Entertainment
The Extremely R-Rated Sci-Fi Masterpiece Destroyed By Stallone Stink
Dredd is another in a long line of movies that, for one reason or another, failed to find a theatrical audience despite being fantastic.
By Brent McKnight
| Published
Sometimes movies don’t click with audiences when they’re initially released. It may be timing, it may be the style, maybe it lacks a big-name star to put butts in theater seats. Movies tank for any number or combination of factors, but that doesn’t mean they’re not still great. Such is the case with 2012’s Dredd.
Let us not confuse the movie we’re talking about today with the much-maligned 1995 Sylvester Stallone debacle, Judge Dredd. Based on the same source material, they are very, very different animals. (I have a weird affection and place in my heart for that film, though I will never go so far as to argue that it’s good.) In fact, that confusion, or at least association, is one reason people often cite for why the latter film fell on its face at the box office. It certainly didn’t help matters.
Dredd is another in a long line of movies that, for one reason or another, failed to find a theatrical audience despite being fantastic. Worldwide, it only took in $41 million, with a dismal $13 million domestic haul.
Why Dredd Deserved Better
Dredd may be based on a comic (he first appeared in 1977 via a long-running British comic called 2000 AD), but it’s not your typical comic book movie. This isn’t the episodic long-form superhero storytelling of Marvel, nor the darker, brooding, but still PG-13 fare DC often trades in. No, directed by Pete Travis, Dredd is violent and brutal and hard-R to the point it had to be toned down to get there.
Set in the future after a nuclear incident destroys much of the world, the remnants of humanity cram into sprawling metropolises. These become dystopian hell-holes, full of violence and depravity. The only force of order is the Judges, roving cops who serve as judge, jury, and executioner all in one, dispensing tyrannical justice. Our story takes place in Mega-City One, which accounts for much of the East Coast of the United States. There are 17,000 serious crimes reported daily, to which law enforcement responds in 6% of cases.
The plot of Dredd is fairly simple. Legendary Judge Dredd (Karl Urban) is tasked with training and evaluating a new recruit, Judge Anderson (Olivia Thirlby), a mutant with strong psychic ability. They respond to a trio of murders in Peachtrees, a 200-story high-rise slum, and have to fight their way through the building, which is controlled by a vicious drug dealer named Ma-Ma (Lena Headey). She controls the trade of a new drug called Slo-Mo, which slows down how the user experiences time to one percent normal speed.
Dredd takes a certain amount of flak for having a similar plot to Gareth Evans’ martial arts banger The Raid. The Raid did come out first; after a festival run, Evans’ film got a theatrical release in March 2012, while Travis’ debuted in September, and they are, at least on the surface, similar. That said, and for the sake of clarity, one didn’t rip off the other. This is a case where two films with comparable plots came out near each other. Though it arrived later, due largely to significant post-production special effects work, Dredd actually filmed first.
It doesn’t really matter; in addition to being their own individual things, both movies are completely badass and should be watched, often.
Though the setup of Dredd may be relatively straightforward, the finished product is anything but. Written by Alex Garland, who penned the likes of 28 Days Later, and who went on to direct heady sci-fi, like Ex-Machina and Annihilation, Dredd has more on its mind than just empty action. The surface machinations may be minimal, but the film as a whole is deceptively complex and nuanced.
Since his inception, Judge Dredd was always intended as a critique
of the creeping fascism and totalitarian idealism that was on the rise in the political
realm at the time, especially in Britain, but elsewhere as well. He’s a brutal
tool of a corrupt system, draconian in the way he dispenses justice. When we
first meet him, via a high-speed chase full of guns and bullets and viscera strewn
across the highway, he’s a black-and-white, letter-of-the-law lawman. No matter
the situation, no matter the circumstances, this is what the law says, this
is what he does.
Dredd carries this stance to extremes. When he and Anderson are trapped in Peachtrees, taking fire from Ma-Ma’s gang, he still trains her, barking out orders and questions. Because that’s his job and nothing will push him off that path. He’s like a wind-up toy, blindly going in one direction, unable to deviate.
That’s where Anderson comes in. She introduces shades of gray into Dredd’s world. Her psychic abilities give her insight into people and a corresponding empathy. She’s an orphan, a mutant, a product of one of these slums. Dredd looks up, and all he sees is the crime, gangs, the 96% unemployment rate; she sees a place very much like home, full of mostly good people struggling in a tough situation.
Dredd is bleakly nihilistic, a kind of futuristic Travis Bickle, while she’s earnest and idealistic. Over the course of the movie, they find something of a middle ground. She realizes maybe she shouldn’t always expect the best out of people, while he realizes maybe everything isn’t as cut-and-dried as he’s always thought.
Over the course of their day, Anderson commits errors that should fail a recruit, like losing her primary service weapon. But so did he. Or consider the case of a character like Domhnall Gleeson’s Techie. Yes, he works for Ma-Ma, but only because he has no other choice. If he denies her, she’ll eviscerate him. In fact, by this point, she’s already taken his eyes. Anderson sees that, whereas Dredd can’t, or at least couldn’t before.
Within the larger thematic puzzle, Urban and Thirlby (both actors who should be in way more stuff) carry all of this. When the film was announced, Karl Urban delighted fans ahead of time when he said one of his conditions for accepting the role was that, like in the comics, the character never take off his trademark helmet. Even though we can only see the lower third of Dredd’s face, he manages to portray much more than just clamp-jawed stoicism and a grim demeanor.
Urban has such a great range. He’s charming and funny as Bones in the new Star Trek movies. Here he’s in total big-time action-movie mode, which he more than pulls off. Even with what could easily be a one-note throwaway role like Skurge in Thor: Ragnarok, he gives the character pathos and an arc.
Thirlby’s Anderson could easily have fallen into first-day-on-patrol cop-movie clichés. She’s earnest, but not gullible; hopeful, but not to the point of naivete; frightened, but still strong and capable. Willing to resort to violence (when Dredd declares a criminal guilty and sentences him to die on the spot, she pulls the trigger), it’s not her natural first move. Her character balances and tempers Dredd’s impulses, influencing him. It builds to the point when his superior asks if Anderson passed; he says yes, even though, by the book, she committed failable sins.
Lena Headey may be the unsung all-star of Dredd, though. She’s straight-up terrifying. A former prostitute wearing a gnarly face scar, she rules through absolute fear. This is a person not afraid to skin enemies alive and dose them with Slo-Mo before tossing them off the top floor, so the 200-story fall takes that much longer. Ma-Ma is equally as terrifying and relentless as Headey’s Cersei Lannister in Game of Thrones, but played in a much different way.
Working with cinematographer Anthony Dodd Mantle (127 Hours), Travis created a fantastic-looking movie. The Mega-City One of Dredd has a palpable grime, like if you touched it, your fingertips would come back covered in grit and something sticky you’d rather not know the origin of. But it also has a hypnotic beauty. We never really see the Cursed Earth beyond the walls of the city, but wide helicopter shots show the expanse of decayed urban sprawl. It’s dirty and smelly and looks a little like a large-scale Die Antwoord video.
It’s the Slo-Mo shots, however, that set Dredd apart aesthetically. This isn’t typical slow motion, just the normal action slowed down; this is molasses compared to that. When a character takes a hit, the subsequent movement practically drips. Travis and Mantle use it to great effect. They use enhanced, borderline psychedelic colors; bullets rip through flesh practically frame by frame; spurts of blood and exploding heads are raw and visceral in a unique way, but also gorgeous and mesmerizing. This is gore elevated to art.
All of this still comes through on streaming, but Dredd hit theaters in 3D. 2012 was the middle of that boom where every big movie of this ilk was upscaled to 3D, whether it was shot that way or not. It was overused and oversold, but Dredd knows what it’s doing in that regard. More than simply things flying at your face, it created an immersive feel more akin to the likes of Avatar than other comic book movies. Especially the Slo-Mo scenes. They put you right in the middle, creating an almost uncomfortable sensation of being there.
Critical And Audience Response To Dredd
Dredd offers up a tense pot-boiler of a movie. From end to end, it’s all escalating pressure, fantastic, epic action, and brutal violence juxtaposed with raw humanity. It’s legitimately great, which begs the question: why did it fail in such spectacular fashion at the box office?
Dredd presents an interesting case for a couple of reasons. It’s not as if no one liked the movie. On Rotten Tomatoes, which collects critical reviews, it has a 79% approval rating. Critics generally liked it at the time as well as now.
Beyond theaters, it made a huge splash on home video (which was still a thing back then). It was the best-selling DVD/Blu-ray release when it hit the market, where it moved 300,000 units in its first week of release, on its way to more than 650,000.
After all this, there were multiple fan petitions that collected hundreds of thousands of signatures calling for Dredd 2. They started almost immediately after it tanked at the box office and have popped up sporadically ever since. There were even annual fan Days of Dredd for a few years to call on Hollywood to make more Dredd movies. We’ve seen comics, animated shorts, and all kinds of talk, particularly from producer Adi Shankar, who, for a time, would chat about sequels every chance he got.
For his part, star Karl Urban has often said he’s game to return to the square-jawed character. Saying this even as recently as March 2020. (Though writer Alex Garland said in October of 2019, he has no intention of ever returning to this universe.)
Why Dredd Failed
If it’s so popular, why did Dredd fail? There are a lot of potential answers to this. One is that the stank of Stallone’s 1995 version was still on people’s minds and that kept many away. That Stallone movie isn’t good, but is it that bad?
Another theory is that Dredd was marketed as another superhero movie and was a victim of superhero fatigue. It is based on a comic book, but while Judge Dredd is popular, it’s always been more niche and less mainstream. You can slap Batman, Superman, or Spider-Man on anything and people will see it. But Judge Dredd doesn’t have the same drawing power. Also add in the hard-R rating, the violence, the blood, the fact that it is very not family-friendly; that may have had something to do with it.
Dredd also isn’t the product of a major marketing conglomerate. Disney bought Marvel in 2009 and created a monolith. DC has Warner Bros. behind their movies. This is a much smaller-scale production from a bunch of smaller producers. Dredd cost a reported $50 million. Compare that to the other comic book movies in the summer of 2012: The Avengers cost $220 million, The Amazing Spider-Man cost $230 million, and Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight Rises set the studio back $250 million. Dredd isn’t in that same echelon, though people made it out that it was.
More than anything, I’m a believer that timing killed Dredd. The film opened in September 2012, which has become a bit of a barren wasteland between summer blockbusters and winter award-season bait. This was also a summer with movies like The Avengers, The Dark Knight Rises, Amazing Spider-Man, Men in Black 3, The Bourne Legacy, and tons of other big franchise movies. It’s one of my jobs to see movies, but even I’m usually exhausted and sick of sitting in theaters by the time September rolls around. So are general audiences, who often stay away from theaters for a while at that time of year. Theatergoers may not have had another big movie in them at that particular moment.
Couple that with a lower budget, a lesser-known comic
property, no significant star power to speak of, and a much smaller marketing
budget, and it adds up to a missed opportunity. And I’m kind of okay with that.
Granted, I have no financial skin in the game, and I would definitely be jacked to see more Dredd movies. Still, we never had to suffer through subpar sequels, or had to hope the next one will be good. Instead, we have this one awesome movie. Dredd kicks all kinds of ass on many levels and we should be psyched we can watch it whenever we want.
Who Really Directed Dredd?
There is one additional thing to note about Dredd. Though it doesn’t necessarily affect how the film is viewed, it may change how some people view it. It’s also a curious story, one that has been floating around for some years, more or less since the initial release.
Looking at the credits, Dredd lists Pete Travis as the director and Alex Garland as the writer. The long-circulating rumor is that Garland actually directed much, if not most, of Dredd. It’s one of those inside-baseball, not-really-a-secret secrets.
And it’s not without some merit. As recently as 2018, Karl Urban said as much. In an interview with JoBlo, he said: “I would love to have the opportunity to play Dredd again, but if it doesn’t happen then I’m happy with the fact that we’ve made a film that has become a cult classic and that people have discovered over time. A huge part of the success of Dredd is in fact due to Alex Garland, and what a lot of people don’t realize is that Alex Garland actually directed that movie.”
That seems pretty definitive. He later went on to say that people should count Dredd as Garland’s directorial debut. There has even been talk that Travis was barred from the editing process, and Garland even sought a co-director credit.
This is all conjecture and gossip, but it makes a bit of sense. Garland obviously had eyes on a directing career and made his debut two years later in 2014. It may not mesh with the look and feel of Ex-Machina and Annihilation, but it does show some of his trademarks. On the other hand, it’s quite different from Travis’ filmography as well. In reality, it doesn’t really feel quite like the work of either filmmaker, and it’s easy to believe it’s a bit of a hybrid.
If Karl Urban and others are to be believed, Dredd is
the result of Garland more than Travis. Whether or not that’s how you lean, the
movie still totally rules.
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Entertainment
“Drag Race” icon Kori King reacts to Blac Chyna’s mom, Tokyo Toni, using anti-gay slur amid impersonation: ‘All bets are off’
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Kori tells EW “if [Toni] wants war, I’m ready” to impersonate the reality TV star again, as her “Drag Race” season 17 cast members also replied to Tokyo’s homophobic rant.
Y’all! Tiny trendsetters are proving that style clearly runs in the family. From confident runway walks to adorable red carpet moments, Lovely Brown and Velour Kirk recently stepped into the spotlight and had social media loving every second as the celebrity kiddos showed they might already have the fashion game on lock.
RELATED: Co-Parenting Goals! Chris Brown & Diamond Celebrate Their Daughter Lovely’s Birthday Alongside Nia Guzman (PHOTO + VIDEO)
Lovely Brown Hits The Runway In Style
In videos making the rounds online, Lovely Brown, the daughter of Chris Brown and Diamond Brown, looked right at home on the runway. The little fashionista rocked a white puffer jacket layered over a blue hoodie with dark pants, a striped shirt, white sneakers, plus a hat and sunglasses to complete the cool-kid look. During one walk, Lovely confidently strutted down the runway, flashed a peace sign to the crowd, then turned around while surrounded by other stylish kids. In another clip, she took the catwalk solo, smiling from ear to ear as she made her way down the runway.
The sweet moments didn’t stop there. Another video showed Lovely posing alongside her proud mom, Diamond Brown, on the red carpet. Diamond kept it chic in black capri pants, a sheer long-sleeve top, light curly hair, and kitten heels as she smiled beside her daughter before the pair posed for photos together.
Velour Brings Big Energy To The Catwalk
Lovely wasn’t the only celebrity kid stealing the show. Velour Kirk, the daughter of DaniLeigh and DaBaby, also hit the runway with plenty of confidence. Rocking a matching pink outfit with white socks, sneakers, a pink purse, and two puff ponytails, Velour served up a playful look that matched her personality. As she walked the runway, she flashed a peace sign and confidently strutted down the catwalk like she owned it, proving she’s already got star power of her own.
The Internet Couldn’t Handle The Cuteness
One Instagram user @latricia_brewer said, “Such a cutie! 😍✨”
This Instagram user @kathyspri added, “Go lovely🔥🔥🔥🔥.We see you babygirl. Keep shining💕”
And, Instagram user @blesseddjesss commented, “Velour is adorable”
Meanwhile, Instagram user @mama_of_superheroes wrote, “Velour is so gorgeous!”
While Instagram user @themikexdiamond shared, “Goooo lovelyyyy woohoooo😍🫶🏾🤎🤎🤎🤎”
Finally, Instagram user @breezyluver4life said, “Awww so cute❤️”
RELATED: Chris Brown Reportedly Fires Back After Diamond Brown Seeks Sole Custody Of Daughter Lovely
What Do You Think Roomies?
Lil Kim supported her daughter Royal Reign at the Amazon Kids Back-To-School Runway Show in New York City on Wednesday, July 30. Twelve-year-old Royal walked in the runway show, and a video of the mother-daughter duo has gone viral.
RELATED: Get It! Chris Brown’s Daughter Lovely Brown And DaniLeigh’s Daughter Velour Kirk Slay Their Runway Debuts (VIDEOS)
Lil Kim Supports Royal Reign In Amazon Kids Back-To-School Runway Show
Lil Kim popped out in New York City to attend the Amazon Kids Back-To-School Runway Show by Rookie Kids on July 30. Video of the rapper with her daughter at the show was viewed more than two million times on Instagram, and footage of Royal on the runway is also going viral. Several celebs were in attendance with their children, including DaniLeigh and her daughter Velour. The women posed for several pics together with their daughters on the red carpet.
Royal Struts Her Stuff On The Runway
The annual children’s fashion show featured the brands Converse, Nike, Levi’s, Lacoste, Converse and Hurley, and Royal walked the runway in style as her mother looked on.
Royal walked the runway sporting a pair of blue Levi’s and a white T-shirt with red print. In addition, she wore a gray one-piece ensemble in the show, and video is going viral.
Lil’ Kim’s daughter Royal Reign stuns at Fashion Week’s Back to School 😍😍😍😍 pic.twitter.com/bEVDbRB84H
— LIL KIM VIDEOS (@LilKimVideos2) July 31, 202
Roomies React To Mother-Daughter Photos
Folks could not contain themselves complimenting the adorable mother-daughter duo after photos were shared on TSR’s Instagram page.
User @diamond227 wrote, “I love when kids look like kids and you can tell the mother from the daughter 😍😍😍😍.”
@0bigbri added, “I loveeeeee love love kimmyyyyy.”
@aniciad0ll_ noted, “Kim’s daughter is so pretty!!! Giving younger Kim.”
User @0.zeee added, “Omgggg she’s literally lil Kim’s twinnnn🥹🥰.”
User @msprettyricki wrote, “Queen Bee Jr, so caute 😍😍😍.”
@mrjerometrammel noted, “Lil’ Kim daughter be booked for these fashion shows! Serving! ❤️.”
@nikkiskitchenatl noted how much Royal has grown. “Wayment! Lil Kim Baby Girl got so big!!”
User @truly.rare added, “Kim setup just like me 😂, my 13 year old is taller than me.”
@xo.tiaa__ agreed. “Time flies! Kim’s daughter is so big now!🫶🏾 gorgeous.”
RELATED: Photoshop Where? Social Media Reacts After Lil Kim Makes SPICY Commentary While Showing Off Her Face Card (VIDEO)
What Do You Think Roomies?
Whether it’s entirely behind the camera on the religious-themed World War II movie Hacksaw Ridge or as director, producer, and star of the multi-Academy Award-winning Braveheart, Hollywood icon Mel Gibson is never far from an epic feat of filmmaking. In 2004, the headline-maker delivered the most controversial film of his career so far with The Passion of the Christ, which fueled widespread debate due to graphic violence and even accusations of antisemitism from those who believed the film blamed Jewish authorities for the crucifixion.
Despite this controversy, or perhaps even powered by it, The Passion of the Christ was an enormous box office hit, even becoming the highest-grossing biblical and Christian-themed movie of all time. In total, against a reported production budget of just $25 million, the film returned an eye-watering $622 million worldwide. Now, 22 years later, The Passion of the Christ is officially returning to theaters between September 10 and September 17, courtesy of Lionsgate and Fathom Entertainment.
The film is newly remastered in stunning 4K with Dolby Atmos sound, and features a new color pass supervised by original Academy Award-nominated cinematographer Caleb Deschanel. This chronicle of the final hours of Jesus’ life rocked a generation of moviegoers more than two decades ago, and now an entirely new group of viewers will have the chance to see this moment in cinema history on the big screen. It has now been announced that tickets for this special return to theaters are officially on sale, with purchase available via this link.
A ‘Passion of the Christ’ Sequel Is Also on the Way
The Passion of the Christ re-release will also feature a special treat for theatergoers in the form of a sneak peek at The Resurrection of the Christ: Part One, the first half of Gibson’s ambitious sequel to the controversial 2004 original. Originally scheduled for release on March 26, 2027, the sequel was postponed to May 6, 2027, with Day Drinker, an action thriller marking the headline Hollywood return of Johnny Depp, taking its place. The sequel is being described as Gibson’s “most ambitious filmmaking achievement” and “the largest faith film ever brought to the screen.”
The Passion of the Christ is officially returning to theaters, with tickets available to purchase now. Make sure to stay tuned to Collider for more stories.
- Release Date
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February 25, 2004
- Runtime
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127 Minutes
Spider-Man: Brand New Day producer Amy Pascal confirmed she asked Tom Holland and Zendaya not to date when they took over the iconic roles of Peter Parker and MJ.
“Tobey [Maguire] and Kirsten [Dunst] dated. Andrew [Garfield] and Emma [Stone] dated,” Pascal said while speaking with BBC News in an Instagram video shared Thursday, July 30. “MJ and Peter just always fall in love. There’s nothing you can do about it.”
Holland, 30, and Zendaya, 29, joined the superhero universe in 2017 with the premiere of Spider-Man: Homecoming. Rumors quickly swirled that a romance was brewing between the pair off camera. The costars initially kept their relationship private before it was confirmed with PDA photos in 2021.
Four years later, news broke that Holland and Zendaya were engaged after the actress was seen wearing a diamond ring on her left hand at the 2025 Golden Globes. The couple quietly tied the knot — a secret that was spilled by Zendaya’s stylist Law Roach earlier this year.
Zendaya and Tom Holland have kept their romance relatively private, but fans know that the two have a long history. Thank You! You have successfully subscribed. Subscribe to newsletters Enter your email Please enter a valid email. Subscribe By signing up, I agree to the Terms and Privacy Policy and to receive emails from Us […]
“The wedding has already happened. You missed it,” he teased to Access Hollywood in March. “It’s very true.”
Holland finally addressed the wedding rumors during an Esquire UK profile published in June. When asked if he had to explain anything to his family about the viral AI-generated photos of him and Zendaya at a wedding, the actor quipped, “No, because they were all there.”
The Impossible star previously opened up about why the pair prefer to keep their relationship out of the spotlight, telling The Hollywood Reporter in 2023, “Our relationship is something that we are incredibly protective of and we want to keep as sacred as possible. We don’t think that we owe it to anyone, it’s our thing, and it has nothing to do with our careers.”
Since tying the knot, the couple — and frequent costars — have shared more rare insight into their lives at home. A second wedding ceremony, however, likely won’t be in the cards.
“I don’t think so,” Roach told Complex in a recent interview. “I think that people should congratulate them. It’s two young, beautiful, successful people that are in love, and they had a private wedding, and they got away with it. And I think people should just, you know, congratulate them.”
Roach further shared his appreciation for Holland and Zendaya’s love story while attending the premiere of Spider-Man: Brand New Day in Los Angeles.
“If these are two people that you look up to or that you love their work, just celebrate them being together and happy,” he said, adding that any rumors about a second wedding are “definitely not true.”
Could Cristiano Ronaldo and Georgina Rodriguez be gearing up to walk down the aisle? That is what fans think after a recent social media clue.
The long-time lovebirds, who share a blended family of five kids, are yet to officially say ‘I do’ almost one year after the soccer legend popped the big question in style. However, it seems the time is finally here.
Wedding rumors have been on the rise following Ronaldo’s exit from the recently concluded 2026 World Cup, where rival Messi advanced to the final.
In a recent Instagram update, Rodriguez gave fans a peek at her and Ronaldo’s luxury getaway to Majorca. The numerous slides showed the power couple aboard a mega yacht as they watched the ocean and traveled from location to location in the soccer star’s private jet.
One particular frame, however, caught viewers’ attention. While enjoying a meal aboard the jet, Ronaldo and Rodriguez posed wearing huge matching diamond rings and watches, with her having gold detailing.
For the outing, the model stunned in a low-cut black tank top from her brand that flaunted her cleavage underneath an unbuttoned jacket, paired with blue skinny jeans and black stiletto pumps. She added a pop of color with a bright red baseball cap.
Although the former Manchester United player’s face wasn’t shown in the carousel, he was photographed walking his children to the waiting jet.
In the accompanying caption, she appreciated supporters before adding, “These days I am enjoying a little vacation, inspiring myself and creating with a lot of excitement.”
Speculations Of A Portugal Wedding This Weekend Surface
Fans wasted no time camping in the comment section, showering praises and seeking answers. “Georgina, you and our Cristiano Ronaldo are getting married on Saturday?” one admirer wondered.
This comes amid rumors that the couple is set to exchange vows at the Quinta da Regaleira estate in Sintra, a cultural landscape. According to the Daily Mail, a Portuguese TV host fueled the speculation, claiming the soccer legend booked the venue.
However, the famous tourist attraction site is open to the public, casting doubts on the report. The beloved artist is yet to address the rumors or reveal any plans for an upcoming wedding ceremony.
Inside Ronaldo And Rodriguez’s Intimate Proposal
As one of the most famous faces on earth, every move Ronald makes is watched with millions of eyes.
Such was the case when the Portugal native broke the internet last August when his model girlfriend revealed to the world that she was now a fiancée.
As reported by The Blast, Rodriguez took to social media to share the swell news and blind fans with a photo of her gigantic oval-cut diamond ring. The image was taken in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, where the athlete plays, with the lovers in bed together when they took the leap to their new lives.
“Sí, quiero. En esta y en todas mis vidas,” she wrote in the caption, which translates to “Yes, I do. In this and in all my lives.
The Lovebirds Celebrated An Emotional Win
Given that Ronaldo and Rodriguez have remained by each other’s side through thick and thin, it came as no surprise when the reality star had an emotional reaction to a recent milestone.
According to The Blast, in May, the five-time Ballon d’Or winner achieved his longtime desire to take home Saudi Pro League glory after Al-Nassr defeated Damac FC in a 4-1 victory.
During the title-defining match, Ronaldo performed at his peak, delivering two goals, after which he broke down in tears of joy. This was his first win since moving his soccer career to Saudi Arabia three years ago.
Following the game, Ronaldo gave fans a peek into his lavish celebration, which included a snap of him posing on the field with his kids and wife-to-be.
Ronaldo Fuel Corruption Conspiracy Theory About FIFA
![Cristiano Ronaldo, along with Georgina Rodriguez and her son, meet Edu Aguirre and his family [**********]](https://media.theblast.com/cdn-cgi/image/quality=75%2Cgravity=auto%2Csharpen=1%2Cmetadata=none%2Cformat=auto%2Conerror=redirect/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Cristiano-Ronaldo-along-with-Georgina-Rodriguez-and-her-son-meet-Edu-Aguirre-and-his-family-MEGA1436081_020-1-788x1182.jpg)
The soccer player’s family vacation comes on the heels of Ronaldo making headlines for a controversial move following his World Cup failure.
Per The Blast, the 41-year-old cooked up quite the storm when he liked an Instagram post that accused the sports regulatory body, FIFA, of corrupt practices during the tournament.
The move undoubtedly spoke volumes, with many interpreting it as a jab at his longtime rival, Messi, who played in the competition until the end.
A man detained and subsequently released in the investigation into the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie is seeking $2.5 million from the Pima County Sheriff’s Department — or he may sue.
An attorney for Carlos Palazuelos and two others filed a notice of claim on Monday, July 27, addressed to the department, Sheriff Chris Nanos and Detective Eric Gieron, alleging that Palazuelos had been wrongfully arrested at gunpoint on February 10 and that a search on his family’s property led to “significant property damage.”
The notice, obtained by AZ Family on Thursday, July 30, claimed Palazuelos was arrested and held “without probable cause for approximately seven to eight hours.” The notice alleged “Carlos’ arrest was made in a public fashion that was intended to damage Carlos’ reputation and subject him to humiliation and suspicion by implicating Carlos in the kidnapping of Nancy Guthrie.”
At the same time, a search warrant was executed on Palazuelos’ family home, owned by Josefina Maddox, where a family member, Daniel Maddox, was placed in handcuffs by police, who “led him outside to a van and ordered him to sit on the van’s running board,” according to the notice. “Deputies held Daniel under guard at the van for several hours, where he was not free to leave.”
Questions still remain after Today show host Savannah Guthrie‘s mother, Nancy Guthrie, was reported missing. The Pima County Sheriff’s Department confirmed the news on February 1, 2026, sharing a missing person report via X. Nancy was described as a “vulnerable adult” who was last seen “at her residence” within Arizona’s Catalina Foothills area on the […]
Palazuelos is seeking $2.5 million, and Daniel is seeking $500,000, alleging assault, false arrest, negligence, defamation and false imprisonment. Josefina is seeking $250,000, accusing police of trespass.
Palazuelos “was falsely arrested for a crime that he had nothing to do with in a public fashion. Sheriff Nanos, Detective Gieron and the Pima County Sheriff’s Department know that Carlos is an innocent man who had nothing to do with the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie,” the claim alleged. “Despite that, they have refused to clear Carlos’ name and have forced him to live under a cloud of suspicion since the time of his arrest.”
Us has reached out to the Pima County Sheriff’s Department for comment.
On February 10, the Pima County Sheriff’s Department told Us that it had “detained a subject during a traffic stop south of Tucson,” adding, “The subject is currently being questioned in connection to the Nancy Guthrie investigation. Additional information will be released as it becomes available.” The department said at the time that it was also conducting a “court-authorized search” of a home in Rio Rico, Arizona.
The mother-in-law of Carlos Palazuelos, the man who was detained for questioning related to the disappearance of Savannah Guthrie’s mother, Nancy Guthrie, is sharing insight into his whereabouts at the time Nancy went missing. “He works from Monday through Friday. He’s home Friday,” Palazuelos’ mother-in-law, Josefina, told NewsNation in an interview published on Wednesday, February […]
After Palazuelos was released, he claimed in an interview with ABC15 Arizona’s Ford Hatchett that his car had been pulled over by police and he was told he was being “detained for kidnapping.”
“I asked, ‘The kidnapping of who?’ and they told me this lady … I don’t know her name,” Palazuelos said at the time. “I told [officers], ‘I work in Tucson for GLS. I might have delivered a package to your house, but I never kidnapped anybody.’”
Palazuelos said he was ultimately told he was “free to go” after answering the officers’ questions.
Nancy, the mother of Today show cohost Savannah Guthrie, has been missing for nearly six months. Police believe the 84-year-old was abducted from her home outside of Tucson, Arizona, in the early hours of February 1. No suspects have been identified.
A man is facing up to five years in prison after allegedly sending death threats to Judge Ashlee Cole on Facebook. Joseph Alfredo Vasquez Dumarce, according to the Sacramento Bee, is in police custody on federal charges. Her husband, Dr. Benjamin Hudson, recently offered a $50,000 reward for details leading to an arrest in Nolan Wells‘ death investigation. He doubled down on getting death threats. His son and Ashlee’s stepson, Warren Hudson, traveled with Nolan to Horn Island on July 4.
RELATED: FBI Reportedly Investigates Threats Against Individuals As Nolan Xavier Wells’ Case Heads To Grand Jury (VIDEO)
Details About California Man’s Arrest For Death Threats
Joseph Alfredo Vasquez Dumarce was identified as the person behind the @yaeyae962 account that went after Ashlee Cole. The FBI task force, Safe Streets, tracked down Dumarce through his email IP addresses and linked them to the username. In the charging documents, he’s accused of threatening that a package would arrive and “blow” her away when she saw it.
“It’s probably best to have the boys there to see as well,” he allegedly threatened. “So much blood everywhere.” “But yours will be quick I promise.” Additional messages said her sons would be “strangled.”
Ashlee Cole & Family Have Been Speaking Out About The Death Threats
Judge Ashlee Cole, her husband, and her stepson have all been addressing the threats. She reportedly shared screenshots earlier this month that included graphic death threats. This week, Dr. Hudson also said his family has been “living through a nightmare” since Nolan Wells’ passing became national news. Also, his son, Warren Hudson, had a three-part interview with YouTuber Officer Tatum about July 4. He ran down a timeline from loading at the dock to the return of Nolan’s phone.
RELATED: Mississippi State Medical Examiner’s Office Reportedly Completes Nolan Wells’ Autopsy (UPDATE)
What Do You Think Roomies?
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The retired Dallas Cowboys quarterback was pulled over on July 23 and “performed poorly” on a field sobriety test.
After years of delays, rewrites, and uncertainty surrounding Marvel Studios’ long troubled Blade reboot, Mahershala Ali has finally addressed the project’s cancellation in his most candid comments yet.
Speaking with GQ while promoting his new film Your Mother Your Mother Your Mother, Ali made it clear that he’s no longer dwelling on the failed Marvel project and has found peace with how everything unfolded.
“If they wanted to do it, we would’ve done it,” Ali told GQ. “So I have to move on, and I have moved on.”
The Oscar winner was first announced as Marvel’s new Blade during San Diego Comic Con in 2019, a reveal that instantly became one of the MCU’s biggest casting announcements. However, after multiple directors departed, several writers took over the screenplay, and the film was repeatedly delayed, Marvel ultimately shelved the project. Earlier this month, Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige admitted he felt “like a gigantic loser and a failure” that the film never came together.
Despite the disappointment, Ali says the experience wasn’t a complete loss.
“The best way I can answer this question is, when I look at what is for me, is it was either this or that and I’ll take this. No offense to them,” Ali explained. “I’ve been doing this professionally for pushing 30 years now, and one thing I’ve learned is that what is for you is for you and what is not is not.”
Mahershala Ali Blade Concept
Instead of starring as Marvel’s vampire hunter, Ali reunited with former Blade director Bassam Tariq to create the original action drama Your Mother Your Mother Your Mother. The actor believes the film ultimately became a more rewarding creative experience than the Marvel reboot could have been.
“When I look at this and Blade, I couldn’t have done both,” Ali said. “The reason this even exists is because that project fell apart… I was able to use those skills that I had been working on for over a year training for Blade. In that way, I feel creatively redeemed on some level.”
Ali also acknowledged that the first teaser for the new film intentionally included him wielding a sword, something many fans viewed as a nod to the character they never got to see him play.
“I’m glad we were able to satisfy that and kind of move on,” he said, adding that while audiences may have expected a big budget superhero spectacle, the smaller scale project allowed them to tell a much deeper and more personal story.
Mahershala Ali and Kevin Fiege [getty]
As for whether fans should continue asking him about Marvel’s canceled reboot, Ali made his position perfectly clear.
“I’m good,” he said with a laugh. “Again, you had me under contract, they have billions of dollars, if they wanted to do the movie, we would’ve done the movie. So we’re not doing the movie… I feel ready to move on from the Blade questions. Those questions are for them. They didn’t want to do it, so they should answer that question.”
For many Marvel fans, Ali’s comments offer long awaited closure on one of the MCU’s most infamous canceled projects. While his version of Blade never made it to the big screen, the actor has made it clear he’s looking ahead, not back.
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