Reality TV drama is once again swirling around “Secret Lives of Mormon Wives” star Taylor Frankie Paul, and this time, it involves both her love life and her past controversies. As many know, Paul’s season of “The Bachelorette” was abruptly scrapped in mid-March after a resurfaced 2023 video showed a violent altercation involving her ex-boyfriend, Dakota Mortensen, with her young daughter present. Even as the fallout from her past continues to make headlines, Taylor Frankie Paul appears to be turning the page and possibly giving love another shot.

Taylor Frankie Paul hasn’t given up on love, even as controversy continues to follow her. The 31-year-old is reportedly “seeing” Doug Mason, who was rumored to be the winner of her now-canceled season of “The Bachelorette.”

According to a source, the pair are “trying to make it work” during what’s been a turbulent time for Paul. “They were hanging out recently,” the insider claimed. “And want to see if they can get back together and be a couple.”

But as she explores a possible new chapter with Mason, the controversy that continues to follow her still looms large.

Past Arrest, Guilty Plea, And Doug Mason’s Support Amid Fallout

The controversy traces back to Paul’s February 2023 arrest, with body camera footage later showing a heated argument between her and Mortensen. In the video, Mortensen is seen speaking with officers and detailing alleged incidents, at one point saying, “I can’t even tell you the stuff that’s happened to me,” while showing injuries he claimed were caused by Paul.

Following the incident, Paul pleaded guilty to aggravated assault in August 2023. Several other charges were dropped as part of a deal, and she is currently serving probation, which is expected to conclude in August 2026.

Despite the legal fallout and ongoing scrutiny, Mason still chose to stand by Paul publicly in the aftermath. He shared a message on social media saying he was ‘sending prayers to Taylor because that was her moment and her moment was blocked. “All we can do right now is just be hopeful, and I am headed off to run to watch the sunrise,” he wrote.

Paul later responded to the gesture, writing, “Aw my heart goes out to him. So sweet,” signaling appreciation for his support during a difficult time.

Taylor Frankie Paul Claims Dakota Mortensen Tried To ‘Sabotage’ Her

As the drama continues to unfold, Paul has also made serious claims against Mortensen in a witness statement, accusing him of “trying to sabotage” her. As The Blast previously reported, documents from the Draper County Police Department, obtained by Us Weekly, show that Paul alleged Mortensen has a pattern of disruptive behavior.

“Dakota has a history of creating these situations, and there is a pattern of him trying to sabotage anything big or exciting happening with my life,” she said in her March 4 witness statement. She also claimed that significant career milestones, including the release of a new season of “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives” and trailers for “The Bachelorette,” appeared to trigger conflict.

Shortly after the allegations surfaced, Taylor Frankie Paul took to Instagram with a deeply personal update, before ultimately stepping back from social media altogether. In a candid post, she revealed ongoing mental health struggles, writing, “I was diagnosed with PTSD about two years ago, which I assume is now [Complex post-traumatic stress disorder].”

She continued, “Here come the ugly parts of what healing actually looks like,” she wrote. “If you know me you know I’ll admit my parts, flaws, and faults. I’m well aware thats apart of it. We’ll get there.”

Taylor Frankie Paul Finds Strength In Faith Amid Ongoing Struggles

Amid the challenges surrounding her personal life, Taylor Frankie Paul shared that she’s been finding strength through her faith and the support around her. Reflecting on the emotional weight she’s been carrying, Paul described moments of breaking down while still trying to hold onto gratitude.

“I cried on my knees in pain while also saying THANK YOU,” she shared. “We have a road ahead but regardless I’m forever freed from a certain living hell I couldn’t find my way out of.”

The world watched in awe as Prince William and Princess Kate wed at Westminster Abbey in London on April 29, 2011, and years later, commoners still stand impressed with the couple. Though they didn’t tie the knot until 2011, Kate and William first met 10 years prior while studying history at Scotland’s University of St Andrews. The two would go on to keep quiet about their romance as they completed their education, but later had a high-profile split in 2007.

“At the time I wasn’t very happy about it, but it actually made me a stronger person,” Kate shared during a joint interview with William in November 2010. “You find out things about yourself that maybe you hadn’t realized. I think you can get quite consumed by a relationship when you are younger, and I really valued that time for me as well although I didn’t think it at the time.”

The pair reconciled the following year, and announced their engagement in November 2010. They are now proud parents of Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis.

Scroll down to take a look back at William and Kate’s royal romance:

September 2001

The two began dating after meeting at the University of St Andrews. Years later, William admitted during an interview with BBC’s Tom Bradby that he attempted to impress his then-girlfriend by making “amazing fancy dinners.”

October 2010

Shortly after news of their engagement broke, William and Kate did their first-ever joint video interview. “It was about three weeks ago on holiday in Kenya. We had a little private time away together with some friends and I just decided that it was the right time really,” William revealed of how he popped the question. “We had been talking about marriage for a while so it wasn’t a massively big surprise.”

Related: Prince William and Kate Middleton’s Sweetest Moments With Their Kids

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Prince William and Princess Kate Middleton are the proud parents of three children and have shared many sweet moments with the little ones over the years. The couple wed in April 2011 at Westminster Abbey in London, five months after their engagement. William and Kate went on to welcome three children: Prince George, Princess Charlotte […]

April 2011

Just married! Kate stunned in a long-sleeve, Alexander McQueen wedding gown for the nuptials, while William wore a red Irish Guards Mounted Officer’s uniform.

July 2013

It’s a boy! The duo welcomed their first child, Prince George, on July 22. “Their Royal Highnesses the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are very pleased to announce that the Duchess of Cambridge is expecting a baby,” Kensington Palace said in a statement at the time.

May 2015

Princess Charlotte makes her debut! Kate gave birth to the couple’s daughter on May 2, and the proud parents showed off their baby girl outside of the Lindo Wing at St. Mary’s Hospital in London, with William in a blue sweater and the doting mom in a white and yellow Jenny Packham dress.

July 2017

William and Kate displayed a rare moment of PDA at the Wimbledon championship when the duchess wiped a speck from her husband’s cheek.

April 2018

Baby makes five! Kate and William welcomed their second son, Prince Louis, on April 23.

“We’re very happy. We’re delighted. Thank you,” the prince told the press as he, Kate and the newborn left the hospital hours later. “You’ll find out soon enough,” William teased of the name at the time. “We didn’t keep you waiting too long.”

December 2019

Kate went viral when she pulled away from the prince when he attempted to place his hand on her shoulder during their appearance on the A Very Berry Christmas Special.

March 2020

William and Kate marked their first official visit to Ireland with a three-day trip in Dublin, County Meath, County Kildare and Galway.

April 2020

The royal couple advocated for the Every Mind Matters mental health campaign to highlight the importance of maintaining mental health amid the coronavirus quarantine.

December 2020

The family of five shared a sweet Christmas card in December 2020. A source told Us at the time that George, Charlotte and Louis couldn’t “wait for Christmas” because it is their “favorite time of year.”

April 2021

William and Kate celebrated a decade of marriage with two picture-perfect portraits and a family video on April 29, 2021.

“Thank you to everyone for the kind messages on our wedding anniversary. We are enormously grateful for the 10 years of support we have received in our lives as a family. W&C,” their official Instagram read alongside the video, which included the parents running around with their kids and roasting smores.

Related: Look Back at Kate Middleton’s Transformation on Her 44th Birthday

Princess Kate made her way through the ranks of the royal family, quickly transforming from a commoner into the future queen consort of England. The Princess of Wales met her future husband, Prince William, in college, and the couple tied the knot in 2011 after nearly a decade together. They went on to welcome son […]

May 2021

William and Kate returned to the University of St Andrews during their royal tour of Scotland in May 2021.

“It was here in Scotland — 20 years ago this year — that I first met Catherine,” he gushed during an appearance at The Church of Scotland. “Needless to say, the town where you meet your future wife holds a very special place in your heart.” The couple stopped by some of their old haunts, which she called a “trip down memory lane.”

December 2021

The royal couple attended the “Together At Christmas” community carol service at London’s Westminster Abbey. Kate wore a red dress and coat, holding hands with her husband as they entered the chapel. Later that month they shared a New Year’s Eve message.

“Wishing everyone a Happy New Year!” the pair wrote via Instagram alongside a photo of them all dressed up and smiling as they waved goodbye to 2021.

March 2022

“[Kate] has the coldest hands ever,” the Duke of Cambridge told Welsh residents during a joint St. David’s Day outing with Kate on March 1. “They say, ‘Cold hands, warm heart.’”

April 2022

Will and Kate brought their eldest children, George and Charlotte, to the royal family’s annual Easter service at St George’s Chapel for the first time.

May 2022

The duke and duchess stepped out at the London premiere of Top Gun: Maverick, where they met the entire cast — including star Tom Cruise.

June 2022

Us confirmed that the pair are planning to relocate from their longtime Kensington Palace residence.

“Kate and William are moving to Windsor to be closer to [Queen Elizabeth II] and Carole [Middleton], who is always on hand to look after the kids when the Cambridges need to travel back and forth from London,” a source noted at the time. “They’re starting over there, and George, Charlotte and Louis are really excited about going to a new school and being in the countryside in the fresh air where there’s lots of space for them to play freely.”

Later that month, the pair unveiled their first joint portrait on June 23 at the University of Cambridge’s Fitzwilliam Museum. The Cambridgeshire Royal Portrait Fund commissioned the art piece, which was painted by Jamie Coreth, in 2021.

September 2022

The royals viewed floral tributes to the late queen outside Sandringham Estate. They later stood beside their two eldest children, George and Charlotte, during the queen’s state funeral.

The couple returned to work with a visit to Wales following Queen Elizabeth II’s death and funeral celebration earlier in the month. The trip marked the first time that the duo appeared in the country as the newly dubbed Prince and Princess of Wales.

The twosome kicked off the week on September 27 in Anglesey, which is where William and Kate lived as newlyweds in 2010 and as new parents after the birth of Prince George in 2013. The royals were all smiles as they toured the RNLI Holyhead Lifeboat Station before jetting off to Swansea to meet with food bank workers and children from the area.

April 2023

During a joint outing in England, William responded to an onlooker who said his wife looked “beautiful” in a dark maroon dress. “Oh she always looks stunning!” he replied in footage uploaded to Twitter.

When the couple celebrated 12 years of marriage later that month, a source exclusively told Us they marked the occasion with heartfelt gifts. William gave his wife “a stunning diamond ring” that once belonged to his late mother, along with “a replica of the bouquet of flowers” Kate held on their wedding day. From his wife, he received “a framed sketch of the two of them from an old photograph” taken in college.

Related: Looking Back on Prince William’s Proposal to Kate Middleton 15 Years Later

For a couple whose relationship had been so very public, Prince William and Princess Kate Middleton were able to keep their October 20, 2010, engagement private — for nearly a month. It helped that it happened on another continent. While holidaying with friends for a few weeks at Kenya’s Lewa Wildlife Conservancy, he took his […]

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May 2023

William and Kate attended Charles’ coronation at Westminster Abbey, where they followed the king and queen’s procession into the chapel. The duke and duchess were joined by all three of their children.

October 2023

They may be royalty, but the Prince and Princess of Wales face issues in their relationship just like the rest of the world. “Kate and William have been having ups and downs in their marriage like everyone else,” a source exclusively told Us. “But they’re focused on their royal duties and doing that as a unit.”

March 2024

After questions rose regarding Kate’s well-being, she and William were spotted out and about at the Windsor Farm Shop on March 18. Days later, Kate announced that she was undergoing preventative chemotherapy after she was diagnosed with a cancer, making it clear that William was by her side.

“Having William by my side is a great source of comfort and reassurance too, as is the love, support and kindness that has been shown by so many of you,” she said in the March 22 announcement video. “It means so much to us both. We hope that you’ll understand that as a family, we now need some time, space, and privacy while I complete my treatment.”

April 2024

William and Kate celebrated their 13th wedding anniversary by releasing a never-before-seen portrait from their big day.

September 2024

Kate highlighted her husband’s support as she announced that she completed chemotherapy treatment.

“This time has above all reminded William and me to reflect and be grateful for the simple yet important things in life, which so many of us often take for granted,” she said in a statement. “Of simply loving and being loved.”

January 2025

William honored Kate in a social media caption when celebrating her 43rd birthday.

“To the most incredible wife and mother. The strength you’ve shown over the last year has been remarkable,” he wrote alongside a new photo of the Princess of Wales. “George, Charlotte, Louis and I are so proud of you. Happy Birthday, Catherine. We love you. W.”

September 2025

The couple dressed up for the state dinner to welcome President Donald Trump to the U.K. for his second visit.

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October 2025

William and Kate traveled to Ireland’s Long Meadow Farm where they had a laugh while peeling apples and making the farm’s famous potato apple bread.

April 2026

The couple celebrated their milestone 15th wedding anniversary with a new family photo, including their three kids and the family’s dog.

“Celebrating 15 years of marriage,” the social media caption read.

This article covers a developing story. Continue to check back with us as we will be adding more information as it becomes available.

Mark Grayson (Steven Yeun) was put through the wringer like never before with Invincible Season 4. Between his relationship with Eve (Gillian Jacobs), the return of the Sequids, a trip to Hell, a brutal rematch with Conquest (Jeffrey Dean Morgan), the beginning of the Viltrumite War with the introduction of Grand Regent Thragg (Lee Pace), and plenty of mental trauma along the way, the superhero was pushed further than ever in his efforts to protect his home and the people he loves. Even the season finale, which left the action mostly behind for a moment, was an anxiety-inducing hour ending in a decision that will forever haunt the half-Viltrumite. Alas, like Conquest, he will not be getting a chance to catch his breath.

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Prime Video has confirmed, via the show’s official X account, that Invincible should be back for Season 5 next year and that all recording is complete. Moreover, it reassured that, while there’s little else to share at this point, both Thragg and Dinosaurus (Matthew Rhys), two of the best new villains adapted to the screen this season, will be back for more with the series’ return. In case anyone is still uncertain after his death was faked by Cecil (Walton Goggins) the first time, the note also adds that Conquest, indeed, has drawn his last breath. Robert Kirkman and the team have managed to keep their superhero hit on the same one-season-a-year pace since the three-year gap between Seasons 1 and 2, but there’s still so much left to adapt from his bloody and brutal comic.

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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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This article covers a developing story. Continue to check back with us as we will be adding more information as it becomes available.

During the height of D4vd’s career, Fortnite collaborated with the singer throughout 2024 and 2025 by featuring several special in-game items inspired by him. The collaboration included a D4vd Locker Bundle, themed emotes, and Jam Tracks for his songs ‘What Are You Waiting For’ and ‘Locked & Loaded.’

Since news broke of D4vd’s recent arrest in connection with the murder case of Celeste Rivas Hernandez, the company has sparked chatter over whether his items should remain in the game.

RELATED: D4vd’s Brother Breaks Silence With Message About Sexual Predators Amid Singer’s Arrest In Celeste Rivas Hernandez Case (PHOTO)

Fortnite Reveals Plans To Offer Refunds For D4vd Cosmetics

Fortnite announced that anyone who purchased D4vd’s in-game items will be able to request an immediate self-service refund beginning April 28, following growing player backlash.

In a statement posted by Fortnite Status, the company wrote, “We hear the concerns. We have a bunch of changes we’re rolling out over time. The first one will be available on Tuesday, April 28th, when anyone who purchased one of these items will be able to get an immediate self-service refund. And, right now, players who request refunds for D4vd cosmetics via player support can be refunded.”

The company added that while the items will not be fully removed, players will soon have the option to hide certain emotes from view. Fortnite wrote, “On May 14 (40.40 update), the Feel It and Trophy Drop Emotes will be added to the Confrontational Emotes list so you can choose not to see them.”

Fortnite Receives Mixed Reactions

Folks gathered under the X post as many players shared mixed reactions to Fortnite’s update following the refund announcement. Some felt the game should permanently remove anything connected to the singer. Others argued that players who paid for the items should still have the option to keep them.

X user @ThisIsITalkJust wrote, “remove it from the game!? Why would you keep a person that has done unspeakable acts in the game!? What are we doing!?!?”

X user @QueenOfPlantasHonestly added, “for the sake of the younger children who have it, remove it and refund everyone. Kids who don’t even know about this dude and use the cosmetics will get labeled because Fortnite is toxic.” 

While X user @Echobolt_ wrote, “They are doing refunds and you are still complaining about it.”

X user @NettSpendYahu wrote, “F***you I wanna keep my emote”

X user @XoSebbyy addedd, “Hate the artist not the art • what he did was fu ed up but before he was convicted let’s not act like we didn’t all vibe to the music”

While X user @437brown_ wrote, “u guys removed the peacemaker emote but are keeping a pedophile murderer’s music in game? not a good look”

X user @WinterHorizon_  wrote, “hope they don’t take away the emote. I liked it cause of the show, I didn’t even know the singer till this.”

X user @_wtfevrr added, “can’t do that. If he is not found guilty, they will sue fn. They going w the law of it all. They’ll remove it when the paf is found guilty”

Streamer JasonTheWeen Responds To Fans Asking Why He Hasn’t Removed His Collab With D4vd

Many have been calling for people who collaborated with D4vd to remove their projects with him. During the investigation, Kali Uchis shared that her ‘Dreamy’ collaboration was already planned to be taken down.

Streamer JasonTheWeen, who was once considered a close friend of D4vd,  revealed that he has been trying to get their collaboration ‘Summer Uptow’ removed for months. He shared the update after fans continued questioning why the track remains available.

@mjclippedu Jason says he’s been trying to take down the song with D4vd but can’t #jasontheween ♬ original sound – Michael

RELATED: Social Media Is Reacting To Apparent Resurfaced Clip Of D4vd Being Told On Livestream He’s Assaulting Kids (VIDEO)

By Jonathan Klotz
| Published 4 seconds ago

The problem with most network crime shows is that no matter how dark the story gets, they can’t show too much violence, which turns climactic fight and action scenes into bloodless affairs with comical overacting. Premiering on Cinemax in 2013, Banshee never had that problem, and features at least one bloody brawl in every episode that on NCIS, would be a season-ending showstopper, but in the small rural Pennsylvania town, it’s Tuesday.

However, Banshee is now the answer to a trivia question: “What show was Homelander (Antony Starr) on before The Boys?” That does a disservice to how the series plays out like a mini-action movie in every episode, and thanks to HBO Max, it’s perfect to rip through over the course of a weekend. 

Small Town, Big Characters

Antony Starr’s Lucas Hood isn’t as villainous as his breakout character, Homelander, but he’s not exactly a good guy either, especially since he’s not really Lucas Hood. He’s an ex-con who takes the Sheriff’s identity after the well-meaning lawman is killed in a shakedown gone wrong (and notably, has a bullet-sized hole blown into his hand) one day before he was to meet anyone in the town of Banshee.

The new sheriff picked the rural town, which has both a very large Amish population and includes a Native American reservation, because his ex, Ana (Ivana Miličević), is living there under a fake name and raising a family. 

That alone would be enough for CBS to greenlight as a procedural, but Banshee goes further and makes sure the small town is stocked with a never-ending parade of colorful residents. There’s Sugar Bates (Franke Faison) the retired boxer who knows Hood’s secret, Proctor (Ulrich Thomsen) the former Amish man turned local crime lord, Jon (Hoon Lee) Hood and Ana’s androgynous “man in the chair” who can hack everything from ATMs to CIA satellites, and Rebecca, (Lilli Simmons) the young Amish girl who rebels against the community and finds her way by embracing a life of crime.

Every season finds new and fun ways to bash the characters up against one another, and every episode includes at least one moment that will make you stand up and shout. Take, for example, the third episode, “Meet the New Boss,” when an MMA fighter comes to town for an exhibition fight at the local casino. After he assaults one of the cocktail waitresses, Hood gets into the Octagon for a bloody brawl that drags on for several minutes, and just when you think someone’s lost, it keeps going like a real-life version of Peter Griffin versus the Chicken.

It’s absurd, it’s over the top, and it shatters the belief that Hood would remain Sheriff, but in the middle of it all, there’s a single moment that’s echoed later in the season, and it shows for all the blood, guts, and skin on display, Banshee knows exactly what it’s doing. 

Banshee Has A B-Movie Action Film Crammed Into Every Episode

That one moment, a simple blocking motion, comes back during flashbacks later in the season to Hood’s time in prison, so while it’s not Shakespeare, Banshee has enough depth to keep it interesting. Best of all, the four-season run doesn’t end on a cliffhanger; instead, the story reaches a definitive conclusion, making the journey to get there well worth it.

The series was also well-received by critics and audiences during its run, earning a 90 percent fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes and a 92 percent audience rating. To put it in perspective, Banshee’s rating is higher than both Daredevil: Born Again and The Boys.

Despite the love from critics and those who have seen it, Banshee has remained outside the conversation when talking about the best crime shows on cable, a discussion that often includes Max’s own The Sopranos and Boardwalk Empire. While the Amish-crime family of the Cinemax original can’t compare to either of those two, it’s not trying to.

The series is doing its own thing by embracing every B-movie action trope under the sun, tossing them into the small-town setting, and letting fans enjoy the resulting mess. It deserves to be more than a part of Antony Starr’s IMDb trivia, and there’s no better time to take a trip to small-town Pennsylvania than right now.

Helena Bonham Carter has resurfaced in London days after walking away from “The White Lotus” Season 4 filming, a decision that left many fans stunned.

The unexpected departure came just as filming began, and whispers about what truly happened have already taken on a life of their own, raising questions that remain only partly answered.

Helena Bonham Carter has been seen in public for the first time since leaving “The White Lotus” a mere nine days into production.

The actress returned to the UK after filming in the South of France and was photographed in North London while stopping to refuel her car.

Dressed in her signature eccentric style, she wore a pink patterned fur coat with striking red accents, layered over a floral dress and green cardigan.

Chunky trainers completed the look, while her hair was styled in a loose, messy updo.

The outing offered a glimpse of normalcy, even as speculation continues to swirl around her sudden departure.

Exit Linked To Creative Differences Behind The Scenes

According to early reports, the decision to part ways stemmed from creative disagreements between Helena Bonham Carter and the show’s creative team.

Network insiders suggested that her character did not align with expectations once filming began, leading to a mutual decision to step back.

According to The Blast, HBO addressed the situation directly in a statement, saying, “With filming just underway on season four of The White Lotus, it had become apparent that the character which Mike White created for Helena Bonham Carter did not align once on set,”

The network continued, “The role has subsequently been rethought, is being rewritten and will be recast in the coming weeks,”

They added, “HBO, the producers and Mike White are saddened that they won’t get to work with her, but remain ardent fans and very much hope to work with the legendary actress on another project soon.”

While the official explanation points to creative direction, it did little to quiet the growing chatter.

Rumors Of ‘Clash’ Add New Twist To Helena Bonham Carter’s Exit

Beyond the official version of events, another narrative has taken hold in industry circles.

A source claimed that tensions may have played a role in the actress’s departure, suggesting a disagreement with a fellow cast member.

The insider told the Daily Mail, “The word is Helena left because of a clash with Sandra Bernhard.”

However, representatives for Helena Bonham Carter quickly pushed back, denying that any such confrontation took place.

They insisted the two actresses had never even met, though they did not elaborate on what ultimately led to the exit.

The conflicting accounts have only deepened curiosity, leaving observers to piece together a story that remains unclear.

Star-Studded Cast Faces Shake-Up After Departure

“The White Lotus” has built its reputation on bold storytelling and rotating ensembles, and the fourth season was no exception.

Helena Bonham Carter had been among the earliest major names attached, with her role reportedly tailored specifically for her.

The cast also includes Steve Coogan, Heather Graham, Sandra Bernhard, Vincent Cassel, and Rosie Perez, among others.

Following her departure, Laura Dern was announced as her replacement. Rather than stepping into the same role, she will portray a newly developed character, signaling a shift in the storyline.

Filming for the new season is taking place in the South of France, with scenes set in locations like Saint-Tropez, continuing the show’s tradition of glamorous backdrops.

Fans React As Helena Bonham Carter Exit Sparks Debate

The news of Helena Bonham Carter leaving the project triggered an immediate response online.

Many fans had been eager to see her take on a role crafted specifically with her in mind, making the announcement all the more surprising.

Fans voiced their disappointment in comments with one writing, “Oh my she’s the one I’m looking forward to seeing in this season!!!!”

Others echoed similar sentiments. Another fan wrote, “I’m depressed,” while a third added, “So the main character is gone…”

The reactions reflected just how much anticipation surrounded her involvement and how quickly that excitement turned into frustration.

As filming continues and new casting decisions take shape, questions remain about how the change will affect the upcoming season.

For now, the combination of an abrupt exit, conflicting explanations, and a high-profile replacement ensures that this story is far from over.

By Chris Snellgrove
| Published 31 seconds ago

For sci-fi fans, there is perhaps no trope more common than time travel. From Star Trek to Back to the Future, we are used to our favorite heroes and villains traipsing through time to either save or threaten everything that ever was or will be.

This has naturally led to fan debates over which movie best uses this trope, but those arguments are unnecessary because the answer has been staring us in the face for over 30 years. Simply put, Timecop is the coolest time travel movie ever made, and you can now stream it for free on Tubi.

Timecop Rules

Timecop (which is adapted from the Mike Richardson and Mark Verheiden story of the same name, published by Dark Horse Comics) focuses on a government agency charged with preventing crimes involving time travel. One-time cop, Agent Max Walker, gets caught in a tangled temporal tale involving a senator abusing time travel in order to fund his presidential ambitions.

After that, the senator pulls a Biff Tannen and successfully alters the future in his favor. It will take all of Walker’s skills and knowledge to save more than the world; he must save history itself.

Great performances are the cornerstone of Timecop. Ron Silver (best known for his Emmy-nominated role in The West Wing) plays the sleazy senator out to manipulate the timeline. Meanwhile, Mia Sara (best known for playing the love interest of the title character in Ferris Bueller’s Day Off) plays Max Walker’s wife. Finally, Walker is played by martial arts movie maestro Jean-Claude Van Damme, whose unique brand of action-schlock chutzpah transforms Timecop into something almost transcendently weird.

Reaction To Timecop

Fortunately, general audiences didn’t find the Timecop too weird once it premiered. The movie went on to gross $101.6 million against a $27 million budget. While not exactly a blockbuster success, the movie earned enough to spawn a brief-lived ABC television adaptation in 1997. Eventually, we got a direct-to-video sequel in 2003, though neither the sequel nor the television series brought Van Damme back.

The original Timecop may have impressed at the box office, but it didn’t exactly impress the critics. On Rotten Tomatoes, this film has a 42 percent critical rating. Generally speaking, critics acknowledged that the film would appeal to sci-fi fans who could suspend their disbelief and avoid asking too many questions about time travel. However, critics mostly agreed that the movie fell far short of cinematic time travel classics such as James Cameron’s The Terminator.

Watch Timecop

So, moment of truth time: why the heck am I recommending you watch Timecop, a critically reviled sci-fi film whose pop culture footprint can be measured in crappy follow-ups? First of all, despite the snootiness of critics who have historically disdained science fiction, the time-travel plot of this film is both clever and compelling. Its vision of how humans would inevitably abuse temporal mechanics for wealth and power is at once understandable and creative, and the movie as a whole truly lives up to its bonkers premise.

Mostly, though, this film is worth watching for Jean-Claude Van Damme, who previously starred in action movie classics like Bloodsport, Kickboxer, and Universal Soldier. He’s not the most emotive or expressive actor, but he makes up for it with a raw physicality that transforms what could be de rigueur film fights into beautiful displays of genuine martial prowess. Van Damme has always been a special effect unto himself thanks to his martial arts skills, and in the high-tech world of Timecop, his brand of killer kung-fu stands out even more for its delightfully precise, low-tech execution.

Will you enjoy Timecop as much as I did, or would you rather travel back in time to warn your slightly younger self not to watch it in the first place? You won’t know until you experience the intersection of action shlock and ambitious sci-fi for yourself. And if you do end up traveling to the past, don’t forget that touching your past self will kill both of you, so be very careful when slapping that remote away.

Timecop is available to stream for free on Tubi.

[Editor’s note: The following contains spoilers for The Testaments Season 1, Episode 6.]

Episode 6 of the Hulu series The Testaments, entitled “Stadium,” digs into the backstory of Aunt Lydia (Ann Dowd) and provides insight into her rise in Gilead as it reveals secrets that she’s still holding onto. A teacher by trade before her world was turned upside down, the shared past between Lydia and Vidala (Mabel Li) is deeply painful and traumatic, but also marked the moment when Lydia knew her future was up to her. She knew that if Gilead was to become her reality, she needed to take control of her place in it.

Collider recently got the opportunity to chat one-on-one with Dowd about what it was like to learn so much about the history of Lydia, after embodying her for six seasons of The Handmaid’s Tale. During the interview, she discussed how interested she was to learn about Lydia’s evolution, what she was initially drawn to about her, her reaction to that Lydia statue and how she thinks Lydia would feel about it, why there really is no way to ever fully mend what’s happened between Lydia and Vidala, the shock of that initial moment when the teachers realize that their world has permanently changed, solidifying her future with Commander Judd (Charlie Carrick), shooting the moment Lydia makes her most shocking decision, what kind of mother Lydia might have been if she’d made a different decision, and her desire to end Gilead for good.

Ann Dowd Is Getting To Know a Kinder, Gentler Aunt Lydia in ‘The Testaments’

“It was very interesting to explore that.”

Collider: I loved getting to see so many more sides to your character in this series. What new aspect of Lydia did you find most interesting to explore this season, especially after having spent so much time exploring her in The Handmaid’s Tale?

ANN DOWD: I think the biggest change was that she’s gentler and kinder. It was very interesting to explore that, and to see what she chooses to do and the clarity with which she does it. I would say that was the strongest thing, figuring out how she became that kinder, gentler person and what she did between the end of The Handmaid’s Tale and the beginning of The Testaments.

When the possibility of playing Aunt Lydia originally came your way, what was it about her in those early days that most interested you about her, and how have your feelings about her changed with what you now know about her with this show?

DOWD: I think it’s important to say that one of the most important rules for an actor is no judgment. The way I interpreted her, what I focused on was, what is she doing? What does she want? What is she going to do to get what she wants? What’s in her way? Those are very basic questions. In other words, I was not judging her, calling her a villain, or saying that she’s evil. That’s not how I experienced her at all. Bruce Miller, our showrunner, said he thought she was a teacher, so I went back to my early days of education. I was educated by Catholic sisters, and they were not cruel. I say cruel in quotes because I don’t look at them as cruel, even though many people do. She did what she needed to do to get the job done, and these girls have no relationship with God, their language is atrocious, they’re living together unmarried, and they’ve had abortions. It was like, “What are we talking about here? With that, we’ve got a lot of work to do here, and it’s going to be intense, but that’s the way it is.”

What I learned from my Catholic sisters was about a work ethic, meaning you are not special. It was like, “Look around, you’re not special. You have a job to do, and you will do it to its completion, and that is the beginning and the end of it.” If we didn’t, I remember playing basketball after school in the gym and Sister Claude coming down and saying, “Follow me. Why do you think I’ve taken you off basketball practice? What do you think is going on?” And I would say, “Well, I guess I didn’t do my job.” And she would say, “That’s correct. We’d get to the back to the classroom and she pointed out, “What is that?” And I said, “It’s dust.” And she’d say, “What are you going to do with it?” I was like, “I’m going to sweep it up.” And she’d say, “That’s right. What is your job?” And I’d say, “My job is to sweep the room.” It was the kind of thing where it was ingrained in you not to think, for one moment, that you’re any better than anybody else because you’re not. You have a job to do, and you better do it well. That was really helpful with Lydia, in the beginning, when I was trying to find a way in. I loved her language. The way she was written, I thought was really so good, and I wanted to live up to it. I was really, really taken with her, right from the start.

Having worked with the cast of The Handmaid’s Tale for as long as you did, what was it like to work with this group of young women? What was it like to share scenes with them, work with them, and watch them work?

DOWD: Of course, I miss my colleagues from The Handmaid’s Tale. I loved each and every one of them. This group is just terrific. It’s been such a pleasure working with them, watching them work, and watching them in between shots. They’d be laughing and gossiping and giggling like sweet girls. Their acting is perfect. It’s really been a huge pleasure.

Ann Dowd Was Speechless When She Saw ‘The Testaments’ Aunt Lydia Statue

“I just thought, ‘What am I looking at?’”

Image via Hulu

How did you feel about the statue of you, or of Lydia? What was that like to see?

DOWD: I was speechless. I just thought, “What am I looking at?” It’s funny, as they were making it, they were taking so many pictures of me and I thought, “Why are they taking pictures? It’s not going to look like me.” Well, it does. I just thought, “How in the world did someone do that?”

And it looks like you from every angle, close-up and far away.

DOWD: It’s true. And the hunch in the back, I’m like, “Don’t let that be me.” I was stunned by it. I was impressed. They are pretty remarkable, whoever put that together.

Have they told you what happens to it when they’re done with it? Where will it go?

DOWD: It goes in my living room. Where could it possibly go, honestly? That’s so funny.

How do you think Lydia feels about it?

DOWD: I think she has a sense of humor about it. What did she say to Agnes? “Usually, they wait until people are dead, but I’m ahead of the game here.” She has a sense of humor about it and loves the little gifts. It’s very sweet, the oranges and the nice things that come underneath, keeping her aware of people’s love of her or attachment to her. She doesn’t take it terribly seriously. I think she’s like, “Okay, let’s not get carried away here.”

When you read the script for Episode 6, Lydia’s episode, what was your immediate reaction to what it would explore with her and the emotion of that?

DOWD: To go right to the part of the scene where we realize what’s important to Lydia, when she has the gun, and she has to make a choice to either shoot [Vidala] or not, and the notion of survival and how significant that is for Lydia, and fact that she would pull the trigger says so much. It was like, “Woah, what have we done here?” Even though there was no bullet in the gun, how are they ever going to mend and get through that? There’s nothing you can say. “I’m sorry” is worthless in that circumstance.

There’s an interesting moment, earlier on in the episode, when Lydia and the teachers look out the window in the door and they see the teacher shot in the head and drop to the floor, and that moment will forever change their lives. What was it like to be in the room with the other teachers that were there and to experience that, but not know what that would lead to next?

DOWD: It was shocking. It was beautifully shot and beautifully rehearsed. When it happened, just as you said, we’re trying to figure out what’s going on here. These guards have been around, but now it’s intense. What’s happening? How is it shifting? What’s going on? And we say to our colleague, “You go out and check, to see if you can get some kind of understanding of what’s going on here.” So, he asks a question, and then he’s shot in the head. That just tanked us all. We were floored by it, realizing this is where we’re at. This is no joke. They will shoot you as soon as look at you. It was a very, very powerful beginning to Gilead.

There is a distance and a separation with what happens in that moment because they’re on the other side of the door. And then, Lydia is in the stadium seeing what happens to the other women, but they’re still at a distance. And then, she’s brought down in front of them and that distance is completely taken away. I don’t know if any of that was intentional, but it feels very intentional in the way it builds to less and less distance from what’s happening.

DOWD: Absolutely, that’s a very, very good point. It just gets closer and there’s no way out. The main thing is survival.

What do you think fear to that extreme does, mentally and physically? The first time the blindfolded women are led out and made to kneel and all shot at once, what do you think that that does to Lydia and to all the women that are sitting there?

DOWD: I think it traumatizes to a degree that they will never ever forget or get over. It will remain with them, always. It’s so deeply and profoundly shocking and horrifying. Being in that stadium was incredibly helpful, experiencing what it was like to see those women. We were all sitting there at the end of a 16-hour day thinking, “They don’t get to go home. This is where they live.” The reality of it kept creeping in. It was incredibly helpful, shooting in that stadium and experiencing those things that they experienced, and just realizing, “Oh, my God, this is where we are. There’s no getting around this.”

At the start of the episode, Lydia and Vidala seem more like equals. They’re two women who happen to be co-workers, they’re both teachers, and they’re on more equal ground. And then, after the events of the episode, the power dynamic between them shifts forever. What was it like to find that relationship and to figure out how those past experiences would affect them in their present time? What did you most enjoy about exploring that relationship?

DOWD: I loved it. We see early in Episode 6 that Lydia has a thing about Vivian, which is her name. She doesn’t bring the coffee. She’s just such a good teacher that she can’t worry about anything other than how wonderful she is. Lydia is over her already. But I don’t know how you ever get beyond the decision to pull the trigger on someone. What does that do to their relationship? They don’t discuss it. Well, they do, eventually. But it’s deep within. Lydia knows that she’s going to survive. She knows, “I’m not going to be Aunt #5. If Vivian wants to do that, that’s her business. I want to be Aunt #1, and I’m going to do whatever it takes to get to that position. I don’t care where Vivian ends up. I will be #1, and I’m going to make sure, through Commander Judd, that that’s the direction we’re going in.”

That Shocking Moment Between Lydia and Vidala in the Stadium Was Extremely Powerful for ‘The Testaments’ Ann Down and Mabel Li

“We just had a very close friendship.”

Image via Hulu

The way that whole sequence plays out, with Lydia walking through the tunnel with a gun in her hand, walking over to the lineup of women, and then having Vidala’s blindfold removed so that they have to look at each other in that moment was a lot. What was all that like to shoot? What was that like to figure out?

DOWD: It was so powerful, the experience itself of walking down the tunnel with a gun. What is going to happen? The atmosphere was so good and so scary, and you felt like you were really in that situation. You were in the stadium, and you were in the middle of it. He takes off the blindfold, and you see your colleague, and you have to shoot her. I had to pull the trigger. Those were extremely powerful moments that really stayed with us. Before that happened, it was really nice that Mabel [Li], who plays Vivian, and I became very close shooting that episode. We spent a lot of time together, sitting in the stadium, experiencing for ourselves what it would be like to live there. We just had a very close friendship. I love Mabel. That’s what happened to us when we were working together. We grew to love each other in our friendship, and I’m very, very grateful for it. Everything was so close to you that you had to experience it. There was no way not to.

After everything that happens in the stadium, we see Lydia and Commander Judd again, as she essentially comforts him in the present when he loses his child. What was it like to have that relationship in the present, to bring in that history that they have and to know that he’s the one that put her in this position? Has she just resigned herself to the reality of her life, or do you think she secretly wishes she could just kill him with her bare hands? What do you think goes through her head?

DOWD: That’s a very good question. When she changes, and it’s all about survival, she commits and focuses there. She has an interesting relationship with Judd. They talk through things. There’s an odd friendship there. I think she does mean it when she comforts him. At that point, I think she accepts where she is in The Testaments. Worrying about the past and thinking about the past doesn’t do any good at all, so I think she stays present and therefore is able to comfort him and mean it.

Lydia says her biggest gripe with the old world was the emphasis on comfort, ease and convenience, and that everyone had become entitled little brats. There’s actually something to that thinking, in the sense that we all get used to certain conveniences and forget to appreciate things that come too easily. Do you see some logic in Lydia’s thinking, even if her approach is so extreme that no one would want to actually have to live that?

DOWD: I do kind of like her thoughts about that, with people acting like brats. That goes back to the Lydia that I came to know early on, with her work ethic. “You’re not special. Get the job done. Do it completely.” I think there is some logic to it. I just think she commits. It’s so huge, the changes. How much of it does she believe deep inside her? Does she believe that girls shouldn’t read or write? I bet somewhere deep inside her, she’s against that – to be trained only to be good wives, the husbands are in charge, being a good mother and homemaker, and all those things that keep you rooted to the home. Does she believe those things? That’s such a good question. She acts as though she does, deep in her core, but who knows?

Lydia talks about knowing what you’ve done and knowing what you’ve allowed to be done. Do you think she’s someone with any guilt or regret?

DOWD: I think she took tremendous time to think about it, between The Handmaid’s Tale and The Testaments. I think she’s had a lot of time with herself to experience the shame and the deep regret, remorse, and begging for forgiveness. I think that’s hugely important to her. She sat with it for quite some time, and then asked herself, “Who do I wish to be?” She finally realized, “I love these girls. I’m not going to work for the Handmaids right now. I’m going to work with the daughters of High Commanders and Pearl Girls.” She commits fully to that. I did see that change in her. Between The Handmaid’s Tale and The Testaments, she had to have undergone a lot of thought and probably prayer to come to the place she’s in.

We know that Aunt Lydia had an abortion. Do you think if she hadn’t and she’d become a mother that it would have changed her? What kind of mother do you think she would have been?

DOWD: From what we see, with her love of the Handmaids and the love of the daughters of the High Commanders, I think she would have been a beautiful mother. I really do. What she’s been forced to take on and believe in and run her days with, it’s not who she is. It’s who she’s become to survive. But who is she, deeply? I honestly don’t know. But to answer your question, I think she would be a good mother. Do you?

I definitely think she could have been a good mother, especially if she had become a mother before all of the other things that she had to experience throughout The Handmaid’s Tale. Even watching the friendship develop between Lydia and Vidala, as they’re sitting in the stadium, made me see her in a different way. This series really challenges everything we know and previously thought about Lydia.

DOWD: That’s a very good point. Yes, I agree.

‘The Testaments’ Ann Dowd Believes Aunt Lydia Ultimately Wants To Shut Gilead Down

“She just takes her time.”

Image via Hulu

It’s very interesting that Lydia has decided to document everything and everyone and keep this book of Gilead’s secrets. Do you think that she did that with a plan to use it at some point and in some way?

DOWD: I don’t know for certain what the writers have in mind. These are thoughts that I have that could be very, very different when the time comes, and it’s going to take a lot of time to get there. Lydia doesn’t miss a thing. She is always paying attention, she’s alert, and she’s writing these things down because, at some point, she might be able to use these things. I think she ultimately wants to shut Gilead down. She’s not in that complete frame of mind right away. I think it grows over time. She just takes her time. She’s very, very patient. She’s just going to store that away where it’s safe, and no one’s going to know about it, and she’s not going to worry about it. She’s just going to pay attention. She has a lot of thoughts about what should happen with Gilead, and I think we’re going to see what those things are.

She certainly knows where the bodies are buried.

DOWD: Yes, thank you. I think that’s such a good point. She knows where the bodies are buried. You are absolutely right. Well said.

The Testaments is available to stream on Hulu.

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Release Date

April 8, 2026

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Showrunner

Bruce Miller

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Directors

Mike Barker

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Writers

Margaret Atwood

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