A Memphis family is mourning the loss of a little girl after what they say was a devastating lapse in care left her in a daycare bus for hours. Winter Jones was just 6 years old, and now her loved ones are seeking answers as an investigation continues into what happened to the young girl.

RELATED: Prayers Up! Minnesota Man Fatally Stabs Wife & 7-Year-Old Daughter At Daycare After Allegedly Killing Another Relative

Winter Was Allegedly Left On A Daycare Bus

According to Winter’s father, Bryan Jones, his daughter rode a Kid University daycare bus to and from Macon-Hall Elementary School, but she was allegedly never taken off the bus on Thursday morning. Winter, who was nonverbal and autistic, was later discovered at the daycare, and her father said she had an internal body temperature of 109 degrees. The outdoor temperature in Memphis reached about 97 degrees that day.

Memphis Police said officers responded around 3:23 p.m. to the 700 block of Walnut Knoll Lane after receiving a call about a child in need of medical assistance. Winter was transported to a nearby hospital in critical condition, where she was later pronounced deceased. Authorities have not announced any charges, and the investigation remains ongoing.

Her Family Says She Couldn’t Advocate For Herself

Winter’s uncle, Christopher Jones, said the little girl’s autism and inability to communicate made the situation especially heartbreaking. He said Winter could not alert anyone that she was still on the bus. According to the family, no one realized she was missing until workers returned to the vehicle later in the day.

“She couldn’t advocate for herself. She couldn’t open her mouth and say, ‘Hey, I’m still on the bus,’ or anything, nothing like that,” he shared. “I’m standing here sweating. So, I can only imagine her being enclosed in a bus for so long with no windows down, no doors open, no nothing.”

Winter’s Family Is Seeking Answers After Her Death Amid Investigation

The investigation has prompted questions about the safety procedures in place at the daycare. Tennessee childcare regulations require providers to conduct vehicle checks and maintain records of those checks. Moreover, the Tennessee Department of Human Services confirmed it is involved in the investigation. The agency also expressed condolences to Winter’s family.

RELATED: Florida Daycare Worker Faces Charges After Allegedly Assaulting Five Toddlers With Stapler As School Speaks Out

For anyone born after, say, 2000-ish, it’s surely hard to fathom a Batman era before the Christopher Nolan pictures. Starting with the critically acclaimed sleeper hit Batman Begins before skyrocketing as a cultural marker with the unprecedented success and acclaim of The Dark Knight, the Nolan trilogy completely revolutionized comic-book, superhero and blockbuster filmmaking as we know it. Surely The Dark Knight is the single most influential motion picture of the 21st century.

Alas, there was a time before Nolan, and there were Batman movies that were huge successes in their own respective rights. From the gothic duology from Tim Burton that began in 1989 to the glittering fever dream that was the Joel Schumacher films, this era was uneven and chaotic to put it mildly. It was brilliant at times, too, and tangibly influenced Nolan and plenty of other filmmakers in generations to come. The following ranks every theatrically released Batman movie of this era, specifically the ’80s and ’90s, from worst to best.

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‘Batman & Robin’ (1997)

Image via Warner Bros. 

Joel Schumacher’s second Bat outing has a reputation as one of the worst movies ever made, and though whether it fully earns this is up for debate, its placement on this ranking is not. Batman & Robin is an overproduced—but, it must be said, slickly produced—mess of pat-puns, Adam West-era corniness and garish production design. There were plans for a fifth live-action Batman movie of this era, which would have been Schumacher’s third, but the box-office and critical failure of Batman & Robin nipped this in the bud. Schumacher has even apologized for the infamous movie on camera. Respect, honestly.

But is Batman & Robin really that bad? Well, yes and no. If you sit down and watch the Batman movies of this era in chronological order, it is is truly jarring in all the wrong ways. The Burton films had their flaws, mostly narrative ones, but their commitment to a tone and to character is mostly demolished here in favor of “toyetic” freneticism that distracted some kids and sold some admittedly cool toys, perhaps, while largely repelling the target demographic and almost anyone who’d enjoyed previous Batman entries. Uma Thurman is the one actor who famously emerges entirely unscathed here, playing Poison Ivy with just the right amount of camp. She understood the assignment, and she’s even gone on to say she loved making Batman & Robin.

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‘Batman Forever’ (1995)

Image via Warner Bros. 

Batman Returns was a critical and financial disappointment in 1992, and this was generally chalked up to the film being overly dark and punishing… perhaps an odd complaint with hindsight. All the same, Warner Bros. insisted on a new direction and reportedly, essentially fired Burton, with Michael Keaton quitting the third film in solidarity. Despite the reputation he now holds, Schumacher may have seemed like a sound replacement at the time, thanks to having The Lost Boys and numerous dark thrillers under his belt. And to be fair, Batman Forever is far from a terrible film. It’s confused and conflicted, with a notorious lost cut that, contrary to popular belief, would probably only improve it marginally.

Val Kilmer plays a serviceable Batman and a pretty decent Bruce Wayne, sharing top billing with Tommy Lee Jones and Jim Carrey. The former delivers a total miscalculation of a performance as Two-Face, empty and shrill buffonery that ranks about the worst turns in comic-book movies. Carrey, on the other hand, pretty much walks away with the movie as Riddler. Every joke lands, every mannerism registers. A year after his historic rise to stardom with a trio of comedy blockbusters, it was the right casting at the right time. Batman Forever feels like something of a footnote in the overall Batman franchise, but on its own merits, it’s a pretty decent and watchable action blockbuster.

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‘Batman’ (1989)

Image via Warner Bros.

Over two decades after his ridiculous, shark-punching previous big-screen appearance, which truthfully was a cash-grab transplant of TV show at its height, Batman finally arrived in fully fleshed-out summer blockbuster form, with Burton of recent Beetlejuice fame at the helm and the seemingly unlikely Michael Keaton of, er, Mr. Mom fame, in the title role. Top billing actually went to Jack Nicholson as Joker, in an iconic, transformative and darkly hilarious performance that netted the actor something around $90 million thanks to a back-end deal. Memorable as it is, it just doesn’t match anything like the depth of Heath Ledger‘s take on the character two decades later.

Batman won an Academy Award for its production design, and it’s hard to imagine it not winning this looking at it now. The story, though, really is paper-thin, and it’s been done no favors by comparison to the Nolan films over the years. Even the weakest of Nolan’s pictures, The Dark Knight Rises, giant plot holes and all, is demonstrably more satisfying as a narrative than Burton’s original blockbuster. Still, film is a visual medium, and it’s hard to overstate the achievement here on that level. 1989 was simply the year of Batman at the box office. At the time of release, this was the sixth highest-grossing movie ever.

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‘Batman Returns’ (1992)

Following the absolute mammoth success of the 1989 blockbuster, Burton was afforded near-complete creative control over a sequel he initially didn’t want to make. Whether this creative freedom was a good thing may depend on who you’re asking. Batman Returns is a divisive movie to put it mildly, largely rejected in its day and even highly controversial. It’s one of the weirdest blockbuster movies ever made, and uncommonly gripping. These days, many will call it the best Batman movie ever made.

One thing that’s really important to mention here is that neither Bruce Wayne or Batman have the most screen time, or even the second-most. Danny DeVito’s Penguin and Michelle Pfeiffer‘s Catwoman largely drive the story, a gloomy Christmas-set narrative that sees Oswald Cobblepot seeking vengeance against Gotham for a lifetime of ostracization. Batman Returns is an oddly compelling story of three outsiders, and what it means to be an outsider. It’s also the most visually stunning depiction of Gotham City, ever. Batman Returns lives up to its polarizing reputation for being repellingly bleak and violent, but it’s also a stunningly crafted feature whose merits become more vividly undeniable with every rewatch. TIme has been good to it.

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‘Batman: Mask of the Phantasm’ (1993)

Image via Warner Bros.

The best Batman movie of this era, by some distance, is an off-shoot and prequel of Warner Bros. Animation and Fox Kids’ Batman: The Animated Series, a show that is now widely revered and serves as the ultimate depiction of the character for many. Batman: Mask of the Phantasm is particularly haunting for showing us a young Bruce Wayne with a shot at happiness, particularly a tender romance with kindred spirit whose day-to-day is similarly plagued by grief. There’s also an intriguing mystery concerning a Batman-like figure in shadows who’s murdering people in Gotham, but Mask of the Phantasm is widely revered as one of, if not the best Batman film ever made because of how close we get to Bruce Wayne, soulfully played by Kevin Conroy.

It’s perhaps a testament to the divisive, frankly overall rather rejective response to Batman Returns that Mask of the Phantasm was a box-office bomb despite positive reviews. Its reputation has steadily grown since its release on VHS, and these days it’s a touchstone for fans of the character, and even the filmmakers tasked with his various reincarnations. Roger Ebert and Gene Siskel rather famously covered the film some time after its release, praising its artistic merits and story while chiding Warner Bros. for botching its theatrical release. Ebert praised the film for having “more of a story” than the live-action films that preceded it. Siskel encouraged Warner Bros. to greenlight more features from the animation team behind Phantasm and said, “I’m sorry we caught up with this picture a couple of years late.”

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Batman: Mask of the Phantasm

Release Date

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December 25, 1993

Runtime

76 minutes

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Director

eric radomski, Bruce W. Timm

Writers

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Alan Burnett, Paul Dini, Bob Kane, Martin Pasko, Michael Reaves, Jerry Robinson

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Married at First Sight alum Jessica Castro has broken her silence after her ex-husband, Ryan de Nino, died at the age of 40.

“I have not had contact with Ryan in years so I have/had no idea what his life entailed. However, I do send my sincerest condolences to his family during this very difficult time,” Jessica, 42, told Page Six on Friday, August 14. “I can not imagine what they are going through. May he rest peacefully.”

News broke earlier on Friday that Ryan had suddenly died. A cause of death was not immediately revealed.

“Ryan was so damn funny and witty. He was fiercely loyal to those he loved,” Ryan’s sister, Melissa de Nino, wrote via Facebook on Tuesday, August 11, announcing her sibling’s death. “He had a huge heart, always.”

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She continued, “I can’t explain what it’s like to lose a sibling. Someone who’s  been there from the beginning and shares the same memories. No matter what we were going through, I loved him immensely. Life as I know it will never be the same.”

Melissa received a flurry of support in the comments section.

“Oh my gosh, my heart breaks hearing this. I am so incredibly sorry, he was so funny and witty and the world was lucky to have him,” one individual replied, with another adding, “Melissa everything you said about your brother is true. Incredible potential with a great heart. I miss him so much. I smile when I think of him.”

Ryan and Jessica were matched and married on season 2 of Lifetime’s Married at First Sight, deciding to stay together at the end of the reality TV experiment.

“I come from a family of long successful marriages,” Jessica said on the show. “The word ‘divorce’ just doesn’t fall into my lifestyle.”

Related: All the ‘Married at First Sight’ Couples Still Together Today

When it comes to reality TV couples, it’s not easy to make a relationship last – but many from Married at First Sight have proven that they could do just that. Thank You! You have successfully subscribed. Subscribe to newsletters Enter your email Please enter a valid email. Subscribe By signing up, I agree to […]

However, Jessica and Ryan went their separate ways weeks after cameras stopped rolling. Jessica subsequently filed a restraining order against Ryan, claiming that he allegedly threatened his wife and her family. Jessica also alleged that Ryan was unfaithful.

The two came face to face at the season 2 reunion in 2015, which ended with Jessica tossing Ryan a $100 bill because “he needed the money more than” she did. He pocketed the cash and stormed off set without addressing the accusations.

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“She’s f**king dead. When I get back to Brooklyn, she’s f**king dead, this girl,” Ryan said on a hot mic at the time.

After Ryan’s apparent threat, MAFS producers provided Jessica with a security team. Kinetic Company, which produces MAFS, issued a statement at the time.

“The experts on our show have the best of intentions and highest hopes for success for each couple. After undergoing extensive background and psychological checks by third parties, couples agree to be legally married on our show,” a statement shared with Us in 2015 read. “We document their journey for six weeks after their wedding, but we can’t control how they behave, or govern their actions after production.”

Hugh Jackman is reportedly ready to marry Sutton Foster, but one major obstacle lies in the way: the actress’s estranged husband, screenwriter Ted Griffin.

According to a new report, the Marvel star is now trying to establish a relationship with Griffin and is willing to do whatever it takes to get him to sign off on the divorce papers.

Sources also speculate that Sutton Foster’s ongoing divorce from her ex-husband has become a dark cloud over her romantic relationship with Hugh Jackman.

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According to a source, Jackman plans to get on good terms with Foster’s estranged husband, Griffin, as his romance with the Broadway actress continues to get bogged down by her ongoing divorce.

“Hugh has spent time in the past with Ted socially, and they did have a good rapport, but obviously things are much different now that Hugh is with his ex-wife,” a source told Globe Magazine. “Still, Hugh is hoping that he can find a way to get Ted to give him a chance.”

Jackman and Foster went public with their romantic relationship amid the rumors that the former “Music Man” costars began seeing each other while they were still married to their respective spouses; Jackman to Deborra-Lee Furness and Foster to Griffin.

Now, the actor is reportedly determined to mend fences, as he would really like to have a healthy relationship with Griffin.

“He really would like to have a friendly relationship with [Ted], and he knows Sutton would love it if they were all on good terms, so he intends to swallow his pride and do whatever needs to be done to make peace with Ted,” the source added.

Sutton Foster And Ted Griffin’s Complicated Divorce Is Affecting Her Ongoing Romance

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News of Jackman’s intention to make nice with Griffin comes after it was revealed that Foster’s ongoing divorce from the screenwriter was straining their relationship.

The Globe source noted that Sutton’s divorce “dragging on for long” has no doubt affected the situation, making it more necessary for the “X-Men” star to get friendlier with Griffin.

“Of course Hugh wishes the circumstances were different, but he can’t change the fact that he and Sutton fell in love and he wants to marry her,” the source stated.

In October 2025, Foster filed for divorce from Griffin after a decade of marriage, on the grounds of irreconcilable differences.

While the split seemed amicable at first, sources speculate the negotiations got increasingly complicated, thereby impacting the plans Jackman and Foster have.

Despite the fact that Jackman has gone through with his own divorce in early 2025, he needs Griffin to sign off on the deal before he can move on with his relationship with the actress.

Hugh Jackman And Sutton Foster’s Romance Has Been Plagued By Rumors They Cheated On Their Ex-Spouses

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Speculation surrounding a romance between Jackman and Foster first ignited behind-the-scenes while they co-starred in the Broadway revival of “The Music Man,” which ran from 2021 to early 2023.

At the time, both actors were still married to their respective partners. The rumor mill went into overdrive following two major personal shifts: Jackman and Deborra-Lee Furness announced their separation in September 2023, and Foster filed for divorce from Griffin in October 2024.

By January 2025, the couple officially went public with their relationship, confirming months of intense public speculation. However, their blossoming romance faced immediate public scrutiny and complex emotional fallout.

While Foster’s uncontested split progressed quietly, Jackman’s separation proved far more challenging, with Furness later finalizing their June 2025 divorce amid a highly publicized narrative of personal betrayal.

Now, despite initially filing for an uncontested divorce, Foster and Griffin’s split has yet to be finalized and has instead dragged on, with her current romance with Jackman likely further complicating things.

All Eyes On Ted Griffin As His Divorce From Sutton Foster Stalls

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For now, all expectations fall on Griffin as to whether he will sign off on the divorce that would allow Jackman and Foster to marry.

Jackman, on the other hand, is willing to do whatever it takes to make that happen, even though it requires a brush at his ego.

And while the delay has been frustrating, the couple’s commitment remains unwavering.

“They are eager to take that next formal step, so Hugh really needs Ted to play ball and sign off on the deal,” the source noted.

Hugh Jackman And Sutton Foster’s Have Other Romance Issues, Sources Claim

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Back in June, a report claimed that Jackman and Foster’s romance has hit a rough patch. Insiders told Woman’s Day that the actor’s relentless work ethic is creating major friction between the couple.

The actor’s intense drive to work reportedly intensified after his expensive legal split from Furness, forcing him to take on endless projects to rebuild his finances.

While Foster, who is a major Broadway star herself, originally agreed to a temporary professional grind before pausing to focus on their wedding plans, his schedule is said to have become completely unmanageable.

This endless cycle has left Foster feeling incredibly isolated, leading their inner circle to fear that the distance is doing “more harm than good” as the two begin to drift apart.

“Sadly, the biggest casualty of all is Hugh and Sutton finding quality time together – they’re like passing ships sometimes,” a source said of the couple’s struggle to balance their romance with their work life.

Shaquille O’Neal built DUNKMAN to prove that dunking deserves to be treated as its own sport, not just a highlight-reel afterthought. Since launching with TNT Sports earlier this year, the league has delivered exactly that: a genuine professional circuit built around the athletes who can jump higher, and do more with that height, than anyone else on earth. But as DUNKMAN barrels toward its August 25 world championship on TNT and HBO Max, one of the loudest voices talking about the league isn’t in the competitor pool. It’s Ellie Blue — model, influencer, competitive fighter, fashion designer, and philanthropist — who showed up to a DUNKMAN qualifying event, walked away stunned, and hasn’t stopped talking about it since.

A front-row seat to something she’d never seen before

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Ellie Blue has built a career on being in rooms most people only see from a distance — Miami Swim Week, New York Fashion Week runways, MMA gyms, red carpets. DUNKMAN, she says, still managed to catch her off guard.

“Attending DUNKMAN was honestly one of the most incredible sporting events I’ve ever experienced,” she said. “I’ve always known dunking takes an insane amount of athleticism, but seeing these athletes perform at this level in person gave me an entirely new appreciation for the sport.”

That appreciation only deepened as the event went on. DUNKMAN’s format pushes competitors well past the traditional dunk contest — cars, people, and ladders have all been used as literal obstacles to clear — and Ellie says watching that in person changed how she thinks about the sport entirely. “Watching these guys jump over cars, people and ladders, and seeing how every athlete had his own completely different style and approach to dunking, was unbelievable,” she said. “There were moments where I genuinely couldn’t believe what I was watching. The height they get, the control they have in the air, and the creativity behind these dunks make you realize these guys aren’t just great dunkers — they are world-class athletes.”

It’s not an offhand compliment. DUNKMAN’s roster includes Darius Clark, who broke the world record for vertical jump this July with a staggering 53-inch leap — the kind of number that turns a dunk contest into a legitimate athletic proving ground. Ellie’s reaction tracks with how the sports world has responded to the league since it launched: this isn’t a novelty act. It’s professional sports with a new set of records still being written in real time.

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Beyond the athleticism, what stuck with Ellie was the stakes. DUNKMAN athletes aren’t just performing — they’re competing for a $500,000 grand prize and the DUNKMAN World Champion title, and Ellie says that competitive charge was impossible to miss courtside.

“I also loved how competitive the entire event felt,” she said. “These athletes are pushing the limits of what people think is physically possible, while competing for the opportunity to become a DUNKMAN World Champion. Being able to experience that energy firsthand made me even more excited for the championship.”

A model, an athlete, and now a believer in a brand-new sport

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Ellie’s own background makes her an unusually credible hype woman for a sport built on physical extremes. Long before Mariella Swimwear — the brand she launched in 2021 after growing frustrated with the swimwear options available to working models, and which now donates 10% of every sale to charity — Ellie was a competitive fighter, training in boxing, MMA, and Brazilian jiu-jitsu. She’s talked openly about how that training shaped her relationship with her body and her mental health, and it’s part of why her read on DUNKMAN carries more weight than the average front-row influencer take: she knows what elite physical training actually looks like from the inside.

That same instinct for building something from scratch shows up in Ellie’s Angels, the youth-focused nonprofit she founded in 2025 to support kids facing adversity — a project she says is rooted in the belief that “everyone has a place where they belong.” Between the swimwear brand, the charity, and a modeling career that’s taken her from Jupiter, Florida beaches to Miami Swim Week runways, Ellie has made a habit of showing up early to things and building a real presence around them. DUNKMAN, by her own account, is the newest addition to that list — and she’s making no secret of wanting to be part of where the league goes next.

Don’t miss the finals

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For Ellie, the qualifying event was only a preview of what’s coming. “I cannot wait to see who takes home the title,” she said. “If the championship is anything like what I witnessed at the qualifying event, people are going to be blown away. I definitely want everyone to tune in, because DUNKMAN is bringing something completely different to professional sports, and I truly believe this is only the beginning.”

The DUNKMAN World Championship airs August 25 on TNT and HBO Max, with the winner walking away with the $500,000 grand prize and the league’s first World Champion title. Between Darius Clark’s record-breaking vertical and a 24-athlete field built to push the sport into territory it’s never been in before, DUNKMAN has already proven it belongs on the biggest stage in sports television. If Ellie Blue’s reaction to the qualifying rounds is any indication, the finals won’t just be a dunk contest — they’ll be appointment viewing.

Whew, chile! Claressa Shields has taken over timelines ahead of her big fight against Kaye Scott tonight. Amid all of her viral online clapbacks, fans think she took a shot at Remy Ma after Rem dropped her new single ‘Wanna Go.’ And if that wasn’t enough, boxer Alycia Baumgardner also entered the chat and seemingly called out Shields for copying one of her past outfits at a recent weigh-in.

RELATED: Oop! Remy Ma Post Clip Of Claressa Shields While Teasing ‘Knuck If You Buck’ Sample In New Song ‘Wanna Go’ (VIDEO) 

The Internet Thinks Claressa Shields Sent A Message To Remy Ma

Fans are speculating that Claressa Shields’ latest comments could be a shot at Remy Ma. LiveBitez dropped videos of Shields leaving a venue with her crew, where she made it clear that she isn’t beefing with anyone and would rather let her fists do the talking. From there, Claressa started rapping the lyrics to her new track, ‘Good Life,’ which she had previously teased to fans. “I don’t beef with b*****s, I beat b*****s.” She continued, “It’s Gwoat with a ‘W’ dumb a** it’s Claressa bum.” Shields said in the video.

Folks online instantly took Claressa’s energy as a jab at Remy, especially since Remy previously used a clip of Shields to promote her new single, ‘Wanna Go.’ On the track, which samples Crime Mob’s ‘Knuck If You Buck,’ Remy talks about being copied and calls out someone for shopping on TikTok and hitting the clearance rack.

Social Media Had One Name In Mind After Claressa Spoke

Once LiveBitez dropped Claressa’s videos, the comment section was quickly split. Some folks said they think she’s pretending to be unbothered by Remy Ma, while others said they would rather see her tune out the drama and focus on tonight’s fight.

Instagram user @nonchalant_barbi wrote, “Would never beef with my dude ex like what 😂” 

Instagram user @to_fabulouss wrote, “Remy lives rent free in head big time.” 

While Instagram user @thesekidsauntie wrote, “She so exhausting. Just go fight. Beefing with the wife of your current bf. How that sound? Then she’ll never be able to be around the kid(s) smh he gotta co parent wit Remy boo. Chill.” 

Then Instagram user @kingjonesthe1st wrote, “So Remy can make diss tracks but Claressa do it and it’s ‘corny’ …” 

Another Instagram user, @ wealthylady144, wrote, “I cannot believe that people think Remy Ma is obsessed with her.” 

Then another Instagram user @tylashboss wrote, “TO CALL REMY A BUM ON THE QUEEN INTERNET IS CRAZY.”

Alycia Baumgardner Enters The Chat With A “Rent-Free” Message For Claressa

Chile, the shade didn’t stop there — it came from a whole different direction when Alycia Baumgardner stepped in and seemingly called Claressa out during a podcast interview. Alycia came through with some “you already know why I’m here” energy, telling the host that she had peeped some “nasty behavior.” She didn’t name-drop anyone, but folks quickly put two and two together and figured she was talking about Claressa’s weigh-in look for her face-off with Kaye Scott. Shields rocked a long, dramatic white furry coat over a nude, strappy, cutout studded bodysuit. When Shields later posted photos from the event on Instagram, fans pointed out that the look resembled one Alycia rocked in December 2025.

Alycia thought the fit choice was wild, but she also said she know she has always been the inspo for the gworls. “Like I said, I been on these b*****s mood board, all of them.” She suggested the look only proved how obsessed folks are with her. “And this b***h in particular, this one tops the cake. You feel me? She’s been obsessed and pressed okay, nasty work.” From there, Alycia seemingly called Shields out again for wearing heels to the weigh-in, saying the whole look gave very much copying vibes. “To the heels. These h*es wasn’t wearing no heels to weigh-ins. But I see it though, that’s really love a b***h, but she a hating a** b***h, so that’s the difference.” 

RELATED: The GWOAT Speaks! Claressa Shields Claps Back At BroRilla After She Compares Her Looks To Remy Ma (VIDEOS) 

If you’re a horror movie fan who loves creature features, you know well that the subgenre can provide both terrifying classics and B-movie schlock. For every Jaws, The Birds, or Tremors, there’s a Grizzly II or Sharknado. When done right, however, creature features thrill audiences and make the impossible feel all too real. Late last year, when the trailer premiered for Paramount‘s Primate, you’d be forgiven for assuming this was going to be one of the former types of creature features — another forgettable, unintentionally hilarious disaster. How could a horror movie about a rabid chimpanzee be any good? What followed was one of the most surprising horror films of 2026 and the best new creature feature you’ll find on streaming. Primate is no joke. It’s scary as hell. And it’s now one of the top 10 most-streamed films on Prime Video.

‘Primate’s Plot Is Helped by Director Johannes Roberts

Movies about killer chimps and similar animals are nothing new. Over the years, there have been horror movies like Shakma, Monkey Shines, and Phenomena, which tapped into our fears that a creature so close to human could turn against us. In a way, even King Kong falls into this category (although in that one, humans are the true monsters). A killer chimp can also seem silly — their faces are odd, and even the name “chimpanzee” is kind of silly. But if you’ve seen Jordan Peele‘s Nope, and its scene where Gordy goes on a rampage through the set of a sitcom, then you know these majestic animals can turn brutal and horrifying.

In fact, if you imagine that scene from Nope turned into a feature film, you’re not far off from Primate. The premise is simple: Lucy (Johnny Sequoyah) has lost her mom, a bright woman who raised a chimpanzee named Ben and taught it how to communicate. Ben is part of the family now, a way for Lucy to hang onto what she has lost. Ben is a sweet chimp, loved by Lucy, and her friends are fascinated. In true horror movie fashion, Lucy lives in a big house set on a cliff, far from any help should all hell break loose. And that’s exactly what happens. Just as with Stephen King‘s Cujo, the lovable Ben is bitten and infected with rabies, turning the chimp into a killer who seems like he can’t be stopped.

Although not anything original, Primate‘s premise still gets your attention. An idea alone is not enough, and something like this could still easily become B-level trash. Thankfully, the movie is in good hands because it’s co-written and directed by Johannes Roberts. More than once, Roberts has overcome the horror odds: 2017’s 47 Meters Down is better-than-average shark horror, while his follow-up, The Strangers: Prey at Night, is a sequel which had its share of well-crafted terror. He also deserves to be commended for Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City, which doesn’t deserve the hate it gets. With Roberts at the helm, Primate is primed to be good. But it’s what the movie does with its monster that puts it among the best modern creature features.

Jaw-Dropping Practical Effects Make ‘Primate’ an Instant Creature Feature Classic

Image via Paramount Pictures

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There’s seemingly two ways a modern creature feature can approach having a murderous chimp as its antagonist. The first route is to use a real chimpanzee, which isn’t safe. Another option is motion capture and CGI. That’s what Nope did, but as great as those effects look, the viewer can still tell it’s just a bit off and Gordy isn’t real. Primate solves this dilemma with a third option: going retro with a man in a suit. However, instead of being hokey, Ben looks astoundingly lifelike. This is achieved with a suit made of yak hair and an animatronic face. Under it all is Miguel Torres Umba, who is able to contort his body and move just like a real chimpanzee. That added dimension of realism brings Ben and the movie itself to life.

Without this, Primate would probably fail. The human characters are mostly horror tropes of young, pretty people who’d rather have fun than pay attention. They are forgettable fodder for a slasher. What you can’t forget is Ben and the scenes of carnage he creates. But Primate isn’t just built on gore; it’s also full of tension. This is clear in the film’s many nail-biting moments, like one where attacked survivors are in a pool, doing their best to stay away from Ben, who’s afraid of water, but willing to wait as long as it takes for his prey to come to him. The most uncomfortable and nerve-racking moment occurs in the third act with a bedroom scene as a character watches Ben slowly approach, his features distorted through a thin curtain. Roberts is great at crafting tension and waiting until the audience can’t handle the suspense any longer. When Ben strikes, it’s worth it. The gore effects in the bedroom scene especially will make your jaw drop.

Primate isn’t anything new. And it doesn’t need to be. It’s old-school, creature feature madness done right. It takes its subject matter seriously and is made with passion. The practical effects are amazing to behold. Sure, the human characters could be more fleshed out, but Ben handles that for them, turning gore effects into art. If you skipped Primate because you expected a joke, check it out now. You’ll be too busy screaming to laugh.

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Primate

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Release Date

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January 9, 2026

Runtime

92 minutes

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Director

Johannes Roberts

Writers

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Johannes Roberts, Ernest Riera

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Editor’s Note: The following contains spoilers for House of the Dragon Season 3 finale.

“They say every time a Targaryen is born, the gods toss a coin, and the world holds its breath.” It was almost impossible to watch the third season finale of House of the Dragon without thinking of this iconic quote, repeated many times throughout George R.R. Martin‘s work. When Rhaenyra (Emma D’Arcy) learns about Aegon’s (Tom Glynn-Carney) survival, she takes a tyrannical turn in a desperate attempt to secure her position and to appear as the rightful occupant of the Iron Throne. It might seem like her coin has finally landed on the madness side, once again confirming the old adage. But if Rhaenyra is mad, then it feels like this entire generation of Targaryens ended up on the bad side of the coin flip. This begs the question: Is it really a 50/50 split on madness and sanity, or is there something else at play here?

The Targaryen Saying Is Actually About Power, Not a Prophecy of Madness

Ever since the finale aired, the “coin toss” has been talked about as the final nail in the coffin of Rhaenyra’s stability, as she has been challenged all season long to try and rule the realm peacefully. She loses her son and heir, is sabotaged multiple times in court, is rejected by the Faith, and loses the populace’s support… This all happens within a few weeks; it’s hard to blame her for losing her patience. In fact, Rhaenyra holds on longer than most, considering she has Daemon (Matt Smith) in her ear constantly talking about conquest.

On the Green side, Aegon’s reunion with Sunfyre and Aemond (Ewan Mitchell) seems to have exacerbated the worst in him. Although he is his father’s firstborn son, he was never prepared to be king like Rhaenyra and grew up hedonistic, with the throne highlighting the worst in him. Aemond, on the other hand, worked twice as hard as his brother to earn only half the attention he got, hence his obsessive focus and usurping tendencies. When he sees a chance to take the crown for himself and wipe Aegon off the board, he takes it, even if kinslaying is considered a cultural taboo.

The common thread between all of these Targaryens in House of the Dragon — with the exceptions of Helaena (Phia Saban) and Daeron (Benjamin Evan Ainsworth) — is that they’ve been exposed to power and the Iron Throne from a very young age; it has nothing to do with their house. In House of the Dragon, we have the benefit of having seen these characters grow up. None of them were born mad. For Rhaenyra, being denied what she has always been told was her mission is maddening, while for Aegon and Aemond, the sudden promise of power is tempting, especially when, as men, they believe it is their right to rule.

The Old Saying About House Targaryen Is One of Their Main Drivers in the Franchise

Image via HBO Max

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With so many Targaryens running around throughout the franchise, it’s easy to lose track of who is mad and who isn’t, but when they are, it’s always because of the Iron Throne’s promise. In Game of Thrones, Daenerys (Emilia Clarke) lived with the pressure of being the Mad King’s daughter and the burden of taking back the throne all her life, only to lose everything to her own “madness” in the end. In reality, she was in an even worse place than Rhaenyra, having lost two of her dragons and learning that Jon Snow (Kit Harington) has a better claim than her, and that’s not even mentioning the threat of the White Walkers.

Because of how Game of Thrones ends, Daenerys is now seen as a mad queen, but before that, she was a conqueror and a liberator who had her heart in the right place. She was ruthless, yes, but never cruel. Only at her lowest did the whispers about madness resurface, implying that madness is simply a Targaryen trait, which just isn’t true. Even her father, the Mad King Aerys II (David Rintoul), grew paranoid because of all the treachery and competing interests around him, but mad is something you become, not something you are.

Like every family, House Targaryen has its fair share of terrible people — Aerys II himself, Aerion (Finn Bennett) from A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, Aegon IV (who was remembered as “The Unworthy”), House of the Dragon‘s Daemon, Maegor the Cruel… However, none of them are born and raised in a vacuum. What truly sets them on their destructive path is the allure of power and what they’ll do for it, with their dragons greatly amplifying the consequences of such actions. And in the case of Westeros, doing unspeakable things for power isn’t exclusive to the Targaryens.

The Targaryens Aren’t the Only Power Hungry House in Westeros

The thing about how the game of thrones is played is that we get to see who each player really is along the way and, more often than not, end up rooting for terrible people. In Game of Thrones, for example, Daenerys is the only Targaryen player, but she is far from being the worst person. Joffrey Baratheon (Jack Gleeson), Littlefinger (Aidan Gillen), and Cersei Lannister (Lena Headey) all put up a great fight for this title, but none of them had madness thrust upon them like the Targaryens do and no one simply assumed they could be mad because of their family name.

One reason for this saying could come from the Dance of the Dragons, which set the standard for how dangerous Targaryen madness can be to the whole realm. Their dragons wreak far more havoc than one king or queen, and collective memory is powerful, leading to sayings like the Targaryen coin-toss, which viewers usually take as an omen. It’s important to put all this into context, though, because let’s face it, the dragons are not the problem, the Iron Throne drives everyone around it mad and that’s been proven time and time again.

House of the Dragon is available to stream on HBO Max.

TeaMates, NLE Choppa has been making headlines lately. Most recently, the rapper became emotional while previewing his upcoming song and sharing a heartfelt message for his mother.

Related: NLE Choppa Mentions NBA YoungBoy And Pooh Shiesty While Calling Out His Rap Peers For Allegedly Copying His Style (VID + PICS)

NLE Choppa Gets Emotional While Previewing ‘Dear Mama’

On Friday, August 14, NLE Choppa shared an Instagram post in which he got emotional while previewing his new song ‘Dear Mama,’ breaking down in tears as he rapped along to the heartfelt track. Along with the snippet, the rapper shared a heartfelt message apologizing to his mom for not always showing her his appreciation.

“I want to apologize for not being more grateful for having a woman like you in my life. You’ve stood by yo baby boy through his toughest of battles. Never forsaken me, never spoke bad on me, and even when you didn’t understand still supported me. You are THE TRUE embodiment of a mother and I’d pick you every lifetime momma. I love you you are appreciated,” he wrote.

The post comes shortly after the rapper publicly shared that he had been baptized and opened up about how God has changed his life. Around the same time, Choppa also made headlines after calling out NBA YoungBoy, Pooh Shiesty, and other rappers whom he accused of copying his aesthetic.

Social Media Reacts

Social media users had plenty to say about Choppa’s latest emotional moment, with some questioning his recent moves while others defended him for showing love to his mother.

Instagram user @vonjaee wrote, “🥷🏽 just dissed pooh shiesty and YB now he making tributes to his mama come on now 😂😂😂😂”

Another Instagram user @reilentangular wrote, “He’s not emotional he’s just doing his seasonal rebranding 😂😂😂”

While Instagram user @howardmiyah53 wrote, “He don’t know if he wanna be sanctified or a gangsta 😭😭😭😭”

Instagram user @cxssxndrx.g wrote, “He smoking ain’t he got baptized?”

Another Instagram user @asia.fym wrote, “Such an attention seeker 😭”

While Instagram user @sophhhatesmygutz___ wrote, “The second hand embarrassment I’m getting is making me uncomfortable man 😭”

Instagram user @tfoutmylyfe wrote, “A n**** can’t show love to his mom? D*** 😭”

Another Instagram user @immmamakeuppmybish wrote, “At this point he doing anything to go viral 😭😭😭 he doesn’t know what he wants to do or be”

While Instagram user @colddpieceee__ wrote, “He need to also apologize to the mother of his children as well”

NLE Choppa’s Mom Responds

Following her son’s emotional message, NLE Choppa’s mom, Angeleta Potts, responded in the comments, making it clear that she and her son remain “locked in for life.”

Potts wrote:

“It’s all good. We locked in for life. They tried to break a bond from day one to now January 6, 2019 till present. F*** ’em, all the lies (didn’t work), all the naysayers (didn’t work), all the hate (didn’t work), all you MFS that claim you know us and don’t know s*** about us but speaking on OUR NAME, F*** ’em. F*** them too. All the THEY SAY PEOPLE ABOUT ME, F*** ’em. F*** double F*** ’em. Do you my boy. And for the record, all y’all in the industry and you know EXACTLY WHO I’M TALKING ABOUT — too many of y’all to name, that wanted me gone AND OUT THE DOOR, F*** y’all. Plus everyone that knows you from Memphis, know you been you since birth. Last but not least, NOTHING I HAVE BIRTH IS A RAINBOW. NOTHING. No disrespect to those who are baby be you. F*** who don’t agree. 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥 A___z Freestyle.”

Related: What’s Goin’ On? NLE Choppa Puzzles Fans After Donning Maroon Pixie Wig To Tease Upcoming Album (PHOTOS)

Whew! Roomies, Blueface pulled off on Chrisean Rock after things went left during their latest livestream.

RELATED: Oop! Blueface Alleges Chrisean Rock Posted Message Calling Chrisean Jr. His Son As Nevaeh Akira Reacts To Their Cozy Link-Up

More On Blueface & Chrisean Rock’s Latest Livestream

On Friday, August 14, Blueface went live on his Kick account, showing that he and Rock were apparently walking through the mall while shopping. The pair hit the Burberry store and splurged on a few items before apparently hitting a baseball game with Chrisean Jr.

However, later in the stream, things appeared to go left between the pair. Apparently, after the baseball game, the group stopped at a restaurant, and Blue appeared to vent his frustration.

“I done let you play around all day. I let you cut the music, sock me in the face — pull s**t all day,” he told her. “… Go home! Go home. Go home.”

Blueface Pulls Off On Chrisean Rock After Things Go Left During Livestream

As their conversation continued at the table and later in Blue’s car, he reiterated to her that he had allegedly spent $10,000 to make her day.

“I’m crying because I spent my money today to make you feel special. Now, what did you do in return? What did you do in return?” he asked her before ultimately pulling off and calling her a “manly ass b****h.”

Watch the clips from the streams below.

During A Previous Stream, Rock Was In Tears Over Him

As The Shade Room previously reported, Chrisean Rock and Blueface appeared to be reuniting in a series of multiple streams since the beginning of August. In one stream, the pair appeared in bed together with Chrisean Jr.

In another stream, the pair were seen getting pulled over by cops, per The Shade Room.

@spikedteatalkk

#Chriseanrock and #Blueface get pulled over 👀 #viral #fyp

♬ original sound – SpikedTeaTalk

Most recently, a stream captured Chrisean Rock shedding a few tears as their time together apparently came to an end.

RELATED: Chrisean Rock Sheds Tears Before Blueface Heads Home To Apparent Tension With Nevaeh Akira Over His Cheating (VIDEOS)