Entertainment
Colin Farrell’s R-Rated Thriller On Netflix Torments Him With Ghosts
By Robert Scucci
| Published
I’ve been running into a lot of unintended movie pairings lately, and 2025’s Ballad of a Small Player makes for the perfect companion piece to 2019’s Adam Sandler-starring Uncut Gems. In this film, Brendan Reilly’s (Colin Farrell) behavior mirrors the same kind of anxiety-inducing gambling spiral that Sandler’s Howard Ratner faces. Instead of sports betting, we’re in Macau throwing hands at baccarat, with equally disastrous results.
Ballad of a Small Player holds its own thanks to its supernatural undercurrent, implying that streaks of bad luck and the acts of desperation that follow are manifestations of hungry ghosts who insatiably feed on greed and opulence. These ghosts operate with no regard for the collateral damage left in the wake of the increasingly reckless decisions made by their human counterparts, making the whole thing feel like the kind of waking nightmare you’d expect after losing hundreds of thousands of dollars and still refusing to give up chasing the high of winning big.
Can’t Stop, Won’t Stop
Chronic gamblers often cling to their own set of superstitions to trigger a hot streak. Brendan Reilly, for example, won’t play baccarat without his lucky yellow gloves, even though he’s already lost nearly seven figures he either embezzled from his clients back in the UK or racked up from loan sharks in Macau while posing as Lord Doyle, a wealthy aristocrat who always has his sights set on the finer things in life.
Bouncing between penthouse suites, stuffing his face with five-star cuisine, and washing it down with expensive champagne, Brendan finds himself in a tight spot when his debtors, and the casinos they’re associated with, catch wise to his game. They refer to him as the white ghost, a supernatural entity fueled by greed and desire. His habits finally catch up with him when UK investigator Cynthia Blithe (Tilda Swinton) tracks him down, demanding he return the hundreds of thousands of dollars he has stolen, not knowing that his present financial standing is far worse than she could ever possibly imagine.
Brendan has a different idea for navigating his increasingly dire situation, one that involves his fledgling relationship with credit broker Dao Ming (Fala Chen) and the recent trauma she endured when one of her clients committed suicide after failing to repay his debts. Unable to function without the rush of his next big score, Brendan grows increasingly hedonistic, incapable of breaking the cycle that will either land him in jail or send him to an early grave.
An Exceedingly Stylish Downward Spiral
Colin Farrell’s portrayal of a desperate man who does not know when to stop mirrors Sandler’s performance in Uncut Gems while staying firmly in its own lane. It is the same personality type in a wildly different setting. Uncut Gems thrives on New York City grit, while Ballad of a Small Player luxuriates in penthouse suites, colorful casino floors, and elaborate Chinese architecture.
What truly separates the two films is how greed’s appetite is literalized through consumption in Ballad of a Small Player. Brendan is not just hungry for his next big win. He is trying to fill the bottomless pit that is his soul with rich food, the finest spirits, and whatever excess he can grab. When he is up, he cannot pump the brakes. When he crashes, his desperation becomes a force of nature because quitting is never an option in his mind. He believes the world is there for his taking, never fully grasping how far he’s fallen off the edge.
To bear witness to one man’s slow descent as his excessive habits drain the light from his eyes, you can stream Ballad of a Small Player on Netflix. If you want to keep the anxiety going, Uncut Gems is waiting on Max.
By Robert Scucci
| Published
Homelessness isn’t an easy topic to talk about because there are so many factors at play. Some people are orphaned and would rather live on the streets than get shoved through the foster system. Some people aren’t of the right mind and need to address mental health issues they can’t afford to treat before they can become stable, contributing members of society. Or, if you’re like Bug (Andrew Yackel) in 2019’s Gutterbug, you’ve simply made a series of misguided life choices, got kicked out by your parents at 18, and decided to just go with it.
Gutterbug is not an easy watch, largely because of how accurately it depicts life on the street through the eyes of a young crust punk. Seemingly living just for kicks and always chasing his next fix, Bug sleeps on the ground, causes scenes at music clubs, begs for money, abuses whatever substance he can get his hands on, and dumpster dives for food. Gutterbug really sinks its hooks in by making Bug a complex character who, at his most vulnerable, earns your sympathy, but at his most drug addled and chaotic makes you wish he would stop getting in his own way.
This dichotomy is fully explored throughout the film and may very well change your perspective on homelessness if you’re the type to think they’re all just a bunch of bums who should know better.
Aimlessness, Addiction, And Anarchy
Set in Allston, Massachusetts, Gutterbug establishes its tone by walking you through a day in Bug’s life. Approaching his 21st birthday, the timeline suggests he was kicked out of his parents’ house when he was 18 for drinking, drug use, and getting into misdemeanor-level trouble. Comfortable with the current state of things, Bug spends most of his time getting high on park benches, begging for booze money, and occasionally scoring a cheap dose of the good stuff from his affluent, drug dealing acquaintance Raleigh (Geoff van Wyck).
Along for the ride is Bug’s ride-or-die, Slim (Justin Pietropaolo), as well as his romantic interest, Jenny (Hannah Mosqueda). Together, they experience stratospheric highs when the supply is right, and soul-crushing lows when it runs dry and reality sets in. When the day is over, they will likely be sleeping under a bridge or squatting in an abandoned building. They are not necessarily happy about their living situation, but it is the best they can manage. With the help of friends in the right places, including bodega clerk Eddy (Billy Jenkins), they get by.
A Fearless Look At Homelessness
While it’s easy to roll your windows up when you’re stopped at a traffic light because you don’t want a stranger putting their face in your window, Gutterbug humanizes the homeless in a way few films even attempt that will stick with you. It would have been easy to populate the story with one dimensional background characters who exist only as loud, dangerous derelicts, but that is not what happens here.
Bug’s behavior is problematic to say the least, but the film consistently shows him trying and failing because he has no real support system. He attempts to find work and comes up empty. His parents, who regret kicking him out in the film’s B story, might as well be strangers who happen to live in the same town.
At one point, Bug is such a mess that it takes the “WE I.D.” placard at the bodega to remind him that it is his birthday. Every day bleeds into the next in his current state. While Bug’s predicament can sound self-inflicted, and in many ways it is, Gutterbug quietly points to a much larger systemic issue without ever having to spell it out.
Even if Bug wanted to straighten up, make amends with his family, find steady employment, and get mental health assistance, the path simply is not there. He has no insurance, no financial safety net, and no meaningful family support. His friends, who are living on the streets for their own reasons that the film never fully unpacks, are in similar positions. They are not homeless because they want to be, but since they are, they do what they can to survive.
Not Meant To Be An Easy Watch
What stuck with me most after watching Gutterbug is the overwhelming sense of hopelessness that comes from its realism. Bug and Slim are not likeable guys when they are deep into yet another bender. They can be cold, cruel, and self destructive. The film forces the audience to confront the uncomfortable truth that while their circumstances are tragic, their behavior often works against them, especially once the story moves into the third act.
Writer director Andrew Gibson wants you to sit with that discomfort, and he succeeds. Gutterbug offers no easy answers and no neat solutions to homelessness because that is not the point. The point is recognizing that once someone is pushed far enough to the margins, the barrier to reentry becomes so high that adaptation feels more realistic than escape.
As of this writing, Gutterbug is streaming for free on Tubi.
Whitney Thompson is pulling back the curtain on her time inside the “America’s Next Top Model” house, and the picture she paints isn’t glamorous. Ahead of Netflix’s upcoming documentary “Reality Check: Inside America’s Next Top Model,” the trailblazing winner is revisiting the emotional toll, body scrutiny, and behind-the-scenes moments that defined her historic win and nearly broke her along the way.
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Whitney Thompson Says Making ‘ANTM’ History Came With Behind-The-Scenes Struggles
As the first plus-size winner of “America’s Next Top Model,” Thompson made history when she won Cycle 10 in 2008. But behind the milestone moment, she says the experience often felt stacked against her.
Thompson, who was just 20 years old and a size 6 when she entered the competition, revealed that something as basic as wardrobe became a source of humiliation and frustration. She told PEOPLE that not having proper clothes for plus-size contestants “felt intentional,” leaving her feeling singled out rather than supported.
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Thompson Said She Cried In Secret While Cameras Rolled
With cameras rolling nearly nonstop, Thompson said privacy was almost nonexistent, except for one place. “I just pretended like it didn’t bother me, but, and I’m sure most of the girls would do this, I would cry in the shower every day,” she admitted. “Because the shower is the only place that the cameramen couldn’t come, so that was your safe place to release and be like, “Why are they doing this to me?”’
Despite the emotional toll, Thompson said she made a conscious choice not to give producers what they were pushing for, telling the outlet, “I knew that they were trying to poke me and get something out of me, so I just played it cool, like, ‘That’s fine. We’ll just duct tape my dress. No worries.”’
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Whitney Thompson Says Judging Left Her Emotionally Exhausted
While the challenges were tough, Thompson said the judging process itself was even harder to endure. She didn’t mince words when describing the experience, calling it a “nightmare” and revealing just how intense the pressure became. “I took Xanax before every judging,” she admitted. “You’re standing there for eight, nine hours under those hot lights waiting for people to tell you that something is wrong with how you look. It was emotionally exhausting.”
At the center of it all was the show’s creator and host, Tyra Banks, whose panel critiques became a defining and often painful part of the competition.
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Thompson Calls Fashion’s ‘Plus-Size’ Era Fake
Even as the modeling industry began embracing fuller figures, Thompson says the definition of “plus-size” remained rigid and unrealistic. She explained that acceptance often came with conditions that didn’t align with real bodies or real people.
“We would go with our pads to castings and photo shoots, and the padding would make our waist larger, our hips larger, but we’d still have the same jawline, arms and ankles,” Thompson revealed. “You could have a belly, but you still had to have a cut jawline.”
According to Thompson, inclusivity often felt performative, a trend rather than a transformation. as the industry clung to narrow beauty standards under the guise of progress.
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Whitney Thompson Says ‘ANTM’ Fame Cost Her Work
Despite winning “ANTM” and building a successful career afterward, Thompson says the label of “reality TV star” followed her, and not always in a good way.
She explained that in an industry obsessed with anonymity, being recognizable could cost her jobs. “You were buying who I was on ‘Top Model,’” Thompson said. “If a brand wants a girl to just show clothes and they don’t want someone [recognizable in a catalog] because that takes away from their product, then you’re not going to get that job.”
Now, with the Netflix documentary “Reality Check: Inside America’s Next Top Model” set to revisit the franchise’s legacy, Thompson’s reflections feel like just the tip of the iceberg in a much larger conversation.
Days of Our Lives spoilers have Jada Hunter (Elia Cantu) heading out on a Valentine’s Day date with Theo Carver (Cameron Johnson) this week. But it looks like Shawn-Douglas Brady (Brandon Beemer) is about to reunite with Jada. So, that means Theo is looking to be dumped pretty soon.
We’ll get into why Jada and Theo break up and how that’s part and parcel of her getting back together with Shawn in coming days and the big crisis that’s coming related to that.
Jada Hunter’s Messy Romantic History in Salem on Days of Our Lives
Since coming to Salem, we have seen Jada Hunter’s dating life get pretty messy. She had an unplanned pregnancy with Eric Brady (Greg Vaughan). And he wasn’t happy when Jada Hunter terminated the pregnancy. Even though he had gone back to Nicole Walker (Arianne Zucker) by then. Plus, we had the whole debacle with Bobby Everett (Blake Berris), who was Jada Hunter’s husband who cheated with Stephanie Johnson (Abigail Klein) and then turned out to have DID and then was killed by crazy Connie Viniski (Julie Dove).
And then Jada Hunter fell hard for Rafe Hernandez (Galen Gering), who proposed. But then he got replaced by his doppelganger Arnold Feniger (Galen Gering), who dumped Jada Hunter at the altar. And then when Rafe Hernandez got loose, he came back to her. But Jada Hunter broke things off when she realized Rafe Hernandez had been warming the sheets with his ex Sami Brady (Alison Sweeney) on Days of Our Lives.
This time last year in February 2025, Jada Hunter hooked up with Shawn-Douglas Brady when they were both in a rough spot and then it just abruptly fizzled. So, what we know is that it’s been a run of really bad luck in the romance department for Jada Hunter ever since she moved to Salem.
Theo Carver and Jada Hunter’s Potential Spark on DOOL
She had that one awkward date with Jeremy Horton (Michael Roark) not that long ago. And then Stephanie Johnson sold her on the fact that he’s a stalker. And then we saw Jada Hunter starting to see Theo Carver. They had a great first date. But then Peter Blake (Dan Gauthier) henchmen kidnapped Theo Carver right before their second date.
And now, as Jada Hunter was doing maid of honor duties for Stephanie Johnson and Alex Kiriakis (Robert Scott Wilson) on Valentine’s Day. Theo Carver finally texted her to get that second date. However, rarely seen hunky detective Shawn-Douglas Brady may prove problematic for Theo Carver getting anywhere too far with Jada Hunter.
Now, I will say Theo Carver and Jada Hunter definitely have a spark between them. She’s the first woman he dated since his split from Claire Brady (Isabel Durant). After she cheated on him and Theo Carver returned heartbroken to Salem late last year. So, after matching on the local dating app Salem Singles, we saw Jada Hunter and Theo Carver having a fun time. They got to know each other. They were playing chess. It was kind of nerdy, kind of sweet.
But then his kidnapping derailed things. And then of course Peter Blake almost killed Theo Carver and as a result he spent weeks in Salem University Hospital and he was just recently released. Now Theo Carver is ready to take Jada Hunter out on the town again. And she seemed really excited to get the text from Theo Carver for the date, especially since it’s Valentine’s Day.
The Gabi Hernandez and Philip Kiriakis Love Triangle
Problem is Jada Hunter is not the only woman on Theo Carver’s mind. He’s crushing on Gabi Hernandez (Cherie Jimenez). But she’s got a boyfriend, Philip Kiriakis (John-Paul Lavoisier). But Theo Carver is still crushing. And Shawn-Douglas Brady, of course, is another problem coming soon for Jada Hunter and Theo Carver.
Now, fans haven’t seen a whole lot of Shawn-Douglas Brady on Days of Our Lives since he got back from visiting his and Belle Black (Martha Madison) daughter Claire Brady in South Africa. But Shawn-Douglas Brady might have come back with a plan to rekindle things with Jada Hunter. Maybe time away had him realize, “Oh, this is who I want to be with.”
And I also have a feeling that Theo Carver’s date with Jada Hunter might not go so well. It could be that while they’re out, they see Gabi Hernandez with Philip Kiriakis. Now, I know Gabi Hernandez was talking about going away with Philip Kiriakis to Miami. But they still might have a run-in in the square on the way to the airport or on the way back.
And if Theo Carver is looking like he’s smitten with Gabi Hernandez, I think that’s something Jada Hunter would notice and would not ignore. If you remember, Theo Carver was even obsessed with the tiny little cactus that Gabi Hernandez brought him up to the hospital. You would think it might be something with his traumatic brain injury or the drugs. But Theo Carver still seems smitten with Gabi even after he’s recovered. So Jada Hunter could ditch Theo Carver for flirting with another woman on their date.
Shawn-Douglas Brady and Jada Hunter’s Confirmed Recoupling on Days
Another possibility is that Jada Hunter and Theo Carver run into Shawn-Douglas Brady while they’re out and about on Valentine’s Day. And Jada Hunter may still feel that spark when she sees Shawn-Douglas Brady. And I’m sure he’s going to be alone on Heart’s Day. So it could be that Theo Carver tells Jada Hunter that he doesn’t want a third date. Because she was flirty with Shawn-Douglas Brady.
That could be another way that this works out. Because we do know that this is confirmed, this recoupling. But since Theo Carver’s got his eye on Gabi Hernandez and has the ammunition to break up her and Philip Kiriakis, that might be the route it goes. If Theo Carver tells Philip Kiriakis that Gabi Hernandez planted the bug in the Titan office, they might be done.
Whether Theo Carver does the dumping or is the dumpy, we know he wants to be with Gabi Hernandez. And some viewers were pretty disappointed that Days paired off Jada Hunter and Shawn-Douglas Brady a full year ago and then abruptly abandoned them as a couple. That might have been down to the shift in head writers. The new writer material kicked off not too long after Jada Hunter was with Shawn-Douglas Brady. So all of this is about to change.
Official Peacock Post Teases Shawn-Douglas Brady and Jada Hunter’s Romance on Days of Our Lives
So this week in an official Peacock social media post, we saw the actors who play Jada Hunter and Shawn-Douglas Brady, Elia Cantu and Brandon Beemer. And they were being interviewed as if they were their characters. There were a whole series of these videos. Alex Kiriakis and Stephanie Johnson did one.
So in this particular video, Shawn-Douglas Brady and Jada Hunter are asked whether they are a couple. And they say that they are. So not her and Theo Carver. But Shawn-Douglas Brady and Jada Hunter. And then Shawn-Douglas Brady is talking about them meeting on the job and they joke about Jada Hunter’s ex-fiancé and Shawn-Douglas Brady’s former stepdad Rafe Hernandez being the one who brought them together. Shawn-Douglas Brady and Jada Hunter are joking that handcuffs make their relationship work.
Life and Death Drama: Shawn-Douglas Brady Shot in the Snow
We also know from the long winter promo that Jack Junior (JJ) Deveraux (Casey Moss) is with Shawn-Douglas Brady in the park and Liam’s there too and Shawn-Douglas Brady winds up shot, bleeding out in the snow. So, that’s coming soon, possibly by the end of sweeps. We know Liam is helping the cops try and find the guy who paid him to stalk her at the crypt.
The money came from Peter Blake. But we know Liam was working with some other guy, the one with the scar. And then we saw, oh, okay, that’s Vivian Alamain (Louise Sorel) new henchman. So, Shawn-Douglas Brady may be shot as part of the SPD working on the DiMera kidnapping case, or it could be something where Stephanie Johnson’s stalker is the reason that Shawn-Douglas Brady is shot.
We know that Owen Kent (Wes Ramsey) is unhinged and he’s the stalker and he might have a co-conspirator. And once Shawn-Douglas Brady gets shot, no matter why he’s shot and he’s fighting for his life, that’s when Jada Hunter may realize that it’s Shawn-Douglas Brady that she wants. So maybe Jada Hunter sticks with Theo Carver until then and calls off their fledgling romance so she can be there at Shawn-Douglas Brady’s bedside when he wakes up.
Will Belle Black Ruin Shawn-Douglas Brady and Jada Hunter’s Future on DOOL?
And of course, some Days fans think that any relationship between Jada Hunter and Shawn-Douglas Brady will be short-lived. Because of his ex-wife Belle Black. She’s single and she and Shawn-Douglas Brady have been on again, off again for years. But you never know, maybe he wants off that merry-go-round and he is going to stick with Jada Hunter.
By Jonathan Klotz
| Published
Babylon 5 isn’t a sci-fi comedy; it’s a sci-fi epic, but the carefully crafted story is filled with small moments of comedy that cut the tension, usually thanks to Londo. Tucked away in the Season 1 episode, “Grail,” is an amazing joke that directly pokes fun at alien abductions.
It has no impact on the rest of the episode and serves only to introduce the station’s judge, but a man suing the Vree, modeled after the famous “Grey Aliens,” for abducting his great-grandfather, is the kind of offbeat humor that sci-fi fans love.
Suing Over Alien Abductions
As soon as “Grail” returns from the title sequence, viewers are dropped into the courtroom of Ombuds Wellington (Jim Norton), listening to Flinn (John Flinn, the episode’s director of photography and he directed multiple episodes, including “Grey 17 is Missing”) argue that his great-grandfather was abducted by the Vree for two days, and then, no one believed him, he couldn’t get a job and a he lost everything. That’s why Flinn is suing for damages. The Vree’s response is to draw a picture. Obviously frustrated, Wellington wonders why he always gets these cases.
The Vree are one of the most annoying races in the world of Babylon 5, thanks to their religious devotion to a Trickster God, justifying their prankster behavior. Turns out, that’s why they would abduct humans; they found it funny. We never find out if Flinn won his case against the Vree or not, but the thought that in the future, when humans are living alongside aliens, someone would sue over alien abduction is the type of absurdity no one expected from the war-torn political series.
The Search For The Holy Grail
Flinn’s court case is the early high point of “Grail” which spends most of its runtime on Jinxo (Tom Booker), a station mechanic in debt to the gangster Deuce. Desperate to get out of debt, he picks the pocket of Aldous Gajic (David Warner), a strange man who came to the station as part of his quest for the Holy Grail. The two find themselves bonding after Gajic takes the downtrodden worker under his wing in lieu of banishment for thievery, with Gajic explaining that a dying man restored his will to live by passing on the quest for the Holy Grail to him.
In case you’re wondering, Sinclair (Michael O’Hare) doesn’t take the quest for the Holy Grail seriously, but Delenn (Mira Furlan), part of the Minbari religious caste, respects Gajic for being a truth-seeker. It’s an interesting character moment for both of them in an episode that’s otherwise completely devoid of the main cast. The way humans and Minbari view religion is very different, and it’s hard for any human to understand why it’s so important to Delenn, though, as viewers know, Sinclair would go on to understand the Minbari better than they knew themselves.
Great Shows Are Allowed To Have Bad Episodes
“Grail” sidelines the main cast to focus on Gajic, Jinxo, and Deuce, culminating in a firefight within the sub-basements between the gangsters and a security squad after a monster disguised as Ambassador Kosh is revealed as the source of the mindwipe murders. It wouldn’t be the last time that Babylon 5 would focus on side characters, but Season 5’s “A View From The Gallery” is one of the best of the series, while “Grail” is a dull slog.
Babylon 5 is still one of the best sci-fi shows ever made, even if it has some uneven episodes. The saga of Gajic and Jinxo was a one-and-done story, and now, the episode is still best remembered for the brief, 60-second joke about suing little grey aliens. It’s short, it’s hilarious, it fits within the world, and it’s the type of gag Star Wars would never make.
Bad Bunny left many fans in awe with his appearance and great fashion sense when he headlined the 2026 Super Bowl halftime show.
However, critics have speculated that the Latin pop superstar may have had some cosmetic procedures to achieve his new look.
A plastic surgery expert has now weighed in on the chatter, claiming Bad Bunny may have gone under the knife to achieve his glow up.
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Plastic Surgery Expert Reveals Bad Bunny’s Potential Cosmetic Enhancements
A plastic surgery expert has weighed in on Bad Bunny’s recent noticeable “glow up,” amid what seems to be his global dominance over the last couple of years.
After picking up the coveted Album of the Year gong for “Debí Tirar Más Fotos” at the 2026 Grammy Awards, he proceeded to headline the halftime show for the 2026 Super Bowl between the Seattle Seahawks and the New England Patriots, where he stunned fans with his strong jawline and emphatic fashion statement.
However, over the past years, Bad Bunny (born Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio) has sported a rounder face and clean-shaven head, leading many to believe he employed the help of cosmetic surgery to achieve it.
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Weighing in on the speculations, plastic surgeon Dr. Gary Motykie told the Daily Mail that his sharper jawline was consistent with fat loss, but he could have also had help from a surgeon.
“Bad Bunny clearly took control of his own physique, and whatever happens to the body, happens to the face,” Dr. Motykie, who has never treated Bad Bunny, said of the Puerto Rican singer.
“When you work out for hours in the gym and lose weight, what happens is you also see fat loss in the face, and the jawline gets sharper. In particular, in someone who is not super heavy, that weight [fat] loss will get that sculpted jawline too,” the expert added.
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The Latin Star Likely Got Fillers, Expert Claims
Dr. Motykie, who has studied thousands of Bad Bunny’s photos, went further to note the possibility that he got fillers, as there appear to be some differences between his appearance and some of his old pictures.
“But I do notice that, in some photos, his face doesn’t appear as long or his jawline looks broader, and maybe has a stronger chin, than it did in previous photos,” the expert shared. “In my opinion, that is suspicious for the use of fillers, to add to what we see with the weight loss and the new facial hair, which accentuates the jawline.”
Unlike his former look, the “MONACO” singer now rocks full hair that he often styles into braids, as well as his well-trimmed beard that lines his ripped jawline.
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Dr. Motykie told the news outlet that fillers can be injected into the jawline, and in Bad Bunny’s case, he pointed to the angle at the back of the jaw, which he said appears to have become much more defined all of a sudden.
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Bad Bunny May Have Also Gotten His Teeth Done
Occasionally during his performance, Bad Bunny flashed his pure white teeth as he entertained the crowd with some of his hit songs.
However, Dr. Motykie also suggested he may have veneers on as the smooth surface and bright white color of his teeth appeared too uniform and unnatural.
Dr. Daniel Naysan, a dentist at Bedford Dental Group in Beverly Hills, shared the same sentiment, telling the Daily Mail that the singer “did have some cosmetic dental work that involved porcelain veneers,” and that the “key giveaway that demonstrates this is based on the current look of his smile.”
“It’s very white, not common to get that white for natural teeth, opaque, uniform, and symmetrical,” the dentist explained.
“More specifically, there is a lack of true character that our natural enamel usually displays. What I am looking at closely is if there is any surface texture, translucency, depth, and variation in shade,” Dr. Naysan said.
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Fans React To The Plastic Surgery Rumors Plaguing The Singer
rhinoplasty, buccal fat removal, facial fat grafting, chin reconstruction + implant, jaw reconstruction, veneers, gum reconstruction, a belly button tightening and his fans say it was just weight loss 😭 pic.twitter.com/B7BRFL8NHA
— Kalorie (@kewchiy) February 3, 2026
On social media, chatter about Bad Bunny’s facial appearance reached a climax during his Super Bowl performance, prompting many to defend the singer against plastic surgery rumors.
A person on X wrote, “He literally looks the same and has the same everything. just older. More in shape and has facial hair.”
Another noted, “I know this might be a difficult concept for some of you to grasp, but you get sexy when you mature. He quite honestly looks the same, just older.”
One more individual commented, “He looks the same to my naked eye. Just adding facial hair and a puppy smile.”
Bad Bunny Drew Backlash For His Super Bowl Performance
Bad Bunny has often spoken up against the Donald Trump-led administration’s policies on immigration, and constantly uses his platform to slam ICE.
Although he used his historic halftime show to call for unity in the Americas, he drew criticism from Trump, who labeled it “one of the worst, ever,” as well as some conservatives, who attacked the Spanish-language set as “woke” and “ridiculous.”
“It makes no sense, is an affront to the Greatness of America, and doesn’t represent our standards of Success, Creativity, or Excellence,” the president said about the show on his Truth Social media platform.
“Nobody understands a word this guy is saying, and the dancing is disgusting, especially for young children that are watching from throughout the U.S.A., and all over the World,” he added.
Blueface
Grabs Zendaya’s Throat, Nuzzles Kylie’s Neck …
Of Museum Wax Figures
Published
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Updated
Instagram/@bluefasebabyy
Blueface choked out Zendaya … well, the wax figure version of her, at least — squeezing its neck at Madame Tussauds Hollywood on Thursday.
The rapper shared several videos from the popular Los Angeles tourist spot … including one where he pushed in Wax-Daya’s chair before walking around to sit across the table from it.
BF then bizarrely launches at the statue and grabs its throat before swearing at it. We’ve reached out to the museum for comment on the odd behavior.
Blue decided to cast a wide net in his search for a new wax girlfriend, BTW … also sidling up to Kylie Jenner‘s wax statue to speak sweet nothings to it.
The compliments fell on deaf ears — again, this is Wax Kylie — but Blueface joked his friend shouldn’t film him with his “girl.”
Zendaya and Kylie are the only two statues Blueface shot his shot with … interesting choices since the two real-life celebs are in committed relationships with Tom Holland and Timothée Chalamet, respectively.
Better luck waxing poetic with the statues next time, Blue!
Entertainment
Star Trek Fans Who Dislike NuTrek Are Routinely Censored And Banned, This Is Who’s Behind It
By Chris Snellgrove
| Published
As someone who writes extensively about Starfleet Academy, I frequently find myself in the trenches of fan spaces, ranging from r/startrek on Reddit to Star Trek S**tposting on Facebook. As you might expect, these spaces are filled with those who are passionate about all things Trek, and they love to swap memes while sharing their love for Gene Roddenberry’s seminal sci-fi franchise. But there’s trouble in paradise whenever someone breaks the one, unspoken rule: “never say anything bad about NuTrek.”
Such posts are likely to get removed altogether, especially on Reddit, where the Paramount astroturfers tirelessly work to remove any and call criticism. But when a criticism does make it through, the critic faces a deluge of hatred from Star Trek fanboys who act like a critique of their favorite show is nothing less than a deep, personal insult. Because of this, I think franchise fans of every quadrant need to accept a blunt truth: IDIC includes people who disagree with you.
Where It All Started
My most tinfoil-hat Star Trek conspiracy theory is that this problem goes back to the earliest days of Star Trek: Discovery. At that time, many YouTubers realized they could hit the click lottery by going all-in on criticizing the new show. For example, Nerdrotic led the charge in criticizing the show as forcing diversity down viewers’ throats (often to the detriment of the story), and that Star Trek had suddenly gone woke.
Channels like Midnight’s Edge echoed the wokeness claims and similarly griped about Star Trek: Discovery’s perceived identity politics. It didn’t take fans long to strike back, pointing out that Trek has literally been diverse from the very beginning (just look at that Original Series cast).
Eventually, those earlier criticisms were used by moderators to make sure nobody was allowed to criticize NuTrek in any way without being canceled by their fellow fans.
Criticism Of NuTrek Is Now Completely Forbidden
While the aforementioned YouTube channels made some salient points about Discovery, some fans understandably seized on parts of their opinions they felt missed the mark. The primary things that made this new Star Trek show “diverse” were, seemingly, the Black female main character and a supporting cast that includes two gay men. Therefore, such criticisms were condemned by the Reddit-style fan community as being both sexist and homophobic.
However, Discovery fanboys soon began to use those earlier critiques to silence all opposition to their new favorite show. If someone disliked Michael Burnham’s character for more legitimate reasons (like her being written as a Mary Sue with plot armor as thick and obvious as transparent aluminum), they were dismissed as just another bigot who had a problem with a strong, Black, female character. If someone said they thought Stamets and Culber could have had better chemistry, they were denigrated as a homophobe who just couldn’t handle Trek’s first openly gay couple.
Unfortunately, this foundational aspect of NuTrek discourse continues to this day with Starfleet Academy. If you criticize Jay’den (the stuttering soft boy Klingon pacifist) for being a poorly written member of his warrior race, you will be labeled as an old sexist who just can’t appreciate this alien’s slow burn journey of gay self-discovery. If you criticize SAM (the happy-go-lucky hologram with the literal mind of a child) for being a walking meme, you’ll be labeled as someone who hates Black women (and probably autistic people).
Forgetting The Franchise’s Most Important Rule
Do some members of the Star Trek fandom still make racist, sexist, and homophobic comments about Starfleet Academy and other shows? Of course, and they need to be called out by a comment section that sets their phasers to “kill.” But it’s important to remember that not every criticism of NuTrek is a coded dogwhistle; sometimes, people just have a difference of opinion, and somebody not liking something that you love is not a personal attack on you or your tastes.
All of this had me pondering the most important rule in all of Star Trek: IDIC, which stands for “Infinite Diversity in Infinite Combinations.” NuTrek is often praised for adhering to this more than earlier shows, and its diversity is part of what those problematic YouTubers freaked out about when Discovery premiered. Obviously, diversity is a good thing, and shows like Starfleet Academy deserve full credit for giving us the kinds of characters that we wouldn’t have previously seen headlining a Star Trek show.
IDIC Includes People Who Don’t Like Your Favorite Show
However, diversity of thought and opinion is also part of IDIC, and this has always been baked into Star Trek’s DNA: we see McCoy and Spock argue over the different cultural perspectives of humans and Vulcans in The Original Series, for example. In The Next Generation, Worf’s stories constantly forced characters like Picard to consider the wildly different (yet no less relevant) perspective of the Klingons. Meanwhile, Deep Space Nine used the Ferengi Quark to constantly contrast the Federation’s hippie, humanistic values with naked faith in the power of free market capitalism.
In a perfect world, the Star Trek fandom would more readily embrace this basic concept of IDIC: not everyone in the fandom is going to agree with everything you say. The person criticizing the childish humor of Starfleet Academy isn’t someone who hates the franchise or hates you for liking the show; he’s just somebody who wishes NuTrek wasn’t resorting to d*ck and fart jokes to make audiences laugh. Similarly, the people complaining about the nonstop slang and vulgarity of these young characters aren’t just old and out of touch; they just remember when you could show Star Trek to your kids without cringing and reaching for the remote.
Fans Need To Stop With Friendly Fire
Not every Trek is for every fan, and disliking Starfleet Academy is no more inherently problematic than disliking Enterprise or the Kelvinverse. But it’s important to remember that the vast majority of fans criticizing this new show are doing so from a place of love because they want Star Trek to succeed. By assuming that every critic is a bigot, fanboys shut down any chance for genuine discourse while making Paramount think that nothing about their new show (the one that’s already fallen out of the Top 10 streaming charts on Paramount+) needs to be changed.
Simply put, this mentality goes against the entire IDIC philosophy of Star Trek and will ultimately doom the franchise in a sad attempt to pretend that NuTrek is absolutely perfect. If we can’t argue in good faith about the things we love about Trek, then there will soon be no new Trek to love. But if the fandom can finally drop all the culture war garbage (including painting all critics as fascists to the right of Colonel Green) and have a reasonable discourse, we might have something that seemingly disappeared decades ago. Namely, a Star Trek show that most fans are actually excited to watch each week!
Rachel Lindsay was the lead on season 13 of “The Bachelorette,” which aired in 2017. She selected Bryan Abasolo at the end of the season, and the two tied the knot in 2019. Sadly, they called it quits in December 2023, and he filed for divorce. Since then, she has been open about her disappointment with their divorce agreement, which required the reality star and podcast host to pay substantial spousal support. Now, she’s revealing why she felt powerless in the situation.
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Rachel Lindsay Felt Powerless In Her Marriage And Divorce
Lindsay opened up about having the marriage and divorce from Abasolo behind her on the February 12 episode of the “Pop Syllabus” podcast. She revealed, “I’m free, and I feel like I felt powerless that I didn’t have a prenup. He took so much from me, but I felt powerful that I was able to do it in a year, like, ‘I paid you off, I’m still here, I’m still surviving.’”
She continued on the podcast, discussing the divorce agreement. According to Rachel, “He was ruthless about it; there was no compromising. I want to write all about it. I do want to tell that story, but I want the divorce book that I was looking for. I want to talk about another book of essays. … I want to tell [readers] in each essay a story about what happened.”
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Additionally, Lindsay wants to go into detail in an eventual book of essays about the community of people she found amid her divorce, as well as untold issues surrounding fertility. She added, “I want to talk about dating in my 40s. I was 39 when I got divorced. What does that look like?”
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The Former ‘Bachelorette’ Star Wanted A Private Divorce
The podcast episode continued, and Lindsay responded to Abasolo’s comments on Rene Garcia’s platform, where he stated that he and his former wife didn’t spend much time together and that he had begun sleeping in a separate bedroom before the divorce.
Lindsay said, “[He] opened the door, so let’s talk about it. This could have gone completely differently [and] could have been a private divorce. We could have done private mediation, we could have had a private judge [or] I could have given you money secretly, you could have held onto your reputation. All of it, [but] that is not what happened.”
She continued, “My divorce was public and messy for a reason. Learn from me. It’s not as simple as getting a prenup. It’s just the pressures that we feel as a woman at a certain age.”
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Rachel Lindsay Celebrated Paying Bryan Abasolo Off On Social Media
Lindsay took to her official Instagram account to celebrate paying Abasolo following their divorce being finalized. She did so by posting photos of herself on the beach. She said in the post, “Finally free. Closing one chapter, literally writing the next.” According to PEOPLE, the former couple finalized their divorce on January 7, 2025.
Per the agreement, a judge ordered Lindsay to pay him a $500,000 equalization payment. However, she had already paid him $39,771 in spousal support, so she then owed him $460,229. She made the first payment of $230,114.50 by January 17, with the rest being due January 7, 2026.
Lindsay and Abasolo each kept their wedding bands and split their vehicles. He retained the 2021 Honda Accord, and she kept the 2023 Porsche Macan.
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Fans Have Been Reacting To Their Divorce For Years
“Bachelorette” fans loved Lindsay and Abasolo on the show and believed they’d have a long-lasting marriage. However, after their divorce, many have weighed in on social media, with most agreeing that Lindsay deserves to tell her story. One person mentioned how she needs to work on her upcoming book of essays, saying, “Yes, girl. Slam the book. You are amazing. Proud of you, sister!”
Someone else said, “May this next one be the best chapter yet.” Another person wrote, “CONGRATS!!! That sh-t was expensive but worth every damn penny.” Finally, a different fan stated on Instagram, “Freedom looks good on you, Sis!!!! Sooooo happy for you.”
The Reality Star Is Dating
Page Six reported in February 2025 that Lindsay had begun dating following her divorce from Abasolo. At the time, the outlet reported that the former “Bachelorette” star was romantically involved with Willie Jones, a country singer. An insider told the outlet, “They’re dating. She’s happy, but not rushing anything. He’s a really cool guy, and everyone is happy for her.”
The female chef who alleges she was assaulted by Stefon Diggs has shared a statement as he enters a not guilty plea.
RELATED: Yikes! Stefon Diggs’ Lawyer And New England Patriots Respond To His Strangulation Charges
Female Chef For Stefon Diggs Shares Statement On Alleged Assault
On Friday, February 13, the woman, who has not been identified in news reports, took to Instagram to share a message with the public. Furthermore, she wrote that she is writing to address the “false information that has been shared publicly.”
Additionally, she stated that she is a “professional chef” with 10 years of professional experience, and her “reputation” and “integrity” matter deeply to her. Claims that she engaged in “settlement discussions” with Digg, she says, are “untrue.” And she noted that she “never sought money” from him. Furthermore, she stated that she would “never” make false claims about domestic violence because she knows the allegations are serious and damaging.
“I did not seek public attention and reported this matter through the proper legal channels. This is an active criminal matter, and I will continue to respect the legal process,” she added by noting that she will not engage with “rumors” or “personal attacks.”
Instead, she noted that she is focused on “healing,” her work, and “moving forward with integrity” while trusting the legal process.
Social Media Reacts
Social media users weighed in on the female chef’s statements in TSR’s comment section. Many noted that Stefon Diggs appears to be taking back-to-back L’s with the loss of the Super Bowl and this criminal case.
Instagram user @ruby_rose0701 wrote, “Oh she’s not suing for money, she went to criminal court. Yikes 😬”
While Instagram user @all100z_aye added, “The way she wrote this I definitely believe her 😂😂”
Instagram user @meleliz__ wrote, “He been having a bad month 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭”
While Instagram user @zevarra_ceo added, “If it happened, he needs to be held accountable. The days of women staying quiet after being assaulted is over. 💪🏾”
Instagram user @cry_cry876 wrote, “I’m just waiting to see the evidence before I hav anything to say on this matter”
While Instagram user @southsidejay330 added, “I 100% believe her!! Whenever you go straight to the law and not social media or suing someone I will always believe you”
Instagram user @iamtokyorenee wrote, “Basically she doesn’t want any settlement or money she can’t be payed off . She wants him dealt with 😮 . You know they telling the truth when they don’t want the money 😢”
While Instagram user @ntm._brando added, “Yall so one sided in these comments just because he’s a guy. Many females have made many false claims about males, numerous times. Her statements only mean so much, if she has legitimate proof then I redact my statements, till then, she’s in it for the money and she’s just tryna get another man put in the system. And I stand on that”
Stefon Diggs Enters Not Guilty Plea In Alleged Assault Against Female Chef
Meanwhile, The Guardian reports that Stefon Diggs entered a not guilty plea to the strangulation and assault charges on Friday, February 13. His arraignment reportedly went down at the Dedham District Court in Massachusetts. Additionally, he was ordered to reappear in court on April 1.
Per the outlet, the chef alleges that on December 2, 2025, she confronted Diggs over money he allegedly owed her for her services. In turn, he allegedly smacked her in the face. And he allegedly tried to choke her by wrapping his elbow around her neck. Per PEOPLE, the chef reported the assault to police on December 16, 2025.
The Guardian adds that Diggs has denied the claims, and the New England Patriots have expressed their support for him.
RELATED: Stefon Diggs Breaks His Silence Following Strangulation Allegations From Former Private Chef (VIDEOS)
What Do You Think Roomies?
Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem
Logistics Company CEO Steps Down …
After Epstein Link Revealed
Published
Billionaire Emirati businessman Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem has resigned from the top spot of major logistics company DP World … after his links to Jeffrey Epstein put the business in jeopardy.
The multinational company — owned by the government of the city of Dubai in the UAE — put out a statement Friday announcing a new world chairman and new group CEO … positions held by Sulayem.
While the statement doesn’t actually name Sulayem, its meaning is clear … the multibillionaire is officially out the door.
The decision comes just a day after numerous financial groups in the United States and Canada threatened to cut ties with DP World after emails between Sulayem and Epstein were released by the U.S. Department of Justice.
A couple of shocking exchanges were released … with one email from Epstein asking Sulayem what time he’d like his massage in New York City. Epstein was infamous for having underage females massage and perform sexual acts on him. It’s unclear if this is what he was offering Sulayem.
He also wrote to Sulayem in April 2009, “where are you? are you ok, I loved the torture video.” While Sulayem’s name was previously redacted in that email, Republican Kentucky Representative Thomas Massie revealed his identity. Sulayem also texted Epstein a porn link in 2017.
Sulayem is one of many powerful men named in the infamous files. Donald Trump, Bill Clinton, Elon Musk, Deepak Chopra, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor — formerly known as Prince Andrew — and Steve Bannon are just a few of the many names mentioned.
Most Perfect, Unrated Crime Thriller Is A Harrowing Tale Of Survival On The Streets
‘Beautiful’ little girl shaken to death by evil mum pictured for first time
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