Olivia Munn is reflecting on life after being diagnosed with breast cancer, and the actress is using her experience to raise awareness. She recently shared more details about her journey, revealing there were no warning signs before she was diagnosed. Now, she hopes her story will encourage others to get early screenings to potentially save their lives.

Olivia Munn Is Grateful To Be Alive

In an interview with Tracy Smith for CBS Sunday Morning, Munn released on March 29, the actress shared an update on her health and opened up about her breast cancer battle. Munn said she is doing “good” three years after being diagnosed.

The “X-Men: Apocalypse” actress said she feels grateful and “lucky” to be alive. “I don’t look at it like cancer has taken these things from me or it’s unfair that I have to look over my shoulder for the rest of my life,” she explained. Munn said she takes medication that can leave her feeling exhausted, but she embraces the feeling.

“I know I’m lucky to be here and I am so lucky that I’m in this chaos and I haven’t slept in a few days and I’m exhausted. It’s a true privilege to just be alive in the world,” she noted.

The Actress Had No Symptoms Before Getting The Diagnosis

On a routine mammogram and ultrasound in 2023, Munn’s results came back negative for abnormalities. However, her doctor urged her to take the Tyrer-Cuzick risk assessment test, a free online tool that evaluates a person’s risk of developing breast cancer based on variables, including family history, breast density, and genetic markers.

A score of 20% or higher is considered high risk, and Munn scored a 37.3%. Despite having no symptoms and getting a clean bill of health, she was told to get an MRI and a biopsy. The results showed she had Luminal B cancer, an aggressive form of breast cancer that was found in both of her breasts.

“I decided to get a double mastectomy, and I also got an oophorectomy and a partial hysterectomy,” she told Smith, noting that after the procedures, her Tyrer-Cuzick test is now at 0%.

Olivia Munn Wanted To Keep Her Diagnosis Private At First

In an interview with Los Angeles Magazine published in early March, the actress revealed that she wanted to deal with her diagnosis privately at first, only telling her husband, comedian John Mulaney. Days later, however, she realized that Mulaney needed help in supporting her through the cancer battle. “I couldn’t get the words out when I was saying it to my siblings and my mom, so he did that for me as well,” Munn said.

The actress shared her diagnosis publicly in March 2024, telling the world that she underwent several surgeries. She wrote, “I needed to catch my breath and get through some of the hardest parts before sharing,” adding that she hopes sharing her story will “inspire and support” others who are going through the same experience.

How John Mulaney Helped Her Get Through Tough Times

Munn gushed about Mulaney, telling Smith, “There’s no better person in the world to me than my husband,” adding that he was proactive during the whole process and wanted to be present during all her appointments with her doctors.

“He’s got his notebook that he writes all of his ideas for jokes and anything that comes to him through the day. You turn halfway through it and there’s all these notes about cancer and hormone therapy and everything that you could imagine that I need to know,” she shared.

Munn said that having a partner with a sense of humor “lightens everything.”

Olivia Munn’s Mission For Breast Cancer Awareness

Since publicly sharing her journey, she’s worked on raising awareness for breast cancer. After sharing the assessment test she took, the National Cancer Institute (NCI) noted a 4,000% increase in visitors to the tool’s website.

In 2024, TIME named Munn as one of the 100 Most Influential People in Health. “I wanted to help as many people as possible prevent their cancer from going to the next level,” she said. The following year, the publication also included Munn in its list of Women of the Year.

Currently, the actress is working with Senator Mark Kelly to advocate for making the Tyrer-Cuzick breast cancer risk assessment test part of standard medical care.

Content Warning: The following list contains brief mentions of domestic violence and abuse.It is truly a rarity to find a television show in which every single episode is made to perfection. Even some of TV’s greatest shows of all time have a couple of episodes that will make you ask “why did they even air that?” So, taking on the task of finding the Netflix shows in which every episode is perfect was no easy task. It relied on a lot of research, from scouring Reddit boards to relying on our own TV knowledge. It took time, but we managed to craft a list of shows with nary a bad episode.

Whether it’s a limited series that never overstayed its welcome, or a sprawling comedy drama that has a gripping hold on throughout its entire run, these Netflix shows have done the seemingly impossible: produce an entire series in which every episode is a masterpiece. You don’t believe us? That’s OK, as once you reach the end of this story, you’ll come to the same conclusion that we did: these Netflix shows represent the pinnacle of the streaming service’s storytelling.

‘The Haunting of Hill House’ (2018)

Image via Netflix

In 2018, Netflix viewers were invited into a creepy manor with all sorts of supernatural unease. The Haunting of Hill House, created by Mike Flanagan, kickstarted the service’s Haunting anthology, and it started on a very strong note. The miniseries takes place over two timelines, one from 1992 and another in the present day, with the central figure being Hill House, a large, eerie mansion that haunts the Crain family.

While the series certainly has its terrifying moments, The Haunting of Hill House is a lot more than a regular show about a haunted house. Flanagan takes the trope and goes deeper with it, making it more of a character-driven family drama with some truly emotional moments. It uses Hill House to expose the emotional trauma that the Crain family struggles to cope with. The ghosts in the series aren’t just to make the viewer jump out of their seats, but they’re used as metaphors for grief, regret and mental illness. With complex characters and production that is as close to perfect as one could get, each episode of The Haunting of Hill House builds to a finale that lands the story perfectly. While every series in Flanagan’s Haunting anthology was top-notch, The Haunting of Hill House is, by all intentions of the word, a masterclass in how to tell a haunted house story.

‘The Queen’s Gambit’ (2020)

Image via Netflix

On the surface, The Queen’s Gambit is a miniseries that never should have worked. Besides, the main premise of the show revolves around a chess player, and who would want to watch a show based on someone playing one of the most boring games on Earth? Well, if you think this way, you’re missing out on one of the best Netflix miniseries ever created. The coming-of-age period drama created by Scott Frank and Allan Scott follows the life of Beth Harmon (Anya Taylor-Joy), a chess prodigy who becomes one of the best players in the world. But, beneath the surface, Harmon struggles with alcohol and drug addiction, and she has to battle these demons while preparing for a major chess tournament in Moscow.

Every episode of The Queen’s Gambit was terrific, and this was due to the impeccable pacing and structure of the series. Watching it all the way, you’ll get the feeling that you’re watching a seven-hour movie with a very clear, resonant ending. Because the creators and writers knew where to go with the story, and how to end it, there were essentially no filler episodes within the series, which makes the entire show such a satisfying watch. Add in the mesmerizing performance of Taylor-Joy, and you have a miniseries that should not be slept on.

‘When They See Us’ (2019)

Image via Netflix

In 1989, five Black and Latino teens were falsely accused of assaulting a white woman in Central Park. Known as the Central Park Five, their conviction was vacated in 2002, and they were awarded a settlement from the city of New York in 2014 after suing the city for wrongful conviction. The plight of the Central Park Five ignited tough conversations around racial bias, media sensationalism, and the criminalization of people of color, especially after the release of the 2019 miniseries When They See Us.

Created by Ava DuVernay, the miniseries tells the story of the Central Park Five and their wrongful conviction through the experiences of the victims, which forced the viewers to look at the wrongfully accused not as a group of kids, but as individuals who were worthy of justice and empathy from viewers. Each episode will take viewers through a range of emotions, from anger to sadness, and, in the end, tempered redemption for the five kids who were essentially railroaded by the judicial system. When They See Us was a significant achievement on television, daring to question how racial bias and the media also play a part in painting the narrative that people of color are criminals, along with a justice system all-to-eager to accept that narrative. When They See Us is more than the perfect Netflix show, it is basically essential viewing.

‘Maid’ (2021)

Image via Netflix

One of the best attributes about Netflix original series is its ability to tell serious stories in an unfiltered and honest way. We saw this in 2019 with the brilliant When They See Us, and again two years later, with Netflix premiering Maid, created by Molly Smith Metzler and inspired by the 2019 novel of the same name written by Stephanie Land. The miniseries followers Alexandra “Alex” Russell (Margaret Qualley), a young mom who leaves her abusive boyfriend and takes a job working as a maid.

We’re going to be honest here. Maid can be a hard watch at times, especially the way it honestly portrays domestic abuse, which isn’t always physical, and it answers the long-complex question of why victims struggle to leave their abusers. Not only that, but Maid also highlights “invisible” poverty, the people who struggle to stay afloat, and how just one minor setback can cause someone to lose everything. To tell its gut-wrenching story, Maid uses innovative storytelling to describe Alex’s plight, which lets us see things from her inner perspective. While Maid is a tough watch at times, it’s also a show that is a masterpiece at telling complex, difficult stories.

‘Beef’ (2023–Present)

Image via Netflix

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We all see comedy as a pressure relief from the arduous daily task of life, and it was used brilliantly in the 2023 anthology series Beef. Created by Lee Sung Jin, Beef follows two people who begin to feud after a road rage incident. While this is a simple black comedy on the surface, it’s what lies beneath the comedy that makes Beef a gold-standard when it comes to the perfect Netflix show.

The best aspect to Beef is its tight storytelling, with each of the series’ 10 episodes packed with character arcs that have a significant impact on the overall storyline. Even the minor characters in each episode play a part in the overall feud between Danny Cho (Steven Yeun) and Amy Lau (Ali Wong), with each episode escalating the feud and showing how it quickly spirals out of control.

The writers use the feud between Danny and Amy to masterfully showcase the Asian-American experience, exploring issues such as class status, immigration, and family expectations, and they did this without casting a monolithic net over the race. This makes the audience understand the pressures Amy and Danny are going through, and also helps to understand why a simple road rage incident spiraled downhill so quickly. It’s a show that tackles existential emptiness when compounded with the pressures of material success, and how it contributes to the overwhelming rage that we feel in society today. They do all of this without sacrificing the comedy, a chef’s kiss to a brilliant series.

‘Dark’ (2017–2020)

Image via Netflix

A great story arc commands you to pay attention to each element in each episode. Each show that we’ve discussed so far in this piece has been a miniseries, where it can be easy to accomplish in just a 10-episode run. But, here’s a show that manages to not have a single filler episode over a three-season span. We’re talking, of course, about Dark, one of the best series not just in Netflix history, but in TV history as a whole, and we’re very serious about this claim.

Created by Baran bo Odar and Jantje Friese, Dark follows four families as they search for what happened to a kid who disappeared from a small German town, only to discover something truly sinister has been happening in the town over generations. To be honest, the storyline of Dark could have easily been condensed into a single miniseries, but by fleshing the story out over three seasons, it allowed it to be expanded and avoid the plotholes that could have befallen it if it was made as just a miniseries. The story of Dark is very complex, but the writers flawlessly executed the story. They knew how the story would be told and how it would end, and they didn’t deviate from this plan, and the end result is a masterpiece of epic proportions. The moody atmosphere, the exceptional acting, and a complex story that keeps you guessing and on the edge of your seat throughout its run? What more could you ask for?

‘Arcane’ (2021–2024)

When discussing the best Netflix shows in which every episode is absolutely perfect, you can’t have that conversation and leave Arcane off the list. Created by Christian Linke and Alex Yee, the animated steampunk sci-fi is, arguably, one of the most jaw-dropping achievements in modern animation. Much like Dark, the story of Arcane is more complex than what the synopsis says it’s about. On the surface, it’s a story about two sisters who get tangled in a conflict between the poor underbelly of Zaun and the more prosperous city of Piltover. If you go off of the synopsis of the series, you’ll think Arcane is a straight-forward show, but it’s much, much deeper than that, and that’s what makes it such a compelling show.

The main reason why Arcane is such a perfect show is the way it tells its story. Rather than “telling” the story through its characters, it shows you how everything unfolds, using stunning camera work, lighting, and an innovative pace to fully immerse the viewers into the world Arcane has created. Of course, this wouldn’t be possible without an animation style that is distinct and truly revolutionary, making each episode of Arcane feel more like a cinematic event than a typical Netflix show. That’s the beauty of the show as a whole, as it doesn’t feel like you’re watching a TV show; you’re basically watching a movie broken up into 18 episodes. Every episode in Arcane was simply perfection, and it would be a tough sell for another animated show to come close to what this series created.

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Arcane

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Release Date

2021 – 2024

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Network

Netflix

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Showrunner

Christian Linke

Directors

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Barth Maunoury, Marietta Ren, Christelle Abgrall

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Funny or Die’s 2014 miniseries The Spoils of Babylon is everything that the 2010s-era SNL wished it could have captured in a bottle. Hosted by Will Ferrell‘s jaded fictional author and filmmaker Eric Jonrosh, this epic tale about two romantically attracted siblings, Cynthia (Kristen Wiig) and Devon (Tobey Maguire), and the rise and fall of their family business, is simply too good to be true. Joined by Haley Joel Osment as their son Winston and the critically acclaimed Tim Robbins as father Jonas Morehouse, these are actors who have proven themselves both dramatically and comedically, and they bring that expertise to the table in this spoof of the popular “televised event” of the early 2010s.

With about as much production quality as Comedy Central’s Drunk History and with premises hitherto that of IFC’s Documentary Now!, The Spoils of Babylon hits the nail on the head with a perfect balance of noir-ish melodrama, hilarious visual comedy, and a plot too compelling to turn away.

‘The Spoils of Babylon’ Is Hilarious on Multiple Levels

The most memorable bits in the miniseries are those imbued with an underlying childishness. Moments like the performance of Jonas Morehouse’s death (similar to that of the king in Shrek The Third), the action-packed slap fight between Cynthia and Dixie Melonworth (Jessica Alba), and Cynthia’s messy response to Lady Anne York’s (Carey Mulligan) self-assertion at breakfast make the most of the ridiculousness that comes from such a melodramatic premise. The frequency with which beats are either cut off or extended into oblivion is nothing short of the show’s finest highlight.

An appreciation can be found in allowing the indiscretion of some joke setups to play out, such as when Jonas has to repeatedly tell Devon to “keep reading, there’s more” when he gifts his son an overly-inscribed compass. Of course, Devon would be able to see that there is more to be read, but for the sake of drawing out the bit for as long as humanly possible, some stopping and starting was necessary. The run-on bit is even boosted when Jonas starts to recite the inscription as though it were biblical scripture, just one testament to the show’s common denominator in that every beat meant to be taken seriously makes the show one notch sillier.

Without question, the name of the game in The Spoils of Babylon is melodramatics. Performative comedy blossoms in this series as characters habitually lose their composure for extended periods of time, no matter the pettiness of the reason for their upset. For the sake of drama, the characters behave haphazardly and contrary to what is obviously the main priority at any given moment. A prime example is when an injured Devon manages to stop bleeding out long enough to tell his entire life story, and no sooner than he catches up to the present does he immediately keel over and give up the ghost.

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Sometimes you can almost see the actors themselves stifling their laughter at the absurdity of their own performance – look closely at Kristen Wiig while Tobey Maguire delivers his character’s emotionally volatile eulogy to his recently-buried daughter. But above all, this teleplay will remind you to never underestimate the secret weapon that is throwing up both fists and screaming “NOOO!” into the air.

Just as well, comedic momentum is upheld by other complementary jokes. Random and unprecedented breaks in accents across actors throw the focus of entire scenes. Props (and characters, for that matter) are occasionally blessed with comedic obviousness that goes unaddressed, like the giant banner that reads “Welcome Home Darin” when Devon returns home from war, Devon’s mannequin wife Lady Anne York and their literal doll baby, or the comically large wine glasses that Devon and Cynthia sip from on the beach, which could only stem from Eric Jonrosh’s affinity for wine.

Each episode of the miniseries is bookended by the cranky and tangential babblings of Jonrosh — a character who was based on a latter-years “Orson Welles who had kind of fallen from grace” — as he stubbornly refuses to comply with his script, inappropriately flirts with his waitress, and branches off into personal factoids about himself and his fictional cast.

‘The Spoils of Babylon’s Cheap Production Quality Is the Only Kind That Would Have Worked

Low-budget sets and props, use of miniatures and dioramas, and ostensible practical effects give The Spoils of Babylon a laughable production quality, resembling that of community theater or a home video. Cheap wigs, fake birds, and car scenes with green screens parade through six episodes the way a fifth-grader with a dream commands a living room full of appeasing adults. The presentation could be improved, but no one’s going to actually say something about it. However, this amateur production value lends itself to supporting a focus on a narrative riddled with greed, vanity, murder, and powerlust.

Added to the noir-centered performative comedy of the miniseries is a more esoteric running joke in the incorporation of experimental film practices as the story progresses through the ’50s and into the ’70s. The avant-garde visual format is not as common in mainstream television and film, but is guaranteed to give film students a chuckle. During the characters’ most cerebral and emotionally torrential moments (which, admittedly, are nearly indiscernible from the rest of the show), Eric Jonrosh chooses to employ surrealist editing techniques like stark superimposition of footage, blink-and-you ’ll-miss-it title cards, prose poetry voiceover, and stylized dialogue recordings. The style is inherently random and haphazard, so it’s an appropriate choice for the scenes in which it’s used, but it makes processing the events more of an artsy-fartsy challenge to less familiar eyes.

‘The Spoils of Babylon’ Is Designed To Test Audiences’ Patience

Image via Funny or Die

Art fans are especially bound to appreciate the display of artistic dedication in representing Devon Morehouse’s wayward and wandering years abroad. His unfortunate substance habit is reflected in a shift in musical tone through the use of jazz music, and his voiceover account is revitalized through ample samples of fluent spoken word poetry, with adjusted vocal inflection and emphasis, no less. Although the character’s objective situation is no laughing matter, the retelling of his profound exploration of the soul reels in the mockery of dramatics that call the 1950s their home. This chapter of the series is packed with wordy, metaphorical narration and a bombardment of overt references to jazz artists like Miles Davis, Charlie Parker, Sonny Rollins, and Freddie Hubbard. And in true Spoils fashion, Devon’s sudden passion for the written word isn’t just a one-off joke for the art world, but it continues to serve the story in combatting Cynthia’s added attacks.

Writer-director team Matt Piedmont and Andrew Steele, both seasoned sketch comedy writers, used The Spoils of Babylon to explore pushing the limits of an audience’s patience. Instead of needing quicker and more rushed attempts for laughs, Piedmont and Steele could work superfluous bits and run-on jokes into the show. Since the plot of Spoils is thick and sensitive, the floor is cracked open for increased nonsense. For example, between Devon’s flippancy toward his father’s news and Jonas’ reaction to his son’s news, the back-to-back excessiveness of Jonas Morehouse’s final moments is worth every bit of laughter. Such gratuitous instances of borderline wasteful writing are sprinkled across all six episodes.

You Are Right to Weep for the Characters in ‘The Spoils of Babylon’

Image via Funny or Die

With an abundance of goofiness going on for the whole of the miniseries, it’s easy to forget that there is a coherent storyline to be followed. The thread of Cynthia’s and Devon’s forbidden eternal yearning for each other holds together the myriad of nonsensical and downright foolish comedy in The Spoils of Babylon. The longer they go on fighting their feelings, the more they end up hurting each other in the process. Shifting the role of antagonist from this intangible doomed attraction onto the destructive character of Winston adds a layer of conflict that amplifies the already-exceeding drama of the storyline from its midpoint to its explosive ending.

Cynthia Morehouse deserves some slack for the position she’s put herself in. Sure, she disregarded her father’s values, murdered Devon’s wife, sabotaged the progression of the auto industry, ripped Devon’s research institute from under him, and instilled in her son a horrible moral compass, but it was all in the name of love. Cynthia’s undying affection for Devon took hold of her life in a way that clouded her self-control. Her greedy and vengeful actions left Devon no choice but to retaliate in an attempt to bring her to a sense of remorse. In agreeing to return to the company, Devon managed his own self-control in trying to “kick” Cynthia by setting a boundary between them. This finally saw Cynthia reach a change of heart and pursue positive changes for the company. But with Winston knee-deep in the company, it became too late to reverse the shame that was brought on the Morehouse name.

If the plot of the main characters isn’t entertaining enough, there are plenty of stories in the wings of the cast. The love story between Cynthia’s goon generals, Rod and Herman (Val Kilmer and Steve Tom, respectively), is one worth rooting for. As is the character of poor, peaceable Chet (Michael Sheen), Cynthia’s second husband, who did not deserve to be wedged into the chaos of this family’s story, nor to have his death go so brutally unnoticed. The fates of innocent sweetheart Seymore Luntz (Toby Huss) and beloved Marianne Morehouse (Jellybean Howie), despite some lackluster dramatization, remain a truly tragic sting. Rest assured, it is appropriate to think that Winston’s demise in particular is the least satisfying after the destruction he caused his family.

The Spoils of Babylon is available to stream on Pluto TV in the U.S.

Howie Mandel is walking back his on-air clapback to Kelly Ripa over his physical appearance.

“I have been debating for 48 hours whether I should make this post or not, and I don’t know if I’m doing the right thing,” Mandel, 70, said in a Saturday, March 28, Instagram video. “Philosophically, I don’t believe that somebody who’s a comedian needs to apologize for a joke. It is a joke, it is meant as a joke, and it’s not meant to offend.”

He continued, “You can not like it and, in all my years in the business, I haven’t ever publicly apologized for [a joke].”

Mandel was interviewed on the Monday, March 23, broadcast of Live With Kelly and Mark, where Ripa, 55, publicly complimented the game show host’s appearance.

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“You just celebrated 70 years. You’re 70 years old,” Ripa’s husband, Mark Consuelos, began before Ripa chimed in, adding, “It doesn’t make any sense.”

Mandel seemed perplexed by Ripa’s remarks.

“What do you mean it doesn’t make any sense?” he said. “I look great. That doesn’t mean anything to me.”

Ripa later attempted to clarify that she thought Mandel looked “great” and couldn’t believe he was actually his age.

“It’s like saying you’re smart for a stupid person,” he added. “‘Oh, you look smart! You seem smart!’ I don’t look good.”

Without further addressing the heated exchange, Mandel and Ripa continued their interview as planned. He apparently had a change of heart by Saturday.

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Amanda Edwards/Getty Images Howie Mandel proves he’s just like Us through his latest binge-watching picks. “The last thing I streamed was Baby Reindeer,” the America’s Got Talent judge, 68, exclusively shares in the newest issue of Us Weekly. “It’s amazing.” The series, which premiered back in April, was inspired by comedian Richard Gadd’s real-life experiences […]

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“This is hard for me, but this is for Kelly Ripa, who in the past has been incredibly supportive,” Mandel continued in his video message. “Not only have I been a guest on her show, but I have cohosted with her and I have known her for years.”

According to Mandel, he simply “tries to be entertaining” whenever he walks onto the Live stage.

“Sometimes as a comedian, things don’t land the way you mean then to land,” Mandel acknowledged of his jokes. “Not only do I want to say, ‘I’m sorry,’ to Kelly but … you’re right. You’re absolutely right, and I’m sorry I didn’t see it that way.”

At the end of Monday’s broadcast, Mandel took some time to self-reflect about his reaction.

“I do, I look great for my age. I really do,” he said. “I look fantastic. I just have to embrace the fact that I look this good.”

James Blake says that he no longer wants partial credit for Kanye West’s latest album, “Bully.”

“The way I pitched his vocals and constructed the track from his freestyle is partially there,  majorly peppered with other newervocal [sic] takes,” Blake, 37, wrote in a recent post on Vault. “The spirit of my actual production is mostly absent, other than that. My original version is a completely different production in spirit.”

Blake is currently credited as a producer on West’s song “This One Here,” from his “Bully” LP that dropped Friday, March 27.

“Happy for the fans, but I’ve asked to be taken off the producer credits for now, as I don’t want to take credit for other people’s work,” Blake stated. “This version isn’t what I created with Ye. It’s not personal!”

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He concluded, “I just hit a point where I don’t want to be credited on music where I can’t affect the end result.”

Blake and West, 48, had been friends and collaborators for many years, though their bond seemingly dissipated by 2023.

“We haven’t seen each other for a little while. I think it’s probably a no-comment from me,” Blake told Variety in October 2023, seemingly reacting to West’s controversial antisemitic remarks. “I say that with sadness.”

West was suspended from Instagram in 2022 after making a series of derogatory and false comments about Jewish individuals while simultaneously praising dictator Adolf Hitler and Nazism. He issued a public apology in January, two months before “Bully” was released.

“In early 2025, I fell into a four-month long manic episode of psychotic, paranoid and impulsive behavior that destroyed my life,” West wrote in an open letter published by the Wall Street Journal, blaming his behavior on his bipolar disorder. “One of the difficult aspects of having bipolar type-1 are the disconnected moments — many of which I still cannot recall — that led to poor judgment and reckless behavior that oftentimes feels like an out-of-body-experience.”

Related: Kanye West’s Apology Is ‘Long Overdue,’ Says Anti-Defamation ‌League

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Kanye West has apologized for his antisemitic behavior, but one group dedicated to combating bigotry isn’t letting the rapper get off that easily. “Ye’s apology to the Jewish people is long overdue and doesn’t automatically undo his long history of antisemitism — the antisemitic ‘Heil Hitler’ song he created, the hundreds of tweets, the swastikas […]

He continued, “I regret and am deeply mortified by my actions in that state, and am committed to accountability, treatment, and meaningful change. It does not excuse what I did though. I am not a Nazi or an antisemite. I love Jewish people.”

West further apologized to the Black community, claiming he “let [them] down.”

“My words as a leader in my community have global impact and influence. In my mania, I lost complete sight of that,” he concluded. “As I find my new baseline and new center through an effective regime of medication, therapy, exercise and clean living, I have newfound, much-needed clarity.”

Exes Taylor Swift and John Mayer reportedly closely avoided a recent run-in.

Swift, 36, was spotted leaving Paul McCartney’s Saturday, March 28, concert outside Los Angeles’ Fonda Theatre, according to photos published by TMZ on Sunday, March 29. The pop star walked out of the venue in a group that also included Olivia Rodrigo.

According to the outlet, Mayer, 48, was photographed leaving the Fonda Theatre just moments earlier without running into Swift.

Swift and Mayer were romantically linked from 2009 and 2010 after collaborating on his song “Half of My Heart,” despite a 13-year age gap. (Swift was 19 while Mayer was 32 when they were reportedly an item.)

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Speculation ultimately swirled that the two called it quits when Swift included a breakup song called “Dear John” on her 2010 album, Speak Now.

“Dear John, I see it all now that you’re gone / Don’t you think I was too young to be messed with?” Swift sings. “The girl in the dress, cried the whole way home / I should’ve known

Well, maybe it’s me / And my blind optimism to blame / Or maybe it’s you and your sick need/ To give love then take it away / And you’ll add my name to your long list of traitors / Who don’t understand.”

While Swift famously doesn’t name her musical muses, Mayer called out the 14-time Grammy winner for her “cheap songwriting” in a 2012 interview with Rolling Stone.

“It made me feel terrible. It was a really lousy thing to do,” he told the outlet in June 2012 of Swift allegedly writing a song about him. “I never got an email. I never got a phone call. I was really caught off guard. … [That’s] abusing your talent to rub your hands together and go, ‘Wait ’til he gets a load of this!’ That’s bulls***.”

Swift ultimately rerecorded “Dear John” for Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) and urged her fans against resurfacing any bad blood with Mayer.

“As we lead up to this album coming out, I would love for that kindness and that gentleness to extend onto our Internet activities,” Swift told fans during a June 2023 concert on her Eras Tour. “I’m putting this out now because I want to own my music and I believe that any artist who has the desire to own their music should be able to.”

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Related: Every Song Taylor Swift Has Supposedly Written About Ex John Mayer

Taylor Swift knows there’s no better song inspiration than relationships — and she’s seemingly written several tunes about her whirlwind romance with John Mayer. Sparks flew between the two after collaborating on Mayer’s 2009 single “Half of My Heart.” However, their relationship sparked some controversy for their large age gap as Mayer was 32 and […]

She continued at the time, “I’m 33 years old. I don’t care about anything that happened to me when I was 19, except the songs I wrote. So, what I’m trying to tell you is that I’m not putting this album out so that you should go and feel the need to defend me on the Internet against someone you think I might have written the song about 14 million years ago.”

Swift is now engaged to Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, while Mayer was recently dating influencer Kat Stickler.

Influencers Lucky Blue and Nara Smith are getting candid about the realities of adding a fourth baby to their brood.

“I mean, we thought we were really done after three,” Lucky told People while attending the Clarins Night of Extra event on March 20. “And to be honest, four has been an adjustment.”

He continued, “It’s been really tricky to navigate, but it’s been good, and I think now we’re finally hitting our stride with it.”

Nara, for her part, agreed with her husband’s take on their new family dynamic.

“Now we have a 5-year-old, so a lot of bargaining,” she said. “So that’s been fun.”

Lucky and Nara tied the knot in February 2020, welcoming daughter Rumble Honey to their family in October that same year. The influencers went on to welcome son Slim Easy and daughters Whimsy Lou and Fawnie Golden in 2022, 2024 and 2025, respectively.

“she’s here! welcome to the world little angel 🤍,” Nara and Lucky wrote in a joint Instagram post in 2025, sharing the birth of daughter Fawnie Golden.

Ahead of their youngest’s arrival, Lucky and Nara admitted that they thought they were done having children.

Related: Influencers Nara and Lucky Blue Smith Welcome 4th Baby Together, His 5th

Influencer Nara Smith and her husband, Lucky Blue Smith, have expanded their brood once again. “She’s here!” the couple posted via Instagram on Saturday, October 11, announcing the arrival of their new baby girl. “Welcome to the world little angel 🤍.” In the video, the newborn could be seen wrapped in a white eyelet blanket […]

“After Whimsy, we are absolutely done now,” Nara told GQ Hype in a profile published in August 2024. “Having toddlers is the best sort of birth control because they’re wild.”

Nara went on to explain that she had always wanted to be a young mother.

“Lucky had Gravity when he was really young. It felt like a natural thing, ‘Yeah, I think I’m ready to have kids,’” she told the magazine, referring to Lucky’s daughter with ex-girlfriend Stormi Bree Henley. “When I’m 40, they’ll be 20, and we’ll grow up together. I want to build my life with them rather than trying to integrate them into my life later and it worked out great. I love being a young mom.”

Nara, for her part, rose to online fame sharing cooking and lifestyle content, sparking the ongoing “trad wives” controversy, a term used to describe women who prefer to follow “traditional,” i.e. conservative, stereotypes. Nara, however, has denied the idea that she identifies with the label.

“The other day, someone brought it up to me, and they were like, ‘You have a very traditional way of life.’ I’m like, ‘What do you mean?’” Nara said on a July 2025 episode of Jay Shetty’s “On Purpose” podcast. “We split chores. I work. My husband works. We have children. We split everything. I cook because I love to, not because I have to. Lucky cleans. There was nothing traditional.”

Spoiler Alert: This list contains spoilers for House of David Season 2.House of David is again one of the most popular TV shows on Prime in the U.S., even before its global debut this week, on March 27. The biblical biopic stars Michael Iskander as David, the shepherd boy and musician destined to be king. David’s road to the throne is anything but conventional, and as he is brought to the palace of the reigning king, Saul (Ali Suliman), the intrigue and tensions are palpable. Returning for a second season, House of David ramps up the romance and drama and delivers on all fronts.

The female characters in House of David are forces to be reckoned with. From Saul’s queen, Ahinoam (Ayelet Zurer), to a servant girl named Kazia (Inbar Saban), the series is full of intelligent and cunning women. Two new characters enter the storyline this season, with Lyna Dubarry playing a healer named Sara and Joy Rieger as the headstrong and tenacious Dina. The women in House of David have never been more prominent than they are in Season 2. These eight moments showcase the strong writing, directing, and acting that make House of David so dynamic to watch.

Mychal Tries To Stop Loving David for Her Family’s Sake

Image via Amazon/MGM Studios/Courtesy Everett Collection

When a would-be marriage for Saul’s eldest daughter Mirab (Yali Topol Margalith) ends in disaster, the princess feels her opportunity for marital happiness slipping away. Mirab attempts to take her destiny into her own hands and figures that while she does not love David, he is at least a kind, decent, and good man who would make a suitable husband. She tells her father that, to make up for his cancellation of her first proposal, he could give her to David as a bride.

This maneuver drives a dagger into the heart of her younger sister, Mychal (Indy Lewis), who is in love with David. Their father, the king, is a stubborn man, and once he has made his mind up, there is no changing it. So Mychal, heartbroken as she is, realizes that for her family’s peace and unity, she must try to stop loving David. This task may have been easier for her if it were only her heart on the line, but David also loves her, and every time she is with him, the pain is bitter.

Mychal proves that she is a courageous person who tries to put others before herself. Unlike Mirab, who saw an opportunity and seized it, no matter whom she hurt, Mychal is willing to suffer herself so that others can have peace. Luckily, David has something to say and to do about the situation, but Mychal’s actions to put her sister and David’s well-being above her own speak volumes.

Kazia Works Her Way up the Social Ladder

Image via Prime Video

Audiences were introduced to Kazia (Saban) in Season 1. As a servant in Saul’s palace, she already has a high ranking position in that she personally attends to the royal family, including the king and queen. Similar to Season 1, Kazia remains a clever and ambitious social climber. She has connections both in and outside the palace and knows how to navigate her way through any situation.

When Saul and Ahinoam (Zurer) have marital discord, Saul makes Kazia his concubine. Kazia knows she now has even more influence over the king and uses that influence to make a bold social statement. When Saul holds a feast to honor Jonathan (Ethan Kai) and Sara’s (Dubarry) marriage, Kazia asks to attend the event as a guest, not a servant. This is extremely taboo and brash, but her influence over Saul is so powerful that he allows it.

Furthermore, Kazia chooses to attend the feast, wearing a necklace that used to belong to the queen. These events start a downward spiral for Ahinoam, and ultimately, she is banished and thrown out of the palace. This is a phenomenal victory for Kazia as Saul has clearly chosen her over his wife. It is only left to wonder how far her ambition will take her and what sway she will command in the palace.

Mirab Supports Mychal

Image via Prime Video

After David beats the odds, he survives an ambush and a suicide mission set for him by the queen. Saul must now grant David permission to marry Mychal, per his word and the details of their arrangement. Mirab is disappointed, to say the least. The one thing she wanted was not to be embarrassed. David publicly demonstrated that he would rather risk his life to marry Mychal than be coerced into marrying her.

Although devastated, Mirab chooses to support Mychal and be present for her sister on her wedding day. This touching scene is even more poignant because their mother has been exiled, and Mychal is sad not to have Ahinoam there. This time, it is Mirab’s turn to put her own feelings aside and support her sister’s happiness. Later in Season 2, when the truth about David is finally revealed to everyone, including Mychal, Mirab is there for her sister again. She comforts and reassures her, even though everything they hoped for and knew about David has collapsed. Mirab is coming into her power in Season 2, and it shows.

Dina Being Unapologetically Dina in Every Scene

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Joy Rieger joins the House of David cast in Season 2 as Dina. When Prince Eshbaal (Sam Otto) is accused of taking advantage of Dina in Season 1, he is exiled when he refuses to marry her. After being kidnapped and tortured, Eshbaal returns a changed man, and though he has ulterior motives, they are yet to be made known in the series.

Part of Eshbaal’s 180 is now being willing to marry Dina. This choice is a brilliant one for the series and for audiences, as Dina becomes an important character for Season 2. Dina, who was raised by her father as if she were the son he had wanted instead, is different from any other woman Eshbaal has ever met. She is a skilled hunter and tracker and likes being outdoors. Dina is also refreshingly blunt and independent. She lets Eshbaal know in no uncertain terms what her expectations are for him as a husband and what she will and will not do for him as a wife.

Rieger is exceptional as Dina, who is a formidable match for Eshbaal. Though she does not love him, she is intrigued by him and is self-possessed enough to know that she can choose to marry him without feeling dependent. Dina speaks her mind no matter what situation she’s in and refuses to let anyone else tell her what she can or cannot do. When the women in the palace use manipulation and underhanded schemes to get their way, Dina is a therapeutic change in that she is up-front, honest, and frank. She is unlike any of the other women in the series and is destined to be a fan favorite character.

Mychal Chooses To Stay Instead of Leave With David

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Chaos shatters through the palace when the truth is revealed that David is the one chosen by God to be the next king of Israel. This monumental secret has been well-kept from everyone, even Mychal. Shortly after they are married, Mychal learns in an instant that David is the person the prophet Samuel (Stephen Lang) anointed, and her father is trying to kill him.

House of David does a terrific job of giving this moment the complicated and nuanced ethos it deserves. Half of Mychal’s instincts are telling her to flee with her husband, and the other is telling her to stay. Mychal’s feelings and thoughts are a swirling mass of confusion, betrayal, and trepidation. She fears for David’s safety, but at the same time has to acknowledge that he has been hiding this from her the whole time. Contrary to what many sweeping romances would write, Mychal does not follow David. She stays in the palace. It could be that loyalty to her father puts her at odds with loyalty to David, or she feels hurt and afraid and chooses to remain in safety. Either way, David leaves without her, and their fate as a newlywed couple hangs in the balance.

Queen Ahinoam Is Exiled

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Queen Ahinoam is an extremely shrewd person. She is always trying to stay one step ahead of everyone else and find the most advantageous opportunity for her family and herself. Despite all of her conniving and manipulating throughout the series, her house of cards crumbles in Episode 6, “Forged in Fire.”e

Sara Heals More Than Jonathan’s Body

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When Jonathan is wounded, Kazia tells him about a healer of great skill. Jonathan travels to the healer, and while there, the healer’s granddaughter and skilled assistant, Sara, attends to him and saves his life. Jonathan suffers more than just a flesh wound as he is still grieving his first love, Naomi, who died of illness. Pining for his beloved, Jonathan has not been interested in anyone since. That is, until he gets to know Sara.

Like Dina, Sara is unlike any other woman Jonathan has met. Being a healer was rare for a woman, and Sara is very skilled at it. She is also inventive, caring, and kind. As Sara tends to Jonathan, he starts to develop strong feelings for her. Finally working up the courage, Jonathan asks her to marry him. She says no. Sara explains that Jonathan’s heroics in battle inspired her brother so much that he joined the army and was killed as a result. While Sara knows it’s not Jonathan’s direct fault, she can’t help but make the mental connection, especially when she treats Jonathan for an arrow wound, the very same injury that killed her brother.

Jonathan gets some time to brood for a while, but after being encouraged by Samuel to find joy in his life, he realizes that he wants nothing more than to marry Sara. In take two of the proposal, Sara speaks her mind, and unlike other women who have craved riches and power, she does not, and is strongly opposed to the thought of being the next queen. In a shocking moment for Season 2, Jonathan confides in Sara that he knows he will not be king, that God has chosen another.

Trusting Sara with this secret shows how deeply he trusts her and how much he wants to marry her, assuring her that they would never have the pressure of being monarchs. Unlike Ahinoam, who tried to control her husband, Mychal, who doubted her husband, or Mirab, who tried to swindle a husband, Sara proves to be a loyal partner. She states her mind and her thoughts, and meets Jonathan as an equal. As a true partnership, they go forward together in the series, and it is clear why Jonathan could not and would not love any other.

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House of David

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Release Date

February 27, 2025

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Network

Prime Video, Wonder Project

Directors

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Jeff T. Thomas, Jon Gunn, Jon Erwin, Lynsey Miller

Writers

Jon Erwin, Jon Gunn, Jonathan Walker, Bekah Hubbell, Nathan Andrew Jacobs, Laura Kenar, N.D. Wilson

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  Alexander Uloom

  King Achish

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Prince Harry is reportedly seeking enhanced security to bring Meghan Markle and their children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, to the U.K. to visit King Charles.

However, palace sources say they are concerned about the suggestion that the grandchildren could be used as leverage, while the duke’s allies insist the request is about safety, not manipulation.

Any visit, including to Sandringham, appears contingent on security arrangements. At the same time, pressure is growing for Prince Harry and Meghan to be given a “half-in, half-out” royal role out of fear that they may “crash and burn” on their own.

Prince Harry Accused Of Using Children As Leverage While Requesting Enhanced Security For Visit To King Charles

According to The Sunday Times, a source close to Harry says he wants “an enhanced package of security, so he can stay as long as he wants whenever he wants, and see his father with the children.”

The report suggests Harry hopes for an invitation to Sandringham, but any visit would depend on the security arrangements being agreed to.

A source noted, “Would he go? It would depend on who was there. If the king was to say, ‘Come up and spend some time with the family,’ he’d love that.”

But palace insiders have reportedly reacted strongly, saying they would be “horrified by any suggestion of using the king’s grandchildren as a form of bargaining tool.”

The dispute centers on Harry’s insistence that he cannot safely bring his family without increased protection.

Prince Harry And The Palace Reportedly Clashed Over Grandchildren’s Visits And Security

Tensions between Harry and the palace have run high for years. In 2024, friends of the king accused Harry of implying Charles might never see his grandchildren unless security concerns were met.

Harry has argued publicly that Meghan could face serious threats from the press and the public if she returned to the U.K.

According to the Daily Beast, Omid Scobie’s book “Endgame” also recalled Harry telling Charles, “Don’t you want to see your grandchildren again?” after being asked to leave Frogmore Cottage.

At the time, a friend of the king called it “emotional blackmail,” while another noted that denying the children a meaningful relationship with their grandfather could have long-term consequences.

The last time Charles saw Archie and Lilibet in person was during the late Queen’s Platinum Jubilee in June 2022, with contact since then largely limited to video calls.

Allies of Harry insist this is about safety, not manipulation, while palace sources have highlighted the potential consequences of mixing private family visits with formal royal security arrangements.

Prince Harry Believes His Father Can Fix His Security Issues

The Sandringham situation adds another layer of complexity. Harry reportedly appears open to visiting on royal grounds, but only if he receives the enhanced security he wants.

The Royal and VIP Executive Committee (RAVEC) has become central to the feud, with both sides blaming the other.

For years, Charles avoided speaking to Harry partly because he was suing the government, and there were fears that private discussions could be misused.

However, according to the Daily Beast, Harry’s camp has argued the dispute isn’t really about security, saying it’s rooted in “power and control” over him rather than real safety concerns.

Sources say the current system works perfectly for the palace: requiring Harry and Meghan to give 28 days’ notice and pre-approve plans “suits the palace down to the ground.”

Harry’s side has asked why Charles doesn’t overrule the committee. Officially, it’s considered “inappropriate,” but sources say the palace doesn’t want them flying in and out freely, showing up unpredictably, or acting like quasi-royals while living outside the institution.

Pressure Mounts For Prince Harry And Meghan Markle To Get ‘Half-In, Half-Out’ Royal Role

Meanwhile, pressure is growing on Charles to offer Harry and Meghan a “half-in, half-out” role within the royal family, allowing them to carry out duties even while living in the U.S.

Tina Brown, former Vanity Fair editor-in-chief, warned that the Sussexes could “crash and burn” financially if such an arrangement isn’t made.

Brown pointed out that Harry and Meghan’s current revenue streams, like their Netflix deal, are “starting to dry up.”

She urged the palace to act before the couple faces serious financial trouble, suggesting they be given a “limited international role” to maintain their royal connections.

Brown made the comments in a recent “Fresh Hell” Substack essay amid reports that Netflix may pivot its royal coverage to Prince William and Kate Middleton.

Prince Harry And Meghan Markle’s Book Deal Might Be In Jeopardy

Brown’s claim about Harry and Meghan’s revenue streams drying up comes after a source revealed to NewsNation that Penguin Random House, the publisher behind the duke’s record-breaking memoir “Spare,” is “done” with the couple.

While Harry’s memoir was a global success, selling over 6 million copies, he has yet to write another book, despite signing a multi-book deal worth around $40 million. Instead, he has allegedly been asking for more money after collecting $20 million.

“The executives at Penguin Random House are fielding near weekly calls from Camp Sussex asking for more money,” an industry source said. “They think there are royalties, but there aren’t. Penguin overpaid and, with marketing, printing, and other costs, even with millions of copies sold, they will never earn out or get royalties.”

Another source noted, “Harry has a fundamental disconnect to the concept of money, and certainly that money can, indeed, run out.”

“Penguin Random House is done with (the Sussexes.) It will never publish another book by them. They were (financially) burned,” the source added.