Related: Joseph Duggar Celebrated His Family in Last Instagram Post Before Arrest
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By Robert Scucci
| Published

2016’s Dirty Grandpa might actually be the worst attempt at comedy I’ve ever seen, but not for the reasons you’d think. A decent amount of jokes here land in the typical raunchy comedy fashion. Most of the humor hinges on Robert De Niro acting completely out of pocket in a way that would make your boomer parents gasp and say, “I can’t believe the things that are coming out of his mouth!”
De Niro fully commits to Dirty Grandpa’s ridiculous premise. He goes above and beyond. So does Zac Efron. So does Zoey Deutch. So does Aubrey Plaza. So does Jason Mantzoukas. Are you seeing a pattern here? Because it’s the pattern that prevents Dirty Grandpa from being a successful comedy. Everybody is funny, or at the very least trying to be funny at all times. When everything is funny, nothing is.

While I can’t say I was ever truly offended by what happens in Dirty Grandpa, bearing witness to Robert De Niro’s bare dong brushing against Zac Efron’s face wasn’t exactly welcome. I’m sure it was a prosthetic, a stunt wiener if you will, but I digress. I could have done without it, but they’re clearly going for shock value, so I can’t really fault a film for doing what it sets out to do.
The problem with Dirty Grandpa is that there’s not a single person playing it straight. In order for comedy like this to land, you need that balance or it just doesn’t work.

Here’s the plot. Lieutenant Colonel Richard “Dick” Kelly (Robert De Niro) loses his wife, leaving him widowed. He promised her he’d live life to the fullest if she passed before him, and he sets out to do just that in the most extreme way possible. No sooner than her body is buried, Dick goes on an angry poon hunt, dragging his soon-to-be-married grandson Jason (Zac Efron) along as his wingman on a trip to Boca Raton, Florida.
Jason has his reservations because he has wedding obligations of his own. His fiancée, Meredith (Julianne Hough), pretty much has him whipped, and this last-minute trip with his grandfather doesn’t sit well with her. Not knowing the full extent of Dick’s depraved desires, she lets it happen but keeps constant tabs on Jason to make sure he doesn’t step out of line.

Spoiler alert: Jason, and Dick, step out of line.
They meet a group of college kids: Jason’s former classmate and crush Shadia (Zoey Deutch), along with her spring break friends, the oversexed Lenore (Aubrey Plaza) and token gay tagalong Bradley (Jeffrey Bowyer-Chapman). They plan to reconnect later when Dick learns about Lenore’s fantasy of sleeping with an older man. This works out perfectly for Dick, who, by his estimation, hasn’t gotten laid in nearly 20 years.

No matter where they go in Dirty Grandpa, they’re always within arm’s reach of Pam (Jason Mantzoukas), a local drug dealer who shows up to get everybody wasted. Jason accidentally vapes crack. Lenore aggressively hits on Dick. Meredith FaceTimes Jason at the worst possible moments: naked, covered in drawn-on wieners, hungover, you name it. It’s all so insane that the police officer played by Henry Zebrowski, best known as the most over-the-top host of Last Podcast on the Left, ends up being the most subdued person in the entire movie. The one guy I’ve never seen play it straight is somehow the de facto straight man in Dirty Grandpa.
Robert De Niro asks his new Black friends “if he can say it” before dropping N-bombs during karaoke. Zac Efron gets arrested for exposing himself to a minor. Aubrey Plaza speaks almost entirely in sexually charged euphemisms. It just keeps going.

I’m not here to say that Dirty Grandpa is terrible because it’s in poor taste. That’s the whole point. That’s not the issue. The problem is there’s too much shtick and not enough character development. There’s no real emotional throughline to carry the story. Everybody is dialed up to 11, and there’s no room to breathe. It feels like they were aiming for Bad Santa but landed closer to Bio-Dome. There’s no depth if you’re only exploring one dimension.
There are some great stand-alone moments in Dirty Grandpa, and it thrives on offending your sensibilities. But without any substance, the humor wears thin fast, which is a shame because everybody clearly understood the assignment.

Dirty Grandpa is currently streaming on Hulu.
Nicholas Brendon, the actor best known for playing Xander Harris on Buffy the Vampire Slayer, has died at the age of 54. He was a familiar face to TV fans thanks to his long run on the hit supernatural drama, where he played one of Buffy’s closest friends, and was a key member of the “Scooby Gang”. His family released a statement, via The Hollywood Reporter, in which they confirmed his passing and paid tribute to the actor.
“We are heartbroken to share the passing of our brother and son, Nicholas Brendon. He passed in his sleep of natural causes. Most people know Nicky for his work as an actor and for the characters he brought to life over the years. In recent years Nicky has found his passion in painting and art. Nicky loved to share his enthusiastic talent with his family, friends and fans. He was passionate, sensitive, and endlessly driven to create. Those who truly knew him understood that his art was one of the purest reflections of who he was. While it’s no secret that Nicholas had struggles in the past, he was on medications and treatment to manage his diagnosis and he was optimistic about the future at the time of his passing. Our family asks for privacy during this time as we grieve his loss and celebrate the life of a man who lived with intensity, imagination, and heart. Thank you to everyone who has shown love and support.”
Casting (Re)Directors — The Collider TV Quiz!
When a new actor takes over an existing role, audiences can be wary. On this first day of spring, let’s look at some characters who got fresh starts.
Brendon starred as Xander Harris across all seven seasons of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The series followed Buffy Summers, a teenager chosen to fight vampires and other supernatural threats, with Xander as one of the ordinary friends who stayed by her side. The main cast included Sarah Michelle Gellar as Buffy, Alyson Hannigan as Willow Rosenberg, Anthony Head as Rupert Giles, Charisma Carpenter as Cordelia Chase, David Boreanaz as Angel, James Marsters as Spike, and Brendon as Xander.
Outside of Buffy, Brendon also appeared in Criminal Minds and on the short-lived series Kitchen Confidential with Bradley Cooper. He also starred in the cult film Psycho Beach Party alongside Lauren Ambrose and Amy Adams. In recent years, he dealt with several health issues, including a heart attack, a congenital heart defect, and cauda equina syndrome, which led to multiple spinal surgeries.
The thoughts of everyone at Collider are with the family of Nicholas Brendon.
1997 – 2003
The WB
Joss Whedon
Joss Whedon
Joss Whedon
[Editor’s note: The following contains spoilers for Outlander Season 8, Episode 3.]
Summary
In episode three of Season 8 of the Starz series Outlander, Claire Fraser (Caitriona Balfe) had to step in to help a young Black girl whose mother was on the verge of giving birth to twins, as the result of a very high-risk pregnancy. While delivering the babies, it seemed as though one was not going to make it, until something inexplicable and possibly magical happened at the hands of Claire. Something that neither Claire nor Jamie fully understand, but that Claire will likely have to come to terms with before the final season is over.
During this one-on-one interview with Collider, Balfe discussed the experience of saying goodbye to a TV series that was such a huge part of her life for so many years, shooting different endings for the finale, how lovely it was to have a happy family reunion so early in the season, the presence of Frank Randall hanging over Jamie’s possible fate, shooting the bear mauling and the birth of Ian and Rachel’s child in the same episode, the fun of watching Claire and Jamie (Sam Heughan) bicker over what happened with John Grey (David Berry), the bond with Fanny, and what really happened when Claire saved that twin. She also talked about being unsure whether she’ll be doing any comedy or a musical in the future but mentioned her excitement over her next role in the period drama The Housekeeper.
Collider: Does it feel like you’ve wrapped this series ages ago now, or does it still feel very recent?
CAITRIONA BALFE: No. We wrapped almost a year and a half ago. These first few episodes we filmed two years ago, so that feels like quite a while ago. It’s weird, there was that first phase of saying goodbye to it all, and now this feels like the next phase.
If the you on day one of all this knew what the full journey would be and what the last day would be like and how it would all end, would you have even believed any of that?
BALFE: No. When I think back to 2013, when we started, it’s just so mad. I had no idea. And thank God, because I think I would have just been so overwhelmed with the idea that it was going to be the next 10 or 11 years of my life. But what a privilege. It’s just been such an amazing, wild ride. I just feel so grateful for it all.
It’s such an unusual experience because you do get to play this character so thoroughly and through so many years and parts of her life. Even if you do a series for a long period of time, you don’t typically get that kind of time span.
BALFE: Yeah. I think it’s 30 years of her life, and then within those 30 years, she crosses so many different decades. It was such an amazing privilege and an amazing opportunity. Shows don’t happen very often where you get to live with the characters for this long. It’s been an amazing journey.
‘Outlander’ Season 8 premieres March 6 on Starz.
You’ve also done very different types of projects between seasons and since the series has finished. Those projects have not only been very different from Outlander, but very different from each other. Do you know what you’re going to shoot next? Is there a genre that you’d love to work in that you haven’t gotten the opportunity to play in yet?
BALFE: I’ve never done comedy, but I don’t know if that’s in my wheelhouse. I’m probably not going to do a musical anytime soon. I’m so grateful that, in the last six months, I’ve gotten to do three different projects which were this amazing variety. And I’m about to start filming something in a couple of weeks. That, to me, is the real excitement, that I get to do these very different things. After being in such a long-running series, I’m quite cautious about signing up to something that’s a long time again, without knowing that I’m going to love it as much as I loved Outlander. To go back season after season to something, you’ve got to know that you are so invested and so in love with the character. I don’t know. It’s been a nice year since we finished.
Can you say what it is you’re shooting next or what kind of projects it is?
BALFE: It’s a period drama. It’s 1930s. It’s a film called The Housekeeper, and I’m excited about it.
We know that different endings were filmed for the show, and you didn’t know which would end up being used. How many different endings did you actually shoot? Were they very different? Do they all have the same feel to them?
BALFE: I don’t know the answer to that because there are some things that were filmed that I wasn’t a part of. For Matt, it was important that he got to choose what he wanted without the peanut gallery of all of us going, “We want this” or “We want that.” I think ultimately, we all just want the fans to be happy, and if we can achieve that, then that’s going to be the greatest thing. I do not envy the job that Matt had in trying to shepherd this to the end. Heavy is the load who wears the crown, right?
This is a series that has always gotten some happy moments before things get dark. This season, one of those moments is the reunion with Brianna and her family. What was it like to have that reunion and to have those moments happen so early on, with them all getting to spend time together again?
BALFE: It was so lovely. We hadn’t worked with Sophie [Skelton] and Richard [Rankin] in quite a while. We’d all been on these various different storylines, so it was like a real reunion. It was really exciting for all of us to be together. Maybe we were all messing quite a bit and being quite naughty. I think it was really important, in the last season, that the family comes together. It’s a very important thing for Jamie and Claire’s to feel the love of their extended family.
We see how hard it is for Jamie to see how much Frank Randall looked like Black Jack. He also learns that Frank has written about his death. Is it hard to escape something like that? Is that going to continue to hold a bit of a black cloud over the season?
BALFE: I think so. It’s really interesting, the kind of psychological terror that that brings to Jamie. Jamie’s reaction is one way, and then Claire has this other reaction to it. For her, she made this contract with Frank to put Jamie aside, to not go looking for him, and to forget about him, even though she couldn’t in her heart, and that they would raise Brianna as their own. And then, to find out that all that time, Frank had gone looking for him, potentially found him, and knew that he was alive and didn’t tell her. So, there’s this question mark over its validity. Is this a way of torturing Claire? Is it a way of keeping her in her other time? I think it’s very complex. This niggle of what could be is a very destructive element that goes into play.
In episode two, Amy gets attacked and mauled by a bear and Claire can’t do anything to help. It’s such a tragically sad moment because it’s so quick and so random. What was it like to shoot all of that? Is a moment like that particularly painful for Claire when she can’t change or stop what’s happening?
BALFE: Yeah. Any time she is unable to save somebody, it’s a heartbreak for her. What I thought was interesting about that is that you have this lovely moment between all the women, and it feels like a very pastoral, bucolic moment where they’re all just picking berries, and then you’re faced with the fact that, at any moment, life can be snatched away. The foreboding of that scene is that we have these very sweet, wholesome moments, and then the rug gets ripped from under you. That’s the Outlander way, in some ways, isn’t it?
‘Outlander’ Season 8 Stars React to Episode 2’s Major Arrival After That Brutal Death
John Bell and Izzy Meikle-Small also talk about what it was like to say goodbye when shooting for the series officially ended.
It was also such a very Outlander thing to balance out that death with delivering Ian’s son. Was it nice to share that moment together, and to have the happiness that comes with a family that wants their child and experiences that joy of life to offset this tragic death?
BALFE: Yeah. The circle of life never stops rolling. For Ian especially, who had lost children before, this moment between himself and Rachel is so beautiful. That they are now starting their family and that it’s within this larger family in this community is a really beautiful thing. And for Claire to be there and be a part of that and to be able to help in that way and be successful in helping, whereas she wasn’t with Amy, that’s all an important thing.
Claire, having been with Lord John Grey is something that comes up again this season in a very big way for Jamie and Claire. I always find it particularly interesting to see the moments when Claire’s more modern sensibilities still clash with how Jamie views things. What do you love most about where they’re at together in this final season?
BALFE: I think those scenes are very funny, and Jamie is very funny in them. And who can blame him, really. Claire is very like, “God, are you not over this yet? Come on!” Give him some slack. It’s not the easiest thing to get over. There are the funny moments when Brianna finds out. You see that Claire enjoys the humor of the situation slightly too. I think Jamie should be given more credit for how understanding he’s been, or is trying to be, because it’s not an easy thing for anyone to get past.
I love the moment went Brianna says, “I don’t have to call him da now, do I?” I just thought that was the best.
BALFE: It’s very funny, yeah.
This season, we also get to see Claire form a relationship and bond with Fanny. It’s so interesting to see where that’s going because you can see Fanny’s interest and curiosity in things, and she clearly likes Claire and Jamie and wants to be part of this family, but she’s also seen more than someone her age should ever have to. What was it like to find that relationship? What did you enjoy about finding that between them and working with that young actress who just has the most expressive face?
BALFE: Isn’t she incredible? Florrie May Wilkinson is just brilliant. When she joined the show last season, we were all like, “Holy shit! This girl has got chops.” It was great. It was great that the writers knew that they could give her this weightier material and that she would be more than capable of handling it all. The storyline, in some ways, with having Fanny and the family and Claire and Jamie building a relationship with her, is helping heal their wounds from Faith. And then, for Fanny, or for Frances, she has seen so much. She has been so traumatized. It’s hard for her to trust, and it’s hard for her to let our guard down. There’s this very tentative building of confidence and trust between them. I think they just want to provide her with this loving family. They’re tiptoeing around how much they can pry and how much they can tell her. It’s lovely. She’s interested in what Claire’s doing, and she’s very bright. She’s just a beautiful addition to the show, I think.
There’s something so magical about just watching her reactions to things without even having to say anything.
BALFE: She’s a very, very talented young actress. She’s really incredible.
‘Outlander’ Season 8 Trailer Teases a Tragic Fate for Jamie and Claire’s Time-Travel Adventure
Season 8 will be the flagship romance series’ last.
In episode three, Claire gets approached by the young Black girl whose mother needs help because she’s pregnant with twins. What was all that like to figure out? Claire delivers these children and she’s able to save this little girl that she thought was dead, but she doesn’t really quite understand why or how. What does all of that mean to Claire and for Claire?
BALFE: Good questions. There’s always been these special energy moments within Claire’s life. We’ve seen them peppered throughout the show. She’s a time traveler. She’s had these connections to things and these understandings of things. We never knew why she was able to [do] these things or not. With the babies, it’s quite a shocking moment, but I don’t think it’s necessarily out of the blue. For Claire, how does she come to terms with the understanding of what has happened? It’s a further evolution of other things that have happened in her life. I’m not sure that she fully understands it yet, at this point.
What would you say than to tease what fans can expect from the remainder of the season? The first three episodes set up a lot of things that will continue to come up. How do you think fans will feel throughout the rest of this season?
BALFE: To tease some of the stuff, I think they returned to the Ridge because they wanted to protect themselves and their family from the world events that were going on around them. But you can only hide from things happening like that for so long. Sometimes the inevitable just has to happen. As we know, the war can come to their door. Eventually, they’re going to have to face a lot of things and not just try and hide from it.
2014 – 2026-00-00
Matthew B. Roberts
John Dahl, Metin Hüseyin, Jamie Payne, Stephen Woolfenden, Anna Foerster, Brendan Maher, Brian Kelly, David Moore, Jennifer Getzinger, Mike Barker, Philip John, Joss Agnew, Lisa Clarke, Jan Matthys, Ben Bolt, Charlotte Brändström, Christiana Ebohon-Green, Denise Di Novi, Douglas Mackinnon, Julian Holmes, Norma Bailey, Richard Clark, Justin Molotnikov, Stewart Svaasand
Toni Graphia, Matthew B. Roberts, Ronald D. Moore, Luke Schelhaas, Anne Kenney, Karen Campbell, Shannon Goss, Joy Blake, Richard Kahan, Jennifer Yale, Megan Ferrell Burke, Ira Steven Behr, Diana Gabaldon
Jack Tarlton
Kenny Lindsay
John Sessions
Arthur Duncan
Outlander airs on Starz.
While Peep Show is arguably one of the greatest sitcoms of all time, it is not for the faint of heart. It’s a show that puts viewers directly in the minds and perspectives of two dysfunctional, sometimes delusional, and always self-centered men: Mark Corrigan (David Mitchell) and Jeremy “Jez” Usbourne (Robert Webb). Peep Show has a novel way of presenting things, with every camera angle being from the perspective of a person, usually Mark and Jez, but also including supporting characters and sometimes even background characters or extras. But it goes further, given that their often offensive or alarming inner thoughts are heard regarding whatever they’re going through in any given episode. And, what they’re going through tends to be some level of unsettling, disgusting, or mortifying, too, given Peep Show revels in cringe comedy and super dark humor.
On top of putting viewers in some unsettling headspaces, Peep Show also fearlessly tackles all sorts of taboo subjects throughout its nine seasons (an uncharacteristically long time for a British sitcom to stay on the air). This naturally means that for anyone who likes sitcoms with a dark sense of humor, Peep Show delivers the goods, sometimes, arguably, too effectively. Enter the episode “Holiday,” which is the penultimate episode of Peep Show’s fourth season and perhaps the one that goes the furthest into the uncomfortable and macabre territory of any episode in the show’s run, which is truly saying something.
Occurring within an already uneasy – in a good way – season, highlighting the main characters’ negative attributes more than ever before, and showcasing the pair reaching new lows in an unfortunately unforgettable final scene, “Holiday” is just about as dark as this extremely dark sitcom gets. In fact, it could well be a contender for the darkest, funniest sitcom episode in TV history.
Essentially, Peep Show is a slice-of-life kind of show, only the slice of life viewers are watching play out is a borderline hellish one, with one of the show’s creators/writers, Sam Bain, describing the show as being about the “stubborn persistence of human suffering”; borderline existential horror, really. Another creator and lead writer on Peep Show was Jesse Armstrong, who’s probably best known nowadays for being the creator of the also very funny – and often cringe-inducing – Succession. That show was more of a dramedy, while Peep Show is more identifiable as a sitcom, with relatively few moments being played for anything approaching drama and episodes that all hovered around the half-hour mark. Some seasons had their own storylines, and there was a sense of character development (or devolution) throughout the show’s nine seasons, but the “narrative” of the show as a whole never seemed to be the most important thing. Again, it is a slice of (hellish) life.
Beyond the aforementioned presentation, Peep Show’s willingness to have its main characters constantly think horrible things and do horrible things only slightly less often is a big reason why so much of the show is so confronting. Jez is a bit of a mess of a person, being slack in a way that a teenager or possibly someone in their early 20s might get away with, but becomes far less appealing when because he’s in his late 20s at the earliest during season 1, and ends the show at 40. Mark might be a tiny bit older (his actor, David Mitchell, is compared to Jez’s actor, Robert Webb, in real life).
Still, he acts like he’s significantly older, and therein enters an easy source of comedy: two main characters, one immature, and the other trying too hard to be mature. Jez hardly works, and Mark overworks himself. The former thinks he’s more charming to ladies than he really is, and the latter would win a gold medal if the Olympics had an event for Competitive Social Awkwardness. Disaster follows everywhere the two go, including an impromptu stag weekend in “Holiday.”
So, in Peep Show’s fourth season, there’s a rapidly approaching wedding that the ever-doubtful Mark is having second thoughts about. His anxiety and tendency to overthink have been well-established by this point in the show, and it’s fitting, then, that the idea of marrying Sophie Chapman (Olivia Colman) is one he’s less sure about the closer the wedding gets, even though he was initially attracted to her. The stag party could be a nice distraction or at least a way for Mark and Jez to bond. Yet, Mark ends up using the boating weekend as a way to desperately look for a way out of his looming marriage, planning it by thinking about getting involved with Lucy (Katy Brand), whom he meets during the weekend. He’s even less attracted to her than he is to Sophie, but her father drunkenly offers him a job that would involve traveling to India, away from Sophie. This is all pretty dark, but kind of par for the course when it comes to Peep Show.
Jez’s side of “Holiday” is where things get even more uncomfortable. Lucy has a sister named Aurora (Cara Horgan), whom Jez instantly wants to hook up with. He spends more time pursuing her over the weekend than he spends with Mark. He manages to charm her at least a little, but then things come crashing down when he accidentally runs over her family’s pet dog, Mummy, without her or the other family members initially realizing. Jez doesn’t let it ruin his ultimate goal but sees disposing of Mummy’s body as necessary to get Aurora focused on him again and ensure she doesn’t find out the truth, of course. And that’s where “Holiday” begins earning its reputation as one of Peep Show’s more infamous half-hours.
Jez initially tries to hide the corpse of the dog he ran over by stuffing it inside the bin of the boat he and Mark are on, but Mark understandably objects. The pair tries burning and burying as methods of disposal, but neither works. So, the partially burned remains of the dog end up stuffed into a trash bag, and Jez later has the bag in hand when he and Jez end up on the boat Aurora’s family has. Lucy and the sisters’ father, Malcolm (Tom Knight), are there, too. The conversation eventually turns to what’s in Jez’s suspicious bag, and he insists it’s turkey from a barbecue that Mark and he had earlier. The others are unconvinced, so Jez ends up demonstrating the edibility of what’s in the bag by eating meat off one of the limbs within. The deception is all rendered entirely unsuccessful when Aurora finds Mummy’s collar within Jez’s “bag of turkey,” at which point Mark and Jez are told to get off the boat, and the whole chaotic episode comes to an end.
It’s all cringe comedy at its absolute cringies and makes the also somewhat disturbing bachelor party in Succession’s “Prague” episode look like a walk in the park in comparison (Tom ate something he really shouldn’t have in that one, too – if you know, you know). It’s also hard to imagine humor getting much darker without ceasing to be humor altogether. Eating the remains of a family’s beloved pet in front of said family, all for not ruining one’s chances of having sex…it’s wild, even for Peep Show, plain and simple. “Holiday” is fantastically executed as far as dark comedy goes and, for better or worse, a memorable episode, but any fan of the show who’s tempted to skip over it upon rewatching the series couldn’t exactly be blamed.
“Holiday” might well be as dark as Peep Show gets, but at no point do the remaining five seasons let viewers off the hook. Getting through the fifth episode of the fourth season might mean the absolute worst is over, but things stay mortifying into the fourth season finale, which sees the wedding go through in the most disastrous way possible in “Wedding.” Both Mark and Sophie are horrified by the idea of the wedding actually happening. Mark reacts with glee at the news that Jez once drunkenly hooked up with Sophie (viewing it as cheating and a reason to justifiably call things off). Mark and Jez hide in the church when the ceremony is supposed to be happening and are only found out when Jez desperately has to urinate, which leaks through the roof onto the people waiting for the ceremony to start on the bottom floor. Hey, smartly written dark comedy can work with more crass toilet humor; Peep Show proves it so.
Season 5 contains the episode “Jeremy’s Mummy,” which also tackles some taboo subjects, and the dysfunctional, toxic relationship between Mark and Sophie also darkens and gets worse as the series goes on. Peep Show hardly ends well for the two main characters, either, but a good deal of their misery (perhaps not all, though) they ultimately bring upon themselves. This naturally helps keep the bleak humor funny in a similar way to other classic/somewhat misanthropic sitcoms like Seinfeld, Curb Your Enthusiasm, and It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia. For the most concentrated burst of dark comedy in Peep Show’s history, though, one doesn’t need to look any further than “Holiday.” It’s horrifying, hilarious, and hard to forget, and represents peak bleakness, as far as sitcoms are concerned.
Peep Show can be streamed on Tubi and Plex in the U.S.
Roommates, things got wild online after a clip surfaced showing Tokyo Toni going off in an explosive moment with her daughter, Angela White. The video quickly went viral, and fans couldn’t believe the words coming from Toni. Lets just say…it’s sparking major chatter across social media timelines.
In the clip circulating this week, Tokyo Toni can be heard calling Anegla a “demon” and a “witch,” even saying she wished she had aborted her. Though Angela didn’t appear to be in the same vicinity, viewers were left shocked and disturbed, while others reminded the internet that the pair have a long history of public family conflict. Additionally, it’s unclear what led to Toni’s retaliation, but the reactions online were intense, with some condemning Toni’s words outright and others debating the complicated mother-daughter dynamic that has played out in the spotlight for years.
One Instagram user @stephbizzy3 said, “Who even has time for enemies when your mum is like this?“
This Instagram user @keesha_trending_lee said, “Thank GOD He didn’t got ME a mother like THIS🙏😭 Lets Pray For Angela….“
And, Instagram user @bojackzon84 wrote, “You not supposed to talk about your own child like that smh this is really sad. Makes me appreciate my mother even more“
Meanwhile, Instagram user @lyf30fty commented, “Is the call coming from inside the house??“
While Instagram user @zay._.2xx added, “Probably ain’t give her a funky 20$ to illicit this reaction btw“
Lastly, Instagram user @jenny_marie_333 said, “Let me guess money!“
What has Angela been up to these days? Well, White aka Blac Chyna has kept it classy and sweet on Instagram as she celebrated Rob Kardashian’s 39th birthday. She shared a throwback pic of herself, Rob, and their daughter, Dream Kardashian, when Dream was just a baby. And yes, the smiles say it all.
In the photo, Rob is holding little Dream on his lap, one hand around Chyna’s waist, capturing a rare moment of parenting harmony. Chyna captioned it, “Happy Birthday @robkardashianofficial. You’re the best dad to our baby girl, and I appreciate you more than words can say,” proving that even with their past drama, she’s keeping the vibes respectful and focused on their daughter, now nine years old.
What Do You Think Roomies?
Kendra Duggar’s mugshot was revealed shortly after she was arrested on criminal charges.
A press release from the Tontitown Police Department on Friday, March 20, stated that both Kendra, 27, and her husband, Joseph Duggar, are facing four counts of endangering the welfare of a minor in the second degree, and four counts of false imprisonment in the second degree.
In the mugshot of Kendra obtained by Us Weekly on Friday, she is staring blankly into the camera. Her hair is down, tucked behind her ears and a bit disheveled. She wore a brown shirt.
Us confirmed that Kendra was taken into custody in Arkansas’ Washington County Detention Center after police issued a warrant for her arrest. She was booked at 4:56 p.m. and released at 6:19 p.m.

Her bond was set at $1,470, which was paid before her release on Friday. Kendra is due in court on Monday, March 23, Us can confirm.
Kendra was arrested two days after her husband, Joseph, was accused of molesting a 9-year-old girl in 2020 and taken into custody.
Us confirmed that Joseph, 31, was arrested on Wednesday, March 18, at approximately 3 p.m. by the Tontitown Police Department in Arkansas.
According to the Bay County Sheriff’s Office, there are two charges against Joseph. The first, lewd and lascivious behavior involving molestation of a victim less than 12 years old. The second is lewd and lascivious behavior conducted by a person 18 years or older.
Joseph was accused by a 14-year-old of allegedly sexually abusing her during a family vacation in 2020 to Panama City Beach. The alleged victim was 9 years old when she said the assault took place.
“The victim reported Duggar repeatedly asked her to sit on his lap,” Bay County police shared in a statement at the time. “As the vacation continued, he also asked her to sit next to him on a couch and covered them with a blanket. During this time, Duggar manipulated the victim’s underwear and grazed her genitals. Duggar would also continue to rub his hands on her thighs.”
Joseph appeared in court on Friday via Zoom to address his extradition to Florida. The former 19 Kids and Counting star did not enter a plea and waived his right to an extradition hearing, which means that he agreed to be transferred to Florida to face charges.
Years before Joseph’s arrest, his older brother Josh Duggar was convicted of child pornography. He was sentenced to 151 months in federal prison in December 2021.
Joseph and Kendra have lived a somewhat quiet life since tying the knot in September 2017.
After 19 Kids and Counting’s spinoff Counting On ended in 2020, the couple focused on raising their four children. Joseph and Kendra share Garrett David, Addison Renee, Brooklyn Praise and Justus Joseph, born in 2018, 2019, 2021 2022, respectively.
Neither Joseph nor Kendra have released a public statement.
If you or someone you know is experiencing child abuse, call or text Child Help Hotline at 1-800-422-4453.
The Sony Spider-Man Universe, or SSU, is effectively dead. It went out, not with a bang, but with a bomb. Or rather, a whimpering dud of a bomb with the release of Kraven the Hunter. Despite the financial success of the Venom trilogy, the SSU could not survive the multiple failures of Morbius, Madame Web, and Kraven the Hunter in such quick succession. And apparently, that was not enough because Sony Pictures Chairman Tom Rothman recently revealed on The Town Podcast that Sony Pictures is planning a “fresh reboot” of its cinematic Spider-Man Universe with “new people.” All of this just mere weeks before the MCU revealed their first trailer for Spider-Man: Brand New Day, boosting excitement for the world of Peter Parker once more. If Sony Pictures is serious about making a new Spider-Man Universe, they cannot commit the same grievous mistakes again, and they need a completely different approach.
The SSU was a byproduct of the overwhelming success of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). Sony Pictures clearly wanted to mimic Marvel Studios’ success, and they already had the rights to Spider-Man and his supporting cast. Spider-Man is undoubtedly one of Marvel’s most popular characters, but the executives at Sony believed they could simply make badly conceived and plotted spin-offs of Spider-Man that were only loosely connected, if at all, to the new MCU version of Spider-Man, starring Tom Holland. Not to mention, it seemed fairly obvious that Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige wanted nothing to do with the SSU. Case in point, that tease at the end of Venom: Let There Be Carnage, and it’s an utterly disappointing payoff.
The lack of interconnectivity was a big problem, as that is a major selling point of the MCU — that it’s all intertwined as a singular cohesive motion picture franchise across movies and television. The other major problem consisted of the spin-offs of obscure characters or key villains in Spider-Man’s rogues gallery, resulting in awful movies like Morbius and Kraven the Hunter. Kraven is one of Spider-Man’s greatest villains, and he does not warrant his own movie. He should appear in a Spider-Man movie where he targets Spider-Man, adapting a seminal comic book storyline like Kraven’s Last Hunt. Forcing the character into such a half-baked plot where Kraven is transformed into an anti-poacher vigilante who tangles with The Rhino, another iconic Spider-Man rogue, was utterly disappointing.
Madame Web was an utter disaster with its attempt to slot a square peg into a round hole, showcasing a contrived, convoluted storyline that attempts to connect Cassandra Webb (Dakota Johnson) to other Spider-Heroes, who are marginalized in the movie, and an unnamed infant Peter Parker. Additionally, Madame Web is another character who is not strong enough to warrant her own spin-off. She’s literally like a soothsayer and a Spider Oracle in the comics and certainly not a superhero who deserves her own cinematic origin story.
If Sony Pictures is serious about pushing forward with the SSU, they have to take a completely new and fresh approach, avoiding the past failed attempts, meaning villain spin-off movies are off the table for now. Instead, it’s time to make some movies about the other Spider-Heroes. The next natural step is staring Sony right in the face: Spider-Man 2099. The Spider-Verse animated movies have already proven that Spider-Man 2099, aka Miguel O’Hara (voiced by Oscar Isaac in the Spider-Verse movies), can work on the big screen. The easy answer: make a live-action Spider-Man 2099 movie that is set in the far future, so the character is far removed from the present timeline. That eliminates any worries about connectivity and continuity, so the creatives can instead focus on Miguel O’Hara’s story.
Elsewhere, a strong multitude of Spider-Heroes can lead their own movies and beyond. Consider Scarlet Spider, aka Ben Reilly, Ghost Spider/Spider-Woman (popularly known as Spider-Gwen, aka Gwen Stacy), and of course, Peter Parker’s successor, Miles Morales. Sony Pictures should focus on these heroes instead of trying to turn Spidey’s villains into lame antiheroes. Have them fight villains like Morbius, Kraven, and The Rhino rather than crafting obscure minor characters in their own cinematic entries, where they likely won’t even meet or interact with Spider-Man. The new SSU needs to start with the big guns before moving on to obscure characters, attempting and failing to make Hypno Hustler, Rocket Racer, Silver Sable, Cardiac, and The Prowler into their own movies. See the failed attempt at making El Muerto, starring Bad Bunny, for reference.
Let’s remember how the MCU took off. In Phase 1, Marvel Studios took the time to build out its universe. It focused on the heavy hitters first, the legendary Big 3 with Iron Man, Captain America: The First Avenger, and Thor, who eventually coalesced into The Avengers in 2012. That succeeded because Marvel Studios laid the foundation for the MCU and built equity and audience trust, allowing the studio to eventually attempt Guardians of the Galaxy in 2014—a big risk that paid off. Sony Pictures failed to build out its universe at first, especially considering that it is extremely limited in its corner of the Marvel Universe.
Additionally, if the new SSU moves forward, Sony might want to consider making the movies completely standalone rather than an interconnected shared cinematic universe. The interconnectivity of the old SSU was not well executed anyway, so it would be easier to jettison that aspect completely. Sony Pictures cannot simply view the new SSU as IP that they can will into success because of a loose association with Spider-Man. If the Sony executives repeat past mistakes, except this time with different characters like The Grizzly, The Kangaroo, and Boomerang, the new SSU is destined for another embarrassing failure.
Venom is available to stream on Disney+ in the U.S.
September 28, 2018
112 minutes
Ruben Fleischer
Jeff Pinkner, Scott Rosenberg, Kelly Marcel, David Michelinie, Todd McFarlane
Avi Arad, Matt Tolmach, Amy Pascal
As Taylor Frankie Paul’s alleged domestic dispute with ex-boyfriend Dakota Mortensen continues to make headlines, her marriage and divorce from ex-husband Tate Paul has been thrust back into the limelight.
Taylor, 31, was married to Tate for six years before they divorced in summer 2022. Taylor announced their split during a viral TikTok video where she revealed she and her then-husband were part of a soft-swinging group of Mormons in Utah.
She noted in the July 2022 video that part of the reason she and Tate broke up was because she crossed the line and went “all the way” with another man.
Taylor and Tate, who share daughter Indy, 8, and son Ocean, 5, settled their divorce one month later with Tate agreeing to pay his ex-wife $3,000 a month in child support, according to court documents obtained by Us Weekly on Friday, March 20.
The exes’ divorce decree, filed in August 2022, revealed that Taylor and Tate were awarded joint legal and physical custody of their two kids.
The pair agreed to “alternate parent time” with Indy and Ocean “every two days” with shared holidays, according to the docs.
“The parties are restrained from consuming alcohol on the days they have the children,” the filing noted.
While neither Taylor nor Tate were awarded alimony, Tate agreed to provide medical insurance for their children and be “solely responsible” for the insurance.

Taylor Frankie Paul and Tate Paul with son Ocean and daughter Indy. Courtesy of Taylor Frankie Paul/Instagram
When it came to the duo’s debts, the court ruled that Tate would be responsible to pay and assume all debts in his name. Taylor was also instructed to pay and assume her personal debts in the wake of their divorce.
Tate was awarded the 2021 Dodge Ram TRX, while Taylor was allowed to keep the 2020 Kia Teluride, according to the docs.
A judge ruled that the remaining personal property should be divided equally. The same went for Taylor and Tate’s house in South Jordan, Utah, which was purchased during their marriage. Once sold, the court said the proceeds were to be divided equally. Real estate records show the home sold in July 2022 with a June 2022 listing price of $910,000.
While Taylor and Tate have been divorced for more than three years, their past dealings have become news after Taylor’s drama with on-again, off-again boyfriend Dakota, 33, made headlines earlier this month.
News broke on Monday, March 16, that Taylor and Dakota, who share son Ever, 2, were allegedly involved in a domestic violence dispute in late February.
Amid the scandal, Dakota filed for a restraining order against Taylor and requested temporary custody of their son. Us confirmed that the protection order was granted on Friday.
The fallout from the alleged altercation — and the resurfacing of a 2023 video of Taylor throwing chairs at Dakota, which ended in her arrest — led ABC to cancel season 22 of The Bachelorette and Hulu to reportedly halt production on season 5 of The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives.
“Taylor is very grateful for ABC’s support as she prioritizes her family’s safety and security,” a rep for Taylor told Us in a statement on Thursday, March 19, following The Bachelorette cancellation. “After years of silently suffering extensive mental and physical abuse as well as threats of retaliation, Taylor is finally gaining the strength to face her accuser and taking steps to ensure that she and her children are protected from any further harm.”
Dakota issued a statement the same day, telling Us, “As anyone who has seen the video will understand, this is a deeply upsetting situation. I am, unfortunately, used to these baseless claims about me and our relationship, which I categorically deny. I am focusing on our son and his safety, and hope that Taylor will do the same.”
If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, please call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 for confidential support.
By Jennifer Asencio
| Updated

The Pendragon Cycle on Daily Wire+ was widely enjoyed by viewers, as evidenced by an 86% fresh audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. The show follows Merlin, long before King Arthur’s rise, during the era of Uther Pendragon and the Saxon invasions that would shape Britain.
Steve Varnom plays King Custennin, Merlin’s father-in-law, in the series. I caught up with Steve, and he was kind enough to take some time out to answer some questions about the show for GIANT FREKAIN ROBOT. I’ve reviewed and commented a lot about the show previously, so it was interesting to talk with one of its stars, who also turns out to be a great storyteller.

I asked Steve Varnom what interested him in acting, and his answer was humanistically geeky! “I knew I wanted to be an actor very early in my life,” he explained. “I think it was seeing Star Wars for the first time that lit the fuse for me! I want to do THAT!” But it took time, he admitted. “I went to drama school in London (LAMDA) and was lucky enough to get a job with the RSC when I graduated. I’ve had a pretty varied career, a lot of ups and downs, like most actors. It can be a challenging career at times – a lot of disappointment and frustration, but when it’s going well, there’s nothing better in the world!”
Steve Varnom is an experienced stage actor who has toured the world. He was educated at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA) and went on to perform in two productions for the Royal Shakespeare Company, as well as numerous productions on London’s West End, the UK equivalent of Broadway. His stage credits are numerous.
Varnom has performed in A Clockwork Orange with music by Bono and The Edge. He was in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s The Woman in White as Count Fosco and understudied Michael Crawford, the legendary star of The Phantom of the Opera. His love of acting has long been about the camera, and he brought his stage success to roles on both Coronation Street and EastEnders, two long-standing British soap operas that have launched some of that nation’s biggest stars.

Custennin first appears in episode 5 of The Pendragon Cycle, when Merlin returns to his late wife’s home to apply to her father on Uther’s behalf. The tragic story of Ganieda and the bitterness between Custennin and Merlin are explored in episode 6, and in episode 7, as he rides in to help save the day as the Britons defend their island from invasion.
I asked Steve what interested him in the project and in the character Custennin, and what he liked about the character. “From the first audition scene I was sent, it was apparent this was a very well-written character,” he told me. “Custennin was complex and three-dimensional, with an interesting series arc. Believe me, this is something that you very rarely get. Before this, the screen roles I auditioned for were, for the most part, pretty dreadful – just cliched exposition devices, no real character, just there to make the series regulars look good! Usually, a meaty part like Custennin would be played by a “name,” so I was delighted when it was offered to me, and I decided to make the very most of it, to take chances with the character, to take a big swing!”

Talking a bit about the rest of the cast, Varnom was very excited by the production that was assembled. On social media, he and other members of the cast and crew have talked about how close everyone was on set.
“Jeremy Boreing and the team did an incredible job with the casting of the show – they gave amazing, ostensibly unknown actors who wouldn’t normally be cast in major roles the opportunity to show what they were capable of. It was a risk for them, but I think it paid off! They made some incredible discoveries with this show. I mean, Tom Sharp anyone?! What a find.”
One of the show’s biggest strengths is the performances of its actors, especially that of newcomers like Tom Sharp in the lead as Merlin, Alex Laurence-Phillips as Pelleas, and actors without a “name” like Steve in major roles. It gave them a chance to exhibit their talents, rather than headlining big names that overshadow the story.
Steve explains, “The cast became very close during the months we spent together in Budapest. I made some lifelong friends. Tom, Alex and I bonded on the very first day of principal photography. The first sequence we shot was the dock scene, the climax of episode 5. It was a BIG scene which demanded a lot of focus and emotional intensity – we were thrown in at the deep end, quite literally in Alex’s case. It became immediately apparent that I was working with actors of real quality – you never really know until you’re toe to toe in a scene!”

Of the star of Rise of the Merlin, he said, “Tom and I quickly established a great working relationship. He approaches the work the same way I do – he’s a hard worker, he takes it seriously, he turns up with ideas. Alex astonished me, too,” he added. “This was his first professional job, fresh from drama school! Incredible. Such composure and professionalism, he’s going to have a big career!”
The relationships didn’t end when the camera stopped rolling, either. “Tom, Alex and I speak very regularly, but I also got really close with Myles (Uther), Finney (Aurellius), and George Osborne (Lot) too. Great guys. My brothers from other mothers! I’ve never worked with a company of actors who bonded together like this one.” This chemistry was all over the screen in The Pendragon Cycle and made vivid the kinship amongst the Britons.
About his character, he told me, “One of the things I loved about Custennin’s character was his sense of humor. There was a hint of it in the script, but I decided to lean into it. A lot of the other characters are pretty serious, so I thought it was a great opportunity to make him more relatable, and, even though he’s Atlantean, more human!” Custennin is grieving when we first meet him, but Steve’s performance highlights the contrast between Custennin who is grieving and the genuine and powerful king.

Custennin lives in the 5th century, and as a king, is responsible for leading warriors into battle and fighting himself. I spoke with Steve about his sword-fighting experience and how it helped him play the character, especially since he loses an arm during the story.
While I’d bet this lifelong Star Wars fan probably got early practice pretending to wield a lightsaber as a kid (didn’t we all!), it turns out Steve is an experienced swashbuckler. “I’ve done quite a lot of sword-fighting for jobs in the past, mostly in the theatre, when I worked with the Royal Shakespeare Company, for example,” he said. “The challenge with Custennin was doing it with one arm! I’m a righty, so welding swords with my left felt so unnatural. We had an amazing stunt and fight team in Hungary, though, and they choreographed some really stunning sequences for us. Those guys made us look good!!”

Custennin’s appearance in the final battle, during which he smacks people around with a very unusual weapon, was priceless, and calls to mind what he said about “taking a big swing” with the character. For Steve, this was as literal as his portrayal of Custennin’s emotional range.
Custennin is one of the Fair Folk who hail from Atlantis, so his character needed to speak the Atlantean language like a native. Steve told me how he made it look easy: “I had fun with the Atlantean language! Rose, Tom, Emree and I worked with Spencer Klavan, who devised the entire language, and I think he did an amazing job. It adds a level of authenticity to the world-building – like Elvish in Lord of the Rings, or Dothraki in Game of Thrones. It was challenging to nail it, but very rewarding when it came together. I didn’t have as much as the other guys – they had pages and pages of it!”
That’s right, scholar Spencer Klavan invented an entire language for the show, just like Tolkien did for The Lord of the Rings.

I’ve praised the set in the past, and my favorites all revolved around Custennin. His stronghold of Goddeu was beautiful and realistic, and the war camp and final climactic battle against the Saxons all had an authentic feel that reminded me of the Society for Creative Anachronisms’ medieval-themed wars.
“The sets and locations were incredible,” Varnom told me. “They brought such a feeling of authenticity to the show – something you wouldn’t get if you were filming on a backlot or against green screen. Goddeu was a fabulous set – it’s basically an entire town that was originally built for another show, The Last Kingdom, I believe. Our design team repurposed it for Pendragon, and I think they did an amazing job. I particularly liked how they designed Custennin’s great hall, which was brought to life by Kris Kimlin’s extraordinary lighting design. So atmospheric. It certainly made my job easier, being in those surroundings. My abiding memory of those sets is how cold it was! You can see our breath steaming in those scenes – that’s not CGI! The war camp and the battle scenes were the same, up to our knees in freezing mud, huddling around portable heaters between takes!”

Also noteworthy were The Pendragon Cycle’s camp and battle scenes, and hearing Steve talk about working in them and the conditions during filming really brings home what we see on the screen. People like King Custennin and his allies historically made such encampments to fight real wars, just like the ones we see on the show. Steve’s experiences on set emphasize what we can’t feel when we see them huddling around campfires and in tents or grappling with enemies in a field of blood and mud.
I asked Steve what his favorite scene was to shoot. He replied, “I loved Custennin’s very first scene, when Merlin and Pelleas arrive in my hall. Tom and I were really looking forward to shooting it, as it was such a meaty, emotionally complex scene for both of us. We finally did it toward the end of the shoot, and it was a joy. Working opposite an actor of Tom’s caliber just makes it so easy. We fired off each other and discovered some really fun, interesting moments.”
Meanwhile, as a viewer, he admitted, “I have so many favorite scenes, but I think the dock scene stands up as one of the dramatic high points of the series.”

Fans are desperately hoping for a second season, and I couldn’t help but wonder if Steve would return to fill Custennin’s throne. He admitted, “I’d love to play Custennin again. He’s such a gift for me, such a rich character. I’m so delighted he’s been received well by the viewers of the show, and I hope to strap on that metal arm again very soon!”
Talking about how many actors are getting their start from The Pendragon Cycle, I asked Steve how his appearance on the show has affected his own career. The transfer from stage to screen wasn’t easy for the actor: “It’s difficult for an “unknown” actor to score decent roles in movies and tv shows – producers always want actors with profiles, it maximizes their chances of success and viewing figures, so when I was offered Custennin it meant such a lot. My profile is rising, thanks to this show, and I’m beginning to be considered for the types of roles I’ve always wanted. I’ll always be grateful to Jeremy for believing in me and trusting me with such a great character!”
Other roles have also materialized for him. “Later this year, you’ll see me in a very unusual movie, a Western called Run Honey Run. I play the villain, Brigham Thorne, a demented, murderous Mormon banker, and I had such a blast with him. It’s written and directed by Baylee Toney, who I think is going to be a major player in the business, and it also stars a couple of my Pendragon cohorts – Myles and Alex! I think it’s destined for cult status. Can’t wait for people to see it!” Steve Varnom having fun led to an excellent performance in The Pendragon Cycle, so I’ll be looking for Run Honey Run to see what happens when he’s allowed to cut loose as a villain.
Given the trajectory of his career, I asked him what advice he had for other up-and-coming actors, but his advice is resonant wisdom for all creatives. “The best advice I can give to up-and-coming actors is to believe in yourself,” Steve told me. “It can be a hard slog, but keep working at your craft and hold onto that belief. Most importantly, when an opportunity comes along – and it might take years for that to happen – don’t waste it. Don’t play it safe, take a big swing!”
A big swing, indeed.
See Steve Varnom take his big swing as King Custennin in The Pendragon Cycle: Rise of the Merlin, streaming in its entirety on Daily Wire+.
Things are heating up outside of the boxing ring as Blueface and Chibu’s recent Brand Risk fight continues to spark conversation. Streamer Adin Ross, who hosted the fight has the timeline talking after taking to his platform to share that he plans to take legal action against the Blue. Well, Blueface didn’t hesitate to respond and even dropped a few receipts of his own.
On Friday, a clip of Adin Ross accusing Blueface of breaching his Brand Risk contract began making rounds online. The streamer claimed Blueface violated multiple parts of the agreement. He also said Blueface broke a confidentiality clause by speaking publicly about payment details.
Adin said, “He’s supposed to wear a Rainbet patch on his shorts. He didn’t. And he’s gonna have to pay $100,000 for that. Breached another confidence, like he can’t speak about anything money, how much he got paid or what not. And we asked him to retract his statements, and he didn’t. We gave him some time. We didn’t wanna do it. Now we’re gonna do it.”
He went on to claim he really wanted to pay Blueface. Even stating that he tried working out an agreement with both him and Wack 100. While speaking on how he conducts business, Adin made it clear that every contractual fighter from the event was paid except Blueface.
He added, “Every actual contractual fighter got paid… except him. Why? Because you can’t go around saying it’s rigged, and you can’t not wear a Rainbet patch on your shorts when you contractually sign an obligation. And, yeah, you can’t talk about how much you’re paying or being paid. So, yeah, it sucks because he is probably one of the worst people to ever work with when it comes to business, ever.”
Blueface hopped on X to respond to Adin Ross. The rapper began tweeting, “Looking for a way not to pay is not a good look ima get mines regardless.” Adin Ross quickly clapped back, claiming Blueface only needed to retract his “rigged” comments to receive payment.
Adin wrote, “You’re so unintelligent all you had to do was retract what you said about s*** being rigged and you would’ve been paid in full. Take some accountability like a grown man you are, you lost. You breached your contract, that you signed… that’s nobody’s fault but you. Do not sign and agree to a contract if you’re going to breach out that’s how the law works dummy. Everyone else got paid out quick, but you because you breached. All you had to do was drop the tough guy act, retract what you said about s**** being rigged, and you would’ve been paid in full.”
Blueface appeared unfazed and continued with a series of tweets, denying Adin’s claims and doubling down on his stance
The rapper wrote, “Never said how much I was paid the excuses are becoming evident was never contracted to wear a patch an even if I was fined 100k that’s not even half of what’s owed talking about retract my statement y would I do that if I was never compensated further proving my point this was bad business from the opponent changing a week before the fight an my original opponent still on the event.”
He also reposted a clip involving Adam22, where it was claimed he didn’t get paid for his fight with Jason Luv due to similar “rigged” accusations. Blueface tweeted , “Interesting pattern from such promotion.”
Blueface continued to question Adin’s credibility, alleging inconsistencies in his statements. Referencing a clip, he claimed Adin previously said, “I don’t want to be investigated,”. The rapper pointing out that Adin allegedly admitted he couldn’t bet on his own promotions, yet later appeared to bet on Chibu during his fight.
He also tweeted, “you been doing this buddy,” alongside a screenshot referencing a class-action lawsuit involving Adin Ross and Drake over their promotion of the gambling platform Stake.
Earlier this year, reports surrounding that lawsuit claim Drake and Adin Ross are being sued over their promotion of Stake. The plaintiffs allege the platform operates as an illegal online casino disguised as a virtual currency gaming site. The lawsuit also accuses the pair of promoting gambling on livestreams using funds allegedly provided by the company, with plaintiffs seeking damages and penalties. Drake, who reportedly signed a $100 million deal with Stake in 2022, and Ross were also named in two similar lawsuits filed in October 2025.
Folks gathered under The Shade Room Teens comment section to react to the back-and-forth between Adin Ross and Blueface. Some agreed with Adin, saying if Blueface didn’t follow the contract, he brought the lawsuit on himself. Others argued that regardless of the contract, Blueface should still be paid. Fans say that many tuned in to watch him box.
Instagram user @tyeczn wrote, “all ima say is adin one of them yt people you gotta watch when you doing business with”
Instagram user @b.i.r.d_ added, “Oh he mad asf blue called him out 😂 called him out typical Karen”
While Instagram user @nikki200000000000 wrote, “Y’all always making stuff a race issue. Blueface just talks too much hell”
Instagram user @rlm_phil wrote, “Ya making it seem like Blueface didn’t sign a contract and understand all this before doing it it’s simple cause and effect, he brought him being sued upon himself”
Instagram user @kingar_ added, “Blue was saying some BS after the fight tbr.. We all watched the fight he definitely wasn’t the aggressor or landing more clean punches than chibu 🤷🏾♂️”
While Instagram user @ethr33_ wrote, “Cancel Adin again bro. ion even like blue face but i’m rocking fa bro in this situation”
Instagram user @youcame2slay wrote, “Honestly he should still be paid. He was the #1 talent there that people wanted to see. You cannot use his name for promotion and not pay. He was the main fight.”
Instagram user @maneshadorseygill added, “It’s still weird to not pay him anything at all tho leyou don’t get like participation credits lol”
While Instagram user @kingxxka wrote, “Yall did cheat the man he won the fight”
What Do You Think Roomies?
Before the Prime Video political thriller returns for Season 2, there’s no better time than the present to revisit The Terminal List. In just eight fast-paced episodes, Chris Pratt proved that he can do far more than superhero action comedies. In fact, he’s arguably at his best here as former Navy SEAL James Reece, a man who will stop at nothing to get justice for his family and teammates when tragedy strikes with a sudden precision that can’t be coincidental. Once you get sucked back in, it’ll only take a weekend for you to follow Reece to the depths of hell and back.
Based on the hit thriller novel of the same name by former SEAL Jack Carr, The Terminal List introduces us to James Reece just before his entire world falls apart. After he returns home from active duty, having barely survived his last battle, he discovers a terminal brain tumor growing in his head just as his wife and daughter are murdered in his home. Framed and on the run, Reece tracks down the criminal elements involved in this conspiracy in a drama that exposes political and corporate corruption with loads of stylish gunplay and hand-to-hand combat sequences. As journalist Katie Buranek (Constance Wu) seeks the truth about Reece and his world — and his former teammate and CIA operative Ben Edwards (Taylor Kitsch) helps unravel the conspiracy — our hero finds himself crossing lines he never knew he could.
As Reece travels across the globe, the Prime Video series departs from the book in some respects but ultimately stays true to the task at hand. Full of political intrigue and interesting commentary about the way that the Armed Forces are exploited by the U.S. government, it’s Pratt’s commitment to the Reece character that really brings the whole thing together. After all, who doesn’t love a good, old-fashioned action hero who aims to avenge those he loves the most? Everyone from John Rambo to Jack Ryan can fit that bill, and James Reece is the next “J.R.” action hero to make such a powerful name for himself. Even as he tears through his opponents, there’s a part of us that can’t help but root for Reece, whether we can justify his actions or not.
Chris Pratt Teases Season 2 of His Hit Prime Video Action Thriller Arriving Sooner Than Expected
‘Mercy’ co-star Kali Reis also gives an update on Zach Cregger’s upcoming ‘Resident Evil.’
While some criticized Season 1 for not getting deep enough into the psyche of Reece as he takes his revenge, the truth is that he’s not the type of man whose head you’d want to be in, given the state he’s in. Instead, he falls into the trademark action hero role with ease, lulling us into the usual brand of action entertainment that exists in movies like Shooter or The Equalizer. Of course, The Terminal List has a slight leg up on those productions in that it’s an eight-part series rather than a short-form feature film. The format is certainly to this book-to-screen adaptation’s advantage. It’s no wonder that Prime Video is the definitive streaming home of the action thriller.
Chris Pratt stuns as James Reece in The Terminal List, so much so, to the point that viewers have become genuinely shocked by the lengths the character will go to. As Nate Richard wrote in his review of the Prime Video series for Collider, “He’s not your typical action hero, and some of the lengths he undertakes in his revenge tour would likely even make John Wick blush.” Anyone who’s seen the show knows this. It’s not exactly a secret that the infamous axe scene from the episode “Detachment” (which is Pratt’s favorite moment on the show) was nearly cut from the series entirely due to its graphic content. Beyond that, the sixth episode, “Transience,” is something of a mini-First Blood remake as Reece is hunted in the forest by FBI operatives on his tail, using his training to keep a safe distance as he obliterates his enemies. Forget his previous work on Parks and Recreation or Guardians of the Galaxy, The Terminal List is a different beast entirely, and James Reece is a genuine force to be reckoned with.
The good news for fans of The Terminal List is that if one weekend binge wasn’t enough, there’s already more to whet your appetite while we eagerly await Season 2, set to adapt Carr’s novel True Believer. A prequel series set seven years before the events of the original, titled The Terminal List: Dark Wolf, follows Reece’s buddy Ben Edwards as he’s expelled from the SEAL teams and drafted into an international operation, one that may eventually lead directly to his involvement in the events of the original series. Like The Terminal List, Dark Wolf is meant to be a continuous series, though the first season feels generally self-contained. There’s no better time than the present to revisit the extended world of James Reece.
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