Zac Efron is in the process of building a sustainable $2 million home in the Australian rainforest.

The High School Musical actor, 38, has partnered with eco-friendly designer Joost Bakker and architect Frank Burridge on a residence he calls “Futurecave”, which is located an hour outside of Australia’s famed Byron Bay, per the Daily Mail.

Efron’s design team is using environmentally responsible building materials — largely made from hemp blocks, recycled oyster shells and agricultural waste — and more than 200 sustainable particle boards to construct the six-bedroom, two-story property as well as its internal bricks, mattresses and even bedsheets. All of the bedroom pods will be connected by an outdoor walkway and each has their own rooftop garden.

In December 2025, Efron confirmed to the Australian Financial Review that he purchased a 128-hectare plot in New South Wales in 2020 and is just now starting to develop it.

“I live a pretty fast-paced life and work quite a bit, so in between movies and press tours, my number one goal is always to take time for myself and rest and recharge and to be in nature as much as possible, and as close to the earth as I can, and this land just feels like it’s perfect for that,” Efron explained.

He expressed hopes that the “Futurecave” could become “the coolest house ever built” once the project is complete.

Eforn spent the COVID-19 pandemic in Australia and later returned to the country to film his Netflix travelogue Down to Earth, during which he met Bakker, 51.

Bakker confirmed last November that he had started developing the concept of “Futurecave.”

Related: Zac Efron Through the Years: From ‘HSM’ Heartthrob to Leading Man

Zac Efron has transitioned from dreamy teen heartthrob to leading man. The actor first won over audiences as Troy Bolton in Disney Channel’s High School Musical, which premiered in 2006. Efron became a household name overnight and reprised his role in 2007’s High School Musical 2 and 2008’s High School Musical 3: Senior Year. Thank […]

Advertisement

“It’s not every day of the week that @zacefron asks you to design his home, I am beyond excited! Especially as it will be the first home he has ever owned,” he revealed via Instagram at the time. “Zac fell in love with @futurefoodsystem and then our family home in Monbulk and now wants a home of his own + best of all he wants me to push my ideas as far as they can go!”

The designer described Efron’s sustainable home as a “dream come true” that was “pushing my team creatively.”

“For the past year we’ve experimented with making hemp blocks, replacing concrete with two materials that restore the environment hemp, possibly the best plant on earth at repairing and restoring soil health and of course oysters, natures ultimate ocean restorer,” he shared.

Bakker went on, “We are using the most cutting edge technology (invented by the Romans 2000+ years ago) I want to create a building material that I hope will become mainstream one day — a material that naturally breathes, is anti mould, naturally fire resistant and improves the indoor air Zac will ultimately breathe.”

More recently, he confirmed on May 8 that his team was “excited to get started on Zac’s house” after more than six months of lining up the concepts.

“Although @zacefron kitchen and bathroom joinery will only use only 200 hundred boards (less than 1000 square metres of crop) if we embrace this product we have the potential to help farmers restore soil health in a natural way,” he revealed via Instagram on May 22.

Us Weekly has reached out to Efron’s representatives for comment.

Thank You!

You have successfully subscribed.

Advertisement

Efron told Variety in December 20243 that he was actively trying to shift focus from work to his personal life.

“I’m thinking about where I want to build a home base and cultivate my life,” he said. “It’s shocking — sometimes you wake up after doing three movies a year, and you’re like, I’ve neglected thinking about my own personal life for this long.”

He continued, “The goal is always the next mission, the next movie, making sure everyone else is very happy. It can be very lonely at times. But the process of taking your emotions head-on, sort of working with them, was a profound moment in my life. And it’s definitely taken me down a different road.”

We are back at the Love Island USA villa — but when (and how often) do new episodes drop?

Season 8 of the Peacock hit debuts Tuesday, June 2, following a group of singles who have to pair off in order to stay in the show’s luxury villa in Fiji. The contestants — who are referred to as Islanders — live in isolation in the villa and are under constant video surveillance.

Hosted by Ariana Madix, Love Island USA requires the group to be coupled up in order to have a chance at receiving the $100,000 prize. While the Islanders are filming nonstop for weeks, viewers are watching daily episodes — and even get to cast votes that affect couples and the fate of the contestants.

Love Island USA releases episodes every day (except for Wednesdays!) at 9 p.m. ET. There is also a new Aftersun special every Saturday to recap what took place in the villa that week.

Before season 8 even premiered on Peacock, the official Love Island USA account released a statement regarding the cast.

“The Villa runs on good vibes, and so does this community,” read a post shared via Instagram. “We love seeing your reactions, opinions, and debates, but everyone deserves to feel safe and respected.”

The statement continued: “This is a space for fun, not negativity — so keep it kind, keep it positive, and remember: this is LOVE Island!”

Love Island USA made headlines again when contestant Vasana Montgomery was removed ahead of the season 8 premiere after resurfaced social media posts showed her using a slur. Both clips were leaked from her private social media, which meant producers weren’t privy to the posts while casting the show.

Thank You!

You have successfully subscribed.

Related: ‘Love Island USA’ Status Check: Which Couples Are Still Together?

Advertisement

They got a text — and found love in the Love Island USA villa. The beloved British dating show made its way across the pond in 2019, following a crop of American bombshells searching for The One in a luxury tropical villa. In season 1, eventual winners Elizabeth Weber and Zac Mirabelli had a connection […]

The shakeup came one year after season 7 faced offscreen issues with Yulissa Escobar, who left days into the experience after clips of her using racial slurs on a podcast circulated online.

Cierra Ortega also faced backlash when a resurfaced social media post showed her using a slur. She was pulled from the villa and later issued an apology for her posts.

Join Us Weekly and Bracketology.tv in our first-ever Love Island USA fantasy league! This is your chance to predict who you think will win Season 8 and rank the Islanders weekly based on how confident you are that they will survive the next elimination. You will be playing against our editors, get access to exclusive content and have the chance to win fun prizes. Sign up for free today!

Blasted “Love Island” cop Sean Reifel can get his job back. However, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, Mayor J. William Reynolds says he will have to do one thing. Reifel was previously slammed by the local politician after it was revealed he allegedly quit his job to film the latest season of the popular Peacock reality series. His stint in Fiji, however, came to a sad end after he was the first islander to be booted from the villa in a recent episode.

According to a new report from TMZ, Reynolds told the publication that the Bethlehem Police Department is open to rehiring Reifel after being the first islander to be axed from the “Love Island” villa. However, in order to get back to patrolling the streets, Reifel will have to reapply for the position.

The mayor told the news outlet that if Reifel reapplys for the open position, he’ll be required to go through the same process as everyone else. Essentially saying he was not guaranteed solely because of his history with the city or department.

Reifel was one of the original cast members to be featured on season 8 of “Love Island” when it premiered on June 2, 2026. “I’m not a model, not an actor, I’m a police officer actually,” he said on the series. “You could be having the worst day of your life, and I’ll just help you sift through that.”

Before Williams shared how Reifel could get his job back, he criticized the 29-year-old while speaking with the media, according to The Blast. During his statement, he said the Peacock TV personality left the city of Bethlehem, PA, in a tough spot to film the series.

“Our police department spent a lot of time training, and we paid thousands of taxpayer dollars to send him to the police academy. We are disappointed he left as we now have another vacancy in our department that is impossible to fill until next year,” Mayor Williams said.

And that’s not all. He added, “I never thought I’d see the day in America where reality show participation wins out over being a police officer.”

Users on Reddit torched the public figure, with one writing, “This is so unprofessional lol, why are they trying to tarnish his name? Ever heard of At Will employment? [They are] mad AF they didn’t get to fire him first.”

Reifel’s Family Reacts To The 29-Year-Old Father Of One Being The First To Get Sent Home

Reifel’s elimination episode aired on Sunday, June 7, and his family reacted to the saddening moment with an emotional post on social media.

Advertisement

Reifel’s sister, Brice Marie, said that although she was told by “Love Island” producers that her brother would be the first to be sent home, she still found the moment difficult to watch. Additionally, she shared that one of the reasons Reifel may not have found a meaningful connection was due to his age gap with the other women.

“So, it just made sense that he didn’t find a super close connection there in that way,” she said, according to Cosmo.

‘Love Island’ Sets New Ratings Record

The new season of “Love Island,” hosted by Ariana Madix, is reaching a wider audience, as the first three episodes of season 8 have become the “most-watched debut of an original season of television” in the streamer’s history, per Variety.

The first three episodes have reached a total of 824 million minutes watched—a 74% increase from the year before.

Put another way, season 8 has generated about 3.7 million views. Variety reports that the estimate is based on dividing the 824 million minutes watched by the 224 minutes of content released so far.

Advertisement

The Show’s First Live Vote Of The Season Caused Issues

The increase in viewers was apparent during last night’s first live vote of the season. According to PEOPLE, when viewers learned they could decide which Islanders the three new bombshells would couple up with, demand was so high that it crashed the app.

The official “Love Island” Instagram account shared an update, though, informing fans that they’d extended the vote until 3 PM ET on June 10, 2026.

New episodes of “Love Island” air every day except Wednesdays on Peacock.

Millie Bobby Brown is a strong, independent woman who does not need a man to carry her belongings.

“Hi, I’m Millie Bobbie Brown and I’m not gonna lie, when did women become incapable of holding their own bags, car seats and stuff?” Brown, 22, shared in a sneak peek of the Thursday, June 10, episode of the “Not Gonna Lie” podcast. “This stems from me holding all of my suitcases and bags and my kid and people are like, ‘Your husband doesn’t hold a single thing.’ Because I’m three miles ahead. I have been planning this all night.”

Earlier this year, Brown and her husband, Jake Bongiovi, went viral when paparazzi photos surfaced of the pair out with their daughter. In one picture, the Stranger Things star was seen pushing a stroller while her husband walked nearby empty-handed.

“We’re all about empowering girls and, ‘You got it’ and ‘You don’t need a man.’ But then when I’m like, ‘Ok, I can carry my own things,’ people are like, ‘Where’s your husband?’” Brown shared. “I can also do it on my own. Nobody knows my husband. My husband is the most polite, sweet, will-do-anything-for-me. But he also knows I’m capable.”

Related: Why Millie Bobby Brown Wants to ‘Protect’ Baby Daughter From the Spotlight

Millie Bobby Brown is already fiercely protective of her newborn daughter. “For me, it’s really important to protect her and her story until she’s old enough to potentially one day share it herself,” Brown, 21, told British Vogue in a cover story published Wednesday, November 5. “It’s not my place to purposefully put her in […]

Podcast host Kylie Kelce — who shares four daughters with husband Jason Kelce — immediately agreed with her guest and shared her own point of view.

“I love this,” Kylie, 34, proclaimed. “The number of times that I have people come up to me and be like, ‘Do you need help with that bag?’ and I’m like, ‘Hey guys, I really appreciate it but if I needed help, I’d ask for it.’ The first person I’m asking — you guessed it — my husband. Thank you.”

While Kylie enjoys “the idea of chivalry” and doesn’t want to make it “dead,” men shouldn’t underestimate the strength of a woman.

@nglwithkylie

We’re not gonna lie: Millie Bobby Brown can carry her baby and her bags all by herself 💪

♬ original sound – Not Gonna Lie with Kylie Kelce

Advertisement

“I want there to be a degree of politeness and catering to your woman and whatever,” she continued, “but at the same time, don’t act like I’m broken or dainty.”

Brown replied, “I’m not broken!”

In August 2025, Brown surprised fans when she announced the arrival of her first baby with Bongiovi, 24.

Thank You!

You have successfully subscribed.

Advertisement

“This summer, we welcomed our sweet baby girl through adoption,” the couple wrote via Instagram in a joint statement. “We are beyond excited to embark on this beautiful next chapter of parenthood in both peace and privacy. And then there were 3. Love, Millie and Jake Bongiovi.”

While Brown tries to keep her personal life off of social media and away from the Hollywood spotlight, the actress shared a rare photo of her daughter in February while celebrating a special birthday.

“22. grateful for my husband and daughter. for my family and friends. all of my animals,” she wrote via Instagram at the time. “I am so blessed. thank you for the birthday wishes. Xoxo.”

Taylor Swift is set to take her love for New York to another level with her anticipated wedding in the center of it!

The Pop star will reportedly be making her mark at Madison Square Garden to catch a glimpse of Game 4 for the 2026 NBA finals, a few weeks after she attended a basketball game with Travis Kelce.

While Taylor Swift’s attendance at the NBA finals at MSG is exciting news, it is significant because the arena has been rumored to be the venue for her fairytale wedding to Super Bowl winner Travis Kelce.

The pop superstar will reportedly be spotted courtside among the crowd cheering a team to victory for Game 4 of the NBA Finals at Madison Square Garden. The game will feature the New York Knicks battling it out with the San Antonio Spurs, sealing Swift in the winning spot with fans who were skeptical about her recent Cavaliers appearance.

Swift will reportedly be attending the game with some of her best pals, a less intense move away from her PDA filled appearance alongside Kelce last month at the Knicks-Cavaliers. The tight end and singer both rooted for the Cavaliers during that game.

However, Kelce later cleared the air on his “New Heights” podcast that he was not trying to win Swift over to the Cavs. He added that the outing was a way to share that part of his world with her and to get her to share the sports culture he grew up with in Ohio.

As shared by Page Six, while it was difficult dealing with the Knicks crushing Cleveland’s team, Kelce noted that his allegiance has now shifted, and he will be cheering the Knicks on from here.

The Last Time The ‘Love Story’ Singer was At A Basketball Game

While his team lost out at the games, Kelce left a notable impression on the minds of fans who watched him chug a whole beer to the admiration of Swift. The Blast noted that the NFL star took advantage of the moment Swift’s “Ready For It” blasted through the speakers and gulped his drink.

Kelce’s stunt was an instant opinion magnet as fans trooped to the internet to dissect all the intricacies involved in the video, drawing judgments questioning Kelce’s maturity. 

Some comments declared that Kelce’s actions were beyond embarrassing and reflected poorly on Swift’s status as a worldwide pop star. At the same time, other fans expressed worry about the future of their relationship.

Some fans, however, countered the critics, reassuring everyone that Kelce’s antics are a sign that Swift finally has someone she can have all the fun with. They complemented his larger-than-life personality, which is reportedly perfectly fine with Swift.

Taylor Swift And Travis Kelce Could Turn Their Big Day Into A Stadium Affair

It was reported that the couple could be considering an unconventional wedding setting to exchange their vows. According to an insider, Swift and Kelce may tie the knot at Madison Square Garden on July 3, taking the vibe away from concerts and sporting events to hosting one of the biggest weddings on the continent.

The venue could typically house over 20,000 attendees, thus giving them a great scale of visibility, and this may provide an opportunity for the fans to be a part of their big day. The iconic Manhattan arena is not exactly a strange feature in Swift’s story and career, especially early in her touring days.

Her relationship with the venue began in 2009 when she headlined a sold-out crowd, and then in 2011, she hosted two consecutive sold-out shows on November 21 and 22, respectively. In all, the country singer has performed eight times at Madison Square Garden.

The Power Couple Reworked Wedding Plans After Major Info Leaks

Weeks prior to the rumors of a new wedding venue for Swift and Kelce, reports indicated that the pair were already under serious pressure to salvage what was left of sensitive information on their big day.

At the time, insiders claimed that Swift became more wary about who she shared details with after private info about the wedding started to circulate in public discussion.

The Blast noted that the leaks caused unexpected disruptions and changes to plans, such as shifts in timing and locations. It was a frustrating and depressing experience, as far as sources were concerned, because it jeopardized the couple’s trust in their circle.

Swift was also reported to be more guarded than usual, with the couple choosing to keep their celebration low-key and focus on close family friends and family.

Even more drastic was the fact that the country singer allegedly did not leave a room for any plus-one in their wedding invitation. In the insider’s words:

“She doesn’t want to see random faces in the crowd when she’s having her most intimate moment with her husband, committing themselves to each other for life.”

Taylor Swift And Travis Kelce’s Wedding List May Be Missing Some Famous Names

Another interesting area of speculation surrounding the wedding is that some celebrities did not get an invitation to the ceremony, and they are people formerly in her close circle, such as Blake Lively, Miles Teller, and Karlie Kloss.

Lively and Swift reportedly fell out over her involvement in the former’s messy lawsuit with Justin Baldoni over their hit movie “It Ends With Us.” As for Teller and his wife, Keleigh Sperry, they were last spotted with Swift in 2024, but now, their names have reportedly been excluded from the guest list.

Model Kloss and the “Bad Blood” singer were known for their friendship in Hollywood, but that relationship quietly faded, putting her among those who would not witness the couple exchange their vows next month.

Ultimately, Swift reportedly curated that guest list with longevity in mind as she focused on only friendships that would follow her into the future.

There haven’t been many television finales as disastrous as that of Game of Thrones, as “The Iron Throne” was such a disappointment that it seemingly invalidated all the investment that viewers had staked in the George R.R. Martin adaptation over the course of eight seasons. Although House of the Dragon was a more well-planned adaptation of another Martin series that benefited from having an ending set in advance, it was far from perfect. It was hard to follow House of the Dragon for those who didn’t already have a foundational knowledge of the history, mythology, and topography of Westeros, and the series earned a new layer of controversy when Martin himself spoke out against its inaccuracies. It may have seemed like the world of Westeros would be reserved for only a niche group of fans going forward, but A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms was an old-fashioned adventure story that explored a side of the universe that wasn’t dominated by magic, bloodlines, and prophecies.

A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms may share a title with the best episode of Game of Thrones’ final season, but it is set around 90 years before the beginning of the original show, and is set far away from King’s Landing. The series tells the story of Ser Duncan the Tall (Peter Claffey), a lowborn hedge knight who had previously squired for Ser Arlan of Pennytree (Danny Webb). Duncan, or “Dunk” as he is affectionately known as, has the ambition of competing in a tournament in Ashford, where he finds an unexpected squire of his own in the young boy Egg (Dexter Sol Ansell). The tournament itself is a center point in which various powerful families, cunning knights, and ruthless charlatans vie for victory in inhumane ways, but Dunk’s goal is to win by honorable means. Although the notion of an old-fashioned hero determined to do good in the world might feel like a generic premise, it feels like a breath of fresh air when compared to the cynicism of Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon.

‘A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms’ Is a More Grounded Take on Westeros

Both Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon are quite epic in scope, which makes sense because they are set over several years of time and involve a massive ensemble of characters. However, that style is a byproduct of the specific stories being told, and not an aesthetic that all franchise shows should ascribe to. A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is a more grounded series that does not feature any magic or allusions to the broader political strife, as it takes place on the edge of history, where commonfolk are forced to defend themselves. It’s a reminder that Martin’s worldbuilding wasn’t just brilliant because of the destinies and prophecies that he foretold, but because he created unique pockets of society that took an interesting new spin on the concept of medieval times. Although there are a fair number of Easter Eggs that allude to events in the wider franchise, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is a great option for those burnt out by Game of Thrones, and those who’ve never entered Westeros before.

The universe of Westeros is so vast that A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms makes a smart choice in limiting its story to a select location in which the tournament is held. It makes for a clever piece of commentary because it shows how contested a seemingly ”honorable” competition is. Even if it is framed as being an equalizing opportunity that anyone can participate in, the most powerful families have a sway over circumstances that help to tilt the event in their favor. It’s a great way for Dunk to be an underdog, as he has to be a hero who fights against systematic oppression and understands knighthood better than those who were born into it.

‘A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms’ Has a Compelling Hero’s Journey

A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms benefits from being a classic two-hander about characters who seek not to be defined by their class. Dunk has to prove that chivalry is not reserved for those who came from nobility, and some clever twists reveal that Egg is also trying to ensure that he does not go down the same dark path as his family. The chemistry between the two is so charming and surprisingly funny that A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is able to bide its time without feeling like it lacks inertia. There’s so much development done in the first three episodes that the fourth episode, “Seven,” offers an all-time great battle scene. It’s followed up by the heartbreaking flashback episode “In the Name of the Mother,” which makes Dunk’s transition to knighthood even more admirable when considering the tragic nature of his origin.

A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is proof of how great shows can be economical; with six half-hour episodes, the first season of the show is able to tell a complete story filled with surprises and revelations, and resolves itself in a way where a Season 2 is more than warranted. What’s lost in the cultural evaluation of Game of Thrones is that it was the characters that audiences fell in love with more than anything else, and A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is a reminder of how that is still the case.