New details have emerged after Preston Gerber‘s death at age 27.

The Santa Monica Police Department tells Us that officers responded to a call regarding a possible overdose at 9:35 am local time on Sunday, September 20. Authorities found an unresponsive adult male at the scene.

“The Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner has identified the individual as Presley Gerber, 27,” the statement continues. “SMPD detectives are investigating the death as a suspected overdose. At this time, there is no indication of foul play. The official cause and manner of death will be determined by the Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner.”

Police emphasize that “the investigation remains ongoing.”

Related: Jason Kennedy and More Celebs React to Presley Gerber’s Sudden Death

Celebrities have shared heartfelt tributes in honor of Cindy Crawford‘s son, Presley Gerber, who died suddenly at age 27. News broke on Sunday, September 20, that Crawford and husband Rande Gerber‘s son died in a rehab facility. A cause of death has yet to be revealed. (An autopsy was scheduled for Monday, September 21.) “The […]

An official cause of death has yet to be revealed, but an autopsy is expected to be completed on Monday, September 21.

The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner released its own statement on Monday, confirming, “The investigation is still ongoing and there is limited information available. Death was pronounced at 09:45 hours on September 20, 2026, by responding paramedics. The Santa Monica Police Department is the investigating law enforcement agency.”

News broke on Sunday that the son of Cindy Crawford and Rande Gerber had died, with his family noting in a statement to Us, “The family is asking for privacy during this very difficult and painful time.”

Presley was in a rehab facility when he died. The model was candid about his battle with substance abuse and other mental health challenges through the years before his sudden death.

“Having struggled with mental health, depression and some other things that come along with that, I think that whether I help one person or a hundred people get out of that place that I was in at one point in my life, that’s all I need to do,” he said during a 2023 appearance on the “Studio 22” podcast.

Related: Celebrity Deaths of 2026: Presley Gerber and More Stars We’ve Lost

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Hollywood mourned the deaths of some of its most legendary stars in 2026. In June, legendary music executive Clive Davis also died at age 94 following a hospitalization for an upper respiratory infection. The following month, G.R.L. member Lauren Bennett died at age 37, while Bonnie Tyler died at 75. Emergency!‘s Randolph Mantooth and Police […]

Presley added: “It’s a huge part of my life. It’s a 24/7 job and there’s so much to it. That’s what I really want to do — help people get out of whether you’re depressed [or] struggling with something that’s having a negative effect on your body. … What I hope I can do is have made the mistakes for some other people, so they don’t have to make the same mistakes that I made.”

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In a recent interview with Vogue, Presley’s sister, Kaia Gerber, discussed how dynamics shifted in their household amid her brother’s struggles.

“When something like that happens in a family, it kind of levels everyone,” she said last month. “I think that’s also why I started to self-identify as the easy one and never wanted to ask for help. Because it felt like too much to have two children who were needing.”

If you or someone you know is struggling with substance abuse, contact the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).

A young mother in Texas was arrested after she allegedly offered to give her 1-month-old son to a stranger at a bus stop and handed over his birth certificate and his Social Security card.

Police said that Karla Ibarra was at a bus stop in downtown San Antonio when she allegedly approached another woman, who has been identified as Jennifer Benavides, and asked to use her phone. Ibarra, 18, then allegedly handed her 1-month-old son over to Benavides.

“Very beautiful baby,” Benavides told KSAT of the incident. “She’s like, ‘Well, do you want him? I’m going to give him away. I’m going to give him to somebody.’”

Benavides claimed that Ibarra then started “handing me his birth certificate, his Medicaid, his Social Security card,” per the outlet.

Benavides said she convinced Ibarra to come with her to one of her friend’s homes so that they could feed and change the baby. The teen allegedly called an Uber, leaving the home and abandoning her son. However, Ibarra was eventually tracked down by police and was arrested.

“It’s upsetting to know that, with even all the resources that we have out there, that somebody would just do this,” Benavides said. “God just put me at the right place and the right time.”

Texas has the Baby Moses Law in place, which allows a parent to anonymously surrender an unharmed newborn who is 60 days old or younger, according to KSAT. The parent will not face criminal penalties as long as the baby is taken to a designated emergency infant care location, which includes fire stations, EMS stations or hospitals.

Following her arrest, Ibarra was charged with abandoning and endangering a child with intent to return. Her bail was set at $7,000.

Child Protective Services has confirmed that Ibarra’s baby had been placed with other relatives following her arrest, per the outlet.

Police have not yet said if Ibarra had a motive in trying to abandon her son.

Related: Woman Pleads Guilty to Killing Baby at Hospital Decades After Body Found

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A woman has pleaded guilty to killing her newborn son at an Air Force hospital nearly 40 years after the baby’s body was discovered. The deceased infant was found wrapped in linens inside a laundry bin at Ponds Laundry in Wichita Falls, Texas, on August 4, 1988, shortly after authorities believe the baby was born. […]

Arthur Villarreal, who works as a valet, told KSAT that he was parking cars nearby when he witnessed Ibarra being arrested.

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“I was walking down the street. The cops had a girl right here sitting on the curb, and there was a baby in a carriage,” Villarreal told the outlet. “I think she was a homeless lady, at that, the woman that got the baby.”

He added that he saw Ibarra calmly leaning against a wall as she talked to officers before she was taken into custody.

It is not currently clear if Ibarra has entered a plea or retained legal counsel following her arrest. The San Antonio Police Department did not immediately respond to Us’ request for comment regarding the case.

Sticks and stones may break Joey King, but words will never hurt her!

The actress has opened up about Hollywood’s culture of criticism and how she’s reached a point where her skin has grown thick to the stinging words, along with an epiphany that her career only stops when she says so.

Joey King is back in the conversation as she played the free-spirited rebel Kylie Owens in the fantasy film “Practical Magic 2,” replacing Evan Rachel Wood, who played the younger version of the famous character in the 1998 flick.

Joey King’s Response To Career Backlash Is ‘What Does It Matter?’

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The media personality, during an appearance on Dax Shepard’s “Armchair Expert” podcast on Monday, September 21, expanded on developing a tough skin against industry criticism.

King agreed that Hollywood has long had a habit of eventually forming a defined feeling toward public perception, and it may not be the most positive.

She stressed that in an era when people have limitless access to see exactly how they are perceived online, it becomes easy to blur the line between what is true and what is not.

However, in her case, she is glad all the comments, no matter their accuracy or the lack thereof, do not translate to her real life. In the media personality’s words:

“I still get hired to do roles I love. I still have a really nice life at home. Then I guess it really doesn’t permeate my space. It’s true, it doesn’t. So what does it matter?”

On the podcast, King explored the controversy behind her casting to fill Wood’s big shoes in the cult classic, which also featured “Game of Thrones” alum Maisie Williams playing Antonia Owens after Alexandra Artrip stepped down. For the sequel, an age-cap shakeup was obvious, and King addressed it.

She admitted that ardent fans of the flick initially struggled with the idea of seeing different actresses play Kylie and Antonia, especially after they have built such a formidable bond with the OG actresses. King reassured listeners that recasting was necessary due to where the sequel finds the characters in their lives.

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King explained that a strong, age-specific storyline from Alice Hoffman’s “The Book of Magic” influenced the sequel. The actress explained that Kylie and Antonia are written as young women who had just graduated college, making their age a focal point in Hoffman’s plot.

Joey King’s Private Gesture To Evan Rachel Wood After Movie Recast Prompted A Telling Reaction

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The Blast noted that King raved about meeting the legendary actress after she took over her iconic role in “Practical Magic 2” for a heartfelt conversation. King’s move came after Wood revealed that she was not carried along on plans for the sequel.

King said in an interview that she contacted Wood and they had a great discussion, showing how supportive Wood is. She praised the actress’ impeccable original portrayal of Kylie, calling it memorable, and expressed gratitude for the chance to play the character as an adult.

For context, Wood was just 11 when she played Kylie in the 1998 smash hit, further testifying to her talent. Wood didn’t hesitate to reciprocate King’s gesture, taking a dig at her former co-stars for not reaching out despite their time together on set.

King’s casting was not the only part of the sequel that caused unending conversations, as her choice of sheer looks for the promo tours also sparked discussion.

As shared by The Blast, King took over London in a Miu Miu black floral lace dress with sheer details.

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The look, styled by Jared Eng, made its way to King’s Instagram and drew thousands of likes and comments, both positive and negative. While some fans praised her ravishing looks and daring wardrobe choice, others disagreed with her decision to show some skin, describing it as a lack of class.

Perhaps the comments did get to Joey, because subsequent photo calls featured her opting for more modest fashion, though it still didn’t stray far from the movie’s romantic concept.

Overall, the talented actress showed off her styling prowess on the red carpet for the sequel’s promotional run, earning accolades for the new era of her appearances.

Joey King Responds To Plastic Surgery Rumors

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The actress got candid last week with Owen Thiele on his “In Your Dreams” podcast about her appearance on the Met Gala carpet earlier this year. She explained that contrary to the overwhelming narrative that she got some facial reconstruction done for the event, it was actually as a result of some extreme diet choices.

“What I did do, I got a spray tan. And then I did a 36-hour fast. No food, nothing but water, which I don’t promote that. I looked busted. And I was like, ‘I gotta do a reset,’” the actress declared, confessing that she drank a lot the weekend before.

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King added that she also got a lymphatic massage and facial the day before the Gala and then another facial massage on the day. The actress took the unending questions about her looks in stride, crediting her efforts and agreeing they paid off.

King opted for a sheer Miu Miu gown adorned with pink and silver sequins placed around strategic cutouts as she walked the hallowed steps of the New York City Metropolitan Museum of Art at fashion’s biggest night. 

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An Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent reportedly shot Wilber Rafael Garcés Perez, a DoorDash delivery driver, on Sunday, September 20.

RELATED: UPDATE: New Details Emerge About Second Minneapolis ICE Shooting Victim As Public Outrage Intensifies (VIDEO)

ICE Agent Reportedly Shoots DoorDash Driver Wilber Rafael Garcés Perez In Texas

An ICE agent shot a DoorDash delivery driver on Sunday as he worked, according to CBS News.

According to Garcés Perez’s lawyer, Kate Lincoln-Goldfinch, he was shot below his neck, in his back, per NewsNation. ICE agents were reportedly looking for the man because they had a deportation order. Wilber is reportedly legally married to a woman with legal status in the U.S., per NPR. The shooting occurred just before 1 p.m. at Anderson Square and Research Boulevard under an overpass.

In addition, his lawyer said that the 28-year-old called his wife right after the shooting to say he’d been shot.

“Even if he did have a final order of removal, he did not deserve to be shot in the back of the neck,” Lincoln-Goldfinch said, adding he “was shot below his neck in his back.”

Garcés Perez’s Attorney Says Wife Was Not Allowed To See Him

Lincoln-Goldfinch told NPR that she and Wilber’s wife were escorted off the property at the Dell Seton Medical Center in Austin while trying to find information about his health status.

“We were told that he was at this hospital, so we came back, and they have run us off the property,” she said. “We have been informed that if he’s in ICE custody, they will decline to confirm that he’s here. And no one has updated her about his status.”

Furthermore, she told NBC News that they were lied to and treated like trespassers.

“We not only were lied to and told that he wasn’t there, but we were thrown off the hospital grounds by several officers who treated us as trespassers,” Lincoln-Goldfinch added. “We are deeply concerned that his wife and family have not been permitted to see him and have not received a meaningful update regarding his current condition or whereabouts…. No one has told me or Wilber’s wife what the treatment was or how he’s doing, and I feel very confident he is in a lot of pain right now as we speak.”

Congressman Greg Casar (D-Texas) called for an independent investigation into the ICE shooting on X.

“The horror has come to our city,” he wrote on X. “ICE has shot a person in Austin this morning. As the facts emerge, I am demanding a full, independent investigation, immediate release of the body camera footage, and accountability for any ICE officer who broke the law. Over and over, ICE has shot people and then lied about what happened. We can see the lies with our own eyes. We will demand truth, transparency and accountability.”

Austin Mayor Kirk Watson reportedly noted that the hospital administrator revealed that Wilber was released into ICE custody.

“A person being shot on the streets of Austin by someone purporting to be law enforcement, particularly when it’s ICE, is something that causes me to be unhappy and angry,” said Watson at a subsequent news conference, per NBC News. “While I’m unhappy and I’m angry about it, I’m not surprised at all.”

Department Of Homeland Security Calls Wilber An “Illegal Alien”

On Monday, September 21, the Department of Homeland Security shared a statement on X following the shooting. Additionally, the statement referred to Wilber as “an illegal alien.” Furthermore, the statement claims that Wilber is in federal custody and in “stable” condition.

“Homeland Security Investigations, with the assistance of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, is leading the investigation into the officer involved shooting of an illegal alien from Venezuela, who illegally entered our country under the Biden administration and had a final order of removal, during a law enforcement operation today in Austin, TX,” it states. “The illegal alien’s condition is stable, and he is in federal custody pending removal. This is a developing situation, and we will update the public when more information becomes available.”

According to CNN, two teenagers were recently beaten by ICE in Alamo, Texas. The boys were reportedly on their way to enlist in the Marines.

RELATED: Prayers Up! Florida Mass Shooting Reportedly Leaves 8 People Shot, 2 Critically Injured As Police Speak Out (DETAILS + VIDEO)

A Florida woman is accused of trying to kill her two autistic sons by overdosing them on medication.

Marilyn Elise Therrell also tried to die by suicide by taking medication during the September 8 incident, the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office said, WOFL-TV reported.

Therrell, 68, of Kissimmee, was charged with two counts of attempted first-degree murder and two counts of aggravated abuse of an elderly or disabled adult on Friday, September 18, according to court records viewed by Us.

Deputies were called to a reported overdose at Therrell’s home on September 8, when they found Therrell, her 30-year-old son, and her 32-year-old son, Florida Today reported. All three family members were taken to a hospital for treatment.

Related: Florida Woman Allegedly Beat Autistic Son for Kissing a Classmate’s Cheek

A woman in Miami, Florida, has been arrested for allegedly beating her autistic son for kissing a classmate’s cheek during school. Authorities responded to the boy’s aftercare program after the coordinator said a teacher noticed his injuries, according to a police report. Police said that the 7-year-old boy had “visible injuries” when he participated in […]

Following Therrell’s release from the hospital on Thursday, September 17, she allegedly revealed what led to the overdoses.

“She admitted that since her husband died last year, it has become harder to take care of her adult sons,” the Osceola County Sheriff’s Department said in a statement to Florida Today. “She admitted to detectives that she purposely overdosed her sons on medication, in an attempt to kill them.”

Her sons were reportedly still hospitalized as of Friday, the day charges were filed against Therrell.

Before investigators spoke with Therrell, they had suspected the overdoses weren’t an accident after collecting evidence at her Kissimmee residence and conducting interviews with a family member and Therrell’s landlord, per WFTV.

Therrell was booked in the Osceola County Jail on Thursday, records viewed by Us show.

She’s being represented by the public defender’s office in Orlando. The office didn’t immediately return a request for comment from Us on Monday, September 21.

Therrell had her initial appearance on Friday, when prosecutors motioned for her pre-trial detention, according to court records. She was ordered to be held in custody.

Related: Woman Arrested After Attempted Murder-Suicide Plot Involving Great-Granddaughter

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A great-grandmother in central Florida was arrested after she was caught carrying out an apparent murder-suicide plot that involved her disabled great-granddaughter. The Volusia County Sheriff’s Office shared in a news release that deputies started looking for Deborah Collier around 4:20 p.m. on Monday, December 29, after her family discovered a suicide note that she […]

Her bond was set at $50,000, jail records viewed by Us show.

The Osceola County Sheriff’s Office said Therrell’s sons were expected to recover from their alleged overdoses, per Florida Today. Following their recoveries, they will be transferred to state custody.

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Authorities didn’t publicly share the names of her sons.

Osceola County is located south of Orlando, in the Orlando metropolitan area.

If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 or chat at 988lifeline.org.

Princess Diana’s brother, Charles Spencer, made sure to give nephews Prince William and Prince Harry a heads-up about his personal new book.

“I told them at the same time. … I can say that Harry is completely fine about it,” Spencer, 62, told People in an interview published Monday, September 21. “He said, I hope there’s nothing embarrassing about him in it. I said, ‘There isn’t.’”

In his new memoir, Swan Song: Diana, My Sister, Spencer explores his tensions with former brother-in-law King Charles, his bond with Princess Diana and her struggles living in the public eye before her death.

Spencer believes some family members were concerned about “where I was going up to with the book.”

Related: Princess Diana’s Brother Claims He’s Being ‘Gaslit’ by King Charles Over Book

Princess Diana’s brother, Charles Spencer, is publicly addressing former brother-in-law King Charles III’s rare response to his book accusations. “Well, it’s not every day you’re gaslit by a king, but I was really upset with that because I thought it was very, not only condescending, but not straight,” Spencer, 62, told ABC News’ Maggie Rulli […]

“It pretty much ends in 1997 with Diana’s death, and there’s a tiny postscript by the grave. So I think there was this, ‘Gosh, what’s he written about?’ And I think it’s natural that people so in the public eye are concerned how they will come across in the book,” Spencer shared. “But I could reassure both of them that they’re of course in the book, but really as examples of two little boys who had the most exceptional mother. I’m not in any way compromising their privacy at all.”

Spencer also admitted that he was concerned about how William, 44, and Harry, 42, would regard his portrayal of their father.

“Yeah, that was a concern,” he shared. “I mean, I don’t want this to sound loaded, but there was an awful lot I could have put in, and I didn’t. If I wanted to write a scandalous book about Prince Charles or King Charles as he is now, it would really be a jaw-dropper, but I’m not here to do that.”

Although Swan Song is expected to provide one of the most intimate, loving and honest portraits of Princess Diana, Spencer said he kept many of the details surrounding his book private.

In fact, Spencer’s own sisters Lady Sarah McCorquodale and Lady Jane Fellowes didn’t know about the project until later on.

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Related: Princess Diana’s Brother Shares Emotional Message 29 Years After Her Death

Princess Diana‘s brother, Charles Spencer, paid tribute to the late royal on the 29th anniversary of her tragic death. “31 August. My least favourite day,” Spencer, 62, wrote via Instagram on Monday, August 31, sharing a photo of a flag flying at half-staff over Diana’s childhood home at Althorp House in the U.K. Diana died […]

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“When I told them, I think they were very surprised. They hadn’t seen it coming,” he shared. “I explained to them, ‘It’s a pure celebration of our sister.’ They’re still digesting it, actually. I think they’ll wait to see what it’s like when it comes out. But they are very different personalities, I would say. One of them is very, very shy, a private person, a wonderful person, but very, very quiet in a quiet world, but very amusing if you met her. Great fun. And the other one is quite a handful of energy and vibrancy and everything.”

Spencer continued, “I think they were hurt that I hadn’t told them, to be honest. … They’re totally innocent parties in this. This is very much a brother’s view.”

Swan Song: Diana, My Sister is available starting Tuesday, September 22.

Mike Flanagan is in the business of empathy. Film and television’s leading purveyor of terror understands that the best horror anchors itself in the personal. It’s a genre that projects collective fears onto metaphorical monsters, and the most lingering nightmares emerge from the horrors of being human in a world shaped by human cruelties. Whether it’s generational trauma or familial grief, Flanagan’s character-driven dramas use the fundamental shape of a classic ghost story to its maximum effect — they dazzle with atmospheric visuals and emotionally devastate.

Midnight Mass, his third collaboration with Netflix, might as well be considered a miracle. After several failed attempts to bring his long-term passion project to life, Flanagan settled for sneaking the title into his films as an inside joke about “the best project I’ll never make.” Midnight Mass was always as personal as a profusely bleeding wound; the writer-director shaped the concept around his small-town Catholic upbringing and his experiences with alcoholism and sobriety. In 2021, the seven-episode miniseries felt like the pinnacle toward which Flanagan’s sublime craft had been escalating. Five years later, it remains his magnum opus — a foreboding symphony of existential melancholy and exceptional beauty, equally impressive for its sheer scale and its intimate interrogation of institutionalized religion and human fragility.

What Is ‘Midnight Mass’ About?

Ever since an oil spill ruined their local economy, Crockett Island has become a living ghost town. Instead of offering quiet comforts, the isolated fishing village feels abandoned by time and ruled by uncertainty. It’s also the only place Riley Flynn (Zach Gilford) can try to rebuild his shattered life. Four years after his inebriated driving caused a woman’s death, he returns to his childhood home like a literal prodigal son; he’s not the only lost soul who’s haunted by regret and grief, but being an atheist in the devoutly Catholic town complicates his already unsettled homecoming.

Riley isn’t the only semi-newcomer who defies Crockett Island’s expectations. Father Paul Hill (Hamish Linklater) replaces the parish’s ill Monsignor and revives the community with his disarmingly approachable charisma — especially once he starts conducting what they interpret as Biblical miracles. As the priest feeds their hunger for hope, his unexpected presence incites far more moral damnation than it does eternal salvation.

‘Midnight Mass’ Is Mike Flanagan at His Most Visceral and Intimate

Midnight Mass is the most coherently realized and profoundly wrenching of Flanagan’s endeavors, largely because it thrums with his personalized hallmarks. His team crafts a pure Gothic folk horror fraught with religious menace, something both graceful and dreadful at once. Whether cinematographer Michael Fimognari salts the earth with cinematically gruesome set pieces or sets momentous montages to Neil Diamond songs, the technical sophistication is marvelous to behold. Production designer Steve Arnold creates an entire island from scratch, one that fits the required moody aesthetics, yet in its recognizably worn-down details, pulses with nostalgic life.

The acting troupe Flanagan assembles is also nothing short of exceptional, from Gilford’s arrestingly vulnerable anguish, Erin Greene (Kate Siegel) emerging as the emotional centerpiece, and the mesmerizing Sheriff Hasan (Rahul Kohli), a widowed single father and practicing Muslim with the wisest words about theological practices. All jokes about Hot Priests aside, Linklater’s subtle work is the series’ biggest revelation. Paul’s determined conviction, desperate rationalizations, and soothing gentleness reels in characters and viewers alike until we’re clinging to his every hypnotic word.

It wouldn’t be a Mike Flanagan project without his curiosity about the human condition, either. His thematic preoccupations have never been as relevant or harmonious; ornate Catholic rituals, vampire iconography, addiction and recovery, shame, redemption, corruption, and personal accountability parallel with ease. This series’ true meat and potatoes lie in the characters’ one-on-one conversations about the unanswerable mysteries with which we all grapple. There are few sinner-saint caricatures during these poetic interludes — only Flanagan’s intricate character work as he forces his wonderfully foible ensemble to reckon with the agony of living.

And in an existence without clarity, religion can provide solace. A communal environment rooted in the creeds of compassion and forgiveness — loving thy neighbor as thyself — can be a beautiful antidote to humanity’s worst impulses. When good intentions pave the road to hell, or self-righteous proselytizers weaponize texts into a justification for their bigotry, then it becomes an arena for destructive hatred. Flanagan recognizes, with bone-chilling intuition, how the church is just as capable of being hallowed ground and a source of harrowing trauma. For those who were raised sitting in pews in front of pulpits, who have actively deconstructed evangelical fundamentalism and wrestled through our perspectives on faith, Flanagan’s masterpiece re-opens old scars. Midnight Mass‘ foundations are too painstakingly potent to dissolve into saccharine, but it does offer a bittersweet catharsis: if we’re all lost at sea, then tending to one another as the world ends is both the least and greatest thing we can do.

New details have emerged about the medical emergency that left Carrot Top hospitalized and forced the cancellation of several performances at his longtime Las Vegas residency. The comedian, whose real name is Scott Thompson, reportedly suffered a suspected overdose involving prescription medication before he was transported from his home to a hospital on Friday.

Emergency Crews Responded To Carrot Top’s Las Vegas Home

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The Clark County Fire Department told TMZ that emergency crews responded to Thompson’s Las Vegas residence at approximately 4:20 p.m. on Friday. The emergency call reportedly described a 61-year-old man as “not alert.”

A City of Las Vegas ambulance and a private ambulance both responded to the residence. Thompson’s condition was not known at the scene, and he was ultimately transported to a hospital by the private ambulance.

The Suspected Overdose Has Not Been Officially Confirmed

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Sources familiar with the investigation told TMZ that Thompson took prescription medication before suffering what authorities suspected was an overdose. No details have been publicly released about the medication reportedly involved, the amount taken, or whether toxicology testing confirmed an overdose. The reported cause therefore remains preliminary and has not been independently confirmed by Thompson’s representative or medical team.

Although TMZ previously characterized the incident as a suicide attempt, Thompson’s representative has not publicly confirmed the circumstances behind his hospitalization. His team has only confirmed that he remains under medical care and is improving.

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Thompson’s representative provided an encouraging update Sunday, revealing that the longtime Las Vegas performer had regained consciousness. He “remains hospitalized and under close medical care. He is now awake, breathing on his own and continuing to improve, surrounded by his family and those closest to him,” the representative told TMZ.

His Friday, Saturday, and Monday night performances at the Luxor Hotel and Casino were canceled while he continued receiving treatment. It remains unclear when Thompson will be discharged or when he might be cleared to return to the stage.

Carrot Top Faced A Separate Legal Dispute Before His Hospitalization

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News of Thompson’s medical emergency arrived amid a contentious legal dispute involving singer Brian Evans. As The Blast previously reported, Thompson’s legal team accused Evans of requesting $500,000 while indicating that sexually explicit material involving the comedian could be submitted to a public court docket.

The filing reportedly included an email in which Evans discussed placing the material on a USB drive and submitting it with a court motion. “Given the existing posture of the case and the coverage already in print, I expect the press will report the motion and will use its own imagination about what the USB is,” Evans wrote.

Evans maintained that he was describing the potential consequences of making material part of a public filing, not threatening Thompson. “That is a foreseeable fact about third-party reporting of a public docket. It is not a threat,” he wrote.

Evans also said he does “not control the public docket” and does “not control the press.”

Thompson’s attorneys said, “This is not settlement communication. On its face it is a malicious threat to expose Thompson to disgrace, and to expose a secret affecting him, with intent thereby to extort money under the guise of litigation conduct.”

After news broke, Evans spoke to the Daily Mail, claiming, “I never threatened, ever, to post any video anywhere in exchange for a settlement.”

Carrot Top’s Representative Points To Evans’ Litigation History

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Thompson’s representative, Jami Schlicher, cited a separate federal court ruling involving Evans when responding to the allegations.

“A federal court recently declared Mr. Evans a ‘vexatious litigant’ and described his filings as ‘serial’ and ‘spurious,’” Schlicher said. “In dismissing one of his cases with prejudice, the court went even further, stating: ‘It appears this entire case is designed to harass Defendants.’ The court’s findings and Mr. Evans’s litigation record speak for themselves.”

If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, call or text 988 or visit 988lifeline.org

Beyond the Gates spoilers kicking off September 21st where we will see Dani Dupree (Karla Mosley) arrested for breaking and entering and Heather Armstrong (Ashley Jones) making truly terrifying threats.

Let’s dive into what is happening the two weeks September 21st through October 2nd where we’re going to see Bill Hamilton (Timon Kyle Durrett) in the hospital and Vernon Dupree (Clifton Davis), Anita Dupree (Tamara Tunie), and Andre Richardson (Sean Freeman) all outraged.

Beyond the Gates Spoilers: Dani Stuns Naomi

Monday, September 21st on Beyond the Gates. Randy Parker (Maurice P. Kerry) confides in Izaiah Hawthorne (David Lami Friebe) that he is in his debt. And I wonder if this is about Izaiah getting Deanna McBride (Angela Fairley) to head back to college.

Randy really wants Deanna away from Joey Armstrong (Jon Lindstrom). He is worried about Doug McBride’s (Jason Graham) daughter. Dani is hit with a stunning realization after Bill collapses and he’s on Dani’s couch. She’s shouting his name. Dani calls 911.

Bill is rushed to the hospital and Dani is frantic. And then something dawn on her about Bill’s health issues and Dani tells Naomi Hamilton Hawthorne (Arielle Prepetit), “I think I know why your father’s health has been deteriorating.” And Naomi asked Dani, “What is it?” and she tells Naomi not a what but a who. Andre is defending his marriage on Monday.

This may be about the ongoing Bill issues or it could be from Heather who is busy trying to get Andre in her bed and to cheat on Dani. Nicole Dupree Richardson (Daphnee Duplaix) joins Madison Montgomery (Kenjah McNeil) as they try to help Chelsea Hamilton (Rhonni Rose Mantilla). There is a lot going on.

BTG Spoilers: Chelsea Terrified

Chelsea was freaked out by Allison calling her from prison. Chelsea and Kat Richardson (Colby Muhammad) are at odds professionally. And Chelsea wants to tread softly, but Kat wants to go big. Chelsea thinks generating too much publicity could draw attention to the Takahashi Sweat Shop rumors, but Kat thinks the real reason Chelsea wants to fly under the radar is because of Allison.

Nicole may work with Madison to help Chelsea. And of course, she’s navigating through this fear and trying to get back to work. Heather outmaneuvers Joey. Next week, Heather gets Joey’s attention in a bad way when he finds Vanessa McBride (Lauren Buglioli) and Heather chatting at Uptown. And Joey asks Vanessa and Heather, “What are we talking about?” And Heather says, “Doug McBride.” Also, a big secret is revealed to Ted Richardson (Keith D. Robinson). And I do suspect Andre may tell Ted the whole ugly truth about Heather.

Beyond the Gates Spoilers: Chelsea Shaken by Secrets

Tuesday, September 22nd on Beyond the Gates, Madison’s secrets shake up Chelsea. So, she’s going to find out something about her fiancée, Madison, and it is nothing that Chelsea was expecting to hear and takes her by surprise. Jacob goes to see Nicole to talk about his case. Jacob told Naomi last week, they’re not husband and wife.

They’re cop and lawyer while they’re working. So, looks like Jacob wants advice on either the case itself or on keeping his marriage safe while they are at odds. So Dani wants proof and she is on a mission. She sneaks into Bill and Hayley Lawson (Marquita Goings)’s house looking for evidence. Dani moves a painting aside and opens the safe and says, “Let’s see what we’ve got.”

She may be looking for an insurance policy, a prenuptual agreement, or, you know, some arsenic. Bill takes Caroline into his confidence. And this may be about Bill’s fear that he’s dying. Or he may tell Caroline about Hayley’s lies and chicanery. Speaking of, Naomi makes an unexpected proposal to Hayley. I bet money. She’s trying to set up Hayley to get the goods on her to prove she is to blame for Bill’s health problems.

BTG Spoilers: Smitty Going Down?

Wednesday, September 23rd on Beyond the Gates. Jacob Hawthorne (Jibre Hordges) and Naomi worry it could be too late to save someone they love. So, we’ll see if the evidence against Michael “Smitty” Smith (Mike Manning) in Lia Whitmore (Cecelia Specht)’s death is so convincing that Jacob may have to arrest Smitty. Also, Vanessa unintentionally distresses Andre with news about Heather.

So, I wonder if Vanessa tells Andre Heather just bought Uptown and that she is also house hunting. That could be what inspires Andre to meet with the only person in the DMV more dangerous than Heather. And we’ll see Joey having a back alley meeting with Andre. He shows Joey a phone and Andre tells Joey, “Whatever you decide to do with that phone, just make sure Dani stays out of it.” So clearly Andre’s desperate.

Dani’s not holding back. So it sounds like Hayley bust Dani rifling through their house and she may accuse Hayley of making Bill sick and then Hayley’s going to turn the table. So, I expect her to call the cops on Dani for breaking and entering and getting into their safe.

Chelsea confronts Bill, maybe about him not being honest about his health or about Hayley having Dani arrested. Martin Richardson (Brandon Claybon) discovers a smoking gun. So, I wonder if this is proof to support Hayley’s accusation that Dani broke into their place.

BTG Spoilers: Martin is Beside Himself

Thursday, September 24th on Beyond the Gates. Martin Richardson (Brandon Claybon) leans on Ted. Smitty’s case looks dire. So Martin may be looking for comfort from his dad, Ted, as he worries about his husband.

Dana “Leslie” Thomas (Trisha Mann-Grant) the bearer of bad news to Anita and Vernon. I’m sure she’s pleased to tell them about Dani’s arrest. Vernon and Anita confront Dani in front of Andre at her house. And Vernon asks, “Why were you at a police station all night?”

And Anita ask, “And why did we have to hear about it from Leslie?” Andre cannot believe what he hears. The fact that Dani was hauled out of Bill’s house after just reassuring him Andre’s her priority is a lot. Bill gets a bitter pill to swallow from Jacob and Hayley enlists Tomas’s help.

Beyond the Gates Spoilers: Leslie Stunned & Andre Rattled

Then Friday, September 25th on Beyond the Gates, a pair of exes have a very candid talk and it might be Ted and Leslie because Ted asked Leslie, “Don’t you want something real?” And then Leslie asked Ted if he thinks she’s capable of being a good woman. I don’t think so. Leslie puts her money where her mouth is that same day.

And also Andre is rattled by an impatient Heather. She may threaten Andre if she doesn’t get what she wants. Naomi’s news shocks Chelsea. So Naomi may tell Chelsea what Dani suspects about Hayley or that their mom Dani was arrested. Hayley gives an ominous warning, maybe to Bill, maybe to Dani, or maybe to Randy that people are on to her. Plus, Kat is fed up with Tomas, and Isaiah’s plans for Eva Thomas (Ambyr Michelle) are interrupted.

BTG Spoilers: Couple Swap Ahead?

So, I still feel like there is a couple swap coming. September 28th through October 2nd on Beyond the Gates. Bill may assume Dani is into him after her concern when he collapsed and the fact that she broke into his and Hayley’s home. I do expect Bill to force Hayley to drop the charges against Dani. Andre has a rough go of it and it’s just a lot.

Heather’s obsession, Dani’s apparent obsession with Bill. Dani and Bill’s daughters, Chelsea and Naomi, will likely join their mom’s quest to out Hayley as an attempted murderer. I also expect Vernon and Anita’s concerns will grow about Dani’s recent rash actions with the break-in at Bill and her winding up in handcuffs. Heather loses patience with the Smitty situation and also the repeated rejections from Andre.

Unless Joey deals with Heather, she may do something really bad soon. Leslie is probably going to be difficult with the upcoming Articulettes project. And Eva may lose patience with Isaiah over his friendship with Kat, which she feels is crossing lines, and Tomas and Eva may share their concerns with each other.

Smitty is going to try and figure out what to do about the Impaler, aka Heather, targeting him with this murder setup, and Smitty is going to be even more desperate to out their identity and shut them down.

One of the easiest ways to waste this decade of movies is to let language decide what gets watched. Seriously. Some of the sharpest romances, ugliest moral questions, strangest mysteries, and most devastating family stories since 2020 have arrived from outside Hollywood, and several of them make the usual awards-season prestige movie feel painfully safe by comparison. Subtitles are doing a lot less work than the filmmakers are.

And these six are miles apart from one another. That range is exactly why international cinema feels so alive right now. And while I don’t plan to jump into this one in the list below, if you’re interested in Bollywood movies, don’t miss Main Vaapas Aunga if it’s available to stream in your region. But let’s get to proper international releases of the 2020s so far, and here are six of them, ranked.

6

‘The Worst Person in the World’ (2021)

Image via NEON

Julie (Renate Reinsve) keeps changing her mind about what her life is supposed to look like. Medicine becomes psychology, psychology becomes photography, relationships shift, and adulthood keeps arriving without providing the certainty everybody promised it would. The Worst Person in the World divides that mess into twelve chapters, plus a prologue and epilogue, without pretending Julie’s contradictions can be tidied into a simple coming-of-age lesson.

The famous sequence where Oslo appears to freeze while Julie runs across the city toward Eivind (Herbert Nordrum) captures the movie beautifully. It is romantic, selfish, impulsive, and completely understandable at the same time. Her relationship with older comic-book artist Aksel (Anders Danielsen Lie) carries a different weight because love and compatibility gradually stop meaning the same thing. Joachim Trier lets Julie be funny, frustrating, affectionate, avoidant, and occasionally awful without turning her into a problem the screenplay needs to solve. That honesty is why the movie connects so strongly with anyone who has ever reached adulthood and thought, wait, this is the part where I am supposed to know what I am doing?

5

‘Decision to Leave’ (2022)

Image via CJ Entertainment

Detective Hae-jun (Park Hae-il) investigates the death of a man who fell from a mountain, and the dead man’s widow, Seo-rae (Tang Wei), quickly becomes the person he cannot stop observing. Decision to Leave begins as a murder investigation and gradually becomes something much stranger, where surveillance starts resembling intimacy and professional curiosity becomes nearly impossible to separate from attraction.

Park Chan-wook makes that obsession tactile. Hae-jun watches Seo-rae from across the city and mentally places himself beside her. Translation apps become part of flirtation because language itself keeps creating tiny distances between them. Mountains, fog, wallpaper patterns, photographs, and the sea keep sliding into the mystery without feeling like clues placed there for a clever reveal. Even Hae-jun’s insomnia becomes useful because this is a man already accustomed to living slightly outside ordinary life. The romance is sexy precisely because it is so restrained. Nobody needs to tear their clothes off for the room to feel dangerous.

4

‘I’m Still Here’ (2024)

Image via Sony Pictures Releasing

Before politics crashes through the front door, the Paiva household feels wonderfully alive. Children run in and out, friends visit, music plays, people argue, the beach is nearby, and family photographs keep capturing ordinary happiness. Then Rubens Paiva (Selton Mello) is taken away by agents of Brazil’s military dictatorship, and I’m Still Here stays with the wife and children who are expected to continue living while the state refuses to tell them what happened.

Eunice Paiva (Fernanda Torres) becomes the center without being transformed into some clean inspirational symbol. She has children to protect, questions nobody will answer, money to think about, and the maddening requirement to remain functional while government intimidation keeps invading private life. Walter Salles makes the earlier warmth essential because the loss is measured against all those noisy dinners and casual afternoons that came before it. The family camera becomes especially affecting for that reason. Pictures keep insisting these people had whole lives outside the political violence inflicted on them. That is what makes the film hurt. History arrives in textbooks as dates and regimes. Here, it enters a house and leaves an empty chair.

3

‘Anatomy of a Fall’ (2023)

Image via Neon

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Samuel (Samuel Theis) is found dead beneath the family’s Alpine home, and suspicion lands on his wife, Sandra Voyter (Sandra Hüller). From there, Anatomy of a Fall does something far more interesting than asking whether she pushed him. Their marriage gets hauled into court, translated into arguments, recordings, resentments, career jealousy, parenting decisions, and fragments that suddenly have to mean something definitive to strangers.

The details are painfully specific. Samuel had been blasting an instrumental version of 50 Cent’s “P.I.M.P.” before his death, and the song later becomes part of the courtroom’s attempt to reconstruct the atmosphere inside the house. A recorded marital argument is dissected as if one ugly conversation can explain years between two people. Their visually impaired son Daniel (Milo Machado-Graner) is forced to process his parents through testimony he was never supposed to hear, while Snoop the dog somehow becomes involved in one of the film’s most tense stretches. The genius of the movie is how quickly curiosity becomes judgment. You start weighing evidence like a juror, then realize how absurdly confident people become when handed incomplete access to somebody else’s marriage.

2

‘The Zone of Interest’ (2023)

Image via A24

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Rudolf Höss (Christian Friedel) lives with his wife Hedwig (Sandra Hüller) and their children in a comfortable home with a garden, servants, flowers, a swimming area, and Auschwitz on the other side of the wall. The Zone of Interest understands that showing less can force the viewer to confront more. The family treats the camp as workplace, neighbor, and source of opportunity while screams, gunshots, machinery, and trains continue beyond their domestic routine.

That separation is horrifying because the Höss family is not shown behaving as if they inhabit a horror film. Hedwig is proud of the life they have built. Children play. Clothes are tried on. Plants are discussed. Work promotions create family complications. Meanwhile, the soundtrack keeps telling you what their comfort requires. Jonathan Glazer refuses the relief of allowing atrocity to become spectacle you can look at and then emotionally file away. The garden is beautiful. That is the problem. The wall is right there. They know exactly what is behind it, and breakfast still needs to be served. Few films this decade have made ordinary domestic behavior feel so morally sickening.

1

‘Drive My Car’ (2021)

Image via Bitters End

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Yūsuke Kafuku (Hidetoshi Nishijima) is a theater actor and director carrying a complicated grief when he travels to Hiroshima to stage Uncle Vanya. Festival rules require him to use a driver, so the beloved red Saab 900 he normally drives himself is handed over to Misaki Watari (Tōko Miura), a quiet young woman with her own history of loss. Drive My Car runs for almost three hours and somehow makes long drives, cassette recordings, rehearsals, and pauses in conversation feel more gripping than plenty of thrillers.

The theatrical process is fascinating in itself. Kafuku casts performers speaking different languages, including Japanese, Mandarin, Korean Sign Language, and others, then has them repeat Chekhov’s text almost mechanically until meaning begins emerging through rhythm rather than theatrical flourish. Outside rehearsal, Oto’s recorded voice continues reading lines through the Saab’s speakers, meaning Kafuku literally drives around with the voice of his dead wife occupying the empty seat beside him. Misaki gradually becomes the one person who can share that silence without trying to fix him. Ryusuke Hamaguchi never rushes their connection because grief does not operate on screenplay time. When Drive My Car finally opens emotionally, it feels enormous precisely because the film spent so long listening first.

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Drive My Car

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Release Date

November 24, 2021

Runtime

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179 minutes

Director

Ryusuke Hamaguchi

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Writers

Takamasa Oe, Ryusuke Hamaguchi

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