By TeeJay Small
| Published 39 seconds ago

Discussions about physical media have been popping up constantly in recent months, as film fans lament the frustrating tedium of streaming services, AI upscales, and licensing agreements that strip you of your digital purchases without your consent. Now, Sony has ignited a fire in the hearts and minds of gamers, by announcing that they’ll be doing away with physical games completely. Per a report in Polygon, the PlayStation 6 will have no disc drive, and newly developed games will be bought exclusively on the digital PS Store, or will be sold in the form of promo codes inside physical game cases.

The Digital Way Lacks A Physical Tray

For some video game enthusiasts, the writing has been on the wall for a long time. I distinctly recall the 2020 release of the PlayStation 5, which launched with a digital only option at a reduced price. Since I’m kind of a hyper-minimalist, I considered purchasing the console sans-disc tray for myself, before being ultimately swayed toward the standard version by my friends. In the years since, I’ve occasionally borrowed games or popped in DVDs, but the disc drive has largely been decorative in my home.

As far as Sony can tell, I’m not a unique customer. Their 2025 consumer report says that physical games accounted for just three percent of all sales in the 2024 fiscal year, meaning a vast majority of gamers have shifted away from collecting discs, in favor of cloud-based game streaming. The company seems to view this trend as a tacit endorsement of their oncoming policy, with reps stating “This is a natural direction for Sony Interactive Entertainment to adapt to consumer trends as the general preference for digital media significantly outpaces physical disc. This transition will enable us to align more closely with how most of our community prefers to access and play games today.”

While Sony’s numbers support the decision, you’d never know it by logging onto social media. Video game fans far and wide have taken the news with agonizing fury, alongside calls to boycott, or declarations that the PlayStation 6 will never join their roster of consoles. This news has also broken just as many collectors have begun a pivot back to physical media, in order to preserve their favorite games. One of the major drawbacks of digital downloads is that you never truly “own” them, since the digital dashboard could pull their license or revoke your access at any time.

Is There A Best Of Both Worlds Scenario?

On one hand, it makes sense for the company to stop pumping money into mass-producing discs, cases, and supplementing GameStop storefronts around the globe. That cash could arguably be better spent refining their servers, reducing lag, or building greater assets for gamers to enjoy. On the other hand, it seems absurd that gamers of the future will be expected to spend upwards of $100 for a game that they can’t hold in their hands, bring to a friend’s place, or know for a fact that they can log back onto in 10 years’ time.

Sony claims that the switch will take place in January of 2028, which perhaps hints at a Christmas 2027 release for the still-unconfirmed PlayStation 6. If fans continue to rage against the machine, it’s possible that Sony still has time to pull a Sonic The Hedgehog and backtrack on this policy before launch. Either way, the decline of physical game sales makes it a null point, since even the most ravenous of collectors won’t be able to make it profitable to sell them at scale.

I’d say the best case scenario for physical collectors is a sort of Criterion-style system, where Sony can release special edition discs of their most popular games in small batches. Barring that, we may be entering a fully-digital gaming era, for better or worse.

Crystal Hefner is pushing back after comedian Jon Lovitz publicly criticized her for expressing regret about marrying Playboy founder Hugh Hefner.

Instead of letting the comments pass, the former Playmate accused Lovitz of ignoring his own long association with the Playboy Mansion while questioning her decision to finally speak openly about a chapter of her life that continues to draw public fascination.

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The latest dispute began after Crystal Hefner shared a candid Instagram video reflecting on her marriage to Hugh Hefner, whom she wed on New Year’s Eve in 2012. Their relationship remained under constant public scrutiny because of their 60-year age difference, and the marriage lasted until Hefner’s death in September 2017 at age 91.

Among those reacting to her video was comedian Jon Lovitz, a longtime guest at the Playboy Mansion who also attended the couple’s wedding. Lovitz challenged Crystal’s comments by pointing to the financial benefits she received during and after the marriage.

“Do you regret the house he bought for you to live in, after his death?” Lovitz wrote. “And keeping the money, after you sold it? And all the times your mother was at the mansion? And do you regret all he did for you? And do you regret leaving him and then coming back to marry him?”

Rather than ignore the criticism, Crystal responded through a statement to the Daily Mail, arguing that her reflections had been misunderstood.

“People often reduce my marriage to assumptions about financial benefit, but that overlooks the reality of what I experienced,” she said. “My reflections aren’t motivated by money or resentment, but by honesty. I’m at a point in my life where I’m no longer afraid to speak openly about my own experiences, and I think there’s value in that conversation.”

Crystal Hefner Says Women Should Not Be Expected To Stay Silent

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Crystal went further by suggesting Lovitz was overlooking the culture that surrounded the Playboy Mansion during the years he regularly visited.

She said, “It’s disappointing to see someone who spent time enjoying that environment criticize a woman for speaking honestly about her own life. For years, there was an expectation that women should stay quiet to protect powerful men or preserve a certain image. I’m simply no longer willing to do that.”

She also took a personal swipe at the comedian, recalling an incident involving his rescue dog during visits to the mansion.

“We had also asked that Jon’s adorable rescue dog, Jerry, not come back to the mansion because he repeatedly urinated on the curtains and damaged the property,” Crystal said. “Whether that contributed to his feelings toward me, I can’t say. I don’t have any ill will toward Jon, and I genuinely wish him well.”

The exchange has renewed attention on Crystal’s evolving public narrative. Since Hugh Hefner’s death, she has steadily distanced herself from the glamorous image associated with Playboy, particularly after publishing her 2024 memoir “Only Say Good Things: Surviving Playboy and Finding Myself.”

In the book, she described the emotional toll of life inside the Playboy Mansion and discussed experiences that challenged its carefully cultivated public image.

Crystal Hefner Explains Why She Regrets Marrying Hugh Hefner

Crystal’s latest comments stemmed from an Instagram video in which she openly admitted she regrets marrying the Playboy founder.

“Do I regret marrying Hugh Hefner? Of course I do,” she said. “I regret being in my mid-20s and thinking that marrying one of the most famous men in the world meant I had finally made it, that I finally mattered or had value.”

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She continued by reflecting on how the relationship affected her sense of identity, noting, “I regret the years I spent making myself smaller so his world could feel bigger. I regret learning to stay quiet when I could have spoken. I regret the version of myself that I had to abandon just to survive in that environment. I regret that it took me as long as it did to understand what was actually happening – like years.”

Her comments echo themes she has discussed in recent interviews while promoting her memoir, where she has described rebuilding her confidence and creating a life outside the Playboy brand that made her famous.

Crystal Says She Is Finished Living Someone Else’s Story

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Crystal Hefner concluded her video by acknowledging that many people expected her to maintain the image she had carried for years.

“A lot of people” expected her to “stay in the story that was written for me – the grateful young wife, the lucky girl,” she said.

She added, “But I’m done living in that story. Yes, I regret it, and saying that out loud is one of the most honest things I’ve done.”

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Whether her remarks continue to spark criticism or support, Crystal’s response to Lovitz signals that she is no longer willing to let others define her years at the Playboy Mansion.

Instead, she appears determined to frame that chapter on her own terms, even if it means revisiting one of the most scrutinized relationships in modern celebrity culture.

Hugh Hefner’s Estate And Playboy Legacy Continue To Draw Attention

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Financial questions have long followed discussions about Crystal Hefner’s marriage.

Before the wedding, she and Hugh Hefner signed a prenuptial agreement. Following his death, reports indicated she received a $5 million cash payment along with a four-bedroom Hollywood Hills home purchased for her in 2013. She later sold the property for about $5 million.

Those financial details have frequently resurfaced whenever Crystal speaks about her marriage, but she insists they are not the reason she has chosen to revisit that period of her life.

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Playboy itself has also undergone significant change since Hugh Hefner’s passing. Once one of America’s most influential media brands, the company shifted away from its traditional magazine business while expanding into licensing, digital ventures and lifestyle branding.

Meanwhile, debates over Hugh Hefner’s legacy intensified following documentaries and memoirs from former Playmates who described their experiences inside the mansion in sharply different ways.

By TeeJay Small
| Published 8 seconds ago

If you grew up in the early 2000s, there’s a good chance you’ve spent hours glued to the TV watching Malcolm In The Middle. The series, which aired from 2000 through 2006, spawned dozens of memorable characters, as evidenced by the success of the recent revival special Life’s Still Unfair. If you ask 10 Malcolm In The Middle fans to list their favorite character, there’s a good chance you’ll walk away with 10 different answers. Even still, there’s one single character that is solely responsible for making the series possible, thanks to an issue with behind-the-scenes logistics. The character in question, Francis, only exists because of child labor laws.

From Workaround To Fan-Favorite Character

Most children who watched Malcolm In The Middle as it aired had no idea about television production schedules or A plot and B plot mapping. But, rewatching the series as an adult, you can really see Francis’ misadventures sticking out like a sore thumb. In most episodes of the show, the A plot centers on the three main kids, Malcolm, Reese, and Dewey, as they rebel against their mother and nearly send their father into cardiac arrest. Meanwhile, Francis is off in military school, or an Alaskan outpost, or a dude ranch run by a clueless but lovable German national. Sure, Bryan Cranston‘s Hal occasionally had solo adventures while he blew off every single Friday work day for a decade, but his stories were still generally tied to the kids in some way.

The reason that Francis even exists in the show relates to the main kids’ legal prohibition to film for long hours. As Reese actor Justin Berfield explained on an episode of The Joe Vulpis Podcast, “When the show first started, Frankie [Malcolm] and I were like 13, 14, Erik [Dewey] was eight. So the time that we could film on set was so short. So we could only be on the set for like nine hours or 10 hours maybe at that point … Three of those nine or ten hours had to be in school … Then with a lunch break it’s like less, so you basically have like five hours of actual filming that you can do with kids. That’s a very short day for a production.”

When questioned about how Francis’ storylines differed from the main cast, Berfield confirmed “The Francis character was brought in specifically for that purpose because they had to have something to film for the rest of the day … They filled it with the Francis character completely separated outside of the household.” Looking back with this information, it almost seems insane that the production team behind Malcolm In The Middle were capable of delivering dozens of episodes per year under these strict guidelines.

Though he may have been created out of a production necessity, Francis, as portrayed by Christopher Masterson, blossomed over the course of the show, and emerged as one of the greatest characters in TV history. His adventures allowed him to exhibit tremendous growth, going from a screw-up teen with a penchant for prodding authority, to a hard-working married man. As we see in Life’s Still Unfair, he’s still got major mommy issues decades on, but nobody’s perfect.

By TeeJay Small
| Published 10 seconds ago

Back in 2019, as I was catching the final episodes of Silicon Valley on HBO, I recall anxiously waiting to see what each member of the hilarious ensemble cast would do next. This was especially the case for Zach Woods, whose off-the-wall performance as Jared turned me into a lifelong fan. Just as the credits rolled on the final episode, I was treated to a promotional ad for a new HBO original series called Avenue 5, with Zach Woods front-and-center. I was hooked before the pilot even hit streaming, and I stayed hooked right up until a global pandemic, industry shutdowns, and a writers strike doomed the series before it could reach its natural conclusion.

In case you missed it, Avenue 5 was an absolutely hilarious comedy series created by Armando Iannucci, centering on an interstellar cruise ship loaded with entitled rich passengers. Iannucci is a brilliant Scottish filmmaker best known for creating HBO’s Veep and directing the 2017 satire The Death of Stalin. Zach Woods is joined in the cast of Avenue 5 by an all-star line up of comedic heavy hitters, including Josh Gad, Rebecca Front, Suzy Nakamura, and House‘s Hugh Laurie.

Your Typical Cruise Trip, IN SPACEEEEE!

The premiere episode of Avenue 5 opens on a not-so-distant future, where space travel is as common as taking a cruise across the Caribbean. The titular space ship is owned by a billionaire doofus named Judd (Josh Gad), who insists on burning through his fortune and sticking his gold-plated name on just about anything he can reach. Right at the start of the show, the Avenue 5 ship is knocked off course by a technical malfunction, increasing their return-to-Earth timeline from eight weeks to three years.

As the wealthy passengers enter into a panic, they are soothed by the confidence of Captain Ryan Clark (Hugh Laurie). Unfortunately, Clark is a huge fraud, whose entire role on the ship is a public relations facade. The true captain, who engineers the Avenue 5’s course, was killed during a routine spacewalk, leaving the ship completely rudderless. As the show progresses, Clark attempts to receive hands-on training from engineer Billie McEvoy, in order to get everyone home on time. But, as he receives this crash course, the ship is bombarded with issues, including failing oxygen levels, latrine overflow, and conspiracy-minded VIPs.

The Right Show At The Wrong Time

The first season of Avenue 5 premiered in January 2020, just in time to get absolutely kneecapped by news of an impending global pandemic. By the time the season concluded, nationwide shut-downs had already begun, and producers began to fear that the live action film industry would never return to normal. When the writing staff were finally able to get together to pen season two, there were already rumblings of an incoming WGA strike, which officially took hold in 2023. By the time the second season released, many of the core stars had already outlasted their contracts, and audiences had lost hope for the show.

Just a few months after season two concluded, Avenue 5 was officially cancelled at HBO. The series ended on a quixotic cliffhanger, but still delivered a satisfying finale for super-fans. While it’s an unbearable shame that we’ll never get to see the series play out to a proper conclusion, it’s still well worth the watch for sci-fi and comedy fans alike. If you’re interested in checking out this off-the-walls comedy of errors, be sure to pull up Avenue 5 on HBO Max today.

By Robert Scucci
| Published 5 seconds ago

At the height of “Weird Al” Yankovic’s first wave of popularity, he made the decision to pivot to filmmaking and pen the screenplay for UHF. Known for subverting viewer expectations with his parody music videos, Weird Al made a wholehearted attempt to do the same thing with his feature film debut, and the end result is exactly what you’d expect. The final product is a movie that’s as insane as Weird Al’s hair and one that’s now celebrated as a cult classic despite the lukewarm reception it received upon its release.

It’s Exactly What You Expect

At first glance, UHF is your classic underdog story centered on Weird Al’s George Newman. Following the usual beats, George is a slacker with a penchant for daydreaming that causes him to lose focus and, with that, his many short-lived jobs. Everything changes for George when his uncle Harvey (Stanley Brock) wins ownership of Channel 62 in a poker game and gives George full creative control.

On a diet consisting primarily of Twinkies, hot dogs, and Easy Cheese, George immediately gets to work with experimental programming in an attempt to save the UHF network from bankruptcy. After the initial failure of Uncle Nutzy’s Clubhouse, which comes off as a cross between Pee-wee’s Playhouse if it were hosted by Mr. Noodles from Sesame Street while high on bath salts, George is ready to drown his sorrows in a blueberry daiquiri and give up on his dreams.

However, when the show becomes an unexpected hit after George hires recently-fired Channel 8 Janitor Stanley Spadowski (Michael Richards) to take his place, Channel 62 becomes the highest-rated channel in the region.

In order to be a true underdog story, UHF needs a villain which comes in the form of Channel 8 CEO RJ Fletcher (Kevin McCarthy). RJ decides to buy the channel from Harvey, who signs over the rights because he owes a considerable amount of money to his bookie. George decides that he’s not going to go out without a fight and continues to offer his newfound audience more of the ridiculous programming that made the network an overnight success in the first place.

A Box Office Flop Turned Cult Classic

Through its predictable narrative construct, UHF sets itself apart from its contemporaries because it’s clearly from the warped mind of Weird Al, who offers what can only be described as multiple levels of visual assault. Not only is the main narrative loaded with slap-stick humor, but the programming found on Channel 62 plays out like a Weird Al music video but with a Hollywood budget. Thanks to Weird Al’s innate instinct to lampoon anything and everything, we bear witness to a solid Indiana Jones parody sequence, as well as a surreal movie trailer suggesting that Mahatma Gandhi is a blockbuster action hero in this universe.

For its willingness to never take itself seriously, UHF‘s inherent ridiculousness garnered a 64 percent critical score against an audience score of 77 percent on Rotten Tomatoes. The biggest criticism that UHF received upon its release is that it plays out like a number of disjointed skits instead of an entirely cohesive story. But it’s worth noting that there is a satisfying yet predictable resolution to the premise.

Commercially speaking, UHF only earned $6.1 million at the box office against its reported production budget of $5 million. Since UHF failed to be a commercial success, it was not widely distributed for home viewing and quickly went out of print. While out of print, audiences made it clear that there was a demand for the film, and circulating VHS copies ended up selling for over $100 for those who were eager to get their hands on it.

By 2002, MGM gave UHF a wide DVD release, and it quickly became a best-seller. These days, UHF is celebrated as a cult classic and a must-see for anybody who is willing to let their guard down and let Weird Al do his thing. And thanks to streaming platforms like Tubi, you can watch UHF for free today.

Trinity Tatum and Bryce Dettloff are officially out of the villa after winning ‘Love Island USA’ Season 8 together this week. Now, the former is making headlines, speaking out for a fellow islander.

RELATED: Too Far? Social Media Reacts After Disney Channel References ‘Love Island USA’ Star KC Chandler In ‘K.C. Undercover’ Post (VIDEO)

Trinity Tatum Speaks Out Against The Hate Zach Georgiou Has Been Receiving Following The End Of ‘Love Island USA’ Season 8

Since leaving the villa, Trinity Tatum has taken to social media to speak out against the hate Zach Georgiou has been receiving.

In a statement shared to her account, she wrote, “Coming out of the villa, I want to say I’m very blessed and appreciative of all the love and support everyone has given me. With that being said, I want to say the hate and ignorant comments some of you guys are making regarding Zach are absolutely not okay and need to stop. It’s very disheartening, and we are people just like everyone else. We genuinely have love for each other inside and outside of the villa, and he’s one of the most amazing people I’ve met, so please have some empathy.

@zachgeorgio @brycealakai @melanieelisa @aniyaharvey02 @carl_witness_lee @sincere.rhea”

The statement was also reposted by several fellow Love Island USA Season 8 finalists. Including Bryce Dettloff, Aniyah Harvey, Carl Lee, Kayda Bosse, and more as they echoed Trinity’s message. 

Social Media Weighs In

Folks gathered across the timeline in response to the joint statement shared by Trinity Tatum. Some commended her for speaking out in support of her fellow co-star. Others felt the statement should have addressed every islander receiving hate, not just one.

Instagram user @on.regular wrote, “But yet Kc is getting death threats, racial slurs, and getting the absolute hateful comments. I’m praying for these hateful people and also praying for Ko and Titi.😢 🙏🏽”

Instagram user @beebuzzing added, “Can you also do this for KC and also watch the episode when Zach doubted your feelings towards Bryce and also the episode of what KC really said vs what Bryce told you to create the hate you have for KC.”

While Instagram user @luhhyonee wrote, “girl speak on the hate and slurs they saying about your people of color”

Instagram user @itsme.shy wrote, “mind yall trinity never liked ko so why should she speak on his behalf??? be frl”

Instagram user @lillianilli wrote. “I miss when love island was private. Yall are ruining the show!! The comments etc just doing to much.”

While Instagram user @yousounserious wrote, “I still don’t get the hate toward Zach”

Instagram user @_telorvskarma wrote, “She’s good and unfollowed generalize it! Nobody should be getting hate! I barely see any Zach hate because KC & titi getting dragged to the ground everyday this sad”

Instagram user @wwwspicymami2.0 added, If 3 black men left love island with white women while their black costars were subjected to cruelty, racism, etc and said nothing… but notably came online just to defend a white women, we’d be having an entire different conversation on social media but imma let yall have it.”

While Instagram user @dripglosss wrote, “I can’t believe people are this mentally ill to where a show can cause them to leave hate comments under peoples post. I could never give af that much. Way too deep in Chile” TV

Charlie Georgiou Continues Defending Brother Zach Amid Online Backlash

Following Zach Georgiou’s time in the villa, his brother and former ‘Love Island Season 7’ star Charlie Georgiou has remained vocal while defending him against criticism online.

On Threads, one user wrote, “If @charliegeorgio had a good PR team he should’ve been acting like Gal’s team seeing the mess his brother is creating. Instead of blindly supporting, you can support and still call him out, even if it’s in a cute satire way. That would’ve won people over…”

Charlie responded, “You want me to ridicule my brother online whilst I’m receiving vast amounts of insane hate towards him to ‘win people over’? Wrong family. I don’t care to be liked by fanatic cult obsessed deluded people online.”

Close the end of the season, Charlie shared another lengthy statement, writing, “To all the people who dont like me anymore for defending my brother, I’m glad. Genuinely I don’t need support from people that bully my brother online for absolute minute reasons. You’d think he’s been cancelled for something illegal the way you are talking about him. I have received death wishes, homophobic slurs and people even telling him to ‘take his ass back to the Byzantine empire’ the region in which our heritage comes from. These are probably the same people who mocked Parmidas Persian name. Ethnic names don’t deserve to be mocked just because they are different… For all the people who have said ‘Zach withheld food from Kayda and has starved Kayda’ as farfetched and ridiculously dramatic that statement is, Zach did make Kayda breakfast that morning it just wasn’t shown.”

Amid Trinity Tatum’s joint statement, Charlie also revealed that Zach’s TikTok account had been banned after being reported en masse. He wrote, “TikTok has banned Zach’s account because everyone is reporting it, wtf is wrong with people? The truth about the false narratives portrayed about his time there will be spoken on soon.” 

Zach’s TikTok account has since been restored and is now back up and running.

RELATED: Former Islander Charlie Georgiou Defends His Brother Zach Amid Criticism Over His Actions On ‘Love Island USA’ Season 8 (VIDEO)

For the past ten days, Prime Video subscribers have been heading in their millions on a mission to the stars, as they join Ryan Gosling‘s science teacher, Ryland, and the adorable alien Rocky in saving the universe. Phil Lord and Christopher Miller‘s modern sci-fi masterpiece Project Hail Mary, based on the bestseller by Andy Weir, has unsurprisingly dominated the streaming charts in the U.S. following a hugely successful run in theaters earlier this year, and ahead of likely awards success in early 2027.

It’s been reported that, following its streaming arrival, Project Hail Mary smashed the record for most-watched opening weekend on Prime Video. Two years ago, a much less critically successful project broke the record for the most-watched global film debut on Prime Video, reaching over 50 million viewers globally in its first two weeks. The film in question is Road House, directed by Doug Liman, which was a remake of the 1989 action classic directed by Rowdy Herrington.

Despite featuring the great Jake Gyllenhaal as former mixed martial arts fighter Dalton, the film faced huge backlash from critics, backlash that has since aged like a fine wine considering the choice to cast Conor McGregor. “Road House is regular, plain-old messy and dull,” wrote Matt Donato in his review of the movie for Collider, adding that “the final cut is haphazard at best.” Despite the backlash, Road House is still managing to prove popular two years on, officially ranking as one of the ten most-streamed movies on Prime Video in the U.S., at the time of writing.

An Action Veteran Has Quit the Sequel

It wasn’t a surprise when Road House 2 was announced, considering the streaming success of the 2024 remake. However, the road was certainly not supposed to be this rocky, with plenty of unquiet reported. This is largely due to Guy Ritchie, who was initially announced to take the reins, having to drop out, with Nobody director Ilya Naishuller taking over. The cast for the sequel includes Dave Bautista, Aldis Hodge, Iko Uwais, Jay Hieron, Leila George, Andrew Bachelor, and Peter Sarsgaard, with Aquaman writer Will Beall behind the script.

Road House is streaming now on Prime Video. Stay tuned to Collider for more stories.

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Release Date

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March 8, 2024

Runtime

121 minutes

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Director

Doug Liman

Writers

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Anthony Bagarozzi, Charles Mondry

Producers

Joel Silver

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A frightening security breach reportedly unfolded at NBC’s New York City headquarters Thursday morning when an unauthorized individual allegedly made his way deep inside the building before confronting “TODAY” co-anchor Craig Melvin.

The man is said to have initially entered the building looking for longtime weather anchor Al Roker. After failing to locate Roker, the intruder allegedly encountered Melvin in a restricted area backstage and lunged toward him while shouting racial slurs.

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According to TMZ sources, the suspect managed to bypass security and access an internal stairwell near areas used by on-air talent and staff. Security personnel and employees quickly intervened, and the man was ultimately detained and arrested.

No injuries were reported, and the incident was not shown during the live broadcast.

The Incident Raises Questions About NBC Security

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The reported breach has reportedly left employees seeking answers about how an unauthorized visitor was able to move beyond the publicly accessible plaza and into areas reserved for staff and television personalities. While the suspect allegedly made it backstage, sources told Page Six that he never entered the actual filming studio where the program was being broadcast.

The incident nevertheless has raised concerns because of how close the individual reportedly came to one of the network’s most recognizable faces before security intervened. Just minutes after the encounter, both Melvin and Roker returned to the air without publicly acknowledging the incident.

Craig Melvin Has Become One Of NBC’s Most Visible Stars

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The frightening encounter comes during a major chapter in Melvin’s career at NBC. After joining “TODAY” in 2018, Melvin was elevated to a larger role in January 2025 when he succeeded Hoda Kotb as Savannah Guthrie‘s co-anchor during the program’s flagship morning hours.

At the time of the announcement, Kotb praised her longtime colleague, telling him, “You were made for this job.” “You have all the things that this job needs,” she added. “You’re the right person for it.”

Since taking over the position, Melvin has become one of the most prominent faces of the network’s morning programming, making Thursday’s reported security breach all the more alarming for viewers and staff alike.

Savannah Guthrie Has Also Faced A Difficult Year Off Camera

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The reported security scare comes during an already challenging year for the “TODAY” show family. Earlier this year, Savannah Guthrie stepped away from the morning program after her mother, Nancy Guthrie, was reportedly kidnapped from her home in Tucson, Arizona. Nancy was last seen on January 31, and authorities have continued investigating the circumstances surrounding her disappearance.

Throughout the ordeal, Guthrie’s “TODAY” colleagues publicly rallied around her, with Craig Melvin among those who supported the longtime anchor during her time away from the show.

“When everything happened with me and my family, they just stopped everything and said, ‘We’ll wait for you,’” she recalled. “Hollywood is, like, a really tough business, and I didn’t expect that. And I just want to say thank you, it means so much to me.”

Savannah Guthrie Is Preparing For A New Hosting Gig

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The security scare also comes as Savannah Guthrie prepares to step away from “TODAY” temporarily for an exciting new project. During a recent broadcast, Guthrie revealed she will be taking a short break from the morning show to film a Wordle-inspired game show being produced by Jimmy Fallon.

“We’ve been holding in a secret between us for a long time now,” Guthrie told viewers as Fallon joined the program to discuss the upcoming series.

“I’m so happy it’s you. We were looking for the perfect host for this,” Fallon said. “We needed someone who looks like they play Wordle, someone who knows how to run a show.”

The late-night host also praised Guthrie’s performance in the pilot episode, telling her, “We did the pilot, and you were amazing.”

The game show, based on The New York Times’ wildly popular word puzzle, is scheduled to begin filming this summer. “Everything is strange right now,” she said. “It’s strange to get up and do the ‘Today’ show every day, and it’s strange to say that I’m going to do a game show when your heart is broken.”

She added, “Nothing about that has changed, and it’s not easy, but I’m determined to put one foot in front of the other.”

Actress Laura Benanti has revealed that she was forced to leave an apartment she owned after her impression of Melania Trump allegedly led to her being doxxed by MAGA supporters. The actress has, over the years, performed several impressions of the first lady, beginning with an appearance in 2016.

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During an appearance on “The Downside” podcast, Laura Benanti told hosts Gianmarco Soresi and Russell Daniels that she had to change homes shortly after first performing her Melania Trump impression.

The hosts asked whether she received “any new level of hateful comments” after doing the impression, to which the actress revealed that someone had doxxed her, leaving her with no choice but to move.

“This like right-wing psychopath sent an email blast to all of his people, and he was like ‘let her know what you think of her’ and then put my f-cking address,” the “Mayor of Kingstown” star said.

“Someone took a picture of me walking my daughter to school,” the actress also recalled.

Benanti Says A MAGA-Supporting Driver Warned Her

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Speaking further about the doxxing incident, Benanti explained how she discovered that she had been targeted.

She claimed that at the time she had a driver who also served as her security guard. According to Benanti, he was a strong MAGA supporter and received the doxxing email from the person responsible.

“He was so upset that they would do this. He texted me, and he was like, ‘This is what’s going on, and what are we going to do?” Benanti recalled.

The “Elsbeth“ star said she was initially at a loss over how to respond before ultimately deciding that the safest option was to leave the apartment and move into a rental.

Netizens Slam MAGA Supporters After Benanti’s Story

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Benanti’s revelation prompted outrage online, with many condemning her alleged doxxing and expressing concern over how it affected her family.

“A picture of the daughter, too?!?! That’s so so terrifying. I don’t think Russell and Gianmarco understood how scary this is for women,” one person wrote.

Another commented, “I remember seeing her for the first time, thinking about how good her impression was. To find out how much of her life got upended by a dope impression is insane. What the heck is wrong with people?”

Others argued that doxxing has increasingly become a tactic used by extremists against people they disagree with politically.

“It’s so sad that doxxing has become a political tool by extremists,” one netizen said, while another added, “It’s terrible. Political satire is so important, even if one finds it objectionable, violence should never be a reaction.”

Inside Laura Benanti’s First Melania Trump Impression

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Over the years, Benanti has performed several Melania impressions, but it all began with an appearance on “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” in 2016.

The impression came shortly after Melania’s now-infamous Republican National Convention speech, which drew widespread criticism over allegations that portions had been plagiarized from then-first lady Michelle Obama.

In an interview with The New York Times, Benanti revealed that she decided to impersonate Melania after Colbert pointed out their resemblance while she was promoting her comedy musical on his show.

She later received an email from a CBS executive asking whether she would appear as Melania and spoof the convention speech.

Benanti said she immediately accepted the offer and ultimately found performing the character live on the show to be “really exhilarating.”

Laura Benanti Revived Her Melania Trump To Mock Epstein Scandal

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Benanti most recently reprised her Melania impression on April 13, 2026.

In the sketch, she spoofed Melania’s press conference addressing Jeffrey Epstein by satirizing the administration’s response to the controversy.

“Most importantly, talking about Jeffrey Epstein distracts people from the war that was started to distract people from talking about Jeffrey Epstein,” Benanti’s Melania joked.

“So, to once again distract from the war, I would like to make the following announcements,” she continued. “Just as I rarely hung out with Jeffrey Epstein, I rarely cooked with Jeffrey Dahmer. We just had overlapping social circles in Milwaukee.”

Brianna LaPaglia is giving her two cents on Bunnie Xo & Jelly Roll‘s ongoing divorce.

The internet sensation shared her thoughts on the shocking split, which recently made headlines and got many talking. She revealed that she does not buy into the positive front the former lovebirds are trying to put up.

Brianna ‘Chickenfry’ LaPaglia’s comments come after Bunnie Xo detailed the nitty-gritty of her split from Jelly Roll in a now-deleted podcast episode. The singer filed for divorce on May 18, citing irreconcilable differences.

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LaPaglia has shared her opinion on Bunnie Xo’s supportive statements about her estranged husband getting back into the dating scene.

In a June 18 episode of her “Dum Blond” podcast, she spoke about their breakup and pending divorce, during which Bunnie Xo stated that she is encouraging her soon-to-be ex-husband to start dating again.

She told listeners that it was “great” for Jelly Roll to start putting himself out there once again, noting that his “DMs are open.” While the message conveyed that Bunnie is all for a fresh start with her estranged husband, LaPaglia was not having any of it.

“She doesn’t mean that,” LaPaglia said on her “Plan Bri Uncut” podcast Sunday, adding, “She’s still under the mind control of [Jelly Roll].” The media personality backed up her claims with explanations and observations.

She disclosed that Bunnie’s closest friends are reposting the most “asinine, crazy, insulting videos about Jelly Roll and how he’s the worst person and how people only like him because of Bunnie.” 

LaPaglia believes that Bunnie is still protecting Jelly with her words and actions. Her views seem to be based on personal experience, as she said, “I went through that at a point too.”

LaPaglia Threw Shade At The Country Music Star

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After dissecting Bunnie’s words, LaPaglia shifted focus to Jelly and his actions. She raised speculation that “his ego” and personality “clearly changed” after he went through his weight-loss journey, during which he lost nearly 300 lbs.

“He thought that he could do better. He can date someone younger. He’s going to go for a ‘trad wife.’ One hundred percent gona go for a ‘trad wife,’” the podcast said. LaPaglia also weighed in on the raging whispers that Jelly Roll’s newfound religious beliefs might be playing a role in his breakup from Bunnie.

She stated that the Grammy winner’s decision to walk out of the relationship may be largely based on Bunnie’s past career as a sex worker.

“Hey buddy, you were the one that got with an escort. She was an escort. She’s talked about it. You were a drug addict, and you were going to prison and in and out of jail. Now your morals don’t align with it because you’re f-cking skinny?” The media personality said. 

LaPaglia continued going hot at the musician, saying, “You dropped the weight on your belly, and now you dropped the weight of Bunnie, who, I think, was the only like redeeming and beautiful quality about Jelly Roll.”

Bunnie Xo Took Her Divorce Podcast Episode Off The Internet

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The “Dumb Blonde” star had shared details about her pending divorce and breakup from Jelly on an episode of her podcast titled “The Divorce.” During the episode, she debunked swirling rumors about alleged infidelity and their split, also giving fans insight into coming to terms with the end of her marriage.  

However, after the video gathered millions of views and earned her over $100,000, Bunnie made the ultimate decision to take it off her platform. Bunnie stated that she needed to speak her truth at the time, but after the video served its purpose, it had to go.

The podcaster later explained that taking the video down was to protect her in the future.  “I took it down because I realized I just don’t want one of the hardest moments of my life to become a permanent headline,” she shared. 

The Blast reported that she assured fans that all the details she shared on that podcast episode were true, and while she initially shared her story, she did not feel comfortable with the video remaining on air. She added that she “deserves the space to heal” and to open a new chapter in her life.

Has Bunnie Xo Put The Past Behind Her?

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Fans are no strangers to the love Jelly and Bunnie once shared, as the former lovebirds often showed and spoke about their feelings for each other. With the recent turn of events just months after their split, it appears the podcaster is ready to move on.

Bunnie was spotted sharing a steamy kiss with reality TV star Dylan Wolf at Jelly’s bar in Tennessee during the Fourth of July celebrations.

She told fans in a later episode on her podcast that she does not regret the kiss she shared with the guy who is over two decades younger than her, and she hopes to have dozens more under the fireworks.

As reported by The Blast, Bunnie also added that she currently is focused on having fun rather than commitment. “Catch me if you can. Your girl is just out here having fun, living my best life,” she said.

As to what her estranged husband thinks about the kiss, the “Dumb Blonde” podcast host assured her viewers that he is understanding and there is nothing to worry about.

Jelly Roll & Bunnie Xo’s Separation Is Not Fueled By Bad Blood

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Sources close to the former lovebirds have revealed that the pair have great respect for each other and would continue to care for one another. Seeing the end of a 10-year era together, during which they went through rough patches, cannot be easily thrown out the window as their legal union comes to an end.

Friends of Bunnie praised her for standing beside him as he battled with addiction, weight loss, and building his career to the Grammy-winning status it has today.

The Blast shared that Jelly has also been a pillar of support for his estranged wife. In the recent months leading up to the divorce, the former couple had been publicly praising each other.

Insiders who spoke to the media stressed that Jelly Roll will “always love her” but noted that loving someone does not mean they have to stay married. The music artist in his filing listed May 9 as the date of their separation and “irreconcilable differences” as the reason for their breakup.