daniel Sunjata), who is initially skeptical about Morgan’s involvement with the Major Crimes unit but ultimately starts to rely on her.

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Related: TV Shows That Went Through Several Showrunner Changes

George Kraychyk / ©Hulu / Courtesy: Everett Collection Chances are if your favorite show felt different over the years, a showrunner shift occurred at some point behind the scenes. Law & Order: Organized Crime attempted to solidify itself as a successful spinoff of Law & Order: SVU but instead it has continued to make headlines […]

Season 2 picked up with the confirmation that Morgan’s ex Roman was still alive after going missing for more than a decade. The only information Morgan — and all of Us — have is that her ex worked as an FBI informant and doesn’t trust the LAPD.

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“It’s a pretty bumpy ride. We’re going to start unpacking some pretty intense things with Morgan, as it relates to all things Roman. There are all kinds of trials and tribulations that are going to happen with the kids at home,” Harthan teased exclusively to Us Weekly in January. “It’s just going to get messy and complicated — hopefully in all the best ways so that the audience stays on the edge of their seats.”

He concluded: “Our job now as we get to the back half of the second season is to fill in some of the big blanks and progress some of the relationships. You’re going to see some intense things happen between Steve Howey’s character and Captain Wagner really starts to bloom in the back half. That causes some good soapy messes on multiple fronts. It’s just our normal MO of just trying to mix things up and keep the audience engaged and keep them guessing.”

High Potential is currently streaming on Hulu.

Cher’s painful family battle with son Elijah Blue Allman has taken another dramatic turn after new court filings revealed the music icon allegedly stopped financially supporting him years ago. 

The latest development surfaced amid the pair’s ongoing conservatorship fight, with Elijah now arguing that his reduced income has left him unable to keep up with payments to his estranged wife, Marieangela King.

Cher’s son, Elijah Blue Allman, claimed in new legal documents that the singer stopped giving him monthly financial support around five years ago.

According to the Daily Mail, the filing, submitted on Tuesday in Los Angeles Superior Court, focused on Elijah’s attempt to reduce the spousal support payments he currently owes his estranged wife, Marieangela King.

According to the documents, the 49-year-old had previously received $10,000 a month from Cher, but that arrangement reportedly ended in August 2021.

Lawyers for Elijah said the loss of that income dramatically changed his financial situation. They argued that the musician now receives only money from the estate of his late father, Gregg Allman.

The filing stated that he currently gets $10,000 per month from the estate, but after taxes, the amount is closer to $6,790. Elijah’s legal team argued that the financial changes should reduce the amount of support he pays King each month.

The current court order requires him to pay $6,500 per month, but his lawyers said the amount should be reduced to $1,651 based on his current income.

Cher Conservatorship Battle Continues Amid Arrests And Treatment

Cher’s ongoing legal fight to place her son under a conservatorship remains at the center of the family drama.

As The Blast reported last month, the legendary singer unsuccessfully attempted to secure a temporary conservatorship over Elijah following two arrests and growing concerns about his mental health and substance abuse issues.

Court filings from Cher’s attorneys painted a troubling picture of her son’s financial behavior and personal struggles.

Lawyers for the “If I Could Turn Back Time” singer claimed Elijah “has no concept of money, is unable to manage his financial resources and is unable to withstand fraud or undue influence.”

The filing also alleged that he spends money recklessly. “Regarding his financial affairs alone, Elijah spends any money he gets immediately and almost exclusively on drugs, expensive hotels and limousine transportation,” Cher’s attorneys claimed.

The legal battle comes while Elijah is reportedly staying at a psychiatric hospital in New Hampshire following the recent incidents.

Cher’s Son Opens Up About Years Of Drug Addiction

Long before the current legal drama, Elijah openly discussed his struggles with substance abuse. In a 2014 interview with Entertainment Tonight, he reflected on how early drug use became part of his life.

“I started with drugs around the same time that we all did, around 11,” he admitted while discussing marijuana and MDMA use. “I mean, it’s just what you did, it’s just what everybody did,” he added.

Elijah later revealed that his addiction escalated into much more dangerous territory. He said he eventually became involved with “heroin and opiates” during one of the darkest periods of his life.

The musician explained that there were moments when he feared he might not survive. “I did have some close calls and some moments of really feeling at the edge of mortality,” he confessed.

Elijah also acknowledged how addiction could quickly spiral beyond a person’s control. “I always kind of kept it a little bit safe, but you never can do that,” he explained, adding, “Even though you think that in your mind, of course, the wrong things can happen.”

Cher’s Family Dispute Expands Into Marriage And Support Fight

Cher’s son is now also locked in a separate legal battle involving his estranged wife. Court filings stated that Elijah and King married in 2013 before separating in 2021.

Although King previously filed for divorce, the court eventually dismissed the filing. The latest hearing in the ongoing matter is scheduled for July 17.

Elijah’s lawyers argued that King has not attempted to become financially independent since their separation. 

The filing stated that she has “apparently made no efforts to become self-supporting since the parties separated in 2021.”

His legal team also argued that the court originally calculated his income incorrectly because it included the money Cher had once been giving him monthly.

Without that additional support, they claimed that Elijah no longer earns close to the previously referenced $20,000 per month in the case.

Cher Reportedly Learns Of Secret Granddaughter Amid Family Turmoil

Cher was recently reportedly blindsided by a decade-old family secret involving her troubled son, after learning she allegedly has a 15-year-old granddaughter she never knew existed. 

According to reports cited by The Blast, former model Kayti Edwards claimed she had a brief relationship with Elijah in 2010 that resulted in the birth of their daughter, Ever. 

Edwards alleged that Cher only confirmed the child’s existence last year after hearing about it years earlier during one of Elijah’s overdose incidents, initially dismissing it as “crazy talk.”  

Edwards claimed Cher was “speechless” when she finally learned the truth and emotionally told relatives, “Oh my God, I’m finally a grandma.”   

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Reports say Cher has since begun forming a relationship with the teenager, inviting her to her Malibu home and spending time with her privately.  

Blake Lively arrived at the Met Gala dripping in diamonds and confidence, but the timing of her glamorous return only intensified the drama surrounding her ugly legal war with Justin Baldoni. 

Just hours before stepping onto fashion’s biggest stage, the actress finalized a shocking settlement tied to her explosive lawsuit against Baldoni and Wayfarer Studios. 

Now, while Hollywood debates who truly won the battle, insiders claim Baldoni is far from finished and is already preparing his next move.

Blake Lively wasted no time reclaiming the spotlight after ending her legal fight with Justin Baldoni. 

Only hours after news broke that the lawsuit had been settled, the actress made a dramatic appearance at the Met Gala in New York City wearing an archival 2006 Versace gown covered in Lorraine Schwartz diamonds.

The “It Ends With Us” star appeared determined to show Hollywood she was still firmly part of the entertainment elite. 

Inside the event, she reportedly sat at one of Anna Wintour’s tables, showing her long-standing ties to fashion’s biggest names.

However, not everyone viewed the glamorous return as a victory lap. “The move of going to the Met Gala was not a business-as-usual move from Blake Lively, but actually just proved exactly what Wayfarer has been dealing with in terms of her character,” one source told the Daily Mail.

Another insider accused Lively of letting ego drive the entire legal battle. “Lives have been wrongfully put on hold due to what amounted to nothing more than the whim of an overinflated ego,” the source added.

Lively’s Lawsuit Ends Without Money Or Apology

Blake Lively initially launched the lawsuit accusing Baldoni and Wayfarer Studios of sexual harassment and retaliation connected to the filming of “It Ends With Us.”

However, the legal battle suffered major setbacks after Judge Doug Liman dismissed ten of her 13 claims, including allegations tied to harassment, conspiracy, and defamation.

Only three claims remained active before the settlement was reached. Despite online attempts to frame the agreement as a victory for Lively, critics quickly pointed out what was missing from the final outcome.

Baldoni and Wayfarer did not apologize to the actress, nor did they agree to pay her any money. The joint statement released on Monday acknowledged that Lively’s concerns “deserved to be heard” while also describing the movie as a “source of pride” for everyone involved.

“We remain firmly committed to workplaces free of improprieties and unproductive environments,” the statement read.

Blake Lively Faces More Fallout As Justin Baldoni Plans Public Response

Lively may be hoping to move forward, but Baldoni reportedly has no plans to stay silent. Sources claim the actor and director is preparing a major sit-down interview in the coming months to tell his side of the story.

He is also allegedly planning to write a book tied to the scandal that consumed Hollywood for nearly two years. According to insiders, Baldoni believes the public deserves to hear more about what happened behind the scenes during the production of “It Ends With Us.”

The 42-year-old has already relocated with wife Emily and their children from California to Nashville, Tennessee. “He very much likes Nashville and they are looking forward to making it their home,” a friend shared.

Baldoni also reportedly hopes to continue running his film studio despite ongoing damage to his reputation. Still, some industry insiders believe the controversy may continue hurting both stars professionally.

One female studio executive told Page Six, “Justin doesn’t have enough value in the market to overcome the suspicion that he may have created an unsafe set.”

Others were less sympathetic toward Lively. “Most of Hollywood knows what’s up. Yeah, maybe he’s a weirdo, but he didn’t commit any crime. Blake did this to herself whether they will admit it or not,” a male talent manager said.

Lively’s Legal War Reportedly Cost More Than $100 Million

Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni’s courtroom showdown reportedly became one of the most expensive celebrity legal fights in recent memory.

While industry reports initially estimated legal costs around $60 million, insiders now claim the true figure exceeded $100 million.

The battle expanded far beyond the original lawsuit, eventually encompassing defamation actions, rival publicists, and disputes involving The New York Times.

Under the confidential settlement, both parties reportedly agreed to pay their own legal bills. That arrangement is said to have been especially painful, considering the number of attorneys involved from multiple firms.

Lively even added lawyers from powerhouse litigation firm Sussman Godfrey during the final weeks of settlement negotiations. According to insiders, the actress became increasingly eager to settle after Judge Liman’s devastating April ruling weakened her case.

“Everyone on the legal team told her to settle as so much was wrong with the case,” one source claimed, adding, “She was desperate to settle. She and her legal team were the ones pushing for a settlement even one where no money changed hands at all.”

Blake Lively’s Reputation Battle May Not Be Over Yet

Lively’s legal fight may be finished in court, but the battle over public opinion is still raging.

Critics continue pointing to leaked text messages and emails that surfaced during the case, including one where Ryan Reynolds allegedly referred to Baldoni as “a bucket of dumb dumb juice.”

Sources close to the situation insist those exchanges damaged Lively’s image far more than she expected.

“The world can see what she did by her own words and the texts and emails she wrote,” one insider claimed. Meanwhile, Baldoni’s team continues focusing on a separate legal dispute involving publicists Stephanie Jones and Jen Abel.

At the same time, insiders believe Lively may soon begin carefully rebuilding her public image through charity-focused interviews and discussions about online behavior.

Still, skeptics remain unconvinced that audiences will quickly move on from the controversy. “She has put so many women and their children through the shredder for two years because she couldn’t handle that people don’t like her,” one source alleged, further noting, “That’s all it amounted to. She couldn’t bear that.”

Angela Simmons appeared on ‘Cadillac Chronicles’ this week, and the internet isn’t holding back its reactions! She performed her song, ‘Run To’, as she and three others drove around Atlanta. In response, social media users have been cracking jokes about high gas prices, parking the Cadillac, and Angela’s extracurricular activities.

RELATED: Angela Simmons Has Social Media Poppin’ OFF After Dropping Music Video For Her New Single ‘Run To’ (EXCLUSIVE)

Angela Simmons Flexes Her Vocals During Guest Appearance

On Wednesday, May 6, ‘Cadillac Chronicles’ shared a video of Angela speaking and singing her track into a mic. In the speaking portion, she asked questions like, “Have you ever found yourself trying to find which way to go? Do I go left? Maybe it’s right. Have you ever ran from the truth?” Then, she jumps into showing off her vocals!

The car interview series captioned the post, “So the lovely @angelasimmons came through to @cadillacchroniclestv with a super positive song ✅ Her intentions and message with her music are very inspiring 👌 Real dope vibe and experience ☀️ Super thankful for the link up 🫶.”

Meanwhile, Angela said in the comment section: “Thanks for having me/ us 🙌🙌 such a vibe!!!! Spreading love and high vibrations everywhere 🫶🏽🫶🏽”

Social Media Has Plenty To Say About Simmons’ Singing

On ‘Cadillac Chronicles’ IG page, the post featuring Angela Simmons pulled in over 8,800 comments. While a few showed support for her pursuing her music, others cracked jokes about gas prices and her side quests.

@doit4dane commented, “Gas is way too high for this ride.”

“She just on side quests doing whatever. I love this type of freedom for her 😂😂😂❤️❤️,” @herlifesparkles added.

“If u don’t get yo ahh out them folks car playing in they face 😂😂😂😂😂😂,” @singtyrus said.

@andarrio wrote, “Park the car.” 

“With the gas prices being high you wasted a ride having her there 😆 bring her pops out,” @_mel_1517 commented.

“The closed eyes took it😂Angela please,” @_reemixx said.

“What is going on yooo I love Angela she just be doing random shiiii😂😂 😂😂,” @_rashamel commented.

@glow.w.kirstin added, “Why she in the front seat giving us facial expressions and spoken word poetry 😂.” 

“This what happens when you have money and time on your hands. Just be doing any damn thing 😂😂😂😂,” @therealjillianrajai said.

“Angela need to move on to the back. That girl back there singing her heart out and Angela is serving spoken word 😐,” @taylomania commented.

“How much you paid this man to ride in his car because they never called you,” @_ebony_shanice_ wrote.

@therealburnell added, “Not Angela Franklin😭😭😭” 

“Wasting that man gas😂😂😂😂,” @tmcguirejr said.

“Give her a ride to the next MARTA station,” @itsjoitomyworld commented.

“This has gone too far. Oil is more than $100 a barrel and The Strait of Hormuz is still closed. Please, Angela—I beg,” @tamishaharris added.

RELATED: Spill The Tea, Sis! Angela Simmons Shares What She Believes Ended Her Romance With Yo Gotti (WATCH)