Entertainment
Christina Ricci Hit By New Custody Claims Over Her Past
Christina Ricci thought the painful chapter of her divorce was finally behind her. However, years after ending her marriage to James Heerdegen, the actress has once again found herself dragged into a bitter legal dispute over their son, Freddie.
As fresh custody claims thrust her past struggles with addiction back into the spotlight, insiders say Ricci is determined to fight back, insisting the latest accusations are an unfair attempt to weaponize battles she has long worked to overcome.

Christina Ricci is once again locked in a custody dispute with her ex-husband, James Heerdegen, after he requested an emergency custody hearing involving their 11-year-old son, Freddie.
According to court filings, Heerdegen claimed Freddie told him Ricci had been drinking while they traveled to Canada together on June 16.
The latest filing comes nearly four years after the former couple finalized their divorce following an explosive split marked by domestic violence allegations and legal battles.
Insiders close to Ricci believe the newest claims are less about concern for Freddie and more about reopening old wounds.
One source told the Daily Mail that Ricci believes Heerdegen is attempting to use her well-documented history with substance abuse “as a way to gain leverage with custody.”
The insider described the filing as “a calculated move,” adding that the actress is frustrated her personal recovery is once again being used against her after years of hard work rebuilding her life.
Ricci Says She Has Moved On Despite Lingering Legal Drama

According to insiders, Christina Ricci has little interest in continuing conflict with her former husband and simply wants to focus on her family and future.
“Christina wants as little interaction with James as possible at this stage of her life,” one source explained, adding, “She is tired of being pulled into disputes and having to respond to what she considers assumptions and accusations about her character and parenting.”
Prior to all the drama, Ricci and Heerdegen had a beautiful relationship. They first met while working on the television series “Pan Am” in 2011. They became engaged the following year, married in October 2013, and welcomed Freddie in 2014.
However, their relationship unraveled dramatically in 2020. After police responded to a domestic battery call at their Woodland Hills home, Ricci obtained a protective order against Heerdegen before filing for divorce weeks later.
She claimed she was escaping a marriage marked by severe physical and emotional abuse. The divorce quickly spiraled into mutual accusations.
Heerdegen unsuccessfully sought his own restraining order, alleging the “Addams Family” star became intoxicated in front of him and their son.
Court filings included photographs he claimed showed Ricci “in a state of severe intoxication” and accusations that he checked Freddie’s baby bottles for alcohol-contaminated breast milk.
Ricci’s attorney, Samantha Spector, dismissed the allegations as “nothing more than a transparently abusive attempt to silence my client,” adding that her client would not be intimidated and remained focused on protecting her family.
Christina Ricci Won Primary Custody But New Claims Quickly Fell Apart

Although the former couple initially battled for full custody, they eventually reached an agreement that granted Ricci primary physical custody while giving Heerdegen visitation rights. She also retained authority over Freddie’s educational and medical decisions.
Their financial settlement allowed Ricci to keep her Los Angeles home and future acting royalties, while Heerdegen received a vehicle, a one-time payment of $189,687, and part of the proceeds from selling a New York property.
Fifteen months after filing for divorce, the 46-year-old married hairstylist Mark Hampton, with whom she shares daughter Cleopatra.
Now, insiders say Ricci has no plans to retreat from the latest accusations. One source claimed she intends to “vigorously challenge these allegations” because she believes they are part of a broader effort to create doubt where none exists.
“She is prepared to fight the accusations head-on and is determined not to let her past be used against her in a way she feels is misleading or opportunistic,” the source continued.
Ricci Scores Court Victory As Judge Rejects Emergency Request

Despite Heerdegen’s latest filing, Christina Ricci secured an important legal victory when the judge denied his request for emergency custody as well as his demand that she undergo alcohol testing.
The court also sided with Ricci’s request to seal Freddie’s text messages, agreeing public access could expose the child to bullying and negatively affect his mental health.
According to court filings, Freddie later told his own legal counsel that he had “overreacted” in the messages he sent to his father.
The documents further state his description of his mother’s behavior was “not as he had described it to his father,” and that he expressed “no fear” about remaining in her primary physical custody.
Meanwhile, another insider praised Ricci both personally and professionally while expressing disbelief over the accusations.
“What she’s being accused of is seriously hard to believe,” the source said, adding, “She’s so nice, always friendly to everyone on set and great with kids. She makes them all feel so special when she’s around. She’s a great mom.”
Christina Ricci Has Never Hidden Her Battle With Addiction

Long before the latest custody dispute, Ricci had openly acknowledged battling drugs and alcohol during her teenage years in Hollywood.
After becoming famous at just 10 years old in “Mermaids,” followed by “The Addams Family” and “Casper,” the Hollywood star later admitted she turned to substance abuse while struggling with childhood fame.
Speaking with Demi Lovato in her 2024 documentary “Child Star,” Ricci confessed, “I don’t remember feeling like there was any other way to be happy.”
She has also revealed that she secretly brought alcohol onto movie sets inside soda cans and signaled to assistants she wanted alcohol by asking for “a warming Diet Coke.”
Last year, Ricci reflected on the years between ages 16 and 21, describing herself as “a bit of a party animal.” She admitted she “went through a period of time when I was like a feral creature,” while crediting her longtime publicist for keeping many of those moments out of tabloids.
Entertainment
Blue Ivy’s Hollywood Dream Comes With One Big Condition
Blue Ivy has spent much of her life making history, but her next ambition could be her biggest yet.
After winning awards, starring alongside Beyoncé, and building an entertainment résumé before even finishing school, the teenager is now reportedly setting her sights on filmmaking.
While her famous parents are fully supportive, insiders say they’re also keeping a careful eye on how she enters Hollywood, determined to ensure she develops her own creative voice instead of simply relying on the Carter family name.

Blue Ivy’s Hollywood ambitions are said to be shifting beyond music and acting, with insiders claiming the 14-year-old is eager to develop films centered on young girls navigating everyday life.
After voicing Princess Kiara in “Mufasa: The Lion King” in 2023, the young star reportedly became even more inspired to tell stories of her own.
Speaking to the Daily Mail, one source claimed Blue Ivy has taken inspiration from Sasha Obama and hopes to produce projects herself.
According to the insider, “Blue is interested in following in Sasha Obama’s footsteps and wants to produce her own movies. She loves movies like Eve’s Bayou and The Cheetah Girls and wants to create coming of age movies for girls her age.”
The source also alleged that Obama has promised to help Blue Ivy develop those ideas if she chooses to pursue them, while adding that the teenager is already quietly developing a movie without pressure to complete it anytime soon.
Blue Ivy’s Parents Want School To Come Before Stardom

Despite her growing list of entertainment achievements, Beyoncé and Jay-Z are reportedly determined not to rush their daughter’s career.
Insiders say the superstar couple encourages Blue Ivy’s creative interests but continues to prioritize education, allowing her to observe the business while ensuring she remains focused on school.
“They are big on traditional schoolwork as well as her creative work and they include her in some meetings so she can get a good eye on how the business works,” one source explained.
The insider added that the power couple understands their daughter is destined for success but wants her to gain life experience before fully stepping into the industry.
According to the source, they hope she becomes “an educated and well-rounded person” before branching out after high school or college.
The careful approach comes after the young actress described her “Mufasa” experience as unforgettable. During an interview with “Good Morning America,” she said she was “really happy for girls that look like me all around the world… to watch this movie and hear and see themselves in it.”
Blue Ivy Has Already Built An Entertainment Résumé Most Adults Would Envy
Although she’s still a teenager, Blue Ivy has spent years quietly building an impressive career. Dubbed “the most famous baby in the world” shortly after her birth in 2012, she appeared on Jay-Z’s song “Glory” before she was even two weeks old.
She later received a credit on Beyoncé’s song “Blue” and continued to add accomplishments throughout her childhood.
She performed “Lift Every Voice and Sing” on “Homecoming: The Live Album,” became the youngest female artist to chart on the Hot 100 after appearing on “Brown Skin Girl,” and earned both a Grammy Award and a Guinness World Record.
Blue Ivy also appeared in “Black Is King,” several of Beyoncé’s music videos, and eventually landed her role in “Mufasa,” where director Barry Jenkins reportedly believed she “crushed” the performance.
According to one insider, music isn’t her primary focus anymore. “She’s a really innovative kid,” the source said, adding that while she continues recording music, “her passion really is TV, film and creative direction.”
Blue Ivy Is Working To Escape The ‘Nepo Baby’ Label

Even with two of the biggest names in entertainment as parents, insiders claim Blue Ivy wants to build her own reputation through hard work rather than family connections.
One source said she has already begun surrounding herself with her own advisers as she seeks to establish independence.
“She seems intent on building her own network of guidance along the way,” the insider explained, adding that Blue Ivy wants to push past “those ‘nepo’ labels by establishing her own foundation and earning opportunities through actual effort and hard work rather than relying solely on her family name.”
One of the people reportedly helping guide her is veteran entertainment executive Andrea Nelson Meigs, a longtime Beyoncé collaborator credited with helping broker films including “Dreamgirls” and “Cadillac Records.”
An insider added that Beyoncé is particularly careful about who gains access to her eldest daughter, saying simply, “She runs a tight ship.”
Blue Ivy Continues Navigating Fame While Comparisons Grow

Even as Beyoncé and Jay-Z work to protect their children’s privacy, Blue Ivy’s public profile continues to expand.
Beyoncé previously told GQ in 2024 that one of her biggest priorities was making sure her children experienced as much “normalcy and privacy as possible” while preventing her personal life from becoming a brand.
Still, Blue Ivy has increasingly found herself in the spotlight, from joining Beyoncé during the Renaissance Tour to facing online scrutiny over her performances.
Insiders also believe comparisons with Kim Kardashian and Kanye West’s daughter, North West, will only intensify.
“A rivalry has already been created in the public’s mind, and it’s only likely to grow as they get older and become more active whether they like it or not,” one source claimed.
The insider added that many people see Blue Ivy’s career following a more traditional Hollywood path, while North’s public image has become associated with viral headlines and constant media attention.
According to the source, the comparisons may be inevitable, but both families appear to have very different plans for how their daughters will navigate fame.
Entertainment
Dutton Ranch’s Kelly Reilly, Cole Hauser Address Showrunner Exit
Yellowstone‘s Kelly Reilly and Cole Hauser finally broke their silence after their Dutton Ranch spinoff went through a shocking showrunner shakeup.
“Showrunners change all the time,” Hauser, 51, recently told The Hollywood Reporter in a joint interview. “This business is about adapting.”
He continued: “We’ve been doing this for a long time. Things change. People move on.”
Reilly, 48, had a similar outlook, adding, ” We finished [season one] with Chad beautifully. We finished this season together. It was a really difficult but really satisfying show to make. And so was Yellowstone.”
Looking ahead, the actress wanted to focus on the positive. “So is anything worth making,” she concluded. “We’re all creative minds and we all work together and I’m so proud of that.”
Shortly before the show premiered in June, Chad Feehan was in charge of the Yellowstone spinoff.

Kelly Reilly and Cole Hauser in Dutton Ranch Paramount+
Us Weekly later confirmed that Feehan would not return as showrunner after an April report that the producer who created Lawmen: Bass Reeves with creator Taylor Sheridan stepped away from Dutton Ranch after alleged friction with series stars Hauser and Reilly, among others.
Sheridan and his producing partner David Glasser, along with the two leads, were allegedly more unhappy with how Feehan ran the production than with the scripts.
Executive producer Christina Voros broke her silence about Feehan’s reported firing, telling ScreenRant in May that he did “an exceptional job building a world of adversaries for Rip and Beth” in the Yellowstone spinoff.
Voros noted that when it came to “dynamics behind his departure,” she didn’t have much to add. She went on to say that Dutton Ranch had at that point not “come out into the world yet” so a future without Feehan was “beyond” her knowledge on the subject.
The director expressed gratitude to Feehan and his team for “creating a world for these characters to move into.”
Paramount+ later renewed Dutton Ranch for season 2 — but there hasn’t been a showrunner update yet.
Dutton Ranch isn’t the only Sheridan show to go through showrunner changes. Lioness, Tulsa King and Frisco King have also experienced shifts — and not every show had a showrunner season to season.
Dutton Ranch airs on Paramount+ Fridays.
Entertainment
8 Most Exciting Action Thrillers of All Time
For a long time, I assumed action thrillers would be the easiest genre to get tired of. This was when I had just started rolling through Hollywood’s catalog. After all, there are only so many car chases, explosions, and shootouts a movie can throw at you before all of those films start looking the same. That happened to me with a lot of action movies. I always mixed up their names and action sequences because most of the time they all looked the same to me.
The movies on this list, however, even then, never had that problem. You can watch them multiple times, year after year, and still won’t get tired because the adrenaline rush will be the same as if you’re watching it for the first time. Let’s have a look at eight such exciting thrillers.
8
‘Speed’ (1994)
In Speed, Officer Jack Traven (Keanu Reeves) discovers that a city bus has been rigged with a bomb that will explode if the vehicle drops below 50 miles per hour. This simple idea becomes ridiculous almost immediately because Los Angeles is not exactly designed for a bus that doesn’t slow down. Passengers panic, traffic keeps getting in the way, and Annie Porter (Sandra Bullock) suddenly finds herself driving dozens of strangers through a situation she barely understands herself.
The movie becomes more fun because their problems keep changing. At one point, the bus is running out of road. Later, Jack has to climb underneath it while it is moving. Even the passengers become part of the tension because they start doing absurd things out of fear. The film spends two hours showing multiple disasters can happen on one bus before everything finally goes wrong, and somehow it keeps finding new answers.
7
‘The Fugitive’ (1993)
In The Fugitive, Dr. Richard Kimble (Harrison Ford) is convicted of murdering his wife, though he knows somebody else committed the crime. Before he can begin proving it, the prison transport carrying him crashes, sending inmates and guards into chaos. Kimble escapes and disappears, which immediately turns him into the target of Deputy U.S. Marshal Samuel Gerard (Tommy Lee Jones) and an entire manhunt stretching across Chicago. Every step forward in the investigation creates another risk because Kimble cannot go to the police without being arrested.
The film is a lot different from other chase thrillers. Kimble sneaks into hospitals, studies medical records, and follows leads connected to the mysterious one-armed man he saw the night his wife died. Meanwhile, Gerard is never portrayed as incompetent. He keeps getting closer because he is good at his job. That balance makes every encounter dangerous and thrilling because both men are smart enough to stay one step ahead of almost everyone else.
6
‘The Bourne Ultimatum’ (2007)
The Bourne Ultimatum starts with Jason Bourne (Matt Damon) still trying to understand who turned him into an assassin and why. A newspaper reporter begins investigating Treadstone, which draws Bourne back into the story he has been trying to piece together for years. CIA officials scramble to contain the damage, while Bourne moves across Europe following fragments of information that might finally lead him to the truth about his past.
Some of the film’s most exciting scenes involve people simply talking into phones. At Waterloo Station, Bourne guides a journalist through crowds while secretly watching CIA agents close in from every direction. Later, he manages to stay ahead of entire surveillance teams by predicting their movements before they happen. The action scenes are excellent, though what really makes Bourne interesting is how quickly he processes information. Every room becomes something to analyze, every exit becomes a plan, and his every mistake could get somebody killed but still he maneuvers his way through everything. While watching The Bourne Ultimatum you are just glued to your seats.
5
‘Mission: Impossible – Fallout’ (2018)
In Mission: Impossible – Fallout, Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) loses control of plutonium that could be used in a devastating terrorist attack. The mission quickly spirals into a race across multiple countries as Ethan, Luther (Ving Rhames), Benji (Simon Pegg), and Ilsa Faust (Rebecca Ferguson) try to prevent a group known as the Apostles from carrying out a catastrophic plan. The problem becomes even messier once CIA operative August Walker (Henry Cavill) enters the picture.
The film constantly places Ethan in situations where completing the mission and saving lives are not the same thing. He always has to choose one over the other. Early on, he chooses to protect a teammate instead of securing the plutonium, which creates the entire crisis. The most exhilarating scee of the movie was the helicopter chase through the mountains, where Ethan is hanging from the aircraft, crashing through terrain, and trying to stop multiple nuclear detonations at the same time. The scale, the pressure and the thrill is what makes it a must-watch.
4
‘Die Hard’ (1988)
Die Hard begins with New York police officer John McClane (Bruce Willis) arriving in Los Angeles to visit his estranged wife during a company Christmas party. Before he can repair his marriage, a group of heavily armed criminals led by Hans Gruber (Alan Rickman) takes over Nakatomi Plaza and traps everyone inside. McClane escapes detection almost by accident, leaving him alone in a skyscraper filled with men who have far more weapons and manpower than he does.
Unlike many action heroes, McClane gets noticeably worse at his job as the night goes on. He becomes exhausted, bloody, and increasingly desperate. By the middle of the film, he is pulling glass from his feet and wondering whether he will survive long enough to see his wife again. The action sequences of the film are still memorable, though the vulnerability is what keeps the tension alive.
3
‘Mad Max: Fury Road’ (2015)
In Mad Max: Fury Road, Imperator Furiosa (Charlize Theron) drives a war rig away from the Citadel while secretly helping Immortan Joe’s wives escape. Max Rockatansky (Tom Hardy) becomes involved almost by accident after being captured and used as a living blood bag by Joe’s army. Once Furiosa changes course, the entire wasteland seems to come after them, turning the story into a massive pursuit across deserts, canyons, and sandstorms.
What I find most interesting is that the movie eventually realizes the destination does not exist anymore. Furiosa spends years dreaming about returning to the Green Place, only to discover it has disappeared. Suddenly the entire journey has to be reconsidered. Instead of continuing forward, the characters decide their best option is to turn around and drive directly back through the army chasing them. That decision changes everything that follows.
2
‘The Dark Knight’ (2008)
The Dark Knight starts with Gotham’s criminal underworld struggling to adapt after Batman (Christian Bale) begins disrupting its operations. Into that chaos steps the Joker (Heath Ledger), a criminal who seems less interested in money than in creating disorder wherever he goes. His attacks become increasingly unpredictable, drawing Batman, Lieutenant Gordon (Gary Oldman), and District Attorney Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart) into a conflict that keeps expanding beyond ordinary crime.
The Joker spends most of the movie attacking people’s assumptions rather than their physical safety and immediately becomes the favorite character. Heath has performed it with immaculate versatility. He targets Harvey because Gotham views him as its future. He targets Batman because Gotham believes heroes can solve problems. Two groups of strangers are handed the power to destroy each other, and the Joker expects both sides to choose themselves. The film is a treat to watch nonetheless.
1
‘Raiders of the Lost Ark’ (1981)
In Raiders of the Lost Ark, archaeologist Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford) is recruited to locate the Ark of the Covenant before Nazi forces can get their hands on it. The search takes him from jungles to deserts to ancient excavation sites as he races against rival archaeologist Belloq (Paul Freeman), who keeps appearing at exactly the wrong moment. Every major discovery seems to create a new obstacle, usually involving snakes, traps, armed soldiers, or all three.
One reason the movie remains so entertaining is that Indy spends surprisingly little time in control of the situation. He finds the Ark, then loses it. He steals it back, then loses it again. Even the famous truck sequence begins because he is desperately trying to recover something that has already been taken from him. The film keeps throwing him into trouble and forcing him to improvise his way out which creates the sense of thrill. That unpredictability makes the movie a wholesome thriller.
Raiders of the Lost Ark
- Release Date
-
June 12, 1981
- Runtime
-
115 minutes
- Writers
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Lawrence Kasdan, George Lucas, Philip Kaufman
Entertainment
Elon Musk Shares Link to Watch Armie Hammer’s Comeback Movie
Elon Musk seeimingly supported Armie Hammer’s attempt at resurrecting his film career by sharing a link to his new movie via X.
Musk, 55, shared a streaming link to Citizen Vigilante, a German film starring Hammer, 39, that was banned in its home country, on Friday, June 26. According to Variety, the link was ”active for 48 hours” before going dark.
The film, which was released in the U.S. on June 19, provided Hammer which his first big-screen role after an alleged sexual abuse scandal that saw the actor’s career crumble in 2021. Per reporting by The Telegraph, Citizen Vigilante was banned in Germany as a result of its extremely violent “migrant-killing” subject matter.
Musk, who bought Twitter in 2022 and rebranded the social media platform as X the following year, deciding to share a streaming link to the film meant anybody could watch it for free. It also led to reposts by X users. The film’s director, Uwe Boll, also shared a link via his own X account.
Per Variety, Citizen Vigilante sees Hammer return to the big screen as “an American abroad in Europe on a blood-soaked mission to eliminate all criminal migrants.” The outlet also offered a review of the film that painted it as “so astonishingly bad” that it felt like “deliberately sabotaging” Hammer’s attempted comeback.
In 2021, Hammer was accused of sending text messages to various women that detailed sexual fantasies of rape, mutilation and cannibalism. The Social Network star was also accused of raping a woman in 2017, but he denied all allegations made against him.

Elon Musk Britta Pedersen-Pool/Getty Images
The Los Angeles Police Department declined to file charges against Hammer due to insufficient evidence after conducting a 2023 investigation.
During an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, published on June 19, Hammer reflected on how grateful he was to have landed a role in Citizen Vigilante. “I’m pretty sure I cried. It was just this moment where I was, like, ‘I’m going to get to do the thing that I love more than anything, other than my children,’” he said at the time. “I would have done a f***ing cat food commercial. I just wanted to work again.” (Hammer shares daughter Harper, 11, and son Ford, 9, with ex-wife Elizabeth Chambers.)
He continued, “I was scared s***less until the moment Uwe said action for the first time. And then I was like, ‘Wait. I do know how to do this.’ There’s a reason I had the success I had.”
Boll spoke exclusively to Us Weekly in February about why he cast Hammer in the role, reiterating the actor’s star quality. “I’ve worked with some big actors like Ben Kingsley, and Oscar-winning actors like J.K. Simmons, but they don’t have that star thing where you dominate the screen, like a Tom Cruise. [Armie] can do this,” the director told Us at the time. “I felt like after four years, it was time to give him another chance. He’s a great actor, he’s so talented, and it was so much fun to work with him.”
Entertainment
Joe Biden Calls Donald Trump a Loser Amid Lincoln Pool Fail
Former President Joe Biden criticized Donald Trump on the back of failed attempts to restore the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool.
“What a loser,” Biden, 83, told the crowd at the Maryland Democratic Party’s inaugural Back & Win Summit and Gala on Saturday, June 27. “It’s not just his vanity projects. Tearing down the East Wing of the White House. Making room for his ballroom. Putting his name on the Kennedy Center. Building an arch in his own honor. Even hiring his own pool guy to fix the Reflecting Pool.”
Biden’s audience erupted in applause over his summation, per social media footage shared by CBS News that captured the moment.
He continued, “Look, folks, it’s not just that. The Reflecting Pool reflects something even worse than the narcissism and incompetence at the core of this administration. It’s the corruption.”
President Trump, 80, recently addressed the deterioration of the Reflecting Pool that occurred after ordering an estimated $15 million renovation of the famed body of water between the Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Monument.
“We’ve cleaned, renovated, and beautified over 45 Monuments and Memorials, 28 Statues, and 22 Fountains in Washington, D.C.,” the president wrote via his social media platform Truth Social on June 19. “However, we’ve had some real problems with vandalism at the beautiful Reflecting Pool. Just like three days ago, they destroyed the grass outside of the Pool, they’ve also done everything possible to hurt the inside surface that was just installed.”
The renovation had originally been ordered to improve the pool’s appearance, turning it “American flag blue” in time for the country’s 250th birthday celebration. According to The New York Times, the pool appeared to have been “rejecting” the renovation, with the outlet claiming that the bottom of the pool was peeling amid “chunks of coating.”
The outlet also noted that the peeling was a result of renovation attempts tackling an algae issue that turned what should be clear water into an acid-green shade.
In addition to referencing the pool, Biden’s speech also referenced how a Kennedy Center official revealed earlier this month that all references to the President have been removed from the venue, per reporting by NBC News.
All references to the President had been removed “inside, outside and online” in compliance with a court order that was issued “six months after a board handpicked by the President voted to rebrand the iconic performing arts venue by adding his name to it,” per the outlet.
Entertainment
Best and Worst Moments From the Show
The 2026 BET Awards definitely gave viewers something to talk about.
Multiple spheres of entertainment — including music, film and sports — collided during the Sunday, June 28, ceremony at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. The biggest names from Janet Jackson, Queen Latifah, Lizzo and T.I. were present, watching a slate of high-energy performances and giving away well-earned trophies. (I mean, Latifah’s duet with Common in honor of the unimitable Lauryn Hill had Us dancing in our seats.)
Before the event even began, this year’s BET Awards were guaranteed to deliver headline-making moments, with Druski making his hosting debut, Cardi B leading the pack of impressive nominees and Queen Latifah, Doechii, Raye, Common and more gearing up to perform during the telecast.
Scroll through Us Weekly’s roundup of the best and worst moments from the awards show below:
Best: Teyana Taylor Is the Icon of the Year
Fresh off her Golden Globes win, Taylor was presented with the coveted trophy by the ever-ageless Janet Jackson.
“Oh my, God, bitch, I’m gagging! They did not tell me Janet was coming,” she began her speech. “I love you so much, thank you, thank you, thank you for always seeing me. Thank you for text, every hug, every talk. You are my biggest inspiration. … The fact that you took the time to be here to celebrate with me, this is crazy.”
Janet had won the 2025 Icon of the Year honor, with Taylor earning the trophy the next year.
“Tonight they handed me a title and that title is Icon of the Year and for a little minute I wondered if I was supposed to feel uncomfortable saying that title outloud, but nah, I worked my ass off 20 years for this,” she quipped in her acceptance speech. “So I’m not accepting what I have earned with arrogance. I am accepting what I have earned with gratitude. In this year alone I continued to give the world the artist, actress, director, choreographer, creative director, stylist, designer, writer, producer and chef — I graduated [in] September, y’all.”
Worst: Druski’s Shares Net Worths
After the comedian descended from the rafters to a choir’s melody at the start of the show, he praised the guests in attendance by sharing the net worths of stars who weren’t there, including Tyler Perry and Stevie Wonder for a “Collect and Praise” segment of a fake church sermon. (Since Wonder is blind, the entry was written in Braille.)
“Shut up, he can’t see it,” Druski quipped. “That check is sign, sealed, delivered. Amen.”
Needless to say, it had Us cringing at the TV.
Best: D’Angelo’s Kids Pay Tribute to His Loss

Months after the soul icon died in October 2025, his three kids introduced Raye, Ari Lennox and George Clinton’s tribute performance.
“To the world, he was D’Angelo, to us he was just dad,” daughter Imani began, before her brother Morocco noted that the “Brown Sugar” crooner was their “biggest hype man and protector.”
Their brother, Swayvo, further gushed that D’Angelo “meant the whole world to us.”
Even before the performance began, D’Angelo’s kids had Us in tears.
Worst: The Length
While we’re not knocking the incredible performances or the well-deserved trophies, the ceremony extended past its scheduled end date with less time devoted to presenting the awards.
Best: A Fitting Honor for Lauryn Hill

The BET Awards featured a lengthy (and well-deserved) tribute to Hill on Sunday, beginning with a star-studded musical medley that even featured Queen Latifah and Common joining forces.
“I wasn’t supposed to perform, but then I heard someone wasn’t doing their set,” she said, beginning an impromptu performance.
Hill earned the coveted Living Legend Award, presented by Ice Cube.
“I do this because I love y’all,” she said in her acceptance speech. “I want you to have everything that I experience. I had wonderful parents who loved on me, poured onto me and protected me. Once I realized that not everybody got to have that experience, I felt it was my duty, my responsibility to share as much love and to pour into as much people as I possibly could. Music was a way for me to do that, but I’ve always cared about the expression and the representation of our people.”
While Hill gushed about her love for her career, she also noted that she’s a mother first and celebrated her son’s birthday and her daughter’s high school graduation onstage during her speech.
“I love my people,” she gushed.
Best: Raye Shuts It Down Onstage
Raye, best known for her hit “Where the Hell Is My Husband?”, stepped onto the BET stage for the first time on Sunday. Dressed in a sleek black gown, Raye belted “Nightangale Lane” and stunned Us with her impressive vocals.
Entertainment
10 Most Subversive Thriller Movies of All Time
If you’ve seen enough movies, it becomes surprisingly easy to predict where a story is going to go. MacGuffins become more apparent. You begin to automatically suspect the overly nice side character. And the moment you see a locked drawer or a gun hanging on the wall, you already know it’s coming into play before the credits roll, because that’s how Chekhov’s gun works.
This is precisely why the films on this list stand out. These movies use your own movie literacy against you, carefully setting up the obvious payoff you’re sure is coming before taking the story in a completely different direction. Here are the 10 greatest thrillers ranked by just how subversive they are.
10
‘Knives Out’ (2019)
Rian Johnson‘s Knives Out opens like a classic Agatha Christie whodunit. Crime novelist Harlan Thrombey (Christopher Plummer) is found dead the morning after his 85th birthday party. His extended family is full of obvious suspects, and famed detective Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) shows up to sort out who did it.
Then, right after the first act, Johnson just tells you exactly what happened and how Harlan died, and the movie goes from a whodunit to a high-stakes crime thriller where you are forced to root for the murderer to evade the detective. And then, right at the end, Johnson once again subverts your expectations with yet another phenomenal plot twist that completely reframes everything you’d seen before.
9
‘Speak No Evil’ (2022)
Christian Tafdrup‘s Speak No Evil follows Bjørn (Morten Burian) and Louise (Sidsel Siem Koch), a couple who meet a Dutch family on vacation and later accept an invitation to spend a weekend at their countryside home. The setup plays like a slow-burning social thriller. The kind where the dread keeps building until the visiting family finally wises up and makes a run for it in the third act.
But Tafdrup subverts the genre’s most basic promise, that the people we’re following will eventually fight back and escape. That escape never comes, and the film ends in tragedy with zero catharsis. Speak No Evil holds a certified fresh 83% critic rating on Rotten Tomatoes, and it’s a much bleaker watch than its 2024 Hollywood remake.
8
‘No Country for Old Men’ (2007)
The Coen Brothers‘ adaptation of Cormac McCarthy‘s novel follows Llewelyn Moss (Josh Brolin), a welder who stumbles onto a satchel of drug money and instantly becomes the target of Anton Chigurh (Javier Bardem), a psychopathic hitman who begins tracking him across West Texas. This is a movie that throws almost every screenwriting rule out of the window. Moss is set up as the protagonist, but the expected cat-and-mouse climax between the hero and the villain never happens. Instead, Moss is killed unceremoniously off-screen by minor characters.
The film also operates entirely without a background soundtrack. Woody Harrelson shows up as a bounty hunter in a sharp white suit and hat, looking every bit like the competent hero who’s about to save the day, only to get shot dead a few scenes later. And Sheriff Ed Tom Bell (Tommy Lee Jones) simply retires in defeat, confused by a modern, senseless world. Chigurh never gets caught, and evil just gets to walk away.
7
‘The Nice Guys’ (2016)
Shane Black‘s buddy comedy thriller pairs private eye Holland March (Ryan Gosling) with enforcer Jackson Healy (Russell Crowe) as they dig into a missing girl case tangled up with a porn star’s death in 1970s Los Angeles. Black masterfully subverts Hollywood cliches for comedic effect throughout the movie. At one point, March is chasing a lead and runs into a locked door, so he wraps his hand in a cloth to punch through the window the way every movie detective before him has done it. But he ends up slicing his hand open and lands in the hospital, and we never find out what was behind that door.
The entire film also appears to be building toward Gosling finally overcoming his alcoholism, only to end with Crowe’s character taking up drinking again in the end. It pulls a similar trick with an ankle holster introduced early in the story. Audiences naturally expect it to contain a gun that will become crucial later on, but when it’s finally needed, it’s empty. It works like an anti-Chekhov’s Gun and ends up being one of the film’s funniest scenes.
6
‘Inglourious Basterds’ (2009)
Quentin Tarantino‘s epic war movie follows two plots running side by side. The Basterds are a group of Jewish American soldiers led by Lt. Aldo Raine (Brad Pitt), hunting Nazis behind enemy lines. Meanwhile, Shosanna (Mélanie Laurent) is a Jewish theater owner hiding her identity and planning her own revenge against the Nazi high command at a film premiere. Both plans eventually converge on the same night, with Hitler himself in attendance.
Anyone watching with even a basic grasp of history knows this assassination attempt should fail, because Hitler obviously didn’t die in a Paris cinema in 1944. So, you’re watching, just waiting for something to go wrong at the last possible second. Maybe a gun jams. Maybe a bomb doesn’t go off. But… nothing happens. Tarantino just lets the plan work, gleefully rewriting history and burning the entire Nazi leadership alive in a movie theater.
5
‘Parasite’ (2019)
Bong Joon-ho’s South Korean masterpiece Parasite made history as the first non-English film to win the Oscar for Best Picture, and it definitely earned it. The movie opens as a dark comedy heist thriller, with the broke Kim family sneaking their way into the wealthy Park household by posing as unrelated workers. Then, about two-thirds of the way in, Bong pulls the rug out and delivers one of the greatest plot twists in modern cinema.
In one single scene, it goes from dark comedy to a full-blown horror movie. And it’s the kind of twist that completely changes the way you view everything that came before it. Throwaway lines take on new meaning. Ordinary background details suddenly become extremely unsettling. From that point on, the film just keeps getting darker and darker, building toward a crescendo until everything finally snaps in a gut-wrenching finale.
4
‘Get Out’ (2017)
Jordan Peele‘s Get Out follows an African American photographer named Chris (Daniel Kaluuya), who is meeting his white girlfriend’s family for the first time at their secluded estate. The setup plays with familiar horror imagery: the isolated house, the unsettling staff, the creeping sense that something is deeply wrong. But Peele swaps out the genre’s usual creepy house full of backwards racists for a far more nuanced kind of danger. The family is actually full of educated white liberals who see themselves as progressive and constantly insist they aren’t racist.
But perhaps the biggest subversion comes in the final few minutes. Chris finally escapes the house, and he’s choking his girlfriend on the street, only for police lights to appear behind him. Naturally, you think he’s about to be arrested or worse, which would also drive home everything the movie had been saying about race in America. But it ends up being his friend instead of a cop, and Chris gets to walk away.
3
‘Gone Girl’ (2014)
Gone Girl opens like a straightforward missing persons thriller. Nick Dunne (Ben Affleck) reports his wife Amy (Rosamund Pike) missing on their fifth wedding anniversary, and as the investigation goes on, Amy’s diary entries paint a picture of a marriage curdling into fear and even violence. And Nick ends up looking more and more like the obvious suspect.
Then, around the 1-hour mark, Amy is revealed to be alive. The diary was a meticulously staged fabrication, and she framed her own husband as part of an elaborate revenge plot. From that point on, Gone Girl stops being a missing persons mystery and becomes a psychological chess match between two people who are both far more cunning and dangerous than they let on, and the film never lets you fully root for either one of them again.
2
‘Barbarian’ (2022)
Barbarian follows a woman who rents out an Airbnb, but when she gets there, another guy is already staying on the property. With nowhere else to go, she reluctantly agrees to share the place with him for the night. From the start, Zach Cregger leans into all the usual horror tropes and makes you feel like you know exactly what kind of movie this is going to be. Then, just when you think you’ve figured it out, the film takes a hard left turn and turns into a very different kind of horror movie.
Right after that plot twist, the movie cuts to black, sits there for a moment, and then picks up with a whole new character in a completely different part of the story. If you feel like all the recent movies feel predictable and blend together, watch Barbarian. It is one of the most inventive, most unpredictable horror thrillers in recent years, and it is what turned Cregger into an overnight success story.
1
‘Psycho’ (1960)
Alfred Hitchcock‘s Psycho starts with Marion Crane (Janet Leigh) stealing $40,000 from her employer and checking into the secluded Bates Motel to avoid the authorities. Then, about 40 minutes into the movie, Marion is stabbed to death in the shower, and the movie’s focus shifts entirely to her killer, Norman Bates (Anthony Perkins). Hitchcock broke nearly every rule a thriller was supposed to follow. Leigh was the biggest star in the cast, and audiences expected the lead actress to survive to the end of the movie. Killing her off less than halfway through was unthinkable at the time.
The film also pushed past what was considered acceptable under the Hays Code. The now-iconic shower scene left audiences stunned because mainstream Hollywood movies simply didn’t depict violence with that level of intensity. Viewers weren’t prepared for it. Reports from the time described moviegoers screaming, covering their eyes, and even fainting in theaters.
Entertainment
Brittany Mahomes Wears Matching Swimwear With Patrick, Kids
Brittany Mahomes is living the dream while enjoying a summer vacation with husband Patrick Mahomes and their three children.
“We’ve been having the time of our lives,” Brittany, 30, captioned an Instagram carousel that showed the former soccer star posing in matching brown-and-white striped swimwear with Patrick, also 30, daughter Sterling, 5, and son, Bronze, 3. (The couple also share daughter Golden, 18 months.)
While one snap showed the foursome huddling up for a happy pic on a green lawn beside a swimming pool, another photo captured Brittany inside a coastal-inspired home with Bronze and Sterling, who struck an adorable pose of her own where she lifting an arm high in the air.
Patrick, who is scheduled to return as starting quarterback for the Kansas City Chiefs in September after suffering season-ending injuries last year, showed his love for the post by commenting with three brown heart emojis. His mom, Randi Mahomes, also ‘liked’ her daughter-in-law’s post.
Additional photos captured the Mahomes enjoying their time at a playground, with Golden playing on a swing, and visiting an animal park as the entire clan smiled at the camera in front of giraffes.
The final image in the carousel showed Brittany holding Golden with one arm while placing her other on the flipper of a sea lion who leaned up against a panel of glass for the incredible shot.
Brittany recently spoke to Yahoo Entertainment about adjusting to motherhood while in the spotlight and the impact it’s had on her.
“Being a mom changed so many things in my life and changed how I looked at so many things,” Brittany said in an article published on Wednesday, June 24. “It really reshaped and redefined a lot of things in my life.”
She further explained, “It’s made me more intentional, more purposeful and, honestly, more motivated to keep going and keep showing my kids that there are no boundaries in front of you. You can achieve anything. You can be a part of anything that you want to. You need to dream big and understand that you have to work hard and do the hard things to do the fun things.”
Just days prior to the article going live, Brittany shared an Instagram video that celebrated Patrick as a father, too.
“To the dad that sacrifices so much for this family, Happy Fathers Day! The hours of sleep you give up to be with us, the advice you give these kiddos, the calmness you bring to this family, nothing is ever taken for granted,” she captioned the sweet clip. “We are so beyond blessed to have you. We Love you!!!!”
Entertainment
Soul Icon D’Angelo’s Kids Lead 2026 BET Awards Tribute
Less than one year after D’Angelo died at age 51, his three children paid tribute to the soul icon at the 2026 BET Awards.
D’Angelo’s daughter, Imani, and her two brothers, Swayvo (born Michael Archer Jr.) and Morocco, kicked off the star-studded musical tribute on Sunday, June 28, with a sweet message about their late father.
“To the world, he was D’Angelo, to us he was just dad,” Imani began, before Morocco noted that the “Brown Sugar” crooner was their “biggest hype man and protector.”
Morocco continued, “One of the things that brought our father the most joy was performing with his band, The Vanguard.”
Swayvo, for his part, explained that it was only fitting that The Vanguard helped honor D’Angelo on Sunday.
“So, it’s only right that they’re here with us along with some other special guests to honor the man who meant the whole world to us,” Swayvo stated. “So, Pops, this one’s for you. Let’s do it!”
D’Angelo’s children were joined by Raye, Ari Lennox, George Clinton, BJ the Chicago Kid and Durand Bernarr to reminisce about the late singer’s discography.
Us Weekly confirmed in October 2025 that D’Angelo died after a battle with pancreatic cancer.
“The shining star of our family has dimmed his light for us in this life,” a family spokesperson told Us in a statement at the time. “After a prolonged and courageous battle with cancer, we are heartbroken to announce that Michael D’Angelo Archer, known to his fans around the world as D’Angelo, has been called home, departing this life today.”
The rep continued, “We are saddened that he can only leave dear memories with his family, but we are eternally grateful for the legacy of extraordinarily moving music he leaves behind. We ask that you respect our privacy during this difficult time but invite you all to join us in mourning his passing while also celebrating the gift of song that he has left for the world.”
D’Angelo is survived by his children, whom she shared with late singer Angie Stone, who died months earlier in aMarch 2025 car accident. She was 63.
“I know you up there enjoying your god body 😂 I hope you got to see grandma and granddaddy,” Swayvo wrote via Instagram at the time. “I want you [to] know how proud I am [of] the person you are. I want you to know how much you inspired me every single day,you never failed me ever ever. You never were a burden to me EVER.”
Entertainment
Skepta Sounds Alarm Over North West Paris Fashion Moment
North West’s latest Paris Fashion Week appearance has sparked an unexpected debate after rapper Skepta publicly criticized an interaction involving the 13-year-old.
The British artist weighed in after watching footage of Kim Kardashian and Kanye West’s daughter greeting a man during a fashion show, arguing that the teen’s body language was ignored.
His comments quickly gained traction online, with fans praising him for speaking up while others debated whether the encounter had been blown out of proportion.
Skepta did not hold back after seeing footage of North West attending the Vetements Menswear Spring/Summer 2027 show during Paris Fashion Week.
The clip showed the 13-year-old approaching a man, appearing to extend her hand for a handshake before the interaction turned into a hug. They then posed together for a photo.
Reacting to the moment on X, Skepta argued that North’s intentions were obvious. “A blind man could see she wanted a handshake,” he wrote, adding the abbreviation “KMT” to express his frustration.
Although the rapper admitted he generally avoids commenting on other people’s lives, he said that particular moment crossed a line.
“My fans know I try to stay out of [people’s] business but damn the way grown men, complete strangers, try to use North makes me sick,” Skepta added.
Skepta Doubles Down While Defending North
After one social media user questioned whether hugging someone had suddenly become offensive, Skepta clarified that his concern centered on North West’s body language.
“What are you talking about?! She is 13 years old, and she put her hand out for a handshake, you don’t ignore that. I can’t believe some these replies to my tweet,” he responded.
The discussion continued when another user suggested the young star had “basically skipped being a teenager” because of her celebrity upbringing and bodily choices, including having multiple piercings.
Skepta replied with an emotional plea. “WOW!! Protect your kids people. Protect your kids!”
The 43-year-old also shared broader concerns about adults recognizing nonverbal cues. In another post, he said it was “sickening” that many people seemed unable to understand what he believed North had communicated without words.
According to Skepta, “Schools teaching French, German & English when really the language most people need to f***ing learn is ‘Body Language.’”
North West Debate Draws Strong Support From Fans
Many social media users sided with Skepta after his posts began circulating, particularly on Reddit’s pop culture discussion forums.
One commenter argued that it was troubling when someone outside a child’s family appeared more protective than those closest to her.
“When a completely unrelated and uninvolved person has more common sense, care and protective instinct for a child than that child’s parents, there’s something really wrong,” the user wrote per the Daily Mail.
Another person criticized the adults involved in the interaction. “Shame on these grown men for crossing very obvious boundaries. That’s a 13-year-old (!), no matter how famous her parents may be,” the fan noted.
Others praised Skepta for using his platform to speak out. “Glad to see an industry man calling this out,” one commenter wrote, adding that they were “appalled” by what they believed North was being exposed to without a parent present.
Another fan said Skepta’s comments reminded them that genuinely good people speak up when they witness behavior they believe is inappropriate rather than remaining silent.
North West made the headlines again this week when she turned heads at the Vetements Menswear Spring/Summer 2027 show during Paris Fashion Week.
As The Blast reported, she sparked reactions online after debuting a dramatic new look that left fans questioning whether her facial jewelry was real.
The teenager arrived with electric blue hair, a black Vetements outfit, chunky platform boots, and striking “angel bite” lip piercings, along with a bridge piercing and cheek studs.
While many praised her edgy style, social media quickly filled with concerned reactions, with one fan even asking, “Are they Real?”
Others wondered if someone her age should be sporting facial piercings at all. Several outlets later reported that the accessories appeared to be faux piercings rather than permanent body modifications, though North has embraced temporary piercing-inspired looks before.
North West Honors Kanye West With Heartfelt Father’s Day Tribute

A few days before North paid a heartfelt Father’s Day tribute to Kanye that quickly had fans pointing out just how much the father-daughter duo resemble one another.
As reported by The Blast, she shared two nostalgic photos on her Instagram Stories, including one showing her standing beside the rapper in matching black face coverings and a protective-style vest emblazoned with “Donda,” mirroring the look Kanye famously adopted during the rollout of his 2021 album of the same name.
North simply captioned the post, “Happy Father’s Day,” before sharing another throwback image of herself helping her dad prepare for one of his fashion shows.
Both posts were accompanied by Kanye’s songs “Wolves” and “Say You Will,” making the tribute even more personal.
After the photos went viral, fans flooded social media with comments like “Like father, like daughter,” “The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree,” and “She’s his twin fr,” while others praised the pair’s coordinated masked-up look, with one user calling it “Tough as hell.”
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