By Chris Snellgrove
| Published 12 seconds ago

As a franchise set in the far future, you might expect Star Trek to make some definitive, sweeping statements about the use of AI. However, various shows and movies have presented this technology as something of a double-edged sword. In Star Trek, AI powers the ship’s computers and holodecks, and it helps bring the beloved android officer Data to life. But AI is also responsible for numerous existential threats to the entire galaxy, including everything from evil androids like Lore to weapons of mass destruction like the Planet Killer and Control. Star Trek is ultimately very wishy-washy about this technology, presenting it as both a game-changer and a life-taker.

In the real world, the good of AI is quite outweighed by the bad. Sure, it can help you write emails and generate images, but it’s also being used by massive corporations to cut corners and give paying customers cheap slop, all so some rich exec doesn’t have to pay some poor, overworked creative.  Now, Star Trek has officially become part of the problem. Recently, Paramount seemingly used AI to create a thumbnail of William Shatner for Paramount+, and it created the stupidest-looking image in Trek history. Unfortunately, this is now the inevitable future of the franchise: a studio phoning in even the most basic creative efforts, all to please a fandom that is quietly dying.

Meet AI Slop Captain Kirk

This story begins with the worst streaming service ever created: Paramount+. Like all streamers, this platform provides thumbnails for various movies. Normally, this is just a still from the film. For example, when you scroll down to Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country, you might see an image of James Doohan giving his best thousand-yard stare. If you scroll to Star Trek III: The Search For Spock, you might see that melty-faced weirdo that Dr. McCoy tries to hitch a ride with. However, when fans recently scrolled to Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, they saw an insanely ugly image of William Shatner that was seemingly created by AI.

The image features Shatner staring into the camera with a relatively sedate look on his face. He is wearing a suit and tie, which is properly absurd. Not only does Admiral Kirk never wear this suit in The Wrath of Khan, but the only time he wore anything remotely like this was when he donned a pinstripe gangster suit in the Original Series cheesefest episode “A Piece of the Action.” The most notable thing about this thumbnail on Paramount + is that one of Shatner’s eyes has a weird red glow around it. The whole thing is surreal and looks like what would happen if the Borg decided to assimilate Don Draper.

Garbage In, Garbage Out

So, what the heck happened here? On Bluesky, Ryan Estrada seemingly cracked the case. The image of Shatner’s face mostly does come from The Wrath of Khan. It’s from the scene where Kirk completes a retinal scan before accessing classified information on Project Genesis. In the movie, this is an extreme close-up of Kirk’s face, one that cuts off his chin and almost everything above his eyes. The shot works well in the movie, but it would look absolutely terrible as a streaming thumbnail. Estrada’s theory (and one I certainly agree with) is that Paramount fed the movie image to a generative AI and asked it to flesh out the rest of his body.

However, the AI took more than a few liberties with Shatner’s character. It basically ruined the actor’s hairline (something previously only God could do), making Kirk look like a slicked-down Wall Street broker. It put him in a business suit for completely unknown reasons, making the image look instantly out of place as a Star Trek thumbnail. Most bizarrely, it didn’t remove the red light from the reticle scan, making Kirk look like he’s got the galaxy’s worst case of red eye (maybe the waste extraction department was slacking). As ugly as it is, though, the worst thing about this AI slop is how damn lazy it is.

AI Slop: The Future Of Star Trek

Star Trek is currently celebrating its 60th anniversary, and Paramount is hoping to revive the entire franchise with a brand new movie. But why would anyone want to watch a film by the same creatively bankrupt people who had to use AI to make a freakin’ thumbnail? These execs are stewards of the coolest sci-fi IP ever created, but they couldn’t be bothered to simply take a suitable screencap from The Wrath of Khan. Sadly, this AI screw-up is an indictment of what Star Trek has become: lazy slop made by lazier creatives who hope you’re too stupid to care about how bad this franchise has become.

They’re wrong, obviously, and Paramount is about to learn a very bitter lesson: the only thing they can’t gin up in AI is fans who actually care about Star Trek anymore!

Nicole Kidman‘s thick, glossy hair has become almost as recognizable as her film career. Whether she’s attending a premiere, posing on an awards show red carpet, or stepping out for a press appearance, her blonde strands always seem to have that healthy, expensive-looking shine, prompting people to wonder what she uses in her hair routine.

As it turns out, one of the products helping maintain that signature look is surprisingly attainable. Kidman, who serves as a brand ambassador for Virtue, has credited the brand’s Healing Oil with helping keep her hair looking healthy, smooth and strong — and the strengthening growth-focused treatment is available on Amazon for $46.

Get the Virtue Healing Oil for $46 at Amazon! Please note, prices are accurate as of the publishing date but are subject to change.

If your hair has lost some of its bounce and shine, Virtue Healing Oil is designed to help. The formula pairs moisture-rich Kalahari Melon Seed Oil with softening Tahitian Tiare Flower to help smooth dry ends, boost gloss and make hair feel noticeably silkier after styling.

Related: Jennifer Aniston’s Glow-Boosting Skin Secret Is on (Very) Rare Sale

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Jennifer Aniston has spent three decades on magazine covers, red carpets and our television screens, and somehow her skin keeps looking better. That signature lit-from-within glow she’s been working lately? It’s not just good genes and good lighting. The Morning Show star has said in countless interviews that she prefers to let her skin breathe, […]

The real standout, though, is Virtue’s Alpha Keratin 60ku technology, which helps support damaged strands while improving softness and manageability. A few drops can help tame frizz, add that healthy-looking sheen and give color-treated hair a fresher appearance between salon visits — all without the heavy, slick finish that makes some oils difficult to wear during the day.

The reviews are where things really shine. With more than 1,000 five-star ratings, shoppers are clearly hooked. One reviewer said the oil leaves their hair “feeling like silk” without “weighing it down.” Another shared that it “literally saved” their “bleached sad strands” and “really helped revive” their hair after damage from coloring treatments.

Finding out that one of Hollywood’s most enviable heads of hair relies on a product that doesn’t require a celebrity budget is always satisfying. At $46, the strengthening treatment offers an easy way to add more shine, softness and healthy-looking movement to your routine — while taking a cue from Kidman’s famously glossy strands.

Get the Virtue Healing Oil for $46 at Amazon! Please note, prices are accurate as of the publishing date but are subject to change.

Looking for something else? Explore more from Virtue here and don’t forget to check out all of Amazon’s Daily Deals for more great finds!

Related: Bethenny Frankel Compared This ‘Magic’ $7 Cream to La Mer

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Bethenny Frankel‘s resume may be stacked with credits like Real Housewives alum and Skinnygirl founder, but our favorite gig is the one where she shares budget-friendly beauty products that actually work. Recently, she took to Instagram to gush about a $7 face cream, calling it “magic” and comparing it to La Mer — a.k.a. the luxe, celeb-loved […]

The Sopranos star Aida Turturro has recalled a heart attack she mistook for prolonged chest pains.

During a Tuesday, June 2, appearance on Jamie-Lynn Sigler and Christina Applegate’s “MeSsy” podcast, Turturro, 63, detailed her near-death experience that led to an emergency quadruple bypass surgery.

“I was having chest pains for a while, but a hiatal hernia can imitate it [a heart attack],” she said. “My friend’s like, ‘Should we call the ambulance?’ and I’m like, ‘Nah, I’m fine.’ I get in my car, I walk to my house … my cousin gave me his doctor’s number, his doctor answered and he’s like … ‘It sounds like you might need to go to a cardiologist.’ I go to the doctor, [an] amazing doctor, and he’s like, ‘Yeah, you had a heart attack.’”

Turturro, who played Janice Soprano, the aunt of Sigler’s Meadow Soprano on the HBO drama series, was then told that “88 to 90 per cent” of her arteries were clogged before she was “rushed to emergency” where she underwent heart surgery.

“I could’ve died, I should’ve died then, but I didn’t,” the actress concluded. She also explained that she had thought that she was suffering from a hiatal hernia, which Mayo Clinic describes as when “the upper part of the stomach bulges through the large muscle [diaphragm] that separates the abdomen and the chest,” because she suffered from diabetes.

“I was lucky it wasn’t my time … diabetes is the number one cause of heart disease,” she said.

Turturro added that as a result of the surprise emergency, she’s since become more aware of taking care of oneself. “I’m blessed with beautiful people in my life. It’s all in your brain. I learned my lessons, you have to take care of yourself,” she said on the podcast. “We can always do better but it’s really about, don’t do nothing. You can’t help your kids, you can’t help your family if you don’t do you. Get everybody involved [because] this is a priority. This is our life, we’re doing this together.”

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Earlier this year, Drew Carey spoke out about ignoring heart attack symptoms of his own in 2001. “I was really overweight, and we were supposed to come back to start taping [The Drew Carey Show] … we were going to start taping so I [wanted] to lose some weight. So I thought I was going to start jogging,” the comedian, 67, said during the March 4 episode of Ted Danson’s “Where Everybody Knows Your Name” podcast. “I had a little heart monitor, and I was jogging down my street, and my heart rate went up to … something really crazy, and I was like, ‘Oh.’ And I felt numb in my shoulder [and] all the things that I read were heart attack symptoms.”

After experiencing further symptoms on set the following day, Carey was hospitalized before undergoing a coronary angioplasty.

Since his experience, through prioritizing a healthier lifestyle, Carey has lost 80 pounds through diet and exercise.

Peabo Bryson’s unmistakable voice soundtracked some of Disney’s most beloved love stories, but now fans around the world are mourning the loss of the legendary singer after his family confirmed his death at age 75. 

The two-time Grammy winner passed away surrounded by loved ones, only days after suffering a stroke. 

As tributes continue pouring in for the “Beauty and the Beast” and “A Whole New World” singer, many are looking back at the remarkable career that made Bryson one of the defining voices of romantic ballads and R&B classics.

Peabo Bryson’s family announced on Tuesday that the celebrated vocalist “transitioned peacefully at 5:00 p.m. ET” while surrounded by those closest to him. 

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In a statement shared with the Daily Mail, the family said they were overwhelmed by the support arriving from fans, friends, and colleagues across the globe.

“We are tremendously moved by the outpouring of love, prayers and support from fans, friends, and colleagues around the world,” the family shared. 

While grieving the devastating loss, they also found comfort in the enormous impact Bryson had throughout his decades-long career.

The family added that “his legacy and music will live on for generations to come,” while asking for privacy as they mourned “a beloved husband, father, family member, friend and artist whose impact extended far beyond the stage.”

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Bryson’s Death Sparks Emotional Tributes From Fans

Following news of Peabo Bryson’s passing, fans flooded social media with emotional tributes honoring the singer’s impact on music.

“Peabo Bryson was an all-time great vocalist,” one fan wrote on X, adding, “Rest in perfect peace, and thanks for sharing your gift.”

Another user praised the late artist’s Disney legacy. “Rest in power, Peabo. Your voice gave us ‘A Whole New World’ and that timeless Beauty & the Beast magic. Legend forever.”

Others described Bryson as “one of the great male vocalists,” while another fan added, “Mr. Bryson’s gonna be missed terribly.”

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Bryson’s family echoed the fans’ sentiments, describing his work as “the soundtrack to some of life’s most cherished moments.”

According to the family, his music “carried generations through joyful celebrations, great love stories and enduring moments of comfort and inspiration.”

Peabo Bryson Suffered A Stroke Before His Demise

Bryson’s demise comes shortly after the icon suffered a troubling health scare. 

As The Blast reported, a representative for Bryson released a statement on Sunday, confirming that the 75-year-old suffered a stroke and was under medical care.

Bryson’s family also made an emotional request for “privacy as they navigate this deeply personal moment together” while thanking supporters for the outpouring of love following the frightening health scare. 

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The representative added that “thoughts, prayers and love of friends and fans are welcomed and deeply appreciated.” 

The medical emergency came more than seven years after the “Beauty and the Beast” singer suffered a mild heart attack at his Georgia home in 2018. 

Bryson Became The Voice Behind Disney’s Biggest Ballads

At the time of recording “Beauty & the Beast” (1991), Celine Dion was actually considered an “up & coming” singer. Disney was concerned she may not have been a “strong enough” pull to do the song alone. They asked the seasoned and well-known R&B star, Peabo Bryson to sing the… https://t.co/NuVA2LWIxa pic.twitter.com/h7mltKkQ5P

— Sassington, M.C. (@MissSassbox) June 2, 2026

For many fans, Peabo Bryson’s voice instantly brought back memories of iconic Disney moments. The singer helped define an era of animated soundtracks with unforgettable duets, including “Beauty and the Beast” with Celine Dion and “A Whole New World” with Regina Belle.

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Those songs helped Bryson secure two Grammy Awards for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals in 1992 and 1994. His smooth vocals and emotional delivery turned both tracks into timeless classics that continue reaching new generations decades later.

Bryson’s catalog stretched far beyond Disney, however. His career also included songs such as “As Long as There’s Christmas” with the late Roberta Flack, “By the Time This Night Is Over” with Kenny G, and “Without You” with Regina Belle.

In 2017, he reflected on recording “Beauty and the Beast” with Dion during an interview with CBC. Bryson admitted the recording session transformed once the pair became more comfortable with each other in the studio.

“I looked across at her, and she looked back at me and what went on from the point of becoming relaxed was extremely intimate,” Bryson explained. “You can’t buy that. You can record it, though.”

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He also said successful duets required singers to balance one another’s strengths carefully. Bryson noted that when performers support each other equally, “there are no weaknesses.”

Peabo Bryson’s Career Began Long Before Disney Fame

Long before becoming a Disney favorite, Peabo Bryson was already building a respected music career in the 1970s. He first gained attention while performing with Moses Dillard and the Tex-Town Display before signing with Bang Records and launching his solo career.

By 1977, he was releasing music through Capitol Records, beginning with “Reaching for the Sky.” The singer soon became known for R&B hits including “Feel the Fire,” “I’m So into You,” and “Crosswinds.”

Speaking to Soul magazine in 1978, Bryson admitted music had always been the only career path that truly made sense to him.

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“It’s all I ever wanted to really deal with,” he explained, adding that he briefly considered becoming a doctor before realizing music was his calling.

The 1980s brought even more mainstream success. His track “If Ever You’re in My Arms Again” cracked Billboard’s Top 10 in 1984, while his appearance on “One Life to Live” led to him recording a version of the soap opera’s theme song.

Throughout his career, Bryson released 20 studio albums and continued performing for decades, maintaining a devoted fan base.

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60 Minutes veteran Scott Pelley has broken his silence after being fired from CBS News.

“There has never been anything in America like 60 Minutes,” Pelley, 68, wrote in a Tuesday, June 2, statement obtained by Deadline.

The correspondent continued, “The Sunday tradition is the most successful program of any kind in history. For more than a decade, its innovative growth on every major online platform has extended its reach to countless millions around the world. This spring, at the end of our 58th season, 60 Minutes grew rapidly with an unheard-of 9% jump in viewers on CBS.”

“60 has been the number-one program in America for decades because our beloved audience finds integrity, quality, and humanity in our stories. When stewardship of the program passed to my colleagues and me, our responsibility was to expand energetically into a new age of media technology while preserving the values our audience expects,” he wrote, going on to accuse CBS’ new owners of bowing to President Donald Trump. (Skydance Media, led by David Ellison, the son of billionaire Larry Ellison, purchased CBS parent company Paramount last year.)

Now, the new owner of our network is casting this legend aside, apparently to curry a moment of favor with the Trump administration,” Pelley alleged. “The waste is heartbreaking.”

Related: ‘60 Minutes’ Correspondent Scott Pelley Says Boss Is ‘Murdering’ the Show

60 Minutes correspondent Scott Pelley reportedly criticized higher ups’ handling of the long-running CBS news program during a staff meeting. According to audio obtained by Status and The New York Times on Monday, June 1, Pelley, 68, was critical of CBS editor-in-chief Bari Weiss. “She is murdering 60 Minutes,” he reportedly claimed. “She does not […]

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“Last month, 60 Minutes lost its DNA when our entire senior leadership and two of our best on-air correspondents were cruelly fired without cause,” he wrote. “Good people were silenced because they stood up for our audience. They stood for fairness against the forces of political bias; they stood for professionalism against chaos.”

Pelley went on to criticize CBS News’ new management team led by editor-in-chief Bari Weiss.

“For my part, new management has instructed me to inject falsehoods and bias into a politically sensitive story. I’ve been told to include assertions that are unverified,” he claimed. “To date, in every case, I have managed to ignore these instructions or refuse them. Recently, politicians have been invited to choose correspondents for interviews on the broadcast. Giving politicians control over 60 Minutes interviews is not how this is done. Finally, incompetence and unprofessionalism in the new management have wreaked havoc. In a case involving one of my stories, the entire program came within 19 minutes of not getting on the air at all.”

“At 60 Minutes, we have fought harder than anyone knows to save the program that became an American icon. We owed that to our millions of viewers. I am deeply moved by the thousands of wishes we have received to ‘keep up the good fight,’” Pelley wrote. “Most of the men and women of CBS News are still in that fight. But now the collapse of values at the top has become untenable. The leadership of 60 Minutes is no longer recognizable. The principles I hold dear are gone, and so I must leave as well.”

He concluded, “I depart after 37 years at CBS with one emotion — a heart brimming with gratitude for the men and women of CBS News who encouraged and enriched my work, very often at the risk of their own lives. I pray for a day when those people and their ideals are honored again — a day when sanity, competence, and courage return.”

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Us Weekly has reached out to CBS News for comment.

Earlier on Tuesday, Us confirmed that Pelley’s contract with CBS News was terminated following a verbal confrontation with 60 Minutes’ new executive producer Nick Bilton during a staff meeting on Monday.

In a memo to Pelley, Bilton wrote in part, “Yesterday, you hijacked my first meeting with staff to disparage me, my qualifications, and my intentions with remarkable incivility and contempt. I welcome a diversity of viewpoints and respectful debate among the team, but this was nothing of the sort. Yesterday’s performative display of hostility — enacted in front of the staff instead of in a civil, private conversation — demonstrated that you have no interest in contributing to the future success of the show or approaching my new tenure with a mind open to collaboration and progress.”

It takes a certain level of creative madness to create something like Megalopolis, Francis Ford Coppola‘s long-gestating film that finally saw its release in 2024 after his script sat on the shelves for over 40 years. The legendary director fully realized his passion project with this self-financed, freewheeling portrait of an artist at his most unyielding. As a result, Megalopolis baffled most viewers who bothered to see it, and it seemed like a misbegotten idea and execution for a filmmaker who directed The Godfather and Apocalypse Now. Between the tumultuous production and the self-assurance of his own vision, the movie succinctly represents Coppola and his vision.

He also learned that he doesn’t mesh well with one of his stars, Shia LaBeouf, who he cited as the most difficult actor he’s ever worked with — a damning indictment from someone who had to put up with Marlon Brando‘s antics twice. The chaos of their relationship was unveiled to the public in an insightful and candid documentary, Megadoc, which takes viewers behind the scenes of the most ambitious, beguiling film of the decade so far.

Francis Ford Coppola and Shia LaBeouf Didn’t Get Along While Filming ‘Megalopolis’

Directed by Mike Figgis, best known for Leaving Las Vegas, Megadoc, streaming on the Criterion Channel, takes a peek behind the curtain of Francis Ford Coppola’s idiosyncratic brain and artistic process, starting from the film’s rehearsals to its premiere at the Cannes Film Festival. The highlight of the documentary, for better or worse, is the tense conversations between Coppola and Shia LaBeouf, who stars alongside Adam Driver, Nathalie Emmanuel, Giancarlo Esposito, Jon Voight, and Aubry Plaza. The two quarrel over the tiniest details of how LaBeouf is supposed to play a scene, and his constant pushback against his director visibly aggravates Coppola as the movie’s scope grows to maximalist heights.

Near the end of Megadoc, LaBeouf spoke with Figgis and shared an unflattering anecdote. According to the Transformers star, Coppola told LaBeouf, “You have been the biggest pain in my f—ing ass of any actor I’ve ever worked with.” Taken aback by this scathing comment, LaBeouf responded with, “Really? Any actor? Did I show up f—ing 700 pounds overweight in the jungle? Did I quit 10 days before we wrapped?” referring to Marlon Brando being unprepared and tardy on the set of Apocalypse Now. Coppola described LaBeouf as “not reasonable” in the documentary, further adding, “He drove me nuts, but his performance is great.” Coppola later wrote the actor an email apologizing for his blow-up, blaming all the stresses of the film’s production.

In the film, LaBeouf plays Clodio Pulcher, the envious cousin of the protagonist, Cesar Catilina (Driver), an architect who envisions a better world, who vows to undermine him for political power. Like everyone in the cast, his performance is outlandish, and he speaks in such a stilted and artificial manner that it defies the standard notion of skillful acting. However, in Coppola’s strange world, LaBeouf fits right in.

‘Megadoc’ Is a Fascinating Look Inside the Mind of Francis Ford Coppola

Megadoc is not the first documentary to examine the heart, mind, and soul of Francis Ford Coppola during the filming of an ambitious epic. Echoing 1991’s Hearts of Darkness, which vaulted Apocalypse Now‘s hellish production to the public consciousness, Megadoc reflects on its subject’s preternatural talents, hubris, and peculiar interests. Although the film ultimately errs on the side of admiration towards Coppola, Figgis shies away from making anything that could be categorized as propaganda for the director and his production company, American Zoetrope. It helps that there’s nothing performative about Coppola’s presentation while being interviewed or captured working his magic. His blind confidence — perhaps bordering on delusion — is completely sincere, and his love of art and expression keeps him passionate at 86 years old.

The main reason why Megalopolis was worthy of a feature documentary is because of the product itself, which is a bonkers cinematic fever dream that leaves you with more questions than you did before the movie started. Any insight into how such a bizarre work of experimental art in a mainstream medium was manifested into reality is more or less required. Figgis underlines the dissonance between the behind-the-scenes and the eventual final product. How could such a solemn, weighty production filled with heavyweight actors amount to a film with instantly meme-worthy silly moments, from Adam Driver’s “go back to the club” delivery to Jon Voight asking “What do you think of this boner I got?” The cast, including Shia LaBeouf, pays great respect to Coppola in Megadoc, although everyone seems a little unsure of what project they signed up for based on his directions. If Megadoc proves anything, it’s that auteurism is still alive and well.

Back in 2019, ABC put together a show that had all the right ingredients. Not only did Stumptown finally give How I Met Your Mother star Cobie Smulders her time to shine as the main character, but the series was based on graphic novels written by Greg Rucka, and had an impressive supportive cast to top it off. But while the 18-episode series had everything to make for TV gold, the series’ fate was cut short, and viewers were forever robbed of more crime-fighting mayhem.

But, while viewers might still have a sour taste in their mouths over the show’s sudden cancellation, Stumptown, which is currently available to stream for free, has established itself as one of the best one-season detective shows. Holding an impressive 93% from critics on Rotten Tomatoes, and a slightly lower 83% from the public, the series, which premiered on September 25, 2019, is definitely a must-watch, even if it didn’t end like viewers had hoped for.

What Is ‘Stumptown’ About?

In the series, Smulders plays Dex Parios, a sharp-witted Marine veteran with intelligence skills, whose disastrous love life, gambling debt and a brother (Cole Sibus) that she takes care of create complications when it comes to her unapologetic style. To make ends meet, she works as a private investigator, a great one at that, but often finds herself in hot water after ticking off all the hardcore criminals in town. Those confrontations and car chases often put her at odds with the police, including Lieutenant Cosgrove (Camryn Manheim) and Detective Miles Hoffman (Michael Ealy), who also becomes her love interest.

Other important characters in the story are Grey McConnell, played by New Girl‘s very own Jake Johnson, who’s Dex’s seemingly only friend and has his own demons to deal with, Tantoo Cardinal as Sue Lynn Blackbird, a powerful CEO of a local Native American tribal casino who has a complicated, tragic past with Dex, and Donal Logue as veteran private investigator Arthur “Artie” Banks, who becomes Dex’s mentor and confidante. The series was adapted for TV by Jason Richman.

‘Stumptown’ Was Canceled Too Soon

From the Rotten Tomatoes scores alone, one might be surprised that Stumptown never made it to Season 2. In reality, however, the series did get a Season 2 renewal from ABC, but ABC canceled the series before production ever started. For context, when the first season of the series ended on March 25, 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic had just begun. A few months later, in May 2020, Stumptown still managed to score a Season 2 announcement, but things quickly took a turn after that. With delays in production, and a potential change in showrunners, Season 2 of the series became too complicated, and would never be ready until April 2021, well after the initial estimate for the fall. As a result, ABC reversed the renewal in September 2020.

As anyone who follows the entertainment industry knows, TV shows are canceled left and right in Hollywood. But while many of those are a result of low viewership or poor critical acclaim, Stumptown had its fate cut short because of sheer bad timing. The COVID-19 pandemic robbed countless networks of incredible productions, and Stumptown was another unfortunate victim. But, with all that said, the series remains as one of the most interesting detective series out there, even if for just one season.

Queer Eye’s Karamo Brown has opened up about a botched plastic surgery experience that left him in chronic pain.

Brown, 45, told People in an article published on Tuesday, June 2, that a 2021 buccal fat removal procedure caused scar tissue to block saliva in his cheeks from draining.

“For years, people have been, like, ‘Karamo’s had plastic surgery. He has so much filler in his face,’” the reality TV star told the outlet. “I was like, ‘You know what? I can’t say anything because you can’t get into fights with the trolls.’ But I was suffering for years in pain and no one knew.”

Brown detailed that once salvia built up within each of his cheeks, scar tissue would harden. “There’d be times you’d see me smile, and it was tight,” he said. “My cheeks would be big because they were full of saliva, full of scar tissue. I was in the worst pain.”

Brown, who joined Netflix’s reboot of Queer Eye in 2018, also told the outlet that he signed up for the procedure after “gaining about 70 pounds during the COVID-19 pandemic.”

He recalled of the time, “I was a big boy, and everyone online liked to tell me how much of a big boy I was. So, I was like, ‘OK, maybe if I slim out my face, I’ll be cute.’ It turned into a year-and-a-half of pain.”

The former MTV Real World cast member added that the pain he experienced intensified after the premiere of his daytime talk show, The Karamo Show, in 2022. (It was cancelled in March after four seasons.)

“I would shoot six episodes a day, and there’d be times when I was filming my show that my mouth would get so dry and it would be so swollen,” he told the outlet before confirming that he lost 70 pounds in an attempt to mask the scar tissue’s bulge. “The more weight I lost, the less scar tissue you could see,” he explained. “The scar tissue and the saliva were still there, but because I was skinnier, it looked kind of normal. I stopped eating because it helped the feeling of not having so much scar tissue.”

Related: How the ‘Queer Eye’ Cast Went From Fab to Fractured: ‘A Lot of Big Egos’

After 10 seasons, Queer Eye has come to an end — and no one seems more relieved than Karamo Brown. Brown, 45, exposed the cast’s infighting just hours before the January 21 finale of their beloved Netflix series, saying he would not be joining Antoni Porowski, Tan France, Jonathan Van Ness and Jeremiah Brent for […]

In recent months, Brown “underwent a procedure to fix his saliva glands” which removed scar tissue in his cheeks.

Brown has had a rocky 2025 in other ways, too. In February, his ex Carlos Medel confirmed his split from Brown via an Instagram post. “Although this year I’m single, I still want to make sure love is around! All my love to my friends and family, thank you for being part of my life one more year!” Medel wrote after embarking on a romance with Brown in 2021.

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Brown’s interview with People also explored his experience filming Queer Eye with his Fab Five costars, all of whom were divided according to Brown after a sexual harassment complaint was filed against him. (The show’s final season 10 premiered on January 21, and Brown was the only cast member who did not promote the season ahead of its premiere.)

Related: Queer Eye’s Antoni Addresses ‘Backstage Drama’ Amid Karamo Bullying Claims

Queer Eye’s Antoni Porowski is addressing viewers who are concerned that perceived “backstage drama” is harming the show’s wholesome “vibe.” Porowski, 41, shared a series of images from the Netflix show’s 10th and final season, which premiered on Wednesday, January 21, via Instagram, encouraging fans to tune in. “It’s not about how or even that […]

Brown described the set of Queer Eye as a work environment filled with alleged poor behavior. “Everyone would just say, ‘Well, that’s just that person,’ instead of saying, ‘This behavior does not fly in a professional environment,’” he claimed. “It impacted me negatively, consistently.”

He also says that he was cleared of any wrongdoing behind the scenes of Queer Eye.