James Van Der Beek
Bought Texas Ranch 1 Month Before Death

Published
February 13, 2026
5:30 PM PST

The Muppet Show recently made its grand return in the form of a Disney+ special, and by all accounts, it was a major success. In addition to bringing back fan-favorite Muppets like Kermit the Frog and Fozzie Bear, The Muppet Show also featured incredible guest stars like Sabrina Carpenter and Seth Rogen; it also skyrocketed in ratings, proving the Muppets still hold a place in people’s hearts and in pop culture. However, this praise is marred by controversy over Disney’s decision to use generative AI in an image promoting The Muppet Show.

The Muppet-themed podcast Kermitment was the first to notice the use of generative AI in Disney+’s header for The Muppet Showand posted a lengthy thread on Twitter breaking down inconsistencies, including Miss Piggy appearing without gloves. For any Muppet fan, that would set off warning bells, since it’s a large part of her character, and soon fans took to the internet to voice their displeasure. Disney would eventually remove the image, but the damage was done, and it points to a concerning trend in Hollywood that’s only beginning to grow.

‘The Muppet Show’ Works Because of Its Practical Effects, Not AI

Image via Disney+

The biggest draw of The Muppet Show, beyond speculating which movie could work if you replaced the actors with Muppets, is the creative energy that goes into bringing the characters to life. The late, great Jim Henson used a combination of puppetry and practical effects that made each Muppet feel like a distinct character; that creativity even extended to the voices, since his performance as Kermit influenced future performers. Henson’s signature style was a major influence on The Muppet Show director Alex Timbers, who discussed how he used the same tricks as the original Muppet Show to bring his special to life with the Los Angeles Times​​​​​​.

“If you’re dealing with a Muppet to Muppet scene, everything has to be in 3/4 scale. If there’s a human in the scene with the Muppet, it’s a 7/8 scale. There are all these little tricks to make sure that a mug feels the right size for Kermit and for that desk to feel the right height…The math of it is really challenging, but also really rewarding.”

By using generative AI in its marketing for The Muppet Show, Disney is either deliberately or unconsciously downplaying the effort that went into bringing the special to life. Given that previous shows on ABC and Disney+ were short-lived, and the classic MuppetVision 3D attraction at Walt Disney World was recently shut down, it’s looking more and more like the House of Mouse has no idea how to use the Muppets. The AI controversy isn’t helping, but it might not be the only time you hear “Muppets” and “AI” in the same sentence.

Related

Disney+ Let the Muppets Cook and It’s Paying Off Big Time

“Keep believing. Keep pretending.”

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Disney Embracing AI Goes Against The Muppets’ Creative Vision

Disney recently made waves when it announced a $1 billion deal with OpenAI, allowing users to use OpenAI’s Sora platform to generate images of its characters. The idea of Kermit and friends being shoved through an AI generator feels unsettling, but that’s the least of Muppet fans’ worries. In an interview with Variety, Disney board chairman James Gorman revealed that newly minted chief creative officer Dana Walden plans to incorporate AI into future movies and TV. Combined with the revelation that newly hired CEO Josh D’Amaro also intends to push AI, it feels like Disney is going in the opposite direction from what makes the Muppets special. You can’t replicate the magical mix of puppetry and effects with AI, no matter how Silicon Valley might sell it.

The Muppet Show thrived for 50 years because of the hard work behind the scenes, and the only way it can continue thriving is for that work to continue. Instead of spending money on AI, Disney should market The Muppet Show as aggressively as possible.

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Release Date

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February 4, 2026

Director

Alex Timbers

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Writers

Albertina Rizzo, Kelly Younger, Jim Henson

Producers

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Matt Vogel, Seth Rogen, Alex McAtee, Eric Jacobson, Evan Goldberg, James Weaver, Sabrina Carpenter, Michael Steinbach, David Lightbody

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By Chris Snellgrove
| Published 1 hour ago

Recently, Starfleet Academy released an episode intended to celebrate Deep Space Nine legend Benjamin Sisko, complete with holographic character SAM taking a virtual trip through the Sisko Museum. The museum is filled with artifacts important to the Starfleet officer’s life, including the baseball that he always kept in his office on the station. One of those artifacts is the typewriter owned by Benny Russell, and while this is a great way to honor the episode “Far Beyond the Stars,” this particular tribute to the captain and Sisko actor Avery Brooks makes no sense whatsoever.

First, some context: in “Far Beyond the Stars,” Captain Sisko begins receiving strange visions from the Prophets in which he is a 1950s sci-fi writer named Benny Russell. The writer’s crowning achievement is a series of stories set on a space station named Deep Space Nine, but as a Black man, he is having trouble publishing these stories due to the rampant racism of the time period. His story is ultimately suppressed by the sci-fi magazine that he writes for because it features a Black man as its hero, and Benny collapses, only to pop up in an asylum in a later episode.

The Dreamer And The Dream

This vision had a profound impact on Benjamin Sisko: moved by the notion that he is “both the dreamer and the dream,” he is inspired to stay on Deep Space Nine and lead the fight against the Dominion. Because of this, you might think the presence of Benny Russell’s typewriter in the Sisko Museum would make perfect sense. But it’s actually crazy for many reasons, including the fact that, until a few years ago, there was no real Benny Russell in the Trek canon!

In Deep Space Nine, Benny only appeared to Sisko in visions, first by the Prophets and later by the Pah-Wraiths. We never see Sisko look up the historical Benny, implying that he doesn’t exist; in fact, the Star Trek Encyclopedia entry for Benny Russell claims that he “may have existed in an alternate reality, or perhaps only in certain reaches of Ben Sisko’s mind.” The fact that Benny didn’t previously exist is likely what Jake Sisko actor Cirroc Lofton was referring to in a recent TrekMovie interview, where he declared that the typewriter in the museum “technically…does not exist.”

The Dream Suddenly Became Real

However, Strange New Worlds retconned Benny Russell into existence by revealing that he wrote a book, The Kingdom of Elysian, that Dr. M’Benga liked to read to his daughter as a bedtime story. At the time, this was more of an Easter egg than anything else. The fictional tale had to be written by someone, so why not choose a beloved character known for writing sci-fi stories?

This brings us up to Benny’s typewriter appearing in Starfleet Academy, something that seems more impossible now than ever before. You see, it’s easy enough to accept that he was a real writer within the fictional canon of Star Trek. But how would Benjamin Sisko have gotten the actual typewriter from a failed writer who died centuries ago? 

The Most Confusing Museum In The Galaxy

Of course, whether Benny failed as a writer is something of an open question. On Deep Space Nine, we see him as a man who goes crazy after his sci-fi masterpiece isn’t published, and he gets committed to a psychiatric hospital after a delusional breakdown. It’s never made clear exactly how he went from being someone who couldn’t publish his magnum opus to a published, respected writer whose works are still being enjoyed centuries in the future.

Even if you can accept that Benny Russell was real (like, did all of his friends actually look like the entire cast of Deep Space Nine?) and that he became famous and successful, there’s still one last question: how does anyone know about any kind of relationship between Sisko and this relatively obscure 20th-century writer? In DS9, it was implied that the only person he told about Benny Russell was his own father, Joseph Sisko; maybe he told Dr. Bashir, but this information would presumably been protected by doctor/patient confidentiality.

One More Thing About Sisko That Makes No Sense

It’s possible that Sisko filed a report about this to Starfleet, but that seems unlikely; after all, he would be admitting to having the equivalent of a mental breakdown while he was spearheading Starfleet’s war with the Dominion. That would be a bad look for anyone, and we know that Sisko doesn’t have a problem with keeping information from Starfleet. That’s one of the big lessons of “In the Pale Moonlight”: that he’s not afraid of omitting information, especially in the name of the greater good.

All of this adds up to the typewriter in Starfleet Academy being something of a paradox: longtime Star Trek fans understand its importance, but it’s unclear how Sisko would have obtained it, much less why the museum would have displayed it as one of his most prized possessions. Still, it makes for a fun Easter egg, one that continues to keep the fandom talking. Now, those fans are left with one final question: what else will we learn about Benny Russell that completely changes what we know about Star Trek?

Almost two months after her and Kai Cenat’s split, Gabrielle “Gigi” Alayah made a move that has fans talking again. Kai finally dropped a lengthy message on Instagram apologizing for not addressing their breakup. Now, fans think Gigi basically responded to his message without even saying a word.

RELATED: Open Book? Kai Cenat Breaks Silence & Mentions Gabrielle “Gigi” Alayah While Speaking On “Rumors” & “Speculations” Since Their Split

Gabrielle “Gigi” Alayah’s Latest Repost Has Fans Reading Between The Lines

Hours after Kai Cenat spoke about their breakup, Gigi reposted a message on her Instagram Story. It’s unclear whether she was directly responding to him, but fans were clocking the words heavy trying to connect the dots. No caption — just a message that read, “Never regret the love you give. It will always return to you in another time, in another person, or another place.” Right now, Kai hasn’t said any additional words, ad Gabrielle hasn’t revealed who or what her post is about. Even with all of that, the internet still thinks it all lines up.

Social Media Is Buzzing Over Gigi’s Low-Key Response

Over in The Shade Room Teens comment section, folks gave Gigi props, saying they would’ve crashed out a long time ago. Others added that it’s just a matter of time before she finds her prince charming.

Instagram user @famousdashja wrote, “She handled this so well cause I would’ve crashed out fr.” 

Instagram user @jaee.renee wrote, “He responded a month later after she got dragged through the mud, she has every right to showcase that she’s healed and no longer bothered by it!” 

While Instagram user @doseof.neaa wrote, “if i was her i would’ve posted an arm by now idk.” 

Another Instagram user @iam.jadaaa wrote, “i love her and i wish she find THE ONE.” 

Then Instagram user @_itsyagirlyanaa wrote, “y’all leave her alone and let her find peace😭 she’s human too.” 

Instagram user @bdhk__serm wrote, “No literally, it sucks giving love and not receiving any back… but you always get it back one way or another.” 

While another Instagram user @anti_social626 wrote, “Chile he gonna be sick af when she gets that breakup glow and really be outside 😭😭😭😭” 

Lastly, Instagram user @adriyanaa.a wrote, “y’all owe this girl an apology frl.” 

Here’s Why Fans Think Gigi’s Repost Might Be Directed To Kai

On Friday, February 13, Kai Cenat shocked fans again when he addressed rumors and assumptions surrounding his friends and Gabrielle. His message shook fans because it’s the first time he’s spoke about his breakup with GIgi since their split in December 2025. On his Instagram Story, Kai told his followers he knows it can get confusing when false news pops up about him. He added that since he’s always been open on social media, it’s hard to keep things private. He also addressed the rumors that surfaced after he stepped back from streaming. Kai apologized for not speaking sooner but admitted some things should’ve stayed private.

“There have been rumors, speculations, and comments made about my previous relationship and my friends. I want to apologize for not addressing things sooner, but I needed to take a step back from social media and process everything. People react to things in different ways, it is an emotional time and should have been handled PRIVATELY.”

Kai told fans that if something really needs his attention and deserves a response, he’s going to speak on it, no matter what it’s about. Then he shifted gears and addressed his breakup with Gigi. Rumors have been swirling since their split, and things seemingly escalated when Gigi hopped on YouTube sharing her side of the story. But Kai cleared the air on his end in his message writing, “I wish the best to Gabrielle and ask to please respect both sides,”

RELATED: Romantic Stream Sessions To Courtside Couple Goals: A Timeline Of Kai Cenat & Gabrielle “Gigi” Alayah’s Love Story (VIDEOS)

Amber Heard
All Smiles In Spain As Johnny Films Hollywood Return

Published
February 13, 2026
6:00 PM PST

The FBI and Pima County police are reportedly investigating new footage of a possible intruder approaching a home near where Savannah Guthrie’s mother, Nancy Guthrie, disappeared.

TMZ has obtained Ring camera footage that showed a goateed person approaching the front door of a home located 6.5 miles away from where Nancy lives in the Tucson, Arizona, area. The footage — which was apparently shot one week before Nancy’s disappearance — shows a person backing up to the door before turning around to seemingly tamper with a security camera.

The security video was reportedly recorded at 5 a.m. PT on January 23. The homeowner posted the footage on Ring’s Neighbors app and wrote that the alleged intruder rang the doorbell before ultimately fleeing when a dog started barking.

A law enforcement source connected to the Guthrie case told TMZ that the Pima County Sheriff’s Department and the FBI are aware of the footage and are actively investigating it. While there is no definitive link between this possible intruder and the suspect in the Guthrie case, both appeared to have similar facial hair. (Separate security videos showed that the suspect in the Guthrie case had visible facial hair even while wearing a ski mask.)

Related: Nancy Guthrie’s Neighbor Reacts to ‘Terrifying’ Surveillance Video

Nancy Guthrie‘s neighbor is speaking out after the FBI released surveillance footage of a possible subject amid the search for Savannah Guthrie‘s mother. “It was startling and a bit terrifying,” Laura Gargano, who has lived around the corner from Nancy, 84, for over a decade, told CNN on Wednesday, February 11. “But I immediately went […]

Us Weekly has reached out to law enforcement for comment.

An FBI spokesperson told Us: “The FBI does not provide comment on ongoing investigations.”

On Thursday, February 12, the FBI released an official description of the suspect as “a male, approximately 5’9” – 5’10” tall, with an average build. In [a newly-obtained security] video, he is wearing a black, 25-liter ‘Ozark Trail Hiker Pack’ backpack.” Federal officials confirmed they’d received 13,000 tips from the public related to Nancy’s disappearance — and were doubling their offer from $50,000 to $100,000 for any information that led to her rescue or recovery.

“Today, the FBI is increasing its reward up to $100,000 for information leading to the location of Nancy Guthrie and/or the arrest and conviction of anyone involved in her disappearance,” FBI Phoenix announced via X on Thursday. “New identifying details about the suspect in the kidnapping of Nancy Guthrie have been confirmed after a forensic analysis of the doorbell camera footage by the FBI’s Operational Technology Division.”

The last known sighting of Nancy was in Tucson, Arizona, on January 31, when she had dinner with her family.

Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos previously confirmed that Nancy’s family placed a 911 call on February 1 when she failed to turn up to watch a church service with friends. A search and rescue investigation was initiated by the Pima police that same day.

President Donald Trump confirmed federal intervention in the case via Truth Social on February 4 when he announced that he was “directing ALL Federal Law Enforcement to be at the family’s, and Local Law Enforcement’s, complete disposal.”

“We are deploying all resources to get her mother home safely. The prayers of our Nation are with her and her family. GOD BLESS AND PROTECT NANCY,” Trump added.

On Tuesday, February 10, FBI Director Kash Patel released new surveillance photos and footage shot from Nancy’s security camera. The footage seemingly showed a masked person standing on Nancy’s porch and attempting to cover a camera.

“Over the last eight days, the FBI and Pima County Sheriff’s Department have been working closely with our private sector partners to continue to recover any images or video footage from Nancy Guthrie’s home that may have been lost, corrupted, or inaccessible due to a variety of factors – including the removal of recording devices,” Patel announced via X. “The video was recovered from residual data located in backend systems.”

Following the release of these new images, Savannah assured the public that she and her siblings, Annie Guthrie and Camron Guthrie, were holding out hope that Nancy “is still alive.”

“Bring her home,” the Today host pleaded via Instagram on February 10.

On Wednesday, February 11, the NBC News journalist shared vintage home videos of Nancy via Instagram along with a message asking supporters to keep the faith.

“Our lovely mom,” she captioned the video. “We will never give up on her. Thank you for your prayers and hope.”

Three days after multiple people were found killed in Sarasota and Fort Lauderdale homes in related shootings, police in Florida have revealed that the suspect showed up to the Sarasota residence with two handguns, five knives and other weapons.

Russell Kot, 51, is suspected of killing Larisa Blyudaya, 46, and Ben Azivov, 18, at a home in Fort Lauderdale before he traveled across the state to Sarasota and fatally shot Olga Greinert, 49, Florita Stolyar, 66, Anatoly Ioffe, 61, and Yaroslav Blyudoy, 39, at a home within a gated community.

The Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office announced in a press release on Friday, February 13, that they learned Kot relocated from Illinois to Fort Lauderdale in the fall of 2025.

“He was living with Larissa Blyudoy, the daughter of Florita Stolyar, until the end of 2025, when the two separated,” the press release read. “A review of Kot’s cellular phone records did not reveal any apparent triggering event prior to the shootings involving Larissa or any member of her family.”

Additionally, police said that no records indicated that Kot previously stayed at Stolyar’s Fallcrest residence in Sarasota or cared for the family’s animals in the months leading up to the fatal shooting.

Investigators also confirmed that Kot had met Greinert, the family’s housekeeper, at least once before the incident.

A search warrant was executed on Kot’s vehicle, where authorities found two handguns, ammunition, five knives, rope, tape and an axe, according to the press release. The weapons in the car were found in addition to two handguns that Kot had on him when he entered the Fallcrest residence.

“Investigators have determined that after killing Olga Greinert and Yaroslav Blyudoy, Florita Stolyar’s son, Kot sent a suicidal text message to members of his family,” the press release said. “He then remained at the Fallcrest residence until Florita and her husband, Anatoly Ioffe, returned home. Upon their arrival, both were shot and killed. Kot then shot himself.”

Police added that Crime Scene Analysts recovered more than 20 shell casings inside the residences, and it was confirmed that each victim sustained multiple gunshot wounds.

The investigation into the case remains ongoing.

Related: Brown University Shares Plans to Reevaluates Safety Policies After Shooting

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A manhunt was launched in Providence, Rhode Island, for the person who opened fire Saturday, December 13, on the campus of Ivy League institution Brown University, killing two students and wounding another nine. While a Wisconsin student was initially detained by cops as a “person of interest” in the shooting, that person was released, and […]

Deputies responded to the Fallcrest home around 12:30 p.m. on February 10. Once they arrived, authorities found a neighbor performing CPR on a male victim in the home’s front yard. The male victim was then moved to another location, where he was later pronounced dead.

Neighbors told responding officers that the man’s wife was potentially inside the home. They then entered the residence, where they found two women and two men that were dead.

As the Sarasota deputies tried to identify the victims and potential suspect, the Fort Lauderdale Police Department contacted them to say they were working on a double homicide. At the time, the Fort Lauderdale Police said they believed the Sarasota shooting was linked to their investigation.

After police confirmed via surveillance footage that Kot drove through the neighborhood in Sarasota, the two departments were able to piece together that he committed the killings in Fort Lauderdale before he traveled to the Fallcrest address.

Finding true love is just as infuriating in the afterlife as it is when you’re still alive. That’s what Joan (Elizabeth Olsen) finds out in Eternity, a winning A24 rom-com that unsurprisingly doesn’t follow the typical rules of the genre. For starters, almost everyone in the movie is dead. That includes Joan and her husband, Larry (Miles Teller), whom she’s been married to for 65 years. 

They find themselves in a purgatory where they have to choose how to spend eternity — and who to spend it with. When Joan encounters her first husband, Luke (Callum Turner), who died decades ago, she now must make an impossible decision: stay with the more familiar Larry or spend forever with a man who reminds her of the best years of her life.

I won’t spoil what happens, but I will reveal that Olsen, Teller and Turner are all great as the three participants in a very complicated love triangle. The movie will force you to pick which one Joan should be with — and even the possibility of Joan rejecting both men in favor of her best friend, Karen (Olga Merediz). Whatever happens, you won’t regret spending Eternity with a cast this charismatic and a premise too good to resist.