Dannielynn Birkhead is stepping into the spotlight and doing it entirely on her own terms. The 19-year-old daughter of Anna Nicole Smith made a striking appearance during Kentucky Derby weekend, showing off a dramatic new style at the annual Barnstable Brown Derby Eve party. Accompanied by her father, Larry Birkhead, Dannielynn turned heads with a fresh pixie haircut featuring black tips and a gothic-inspired ensemble that marked a clear departure from her past looks.

According to Larry, the moment was all about his daughter embracing her individuality. “People [are] always looking for her to wear something of her mom. And she’s done that a couple times, but this is kind of Dannielynn showing off her own sense of style, and she said it’s a goth rock theme,” he told PEOPLE.

The look featured a Punk Rave Gothic-inspired strapless corset gown paired with a flowing sheer skirt, a bold evolution from the brighter styles she’s worn to the event in previous years.

Dannielynn Birkhead Debuts Edgy Hair Makeover As Dad Admits He Was ‘A Little Worried’

Dannielynn’s edgy new hairstyle was also a major talking point. “She wanted something edgy and cool,” Larry shared, revealing that a hairstylist who had been a friend of her late mother helped bring the vision to life. “She chopped it all off and put some wild colors in it. I was kind of bracing myself at the hair salon,” he added with a laugh. “I guess she’s at the age to do what she wants to do.”

While the transformation surprised him at first, Larry admitted he ultimately supports his daughter’s decisions. He said he was “a little worried about it” initially, but acknowledged that she’s “obviously old enough” to make her own choices. “This year is a different style for Dannielynn, and this is kind of, I think, her coming into her own, doing her own thing and kind of exuding her own style and her choices that she made.”

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Dannielynn Birkhead Juggles Finals While Styling Dad For Derby Night ‘Fashion Upgrade’

The look didn’t come together without a little stress. Larry revealed that Dannielynn was juggling school finals while planning her outfit, forcing them to coordinate remotely. “Although it was tough because she was in school taking finals, so I had to help kind of send these pictures back and forth, and then she kind of eliminated one by one, and then I think she got to the end and said, ‘Quit bothering me. I’m in finals,’ ” he said.

The fashion moment didn’t stop with her own outfit. Dannielynn also helped upgrade her dad’s look for the night. “She said I needed to up my fashion game,” Larry joked. “That I had no sense of style. And so she was determined to pick my outfit out.”

He ended up wearing a black blazer adorned with rhinestones and lightning bolt detailing, calling the finished look “very wild” for him.

Dannielynn Birkhead Honors Anna Nicole Smith While Stepping Into Her Own Spotlight

Though this year’s look was all about carving her own identity, Dannielynn has often honored her late mother through fashion. After Anna Nicole Smith’s death in 2007, when Dannielynn was just 5 months old, the Kentucky Derby has become a meaningful tradition for the pair.

Over the years, she’s worn pieces that once belonged to her mother, keeping that connection alive while growing into her own spotlight. Now, with this latest appearance, it’s clear Dannielynn is balancing both, honoring the past while confidently stepping into her own future.

Kentucky Derby 2026 Set To Bring High Stakes Racing And High Fashion

As the spotlight shifts from red carpets to the racetrack, the Kentucky Derby is set to take place on Saturday, May 2, 2026, with post time scheduled for 7:02 p.m. ET. This year’s race is already generating buzz, with contenders like Commandment, So Happy, Renegade, and Further Ado among the early favorites based on morning line odds. But beyond the competition, the Kentucky Derby remains just as much about fashion as it is about racing.

Often dubbed the “Run for the Roses,” the event is known for its over-the-top style moments, from bold, wide-brimmed hats and fascinators to vibrant dresses and tailored suits that rival any red carpet. With standout looks already turning heads during Derby weekend events, the main race is expected to deliver both thrilling finishes on the track and unforgettable fashion moments off it.

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He might be nearing 90 years old, but nothing is going to slow Ridley Scott down. Later this year, Scott will try to put his disappointing pair of most recent movies — Napoleon and Gladiator II — out of mind with the release of his newest sci-fi venture. The Dog Stars, a post-apocalyptic sci-fi film that adapts Peter Heller‘s novel of the same name, hasn’t had the smoothest road to release, being pushed from its original March 27, 2026, release date to August 28, 2026. Although some believed this was due to a competitive spring market, it’s also been reported that test screenings proved so positive that August was deemed a better time to capitalize on the movie’s potential.

As can be expected from a Scott movie, the cast for The Dog Stars is stacked with talent, including Jacob Elordi, Josh Brolin, Margaret Qualley, and Guy Pearce. Given the cast involved and Scott’s penchant for producing critically acclaimed sci-fi, it’s easy to assume the movie will be one of the best of the year. However, Scott certainly isn’t immune to disappointments, with one of his biggest failures released back in 2014. The film in question is Exodus: Gods and Kings, an ambitious biblical epic that awarded Scott a hefty $140 million budget and the freedom to produce an unforgettable cinematic experience.

Alas, critics were less than pleased, with Exodus: Gods and Kings earning just 29% on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes. This is despite the film’s impressive cast, much like the upcoming The Dog Stars, which was led by Christian Bale as Moses and Joel Edgerton as Ramses. The rest of the ensemble included Ben Kingsley as Nun, John Turturro as Seti, Aaron Paul as Joshua, Ben Mendelsohn as Viceroy Hegep, long-time Scott collaborator Sigourney Weaver as Tuya, and Indira Varma as the High Priestess.

‘Exodus: Gods and Kings’ Is Bouncing Back

Twelve years after it left a lot to be desired in its poor theatrical run, Exodus: Gods and Kings is bouncing back on streaming ahead of the release of The Dog Stars. At the time of writing, the movie is one of the ten most-streamed in the U.S. on free streamer Tubi, a feat made all the more impressive when considering the film’s tough competition, which includes Sean Connery’s The Rock, a pair of Predator movies, and Martin Scorsese‘s gangster masterpiece GoodFellas.

Exodus: Gods and Kings was a streaming hit on Tubi, although sadly left the platform on April 30. Stay tuned to Collider for more streaming updates.

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Release Date

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December 12, 2014

Runtime

150minutes

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The landscape of daytime television is changing, with one of the most recent casualties being Sherri Shepherd‘s daytime talk show. Now, as the series nears its end, the beloved actress and comedian is opening up about her future in entertainment and revealing if she’ll consider bringing “Sherri” to social media.

TMZ interviewed Shepherd in May 2026 as she was leaving an event. The conversation started with the reporter noting the rise of celebrities making content on social media. They then asked the comedian if she would consider a similar fate for “Sherri” as it’s set to end.

She responded, “I don’t know. It’s like 6 million podcasts out there, so I have to figure out what I can do that’s different from the 6 million podcasts out there.” From there, the 59-year-old revealed that she had considered bringing the show to social media.

However, she’s also an acclaimed actress who has worked in sitcoms and films, and Shepherd stated that she’s considering returning to acting full-time. When asked if she’s gotten any offers, the host said, “I’ve had meetings and everything.”

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The Host Teased New Projects

Shepherd continued her interview with TMZ and was then asked whether she plans to take a break after “Sherri” ends. According to her, “As soon as I finish my tour, I gotta go to South Africa to film my movie, ‘Angel in the Rubbel.’”

She went on to reveal that she’s executive producing the film alongside Robin Roberts for Lifetime. Additionally, she has a Hallmark movie set to be released, as well as a romance novel. Shepherd said, “No breaks,” before teasing that she’ll be on “somebody’s TV.”

Elsewhere in the interview, the “Trial & Error” alum was asked about the most surprising phone call she’s received amid news that Debmar Mercury had canceled “Sherri.” She said, “I’ve gotten phone calls from a lot of celebrities. Cussing folks out. I’ve got ratched celebrities that love me.”

Shepherd added, “But everybody’s been so encouraging, and the love has just been absolutely amazing.”

Fans Know Sherri Shepherd Will Bounce Back

Shepherd has made it no secret that hosting a daytime talk show was one of her career ambitions. Because of this, the news of her show’s cancellation is even harder for fans of the series, as well as for those who were fans of Shepherd years before the series. Now, many of them are reacting to her potentially bringing the show to social media and her upcoming projects

One person wrote on X, “It seems like she finally accepted that her talk show is canceled and it’s time to move on.” Someone else said, “If Sherri Shepherd smiles any harder her teeth may fall out. Masking that anger…”

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After that, a different social media user stated, “Excited to see what’s next for Sherri Shepherd, she’s just getting started. She’s too talented to slow down. Whatever comes next will be big.” Another person said, “DUHH, go back to acting! What do you even mean?”

Lastly, someone else used a Wendy Williams GIF, writing, “Bring back Wendy!”

Gayle King Surprised Sherri For Her Final Live Show

There are still several more airdates for “Sherri.” However, on April 30, the series’ final live show aired, with journalist Gayle King surprising the host by wearing the same outfit as her for a special appearance.

King said on Instagram alongside a video of the appearance, “I love a good surprise! @sherrieshepherd’s team invited me to her last live show today and asked that I wear the same @bruceglen dress.”

She continued, “It’s a thing with me and Sherri! I can’t imagine daytime TV without Sherri. There’s nobody like her on the air, and here’s hoping she’s back on TV with a new show sooner rather than later. In the meantime, lucky us we can keep watching @sherrishowtv until [the] end of May!”

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There Will Be Several More Guests On ‘Sherri’

Though the final live episode of “Sherri” has aired, several more are still scheduled for broadcast. Per the show’s official website, the week of May 4 through 8 will feature celebrities such as Carson Kresley, Matt Friend, and Taraji P. Henson.

According to Block Topickz on X, the final week of shows has also been set. According to the report, Niecy Nash-Betts will be the show’s final guest. It will air on May 21. Though May 21 will be the final new episode of the series, reruns will continue airing into the fall.

Editor’s note: The below mentions sexual assault and domestic abuse.

Margaret Atwood may be best known for her seminal novel The Handmaid’s Tale, but the prolific writer has six decades’ worth of published material under her belt. Given that repertoire, her works haven’t been brought to screen as often as one would expect. In a fun twist of fate, the same year that Hulu’s The Handmaid’s Tale debuted to widespread acclaim, a correspondingly visceral adaptation of Atwood’s 1996 book hit Netflix.

Directed by Mary Harron (American Psycho) and written by Sarah Polley (Women Talking), the Canadian miniseries Alias Grace fictionalizes the life of Grace Marks (Sarah Gadon), a notoriously controversial historical figure. Harron and Polley magnify Atwood’s scathing analysis into an enthralling psychological thriller ripe with impeccable suspense, lush subtlety, and fraught curiosity.

What Is ‘Alias Grace’ About?

In 1843, 16-year-old Irish immigrant Grace Marks and her fellow servant, James McDermott (Kerr Logan), were convicted of murdering their wealthy Canadian employer, Thomas Kinnear (Paul Gross), and his housekeeper-slash-lover, Nancy Montgomery (Anna Paquin). McDermott was executed, but the court commuted Grace’s death sentence to life in prison. Three decades later, Grace received a formal pardon and vanished like smoke in the wind.

Debate still ripples over whether Grace was an accessory in McDermott’s vicious double homicide, an active perpetrator, or an unaware bystander McDermott kidnapped and framed as a scheming mastermind. Atwood’s creative liberties embrace the true crime case’s turbulent economic backdrop and the symbolic potential behind the verdict’s unsettling ambiguity. Alias Grace offers no definitive answers; even the details Grace describes as indisputable fact could be fabricated.

Regardless, the events inform the outlook of this “celebrated murderess” — and her father’s childhood abuse, her mother’s traumatic death, and her younger siblings depending upon her as a financial provider, strike too close to home to suspend disbelief. Grace’s employers enjoy their comforts while her sore, sweaty muscles scrub floors, any complaints locked behind her closed teeth. Grace repeats such obedience during her sanatorium days and earns special privileges for behaving as composed and articulate as decorum dictates.

‘Alias Grace’ Combines History, Speculation, and Biting Critique

Underneath Grace’s studiously neutral expressions, however, lies astute intelligence and seething resentment. Household after household, she witnesses how predatory men corner, assault, and kill women in a casual and remorseless cycle. One privileged son sweeps Grace’s only friend, the rebellious Mary Whitney (Rebecca Liddiard), off her feet. Once she’s pregnant, he abandons her. Desperate, knowing her tarnished reputation is an unmarried worker’s death sentence, Mary risks an illegal abortion and dies from mutilation and blood loss. Grace comprehends the agonizing rhythm of her Puritanical world — which some women uphold for their own security or superiority — long before it commodifies her into a sensationalized, malleable blank slate upon which to project patriarchal misogyny.

Regardless of Grace’s guilt or innocence, every reporter, judge, and civilian twists her testimony to suit their contradictory agendas. For some, she’s a propaganda cautionary tale: a sinful seductress who violated her subservient role. Those campaigning for her exoneration paint her as a guileless and pure victim. Bored socialites gawk because they crave thrilling entertainment. As for her mental and physical distress, consider yourself unsurprised that the doctors and penitentiary wards who brutally torture and rape Grace dismiss her as hysterical — the 19th century’s favorite catch-all diagnosis for women whose pain and fury defy an oppressive system.

Harron and Polley contrast how Victorian restraints warp Grace into a cultural lightning rod with the subversive opening image of her staring at her reflection. Grace’s identity as a working-class immigrant teenager navigating layered prejudices (class, gender, religion, xenophobia) illuminates why she’s offered up like a buffet feast. Everyone wants to pin this intriguing anomaly on their walls like a display insect. Yet Grace denies anyone access to her true self; they have no right to her last unmarred, private fragment. Even Grace’s unreliable narration invites the audience in yet holds them at a distance, evading facts when it matters most. She remains a self-contained mystery as painstakingly patchwork as Atwood’s quilt motif.

‘Alias Grace’ Is an Enthralling and Elusive Tragedy

Image via Netflix

If Grace indeed got away with murder, was the act born of cruelty or because she saw violence as the only way to express resistance? Was she akin to the trapped animal that gnaws its leg off to escape — her survival instincts and cumulative rage misdirected? Either disquieting way, Atwood’s interpretation manipulates psychiatrist Simon Jordan (Edward Holcroft). Although he presumes himself kind, he falls for his preconceived, constructed fantasy of a delicate creature who needs white-knight protection, and his sexual violence still explodes like an inevitable bomb. Jordan’s infatuated lust is another form of imprisonment; Grace’s sly rejection is the best justice she can seize.

Polley’s reverence for Atwood’s lyrical prose and resonant critiques shines through her superb translation. Harron’s adept hand for violence and satire lends itself to a psychological miasma — the laser-focused close-ups, the dread permeating like walls closing in. Piece by piece, the mesmerizing Gadon embodies a woman with manifold depth. Her straight-backed, opaque poise and piercing, soulful eyes attest to a subjugated child who’s never had the luxury of naivety, as well as a discerning, lonely adult whose safety depends upon satisfying performative mandates. All this said, one does wish for a multifaceted tableau that isn’t as white-centric. Even so, Alias Grace haunts viewers like the hushed murmurs of “murderess” trail Grace’s steps.

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Alias Grace

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2017 – 2017-00-00

Network

CBC Television

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Directors

Mary Harron

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• 
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  Edward Holcroft

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  Mrs. Quenell

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Dancing With the Stars pro Sasha Farber has had a busy few years in the romance department.

The dancer has been linked to three high-profile women: longtime love and fellow DWTS pro Emma Slater, Bachelorette alum Jenn Tran and Pretty Little Liars star Janel Parrish.

“I hate dating. But it takes like a sec, you got to meet the person. There’s a lot that goes into when you want to find someone special,” Farber said on the “Casual Chaos” podcast in January 2026, noting that DWTS has a history of showmances turning into real relationships. “[On the show], you’re just thrown in. ‘Let’s go. Hi, nice to meet you. OK, we are going to rub hips. We are going to dip. We are going to do this. I want to get in your face here. You have to really look at me.’”

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Related: Is Janel Parrish Dating ‘Dancing With the Stars’ Alum Sasha Farber? 

After Hallmark star Janel Parrish and estranged husband Chris Long separated, fans have wondered whether she sparked a romance with former Dancing With the Stars pro Sasha Farber. “She’s still got it @janelparrish 🔥,” Farber wrote via Instagram on April 9, 2026, sharing footage of the pair dancing together on a sidewalk. Parrish replied, “Thanks […]

Here’s a look at where each of Farbers’ relationships stands — and how they unfolded:

Emma Slater: From Co-Stars to Exes Who Stayed Close (2011-2024)

Farber and Slater met in 2009 and started dating in 2011. Three years in, they paused the romance but kept working together on ABC’s Dancing With the Stars.

In a December 2014 Glamour interview, the U.K. native opened up about their bond beyond a romantic relationship.

“It goes through moments, but I think the world of Sasha. I really do,” she said. “I wouldn’t have been so close to him for three years of my life. He’s just the best person. I don’t think we’re supposed to finish together. I think there are other people that might make us both individually happy, but I’m always going to be his best friend.”

The two reconnected in 2015 and Farber proposed on DWTS in October 2016. The couple wed in 2018. They split in February 2023 and finalized their divorce the following year.

Despite the breakup, Farber and Slater have stayed friendly. In a TikTok shared by Slater in March 2026, Farber mouthed, “Your ex-husband is so attractive,” and Slater responded, “But you’re my ex-husband.” After fans criticized the chummy dynamic, Slater  fired back.

“If you can’t handle that exes can be mature and can be friends, I’m sending you love and positive vibes but I also know it’s not my problem to solve. Meant with love, I’ve just healed, moved on from that,” she wrote.

Jenn Tran: A ‘DWTS’ Romance That Quickly Fizzled (2024-2025)

After Tran’s engagement to Devin Strader collapsed following her season of The Bachelorette, she joined season 33 of DWTS and was paired with Farber. Romance rumors took off when Farber called Tran “babe” in a TikTok video.

Tran later credited Farber with helping her cope with the public fallout from her breakup.

“He kept reminding me that it’s the stuff that’s not online that really matters, It’s your friends and family who know you the best that really matters,” she told People in November 2024. “Right after the breakup, I was going through a lot of stuff being said online and stuff being spilled out, and I had to just turn my phone off.”

She added, “Sasha really helped ground me and tell me that it’s my friends and family who really matter at the end of the day and everything’s going to blow over on social media and just keep doing me because, at the end of the day, I only have myself, right?”

After Tran was eliminated in week 6, the two kept spending time together — and Tran admitted she was crashing on Farber’s couch. Us Weekly confirmed in December 2024 that the pair were officially dating.

The pair broke up by June 2025, when a source told Us Farber and Tran are “no longer seeing each other.” The insider added that Tran is “focusing hard on her studies” in PA school and “not letting anything else get in the way of her goals right now.”

Janel Parrish: A Parking Lot Dance Turns Into Something More (April 2025)

In a clip posted to Farber’s Instagram in April 2026,  the Hallmark actress appeared alongside the dancer as the two danced in a parking lot.

“She’s still got it @janelparrish 🔥,” Farber captioned the video, which Parrish reshared alongside the caption, “When you ask @sashafarber1 to teach you a dance in the parking lot.”

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Days later, Parrish confirmed her separation from husband Chris Long after eight years of marriage.

Parrish and Farber both previously appeared on season 19 of DWTS in 2014, when Parrish was partnered with pro Val Chmerkovskiy and Farber was part of the show’s troupe. Almost a decade later, Parrish and Farber hard-launched their romance in April 2026.

This story was compiled with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists. 

The entertainment space has been flooded with haunting images of what a post-apocalypse might look like for years. From visceral big-screen entries like 28 Days Later and World War Z to television shows like The Walking Dead, audiences have become accustomed to the dire and urgent tone that these productions have associated with the end of civilization as we know it. And to be clear, these new techniques have been very effective in re-energizing a somewhat dormant genre at the turn of the century. Still, there is room in the space for other things. There is a limited series streaming on MGM+ that takes a different approach to The End of Days.

Earth Abides is based on George R. Stewart‘s sci-fi book of the same name and stars Alexander Ludwig as Ish and Jessica Frances Dukes as Emma, two survivors of a worldwide plague that has killed off 99% of humanity. What show creator and director Todd Komarnicki has done completely subverts the typical tropes of the genre as we have come to understand it in the last 25 years and instead inserts some hope and a nurturing environment that spans several decades and generations. If the long-running NBC hit show This Is Us and genre-defining AMC smash The Walking Dead were to have a lovechild, it would look a lot like Earth Abides.

Notably, the series was conceived as a limited series with its story fully contained in its current run, and there are no plans for a second season.

What Is ‘Earth Abides’ About?

When Ish comes to after being in a weeks-long coma from a venomous snake bite, he finds the world’s population has succumbed to a quickly spreading plague, and there are only a handful of people left alive (Yes, it does sound like Rick Grimes’s predicament in The Walking Dead or Jim in 28 Days Later). After a bad experience with survivors in Las Vegas and then several days on his own, he miraculously comes across Emma, and together, they fall in love and begin rebuilding with the little resources they have left.

They have children together at their San Lupo commune and, over many years, take in newcomers and form a commune with the intent of surviving and thriving in a new world they build together. The population of their new community begins to swell after they selectively allow new survivors to be a part of a new beginning. As much as Earth Abides works to keep the show’s mood different from the sadness and melancholy of other post-apocalyptic entries, it doesn’t pretend that challenges don’t exist.

‘Earth Abides’ Accentuates the Positives, but Also Addresses the Negatives of Starting Over

Earth Abides is unique in focusing primarily on the rewarding aspects of rebuilding civilization, including raising a family free from social distortion and forming lifelong friendships with like-minded survivors. It is an example of what can happen if the humans remaining after a cataclysmic event unite for the mutual good of a new society instead of trying to conquer other groups, as seen in The Walking Dead and others, and hordes of flesh-eating zombies that have also become the post-apocalyptic threat du jour. But to be clear, it is far from all rainbows and gumdrops in a depleted and broken world, and not everyone will fall in line with the way Ish and Emma try to maintain peace and order at San Lupo.

There is still malfeasance among some of the survivors, which is consistent with human nature. The edge of Earth Abides comes from the tension created every time Ish and Emma are feeling out newcomers and their true motivations. For instance, in Episode 5, a newcomer named Charlie (Aaron Tveit) initially appears to be a Godsend as he is able to locate and successfully pull water from an underground well when they are running low. But after several weeks, he is revealed to be a rapist. Ish, Emma, and the senior elders of the commune members, including Jorge (Rodrigo Fernandez-Stoll), Maurine (Elyse Levesque), Molly (Luisa D’Oliveira), and Ezra (Birkett Turton), decide that the penalty for what he has done is death. Ish savagely beats him with a hammer. Despite an overarching theme of love and kindness, the ugliness of men isn’t ignored or underplayed; the world is still savage, but that doesn’t mean it’s completely hopeless.

Earth Abides is available to stream on MGM+ in the U.S.

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Release Date

2024 – 2024-00-00

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Showrunner

Todd Komarnicki

Directors

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Bronwen Hughes, Rachel Leiterman, Stephen Campanelli

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