Boy Meets World alum Danielle Fishel looked back on leaving an “unhealthy relationship” when she was 19.

“This was a rough year for Danielle, personally,” Fishel, 45, recalled on the Thursday, August 13, episode of the “Pod Meets World” podcast. “I was in a very bad, unhealthy relationship that also then ended around … the end 2000 or beginning of 2001.”

Fishel remembered that she was “not auditioning at all” around the time Boy Meets World finished its seven season run in 2000. Instead, she was trying to pick up the pieces from a relationship that had taken an emotional toll on her.

“It was a really rough rough time,” she remembered. “And then I left Beverly Hills and I moved to Sherman Oaks, and I left in such a rush that my mom actually had to find my apartment for me and … I [didn’t see it] until I moved in. So I moved, and then I moved into this apartment that she picked.”

Related: How Danielle Fishel Is Teaching Her Sons to Clean Up for Themselves

Danielle Fishel does it all, from hosting a podcast to acting and dancing — but when it comes to cleaning, she’s found a genius way to share the load. “My least favorite thing to do, cleaning wise, is putting away laundry,” Fishel, 44, exclusively told Us Weekly while promoting her partnership with Lysol to refresh […]

She added, “That year was not a fun year, not a year I like revisiting at all.”

Her cohosts Rider Strong and Will Friedle asked whether Fishel faced any pressure from her agent to get back to work.

“Not that I remember,” she clarified. “I know, for sure, I had said, ‘I don’t want anything. I don’t want to audition for anything. I’m just done for a little bit.’ And I don’t remember there being a lot of pushback.”

Fishel pointed out this upheaval in her personal and professional life occurred at the same time as she switched from having “a kid’s agent” to going out for older parts.

“For me to say, like, ‘I’m in a holding pattern. I’m not sure what I’m going to do,’ we just kind of put that on hold,” she said. “And then I did eventually sign with the Young Talent department at Innovative, which was run by Abby Bluestone, who is still there and she’s amazing.”

Related: Where Does Ben Savage Stand With ‘Boy Meets World’ Cast? Inside the Drama

The Boy Meets World cast has spoken out about their years-long rift with former costar Ben Savage. The actor played Cory Matthews on the beloved ABC sitcom, which ran from 1993 to 2000. Danielle Fishel, Rider Strong and Will Friedle have discussed being estranged from Savage for years, stemming from the creation of their “Pod […]

Fishel has frequently been quite vulnerable about her past — and her work on Boy Meets World. In May, she spoke to Us about the way TV executives flippantly discussed her body on set when she was a teenager.

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“I was aware, even if nobody said it to me directly… that as far as the people in power were concerned, my body was a problem… I remember around the time of [1998’s] prom episode being aware that they didn’t want me wearing something sleeveless,” she remembered.

In more recent years, Fishel tied the knot with her second husband, comedian and rapper Jensen Karp, in 2018. They are parents to two sons — Adler, 7, and Keaton, 4.

“Pod Meets World” releases new episodes every Monday and Thursday.

Sam Asghari is an actor, model, reality star, and former personal trainer who was married to pop star Britney Spears. The two met on the set of her “Slumber Party” music video in 2016 and started dating shortly thereafter. Before they tied the knot in June 2022, Asghari signed an ironclad prenup protecting the “Toxic” singer’s pre-marital assets and ensuring that he received no payout, spousal support, or rights to her music catalog.

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Britney Spears has been in the industry since she was a child, so it’s no surprise that Celebrity Net Worth has her listed at $130 million. Although Britney’s ex-husband Kevin Federline’s net worth is listed at $700,000, the website only lists Sam Asghari’s net worth as $250,000.

The actor was born Hesam Asghari in Iran and moved to the U.S. with his family when he was 13. He became an American citizen in 2012, at the age of 18. A few years later, he launched a modeling career with his sister’s support and appeared in magazines such as Men’s Health and GQ.

In 2018, he had a small role in a “Star Trek” spoof movie and appeared in a few episodes of the Showtime series “Black Monday” in 2021. That same year, he also had a small part in Mel Gibson’s “Hot Seat.” However, he is best known for his relationship with Britney Spears.

Sam Asghari Met Britney Spears In 2016

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Although Britney Spears was entered into a court-ordered conservatorship in February 2008, she managed to strike up a relationship with the former personal trainer after he appeared in the music video for her hit song “Slumber Party.”

Even though Britney is 12 years older than the actor, they stuck together through the pandemic and became engaged in September 2021. The controversial conservatorship was struck down by a judge two months later, and they tied the knot at her estate in Thousand Oaks, California, in June 2022.

After 14 months of marriage, Asghari filed for divorce in August 2023, citing “irreconcilable differences” according to court documents obtained by The Blast. In a brief statement, he asked fans to be “kind and thoughtful” amid their divorce, noting “asking for privacy seems ridiculous.”

Celebrity Net Worth noted that Spears’ net worth was only $60 million when they married; however, her lucrative book deal for her memoir, “The Woman In Me,” contributed significantly to her net worth.

Sam Asghari Might Have Lost Millions In The Divorce

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As The Blast previously reported, the former couple signed an agreement stating that Asghari would receive “$1 million per every two years” of their marriage. According to the documents, the amount was capped at $10 million after fifteen years. However, Asghari called it quits after just fourteen months, and reports have since indicated that he received “no payout” from the divorce.

However, he was allowed to keep any gifts Britney gave him during the marriage, as well as his impressive car collection. The prenup that he signed also reportedly included an “extensive confidentiality clause” that prevented him from discussing her relationship.

Sam Asghari Reflects On His Marriage To Britney Spears

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Even though he has not publicly discussed the downfall of their relationship, he has come to accept that most people know him as the pop star’s ex. As The Blast previously reported, Asghari admitted that he will forever be known as “Mr. Britney Spears” while promoting his new movie “The Gentleman Thief” with John Travolta.

When asked if there would be a time when people didn’t ask him about the pop star, he told Page Six that it’s “never going to happen” but admitted that he is “fully ready to answer those questions.”

Since breaking things off with the pop star, Asghari has begun dating Brooke Irvine. They have been together for two years and live in Los Angeles with their dog Porcha. He told the outlet that his new girlfriend is “amazing” and “super supportive,” even with his hectic filming schedule.

Looking ahead, Asghari admitted he is open to starting a family with Irvine. “I’m focused on my career now, but what I’ve learned is if I’m going to create a future in Hollywood, I’m going to have to put myself at risk and not my family and the people that are next to me,” Asghari said. “But, yeah, at some point, who doesn’t want to have a family? I mean, everybody wants to have a family.”

There are so very few video game worlds that have a visual identity as instantly recognizable as Cyberpunk 2077. The world of Night City is just drenched in neon, there are enormous corporations everywhere you turn, and you have to look cool if you want to get ahead — that’s how to survive there. The game has also evolved well beyond video games by this point, with projects like Cyberpunk: Edgerunners, not to mention merchandise and numerous collaborations, too. But now, you can look like you’re part of the solution in Night City.

Cyberpunk 2077 has officially teamed with GUNNAR for a collection of glasses inspired by the game, including designs based on Dexter DeShawn and Militech. The officially licensed collaboration features GUNNAR’s lens technology designed to reduce digital eye strain while incorporating aesthetics directly inspired by characters and corporations from CD Projekt Red’s universe.

The Dex glasses are inspired by Dexter DeShawn, the larger-than-life Night City fixer who plays a major role during the opening stretch of Cyberpunk 2077. The wide frames feature an oversized angular shield-lens design constructed from magnesium aluminum alloy, with Amber, Sun and Amber Max lens options. They’re priced at $125 and come with a collector’s map-print microfiber cleaning cloth and padded sleeve.

The Militech Glasses Bring One of Night City’s Biggest Corporations to Life

Then there’s Militech. The second design takes its cues from the heavily armed megacorporation, adopting their black-and-yellow color scheme alongside a tactical shield design. The frames use engineered polymer and are available with Amber or Sun lenses, with GUNNAR saying the design is intended to improve peripheral clarity while reducing digital eye strain and sharpening contrast.

The Militech glasses are priced slightly lower at $99 and include a branded microfiber pouch, cleaning cloth and matte metal case, alongside a 12-month warranty. The frames also block 100% of UV light and feature a G-Shield Plus coating designed to be anti-reflective and smudge resistant. Both designs are already available to order now.

Cyberpunk 2077 is available now on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch 2 and PC. The Cyberpunk 2077 collection is available now via GUNNAR.

The best thing about streaming is, while you’re often waiting for big movies to come onto platforms so you can watch them again, they’re also like a digital Blockbuster Video. You can just browse and find yourself a little gem, something that lets that unpleasant feeling slowly crawl beneath your skin, and that’s exactly what this movie does. It took the rhythms of an old-school Western and dropped them into a bleak modern American town where almost everyone seems to be carrying something they would rather keep buried.

Sweet Virginia largely flew under the radar when it came out back in 2017, but it has all the ingredients of the kind of movie you’re delighted you stumble across on a Saturday night, which explains its re-emergence on streaming. It’s got a tight 95-minute runtime, an outstanding cast, and the sort of slow-burning tension that gets increasingly difficult to shake. Better still, Sweet Virginia is currently available to stream on Paramount+ in the United States.

Directed by Jamie M. Dagg, Sweet Virginia follows former rodeo champion Sam Rossi, whose injuries have left him managing a small-town motel and trying to live a quiet existence. His life changes when he befriends Elwood, a mysterious motel guest whose arrival coincides with a brutal outbreak of violence in the community. The less you know beyond that, the better. The film gradually transforms into a grim collision between two damaged men, with Jon Bernthal stripping away the aggression associated with many of his better-known characters to deliver an unusually restrained performance.

The film stars Bernthal as Sam Rossi, Christopher Abbott (Wolf Man) as Elwood, Imogen Poots (Outer Range) as Lila McCabe, Rosemarie DeWitt (La La Land) as Bernadette Barrett, Odessa Young (Shirley) as Maggie Russell, and Jared Abrahamson (Travelers) as Paul.

Was ‘Sweet Virginia’ Successful?

The film was never really intended to be a mega hit at the box office, because it was only released on a limited basis back in November 2017. Its gross is just $8,400, which tells you this is a movie that was built purely for home viewing. However, the critical response to the movie was a lot more enthusiastic, with 79% of critics on Rotten Tomatoes enjoying the movie and praising both the performances and the atmospheric tension it brought.

Sweet Virginia is currently streaming on Paramount+ in the United States and is also available to rent or purchase digitally.

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Release Date

November 30, 2017

Director

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Jamie M. Dagg

Writers

Paul China, Benjamin China

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The name’s Cavill. Henry Cavill. Yes, many thousands of people across the world have felt for a very long time that Henry Cavill was destined to don a tuxedo and play the most famous spy in the world. But, Cavill botched his audition for the role due to being, well, far too young and, as a result, the window passed. That doesn’t mean he couldn’t show audiences what they missed out on, and that’s exactly what he did in 2015.

The Man from U.N.C.L.E. has recently been charting globally, and Guy Ritchie’s slick adaptation of the classic television series had all the ingredients of a long-running franchise. It had a pair of charismatic leads, globe-trotting espionage, witty banter, and utterly immaculate tailoring. Seriously, it’s quite beautiful. But sadly, as is ever the case, audiences didn’t turn up when they should have. Nearly a decade later, however, the film has become something of a cult favorite, and with its recent return to streaming, there’s never been a better excuse to revisit one of Cavill’s coolest performances.

The movie is set in the 1960s at the height of the Cold War, and follows CIA agent Napoleon Solo and KGB operative Illya Kuryakin. Forced to put aside longstanding hostilities, the two join forces on a joint mission to stop a mysterious international criminal organization which is bent on destabilizing the fragile balance of power through the proliferation of nuclear weapons and technology. The duo’s only lead is the daughter of a missing German scientist, who is the key to infiltrating the criminal organization, and they must race against time to find him and prevent a worldwide catastrophe.

The film stars Cavill as Napoleon Solo, Armie Hammer (The Social Network) as Illya Kuryakin, Alicia Vikander (The Danish Girl) as Gaby Teller, Elizabeth Debicki (The Crown) as Victoria Vinciguerra, Jared Harris (Foundation) as Sanders, Hugh Grant (Heretic) as Alexander Waverly, and Luca Calvani (The Beautiful Life) as Alexander.

Was ‘The Man from U.N.C.L.E.’ a Success?

Produced for around $75 million, The Man from U.N.C.L.E. earned approximately $110 million worldwide, falling well short of the numbers required to justify the franchise Warner Bros. had clearly hoped to launch. But critics responded much better than the paying customers, and it currently holds a 68% Rotten Tomatoes score, while audiences have increasingly embraced it over the years thanks to its chemistry between Cavill and Hammer, the action and the banter.

The Man from U.N.C.L.E. is currently streaming on Netflix in the United States. It is also available to rent or purchase digitally through Prime Video, Apple TV, and Fandango at Home.

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Release Date

August 14, 2015

Runtime

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116 minutes

Producers

Guy Ritchie, John Davis, Lionel Wigram, Steve Clark-Hall

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It’s already been over a month since one of the biggest Western arrivals on streaming this year completed its gripping opening season. On July 3, the ups and downs of Rip (Cole Hauser) and Beth’s (Kelly Reilly) new life in South Texas at Dutton Ranch exploded in perfect finale fashion, with the stakes set for a confirmed second season, which is scheduled to begin filming early next year. We shouldn’t be surprised by the latest series in Taylor Sheridan‘s Yellowstone universe being a streaming sensation, but few expected it to break the record for the biggest original series debut in the history of Paramount+.

With Dutton Ranch Season 1 coming to an end, a Western-sized hole opened up in the viewing habits of millions. Luckily, Netflix rode in on horseback to save the day with the timely return of My Life With the Walter Boys. The YA Western hit, often likened to Prime Video’s The Summer I Turned Pretty, follows young Jackie (Nikki Rodriguez), who is caught in a love triangle with brothers Cole (Noah LaLonde) and Alex Walter (Ashby Gentry).

The series began life as a sleeper hit for Netflix, scoring a respectable 7.5 million views in its debut weekend. However, the show increased in popularity come Season 2, which debuted with 11.8 million views in its first four days of release, marking a 57% viewership increase from Season 1. Earning 9 million views and 71 million hours watched during its opening tracking window, Season 3 couldn’t live up to the highs of Season 2, but cemented the series as a strong favorite of Netflix subscribers. A week after the third season debuted, My Life With the Walter Boys is officially the most-watched series on Netflix in the U.S.

What Else Should You Be Watching on Netflix This August?

My Life With the Walter Boys is certainly one of the most anticipated streaming arrivals on Netflix this month, but there is also plenty more to be excited about. The likes of One Hundred Years of Solitude, based on Gabriel García Márquez‘s Nobel Prize-winning novel; Jung Hae-in and Ha Young‘s Our Sticky Love; and the perfect Bridgerton replacement, My Brilliant Career, have already arrived this August, with George Kay‘s Blood Sacrifice and a fifth and final season of Outer Banks still to come.

My Life With the Walter Boys is officially the most-watched series on Netflix in the U.S. Stay tuned to Collider for more streaming stories.

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Release Date

December 7, 2023

Network

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Netflix

Directors

Jerry Ciccoritti, Winnifred Jong, Nimisha Mukerji

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Writers

Melanie Halsall, Ali Novak

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  Nikki Rodriguez

  Jackie Howard

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Science fiction is one of the most popular genres in fiction as a whole, but especially popular in the world of literature. There are countless sci-fi novels that have been released over decades upon decades that have been turned into gigantic hit movies and television shows that have gone on to help define the genre as the world knows it. However, not every single person is a sci-fi connoisseur.

Thankfully for said people, there are plenty of stories out there that act as perfect ones for beginners—either as introductions to the young adult world, more mature stories, hard sci-fi, or soft sci-fi. The genre—no matter how beyond this world it can lie—almost always reflects the reader’s own world in some way, which is why some people really connect so strongly to it. Being special in that way is so impactful means that anyone who’s read sci-fi would most likely recommend it to others, and these books are some of the best places to start.

‘Jurassic Park’ (1990)

Image via Alfred A. Knopf

The Jurassic Park film franchise is one that almost everyone and their mothers are aware of. It’s so extremely popular for so many reasons, and the entire concept and story comes from the 1990 novel of the same name. Jurassic Park, written by Michael Crichton, is a bit different from the film, but dedicated readers have been on record saying that it actually just might be better.

Jurassic Park leans far more into the horror side of sci-fi than the movie does, and that is part of what makes it so great. Due to it already being a film that many have seen, this 1990 hit is a great starting point for anyone who wants some nasty, horror-filled sci-fi in their life. It’s familiar, while still being pretty different, which makes it a perfect starting-off point.

‘Dark Matter’ (2016)

Image via Crown Publishing Group

2016’s Dark Matter by Blake Crouch is commonly noted to be a pretty beginner-friendly book. With fast pacing, simple line writing, and some thrilling stakes that can get people invested quite easily. The plot of Dark Matter feels like that of a blockbuster action movie—feeling very exciting—with a similar exposition style, keeping explanations of complex topics (like the multiverse) simple and not via a lecture.

Dark Matter also has shorter chapters, with multiple spots to leave off if a newer reader wants to take a quick break from the breakneck pace and action of this 2016 book. Finally, though, what makes the book so great is how relatable it is at its core. The main story is really just about a father who wants nothing more than to find his family and return to them.

‘Dungeon Crawler Carl’ (2020)

Image via Ace Books

One of the most popular sci-fi adventures in recent years is, without a doubt, Dungeon Crawler Carl. Depicting a world in which the Earth is taken over, the survivors are forced into an intergalactic game show that looks and operates like a dungeon crawler video game. This immediately sets it apart from any other sci-fi book out there at the moment. This has led to a gigantic surge in popularity for Matt Dinniman‘s gaming-inspired epic.

Dungeon Crawler Carl is incredible at balancing tone. It can go from goofy, silly fun to emotional drama in one moment and Dinniman makes it feel very natural. It’s because of this that it’s so beginner-friendly, because it’s easy to understand, without dumbing itself down for the reader. There’s no doubt in anyone’s minds that Dungeon Crawler Carl is one of the next “big things”—already having a graphic novel adaptation and an in-development streaming series.

‘Ender’s Game’ (1985)

Image via Tor Books

Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card is commonly considered one of the most logical starting points for an aspiring sci-fi novel reader. Many have probably heard of 2013’s film adaptation of it—starring Asa Butterfield and Harrison Ford—but the 1985 book is where it all began. Ender’s Game doesn’t ask the reader to know a lot of scientific speak, which makes it very easily accessible, despite the high-concept ideas at play.

The writing of Orson Scott Card is quite straightforward and easy to understand. So, for anyone who isn’t used to typical sci-fi terminology or ideas, Ender’s Game helps them get almost acquainted with them, in a way. This doesn’t make it some sort of simple—in a degrading sense—story, either, though. This plot is abundantly thought-provoking, inventive, and masterfully written.

‘Project Hail Mary’ (2021)

Image via Ballantine Books

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Of the many smash hits to come out of cinemas this year, Ryan Gosling‘s Project Hail Mary remains one of the best. It is, however, based on a novel written by the one and only mind behind The Martian, Andy Weir. Project Hail Mary, the book, is great for beginners for a similar reason why Jurassic Park is. People who’ve seen the movie are obviously drawn to want to read the source material, and while it is the same story, the novel iteration finds itself still being different enough to be a new experience for movie-goers.

Anyone who’s seen the movie knows that Project Hail Mary‘s plot deals with some heavy, intricate science. However, the book doesn’t expect the reader to know any of that. Ryland Grace’s inner monologues actually explain this complex science in a way that almost anyone can understand—better than the movie does, at times. So, for anyone who wants a more reality-based sci-fi adventure, without having to do much legwork on the “science” part of it, without losing it, Project Hail Mary may be a match made in heaven.

‘Cello’s Gate’ (2025)

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For any beginner looking to grow with an author, look no further than the likes of the absurdly talented Maurice Africh—a debut author who, in 2025, released the exceptional Cello’s Gate. At its core, this adventure is heart-filled, fun, and filled with great worldbuilding.

There’s something really special about catching a series—books, television, and movies alike—in its infancy, before the entire world will come to gush over it (which will most certainly be the case with Cello’s Gate). Beginners who want to grow with a series should look no further than Cello’s Gate because of how friendly it is to new readers, while still being a story that is deeply rooted in sci-fi and is a world unlike the one they know. Of recent sci-fi releases, Cello’s Gate is most definitely one of the best out there.

‘Heir to the Empire’ (1991)

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Very few sci-fi fans of any sort (not just of literature) can say they hate the Star Wars franchise. Being one of the founding fathers of sci-fi cinema that helped define the genre to this day, almost everyone knows what this series is. (Genuinely, who doesn’t know what a lightsaber is at this point?) The sequel trilogy to follow the ever-hailed original is controversial—in the sense that some are happy with it, and others do not see it as a worthy successor—and for those who are looking for a story that is more of a true sequel to the original trilogy are in for quite a treat if they’re picking up Heir to the Empire.

Once a canon story—now put into the category of “Legends” (non-canon)—this plot is one that any Star Wars fan can get down with, following the legendary trio as they keep trying to clean up the remnants of the Empire post-Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi. If there’s a Star Wars fan who wants to get into their humongous catalog of novels, Heir to the Empire is the place to jump in.

‘Fahrenheit 451’ (1953)

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What makes sci-fi stories like Fahrenheit 451 so special is the fact that their world isn’t too far from ours—especially in 2026—and is one of those sci-fi stories that serves as a dark, potential future for the real world. Thankfully for first-time readers, this Ray Bradbury book isn’t a long one, sitting at under 200 pages, making it not too long of an experience.

Despite being written in 1953, Fahrenheit 451 is very timely—to a chilling degree. While someone may be a beginner, that doesn’t mean they don’t want something that will make them think deeply about not just their life, but the world around them. That’s exactly what Bradbury’s story does for those experiencing it, as well as dissecting the importance of literature and its place in our culture.

‘Red Rising’ (2014)

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When it comes to good books for beginners, they ideally won’t just be a good first read, but an excellent one. Not only does Red Rising end up being a nice read for first-timers, but it is also commonly known as one of the best sci-fi books of the modern age, thanks to the phenomenal writing by none other than Pierce Brown.

The first Red Rising franchise entry borrows a lot of young adult novel tropes—like those of The Hunger Games and Percy Jackson & the Olympians—that feel familiar to sci-fi enjoyers outside of literature. However, Brown manages to use these to keep things feeling similar, while still introducing a completely unique world that has never been seen before, and people wholly adore it.

‘Ready Player One’ (2011)

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Video games have a huge place in modern society, but Ernest Cline‘s Ready Player One begs the question of what would happen if they became a cornerstone of society—one that’s gone dystopian. In this 2011 novel, the world has dived fully into a virtual reality world called the Oasis. When the creator dies, he sends everyone on a scavenger hunt for his fortune and ownership/control of the Oasis.

The protagonist, Wade Watts, then must go on a journey to find the treasure and the adventure of a lifetime. Ready Player One has simple line-writing that is easy to understand. Not to mention, most people who are into sci-fi have most likely played a video game, making this far more enticing than others for gamers.

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Ready Player One

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Release Date

March 29, 2018

Runtime

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140 minutes

Writers

Zak Penn, Ernest Cline

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  Tye Sheridan

  Parzival / Wade

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