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Pamela Anderson on ‘Shocking’ New Movie, ‘Rosebush Pruning’

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Pamela Anderson stars in her first-ever haircare campaign as the new face of Biolage Professional Hair Spa.

Former “Baywatch” star Pamela Anderson has completely redone her image, including becoming a Golden Globe nominee thanks to her role in 2024’s “The Last Showgirl.” Most recently, the 59-year-old actress has a new movie arriving in theaters, “Rosebush Pruning.” Now, she’s opening up about why the passion project won’t be for everyone.

In addition to Anderson, the movie stars Callum Turner, Riley Keough, Elle Fanning, Jamie Bell, Tracy Letts, and Lukas Gage.

Pamela Anderson stars in her first-ever haircare campaign as the new face of Biolage Professional Hair Spa.
Coliena Rentmeester for Biolage / MEGA

MUBI released the Karim Aïnouz-directed “Rosebush Pruning” to US movie theaters on July 24, following its debut in both Germany and the United Kingdom. In discussing the film with PEOPLE, the actress said it’s “shocking in a good way. But not shock for shock value, to tell a story.”

In the movie, Anderson plays the wealthy head of a family that relocates to Spain several years before the events of the film pick up. She said of the family depicted in “Rosebush Pruning,” “I do believe there’s this kind of emptiness that comes from wealth for no good reason.”

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Regarding how she thinks audiences will react, the “Baywatch” alum suspected, “It’s not going to be for everybody. People are going to have feelings about it. It’s not an easy ride. But that’s what the movie’s for.” It’s worth noting that the movie depicts themes such as abuse and sex.

The Former ‘Baywatch’ Star Explained Why She Took On The Role

Pamela Anderson at NYWIFT 45th Annual Muse Awards
ZUMAPRESS.com / MEGA

Following her success with “The Last Showgirl,” many suspected Anderson would continue with a string of mainstream-friendly movies. To a degree, she has done that, including with 2025’s “The Naked Gun.” Regarding why she took on the role in “Rosebush Pruning,” Anderson stated that she wants to take risks in her career.

According to her, “I want to work with risk-takers. I want to challenge myself and even my mindset when it comes to storytelling. I want to play all sorts of different roles.”

She then shared another small detail regarding what she loved about the role. Anderson said, “And it was also fun to have gray hair. Why not?”

Regarding the director, Aïnouz, the beloved actress called him a “visionary artist.”

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The Reaction To The Film Has Been Divided

Pamela Anderson arriving at her hotel during Paris Fashion Week
Spread Pictures / MEGA

“Rosebush Pruning” was first released in April 2026 in Germany. The movie already has an official Rotten Tomatoes score, currently sitting at a “rotten” 21% on the platform. This is based on 43 reviews for the 95-minute-long movie.

In reviewing the movie, Natalia Winkelman wrote for The New York Times, “A petty provocation that, like a spent blossom in time-lapse, shrivels and disintegrates as soon as it’s over.”

Robert Kojder from Flickering Myth wrote, “Rosebush Pruning is what happens when screenwriter Efthimis Filippou doesn’t have Yorgos Lanthimos adding layers to the deranged and perverted, but it is so knowingly and originally tasteless it’s almost worth recommending.”

In a positive review, Cara O’Doherty said, “Visually striking and driven by strong performances, Rosebush Pruning is peculiar and distinctive, but also deeply distasteful.”

Lastly, Dulcie Pearce from The Sun UK stated, “The talented cast make the film watchable, but sadly the script never keeps up with how kooky and intriguing the film longs to be.”

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Pam Anderson’s Son Recently Tied The Knot

Pamela Anderson at the Closing Gala of the 72nd edition of the San Sebastian Festival
MEGA

Anderson’s 28-year-old son, whom she shares with Tommy Lee, walked down the aisle in June 2026. Previously, the actress shared that he’d asked her to return to her iconic blonde hair color for the wedding, which she obliged.

During her recent PEOPLE interview, she dished on the wedding and became vulnerable, revealing that she realized that her son no longer belonged to her amid the special occasion. She called the wedding “wonderful,” before saying, “I couldn’t have been happier.”

Anderson continued, “It’s so emotional. It kind of catches you off guard even because we’ve all been living such independent lives. My boys are very independent, and they’ve all lived on their own for many years, and [he and Paula have] been together for nine years, but it really did feel like, oh, ‘Dylan is not mine anymore. He and Paula belong together.’”

The Hollywood Icon Has Another Movie Coming Out

Pamela Anderson at the 'The Last Showgirl' Premiere San Sebastian 2024
MEGA

Anderson has a number of film projects in various stages of development. This includes her next film, “Place to Be,” which is set to premiere in September 2026 at the Venice Film Festival. The drama film also stars Ellen Burstyn and Taika Waititi.

Additionally, she is one of the stars of Michael Cera‘s upcoming “Love is Not the Answer.”

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Why Jason Sudeikis Finally Agreed To Fourth ‘Ted Lasso’

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APPLE S TED LASSO PREMIERE FOR SEASON TWO

Jason Sudeikis is going to be back on the “Ted Lasso” set like he never left.

The actor who almost parted ways with the TV series and almost turned down a massive payment has shared the reason why he chose to return to the show. This comes after his co-star, Hannah Waddingham, called him out for his behavior with impromptu script changes.

Jason Sudeikis previously let fans in on a little secret about what to expect in the coming season. The fourth season of “Ted Lasso,” which premieres next month, has fans filled with anticipation about what will hit the screens.

APPLE S TED LASSO PREMIERE FOR SEASON TWO
MEGA/Newscom

Sudeikis revealed that from the get-go, his plan for the series involved shooting for three seasons and then calling it a wrap. This decision was not tied to his pay from “Ted Lasso”; that is why he was prepared to still walk away despite earning $1 million per episode by season 3.

There were provisions to let the actor walk away with “significantly more [pay] if he agreed to continue,” but he reportedly wasn’t eager to just keep going. In his mind, there was no way forward for his character, judging from the season 3 finale.

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“That wasn’t a negotiation tactic,”  the actor said of his plans not to return for the fourth season despite the huge paycheck. “The story was told. Ted went home [to Kansas City] to be with his son. I wasn’t going to have Ted uproot their life to justify the money truck. It made no sense to me.”  Sudeikis explained during his interview with The Hollywood Reporter.

The Actor Says ‘Ted Lasso’ ‘Saved’ Him

Iddo Goldberg at ArcLight Theatre
MEGA

The TV personality changed his mind about coming back to the series when he realized how much of an impact the show and his character had on the fans. To Sudeikis, “Ted Lasso” was not just another project.

When fans would reportedly tell him that the series had saved them, Sudeikis’ usual reply was, “It saved me, too,” and he meant it. “It is infectious to play a character who sees the best in people and isn’t mad at the world for all its foibles and bullies and shadows,”  the actor further explained.

Sudeikis admitted that he needed the show as much as his viewers needed him back on the screen. In case you didn’t know, the actor plays a bubbly American football coach on “Ted Lasso” who was hired to manage a British soccer team despite having no experience with the sport.

Jason Sudeikis Revealed A Major Shocker For The Upcoming Season

Jason Sudeikis at the 30th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards
ZUMAPRESS.com / MEGA

After it was officially confirmed that the comedy-drama TV series had been renewed for a fourth season, Sudeikis shared that his character might surprise fans with a new move in the coming season.

“We’re writing season 4 now,” adding, “That’s the official word, yeah. Ted’s coaching a women’s team,” the TV personality disclosed on a podcast a few months ago. Though Sudeikis remained tight-lipped on further details, fans are filled with anticipation to see how this new shift would play out, considering where they left off in season 3.

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The Blast shared that fans are filled with questions about whether his character would officially say goodbye to English football and start the season on a new path. The “Horrible Bosses” star did not provide any further clarity to calm the expectations, so it remains unclear if Ted would be leaving AFC Richmond for good.

Hannah Waddingham Called Her Co-Star Out For ‘Last Minute Changes’

Hannah Waddingham at the BAFTA Film Awards 2026
Fred Duval/MEGA

Waddingham plays AFC Richmond owner Rebecca Welton on the hit Apple TV+ series. Recently, she stated that one of the challenges they have on set is tied to the last-minute changes Sudeikis often makes to the scripts.

She noted that he had the habit of reworking dialogue in the moment, and this often kept the other actors on their toes. With that boy, you’ve got to roll with the punches. He and I have an ongoing love-hate relationship that he changes it last minute,” Waddingham explained.

The Blast reported that despite this hiccup, the members of the cast have a good relationship and speak regularly behind the scenes. During the same conversation, the “Sex Education” alum addressed the pressing question about whether or not there would be a romantic spin on Ted and Rebecca’s relationship.

Waddingham noted that Ted and Rebecca are “undoubtedly soulmates”; however, the show may or may not choose to explore that avenue for the characters.

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Jason Sudeikis Was ‘Scared’ By  Overzealous Fans 

Jason Sudeikis at apos Kimmel apos
MEGA

Nearly two years ago, the Emmy-winning actor expressed that he was scared by fans who waited to get autographs from him for hours. According to previous reports, up to 20 people waited outside The Dynasty Typewriter Comedy Club in Los Angeles from around 6:30 p.m when he arrived till 9:30 p.m when he was seen exiting the club.

The Blast shared that Sudeikis was met with fans who flooded him seeking to have their items signed. After signing one or two autographs and seeing the clamoring crowd, the actor started heading to his car, refusing to sign any more autographs.

In footage uploaded about the incident, Sudeikis could be heard saying, “Guys, please, stop, stop, I’m not going to sign anything. I literally have to go!” as they chased him down the street.

“I’m sorry, that was a lot; that scared the sh-t out of me. For real, I’m just a human being. Please, I’m going home – good night,”  the TV star added before getting into his car.

Is Jason Sudeikis’ reason to return to “Ted Lasso” one that others will resonate with?

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Star Trek Just Proposed Nuking Migrants To Solve Mass Migration Problems

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Star Trek Just Proposed Nuking Migrants To Solve Mass Migration Problems

By Joshua Tyler
| Updated

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds beamed in for a fourth season this week, and avoided the jokey premises that hamstrung the previous season, for at least one episode. Instead, in this first episode titled “Valles Marineris,” it took on the hot topic of mass migration by sending the Enterprise back in time to deal with the consequences of an invasive species sucking up resources.

The Enterprise arrives 65 million years in the past to find an extra planet in our solar system. It’s ruled by a race of intelligent insects who use mass migration to invade planets. That extra planet and its inhabitants aren’t the only surprise. The planet Mars is not a dead world in the past. It’s vibrant, alive, and run by technologically advanced Martians.

Lieutenant Commander Noonien-Singh punches a dinosaur.

Meanwhile, Earth is still a place of volcanoes and dinosaurs. At one point, the Enterprise’s genetically enhanced security chief saves the day by punching a velociraptor.

The insectoids intentionally crashed a ship into Mars and “fed” on their world. Then the Martian commander hammers the situation home by saying, “That’s why your discussions of cultures, of science, although kind and hopeful, are not relevant.”

When Pike says, “There may be other ways to deal with them,” the Martian commander responds by pointing out that many thought the same on her world. “As they talked, we died,” she says. The Martians were only able to stop the insects by ripping a hole in their own planet, killing all the invading settlers and also two million of their own people. 

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The scar left on Mars after insect settlers feed on the planet.

On Earth, Enterprise’s crew discovers a crashed insectoid colony ship. Everyone aboard was killed, but our heroes learn the insects were trying to land and feed on Earth, presumably to do the same thing they did to Mars. The Enterprise away team voices sympathy for the dead creatures, with Lieutenant Ortegas voicing, “They may be different from us, but they wanted to survive too.” Meanwhile, Lieutenant Commander Noonien-Singh acknowledges the reality of the situation, “If they were settlers, I’m not sure if I should feel sad or relieved.”

Captain Pike quickly realizes the truth. If this insectoid race is allowed to send “settlers” to Earth, humanity’s future home planet, they’ll suck up all the resources and wipe out our entire future. To save the human race from dangerous mass migration, Pike allows the Martians to blow up the insectoid planet and genocide the race of resource-consuming migrants. 

Genocide in progress on Strange New Worlds

The parallels to the real world are hard to miss. The episode goes out of its way to portray the insectoids not so much as invading armies but as migrants whose unwanted arrival consumes resources. The Martians deliberately refer to them as feeding on their planet, to hit home the point that the main issue is their resource consumption. The crashed ship on Earth is referred to as a ship of settlers, not soldiers. 

Mars has already been devastated by the process, and Earth is next. Stripped of the science-fiction setting, the episode clearly explores questions of mass migration, resource competition, demographic change, and whether a civilization has the right to prevent an influx it believes threatens its long-term survival. 

“Valles Marineris” was written by Akiva Goldsman and Henry Alonso Myers. It’s worth noting that Myers wrote some of the best and most thoughtful episodes in the show’s first season and none of the worst episodes of its subsequent seasons. He was also a driving force behind the gone-but-not-forgotten spy series Chuck from the 2010s and the 2016 show The Magicians.

Pike confronts the Martian commander.

In telling this story, Strange New Worlds did what Star Trek has always done, and what the best science fiction usually does, by engaging with a real-world problem and clearly restating it in a way that lets the audience reason out the best response.

Reasoncraft Is Honest Persuasion

This approach, while persuasive, is not propaganda, which is dishonest persuasion done through manipulation. There’s nothing dishonest in what Strange New Worlds is doing. It’s persuasion through logical thinking. There’s never really been a clear word for this type of up-front screenwashing before, so I’ve come up with one. 

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This is Reasoncraft. Reasoncraft is persuasion through openly stated reasons and honest exploration, rather than manipulation.

Even at its lowest point, Star Trek has always stuck with reasoncraft as its form of persuasion. It’s fundamental to the franchise, and it’s part of why shows like Starfleet Academy are so bad.

Reasoncraft Results In Bad Writing For Bad Ideas, And Good Writing For Good Ideas

When a piece of entertainment uses reasoncraft to make good arguments, the result is often good writing. When reasoncraft is used to make bad arguments, the result is bad writing that makes no sense. 

This turned Starfleet Academy into one of the worst shows in television history. It’s also why the previous Strange New Worlds season was so reviled. The stories they told in season 3 were nonsense because the arguments they were making were also nonsense. This season 4 episode of Strange New Worlds, while not perfect, is at least a step up from those season 3 lows. It’s a step up because it takes on hard questions, considers them honestly, and then follows those honest answers to their logical, unflinching conclusion.

Anson Mount as Captain Pike in “Valles Marineris

Reasoncraft is also why a show like Star Trek: Deep Space Nine is so good. Because when that series tackled a complex issue and used reasoncraft, they followed it through to its logical conclusion, even if that conclusion didn’t always fit with their personal ideology. That willingness to follow the story where reason takes it, even if that conflicts with the beliefs of the show’s writers, is something modern Star Trek has often been unwilling to do.

It’s why people with bad ideas resort to propaganda. Dishonesty is the only way to screenwash others into believing something stupid without also creating an entertainment product that plays out like something written on the side of a bathtub with a water crayon.

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Rakai Goes Viral After Calling 911 Over Haircut Mishap (VIDEOS)

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Rakai Has Social Media Crying Laughing After Calling 911 Claiming His Barber Ruined His Hairline (WATCH)

Streamer Rakai has social media in stitches after a live reaction to his latest haircut took an unexpected turn. What started as frustration over his lineup quickly escalated when the 17-year-old called 911, to report his barber for a bad haircut.

Related: Social Media Weighs In After Rakai Reveals Why He Wasn’t Allowed To Walk At High School Graduation (PHOTO + VIDEO)

Rakai Says His Barber Left Him “Bald”

Rakai recently went live to show viewers his fresh haircut, but it didn’t take long for fans to realize he wasn’t happy with the results. While examining his lineup on stream, Rakai pointed out that he believed his hairline appeared slanted. He then showed viewers both sides of his head. While he seemed satisfied with the right side, he turned to the left side and repeatedly shouted, “Bald!” while reacting to what he believed was a pushed-back hairline. Rakai also pointed to the lighter skin along his forehead, claiming he and viewers could see where his lineup was originally supposed to begin before the haircut.

Police Call Gave Rakai A Reality Check

Rakai took things a step further by calling 911 on his barber while live on stream. However, the dispatcher wasn’t having it, immediately asking whether the call was “a joke” and whether the streamer needed the fire department or medical services. Rakai responded by saying he wanted to sue his barber before ending the call. Shortly afterward, the dispatcher called Rakai back and warned him that calling 911 for a non-emergency and then hanging up could have consequences. Stumbling over his words, Rakai quickly apologized, explaining that he thought calling 911 was the only way he could sue his barber.

Social Media Reacts

The viral clip quickly sparked thousands of reactions in The Shade Room Teens comment section, with many social media users joking about both Rakai’s haircut and his decision to call 911.

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Instagram user @biancaisking wrote, “😂😂😂😂😂😂”

Another Instagram user @cuddie_powell wrote, “why did his barber do that bs 😭😭😭😂😂”

While Instagram user @ciaafromig wrote, “Can we talk about why he called the police 😭😭 I’m in tears lmao”

Instagram user @badgaldeme wrote, “Normally I would be mad he called 911 buttttt that haircut low-key needed police involvement”

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Another Instagram user @siannalynnn wrote, “barber must’ve had his eyes closed”

While Instagram user @ittybitty_.natt wrote, “All he have to do is keep his head tilted a little bit 😂”

Instagram user @nevaehnevaeh__ wrote, “They need to charge a fee when people play on the police phone”

Another Instagram user @luuvlyy._ wrote, “Yoo this is hilarious 😂 I’m upset for him”

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While Instagram user @koreemoore_ wrote, “Wardrobe said his sh** look like “🤪” 😭😭😭

Related: Boo’d Up? Social Media Reacts After Rakai Shares Cozy TikTok Showing Him In Matching Pajamas With Yona Royale (VIDEOS)

What Do You Think Roomies?

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Dakota Mortensen Spotted With Shinia Powell Amid Taylor Drama

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Miranda McWhorter Reveals If She Is Friends With Shinia Powell After Sleeping With Dakota Mortensen

Dakota Mortensen and Shinia Powell fueled dating rumors after being spotted together at a baseball game.

The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives star, 33, was photographed with Shinia on Thursday, July 23, at The Ballpark at America First Square in South Jordan, Utah.

In the pictures, obtained by TMZ, Dakota was seen with his hand on Shinia’s back as they watched the game from the lawn. In a separate snap, Dakota was cozying up to Shinia as she lounged on a blanket in the grass.

The pair were both wearing cream-colored baseball hats in the snaps. Dakota donned a black T-shirt and khaki pants while Shinia wore jean shorts, high-top sneakers and a silky top.

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Miranda McWhorter Reveals If She Is Friends With Shinia Powell After Sleeping With Dakota Mortensen


Related: Is Miranda Still Friends With Shinia After Secretly Sleeping With Dakota?

The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives star Miranda McWhorter is breaking down where she stands with Shinia Powell after her friend slept with Taylor Frankie Paul’s ex Dakota Mortensen. Warning: This post contains spoilers for The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives season 4. “I think the Taylor and Dakota of it all was definitely a […]

She documented the outing via social media on Thursday, sharing a picture with two of her friends — but didn’t include Dakota in her recap.

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Dakota and Shinia’s outing comes after multiple outlets reported earlier this month that the pair are dating amid Dakota’s ongoing custody battle with ex Taylor Frankie Paul.

After months of speculation, People reported on Wednesday, July 22, that Dakota and Shinia’s “close friendship” grew “into something more” amid his ups and downs with Taylor, 32, whom he dated from 2022 to 2025. (The exes share a 2-year-old son, Ever, whom they welcomed in March 2024.)

Dakota Mortensen Spotted With Shinia Powell Amid Taylor Frankie Paul Custody Drama Romance Rumors Miranda

Shinia Powell and Miranda McWhorter.
Courtesy of Shinia Powell/Instagram

Us has reached out to Dakota’s rep for comment.

The pair’s rumored romance has been raising even more eyebrows because Dakota previously received backlash from Taylor for hooking up with Shinia during season 4 of SLOMW. (Shinia, for her part, made her debut on the Hulu reality series as one of Miranda McWhorter’s best friends.)

“I do just want to say sorry for everything that I did. I know that caused a lot of problems,” Dakota told Taylor during a season 4 episode FaceTime. “I’m sorry for hooking up with Shinia. Was it dumb of me? Yes. Could I have picked someone else? Yes.”

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Dakota Denies He's Having Another Baby


Related: ‘Mormon Wives’ Stars Joke About ‘Cease and Desist’ for Dakota Amid Drama

The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives cast is seemingly choosing sides amid Taylor Frankie Paul‘s most recent drama with ex Dakota Mortensen. Miranda McWhorter and Layla Taylor shared a TikTok on Tuesday, June 17, of themselves filming content before Dakota steps into the frame. The caption read, “When you run into your friend’s ex unexpectedly.” […]

Dakota, who has had a tumultuous on-off relationship with Taylor, said he understood Taylor’s stance since Shinia was entwined in their friendship group.

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“I picked somebody that was obviously going to come with problems, and that was very s***y of me to do,” he added.

At the time, Shinia’s hookup with Dakota also caused problems for Miranda, 28, as she was put in the middle and felt forced to take sides between Shinia and Taylor.

Speculation surrounding Dakota and Shinia’s current romantic status comes as he and Taylor are battling over custody of their son.

Dakota Mortensen Spotted With Shinia Powell Amid Taylor Frankie Paul Custody Drama Romance Rumors Exes

Dakota Mortensen and Taylor Frankie Paul.
Disney/Fred Hayes

Earlier this year, Dakota and Taylor were both granted restraining orders against each other after being previously involved in alleged domestic disputes. Dakota was granted temporary custody of their son in March amid their legal woes, but Taylor has since received more parenting time with Ever.

On July 13, Utah’s Division of Child and Family Services (DCFS) filed a petition asking a juvenile court to find that Taylor’s three children are being “abused, neglected, or dependent” while asking for protective supervision and the appointment of a guardian ad litem to represent the children. (Taylor also shares daughter Indy, 8, and son Ocean, 6, with ex-husband Tate Paul.)

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Following the DCFS inquiry, Taylor released a statement in support of the organization stepping in.

“It was recently decided that the ongoing custody actions would be best suited for juvenile court, a common step for families engaged in highly contentious, complex custody matters,” she said in a statement to Us on July 16. “Taylor is not deterred by this transition; she welcomes the added structure and oversight it provides and looks forward to continuing her progress toward normalizing custody and becoming the healthiest version of herself.”

Taylor Frankie Paul Accuses Dakota of Secretly Meeting Up With Girls in Texts


Related: Taylor Frankie Paul Accuses Dakota of Secretly Meeting Up With Girls in Texts

Taylor Frankie Paul reportedly accused ex Dakota Mortensen of secretly meeting up with girls in explosive text messages from 2025. The ongoing custody case between the former couple took another dramatic turn on Friday, July 10, when TMZ published text messages that Paul, 32, reportedly sent Mortensen, 33, in February 2025. Per the outlet, Paul […]

The statement concluded, “Taylor remains fully committed to doing whatever is necessary to reach that goal and will not be swayed from it. Taylor appreciates the professionalism of DCFS and its representatives.”

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Dakota and Tate then released a joint statement in response to Taylor’s remarks, telling Us that they are “deeply concerned that Taylor’s statement minimizes the gravity of the action filed by DCFS and her many underlying actions that prompted such.”

The duo’s attorney claimed in a July 17 statement that both Dakota and Tate “share the serious concern that the family court system, law enforcement, prosecutors, and child-welfare agencies need meaningful coordination necessary to understand the situation and act in a manner most likely to protect the children.”

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Resident Evil’s Austin Abrams Had Near-Death Set Experience

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Resident Evil Star Austin Abrams Faced a Near Death Experience on Set Director Reveals Sony Pictures

Austin Abrams learned firsthand that going the extra mile for a movie can have consequences.

While filming the upcoming film Resident Evil, Abrams, 29, had a near-death experience, according to director Zach Cregger, when a “body-sized blood bag” almost took him out.

“It’s in the trailer momentarily, but [Austin is] running down the street, and there’s zombies on the roof of the buildings on either side, and they’re all leaping at him,” Cregger, 45, told reporters during a Q&A, SlashFilm reported on Thursday, July 23, of the explosive scene.

He explained that in the movie, Abrams’ Bryan, a medical courier, must fight for his life when a zombie apocalypse breaks out around him.

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While the film is based on the video game by the same name, Cregger said he wanted the scenes to feel as realistic as possible.

“We had to basically design this thing where he’s just running and bodies are just falling and detonating all around him. And I knew I didn’t want to do it with VFX because I feel like it would just look like VFX,” he recalled, referring to visual effects that are usually computer-generated. “So, I was like, ‘How do we do this where all these explosions are real?’”

Cregger noted he was able to avoid VFX by using choreography, staging and dropping 150 pound “blood bags” from cranes as Abrams ran take after take.

Resident Evil Star Austin Abrams Faced a Near Death Experience on Set Director Reveals Sony Pictures

Austin Abrams in ‘Resident Evil.’
Sony Pictures Releasing/Everett Collection

The director, however, said tragedy almost struck when one of the bags came extremely close to falling on the actor’s head.

“It would’ve killed him. If he had been one step to the right, he would’ve died,” Cregger revealed. “[The shot is] in the movie, so it’s f***ing worth it. I was pretty stunned.”

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Cregger confessed that the blood bag situation wasn’t the only time Abrams was in danger on set.

In fact, he said that Abrams actually “split his head open in an elevator shaft” after a separate accident.

Cregger admitted that despite the obstacles along the way, the movie really came together and reminded him what he loves about the industry.

“That’s what’s so great about making movies is you have this scene, you have this amazing idea in your head, and then you just have all these people help you realize that idea and immortalize it on the screen,” he shared. “And there’s a real sense of teamwork and accomplishment. I’m very proud of this movie. I feel like I grew a lot making it, just as a filmmaker.”

Resident Evil hits theaters on Friday, September 18.

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How A 2010s Sci-Fi Stunner Was Kneecapped By Tom Cruise Success

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How A 2010s Sci-Fi Stunner Was Kneecapped By Tom Cruise Success

By Joshua Tyler & Chris Snellgrove | Published

There are plenty of post-apocalyptic movies out there, but most of them share the same problem: by the end, you feel just as hopelessly miserable as the characters onscreen. Far too many directors think the key to this genre is simply to give us scene after scene of bleak despair.

What audiences really want is a movie that uses a fictional future apocalypse as a lens to help us understand our present day.  In 2013, one sci-fi movie tried to do exactly that, and it enlisted the biggest movie star in Hollywood history to make it happen. 

It was directed by a man who is currently the hottest filmmaker in Hollywood, responsible for much of two of the industry’s most recent, big-money hits. The elements were there to make this an all-time great sci-fi movie, and nothing like that happened at all.

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Watch the video version of this article to see scenes from Oblivion.

This is why Oblivion failed.

A Tom Cruise Movie Starring Tom Cruise

Tom Cruise stars in Oblivion as Jack Harper, a technician repairman of drones on Earth who begins to question his mission when he encounters a spaceship crash that throws his world upside down. It’s 2077, and Earth has been devastated by a war with an alien enemy known as the Scavs. Humanity won the war, but the planet was left mostly uninhabitable. Most survivors have relocated to Saturn’s moon Titan, while Jack Harper and his communications partner Victoria, played by Andrea Riseborough, remain stationed on Earth to maintain the drones protecting massive machines that harvest the planet’s remaining resources.

Jack’s memory has been wiped for security reasons, but he is troubled by recurring dreams of a woman he does not know. While investigating a crashed spacecraft, Jack discovers that the woman from his dreams is Julia, played by Olga Kurylenko, an astronaut who has been in suspended animation since before the war. Her arrival causes Jack to question everything he has been told about the Scavs, the mission, and his own identity.

When he made Oblivion, director Joseph Kosinski was coming off the modest success of Tron: Legacy, a movie that nearly everyone agreed worked only because of his visionary directing. He used the goodwill he’d built up there to get funding for a movie based on a concept he’d written out as a pseudo-graphic novel, called Oblivion

The work was a preview/pitch booklet with text and concept art. Kosinski had it handed out to attendees at the San Diego Comic-Con. That booklet ended up in the hands of Tom Cruise and got his attention. Cruise called Kosinski, and with Tom Cruise on board, getting funding became easy. 

Karl Gajdusek developed that pitch into a screenplay for the big screen, and then Michael Arndt was tasked with revising some of Kosinski’s and Gajdusek’s writing, using the pseudonym of “Michael deBruyn” as his writing credit for the film. William Monahan also got involved at some point, making his own changes to the script. If you’ve followed along with our Why It Failed series before, you should know that this much writing and rewriting is already a bad sign.

Disney stepped up to make the movie, inspired by Kosinski’s Tron: Legacy success, but then bailed when they wanted something closer to a PG version, even though the material worked better as a harder PG-13 post-apocalyptic action film. Universal, which had already been interested, ended up taking it on.

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Olga Kurylenko came in alongside Jessica Chastain, Olivia Wilde, and Noomi Rapace to read for the role of Jack’s wife and crew member Julia. Chastain originally won the part and was contracted to start production until she was cast in 2012’s Zero Dark Thirty about the mission to capture and kill Osama bin Laden. Cruise let her out of her contract to do the historically important film, and Kurylenko was cast as Julia in place of Chastain.

The production’s biggest creative decision was that Kosinski did not want the movie to look like a standard green-screen sci-fi film. Coming off Tron: Legacy, he wanted Oblivion to feel more physical, more photographic, and more daylight-driven. He said the visual idea was “beauty in the desolation,” influenced by sci-fi artists Peter Elson and Chris Foss, whose work showed colorful daylight futures rather than only grim wastelands. 

Oblivion’s most famous and successful production trick was the Sky Tower. Instead of surrounding the movie’s glass house set with green screen, Kosinski built the set with real glass and surrounded it with a massive 270-degree projected sky. Pixomondo filmed sky footage from Haleakalā in Hawaii, then projected that imagery around the Baton Rouge set. The projection was not just background; it became the main light source for the actors and reflective surfaces. 

Because of that, Oblivion looks fantastic. Watching Cruise’s drone repairman blast through the wrecked-up wasteland of a post-alien-invasion New York City on a futuristic dirt bike, past the strewn carcasses of container ships and submarines, is spectacular. When he floats through the ruined world in his bubble ship, the special effects are crisp and clean and blend seamlessly with the frame. They’re so good you don’t notice them. 

The entire film reminds you of those IMAX movies you saw as a kid, where a helicopter-mounted camera sweeps around the rim of an active volcano or dives into the Grand Canyon. It’s amazing. 

Why Oblivion Failed

Oblivion looks like a huge hit. It wasn’t. 

It opened at number one in North America, then faded fast, finishing with about $89 million domestic and $286 million worldwide. That made it respectable, especially overseas, where Cruise still had serious drawing power. But respectable was the ceiling. 

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Oblivion earned enough to avoid embarrassment, but not enough to be remembered. The movie was forgotten almost the second it left theaters.

Critics were mixed. Reviewers kept circling around the same complaint: Oblivion looked like a major event, but underneath all that polished design it felt assembled from better science fiction movies.

I’m not sure that’s fair. The big twists in the plot may have been done before, but they’re executed in a totally unique way. Oblivion has interesting ideas, interesting ideas worth exploring. 

In the end, that was not enough. Oblivion was caught in the worst possible middle ground. It was too expensive and polished to feel like a scrappy original discovery, but too familiar to feel like the next great science fiction event. 

The trailers sold mystery, Tom Cruise, and beautiful ruined-Earth imagery, but they never gave audiences a simple emotional hook beyond “Tom Cruise in another futuristic movie.”  That mattered because Oblivion arrived only eight years after War of the Worlds and two years after Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol, with Cruise still viewed by many casual moviegoers more as a brand than a character actor. 

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The movie also arrived when people were kind of burnt out on last man on Earth stories. They’d already seen WALL-E, Moon, The Matrix, and others. 

Oblivion was good-looking, competent, and easy to admire, but it did not give people enough reason to insist everyone else see it.

Overshadowed By Edge Of Tomorrow

Tom Cruise in Edge of Tomorrow

A year later, Tom Cruise would release another mid-level, ambitious sci-fi movie called Edge of Tomorrow. Unlike Oblivion, that film gained massive critical acclaim and immediate cult status. 

Edge of Tomorrow love was, and is, so strong that it completely overshadowed people’s memory of Oblivion, and now, while everyone still talks about Edge of Tomorrow, it’s as if Oblivion never existed. That’s a shame, because Oblivion was a good, big-screen experience. The look of the movie is like nothing else you’ve ever seen, and while it’s still worth watching at home on television, there was something special about the way it looked, projected on a screen in a darkened theater.

Oblivion is a worthwhile sci-fi movie. If it were released today, it might get the credit it deserved, but back then, when moviegoers didn’t know how good they had it, Oblivion was easy to relegate to, well, oblivion.

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Simone Biles undergoes unnamed ‘procedure’ nearly 2 months after ‘almost dying’ from health scare

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The athlete praised her husband, Jonathan Owens, for taking care of her on his birthday.

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Courtney Stodden Reveals Truth Behind Marital 911 Scare

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Courtney Stodden in concert at the Pepperment Club

Courtney Stodden is speaking out after a troubling incident at the Los Angeles-area home they share with husband Jared Safier prompted a 911 response earlier this month. 

After days of speculation surrounding the late-night dispute, the reality star says life has settled down and that they are moving forward. 

While acknowledging the emotional weight of the situation, Stodden also reflected on how childhood trauma continues to shape their life and relationships.

Courtney Stodden in concert at the Pepperment Club
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Courtney Stodden has broken their silence following the domestic incident that drew police to their home earlier this month, assuring fans that they are in a much better place now. 

Speaking to the Daily Mail, the 31-year-old revealed that they and their husband Jared Safier have been working through the aftermath and that the situation does not reflect where they are today.

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“I’m okay and taking things one day at a time,” Stodden said, before adding, “Everything is fine. It was just one difficult moment.”

The media personality also explained that their past continues to affect them emotionally. Recall that Stodden tied the knot with “The Green Mile” actor Doug Hutchison in 2011 when they were 16 and he was 50. 

However, the marriage ended in divorce in 2020. According to Stodden, those experiences left lasting scars. “The effects of childhood trauma can echo through adulthood,” they said. 

Stodden And Safier Turn To Therapy After 911 Call

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The update comes weeks after law enforcement sources told TMZ that the police were called to Courtney Stodden and her husband’s Los Angeles-area home after the couple reportedly became involved in a heated late-night verbal argument that prompted a 911 welfare check. 

According to reports, LAPD officers responded to the residence around 1:45 a.m. on July 9, where they spoke with both Stodden and Safier before determining the situation had not turned physical.

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Authorities reportedly kept the peace, and no arrests were made or criminal charges filed. The incident was described as stemming from a verbal dispute, though the cause of the disagreement remains unclear. 

Courtney Stodden Shared Emotional Messages In The Wake Of The Incident

Shortly afterward, Stodden shared a series of cryptic posts on their Instagram Stories touching on marriage, mental health, and reaching a breaking point, fueling further speculation.

One post featured a photo of an empty bed alongside the words, “Your husband should be your safe place, not somebody else you have to fight. Love was never meant to feel like a constant battle, your person should be your peace, not your pain.”

They also reposted a message from the account @deep.mind.collective discussing reactive abuse. 

The post read, “They push. And push. And push. Until you finally snap. Then they step back. Hands raised. Eyes wide. ‘See? You’re the crazy one.’ And just like that – you become the villain in your own story.”

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The message concluded by describing the cycle as “reactive abuse,” adding, “A trap so twisted, you don’t even know you’re in it – until you’re the one screaming.”

Jason Alexander Apologizes To Stodden Over Resurfaced Sketch

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A few days after Courtney Stodden’s 911 call brought renewed attention to their marriage to Safier, another painful chapter from the model’s life quickly resurfaced. 

Stodden shared a still from a 2012 “Funny or Die” parody of daytime talk shows, revealing they were just 17 when the sketch was filmed. 

In the video, Jason Alexander, then 52, played a TV host who repeatedly rubbed a cellphone across Stodden’s chest while joking there was “no signal” in their head but “plenty of signal” in their breasts. 

The sketch ended with Alexander’s character saying he’d like Stodden to return after turning 18 so he could take them “behind the couch” and “have his way” with them. 

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After the clip reignited backlash, the “Seinfeld” star admitted he now saw it differently, telling Variety, “Looking back at the comedy sketch in which Ms. Stodden and I participated in 2012, I completely agree that it was inappropriate and I truly regret it.”

He then added that he was “deeply sorry for any harm or distress” it caused. 

Courtney Stodden Urged Alexander To Turn Regret Into Action

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Although Stodden appreciated Alexander’s apology, they made it clear that words alone wouldn’t be enough to close the chapter. 

Speaking to Variety, Stodden said accountability should lead to meaningful action. “I haven’t heard a lot of adults take accountability. I am very taken aback by his statement, and I think it’s a really important step in the right direction,” they remarked. 

Stodden then challenged Alexander to support California’s AB 1267, a bill that would ban child marriage by setting the minimum marriage age at 18 without exceptions, and to donate to Unchained At Last, a nonprofit working to end forced and child marriage. 

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They stressed that their goal wasn’t to punish Alexander but to protect other young people from similar experiences, saying they hoped his apology “leads to action” that would create lasting change rather than remaining “just words.”

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Jerry O’Connell on Rome and Lyric’s Big Brother Showmance

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Jerry O’Connell Has Thoughts About Rome and Lyric’s ‘Big Brother 28’ Showmance: 'Dropping Love Bombs'

Devout Big Brother superfan and Unlocked cohost Jerry O’Connell has a lot of opinions about Rome Seymour and Lyric Medeiros’ romance following the pickleball coach’s recent eviction.

“These two were together for hours, and they were already dropping love bombs,” O’Connell, 52, exclusively tells Us ahead of the new episode of Big Brother: Unlocked on Friday, July 24. “This guy was dropping an L-bomb. I think 12 hours into their relationship.”

In addition to Rome and Lyric quickly developing strong feelings for each other, O’Connell was enthralled by the couple’s intimate conversations — and cuddles — that took place on the Have-Not bed, which is a circular wooden plank that rotates. (Each week multiple Big Brother houseguests become have-nots where they must endure tougher living arrangements including eating slop, taking cold showers and sleeping in a room that lacks traditional beds.)

“He said on a wooden rotating bed, ‘I want to make babies with you.’ … I mean, that is the power of the Big Brother house,” O’Connell quips. “That is why Big Brother is the best unscripted show on TV … other shows aren’t saying, ‘I want to make babies with you’ on a wooden rotating bed.”

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Rome was ultimately evicted by his fellow houseguests — which included his own girlfriend — on Thursday, July 23. While O’Connell can’t fathom how Rome and Lyric got so close in two weeks, the TV host confesses that he was “very bummed” to see Rome leave.

“I really thought Rome, who for your readers if they don’t know, was sort of this alpha guy who was sort of gathering a few troops,” he says of Rome’s gameplay. “He was a newbie. He wasn’t one of the icons from Survivor. I really felt he was the only one who could really go for the king and queen, being Dee [Valladares] and [Rick] Devens from Survivor. He just had a showman. I think that rubbed a lot of people the wrong way.”

Jerry O’Connell Has Thoughts About Rome and Lyric’s ‘Big Brother 28’ Showmance: 'Dropping Love Bombs'
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The actor adds that being part of the season’s first showmance also didn’t help lower Rome’s threat level.

While O’Connell is always tuned in to Big Brother every summer, this season is extra special as he was named a cohost to the series’ companion show, Unlocked. O’Connell joins former winners Taylor Hale and Derrick Levasseur to discuss season 28 and give the audience sneak peaks of what’s in store for the houseguests.

O’Connell shares that the Friday episode of Unlocked will feature “some super exclusive secret content” that involves the players.

“I am the one who personally [breaks] the news. I am brave enough to go into the Big Brother house and I extract. I’m like Odysseus in the Odyssey. I extract information out of the Big Brother house,” he teases. “It is huge news. It will affect the rest of the season.”

Big Brother: Unlocked airs on CBS on Fridays at 8 p.m. ET while Big Brother proper airs on CBS Wednesdays, Thursdays and Sundays at 8 p.m. ET.

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Sci-Fi Action Thriller Is A Time Travel Modern Classic

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Sci-Fi Action Thriller Is A Time Travel Modern Classic

By Charlene Badasie
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Edge of Tomorrow is one of the best sci-fi action films of the 2010s, blending explosive alien warfare with a clever time loop premise that keeps raising the stakes. Directed by Doug Liman and based on Hiroshi Sakurazaka’s Japanese light novel All You Need Is Kill, the 2014 film stars Tom Cruise and Emily Blunt, with Bill Paxton and Brendan Gleeson in supporting roles.

A Spokesman Turned Soldier Stuck In A Time Loop

Edge of Tomorrow is set in a future where Earth is invaded by an alien race called Mimics. The story follows Major William Cage (Tom Cruise), a military spokesman with no combat experience, who finds himself thrust into the front lines of a futuristic war against the aliens.

The Mimics are highly intelligent and quickly overpower human forces in devastating attacks.

Cage, unprepared for actual combat, is killed within minutes during a military operation.

However, instead of dying, he wakes up and finds himself back at the beginning of the day, reliving the events leading up to his death. Cage soon realizes that he is caught in a time loop, destined to repeat the same day over and over again, setting the stage for Edge of Tomorrow.

Meeting The Angel Of Verdun

At the beginning of each time loop, Cage realizes he has gained new combat skills and knowledge of the Mimics’ strategies. During one of the loops, Cage meets Rita Vrataski (Emily Blunt), a skilled soldier known as the “Angel of Verdun.” Rita had previously experienced a similar time loop during a battle and emerged victorious, becoming a symbol of hope for humanity.

Recognizing Cage’s unique situation, she decides to help him harness his newfound abilities to find and destroy the Mimic hive mind, known as the Omega, which controls the alien forces. As Cage and Rita work together, they face various challenges and setbacks, each time refining their strategy to get closer to the heart of the Mimic threat.

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A Critical Hit And A Modern Classic

Edge of Tomorrow expertly blends sci-fi with war film themes, creating a compelling and unique storyline. There are also moments of humor and camaraderie between the characters, which provide some much-needed levity. The evolving relationship between Cage and Rita becomes a central focus as they attempt to break the cycle and save humanity from the Mimic invasion.

Edge of Tomorrow received widespread critical acclaim for its inventive concept and strong performances. Critics praised the film’s unique take on the time loop trope, impressive visual effects, and the chemistry between Tom Cruise and Emily Blunt. The humor infused into the narrative and the well-executed action sequences were also highlights.

While the film performed moderately well at the box office, earning $381 million against its reported production budget of $178 million, Edge of Tomorrow gained a dedicated fan base over time, especially after its home entertainment release. Word of mouth and positive reviews contributed to its popularity, and it eventually became a cult favorite within the science fiction genre.

The film’s original title, All You Need Is Kill, which it shared with the source material, was changed to Edge of Tomorrow for the theatrical release. Later, the home entertainment release was titled Live Die Repeat: Edge of Tomorrow to emphasize the time loop aspect.

As of this writing, Edge of Tomorrow can be rented or purchased on-demand through YouTube, Apple TV+, Amazon Prime Video, and Fandango.


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