Entertainment
Hot Stars From Texas … Yeehaw!
Yeehaw!
Guess Who
These Hot Stars From Texas Are!
Published
They say everything’s bigger in Texas … and these Texas-bred stars shine brighter than all the lights in Hollywood!
You’re gonna have to figure out who each one of these Texan ladies is before you ride off into the sunset … go ahead, cowpoke!
Saddle up, shine up them spurs, and get ready for a good ol’ fashioned guess who!
Entertainment
Bold and the Beautiful TWIST: Electra’s True Parentage Revealed – Is Ivy Really Her Mother?!
Bold and the Beautiful gives a twist as Ivy Forrester (Ashleigh Brewer) acting just insane. She’s peeping and spying. She’s lying. And she’s trying to control Electra Forrester‘s (Laneya Grace) love life.
Fans are wondering why Ivy is so determined to do all this and to get Electra away from Will Spencer (Crew Morrow), not allowing them the space to talk things through and figure them out for themselves because they’re adults. We’re going to discuss why Ivy is going way over the top with Electra.
Is Ivy Forrester Actually Electra’s Mother on Bold and the Beautiful?
Could there be a twist and rather than an overbearing aunt, maybe Ivy is actually Electra’s mother? Ivy’s been around for years, if you remember. She came to Bold and the Beautiful as a fully formed adult. But Electra is a newly invented character who is said to be the daughter of Ivy’s never-before-seen big brother, John Forrester Jr., who is the oldest child of Eric Forrester’s (John McCook) younger brother.
Because Ivy’s been acting like an insane helicopter parent lately, we have to wonder if they’re going to twist things and Electra is going to be revealed to be Ivy Forrester’s daughter instead of her niece. I have to say, I can see it. It’s plausible, and I’m going to tell you why.
Analyzing the Age Gap Between Ivy Forrester and Electra Forrester on B&B
First, I want to address the inevitable question of the age difference between Electra and Ivy Forrester. Because you look at them and you think there are not that many years between them. You may assume the math won’t work. But guess what? It actually does.
Plus, as you know, age gaps really don’t matter on soaps. For instance, there’s only 14 years between Taylor Hayes (Rebecca Budig) and Steffy Forrester (Jacqueline MacInnes Wood) actresses Rebecca Budig, who’s 52, and Jacqueline MacInnes Wood, who’s 38.
Meanwhile, Brooke Logan (Katherine Kelly Lang) was about 30 years old when she gave birth to Bridget Forrester (Ashley Jones). Yet, there’s only 15 years between Katherine Kelly Lang, who’s 64, and Ashley Jones, who is 49 and plays Bridget Forrester.
Now let’s talk about the two Forrester ladies. Ivy actress Ashleigh Brewer is 36, and Electra actress Laneya Grace is 21. If Ivy Forrester had given birth as a teenager, a 15-year age gap is totally plausible. You can widen that gap if you want to and make it 16, 17, or 18 years when it’s already at 15.
Soap Opera Tropes and Secret Parentage Precedents
With the age thing out of the way, let’s talk about red flags that Ivy may be Electra’s mother and why it’s feasible in this storyline. First of all, Bold and the Beautiful did something very similar, playing fast and loose with age gaps and secret kids not that long ago.
Remember Finn (Tanner Novlan) and Luna Nozawa (Lisa Yamada) were raised as cousins, but it turned out Finn got his aunt Poppy Nozawa (Romy Park) pregnant and his cousin Luna turned out to be his secret daughter. It’s not unprecedented on Bold, and they love to repeat plots. So, there’s that.
A Potential Bold and the Beautiful Backstory for Ivy Forrester’s Secret Teen Pregnancy
Electra’s father is supposedly Ivy’s older brother, John Forrester Jr. But I could see a backstory where Ivy had a teen pregnancy in Australia. If she was 15 or 16, her brother John Jr., who would have been in his mid-20s or later, might have stepped up to help his sister Ivy and adopted her baby.
John might have raised Electra in the US to give Ivy the space and opportunity to finish growing up, to go to college, live her life, and not be dealing with the pressures of being a single teen mother. That way, Ivy would always know that Electra was in good hands with her big brother.
Aside from the Remy Pryce (Christian Weissmann) thing, Electra has had a pretty charmed life. She’s had wealth and advantages and loving parents along with a very loving Aunt Ivy. It’s no wonder Electra has zero compassion for a homeless girl because Electra Forrester has never done without anything.
Signs of Tiger Mom Behavior and Artistic Inheritances on B&B
In-family adoptions are common in real life and secret kids are standard soap tropes. If Electra was her kid, then Ivy Forrester could stay in touch, watch her grow up mostly from afar, and see that she was happy and healthy. She could drop by for visits, and then when Electra wanted to come to Los Angeles, Ivy would welcome her biological daughter with open arms.
That would also explain why she makes Electra check in with her all the time and doesn’t like her staying overnight at Will Spencer’s place. Ivy treats Electra like she’s 15 or 16 with her “you can’t do this, you can’t do that” attitude. Electra just tells Ivy “okay” because she was raised to be polite, but there may be more to it.
It would also explain Electra’s raw talent with jewelry making as some inherited artistic skill. If B&B goes this way, it would explain why Ivy is basically acting like a tiger mom trying to micromanage her daughter’s love life.
Protective Maternal Instincts and Spying on Will Spencer on Bold and the Beautiful
It would also explain why, when Electra was out of town, Ivy got up out of her sick bed to go spy on Will. That’s giving overprotective mom vibes more so than just a nosy aunt. If Electra is her daughter, of course she would hate her being allegedly cheated on by her boyfriend Will, especially with a girl who claims to be her friend, Melissa Dylan (Sydney Bullock).
We know nothing happened between Will and Dylan, but Ivy took a little look and jumped to the worst conclusion. I will admit, it wasn’t a good look. The optics were troubling. If she’s Electra’s mom, of course she would leap to the worst conclusion to protect her child.
A lot of fans have noticed that Ivy is acting out of character with all of her “it’s not proper” and “inappropriate” talk. That might be because Electra’s her daughter, and those maternal instincts aren’t something we’ve ever seen before with Ivy. As far as we know, she has no kids on Bold.
Who is Electra Forrester’s Biological Father?
Just to be clear, I’m not saying this is a spoiler about Electra or that it’s definitely happening. I’m just saying I’ve seen red flags about Ivy’s erratic, aggressive, and over-the-top behavior where Electra is concerned. Also, Ivy’s baby daddy would have to be some random Australian guy.
It could not be Wyatt Spencer (Darin Brooks) that got her pregnant—they couldn’t play the timeline for that—and it couldn’t be Liam Spencer (Scott Clifton) because they are both related to Will Spencer. Ivy never would have let Electra date Will if they were related. So, the dad would be a mystery.

Ivy’s Sabotage on Bold & the Beautiful: Stolen Letters and Orchestrating the RJ Forrester Romance
Recently, Electra walked away from Will when he wouldn’t say he’d kick Dylan out, and of course, Ivy was eavesdropping. Then Electra decided to write Will a letter to just kind of work through things. Then Ivy stole the letter.
Daphne Rose (Murielle Hilaire) saw her doing it. Ivy’s going to threaten Daphne about not saying anything. Ivy’s next plot is to get Electra hooked up with RJ Forrester (Brayan Nicoletti) so she’ll forget Will. She’s spying this week and RJ kisses Electra. It looks like Will and Electra officially break up and Will sees the kiss, which I believe Ivy is going to be orchestrating to make sure that he sees it.
If you recall, Ivy wanted Electra to dump Will back when Luna molested him because Will kept it from Electra and didn’t tell her until after they made love. The assault itself wasn’t Will’s fault, but still, every mother wants the best for her daughter.
Ivy might legitimately think Will is not the best for Electra. And Ivy may think Will is a trouble magnet, that he leads women on, or that he’s a serial cheater. Ivy is thinking the worst of him. She also hated that Luna was pregnant with Will’s baby and didn’t want Electra in the middle of all that.
Real-Life Maternity Leave and the Future of Ivy Forrester
Now, with this stuff with Dylan, Ivy may have reached a breaking point, and that’s why she’s actively plotting to get the outcome she wants for Electra. Things are going to wrap up with Ivy probably in the next four to six weeks because Ashleigh Brewer is about to be out on maternity leave. She has a secret baby bump that the soap is hiding. And maybe, just maybe, Ivy has a secret daughter also, and it’s Electra.
Entertainment
College Sprinter Killed in Stabbing, Athlete GF Charged W/ Murder
According to reports, the Jefferson City Police Department was dispatched at 1:09 AM on Monday to an address near the Missouri campus.
When officers arrived, they found Kevaughn Goldson with a stab wound to his chest and back. He was airlifted to University Hospital, but sadly succumbed to his injuries.
Denita Jackson — a sprinter on the LU track team — told police that she left work early Sunday night because she wasn’t feeling well, before returning home to find Goldson, whom she said she was dating, in her roommate’s room, behind a locked door.
Jackson told authorities she used a hair clip to unlock the door, and when she did, she claims she found Goldson and the roommate in bed together, clothed.
A fight erupted, according to Jackson, who says Goldson kicked her in the stomach, knocking her off the bed. She claims he then began choking her.
Jackson told police she was able to grab a knife from under the witness’s bed and stabbed him before calling 911.
When police arrived, Jackson was taken into custody and transported to Cole County jail. Prosecutors charged her with second-degree murder and armed criminal action.
LU released a statement after the incident, saying their prayers and thoughts are with the family and friends impacted by the “tragic situation.”
Entertainment
Why Ashley Tisdale Favors ‘Regular Breaks’ From Social Media
Ashley Tisdale has had a rough start on social media this year, but she’s making it clear she knows when to step away.
On New Year’s Day, the actress published an essay for The Cut, opening up about her experience in a tight-knit circle of moms she described as toxic and isolating.
The piece quickly went viral after fans speculated Hilary Duffwas part of the group, fueling controversy. Amid the noise, Tisdale says she regularly disconnects from social media.
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Ashley Tisdale Opens Up About Taking Regular Social Media Breaks

In a new blog post titled “Does Your Brain Feel Too Busy? Take A Social Media Break,” the “High School Musical” alum opened up about another aspect of her life, admitting that she constantly disconnects from social media.
“I love social media in a lot of ways. It can be inspiring, funny, and a great way to stay connected,” Tisdale wrote. “But I don’t think it’s where we’re meant to live our lives, which is why I take regular breaks.”
She explained that the time offline feels like a reminder to live in the moment instead of mentally brainstorming what to post.
She disclosed that always being online put her in a mode where, instead of experiencing moments naturally, her mind would immediately filter everything, whether it’s suitable to post.
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According to Tisdale, unplugging from the internet gives her the space to focus on her children and friendships.
The 40-year-old also addressed how overwhelming the constant stream of information can be. “You can open your phone without thinking and suddenly be absorbing outrage and fear, usually without looking for it,” she shared.
Reflecting on her first time taking a social media break, she added, “I got the gift of perspective. I could still care and stay informed —but on my own terms.”
Tisdale updated her followers about her blog post, sharing the link on her Instagram stories alongside a photo of her in pajamas.
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Hilary Duff Clears The Air On Ashley Tisdale’s Mom Group Drama

Tisdale’s candid reflections come a few days after Duff responded to the speculations of being in the alleged toxic mom group.
While the “Lizzie McGuire” star acknowledged that she is no stranger to controversies, she accused social media of escalating Tisdale’s claims with half-truths and lies and clickbait.
She recalled being taken aback by one shocking allegation. “I saw something that was like, ‘None of the moms at school actually like her, and neither do the teachers,’ and I was like, ‘First of all…’” Duff debunked, insisting that she loves the women at school.
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Ashley Tisdale Gains Support From Hilary Duff’s Estranged Sister

Before Duff confronted the drama, it had already spilled into her personal life and had her close relationships taking sides.
According to The Blast, Hilary’s estranged sister, Haylie, appeared to support Tisdale when she liked her revealing essay.
Days later, she shared a picture capturing a playdate between her daughter and Tisdale’s kid, which Tisdale later reposted to her Instagram stories.
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How Social Media Users Focused On Who Ashley Tisdale’s Essay Centered

As Duff has now blamed the escalation of the drama on social media, perhaps her accusations are not far-fetched. Shortly after Tisdale’s article dropped, speculations rose about the members of the circle.
As The Blast reported, internet users began picking out clues from Tisdale’s social media trail. One detail that caught attention was Tisdale’s following list.
Fans noticed the “Phineas and Ferb” voice actress had unfollowed both Mandy Moore and Duff, fueling further assumptions.
However, Tisdale’s rep tried to shut down the rumors, clarifying that the essay was not about Duff or Moore.
Ashley Tisdale Faces Criticism Over Past Legal Dispute

As the online debate continued, additional voices entered the conversation. According to The Blast, attorney Michael Parker, who represented Lisa Gonzales in a car accident lawsuit involving Tisdale, revisited his experience working on the case.
Parker alleged that the former Disney star was “extremely rude” in her interactions with his client and suggested she avoid taking responsibility.
He claimed that after Gonzales informed Tisdale of her injuries at the scene, the actress appeared dismissive and said her manager would follow up regarding the incident. Parker further alleged that no such outreach ever occurred.
Entertainment
Every Cream Studio Album, Ranked
Cream is one of the most influential bands to break out of the mid to late 60s. The power trio consisting of Jack Bruce on bass and vocals, Eric Clapton on guitar and vocals and Ginger Baker on the drums released just four albums during their very short time together. The group formed in 1966 in London and defined the psychedelic and blues-based rock music of the time with classic songs “Sunshine of Your Love,” “White Room,” “Strange Brew,” and the George Harrison and Clapton-penned “Badge.”
The group was a trailblazer at the time and is credited with inspiring many hard rock and heavy metal acts. Jack Bruce’s unique style and thumping bass attack inspired many players that followed. While Clapton was hitting his stride as a guitar god with his amazing and sought-after “woman tone,” created by using his 1964 Gibson SG guitar with the tone knob peeled back through a cranked Marshall amp. The warm and creamy distorted tone still has a sense of mystery as guitarists have been trying to emulate it since. Ginger Baker’s unorthodox drumming with his jazz and African polyrhythmic influences were far from straightforward and at times complicated the music. Together, the trio created a torrent of sounds ranging from psychedelic pop to dirty blues, encapsulating an incredible catalog of songs that will live on forever.
In the book, The Uncanny Origins & Unlikely Fortunes of Eric Clapton & Cream, Jack Bruce explains the magic behind the three-piece band. “Ginger had a rhythm element, Eric had a knowledge of the blues, but I had something else which took the band somewhere else. I think that’s the important thing. That’s what made the band different from a lot of other bands. We didn’t just do cover versions of the blues a la The Yardbirds. I love the blues, but I wanted to make my own statement to carry the thing further forward.”
Cream was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1993. In 2005, they reunited for a final run of shows at the Royal Albert Hall in London and Madison Square Garden in New York City. Ranked by the quality of the songs, overall sound and cultural impact, here are Cream’s studio albums.
4
‘Goodbye’ (1969)
Cream released its final album, Goodbye, after the group parted ways. The album features three studio tracks and three live cuts. The live tracks were recorded in Los Angeles in 1968 and showcase the band’s high-powered live show featuring improvisational elements and great jams. “I’m So Glad” and “Politician” are amazing takes that open the window into the live power of the trio.
“Badge” is the best studio cut on the album. It was co-written by Clapton and George Harrison of The Beatles. The band planned to have each member write a tune for their grand finale. Clapton and Harrison teamed up to write the esoteric song with the classic lines, “I told you not to wander around in the dark / I told you about the swans, that they live in the park,” inspired by Ringo Starr. The song features Clapton’s iconic chorus-driven guitar riff about a minute into the tune and a fantastic solo before diving back into the main theme. The final track “What a Bringdown”, written by Baker, rotates between a 6/4 verse and a 5/4 timing on the chorus, showcasing their progressive side. The intro sounds strikingly familiar to Blind Faith’s “Do What You Like,” both of which were released in 1969.
3
‘Fresh Cream’ (1966)
Fresh Cream is the debut album released in late 1966. The effort was recorded in just 10 days and put the power trio on the map with psychedelic pop songs “I Feel Free,” “N.S.U.,” “I’m So Glad.” Eric Clapton’s woman guitar tone is in full effect, especially on the blistering on bluesy songs “Sleepy Time Time,” and the covers “Spoonful” and, “Rollin’ and Tumblin’.”
The album dabbles into chaotic territory as the band fuses blues, hard rock and psychedelic improvisation, which helped propel a new sound to the masses. The bombastic nature of some of the performances on the album went on to inspire a bevy of hard rock and heavy metal musicians. “Toad” features a lengthy Ginger Baker drum solo that brings the album to a triumphant close.
2
‘Wheels of Fire’ (1968)
Cream released the classic Wheels of Fire in the summer of 68. The band’s third album embraced a more progressive and live sound than previous efforts. At the time, Cream was known for their epic and bombastic live show, taking songs like “Crossroads,” “I’m So Glad,” “Toad,” and “Sweet Wine” and stretching them out with improvisation and extended guitar solos. Songs like “White Room,” “Sitting on Top of the World,” and a cover of Albert King’s “Born Under a Bad Sign,” all showcase the group’s virtuosic musicianship.
Wheels of Fire is a double album that, along with a full studio album, contains four live tracks. The now classic version of “Crossroads” and epic live versions of “Spoonful” and “Toad,” were recorded in San Francisco in early 1968. The band shows off a different side with studio tracks like the spoken word “Pressed Rat and Warthog,” and the soft ballad “As You Said,” which features lyrics were written by Pete Brown, bringing a poetic depth to the album. Other fan favorites peeled off the double LP include “Politcian” and “Deserted Cities of the Heart.”
1
‘Disraeli Gears’ (1967)
Cream released its second album, Disraeli Gears, in November 1967. The group’s best album dives into a more psychedelic territory with the trippy songs “Strange Brew,” “Tales of Brave Ulysses,” “SWLABR,” an acronym for “She Walks Like a Bearded Rainbow,” and “World of Pain.” Eric Clapton uses a wah-wah pedal throughout the album brilliantly tapping into the counter culture vibe of the Summer of Love in 1967.
The album features the band’s biggest hit, “Sunshine of Your Love.” The main riff of the song was written by Jack Bruce after being inspired by seeing Jimi Hendrix live. The song features both Jack Bruce and Eric Clapton on vocals and features one of Clapton’s most famous studio guitar solos. Ginger Baker’s use of his tom-tom drumming gives the track a unique feel that makes it stand out. “Outside Woman Blues” is another classic from the album, really shining a light on Clapton’s “woman tone.”
On top of being Cream’s best album, Disraeli Gears is also one of the greatest album covers of all time. The psychedelic cover, created by Australian artist Martin Sharp, is a beautifully strange collage with a photo of the band surrounded by the most 60s-looking art. The album perfectly captures the vibe and energy of 1967 and was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1999.
Entertainment
Jimmy Kimmel Supporters Hammered FCC With Complaints When Show Was Put on Hiatus
Jimmy Kimmel Supporters
Flooded FCC With Complaints After Kirk Comments
Published
The FCC received a ton of complaints after Jimmy Kimmel made a controversial comment regarding Charlie Kirk … but a vast majority of them weren’t knocking Jimmy.
We’ve received the complaints sent to the federal agency back in September 2025 through a Freedom of Information Act request to see how many people bashed Kimmel to the government … and we actually found that a lot more were fans of the star writing in — alleging censorship by the feds.

9/15/25
ABC
Many people argued the government was infringing on the First Amendment by forcing Kimmel off the air … and they called out FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr for his comments about the talk show host.
Remember, Carr put pressure on ABC to drop ‘Kimmel’ back in September … and the network temporarily hit the pause button on the show.
Several complainants accused Carr of allowing President Donald Trump to walk all over him — using some far less savory language. One commenter — see above — calls either Trump or Carr “a thin-skinned loser who hates free speech.”
As you know … Kimmel was put back on the air within days of the network taking him off. He was briefly put on hiatus for saying, “We hit some new lows over the weekend with the MAGA gang desperately trying to characterize this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them and doing everything they can to score political points from it.”
A small minority of the complaints did take shots at Kimmel — and some at Stephen Colbert as well — but they’re few and far between.
Looks like President Trump and the feds might think Kimmel has no talent … but his legions of fans certainly don’t agree.
Entertainment
Sarah Shahi Reveals She Lost Friends Over Surprise Steve Howey Divorce
Sarah Shahi revealed that not all of her friends stuck by her when she made the decision to divorce husband Steve Howey following over a decade of marriage.
“I lost friends from it. It was friends that were very deeply in the know that were like, ‘What are you doing?’” Shahi, 46, recalled on the Tuesday, February 24, episode of Amanda Hirsch’s “Not Skinny But Not Fat” podcast. “[Those were] people that had my back up until the moment that I did get the divorce.”
Shahi recalled getting “dropped” by some of her friends, adding, “I’m not a judgmental person. I’m always somebody where if someone’s going through something, I won’t give them my opinion but I’ll ask them a series of questions about how they feel so that way they come to their own conclusions.”
She continued: “But the amount of judgment I got from getting the divorce from people who honestly were just [as] unhappy in their own relationships. They decided to stick it out and they thought I should do the same. That’s not what we’re here for. We’re here to have fun and be happy. Why can’t I do that? I have the right to be happy. Everybody has the right to be happy.”
Shahi and Howey, 48, met on the set of Reba, dating for several years before getting married in 2009. They were together for over a decade — and welcomed three kids — before Shahi filed for divorce in 2020.
“It worked out for both parties involved. There is no failure here,” Shahi exclusively shared in her January Us Weekly cover story. “I was in a relationship for 18 years and have three beautiful kids. It is by every definition a success to me and we have a beautiful relationship — Steve and I — now as coparents. It’s important to show the kids, in my opinion, that when something is out of sync, you have to have the courage to let it go.”
After working on Sex/Life in the midst of her divorce, Shahi found love with her costar Adam Demos. Following five years of dating, Shahi broke her silence to Us about their split, saying, “There was an element of the relationship that people really felt belonged to them, which was very sweet and heart- warming.”
She continued: “The flip to that is when things end, you feel like you’re going through it twice. You’re going through it emotionally on a personal level, and then you’re going through it again on a much bigger level.”
More recently, Shahi made a rare comment about what led to her split from Demos, 40.
“Without airing any kind of laundry, I do think … it’s hard to build a life when you have children unless the person truly, truly, truly wants that as well,” she said on Kristin Cavallari’s “Let’s Be Honest” podcast earlier this month. “This is not a comment on him but more about the ways that I show up as a parent. I show up as a parent in a very specific way. [As a child], we could walk into our mom’s bedroom at any time and we walked into the bathroom at any time. I think that can be a little challenging for somebody who may not be used to having kids.”
In the same podcast episode, Shahi opened up about her hopes for her love life.
“I want my next relationship to be about me. I’m not looking for a stepparent. I just want a boyfriend,” she added. “Someone that can just take me out and I can be on the beach and just be all sweaty and have sex all the time. I just want someone to purely service me, and if that grows into something else then great.”
Entertainment
Tom Hanks Nearly Changed the Best Star Trek Movie Ever Made
In its 60-year history, the Star Trek franchise has made numerous attempts to widen its fanbase beyond devoted Trekkies. Whether through the comedic, time-travel premise of Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home or J.J. Abrams’s action-packed 2009 reboot, the creative team consistently tried to appeal to casual audiences by capitalizing on pop-culture trends. In 1996, the franchise nearly landed one of America’s most treasured actors for Star Trek: First Contact — Tom Hanks.
Paramount often tried to attract A-list talent to bring additional box office muscle to Gene Roddenberry’s beloved sci-fi franchise. Longtime Trek fan Eddie Murphy was once considered for a hip San Francisco professor role in The Voyage Home, and Sean Connery was the studio’s top choice to play the villainous Sybok in Star Trek V: The Final Frontier. But Hanks, who is also a self-professed Trekkie, wasn’t being eyed for just any new role. Instead, the two-time Oscar winner was shortlisted for Star Trek’s most historic figure outside the Enterprise crew: Zefram Cochrane.
Who Is Zefram Cochrane in the Star Trek Universe?
In Star Trek: The Original Series, Cochrane was introduced as the creator of the warp drive system. Played by Glenn Corbett in the Season 2 episode “Metamorphosis,” Cochrane encounters Captain James T. Kirk (William Shatner) and the Enterprise crew on a planet where he had crash-landed years earlier, and an alien entity called “the Companion” had restored his youth. The entity goes on to attack the Enterprise crew, and Cochrane must work with them before they become stranded there permanently.
Cochrane returned in Star Trek: First Contact, whose time-travel plot involves the Borg attempting to assimilate Earth through a temporal vortex. To stop them, the Enterprise crew, led by Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart), follows the Borg back to 2063, where they encounter the legendary warp drive inventor just one day before his historic first flight. However, the Cochrane they meet is far from a heroic icon. He’s an alcoholic inventor who uses his ship in get-rich-quick schemes.
At the time of First Contact’s pre-production, Hanks was at a career peak. After spending much of the ’80s playing comedic everymen in hits like Splash and Big, he transitioned into prestige drama in the ’90s with Oscar-winning performances in Philadelphia and Forrest Gump. Add to that his acclaimed 1995 performance as Jim Lovell in Apollo 13, along with voicing Woody in Toy Story, and the world was Hanks’s oyster. His addition could have conferred a new level of prestige and event status that none of the previous installments had achieved. But how close did he come to playing Cochrane?
In 2021, First Contact co-writer Ronald D. Moore addressed the subject during a retrospective interview with The Hollywood Reporter. Though Hanks’s name was floated early on, Moore revealed that talks “never got that far.” The role ultimately went to James Cromwell, who already had franchise experience from playing multiple characters on Star Trek: The Next Generation.
While Hanks’s popularity, high salary, and busy schedule — including directing and starring in That Thing You Do! — likely prevented his involvement, there remained a slim chance he might have participated. When Hanks appeared on the Happy Sad Confused podcast in 2023, he enthusiastically reflected on the opportunity and his Trek fandom.
“The guy who invented warp drive? Oh come on, I would’ve jumped on that! I would have come in, and I would have brought gift Tribbles to everybody at the first meeting. ‘Guys, here’s some Tribbles for you.’”
Is There Room for Tom Hanks in the Star Trek Universe?
Despite Hanks’s affection for the franchise, things ultimately worked out for both him and the film. Having already portrayed a string of inspirational and heroic figures, Cochrane might have felt redundant at that stage of his career. Cromwell instead played the iconic fallen hero as a reluctant, slightly cynical celebrity — someone largely indifferent to humanity’s future until the Enterprise crew forces him to confront it. Hanks’s participation likely would have required extensive rewrites to expand Cochrane’s arc in an already crowded narrative. That could have distracted from the ensemble balance that made the film work.
In the end, Star Trek: First Contact succeeded with critics and general audiences without Hanks’s involvement. In later years, the franchise would attract acclaimed actors such as Tom Hardy, Benedict Cumberbatch, Idris Elba, and Paul Giamatti. As Star Trek continues to expand on the small screen with Star Trek: Starfleet Academy and a new feature film in development, the door remains open for Hanks to bring his gravitas to a new but significant character in the broader Star Trek universe.
Star Trek: First Contact is streaming on Paramount+ in the U.S.
Entertainment
U.S. Hockey Gold Medal Win Breaks TV Record, Averages Over 20 Million Viewers
Team USA Hockey
Gold Medal Win Breaks Record
… Averaged 20.7 Million Viewers!!!
Published
A TON of American fans set their alarms to catch the Red, White and Blue’s gold medal win … with NBC announcing the 2026 Winter Olympics finale averaged 20.7 million viewers!!
The folks over at the Peacock released the numbers for the contest on Tuesday … saying the game was the most-watched pre-9 AM ET sporting event in U.S. history.
JACK HUGHES DELIVERS AMERICA’S GOLDEN MOMENT IN OVERTIME. pic.twitter.com/4foFDOri53
@NBCOlympics
The audience only grew once the showdown reached overtime — with the network saying “An astounding average of 26.0 million viewers on NBC and Peacock were watching between 10:45-11 AM ET” as Jack Hughes scored the game-winning goal … which ended a 46-year gold medal drought for the men’s team.
Only one game still stands as the network’s most-watched hockey game ever … with the 2010 Vancouver Olympic showdown between the U.S. and Canada’s men’s teams holding the top spot — so Hughes and Co. will have to settle for silver on that one.
On the women’s side, it was announced previously that the USA’s showdown against Canada in the gold medal contest drew an average of 5.3 million viewers. Like the men’s game … those numbers fell just short of the 2010 Vancouver Olympic finale between ‘Merica and the neighbors up north — which averaged 7.5 million viewers.
So … run it back in 2030??
Entertainment
Parks and Rec Alum Jonathan Joss’ Murder Trial Is Underway: Updates
The trial for the murder of Parks and Recreation alum Jonathan Joss is officially underway.
Sigfredo Ceja Alvarez, who has been accused of killing Joss, appeared in court on February 24, 2026, after being indicted in November 2025. A reset date was set for his next court appearance.
Joss died in June 2025 at age 59 following an alleged altercation with Ceja Alvarez in San Antonio. At the time, it was reported that Joss died following an incident with a neighbor. Joss’ husband, Tristan Kern de Gonzales, confirmed the actor’s death and claimed that the incident was a hate crime after he and Joss experienced “openly homophobic” harassment.
The San Antonio Police Department initially claimed in a statement they found nothing to back Kern de Gonzales’ allegations that Joss’ death was the result of a hate crime. However, San Antonio Police Chief William P. McManus later shared during a press conference that the statement was sent prematurely.
“We issued a statement the day after Jonathan Joss’ murder that was way, way, way premature. We shouldn’t have done it,” McManus told reporters in June 2025. “It was way too soon before we had any real information. I will own that. We simply shouldn’t have done that. It was way too early in the process for any statement of that nature to be issued.”
Five months later, Ceja Alvarez was indicted by a grand jury on one count of murder. Local outlets reported that Ceja Alvarez was initially arrested back in June 2025 on a charge of first-degree murder. He posted a $200,000 bond before being released.
In Texas, a hate crime is not a separate charge. A hate crime conviction would be handled as an enhancement during sentencing.
Keep scrolling for updates on the trial for Joss’ murder:
How Did Jonathan Joss Die?
Jonathan Joss died in June 2025 after authorities were dispatched to a shooting. Law enforcement found Joss lying “near the roadway.” Joss’ husband, Tristan Kern de Gonzales, later confirmed the news.
“My husband Jonathan Joss and I were involved in a shooting while checking the mail at the site of our former home. That home was burned down after over two years of threats from people in the area who repeatedly told us they would set it on fire,” read a statement shared via Facebook at the time. “We reported these threats to law enforcement multiple times and nothing was done.”
Kern de Gonzales shared that when he and Joss returned to their former property they found “the skull” of one of their dogs and its harness, which caused them “severe emotional distress.”
“We began yelling and crying in response to the pain of what we saw,” the statement continued. “While we were doing this a man approached us. He started yelling violent homophobic slurs at us. Jonathan and I had no weapons. We were not threatening anyone. We were grieving. We were standing side by side. When the man fired Jonathan pushed me out of the way. He saved my life.”
Who Was Arrested for Jonathan Joss’ Murder?
Sigfredo Ceja Alvarez was arrested in connection to Jonathan Joss’ murder in June 2025, per a grand jury indictment in November 2025. Ceja Alvarez was charged with first-degree murder. He was released after posting a $200,000 bond.
Sigfredo Ceja Alvarez Appears in Court for Pre-Trial Hearing
Sigfredo Ceja Alvarez was stone-faced as he appeared in front of Judge Joel Perez alongside an interpreter in Bexar County’s 437th Criminal District Court in February 2026. The prosecution found no issues with the current conditions of Alvarez’s bond and had no updates to share at this time. A date was set for Alvarez’s next appearance in court.
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