The first reactions to Amazon MGM’s Masters of the Universe are finally here, and the early buzz is sounding far more positive than many fans expected.

Following the film’s world premiere, several early reactions praised the movie for fully embracing the larger than life fantasy insanity that made the original franchise iconic in the 1980s. One of the most talked about reactions described the film as “gloriously campy, wildly entertaining, and nonstop fun from beginning to end,” with many viewers praising director Travis Knight for understanding exactly what fans wanted from a live action He Man movie.

The film stars Nicholas Galitzine as Prince Adam/He Man alongside Jared Leto, Idris Elba, Camila Mendes, and Alison Brie. The story follows Adam returning to Eternia after years away in order to confront Skeletor and reclaim his destiny as the most powerful man in the universe.

A major theme appearing throughout reactions is the movie’s willingness to lean into the colorful fantasy tone of the original cartoons and toy line instead of grounding everything in realism. Some viewers are already comparing the film’s energy to modern fantasy blockbusters, pointing to its oversized visuals, cosmic mythology, and unapologetically fun approach to the material.

Masters of the Universe [credit: Amazon Studios]

Interestingly, “campy” is clearly being used as a compliment this time around. The franchise has always carried a certain level of over the top fantasy charm, and many fans online seem relieved that the movie did not attempt to strip away that identity. Discussions across social media have praised the film for embracing the weirdness of Eternia rather than trying to reinvent it into something overly dark or self serious.

The premiere itself also featured a major full circle moment for longtime fans when original 1987 He Man actor Dolph Lundgren appeared alongside Galitzine on the red carpet holding the iconic Sword of Power.

Amazon MGM appears to be positioning Masters of the Universe as one of its biggest theatrical releases of 2026, and based on these first reactions, the studio may finally have a genuine crowd pleasing fantasy franchise on its hands.

Masters of the Universe arrives in theaters on June 5, 2026.

K. Michelle is no longer holding back about her issues with Porsha Williams, and the drama between the two women is quickly becoming one of the biggest talking points of the current “Real Housewives of Atlanta” season.

After appearing on the Bravo series, the singer is now opening up about why she became suspicious of Williams early on and why their friendship completely fell apart.

The “Love ’Em All” singer recently sat down with Page Six’s “Virtual Reali-Tea” and admitted she already had reservations before fully stepping into the “RHOA” group dynamic.

According to K. Michelle, her concerns centered around Porsha Williams’ personality and how she operates within the reality television world.

“I feel like even coming in, that’s who she is,” K. Michelle said about Williams. “That’s why I was already skeptical about even walking in — period.”

Even though Williams introduced her to the cast this season, K. Michelle insisted she never depended on the reality star to land a place on the show.

“And I know we have people that are brought onto the show, this and that, but I was going to be on the show without you. That wasn’t about you,” she explained.

The singer’s comments made it clear she wanted viewers to understand that her casting had nothing to do with favoritism or needing a co-sign from Williams.

Friendship Plans Changed Behind The Scenes

Before filming intensified, K. Michelle believed she would naturally become closer to Angela Oakley instead of Porsha Williams. She explained that she and Oakley had already started bonding away from cameras and expected that friendship to carry over onto the show.

“I actually wanted to be brought in by Angela because we had started to form a relationship and I wanted to be brought in by Angela,” she said.

Still, K. Michelle decided to approach things carefully once producers informed her that Williams would be her entry point into the cast. Because the women already had a friendly history through mutual support and previous projects, the singer attempted to stay open-minded.

“So when I was told [it was going to be] Porsha because we did the movie and we did the ‘go girl,’ we support each other on pictures and things like that, I was like, ‘OK. I’m going to go in with an open mind and I’m going to watch for myself the behavior,’” she recalled.

However, the singer claimed her observations during filming only deepened her doubts about Williams’ motives.

K. Michelle Claims Porsha Williams Was Playing ‘Producer’

As tensions between the women grew, K. Michelle accused Williams of carefully managing how she appeared on camera while allegedly manipulating situations behind the scenes.

“And the behavior is as I thought,” she claimed. “It’s the behavior of being very well PR’ed up, knowing how to talk at this point and basically knowing how to sit there and smile and deal with that.”

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K. Michelle suggested Williams behaved as if she had authority over storylines and cast interactions. That dynamic, according to the singer, became frustrating very quickly.

“But also knowing what you’re doing and thinking you’re the producer,” she continued. “I could never be produced. You will never yo-yo me. You’re never going to produce me.”

Dallas Dinner Drama Took The Feud To Another Level

The conflict between K. Michelle and Porsha Williams exploded during the May 17 episode of “The Real Housewives of Atlanta.”

During a cast dinner in Dallas, K. Michelle accused Williams of making what she believed was a coded joke about oysters.

The singer later explained on “Virtual Reali-Tea” that she interpreted the comment as a subtle jab tied to old online rumors surrounding her vaginal hygiene.

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The moment became one of the season’s most talked-about scenes as viewers debated whether the comment was innocent or intentionally shady.

K. Michelle also claimed she felt several women in the group were not genuinely trying to build friendships with her.

Alongside Williams, she specifically mentioned Phaedra Parks and Drew Sidora while discussing her frustrations.

Instead, the singer said she naturally formed stronger connections with Kelli Ferrell, Shamea Morton, Pinky Cole and Oakley throughout filming.

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K. Michelle Says She Refused To Fall In Line

As the season unfolded, K. Michelle said she sensed growing tension because she refused to align herself with certain cast members or follow expected social dynamics within the group.

“And I just feel like I didn’t come in like people expected,” she said. “And once I didn’t go or pick this group or do this, then it was like, ‘Oh, you didn’t fall in line.’”

The singer’s remarks painted a picture of someone determined to remain independent despite mounting pressure from cast politics and shifting friendships.

While K. Michelle and Williams once publicly supported one another online and in professional spaces, their relationship now appears beyond repair.

With the drama continuing to unfold on-screen, fans are closely watching to see whether the fallout becomes even messier before the season ends.

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Bold and the Beautiful shows Hope Logan (Annika Noelle) really angry and feeling betrayed by Brooke Logan (Katherine Kelly Lang). Not only did Hope have some really harsh things to say to her mom, but then she ran over to Logan to gripe to Liam Spencer (Scott Clifton) and was also talking smack about Brooke to her husband.

So, it definitely sounds like Hope is going to join Logan. And from there, I think she would want some payback on those that she blames for stealing her big dreams. So, we’re going to talk about Hope turning ruthless and looking for vengeance.

Brooke Already Turned Down the Co-CEO Job Before on Bold and the Beautiful

So, this week, we saw Hope saying really hurtful things to her mom, Brooke. And we watched Hope saying that Brooke let her down and that she let herself down. That’s all because Ridge Forrester (Thorsten Kaye) didn’t cave when Brooke asked him for Steffy Forrester‘s (Jacqueline MacInnes Wood) job, which was way too much of an ask. Just by the way, in case you forgot, Brooke was offered the co-CEO job before and she turned it down.

That was June 2024 when Ridge offered Brooke the co-CEO job. So there was this couple of different conversations where Ridge was asking Brooke to run Forrester Creations with Steffy. So they would have been co-CEOs and Ridge said that he would like to step back from the day-to-day operations and focus on being a designer. And guess what? Brooke said no because she didn’t want Steffy to see her as a threat. So instead, at the time, Brooke got a fancier title, more authority, and a place on the executive team.

Hope is Manipulating Brooke on B&B

So, now we’ve got Hope manipulating her and pushing Brooke to grab a job she doesn’t want and already turned down. Back in 2024 when Brooke rejected the co-CEO gig, that was at the same time, if you don’t remember, that Hope was actively hitting on Finn Finnegan (Tanner Novlan), trying to seduce him, getting him to massage her, faking headaches to get those massages. She kissed him.

Even worse than all that, she was actively trying to manipulate Finn into siding with her against Steffy. And it was all about Hope for the Future. Hope was filling Finn’s head with all this, “Oh, Steffy’s so anti-Logan stuff.” And he actually questioned her. Hope’s manipulations low-key were working on Finn. Six months after that, things didn’t go her way. And Hope pushed Carter to steal Forrester Creations from its owners, all because of Hope for the Future again.

Hope Is Playing the Victim Card on Bold

So, back to 2026. Now, Hope’s on fire and thinks Brooke shouldn’t take no for an answer, that she should have forced Ridge to demote Steffy even though he didn’t have the power to do it. And I think Brooke only ever asked about the co-CEO thing because Hope was pushing her. And Brooke did say that Ridge was going to talk to Steffy about reactivating Hope for the Future.

That wasn’t good enough for Hope. And based on Ridge’s heated conversation with Zende Forrester (Delon de Metz), he’s not going to push Steffy. And in fact, Ridge hasn’t even talked to Steffy about it. And even Brooke told Hope the focus has to be on Eric Forrester‘s (John McCook) line, but Hope questioned it and said, “Does it? Does it really?” So basically, she’s playing the victim card. And when Mommy Brooke didn’t do what she wanted, Hope was really nasty to Brooke. Hope was also appalled that Brooke slept with Ridge after he didn’t give her Steffy’s job.

Bold and the Beautiful: Hope Threw a Tantrum

I mean, Ridge and Brooke are constantly shagging, so that shouldn’t be surprising. I bet Hope would have been twice as mad if she’d heard Brooke saying that she kept Ridge up all night doing it. So, it wasn’t just sex. It was a whole bunch of sex. And then Hope ran. She was whining to Liam about Brooke’s so-called betrayal. And of course, Liam said Hope needs to come to Logan.

She’ll be valued and respected. And I think Liam is going to get her hyped up. And Hope’s going to head over to Forrester Creations for one last showdown with Steffy. And in that argument, I think Hope’s going to either quit or storm out or she’s going to push Steffy to the point that she fires her stepsister on Bold and the Beautiful.

Hope May Want Payback On Brooke, Steffy, And Ridge on Bold and the Beautiful

And from there, you know, it seems clear Hope is likely, very likely going to end up over at Logan. And Zende may follow her because he’s frustrated, too. But I also don’t think Hope’s going to go quietly. I think she’s going to want some payback on Brooke, on Steffy, and also on Ridge. Now, we know Hope’s convinced she was betrayed and done dirty. So, if she joins Liam at Logan, she may ruthlessly target the people still at Forrester Creations.

So, one thing I can see Hope doing is holding a press conference announcing she left Forrester Creations and is at Logan. I can see her saying she’s excited to work with Katie Logan (Heather Tom), but then also disses Forrester Creations so that her fan base will follow her over to Logan and she can take them away from Forrester Creations. I can see Hope announce that she’s putting out a line at Logan for all of her followers. I expect her to reveal that her brother Deke Sharpe (Harrison Cone) is going to join her at Logan after he was also disrespected and mistreated by the Forresters.

Bold and the Beautiful: Hope Trashes Ridge & Brooke

Another thing I can see is Hope throwing out accusations against Brooke and Ridge that not only did they turn on Eric and force him into retirement, but now they’ve turned on her and basically shut down her line and forced her out. And I could see Hope launching attacks on Steffy in the press also trying to ruin all their reputations. You know, Bill Spencer (Don Diamont) already told the fashion press that Ridge and Brooke forced Eric out, but the Forresters kind of tried to sidestep it.

They didn’t outright lie, but they were kind of eh, you know, they didn’t admit to it. But if Hope confirms it’s true, that’s big news. Now, obviously, Hope would bring Deke to Logan to work with her, but he’s too new to lead a line. I do think that Zende may follow Hope because she would make him a lead designer and that’s a big deal. It would be a huge promotion for Zende, better than being stuck following nepo baby R.J. Forrester (Brayan Nicoletti) around at Forrester Creations. And if Zende joins Hope at Logan, I’m sure she’d make a big deal of announcing that Zende also left Forrester Creations and set it up as another swipe at the family.

You know, Hope could say that Brooke, Ridge, and Steffy sidelined and dissed Zende, too. And Hope might remind the fashion press that Eric went to Logan to do one collection, and he did that. If Zende joins, too, that’s a big slap at the Forresters with two of their own coming over to Logan. And I’m sure Hope would rub it in their faces that Forrester Creations can’t keep staff because of how badly they treat people.

Hope May Rush Out a Collection to Beat Forrester Creations on B&B

So, I also suspect that Hope would make a big deal out of rushing out a collection under the Logan umbrella. I think she might simply call her new line Hope all caps, you know. And I think that with support from Liam, Katie, and Bill, they could hustle out her line so that they would beat Forrester Creations to the market. Imagine how ticked Ridge and Steffy would be if Logan releases its new Hope line before Forrester Creations gets Eric’s new couture collection launched.

That way, she can steal their thunder because Eric’s collection still needs work. That dress they had on the runway this week, that red doily thing was not attractive. So, I could see Hope conspiring with Bill on a ruthless PR campaign to make Forrester Creations look like a has-been company that devalues people and even mistreats their own family.

Bold and the Beautiful: Bill & Hope Override Katie

I don’t think Katie would like an attack on her sister Brooke, but I could see Bill and Hope doing it anyway and targeting Forrester Creations because Bill hates Ridge and he has turned on Brooke, too. And Hope thinks Brooke betrayed her and picked Ridge over her, you know, and she’s always upset at Steffy. And we know Hope’s upset at her mom and her stepdad.

So, in the end, I think Hope is so mad that if she does wind up at Logan, which looks like it’s going to happen, instead of being grateful that they want her, I think she’ll be hateful and vengeful and may actually turn villainous where the Forresters are concerned and also her mom.

Margaret Josephs revealed in March 2026 that she’d opted not to return to “The Real Housewives of New Jersey“ for season 15. Now, in a recent interview, the “RHONJ” alum is doubling down on her beef with Teresa Giudice being the reason for her exit.

Josephs appeared on the “Shut Up Tell Me More” podcast, hosted by Pam Comiter, in May 2026. While on the show, “The Real Housewives of New Jersey” alum was asked why she’s not returning to the series. Notably, the 59-year-old first appeared on the series in 2017 for the show’s eighth season.

In response, she said, “I have said, if you go back to every outlet, podcast, interview I have done since we wrapped filming years ago: I have said if a certain someone is coming back and it’s going down that pipe, it is not good for me. I cannot work with them.”

After that, Josephs stated that this issue isn’t so much about Giudice herself as about the fact that she’s a package deal with her husband, Luis Ruelas. Fans will recall that Josephs’ son previously accused Ruelas of sending him a threatening voicemail.

Josephs Implies Appearing On ‘RHONJ’ Season 14 Was A Mistake

Josephs continued on the podcast, revealing that she feels that agreeing to film season 14 of “RHONJ” wasn’t the best decision for her. According to her, “I made a mistake going back even to my last season. I was told I wasn’t gonna have to be around him, which I wasn’t.”

After that, she went on to say that Giudice and her husband were “still speaking ill of [her], saying they wished suffering on my family, on [her] son.” Josephs then cited when Andy Cohen called what transpired “the darkest moment in ‘Housewives’ history.”

Regarding not returning, she stated, “I made a decision with my family; they had said to me, ‘You cannot go back to that. You can’t put yourself in that position if it’s that environment.”

‘The Real Housewives Of New Jersey’ Fans Are Reacting

“RHONJ” fans are weighing in on what Josephs had to say online. Overall, opinions on the Bravo alum are a bit mixed, with most noting that she’s not innocent in the situation. One person stated, “All of them need to take responsibility for getting too deep and nasty in the gutter. The drama was no longer just a show.”

Someone else wrote, “Not coming back? She wasn’t ASKED back, lol. Move on, pigtails.” A different fan claimed, “She wants us to believe she is taking some moral high road, but it’s hard to believe that someone like Marge is leaving a check bc of a man. Are you letting this man have that much of an impact on your pockets? Girl, please.”

Then, another “RHONJ” fan weighed in, writing, “Margaret did this all to herself. She has an extensive history of digging deep into people’s lives. We saw this with Danielle, Siggy (getting in contact w/ her husband’s ex), Teresa, and even Jen. She didn’t know her but got the info about Bill. She’s a dark person who can’t take it.”

Lastly, a different social media user wrote, “She’s so full of it. She can’t work with Louie, but fails to mention that she started with him. He didn’t ask her to repeatedly communicate with his ex and bring his past onto the show. She poked the wrong bear, and it blew up in her face.”

Margaret Announced A New Podcast

While on “Shut Up Tell Me More,” Josephs announced that she’s planning to start a podcast with her mother, focusing on what sounds like lifestyle and health. She stated, “Her Lexi [a friend] and I decided we’re gonna do a podcast together, the three of us.”

She went on to say that they’re “women of all ages,” before noting that her mother is nearly 80. Josephs continued, “We decided, you know, we’re three opinionated women. So we are starting a podcast called “Generational Council.”

After that, she revealed that the podcast will be announced officially in the coming weeks.

The ‘Housewives’ Alum Will Be On 2 New Shows

Though Josephs won’t be returning to “The Real Housewives of New Jersey,” she’s not hanging up her reality TV hat just yet. Recently, she was seen filming a cameo for E!’s upcoming “The Real Housewives of New York City” offshoot, “The Golden Life.”

She dished to US Weekly about appearing on the show, which films in Florida. According to her, “Maybe I did a little stint in Palm Beach.” Josephs then said, “I was with iconic women that I always love. They’re my friends. I admire them.”

Regarding the upcoming series, the Bravo alum stated, “I think that’s going to be a very spectacular show. I think it’s going to be a really spectacular show.” Additionally, Josephs is one of several reality stars cast for Prime Video’s upcoming “Reality Retreat.”

General Hospital fans, we have got another leak from our inside source for you about what Britt Westbourne (Kelly Thiebaud) does to try and save Rocco Falconeri (Finn Carr). And no, it is not Britt getting on a flight out of Port Charles. The villains are never going to let her just walk away like that.

So, we’re going to talk about how Rocco is about to be in serious danger because of Ross Cullum (Andrew Hawkes) and the lengths that Britt is going to go to so she can save Rocco. And recently, we got this leak and they are a reliable source. They have a pretty solid track record.

General Hospital Leaker Says Britt is on the Brink of Death

Again though, I always like to say this is a leak so it’s more like a rumor. It’s not a spoiler. So, it’s not confirmed, but a lot of these come true, and I love to share. So, this one about Britt seems really plausible and likely to happen soon if it is going to work out. Our source says that she puts her life on the line to save Rocco’s life. And our source says Britt winds up on the verge of death.

And that’s likely not from her Huntington’s meds or losing access to them. So, not her disease, not the meds. She may be in immediate peril, life-ending danger trying to save Rocco and it could come during some sort of confrontation with a bad guy with a gun.

Cullum Realizes Rocco Shot Him on GH

Recently, we saw Cullum eavesdropping on Britt and Rocco as they were talking at GH when they were leaving. And up until then, Cullum was so certain that Danny Morgan (Asher Antonyzyn) was the one who shot him. And to Cullum, that made perfect sense because Jason Morgan (Steve Burton) would obviously cover for his son Danny. But now, Cullum has realized it’s Rocco that shot him.

And Britt doesn’t know it yet, but Rocco is in grave danger because Cullum’s not going to let his shooting go unpunished. So, Britt needs to take action right away or the boy she gave birth to could die at Cullum’s hands. So, I have a theory that’s based on this leak. And basically, because Britt was on the pier when Cullum was shot, you know, and our leaker says she’s going to protect Rocco at the cost of almost losing her own life. Here’s what I think Britt may do next.

Britt May Spill Some Harsh Truths to Sidwell on General Hospital

She may go see Sidwell and spill some harsh truths. If you remember, Lucas Jones (Van Hansis) and Britt were talking and then they got drunk the other day. They were bonding. She and Lucas have been trying to figure out how to tell Sidwell that Cullum is the one who killed Marco Rios (Adrian Anchando). And Britt and Lucas couldn’t figure out how to tell Sidwell the truth without getting themselves killed.

But if Britt thinks Cullum is going to murder Rocco, I think she’d say hell with it and put her life on the line and spill to Sidwell. Britt could approach Sidwell and tell him that Cullum was about to kill her and Jason on the pier the night he was shot and she might say that he had just come from murdering Marco. So from there, Britt may count on Sidwell killing Cullum because obviously Sidwell is not going to let Marco’s murder go unavenged.

And obviously Britt relies on Cullum for her Huntington’s meds. But surely, Sidwell can get the drugs from the same source because he’s supplying Willow Corinthos (Katelyn MacMullen) with that paralytic she uses on Drew Cain (Cameron Mathison). And even if he can’t, I think Britt’s willing to risk it.

General Hospital: Britt May Come Clean to Sidwell

So, I’m sure that Sidwell would ask, “Okay, but who shot Cullum?” And Britt may refuse to tell him at first, but the real kicker is if she goes to Sidwell, he would question more specifically, why would Cullum murder Marco? And then Britt would have to come clean. She could try and leave Lucas out of it, though.

Britt could just tell Sidwell that she begged Marco to help her. And Britt could say that Sidwell’s son was a kind soul. And Marco stole some doses of her meds so she could try and reverse engineer them. Also that Cullum found out and he killed Marco because of it.

And that right there puts Britt’s life at risk because she would be admitting to playing a role in Marco’s murder even though she didn’t do any of the stabbing. Of course, Sidwell would probably believe that. He knows that Marco was inherently a good man. So, I think Sidwell would believe that Marco felt bad for Britt and wanted to help her.

Britt Could Wind Up Facing Death

You know, right now she’s planning to leave town thinking that Rocco and Lucas and others will be safer if she is gone. Plus, the prototype is some sort of weapon, and Britt really doesn’t want to finish it. But obviously, she’s going to get grabbed up by Cullum or by Sidwell. And I could see Cullum using Britt as bait to lure and trap Rocco so he could punish him for shooting him.

So, Britt may wind up facing death if Cullum holds her at gunpoint as bait. Or Sidwell might hold her at gunpoint and terrify her into telling him the whole truth, and she might because she watched Sidwell kill Dalton in cold blood right there in the living room. So, there’s a lot of ways Britt could wind up in jeopardy and facing death while trying to save Rocco on General Hospital.

Cullum May Exit GH

Plus, we shared in our last rumor roundup another leak we got recently that said Cullum was going to be killed off in June. Right now, we are what, six episodes away from June. So, if our leaker is right, Cullum could be pushing up daisies pretty soon, and it may be thanks to Britt. The leak about Cullum being killed already had me thinking, who would kill him?

You know, Josslyn Jacks (Eden McCoy) might kill him trying to escape. Valentin Cassadine (James Patrick Stuart) might kill him for what he did to Anna Devane (Finola Hughes). Britt won’t do it. She lacks the killer instinct. She couldn’t do it while he was at GH, you know, flat on his back, but Joss was about to do it. Ethan Lovett (Nathan Dean) and Sonny Corinthos (Maurice Benard) seem more focused on Sidwell, even though they know that Cullum is bad, too. But I could definitely see Sidwell as the one most likely to kill Colum because it would be in vengeance for Marco’s stabbing.

General Hospital: Britt Tells Sidwell the Truth

And let’s face it, Britt’s already on borrowed time. Cullum has said she’s more trouble than she’s worth. He already tried to kill her once, has threatened to kill her more times than that. Meanwhile, Sidwell has also threatened her, but hasn’t personally tried to kill her. He just likes to scare her into being productive. And if Britt is forced to tell Sidwell that Rocco shot Cullum, figuring that the bad guy might tell Sidwell anyway, that could actually help her because Cullum was ready to haul Danny and Charlotte off god knows where this week.

And Sidwell stopped him. He doesn’t want to target kids. But Cullum has no issue killing kids. So, I could see Sidwell telling Britt that he’ll keep the secret of what Rocco did because Britt came to him with this information. He wants the identity of Marco’s killer. That’s something that Sidwell’s been desperate to find out for quite a while now. And Britt would be risking her life just going to have that conversation with Sidwell. But I think she would sacrifice herself for Rocco in a heartbeat.

General Hospital: Britt May Be a Goner after she Finishes the Prototype

But I also bet Sidwell would demand that Britt has to stick around and complete the prototype. And since it’s likely a weapon, that could put her at risk as well, because you know, Sidwell plans to use it. Plus, he might kill Britt once her work is done.

So, she can’t reveal to anybody that Sidwell had her make a weapon from Faison’s final research, or he might kill Britt simply because he blames her for talking Marco into taking that medication and that’s why Cullum killed him.

Either way, whether it’s the Huntington’s or the lack of meds or working for dangerous men like Sidwell and Cullum, Britt obviously knows she’s on borrowed time and I think she would agree to give it up to save Rocco. She loves him like a son, even though that whole storyline is so weird and creepy.

So, we’ll have to wait and see if our leaker is right. And Britt winds up sticking her neck out and putting her life literally on the line to save Lulu Spencer (Alexa Havins Bruening) and Dante Falconeri‘s (Dominic Zamprogna) son.

Then of course, we’re waiting to see if the other leak comes to fruition. And Cullum finally gets what’s coming to him. So, I think Sidwell taking him out would be fantastic, but we’ll have to wait and see how it plays out.

Summer House stars West Wilson and Amanda Batula’s relationship is still going strong — even with the public backlash.

“West and Amanda are still dating,” a source exclusively tells Us Weekly, revealing that “the cast doesn’t think they’re going to last.”

Despite their costars’ doubts about the romance, West, 31, and Amanda, 34, are moving forward together.

“West took Amanda to meet his parents already in May,” the insider says. “So they are getting serious.”

West and Amanda caused a stir in March when they confirmed their platonic relationship had turned into something more.

The timing of their relationship raised eyebrows as it came just months after Amanda and now-estranged husband Kyle Cooke announced in January that they are getting divorced after four years of marriage.

West’s past relationship with Summer House castmate Ciara Miller, who was once one of Amanda’s best friends, also made many fans do a double take.

West and Ciara, 30, dated in 2023, and although their relationship ended badly, they remained flirty with one another. In fact, throughout season 10 of Summer House, which filmed in summer 2025, West and Ciara appeared to be rekindling their romance and even made out during the season finale.

Related: Summer House’s West Discussed Ciara and Amanda’s Friendship Before Scandal

West Wilson made an eyebrow-raising comment about Amanda Batula and Ciara Miller’s friendship weeks before news of their love triangle broke. During the February 17 episode of his “Show Me Something” podcast, West broke down the dynamic between Amanda and estranged husband Kyle Cooke that fans are seeing as Summer House season 10 continues to […]

After West and Amanda went public with their romance, a source exclusively told Us that Ciara was “heartbroken” and felt “betrayed” by the pair’s actions.

A separate insider told Us in April that West and Ciara had been hooking up as recently as “about three to four weeks ago,” and she had no idea about his relationship with Amanda.

West, meanwhile, denied in April that there was any “overlap” between his relationships.

Kyle, for his part, confronted Amanda about her and West’s timeline during the In the City premiere, which premiered on Tuesday, May 19.

“Can you honestly say though, right through Thanksgiving [2025], for that matter, even if it was an emotional affair with West?” Kyle asked Amanda in a scene filmed on April 9. “I hear things.”

Amanda was shocked by the insinuation that she had any type of affair, telling Kyle, “Nothing was happening!”

She then screamed at her estranged spouse, “I was so committed to you. All I wanted was to make it work.”

While the timeline of when Amanda and West officially got together is unknown, fans will get a front row seat to the couple’s first conversations with their castmates during the three-part Summer House season 10 reunion, which begins airing on May 26.

In the official trailer for the reunion, which was released on Tuesday, West clapped back at the idea that his relationship with Amanda was considered such a big issue.

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Related: Where Ciara Miller Stands With Amanda Batula After West Wilson Scandal

Ciara Miller is still sorting through her feelings after longtime friend Amanda Batula started seeing her ex-boyfriend, and their Summer House costar, West Wilson, earlier this spring. “Ciara has told friends that if they really are in love, she will accept it,” a source exclusively tells Us Weekly, noting that if West, 31, and Amanda, […]

“This isn’t like a sex scandal. It was, like, hanging out,” West explained after host Andy Cohen asked whether he and Amanda are “in love.”

Ciara, for her part, didn’t mince words in the trailer when she addressed her ex and former BFF Amanda, who were seated across from her on the couches.

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“Over the past six years, I have been your f***ing champion,” Ciara told Amanda. “I couldn’t fathom that I would be sitting here pissed that you’re f***ing my ex.”

Ciara went on to claim that West “wants to embarrass me. He wants to get his last little word. And I hope it works because he’s with you to spite me.”

Summer House’s three-part reunion begins on Bravo Tuesday, May 26, at 8 p.m. ET.

By Joshua Tyler
| Updated 1 hour ago

Noted cartoonist and persuasion expert Scott Adams pioneered the concept of two movies on one screen. Two Movies On One Screen is a term used to describe a phenomenon in which two people or groups witness the same events, facts, video, or information yet perceive and interpret them as two entirely different, often contradictory narratives or “movies.”

It’s exactly as if there are two movies playing on the same screen at the same time.

This kind of disagreement over the nature of reality is common, but rarely has it been more literally true than it was in Falling Down, one of the most controversial movies of the 1990s. To make its point, the film tried to use Two Movies On One Screen to persuade its audience to stand up for themselves, only to have the technique turned against it by the news media and used to destroy it.

This is the story of how Falling Down tried and failed to screenwash men into fighting back against the corruption and rot of the modern world.

Falling Down Is About Two Men, Not One

Others have tried to analyze this movie, but they limit their scope to scrutinizing the actions of its most violent character. That kind of analysis fails because Falling Down isn’t the story of one man; it’s the story of two, and unless you understand how those two characters fit together, you can’t understand the persuasion being attempted by the film.

Falling Down begins with those two men, stuck in the same LA traffic jam. The first looks around at the city’s accumulated filth and feels hatred, frustration, and disgust. The second looks at the same scene of rot and chuckles.

Two movies on one screen, and only one of those screens is showing the truth. Which one is it? By the end of the movie, one of these men will realize he’s wrong, and the other will be dead.

With those points of view established, Falling Down follows both through a world of heaped-on humiliation and contrasts their reactions. Its true intent is hidden behind the trappings of a police manhunt, but that’s not what matters. In reality, Falling Down is a carefully constructed Identification Reversal.

Constructing An Identification Reversal

An Identification Reversal is a psychological technique in which an audience is initially encouraged to identify with one character, viewpoint, or emotional response, only for that identification to gradually shift to an opposing or contrasting figure as the story progresses. It’s frequently used in film, propaganda, and persuasive storytelling to redirect audience sympathy, values, or self-perception over time. 

An Identification Reversal is not necessarily evil. Used right, it’s a valid way to tell a story or make a point. Whether it’s a good thing or a bad thing depends on what ideas you’re trying to sell with it. Follow along as I explain how it’s done in Falling Down.

Step One: Bond The Audience To A Character

Falling Down begins with the audience viewing the world from the perspective of a man played by Michael Douglas. He has a name in the movie, but he’s listed in the credits only by the name on his car’s vanity plate, which reads “D-Fens.”

The movie spends the first five minutes with D-Fens, sitting in his car, growing increasingly unhappy with the world around him. His air conditioning stops working, and his engine starts to overheat.

The street he’s stuck on looks terrible. The behavior of other motorists around him is base and appalling. He’s growing increasingly angry, and so is the audience, since we’re seeing it all from his tainted perspective

Fed up with the traffic and the trash, D-Fens abandons his car in the middle of the road and stomps off into the city. It’s framed as a heroic act, a refusal to continue complying with something so obviously and totally broken. We’re fully on the side of D-Fens as he walks through a neighborhood to a grungy convenience store, in search of relief from the heat. 

Inside the local Quick E Mart, he finds things as broken as they are outside. The prices are out of control, and the newly immigrated Korean store owner behind the register is rude and speaks only broken English. We feel his frustration fully.

It’s here that D-Fens first snaps. He lashes out, ranting about the unfairness of immigrants who can’t speak proper English, somehow taking over all the small businesses in his neighborhood. 

D-Fens takes his frustration too far, and while to modern audiences it probably feels like the moment when viewers would no longer be on his side, to 1990s viewers it didn’t cross that line. Tuned carefully to the limits of 1990s sensibilities, it goes right up to that line and taps it with a baseball bat.

D-Fens continues down that path from there. He encounters menacing gangbangers and other frustrations, raging against them and becoming increasingly murderous and unhinged, but only against targets that the audience may feel deserve it. His most violent act in the film is the murder of a Nazi who tries to assault him, and when it comes to hurting Nazis, audiences are always all in.

Step Two: Corrupt The Bond

With the audience bonded to D-Fens and cheering on his rampage, Falling Down begins working to destroy our affection for him. D-Fens begins to behave in a way that’s increasingly out of bounds. He targets and endangers people who don’t deserve it. He begins making threatening phone calls to his ex-wife and obsessing over his past with her. His own mother is afraid of him.

Gradually, we’re turned against the character we started out rooting for, as he’s revealed to be something far worse than we initially suspected. D-Fens isn’t just an average guy fed up with the world; he’s a mentally ill lunatic who’s been menacing the people he loves for years and probably needs to be put down.

Step Three: Redirect Emotional Energy To The Place Of Your Choosing

With the audience now turning against D-Fens, they need somewhere else to put the positive energy invested in their bond with him. The movie provides a place in the form of an alternate main character who’s been acting as a counterweight from the beginning. His name is Martin Prendergast, and he’s a cop played by Robert Duvall. Martin was in that same traffic jam with D-Fens, and the movie’s been priming us to hate him. 

When the Korean store owner, roughed up by D-Fens, reports the incident to the police, Martin asks a Japanese officer to interpret. The officer immediately berates him and accuses Martin of being racist for assuming a Japanese man can speak Korean. 

Unlike D-Fens, who pushed back when faced with racism accusations, Martin bows, scrapes, and apologizes like a pathetic, loathsome worm. To rub salt in the wound of Martin’s patheticness, after his apology for assuming his partner speaks Korean, that same partner then says to the Korean store owner, “gamsahamnida,”  which is Korean for “thank you.” He spoke Korean all along, but Martin, fully cowed, does not react. 

Despite being mocked by his colleagues for caring, Martin is hot on the trail of D-Fens. In the process of doing good police work, he’s abused, harangued, and humiliated by everyone around him. 

His boss treats him like garbage; his wife yells at him like he’s her slave; his incompetent, incurious co-workers treat him with derision and scorn. Martin chuckles dumbly and takes all of it. He’s a human punching bag. A natural doormat unaffected by the constant disrespect and cruelty being heaped upon him.

By the time D-Fens begins turning towards clear evil, the audience has grown to hate Martin. And so that’s exactly when the movie changes him.

Martin begins standing up for himself. He demands respect and dinner from his wife. He punches an abusive co-worker. Tells off his psychotic boss. He grabs his coat, hits the street, and decides to do what’s right, rather than continuing to chuckle and listen to his inferiors. 

In the end, Martin guns down D-Fens, rescuing his terrified wife and daughter, saving the day against the objections of the entire corrupt, broken LA police force. With that act, all the energy and attachment invested in D-Fens is transferred directly to Martin Prendergast.

As the credits roll, the audience suddenly has a model for resistance against the creeping rot of modernity. The reign of terror created by D-Fens is discredited and replaced by Martin’s measured response.

You started out the movie rooting for D-Fens; you end it wanting to be this newly awakened version of Martin. 

Falling Down Discredits Extremism By Advocating For Measured Action

It’s hard to say exactly what motivated director Joel Schumacher to make Falling Down. He’s the guy who would, just a few years later, put nipples on the Batsuit when he took over the Batman franchise from Tim Burton. His sensibilities are questionable. 

Interviews conducted with Schumacher around the time suggest he may have felt that degrading conditions in America meant a rise in right-wing extremism was inevitable, and so, rather than stop it, he’d hoped to channel that energy somewhere more constructive and less destructive. So Falling Down subtly works to inspire its audience towards action, rather than dissuade them from it, favoring measured action over extremism.  

That should have been viewed as a positive message. Falling Down discredits extremist violence while laying out a path for healthy, positive anger to improve a failing culture. 

The Dishonest Media Attack On Falling Down

That kind of real-world response might have worked, too, which is why the entire establishment, the same one that might have had its plans upset if people had listened, set out to destroy the movie advocating for it.

One of Falling Down’s early defenders was legendary film critic Roger Ebert. Writing at the time, he said of other critics’ reaction to Falling Down: “Some will find it racist because the targets of the film’s hero are African-American, Latino and Korean – with a few whites thrown in for balance. Both of these approaches represent a facile reading of the film.”

Ebert was right in his prediction and in his disdain for their shallow views.

When Falling Down hit theaters in 1993, the mainstream backlash started almost immediately. Many critics and commentators treated the movie less like a thriller and more like a political threat. Talking heads accused the movie of encouraging vigilantism and resentment toward minorities, immigrants, and the urban poor. 

The LA Times, for instance, called Falling Down, “the howl of a scared, white, urban middle-class man.” It then suggested vilifying anyone who liked the movie, saying, “We know who the real bad guys are.”

Others called it the story of “white men flailing self-righteously.” Several think pieces from the time framed the film as dangerous because audiences in theaters were reportedly cheering during the D-Fens character’s outbursts. To these critics, that reaction proved the movie was tapping into something volatile and evil.

All of those attacks were based on pretending that the movie somehow endorsed D-Fens and his actions, even though it carefully and intentionally does exactly the opposite so that it can clearly endorse the moment when Martin Prendergast finally stands up for himself. However, the attacks directed at the movie tended to gloss over the fact that Robert Duvall’s character is even in the film, despite the fact that Martin gets more screen time than Douglas’s D-Fens. 

The film’s attackers painted a picture of a movie that wasn’t on the screen, almost as if there were two movies playing at once. The one they watched, and the one that was actually made.

How Card Stacking Is Used To Control Your Perception

Some in the media were being honest, and in their delusion, really did see that other, non-existent movie on the screen. Many, though, were likely just card stacking to score social points for their political group.

Card stacking is a propaganda technique in which information is selectively presented to favor a particular viewpoint, while relevant facts, context, or evidence that would challenge or contradict that viewpoint are deliberately omitted, creating a misleading or one-sided narrative.

So Martin Prendergast was ignored, and a non-existent movie, which is only about D-Fens, was implanted in the minds of people who hadn’t seen Falling Down and wouldn’t know any better. Despite a lot of initial excitement and positive buzz for the movie driven by its trailers, “responsible” commentators encouraged people to avoid the film and condemn it as dangerous. 

That didn’t totally work. Falling Down still made a low-level profit, but was largely relegated to the cultural fringe as mainstream forces worked to shame its defenders. More importantly, it became a cudgel used to silence any objection by white men to the way the world was heading.

Falling Down, a movie that I believe was designed to motivate men to speak up, was molded by the establishment media into their weapon. And so Falling Down achieved the opposite of its intent. Rather than empowering real-world Martin Prendergasts it finished the job of silencing them. 

Jon Hamm Is A Modern Day Martin Prendergast, Who Never Stands Up For Himself

If you’re looking for proof of the news media’s total victory over Falling Down’s message, take a moment to check out AppleTV’s new prestige streaming show Your Friends & Neighbors. It has Jon Hamm playing what I’d call a modern-day equivalent of Martin Prendergast. Only unlike Martin, he never stands up for himself.

Instead, the character’s constant humiliation is treated as both appropriate and normal. Rather than following in Martin’s footsteps and fighting back against his abusers, he further debases himself by spending his off-hours robbing other equally tormented men.

Congratulations, culturally irrelevant men, you’ve been Screenwashed.

By Chris Snellgrove
| Published 46 seconds ago

Recently, Marvel Studios released The Punisher: One Last Kill on Disney+. At the same time, the show was seen as something of a gamble. The Punisher hadn’t had his own show in over seven years, and he hadn’t even popped back up in Daredevil: Born Again Season 2. Between this and the growing amount of superhero fatigue among audiences, a new Punisher project seemed like something of a risk. Making it a one-off event rather than a new series? That seemed even riskier. However, that gamble paid off, and The Punisher: One Last Kill ended up being one of the most talked-about Marvel productions in recent memory. 

How do we know the gamble has paid off? According to reliable Marvel scooper Daniel Richtman, Marvel has given the green light to a new project that follows up on The Punisher: One Last Kill. He doesn’t yet know what that will look like, but things are clearly looking up for Punisher actor Jon Bernthal. Between the success of One Last Kill, this new mystery project, and a prominent appearance in this summer’s Spider-Man: Brand New Day, it’s clear that Disney is ready to go all-in on Frank Castle.

What Will The Next Punisher Project Be?

Though he confirmed the development of another Punisher project, Daniel Richtman did not have any insight as to what the project could look like. There’s a possibility that Disney wants to create another special event like One Last Kill to see if they can replicate the earlier specials’ success. Should a follow-up be successful, we might see more one-offs featuring various Marvel characters (personally, I’d kill for a Jessica Jones special) that Disney isn’t ready to devote an entire season to. On the more ambitious end, Disney might want to give Punisher his own movie, hoping audiences who dig his appearance in Brand New Day will enjoy seeing him headline his own solo film. 

The most likely scenario, though, is that we’ll get a new Punisher series (either a solo series or the rumored Heroes For Hire series) picking up where One Last Kill left off. Some fans were frustrated by that special event because it left some major plot threads unresolved: Ma Gnucci was still alive, Punisher’s neighborhood was still a warzone, and he was still being hunted by a small army of thugs chasing Gnucci’s reward money. While it was obviously annoying to see One Last Kill end right when it was getting good, it’s smart money that this special was basically a secret pilot gauging fans’ interest in a solo Punisher series.

The Personal Touch

While some fans have mocked the actor’s range (like, half of the guy’s dialogue is just muttering “no” repeatedly), Jon Bernthal is the primary reason for the Punisher’s success in the MCU. The actor perfectly captures both the roaring rage and hidden vulnerabilities of the character. Plus, he seems personally committed to bringing the character’s story to life, which is why he was co-writer for The Punisher: One Last Kill. Now, it seems, the actor wants to continue applying the personal touch to all of his future Marvel appearances.

In a recent interview with Esquire, the actor laid out a fairly clear stipulation: “I’m really down to keep doing more. But I think I have to be the one that’s making it.” In other words, he would like to continue writing, producing, and generally shaping the future for the character who helped make him famous. Only time will tell if Punisher really comes back and if Bernthal is allowed creative input, but, as with Ryan Reynolds’ love of all things Deadpool, it’s always refreshing to see an actor so invested in their most famous character.

Assuming Daniel Richtman is correct that we’ll be getting more Punisher content after Brand New Day, there’s not much else to say. Except, of course, the obvious: “Welcome back, Frank!”