“The Valley” star Brittany Cartwright‘s divorce from Jax Taylor has been ongoing since August 2024. Now, one of the latest developments in the legal battle is that the mom of one has been granted a restraining order from the former Bravo star after he allegedly threatened violence against her. This comes after Taylor was revealed to be dating Cartwright’s former publicist, Lori Krebs.

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According to TMZ, Cartwright’s restraining order was both filed and granted by a judge on August 27 in L.A. Superior Court. Per the order, the former “Valley” star is required to keep 100 yards of distance between himself and his estranged wife. However, it’s also important to note that Cartwright’s request for sole custody of their child was denied.

Cartwright and her legal team presented a decade-long pattern of abuse allegedly committed by Taylor. She stated that he displayed “coercive control, financial abuse, emotional and psychological abuse, gaslighting, and even physical violence perpetrated upon me.”

Among the most dammig claims from the restraining order request came when Cartwright accused Taylor of threatening to not only end her life, but also to “gut me like a fish.” She stated that amid the threat, he caused bodily harm by throwing furniture at her.

Brittany Cartwright Made Other Allegations Against Jax Taylor

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Elsewhere in the filing, Cartwright stated that Taylor damaged her property. Specifically, she’s accusing him of breaking three of her iPhones, an iPad, and damaging other items at the home. Additionally, the Bravo star says Taylor stalked her, partly by gaining access to her iPhone, messages, some of which he deleted, and her Instagram account.

She said in the request for protection that this was all without her consent. Taylor is also accused of taking her $70,000 wedding ring and refusing to return it.

Cartwright went on to say in the filing that Taylor threatened to go “public” with false allegations against her. That’s not all; she stated that he posted private messages between them from a website called OurFamilyWizard. For context, the site is designed for parents navigating child custody schedules and other co-parenting situations.

The Bravo Star Says Jax Demeaned Her

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Cartwright also used the restraining order filing to accuse Taylor of referring to her with the use of derogatory terms. They include: “b-tch,” “c-nt,” “fat a-s b-tch,” “fatty,” “broke a-s b-tch,” and “wh-re.” According to her in the filing, he used this language against her behind closed doors, in public, and when in the presence of their young son.

Additonally, Cartwright claimed that Taylor is using the idea of child and spousal support as an intimidation tactic. She also stated that he has exhibited demanding behavior, accusing her of relying on her financially and claiming that after the divorce she’ll be forced to pay him.

It’s important to note that as of now, neither party is required to pay spousal or child support to the other.

Brittany Cartwright Has Responded To Jax’s Romance With Lori Krebs

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Taylor was seen publicly with Krebs in May 2026, and the two were seen together on subsequent occasions. Notably, this comes after Krebs served as Cartwright’s publicist for roughly a decade. The Bravo star reacted in an August 2026 interview with PEOPLE, noting her close relationship with Krebs.

She said, “I mean, this person was not only my publicist, she was like a sister to me for 10 years. It’s just complete, complete betrayal.” Additonally, Cartwright highlighted the hypocrisy of the new romance between her ex and now former publicist.

According to her, “I mean, this person guided me through my horrible divorce, guided me through all the Airbnbs I was living in [after Jax and I split] and would come to my house and let me cry on her shoulders after I had been physically, emotionally and financially abused by this man.”

The Kentucky native added, “She knows every in and out of everything in my life and still chose to sleep with the enemy, basically.”

Jax Accused Brittany Of Blocking Brand Deals

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According to Page Six, in a since-deleted Instagram post, Taylor accused Cartwright of attempting to block a brand deal with Divergent Lifestyle Co, which is a company that works with dads who have kids with autism. He shared that this came after he posted a flier for an upcoming company event.

Per the post, he accused Cartwright of sending the company a message, saying, “Hi, my ex-husband posted this event. I was wondering if you are sponsoring him or if he is officially involved in this event. If so, I’d like to share some information with you.” Cartwright also allegedly asked the company for a donation link.

Taylor then said, “This is just another example of her contacting every company, brand, or opportunity I get, trying to sabotage my ability to work and move forward with my life. This keeps happening over and over again, and I’ve already lost several jobs because of it. It honestly disgusts me that I feel like I have no other choice but to post this stuff publicly.”

Dungeons & Dragons is preparing players for a brand-new adventure following the success of Baldur’s Gate 3. This game was developed by a new game studio, and it’s scheduled for release next year. While a full release date has yet to be announced, the developers showed new footage of what’s to come to generate hype at this year’s Gamescom.

Warlock: Dungeons & Dragons is an upcoming dark fantasy game developed by Invoke Studios, a new studio under Wizards of the Coast, where you play as Kaatri, voiced by Battlestar Galactica and Mass Effect 2‘s Tricia Helfer. Warlock was first announced during the 2025 Game Awards, where it teased bits of the game’s synopsis, but at this year’s Gamescom, more details have been unveiled.

During Gamescom’s opening night, Dungeons & Dragons showcased the first eight minutes of Warlock‘s gameplay, revealing Kaatri’s patron, Tasha, voiced by Maggie Robertson, who previously played Orin the Red in Baldur’s Gate 3 and Lady Dimitrescu in Resident Evil Village, and the game’s setting. Unlike most D&D settings set in the Forgotten Realms, Warlock takes place in Darkon, described as a “beautiful, yet unsettling world” featuring crumbling castles, dungeons, danger, and hidden power. Alongside a glimpse of this new world, the gameplay teaser also showcases some of Kaatri’s powers and abilities that players can use to solve puzzles and fight foes, as well as monsters she will face on her journey. Gamescom will not be the only day when fans will get details about Warlock, as the game’s website teased another announcement scheduled for Fall 2026.

What Is ‘Warlock’ About?

When Warlock was first announced at the 2025 Game Awards, Invoke Studios released a short description of what the game’s about, which reads:

“In WARLOCK, you take on the role of Kaatri, a veteran warrior, in a new third-person action-adventure set in a dark fantasy open world inspired by Dungeons & Dragons. Make a pact to wield forbidden magic to overcome a wide range of challenges. In exploration, every spell is a key that unlocks mysteries in a beautiful yet unsettling world. When facing enemies, magic and melee combine for a combat experience that is both tactical and visceral.”

Since Gamescom, Invoke Studios updated Warlock‘s website, giving more details about this upcoming title, such as the spells Kaarti could use like Eldritch Blast, Fey Switch, Levitate, Misty Step, and Gust of Wind, just to name a few, how it encourages players to master both spellcasting and melee combat, and revealed the reason why Kaatri made a pact with Tasha, which was to “find someone she’s lost”.

Warlock is scheduled to release in 2027 and will be available on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S. Stay tuned to Collider for more updates.

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Kylie Jenner is laughing off growing speculation that she and Timothée Chalamet are preparing to welcome their first child together. The beauty mogul directly addressed the pregnancy rumors during an appearance on her friends’ podcast, revealing that she no longer feels obligated to correct every story circulated about her personal life. However, Jenner did offer a clear response to the latest claims, confirming that she is not currently pregnant.

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Jenner discussed the rumors while appearing on Victoria Villarroel and Anastasia “Stassie” Karanikolaou’s “Better Half” podcast. “I think that I’m so used to people creating their own narrative that I actually have to just laugh about it and I really don’t care, because I just assume people will figure it out eventually, which is what they always do,” Jenner said.

The 29-year-old explained that she had recently encountered online posts claiming she was expecting a baby with Chalamet. “People think I’m pregnant right now, at least I saw some things, and I’m like: “Well, I’m not gonna address everything, ’cause it’s like, I’m gonna be in a bikini somewhere, or I’m gonna be out, and the rumors will be squashed,”” she added.

Rather than issuing formal denials whenever speculation emerges, Jenner said she prefers to let time disprove inaccurate reports. “So I kind of just don’t feel the need to say anything ever,” she declared. “I’m just like: ‘Well, it is what it is.’ I can’t comment on everything, so I just laugh about it and join in on the party,” she said with a chuckle.

The Reality Star Has Mixed Feelings About Another Pregnancy

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Although Jenner denied that she is currently pregnant, she has not completely ruled out expanding her family in the future. The Kylie Cosmetics founder already shares two children with her former boyfriend Travis Scott. Their daughter, Stormi, is eight, while their son, Aire, is four.

Jenner recently acknowledged that she is not eager to experience another pregnancy at this stage of her life. “The thought of carrying another baby right now feels insane,” she said during an appearance on her sister Khloé Kardashian’s show, “The Girls.”

During a FaceTime conversation with family friends Yris Palmer and Malika Haqq, Jenner also said she was “99.9 percent sure” that she would not use a surrogate. She explained that her previous pregnancies resulted in “big healthy babies,” leaving her with “no reason for me to really have a surrogate.”

Kylie Jenner And Timothée Chalamet Went Public In 2023

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Jenner and Chalamet first took their relationship public in September 2023 when they were photographed kissing in the stands at a Beyoncé concert. The couple has since maintained a relatively private romance while occasionally appearing together at major entertainment and sporting events.

Jenner was a consistent presence during Chalamet’s awards campaign for “Marty Supreme,” the Josh Safdie film in which he played a character inspired by a real underground table tennis player in 1950s New York. Chalamet had been considered an early contender for the Academy Award for Best Actor, but Michael B. Jordan ultimately won for his performance in “Sinners.”

The pair’s relationship has now continued for nearly three years, making questions about engagement, marriage and children increasingly common. Neither Jenner nor Chalamet has publicly announced plans to marry or start a family together.

Kylie Jenner Wants Her Breast Implants To Be Even Bigger

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Pregnancy was not the only body-related topic Jenner discussed during her appearance on “Better Half with Stas & Vic.” The 29-year-old revealed that she has been considering another breast augmentation and wants to increase the size of her implants. Jenner previously confirmed that she underwent breast augmentation surgery before welcoming her daughter, Stormi.

During the podcast, Karanikolaou asked, “Should we talk about those fat juicy t-ts you got?” Jenner admitted that she has repeatedly told her friends about wanting to go bigger, while Karanikolaou claimed she has been discussing the idea for approximately a year. “I do want them bigger,” Jenner declared.

She clarified that she wants them “bigger and more out there” before joking, “I want my t-ts to walk in before I do.”

Kylie Jenner Wants A Diamond Belly Button Piercing Before Turning 30

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Jenner also revealed another cosmetic plan she hopes to experience before her 30th birthday. The reality star said she wants to have her belly button pierced and incorporate diamonds into the jewelry.

Karanikolaou encouraged the idea, suggesting Jenner could wear “a really sexy diamond from 14 karat” and adding that the piercing would pair well with low-rise clothing.

Jenner’s friends fully supported the plan and appeared confident that she would choose something suitably glamorous. “She’s going to have the best,” Villarroel declared.

Texas Roadhouse is in the hot seat with its Black diners after allegations of targeted food tampering surfaced online. The restaurant claims the rumors are just that, rumors. But is the trust already gone? 

RELATED: Issa Foodie Fight? Restaurants Like Wendy’s, Popeyes & Church’s Trade Shade As McDonald’s & Burger King Inspire Viral “Burger Wars” (VIDEOS)

Social Media Post Alleges Employees Are Targeting Black Diners

What Texas Roadhouse is calling an “online hoax” began with a blurry screenshot. It seemed to posted in a Facebook group by a user called Nancy Smith. The user opened to the post with, “To all you Blacks in here keep this in mind. Hope you enjoy your meal next time you eat out.” They further claimed that there’s a private Facebook group of white servers practicing a plan to target Black diners. The group allegedly has over 400,000 members.

“When a table of Black diners comes in and places their order we walk ack to the kitchen to get your food when ready. There is ALWAYS a blind spot in the kitchen and we are licking our fingers and touching your food. If it happens to be a Texas Roadhouse or Logan’s, these rolls are full of our white saliva. Some of the cooks are in on this too. Think they are playing. They aren’t.”

The user also claimed that this “plan” started with the “Karamello the candy bar Anthony crap.” It appears it to be a reference to Karmelo Anthony, who was recently sentenced to 35 years for the stabbing of Austin Metcalf at a high school track meet. The incident happened in April 2025. “Enjoy y’all’s food,” the user added.

Texas Roadhouse Calls Food Tampering Post An “Online Hoax” 

RELATED: Ceiling Collapses On Woman At Hibachi Restaurant | TSR Investigates

Historically, the thriller genre has been immensely important to literature, easily among the global publishing industry’s favorite kinds of books. But while classics like Sir Arthur Conan Doyle‘s Sherlock Holmes novels and modern masterpieces like Thomas Harris‘ Hannibal series have attained inimitable international acclaim, there have been other great thriller books from the past which have unfortunately been left behind.

Of course, saying that these books have been “forgotten” is a bit of an exaggeration for the sake of drama, but there’s no denying that they haven’t been read—or even heard of—by even a fraction of the number of readers that they deserve to be loved by. These are undeniable masterclasses in thriller writing; suspenseful, tense, and imbued with high stakes that make them all-around page-turners.

‘Beast in View’ (1955)

Image via Soho Syndicate

Canadian-American writer Margaret Millar was a groundbreaking pioneer in several senses, from her contributions to bridging the gap between old-school whodunnits and modern psychological thrillers to her unprecedented writing about the psychology of female characters. Beast in View is one of her most essential works, about a reclusive heiress who’s tormented by a series of phone calls from a mysterious woman claiming to be an old acquaintance.

The title may be best remembered as an episode of the beloved TV shows Alfred Hitchcock Hour and Alfred Hitchcock Presents, yet the source material itself has been tragically forgotten despite having won the Edgar Award in 1956. It’s one of the best books of the 1950s, an exquisitely noir-ish thriller with shocking twists and subversive genre tropes that have allowed it to age better than many thriller books that are far more recent.

‘The Wheel Spins’ (1936)

Image via Sharp Ink

The Lady Vanishes isn’t generally regarded as one of Alfred Hitchcock’s best-known or most widely celebrated movies, yet it’s an exceptional mystery thriller nonetheless. As such, it’s surprising just how underappreciated Ethel Lina White‘s The Wheel Spins, the book that inspired the movie, is today. In it, a young English socialite traveling alone on a train meets a mysterious stranger along her journey.

Though the book was a major critical and commercial success in its time (even more so by the time The Lady Vanishes hit theaters), White slipped into relative obscurity as time passed. That needs to change, and there’s no better starting point to change that than The Wheel Spins. Thanks to its intensely claustrophobic suspense, simple yet layered premise, and relentless pacing, it has aged wonderfully from cover to cover.

‘The Hours Before Dawn’ (1959)

Image via Faber & Faber

During her peak, Celia Fremlin was a widely recognized and highly praised voice in the world of crime and mystery literature, but her work eventually began to fade out of the mainstream. It’s incredibly strong work; however, perhaps most notably, the Edgar Award winner The Hours Before Dawn. In it, an exhausted young mother in suburban London starts growing suspicious of her new lodger while suffering from severe sleep deprivation and the chaos of an apathetic husband.

Fremlin was a master of the domestic thriller genre, and nowhere is that clearer than here, one of those thriller books that became the blueprint for an entire subgenre. It’s a brilliantly chilling piece of paranoid thriller literature that should still prove to be an impossible-to-put-down page-turner for anyone who loves domestic thrillers. Add to that a surprisingly progressive and nuanced exploration of the weight of ’50s domestic expectations of women, and it shouldn’t be surprising that Hours Before Dawn has aged as well as it has.

‘Cat of Many Tails’ (1948)

Image via Simon & Schuster

Ellery Queen is both the name of the fictional detective of the book series that carries his name, and the pseudonym under which American detective fiction writers Frederic Dannay and Manfred Bennington Lee wrote the books. The 20th book in the series is Cat of Many Tails, where Queen must find and stop a serial strangler terrorizing a heatwave-stricken New York City while leaving behind no clues.

The Ellery Queen series is massive, but thankfully, it doesn’t need to be read in order, and considering that Cat of Many Tails is arguably the best of the bunch, one could very easily start there. A foundational and downright masterful serial killer thriller (written before the term “serial killer” was even coined), it’s an ahead-of-its-time puzzle-solving mystery that has aged wonderfully thanks to its atmospheric tone, thematic depth, and Dannay and Lee’s timeless prose.

‘Rogue Male’ (1939)

Image via New York Review Books

Geoffrey Household was a well-respected and prolific British author in the thriller and suspense spaces, but he never got to become a household name (pun not intended) of the stature of authors like Agatha Christie. Even still, he continues to be best-known for Rogue Male, a novel originally serialized in three issues of the Atlantic Monthly magazine. In it, a hunter plans to assassinate a European dictator, but his plan is neutralized, and he’s captured, tortured, and left for dead.

Rogue Male did one-man-army thrillers well before James Bond or Jason Bourne made them cool, establishing a blueprint for the genre that has continued to age like fine wine. One of the best mystery books of all time, it’s a gripping survival thriller that reads as shockingly fresh and modern for an 87-year-old novel. The BBC TV adaptation starring Peter O’Toole is fantastic, but this is one of those cases where there’s no beating the source material.

‘The Scapegoat’ (1957)

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Daphne du Maurier was a hugely important British author of groundbreaking psychological thrillers, best known for masterpieces like Rebecca and Jamaica Inn. Even the greats have criminally underappreciated works, however, and in du Maurier’s case, that’s The Scapegoat. In it, a lonely English academic on holiday in France meets his doppelgänger, a French aristocrat who steals his identity and then quickly vanishes.

There’s no actual evidence that du Maurier was actually inspired by Mark Twain, but The Scapegoat feels like some sort of dark, thrilling twist on The Prince and the Pauper. The book has aged beautifully, remaining a potently atmospheric and suspenseful study of dual identity whose ambiguous conclusion is still widely debated all these many decades later. Only the greatest of thrillers still elicit such ardent discussions so long after their publication.

‘The Face of a Stranger’ (1990)

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Nowadays, British author Anne Perry is perhaps best-known as the subject of Heavenly Creatures, a Peter Jackson film chronicling the case in which she, then 15 years old, and her 16-year-old friend Pauline Parker, murdered Parker’s mother in New Zealand. After a five-year prison sentence, Perry changed her name from Juliet Hulme and went back to the UK. Written before that became public information, The Face of a Stranger is the first installment in the William Monk series, where the Victorian London police detective Monk wakes up with amnesia and must solve a brutal murder while trying to regain his memories.

The Face of a Stranger is one of the best thriller books of the 1990s. Some readers may understandably opt to steer clear of Anne Perry’s whole bibliography, but this undeniable masterpiece does stir up some interesting conversations on separating the art from the artist. The author’s reputation has certainly not aged well, but the book itself has retained every bit of its atmospheric, gritty, slow-burning edge.

‘Pressure’ (2005)

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Though most of the thriller books that have had enough time to age like fine wine are classics from the 20th century, there are also a few awfully underrated gems from the early 21st century that keep getting better with age as well. Case in point: Jeff Strand‘s Pressure, an incredible horror thriller about a family man whose childhood friend turns out to be a dangerous killer determined to force him into becoming his partner in (literal) crime.

Strand is an exceptional horror writer who excels at both pitch-black humor and absolutely gnarly horror, and Pressure offers plenty of both elements to satisfy even the most demanding thriller book fans. The humor still holds up after several revisits; the pacing and cat-and-mouse character dynamics don’t lose any of their punch, and the remarkable tightness of Strand’s plotting further ensures that Pressure will remain timeless for as long as a copy of it exists out there.

‘Dissolution’ (2003)

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C.J. Sansom was a British historical fiction master best known for his Matthew Shardlake novels, books that still serve as further evidence that there’s some incredible yet awfully underrated thriller literature from the 21st century to discover. The first installment in the series is Dissolution, about a lawyer and reformer from 16th-century England sent by Thomas Cromwell to investigate a brutal murder.

It’s one of the best thriller books of the 2000s, even if it isn’t often recognized as such. It was the subject of Disney+’s Shardlake, but in this case, the book is infinitely better than the adaptation, despite being even lesser-known. This Tudor-era mystery is a downright masterclass in crafting a historically accurate atmosphere, bringing a period of history to life vividly and in full service of a compelling story, and grounding a nail-biting thriller plot in such richly researched elements.

‘The Last Good Kiss’ (1978)

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There’s a solid argument to be made that James Crumley‘s The Last Good Kiss is the forgotten thriller novel that has not only aged the best, but that most deserves a considerably bigger cult following. It’s one of the best hard-boiled detective books of all time, about a private investigator tracking down a missing author. Crumley, though vastly revered as a master of 20th-century thriller literature, never quite reached the mainstream like other hard-boiled fiction writers. If there’s one of his books that deserves infinitely more love, however, it’s this one.

It’s the first detective noir book featuring the character of C.W. Sughrue, one of the most underappreciated hard-boiled protagonists in the history of thriller literature. But aside from having excellent character writing, The Last Good Kiss benefits from Crumley’s timeless, beautiful prose and the gritty 1970s tone and atmosphere. It’s one of the greatest noir novels of all time, and it deserves to be rescued from the oblivion that it has fallen into as the years have passed.

Get a rundown of Us‘ top stories making headlines in celebrity news, sports and entertainment on August 27, 2026. Here are the key takeaways:

• Kylie Jenner shut down viral pregnancy speculation on the Wednesday, August 26, episode of the “Better Half” podcast, admitting she doesn’t “feel the need to say anything ever” about rumors she’s expecting. The makeup mogul, who shares two children with ex Travis Scott and has been dating Timothée Chalamet since 2023, has grown accustomed to squashing online speculation amid her many high-profile relationships.

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• Sandra Bullock debuted a shoulder tattoo reading “LB²” at the Wednesday, August 26, European premiere of Practical Magic 2 in London alongside costar Nicole Kidman, sparking fan speculation the ink honors her children, Louis and Laila, and her late partner, Bryan Randall, who died in August 2023 after battling ALS.

• Rosie O’Donnell shared a photo on Instagram from her latest visit with daughter Chelsea O’Donnell at Taycheedah Correctional Institution in Wisconsin, where Chelsea is serving an 18-month sentence for violating probation tied to 2024 drug-related arrests, alongside a text exchange between the pair. Rosie has said Chelsea is now sober and that the visit was their first meaningful conversation in a decade.

Edited by Samantha Benitz. Story produced with AI assistance

Gladys Knight has announced she’s scaling back her live performances “after much soul searching.”

The singer, 82, announced her career decision in a statement made via her Instagram account on Thursday, August 27.

“After much soul searching I’ve decided that I will be easing into fewer performances while focusing on transitioning into the next stage of my career and life moving forward,” she wrote. “I’ll be spending more time on projects with my husband and visiting with my grandbabies and am looking forward to this new era.”

She continued, “I’d like to take a moment, in advance, to thank all my fans over this last three quarters of a century for making a little girl’s dream come true and supporting her every step of the way. I am immensely grateful to all of you and send my eternal love back to you. I hope to see your smiling faces out and about and on the road. God bless all of you and hope to see you soon.”

Related: Gladys Knight Responds After Son Accuses Her Husband of Abuse

Gladys Knight is pushing back at her son’s claims that her husband, William McDowell, has inflicted “mental and financial” abuse on her. Knight, 81, assured fans she is “healthy and happy” as she continues her Queens Tour alongside Chaka Khan, Patti LaBelle and Stephanie Mills. Her statement comes after her son, Shanga Hankerson, expressed to […]

Fans and followers threw their support behind Knight in the comments section, praising her for doing what’s best for her.

“Thank you for the memories and the melodies.🦋💜🦋You have blessed us so much. Relax and enjoy the fruit of your labor of 💜,” wrote one follower.

Another added, “You are world-class and one of the best altos I’ve ever heard. A true lover of the musical art! Thank you for all you’ve contributed to the world! ✊🏾🙏🏾”

The announcement comes after fans voiced concern after footage emerged of Knight appearing to be disoriented during some of her performances and walking off-stage without explanation.

In August 2025, Knight insisted she is “healthy and happy” as she continues her Queens Tour after her son, Shanga Hankerson, expressed to People that he was concerned for her well-being on the tour.

Speaking to the outlet, Hankerson, 49, described her involvement in the tour as “detrimental” to her health and claimed her husband William McDowell — who is also her manager — encouraged Knight to embark on the tour. (McDowell has denied insisting that Knight should work.)

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“I’m sorry that my health and performances have been misrepresented,” Knight said in a statement shared with Us at the time. “I want my fans and those concerned to rest assured I am doing very well for someone who has been on stage for three quarters of a century, hard to believe, right? I’m healthy and happy and visiting friends and family these last few months. I’m excited to get back on the road with my sisters and on stage with The Queens Tour. See you soon.”

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Related: Gladys Knight Kicks Off Super Bowl LIII With National Anthem: Watch

Gladys Knight didn’t just play any hometown gig on Sunday, February 3: She sang the national anthem in front of thousands of spectators at Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium and millions of viewers watching at home to kick off Super Bowl LIII. As the 74-year-old belted out a soulful rendition of “The Star-Spangled Banner” in a white […]

Hankerson told The Shade Room the same month that he was concerned about Knight’s memory, citing a time Knight allegedly wandered off from her hotel room before turning up “across town.”

“I don’t want my mom out on tour on a tour bus, wondering where she’s at,” Hankerson said in the August 13 story. “I don’t want that for her. That’s my mom, I truly love her and don’t care about her ever working a second longer while she’s alive. The direction that she’s going in is pushing her to her departure, and I don’t want to see that.”

For the fifth and final time, Outer Banks has taken over the Netflix streaming charts. The twisting tale of John B (Chase Stokes), Sarah (Madelyn Cline), Kiara (Madison Bailey), Pope (Jonathan Daviss), and Cleo (Carlacia Grant) has come to an end with a final season that, although it might not be the best, wraps up each story in a neat narrative bow. As the final big release of August on Netflix, the show is ending the month as its most popular show. But before September begins, you’ll want to make the most of this last August weekend by streaming some of the other great options on the platform. With that in mind, here’s a list of three shows you should binge-watch on Netflix.

For more recommendations, check out our list of the best shows and movies on Netflix.

Disclaimer: These titles are available on US Netflix.

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‘Leanne’ (2025–Present)

Rotten Tomatoes: 73% | IMDb: 7.1/10

Before August comes to an end, one of Netflix’s 2025 comedy gems has returned for a brand-new season. Co-created by comic Leanne Morgan with input from veteran executive producer Chuck Lorre, Leanne stars Morgan as she looks to reinvent herself after her husband, Bill (Ryan Stiles), leaves her for another woman.

Hilarious and heartwarming, this simple yet effective sitcom is an easy way to stay entertained this weekend. The first installment, likened to the 2001 hit Reba starring Reba McEntire, earned plenty of positive reviews from critics, with the bar set high for the new second season. 10 new episodes featuring a selection of talented comic writers await, with Morgan back facing chaos with her resilient brand of Southern humor.

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‘My Brilliant Career’ (2026)

Rotten Tomatoes: 100% | IMDb: 7.0/10

Dearest gentle readers, if you’re a fan of Bridgerton, then you simply mustn’t miss the perfect streaming replacement that arrived earlier this month on Netflix. My Brilliant Career, based on Australian writer Miles Franklin‘s book of the same name, follows headstrong farm girl Sybylla Melvyn (Philippa Northeast) as blossoming romance interrupts her bid for creative and societal freedom.

First adapted in 1979 as a feature film starring Judy Davis and Sam Neill, My Brilliant Career ​​​​​​more than deserves the modern-day Netflix treatment, with the source material considered one of the most important pieces of Australian literature. Not only a hit with audiences, who helped it climb the global streaming ranks, My Brilliant Career has also won over critics, scoring a perfect rating on Rotten Tomatoes and being called “your next streaming obsession” in Carly Lane‘s review for Collider.

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‘Talamasca: The Secret Order’ (2025)

Rotten Tomatoes: 61% | IMDb: 6.5/10

AMC’s version of Anne Rice’s Interview with the Vampire, which first debuted in 2022, has exploded into a huge global hit. In 2025, the third series set in the Immortal Universe arrived following the first spin-off, Mayfair Witches. The series in question is Talamasca: The Secret Order, which is currently available to binge on Netflix in all its supernatural horror glory.

The series follows Talamasca, the titular organization tasked with tracking supernatural beings such as witches, vampires, and werewolves. When new law school graduate Guy Anatole (Nicholas Denton) is recruited to the group, it soon becomes clear that his purpose is much more specific and dangerous than he could’ve ever imagined. An exciting, edge-of-your-seat spy series with plenty of fantastical elements, Talamasca: The Secret Order is an easily bingeable way to enjoy your weekend.

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John Lee Hancock, Anne Rice, Mark Lafferty, Donald Joh

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With The X-Files back in the limelight again following the streaming release of The X-Files: I Want to Believe – Vrach Frankenshteyn, fans are also flocking to some of the franchise leads’ other works, both old and new. Released on Hulu and Disney+ on August 14, 2026, Vrach Frankenshteyn is a director’s cut of the divisive 2008 original The X-Files: I Want to Believe, which restores previously removed horror elements.

Speaking of the franchise leads, Mulder and Scully, portrayed by David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson, respectively, are FBI Special Agents who investigate unsolved cases often revealed to be supernatural or extraterrestrial in nature. The character duo recently reunited in a new series from Dynamite Entertainment set to debut this winter. The project is said to mark The X-Files‘ return to comics in years and will explore previously untold cases that the two agents investigated between episodes of the original TV series.

While we await more release details about The X-Files comics series, one of Duchovny’s underrated sci-fi films seems to be attracting positive attention globally. According to FlixPatrol data, Evolution, released on June 8, 2001, is quietly dominating HBO Max’s global charts, where it currently ranks as the fourth most-watched movie right above the 2017 action fantasy King Arthur: Legend of the Sword. This is a big win for the 44% Rotten Tomatoes film after it failed to meet critics’ and audiences’ expectations when it was originally released. At the time, it grossed only $98.4 million worldwide against an $80 million production budget, but still managed to earn a cult following.

Is ‘Evolution’ Worth Watching?

Directed by Canadian filmmaker Ivan Reitman, Evolution sees Duchovny portray Colonel (Ret.) Dr. Ira Kane, a college science professor and disgraced top-level army researcher. When a large meteor crashes in the Arizona desert, witnessed by aspiring firefighter Wayne Grey, Ira, along with geologist Harry Block, investigate the crash site, discovering that the meteor has landed in a cave and secretes a strange blue liquid. Upon further study, they find that the meteor harbors extraterrestrial life that evolves rapidly and gives new meaning to the term survival of the fittest. David Diamond and David Weissman wrote the alien invasion film, based on a story by Don Jakoby. Orlando Jones, Seann William Scott, Ted Levine, and Julianne Moore also star in lead roles.

Evolution is available to stream on HBO Max. Follow Collider for the latest streaming news.

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Release Date

June 8, 2001

Runtime

101 minutes

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Writers

David Diamond, David Weissman

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Producers

Daniel Goldberg, David Rodgers, Jeff Apple, Joe Medjuck

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‘Fall’ and ‘floral dress’ may sound like opposites, but Halle Berry proves that the right style carries you from August barbecues to October vacations without a wardrobe overhaul. Berry’s summer-to-fall look is secretly on sale for only $20, and when we say it’s selling out, we mean it!

In a 60th birthday appreciation post, Berry glowed in an easy, flowy black maxi dress splashed with orange, brown and white blooms. Bare feet added to her effortless aesthetic. With this Amazon twin, you’ll channel the same energy, whether you pair it with sandals, boots or no shoes at all.

Get the Zeagoo Boho Maxi Dress for $20 (was $40) at Amazon! Please note, prices are accurate at the date of publication but are subject to change.

This Zeagoo Boho Maxi Dress features soft beige florals, drapey fabric and halter straps that lean into the boho spirit that Berry wears so well. The sleeveless design and rounded hemline add to the appeal.

Related: Jennifer Lopez Solved Our Transitional Wardrobe Woes With a $36 Dress Style

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Choosing what to wear from now through November isn’t an easy task, but Jennifer Lopez makes it incredibly simple, wearing a loose, polished shirtdress that stuns with flip-flops, sneakers and booties alike. Somehow, her chic look is only $36! Exploring Italy with her kids, Lopez wore a striped shirtdress with easy sandals and a headband. […]

Better yet, this chic maxi dress is lightweight enough for late-summer heat, but substantial enough to layer under a cardigan once the leaves turn. One happy shopper raved that “the fabric has a really nice weight and softness to it.” They added, “It drapes beautifully and doesn’t cling to the areas I’m more self-conscious about right now.”

Another five-star reviewer pointed out the forgiving cut: “There is room in the tummy apron area for comfort and camouflage! They are not see-through at all, but light enough for warmer weather.”

Throw this dreamy maxi dress on with sandals for brunch, add ankle boots and a denim jacket, or wear it on vacation and let the florals do the work. Berry would approve.

Get the Zeagoo Boho Maxi Dress for $20 (was $40) at Amazon! Please note, prices are accurate at the date of publication but are subject to change.

Looking for something else? Explore more chic dresses, and don’t forget to check out all of Amazon’s Daily Deals for more great finds!

UsNow Summer Sale Alert: These Chic Fashion Finds are over 30% off – Plus Free Shipping

Welcome to summer with our biggest sale of the year. This summer’s chicest dresses, tops and swimsuits are all over 30% + free shipping. Inventory is limited so hurry before they’re gone.

Shop the UsNow Summer Sale –>

Related: I Have Broad Shoulders — These Are the Fall Dress Styles I‘m Wearing

Genetics, daily activities, whatever the cause may be, I stand firmly in the broad-shoulder category. I accept it (and have learned to appreciate it), but shopping for chic seasonal dresses still throws me through a loop . . . until now. I recently cracked the shoulder-flattering code, and I now feel confident in nearly every […]

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