Entertainment
Hulu’s Newest Cancellation Exposes One of Streaming’s Most Frustrating Problems
It’s hard not to be angry about Deli Boys getting cancelled after only two seasons. After all, Hulu’s crime comedy was genuinely one of the funniest shows on TV. But it was also doing something we don’t see enough of in 2026 — putting Pakistani-American characters at the center of the story and letting them get buckwild. Asif Ali’s Mir and Saagar Shaikh’s Raj could get away with being spoiled brats or complete “lafangas” (Urdu for scoundrels), while Poorna Jagannathan’s Lucky Auntie could stab someone with one hand and shoot someone with the other. Nobody needed to be the perfect Brown character carrying the weight of an entire community.
And that’s part of what creator Abdullah Saeed wanted. After news of the cancellation broke, Saeed took to Instagram to thank “every brown and Muslim and Pakistani and immigrant person who saw themselves in my show,” adding that he created these characters for them. But he also had a message for the people who might follow him: “To the next generation of browns, I hope I helped you see that you deserve the airwaves, no matter how hard you have to fight for your rightful place.”
That “rightful place” is what makes Deli Boys’ cancellation so frustrating. Deadline reports that ratings were behind Hulu’s decision, despite the show being a priority for Onyx Collective. And contrary to the easy assumption that the show was never prioritized for marketing, Deli Boys wasn’t simply dumped onto Hulu and forgotten. People worked pretty hard to help this show find an audience, so what happens when all of that still isn’t enough?
‘Deli Boys’ Is Likely a Victim of Streaming’s Viewership Clock
The numbers make it hard to argue that nobody tried to sell the show. According to marketing agency The Third Place, its influencer campaign for the series generated 8.87 million organic views and 881,000 interactions across social platforms. For the show’s first season, an event with Kolkata Chai Co. had 1,500 RSVPs and more than 900 attendees. Another campaign took branded food trucks to six cities, serving 1,800 orders and generating more than 200,000 social impressions. But the gap between those numbers and the show’s actual viewership underscores a bigger issue: getting millions of people to see something about a show isn’t the same as getting them to actually watch it.
Onyx also reportedly made a direct effort to bring more eyeballs to Season 2, alongside plenty of press, including daytime and late-night talk shows. Deadline reports the studio also pushed for a new series regular and supporting cast to attract viewers, with Fred Armisen joining, while Kumail Nanjiani, Andrew Rannells, Lilly Singh, Robin Thede, and Tan France were among the new additions. Clearly, there was an effort here, but it just didn’t translate into enough people watching. That makes Deli Boys a more complicated casualty of streaming than a show nobody bothered to promote.
Between all our favorite shows getting canceled across platforms from Apple TV to Netflix, we already know streaming puts a lot of weight on early performance. Hulu doesn’t explicitly spell out how it decides which shows get renewed or cancelled, but other streamers have been more open about those first few weeks. Netflix has previously said that it looks at viewership after the title’s first seven and 28 days. That doesn’t mean Hulu follows the same formula, but it gives us some idea of how quickly a streaming show can be judged.
That matters for a show like Deli Boys, which didn’t come with a huge built-in fandom or decades of IP behind it. Viewers needed to find it on their own, watch it, then tell their friends, and let that word of mouth spread. The problem is that streaming may not give every show enough time for that slow build to happen. Not every show is also built to become an overnight hit, and culturally specific shows may need more time to find audiences beyond the communities they depict. Whereas movies have an opening weekend with projected numbers, TV always needs time. Streaming has somehow managed to give viewers endless time to watch (or even produce) a show while giving the show itself very little time to prove they will.
When Shows Like ‘Deli Boys’ Disappear, There Isn’t Another One Waiting
This is not a problem unique to Deli Boys, as shows with predominantly white casts get cancelled after one or two seasons all the time. So without Hulu’s internal numbers, it’s unfair to argue that the two-season comedy was axed because it centered Brown people. But what we lose with its cancellation is far more nuanced. South Asian actors are thankfully much more visible on American TV than they once were, and far less likely to be reduced to stereotypes. Utkarsh Ambudkar leads CBS’ Ghosts, Avantika stars in Hulu’s Not Suitable for Work, and Simone Ashley stars in Netflix’s Bridgerton. But Deli Boys is still rare. Its creator was Pakistani-American, its three leads were South Asian, and that representation extended behind the camera. Brown characters weren’t just part of the world — they were the world.
There isn’t another show waiting on Hulu (or anywhere else on American TV) where Pakistani characters get to be this messy, funny, criminal, selfish, loving, and weird. Especially since Deli Boys never sanded down their South Asianness to make the characters easier for audiences to digest. Mir could pray to Allah in a grocery store, asking Him to bring his brother home and promising he’d be good — even tipping 20%, or qawwalis could be sung at a party without anyone pausing to explain them. The culture was never the plot, but it was always part of who these characters were.
Saeed previously said that when first pitching Deli Boys, it was passed over because another Muslim show was already in development. Apparently, that Muslim “slot” was filled, as he told the Trust Me, I Know What I’m Doing podcast, even though the two shows had little else in common. And that’s what makes losing a show like Deli Boys all the more heartbreaking because one cancellation for a show like this can take an entire kind of story with it. Nobody treats one show about white characters as filling the “white slot.” But when representation is scarce, identity itself can become the category.
And Deli Boys isn’t the first critically acclaimed culturally specific comedy cancelled before it had time to grow. Hulu’s This Fool, centered on a working-class Mexican-American family in Los Angeles, was cancelled after two seasons, while Peacock’s Rutherford Falls, a groundbreaking Native American comedy, also got only two. Their cancellations don’t prove culturally specific shows are being targeted. But they do show how quickly a distinct world can disappear when there aren’t 10 other shows like it waiting in the wings. A cancellation can make perfect sense on a spreadsheet and still leave American television poorer for it. Saeed is right that the next generation of Brown creators “deserve the airwaves,” and Deli Boys proved what that could look like. So maybe the next note for studios is simple: opening the door matters, but so does figuring out why audiences still aren’t making it through before it closes.
Deli Boys is streaming on Hulu and Disney+.
Deli Boys
- Release Date
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March 6, 2025
- Network
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Hulu
- Directors
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Oz Rodriguez, Maureen Bharoocha, Fawzia Mirza, Jeremy Konner, Andrew Ahn, Nisha Ganatra, Ahmed Ibrahim, Jenni Konner
- Writers
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Abdullah Saeed, Michelle Nader, Mehar Sethi, Ekaterina Vladimirova, Sudi Green
Entertainment
Hayden Panettiere’s Death Questioned After Disturbing Revelation
Hayden Panettiere’s sudden death has prompted some social media users to revisit one of the most disturbing stories in her memoir and speculate, without evidence, that the two events could be connected. In “This Is Me: A Reckoning,” the actress alleged that someone she trusted placed her into bed beside an undressed, older celebrity aboard a yacht when she was 18.
Panettiere escaped before anything happened and did not publicly identify the man. Following her death at 36 on August 16, online conspiracy theories began spreading because the memoir had been published only three months earlier. However, police have reported no signs of foul play or suspicious circumstances. No evidence currently connects the yacht incident, the unnamed individuals involved, or Panettiere’s memoir to her death.

Panettiere detailed the unsettling encounter in her memoir, which was released on May 19. According to the actress, she spent time aboard a yacht after someone she trusted brought her there. What began as an innocent night out took a frightening turn when she was escorted into a small private room.
Panettiere said they placed her in bed beside an older male celebrity. In the memoir, she described the unnamed man as a “famous thirtysomething British singer-songwriter.” The actress did not accuse the man of physically attacking her. Her account instead focused on the betrayal she felt toward the trusted person who allegedly led her into the room and left her there.
During the May 11 episode of “On Purpose with Jay Shetty,” Panettiere said nothing about the evening had initially warned her that she could be placed in a dangerous situation. “There was no hints of anything like that happening,” she recalled. “So it took me by surprise.”
Panettiere said the person who brought her into the room was not a stranger. “It was led by somebody that I had grown to trust and see as a protector and somebody who had my back,” she said on the podcast.
The Actress Said Her Survival Instinct Took Over

Rather than stay in the room, Panettiere said she immediately recognized something was wrong and refused to let the situation continue. “That lion in me, that fire in me … my hair stood on end and I became ferocious,” she recalled. “I was like, ‘This is not happening.’ Panettiere fled the room and hid elsewhere on the vessel, according to her account.
The experience reportedly changed the way she viewed her younger years in Hollywood and the adults she had been conditioned to trust. She entered the entertainment industry as a child and spent much of her youth surrounded by adults who managed her work, public image, and career.
Looking back on the yacht encounter as an adult, Panettiere acknowledged how vulnerable she was at 18, despite believing she was mature enough to understand the people and situations around her. She ultimately chose not to name the singer-songwriter or publicly identify the trusted person she accused of orchestrating the encounter.
Fans Share Unsupported Theories After Her Death

After confirming Panettiere’s death, some X users pointed to the short period between the publication of her memoir and her passing. “Welp, they killed her; it makes sense now,” one X user said.
Another commenter made the unsupported claim that powerful people in Hollywood had silenced the actress. “They are going to say she took her own life when we all know damn well they kill people in Hollywood for less. Not even surprised she went so fast after speaking up. It isn’t just a coincidence anymore,” they said.
A third user similarly attempted to connect Panettiere’s memoir to her death. “WTF?? Hayden Panettiere JUST DIED at 36… 3 months after her bombshell exposure of the Elite Hollywood/ Music system. And now she’s dead. Cause still unknown. She had just flown from LA down to the South with her boyfriend when it happened. Hollywood is pure evil,” another said.
Those posts reflect suspicions circulating online, not evidence investigators have uncovered. Authorities have not accused anyone connected to Panettiere’s memoir of wrongdoing in relation to her death. Police also have not indicated that her decision to publish the book put her in danger.
Police Say There Were No Signs Of Foul Play

Panettiere was found unresponsive at her residence in Greenville, South Carolina, on Sunday. According to 911 dispatch audio obtained by Page Six, the emergency involved an “unidentified female” in “cardiac arrest.” Dispatchers reported that “CPR [was] in progress” as emergency personnel attempted to revive her.
An acquaintance reportedly called 911 at approximately 1:51 p.m. First responders then used “advanced cardiac life support” and chest compressions, but Panettiere was pronounced dead at 2:32 p.m. The Greenville Police Department said its preliminary investigation found no signs of foul play or suspicious circumstances.
The department is investigating the death alongside the Greenville County Coroner’s Office. An autopsy is expected to help authorities determine the cause and manner of Panettiere’s death. Until those findings are available, conclusions about what caused her death remain premature.
Dispatch Reference To An ‘Overdose’ Is Not An Official Finding

The emergency audio reportedly included a reference to an “overdose,” but that description has not been confirmed as Panettiere’s official cause of death.
Dispatch communications capture preliminary information relayed during an active emergency. They are not a substitute for an autopsy, toxicology testing, or a coroner’s formal determination.
Entertainment
Tracee Ellis Ross Talks Late-Night ‘Racism’ During ‘Girlfriends’
Tracee Ellis Ross is pulling back the curtain on the sharp disparities of early-2000s television culture.
Decades after taking center stage on television, the 53-year-old actress is opening up about the stark lack of mainstream industry recognition she faced during her star-making run on the hit sitcom “Girlfriends.”
Ross was a huge part of the show’s iconic eight-year run, after which she has appeared in other major projects, including “Black-ish.”

Appearing on the most recent episode of Trevor Noah’s “What Now?” podcast, Ross candidly discussed how television culture was “very segregated” while “Girlfriends” was airing between 2000 and 2008.
Although the beloved sitcom has earned widespread recognition and classic status in hindsight, Ross highlighted that major television institutions turned a blind eye to the show throughout its eight-season tenure.
She recalled being completely shut out of major late-night television platforms and prestigious industry awards shows.
“I remember thinking, ‘What?’ Like, what else do you have to get? I don’t know,” Ross reflected, noting that during the show’s entire eight-year run, she received “no talk shows, no Tonight Show, no David Letterman, no Emmys.”
The snub became even more glaring when Ross noticed that critically acclaimed white-led shows, such as “Monk,” which had smaller audiences, were routinely prioritized for late-night guest slots.
She concluded by noting that she didn’t know what else to boil it down to except discrimination. In her words:
“And I was like, ‘I don’t understand. Is it viewership?’ And the only thing you can boil it down to, you’re like, ‘Is it just racism?’ I’m not sure how to — how do you categorize it? I don’t know what it is.”
Mara Brock Would Like To See A ‘Girlfriends’ Movie Idea Brought To Life
While conversations about the historical oversight of “Girlfriends” continue, interest in reviving the iconic franchise remains exceptionally high.
However, series creator Mara Brock Akil recently revealed that bringing the core cast back together for a return faces significant financial challenges.
In early July, the 56-year-old got candid about her efforts to bring a “Girlfriends” feature film to life. While Akil and the original core cast, including Ross, Jill Marie Jones, Persia White, Golden Brooks, and Reggie Hayes, are eager to reunite, securing the necessary backing has been challenging.
“I think I have a story that I would love to do in a film, and I have been trying to get it made,” she said, per People Magazine.
Akil disclosed that she is actively seeking a $50 million budget to deliver the cinematic continuation the series and its fans deserve. However, if the funding fails to materialize, she still has confidence in her ability to create fresh stories while remaining open to future possibilities for the group.
Tracee Ellis Ross Previously Opened Up About Issues With Her Body Image

While efforts to bring the “Girlfriends” cast back together are yet to materialize, Ross has continued to succeed in other Hollywood endeavors.
However, despite her massive success, she has had some issues with her personal image in the past, which she has been open about. In a 2022 discussion, she reflected candidly on learning to feel comfortable in her own skin after decades of self-doubt.
Looking back at her younger years, Ross admitted that feeling truly at ease within herself once felt almost out of reach.
“I actually feel comfortable in my skin now. If you had told me that was going to happen, I don’t know that I would’ve believed you,” she said, as reported by The Blast.
Tracee Ellis Ross Firmly Denied The Pregnancy Rumors

As Ross has grown in confidence, she has also learned to navigate rumors about her personal life.
In late June, she returned to “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon,” where she set the record straight about viral speculation that she was expecting her first child.
“I am not pregnant. I am not,” Ross clarified, per Entertainment Weekly. Finding the humor in the rumors, the Golden Globe winner offered a witty commentary, noting that she doesn’t know “how you get the preggers.”
She also joked that the rumors only came about because the media was having a slow news day.
Tracee Ellis Ross’ Home Was Broken Into Last Year

Ross’ efforts to clear the air on the pregnancy rumors came months after her L.A. home was broken into.
According to The Blast, she fell victim to a costly burglary after intruders targeted her Southern California residence while she was away.
The incident occurred early in the morning on Sunday, August 31, 2025, when three masked suspects forced entry into the property and fled with an estimated $100,000 worth of luxury jewelry and designer handbags.
Fortunately, she was out of town at the time and was not harmed. While the surveillance cameras captured footage of the three suspects moving through the residence, no arrests were made.
Entertainment
Brendan Fraser’s 10/10 WWII Thriller Is Climbing Peacock’s Streaming Charts
World War II has been the subject of a nearly countless number of films — the first WWII movies were released shortlly after the war itself began — but that doesn’t mean that there aren’t new stories to tell. Even today, a significant global conflict of that size, with so many different parties involved and theaters of warfare, still offers new opportunities to show what a “war film” can look like — especially when merged with different genres.
Pressure is an effective chamberpiece based on a stageplay of the same name that explores the critical process of planning D-Day, the Allied campaign that changed the course of the war and turned the tide against the Nazis. Rather than focusing on the actual combat on the battlefield, Pressure offers insights into how preparations were handled among the different offices tasked with research. It’s not only a great showcase for a terrific cast to deliver memorable depictions of some of the most important historical figures of the 20th century, but a reminder of how close D-Day was to being a catastrophic failure that doomed the world to live under fascism.
Before becoming President of the United States, Dwight Eisenhower was the supreme commander of the United States military in World War II, and became the leader of the entire Allied Forces. Played by Brendan Fraser, Eisenhower gathers a close circle of advisors and military allies to ensure that D-Day will go smoothly. Among those that Eisenhower enlists is RAF Group Captain James Stagg (Andrew Scott), a Scottish meteorologist who is told to put together a weather forecast for the day of the planned attack. Eisenhower expects this to be nothing more than a precaution, but Stagg’s instincts suggest that there could be a storm that would prevent a seabound invasion from working. It’s a fascinating showcase about trying to plan for the unpredictable when the stakes couldn’t be higher. Scott and Fraser are beloved and well-known actors, but they completely disappear into their roles. And at 100 minutes, Pressure is the perfect bottled-up thriller that offers more than a standard history lesson.
‘Pressure’ Is a Different Type of World War II Drama
World War II is a fascinating subject for dramatic interpretations because it was a war in which military officials from different nationalities had to pool their resources to create a cohesive strategy, even if there were clashes of culture along the way. Eisenhower developed respectful relationships with the English MTC First Lieutenant Kay Summersby (Kerry Condon), British Army General Bernard Montgomery (Damian Lewis), and USAAF Colonel Irving P. Krick (Chris Messina), but Stagg is framed as being an outsider who is unused to military protocol. Since the tension couldn’t be more bracing, the initial awkwardness of Stagg’s introduction to the other military leaders causes friction when they later have to work together. That Stagg is a meteorologist first and a military man second is held against him, especially when compared to Krick, who is a longtime ally of Eisenhower.
Pressure feels like an authentic depiction of what went on behind closed doors during the preparations for D-Day, because there is legitimacy to the perspective of every figure in the story. The feud between Krick and Stagg is particularly illuminating because of the different methods that they utilize to calculate their predictions: Krick uses his past experience in similar weather conditions to form a pattern, whereas Stagg pulls from a larger pool of data, including information that would otherwise not have been considered. Since the technology used to put together these forecasts was far less advanced than it is today, the decision of whom to trust comes down to a matter of guesswork. Even if it’s a professional debate, there’s a personal edge to the dispute, because Stagg feels disrespected and doesn’t understand why Eisenhower would bring in another advisor when he has already proven to be loyal.
‘Pressure’ Is a Successful Stage-To-Screen Adaptation
Fraser delivers a terrific performance that captures the General at a unique stage in his career. It would have been easy to paint Eisenhower as an aggressive, grumpy veteran determined to win the war as soon as possible, but Fraser shows how personal the conflict is for him, given that he feels responsible for any loss of life among his men. That the decision comes down to Eisenhower alone is one of the film’s most significant points, as Stagg grows to respect the General and wants to ensure that his strategy is appropriate. At the same time, it never feels like Eisenhower is ignoring science to stroke his own ego; his desire to proceed with D-Day is informed by his knowledge that there will be more casualties if Europe continues to live under fascist rule.
Pressure is an appropriate companion piece to the many World War II films that explore the actual D-Day invasion, because it gives a window into the anxiety of watching a battle proceed from afar. While there was a novelty to the fact that the original stage play was able to encapsulate the scope of an entire conflict within a few intense moments, Pressure is an appropriately cinematic film that succeeds in both its claustrophobic, confined moments and the grandiose spectacle of an epic.
Pressure
- Release Date
-
May 29, 2026
- Runtime
-
100 Minutes
- Director
-
Anthony Maras
- Writers
-
David Haig, Anthony Maras
Entertainment
Marvel Just Confirmed Its Most Highly-Rated Disney+ Series Is Essential Viewing Ahead of ‘Avengers: Doomsday’
The past few weeks have been a barrage of trailers and announcements from Marvel Studios throughout San Diego Comic-Con and D23, but the biggest news may have come from new merchandise. A new Doctor Doom figure by Hot Toys features the tech wiz-turned-sorcerer holding a book that looks a bit like the Darkhold — the magical book from Dr. Strange in the Multiverse of Madness that The Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen) destroyed. On top of that, Marvel’s official booth featured several movie costumes on display, including the mysterious “Latverian Witch” that works with Doom (Robert Downey Jr.) This is all fuel for the theory that Wanda Maximoff is alive and working with Doom, making WandaVision essential viewing before Avengers: Doomsday premieres on December 18.
WandaVision might be the most beloved entry in the Marvel Cinematic Universe since the Multiverse Saga began, and it makes sense that the studio would want it to tie into the big finale. However, Wanda appeared to die in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, so the MCU will need to either explain her return or replace her with a multiverse variant. Fans have long theorized that some version of Wanda will be working with Doom in Doomsday, and the evidence is stacking up. One way or another, Marvel is definitely trying to draw our attention back to Wanda’s story, as the new trailer for VisionQuest calls it “the final vision of a groundbreaking trilogy.”
‘Avengers: Doomsday’ Needs Wanda Maximoff
The Multiverse Saga has been a bumpier ride than the Infinity Saga was for Marvel Studios, and it makes sense that the franchise would try to capitalize on its biggest successes. WandaVision was the first release of the new saga, the first title in Phase Four, and the first streaming series made for Disney+. It was a massive success, breaking the formula and drawing in new viewers in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. It even inspired a sequel series, Agatha All Along, and Marvel is now calling this a TV trilogy concluding with VisionQuest.
Establishing that continuity just before Doomsday debuts is a strong sign it’s important to the crossover. The Multiverse Saga is littered with dropped plot lines, so the ones Marvel calls attention to now are likely to be the most important ones. Wanda’s story never really crossed over with the saga’s original Kang the Conqueror arc, so it doesn’t require a major pivot the way that others will. In fact, Wanda may be the key to smoothing the transition and making it feel like Doom was the plan all along.
Fans have theorized that Wanda will appear alongside Doom for years now, so it’s nice to see the evidence pointing in the same direction. Marvel loves to keep secrets and surprise its fans, but above all the studio needs to tell compelling, satisfying stories. Predictability is not always a bad thing in movies, an Marvel seems to understand that here. The new figure of Doom holding a book of magic naturally evokes theories about the Scarlet Witch, and Marvel Comics provide plenty of explanations for how this grimoire may be linked to the Darkhold.
Meanwhile, the Latverian Witch costumes displayed at Marvel’s booth could be our first look at Wanda in disguise. Fans suspect that Doom may have found a way to rescue or resurrect Wanda, and that he has either persuaded or coerced her into working alongside him in Doomsday. The Scarlet Witch did get a peak into Doom’s universe, Earth-838, and we’ve seen how open she can be to extreme measures. This is definitely still just a theory, but one that Marvel is not trying to dissuade fans from.
‘VisionQuest’ Should Give Us Clues About ‘Doomsday’
Whatever cataclysm is coming to the Marvel Cinematic Multiverse, VisionQuest will be the studio’s last big chance to share clues with us. The streaming series premieres on October 14, and it’s the last and only release left between now and Avengers: Doomsday. That timing doesn’t seem like an accident — VisionQuest has been in the works for years now, and other productions have turned around much faster. Marvel may have been saving this show for a reason — even if only to re-center the WandaVision storyline at the last moment.
There’s a lot of room for thematic symmetry here as well — Doom combines his scientific genius with his ancestral tradition of magic, leading to a unique fusion of technology and mysticism. There’s something similar at play in the MCU’s version of Wanda, whose magic was harnessed and enhanced by experimental exposure to the Tesseract. Vision (Paul Bettany) is similar — a bio-synthetic body combined with an advanced artificial intelligence and awakened by a magical blow from Thor’s hammer. Wanda and Vision embody this duality as a couple as well since her powers are magical while his are technological.
Wanda and Vision seem like Marvel’s best chance at making this brand new villain feel relevant to the stories they’ve been telling, an that means their trilogy of shows are likely central to Avengers: Doomsday. WandaVision and Agatha All Along are streaming now on Disney+, while VisionQuest premieres there on October 14. Avengers: Doomsday hits theaters on December 18.
- Release Date
-
October 14, 2026
- Network
-
Disney+
Entertainment
Did Hayden Panettiere Reconcile With Ex Before Her Death?
Hayden Panettiere’s sudden death in South Carolina has renewed scrutiny of her complicated relationship with Brian Hickerson, the on-and-off partner who reportedly traveled with her from Los Angeles just one day before she was found unresponsive. The trip immediately raised questions about whether Panettiere and Hickerson had quietly reconciled after publicly describing their relationship as a friendship only months earlier.
However, authorities have not accused Hickerson of wrongdoing or connected him to Panettiere’s death. Police have said their preliminary investigation uncovered no signs of foul play or suspicious circumstances. With Panettiere’s cause of death still undetermined, exactly why the pair traveled to Hickerson’s home state, and what his role was during her final hours, remains unclear.

Panettiere and Hickerson reportedly flew out of Los Angeles together on Saturday, August 15, heading south ahead of what would have been the actress’ 37th birthday. The following afternoon, emergency personnel responded to an apartment at Judson Mill Lofts in Greenville, South Carolina, after receiving a report of an unresponsive woman. First responders attempted to resuscitate Panettiere, but she was pronounced dead at the scene at 2:32 p.m.
The Greenville Police Department later revealed that an “acquaintance” had placed the emergency call. Authorities have not publicly identified that person, and it remains unknown whether Hickerson was at the apartment when Panettiere became unresponsive. “The preliminary investigation has not indicated any signs of foul play or suspicious circumstances,” police emphasized in a statement.
An autopsy reportedly found no signs of trauma contributing to the actress’ death. The official cause and manner remain pending while investigators await additional test results.
Why Was The Actress In South Carolina?

Panettiere lived and worked primarily in Los Angeles, making her presence in Greenville another unanswered part of the story. Hickerson is originally from South Carolina and reportedly has family in the area. He later relocated to Los Angeles, where he pursued work in real estate and acting before becoming publicly linked to Panettiere in 2018.
The two were reportedly traveling to South Carolina to celebrate Panettiere’s upcoming birthday. However, neither Hickerson nor Panettiere’s family has publicly explained their plans or identified who owned or rented the Greenville apartment where she died. The available reporting also does not establish whether Greenville was their final destination or simply one stop during the trip.
Although Hickerson has been described in several reports as Panettiere’s “on-again, off-again boyfriend,” the pair’s actual relationship status before her death was less clear.
Brian Hickerson’s History With Hayden Panettiere

Panettiere began dating Hickerson in 2018 following the end of her engagement to former professional boxer Wladimir Klitschko, with whom she shared her daughter, Kaya. The new relationship soon became engulfed in legal trouble.
Hickerson was arrested in 2019 following an alleged domestic violence incident involving Panettiere. That case was later dismissed after prosecutors said they could not secure a material witness. In 2020, he was arrested again and charged in connection with multiple alleged incidents involving the actress.
Hickerson pleaded no contest in April 2021 to two felony counts of injuring a spouse, cohabitant or girlfriend. The remaining charges against him were dismissed as part of the resolution. He received a 45-day jail sentence, four years of formal probation, 52 domestic violence classes, $500 in restitution, and a five-year protective order.
Panettiere nevertheless began spending time with Hickerson again after his release from jail. A source said at the time that the actress had not forgotten what happened but wanted to forgive him and move forward. The two continued to be seen together over the following years, although they reportedly ended their romantic relationship in 2022.
Hickerson Admitted To Abusing The Actress

Panettiere revisited the relationship in her 2026 memoir, “This Is Me: A Reckoning,” offering a detailed account of the abuse she said she endured. Rather than denying his past behavior, Hickerson publicly admitted his actions.
“I got arrested for, you know, abusing her, and I wouldn’t blame her friends for being pissed off at me,” he told TMZ while discussing the book. “You got to be vulnerable and, you know, I did it. I did it.”
Hickerson also acknowledged that drugs and alcohol contributed to what he described as an extremely “dark place” during their relationship.
One memoir passage recalled Hickerson threatening Panettiere with a phone during a drunken confrontation. He admitted asking her not to include that story but ultimately supported her decision to publish it.
Panettiere previously said she hoped telling the truth about the relationship could help others recognize abuse and seek assistance. Her willingness to reconnect with Hickerson did not erase what happened, nor did it mean that she no longer held him accountable.
Questions Remain About Their Final Trip

Hickerson’s history with Panettiere makes his return to her life noteworthy, particularly because the pair traveled together shortly before her death. It does not, however, establish that he played any role in what happened.
Police have not identified the acquaintance who called 911, confirmed Hickerson’s whereabouts that afternoon or publicly described who else may have been inside the apartment. They have also found no preliminary evidence of foul play or suspicious circumstances.
Until investigators release Panettiere’s official cause of death and additional details about her final hours, her relationship status with Hickerson, and the reason they traveled together to South Carolina, remains unresolved.
Entertainment
Noah Wyle Officially Reveals Who Really Makes ‘The Pitt’ Work [Exclusive]
HBO Max has been on fire over the last year of television. When Emmy nominations were announced back in July, the streamer led all platforms with 122 nods, most of which could be attributed to two shows — Hacks and The Pitt. The former comedy came away with an impressive 24 nominations for its final season, but the latter only continues growing, nearly doubling its total of awards nods from its colossal freshman run with a staggering 25 nominations to lead all shows. Noah Wyle, Shawn Hatosy, Sepideh Moafi, Fiona Dourif, Katherine LaNasa, and Taylor Dearden were all recognized in the acting categories after breaking out as HBO stars last year, while series creator R. Scott Gemmill is up for Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series.
While the names on the script and at the top of the call sheet get the most praise, it takes a village to bring Pittsburgh Trauma Medical Center to life. The Pitt Season 2’s many Emmy nominations also include production design, casting, prosthetic makeup, picture editing, sound mixing, and much more. Everyone involved behind the scenes is just as responsible as those on-screen for the chaotic feeling of the emergency room when disaster strikes and Dr. Robby and his team have to scramble. To highlight that atmosphere of teamwork aboard the medical drama, Collider can exclusively share a video of the expansive team, including Wyle, Patrick Ball, Isa Briones, and more from HBO Max’s Emmy Nominee Celebration as they shout out the unsung heroes behind the chart-dominating series.
First and foremost, Wyle highlights Johanna Coelho, The Pitt‘s director of photography, whom he credits for designing every frame of the drama down to the last detail with help from everyone working the cameras. Part of the reason the series can have such an intense pace while still giving the cast plenty of freedom is the operators’ ability to deftly navigate a moving set like “Ginger Rogers dancing in heels backwards” while capturing the action. The AD department also received praise as the set’s “air traffic controllers,” while the prop, sound, and makeup departments were hailed as being some of the best in the business, to the point that “it’s kinda up to you to mess it up.” As for the set itself, production designer Nina Ruscio earned a particularly enthusiastic response for bringing the titular emergency room to life beforehand, so the writers could structure the story around her work. Isa Briones gave further credit to the background team for truly making The Pitt feel, for the actors, like they were in constant life-or-death situations, which, in turn, fed into their acclaimed performances.
‘The Pitt’ Season 3 Will Shake Up the Emergency Room
Between its much-lauded ensemble and the crew that creates the perfect stage for them to perform on, The Pitt Season 2 was able to raise the bar and the stakes from its 2025 debut. The sophomore outing explored more of the harsh realities of the modern U.S. medical industry, as Robby’s final day before sabbatical sees him clashing with his interim replacement, Dr. Baran Al-Hashimi (Moafi), facing an influx of patients from another recently closed hospital, and witnessing the horrors of an ICE raid. Season 3 is currently in production with a few changes in store, as Dr. Samira Mohan (Supriya Ganesh) exits the building and Dr. Parker Ellis (Ayesha Harris) moves from night shift to day shift. No matter who comes in or walks out of the hospital’s doors or what time of year a shift takes place, though, the series is built with rotation in mind, and the technical staff will still be there to ensure the set is ready to accommodate faces both fresh and familiar.
All episodes of The Pitt Season 2 are now available to stream through HBO Max. Season 3 is expected to return around the same time in January. Check out the video of Wyle and the team praising the series’ unsung heroes in the player above.
- Release Date
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January 9, 2025
- Network
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Max
- Showrunner
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R. Scott Gemmill
- Directors
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Amanda Marsalis
- Writers
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Joe Sachs, Cynthia Adarkwa
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Noah Wyle
Dr. Michael ‘Robby’ Robinavitch
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Tracy Ifeachor
Dr. Heather Collins
Entertainment
Ryan Gosling’s Ghost Rider Gets Official 2028 Release Date From Marvel Studios
Marvel Studios has officially set a release date for Ghost Rider, giving fans a firm date for Ryan Gosling’s debut as the Spirit of Vengeance in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
The upcoming Ghost Rider movie will hit theaters on July 28, 2028, filling out another major piece of Marvel Studios’ post-Avengers: Secret Wars theatrical slate.
Gosling was officially announced as Marvel’s new Ghost Rider during San Diego Comic-Con in July. The film will be directed by Shawn Levy, who previously helmed Deadpool & Wolverine and is also working with Gosling on Star Wars: Starfighter. Jonathan Tropper is writing the screenplay.
The project will mark the first standalone Ghost Rider movie produced by Marvel Studios. Nicolas Cage previously portrayed Johnny Blaze in 2007’s Ghost Rider and its 2011 sequel, Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance, while Gabriel Luna played Robbie Reyes in Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
Ryan Gosling, Hall H, Ghost Rider [getty]
Marvel has yet to reveal major story details for the upcoming film, including whether Gosling’s version will officially be Johnny Blaze. However, the actor’s casting brings one of Marvel’s biggest supernatural characters into the MCU at a time when the franchise is preparing to enter a new era following the conclusion of the Multiverse Saga.
Ghost Rider will also be part of a packed 2028 lineup for Marvel Studios. The studio’s new X-Men movie is scheduled for May 5, 2028, while Black Panther 3 will arrive on December 15, 2028.
With Gosling leading the film and Levy behind the camera, Ghost Rider is quickly shaping up to be one of Marvel Studios’ biggest upcoming projects.
The post Ryan Gosling’s Ghost Rider Gets Official 2028 Release Date From Marvel Studios appeared first on Coastal House Media.
Entertainment
Cruz Slammed For Being ‘Obsessed’ With Brooklyn Beckham
Months after Brooklyn Beckham cut ties with the rest of his family, his younger brother Cruz Beckham appears unwilling to let go of the memories they once shared.
Earlier in the year, Brooklyn alleged that his parents, Victoria and David Beckham, had long controlled the narrative of his life and made it clear that he wanted nothing to do with them.
However, since the split, his brother Cruz has continued to reflect on their old times together, a move that has now drawn reactions from fans.

Over the weekend, the 21-year-old took to social media, sharing pictures from a family getaway and including a nostalgic photo featuring Brooklyn.
The Instagram carousel opened with a picture of Cruz and several family members participating in what appeared to be a mozzarella-making class. The post also featured a series of solo shots, but the fourth slide drew the most attention.
It was an old picture of Brooklyn, Romeo, and Cruz as young boys posing at what looked like a beach area. The trio wore only shorts and flashed bright smiles at the camera. Cruz opted to leave the post without a caption, and it has since caught the attention of fans who took to commenting.
One user wrote, “Class act Cruzie!” A second person referenced Cruz’s music, asking, “Those song lyrics are meant for Brooklyn, huh?”
This fan criticized the young singer and the rest of the brood, claiming, “They’re all obsessed with Brooklyn and can’t stop antagonizing him. Just proving how toxic they really are. I can see why Brooklyn cut ties….”
Another questioned the decision to include the image, writing, “You are not supposed to post any pictures of Brooklyn. You trying to make him mad?”
Cruz Beckham Has Revisited Childhood Memories With Brooklyn Before
The singer’s latest upload is not the first time he has looked back on happier moments with Brooklyn.
The Blast reported in February that he took to a similar pattern, seemingly in an attempt to reconnect with his elder sibling. Cruz uploaded a shot showing Brooklyn and Romeo hugging him.
He added another image that captured Brooklyn and their sister Harper Beckham on a beekeeping adventure. At that time, their mom liked the post and dropped several heart emojis in the comment section.
Cruz Beckham Seemingly Addressed The Family Rift

In addition to remembering his loving moments with his older sibling, Cruz has also seemingly bared his emotions about his family’s broken bonds in his music.
As The Blast reported, during a performance in March, the guitarist got emotional as he sang his track “Loneliest Boy” while his parents watched in the audience.
The lyrics describe someone who pushes loved ones away despite being shown care, with one verse particularly mentioning a mother whose heart is breaking. Many fans believe that the song was addressing the rift in the family.
Brooklyn Snubbed David Beckham’s Father’s Day Post

Cruz is not the only family member reaching out publicly to Brooklyn. Their patriarch has also continued to acknowledge Brooklyn during major milestones and celebrations.
Per The Blast, the former football star shared a tribute on Father’s Day featuring a photo with his first son as well as a picture including all four of his children.
In the post, David wrote, “Being a dad is my most important job… I love you all and thank you, mummy @victoriabeckham, for giving me our beautiful family.”
Despite the heartfelt message, Brooklyn did not respond or acknowledge the tribute, marking the second consecutive year he has remained silent on the occasion. Fans were quick to praise David’s gesture, with many describing it as an example of unconditional love.
Brooklyn Beckham Gushed About Nicola Peltz In Anniversary Post

While keeping his distance from his family publicly, Brooklyn has continued to celebrate his marriage with wife Nicola Peltz.
The Blast reported a few weeks ago that the former photographer marked one year since the couple renewed their wedding vows with a heartfelt Instagram tribute.
Brooklyn and Peltz, who first married in April 2022 before reaffirming their commitment in August 2025, commemorated the milestone with intimate photos and loving messages.
In his caption, the 27-year-old wrote, “Happy anniversary Nicola… I can’t tell you how much I love you x you are my best friend, and I love you more than life itself xx.”
He continued, “I am so lucky to be able to call you my wife xx. You are my absolute princess, and I promise to always protect you xx.”
Entertainment
Hayden Panettiere Felt ‘Racked With Guilt’ Over Custody Decision
Hayden Panettiere reportedly carried intense guilt over living apart from her daughter, Kaya, even after explaining that she had not been in the right mental state to raise her at the time. An insider claimed the custody decision continued to trouble the actress, who wrote candidly about motherhood, postpartum depression, and addiction in her memoir, “This Is Me: A Reckoning.”
“Hayden’s been racked with guilt about not being the mother she wanted for her child and allowing her ex-fiancé to bring up Kaya,” the source told the Daily Mail. “She didn’t believe she was in the right mental state to be a good mother at the time. It bothered her greatly.”
The guilt reportedly existed alongside other painful relationships in Panettiere’s life, including an estrangement from her mother and the abuse she said she endured during her turbulent romance with Brian Hickerson.
Kaya’s Birth Became A Terrifying Medical Emergency
Panettiere recalled that Kaya’s 2014 birth quickly became a frightening medical crisis. Doctors reportedly declared a “code crimson” emergency after Panettiere’s blood would not clot following a C-section. She underwent a three-hour operation and later learned that her uterus had become infected. The traumatic delivery was followed by an equally difficult emotional period.
Panettiere described bonding with her newborn as an “insurmountable task,” admitting that she “felt nothing” toward her daughter. She characterized the experience as “a total blackout of emotion.”
The actress subsequently turned to alcohol to cope with what she was experiencing, sometimes beginning to drink as early as 6 a.m. When Kaya was four months old, Panettiere entered treatment for her alcohol use and was diagnosed with postpartum depression. Medication reportedly helped her symptoms but also made her sleepy. She eventually began drinking again, contributing to a period in which several parts of her life unraveled.
Hayden Panettiere Lost Her Relationship And A Major Brand Contract

As Panettiere’s struggles intensified, she lost a lucrative contract with skincare company Neutrogena. Her relationship with Kaya’s father, former heavyweight boxer Wladimir Klitschko, also broke down.
Despite Panettiere’s efforts to retain custody, Klitschko eventually became Kaya’s primary parent. Panettiere signed over custody while initially believing the arrangement would only be temporary.
In her memoir, the actress described the day she signed the documents with agonizing clarity. “I remember every second of that day. Every fg second,” she wrote. “No mother could forget a single thing about the day she signed her child away.”
Kaya is now 11 and was raised primarily by Klitschko.
The Actress Called The Separation ‘Gut-Wrenching’
Panettiere made clear that living apart from Kaya never became an emotionally easy arrangement. “Not being under the same roof with her every day has been the most gut-wrenching experience of my life, and it’s hard to describe the layers of emotion, including sadness, resentment, and anger, I’ve felt because of it,” she wrote.
Despite those difficult feelings, Panettiere’s love for Kaya remained central to the way she discussed her daughter. “She is the greatest gift of my life, with all the best parts of her father and me,” the actress said.
While grieving her separation from Kaya, Panettiere was also dealing with the collapse of her relationship with her own mother, Lesley Vogel.
Panettiere’s Relationship With Her Mother Also Fractured

Vogel, an actress who also managed her daughter’s early career, once reportedly described Panettiere as someone who “does not want to be saved.”
In her memoir, Panettiere recalled freezing during an audition for a Kodak advertisement when she was four years old. She claimed that telling her mother she could not perform felt even worse than the humiliation she had experienced during the audition. “When she was so angry that my best option was to hide under my bed, her lower jaw migrated a few centimeters forward,” Panettiere wrote.
During an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Panettiere alleged that Vogel had “groomed” her to be a “little soldier,” placing pressure on her to succeed and help keep the family financially stable. When Panettiere dismissed Vogel as her manager at 19, she claimed her mother responded, “You owe me.”
Vogel ultimately stopped communicating with her daughter last year. She has not commented on Panettiere’s recent death.
Entertainment
Support Facility Workers Left Adult Strapped to Toilet
Two employees at a support facility in South Carolina were arrested after they allegedly left a vulnerable adult strapped to a toilet with a leaking feeding tube for more than an hour without helping them.
The South Carolina State Law Enforcement Division confirmed that Angela Peterson and Sherika Myles have been charged with neglect of a vulnerable adult following the incident. Peterson, 46, and Myles, 41, were booked into the Dorchester County Detention Center, and they have since been released after posting bond.
Peterson was working as a registered nurse at the Coastal Regional Center in Summerville, South Carolina, at the time of the incident, while Myles was employed as a direct support professional.
Both Peterson and Myles had been tasked to take care of a vulnerable adult on May 20, according to the arrest affidavit viewed by Us.
One of the defendants was accused of strapping the victim to a toilet with a G-tube, which is also known as a gastrostomy tube and is designed to help with supplemental feeding, hydration or giving medicine to the patients.
However, the tube started to leak, and Peterson allegedly did nothing about it despite knowing that there was an issue with it.
Peterson eventually “wrapped a towel around the G-tube to stop it from leaking” and then allegedly “waited until the next shift nurse arrived, an hour later, to receive help fixing the G-tube,” according to the documents. The victim was then “left strapped to a toilet, with a leaking G-tube for an hour.”
Myles was assigned to care for the victim and check on them “every five minutes,” which she “failed to do adequately,” per the documents.
At one point, the victim fell while they were strapped to the toilet. Authorities said they were then found “in a squatted position on the floor in front of the toilet” and were “still strapped in.”
Authorities launched an investigation into the matter, in which they conducted interviews and reviewed surveillance footage that corroborated the victim’s account of events.
Following the incident, the South Carolina Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities issued a statement saying it was “aware of two recent arrests following an allegation of neglect at Coastal Regional Center,” according to WCSC.
“BHDD requested the investigation and is working closely with the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED),” the statement continued. “Because this is an active case, any requests for information or updates should be made directly to SLED. As always, BHDD takes the safety of individuals in our care with the utmost seriousness and will continue to cooperate fully with law enforcement.”
It’s not currently clear whether Peterson or Myles have entered pleas or retained legal counsel following their arrests. The South Carolina State Law Enforcement Division did not immediately respond to Us’ request for comment regarding the case.
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