If you caught season 4 of “The Ultimatum: Marry or Move on” and wondered where Blake Robertson stands with the girlfriend he entered the show with, Hayley Hendrich, and his partner during his trial marriage, Ashley Wilson, you’re not alone. Now that cameras have stopped rolling, and it is months after the engagements, is Blake still with Hayley? Or did he and Ashley pick up where they left off during the show? 

During an exclusive interview with The Blast, the reality star shares some details on what happened after the engagement and what’s happened since the reunion was filmed (and you might be a bit surprised). 

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If you watched the finale of the show, you know that Blake asked Hayley to marry him. They looked ready for some happily ever after vibes, but that didn’t last long after the cameras stopped rolling. If you watched the reunion, you know they are no longer together. But what happened between the finale and the reunion? A lot, apparently. 

One thing that recently broke was the fact that Blake was arrested for allegedly assaulting Hayley shortly after their engagement. 

“Hayley and I communicated even after the arrest situation. She continued to stay with me and we were together for another week-and-a-half, two weeks. We communicated until ultimately, I told her I don’t want my card on her Apple Pay anymore, and that’s kind of what made her stop communication with me,” he told The Blast exclusively.

“We went to the reunion and after we finished the reunion and she saw her edit, how she kind of came across, and ever since then we’ve been in contact. For some reason she wants to keep me blocked on social media, which I don’t think is fair, but she wants to communicate with me in private and say, ‘Hey Blake, please help me out. I don’t like my edit. I want you to make me look less dramatic or crazy.’”

Let’s Talk About The Arrest…

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The arrest news recently made headlines, and Blake gave a little more insight into what happened. 

“I just did a longform podcast on that and all the details of it will drop. But just to break it down into the lowest common denominator, this was a class C misdemeanor. They kind of broad term group everything into family violence when in reality, it can be as little as unwelcomed touching,” he said. “So that’s kind of the essence of it, in a sense where Hayley has got a lot of accountability that she needs to take too. I definitely do take full accountability for the things that I am responsible for.”

Blake said there was “physical violence” in his relationship with Hayley, and he was “on the receiving side of it all the time.” He hopes that she will soon “take the accountability that she’s asking everyone else to take” and stop making excuses. 

“The constant recording that I lived under where everything was said, hundreds and hundreds of times constantly being recorded by her, that is not the way that anyone should live in a healthy relationship or engagement where someone loves them,” he added. “That to me is something where I look forward to her taking a lot of accountability for as well.” 

After the show wrapped, the two managed to stay together for about four to five months. 

What About Blake And His Trial Marriage Partner, Ashley?

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Blake and Ashley bonded during their trial marriage, but there were also a lot of distractions and chaos with Killian (Ashley’s boyfriend) and Hayley that derailed their experience in many ways. 

When asked if Blake is still in contact with Ashley, he said they have spoken. 

“I talked to her like three days ago and she said she wanted to be there to help support me throughout everything,” Blake revealed. “So yeah, we’ve been in contact.” 

As far as the rest of the cast, Blake said he’s also spoken to Killian, Jebin, Edris, and Jessica Grace. While Blake and David were great friends on the show, he hasn’t really spoken to him since the show. 

“David and I were obviously best friends on the show, and due to Hayley and I’s falling out, he and Casey have kind of gone their own separate ways to stay out of the drama of it all, which I respect,” he said. “Then Luke and Monica are just kind of solo out in California.” 

The ‘Fearless Foursome’ On ‘The Ultimatum’

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Referred to as the “fearless foursome” by host Vanessa Lachey, Blake, Hayley, Killian, and Ashley had many interactions that weren’t seen on camera. 

“There is so much behind the scenes that I can’t wait to just open up more about,” he told The Blast. “We really were like this fearless foursome that you know, I really don’t feel like got to be explored in a sense.”

Blake shared that he and Killian got into “so many arguments where we went at it.” And as far as the infamous “group chat,” many have asked Blake why he didn’t stand up for Hayley, and he said there’s a lot that wasn’t shown on camera.

“One of the things that wasn’t shown is I actually went over to Killian’s apartment and him and I had a full on conversation for an hour where we just went back and forth,” Blake shared. “And you know I was just getting in his face and he was getting in mine. So that was left out.” 

The Best And Worst Parts Of Filming ‘The Ultimatum’

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As with any experience, there’s always something that stands out as the best and the worst part. For Blake, the best parts were some of the things the viewers didn’t get to see.

“They don’t tell us what to say, but they give us good prompts, like they would give us a little sheet that would ask us questions we haven’t thought of before that might be good questions to ask your current partner or trial marriage partner. Just to kind of get deeper. I think that was great,” Blake shared. “And then getting to experience the city of Las Vegas as well in its entirety. Ashley and I on the show had some really cool dates. I think getting to go drive the boat on Lake Las Vegas was a lot of fun.”

He added that living the “single life” again before going back to his relationship was an interesting part of the experience. As far as the worst part, Blake said it’s all about your flaws.

“Your flaws are heightened. You know everything that I did that I am not proud of, such as the conversations with Ashley or the breakup, or you know Hayley and I’s arguments. Those are put on blast,” he said. “And you get to hear a lot of people’s opinions on what they would have done in your shoes, which of course, they don’t understand what you’re going through at the time, nor they’ve never been in it. Just seeing your life on public display and maybe your flaws. That’s something that’s a bit tough.”

He also shared that it was a great experience living at Ariva Serviced Residences in Southwest Las Vegas, noting that he enjoyed the amenities, mountain views, and being so close to so many great things in Sin City.

By Chris Snellgrove
| Updated 17 seconds ago

Among fans and Hollywood execs alike, “reboot” has become something of a dirty word. After all, you can throw a rock and easily hit one of countless terrible reboots. The new Nightmare on Elm Street (2010), for example, had none of the demented fun of the original movies, and audiences hated it. Psycho (1998). The Thing (2011) was such an unnecessary prequel that even putting Ramona Flowers in it couldn’t get fans to care about this film. And The Fantastic Four (2015) lacked the charisma of the earlier two movies, quickly establishing itself as one of the worst superhero films ever made.

What do all of these reboots have in common? Simple: they failed to attract new fans while driving away older fans, ultimately damaging the brand in a lasting way. Nobody is more aware of the dangers of reboots than Kevin Feige, who previously called reboot “a scary word” and who prefers to call his own upcoming MCU reboot a “reset.” Now, in a recent statement, Feige has clarified some of what we can expect to happen after Avengers: Secret Wars. “It will establish a streamlined, simplified, single universe that we can keep up with.”

Reboot Or Reset?

From the outside looking in, Kevin Feige’s comments about the post-Secret Wars MCU seem contradictory. He previously confirmed that the MCU would be getting a reboot, but noted that he preferred the term “reset.” Now, in a recent interview with Joshua Horowitz, he denied that there would be a reboot and suggested fans read Jonathan Hickman’s 2015 Secret Wars comic because it provides “a nice roadmap to where we can go.” So, how is the universe resetting but not rebooting? In a statement made to Chinese media, Feige has squared the circle, promising the MCU would “establish a streamlined, simplified, single universe that we can keep up with. Some things will be familiar, but many, many things will be entirely new.”

What does all of this mean? Regarding “reboot,” it seems Feige is avoiding this word for two reasons. First, as outlined above, most reboots are awful, and audiences have come to rightfully fear them. Second, this isn’t a complete reboot in the traditional sense. Marvel isn’t going to recast every single role or dramatically change the kinds of stories they tell. That means you shouldn’t expect the kind of major transformation we got from the Battlestar Galactica television reboot or the Star Trek (2009) cinematic reboot. Instead, we’re getting a reset that keeps most of what we know and love while tweaking things just enough to keep the movies fresh.

The World’s Worst-Kept Secret

That brings us back to Hickman’s Secret Wars comic. That tale deals with our heroes trying and failing to stop realities from colliding with one another. After they fall, Doom rebuilds the entire multiverse into a single reality that he is the ruler of. Eventually, he is defeated, and we are left with a new reality that is mostly very recognizable to fans. However, it’s got a few new continuity tweaks. For example, Miles Morales, who was originally from a different universe, is now part of the familiar 616 universe. Furthermore, future writers had license to make more tweaks as needed, all of which are retroactively explained by Secret Wars.

What does this mean for the MCU? More or less, the exact same thing will happen. Our heroes will lose in Avengers: Doomsday and be reborn in Doom’s weird Battleworld in Avengers: Secret Wars. Once he is defeated, we’ll have a unified multiverse that allows popular multiversal characters (like Deadpool and the Fantastic Four) to become a permanent part of the MCU. It also paves the way for popular characters played by aging actors (like Captain America, Iron Man, and Thor) to be recast. Mostly, the reset of Secret Wars will make it easier to add the X-Men to the mix without screwing up too much existing continuity.

Why are the X-Men so important? They are arguably the most famous superhero group in history, and Kevin Feige is betting big on these merry mutants being the cornerstone of his new, hopefully improved MCU. Now, the reset news isn’t all that surprising; it’s what myself and countless others predicted as soon as the title dropped for Avengers: Secret Wars. However, it’s cool to hear the big guy basically confirm what’s about to happen. Plus, given how much everyone has loved X-Men ‘97, it’s safe to say the entire fandom is ready to see these guys optic blast their way into the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Netflix’s A Toxic Love Story breaks down Ian Diaz and his then-wife Angela Connell’s (formerly Angela Diaz) scheme to frame his ex Michelle Hadley for stalking and harassment. The couple hoped to scare Hadley into giving Diaz her portion of the Anaheim, California, condo they bought together, but the plan backfired when police learned that Diaz and Connell were actually behind the upsetting messages at the center of the case all along.

While Hadley’s name was cleared in 2017, Diaz was not arrested for the scheme for several years. Us breaks down everything we know about Diaz’s life today, below.

Where Is Ian Diaz Now?

After Diaz was arrested in May 2021, a federal jury convicted him of conspiracy to commit cyberstalking, cyberstalking, perjury and obstruction of a federal matter in March 2023. He was then sentenced to serve 10 years and one month in prison, and was dismissed from the U.S. Marshals Service.

He is currently serving his sentence at FMC Fort Worth. In January 2025, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed his convictions.

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While Hadley appeared in A Toxic Love Story, neither Connell nor Diaz chose to participate.

“We did approach Ian. We did write him a letter, and he declined to take part,” director Alexandra Lacey told Netflix’s Tudum.

She added that the filmmakers have no knowledge about what his life is like behind bars.

What Did Ian Diaz Do?

A Toxic Love Story sheds light on Hadley and Diaz’s romance, which began in 2013 when they met on an online dating website. They eventually bought a condo together, and Hadley covered a large portion by paying the down payment.

The pair split in August 2015, and Diaz quickly moved on when he married Connell in February 2016.

Diaz and Connell claimed that they started receiving messages from an online account called “Lilithistruth” in May 2016, and they went to police to state they believed Hadley was behind the messages.

One month later, Connell called 911 again to report that a man entered her home’s garage and tried to rape her. She told police that she believed Hadley had organized the attack.

Related: ‘Love Is Blind: Argentina’ Star Sentenced to 15 Years for Attempted Murder

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A contestant from Love Is Blind: Argentina has been sentenced to 15 years in prison for the attempted murder of his ex-wife — the same woman he met, fell for and married on the Netflix dating series. Santiago Martínez was convicted of attempted murder, repeated assault and unlawful detention of Emily Ceco, according to reports […]

Hadley was then arrested and charged with attempted forcible rape and stalking. She spent 88 days in jail before authorities determined that the couple had framed her so that she would give up her portion of the condo.

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In January 2017, Hadley was released from jail and her charges were dropped.

Meanwhile, Connell was arrested that same month and later pleaded guilty to kidnapping, false imprisonment by menace, fraud or deceit, forgery, possession of a forged check over $950, perjury and grand theft, falsely reporting a crime to a police agency and falsely reporting a crime to a peace officer. She was ultimately sentenced to serve five years in prison, and she was released in July 2020.

Diaz and Connell have since divorced.

The Los Angeles Dodgers are becoming regulars at the White House.

The back-to-back World Series champions were back in Washington D.C. on Thursday, July 23, to commemorate their latest triumph with President Donald Trump.

“I’m thrilled to say welcome back to the White House,” Trump, 80, said during the ceremony. “And maybe I’ll see you again next year.”

Trump may be right. At 65-38, the Dodgers have the best record in baseball and are the current betting favorites to achieve the ultra-rare World Series three-peat.

Championship-winning sports teams have visited U.S. presidents for decades, but in recent years, athletes’ decisions to attend have come into the spotlight. Several Dodgers were absent from the ceremony on Thursday, including star Mookie Betts.

“I’m not trying to make this a whole big deal,” Betts, 33, told the California Post earlier this month. “We just had a baby. You don’t get many days off. They’re coming [on the road trip to D.C.]. And just want to hang out with the fam.”

Dodgers star Kiké Hernandez also did not attend, explaining that he is off on a minor league rehab assignment, but that even if he were active, he “probably wouldn’t have gone anyways.”

Those who did attend, however, were treated to an unconventional event, taking place in the newly renovated White House Rose Garden. Keep scrolling for some of the strangest moments.

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Trump Opens By Explaining New Rose Garden

Before going into politics, Trump was known as a billionaire real estate developer, and those instincts have stayed with him into his presidency. He opened the ceremony by giving attendees a rundown of the new Rose Garden.

“This used to be grass and it was always wet,” he told the crowd. “The White House is built on a wetland and when you build on a wetland, the grass is wet all the time … We had a lot of upset women that would stand there in their high heels and they’d just go down like quicksand.”

He also turned his attention to the Walk of Fame he introduced, which features photos of 46 U.S. presidents and an autopen in place of his predecessor, Joe Biden.

“I could put some of the great Dodgers on the wall,” Trump joked, “but I figured maybe it’s more appropriate that we put the presidents.”

Trump Weighs in on War in Iran

Trump is a well-known sports fan, so it’s no surprise he was tuned into the Dodgers’ World Series series win over the Toronto Blue Jays in October. He admitted, however, that he hasn’t been watching as much baseball this year due to his responsibilities as president, including the ongoing war in Iran.

“I’ve been a little busy with Iran and some other things,” he said.

Trump Asks If He Has to Report World Series Ring

As is custom, the team presented Trump with a personalized Dodgers jersey with his name and No. 47 on the back. They also gave him a World Series ring, and Trump couldn’t help but crack a joke as he admired it.

“Wow. Do I have to report this?” he asked. “I don’t want to report this.”

The Ethics in Government Act requires presidents to report any gift they accept over $350, so if the ring is authentic, it seems likely that Trump will have to.

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Trump Takes a Shot at Predecessor Joe Biden

The autopen photo on the Walk of Fame wasn’t the only shade Trump threw at Biden, 83. While describing the new Rose Garden, he quipped, “It looks very nice. You think Biden would do that? I don’t think so. I don’t think Biden would do it.”

Trump Puts Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Shohei Ohtani on the Spot

During his remarks, Trump mentioned Dodgers pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s World Series MVP performance against the Blue Jays. When he turned around to shake Yamamoto’s hand, he asked him and Shohei Ohtani, who was standing next to him, who the better pitcher was. It doesn’t appear either player answered the question as both erupted in laughter.

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The New York Knicks are heading to the White House. Following their historic NBA championship victory on Saturday, June 13, Knicks owner James Dolan confirmed that his team received an invitation from the White House, where they are expected to meet President Donald Trump. “We just did receive an invitation from the White House, which […]

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Ohtani and Trump Pose for Oval Office Photo

Ohtani, 32, posed for a photo with Trump in the Oval Office as Trump sat at the Resolute Desk, flanked by the Dodgers’ two most recent World Series trophies. L.A.’s two-way superstar stood next to him, awkwardly holding a U.S.A. cap. (Ohtani is of Japanese descent and competed for Japan in the World Baseball Classic three times.)

By Robert Scucci
| Published 19 seconds ago

When Charlie Sheen and Emilio Estevez’s names are brought up, nobody will blame you if you immediately think about Hot Shots! and The Mighty Ducks. But when the brothers teamed up for a crime comedy like 1990’s Men at Work, it’s easy to see why they were such popular comedic actors during the height of their careers. Men at Work benefits from its stars’ chemistry because, while they’re not portraying brothers on screen, they have the same kind of reluctant best friend energy siblings have, allowing every heightened situation they find themselves in to come off as grounded and believable, which is no easy feat when you learn just how stupid their situation is.

Men at Work wasn’t a huge financial success upon its initial release, earning $16.2 million at the box office against its reported production budget of $9 million. And even today, it’s far from a critical darling, presently boasting a 30 percent critics score on Rotten Tomatoes and only a slightly better 44 percent audience score on the Popcornmeter. Like most crime comedies of this era, however, it holds up shockingly well because of how hard it sells its premise.

My running theory is that there were so many movies like this coming out at the same time that critics simply became jaded, and their fatigue can be seen in the numbers. But just like Fatal Instinct and National Lampoon’s Loaded Weapon 1 (another Emilio Estevez banger), you just need to be built for movies like Men at Work. Whether you are or not is entirely up to you, but if you’re going in blind and love a solid crime comedy, you really can’t go wrong here.

Two Garbage Men, A Dead Body, And A Toxic Waste Conspiracy

Men at Work centers on garbagemen Carl Taylor (Charlie Sheen) and James St. James (Emilio Estevez). Day to day, their lives are pretty simple. They collect garbage, make a total mess by throwing trash barrels all over the place, and recklessly drive their truck. Their behavior is so unprofessional that they’re placed on probation, forcing them to work under the observation of Louis Fedders (Keith David), their boss’s brother-in-law.

One day after work, Carl and James are hanging out at the former’s apartment when they feast their eyes on Susan Wilkins (Leslie Hope), the woman who lives in the apartment across the way who Carl clearly has the hots for. They witness her get into an altercation with the man in her apartment, which prompts Carl to shoot him in the butt with a pellet gun. The whole story turns into a convoluted murder plot as Carl and James hide beneath the window laughing when two men enter Susan’s apartment, strangle the man, drag his body out of the building, stuff the body into a toxic waste drum, and haphazardly place the drum into the trunk of their car.

The body, which is revealed to belong to City Councilman and mayoral candidate Jack Berger (Darrell Larson), is discovered the next day by Carl and James while running their route with Louis because the drum rolled out of the hitmen’s car and straight into a garbage pile sitting by the curb. Fortunately, Louis, who hates cops, is quick to point out that they didn’t actually kill the man with a pellet gun, but also brings up the fact that nobody knows this guy is missing yet, and they have to do something with the body before anybody finds out. 

While figuring out their next steps and waiting for the whole situation to blow over, they keep Jack’s body at Carl’s place, concealing his true identity with a Richard Nixon mask. It seems like a solid plan until a pizza man (Dean Cameron) shows up, making him a witness and prompting the gang to kidnap him so they don’t get thrown under the bus for a murder they didn’t commit.

Complicating matters further are hitmen Biff (Hawk Wolinski) and Mario (John Lavachielli), who are scrambling to find the politician’s body after failing to properly dispose of it, and officer Mike (John Putch), who is pretty much harmless but, for some reason, has always had it out for Carl and James.

Sibling Energy Steals The Show

On paper, Men at Work is a near-perfect comedy of errors, which is then elevated by the chemistry between Sheen and Estevez. The entire situation Carl and James find themselves in is so out to lunch that you need two charismatic leads to actually sell it, which they do in spades. The situational humor alone is enough to keep your eyes glued to the screen, waiting for the next big mishap, but it’s the stolen glances between Carl and James that add a whole new layer of charm to the equation. It feels like two brothers way in over their heads after getting caught in the middle of an assassination plot, when all they want to do is go to work, come home, crack open a few brews, and watch some TV.

As Men at Work barrels into its second and third acts, we get a tight story about political corruption, and how working class men with no clue how much trouble they’re getting into can rise to the occasion and become heroes in their own right, when all they really want to do at the end of the day is go back to their slacker lifestyle and forget any of this ever happened.

If you’re looking for a solid, forgotten comedy of errors that may have been railed on a little too hard by the critics when it was first making its rounds, you can stream Men at Work for free on Tubi as of this writing.

By Chris Snellgrove
| Published 11 seconds ago

One of the biggest fumbles in Warner Bros. history is Green Lantern. The movie should have been a surefire hit: the title character is one of DC’s most popular heroes, and he was played by a reliable leading man (and future Deadpool actor) Ryan Reynolds. Plus, the film is filled with an entire galaxy of colorful characters. Nonetheless, a combination of bad writing and shoddy CGI made this blockbuster film into something worse than a failure: an embarrassment. Since then, the studio has been hesitant to bring the character back. However, that all changes with Lanterns, the DCU show premiering on HBO Max on August 16th.

The show takes the surprising approach of making Hal Jordan (the most popular Green Lantern) into an older character, one who is responsible for training Jon Stewart, the new kid on the block. Together, they must solve a murder on Earth that Jordan is convinced is tied to a larger extraterrestrial mystery. These space cops have to make nice with the local law enforcement, one of whom is deeply resentful of these big-time heroes muscling in on her jurisdiction. Does all of this add up to a show worth watching? Below, you can decide for yourself by watching the first full-length trailer for Lanterns.

The Lanterns Always Ring Twice

This Lanterns trailer quickly establishes the dynamic between our two main characters. Hal Jordan (played by Kyle Chandler) is training a rookie Lantern, John Stewart (played by Aaron Pierre). The new guy seems ready and willing to become a full-fledged space cop; meanwhile, Jordan has mixed feelings about the fact that he’s training his own replacement. In the trailer, we see a handful of fun mentor/mentee moments, several cool action moments, and even a brief conversation between Jordan and Sinestro, his greatest nemesis. Towards the end, we get a cool action montage to go along with Green Lantern’s familiar oath, followed by a cutesy moment between Jordan and his sheriff love interest.

For the most part, the trailer makes Lanterns look really exciting. I was on the fence about making Jordan an older character because I hoped that he (my personal favorite) would be the one to join the Justice League. However, the performances of the two leads really put my concerns to rest. Chandler is great as a grizzled space cop, and I’m now excited to see him in a Logan-style story about a cowboy hero going for one last ride. It helps that Pierre is so compelling as Stewart: he has a stern coolness that belies a fiery passion, and I’m hyped to see him evolve into the DCU’s next big character.

A Different Dynamic Duo

This is admittedly a low bar to clear, but Lanterns looks like it is going to be much better than Supergirl. While it’s something of an apples-to-oranges comparison (movie vs. TV show and all that), Lanterns already seems like it’s going to strike a better balance between its more grounded elements (like character relationships and an ongoing investigation) and its cosmic elements (like visiting Sinestro’s jail cell in deep space and making a mysterious alien enemy). The trailer also distances itself from most of the whimsy of Superman, Supergirl, and even Peacemaker, presenting a show with the sensibilities of your favorite cheesy action movies from the ‘90s.

Sure, it’s a great trailer, but will the TV show blow our minds or suck like the vacuum of space? Only time will tell, but we don’t have to wait that long. Lanterns premieres on HBO Max on August 16. Considering the high quality of Peacemaker Season 2, it’s fair to say that fans have high expectations for the DCU’s second live-action television show. Fingers are crossed it lives up to those hopes and that Green Lantern finally becomes the popular mainstream character he deserves to be. If not, the show might end up like Supergirl: an evil that we only wish would escape our sight!

DC Studios has released the official trailer for Clayface, and it’s becoming increasingly clear that this won’t be just another comic book movie. The new footage doubles down on the film’s gruesome body horror, delivering unsettling transformation sequences and psychological tension that make it feel closer to a modern horror classic than a traditional superhero blockbuster.

The trailer follows Matt Hagen (Tom Rhys Harries), a Gotham City native whose rise from the streets to Hollywood stardom comes to a devastating end after a violent encounter leaves him horribly disfigured. Desperate to reclaim his life and career, Hagen turns to scientist Dr. Caitlyn Corr (Naomi Ackie) for an experimental treatment. Instead of healing him, the procedure begins transforming him into the shape-shifting monster known as Clayface, sending him down a path of revenge as he slowly loses his grip on reality.

One sequence has already become the trailer’s defining moment. During a terrifying scene aboard an airplane, Hagen watches his face begin to melt before frantically using a pair of scissors in a desperate attempt to stop the transformation. Director James Watkins revealed that the sequence was so graphic that even members of the production crew struggled to watch it while filming. Multiple versions of the scissors prop were created to safely capture the disturbing practical effects.

Clayface [credit: DC Studios]

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While previous marketing teased the film’s horror influences, today’s trailer fully embraces them. Grotesque facial distortions, melting flesh, and increasingly violent transformations dominate the footage, reinforcing DC Studios’ promise that Clayface is a genuine R-rated horror film rather than a superhero movie with horror elements. The film draws clear inspiration from body horror classics while telling a tragic story about fame, identity, and obsession.

Interestingly, the trailer still refuses to reveal Clayface’s complete monstrous form. Instead, Warner Bros. continues to tease glimpses of Hagen’s final transformation without giving audiences a full look at the iconic Batman villain, preserving one of the movie’s biggest surprises for its theatrical release.

Joining Harries and Ackie is Max Minghella as Gotham City detective John Pearlman, who becomes entangled in Hagen’s horrifying descent. The film is directed by James Watkins from a screenplay by Hossein Amini, based on a story by Mike Flanagan, with producers including James Gunn, Peter Safran, and Matt Reeves.

If today’s trailer is any indication, Clayface may end up being one of the most unique comic book adaptations ever released. Rather than relying on massive action sequences or world-ending stakes, the film appears focused on delivering an unsettling character-driven horror story that pushes the DC Universe into entirely new territory.

Bah, humbug! Johnny Depp was virtually unrecognizable while making a special appearance at San Diego Comic-Con to promote his Christmas movie Ebenezer.

Depp, 63, surprised fans at the California pop culture convention on Thursday, July 23, by showing up in costume as the miserly Ebenezer Scrooge for Paramount Pictures’ pop-up installation promoting the film.

The legendary Hollywood star’s face was disguised in old-age makeup as he wore Scrooge’s signature top hat and carried a cane.

In one unexpected moment, Depp’s Scrooge even lightheartedly confronted a fan dressed up as his iconic Pirates of the Caribbean character, Captain Jack Sparrow.

Depp’s appearance at Comic-Con took place on the same day that Paramount Pictures released an extended trailer for MaXXXine director Ti West’s adaptation of author Charles Dickens’ 1843 literary classic, A Christmas Carol.

The teaser leans heavily into Depp’s history of physically transforming for his roles by hyping that he “brought us Jack Sparrow, Edward Scissorhands and the Mad Hatter” before revealing him as Scrooge for the first time.

“It’s good to be back,” Scrooge snarls in the clip.

West, 45, has gone for a more Gothic adaptation of A Christmas Carol, leaning into the spookiness of Scrooge being visited by three ghosts from his past on Christmas Eve.

Ebenezer’s star-studded cast features Harry Potter’s Rupert Grint and Star Wars’ Daisy Ridley as Bob and Emily Cratchit, Oscar nominee Andrea Riseborough as the Ghost of Christmas Past and Avengers: Doomsday star Ian McKellen as Scrooge’s vengeful ex-business partner Jacob Marley.

Depp returned to the international stage for the first time since his trial with ex-wife Amber Heard as director of the 2024 biographical drama Modì, Three Days on the Wing of Madness, though Ebenezer is unquestionably an acting comeback for the star. (Depp’s last major Hollywood acting role was in 2018’s Harry Potter prequel Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald.)

Earlier this year, McKellen, 87, dropped hints about what fans can expect for Depp’s version of Ebenezer Scrooge — a character that has been played by the likes of Michael Caine, Jim Carrey and Will Ferrell in the past.

“He’s in spankingly good form,” McKellen told Variety in an April interview. “Effervescent, funny, irreverent, serious — all at the same time. It was a bit of a love fest, really. I fell in love with him. He’s very obliging to his fellow actors. [There was] a wonderful feeling on the set.”

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McKellen teased his own performance, saying, “It was only six days, but it was well worth it. I play a ghost.”

Related: Breaking Down Johnny Depp’s Life 2 Years After Amber Heard Trial

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It’s been two years since Johnny Depp’s highly publicized defamation trial with ex-wife Amber Heard. On April 15, Depp, 60, stepped onto the red carpet outside the Curzon Mayfair theater in London to promote Jeanne du Barry, his first feature film since 2020. After posing for some photographs, the actor — showing off a new […]

Ebenezer debuts November 13 in U.S. theaters.

Next up for Depp is the 2027 action thriller Day Drinker, which reunites him with Blow and Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides costar Penélope Cruz. Outer Banks’ Madelyn Cline and Elite’s Manu Ríos also feature in the mysterious project about a private-yacht bartender who is dragged into the criminal exploits of a day drinker.

Big Brother fans, we’ve got the latest vote counts on who’s likely going home between Melody Morris, Rome Seymour and Jason de Puy. Of course, eviction predictions have been made way more complicated when they introduced and kept the BB Blockbuster. We’ll go over the latest vote counts, discuss who’s doomed. And we’ve got some fun from the live feeds and our tweet of the day is fire.

Big Brother: In House Entertainment

They pulled a prank on LaTrice “Lala” Verrett. Drew Campbell left a towel behind the toilet – it was supposed to trigger Lala. Jason De Puy piled a couple more towels in there. Lala found them and got riled up. Then instead of blowing it up, she turned it into a skit, using Egg-Angela Murray’s big magnifying glass to investigate.

Drew and Jason eventually confessed and it was laughed off. Angela’s hoping and praying she won’t be a Have Not after her week of boiling misery in that shell. She’s ready to crack. Jason told her no one will make her a Have Not after seeing her misery. But Angela’s worried it’s one of those HOH comps where your performance determines your Have Not status. The houseguests suspect an endurance comp because of the multi-day build in the backyard. Haley Thogmartin‘s hoping for a balance beam course.

BB28: Live Feed Confusion

Yash Patel told Devens, Drew and Barrett Pfeiffer he’ll nominate Dee Valladares if he wins HOH. Remember I told you that several houseguests don’t understand how the live feeds work. Mallory didn’t know their lavalier mics feed the feeds. But this is next level. Taylor Brown thought the live feeds tape non-stop but only aired from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Also, found out the one person in the house that believed Rome and Lyric Medeiros broke up. It’s Chuk Anyanwu. Because Lyric told him they did and keeps flirting with him. She’s working on strategies if Rome’s evicted. But Chuk was floored.

Big Brother 28: Vote Counts and Eviction Scenarios

Jason said he had to leave the Have Not room because Rome and Lyric were making out. Not just making out but loudly – to the extent Jason got the ick. Rome and Lyric were also making the most of what might be their last night together, rubbing all over each other under the covers.

I guess if the torture wheel’s a rocking, there might be boots knocking. I wonder if the constant clack, thump and groan of that horrific medieval hardwood spinning bed from hell cover up the sounds of Lyric and Rome. Chuk was upset. He said Lyric lied right to his face.

Dee also told Haley that jugglers Drew and Barrett might target Chuk and Kamuela “Kamu” Kirk. Dee is always playing ten moves ahead. Last week, she dropped a bug in Haley’s ear that Devens would turn on his alliances. Haley’s more focused on winning HOH and targeting Lala. She’s fixated.

Sitting Blind on BB28

Also, Angela gave Jason a live feeds TED talk on how escrow works when you’re buying a home. Angela laid in her shell, giving him financial facts. Jason’s hoping that when he buys his house, his rich husband will take care of all this for him. Angela cheered that.

Chatter around the house was Taylor and Lala would like to vote to keep Rome but realize that’s probably a bad idea. Taylor and Lala told Jason he has the votes to stay but people have been lying to them. So, they really don’t know what’s coming. Looks like Rome’s conclave of dudes did him no good. No one’s opinion shifted. Dee, Haley and Devens worry that Barrett and Drew might vote to evict Jason over Rome. Dee and Devens want to keep Melody over Jason.

Big Brother: Eviction Options

Let’s talk through the options. If Rome wins BB Blockbuster and it’s Jason versus Melody as the final two nominees, it’ll probably be Jason meeting Julie Chen Moonves and Melody lives to plot another day. The nomination ceremony tea that Angela spilled burned him badly.

If Jason wins the Blockbuster, it’ll be Rome versus Melody with a landslide of votes to evict Rome. But Lyric’s been considering giving him a sympathy vote, which most would understand. However, Drew and Barrett are considering a hinky vote to blame on someone else. But since the icons have their eyes on them, Drew and Barrett might burn some bridges if they do it. So, I’m really hoping they do it. Hinky votes are good for chaos. Rome’s doomed if it’s him versus Melody.

Now, if Melody wins the BB Blockbuster, and it’s Jason or Rome, things get a little dicier. The vote might not be such a landslide but I’d still expect Rome to be evicted. In the end, his only chance to stay with his little girl Lyric is to win the Blockbuster.

Big Brother 28: New Showmance and Historic Beef

Meanwhile, she’s bummed about the idea of life in the house after the fall of the Roman Empire but Lyric mostly seems worried about being stuck in the house while women are beating down the doors to play with her honey.

Now the new showmance alert. Kamu and Taylor, y’all. Kamu’s been flirting hard. I’ve thought all along that Taylor was freaking gorgeous. And Kamu’s all about it, openly flirting – several of the houseguests are discussing it. Kamu was up late talking with Taylor and the topic of her gag reflex came up. She and Kamu were discussing brushing your tongue, but it was all just very, okay, we’ll, you can take that a lot of ways. Anyway, his advice to Taylor – open your mouth wider and you won’t gag.

Big Brother: Tweet of the Day

And now our tweet of the day – you need the context in case you didn’t see my Tuesday update video. We talked about the BB27 Ashley versus Morgan cat fight tweets. Ashley posted the photo of them then Morgan clapped back about it being basically staged. Then Ashley asked Morgan “How’s Vince though?” Okay, there’s your context.

Tweet of the day is from BB27‘s Katherine Woodman. She tweeted: “So me and Lauren are still getting along well if anyone was wondering.”

And some rando who set up an X account using the name Julie Chen replied: “How’s Rylie tho” with a hot tea emoji. And Katherine replied – “harassment.” Just to clarify, not the real Julie Chen, but funny as heck.

Chris Brown’s legal troubles continue in connection with a 2023 London nightclub attack. Now, the case has taken another turn after Breezy reportedly pleaded guilty to the altercation that injured a music producer.

RELATED: Chris Brown’s London Nightclub Assault Lawsuit Dropped After Accuser Files To Dismiss (UPDATE)

Chris Brown Pleads Guilty In London Nightclub Attack Case

According to CNN, Chris Brown pleaded guilty to affray on Friday, July 24, in connection with a 2023 altercation at a London nightclub. As The Shade Room previously reported, Breezy initially pleaded not guilty after prosecutors accused him of attacking music producer Amadou “Abe” Diaw. However, he changed his plea during a hearing at London’s Southwark Crown Court. In exchange for Chris’ guilty plea, prosecutors dropped the charges of assault, attempting to cause grievous bodily harm, and possessing an offensive weapon. Chris’ friend and vocal coach, Omololu Akinlolu, also reportedly pleaded guilty to affray. Both men will return to court for trial in October.

So, What’s Next For Breezy?

Chris Brown previously secured his release on a $6.75 million bail bond, which allowed him to hit the road for his European and North American tour last summer. The court granted him bail again on July 24, and he will return for sentencing on October 26 for the affray charge, which reportedly carries a maximum sentence of three years in prison.

During his hearing at London’s Southwark Crown Court on Friday, senior prosecutor Claire Campbell called the attack unprovoked and accused both CB and Omololu Akinlolu of carrying it out. “This was a vicious and unprovoked attack by Brown and Akinlolu in a crowded nightclub where Brown used a glass bottle as a weapon to strike the victim’s head twice,” Campbell said. She also said prosecutors will continue pursuing cases like this to show that no one stands above the law. “This kind of violence is entirely unacceptable, and the Crown Prosecution Service will work tirelessly with the police and partners across the criminal justice system to pursue cases like this, and prove that no one is above the law.”

More About Chris’ Legal Battle Over 2023 London Club Fight

In July 2025, Abe Diaw filed a request to dismiss his case against Chris with prejudice, meaning he could not bring the case back to court. Neither side confirmed a settlement at the time, though. Still, Chris continued to face criminal charges. Diaw accused Chris of attacking him in February 2023, an incident that allegedly sent him to the hospital and led to a $16 million lawsuit. In the lawsuit, Diaw claimed the attack left him with deep cuts on his head and torn ligaments in his legs.  Authorities arrested the singer in May of last year after prosecutors charged him with one count of grievous bodily harm. Chris denied the allegations and pleaded not guilty the following month.

RELATED: Bow Wow Stands By Chris Brown Following His Arrest, While Second Suspect Is Charged In London Brawl