Hayden Panettiere‘s ex Brian Hickerson spoke out for the first time after her sudden death.

“Hayden’s death remains under investigation and it is important to allow that investigation to proceed,” Hickerson’s attorney Sloan Ellis told TMZ on Thursday, August 20. “As has been publicly reported, police confirmed there were no signs of foul play. Out of respect for Hayden’s loved ones and the ongoing investigation, there will be no further comment at this time.”

News broke on Sunday, August 16 that Panettiere died at age 36. At the time, TMZ reported that Panettiere traveled with Hickerson, 37, from Los Angeles to South Carolina one day before her death. Local authorities confirmed on Monday, August 17 that they received reports of an “unresponsive female” at a residence, who was later identified as Panettiere.

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Related: Hayden Panettiere and Ex Brian Hickerson‘s Ups and Downs

Before her death, Hayden Panettiere was in a tumultuous on-off relationship with Brian Hickerson. Panettiere moved on with Hickerson in 2018 after her split from fiancé Wladimir Klitschko. The actress and Klitschko began dating in 2009. The pair briefly broke up in 2011 but got engaged two years later. They welcomed daughter Kaya in December […]

First responders attempted to resuscitate Panettiere using “advanced cardiac life support,” according to TMZ. In addition to CPR, the tactics included special medicines, breathing tubes and heart rhythm tracking. Panettiere was reportedly pronounced dead after the paramedics’ efforts were unable to revive her.

Two ambulances responded to the scene, according to an update reported by TMZ, which noted the residence was where Hickerson had been living with his brother.

In dispatch audio obtained by People, officials were heard discussing an “overdose” and “cardiac arrest” around the time of Panettiere’s death. (A cause of death was not immediately revealed.)

Panettiere and Hickerson faced their fair share of ups and downs since they started dating in 2018. Hickerson was originally arrested for domestic violence in 2018 after an alleged argument between the pair.

Hickerson was charged with felony domestic violence, which resulted in a prosecutor-requested protective order. The order mandated that Hickerson could not come within 100 yards of Panettiere or contact her via phone, email or third party, but the charges were dropped the following year.

The actor was arrested again in July 2020 after allegedly punching Panettiere in the face. He pleaded no contest to two felony counts of injuring a spouse or girlfriend, and his remaining six counts of domestic violence and assault were dismissed. Hickerson served 33 days in prison and was also placed on four years of probation and required to pay a $500 fine.

Amid Hickerson’s legal issues, Panettiere publicly reunited with her ex-boyfriend multiple times. Panettiere later addressed her tumultuous relationship with Hickerson, telling The New York Times in April 2023 that she reconnected with Hickerson after they both became sober.

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Related: Inside Hayden Panettiere’s On-Off Relationship With Brian Hickerson

In the years after they broke up, Hayden Panettiere’s relationship with Brian Hickerson was still complicated even at the time of her tragic death. “Hayden and Brian have been on and off for years, but have pretty much always remained in contact,” a source exclusively shares with Us of the pair’s history prior to her […]

“I did not do any of this lightly,” she explained at the time about letting Hickerson back into her life after his past arrests for domestic violence. “He knows he deserved what happened to him.”

She noted that their reconciliation was “contingent on him continuing” on his road of recovery.

Panettiere offered more details about their tumultuous romance in her May memoir, This Is Me: A Reckoning.

“It was brutal. It was traumatic. It was emotional. It was important for me to word that experience properly,” Panettiere exclusively told Us at the time. “I needed to believe that it happened for a reason. For something so horrible to happen, the only thing that I could think of to make it all worth it, was [to] let people know that they’re not alone and help people.”

She added: “[I’m] making sure that the people that have gone through similar things, don’t feel like they’re alone, and don’t feel like nobody understands them and knows that there’s somebody out there who went through it. And even though it took her years to truly get herself out of the situation, it’s possible. You can do it.”

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Related: Hayden Panettiere’s Dating History: Milo Ventimiglia and More

Hayden Panettiere’s dating history included a former costar and a boxing champion. Panettiere made headlines for her romance with Heroes costar Milo Ventimiglia due to their 12-year age gap. The pair dated from 2007 to 2009. Following her split from Ventimiglia, she met Wladimir Klitschko. The actress and the boxer dated on and off from […]

Hickerson, meanwhile, spoke out about his past legal issues.

“Man, I mean, I think it speaks for itself … I got arrested for abusing her,” Hickerson said in an interview with TMZ that same month. “And I wouldn’t blame her friends for being pissed off at me. … I had a lot to drink and I got physical with her. I got arrested. I spent the night in jail and that’s just what happens when you lay hands on women.”

Hickerson said he has “had a couple opportunities to apologize” to Panettiere for the abuse.

“Our relationship now is … I think it’s just a mutual respect thing. She’ll always hold a special place in my heart and, you know, I hope the same for her,” he said.

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In the same interview, Hickerson also admitted he was still holding out hope of one day marrying the actress. “Yeah, of course… I hope so — she probably doesn’t think the same way,” he told TMZ, noting it was in her best interests to let her walk her own path. “I think that Hayden is one of the most talented people I’ve ever met in my life, and I would be an idiot not to walk away from her and let her flourish in her career.”

Panettiere is survived by her 11-year-old daughter, Kaya, whom she shared with boxer Wladimir Klitschko, and her parents, Skip Panettiere and Lesley Vogel.

If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, please call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 for confidential support.

Young and the Restless reveals that Billy Abbott (Jason Thompson) just uncovered what he thinks is the ultimate golden ticket. He has got proof that the Abbotts own Chancellor Industries and Billy is already popping champagne and toasting to his own victory.

The problem is he hadn’t told Sally Spectra (Courtney Hope) yet. She’s carrying Billy’s baby and she’s wearing his ring. But he told Audra Charles before he filled in his fiancée. And when pregnant Sally saw Billy with Audra, the look on her face said everything. Let’s break down how Billy’s power grab may ruin his relationship and their future.

Young and the Restless: Billy Going Wild

So, this week, Billy has already been running amuck, getting aggressive, acting like an addict who made a big score. While Sally was out of town dealing with her sister Coco’s surgery, Billy went into full aggro mode. He dug into old Chancellor records and he found evidence of an unpaid loan. The documents say John Abbott (Jerry Douglas) loaned money to Philip Chancellor and the papers say it was never repaid.

And the loan default puts Chancellor into Abbott hands, specifically into Billy’s hands because his siblings want nothing to do with this. But without waiting for the lawyers to finish vetting the papers, Billy went ahead and confronted Cane Ashby (Billy Flynn) and Lily Winters (Christel Khalil). He doubled down hard, told them he was taking Chancellor from them and then insulted Cane with a job offer and first told Holden he didn’t have a job and then tried to lure him in. Power hungry is already happening.

Billy Obsessed on Y&R

As always, when it comes to Chancellor, Billy is obsessed. He feels like he’s owed the company. It was never his company. It was Jill Abbott‘s(Jess Walton). And Katherine Chancellor (Jeanne Cooper) left it to Victor Newman (Eric Braeden) in her will, not Jill, not Billy. And in fact, Jill and Katherine tried to get Billy to embrace the legacy, but he had issues back then. Later, Jill let him run Chancellor, but then Billy bungled it. And so Jill pushed him aside and she that’s when she sold it to Victor.

And I will agree, the way that Jill handled that sale to Victor was very poorly done. But in the end, it was her company to do with what she wanted, not Billy’s. He always felt entitled to it. And then he felt cheated by Jill. Now Billy’s found a way to take it from Lily. And his obsession has been front and center all week on Young and the Restless.

Young and Restless: Billy Keeps Making Terrible Choices

And then we had that celebration scene. Billy at the GCAC, champagne in hand, looking like he won the lottery. Audra Charles (Zuleyka Silver) walked up and instead of Billy waiting to tell Sally first, his ego had his mouth running. And Billy told Audra about Chancellor and said he could be running it as soon as next week. And when Audra asked, “Oh, what does Sally think?”

Billy just brushed it off and he said he’s certain that Sally will support him. And that’s when Billy’s fiancée walked in earlier than expected and saw him and Audra boozing it up together. Sally did not look happy at all. Audra just exited real fast. And then Billy launched into his “I’ve got big news” speech. And he told Sally about the decades old loan and that he thinks Jill hid it from him. Billy says this is finally his chance to claim what is rightfully his.

Just a quick side note, because I don’t think Josh Griffith has ever had an actual job out in the real business world, those loan documents probably wouldn’t hold up. Most loans have a statute of limitations once they go into default and that loan is very old. Plus, Chancellor has been bought, sold, merged, unmerged. So, it’s likely unenforceable also because liens have to be declared in a sale. Like, if you’re selling your house and there’s a lien on it, it has to be declared. The only way that this would work is if there was fraud somewhere along the way.

But since Katherine didn’t seem to know about the loan and then she willed the company to Victor and Victor didn’t know about it and sold it to Jill, you know, that loan stuff was already dead in the water. And maybe Jill stumbled across the old papers, the same ones Billy did, and just left them buried, you know, but since it’s not the real world, I think the writers are just going to go with it, not with actual business law.

Young and the Restless: Sally Needs Stability

So, back to Sally. She politely listened to Billy, but you can see it in her eyes. This isn’t what Sally wanted to come home to. And she tells Billy, “It’s going to be a long, ugly fight.” And she said the second he brought up Chancellor, her heart just sank. But Billy insists, “This time it’s different.” Isn’t that what addicts always say? He said, “It’s about legacy, not ego.” Yet, we’ve seen his ego all over Genoa City this week. If it were about legacy, Katherine would have left Chancellor to him or Jill.

Billy claims he’s not the same man who used to chase power at the expense of everything. But Sally isn’t convinced. I’m not convinced. And Billy clearly is chasing power. He’s already rubbing it in people’s faces. And he’s got a long track record of choosing wars and vendettas over the people who care about him. And he’s doing it again with Sally.

Every time Billy gets close to real stability and a happily ever after, he engages in these high-risk behaviors. It used to be gambling and now it’s Chancellor. With Sally pregnant and them engaged, you know, she and Billy are supposed to be planning a wedding and their future, but instead of focusing on Sally and the baby, Billy’s igniting a war with Cane and Lily and probably Victor as soon as he finds out what Billy boy is up to. And he did all this and started it all behind Sally’s back. Billy didn’t consult her before he leapt into it.

Sally in an Impossible Situation on Y&R

Think about the position Sally’s in. Pregnancy hormones, a past stillbirth, wedding plans, running Spectra, trying to stay healthy for her pregnancy. The last thing Sally needs is to be babysitting Billy when he is spiraling. And the fact that he told Audra first is a problem. It shows Billy’s lack of self-control and that his addiction is driving him. Sally’s in the same position she was with her dad back in the day when he was out chasing schemes.

The best case is Billy is able to legally take over Chancellor and there’s zero backlash. But that seems highly unlikely. What’s more likely is this turns into a long messy fight. Cane and Lily start playing dirty. Victor starts attacking Billy this week. We know that. And he may start targeting Sally’s company, too. And Sally’s already seeing red flags with Billy. He’s once again treating Chancellor like it’s the most important thing in his life, the thing he can’t live without. When that should be Sally and the baby, who are Billy’s priorities. That’s the problem with dating an addict. The addiction always comes first.

Young and Restless: Sally Won’t Tolerate Billy’s Nonsense

We’ve seen Sally walk away from toxic situations before, like when she dumped Adam, when he wasn’t behaving right. And if Billy thinks that Sally’s going to stick around while he neglects her and the baby, I don’t think Billy has actually met Sally Spectra. She is stronger than people give her credit for.

And I don’t think she’s going to let her kid grow up the same way she did because her dad was always chasing schemes and cons and then she was left to clean up the mess. Sally doesn’t want to do that anymore. And Billy is so much like her dad. And of course, Sally hates how she grew up. So, this seems like a train wreck about to happen. And I don’t think Billy can see past his obsession to see what he’s about to lose.

In his mind, he’s fighting for his legacy, and he’s gonna try and say that he’s trying to make a better life for Sally and the baby. But in reality, Billy is repeating toxic behaviors that cost him relationships in the past, and he’s about to blow up the best thing that has happened to him in a long time, which is Sally.

Whether the Abbotts are technically entitled to Chancellor or not, I don’t think this is going to be a good thing for Sally and Billy. He may think that once he’s CEO of Chancellor, that’s it, his life’s perfect, but it won’t be because Billy’s self-destructive. You can blame Jill for part of his behavior, but at this point, he’s a grown man making his own choices. And I expect when the dust settles, Sally’s going to walk out on Billy.

“The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives” star Jen Affleck said she and her husband Zac Affleck are going through a difficult time right now. The reality star, 27, got candid about their challenges in a new interview. But despite the challenges, Jen said that she was beginning to see things turn around for the better over the last few weeks.

Speaking with PEOPLE, Jen said the last few months of her marriage to her husband, Zac, have been quite a challenge. While she didn’t reveal why they were struggling, the reality star documented her move from Utah to Orange County, California, and learned during the move that she was pregnant with her fourth child.

And while difficult, Jen said that she’s hopeful things are on the mend. “I do feel like I’m seeing the light at the end of the tunnel and just trying to count my blessings every single day,” she said.

Jen Affleck Shares Why She’s Decided To Open Up About Struggles

During all of that, Jen also joined the cast of “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives: Orange County” spinoff and underwent surgery for an infected wisdom tooth.

While reflecting on her journey, Jen also opened up about her decision to share her story with others, saying one of her primary goals is to help people.

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“I think I’m in a very unique and interesting situation, where maybe people can’t relate with being Mormon and having four kids at such a young age, but I do think there are different things that people can relate with,” she said. “I think there’s always going to be hate, and there’s always going to be criticism, but as long as one person is benefiting from me sharing my story, that’s all that matters to me.”

Jen And Zac Affleck Have Struggled Before

This isn’t the first time that Jen has spoken out about her relationship struggles with Zac. In a previous interview, the reality star confirmed that she and Zac split during the earlier seasons of “SLOMW.” She also confirmed that their marital woes led them to therapy.

Before that, Jen clapped back at social media users who shared critical messages about her marriage, saying she didn’t “care” about other people’s thoughts. “At the end of the day, I’ll always prioritize what’s best for me regardless of others’ opinions. The truth about marriage and raising kids is that it’s challenging. There will be ups and downs, and mistakes will be made. But as long as both partners are committed to choosing each other and putting in the effort, that’s what truly matters,” she said.

Jen Has Dealt With Parental Depression

In addition to her struggles with Zac, Jen recently told The Blast that she’s dealt with “prenatal depression” as well.

“Prenatal depression was rough this time. It’s been honestly hard with every pregnancy, but especially this time, just because so much was happening with moving to a new state,” she said, adding that her busy schedule with the show and “Dancing with the Stars” put more pressure on her than she imagined.

What’s To Come On OC ‘Mormon Wives’?

Elsewhere during her interview with The Blast, Jen reflected on the upcoming new season of the Orange County iteration of “SLOMW.” While she can’t share much yet, Jen said fans should be ready for a variety of completely new personalities.

“It’s just a different group and with each group, there is going to be different personalities, different needs, and I guess the biggest difference I would say is the dynamic between a lot of the girls,” she said. “I don’t want to spoil anything, but there is pretty much a huge divide within the group when it comes to religion.”

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With nine seasons under its belt and a tenth set to premiere on ABC this October, 9-1-1 has built quite a legacy already. The series is especially notable for its massive annual opening emergencies, including the tsunami, to the “Bee-nado,” to last season’s four-episode outer space emergency. At its heart, though, 9-1-1 has always been a show about a tight-knit found family who comes together to save the lives of strangers each week.

It is the emotional core of 9-1-1 that has fueled the series for over seven years now, keeping fans closely connected to the main characters and their journeys, all throughout both their most joyful and most tragic moments. Back in Season 6, Buck (Oliver Stark) spoke a line that, three years later, feels like the thesis statement of 9-1-1. This quote is the best explanation of why 9-1-1 continues to resonate so deeply with its fans, and what the series is all about.

In ‘9-1-1’ Season 6, Episode 11, “In Another Life,” Buck Delivers the Best Line of the Series

9-1-1‘s best line comes from the Season 6 episode “In Another Life,” in which Buck lives out an alternate life while in a coma after being struck by lightning. In this reality, Buck and Maddie’s (Jennifer Love Hewitt) older brother, Daniel (Aaron Staton), never died as a child. Because of this, Buck grew up feeling loved and supported by his parents, and he never put himself in danger to get their attention. He wakes up in this reality and learns that here, he became a teacher instead of a firefighter. Buck may have the family he always wanted in this world, but it comes with a number of costs, including Bobby’s (Peter Krause) life.

“In Another Life” ends with one of 9-1-1‘s most emotional scenes ever, in which Buck has to fight to leave his coma dream and return to his real life after being unhooked from the ventilator. The dream version of Bobby shows Buck what’s really going on and tells him that it’s up to him whether he leaves and survives. Buck is given the choice to stay in this world with a set of parents who finally see him. Still, Buck chooses to fight his way out, but he’s stopped by Daniel, who turns into another version of Buck. Buck then gets out by quoting an old Bobby line, telling his other elf, “There is not a locked room anywhere that, with the right tools and enough time, you can’t break into. I know that, ’cause I’m a firefighter.”

Buck’s Iconic Coma Dream Quote Sums Up the Heart of ‘9-1-1’

In the Season 5 episode “Brawl in Cell Block 9-1-1,” Bobby delivered the first version of this quote to a doctor while responding to a call at a prison, stating, “I have been a firefighter for nearly three decades, and trust me when I say: there is not a locked room anywhere that the right tools and enough time can’t break open.” It has always been fitting that this phrase of Bobby’s, which was spoken in a practical sense on the job, became crucial to an emotional Buck scene the following season. For the 118, being firefighters is not just what they do, but who they are. On the job, the 118 all know that there’s almost always a way to save someone. In his coma dream, Buck uses this same sentiment to get back to his family. This quote also represents the message at the heart of 9-1-1: no matter how bad things look, there is pretty much always a way out.

This message has been applied throughout the series, as the main characters have survived a number of potentially fatal injuries. More than that, though, each 9-1-1 character has had to fight back from deep emotional pain, including grief and mental health struggles. Bobby had to rebuild his life after the tragic deaths of his entire family, for which he blamed himself. Eddie (Ryan Guzman) has been struggling with PTSD throughout the series. Bobby and Buck have both struggled with addiction, and all of the characters have dealt with immeasurable grief — particularly after the death of Bobby in Season 8. Still, the members of the extended 118 family continue to endure and help each other in the process. They fight their way through while also saving others’ lives, continuing to further the legacy that Bobby built. There is no better reflection of this than Buck’s coma dream quote, which used this core phrase of Bobby’s to save Buck’s life.

9-1-1 is available to stream on Hulu.

Days of Our Lives divulges that Xander Cook (Paul Telfer) recently told Sarah Horton (Linsey Godfrey) that he found a buyer for the family estate and that way they can use that money to try and save Titan. Plus, Xander really wants to keep EJ DiMera (Dan Feuerriegel) from swooping in to buy their home. But the question is, who is the mysterious billionaire who made this cash offer?

Days of our Lives: Xander & Phillip Desperate

So, it looks like Xander and his brother Philip Kiriakis (John-Paul Lavoisier) are scrambling still to save Titan and the family estate since EJ called in the $200 million loan. And if you remember, EJ was livid that Gabi Hernandez (Cherie Jimenez) used some of Stefan DiMera’s (Brandon Barash) inheritance to help Titan. They made a year’s worth of loan payments with that cash. I think that was how many they did.

And that’s what triggered EJ to call in the whole loan. He was so livid that his dad Stefano DiMera’s (Joseph Mascolo) money was helping Victor Kiriakis (John Aniston) family. And then Philip had that wild idea to enter the high stakes poker game in Monte Carlo with a $5 million loan from Gabi.

And at first, she shot that idea down after learning that Philip had a gambling addiction in the past. But seeing Philip so stressed out and upset got Gabi to change her mind. But it still seems like a really bad idea. She could lose $5 million and Philip could lose his clean streak of not gambling and might fall back into addiction.

Philip Hiding the Truth on DOOL

Also, Philip doesn’t want anybody else to know what he’s about to do. So, he and Gabi are lying to Xander, and they’re hiding it from his mom and everybody else. In the meantime, Sarah Horton (Linsey Godfrey) heard from Xander about the mysterious Italian billionaire who runs a hedge fund. And Xander told Sarah that it was a cash offer, and Xander wants to take it. He talked to Maggie Horton (Suzanne Rogers), she’s on board.

This is a terrible choice for the family, but everybody agrees they don’t want EJ getting his hands on the family home. Nobody wants anything that the late Victor Kiriakis worked hard to get going into EJ’s hands. So, we heard from Xander that this foreign dude is willing to pay big, big bucks for this home in Salem and fans have been going nuts trying to figure out who it could be.

Days of our Lives: Dimitri Behind it All

So, the first one is although he’s not technically Italian, we have to consider Dimitri von Leuschner DiMera (Peter Porte). He might have concocted a fake persona so that Xander won’t know it’s him since Dimitri is a DiMera on his mom’s side. And we know Dimitri’s got lots of money to burn and he might have a fake Italian ID because if you remember when we first met him on Beyond Salem, Dimitri was faking as an ISA agent under a different name.

So he might have lots of different credentials and fake personas set up from his days doing criminal things. I mean, technically, I think Leo’s ex has never quit doing criminal things, but Dimitri might want a home in Salem because of Leo Stark (Greg Rikaart). And since Dimitri just let Leo go back to Salem without too much of a fight, it all seems very suspicious. Plus, at one point, Leo actually lived in the mansion when he was targeting Sonny. So, Dimitri might have Leo attached to the Kiriakis mansion in his mind or think it’s someplace that Leo might like. So, Dimitri might buy it and settle in Salem to keep pursuing Leo.

Dante Vitali the Secret Buyer on Days?

Another possible home buyer could be an actual Italian we’ve heard of but never seen. There is Sami Brady’s (Allison Sweeney) rich Italian fiancée, Dante Vitali, whom we’ve never met. And Sami mentioned him when she announced they’re engaged. But he’s a totally off-screen Italian character. He proposed to Sami last year. And at least Dante’s from the more respectable branch of the Vitali family tree, unlike his murderous mobster cousin Ava Vitali (Tamara Braun). And since we know that Sami’s coming back to Salem and I think like six months from now for a big story, maybe part of it is claiming the Kiriakis mansion and just moving right in.

If Dante’s the buyer, that would create a lot of conflict with EJ. He already reacted negatively to hearing Sami’s engagement announcement. So, Dante could be a legit hedge fund guy and may want to expand into Salem. Perhaps, Dante wants the home as a gift or a power move that’s connected to Sami and to help clean up the Vitali reputation in Salem. Dante and Sami could stay off screen and then arrive in Salem later to claim the house and have a fancy wedding there. Rub in EJ’s face.

New Character Coming to DOOL?

Another option may be a new character due in Salem at the beginning of the year. That’s the new character they created for actress Sofia Mattsson. We don’t know who she is. But she might have big bucks and can afford a large estate in Salem. We don’t have really much info about the character. But because of her height and her blonde beauty, I wondered if she might be not so dead Abigail Deveraux.

So, she might be somebody rich, somebody new who wants to get their clutches on the Kiriakis mansion. There’s also the possibility that the buyer could be connected to the chessboard mystery that Belle Black (Martha Madison) and Chad DiMera (Connor Floyd) are digging into. This week, spoilers indicate Marlena Evans (Deidre Hall) is pulled into the mystery.

And earlier this year, when we had Stefano’s memorial, there was this little hint. I don’t know if you remember. But they sort of suggested maybe Marlena and Stefano could have a secret child out there somewhere because he was obsessed with his queen of the night and very well could have done something sinister to Marlena with Dr. Wilhelm Rolf’s (Richard Wharton) help.

And any of Stephano’s offspring would be mega rich. And the Italian connection is another hint that it might have a possible connection to the DiMera family. Plus, with Belle and Chad heading to Italy soon, maybe they’ll run into the mystery buyer while they’re chasing answers to the chess mystery, and they won’t even realize it.

Days of our Lives: Stefano & Marlena Shocker

If Marlena and Stefano had a kid, I mean, and if that offspring buys the Kiriakis mansion, that would be wild, especially since Xander and Philip want to avoid their family home falling into a DiMera’s hands. So, also, there’s a faction of fans that think Gabi’s late husband, Stefan, is still alive somewhere. There was a death certificate. But it wasn’t issued till months after his heart supposedly gave out.

But we all know his mom, Vivian Alamain (Louise Sorel), is a lying, manipulative woman. She knows how to fake deaths. She knows how to forge documents. So, I wouldn’t be surprised if Stefan is alive. Found out that Gabi’s dating Philip and was living at the Kiriakis mansion and Stefan decided on some revenge. His crazy mom Vivian might have told him a whole lot of lies about Gabi.

And Stefan might have gotten away from Vivian and then started plotting. It wouldn’t surprise me if Stefan created an alias and used Alamain money to start a hedge fund because he’s a clever businessman. That way he could come back out of nowhere rich, mysterious, maybe with a fake identity, possibly recast, and the new owner of the Kiriakis mansion ready for revenge.

Stefan Returns on Days

Days writers are notorious for bringing people back from the dead. And I don’t even think Stefan died in the first place. The circumstances of his death have always seemed dodgy, and they did exhume a body to test. But that could have been his twin brother Jake’s corpse.

And with Philip and Gabi getting closer again, it’d be a good time to shake things up by bringing Stefan back to Salem. And last, but not least, there’s a chance it’s his crazy mom, Vivian, who is also supposedly dead. Her last stunt was forging the letter to give Philip part of Victor’s estate. So, Vivian may be hiding out and feeling remorseful that her beloved surrogate son Philip is losing his late father’s home.

So, Vivian might have given someone the money to pose as the buyer and Vivian’s plan maybe to buy up all the Kiriakis assets on the cheap and then give them to Philip so he would kind of be the functional sole heir. Sounds like something Vivian would do.

Beyond the Gates suggests that killing Bill Hamilton (Timon Kyle Durrett) just got a whole lot easier for Hayley Lawson (Marquita Goings) now that she realizes she has the perfect deadly weapon already at her disposal.

And Bill, he’s more than ready for what she’s offering with no idea it will cost him his life in the end. Today we’re breaking down the different ways that Hayley’s kill Bill plan could play out. Let’s talk about what Hayley does next when she makes another serious attempt to take Bill’s life.

Beyond the Gates: Bill Accidentally Helps Hayley

The worst part is he’s unintentionally helping Hayley move her murder plan right along, even though Bill’s in the hospital under medical care and should be safe. After Hayley and Bill accidentally set off his heart monitor, that’s when Hayley had this aha moment.

She realizes she doesn’t need poison. Her body is a lethal weapon and he is ready to take whatever she’s dosing. So, if she can finish Bill off by sexing him into cardiac arrest, Hayley can just say, “Whoopsie, Bill insisted that we do the deed.”

And then Hayley can cash her life insurance check and move to St. Barts with no murder charge hanging over her head. It’s the ultimate clean kill and would be a total win-win for her.

Bill’s Own Libido Kills Him on BTG?

So, right now, Bill’s stuck in the hospital bed and he’s bouncing between two modes. He’s complaining about being stuck there and then also acting like his usual horn dog self, ready for some hospital bed hotness with his much younger wife, Hayley. And Bill has been warned. But he doesn’t care. He doesn’t like being told no.

And Hayley isn’t making things easy for nurses Shanice Johnson (Ernestine Johnson) and Ashley. Because Hayley keeps throwing sarcastic comments out every time they tell her to stay out of Bill’s bed. Hayley’s antics already pushed his heart monitor into the danger zone once. And we’ve all seen that happen.

What makes it even messier is that Bill backs Hayley up and he’s fighting with the nurses. When Ashley burst in and covered her eyes, she was yelling about the heart monitor alarm going off. And then Hayley was trying to say she was so focused on Bill and Haley was talking about love distracts you, makes you deaf, something like that. Clearly, it’s made Bill deaf, dumb, and blind. Because he cannot see what Haley’s cooking up.

And we had Bill ranting at Ashley Morgan (Jen Jacob) and Shanice. And he got really mad when Ashley had security escort Hayley out of the building. But banning her feels like the next logical step, just a permanent ban. But obviously, Bill’s not going to agree with that. And I suspect Hayley will pretend to play nice so she can get back into Bill’s room. The good news for Hayley is that Bill’s frustrated. Because she got him hot and bothered and then they had to stop. So, I think he’s going to be even more eager to play dirty little games with Hayley up at the hospital behind the nurse’s backs.

Beyond the Gates: Haley’s Only Problem

But the heart monitor is a huge problem for Hayley. One alarm goes off and the whole floor comes running. But she might be able to find a way around it. Hayley might get help from Randy Parker (Maurice P. Kerry) again. You know, one of his sketchy contacts might have some kind of app to fake a normal signal on the machine. Or Hayley finds a way to mute it temporarily so it’s not blaring.

Then all she’d have to do is climb into the bed and just as fast as she can push Bill past his limit, back into cardiac arrest. And that’s where Dani Dupree (Karla Mosley) could walk in at the worst possible moment. She might catch Hayley under the sheets, see that Bill’s in distress, and yanks Hayley off of him before she nookies him to death.

Official Beyond the Gates spoilers have Hayley and Dani in a confrontation by the end of the week, and I’m sure it’s about Bill. And then Madison Montgomery (Kenjah McNeil) is back, and she’s getting conflicting versions from Dani and Hayley. So Dani might legit accuse Hayley of trying to kill Bill with her body in the hospital.

Beyond the Gates: Haley Plays Dumb

But Hayley may claim it was innocent and that they’re just in love and that Dani walked in on them kissing and being affectionate and is being extra. Because she’s a jealous ex. The hospital restrictions also play perfectly into Bill’s other big complaint. He’s tired of being stuck there and he keeps saying that he would recover better at home.

And with the nurses watching Hayley like a hawk, Bill may go ahead and check himself out against medical advice and just head home with Hayley. That would be even better for her. Because he’d be thinking about going home and getting frisky with his toxic little wife. And Hayley will be all into that.

I think she’s looking forward to taking Bill’s pacemaker for a test drive and making sure he does not arrive alive. And if she can get Bill back into their home with no monitors, no alarms, and no nurses, Hayley will have the time and privacy that she needs to do a very bad thing and finish him off. She’s already tried to use sex to push the poison through his system.

I don’t know if you remember that when before he had this collapse, she had mega dosed Bill and then made him work out and then she climbed on top of him to play hop on pop, trying her best to work that poison all through him so he would just drop dead. And now Hayley might not even need the poison. A vigorous bedroom session might finish him off.

Bill Is Clueless on BTG

Bill even joked about testing his pacemaker with sex. Because according to him, it should regulate his heart, so everything’s fine. He’s treating this as a joke. But Hayley is dead serious. And of course, killing Bill at home still carries risk. Somebody could show up at the wrong time, see what Hayley’s up to.

You know, Dani claims that she’s done going to check on Bill. But we all know that’s not true. And if he checks out at the hospital against doctor’s orders, with so many people already suspicious of Hayley, they might have a non-stop chain of visitors to check on Bill. And of course, Dani won’t be turned away. She won’t tolerate it.

Chelsea Hamilton (RhonniRose Mantilla) and Naomi Hamilton Hawthorne (Arielle Prepetit) stopping by seems likely. Any interruption that stops Hayley called and buys Bill more time would be great. Because it would thwart Hayley’s homicidal agenda. Beyond the Gate spoilers say Bill hits a breaking point by the end of this week and that might be when he leaves Garland Memorial.

But Joey Armstrong (Jon Lindstrom) might also drop by the house. Because he’s been spending time with Bill lately and he promised to look out for Dani and the girls if something happened to Bill. And so Joey might notice that Hayley’s behavior is really off. He’s already suspicious of her and Joey may corner Randy and demand to know what’s going on.

Beyond the Gates: Madison Gets to the Truth?

In the meantime, with Madison back and finding out her patient Bill crashed and needed pacemaker surgery, I think Madison is going to double down on solving this mystery with Bill’s health. So, Madison might run some really in-depth, wide ranging talk screens and she finally sees the poison in his system.

I’m guessing that she would probably tell Bill in private and not let Hayley be part of that conversation if Madison is being really cautious, which she should be. And from there, Bill might finally get a clue that Hayley doesn’t love him, that she loves his bank account, and that she wants him dead. In that case, it would be interesting to see if Bill then turns the tables and starts playing Hayley the same way that she’s been playing him.

If Bill finds out she tricked him, his ego will not be able to handle that. You know, he thinks he’s so hot and so magnetic that he attracted this little hottie. And to find out it’s just his bank account, that would be bad. Hayley might not need to worry about being arrested. Because Bill might hand her over to Joey to deal with, and that might be the most interesting outcome.

Randy mentioned there was one angry guy in particular that she had conned that was really dangerous and Hayley wound up, I think, getting hurt or almost getting hurt. And I could see Joey digging into her conwoman past and then handing Hayley off to one of her past victims for them to deal with how they want. That way his and Bill’s hands would be clean. Joey could get rid of her and Bill will live to make trouble another day.

Dave Bautista is officially stepping into the role of Kratos.

The Guardians of the Galaxy and Dune star has finalized a deal to play the legendary Spartan warrior in Prime Video’s upcoming live action adaptation of God of War. Bautista replaces Ryan Hurst, who was originally cast as Kratos before exiting the series following an on set injury.

Hurst reportedly suffered a torn bicep while performing a stunt during production and required surgery, forcing the series to find a new actor for its leading role. Bautista had been reported to be in negotiations for the part earlier this month, and the deal has now officially been completed.

The casting puts Bautista at the center of one of Prime Video’s biggest upcoming video game adaptations. Best known to mainstream audiences as Drax in Marvel Studios’ Guardians of the Galaxy films, Bautista has steadily built a dramatic résumé that includes Dune, Dune: Part Two, Blade Runner 2049 and Knock at the Cabin.

Kratos, God of War [Santa Monica Studio]

Prime Video’s God of War is being led by Ronald D. Moore, the veteran producer behind Battlestar Galactica, Outlander and For All Mankind. Moore serves as writer, showrunner and executive producer, while Frederick E.O. Toye, whose credits include Shōgun and The Boys, is directing the first two episodes.

The series is expected to draw heavily from the Norse era of the God of War franchise, following Kratos and his young son Atreus on their journey through the Nine Realms. Callum Vinson is set to play Atreus, with the ensemble also including Teresa Palmer as Sif, Ólafur Darri Ólafsson as Thor, Mandy Patinkin as Odin, Max Parker as Heimdall, Ed Skrein as Baldur, Danny Woodburn as Brok and Jeff Gulka as Sindri. Alastair Duncan will reprise his video game role as Mimir.

Amazon has already made a significant commitment to the adaptation, with God of War receiving a two season order. No official premiere date has been announced.

For Bautista, Kratos represents another major franchise role following his run as Drax in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. His imposing physical presence makes him an obvious fit for the character, but his increasingly dramatic work could prove equally important in bringing the older and far more emotionally complex version of Kratos to live action.

With Bautista now officially wielding the Leviathan Axe, one of gaming’s most recognizable characters finally has his new live action star.