Entertainment
Millie Bobby Brown Celebrated 22nd Birthday, David Harbour Attends
Millie Bobby Brown
David Harbour’s No ‘Stranger’ Despite Show Wrapping …
Attends Her Birthday
Published
Millie Bobby Brown brought out some close friends and family together for an intimate birthday party … and, if those David Harbour rift rumors weren’t dead before, they certainly should be now.
The actress turned 22 earlier this week … and the party raged at Maison Close in the Soho district of New York City Friday night, where our sources say the group congregated into the early Saturday morning hours.
Millie and her man Jake Bongiovi looked like the toppers of a wedding cake … with Millie in a chic white dress — while holding what looks like a Union Jack, the UK’s flag, and Jake dressed up in a thick black coat and white dress shirt with a frilled collar.
Among the other attendees were Millie’s mom and grandparents, reality stars Whitney and Conner Leavitt, director Shawn Levy, “Stranger Things” villain Jamie Campbell Bower … and, Harbour, who we’re told arrived early and exited late in the evening.
Harbour kept a low profile in a black baseball cap … but that coat and thick beard are instantly recognizable.
As you know … rumors that MBB filed a bullying and harassment claim against Harbour swirled right before the release of “Stranger Things” season 5 — rumors Brown repeatedly denied.
The two were all smiles at red carpet events for the show … and Millie later said she felt more comfortable and safe while acting with Harbour.
“Stranger Things” is over … but it looks like this friendship will never end!
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Punch the Monkey
Ape Expert Says He Needs a Real Mom!!!
Published
TMZ.com
A baby Japanese macaque named Punch has gone viral for capturing hearts around the world — after his mother neglected him at birth and led him to find comfort in a stuffed monkey … but according to one expert we spoke to, he will eventually need a living, loving mom in his life.
We spoke with Michael Stern — a Harvard-trained primatologist with decades of experience studying gorillas both in captivity and in the wild in Uganda — who tells us every primate needs something to love when they’re a baby, and they need to be loved … just like us humans!
Sterns tells us it’s been scientifically proven that just about every mammal out there has the same basic emotions as a human, and every baby needs something to put that loving emotion toward … he says, “To me, it’s kind of sad that what he had was this stuffed animal.”
He continues to emphasize the importance of how the baby would usually need to be raised by its mother in the natural environment, where it’s going to have all the stimuli that a mother would give … and it’s never going to get the same from a human or toy, as it would get from its mom.
Michael tells us … “I think people are right to feel a little bit sad when they see him running to a stuffed animal for for comfort” but that it’s actually beneficial to him that he is in the midst of a big troop of other monkeys and — according to Stern — he thinks as Punch grows up, he will be able to integrate himself into the social atmosphere.
In terms of people online like Andrew Tate and his brother Tristan, who have publicly offered to buy Punch off of the zoo, Stern tells us it’s not necessarily the zoo’s fault, but there are some ways these folks can put their money where their mouth is.
Stern calls to Punch’s fans to remember when you watch these videos online — that might just be a minute of either happiness or sadness — for the animals, that’s their entire life and we must do our part to support our animal buddies.
The ape expert points out if you look at the video, these monkeys are living on concrete and don’t really have that much grass or any real trees to climb. So the folks who are saying we should buy them out and rescue them, maybe they should be thinking bigger picture.
Michael works for the New Nature Foundation — an organization he’s part of that is looking to stop deforestation in Africa through a variety of new technologies — so for those touched by Punch’s story, they can make a difference by helping donate to the cause.
James Van Der Beek’s sudden death at 48 left Hollywood stunned, and it sparked a wave of generosity few could ignore.
Within days, a GoFundMe created for his widow and six children crossed $2.6 million. Big names opened their wallets, and fans followed.
However, as the total climbed, so did the questions. Why would a recognizable TV star need public donations? The answer, it turns out, is far more layered than many critics assumed.
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James Van Der Beek’s Fundraiser Drew Major Hollywood Support
The GoFundMe for James Van Der Beek’s family quickly became a rallying point for the industry.
Steven Spielberg contributed $25,000. Zoe Saldaña pledged $2,500 a month, while Jon M. Chu gave $10,000. Lyn Lear also donated $5,000. Others, including Julie Plec, Ricki Lake, and Lydia Hearst, also generously chipped in.
The fundraiser’s rapid rise to more than $2.6 million underscored Van Der Beek’s stature in Hollywood.
After losing his three-year fight with colorectal cancer on Feb. 11, colleagues and friends clearly wanted to ease the burden on his family.
To many, the donations were a sign of love and appreciation for an actor who had worked steadily for decades.
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Van Der Beek’s GoFundMe Sparked Online Backlash
Still, not everyone felt comfortable with the campaign. Some online commenters questioned why a star of “Dawson’s Creek” would need financial help.
One critic wrote, “This doesn’t sit right with me. Not at all. Sure, I get it. But thousands of people around the world face this exact situation every day and deal with the struggle.” They added, “He had to have had life insurance … and residual checks.”
The criticism grew louder after reports suggested that James Van Der Beek had secured a down payment on a Texas ranch shortly before his death.
That fueled speculation that he had more money than people realized.
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However, actor Mehcad Brooks pushed back forcefully, writing, “You have no idea wtf you’re talking about. You have no idea the pain they went through. It’s ok to stfu when you can’t know what the f-ck you’re talking about.”
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James Van Der Beek Was Famous But Not Ultra-Wealthy
While Van Der Beek became a household name playing Dawson Leery, early TV contracts were rarely lucrative for young actors.
At the start of his career, he was reportedly paid modestly. According to a Warner Bros insider, every actor cast for “Dawson’s Creek” was unknown at the time.
“Katie Holmes was cast from a home video on her kitchen counter. I can’t imagine James had any points,” they said.
However, salaries increased over time, possibly reaching six figures per episode in later seasons, but residual deals in that era were often limited.
In an interview with Today, Van Der Beek admitted, “There was no residual money,” adding, “I was 20. It was a bad contract.”
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After “Dawson’s Creek” ended in 2003, he stayed busy. He appeared in “Don’t Trust the B—— In Apartment 23,” “CSI: Cyber,” and “Pose,” and acted in films like “Varsity Blues” and “The Rules of Attraction.”
Van Der Beek also competed on “Dancing With the Stars” and even voiced Boris on “Vampirina.”
These jobs kept him visible, but they did not come with blockbuster-level paydays.
Inside Van Der Beek’s Costly Medical Battle
After James Van Der Beek’s diagnosis in 2023, he qualified for SAG insurance, which likely covered much of his traditional cancer treatment.
However, insurance typically does not cover alternative therapies, and according to reports, the Hollywood star pursued both.
Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, a family friend shared, “It was a lot of ups and downs these past few years.”
The friend noted that in Van Der Beek’s last year, the actor tried everything to survive, including attempting the holistic route and traveling out for other options, even if they cost thousands of dollars.
“He really wanted to live and had a lot to live for. He fought really, really hard,” they added.
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Even so, Van Der Beek remained hopeful. During an interview, he revealed that he knew from the start that he would turn the experience into something positive.
“When I heard the news,” he said during a 2025 “Today” interview, “I was like, ‘This is going to be the best thing that’s ever happened to me.’”
Van Der Beek added that a voice told him, “‘You’re going to make changes in your life that you would never, ever make if you didn’t have this extreme of a diagnosis, and it’s going to add healthy, happy years to your life.’”
James Van Der Beek And Kimberly Renew Their Vows
Van Der Beek’s widow, Kimberly, is devastated by his death. However, shortly before he died, the pair reassured each other of their undying love.
As reported by The Blast, the couple renewed their wedding vows just days before he died, creating a deeply emotional moment that family and friends have shared publicly.
According to the report, they held an intimate ceremony in their bedroom at their Texas ranch, deciding just two days beforehand to mark their commitment again with new rings, candles, flowers, and loved ones nearby.
Kimberly revealed that friends helped organize the “simple and beautiful” event from their bed, and some guests even joined via Zoom as an instrumentalist played music, including “Somewhere Over the Rainbow.”
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That final act of love and commitment stood as a poignant tribute to their 15-year marriage and the life they built together.
Entertainment
Rebecca Gayheart breaks silence on death of husband Eric Dane with collection of family photos
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After filing for divorce in 2018, Gayheart had it dismissed in March 2025, just weeks before Dane made his ALS diagnosis public.
This week, videos of Shia LaBeouf cuttin’ up in the streets of New Orleans circulated on social media. Mardi Gras was last Tuesday (Feb. 17), so the city has been lit. However, the actor’s behavior landed him in hot water with the local law. In addition to coming to blows with bar patrons, police now claim Shia was using homophobic slurs, too.
— Shia LaBeouf (@thecampaignbook) February 15, 2026
RELATED: Shia LaBeouf Arrested In Georgia For Disorderly Conduct And Public Drunkenness
Shia LaBeouf Charged In Connection To NOLA Fight
After his physical tussling, local law charged Shia LaBeouf with two counts of simple battery. Additionally, police are accusing him of repeatedly using homophobic slurs while hitting multiple people at a New Orleans bar during Mardi Gras. These are details from a police report on the incident, obtained by the Associated Press through a public records request.
The New Orleans police report states that 39-year-old LaBeouf “became irate and aggressive throughout the night.” He allegedly struck multiple people with a closed fist at the Royal Street Inn & R Bar, near the historic French Quarter. He was eventually arrested.
On Tuesday, a New Orleans magistrate judge ordered Shia LaBeouf to be released from custody without a bond requirement, according to Orleans Parish Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Gary Scheets. In the early morning hours of Feb. 18, LaBeouf wrote “Free me” on his X account.
Free me
— Shia LaBeouf (@thecampaignbook) February 18, 2026
Man Who Actor Allegedly Attacked Describes Incident To Police
Jeffrey Damnit is a well-known local entertainer. Police identified him as Jeffrey Klein in the incident report. He claimed to be one of the people Shia attacked.
“He hit me, he connected a few times with punches, he pushed me a few times,” Damnit said.
LaBeouf “just got nuts” trying to start fights and telling the entertainer and others that he would beat them up, Damnit said. He added that LaBeouf had pushed him from behind at the bar earlier in the night, shouting homophobic slurs and threatening his life. At the time, Damnit was wearing eye makeup and lipstick. He believes his appearance motivated LaBeouf’s attack.
“That’s just somehow something that set him off, angered him and gave him a direction for his anger,” Damnit said. “This guy wants me to be dead because I wear makeup. It’s a screwed up thing.”
Damnit is a member of the Screen Actors Guild–American Federation of Television and Radio Artists. He told the AP he is worried that he will face ramifications in his professional career for pressing charges against longtime Hollywood talent, Shai LaBeouf.
Videos Of Shia LaBeouf Acting Aggressively Go Viral
A viral video shows a shirtless Shia LaBeouf shoving one person to the ground and hitting another person in the face. According to the police report, the face hit caused “his nose to possibly dislocate.” Damnit and others detained LaBeouf and tried to get him to leave the area. However, the actor would not leave and became more aggressive, according to Damnit and the police report. Police arrived at the bar around 12:45 a.m. on the morning of the city’s famous Fat Tuesday revelry.
Shia LaBeouf fight in New Orleans 😬 pic.twitter.com/5itmRNJXH7
— Cringe (@CringeOnX) February 18, 2026
Another video recorded by Damnit and shared with the AP shows Shia LaBeouf looking at the camera and appearing to mouth a homophobic slur while police detained him. He continued to repeat the slur throughout the arrest, the police report stated.
“These f*****s put me in jail,” LaBeouf said, and then told police he’s Catholic, according to the report. “I didn’t shove nobody, I never touched nobody,” LaBeouf tells New Orleans police officers in the video recorded by Damnit.
Videos later show LaBeouf dancing throughout the French Quarter and appear to show him waving his jail release papers.
@tmz Shia LaBeouf was back on Bourbon Street after his Mardi Gras arrest —and tried to play it off like he wasn’t famous 😳🎭Footage shows him telling a streamer he’s “not anyone” … while still chatting it up with excited fans. 🍻📸
Former Disney Actor Has Violent History
This isn’t the first time Shia LaBeouf has faced legal troubles. He was sent to court-ordered rehabilitation after being arrested in New York in 2017 for public drunkenness and disorderly conduct. That incident was captured on livestream video.
While on location in Georgia filming ‘The Peanut Butter Falcon,’ later that year, he was arrested for public drunkenness. Then, police accused of disorderly conduct and obstruction. A judge sentenced him to probation. Then in 2020, he was charged with misdemeanor battery and petty theft in Los Angeles.
That same year, FKA Twigs, whose legal name is Tahliah Barnett, filed a lawsuit alleging Shia LaBeouf was physically and emotionally abusive to her during their relationship. Twigs said LaBeouf put her in a constant state of fear and humiliation. She accused him of once slamming her into a car and trying to strangle her. Also, she alleged that he knowingly gave her a sexually transmitted disease. They settled the lawsuit five years later, in July 2025.
LaBeouf apologized in a statement after the lawsuit was filed. He also denied the accusations in the lawsuit in a 2021 filing. He said any injuries done or damages incurred by Twigs were not his doing.
RELATED: Shia LaBeouf Goes On Rant, Says “A Black Man Arrested Me For Being White”
Jack Brook from Associated Press/Report for America, AP Film Writer Lindsey Bahr and AP Writer Juan A. Lozano contributed to this report via AP Newsroom.
What Do You Think Roomies?
Nancy Guthrie
Activist Group Says Their Help Was Turned Down …
Need Proper Permits!!!
Published
|
Updated
YouTube/@JLRInvestigates
1:40 PM PT — The Pima County Sheriff’s Dept posted a response to volunteer groups wishing to assist in the search for Nancy on her property. They shared a 3-part statement on X, saying … “Private Search Parties: Volunteer search groups have inquired about being in the area. Per the Sheriff, they were asked to please give investigators the space they need to do their work.”
They continue … “We appreciate their concern, and we all want to find Nancy, but this work is best left to professionals. PCSD has volunteer opportunities if they wish to get involved with the department. Private property laws apply and it is up to each individual property owner to grant permission for someone to search their property.”
The Madres Buscadoras de Sonora — the Mexican activist group that wants to help find Nancy Guthrie — won’t be allowed to search for her, they say … not without getting the proper permits first.
Two members of the organization — wearing shirts and holding flyers featuring Nancy’s face — spoke to reporters outside Guthrie’s home in new video circulating online. They say they came all the way from Mexico to aid in the search … but were turned away.
The reason … they say bureaucracy is stopping them up — without the proper permits, Pima County isn’t going to let them help.
The group’s founder, Ceci Flores Armenta, told us earlier this week her org wanted to aid in the search for Nancy … claiming a reporter actually asked them and requested their help.
While initial reports about the Guthries reaching out proved not to be true, Armenta did say they hoped to get in contact with the family. One of the moms involved with the group, Guadalupe Trejo, told us she was already helping with the search … though it sounds like she may have been forced to stop.
As of 2024, 2,400 people were reportedly reunited with their families thanks to the group’s efforts.
Nancy was last seen three weeks ago … and, while the Pima County Sheriff and the FBI have been looking for her diligently, they haven’t turned up any substantial leads yet.
We’ve reached out to the Pima County Sheriff’s Office … so far, no word back.
This month, love is in the air — especially on the new Ryan Murphy series, Love Story.
This new anthology is part of Murphy’s ongoing American Story franchise and centers around real-life love stories, with its first season following the passionate romance and tragic demise of John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette.
But that got us thinking: if Love Story gets subsequent seasons, what real lovers should Murphy focus on next?
Thankfully, Watch With Us is here to help, and we give away ideas for free. These are our four picks for the real romances we’d like to see told on Love Story.
Ben Affleck is no stranger to a high-profile romance — but not all of them have ended happily ever after. Over the years, the Justice League actor has proven that he can still be on good terms with an ex despite breaking up. In a February 2020 New York Times profile, he showed his support […]
Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez
I mean, duh. Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez‘s decades-long, on-and-off love story did get somewhat of a film adaptation in Lopez’s bewildering autobiographical feature This Is Me … Now. However, we feel like Murphy should take a crack at it, from writers and creatives who are a bit more removed from the emotions of it all.
Lopez and Affleck are truly fascinating: their time together began when they dated for a couple of years after filming the disastrous Gigli, then endured once more in a happily-ever-after, true-love-never-dies sort of way with a marriage in 2022. Then, three years later…it was over again. Still, Lopez and Affleck can’t seem to stay out of headlines together, even as he bounces between her and ex-wife Jennifer Garner. Affleck’s sheer commitment to juggling two beautiful women named Jennifer is weirdly endearing, and we’d like to see it in series format.
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry
This one is sort of a gimme, but it’s somewhat shocking that Meghan Markle and Prince Harry‘s chaotic love story has yet to receive the narrative treatment. The coupling of the British royal and the Suits actress was highly controversial in England, especially by the British press and royal inner circle, who disapproved of Meghan’s less aristocratic background.
While the couple did get to bare all in the 2022 Netflix docuseries Harry & Meghan, it would be interesting to see their story in a way that doesn’t scream so much “direct brand management.” Let’s see all the ugly details, and you know that Ryan Murphy isn’t shy about showing some ugliness.
Lauren Bacall and Humphrey Bogart
We’d be remiss if we didn’t include one Old Hollywood love story, because those guys were getting shacked up with one another and cheating on each other all over the place. But Lauren Bacall and Humphrey Bogart were perhaps the quintessential Old Hollywood couple, having met on the set of the 1945 film To Have and Have Not, where they displayed sexual and romantic chemistry unlike anything before.
On that set, old Bogie fell for the dashing Bacall — who was a whopping 25 years his junior — while still married to his third wife. Bogart and Bacall starred in several movies together, such as The Big Sleep, and they remained with each other until Bogart died in 1957. Their romance has since been lionized in countless interviews with Bacall before she passed away in 2014, so why not devote a serial dramatization depicting their love story?
John Lennon and Yoko Ono
John Lennon and Yoko Ono in The U.S. vs. John Lennon Lions Gate/courtesy Everett Collection
Here’s a famous romantic couple that was passionate, caused the most legendary band of all time to break up and ended in senseless tragedy; it’s bewildering that they still haven’t gotten a major series or film drama treatment. (Maybe that will change with Sam Mendes‘ The Beatles – A Four-Film Cinematic Event starring Harris Dickinson as John Lennon and Anna Sawai as Yoko Ono?)
Ryan Murphy is a master at peddling in gaudy sensationalism, and it feels like narrativizing the story of Lennon and Yoko Ono would be right up his wheelhouse. Maybe it would be good, maybe it would be horrifically bad — who knows. We just wanna see what happens if and when he tries. But please, Ryan, don’t cast your perpetual male muse Evan Peters as John!
After sharing that he suffered a debilitating stroke in 2022, which has left him with limited mobility and an extreme financial burden, friends of the former reality TV personality have created a GoFundMe to help with his expenses.
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Friends Create GoFundMe For Miss J Alexander Amid Stroke Recovery
On Friday, February 20, a GoFundMe was created by friends of “America’s Next Top Model’ star Miss J Alexander as he continues his recovery from a stroke that requires “round-the-clock” medical care.
“Miss J. has been bravely fighting his way back and struggling to live independently,” the fundraiser reads, which has raised close to $6,000 of its $100,000 goal.
“We are hoping to secure full-time, round-the-clock care and help with the on-going regular physical, speech, and occupational therapies. He is currently confined to a wheelchair stemming from what we hope is only temporary paralysis and his right arm remains immobile,” the message continued.
The statement then shared that the medical expenses have put a financial strain on the former runway coach.
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“While he has shown incredible strength and resilience against all odds, the financial burden of ongoing treatment, specialized care, and daily living support is beyond overwhelming,” the fundraiser read.
“Your donation—no matter the size—will go toward rehabilitation services, in-home care, medical bills, and essential living costs incurred on this long road of recovery,” the message continued.
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Miss J Previously Revealed Who Showed Up To Support Him After His Stroke
In the Netflix docuseries “Reality Check: Inside America’s Next Top Model,” Miss J discussed his stroke and shared that, although Tyra Banks initially reached out via text message, she has yet to visit him in person.
“I had a stroke,” Miss J said. “I woke up, I didn’t know where I was, other than the hospital.”I spent five weeks in a coma. I couldn’t walk, I couldn’t talk.”
When asked if Banks was among those who visited him alongside fellow “ANTM” stars Jay Manuel and Nigel Barker, Miss J offered an update. “She just sent me a text that she wants to come and visit me, but no, not yet.”
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The Team Behind The Documentary Shared Miss J’s Intention In Sharing His Health Struggles
Documentary director Daniel Sivan revealed in an interview with Netflix that early conversations with Miss J shaped the way his story was told in the docuseries.
“What was important is not framing Miss J as a survivor,” Sivan said. “He is not his health. First and foremost, he’s a diva who just shattered every single glass ceiling.”
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Tyra Banks Has Received Support Amid Backlash From The ‘America’s Next Top Model’ Documentary
“The show did awful things to the contestants, and I think everybody expected Tyra to take more accountability,” she stated. “I understand why people are mad.”
“We’re woke now, we know so much more now than we did back then,” Shepherd continued her defense of Banks. “I hate that she’s getting so much flak. She does need to take accountability, I know that, but I also know the battles some people will never understand that are fought.”
Then, as she fought back tears, Shepherd added that she understands that things could have been done differently in hindsight, but Banks was ultimately coming from a genuine place, even though her methods may not have always been executed properly.
“To keep a show on the air there are things that we have to do that people will tell us, if you want to stay on the air, this is what you’ve got to do, and we’ve got to weigh the options, and sometimes we make bad decisions and we look up and go, in hindsight, maybe I should not have done it, but I just wanted to open up the door and give a platform to people who look like me,” Shepherd said.
Additionally, the winner of “America’s Next Top Model” cycle 3, Eva Marcille, also offered kind words for Banks and noted that she changed her life.
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Speaking on “CBS Mornings,” PEOPLE reported that Marcille shared her perspective.
“I have been asked about Tyra for 21 years,” the former “Real Housewives of Atlanta” star said. “No matter what project I’m doing, what I’m involved in, somehow ‘Top Model’ finds its way in my interview. I’ve done 154 projects since ‘Top Model.’ It’s been 21 years.”
Marcille, who is easily the most successful person to come from “ANTM,” then shared that she will always thank Banks, something she has consistently done for decades, for changing her life for the better.
“Thanks to ‘Top Model,’ though,” she said. “What I will say is I will never fail to thank Tyra. What Tyra set out to do in this business, I will always say — and especially for ‘Top Model,’ initially — she set out to change the world; to change what the modeling industry looked like, sound like, felt like and expected. And she did that for me.”
Marcille also pointed out that it was “very surprising” that she was not asked to participate in the documentary.
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Banks Says That ‘America’s Next Top Model Isn’t Done
“After the show, I had so many big ideas for my life,” she said. “I’m obsessed with pivoting, and I live in Australia now. I feel like my work is not done. You have no idea what we have planned for cycle 25.”
Gabourey Sidibe fans are reeling after news surfaced that her husband, Brandon Frankel, was diagnosed with cancer. The couple, who recently welcomed twins, have been sharing glimpses of their journey. Sidibe has seemingly been showing unwavering support as Frankel undergoes recovery. Social media has quickly filled with supporters sending love as the family faces a frightening diagnosis.
RELATED: Clock It! Gabourey Sidibe Addresses Her Husband Clapping Back At Her Internet Trolls (VIDEO)
Frankel Shares Hospital Selfies And Early Detection Story
On Friday, Gabourey Frankel opened up on Instagram about being diagnosed with Stage I Papillary Thyroid cancer following surgery to remove the tumor. The father of twins, who shared selfies from his hospital bed alongside Sidibe, explained that doctors caught the cancer early — but only because he refused to be dismissed.
“I refused to ‘wait and see,’” he wrote. Frankel added, “I made the calls [and] leveraged connections. I chased cancellations [and] made a LOT of noise. It worked.”
The surgery went well, and while the pathology showed a more aggressive cell type, Frankel is already focusing on recovery and being present for his family.
Instagram Explodes With Support For Gabourey Sidibe And Family
Fans ran straight to Brandon Frankel’s Instagram comment section to pour out love and support, flooding it with messages of encouragement. Some celebrated that his cancer was caught early. Meanwhile, others shared heartfelt prayers and heart emojis, showing solidarity with Gabourey Sidibe and her family. And, of course, many echoed his message about advocating for your health and never taking access or early detection for granted.
One Instagram user @kenishiarashauna said, “I’m so happy you are okay for yourself and your family!“
This Instagram user @cpdiva69 added, “Soooo glad that you advocated for yourself and for sharing this with the rest of us!!!!!“
And, Instagram user @seananthonybaker commented, “🙏🏿🙏🏿💪🏿💪🏿 complete healing & restoration. 🙏🏿”
Meanwhile, Instagram user @baobanger shared, “Omggggg glad that you are alright! ❤️❤️❤️❤️”
While Instagram user @karina.aguiar29 said, “Sending my best wishes to you Brandon ❤️❤️ wish you all the best“
Finally, Instagram user @tarra71 wrote, “Prayers for a speedy recovery and total healing 🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽”
What Else Has Brandon Frankel Shared?
The couple, who married in 2021 and welcomed twins Cooper and Maya in April 2024, have been leaning on each other through the process. Frankel emphasized the critical role Gabourey Sidibe played, calling her the backbone of their family during his appointments, surgery, and recovery.
“I don’t know how anyone does this without that kind of love and support,” he wrote, crediting Gabourey Sidibe for holding everything down while he navigated the medical system.
Frankel’s post didn’t just share his personal journey — it was also a critique of the healthcare system. He pointed out that early detection saved his life, but only because he had insurance, access, and people to help move things faster.
“Healthcare shouldn’t reward the loudest, the most connected, or the most financially secure,” he wrote.
He urged his followers to advocate for themselves and be proactive. His message landed hard: luck and means shouldn’t be the difference between life and death.
RELATED: Love To See It! Gabourey Sidibe’s Husband Has Been Praising Her For Their Twins Nonstop (Photos)
What Do You Think Roomies?
Not all masterpieces are created equal. For every classic movie that you can watch over and over again, there’s one that you’ll watch once and never again. Whether it’s because of their subject matter or the presentation of it, these masterpieces can be exercises in endurance that test your emotions.
Real-life and fictional tragedies, traumas and acts of violence are all perpetrated in these masterpieces. While many of them may be far less explicit than the average action or horror film, the ways in which the filmmakers are able to depict the unsettling material will rattle and remain with you far longer. If you haven’t seen any of these ten masterpieces, you should, but one time will be more than enough.
‘The Virgin Spring’ (1960)
Ingmar Bergman‘s infamous, Oscar-winning rape-and-revenge drama The Virgin Spring famously inspired the horror film The Last House on the Left. While that Wes Craven-directed piece of pure exploitation may actually be harder to watch than Bergman’s film, there’s something about the elevated filmmaking of The Virgin Spring that makes it all the more unsettling in the long-term. It’s an arthouse film, not something designed to shock and appall, but rather be studied and examined, and the closer you examine it, the sicker you’re likely to feel.
Set in medieval Sweden and based on a 13th-century ballad, the film follows a young woman who is sexually assaulted and murdered, with her assailants later unknowingly taking shelter at her parents’ home. This act of horrific violence begets violent retribution from the parents, and the film leaves you feeling empty at the futility of what has been accomplished by its end. The fact that it is all so stunningly acted and vividly photographed, by Bergman’s long-time collaborator Sven Nykvist, never once makes it any more palatable or less harrowing. The Virgin Spring inflicts itself on you, and it is hard to wash away.
‘Come and See’ (1985)
The anti-war masterpiece Come and See is as effective a representation of the brutality and damage wrought by armed conflict as has ever been made. While some war films may downplay the visceral levels of carnage, Come and See puts it on full display and never flinches away from it. War is hell, and the movie wants you to know it, no matter how hard it might be to watch.
It is set during World War II and told from a Soviet perspective, as a young Belarusian boy joins a resistance movement and bears witness to the atrocities committed by the Nazis and the reciprocal violence it inspires. The final film by director Elem Klimov, Come and See finds no excitement or tension to be mined from depicting war, and instead offers only devastation and despair.
‘Grave of the Fireflies’ (1988)
Grave of the Fireflies is another harrowing WWII film, but one whose tragedy unfolds in a more quiet and more sorrowful manner in comparison to the shocking violence of Come and See. An animated film produced by Studio Ghibli, it relates the civilian cost of war from the perspective of two young siblings in Japan, and if you understand the nature of this list, you know nothing good awaits them.
After the American bombing of Kobe, brother and sister Seita and Setsuko find themselves in dire straits after the death of their mother. Left without food or shelter, their struggle to survive is reflective of the realities faced by many civilians in war-torn countries, a subject not often reflected in film, especially from Western cinema. Grave of the Fireflies is heartbreaking, and its ghosts will haunt you with phantom emotions long after.
‘Schindler’s List’ (1993)
One last wartime drama that few will find themselves rewatching, Steven Spielberg‘s Schindler’s List, is one of the filmmaker’s greatest achievements as a director, and undoubtedly his most harrowing to watch. The Holocaust is a subject that few filmmakers dared to touch before this film, and many that did after fell prey to emotional manipulation bordering on exploitation. Spielberg’s film avoids those pitfalls, and while it may certainly massage the truth behind its real-life story, it is an undeniably empathetic masterpiece.
Oskar Schindler was a member of the Nazi party and a wealthy industrialist who would save the lives of over 1,000 Jewish citizens by employing them in his factory. He would eventually go bankrupt as a result of his humanitarian cause, and later became immortalized in Spielberg’s film, which was based on the novel Schindler’s Ark by Thomas Keneally. The film is as technically impressive as any of Spielberg’s work, but here the director uses his keen eye for visual storytelling for greater emotional purpose in chronicling the true horrors of the Holocaust, making it vivid in a way no textbook could. Schindler’s List feels even more urgent in this modern era of denialism.
‘Happiness’ (1998)
Todd Solondz has never been a filmmaker to shy away from audacious or awkward material, and his black comedy masterpiece Happiness has both in full supply. An ensemble film following three separate narratives, the film is alternatively cringey, uncomfortable, and downright horrifying, shining a light on subject matter that many filmmakers wouldn’t touch with a ten-foot pole.
Following the lives of three sisters and the issues they separately face, the film deals with sexuality, harassment, assault and, most infamously, pedophilia. It is that latter subject, handled in such a casual yet upsetting manner, that makes Happiness such a discomforting watch. Despite the film’s deft ability to mix harsh humor amid its mortifying storylines, it cannot lessen the impact with which it will make you squirm in your seat, itching for relief.
‘Mysterious Skin’ (2004)
Gregg Araki‘s Mysterious Skin, adapted from the novel by Scott Heim, also deals with the sexual abuse of children, however, in a manner and tone vastly different from Happiness. The film has been lauded for its portrayal of how this form of violent trauma can have long-lasting psychological effects. While the filmmakers took great pains in depicting the most horrific actions in a way that suggests far more than it explicitly shows, the film is still uncompromising and emotionally devastating.
Joseph Gordon-Levitt and future Oscar-nominated director Brady Corbet play two young adults whose shared experience of abuse as children has deeply affected both their lives in different ways. One of them engages in unhealthy sexual experiences, while the other has completely repressed his memory of the event. Through their parallel journeys, Mysterious Skin examines the reverberating effects of trauma, and while it manages to find traces of hope within its narrative, it never negates the tragedy that underlines it.
‘United 93’ (2006)
Paul Greengrass‘ visceral film depicting the events that took place on the ill-fated flight United 93 on 9/11 was a painful viewing experience when it was released in 2006, only five years removed from the tragic events, and it hasn’t lost any of its potency since. Far from an exploitative or glossy Hollywood bastardization, the film is both a tense thriller and a queasily realistic recreation that honors the lives lost on one of the most infamous days in American history.
Using the same cinema vérité style that Greengrass had honed on his previous films Bloody Sunday and The Bourne Supremacy, the film juggles multiple characters and locations as it details the events leading up to the hijacking of the titular flight. Eventually, it focuses solely on the efforts of those heroic passengers onboard who fought back against their hijackers, depicting it with brutal authenticity without any hint of bombastic embellishment. United 93 is a white-knuckle thriller that drops into the pit of your stomach and makes you never want to experience its thrills again.
‘Incendies’ (2010)
Before he became synonymous with sci-fi epics, Denis Villeneuve directed some incredibly provocative and disturbing films, none more so than his gutwrenching masterpiece Incendies. Adapted from Wajdi Mouawad‘s play of the same name, the plot was inspired by real events that occurred during the Lebanese Civil War, and as such is unflinching in its depiction of atrocities committed by extremists. While the turns in the narrative are something akin to a Greek tragedy, the content is horrifically historically relevant.
Structured as a mystery, the film follows a twin brother and sister as they attempt to find a previously unknown sibling to honor the wishes of their deceased mother. Concurrently, the film details the mother’s harrowing experiences of torture and assault while a prisoner of war. The film’s notorious plot twist could easily have come off as cheap shock value in less skilled hands, but under Villeneuve’s direction, it is a shattering emotional climax that is impossible to forget.
‘The Act of Killing’ (2012)
Many documentaries manage to capture the horrific realities of all manner of subjects with an urgency that is often unattainable in narrative films. Films like Shoah or The Thin Blue Line expose ugly truths with words straight from the mouths of those who lived through the events. Joshua Oppenheimer‘s singularly affecting film The Act of Killing is even more unsettling for how it lets those who committed atrocities speak for themselves, and even recreate the acts themselves.
Filmed in Medan, North Sumatra, the documentary details the mass killings that took place in Indonesia between 1965 and 1966 as part of the country’s transition to the New Order. More than just a series of talking heads recounting the killings, the film instead has the perpetrators reenact their murders, confronting them with the violence and exposing their impunity. It is an extremely difficult film to watch, cataloging now the actual events but instead interrogating the acts of killing and the banality of the evil behind them.
‘Mass’ (2021)
It is both upsetting and completely understandable that Fran Kranz‘s impeccably written and acted masterpiece Mass has gone so underseen. In dealing with the subject of school shootings, the film dives headfirst into a subject that has torn the fabric of American society and inspired virulent debate. Though the film does not directly depict any of the violence that its characters seek to understand, unlike Gus Van Sant‘s equally damaging Elephant, it studies the pain and grief that result from it in distressing detail.
Reed Birney and Ann Dowd play the parents of a school shooter, while Jason Isaacs and Martha Plimpton play the parents of one of his victims. They all come together to discuss the tragedy, trying to find understanding years after the senseless violence. The film interrogates many of the discussion points that have become common refrains in the wake of such real-life tragedies, but never once does it become a didactic or tedious lecture. It treats its characters and subject matter with ultimate empathy, which makes it necessary viewing that many will find unnecessary to repeat.
Premiering in 1999, The Sopranos quickly cemented itself as one of the most influential dramas ever made. Although every character was great, Adriana Le Cirva (Drea de Matteo) was a personal favorite, being the closest thing to a wholesome person this world had. This made her death all the more devastating, and it was just as difficult for the crew to say goodbye to one of their greatest leads, who gave everything she had during her final scene. Even by the standards of a show known to push boundaries, her death stands out as an emotional and tragic demise for a truly lovable character, one whose horrific fate hammers home just how terrifying a life of crime can be for everyone even remotely involved.
Few Characters Were More Innocent on ‘The Sopranos’ Than Adriana
In any kind of story with morally gray characters, you need a genuinely good and idealistic person to balance things, and no one did this in The Sopranos better than Adriana. While not blind to the criminal lifestyle of her partner, she was hardly involved in the mob life, and there was an innocence to her that not even the literal children like Meadow (Jaime Lynn-Sigler) or AJ (Robert Iller) possessed. Yet, she could also be incredibly naive, and in a violent show like this one, the more intimate abuse Adriana suffered made me constantly fear for her safety. As the walls started to close in, I knew a confession and confrontation between Adriana and Christopher (Michael Imperioli) was likely inevitable. Still, I was left terrified at how it would unfold.
Their emotional final scene together, for which both actors won an Emmy, was just as heartbreaking as I had initially feared, but the writers also made an important decision afterward, which worked to great dramatic effect. By not showing the conflict Christopher faces, instead saving his discussion with Tony (James Gandolfini) for a future flashback, it makes the phone call and his claimed suicide believable. Of course, this is a mob show where anybody could be killed, but just like Adriana herself, I’d held out hope that she would get away from it and live a happy life. The episode even plays with this idea by showing a brief dream sequence where she escapes before cutting to the shot of her in the car with Silvio (Steven Van Zandt), at which point her destination becomes clear to both herself and the audience.
Killing Adriana Was Hard on Everyone
In the deadly world of The Sopranos, dark moments are to be expected, but that does not mean they will be easy to stomach. Nobody was left quite as heartbroken to lose Adriana as series creator David Chase, who broke his one rule by having the scene pan away just as the fatal shots were fired. Recently, Drea de Maetto revealed in the documentary Wise Guy that another version of the scene where Adriana escapes was filmed to avoid leaks.
But she quickly deduced that her time on the show was probably nearing its end. Still, once her last day finally arrived, the actress was ready, and she openly encouraged Steven van Zandt to drop all restraint and deliver the most devastating hit in the series. For many viewers, myself included, not seeing her final moments is a relief, but this emotional farewell by the cast and crew strongly contrasts with their characters. Within a few episodes of her death, Adriana is reduced to a historical footnote, and her own partner, who sacrificed so much for the mob, is later killed anyway for being a liability.
The Execution of Adriana Shows the Darker Side of ‘The Sopranos’
At first glance, one might wonder why the death of Adriana hits so hard in The Sopranos, especially since it was building for an entire season, and she was far from the first character to get whacked. What makes her demise so much more devastating is just how much hope had been invested in such a tragic character. Unlike either Big Pussy (Vincent Pastore) early on or Tony Blundetto (Steve Buscemi) later in the same season, there is no honorable last drink with friends or a quick mercy killing. Rather, it’s just a woman realizing the true nature of her lover and the mob he serves in all its horrifying clarity, just as it becomes too late to change anything.
While I’ve always loved mob stories, scenes like this serve to remind us just how terrifying a criminal lifestyle feels in reality. By the end of the series, almost every character is either dead, imprisoned, or left under witness protection and forever looking over their shoulder. Gangster films like The Godfather or Goodfellas might make the mob life seem worth all the trouble it brings, but The Sopranos was made long after the golden age of the mob had ended and had become almost irrelevant. Therefore, such a warning about the show holds up even more today, a full generation after it first aired.
The Sopranos is available to stream on HBO Max in the U.S.
- Release Date
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1999 – 2007
- Network
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HBO
- Showrunner
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David Chase
- Directors
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Tim Van Patten, John Patterson, Alan Taylor, Jack Bender, Steve Buscemi, Daniel Attias, David Chase, Andy Wolk, Danny Leiner, David Nutter, James Hayman, Lee Tamahori, Lorraine Senna, Matthew Penn, Mike Figgis, Nick Gomez, Peter Bogdanovich, Phil Abraham, Rodrigo García
- Writers
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Michael Imperioli, Jason Cahill, Lawrence Konner, David Flebotte, James Manos, Jr., Salvatore Stabile, Toni Kalem, Mark Saraceni, Nick Santora
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