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Christina Grimmie’s Family Talks Legacy 10 Years After Death

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Christina Grimmie

On the night of June 10, 2016, Danielle Hendrix was standing outside the Plaza Live theater in Orlando, Florida, after seeing Christina Grimmie and the band Before You Exit perform, when she heard a loud bang inside the venue. “There were guys loading and carrying music equipment out,” she tells Us Weekly, “so I figured it must have been a speaker or some equipment falling.”

Moments earlier, Christina, a YouTube sensation who became a fan favorite while competing on season 6 of The Voice, had been glowing onstage, belting James Bay and Drake covers to a room full of devoted fans. Many stayed afterward for the meet-and-greet, hoping for a hug, a selfie or simply a few seconds with the singer they felt they genuinely knew. Then, security guards started screaming. “‘Run, run, there’s a shooter!’” Hendrix recalls them yelling. “At first I thought, That can’t be right. This is a pop concert.”

After discovering it was Christina who’d been shot, Hendrix, other fans and members of Before You Exit gathered in a nearby parking lot “just processing it all, crying and praying.” Not long after, Hendrix says they found out Christina, 22, had died from her injuries. “I remember breaking down sobbing in my car.”

More details of the horrific scene would soon unfold: The beloved singer had been shot once in the head and three times in the torso by an obsessed 27-year-old fan named Kevin Loibl, who, after being tackled to the ground by Christina’s older brother, Marcus, shot himself in the head and died on the scene.

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For millions of fans who had spent years watching Christina sing from her bedroom into a laptop webcam, the loss felt personal. Tributes poured in from fellow artists, friends and fans around the world. “Behati and I are absolutely devastated and heartbroken,” Christina’s former Voice coach, Adam Levine, wrote in a statement on behalf of himself and his wife, Behati Prinsloo. “Christina was a natural, a gifted talent that comes along so rarely. She was taken from us too soon.” Selena Gomez posted a photo with her friend and former backup singer on Instagram alongside the caption: “My heart is absolutely broken.”

Christina Grimmie

Christina Grimmie
Marc Cartwright

Christina’s friend and collaborator Tyler Ward remembers getting a text from Charlie Puth, who was also just breaking out after finding success on YouTube, following her death. “This was before Charlie Puth was Charlie Puth, and he was like, ‘I don’t even know how this stuff happens.’ He couldn’t even wrap his mind around it,” Ward tells Us. “How does that happen when you’re so genuine, so authentic to your fan base? You look them in the eyes, you’re in the weeds with them. And then this happens. [Her death] still doesn’t feel real. I don’t know if I’ll ever process the shock of that.”

This June marks the 10th anniversary of Christina’s death, and while Marcus and her dad, Albert (her mom, Tina, died in 2018 of breast cancer), will never forget the searing pain of losing her, they want to celebrate her life, talent and irrepressible spirit more than anything else. “We want Christina to be remembered for the person and artist she was, not just the tragedy,” says Albert, who founded the Christina Grimmie Foundation in 2016, which aims to help victims of gun violence. Between June 5 and 7, the foundation is hosting its first-ever Grimmie Fest, a three-day event featuring a fan meet-up and a benefit concert in Christina’s honor, headlined by a band Marcus manages, The Living Tombstone. “We’re honoring her legacy and all the people she’s brought together,” Marcus tells Us, “and celebrating the impact she still has.”

Ahead of Her Time

Christina was 15 when she started sharing music on YouTube from her Sonic the Hedgehog-adorned bedroom in New Jersey. Fans were instantly drawn to her immense musical talents — her cover of Miley Cyrus’ “Party in the U.S.A.” went viral in 2009; a 2013 cover of David Guetta and Sia’s “Titanium” racked up 33 million views — as well as her fun, down-to-earth personality. She was refreshingly open about her faith and love of video games, especially Zelda (her YouTube handle was zeldaxlove64), and followers adored her unique, edgy fashion choices and her signature poof hairstyle (3.6 million people tuned in for a hair tutorial in 2011). In the time of the “wild, wild web, as we call it, she was very unique for that time,” notes Marcus. “She catered to the nerd gamer thing when it wasn’t as popular. She was very Christian but accepting of all this new-age stuff coming up … part of why she got [to where she did] was her personality. She touched people.”

“It was surreal,” Christina’s best friend since fourth grade, Lauren Longo, tells Us of her instant popularity. She recalls being amazed by her perfect pitch and natural musicianship. “I would 100 percent use the word prodigy. As a child, I could tell she was abnormally talented.” Ward says she was “an originator of an influencer. I had fans, but with her, it was like magic,” Ward adds, likening Christina to Taylor Swift. “Taylor does a really great job of having that human, ‘I’m eye-to-eye with you, I’m not above you’ [vibe]. Christina wanted to interact with her fan base; part of her purpose was that connection piece.”

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As her popularity grew, she remained grounded. “My roommates loved video games, so she’d invite them over to hang out with her mom, and they’d make cookies, ” Ward says. “She cared about success, but it didn’t affect her.” Longo says the rising star never forgot where she came from. “It was so far from Christina to ever say, like, ‘Oh, you’re my little New Jersey friend.’ Her hometown friends weren’t second-class citizens.”

Christina Grimmie

Christina Grimmie
Kevin Winter/Getty Images for iHeartMedia

Longo also says Christina always had her priorities straight. “She had the words ‘All Is Vanity’ tattooed on her forearm, which is from her favorite book of the Bible. It was a reminder that fame and money and proximity to stars is all vanity. She was averse to anything that could be perceived as vain or bragging or self-centered.” Marcus says his little sister was “super goofy” and “great at impressions,” adding, “I don’t want people to forget how funny she was. Everyone loved her, and it was because she was a genuine, kind soul. There was no ego with her.”

Christina had a special relationship with her fans. Marcus recalls how one of them — who’s since become a close friend of the Grimmie family — gave him and his dad a big stack of emails and social media messages they’d printed from supporters around the world. “[They talk about] how Christina changed their lives,” says Marcus. (A couple who met at one of Albert and Marcus’ events got married and played Christina’s songs at their wedding.) “She was constantly bringing people together.” Her fans started a yearly fundraiser tied to Christina’s birthday. “We’ve raised over $50,000 in the last four years,” says Marcus. “I’m grateful she has such a great community, which doesn’t hang on to the tragedy,” Marcus adds. “They are celebrating her life and her impact, and it’s contagious.”

Ward says he can’t imagine where Christina would be these days because her fans were so loyal. “I didn’t realize how much of an impact you could have, basically, direct to consumer,” he says of her online success. Her fans cheered her on as she went from YouTube star to opening up for Gomez’s 2011 and 2013 tours to impressing the nation during her run on The Voice. “I remember seeing her in a dress for the first time on [the show],” Ward recalls, noting the incredible growth from her original grainy videos. “I was like, Wait! There was such a transition there, but you can see it in real time. It was almost like you were part of it, as if you grew up with her. Authenticity has almost become an overused word, but she captured it without even trying, which was a really special superpower.”

Tragic Turn

The same unprecedented closeness that helped Christina build one of the internet’s earliest fiercely loyal fan communities also exposed the darker side of parasocial obsession. Loibl was infatuated with her. Arthur Barnes, who worked with him at Best Buy when Christina was killed, says his coworkers were aware of the gunman’s fixation and that he would have Christina’s YouTube videos playing while working on customers’ computers. They also noted his recent physical transformation. Another employee, Cory Dennington, told police his coworker wanted to be more attractive for Christina, and that he had an “unrealistic” obsession with her that wasn’t “normal or healthy.” Dennington also revealed that the gunman came from an abusive household and had hinted at suicide the last time they spoke. “He got hair plugs and his teeth whitened, but nobody knew why until they put it together,” says Barnes.

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Christina Grimmie memorial card
Paul Zimmerman/Getty Images

In May and early June, Loibl bought two handguns, then traveled more than 100 miles from St. Petersburg, Florida, for her show at Plaza Live. Christina had opened her arms for a hug with him when he pulled his gun out. Hendrix blames security for letting him in. “Security was incredibly lacking,” she says. “What do you mean I was forced to toss a granola bar at the door while this guy somehow entered the venue with weapons and ammo?”

Marcus was hailed as a hero for tackling the gunman as people fled, but he says he has mixed feelings about that label. “I never agreed with it. I understand objectively what’s being said, but for me it’s like, ‘Well, I didn’t save her,’ so it’s hard to feel that way.” (“Nobody knows what would have transpired if Marcus hadn’t done what he did,” says Albert.) He says the real heroic work came after, via the community that’s been built through the Christina Grimmie Foundation. Seeing people unite for a common cause has helped him heal. “It was just me and two dead bodies in an empty room until the police came. I just felt so alone. To see people come together … I don’t feel so alone.”

Giving Back

Christina’s loved ones decided to develop the Christina Grimmie Foundation amid a flood of support from friends and fans, including Levine, who covered the cost of her funeral. Marcus felt inspired to help victims of the Pulse nightclub shooting (on June 12, two days after Christina’s murder, a 29-year-old gunman opened fire at the LGBTQ+ spot and killed 49 people and injured 58 others; in the aftermath, scammers created fraudulent fundraisers). “After Marcus read about the victims’ not receiving money, we stepped right into it,” says Albert. Adds Marcus: “The amount of love and compassion [we received] was really integral to our healing. We can help people so long as gun violence is an issue, and as long as we’re breathing, that’s what we want to be doing.”

Tina Grimmie, Christina Grimmie, Marcus Grimmie and Albert Grimmie

Tina Grimmie, Christina Grimmie, Marcus Grimmie and Albert Grimmie

There’s still grief. “The grief itself is like this black marble in a jar, and the grief is going to be the same, but the jar is going to expand,” says Albert. “So my capacity to carry that grief has grown.” He says he misses Christina’s “excitement for life” and sense of humor. “I used to be able to make her laugh, even when she was mad or grumpy. I used to call her ‘Grumpina,’ and then she [would be] like, ‘Dad, I want to be grumpy right now.’ She was funny.” Marcus says there’s not a day that goes by that he doesn’t think of his little sister. “She always made people feel heard, and that’s something I try to do.”

What was once a day of mourning has become an opportunity to honor Christina. (A bill to make June 10 Christina Grimmie Day in New Jersey will be voted on by local senators.) “Instead of dreading the 10th, we’re adding this additional layer of hope,” says Marcus. “It’s exciting to celebrate the person she was.” Longo says it’s an opportunity to introduce Christina to new fans. “It’s opening doors for other people to be interested in her story, and that’s so wonderful.” Says Albert: “We want people to know this is more than just a tragedy. Christina was a pioneer of YouTube. She reached the world from her bedroom, where people wanted to be like her, and they cut their hair like her and tried to sing and play the keyboard like her. That’s an amazing thing for a father to watch happen.” Her legacy, adds Longo, “is her talent and the way she treated people.”

Ten years after hearing the gunshots that took Christina’s life, Hendrix wants the singer to be remembered for her voice and her radiance (she has the word “radiate” tattooed on her arm in Christina’s honor). “It might be kind of cringey to admit, but honestly, to this day, I still think of her whenever I see rays of sun filtering through clouds. She had a heart of gold,” says Hendrix. “And she’ll never be forgotten on our watch.”

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34 Years Later, Peter Gabriel’s Most Heartbreaking Song Still Captures the End of an Era

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confessions-II

Peter Gabriel‘s career has been one of the most prolific and groundbreaking in music history. From his beginnings in Genesis, where his progressive rock compositions and shocking and disruptive stage performances stunned audiences, to his incredible solo career, where he experimented with rhythms and sounds from around the world, he never stopped reinventing himself. He now has an album coming up at the end of 2026, and the singles he has released so far prove that he’s not slowing down.

Most of his biggest hits came out during the ’80s and ’90s, and they range from funk and dance rock tracks like “Sledgehammer” to beautiful, moving ballads. On his 1992 album, Us, he recruited Irish singer Sinéad O’Connor and recorded a few duets with her. One of them is his hit ballad, “Come Talk to Me.” Most likely, when fans first listened to this song, they assumed it was a classic love song about estranged lovers. But the true meaning behind it is more heartbreaking. Gabriel wrote it about his daughter, and it was a desperate attempt at connection.

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Why Peter Gabriel Wrote His Most Personal Song for His Daughter

“Come Talk to Me” opens Peter Gabriel’s 1992 album, Us, the album that he described as his most vulnerable one. And with good reason. Right away, the song reveals the many different influences he wanted to include from around the world. It starts with distorted guitars, African drums, synthesizers, and bagpipes, creating a dissonant but hypnotic sound. According to Peter Gabriel, it grew out of a Senegalese groove he’d recorded years before. “I tried to introduce quite a lot of textures, so it’s more of a journey than some of the other tracks,” he explained. “Starting off with these bagpipes, there’s something gutsy and primal about the sound of pipes.”



Who’s Your Perfect Classic Rock Band?























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Classic Rock Personality Quiz
Who’s Your Perfect
Classic Rock Band?

A Personality Quiz · 10 Questions
Five legendary bands. One perfect match. Answer 10 questions about your personality, attitude, and taste to find out which classic rock icon you truly belong with. Are you raw power, rolling swagger, operatic drama, thunderous riffs, or timeless melody?
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AC/DC

👅Rolling Stones

🤘Metallica

👑Queen

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🎸The Beatles

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01

How do you walk into a room?
Choose the answer that feels most like you.





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02

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What does your ideal Friday night look like?





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03

What’s your philosophy on keeping things simple vs. complex?





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04

How would your friends describe your personal style?





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05

How do you want to be remembered?





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06

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What kind of crowd do you want around you?





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07

If you were writing a song, what would it be about?





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08

What’s your secret to staying relevant over time?





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09

You’re playing to 80,000 people. What does your performance look like?





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10

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Pick the word that best sums up your relationship with rock music.
This is your tiebreaker — choose carefully.





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Your Result
Your Perfect Band Is Revealed

Based on your personality, energy, and taste, the classic rock band that matches your soul is…

Advertisement

⚡ AC/DC

You are pure, undiluted rock energy. You don’t need tricks, trends, or theatrical gimmicks — you have something more powerful: a riff that hits like a thunderbolt and an attitude that never wavers. Like AC/DC, you understand that simplicity executed with absolute conviction is its own form of genius. You’re the person in the room who doesn’t overthink it, doesn’t pretend, and never turns the volume down. The highway to hell is a state of mind — and you’ve been on it since day one.

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👅 The Rolling Stones

You’ve got swagger that can’t be taught. Rooted in the blues and soaked in street-level attitude, you move through life with a loose, dangerous elegance that draws people in without ever trying too hard. Like the Stones, you’ve seen it all, done most of it, and somehow look better for it. You’re not chasing perfection — you’re chasing truth, groove, and that electric moment when everything clicks. Can’t always get what you want? You tend to get it anyway.

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👑 Queen

You are magnificent, and you know it — not from arrogance, but from an unshakeable sense of self that has never needed anyone’s permission. Like Queen, you defy every category people try to place you in. You blend the epic with the intimate, the operatic with the anthemic, the serious with the playful. You live boldly, love fiercely, and perform every aspect of your life as though the whole world is watching. Because sometimes it is. We are the champions — and so are you.

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🎸 The Beatles

You have the rarest of gifts: the ability to make something that feels both deeply personal and universally human. Like The Beatles, you’re a natural connector — someone whose warmth, curiosity, and creative instincts draw people together across every divide. You believe in melody, in craftsmanship, and in the quiet power of a song that says exactly what someone needed to hear. You’ve changed the people around you just by being who you are. All you need is love — and you give it generously.

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Who’s Your Perfect Classic Rock Band?

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Classic Rock Personality QuizWho’s Your PerfectClassic Rock Band?A Personality Quiz · 10 QuestionsFive legendary bands. One perfect match. Answer 10 questions about your personality, attitude, and taste to find out which classic rock icon you truly belong with. Are you raw power, rolling swagger, operatic drama, thunderous riffs, or timeless melody?

AC/DC

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👅Rolling Stones

🤘Metallica

👑Queen

🎸The Beatles

Advertisement

Begin Quiz →

01

How do you walk into a room?Choose the answer that feels most like you.

ALike a freight train — loud, fast, and everyone knows I’ve arrived.BWith a slow, cool swagger — I take my time and own every step.CHead down, focused — I’m here for a purpose and small talk isn’t it.DWith total confidence and a flair for the dramatic — all eyes on me.EWarmly and curiously — genuinely excited to see what and who is here.

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Next Question →

02

What does your ideal Friday night look like?

ALoud bar, cold beer, cranked jukebox — the louder the better.BA smoky club, good company, and doing whatever feels right in the moment.CIntense concert or staying in with headphones — nothing in between.DSomething theatrical — a show, a dinner party, an experience worth remembering.EHanging with close friends, maybe making music, keeping it relaxed and genuine.

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Next Question →

03

What’s your philosophy on keeping things simple vs. complex?

ASimple is king. A great riff repeated perfectly beats any amount of cleverness.BKeep it loose and bluesy — the groove matters more than technical perfection.CGo deep and dark — I want layers, tension, and something that hits hard.DWhy not both? Elaborate arrangements and hook-driven anthems can coexist.ECraft every detail — a perfect melody is the result of countless small choices.

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Next Question →

04

How would your friends describe your personal style?

ANo-frills, no-nonsense — jeans, a t-shirt, and ready to go.BEffortlessly cool — slightly dishevelled in a way that somehow always works.CDark and deliberate — black is a lifestyle, not just a colour.DBold and expressive — fashion is a form of performance for me.EClean and classic — timeless over trendy, always put-together.

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Next Question →

05

How do you want to be remembered?

AAs someone who never let the energy drop — relentless, loud, and alive.BAs someone who lived fully and on my own terms, unapologetically.CAs someone who was brutally honest and made music that meant something real.DAs someone who transcended genres, boundaries, and expectations entirely.EAs someone who changed the world — and left it genuinely better than I found it.

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Next Question →

06

What kind of crowd do you want around you?

APeople who are there to have a blast — no pretension, just pure fun and noise.BA mix of rebels and free spirits who don’t take themselves too seriously.CA loyal, passionate crew who are all in — intensity over numbers every time.DEveryone — I want to unite people who wouldn’t normally be in the same room.EPeople who appreciate craft and feel genuinely connected by the music.

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Next Question →

07

If you were writing a song, what would it be about?

AHaving a good time, turning it up, and not overthinking it.BStreet life, desire, and the rawness of being human.CAnger, grief, war, or the darker side of the world — music as a weapon.DSomething epic and emotional — love, loss, triumph, or pure fantasy.ESomething personal and universal at once — a feeling everyone can recognise.

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Next Question →

08

What’s your secret to staying relevant over time?

ANever change the formula — if it works, it works. Consistency is everything.BStay hungry, stay dangerous, and always keep a bit of that rebellious edge.CEarn respect through dedication — the work and the live show speak for themselves.DReinvent constantly — never let anyone put you in a box or predict your next move.EWrite songs so good they can’t be ignored, in any decade, in any context.

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Next Question →

09

You’re playing to 80,000 people. What does your performance look like?

AA wall of sound and sweat — pure, unfiltered energy from first note to last.BLoose, cool, and dangerous — every song feels like it might fall apart but never does.CBrutal precision — tight, powerful, and leaving no one unmoved.DA full spectacle — lights, costumes, vocal acrobatics, and total theatrical command.EWarm, joyful, and tight — the crowd singing every word back at you.

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Next Question →

10

Pick the word that best sums up your relationship with rock music.This is your tiebreaker — choose carefully.

ARaw — stripped back, high-voltage, no frills.BRolling — fluid, dangerous, built on blues and attitude.CHeavy — powerful, honest, uncompromising.DMajestic — theatrical, boundary-defying, unforgettable.ETimeless — melodic, human, built to last forever.

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See My Result →

Your ResultYour Perfect Band Is Revealed
Based on your personality, energy, and taste, the classic rock band that matches your soul is…

Advertisement

⚡ AC/DC
You are pure, undiluted rock energy. You don’t need tricks, trends, or theatrical gimmicks — you have something more powerful: a riff that hits like a thunderbolt and an attitude that never wavers. Like AC/DC, you understand that simplicity executed with absolute conviction is its own form of genius. You’re the person in the room who doesn’t overthink it, doesn’t pretend, and never turns the volume down. The highway to hell is a state of mind — and you’ve been on it since day one.

👅 The Rolling Stones
You’ve got swagger that can’t be taught. Rooted in the blues and soaked in street-level attitude, you move through life with a loose, dangerous elegance that draws people in without ever trying too hard. Like the Stones, you’ve seen it all, done most of it, and somehow look better for it. You’re not chasing perfection — you’re chasing truth, groove, and that electric moment when everything clicks. Can’t always get what you want? You tend to get it anyway.

👑 Queen
You are magnificent, and you know it — not from arrogance, but from an unshakeable sense of self that has never needed anyone’s permission. Like Queen, you defy every category people try to place you in. You blend the epic with the intimate, the operatic with the anthemic, the serious with the playful. You live boldly, love fiercely, and perform every aspect of your life as though the whole world is watching. Because sometimes it is. We are the champions — and so are you.

Advertisement

🎸 The Beatles
You have the rarest of gifts: the ability to make something that feels both deeply personal and universally human. Like The Beatles, you’re a natural connector — someone whose warmth, curiosity, and creative instincts draw people together across every divide. You believe in melody, in craftsmanship, and in the quiet power of a song that says exactly what someone needed to hear. You’ve changed the people around you just by being who you are. All you need is love — and you give it generously.

↩ Retake Quiz

But while the rich melody is beautiful, the lyrics are the most moving part. Especially considering the real meaning behind it. “Darkness creeps in like a thief / And offers no relief / Why are you shaking like a leaf? / Come on, come talk to me,” Gabriel sings earnestly, before going into a chorus that is basically a plea. “Oh please talk to me / Won’t you please talk to me / We can unlock this misery / Come on, come talk to me / I did not come to steal / This all is so unreal / Can’t you show me how you feel? / Now come on, come talk to me.”

Around the time he was writing this album, he was divorcing his first wife, and his family was struggling as a result. “In ‘Come Talk To Me’ there’s a block in communicating,” Gabriel shared, and added that it was with one of his daughters. “I saw that she was angry and was unable to externalize her feelings, so it was a real cry from the heart.”

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The Pain Behind ‘Us’ Shaped Peter Gabriel’s Greatest Songs

His estrangement from his daughter and the end of his marriage were weighing on Gabriel, and this album, Us, is very vulnerable as a result. But vulnerability doesn’t mean it’s grim; it just means it’s honest. And Gabriel was proud of that. “I don’t think the tone of the album is dark,” Gabriel argued. “It feels quite alive for the fact that it is letting stuff out, and relationships are more directly addressed than before… I feel that by looking in the darkness and by plunging into it, diving into it, that there is some light at the other end of it, which otherwise you bury, it gets suppressed. It feels quite hopeful to me, quite positive.”

“I have never been more sincere in my life. Whether that’s sincere enough, I don’t know. But I do know that I have taken a lot of trouble to give the listener an unadulterated glimpse of my inner life. Therapy taught me that it’s always essential to be open about one’s feelings and emotions, in order to get a grip on them,” he went on. For him, working on the album was the best way to do that. He explained that, while his life was falling apart around him, he felt that music was something he could control. The theme of the album, at its core, is connection and communication. Everything he felt he couldn’t say to his family, and especially to his daughter, he was saying through music. It makes the name Us take on a whole different meaning. And it’s clearly perfectly fitting.

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Kamu confronts Jason in super awkward “Big Brother” tea party video

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And in the process ruins Mallory’s “dream come true.”

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Outer Banks Season 5 Trailer Hints at More Deaths After JJ Exit

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Us Explains Outer Banks Offscreen Backlash After JJ Controversial Death

The first look at Outer Banks‘ final season hinted at more potential deaths after Rudy Pankow‘s controversial exit as JJ.

Netflix released the official trailer on Wednesday, July 28, which showed John B. (Chase Stokes), Sarah (Madelyn Cline), Kiara (Madison Bailey), Pope (Jonathan Daviss) and Cleo (Carlacia Grant) mourning the loss of JJ. They ultimately decide on a revenge plan that seems to led to some potentially fatal moments including someone on a motorcycle falling off a cliff, deadly explosives and more.

Outer Banks, which debuted in 2020, follows the conflict between two groups of teenagers in a coastal North Carolina town. The social divide is introduced with the wealthy residents (a.k.a. the Kooks) and the working class (the Pogues).

Season 5, which premieres August 20, will follow the aftermath of JJ’s shocking death. The show originally received backlash when Pankow’s departure was confirmed despite the writing team claiming it was always the plan to kill off the fan-favorite character.

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“It’s been kind of lurking in his DNA from the beginning. He’s really a tragic figure, and the idea of mortality, and you only have a finite window — it’s also a theme of the show,” executive producer Jonas Pate told The Hollywood Reporter in November 2024. “It’s something John B. has talked about from the first season. So believe it or not, this is something that was always sort of baked in the cake, and we just wanted to tell the story as elegantly and interestingly as possible.”

After JJ’s onscreen death, the show’s creators explained their decision to kill off a Pogue.

“The overarching plan was to begin with just some kids who wanted to have a good time all the time, and take them on a whole journey,” Shannon Burke told Deadline in November 2024. “One of them was going to end up dying, and pretty early on, we knew that was going to be JJ, he’s the most reckless. He is also the most beloved and, in one way, the most sacrificing and the most risk-taking. And this was going to be JJ’s year.”

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Us Explains Outer Banks Offscreen Backlash After JJ Controversial Death


Related: Rudy Pankow Unfollows Madison Bailey After Shocking ‘Outer Banks’ Exit

JJ’s shocking death on Outer Banks inspired fan speculation about what led to the controversial decision — including cast feud rumors and more. During the second part of season 4, which premiered in November 2024, viewers were in for a surprise when a trip to track down treasure in Morocco led to one of the […]

He continued: “The kids, they’re getting older. We wanted to begin in a place of innocence and then go to a place that at least one point to go is really dark for them, and then have them come out of it. That’s the overarching plan for the show. It was always JJ that was going to be, we just weren’t sure how we were going to play it.”

Viewers subsequently started to question whether Pankow’s exit came as a result of a rumored rift between him and the cast, which includes characters John B, Sarah, Kiara, Pope, JJ and Cleo (Carlacia Grant).

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Pankow, 28, for his part, has said that he thinks JJ’s death was meant to move the story along.

“When I first found out JJ was gonna risk it all and not make it, I understood it. And the risks got bigger and bigger, and the stakes got higher and higher,” he explained to Netflix’s Tudum that same month. “His death really does set up the future of OBX with the question, what is worth it? And when someone that close to you is gone, how do you navigate that?”

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Outer Banks is currently streaming on Netflix.

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Eva Mendes Blasts ‘Fake’ Ryan Gosling And Johnny Depp Image

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Eva Mendes models her stylish new eyewear collection with Look Optic

Eva Mendes is making it clear that a viral image appearing to show Ryan Gosling and Johnny Depp together at San Diego Comic-Con never happened. The actress called out an Instagram account after it shared an AI-generated picture depicting her longtime partner walking alongside Depp at the convention. Although both actors attended the event, their appearances occurred on separate days, and there is no evidence they spent time together. Eva Mendes’ response prompted the account to apologize and change its caption to identify the image as artificial intelligence.

Eva Mendes models her stylish new eyewear collection with Look Optic
Courtesy of Look Optic/MEGA

The fabricated picture was shared by the Instagram account @opavisions and showed Gosling walking through the Comic-Con crowds alongside Depp, who was dressed as Ebenezer Scrooge. A character named Slopaxo also appeared partially in the image and was tagged in the post. The original caption presented the scene as if it were a genuine candid moment from the convention.

“Some of our favorite moments from Comic-Con weren’t on stage; they were watching Ryan Gosling, Johnny Depp, and @slopaxo moving through the crowds like the unlikeliest best-friend trio,” the caption read. “Between candid walks, conversations with fans, and spontaneous stops, they quietly became one of the weekend’s most memorable sights.”

Mendes quickly entered the comment section to correct the claim. “FAKE. Please let People know when you’re putting out AI,” she wrote.

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Instagram Account Apologizes After Being Called Out

Following Mendes’ response, the account acknowledged that the image was not authentic and promised to be more transparent. “@evamendes DISCLAIMER: THIS WAS AI***,” the account wrote.

“Thank you for saying something. You’re right, and I’ll be more clear going forward,” the message continued before praising Mendes and Gosling’s respective careers.

The account reportedly issued an additional apology with, “Ok we will sorry,” and later added, “Wow. I’m a big fan. I love your movies.” Comments have since been disabled on the post, while its lengthy original caption has been replaced with one word: “AI.”

Although the post has now been labeled, the initial presentation gave viewers no clear indication that the scene had been artificially created.

Johnny Depp Appeared At Comic-Con As Ebenezer Scrooge

Johnny Depp attends the Christian Dior show in Paris
KCS Presse / MEGA

Part of what made the fabricated image appear believable was Depp’s elaborate Ebenezer Scrooge costume, which he genuinely wore during Comic-Con. The actor made a surprise appearance in San Diego to promote “Ebenezer: A Christmas Carol,” scheduled to arrive in theaters on November 13.

Organizers constructed a mock storefront in the Gaslamp Quarter and covered the surrounding area in artificial snow. A crowd gathered as Christmas carolers performed before Depp emerged in character from the building. Despite fans cheering and calling out to him, Depp maintained Scrooge’s famously irritable demeanor as he moved through the activation.

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He later appeared in costume during Collider’s Directors on Directing panel, giving convention attendees a closer look at his transformation for the forthcoming film.

Ryan Gosling’s Ghost Rider Casting Was Revealed Days Later

Ryan Gosling
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Gosling made his own surprise Comic-Con appearance on Saturday, when Marvel announced that he will portray Ghost Rider in an upcoming standalone film. Shawn Levy will direct the project, which is slated for release in 2028. The filmmaker recently worked with Gosling on “Star Wars: Starfighter,” scheduled to premiere on May 28, 2027.

“Gosling is the absolute sh-t. I say that with tremendous respect,” Levy told the Comic-Con audience. “We spent a lot of time last year making Starfighter, and the opportunity as Ryan started talking about this character, I was like, “Bro, let’s ride.” We’ll see you in 2028!”

The project will mark Gosling’s entrance into the Marvel Cinematic Universe and reunite him with Levy behind the camera.

Eva Mendes Has Her Own Connection To ‘Ghost Rider’

Eva Mendes models her stylish new eyewear collection with Look Optic
Courtesy of Look Optic/MEGA

Gosling’s casting creates an unexpected full-circle moment for Mendes, who previously appeared in the 2007 “Ghost Rider” movie starring Nicolas Cage. Mendes portrayed Roxanne Simpson, the former girlfriend and love interest of Cage’s Johnny Blaze. The film earned approximately $229 million worldwide against a reported production budget of about $110 million.

The actress has publicly supported Gosling’s casting in the new adaptation, making her connection to the franchise even more personal. However, Mendes was considerably less enthusiastic about seeing her partner placed into a fictional Comic-Con encounter without an upfront disclosure.

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“Chicago Fire” faces cast shake-up as original cast member set to leave in season 15

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Joe Miñoso has played firefighter Joe Cruz since the NBC show’s first episode.

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Christopher Nolan’s ‘The Odyssey’ Officially Closes In on 2026’s Biggest Sci-Fi Box Office Milestone

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Following one of the most impressive opening weekends of the year, where it broke numerous records, including becoming its director and star’s highest-grossing opening yet, Christopher Nolan‘s historical epic The Odyssey held that momentum for weekend #2. The blockbuster, which was dubbed an “unrivaled cinematic spectacle” in Joe Schmidt‘s review for Collider, has now sailed to $700 million worldwide, against a $250 million production budget.

Matt Damon finally made the move to leading man in a Nolan movie in The Odyssey, after previously appearing in the likes of Interstellar and Oppenheimer. Add to this a star-studded ensemble including Anne Hathaway, Robert Pattinson, and Zendaya, the reputation of Nolan, and the promise of a feast of practical filmmaking, and The Odyssey was destined to prove an unstoppable hit. Can it reach the $1 billion mark? After such a strong start, it certainly looks likely, and that would make it only Nolan’s third film to hit this height after The Dark Knight and The Dark Knight Rises.

With a global haul of $700 million after just a few weekends, The Odyssey has now surpassed the final box office total of one of 2026’s most defining films. Directed by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, Project Hail Mary made $684 million in global revenue earlier this year, with this total likely to be smashed by The Odyssey in less than a week. Considering just how strong Project Hail Mary‘s theatrical run was, for The Odyssey to make overtaking it look like a breeze is particularly impressive.

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Collider Exclusive · Action Hero Quiz
Which Action Hero Would Be
Your Perfect Partner?

Rambo · James Bond · Indiana Jones · John McClane · Ethan Hunt

Five legends. Five completely different ways of getting out alive — with style, with muscle, with charm, with luck, or with a plan so intricate it probably shouldn’t work. Ten questions will reveal which action hero was built to have your back.

🎖️Rambo

🍸James Bond

🏺Indiana Jones

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🔧John McClane

🎭Ethan Hunt

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01

You’re dropped into a dangerous situation with no warning. What do you need most from a partner?
The first few seconds tell you everything about who belongs beside you.





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02

You have to get somewhere dangerous, fast. How do you travel?
How you get there is half the mission.





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03

You’re pinned down and outnumbered. What does your ideal partner do?
This is when you find out what someone is really made of.





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04

The mission is paused. You have one evening to decompress. What does your partner suggest?
Who someone is when the pressure drops is who they actually are.





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05

How do you prefer your partner to communicate mid-mission?
Good communication is the difference between partners and a liability.





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06

Your enemy is powerful, well-resourced, and has the upper hand. How should your partner approach them?
The approach to the enemy defines the partnership.





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07

Things go badly wrong and you’re captured. What do you trust your partner to do?
Who someone is when you need them most is the only thing that matters.





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08

What does your ideal partner bring to the table that you couldn’t replace?
A great partner fills the gap you didn’t know you had.





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09

Every partnership has a cost. Which of these can you live with?
No one comes without baggage. The question is whether you can carry it together.





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10

It’s the final moment. Everything is on the line. What do you need from your partner right now?
The last question is the most honest one.





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Your Partner Has Been Assigned
Your Perfect Partner Is…

Your answers have pointed to one action hero above all others. This is the person built to have your back — for better or considerably, spectacularly worse.

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Rambo

Your partner doesn’t talk much, doesn’t need to, and will have assessed every threat in your immediate environment before you’ve finished your first sentence. John Rambo is not a man of plans or politics — he is a force of nature shaped by survival, loyalty, and a capacity for endurance that goes beyond anything training can produce. He will not leave you behind. He has never left anyone behind who deserved to come home. What you get with Rambo is the most capable, most quietly ferocious partner imaginable — one who has been through things that would have broken anyone else, and who chose to keep going anyway. You’ll never need to ask if he has your back. You’ll just know.

James Bond

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Your partner will arrive perfectly dressed, perfectly briefed, and with a cover story so convincing it’ll take you a moment to remember what’s actually true. James Bond is the most professionally dangerous person in any room he enters — and the most disarmingly charming, which is the point. He operates in a world of layers, where nothing is what it appears and every advantage is used without apology. You’ll never be bored. You’ll occasionally be furious. But when it matters — when the mission is genuinely on the line and the margin for error has collapsed to nothing — Bond is exactly the partner you want. He has survived things that have no business being survivable. He does it with style. That is not nothing.

Indiana Jones

Your partner will know the history, the language, the cultural context, and exactly why the thing everyone else is ignoring is actually the most important thing in the room. Indiana Jones is brilliant, reckless, and occasionally impossible — but he is also one of the most resourceful, most genuinely knowledgeable partners you could find yourself beside. He approaches every situation with a scholar’s eye and a brawler’s instinct, which is an unusual combination and a remarkably effective one. He hates snakes and gets personally attached to objects of historical significance, both of which will slow you down at least once. It doesn’t matter. What Indy brings is irreplaceable — and the adventures you’ll have together will be the kind people write books about. Assuming you survive them.

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John McClane

Your partner was not supposed to be here. He does not have the right equipment, the right information, or anything approaching the right odds. He has a sarcastic remark and an absolute refusal to accept that the situation is as bad as it looks. John McClane is the greatest accidental hero in the history of action cinema — a man whose superpower is stubbornness, whose contingency plan is improvisation, and whose capacity to absorb punishment and keep moving would be alarming if it weren’t so useful. He will complain the entire time. He will make it significantly more chaotic than it needed to be. And he will absolutely, unconditionally, without question come through when it counts. Yippee-ki-yay.

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Ethan Hunt

Your partner has already run seventeen scenarios by the time you’ve finished reading the briefing, and the plan he’s settled on involves at least two things that should be physically impossible. Ethan Hunt operates at the absolute edge of human capability — technically, physically, and intellectually — and he brings the same relentless precision to protecting his partners that he brings to dismantling organisations that shouldn’t exist. He is not easy to know and he will never fully tell you everything. But he will carry the weight of the mission so completely, so absolutely, that your job is simply to trust him — and the remarkable thing is that trusting him always turns out to be the right call. The mission will be impossible. He will complete it anyway.

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Another Movie Just Hit an Enormous Box Office Milestone

It wasn’t just The Odyssey celebrating a successful weekend at the box office. In its sixth weekend, after falling no further than third in the ranks, Pixar’s latest animated sequel, Toy Story 5, has finally reached the box office promised land, breaking the billion-dollar boundary. One of the most successful films of the year, Toy Story 5 is just the third to reach $1 billion in 2026, following in the footsteps of the video game adaptation sequel, The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, and Antoine Fuqua’s musical biopic, Michael.

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The Odyssey is currently available to watch in theaters worldwide. For more of the latest box office stories, stay tuned to Collider.


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Release Date
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July 15, 2026

Runtime

173 minutes

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Danny DeVito parties, gets married, and ‘human traffics’ in first look at “It’s Always Sunny” season 18

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The gang is back for more NSFW shenanigans.

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Usher Reacts To Fan’s “Pretty Privilege” Remarks After Stage Boot

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Usher warns fan onstage the R&B Tour kicked fan off stage

Usher warned a fan during a concert in Birmingham, Alabama, before bringing her onstage. The singer is currently performing in the ‘The R&B Tour,’ and he recently kicked a woman named Gabrielle Cheyenne off the stage after she failed to play along during the fan segment. His new warning also seemed to address Gabrielle’s “pretty privilege” comments.

RELATED: Breezy Not Playing! Chris Brown Has The Internet Going Wild Over SPICY Moment With Fan On The R&B Tour (WATCH)

Usher Seemingly Throws Shade & Warns Fan Before Bringing Her Onstage

Usher is known for his spicy performances during his concerts, and he has a special segment where he brings a female fan onstage while he sings ‘Can U Handle It?’

A fan was kicked offstage recently during the tour, and she later said on social media that she looked too good to decline the offer to go onstage with her “PRETTY PRIVILEGES.” Days later, Usher warned a fan at his Birmingham show, referencing the woman he had previously kicked off the stage.

“Before we get started, don’t bring your a*s up here if you don’t wanna be here,” he said as the audience howled. “God, don’t like ugly, but he most certainly don’t feel too good about pretty privilege, either.”

Woman Kicked Off Stage Explains Her Reaction

During a performance in Nashville, Tennessee on Saturday, July 25, Usher kicked a fan off stage after bringing her up for the sexy segment of the show. The fan seemed less than enthusiastic as the ‘Climax’ artist attempted to lay her down on a bed, and he waved her off the stage after saying, “I don’t think she wants to be on stage.” The fan, Gabrielle Cheyenne, explained herself on Facebook after receiving backlash.

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“First off NOBODY is declining to go on stage. I looked good… you thought I wasn’t gonna let THOUSANDS of people see me?? On the big screen, where you Will never be???? My mom and I had FLOOR SEATS. Their team approached us and moved us to VIP before the show even started !! PRETTY PRIVILEGES something you will never know about!! They don’t say what you’re going up there for!! Y’all wanted me to get up there and f**k him atp ?? CHATT FOLKS AREN’T USED TO ANYTHING. That’s the most exciting thing that would’ve happened in y’all little a** lives !! F**k yall, DISRESPECTFULLY

Cheyenne spoke to TMZ on Monday, July 27, and admitted that she wanted to be onstage with Chris Brown, who is also on the tour. Cheyenne said that she was brought to the VIP area but wasn’t told what she would be brought onstage for. She said that she would have reacted differently if it has been Brown onstage with her instead of Usher. She added that she wouldn’t have accepted has she known the VIP offer was for the ‘Yeah!’ artist.

“I’m more of a Chris Brown fan than I am of Usher,” she said. “So, of course, it would have been a different reaction with Chris Brown… it wouldn’ta been the stiffness.”

The fan added that she didn’t mean to ruin the moment, but she prefers one artist over the other.

Fans Have Mixed Reactions To Usher’s Warning

Fan reactions were mixed after the clip was shared on TSR’s Instagram page. Several Roomies were feeling Usher’s warning while others shared their critiques about both fan interactions.

User @anishajanae wrote, Yall talking about his ego hurt when it’s as simple as, don’t go up there if you don’t want to participate. We’ve seen how these shows go.”

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User @gueits wrote, He said nothing wrong, that girl was playing on them people’s stage 🫩.”

@dutchisrunway wrote, Don’t mess up people performance and bag ..just to be weird.”

User @jinadoll1212 added, Start bringing up REAL fans and not IG models and that won’t happen.”

@therealcourtneybee added, Get real fans up there, the ones with your faces on the shirts 🤷🏾‍♀️😂.”

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@iheartdna noted that Usher threw the whole tree with his warning. Not ‘he don’t feel so good about pretty privilege either’ 😂 That was petty 🤣🤣.”

@mr_grindhard4 added, Humbled her ssa quick😂😂😂.”

@shay_tha_great wrote, Yall talking about ego???? HE AT WORK!!!! 😂😂😂.”

User @she.prettyxoxo wrote, Imagine waiting your whole life to get picked just to get unpicked.😂.”

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@nunu_struts replied, It’s not about ego. It’s fn facts. Don’t get up there if you don’t want to be up there. It’s very simple.”

RELATED: Oops! Mario Slips On Stage While Performing In ‘The R&B Tour’ And Fan Reactions Are Undefeated (VIDEO)

What Do You Think Roomies?

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Hulu’s ‘Ted Lasso’ Replacement Officially Sets 2026 Release Date

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Quentin Plair motivating his team in Chad Powers Season 2

This article covers a developing story. Continue to check back with us as we will be adding more information as it becomes available.

Sports comedies have been enjoying a bit of a renaissance in the streaming era, arguably ever since the debut of the feelgood Emmy-winning hit Ted Lasso in 2020. Netflix recently took a big swing at the subgenre with its new golf series, The Hawk, starring Will Ferrell as a washed-up former PGA legend aiming to make the big comeback nobody wants him to, but that hat was just the latest example in a line of titles finding laughs among the pros. Apple TV also put its own spin on the game with Owen Wilson‘s Stick, and, just last year, Happy Gilmore 2 made its long-awaited return to the green with Adam Sandler back in the lead role as the former hockey player turned golf legend. Not to be lost in the shuffle is Glen Powell‘s football series Chad Powers, which overcame a lukewarm critical reception to score a touchdown with viewers and earn a Season 2.

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Inspired by the Eli’s Places segment where Eli Manning goes undercover as a college walk-on, Chad Powers Season 1 followed canceled football star Russ Holliday (Powell) as he eyes an opportunity to return to football glory after blowing up his reputation in a championship game. With some help from his roommate Danny (Frankie A. Rodriguez), he dons a new face and comes back to the game as Chad Powers, a West Virginia man competing for a starting job on the South Georgia Catfish. Hilarity ensues as he slowly leads the team out of the doldrums while keeping his secret gets harder and harder and the stakes soar ever higher. Season 2 now sees Chad as an established superstar, but with much bigger issues now that assistant coach and will-they-won’t-they love interest Ricky (Perry Mattfield) knows his secret. After filming began in February, that date has now been set for when the titular quarterback will begin the march to the promised land.

Hulu has announced that Season 2 will kick off on September 3, a remarkably quick turnaround less than one year after Season 1’s arrival. Accompanying the date was also a new set of images teasing what’s to come as the Catfish aim for the College Football Playoffs. A couple shots see him working on perfecting the disguise to ward off suspicion while he tries to lead the SEC football team to glory. Nonetheless, Coach Hudson (Steve Zahn) and Gerry (Colton Ryan) seem increasingly wary of him given his suspicious activity off the field. As much as she doesn’t want to help, Ricky may be his only hope, as she’s seen meeting with Russ and Danny at a restaurant, presumably to discuss plans to keep the Chad Powers myth alive.


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Release Date

September 30, 2025

Network

Hulu

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Directors

Tony Yacenda

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Writers

Michael Waldron

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    Russ Holliday / Chad Powers

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This article covers a developing story. Continue to check back with us as we will be adding more information as it becomes available.

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Xbox Officially Launches PC Mode for 4 Classic Childhood Games

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Xbox Hit With Major Changes Amid Layoffs and Studio Spin-Offs

We all love going for a stroll down memory lane and hearing noises, seeing sights, and clicking buttons we used to click as kids, which is why it’s been such a bummer that some of the original Xbox’s most fondly remembered games have remained frustratingly difficult to revisit outside Microsoft’s consoles. While backward compatibility has become a major part of the Xbox identity, PC players have largely been left watching from the sidelines. Well, all of that has now officially changed for good.

Xbox has officially launched Backward Compatibility on PC, beginning with four classic games from the original Xbox era. Conker: Live & Reloaded, Blinx: The Time Sweeper, Crimson Skies: High Road to Revenge and Fuzion Frenzy are now available through the Xbox app on PC, and all four can be purchased individually and are also included with every Xbox Game Pass plan.











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Collider Exclusive · Sci-Fi Survival Quiz
Which Sci-Fi World Would You Survive?
The Matrix · Mad Max · Blade Runner · Dune · Star Wars
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Five universes. Five completely different ways the future went wrong — or sideways, or up in flames. Only one of them is the world your instincts were built for. Eight questions will figure out which dystopia, galaxy, or desert wasteland you’d actually make it out of alive.

💊The Matrix

🔥Mad Max

🌧️Blade Runner

🏜️Dune

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🚀Star Wars

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01

You sense something is deeply wrong with the world around you. What do you do?
The first instinct is often the truest one.





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02

In a world of scarcity, what resource do you guard most fiercely?
What we protect reveals what we believe survival actually requires.





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03

What kind of threat keeps you up at night?
Fear is useful data — if you’re honest about what you’re actually afraid of.





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04

How do you deal with authority you don’t trust?
Every dystopia has a power structure. Your approach to it determines everything.





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05

Which environment could you actually endure long-term?
Survival isn’t just tactical — it’s physical, psychological, and very much about where you are.





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06

Who do you want in your corner when things fall apart?
The company you keep is the clearest signal of who you actually are.





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07

Where do you draw the line — if you draw one at all?
Every survivor eventually faces a moment that tests what they’re actually made of.





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08

What would actually make survival worth it?
Staying alive is one thing. Having a reason to is another.





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Your Fate Has Been Calculated
You’d Survive In…

Your answers point to the world your instincts were built for. This is the universe your temperament, your survival instincts, and your particular brand of stubbornness were made for.

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The Resistance, Zion

The Matrix

You took the red pill a long time ago — probably before anyone offered it to you. You’re a systems thinker who can’t help but notice the seams in things.

  • You’re drawn to understanding how the system works before figuring out how to break it.
  • You’d find the Resistance, or it would find you — your instinct for spotting constructed realities is the machines’ worst nightmare.
  • You function best when you have access to information and the freedom to act on it.
  • The Matrix built an airtight prison. You’d be the one probing the walls for the door.

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The Wasteland

Mad Max

The wasteland doesn’t reward the clever or the well-connected — it rewards those who are hard to kill and harder to break. That’s you.

  • You don’t need comfort, community, or a cause larger than the next horizon.
  • You need a vehicle, a clear threat, and enough fuel to outrun it — and you’re good at all three.
  • You are unsentimental enough to survive that world, and decent enough — just barely — to be something more than another raider.
  • In the wasteland, that distinction is everything.

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Los Angeles, 2049

Blade Runner

You’d survive here because you know how to exist in moral grey areas without losing yourself completely.

  • You read people accurately, keep your circle small, and ask the questions others prefer not to answer.
  • In a city where humanity is a legal designation rather than a feeling, you hold onto something that keeps you functional.
  • You’re not a hero. But you’re not lost, either.
  • In Blade Runner’s world, that distinction is everything.

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Arrakis

Dune

Arrakis is the most hostile environment in the known universe — and you are precisely the kind of person it rewards.

  • Patience, discipline, and political awareness are your core strengths — and on Arrakis, they’re survival tools.
  • You understand that the long game matters more than any single victory.
  • Others come to Dune and are consumed by it. You’d learn its logic and earn its respect.
  • In time, you wouldn’t just survive Arrakis — you’d begin to reshape it.

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A Galaxy Far, Far Away

Star Wars

The galaxy far, far away is vast, loud, and in a constant state of violent political upheaval — and you wouldn’t have it any other way.

  • You find meaning in being part of something larger than yourself — a cause, a crew, a rebellion.
  • You’d gravitate toward the Rebellion, or the fringes, or whatever pocket of the galaxy still believes the Empire’s grip can be broken.
  • You fight — not because you have to, but because standing aside isn’t something you’re capable of.
  • In Star Wars, that willingness is what makes all the difference.
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More Classic Xbox Games Are Coming to PC

Through Xbox Play Anywhere, each title can be accessed across compatible PCs, Xbox consoles and handhelds including the ROG Xbox Ally and Xbox Ally X, while cloud streaming is also supported. Players who already own a digital Xbox licence for any of the four games will not need to purchase them again on PC. The updated versions include resolution scaling of up to four times the original output, VSync, fullscreen and windowed display options, anisotropic filtering and improved anti-aliasing.

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Backwards compatibility has been a huge feature of the Xbox since the Xbox One began supporting the original Xbox titles and those from the Xbox 360. It continued through the Series X and S, but this is the company’s first coordinated effort to bring that legacy catalog properly to PC. And in more good news, Achievements are going to be added to selected original Xbox games on both PC and consoles later in the year. The initial four releases are expected to receive Achievement support within the coming months, which will give us all those endorphin rushes we used to get when we’d complete a level in 30 seconds or something.

Microsoft has not yet revealed which games will join the service next, although it confirmed that the library will continue expanding. For now, PC players can finally revisit the foul-mouthed squirrel who’s well known for having very bad days, control time, battle through the skies, and ruin friendships in multiplayer permanently without digging an original Xbox out of storage.

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