Westerns hook you in a different rhythm than most genres. And they have a pretty niche audience I must say. So for instance, unless you’re watching the best ones, it’s hard to sit through a western anyway unless you love the whole cowboy vibe. They do not always sprint. The great ones know how to stalk. You are watching pressure ripen through the slightest quirks of the genre and that’s the beauty of it.
These 10, however, are the kind of westerns that you would sit through and actually enjoy them regardless of whether you like the genre or not. That’s how good they are and how well they hook. And they are not all fast in the same way. Some are tense. Some are grand. Some are brutal. Some are funny in dry, lethal little bursts. But they all understand propulsion.
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10
‘Open Range’ (2003)
Kevin Costner and Robert Duvall as Charley Waite and Boss Spearman, standing outside while Boss holds a rifle in Open RangeImage via Touchstone Pictures
What I love about Open Range is how confidently it lets its pace breathe without ever letting your attention wander. That is a hard balance, and it gets it exactly right. The early sections are full of ordinary frontier routines, men living out on the land, eating, talking, moving cattle, handling small tensions before they curdle into bigger ones. But none of that feels like stalling. It feels like the movie quietly teaching you what kind of life is being threatened. Boss Spearman (Robert Duvall) and Charley Waite (Kevin Costner) are are men who have made a working moral arrangement with the world, and once that arrangement gets violated by Denton Baxter’s (Michael Gambon) cruelty, the film starts humming with contained anger.
And that anger is what keeps the whole movie hooked into you. Duvall gives Boss such lived-in authority, while Costner makes Charley feel like a man who has spent a long time trying not to become the version of himself violence keeps calling back into existence. The romance thread never drags the movie down either, because it is tied to the larger question of whether a man like Charley can ever belong to ordinary life again. Then that final gunfight justifies every bit of the slow-burn structure.
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9
‘3:10 to Yuma’ (2007)
Russell Crowe wearing a cowboy hat and standing outside an old western building in 3:10 to Yuma.Image via Lionsgate
This movie is one of the best examples of a western understanding that movement itself can be suspense. Get Ben Wade (Russell Crowe) to the train. That is the engine. Such a simple goal, and it gives the whole film shape immediately. The beauty is that the shape keeps getting more complicated the longer it runs. Dan Evans (Christian Bale) is trying to hold onto his own idea of himself in front of his son, his debt, his humiliation, and his half-broken place in the world. Ben is not just a prisoner either. He is funny, intelligent, observant, dangerous, and weirdly interested in the weaknesses of the men around him. So the film keeps turning the escort plot into an emotional duel.
3:10 to Yuma never lets either man flatten into an easy type. Dan and Ben’s scenes together are the movie’s real action, even before the bullets start flying. Then once the final race to Contention begins, the film becomes almost unbearably tight. The movie is so exciting by then — the moral stakes have become inseparable from the physical ones.
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8
‘The Magnificent Seven’ (1960)
Image via United Artists
The Magnificent Seven hooks you because it understands one of cinema’s oldest pleasures: assembling the right people for the wrong job under the right amount of pressure. The village is under threat. The bandits keep returning. Protection must be bought somehow. Then the film starts bringing in these gunmen, each with a distinct rhythm, ego, sadness, or streak of fatalism, and suddenly you are in a community-building story, a men-in-search-of-purpose story, and a “what does skill mean once the world has stopped paying for it honorably” story. That is rich fuel.
And the film never loses momentum because every phase has its own charge. The recruitment is fun. The training and defense preparation are fun. The uneasy bond between the villagers and the gunmen deepens things without killing pace. Calvera (Eli Wallach) is also a huge reason the movie moves so well, because he gives the threat personality without turning him into a cartoon. You understand exactly why the villagers are terrified of his return. Then the final stand lands because the film has done the essential western work: it has made protection costly and belonging temporary. You stay hooked because the movie keeps asking what these men are actually fighting for once the paycheck becomes the least interesting answer.
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7
‘High Noon’ (1952)
Gary Cooper as Will Kane and Grace Kelly as Amy Kane standing together in High NoonImage via United Artists
This one is all tension design. There is almost no wasted motion in High Noon. The film follows a marshal (Gary Cooper) who learns that a man he once sent away is coming back on the noon train, revenge is clearly the mission, and instead of riding out, he stays and tries to gather help from a town that keeps finding more respectable ways to abandon him. That setup is brilliant because it turns suspense into moral exposure. The danger is not just Frank Miller (Ian MacDonald) arriving. The danger is time revealing who the town really is. Every clock shot is not just countdown mechanics. It is accusation.
Cooper’s Will Kane does not feel invincible or swaggering. He feels tired, uneasy, stubborn, and almost humiliated by how badly he needs support from people who keep retreating into excuses. That emotional exposure is what keeps the film hooked into you so hard. The church debate, the deputies backing off, the new bride caught between principle and love, all of it tightens the noose.
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6
‘Tombstone’ (1993)
Close up of actor Kurt Russell as Wyatt Earp, smiling in TombstoneImage via Hollywood Pictures
There is a reason Tombstone remains so insanely rewatchable. It has that rare big-cast western electricity where every entrance feels like it might start another movie you would also happily watch. Wyatt Earp (Kurt Russell) is looking for something like peace or at least profitable semi-retirement, and the film knows how funny and doomed that sounds in a place like Tombstone.
The town is already humming with vice, swagger, gang pressure, and men whose personalities seem too large for civilization to contain comfortably. That means the movie never struggles to generate momentum. It is already overheated before the shooting properly starts. And then Doc Holliday (Val Kilmer) gives the whole film a pulse too alive to ignore. He does not just steal scenes. He changes the rhythm of them. Suddenly wit, death drive, loyalty, sickness, elegance, and self-destruction are all in the room at once. Russell is excellent because he keeps Wyatt grounded enough that the larger-than-life material still has a spine. What keeps the movie hooked from start to finish is how well it knows escalation. It never feels like random cowboy incident. It feels like a town moving toward inevitable combustion, and every joke, romance, betrayal, and gunfight is feeding that combustion.
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5
‘The Proposition’ (2005)
Ray Winstone as Captain Stanley in ‘The Proposition’Image via Sony Pictures Releasing
The Proposition hooks you like a fever. It is not fun in the same register as some of the others on this list, but it is so tense and so poisoned from the beginning that it becomes impossible to look away. The proposition itself is already a perfect piece of western cruelty: capture or kill your older brother and your younger brother lives. That is savage story architecture. It turns family, law, colonial authority, masculine violence, and moral compromise into one single blade. Then the Australian frontier setting makes everything even harsher.
What makes the film so gripping is that nobody gets to remain clean inside the premise. Captain Stanley (Ray Winstone) is trying to perform civilization through force. Charlie Burns (Guy Pearce) is caught between survival and blood. Arthur Burns (Danny Huston) is less a man than a dreadful magnetic center pulling everyone toward him. The movie is full of heat, flies, dust, and this awful sense that the social order being imposed is already rotten at the root. You stay hooked because the film keeps asking who will finally become monstrous first, and the answer keeps spreading.
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4
‘Unforgiven’ (1992)
Clint Eastwood, as William Munny, looking pensive, in Unforgiven.Image via Warner Bros.
This film hooks you by making you wait for violence while teaching you, scene by scene, exactly why violence should no longer be trusted. That is one of the hardest tricks in the genre, because western audiences are trained to anticipate the gunfighter’s return, the old killer riding again, the legend proving itself one more time. Unforgiven knows that expectation is sitting there and uses it against you. William Munny (Clint Eastwood) does not come back into the story as some cool dormant monster waking up. He comes back as a tired farmer, a failing widower, a man telling himself he is not that man anymore while money, need, pride, and old reflexes begin pulling at him.
And every character deepens that pull. The Schofield Kid (Jaimz Woolvett) is all fantasy and nerves. Ned Logan (Morgan Freeman) brings memory and decency. Little Bill Daggett (Gene Hackman) is civilization as bullying performance, a man convinced that order justifies any ugliness if he is the one imposing it. The movie keeps widening the emotional cost of violence long before the final eruption arrives. So when the saloon sequence finally happens, it lands with the force of reckoning rather than payoff. That is why the movie is so gripping. It understands that suspense in a western can come not only from what might happen, but from dreading what will happen once a man stops pretending he left his old self behind.
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3
‘The Wild Bunch’ (1969)
William Holden, Ernest Borgnine, Ben Johnson, and Warren Oats walking with weapons in The Wild Bunch.Image via Warner Bros.
The Wild Bunch grabs you immediately because it feels like a world already coming apart before the plot has properly started. Pike Bishop (Sam Peckinpah) opens with children watching scorpions consumed by ants, then erupts into one of the most chaotic and violent openings in western history, and the film never lets the sensation of collapse leave your body after that. The Bunch are not just outlaws on one last score. They are men out of time, dragging old codes through a modernizing world that no longer has room for their kind of criminal honor or even their kind of brutality. That gives every movement in the story an undertow of extinction.
And the movie keeps you hooked because it understands contradiction so well. These men are cruel, loyal, funny, exhausted, pathetic, dangerous, and occasionally noble in ways that never cancel out the rest. Pike Bishop (William Holden) is the center of that contradiction, a leader carrying enough self-knowledge to understand the life is doomed and still unable to imagine another one. The train robbery, the border politics, the Angel situation, the final walk, all of it works because the movie keeps turning momentum into destiny. You are not just watching a gang movie but a species of man head toward its own ritual end.
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2
‘Django Unchained’ (2012)
Christoph Waltz as Dr. King Schultz in Django UnchainedImage via The Weinstein Company
Djano Unchained stays entertaining from start to finish because it has one of the most powerful propulsion systems any western has ever built: love plus revenge plus liberation. Django (Jamie Foxx) is not just trying to survive the frontier or outdraw another man or protect a town. He is trying to get his wife back from hell. That gives everything, every conversation, every deception, every bit of comic cruelty, and every gunshot a bigger emotional engine. Quentin Tarantino knew how to exploit that engine. The film can be funny, grotesque, suspenseful, indulgent, outrageous, and still never lose the clean forward movement of Django getting closer to Candieland and closer to the world that stole Broomhilda from him.
And what makes the movie so sticky is how well its different tones feed each other rather than cancel each other out. Dr. King Schultz (Christoph Waltz) gives the film such verbal lightness and moral complexity that he turns every explanatory scene into play. Calvin Candie (Leonardo DiCaprio) is a perfect late-film accelerator because he makes the house itself feel like a theater of violence pretending to be sophistication. Then Foxx keeps Django’s emotional line clean enough that the whole movie never drifts into pure showboating. Yes, it has that modern western swagger. Of course it does. But it also has focus, and that focus is what makes the entertainment feel complete rather than scattered.
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1
‘The Good, the Bad and the Ugly’ (1966)
Clint Eastwood smokes a cigarette standing in a dry, arid landscape in The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly.Image via United Artists
The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly may be the most gloriously sustained piece of western entertainment ever made. Not the saddest. Not the most morally profound. Not the most intimate. The most sustained. It is almost absurd how completely it keeps hold of you for its entire running time. Leone understands that a western can be huge and leisurely and still never feel slack if every scene is charged correctly. Blondie (Clint Eastwood), Tuco (Eli Wallach), and Angel Eyes (Lee Van Cleef) are not just three men in a hunt for buried gold. They are three perfectly calibrated narrative energies. One cool and withholding. One frantic and shameless and weirdly lovable. One deathly patient and professional in the ugliest way. Put them into the same story and the film almost cannot stop generating momentum.
And then there is the scale. Civil War wreckage, prison camps, desert crossings, betrayals, reunions, shifting alliances, the bridge sequence, the cemetery, the score, every part of the movie keeps enlarging the journey without losing the dirty little pleasure of wanting to know who gets the money and how. That is the secret of its greatness as entertainment. It is epic, yes, but it never stops being mischievously invested in character friction and game mechanics. Then the final three-way showdown arrives and somehow pays off not just the plot, but the entire accumulated rhythm of the movie. That is why it sits at the top. It does not merely hold your attention. It owns it.
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Collider Exclusive · Oscar Best Picture Quiz Which Oscar Best Picture Is Your Perfect Movie? Parasite · Everything Everywhere · Oppenheimer · Birdman · No Country
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Five Oscar Best Picture winners. Five completely different visions of what cinema can be — and what it can do to you. One of them is the film that was made for the way your mind works. Ten questions will figure out which one.
🪜Parasite
🌀Everything Everywhere
☢️Oppenheimer
🐦Birdman
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🪙No Country for Old Men
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01
What kind of film experience do you actually want? The best movies don’t just entertain — they leave something behind.
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02
Which idea grabs you most in a film? Great films are driven by a central obsession. What’s yours?
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03
How do you like your story told? Form is content. The way a story is shaped changes what it means.
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04
What makes a truly great antagonist? The opposition defines the protagonist. What kind of opposition fascinates you?
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05
What do you want from a film’s ending? The final note is the one that lingers. What do you want it to sound like?
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06
Which setting pulls you in most? Where a film takes place shapes everything — mood, stakes, what’s even possible.
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07
What cinematic craft impresses you most? Every great film has a signature — a technical or artistic element that makes it unmistakable.
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08
What kind of main character do you root for? The protagonist is the lens. Who you choose to follow says something about you.
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09
How do you feel about a film that takes its time? Pace is a choice. Some films sprint; others let tension accumulate slowly, deliberately.
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10
What do you want to feel walking out of the cinema? The best films leave a mark. What kind of mark do you want?
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The Academy Has Decided Your Perfect Film Is…
Your answers have pointed to one Oscar Best Picture winner above all others. This is the film that was made for the way your mind works.
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Parasite
You are drawn to films that operate on multiple levels simultaneously — that begin in one genre and quietly, brilliantly migrate into another. Bong Joon-ho’s Parasite is a film about class, desire, and the architecture of inequality that manages to be darkly funny, deeply suspenseful, and genuinely shocking across a single extraordinary running time. Your instinct is for cinema that hides its true intentions until the moment it’s ready to reveal them. Parasite is exactly that — a film that rewards close attention and punishes assumptions, right up to its devastating final image.
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Everything Everywhere All at Once
You want it all — and this film gives you all of it. The Daniels’ Everything Everywhere All at Once is one of the most maximalist films ever made: action comedy, multiverse sci-fi, family drama, existential crisis, and a genuinely earned emotional core that sneaks up on you amid the chaos. You are someone who responds to ambition, who doesn’t want cinema to choose between being entertaining and being meaningful. This film refuses that choice entirely. It is overwhelming by design, and its overwhelming nature is precisely the point — because the feeling of being crushed by infinite possibility is exactly what it’s about.
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Oppenheimer
You are drawn to cinema on a grand scale — films that understand history not as a backdrop but as a force, and that place their characters inside that force and watch what happens. Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer is a film about the terrifying gap between what we can do and what we should do, told with the full weight of one of the most consequential moments in human history behind it. You want your films to feel important without feeling self-important — to earn their ambition through sheer craft and the gravity of their subject. Oppenheimer does exactly that. It is enormous, complicated, and refuses easy comfort.
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Birdman
You are drawn to films that foreground their own construction — that make the how of the filmmaking part of the what it’s about. Alejandro González Iñárritu’s Birdman, shot to appear as a single continuous take, is cinema examining itself through the cracked mirror of a fading actor’s ego. You respond to formal daring, to the feeling that a film is doing something that probably shouldn’t be possible. Michael Keaton’s performance and Emmanuel Lubezki’s restless camera create something genuinely unlike anything else — a film that is simultaneously about creativity, relevance, self-destruction, and the impossibility of ever truly knowing if your work means anything at all.
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No Country for Old Men
You are drawn to cinema that trusts silence, that refuses to explain itself, and that treats dread as a form of meaning. The Coen Brothers’ No Country for Old Men is a film about the arrival of a new kind of evil — implacable, arbitrary, and utterly indifferent to the moral frameworks we use to make sense of the world. It is one of the most formally controlled films ever made, and its controlled restraint is what makes it so terrifying. You want your films to haunt you, not comfort you. You are not interested in resolution if resolution would be dishonest. No Country for Old Men is honest in a way that most cinema never dares to be.
Brynn Whitfield joined Bravo’s “The Real Housewives of New York City” for its 14th season, which served as a full reboot for the series. However, in June 2025, she announced her departure after appearing in two seasons. Now, the “RHONY” alum is opening up about her decision to leave and reflecting on why she fell out of love with being a housewife.
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Whitfield appeared on “Casual Chos with Gia Giudice” in May 2026. During the episode, Giudice mentioned that many “RHONY” fans are unhappy that Whitfield will not be a part of the upcoming 16th season. She then asked the Bravo alum if she regrets her decision to leave.
She responded, “Walking away from it, I did it definitely with a heavy heart.” Whitfield then stated that she enjoyed several aspects of being on “RHONY,” including working with Bravo and NBCUniversal, as well as some of her costars. However, the 39-year-old went on to say, “When something’s no longer fun, I’m out immediately.”
From there, the “Housewives” alum claimed “it felt icky during filming,” then recalled removing her microphone pack and fleeing to London, only to receive a phone call demanding she return to film the season.
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According to her, “I was kicking and screaming the whole season.”
Brynn Went Into Detail About Season 15
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Whitfield continued discussing season 15 of “The Real Housewives of New York City,” which was filmed in early to mid 2024. After stating that she enjoyed her first outing on the show, she said, “The entire time filming that season 15, it was miserable. It was just pulling teeth, and I felt, I was just like, ‘this is gonna bomb.’”
From there, she recalled conversations with her costars in which she told them, “You gotta bring it,” while they felt the season was going well and would be well received by “RHONY” fans. Still, Whitfield says she has no regrets, though there are certain things she perhaps wouldn’t share on camera if she could have the experience again.
Fans Are Weighing In
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Bravo’s reboot of “The Real Housewives of New York City” never won over most fans. Still, people are weighing in on Whitfield’s reasoning for leaving the show and her thoughts on season 15. Overall, many think she’s rewriting history.
One person said on X, “She’s the one who made it icky by trying to engineer fake fights and then lying to Ubah.” Someone else wrote, “Didn’t she start some BS & was caught in a lie? I can’t remember exactly what happened bc this new cast wasn’t as good as the Original – except for Jenna Lyons; I dig her & her style.”
A different person stated, “So basically she was just as bored as we were and fabricated some sh-t to attempt to make the season bearable.”
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Lastly, another fan doubted everything Whitfield said. According to them, “I’m sorry, but I cannot believe one word she says. I don’t believe she was asked back, and at the very least, it would have been a mutual agreement. She skirts over the last season, like she didn’t accuse a cast member of something horrific.”
Brynn Announced Her Exit In June 2025
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Season 15 of “The Real Housewives of New York City” finished airing in February 2025. After that, it was unclear when the show would return and which ladies would resume their stints as cast members. Then, in June 2025, Whitfield took to Instagram Stories to share that she would not be returning.
Per PEOPLE, she said, “After a lot of thought, I’ve made the decision to walk away from reality TV. For now. ‘The Real Housewives of New York City’ will always be one of the most fun, chaotic, and magical chapters of my life. It was the honor of a lifetime to help reboot such an iconic franchise.”
She continued, “From day one, I’ve believed ‘RHONY’ is a fan’s show — we’re just temporary custodians of something that truly belongs to the viewers.” Whitfield also used her exit statement to discuss her dating app, Hoppy.
‘RHONY’ Season 16 Is Now In Production
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Several months after Whitfield announced her exit, Bravo revealed the returning cast members for “RHONY” season 16, a soft reboot. They are Sai De Silva, Jessel Taank, and Erin Lichy. It was also announced that “Housewives” legend Carole Radziwill would be a friend of the show.
The new cast members are Hailey Glassman, Erika Hammond, and Daisy Toye. Production is currently underway.
Just a day after hosting the grand finale of his CBS late-night show, the comedian made a surprise return to the airwaves on a program he previously appeared on back in 2015.
Meanwhile, Colbert’s CBS farewell has sparked reactions from Donald Trump, who celebrated the news and hoped the same fate would hit other late-night hosts.
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When Colbert gave his final run, he quipped that show business is probably where his fans would see him “next.” Staying true to his words, Colbert guest-hosted the May 22 episode of “Only in Monroe”.
He was joined by music director Jack White and guest Jeff Daniels, with cameo appearances by Eminem and Steve Buscemi. The 62-year-old TV personality kicked off his appearance on the Michigan public access show with a jab at the close of his 11-year run with his former employers.
“It’s been an excruciating 23 hours without being on TV,” Colbert said. “So I am grateful to be able to be here on Monroe Community Media before they also get acquired by Paramount.”
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Colbert continued the night with more jabs at his previous role, even FaceTiming his successor, Byron Allen, and joking that the small-town show was now competing with Allen’s “Comics Unleashed.”
“So we’re opposite you right now,” Colbert said on the call, per Variety. “I hate to do that, but I’m coming for you, brother. I can’t give up. I’m coming for you.”
Stephen Colbert Wanted More Time On The Late Night Show
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As Colbert moves on from his past role, he has reflected on his exit, admitting it was not how he imagined. Per The Blast, the writer said he would have preferred to leave “a little older” and on his own terms.
Colbert then compared the close of the late show with the ending of “The Colbert Report,” explaining that back then, he chose the final day himself and had known about it two years in advance. This time, however, the decision wasn’t his, and it took months before he even knew when the last episode would happen.
Still, he joked that maybe it was a hidden gift, because since the choice wasn’t his, he could make fun of the situation without being seen as the “bad guy.”
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Colbert certainly leaned into the humor, reportedly throwing a themed party with the dress code “fired and festive” to mark the occasion.
How Donald Trump Celebrated Stephen Colbert’s Departure
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Following Colbert’s last episode, Trump did not hide his excitement. The president took to his Truth Social platform, mocking the political commentator as talentless and comparing him to a “dead person,” according to The Blast.
Later that morning, Trump doubled down, calling Colbert’s exit the “Beginning of the End” for late-night hosts he considers overpaid and unfunny.
He wrapped up his comments with a sharp jab, saying others “of even less talent” would follow before adding, “Rest in Peace.”
Trump took his celebration a step further by posting an AI-generated video that showed him sneaking up behind Colbert during what looked like the start of a monologue. In the clip, Trump grabbed Colbert by the suit and tossed him into a green dumpster.
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Robert De Niro Slammed Donald Trump On Colbert’s Program
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While Trump now makes merry about Colbert’s farewell, the final stretch of the show still included several jabs aimed at him. In the days leading up to the finale, Robert De Niro appeared and used the moment to criticize the US leader.
The Blast reported that during a segment in which guests asked Colbert questions, he revealed that his secret number was three.
De Niro quickly joked that he thought the number should have been “two and a half million,” a pointed reference to the Epstein files he claimed Trump had not released.
Colbert Said He Would Continue Speaking Out About the Country
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Even as Colbert’s show continued taking shots at Trump in its last days, the host made it clear that stepping away from the CBS desk would not change his commitment to the country. “I’ll never stop caring about my country,” Colbert declared, per The Blast.
He added that while he’s fine being a fan of himself, he doesn’t believe his absence from the national conversation will harm the republic.
The producer also reflected on his career path, describing the journey as a “happy accident” that turned out beautifully.
Sydney Sweeney has sparked concerns that she may derail her Hollywood career if she continues to feature in racy roles.
Since her breakout role on “Euphoria,” the actress has scored several top screen jobs that involved her playing suggestive roles, but experts say she runs the risk of being “typecast” as having only nudity to offer.
Sydney Sweeney has previously defended herself, saying she feels like there’s “a stigma against actresses who get naked on screen.”
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Experts Warn Sydney Sweeney Risks Derailing Her Career
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Sydney Sweeney has been dragged into several online controversies over her edgy and nude scenes in the ongoing “Euphoria” season 3, as well as other films.
More recently, she garnered fan ire after she posed like a baby in the Sam Levinson-led film, as well as took part in several absurd requests from fans since she became an adult creator in the series.
Now, experts have raised an alarm on how she risks derailing her career with the frequent nude and provocative castings, warning that she could be “typecast” with sexualized characters becoming “her entire brand proposition.”
“Euphoria clearly helped establish Sydney Sweeney as a fearless performer, physically and emotionally, and that’s part of why she broke through,” crisis and reputation management expert Dave Quast told Fox News Digital.
“The risk is that when the public conversation focuses more on the sexualised aspects of the role than on the performance, the same work that made her seem daring can start to narrow the brand,” he continued.
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The Expert Claims There’s A Problem If Sexuality Becomes ‘Dominant’ In Her Screen Jobs
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Elsewhere in his assessment of the situation, Quast explained that although displaying sexuality on screen “is not inherently unserious,” the problem arises when “it becomes the dominant shorthand for the actor.”
“For Sweeney, the challenge is not that she has played sexualised roles. The challenge is making sure those roles continue to read as character choices, not as the entire brand proposition,” he added.
Last year, the 28-year-old actress starred in several racy scenes with co-star Brandon Sklenar in “The Housemaid.”
Things quickly intensified following the release of the third and final season of “Euphoria,” where her character Cassie joined OnlyFans to make money and support her marriage to Jacob Elordi’s Nate.
Sam Levinson Defended Sydney Sweeney’s Character’s Twist
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Several fans have dragged her and show creator Sam Levinson, with many even suggesting that the show be canceled.
In the latest season, they’ve claimed many of her racy scenes were “unnecessary,” while also ripping Levinson for his “unnecessary use” of Nazi symbols.
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During an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Levinson addressed the uproar over the character in this season, explaining that her provocative outfits, like the dog and baby costumes, were meant to add humor to the scenes of Cassie making OnlyFans content, with said content being filmed by her housekeeper.
“[Cassie] has got her dog house and her little dog ears and the nose, and that has its own humor, but what makes the scene is the fact that her housekeeper is the one filming it,” Levinson said. “What we wanted to always find is the other layer of absurdity that we’re able to tie into it so that we’re not too inside of her fantasy or illusion… the gag is to jump out, to break the wall.”
The Actress Said She Never Felt ‘Pushed’ To Do Raunchy Scenes In ‘Euphoria’
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Sweeney has previously spoken out against the backlash that has trailed her racy portrayal on screen, noting that “Euphoria” creator never forced her to do anything she didn’t want to.
In an interview with The Independent, she said that people willfully antagonize actresses who go naked rather than look at the talent.
“I’ve never felt like Favour Adegoke Sam [Levinson] has pushed it on me or was trying to get a nude scene into an HBO show,” she said. “When I didn’t want to do it, he didn’t make me.”
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“There are moments where Cassie was supposed to be shirtless, and I would tell Sam, ‘I don’t really think that’s necessary here,’” she added. “He was like, ‘OK, we don’t need it.’”
Sydney Sweeney Thinks There’s A ‘Stigma Against Women Going Nude On Screen
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Sweeney also explained that while she’s willing to appear nude, she doesn’t necessarily believe it should overshadow her talent.
“This is something that has bothered me for a while,” she said. “I’m very proud of my work in Euphoria. I thought it was a great performance. But no one talks about it because I got naked. I do ‘The White Lotus,’ and all of a sudden, critics are paying attention.”
Sweeney continued, “People are loving me. They’re going, ‘Oh my God, what’s she doing next?’ I was like, ‘Did you not see that in ‘Euphoria?’ Did you not see that in ‘The Handmaid’s Tale?’”
She then added that she thinks there’s “a stigma against actresses who get naked on screen,” saying, “When a guy has a sex scene or shows his body, he still wins awards and gets praise. But the moment a girl does it, it’s completely different.”
This article covers a developing story. Continue to check back with us as we will be adding more information as it becomes available.
Pope Leo XIV has issued his first papal encyclical since his elevation to the papacy a year ago this month, and fantasy fans may find a quote in the document surprisingly familiar. J.R.R. Tolkien is referenced in the encyclical; the quote does not come from his religious writings, but is in fact a passage from The Lord of the Rings.
The papal encyclical is a letter written to the Catholic Church’s bishops; it is typically an address on a particular topic, and is intended for worldwide distribution and consumption. The new encyclical, titled Magnifica Humanitas, or “Magnificent Humanity,” devotes much of its space to the question of artificial intelligence, which the Pope criticizes for its role in warfare and dehumanization; it also apologizes for the Catholic Church’s historical role in the slave trade. It also quotes a passage from Gandalf, as spoken in the third book of the Lord of the Rings trilogy, The Return of the King:
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It is not our part to master all the tides of the world, but to do what is in us for the succour of those years wherein we are set, uprooting the evil in the fields that we know, so that those who live after may have clean earth to till.
The quote is apropos, as Tolkien was a devout lifelong Catholic, and described The Lord of the Rings as a “fundamentally religious and Catholic work; unconsciously so at first, but consciously in the revision.”
This article covers a developing story. Continue to check back with us as we will be adding more information as it becomes available.
Do you have Memorial Day off but still haven’t made any concrete plans to spend that extra time?
Watch With Us has a suggestion — you should watch some films on streamers like Netflix and Hulu to begin the summer season on the right note.
If you need some good suggestions, you’ve come to the right place. We’ve curated a list of easy-to-watch movies that are perfect for unwinding and relaxing.
From the rom-com Wild Mountain Thyme, starring Emily Blunt and Jamie Dornan, to a ‘90s comedy featuring Christina Applegate, these films are certain to provide an equal amount of entertainment and escapism.
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‘Wild Mountain Thyme’ (2020)
Emily Blunt is currently conquering movie theaters worldwide with her sharp supporting performance in The Devil Wears Prada 2, but many people haven’t seen one of her best films. There’s a good reason for that — Wild Mountain Thyme came out during COVID-19. But that’s what streaming and a holiday weekend are for — to catch up on under-the-radar films you may have missed the first time around.
Blunt stars as Rosemary, an Irish woman who’s been in love with her next-door neighbor, Anthony (Jamie Dornan), since they were kids. He doesn’t seem into her as she’s into him, so when another suitor, the brash American Adam (Jon Hamm), comes along, she seriously considers a relationship with him. But unbeknownst to her, Anthony loves Rosemary, but he harbors a strange secret that prevents him from acting on his feelings.
Filmed on location among the lush green hills of the Irish countryside, Wild Mountain Thyme is an old-school romance with a classic friends-turned-lovers narrative that made similar movies like When Harry Met Sally and Annie Hall rom-com staples. Written and directed by Moonstruck’s John Patrick Shanley, this film boasts one of the most attractive couples in movie history and a bizarre climactic twist that sets it apart from pretty much every other love story you’ve ever seen. If you’re eager to fall in love this Memorial Day weekend, or watch fictional people swoon onscreen, watch Wild Mountain Thyme.
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Wild Mountain Thyme is streaming on Netflix and Disney+.
‘Don’t Tell Mom the Baysitter’s Dead’ (1991)
Sue Ellen (Christina Applegate) is your average California teen who is looking forward to a summer filled with road trips to the beach and lounging around the local mall. But when her mom travels to Australia with her rich boyfriend, she leaves her and her four siblings with Mrs. Sturak (Eda Reiss Marin), a cranky old babysitter whom everyone immediately loathes.
When Mrs. Sturak unexpectedly dies, Sue Ellen has to act as the household’s de facto guardian by getting a job, paying the bills and making sure the house doesn’t burn down. She’s surprisingly good at playing a grown-up, but Sue Ellen is still only 17 years old, and the pressures of being a stand-in mom to her brothers and sister and starting a romance with hot dog delivery boy Bryan (Josh Charles) eventually take their toll. Will Sue Ellen’s summer of freedom turn into a winter prison when her cover is blown by a jealous co-worker?
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Josh Charles and Christina Applegate in Don’t Tell Mom the Babysitter’s Dead.Warner Brothers/courtesy Everett Collection
The epitome of a breezy summer movie, Don’t Tell Mom the Babysitter is Dead is a wish-fulfillment fantasy for every child who thinks they know more than the adults running their lives. Sue Ellen all too easily gets a job at a fashion company, where she kills it as a designer with no experience at all, while she also steps into her mother role and improves everybody’s lives, including her own. This is a very ‘90s film, right down to the loud, colorful prints Sue Ellen wears to work and the rock and house music that dominates the soundtrack, but its jokes still land, and it has a surprisingly sweet heart.
Julia Roberts and Richard Gere in Pretty WomanBuena Vista/courtesy Everett Collection, PRW 058, Photo by: Everett Collection (51981)
$3,000. That’s the price Edward (Richard Gere) and Vivian (Julia Roberts) agree on as they negotiate their strange new week-long relationship. He’s a handsome finance bro who needs to spend time with a woman without any emotional connections, while she’s a neophyte sex worker with a bad Carol Channing wig and a million-dollar smile. Their relationship is purely sexual and transactional, but as the week progresses, Richard introduces Vivian to his wealthy world filled with polo matches and opera concerts. She’s enamored, but so is Richard, and they find themselves falling for each other. That’s not supposed to happen, but can these two lonely souls open themselves up to real, lasting love?
There’s a reason why Pretty Woman became one of the most popular movies on Netflix earlier this month when the streamer added it in May. 36 years after its release, it remains a timeless love story, even if it involves prostitution and a very uncomfortable scene involving sexual assault. Roberts is incandescent as the wise but naive Vivian, while Gere is terrific as a smooth operator who hides a wounded soul. The chemistry these two generate is playful, sexy and fun — you really want them to live happily ever after. Props to the film’s terrific supporting cast, which includes Laura San Giacomo as Vivian’s proudly profane best friend, Kit.
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Lace is having a major moment this spring but not in the overly precious way you might remember from years past. This season’s versions feel fresh, wearable and surprisingly versatile, showing up as delicate trim on relaxed shorts, subtle panels on breezy dresses and pretty details on everyday tanks and skirts. They add a romantic touch to your outfit without feeling at all costume-y or overdone.
If you ask Us, lace accents are one of the easiest ways to make simple spring staples feel instantly more elevated. For example, a lace-trim camisole can dress up jeans in seconds and a flowy skirt with crochet-inspired details brings a soft, feminine feel to basic tees. Luckily, Amazon is packed with affordable options to take advantage of the trend. Prices start at just $10, making it dangerously easy to add a few to your warm-weather rotation.
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19 Amazon Fashion Finds With Trendy Lace Details
Skirts With Lace Details
1. Satin Romance: This satin midi skirt looks like something you’d stumble upon in a chic little Paris boutique. The glossy fabric catches the light beautifully and the delicate lace trim gives the flowy A-line silhouette an ultra-feminine finish. Pair it with a fitted tank and kitten heels for instant quiet-luxury energy.
2. Ruffle Moment: Sweet but not overly precious, this high-waisted flared skirt brings major cottagecore charm to spring outfits. The lace trim and ruffled hem create gorgeous movement when you walk, and the stretchy waistband keeps things comfortable enough for all-day wear.
3. Boho Drama: Fashionistas are fully embracing layered lace skirts, and this asymmetrical maxi taps into the trend perfectly. Between the fluffy ruffles, semi-sheer lace and dramatically uneven hemline, this statement piece feels straight off a Pinterest mood board. The built-in shorts are also a game changer.
4. Renaissance Revival: This flowy tiered maxi skirt practically begs to be worn to a farmers’ market with a woven tote and sandals. The delicate lace accent adds soft texture throughout the silhouette, and the lightweight drapey fabric keeps it breezy, even on extra-hot days. Bonus points for the hidden pockets!
Is it just Us, or are all the biggest pop stars wearing babydoll dresses? We’ve seen A-listers like Taylor Swift, Ariana Grande and Sabrina Carpenter wear the girlie frock — and we’re not mad about it. The look is a one-and-done recipe for cutesy summer styling, and it’s extremely easy to replicate. Babydoll dresses were synonymous […]
Shorts With Lace Details
5. Satin Sweetie: These lace-trim satin shorts feel far more elevated than your average warm-weather staple. The silky fabric gives them a dressier feel, making them surprisingly easy to pair with blazers, camis or even heels for dinner plans. The elastic waistband panel in the back also means you won’t be counting down the minutes until you can change.
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6. Girly Favorite: At first glance, this crochet-trim skort looks exactly like a flirty mini skirt, however, the hidden shorts underneath make it infinitely more practical. The layered ruffles and lace details bring playful festival energy that feels especially cute with cowboy boots or simple tanks.
7. Sporty Meets Pretty: These drawstring shorts combine two huge trends in one: sporty lounge silhouettes and delicate lace accents. The result feels effortless, cozy and surprisingly chic. Add an oversized sweatshirt and sneakers, and you’ve got the kind of off-duty outfit we love.
8. Boutique Energy: There’s something about these lace-trim lounge shorts that makes them look way pricier than they actually are. The relaxed fit feels comfy enough for lazy weekends, but the delicate trim and flattering high waist give them a polished twist that looks put together.
9. Boxer Babe:Relaxed boxer shorts are officially everywhere this season, and this lace-trim pair feels especially on trend. The striped and gingham styles give them that borrowed-from-the-boys vibe, while the edging softens the whole look beautifully. Style them with an oversized button-down shirt and chunky sandals for peak cool-girl styling.
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Tops With Lace Details
10. Easy Romance: This relaxed drop-shoulder tee proves lace can absolutely work for everyday outfits. The floral lace hem gives the slouchy silhouette a layered, romantic feel that instantly elevates denim shorts and sneakers. It’s the kind of effortless piece you’ll reach for constantly.
11. Date-Night Satin: Slinky satin and delicate lace are always a winning combination. This asymmetrical V-neck camisole feels incredibly sleek, thanks to the drapey fabric and angled hemline. You can say it’s perfect for date nights, rooftop dinners or summer vacations.
12. Sheer Sophistication: The intricate lace embroidery and sheer mesh details make this swingy short-sleeve blouse feel incredibly elegant. The soft flared silhouette creates gorgeous movement, and the ruffled collar adds just enough vintage-inspired charm.
13. Y2K Angel: This airy lace-trim babydoll cami is giving major early-2000s energy, in the best way possible. The floaty silhouette feels lightweight and breathable for hot weather, and the adjustable spaghetti straps make it easy to customize the fit exactly how you want it.
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14. Pretty Tee Upgrade: If your standard tees are starting to feel a little boring, this lace-trim babydoll blouse is such a fun refresh. The ruffled sleeves and pleated front create a flattering drape that feels feminine without trying too hard. It’s polished enough for brunch yet easy enough for everyday errands.
15. Going-Out Glam: This asymmetrical lace halter top looks like the kind of piece fashion influencers would wear on vacation with low-rise trousers and strappy heels. The sleek neckline feels incredibly chic, and the contrast lace detailing gives the whole silhouette a dressy, elevated feel.
Dresses With Lace Details
16. Flirty Favorite: This silky lace-trim mini dress has ‘spring date night’ written all over it. The floaty babydoll silhouette is playful and comfortable, while the subtle shine and tiered skirt makes it feel extra special for evenings out.
17. Eyelet Elegance: Lightweight cotton fabric and floral eyelet embroidery make this midi dress feel tailor-made for warm spring afternoons. The flounce hem adds soft movement to the classic A-line shape. And yes, it has pockets, which honestly makes it even better.
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18. Cottagecore Dream: Puff sleeves, floral lace details and a breezy tiered skirt? Yes, please. This smocked maxi dress fully embraces the romantic cottagecore aesthetic that always comes back around in spring. The stretchy bodice makes the style comfortable enough for weddings, baby showers and long brunch dates alike.
19. Vacation Goddess: Everything about this off-shoulder lace maxi dress feels dramatic, in the best possible way. The bell sleeves and flouncy neckline create gorgeous movement, and the airy lace overlay gives it that dreamy ‘walking through a coastal resort at sunset’ vibe.
After a two-year hiatus, Brooks is answering all “Bold” fans’ Wyatt Spencer questions, like, “What kind of state is he in?” and “Is he coming back a single guy?”
In an Instagram video posted by Knight, 29, on Sunday, May 24, an emotional Phillips, 24, was seen accepting her friend’s invitation to accompany her down the aisle when she marriesHenry Brayshaw on Australia’s Gold Coast in October.
The clip starts with a squealing Phillips accepting a package from Knight. “For me?” the British social media star asks the Australian social media star. “For you!” Knight responds. After Phillips reads a card penned by her friend, she wraps her arms around Knight to give her a warm embrace. “I’m going to cry,” Phillips tells Knight as she wipes beneath her eye. “That’s so cute.”
Phillips, who has more than 1.6 million fans on Instagram alone, then proceeds to open wrapped objects within the parcel from Knight, who has more than 290,000 Instagram followers of her own. “Right, cut the cameras,” she tells Knight after giving her another hug.
OnlyFans star Annie Knight and fellow adult content creator Bonnie Blue were once each other’s biggest supporters — and their friendship took a turn. The Australian star exclusively told Us Weekly in May 2025 that the pair had been chatting online before Blue sky rocketed to success, and at one point even collaborated for a […]
Knight, who recently revealed that she will have six bridesmaids at her wedding, captioned the clip, “Enough bridesmaids to start an army 😂 but wouldn’t have it any other way,” to which Phillips later commented, “Best day ever!!! So so honour [sic].”
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Phillips’ acceptance within Knight’s bridal party comes after Knight said in November 2025 that several of her closest friends were forced to decline invitations to serve as Knight’s bridesmaids. “They were devastated,” Knight told Australian news outlet Mamamia at the time, explaining that her friends’ bosses were worried about what it would look like for them to be associated with her. “It wasn’t a decision they made lightly. They were honored to be chosen, but ultimately, due to their own careers, they couldn’t be featured so close to me.”
Knight, who made global headlines after successfully sleeping with 583 men in six hours, said that despite questioning everything about her friendships, she ultimately accepted her friends’ decisions. “Now it’s easy for me to understand and accept. I know how important careers are. If there was ever a situation where my career was at stake, I’d do anything I could to save [it],” she told the outlet.
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Knight and Brayshaw met while working together at a pub in Melbourne, Australia, in 2016. They struck up a romance in March 2025 and got engaged quickly. Knight told Us Weekly in May 2025 that the pair are perfect for each other. “A lot of people are like, ‘I don’t understand how this works.’ But we do, and that’s what’s important and that’s why it is so perfect, because we understand it,” Knight told Us at the time. “I just immediately knew it was a yes. I’m really excited to marry him.”
OnlyFans star Annie Knight and fiancé Henry Brayshaw‘s love story started nearly a decade before their engagement.
The pair first crossed paths while working together at a Melbourne pub in 2016, building a friendship outside of work. Knight and Brayshaw tried dating a few years later, but she later noted it “just wasn’t really the right time.”
The timing finally clicked in March 2025. While traveling to Cancun with adult content creator Bonnie Blue, Brayshaw admitted he was “in love.” One week later, the couple got engaged.
“I’ve known him forever, and we just were so perfect for each other in an unconventional way. A lot of people are like, ‘I don’t understand how this works.’ But we do and that’s what’s important and that’s why it is so perfect, because we understand it,” Knight told Us Weekly in May 2025. “I just immediately knew it was a yes. I’m really excited to marry him.”
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Scroll down to learn more about Knight’s wedding:
When Is Annie Knight and Henry Brayshaw’s Wedding?
The couple are eyeing an October 2026 wedding on the Gold Coast in the Australian state of Queensland, with Knight’s dog Billy serving as ring bearer.
“Most of the wedding is planned at the moment. As soon as I got engaged, I was like, ‘We need to plan this so I can chill for the next year,’” Knight said on Jana Hocking‘s “Saucy Secrets” podcast in October 2025. “Pretty much have everything organized. It’s going to be on the Gold Coast and it’s going to be in October next year.”
Will Annie Knight and Henry Brayshaw’s Friends Be in Attendance?
Knight shared that several of her closest friends declined her invitation to be her bridesmaids, sharing that she received phone calls from women in her life who said they pulled out to protect their careers.
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“They were devastated,” Knight said, telling Mamamia in November 2025 that her friends’ bosses were worried about what it would look like for them to be associated with the OnlyFans star.
“It wasn’t a decision they made lightly,” she continued. “They were honored to be chosen, but ultimately, due to their own careers, they couldn’t be featured so close to me.”
Knight admitted she “started questioning everything” about her friendships before coming to terms with her friends’ decision.
“Now it’s easy for me to understand and accept. I know how important careers are. If there was ever a situation where my career was at stake, I’d do anything I could to save [it],” she added.
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The women who chose not to be in the bridal party will still be involved in the wedding in a less official capacity, however Knight will have six bridesmaids — including fellow OnlyFans star Lily Phillips.
In an Instagram video shared on May 24, Knight invited Phillips, 24, to be one of her six. “I’m going to cry … that’s so cute,” the British social media model told Knight as she embraced her friend.
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How Much Does Annie Knight and Henry Brayshaw’s Wedding Cost?
Knight told Us in August 2025 that she has a “wedding spreadsheet.”
“There’s a few little last-minute details that I need to do, like the cake and the bridesmaids’ dresses and whatnot, but it’s going to be a medium-sized wedding [with] 80 people,” she explained. “We’re not sparing any expense. But surprisingly, it hasn’t been as bad as I thought in terms of price.”
To learn more about the serious potential risks and harms of “competitive sex” and other explicit OnlyFans content — read what doctors, mental health professionals and other experts told Us Weekly here.
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