Jennifer Grey announced that her mom, Jo Wilder, died at age 94 on Saturday, July 4.

In an emotional Instagram tribute shared Wednesday, July 8, Grey, 66, wrote that Wilder died “by her own choosing, on her own terms, exactly as she lived,” one week after receiving a lung cancer diagnosis.

“True to who she was, she chose grace over fear, understanding that leaving this world with dignity is an honor, not a tragedy,” Grey continued. “She was gorgeous and talented — a promising young actress on the New York stage in her youth. She used to say she never fully answered that calling; she became a mother instead.”

Wilder shared kids Jennifer and James Katz with ex-husband Joel Grey.

“If she’d chosen ambition over my brother and me, we never would have had the mother we had,” Jennifer’s caption continued. “Her passion found other outlets: she was a lifelong activist, fiercely attuned to right and wrong. And for years, many people discovered her extraordinary eye through Wilder Place, her store on Melrose.”

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Hollywood mourned the deaths of some of its most legendary stars in 2026. The year started off with Broadway performer and influencer Bret Hanna-Shuford’s death at age 46. At the end of the month, comedy acting icon Catherine O’Hara died at age 71. In February, Dawson’s Creek actor James Van Der Beek died at age […]

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The Dirty Dancing star concluded, “She was brave and deep. I love you, Mom. Thank you for showing me how to do it all, even this, with grace.”

Wilder was a singer and actress, known for her role as Polly in The Threepenny Opera national tour, which took place in 1960. Wilder also snagged stage roles in Peter Pan and Gypsy during her time as a regional theater actress.

Several stars took to the comments section of Jennifer’s post to share their condolences.

“I have been thinking of you so much. I am lucky to have known your beautiful mother through the years of our friendship,” Maggie Wheeler, known for her role as Janice on Friends, wrote. “She was fierce and kind and curious.. and .. she was deeply blessed with a daughter who showed her the most unwavering love [and] unwavering support.”

Julianne Moore and Josh Gad were among other notable names who shared their love. Rachel Zegler also commented with a red heart emoji.

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“So sorry for your loss,” Moore wrote. Gad added, “Sending you so much love.”

Lea Thompson also remembered Jennifer’s mom, writing, “A beautiful tribute. I love you so much. Your mom was the best.”

Jennifer’s ex-husband, Clark Gregg, commented three red heart emojis as well. They were married for 19 years before finalizing their divorce in February 2021. The former couple share daughter Stella, 24.

After an offseason of major change in Buffalo, quarterback Josh Allen isn’t getting distracted by any outside noise. 

In an exclusive interview with Us Weekly, Allen, 30, was asked how much weight he feels on his shoulders to finally get the Bills to a Super Bowl in his ninth season with the franchise. 

“Not a whole lot of pressure,” Allen said, while promoting his partnership with Natrol, the No. 1 drug-free sleep aid brand. “It’s always been my dream. It’s been my goal from day one, since I set foot in Buffalo, to bring a Lombardi Trophy to western New York. And that’s not going to change. But again, just making sure I’m falling in love with the process of what it takes to get there, enjoying the game that I love and being the best person, player, father that I can be while doing it.”

Allen and his wife, actress Hailee Steinfeld, welcomed their first child, daughter Harper, in April. 

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Prior to the 2026 season, the Bills made four consecutive Super Bowls between 1991 to 1994, but lost all four times.

In January, the Bills hired the team’s former offensive coordinator, Joe Brady, to take over as head coach after parting ways with Sean McDermott after nine seasons. 

“I’ve had Joe in the room with me for the last couple years, so you know it’s not anything new,” Allen said of their relationship. “We’re very much in lockstep and aligned in what we want to accomplish and what it’s going to take to get there. So, obviously, very excited for this year, new stadium. A lot of firsts.”

The Bills will christen the brand-new Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park when the NFL season opens this fall. The fancy new digs cost over $2.1 billion and, amongst other amenities, features  the world’s largest stadium snow-melt system.

Allen and the Bills welcome the Detroit Lions for the Highmark home opener on September 17. 

In the meantime, the quarterback has been utilizing Natrol’s new Ultra Sleep and Ultra Energy supplements into his daily routine. Together, the products help him fall asleep faster, stay asleep longer and maintain sustained energy throughout the demanding offseason. 

“It’’s been life-changing because I understand what it’s like to have good sleep, and now what it’s like to not have such great sleep,” Allen explained. 

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The NFL superstar said the Natrol supplements help “in falling asleep and keeping you asleep, so you can wake up feeling refreshed, and then on top of that, you have the energy that fills your body with what it needs and really good nutrients to keep you feeling great throughout the day.”

Allen added, “Sleep happens throughout the entire day too, so right when you wake up determines what you’re going to sleep like that night.”

For more information about Natrol’s new Ultra Sleep and Ultra Energy supplements, click here.

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

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

Former “Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” star Lisa Rinna has inserted herself into one of the internet’s most controversial political conversations, publicly suggesting that Senator Mitch McConnell is secretly dead despite repeated assurances from Republican leaders that he remains alive and engaged in Senate business.

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The actress and reality television personality made the eyebrow-raising claim in a TikTok video Tuesday night as speculation surrounding McConnell’s health continues to intensify following his hospitalization last month. “I mean, come on, Mitch McConnell’s dead. He’s dead,” Rinna said in the clip. “They’re keeping him alive like ‘Weekend at Bernie’s.’”

McConnell has been hospitalized for more than three weeks after suffering a medical emergency at his Washington, D.C., home on June 14. According to CBS, emergency responders were dispatched after receiving a call regarding an unconscious individual who may have suffered a cardiac arrest. A medic reportedly noted that CPR was in progress when first responders arrived.

Since then, McConnell’s office has released only limited information about his condition, saying he is receiving “excellent care” while recovering in the hospital. The lack of detailed updates has fueled widespread speculation about the Kentucky senator’s health and future in office.

Rinna’s TikTok came just hours after GOP strategist Scott Jennings attempted to push back against the growing rumors by publicly revealing that he had spoken directly with McConnell. “I spoke to my old friend Mitch McConnell this morning, the senior Senator from Kentucky,” Jennings wrote on X. “He’s still recovering in the hospital.”

Jennings added that the pair discussed topics including Iran, Ukraine, developments in Maine, and Senate history during a conversation that lasted nearly 20 minutes.

Republican Leaders Continue To Insist McConnell Is Working

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Rinna’s comments also arrived shortly after Senate Majority Leader John Thune reportedly held what was described as a “lengthy and substantive” phone call with McConnell. According to NOTUS, the two discussed national security matters and other Senate business while McConnell remains hospitalized.

A spokesman for the longtime senator similarly attempted to quell the speculation in a statement provided to the Daily Mail. “Senator McConnell appreciates the outpouring of support he’s receiving while he continues his recovery in the hospital,” the spokesman said. “The Senator continues to improve, and is working closely with his staff on Kentucky and Senate matters while the Senate is out of session.”

Despite those assurances, questions continue to circulate online as critics demand more concrete proof of McConnell’s condition.

Why The Mitch McConnell Rumors Have Grown So Quickly

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Rinna’s remarks are notable because they reflect how speculation surrounding McConnell’s health has expanded far beyond Washington political circles. What began as questions about the senator’s condition after his June hospitalization has evolved into a full-blown online conspiracy theory fueled by influencers, political commentators, independent journalists, and now celebrities.

The lack of detailed public updates from McConnell’s office has created an information vacuum that supporters and critics alike have attempted to fill with their own theories. Far-right activist Laura Loomer recently claimed that an unnamed White House source told her McConnell was either in a vegetative state or brain dead and would not return to work. Independent journalist Desiréee Townsend later claimed she had heard similar information from her own sources.

Meanwhile, several prominent conservative voices have publicly called for McConnell’s staff to provide additional evidence that he is capable of returning to the Senate, including Breitbart editor Matthew Boyle, who wrote on X that McConnell’s aides should “produce proof of the senator’s condition one way or another right now.”

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The rumors gained additional momentum after The Hill accidentally published what appeared to be an obituary-style retrospective examining McConnell’s political career.

Although the article was quickly deleted, screenshots circulated widely online and became further ammunition for conspiracy theorists already questioning the senator’s condition. At the same time, McConnell’s eldest daughter, Porter McConnell, quietly deactivated her X account.

There is no evidence connecting the move to her father’s hospitalization, and it remains unclear when exactly the account was deleted. Nevertheless, the timing quickly became another subject of speculation among social media users.

Why McConnell’s Health Matters Beyond The Rumors

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The intense interest in McConnell’s condition is not solely driven by political gossip. As one of the most influential Republicans of the modern era, McConnell’s future carries significant implications for the balance of power in Washington.

The Kentucky Republican served as Senate Majority Leader from 2015 until 2021 and remains one of the GOP’s most powerful voices in Congress. Republicans currently hold a narrow Senate majority, meaning any prolonged absence could complicate legislative efforts heading into a crucial election cycle.

If McConnell were unable to resume his duties or vacate his seat before August 3, Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear would be required to call a special election to fill the vacancy.

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

Marvel is having quite the day in terms of Emmy nominations. After a strong recent run, including the second season of Daredevil: Born Again and animated event series Eyes of Wakanda and Marvel Zombies, the MCU is officially back in the win column thanks to Wonder Man. Series lead Yahya Abdul-Mateen II earned a nod for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series for the superhero showbiz satire, marking Marvel Television’s first acting Emmy nomination in five years. However, that only accounted for one of 12 awards the comic giant’s shows are up for, with the other 11 going towards a title that isn’t even on Disney+.

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In the end, the real big winner was Spider-Noir, from the trio of Sony Pictures Television, Amazon MGM Studios, and Marvel Studios. The Nicolas Cage-led superhero crime hit premiered on Prime Video to rave reviews back in May, and that’s now been reflected in the 78th Emmy Award nominations, with recognition for everything from production design and music to prosthetic makeup, cinematography, stunt performance, and more. While none of the performances received nominations, nor did the show make the cut for Outstanding Drama, the awards the show is up for recognize its greatest strength — the campy, gorgeously crafted classic noir presentation. The series now has the second-most nominations of any Marvel television title to date, behind only WandaVision‘s staggering 23 in 2021.

Created by Oren Uziel and Steve Lightfoot, Spider-Noir‘s first season introduced Ben Reilly (Cage), a familiarly black-clad superhero detective who’s a bit different from his Spider-Verse counterpart. Living in 1930s New York, he’s haunted by a personal tragedy and his own past as The Spider, the city’s only superhero. Soon, however, the drunken, down-on-his-luck private eye is pulled back into business when a new case comes across his desk that he can’t ignore, forcing him to suit up once more and stop the villains plaguing the Big Apple. He’s not alone in his fight, joined by his friend and journalist Robbie Robertson (Lamorne Morris), his ever-loyal assistant Janet Ruiz (Karen Rodriguez), and femme fatale nightclub singer Cat Hardy (Li Jun Li).

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Release Date

May 27, 2026

Network

MGM+

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Showrunner

Oren Uziel, Steve Lightfoot

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Directors

Harry Bradbeer

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

By Chris Snellgrove
| Published 15 seconds ago

Right now, X-Men ‘97 Season 2 is absolutely killing it, maintaining the almost impossibly high standard created by Season 1. Understandably, fans are wondering exactly how much of this awesome animated revival we are going to get. The exact answer to that question is something of a moving target. Previously, executive producer Larry Houston said that Marvel Animation is currently working on Seasons 3 and 4 and that the goal is to hit at least five seasons, which would match the original X-Men: The Animated Series. While that’s already an ambitious goal, one power player at Marvel is dreaming even bigger.

In a recent interview with POC Culture, Houston confirmed that Brad Winderbaum, the Head of Streaming, Television and Animation at Marvel Studios, would love to do 10 seasons. Unsurprisingly, the writers, producers, and voice actors support this goal, as that means we’d be getting more of this hit series for the better part of a decade. However, there’s one potential downside that none of the movers and shakers at Marvel have considered. If X-Men ‘97 can maintain this same level of quality for 10 seasons, it may effectively kill the MCU by forcing fans to ask the obvious question about live-action Marvel movies: “why can’t they be as good as the cartoon?”

Comparison Is The Thief Of Joy

It’s an open secret that, after Avengers: Endgame, Marvel really fell off, both creatively and commercially. Once, this franchise regularly pumped out billion-dollar movies; however, that became a rarity (last year, neither The Thunderbolts nor The Fantastic Four: First Steps came anywhere close). Major warning bells began to sound when The Marvels, a direct sequel to one of those billion-dollar films, actually lost the studio money. Because of this, MCU guru Kevin Feige created a daring strategy. With Avengers: Doomsday and the return of Chris Evans and Robert Downey Jr., he hopes to channel Endgame. And with Avengers: Secret Wars, he’d reboot the entire Marvel Cinematic Universe. 

That reboot will allow for recasting popular characters like Captain America and Iron Man while adding some major players (like the X-Men) to the MCU. Because the mutants are headed to the big screen, you might think that X-Men ‘97 lasting for a decade would be a good thing because it creates synergy across multiple platforms and media. However, this cartoon knocking it out of the park year after year could be a problem because it naturally invites fan comparisons to the MCU. No matter how good the X-Men movie is, its two hours will be compared to entire seasons of X-Men ‘97. If the movie is bad, fans may cry for yet another cinematic reboot. 

It’s Not Just In Our Heads

The decline of the MCU had already happened long before the premiere of X-Men ‘97 Season 1. Media outlets began tossing around the term “superhero fatigue” to pretend this decline was out of Marvel’s control and that millions of people suddenly lost their appetite for tights-and-flights movies overnight. In reality, these movies stopped making as much money because so many of them weren’t as good as earlier films. All it took was a handful of lukewarm Marvel movies to nearly destroy the franchise because all of us remembered how, not that many years ago (there were only four years between Endgame and The Marvels!), the studio knew how to make good films. 

Now, maybe Kevin Feige’s dream comes true and both Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars provide Endgame-level quality and revive major public interest in the franchise. But what happens if the subsequent movies suffer a major dip in quality like so many of the post-Endgame movies? We’ll just be in for “superhero fatigue” 2.0, which will be accelerated because X-Men ‘97 will constantly remind us how good these films could be. It was bad enough when we were simply comparing new, mediocre movies to excellent ones from the past. How much worse will future flops be when we know Marvel has killer writers and they are simply working on another project?

When You’re Destined To Die

Obviously, this isn’t to blame X-Men ‘97; the show is perfect, and if we get eight more seasons after this, this ‘80s kid’s heart will fill with joy. But as far back as Season 1, fans were comparing this show to the live-action films and actively questioning why Marvel could create a consistently awesome series but kept dropping the ball with feature films. If the MCU experiences a similar post-Secret Wars decline in film quality while X-Men ‘97 keeps knocking it out of the park, the box office for these movies will shrivel up and die. Why spend a small fortune to see a mediocre movie when better superhero stories are streaming on demand?

In the end, the perfect cartoon might kill the most ambitious cinematic franchise ever created. Should the MCU die, though, they could always take their cue from X-Men ‘97: just wait nearly three decades and pick up right where they left off!

With just days to go before its theatrical release, the review embargo for Evil Dead Burn has officially lifted and while not every critic is completely sold, the latest chapter in the legendary horror franchise is already earning praise for delivering exactly what longtime fans have been craving: relentless gore, inventive kills, and an unapologetically brutal return to Deadite terror.

Directed by Sébastien Vaniček, the filmmaker behind the acclaimed horror thriller Infested, Evil Dead Burn follows a grieving widow who seeks comfort with her late husband’s family, only to find herself trapped in a nightmare as demonic forces begin possessing those around her. The film stars Souheila Yacoub, Hunter Doohan, Luciane Buchanan, and Tandi Wright, while franchise creators Sam Raimi and Robert Tapert return as producers.

Many of the first reviews have praised Vaniček’s fresh vision for the franchise, with critics highlighting the film’s intense practical effects, creative set pieces, and emotionally grounded story. Several reviewers have even suggested Evil Dead Burn may be the most violent installment the series has ever produced.

Evil Dead Burn [credit: Warner Bros.]

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Not every review has been glowing, however. While some critics applauded the film’s willingness to push the boundaries of horror, others argued that its relentless brutality occasionally comes at the expense of the dark humor and charm that helped define earlier entries in the franchise.

One of the film’s stars, Hunter Doohan, recently spoke about the demanding production, revealing that some of the movie’s elaborate action and horror sequences required days of filming and extensive rehearsals.

“How the f— are we going to do this?”

Doohan recalled thinking while preparing for one of the film’s most ambitious set pieces.

Doohan also revealed that he watched every previous Evil Dead film before production began to fully immerse himself in the franchise’s mythology, saying the experience turned him into an even bigger fan.

Ahead of production, Vaniček also shared that Bruce Campbell had one major request for the new installment: respect what made Evil Dead special while still bringing something new to the table. According to the director, Campbell encouraged him to stay true to the franchise’s DNA without simply recreating what had come before.

Whether Evil Dead Burn ultimately ranks among the franchise’s very best remains to be seen, but the early consensus suggests horror fans are in for one of the year’s most intense theatrical experiences. With praise for its practical effects, gruesome kills, and uncompromising vision, the latest chapter appears ready to continue the franchise’s reputation as one of horror’s bloodiest and most enduring series when it opens in theaters on July 10.

By Chris Snellgrove
| Published 26 seconds ago

One of the reasons that Star Trek: The Original Series became a breakout sci-fi hit was because of its stellar cast. Who else could make an alien charismatic like Leonard Nimoy, or so perfectly embody the fiery passion of humanity like DeForest Kelly? Of course, the real lynchpin of the show was William Shatner, who instantly transformed Captain Kirk into the most compelling pop culture icon of the 20th century. For decades, it seemed like it would be impossible to replace Shatner, but that didn’t keep Paramount from trying. Chris Pine played this famous captain in Star Trek (2009) and its two sequels, while Paul Wesley currently plays Kirk on Strange New Worlds.

In the Kelvinverse films, Pine’s performance was basically a high-energy imitation of Shatner’s, which was a lot of fun. To Wesley’s credit, he has leaned more into his particular strengths as an actor, giving us a Kirk who is notably more thoughtful and nuanced. By now, Strange New Worlds fans are quite happy with his performance, and most can’t imagine anyone else playing this iconic sci-fi figure. However, one fellow performer might not be so happy. Originally, Sam Kirk actor Dan Jeannotte thought he’d be playing James Kirk. Why is that? In the original show, Sam Kirk was played by William Shatner wearing a fake mustache!

The Other Kirk

When Dan Jeannotte first shows up in Strange New Worlds, it serves as a kind of visual punchline. When we hear reference to a “Mr. Kirk,” audiences naturally expect to see Star Trek legend James T. Kirk. Instead, we discover that it’s his brother, Sam, who is currently stationed on the Enterprise. While this made for a fun tease early in Season 1, and Sam has proven to be a great character in his own right, it didn’t take the writers long to actually bring James Kirk to the show. When this happened, Jeannotte thought that he was going to be the one to play this legendary future captain.

He admitted this recently at a Trek Long Island panel. “They were like, later in the season, Jim Kirk shows up, I’m like, yeah, here we go! And then they’re like… Paul Wesley!” Why, though, did Jeannotte think he had a shot at playing a completely different character? It all goes back to Sam Kirk’s one and only appearance in Star Trek: The Original Series: “Operation, Annihilate!” In this Season 1 finale, he is already dead when the Away Team finds him. Since he was written to be an older brother with no speaking lines, the show saved money by having William Shatner (complete with bad makeup and mustache) play the role.

The Man, The Myth, The Mustache

Therefore, Dan Jeannotte’s confusion is a bit more understandable. Canonically, the George Kirk of TOS looked enough like his younger brother to be played by the same actor, so it’s not that crazy to think the James Kirk of SNW would just look like Sam without the mustache. However, Paramount wisely decided that this would be way too silly for their prestige sci-fi show and cast Wesley in that role instead. Jeannotte ultimately took the casting in stride, telling the Trek Long Island audience that “Paul has a lot to live up to…and a lot of expectations to manage.” As for himself? “All I had to do was be better than a corpse.”

Still, I kind of want to visit the alternate timeline where Jeannotte played both Kirks, ideally with a Henry Cavill-style mustache CGI’ed on Sam. How wonderfully silly would that make all of their interactions? Speaking of mustaches, here’s a fun fact: Leonard Nimoy protested a Season 1 plot point about someone putting a mustache on Spock because he wanted to protect that character’s dignity. At the end of that same season, Shatner didn’t hesitate to wear a fake mustache to play a non-James Kirk role for the first and last time. Why did he do that?

Simple: anything to get more screen time, baby!