Kyle Cooke flipped a switch on the latest episode of Summer House, calling wife Amanda Batula all sorts of names — and raising eyebrows with everyone in the house.

At the beginning of the Tuesday, March 24, episode of the Bravo series, Kyle, 43, and Amanda, 34, were on good terms following a night out with their housemates. However, after Amanda went outside by the pool and left Kyle alone with his DJ switchboard he turned on her.

“F*** you,” Kyle told Amanda after he shamed her for allegedly not being “supportive” of him while their friends Ciara Miller, Ben Waddell and West Wilson looked on.

Amanda quickly told the group to just pretend nothing happened and go to bed.

“What is the point of talking about this? It’s only going to make things worse,” Amanda told the cameras. “I know that it’s wrong the way that he speaks to me. … I just know having a conversation about it isn’t going to go anywhere.”

While Amanda wanted to brush it under the rug, West chose to console her while agreeing that he would overlook the incident if that was what she really wanted.

“Objectively, nothing just happened. That’s bizarre to me,” West, 31, confessed. “That’s the first time where I’ve ever seen something where 100 percent [it] was unprovoked.”

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Related: Amanda and Kyle’s Most Cringe Moments on ‘Summer House’ Season 10

Kyle Cooke and Amanda Batula’s relationship tension was obvious from the moment they first appeared on screen during Summer House season 10 — and it only got more awkward between them from there. “Alright, don’t forget about me this summer,” Kyle told Amanda during the February 3, 2026, episode, which was filmed in July 2025, […]

Amanda, meanwhile, claimed that was “a calm version of Kyle” and something she’d been dealing with for 10 years. (Kyle and Amanda began dating in 2015 before tying the knot in September 2021. They announced their split in January.)

“There was a part of me that was like, ‘This is the best I’m ever going to do. And he loves me so much,’” Amanda told West as she started to cry. “[I was] constantly making excuses.”

As Amanda continued to get ready for bed, West went out and tried to convince Kyle to apologize for coming at Amanda seemingly out of nowhere.

Kyle, who was visibly intoxicated, claimed to West that Amanda “gave me f*** you eyes,” but West immediately denied that happened.

“I’m sorry for saying f*** you, I just feel like you don’t pay attention to me,” Kyle eventually told Amanda, claiming she doesn’t “make an effort” with him.

Kyle proceeded to accuse Amanda of spending all her time with their friends while he is ignored out at bars or even in their shared house.

When Amanda clapped back, telling Kyle that she only spends time with their crew because he’s with random people, he got even more upset.

“You’re a f***ing dumbass bitch,” Kyle called Amanda as she walked out of their room. She gave a thumbs up to West and Ben, who were in the kitchen, replying, “Oh yeah, I’m a dumbass bitch, Kyle.”

West was outraged by Kyle’s reaction, so he tried again to figure out what was going on with Kyle.

Kyle claimed that Amanda ignored her “all night long with our friends,” telling West, “It’s always a ‘F*** you, Kyle.’”

“But it’s not! This is your head,” West argued. Kyle, however, continued to claim that Amanda “hates” him and proceeded to go to bed without a true apology.

Kyle later admitted in a confessional interview that he was wrong to attack Amanda.

“There’s no excuse to drop the F-bomb and say F-you to your wife,” Kyle told the cameras. “But I can only go so long getting the cold shoulder. Getting the small but steady jabs.”

He alleged that Amanda’s digs about his life and DJ career had been “piling up” and it didn’t help his confidence that Amanda appeared to be “having a blast with everyone but me” amid their marriage troubles.

Amanda, for her part, told Lindsay Hubbard the next morning that Kyle is going through his own “s***,” but it is “no excuse” to call her names.

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Related: Kyle Cooke Claimed Amanda Batula Smoked Weed ‘Every Night’ Before Split

Kyle Cooke aired his and estranged wife Amanda Batula’s dirty laundry on Summer House months before their split made headlines. “There are so many things that Amanda and I need to talk about,” Kyle, 43, told pals West Wilson and Jesse Solomon during the Tuesday, February 10, episode of the Bravo series. Fans previously saw […]

Elsewhere in the episode, Kyle confessed, “I’m like the worst version of myself this summer. I’m just not able to articulate anything.”

The Loverboy founder noted that it felt “very isolating” that no one was seeing his side. “It makes me feel like I should just give up,” Kyle added.

The explosive episode between Kyle and Amanda was filmed in late July 2025, six months before the couple officially separated.

Summer House airs on Bravo Tuesdays at 9 p.m. ET.

Next year, Jason Statham returns in the highly anticipated sequel to The Beekeeper, which just got a new release update months after filming wrapped. Starring the English actor as Adam Clay, a highly skilled assassin, The Beekeeper 2 is directed by Timo Tjahjanto and written by Umair Aleem, a major change from its predecessor, which David Ayer produced and directed, while Kurt Wimmer wrote. Wimmer is also a co-producer on the upcoming thriller.

As part of next year’s Amazon MGM slate, The Beekeeper 2 is scheduled for worldwide release (including in the US and the UK) on January 15, 2027. However, new reports confirm that the sequel has landed an early release, arriving a day early, January 14, in theaters across Germany. This is because the country’s leading independent, Leonine Studios, has acquired distribution rights in German-speaking Europe, excluding a Pay-1 window on Prime Video, to the film.

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Who Else Returns in ‘The Beekeeper 2’?

In addition to Statham, the next Beekeeper installment will see the return of Oscar-winner Jeremy Irons as Wallace Westwyld, Emmy Raver-Lampman (The Umbrella Academy) as FBI agent Verona Parker, Bobby Naderi (The Better Sister) as Matt Wiley, and Jemma Redgrave (Doctor Who) as US President Jessica Danforth. Newcomers include Yara Shahidi, Pom Klementieff, and pro wrestler and actor Adam Copeland. The Beekeeper 2 is produced and financed by Miramax, while Amazon and MGM Studios handle distribution outside German-speaking Europe. Statham’s Punch Palace Productions and Chris Long’s Longshot Productions also produce.

Released on January 12, 2024, The Beekeeper was an instant hit with critics, earning generally positive reviews and grossing $162.6 million worldwide against a $40 million budget. It also earned a Verified Hot rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with a 92% audience score, and now holds a 71% Tomatometer rating. Meanwhile, it’s worth noting that the first film was distributed theatrically by Leonine in Germany, where it was a smash hit — debuting at number one at the box office. The action hit drew over 800,000 admissions locally and generated more than 1 million digital transactions, making it Germany’s most successful TVOD title of that year.

The Beekeeper returns with a sequel in 2027. Stay tuned to Collider for further updates ahead of its release.

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Release Date

January 15, 2027

Director

Timo Tjahjanto

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Writers

Kurt Wimmer

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Landing the role of Michael Scott became a defining moment in Steve Carell‘s career, but it almost didn’t happen. Before auditioning for “The Office,” he received unexpected advice from fellow actor and friend, Paul Rudd, who thought it was a bad idea. It offers a glimpse at how different things might have been had Carell heeded his advice and missed out on the now-iconic role.

Paul Rudd Had Doubts About The Series

Carell was a guest on the podcast “Good Hang with Amy Poehler,” where he talked about one of his most iconic roles: Michael Scott. At the time of the auditions, Carell was shooting the movie “Anchorman” with Rudd, when the latter advised him against trying out for the role.

“Rudd pulled me aside and was like, ‘Don’t do it, man. Don’t audition.’ It was like, ‘There is no way’.” Carell said, adding that Rudd basically urged him to steer clear of the project.

“The Office” is the American remake of the British sitcom created by comedian Ricky Gervais, who also starred as David Brent, the UK counterpart to Michael Scott. From the beginning, many thought creating an American version of the show was a bad idea, especially since Gervais had done an excellent job portraying the brash and cringey manager. Anyone stepping into that role would face comparisons.

Poehler said she agreed with Rudd’s thinking at that time, saying, “No one can be as good as Ricky Gervais, no one can do that show.”

Steve Carell Did Not Watch The UK Version

Despite Rudd’s advice, Carell pushed forward with the audition. However, he purposefully didn’t watch Gervais show. “I watched a minute of one and he was so good and so specific and so funny,” Carell said. He didn’t continue watching, fearing that he would try to audition with Gervais’ acting in mind.

Instead, he wanted to create a different character rather than imitate what Gervais had done with Brent. Scott, though as cringe-worthy as Brent, was more childish and goofy.

According to casting director Allison Jones, they initially had Paul Giamatti or Philip Seymour Hoffman in mind to play Scott, but they didn’t think they would agree to do a comedy show. Other actors who auditioned for the role include Bob Odenkirk, Patton Oswalt, and Rainn Wilson, who was eventually cast as Dwight Schrute. The role ultimately went to Carell, who Jones said was always a top choice.

The Pilot Tested Poorly

Carell told Poehloer that the pilot did poorly, saying, “Our pilot was the lowest testing pilot in the history of NBC. People really hated it. They actively hated it. And I don’t quite know how it got legs after that,” he revealed. “The Office” first aired in March 2005, with the first season consisting of six episodes. The reviews were mostly poor to mediocre, with many critics comparing it to the British version.

In an interview with Vox, “The Office” writer Michael Schur said that after they shot the final episode of season 1, everyone thought the show was going to be cancelled. NBC executive Kevin Reilly fought for the show, and they were given a second season.

Steve Carell’s Popularity Helped ‘The Office’

As Schur noted, Carell’s popularity after the first season aired boosted “The Office.” At that time, the actor starred in “40-Year-Old Virgin” before the premiere of season 2. “They partially gave us the second season because they had Steve under contract. So. Network executive sticks his neck out. The guy who’s the main character becomes a movie star,” Schur explained.

Furthermore, Greg Daniels, who developed the show, made some changes in regard to Scott’s character. Instead of following the British version, they wrote new material that resonated more with the American audience.

With the changes made, “The Office” found its footing, and the second season became a massive success.

Steve Carell Left ‘The Office’ Before It Concluded

Carell left “The Office” after season 7, and at the time of his departure, the explanation was that he wanted to spend more time with family. A decade later, however, it was revealed that the actor didn’t want to leave, but NBC hadn’t approached him about renewing his contract, as reported by Parade.

Carell said that shooting his final scenes for the show was “emotional torture,” but it allowed him to have a proper farewell to his show and castmates. However, he returned for a brief moment in one of the series’ final episodes.

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“The Office” concluded in 2013 after nine seasons, and it remains one of the top sitcoms of all time. In 2025, the show’s spin-off series, “The Paper,” premiered on Peacock, and it has been renewed for a second season.

Editor’s note: The below recap contains spoilers for Invincible Season 4 Episode 4.

The first three episodes of Invincible Season 4 were jam-packed with build-up, introducing new villains such as Dinosaurus (Matthew Rhys) and Universa (Danai Gurira), teasing the looming threat of Thragg (Lee Pace), and setting up the Viltrumite War. Nolan (J.K. Simmons) and Allen (Seth Rogen) are also working alongside Thaedus (Peter Cullen) to build up the Coalition of Planets, Atom Eve (Gillian Jacobs) is pregnant, and Mark Grayson (Steven Yeun) is getting a little too comfortable killing. It’s safe to say, thus far, Invincible Season 4 has been all killer, no filler — that is, until the fourth episode, “Hurm,” which sends the titular superhero to Hell, literally.

Damein Darkblood Returns in ‘Invincible’ Season 4 Episode 4

Image via Prime Video

As Episode 4 begins, Mark arrives at Art’s (Mark Hamill) costume shop. Mark is overcome with guilt over his actions, telling Art that he has become just like his father, and tries to return his black-and-blue suit. Art tells Mark that he doesn’t have to wear that suit and reveals that he has been working on an updated version of his classic yellow and blue outfit. At that moment, Mark receives a call from Eve, informing him of a new call from Invincible Inc.

Then, the episode takes a turn to Hell (or the UnderRealm, as its inhabitants call it). Damien Darkblood (Clancy Brown), his sister Domina (Kate Mulgrew), and the Darkblood Clan take on the lava-skinned warrior Volcanikka (Indira Varma), who wants an artifact known as the Vial to enact Hell on Earth. Damien says they should have waited longer and tried a ritual again, but Domina notes that Volcanikka would have triumphed had they waited any longer. Volcanikka proves to be a worthy opponent, knocking out Damien and leaving Domina as the only one standing. Domina attempts to take on Volcanikka on her own, but her regeneration powers prove to be too much, and she is supposedly killed in battle. Damien awakens and brings his sister’s corpse to his father, the Great Beast (Bruce Campbell). Contrary to the name, the Great Beast doesn’t look very great nor beast-like.

The Great Beast’s ritual slowly begins to resurrect the Darkblood Clan, but unfortunately, in his frail state, he doesn’t have enough power to complete it. Damien then conducts a ritual of his own, using his trenchcoat and a vial containing Nolan’s blood. The ritual doesn’t go as planned, and instead of Omni-Man, Mark arrives, still in his black-and-blue suit. This begs its own question: why would Episode 4 begin with Mark getting an upgraded version of his classic suit back, only to appear in this bottle episode with his black-and-blue one? Season 4’s marketing has already revealed that he’s going to go back to his original color scheme, so teasing the audience at the beginning is a questionable choice. Apparently, the call Mark received at the beginning of the episode had nothing to do with Damien. Instead, he was called to supposedly protect Riley (Chloe Bennet) from the reawakened ancient Egyptian Ka-Hor (Brown). Now stranded, Riley thinks Ka-Hor was behind Mark’s sudden disappearance, but Ka-Hor tells her that wasn’t the case. He wants a male host to possess, having no interest in inhabiting the body of a woman. Regardless, he realizes he’s out of options and decides to possess Riley’s body anyway.

Mark Learns the Truth About Hell in ‘Invincible’ Season 4 Episode 4

Damien attempts to introduce a confused Mark to the Great Beast, who we now know is Satan. Thinking he’s an enemy, Mark immediately attacks Satan, but Damien stops him, saying that’s not why he was summoned to Hell. Mark apologizes, and Damien proceeds to give him the lowdown on what he needs to do, while also revealing to Mark that Cecil (Walton Goggins) exorcised him back to Hell; he did not return on his own accord. Damien tells Mark that Volcanikka has stolen the throne of Hell from Satan, and he needs his help. Mark is reluctant, telling Damien that he’s in a dark place at the moment and that he should call upon other heroes to help, but Damien rejects the idea. He’s also reluctant to help demons, since he was raised to believe that Satan was the bad guy, but Damien tells him that it’s all myths made up by the “surface dwellers.” In fact, humans exist because of Satan. Invincible is already a show that constantly pushes the edge, but bringing in theology isn’t really something the series needed.

Mark ultimately agrees to Damien and Satan’s pleas for help, but warns them that he is not interested in hurting anyone. Mark and Damien are tasked with retrieving Satan’s Molten Crown, which will restore him to his true monstrous form. While on their journey, Damien tells Mark that he was expecting Omni-Man, but it’s revealed that Mark believes his father is dead, executed at the hands of the Viltrum Empire. Regardless, Mark doesn’t think his father would have helped, but Damien says he thought he could convince him with self-interest. What follows is arguably the most entertaining moment in the episode, as Mark and Damien fall down a “bottomless” pit, where the former constantly asks the latter questions about how he talks with his helmet on and the shocking revelation that Heaven doesn’t actually exist. It’s a fairly simple scene, but after spending so much time with Mark at the lowest points of his life, it’s nice to see him confused in a more comedic fashion, instead of reacting in sheer rage.

Related

‘Invincible’ Creator Has Settled the Superman vs. Omni-Man vs. Homelander Debate: “Superman Sucks” [Exclusive]

Robert Kirkman thinks J.K. Simmons’s Viltrumite could fly circles around the Man of Steel.

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Upon arriving at the bottom, Mark faces off with Cerberus, the former three-headed guard dog of Hell. Mark is easily able to retrieve the Molten Crown and carries Damien out of the pit. They present Satan with the crown, who then transforms into his true form and speaks exactly how you’d expect a Bruce Campbell character to talk. It’s delightful. Mark waits outside of Satan’s cavern as he performs his ritual to resurrect Domina and the Darkblood Clan. When Damien joins him, he says, “I helped you get the crown, now send me back.” Of course, Damien tells Mark he still needs his help.

Satan has successfully resurrected the Darkblood Clan, but Domina is still gravely wounded and unable to battle, telling her brother to take her battleaxe in the fight against Volcanikka. The battle culminates in Volcanikka and her Magmaites defeating most of the Darkblood Clan, leaving only Mark, Damien, and Satan standing. Her regenerative powers make her a tough opponent, but Mark ultimately defeats her, causing her to melt. But as she evaporates, she warns him that she will never truly go away. Just as the battle appears to be done, a gang of demonic creatures, known as the Vial, arises from the lava, only to be quickly defeated. It’s revealed that the Darkblood Clan has survived the encounter, and Domina is on her way to recovery. Satan thanks Mark for his assistance and prepares to send him back home, telling him, “We owe you a debt. Make us proud.”

Omni-Man Returns to Earth in ‘Invincible’ Season 4 Episode 4

Image via Prime Video

Back on Earth, Eve tells William Clockwell (Andrew Rannells) about her pregnancy, admitting that while she wants to have children with Mark at some point, she isn’t ready to be a mother yet. In fact, she hasn’t even told Mark yet. William comforts Eve, telling her that she sounds “unsure” and that she really needs to talk with Mark about this, not him. Upon his return, Mark finally dons his upgraded yellow-and-blue suit and flies back to the Grayson household, where Debbie (Sandra Oh) and Oliver (Christian Convery) await his arrival. Debbie tells her sons that Paul (Cliff Curtis) has bought a new house and that they’ll be moving. Instead of being excited about a new beginning, Mark and Oliver are conflicted about the move. Seeing that he doesn’t want to hurt his mother’s feelings, Mark tells her that he’ll support her no matter what and that Paul is a great guy.

The episode ends with Mark sitting next to Eve on the roof, telling her about his complicated feelings about the move as well as his trip to Hell, saying, “I’m not OK. But maybe, I’m getting there.” Eve decides that she finally needs to tell him about her pregnancy, but as soon as she opens her mouth, Nolan and Allen arrive, telling Mark, “The time for war is upon us.” A post-credits scene reveals that Damien has made his return to Earth and that Volcanikka is still pursuing a war on the surface world.

“Hurm” isn’t a bad episode of Invincible, but it comes at the worst possible time for the season. Creator Robert Kirkman previously revealed that this subplot never made it into the comics, and upon watching this episode, you can understand why. It just doesn’t feel like the Invincible we know and love. This is a story with superheroes, intergalactic wars, aliens, and human drama, and really digging deep into the supernatural elements, through the character of Damien Darkblood, doesn’t feel needed. If this episode were to have come during the second or third season, it may have been more effective, but the detour for this particular story in Season 4 is more jarring than effective.

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Release Date

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March 26, 2021

Network

Amazon Prime Video

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Franchise(s)

Invincible

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Pros & Cons

• The bottomless pit moment is funny.
• Mark’s classic suit returns!

• Episode 4’s story doesn’t fit with the rest of the season.
• The episode’s supernatural elements add unnecessary lore to an already crammed world.

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Brooks Nader isn’t afraid to discuss her cosmetic procedure history.

“When I was 18 and I moved to New York, I was like, ‘I’m gonna get filler. I’m gonna do all these treatments, I’m gonna get lipo, whatever it is,’” she exclusively told Us Weekly in February 2026. “My parents gave me, like, $1000 and they were like, ‘Have fun.’ I felt like it was what everyone was doing. I was thrown into this world of Hollywood and chasing perfection. And I thought that getting filler was the answer.”

Nader has admitted to getting face fillers and using GLP-1s, like Ozempic and Wegovy, to lose weight. She also confessed that she regretted getting liposuction when she was younger.

Keep scrolling to see which cosmetic procedures she’s gotten done and how she feels about it:

Brooks Nader’s Nose Job

Brooks Nader shared that she got rhinoplasty, more commonly known as a nose job. She shared in a November 2025 interview with Bustle that others have told her she looks “like Michael Jackson” as a result of the surgery.

Brooks Nader Has Veneers

In a November 2025 interview with Bustle, the model revealed she got veneers done by Dr. Michael Apa.

Brooks Nader Has Gotten ‘Countess’ Injectables

Brooks Nader told Bustle in November 2025 that she has received “countless” fillers over the years. She has gotten Botox, salmon sperm facials and the Nefertiti Lift, which is an injection technique done around the jawline.

“Every Christmas, you can catch me looking like Freddy Krueger,” she quipped.

Months later, Nader exclusively told Us that she has gotten multiple of her fillers dissolved.

“I honestly felt really good about it, because I feel like I get a lot of the comments that are like, ‘You look 40, you look 40, you look 40,’” Nader said. “I’m like, ‘What? I don’t want to be 40.’”

Brooks Nader Got — and Now Regrets — Liposuction

In a March 2026 interview with People, Brooks Nader confessed to getting liposuction “years ago” but now regrets the decision.

“I forever regret it because I just didn’t need it,” she admitted. “I feel like it created dimples and ripples and things.”

Brooks Nader Has Taken GLP-1 Weight Loss Medications

Brooks Nader has been open about using Ozempic and other GLP-1 medications. (The prescriptions were created to manage diabetes by regulating blood sugar levels and appetite, which often leads to weight loss.)

In her November 2025 interview with Bustle, Nader shared that she used the medication after being told she needed to lose weight to book more modeling gigs.

“I didn’t shed one tear over it. I don’t feel bad for myself. I just say, ‘The facts are they want me to lose weight. How can I achieve that?’” she reflected. “The facts are that when I started GLP-1, my career took off. I’m not saying it’s OK. I’m not saying it’s right. I think everybody is different — but I lost 30 pounds, and I booked all the jobs.”

A woman has filed a lawsuit against Cyndi Lauper’s husband, David Thornton, alleging that the star couple’s rapper son, Declyn Lauper, sexually assaulted her.

According to court documents obtained by Us Weekly on Tuesday, March 24, the woman alleges that Declyn, 28, sexually assaulted her in a New York City penthouse in November 2020 after she “refused to perform oral sex on him.” TMZ was first to report on the filing.

The Monday, March 23, docs detailed that the woman, who was not identified, claims Thorton, 72, “enabled” the alleged incident “because he leased the penthouse and knew of” Declyn’s alleged “violent and sexually abusive propensities.”

Us Weekly has reached out to representatives for Thorton and Declyn for comment.

Related: Woman Claims She Was Raped by Diddy When She Was a Teen Babysitter

Sean “Diddy” Combs has been accused of rape by another alleged victim in a new lawsuit. In the complaint, which was filed in New York and obtained by Us Weekly, the woman claimed Diddy raped her in 2000 when she was a 16-year-old high school student. The plaintiff, who was identified as Jane Doe, said […]

The lawsuit claims that Declyn, also known by his stage name Dex, “invited the woman … and sent her money for private car transportation,” per the outlet who also reported that “when she arrived, she claims he seemed agitated, and they disagreed about her performing fellatio.”

The woman then claims that “when she insisted on leaving, Dex took her phone and threatened to break the device if she did not” comply, before he allegedly “pushed her onto his bed with his genitals exposed, held her arms down, and forcibly smothered his genitals over her mouth.”

As for the filing against Thornton, the woman alleges that the Home Alone 3 actor knew of Declyn’s alleged “prior sexual violence against women and prior settlements of claims for similar conduct.”

The woman claims that Declyn’s ex Brittney Taylor alleged in 2018 that the rapper “was physically and verbally abusive during their romantic relationship,” and that his father allegedly “knew about the allegations but failed to take any action to supervise, restrict, or prevent his son from using the Premises to perpetrate sexual violence.”

Related: Model Sues Diddy, Claims He Sexually Assaulted and Drugged Her

Sean “Diddy” Combs is being sued by another woman, claiming they were sexually assaulted by him. According to court documents obtained by TMZ on Tuesday, May 21, model Crystal McKinney filed a lawsuit against Diddy, 54, for an alleged incident between them in 2003. In the filing, she claimed she connected with Diddy at a […]

The lawsuit also claims that the woman suffered “physical injuries, pain and suffering, emotional distress, humiliation, embarrassment, stress and anxiety, loss of self-esteem and self-confidence” as a result of her alleged November 2020 interaction with Declyn.

The filing comes after The New York Post reported earlier this month that Declyn accepted a plea deal in relation to a February 2024 criminal charge. As part of the deal, he pleaded guilty to possessing a weapon in the second degree in exchange for no prison time in relation to the charge, which was issued after a “shooting in Upper Manhattan” that saw “another individual … hit in the leg.”

By Joshua Tyler
| Updated 1 hour ago

New Zealand filmmaker Peter Jackson is working on a new Lord of the Rings movie, and to make it, he’s teaming up with talk show host Stephen Colbert. This is not a joke or a drill; it’s happening, and they’re already writing the script. 

Stephen Colbert, long known as one of Hollywood’s most obsessive Tolkien fans, is co-writing the film alongside his son, Peter McGee, and returning franchise writer Philippa Boyens. They’re using the working title The Lord of the Rings: Shadow of the Past to refer to the project. It’s not clear yet if that will be the movie’s final title.

Here’s the announcement recorded by Peter Jackson…

The story they’re developing is based on six specific chapters from J.R.R. Tolkien’s Fellowship of the Ring. Those chapters are numbers three through eight, often referred to as “Three Is Company through Fog on the Barrow Downs.” They involve Frodo first leaving the Shire, encountering his first Black Rider, and, most notably of all, encountering Tom Bombadil. 

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Tolkien fans will no doubt remember that Tom Bombadil was the biggest omission from the original Lord of the Rings movies. Jackson will now remedy that by making an entire, dedicated Tom Bombadil story. 

Tom Bombadil is one of the strangest and most mysterious figures in The Lord of the Rings. Living in the Old Forest with his wife Goldberry, in Tolkien’s book, he appears cheerful and harmless, yet possesses immense, unexplained power. He’s so powerful that he’s totally unaffected by the One Ring. 

Bombadil rescues the hobbits from multiple dangers, including the Barrow-downs, but exists completely outside the main conflict of Middle-earth, seemingly untouched by its wars, politics, or even its rules.

Peter Jackson is mostly involved in The Lord of the Rings: Shadow of the Past on the production side, reuniting with key members of the original creative team, signaling that this isn’t a reboot but another attempt to mine unused Tolkien material with the same people who built the franchise the first time. This new project is slated for release after Lord of the Rings: Hunt For Gollum, a feature film in production under the direction of Lord of the Rings alum Andy Serkis.

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When Ghosts of War was released in 2020, it didn’t get a lot of traction and gained mostly unfavorable reviews from the critics. From the current perspective, this horror film set in the penultimate year of World War II hits differently, with its effective mix of not only suspense and action but also supernatural and psychological aspects. Admittedly, the initial premise of Eric Bress‘ film doesn’t come off as very original, as the war setting isn’t anything new to the horror genre, thanks to such outings as Overlord, Trench 11, The Bunker, etc.

Few films, however, offer truly interesting concepts within the genre wrapping, mostly content with finding new ways to introduce various monsters (most commonly, zombies) to the historical setting. A notable exception was M.J. Bassett‘s 2002 film, Deathwatch, which presented war itself as a monster. And Ghosts of War, despite all the plot differences, leans towards the same idea, focusing on the way war shapes horrific moral dilemmas and showing how guilt and shame over certain actions or inaction can create their very own monsters and curses. And now that star Alan Ritchson is dominating on Netflix with his new war thriller War Machine, now is the perfect time to revisit this underseen war thriller.

What Is ‘Ghosts of War’ About?

In 1944, five American troopers of the 82nd Airborne Division arrive at a chateau located somewhere in rural France. They are under orders to guard the place, and at first none of the men think much about the fact that the unit who had the previous shift seem rattled and can’t get out of there fast enough. The guys barely manage to settle in when strange, seemingly paranormal occurrences start happening all around them. Between the mysterious knocking coming from the fireplace—which seems to be using Morse code to send ominous messages—and a journal that details the terrible fate of the family that used to live here, the characters succumb to the dark presence that lurks around them. German soldiers arrive and attack, but at this point, the Americans have already come to realize that what they’re dealing with inside the house might be much more dangerous than the enemies they are trying to keep out.

The Gothic setting of the mansion and all the potential chills that come with it can bring another reference to a supernatural horror set during WWII to mind—the unfortunate sequel to an already unnecessary remake, The Woman in Black: Angel of Death, which came out in 2014. Unlike the latter, though, Ghosts of War doesn’t only utilize war as a backdrop to a classic ghost story about a vengeful spirit who wants retribution but incorporates it into the emotional core here: war isn’t the background of the horror; it’s the catalyst for it. Eric Bress isn’t a novice in genre cinema, having previously worked on the Final Destination franchise—both the second and fourth films—as a screenwriter and having directed The Butterfly Effect. In Ghosts of War, which he both wrote and directed, he makes effective use of space, which remains pretty limited for most of the story, making it work for both horror and the prolonged action sequence depicting the attack by the Germans.

The Cast of ‘Ghosts of War’ and Its Effective Twist Elevate It From Being a Typical Ghost Story

Image via Vertical Entertainment 

Like many movies with a clear anti-war message, Ghosts of War has a very specific set of characters and a very particular cast that all help to sharpen the idea that most people who find themselves in the trenches aren’t black and white heroes or villains. Just ordinary people who try to hold on to their sanity amid chaos and madness. That is especially evident in the case of the future Jack Reacher, Ritchson, who plays one of the privates with his trademark natural charisma of a man who could’ve been the hero of the story and the one to make it to the end credits in some other scenario. Here, however, he unexpectedly becomes the first and almost random victim, once again emphasizing the idea of war as the dark force that devours everything and everyone in its path.

Other actors in the core cast fully contribute to this effect too. Brenton Thwaites plays the unit’s commander, who does his best to lead but comes off just as confused as the men he’s supposed to be in charge of. And Kyle Gallner, who hadn’t fully reached his Scream King status at that point but already had several noticeable genre outings under his belt, seems to be channeling his experience in The Haunting in Connecticut, playing a character who is probably the most perceptive of the supernatural presence inside the mansion. Rounded out by Skylar Astin and Theo Rossi, this group comes off as a bunch of regular young men who are roughened and exhausted by the war, but try to stick to some semblance of normalcy by gathering around the fireplace and scaring each other by relaying terrible incidents as if they were campfire stories.

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While Ghosts of War isn’t by any means a subtle film, the gradual dissolution of the familiar reality is what it does best, hinting at a possible twist with the help of several discrepancies in the story, noticeable to history buffs, and the mention of the famous Ambrose Bierce‘s short story, An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge. When Bress’ film first came out, a lot of the criticism it faced was aimed specifically at the movie’s ending, claiming that both the twist and the following resolution sort of render the previous events pointless. In the context of the movie’s broader meaning, though, there is another way to see this controversial ending. In its final sequence, Ghosts of War seems to be fully embracing its psychological horror origin, showing that the only way to deal with trauma is to go back to the roots of it and address it directly, instead of going through the soothing motions that are merely an illusion of moving forward.

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Ghosts of War

Release Date

July 3, 2020

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Runtime

94 minutes

Director

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Eric Bress

Writers

Eric Bress

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Related: Katie Holmes’ Trousers Are a 2026 Alternative to Denim — The $17 Look

Tired of your denim rotation? Katie Holmes just showed off her classy jeans replacement for 2026 — and it starts with trousers. She swapped jeans for relaxed black pants that looked just as easy but far more polished. Even better, this $17 version makes recreating the elevated swap surprisingly doable. The Happy Hours actress wore […]

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