The big takeaway from The Penguin series was not the titular protagonist, but instead the character’s criminal arch-rival, Sofia Falcone, played by Cristin Milioti. While she has been consistently exceptional, Milioti finally got the praise she deserves thanks to the HBO crime drama. It’s hard to think of a more inspired beginning to one’s career than Milioti, whose second screen credit saw her in a brief role in another HBO crime drama, The Sopranos. MIlioti appeared in an overlooked but remarkable episode, directed by Steve Buscemi, which displayed incredible insight into the show’s thematic fabric.

What Episode of ‘The Sopranos’ Was Cristin Milioti In?

In the Season 6 episode of The Sopranos, “Mr. & Mrs. John Sacrimoni Request…”, the titular incarcerated New York boss, best known as Johnny Sack (Vincent Curatola), is granted a temporary release from prison to attend his daughter Allegra’s (Caitlin Van Sandt, daughter of series regular Steven Van Zandt) wedding. Sitting alongside Johnny, his wife Ginny (Denise Borino), Allegra, and his son-in-law Eric (Adam Mucci) is his second daughter, Catherine, played by a then-unknown Milioti. She would later appear in two additional episodes, including the harrowing Season 7 episode “Stage 5,” where John’s fight with cancer would meet its tragic end. Milioti’s brief appearance on The Sopranos would come full circle over 15 years later as the co-lead in The Penguin, which clearly draws inspiration from the David Chase organized crime drama.

Milioti only has two lines in “Mr. & Mrs. John Sacrimoni Request…”, but, as with every inconsequential performance in The Sopranos, she leaves an impact. While they visit John in the prison waiting area, Ginny and Allegra talk about their diet, which prompts an already irritated Catherine to yell, “Can we ever talk about anything in this family besides food?!” Honestly, based on the amount of gluttony that occurs in the show, Catherine’s point is valid. The episode was directed by former cast member Steve Buscemi, who previously directed the acclaimed “Pine Barrens.” For any inexperienced actor in her early 20s, starring in The Sopranos would be an overwhelming endeavor. Milioti said to Entertainment Weekly that her stint on the show was “one of many profound, emotional, moving, and meaningful synchronicities” in her life. At the time of her Sopranos role, her family couldn’t afford an HBO subscription when she was cast.

Milioti may have felt like a deer in headlights while filming, as she shared a story with EW about an awkward time when she accidentally ate a prop shrimp during the wedding sequence. Luckily, she found support from Buscemi behind the camera. “He was so incredibly kind to me,” Milioti said in an interview. She expressed gratitude for his warmth and for making her feel protected on set as a young actor who hardly knew where to look on camera. It didn’t matter that she hadn’t seen an episode of The Sopranos — Buscemi made her feel like a series regular.

Season 6, Episode 5 of ‘The Sopranos’ Is One of the Best

Not only did “Mr. & Mrs. John Sacrimoni Request…” introduce the world to Cristin Milioti, but it also happens to be one of The Sopranos‘ finest hours in its marvelous sixth season. By the show’s late-period run, David Chase was dead set on stripping away any semblance of nobility in Tony Soprano (James Gandolfini), and in this episode, written by Terence Winter, Tony reveals his deep-seated insecurity to the audience through one shocking display of violence.

Ailing from his gunshot wound, Tony watches his New York counterpart and dramatic foil Johnny Sack commit the worst sin for a mobster: express vulnerability. Overstaying his strict temporary release window, the U.S. marshals escort John and place him in handcuffs in front of the wedding hall as the newlyweds depart for their honeymoon. Embarrassed and ashamed that his daughter’s precious moment was being tarnished, Johnny is ushered out of the wedding in tears, drawing the ire of his underboss, Phil Leotardo (Frank Vincent).

After hearing his colleagues talk about Johnny with such shame and indignation over his tearful exit, Tony, fearing that his crew will see him as weak due to his health, picks a fight with his strapping driver, Perry (Louis Gross), in front of the family. In one of the show’s most scathing indictments on toxic masculinity, Tony beats his driver (one who would be a fool to retaliate against the boss) to a pulp just to validate his credentials as a “tough guy,” because, in the end, vulnerability is a death sentence in the world of organized crime.

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Release Date

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1999 – 2007-00-00

Network

HBO

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Showrunner

David Chase

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Directors

Tim Van Patten, John Patterson, Alan Taylor, Jack Bender, Steve Buscemi, Daniel Attias, David Chase, Andy Wolk, Danny Leiner, David Nutter, James Hayman, Lee Tamahori, Lorraine Senna, Matthew Penn, Mike Figgis, Nick Gomez, Peter Bogdanovich, Phil Abraham, Rodrigo García

Writers

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Michael Imperioli, Jason Cahill, Lawrence Konner, David Flebotte, James Manos, Jr., Salvatore Stabile, Toni Kalem, Mark Saraceni, Nick Santora

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The Sopranos is available to watch on Max in the U.S.

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A 15-year-old boy spent two days atop a capsized small boat in Alaska’s super cold Bering Sea. Now, he’s a viral headline after holding on until a fishing vessel rescued him this week, the U.S. Coast Guard said.

RELATED: Prayers Up! Woman & 5-Month-Old Daughter Reportedly Dead, 12 Injured After Boat Capsizes Near Statue Of Liberty

Details About Capsized Boat Incident Near Alaska

The teen’s brother and a cousin died sometime after the small boat flipped, according to the rescuers. The group left St. Lawrence Island on Friday and planned to return early Sunday, the Coast Guard said. St. Lawrence Island is a remote Alaskan island that’s closer to Russia than it is to the United States. Officials found the brother and cousin’s bodies after hoisting the teen to safety near St. Lawrence Island.

How Was The Teen Found?

Coast Guard planes and helicopters began searching for the missing skiff (small boat) on Monday (Sept. 7) morning after family members reported the relatives missing the night before. Authorities did not release the names of the three people involved, including the survivor. The Coast Guard said one of its air crews spotted the boy Monday morning and deployed a raft and supplies before contacting The Northwest Explorer.

The captain of the fishing boat, The Northwest Explorer, said the boy had clung to the small boat for close to three days. “That’s one tough kid,” Adam White told KTUU-TV in Anchorage.

Meanwhile, video of the rescue shows the boy in a bright yellow jacket kneeling atop the overturned skiff. The boat’s crew tosses the boy a line, tugging the skiff closer until they can pull him into a rescue basket.

What Condition Was The Teen In When Found?

The boy was experiencing symptoms of hypothermia when he got onto the boat, the Coast Guard said. In response, the fishing boat crew warmed him with blankets and hot packs, its captain said.

“Through the teeth chattering, he had mentioned that his brother was still under the skiff,” White said. “And then he said that, in the previous night, before our rescue, that his cousin had slipped away.”

RELATED: Prayers Up! Bodies Of Missing Florida Couple And Their Grandchildren Found Following Plane Crash In Bahamas

Associated Press contributed to this report via AP Newsroom. 

A school principal in West Virginia has been accused of setting up cameras in multiple girls’ locker rooms and watching the victims undress on a livestream, according to a new lawsuit.

One week after he was arrested and charged for the alleged crimes, Eric James is being sued by 11 students at multiple schools. James, 53, has been accused of installing four hidden cameras in locker rooms and changing areas while he worked as the principal at Brooke High School in Wellsburg, in the state’s Northern Panhandle, per a criminal complaint viewed by the Daily Mail.

James was booked on charges including intentionally intercepting electronic communications (wiretapping statute violation) and breaking and entering a non-residence, according to the Brooke County Sheriff’s Office.

A class action lawsuit was filed last week on behalf of eight students, while additional three students filed civil complaints against him over several allegations made against him.

Related: Pennsylvania Teacher Arrested After Asking Minors to Send Him ‘Spicy’ Photos

A teacher in Pennsylvania was arrested after he was formally charged with manufacture and attempted manufacture of child pornography.. Authorities announced that Eric Sanville was arrested on Thursday, August 27, at his home in Norwood, Pennsylvania, according to WPVI. Federal investigators claimed that Sanville, 39, communicated with approximately 25 girls between the ages of 9 […]

One student, who played on the soccer team at another school James worked at, claimed that he “would wait for her at the locker room door, let her in, and then disappear,” per the complaint. She said she believed James was “disappearing to go view the live camera footage” while she changed.

Another student who attended John Marshall High School in Glen Dale, West Virginia, said she used the changing rooms at Brooke High School during an away day.

“Upon information and belief, Eric James would view the live camera footage while [the girl] was in the locker room,” the complaint said.

The allegations continued with another Brooke High student claiming that she “reasonably believes” James captured her on one of the alleged secret cameras while she was changing at the school.

One of the complaints noted that students “made reports or complaints concerning James’s conduct” while he worked as a gym teacher at Cameron High in Cameron, West Virginia, between 2000 and 2018.

All three civil lawsuits and the class action lawsuit against James have asked for monetary damages to be determined by a jury, per the outlet.

“The resulting invasion of the bodily privacy of Plaintiffs and other students was not momentary. Every day that the devices remained concealed and operational exposed children to additional secret observation and recording,” the class action lawsuit read.

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Related: District of Missing Football Coach Has History of Staff Charged With Sex Crimes

The Virginia school district that is still reeling from former football coach Travis Turner’s disappearance amid child pornography allegations has a history of staff members being accused of sex crimes. Before Turner, 46, three other teachers or coaches in the Wise County Public School district had been accused of inappropriate conduct involving students — something […]

James was suspended from his job earlier in September and remains in custody at Northern Regional Jail. He is being held on a $100,000 bond with an upcoming court appearance scheduled to take place on Wednesday, September 16.

He has not yet entered a plea, according to court records, and the criminal investigation into his case continues. An attorney for James was not immediately available to contact for a comment on the arrest or the lawsuits.

Parents, teachers, and guardians interested in learning more about protecting children from exploitation can find useful tools and information at Know2Protect.

Kim Zolciak and Kroy Biermann’s 15-year-old son, Kroy “KJ” Biermann Jr., was granted bond, Us can confirm.

A judge granted KJ bail and set it at $200,000, on Friday, September 11, per court documents obtained by Us. Per the order, KJ will be subject to pretrial supervision ahead of his arraignment.

KJ was arrested in Alpharetta, Georgia, last month for aggravated sexual assault and aggravated sodomy after an alleged incident with an unidentified minor victim at a public gym earlier this year. KJ, who has maintained his innocence, was remanded to Atlanta’s Regional Youth Detention Center ahead of Friday’s hearing.

After posting bail, KJ will be required to wear an electronic ankle monitor under 24-hour house arrest.

Related: KJ Biermann, 15, Attempts to Avoid Adult Prison Sentence After Indictment

Kim Zolciak and Kroy Biermann’s 15-year-old son, Kroy “KJ” Biermann Jr., is seeking to avoid being tried as an adult following his sexual assault and sodomy arrest. KJ’s attorney filed a motion on Tuesday, September 8, to transfer the case to juvenile court and “for confidentiality proceedings,” according to court records viewed by Us. If […]

“You will wear an electronic monitoring device at all times and keep that device charged,” the court docs read. “The conditions of your monitoring include a 24-hour curfew with the exception of medical, and court appearances.”

Under the judge’s ruling, KJ will live at Zolciak’s house, with the judge strictly barring any other children 16 years old and under — including his own siblings — from staying at the home or visiting. (In addition to KJ, Zolciak, 48, and estranged husband Kroy, 41, are parents of son Kash, 14, and twins Kaia and Kane, both 12. Kroy also adopted Zolciak’s eldest daughters from a previous relationship: Brielle, 29, and Ariana, 24.)

KJ’s bond conditions further require the teenager to attend high school classes virtually and bar him from posting on social media and using a cell phone.

Related: What to Know About Kim Zolciak’s Son KJ’s Arrest for Sexual Assault

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Kim Zolciak‘s son Kroy “KJ” Biermann Jr. made headlines after he was arrested on felony charges of aggravated sodomy and aggravated sexual assault. The alleged incident occurred at Lifetime Fitness on April 23. The minor female victim, who Us has chosen not to identify, reported an aggravated sexual battery and aggravated sodomy and was taken […]

“You will ‘stay off’ social media. Internet use will be for school purposes and for counseling purposes, only,” the order stipulated. “You will not have use of a cell phone. You will turn over your passport to your attorney prior to your release from custody. Defense Counsel must certify, in a filing with the court, that this has, in fact, been done.”

KJ also cannot have any “direct or indirect contact” with his alleged victim, their family or close associates.

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KJ has not yet entered a plea regarding the accusations. He was also indicted earlier this month for aggravated child molestation, aggravated sexual battery, aggravated sodomy, false imprisonment and three counts of sexual battery against a child under the age of 16. (The teenager has not been arrested for the remaining charges in the indictment.)

KJ’s attorney later filed a motion to transfer the proceedings to juvenile court, which would prevent his client from being tried as an adult.

If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).

Pink has broken her silence regarding the backlash she faced for reposting criticism of Macklemore’s pro‑Palestinian remarks at Ed Sheeran’s MetLife Stadium shows.

“I’ve been quiet in my own words for a week, which you know isn’t like me. So here they are,” Pink, 47, began in an Instagram statement on Friday, September 11.

The singer continued, “Last Sunday I reposted somebody else’s post about Macklemore’s set at Ed Sheeran’s show. It said things in words I didn’t write, and I wouldn’t have chosen all of them. Then the comments came, and I did what I do when I’m hurt, which is post snarky memes and act like I’m fine. That’s on me.”

While performing his opening set at Sheeran’s concerts in New Jersey on September 4 and 5, Macklemore, 43, chanted “Free Palestine” and performed his protest track “Hind’s Hall.” He stated that his primary reason for doing the stadium shows was to advocate for Palestine amid the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict over land in the Middle East.

Following Macklemore’s statement, critics petitioned to have the rapper removed from the remaining dates of the Loop Tour. Pink ultimately reposted a message from StopAntisemitism accusing Macklemore of spreading “anti‑Israel propaganda.” She later took to her Instagram Story to share several memes amid backlash over her response.

“A repost isn’t a statement, and a meme isn’t a spine,” she wrote on Friday. “Social media makes all of us cheap and fast, and we all know it. But I’d rather be disagreed with for what I actually said than hated for what anybody else wrote, so let me say it.”

“I was born a Jew. I didn’t pick it, and I’ve never hidden it,” Pink continued. “And this week, a whole lot of people decided what I believe without asking me, without checking a single thing I’ve ever said or done, because a repost and the word ‘Jew’ were apparently enough to fill in the rest. But let me fill it in … myself.”

Pink then recalled her past advocacy for both sides of the conflict.

Related: Huda Beauty’s Huda Kattan Addresses Backlash Over Anti-Israel Scandal

Huda Beauty founder Huda Kattan has addressed her controversial comments regarding the ongoing Israel-Palestinian conflict. “It’s no secret that I have been speaking out about Palestine for quite some time, and that happened from me learning about the Palestinian cause, feeling really frustrated seeing so much injustice happening to the people of Palestine,” Kattan, 41, […]

“Of course I don’t speak for Israel, or for any government. I never have. What I said in October 2023 is still exactly what I believe: Hamas is a terrorist organization,” she wrote. “Palestinians deserve a future that honors their humanity and their aspirations. Protecting innocent life comes first, everywhere, and nobody should ever celebrate the death of a child. Anybody’s child. I’ve spent a decade as a UNICEF ambassador for kids who didn’t choose the country or the war they were born into, and I have grieved every one of them, on both sides of that fence. I didn’t do it from behind a screen; I went to those children and held them. I’m not going to litigate a complex war in an Instagram caption, and I’m not going to recite anybody’s slogan to earn back a follower.”

Pink added that she’s now “standing up for my own people.”

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“‘Zionist,’ spat like it’s a slur, by people who couldn’t tell you the details of what I believe, because I hadn’t told them yet,” she wrote. “I wasn’t asked. I was told. I don’t think most of them hate Jews. I think somebody handed them a story where the Jew who won’t apologize for existing must be the villain, and they’ve been putting words in my mouth ever since.”

She continued, “l’ve been portrayed as the villain before. I can take it. I just won’t take it quietly, and I’m not going to teach my kids to. So, to the ones who are furious with me: you don’t have to agree with me. You never did. That’s been our unspoken agreement for 25 years, and it still stands, and so do I.”

She concluded, “To the ones who are frightened this week, Jewish or Muslim or Palestinian or Israeli or just tired of all of it: I see you. And if anybody wants to really know what I think, just ask me. I’m right here. I’ve never been hard to find. And I’ll keep speaking out, in my own words.”

A woman is accused of abducting her 5-year-old son from an Ohio daycare after a protection order had deemed her a danger to the boy, according to police.

Jodi Littlefield, 34, allegedly pushed through daycare employees who instructed her not to enter, forcibly grabbed her child from the Green Township care facility and drove off with him on Thursday, September 10, the Green Township Police Department said.

She is accused of taking the boy from Arches Oak Hills Childcare, WXIX-TV reported.

Littlefield drove “across the grass to evade people attempting to stop her,” authorities said in a news release.

Related: Mom Left Son, 5, Alone Near Busy Road as She Tried to Steal a Car

A mom in West Virginia was arrested after she left her 5-year-old son alone near a busy road as she allegedly tried to steal a car. Following Danielle Lee Murray’s arrest, she was taken into custody at Tygart Valley Regional Jail and is currently being held on a $25,000 bond. Murray, 37, has been charged […]

This allegedly led to a police chase and her arrest.

A “BOLO” (be on the lookout) notice for Littlefield was immediately sent to law enforcement agencies in Hamilton County, according to police.

About an hour later, Cincinnati police officers saw Littlefield’s vehicle near the city’s Mount Adams neighborhood and pursued her, authorities said.

“Littlefield refused to stop but was ultimately taken into custody by Cincinnati Police,” police said. Reports noted that a taser was used on her before she was booked.

She was arrested on multiple charges, including violation of a protection order, interference with custody, abduction, burglary, child endangering, resisting arrest, and failure to comply, according to authorities.

Her son was said to be unharmed and was returned to his father.

Related: Ohio Mom Sentenced to Prison After She Shoved Her 2 Kids Down the Stairs

A mom in Ohio has been sentenced after she admitted to shoving her kids down the stairs, which she previously claimed was “normal discipline.” Daisha Phillips was sentenced to two years in prison on Monday, June 22, after she pleaded guilty to two counts of child abuse, according to a courtroom report from the Cincinnati […]

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Following the alleged abduction, police learned Littlefield was considered a danger to her son under a domestic violence civil protection order, which prevents her from being within 500 feet of the boy, according to police.

She’s also not supposed to have “contact with him except under very limited circumstances.”

It wasn’t immediately clear whether Littlefield had retained legal counsel or entered a plea.

She was booked at the Hamilton County Justice Center.

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Littlefield was expected to appear in court the morning of Friday, September 11, per WXIX-TV.

According to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, about 260,000 children are abducted in the U.S. annually. In most situations, around 200,000, a parent or relative is allegedly involved in abducting the child.

“In many cases, family abductions occur in the midst of bitter divorce or child custody battles,” the center reports. “While family abductions usually do not present the same threats as stranger abductions, these are very serious criminal offenses that can have devastating effects on children and parents.”

The alleged victim in Kroy “KJ” Biermann Jr.’s sexual battery case has reportedly alleged that she faced threats for going public with her allegations.

The minor female, whose name Us is not publicly disclosing, spoke to the judge during a bond hearing for Kim Zolciak and estranged husband Kroy Biermann’s 15-year-old son at Fulton County Superior Court in Atlanta on Friday, September 11.

During her emotional testimony, the alleged victim asked the judge to consider her safety when deciding whether to grant KJ’s request to be released on bond, per TMZ.

KJ was arrested last month over the alleged victim’s accusation that he sexually harassed and assaulted her while they were in a coed sauna at a local gym in April. (KJ’s lawyer, Jason Sheffield, told Us in August that the teenager is “100 percent innocent.”)

Related: KJ Biermann, 15, Attempts to Avoid Adult Prison Sentence After Indictment

Kim Zolciak and Kroy Biermann’s 15-year-old son, Kroy “KJ” Biermann Jr., is seeking to avoid being tried as an adult following his sexual assault and sodomy arrest. KJ’s attorney filed a motion on Tuesday, September 8, to transfer the case to juvenile court and “for confidentiality proceedings,” according to court records viewed by Us. If […]

The alleged victim, who is a classmate of KJ’s, explained to the court on Friday that she’d already lost friends and faced alienation from fellow students. She was allegedly warned by other students that KJ could retaliate if he is released from custody. (KJ has been held at Atlanta’s Regional Youth Detention Center since his arrest.)

On Friday, Us learned that the judge ultimately decided to grant KJ a $200,000 bond with significant conditions, including that he will be required to wear an ankle monitor and that he must not contact the victim’s family. Furthermore, the judge ruled that KJ will live at Zolciak’s house, while prohibiting any other kids ages 16 and under from staying at the home or visiting.

When the allegations first came to light, Zolciak, 48, released a strong message of support for her teenage son.

“The allegations being made against my son are nothing short of reckless and deeply troubling. He categorically denies ever being involved with this woman or engaging in the conduct she has alleged,” the RHOA alum said in a statement to Us on August 21. “My son voluntarily took a polygraph examination regarding these allegations and passed. Additionally, an examination was conducted, and no DNA belonging to my son was found.”

Zolciak added, “False accusations can have devastating consequences not only for the person being accused, but also for genuine survivors of sexual assault and abuse. Every legitimate allegation deserves to be taken seriously and investigated based on the facts and evidence. At the same time, no one should be publicly condemned based solely on an accusation.”

“We remain confident that the facts and evidence will establish the truth, and we ask that people allow the proper process to take its course rather than spreading unproven allegations,” she concluded.

Zolciak and daughter Brielle Biermann were both in attendance for Friday’s bond hearing but refused to speak to the media outside the Atlanta courthouse.

Deputy District Attorney Caitlin McGillicuddy dropped a bombshell during the court session, revealing that investigators found video evidence on KJ’s phone of the teenager allegedly having sex with an unidentified underage relative. Per prosecutors, the footage shows “multiple encounters” where KJ allegedly used “predatory [and] derogatory” language toward the victim.

KJ’s lawyer Sheffield — who acknowledged that he’d yet to see this new evidence — insisted that “characterizations made in court regarding the prior juvenile matter involving KJ Biermann grossly misrepresent both the facts and the ultimate resolution of that case.”

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Related: Police Report Reveals Alarming Details of KJ Biermann Alleged Assault

A police report has revealed the alarming details of Kroy “KJ” Biermann Jr.’s alleged crimes after the son of Kim Zolciak and Kroy Biermann was arrested for sodomy and sexual assault. The alleged incident occurred on April 23 at Life Time gym in Alpharetta, Georgia, according to the report obtained by Us on Friday, August […]

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“The matter arose from inappropriate, crude behavior involving two middle-schoolers,” Sheffield told TMZ.

The attorney claimed that the allegations raised by prosecutors during Friday’s bond hearing “did not result in an adjudication for statutory rape, sexual intercourse, or any comparable offense” when they were adjudicated.

If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673). If you or someone you know is experiencing child abuse, call or text Child Help Hotline at 1-800-422-4453.

One Chicago is once again going through cast shakeups with a cast member from Chicago Med confirming they won’t be returning in season 12.

Ashlei Sharpe Chestnut, who has played Naomi since season 9, was asked via TikTok whether she is coming back to the NBC series.

“I haven’t seen in you ages hope you’re doing well:) can I ask will you be returning to Chicago Med?” read a fan comment, to which Chestnut, 34, replied, “Thank you! Hope you’re well too:) And no.”

Chestnut previously appeared in season 9 and 10 before viewers started to question her future on the show. Executive producer Allen MacDonald later addressed concerns that Naomi was written off after she reappeared in season 11.

Related: One Chicago Stars Who Left the Franchise: Where Are They Now?

The One Chicago franchise is known for its frequent exits at this point, but Sophia Bush and more stars have not slowed down since walking away from Chicago P.D., Chicago Fire or Chicago Med. Bush, for one, spoke out about her departure from Chicago P.D. after season 4. “I realized that as I was thinking […]

“I understand the misunderstanding of that. We love Ashlei Sharpe Chesnut; she’s phenomenal. We never intended to write her out,” MacDonald told Deadline in October 2025. “We always knew she was going to be back this season. But with everything that happened with Dr. Hayes and her leaving the hospital, I don’t blame the audience for thinking she was gone.”

MacDonald hinted at plans to expand Naomi’s story.

“I saw in a lot of the articles that I definitely don’t read every night that they thought she had left for good, but that was never the intention,” he continued. “And as you know, she’s back, and for the season.”

Chestnut isn’t the only one not coming back within the One Chicago franchise. Before season 15 of Chicago Fire, multiple outlets confirmed that Joe Miñoso was leaving the hit NBC series, but he is still expected to appear in several episodes when the show returns.

Showrunner Andrea Newman also exited after spending more than a decade behind the scenes. Newman, who worked on Chicago Fire for its entire 14-season run, confirmed her departure in April, with coexecutive producer Victor Teran taking over the role.

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Related: One Chicago’s Most Heartbreaking Exits

If there’s one thing Dick Wolf isn’t afraid of, it’s killing off a beloved character. A fact that fans of the One Chicago universe know all too well. The franchise kicked off in 2012 with Chicago Fire. Chicago P.D. was added in 2014 and Chicago Med debuted in 2015. The cast of each show has […]

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Newman joined Chicago Fire after the pilot as coexecutive producer before being promoted to executive producer. She was then named coshowrunner and became the sole showrunner in 2023.

“Working at Chicago Fire, with the absolute best cast and crew in the business, has been the highlight of my career,” Newman said in a statement. “Like so many others, I was inspired to get into TV writing because of Dick [Wolf], so what a thrill it’s been to work with him and the amazing Wolf team of Peter Jankowski, Rebecca McGill and Anastasia Puglisi. I’m so grateful to them, Derek Haas and the NBC and Universal execs who have been so supportive of the show all along the way. After 14 years, you really do become a family and working with this group will always feel like home.”

News later broke that Dermot Mulroney is also leaving following his brief return in the season 14 finale earlier this year. Mulroney’s Dom Pascal was noticeably missing for several episodes throughout the season, with Rob Morgan (Andre Hopkins) taking over his position as chief at Firehouse 51.

Kyle Chandler, who first rose to fame with the 1996 CBS series Early Edition, is capturing viewer attention again with his unconventional turn as Hal Jordan in Lanterns. But it’s not his first foray into the sci-fi genre, with a prominent role in the MonsterVerse franchise as Mark Russell in Godzilla: King of the Monsters and Godzilla vs. Kong, and a far, far less prominent one in the remake of The Day the Earth Stood Still. Most notably, three years after the latter (and 15 years before Lanterns), Chandler starred in Super 8, an underappreciated, Spielbergian sci-fi masterpiece that sees Chandler at his best. And it’s currently streaming for free on Pluto TV.

In ‘Super 8,’ a Group of Film-Making Teens Uncover a Dark Secret

Image via Paramount Pictures

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It’s 1979 in Lillian, Ohio, and Deputy Sheriff Jack Lamb (Chandler) and his 14-year-old son Joe (Joel Courtney) are left to mourn the death of wife and mother Elizabeth in a workplace accident. It’s a death that should never have happened in the first place, with Elizabeth called in at the last minute to cover the shift of co-worker Louis (Ron Eldard), who called out with a hangover; Jack places the blame for his loss squarely on Louis’ shoulders. Joe, meanwhile, opts to remember his mother by tenaciously holding onto a locket carrying a photo of her and himself as a baby.

Four months pass, and Joe’s friend Charles (Riley Griffiths) has gathered Joe and four other friends, including Louis’ daughter Alice (Elle Fanning), to take part in the zombie movie he’s making for a Super 8 film competition. But while filming one night at a train station, they capture footage of a pickup truck crashing head-on into an approaching train, derailing it and forcing the teens to run. After the chaotic moment has subsided, they look around and find crates filled with strange white cubes. Peculiar, but so is the fact that the driver of the truck is their biology teacher, Dr. Woodward (Glynn Turman). Despite his grave injuries, he points a gun in their direction and warns them to forget what they saw. With that they flee, just as Col. Nelec (Noah Emmerich) and his Air Force convoy descend on the location.

The friends would be glad to forget what they saw, but with strange things happening around town, Joe and Charles look at their footage and notice a large, alien creature escaping the train amid the mayhem. Worse yet, the creature has abducted Alice along with a number of other town citizens. The crew are determined to rescue Alice, so they break into Dr. Woodward’s trailer to see if they can find out what they’re up against. What they discover is mind-blowing. Dr. Woodward used to be a government researcher, and in 1963, he was called on by the Air Force to experiment on an alien whose ship, composed of the white cubes they found, crash-landed on Earth. During the experiments, the alien connected with Woodward psychically, convincing him to help it escape, an effort that was thwarted by Nelec. Now, after years of being held captive, the alien is free, and seemingly intent on exacting revenge on humanity. How can a group of teens possibly save the day?

‘Super 8’ Is a Perfect Spielberg-Like Balancing Act

Super 8 is as Spielberg-like as a film can be, which isn’t all that surprising, given it’s a true collaboration between Steven Spielberg, who produced the film, and director J.J. Abrams, who credits the auteur with allowing him the freedom to craft the film in the spirit of E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial and The Goonies. The focus lies on its core group of teen characters and their relationships with one another, as well as with their parents, in the face of extraordinary events—a common theme in Spielberg’s works. There’s a careful balance of humor with tension, fantastic effects, exemplary pacing, and writing that feels natural (and stick around at the end to watch “The Case,” the zombie film the kids made). And the movie’s strongest asset is its powerful message: You can’t control when bad things happen, but you can choose to let them go and live the life you’re in now.

It’s a lesson that—SPOILER—prompts the alien (credited as “Cooper”) to realize not all humans are like Nelec, pull his spaceship back together and go home. Yet the character whose arc best exemplifies this realization just so happens to be Chandler’s Jack Lamb. He is chained to his grief and chained to his anger at Louis—both of which inhibit his ability to connect with Joe, who is also grieving. But unique circumstances and dangerous secrets force him into action, while the threat of losing Joe sees him finally putting aside his own grief and anger. And Chandler deftly handles it all, exuding the authority, grief, and the freedom of emotional release that constitutes Jack’s arc in ways spoken and unspoken. Just another element among the many that makes Super 8 the sci-fi masterpiece that it is.

Get a rundown of Us‘ top stories making headlines in celebrity news, sports and entertainment on September 11, 2026. Here are the key takeaways:

• Podcast host Rachel Uchitel shared an emotional Instagram tribute to her late fiancé, Andy O’Grady, on the 25th anniversary of the September 11, 2001, attacks. O’Grady was a managing director at Sandler O’Neill on the 104th floor of Tower 2 and died when the building collapsed. Uchitel wrote that the event “changed who I was completely.”

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• Shanna Moakler said she regrets participating in ex-husband Travis Barker‘s Hulu documentary, Travis Barker: Louder Than Fear, telling the “I Do, Part 2” podcast she knew in her heart she “wasn’t going to be portrayed the way that I felt I deserved.” Moakler, who shares son Landon and daughter Alabama with Barker, plans to revisit her past relationships in her upcoming memoir, Blink of an Eye.

• Minka Kelly broke her silence after Netflix opted not to renew Ransom Canyon for a third season, posting an Instagram farewell on September 11. “Thank you all for giving us two beautiful seasons!” Kelly wrote, saluting her “Ransom Canyon family,” while costar Garrett Wareing added, “Cowboys live forever. Onward.”

Edited by Samantha Benitz. Story produced with AI assistance