Y’all! Ciara has never been one to let a little something like pregnancy slow her down—and she made that clear once again while taking over the stage in Las Vegas. As a clip from her latest performance continues making rounds online, fans are getting a reminder that the singer is still bringing that signature energy, even while expecting.

RELATED: Oop! Future’s Latest Message Has Fans Reading Between The Lines & Bringing Up Ciara (PHOTO)

Ciara Keeps It Moving While Expecting

This week, a clip of Ciara performing at the 2026 iHeartRadio Music Festival in Las Vegas began floating around, showing the pregnant singer delivering a high-energy set complete with intense choreography. At one point, Ciara joked with the crowd, saying, “Y’all know me and this baby up here bouncing around,” as she continued dancing and smiling into the microphone.

For the performance, Ciara rocked blonde curly hair with a full face beat and a bedazzled Outkast T-shirt. She paired the statement top with layered chains, black pants featuring slits and fringe, sneakers, and black gloves with metallic cutouts, completing the look while keeping the energy high onstage.

Fans Go Up In The Comments

Folks quickly ran to iHeartRadio’s Instagram comment section to share their thoughts on Ciara’s high-energy performance. Some joked that if Ciara can keep up with choreography while pregnant, they might need to get back in the gym. While others think baby Cinco is already officially part of the show!

One Instagram user @shainaaross said, “Pregnant and performing and I need like 12 iced coffees to get out of bed 😂😭”

This Instagram user @janet4739 added, “Most doctors said keep physical when you are pregnant. Easy delivery, one push, is all you need.”

And, Instagram user @prettyprettygoddess joked, “Oh she been riding lmfao 😂😂😂😂”

Meanwhile, Instagram user @_clari.matos wrote, “Ohhh! 😮‍💨And what’s your super power?!🤰🔥♥️”

While Instagram user @miracleebieri claimed, “This is my sign to go back to the gym 😢”

Lastly, Instagram user @inspirationsbyfee shared, “Cinco is apart of the show!🔥🔥🔥😍😍👏🏽”

Not Charlamagne Struggling With The Assignment

A video shared to Charlamagne Tha God’s Instagram shows him and Jess Hilarious in the audience attempting to recreate one of Ciara’s iconic moves—the one where she leans alllll the way back. Now, we’re all for giving it the old college try, but chile… we’re not exactly sure what was going on in that crowd!

RELATED: Future Hit With Another Paternity Suit As Alleged Ex Seeks Child Support For 9-Year-Old Son

Chad Gilbert, the founding guitarist and driving creative force behind New Found Glory, has died at 45. The pop-punk band announced that Gilbert died peacefully in his sleep on the morning of September 20, surrounded by loved ones. His wife, Lisa Cimorelli, and his mother, Jackie, were reportedly beside him during his final moments.

Gilbert’s death comes after a years-long battle with a rare form of adrenal cancer and emergency brain surgery earlier this year. However, an official cause of death was not disclosed in the announcement.

New Found Glory announced Gilbert’s death in an emotional Instagram statement signed by Cimorelli and his bandmates Jordan Pundik, Ian Grushka, Cyrus Bolooki and Dan O’Connor. “On the morning of September 20th, Chad Everett Gilbert passed away peacefully in his sleep. He left this world surrounded by friends and family and took his final breaths with his wife and mother by his side, just as he wished,” the statement began.

“We are devastated and shocked by how quickly he left us, yet so grateful for how peacefully and smoothly he went. The amount of visitors that crowded the hospital lobby at a moment’s notice is a testament to how beloved and cherished Chad was, and always will be,” they added.

The statement emphasized that Gilbert considered his family more important than his extensive accomplishments as a musician. “He was a legendary musician, but his favorite accomplishment was being a husband and father. His biggest dreams came true,” the announcement continued.

Advertisement

Gilbert is survived by Cimorelli, their daughter Lily, his mother, and his brother Brian. “Rest in peace, Chad. We love you forever,” the message read.

New Found Glory Honored His Lasting Influence

Gilbert helped establish New Found Glory in Coral Springs, Florida, in 1997 and remained a central part of the band for nearly three decades. Along with playing lead guitar, he contributed heavily to the band’s songwriting and helped shape the energetic pop-punk sound that earned the group a dedicated following.

“Chad’s guitar playing, songwriting, humor, and relentless drive helped shape New Found Glory for nearly three decades,” the band wrote. “Through more than a dozen albums, endless tours around the world, and more accolades than we ever could have imagined, Chad challenged all of us to grow as musicians, performers, and human beings.”

The group added that Gilbert’s influence would remain inseparable from its future music and live performances. “While we are devastated to lose him, we are so grateful for the incredible life he lived, the memories we shared, and the brotherhood we had,” they said. “His influence will always be part of New Found Glory, and his spirit will be felt on every stage we stand on, with every note we play.”

The Guitarist Underwent Emergency Brain Surgery

Gilbert had openly documented his cancer battle after initially revealing his diagnosis in 2021.

Doctors discovered a pheochromocytoma, a rare tumor that develops in the adrenal gland, after Gilbert was found unresponsive at home. The malignant mass was reportedly approximately eight inches long and required emergency surgery. The cancer later spread to his spine and lungs, leading to additional treatments and radiation.

Advertisement

His health took another frightening turn in February 2026 when he began experiencing weakness in his left hand and leg. Gilbert struggled to control his movements during a New Found Glory performance in Nashville and later began stumbling and falling.

A CT scan revealed three tumors in his brain. He underwent successful surgery on February 27, although he did not publicly disclose the procedure until March.

Gilbert regained function in his left hand immediately after surgery and continued updating fans about his recovery, according to Entertainment Weekly.

Chad Gilbert Later Received A More Serious Diagnosis

In April, Gilbert revealed that doctors had updated his diagnosis from metastatic pheochromocytoma to stage 4 adrenocortical carcinoma, also known as ACC. The new diagnosis carried a more serious prognosis, but Gilbert remained focused on his family and his determination to continue making music.

Cimorelli told PEOPLE that the updated diagnosis was devastating because previous treatments had appeared to be working.

Advertisement

Gilbert nevertheless spoke gratefully about the life he had built with his wife and daughter. He continued working on music throughout his illness and set his sights on returning to the stage.

Chad Gilbert Helped Shape A Pop-Punk Generation

New Found Glory emerged during the late 1990s and became one of the most influential acts of the early 2000s pop-punk movement. Songs including “My Friends Over You,” “Hit or Miss” and “All Downhill from Here” became staples of the genre.

Few modern courtroom dramas manage to keep fans on the edge of their seats for over 2 hours, but this 2023 masterpiece sure does. Premiering at the 76th Cannes Film Festival, the French legal thriller turns one suspicious death into a sharp examination of marriage, leaving viewers even more uncertain as it progresses. At Cannes, the film won the prestigious Palme d’Or, then secured the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay after receiving five nominations, including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Actress.

Directed by French filmmaker Justine Triet, Anatomy of a Fall is one of the most suspenseful thrillers of all time. It owes much of its success to the brilliant direction and screenplay, as well as the outstanding performance of lead star Sandra Hüller. Hüller, whom you may recognize from the mega sci-fi hitProject Hail Mary, portrays novelist Sandra Voyter, who is trying to prove her innocence in her husband’s death. Three years later, Hüller’s performance still fuels debate over whether her character is grieving, manipulating, or simply surviving, showing how well the film’s awards-season success has aged.

For those who have yet to watch the award-winning drama since its 2023 debut, now is the time to catch up on Netflix. Subscribers in the U.S. have until September 22, 2026, to watch Anatomy of a Fall before it exits the streamer the following day. Keep in mind, however, that streaming removals can occasionally shift when licensing agreements receive late extensions.

‘Anatomy of a Fall’ Is One of the Most Perfect Thrillers on Netflix Right Now

Boasting a Certified Fresh 96% critics score and 91% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes, Anatomy of a Fall is one of the best movies of the 2020s, a feat it still maintains to date. At the center of the mystery thriller is Sandra, who is accused of killing her husband Samuel after his body is discovered beneath their isolated Alpine home. The couple’s visually impaired son, Daniel, becomes a crucial witness, forcing the trial to examine not just a fatal fall, but every unresolved wound within the family. Also starring in the 151-minute film are Swann Arlaud, Milo Machado-Graner, Antoine Reinartz, and Samuel Theis in supporting roles.

Anatomy of a Fall leaves Netflix on September 23. Follow Collider to stay updated.

Advertisement

Release Date

May 22, 2023

Advertisement

Runtime

151 Minutes

Director

Advertisement

Justine Triet

Writers

Justine Triet, Arthur Harari

Advertisement

Advertisement

• 
• 

Advertisement

Advertisement

Actress Brittany Snow recently reflected on her past eating disorder in the caption of a candid Instagram post. The “Pacifider” actress opened up about how her previous struggle consumed so much of her life that she couldn’t see a future without it. Today, however, Snow said she’s thriving in recovery and thanked those who supported her along the way.

“Today, September 17th, marks 17 years of recovery for me. I’ve heard they call that a golden anniversary. And somehow, that feels fitting,” Snow captioned a recent Instagram post. “My movie, Parachute, is about this very day, the day I made the decision to stop hurting myself. The day I chose to bet on myself, even when I couldn’t yet imagine what a life on the other side might look like.”

Elsewhere in the caption, Snow reflected on her recent accomplishment and implied that she has much to be proud of. “Seventeen years ago, I didn’t know if I would make it. I couldn’t see a future, and I certainly couldn’t imagine one where I would learn to be kind to myself,” she wrote.

She continued, “If someone had told me then that I would not only live, but one day have a beautiful, full life, free from the cycle of self-destruction and my eating disorder… I truly don’t think I would have believed them.”

Brittany Snow Says She Has Many People To Thank For Where She’s At

3

Snow went on to thank those who supported her during the dark period in her life, especially her friends and family.

“My friends saw me, heard me, helped me. My family loved me through it. And somewhere underneath the noise, there was a tiny voice inside me that kept saying: don’t give up. There is so much more to your story,” she posted. “There was so much beauty ahead that I couldn’t see yet. So much love. And one of the greatest gifts of making it through is being able to turn around and share the hope I couldn’t see possible.”

Advertisement

Brittany Snow Said Recovery Was Her Only Option

This isn’t the first time Snow has opened up about body image. In a 2025 interview with Self, the “Guiding Light” star said she struggled with self-image for many years.

“I had so much disdain for my body and I couldn’t see myself as a functional, beautiful being. I only saw the things that were wrong with me,” she said.

At 23, though, Snow realized she needed help, so she took an acting hiatus to focus on recovery, and, according to her, her “life depended on it.”

“I mean, there was no way that I would still be here—and I’m trying not to be hyperbolic,” she said.

A Popular Reality Star Also Spoke About Her Struggles With An Eating Disorder

3

Snow isn’t the only public figure who has used their platform to spread awareness about the harmful effects eating disorders can have on people. According to a previous report from The Blast, “Secret Lives of Mormon Wives” star Layla Taylor spoke bravely about her challenges during season 4 of the Hulu series.

Since then, Taylor said she’s focused on her recovery and continues to prioritize her health and well-being. “I just feel like getting in the right mental headspace has been the biggest thing for me with recovering from my eating disorder and just trying to have a better relationship with my body and food in general,” she said.

Advertisement

Taylor Was Tired Of Fighting ‘Exhausting’ Eating Disorder

3

In addition to her struggles with an eating disorder, Taylor told her co-stars she had been using a GLP-1 to keep weight off. However, the reality star and mother of two admitted that using them caused her more harm than good.

“Far before I touched [GLP-1 medications] I’ve had my struggles. It’s been lonely and exhausting, fighting a battle in my own brain while trying to show up like everything is okay and receive comments daily on my body. Recovery has been messy and far from linear. Some days feel strong, and others feel really heavy,” she said.

Kate Beckinsale deleted her archive of Instagram photos, leaving only a pair of concerning messages on her feed.

“Bye,” Beckinsale, 53, wrote in white text over a black background in an Instagram post shared early on Sunday, September 20.

Within the hour, the actress shared an image of a rainbow from a parking lot to her Instagram Stories. She added the caption, “Congratulations, you won. I give up.”

Beckinsale has not shared any additional messages or elaborated on the meaning behind her alarming uploads. Us reached out to the actress’ rep for comment.

Related: Kate Beckinsale Opens Up About the ‘Invisible’ Pain of PTSD

Kate Beckinsale appears to be shining a light on her experience with post-traumatic stress disorder. “I think what people will find incredibly hard to understand about non-military PTSD … is that those people have seen or experienced levels of horror, terror, violence that they don’t just dream about incessantly, so there’s no rest,” Beckinsale, 53, […]

Weeks earlier, the Underworld actress opened up about her personal experience with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

“I think what people will find incredibly hard to understand about non-military PTSD … is that those people have seen or experienced levels of horror, terror, violence that they don’t just dream about incessantly, so there’s no rest,” Beckinsale wrote in a since-deleted Instagram post on September 2. “They see it when they blink. Every time they close their eyes for a second and those people aren’t recognized as heroes.”

She continued at the time, “They see it when they blink. Every time they close their eyes for a second and those people aren’t recognized as heroes. Given the fact that it’s invisible and you can’t know, maybe err on being on the gentler side with people, being kinder with people. It really is true that if you haven’t walked a mile in someone’s shoes — however fancy you feel the shoes are — you have absolutely no idea what they may be carrying or masking or dealing with day and night.”

While researchers note it is difficult to accurately gauge how many people suffer from PTSD, studies show an estimated six out of every 100 Americans experience PTSD at some point in their lives — and the majority of those individuals do not have a military background.

Beckinsale had previously scrubbed her Instagram profile in August while navigating the aftermath of her mother’s death, noting the disparaging comments she received on social media about her weight in the midst of her grief. (The Serendipity star announced in 2025 that her mom died after a battle with stage IV cancer.)

“You take a break from Instagram for several months following the death of your mother, delete all of your posts and explain in some considerable detail about what you may have lost weight including the fact that weight loss is one of the very first physical signs of bereavement,” Beckinsale captioned an August upload, addressing body-shaming comments. “I think people might be broken.”

She added at the time, “At the age of 5, I watched my 31-year-old father die of a huge heart attack and then I watched my stepfather die, and then I watched my mother degenerate and die in such an incredible amount of suffering, and I will say, it doesn’t make you feel very hungry. And I don’t know if there’s some kind of survivor guilt because it started after my stepdad died, and it’s not like anorexia where you’re starving and it’s a kind of willpower thing.”

Thank You!

You have successfully subscribed.

Advertisement

Beckinsale further acknowledged how her grief had affected her appetite and, in turn, her overall health.

“I think watching, especially alone, the people that you love the most dearly suffer and have horrific and sometimes violent, awful deaths really makes you not hungry, and people respond in different ways,” she stated. “Uf you google physical manifestations of grief, changes in appetite is probably the first one. … I will say that because of my dad and my stepdad and my mom, I am so grateful that it wouldn’t occur to me to see somebody transparently suffering and write something nasty about their appearance. It just wouldn’t cross my mind. I am so grateful to have been brought up by people who raised me like that. And I really miss them.”

If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 or chat at 988lifeline.org.

John Branca has spent more than four decades as one of the most powerful dealmakers in the music business, most famously helping shape Michael Jackson’s empire. In 2026, that connection came full circle when “Michael” became the first biopic ever to top $1 billion.

Branca served as a producer on the Antoine Fuqua-directed hit, which stars Jaafar Jackson as his late uncle and features Miles Teller as Branca himself. The casting put his own history with the King of Pop front and center for a whole new generation of moviegoers. That newfound visibility has also drawn attention to the woman beside him through much of the film’s rollout: his wife, Kristina Tuckutė. 

5

The Lithuanian model and beauty entrepreneur joined Branca on the red carpet for the Los Angeles premiere and was later at his side as he celebrated the movie’s record-setting run. But Tuckutė had built an international career of her own long before becoming Mrs. Branca. 

It all started in Klaipėda, the Baltic port city where Tuckutė grew up and, by her own account, dealt with bullying from classmates. She started modeling at 14 after a visit to a local agency, and castings soon turned into an invitation to Paris. She later recalled arriving there as a schoolgirl who spoke neither English nor French. 

Kristina Tuckutė Found Success In Milan But Warned Of Fashion’s Dangers

5

The language barrier didn’t slow her down for long. Major Model president Guido Dolci brought her to Milan, where she learned Italian and landed work with luxury houses including Giorgio Armani, Roberto Cavalli and Blumarine, plus Gianfranco Ferré, La Perla and Wolford. She also spent several years as the face of Italian hosiery and lingerie label Levante, fronting its print and TV campaigns.

Tuckutė has never sugarcoated the industry that made her. During a 2013 appearance on the TV3 show “Gyvenimas yra gražus,” she urged the mothers of aspiring models not to rush blindly into fashion, calling it “sometimes a wild jungle with plenty of dangers and unwritten rules.” The same segment noted that she counted her young daughter, Sasha, as a far bigger achievement than anything she’d done on a runway.

Kristina Tuckutė Wanted ‘More’ Than Modeling And Built A Beauty Brand

5

Modeling was never meant to be the whole story. Around the same time, Tuckutė was moving into the beauty business, telling Žmonės that she didn’t want her career to depend on her appearance alone. “I want more,” she said. 

Eventually, “more” turned into OHM by Kristina Tuckutė, a skincare line she spent over three years developing. Its 2021 launch at Flying Solo in SoHo drew figures from New York’s fashion, art and business circles, along with Lithuanian influencers like Karolina Meschino and Naglis Bierancas, who flew in for the occasion.

Kristina Tuckutė Found Love With John Branca After Redefining Her Priorities

5

These days, she’s building her life in Los Angeles, but she hasn’t disappeared from Lithuanian media. Stilius put Tuckutė on its cover in 2011, then revisited that cover in 2025 to look back at how much her life had changed since.

That October, while celebrating her 42nd birthday at home, she told Stilius that her priorities had shifted toward independence, authenticity, and the people closest to her. “I value meaningful relationships more than anything superficial,” she explained, adding that she was looking forward to the life still ahead of her and continuing to set an example for Sasha, who’s now a teenager.

Two months later, in December 2025, Tuckutė married Branca, calling him the “love of her life.”

Kristina Tuckutė Says Time Away Helped Her Rediscover Her Voice

5

In March 2026, Tuckutė returned to the pages of Stilius with a candid multi-page feature and a glamorous new photo shoot by photographer Igor Sanaev. In the interview, she opened up about the stretch she spent away from public life, saying the time gave her room to reconsider outside expectations about how she should look, behave, and present herself.

She described the retreat as “not an escape,” but a conscious choice that allowed her to hear herself instead of the voices around her. “Sometimes you need silence, distance and a new environment to truly grow as a person,” she told the magazine. Her faith helped carry her through, too. “After all, they say that God doesn’t give you difficulties that you can’t solve or overcome,” she said.

Whatever comes next, Tuckutė sounds optimistic about it. “I sincerely believe that the future is in our own hands,” she said shortly before marrying Branca. “We create it every day with our choices, our energy and the people we choose to keep close.” 

Jamie Lynn Spears is speaking out after the shocking cancellation of Netflix’s hit dramedy Sweet Magnolias.

“I can’t put into words how much the people who make up our Sweet Mags family mean to me, and that’s not just the producers, cast, crew & @Netflix who are like actual family at this point, but also each of you who watched and became a part of our family as well,” Spears, 35, wrote via Instagram on Sunday, September 20. “It’s so rare to have five seasons straight be #1 around the whole world, in a business where getting a 2nd season of anything is almost impossible these days.”

Netflix announced on Friday, September 18, that Sweet Magnolias was canceled and there would not be a sixth season of the show. Spears, for her part, starred as Noreen, a nurse new to Serenity, South Carolina, who has an affair with her boss, Dr. Bill Townsend (Chris Klein). Before Noreen and Bill welcomed their daughter, Rebecca, the town pediatrician divorced wife Maddie Townsend (Joanna Garcia Swisher). Noreen and Maddie eventually bonded after Bill’s death, each also finding new love interests.

Sweet Magnolias was Spears’ return to Hollywood after taking a break from the cameras to focus on raising her children. (Spears shares daughter Maddie, 18, with ex Casey Aldridge and daughter Ivey, 8, with husband Jamie Watson.)

Related: JoAnna Garcia Swisher Bonded With Jamie Lynn Spears on ‘Sweet Magnolias’

Although their characters couldn’t be further from friends, Jamie Lynn Spears and JoAnna Garcia Swisher completely bonded on set of Sweet Magnolias. “She’s incredible. She’s so beautiful and she’s such a great mom, and we connected on so many levels,” Swisher, 40, says exclusively in the latest issue of Us Weekly. “She’s really close with […]

“Maddie was in middle school and Ivey was a little baby, still breast-feeding when the producers were just crazy enough to give this insecure but hopeful young mama a chance,” Spears recalled on Sunday of being cast on Sweet Magnolias season 1. “Little did they know they were actually giving a part of myself ‘life’ again, a part of myself I desperately needed and it healed me in ways that allowed me to grow as an actress, but most importantly as a person and a mother.”

She continued, “I was given the gift of being able to provide for my family, doing something I was proud of, surrounded by people I respected and loved while creating something we all valued. I owe it all to each and every person who loved Serenity, and the people who made it what it was.”

Related: What Does the ‘Sweet Magnolias’ Cast Think About Costar Jamie Lynn Spears?

Pour one out! After working together for two seasons on Netflix’s Sweet Magnolias, the show’s leading ladies are just as welcoming and friendly as their onscreen counterparts. While JoAnna Garcia Swisher (Maddie Townsend), Brooke Elliott (Dana Sue Sullivan) and Heather Headley (Helen Decatur) have their on-camera disagreements with Jamie Lynn Spears’ Noreen Fitzgibbons, whom Maddie’s husband […]

The Zoey 101 alum further thanked the show creators and fans alike for allowing her to “be a part of this magical family.”

“That’s something that will never end 🤍🤍,” Spears concluded.

Thank You!

You have successfully subscribed.

Spears’ remarks particularly hit home for costars, including Garcia Swisher, 47.

“I love you so much,” the Reba alum replied in the comments section. “You’re a gift! And forever my family.”

All five seasons of Sweet Magnolias are currently streaming on Netflix.

When a celebrity puts their stamp of approval on a haircare brand, we take note. But when two celebrities are fans? Case in point: That’s when we really start paying attention. Case in point: Mariska Hargitay recently relied on a thickening cream from a haircare brand that Jennifer Garner also loves: the Virtue Flourish Thickening Styling Treatment Cream.

For Hargitay’s fresh, undone waves at the Emmys, celebrity hairstylist Adir Abergel reached for the lightweight styling cream, which is designed to give strands a fuller, thicker appearance without weighing them down.

Get the Virtue Flourish Thickening Styling Treatment Cream for $46 at Amazon! Please note, prices are accurate as of the publishing date but are subject to change.

The treatment is all about creating fuller, thicker hair without leaving strands feeling stiff, sticky or weighed down. It’s especially great for those with fine or thinning hair, as it adds body and helps give strands a more hefty feel from root to tip. Instead of creating overly polished volume, it lends itself perfectly to the kind of soft, airy texture Hargitay wore, making hair look naturally full and effortless. Like you just woke up like this.

Like the rest of Virtue’s Flourish collection, the formula was created with thinning hair in mind. It features the brand’s Alpha Keratin 60ku CLINICAL protein alongside ingredients like red algae and tara tannins to help support healthier-looking strands while you style. Essentially, it isn’t just your typical volumizing product that makes hair look thicker for the day. The treatment combines styling benefits with haircare ingredients, so it’s an easy addition to a routine if fullness and overall hair health are both on your hair checklist.

Using it is straightforward. Work a small amount through damp hair, concentrating on the mid-lengths, then style as usual. You can blow-dry with a round brush if you’re after more polished volume, or take a cue from Hargitay’s undone look and use it as the foundation for loose, touchable waves. Since the formula is designed to add fullness without sacrificing movement, hair can still have that soft, lived-in finish rather than looking overly styled.

The thickening cream is a hit among fine-haired shoppers. One Amazon reviewer said it “gives me volume back” after “menopause.” Another shopper with fine hair said it “gives incredible volume that lasts for days.”

Ready to give your own strands the A-list treatment? Shop the treatment now to add body to your next blowout.

Get the Virtue Flourish Thickening Styling Treatment Cream for $46 at Amazon! Please note, prices are accurate as of the publishing date but are subject to change.

Among the things that make Peanuts instantly recognizable, one of the most important details is something readers almost never see: an adult. Charlie Brown, Lucy, Linus, Schroeder, and the rest of the gang exist in a world where grown-ups are mostly offstage, talked about but never allowed to step into the frame. It’s hard to imagine Peanuts any other way now, but Charles Schulz didn’t start there.

Early in the strip’s run, Schulz experimented with bringing adults into Charlie Brown’s world. He eventually decided they didn’t belong, and the decision became one of the most unusual — and important — rules of Peanuts. Years later, the cartoonist admitted that showing adults was something he “never should have done.” For Schulz, though, the failed experiment was part of figuring out what Peanuts needed to become.

Charles Schulz Tried Putting Adults in ‘Peanuts’

Custom Image by Federico Napoli

When Peanuts debuted in 1950, it was still finding its identity. Charlie Brown wasn’t yet the perpetually defeated kid audiences would come to know, Snoopy still behaved much more like an ordinary dog, and Schulz was testing different characters, settings, and jokes to see what worked, and adults were among those experiments.

In May 1954, a series of strips following Lucy at a golf tournament included the first unmistakable signs that grown-ups could exist inside the world of Peanuts. Adult legs appear in two strips, while another shows indistinct adult figures in the distance. Later that year, a strip shows a dry-goods clerk’s hands. The adults weren’t exactly taking over the comic, but Schulz was testing the boundaries of how much of the grown-up world his readers needed to see.

The Charles M. Schulz Museum has specifically highlighted the May 23, 1954, strip in which an adult appears as one of Schulz’s experiments. The cartoonist later looked back on the decision with unusual bluntness, calling the appearance “something I never should have done.” But Schulz also acknowledged the value of trying it in the first place, saying, “It was an experiment.”

Why Adults Didn’t Belong in Charlie Brown’s World

Image via CBS

By 1975, Schulz had a much clearer explanation for why adults stayed out of Peanuts. He joked that the daily strip was so small that grown-ups wouldn’t have enough room to stand, but that wasn’t really the reason. Schulz believed adults would intrude on a world that worked precisely because it belonged to children. His young characters could argue about philosophy, worry about rejection, obsess over baseball and contemplate life’s disappointments without an adult stepping in to explain how the world actually worked. Their problems could be funny and profound at the same time, because Peanuts never needed to pull the camera back and remind readers that these were just children.

Schulz eventually abandoned even the idea of regularly hearing adults. Early strips occasionally used unseen adult voices, but he found the device awkward and eventually replaced it with a more effective solution, having adults exist entirely off the page. Miss Othmar could be discussed without ever being seen, parents could be mentioned without entering the story, and the children could go about their lives while the grown-ups remained an invisible presence just outside the panel.

‘Peanuts’ Was Better Without the Grown-Ups

Image via CBS

Schulz later offered an even more practical reason for keeping adults out. In 1997, he explained that an adult’s presence would pull Peanuts back into reality, something the strip had worked hard to escape. Snoopy could hike, camp, write novels, imagine himself as the World War I Flying Ace, and carry on elaborate adventures, Woodstock could behave like a tiny human despite being a bird, and the children could spend their days engaging with ideas far beyond what their ages might suggest. None of it needed to be realistic, but an adult could ruin that illusion with a single walk into the panel.

The few later appearances of grown-ups tend to come with an asterisk. A 1964 strip features a drawing of a doctor created by Linus, meaning the adult exists through a child’s artwork rather than Schulz’s usual depiction. Adults also appear in historical photographs and artwork used for special occasions, including images of Dwight D. Eisenhower and World War II correspondent Ernie Pyle.

The rule became so firmly established that when Peanuts moved into animation, grown-ups were still largely kept out of sight. When an adult needed to speak, audiences generally heard the famously muffled trombone-like “wah-wah” instead of understandable dialogue. The effect preserved the same separation between the children’s world and the adult one that Schulz had established in the comics.

Schulz also kept experimenting with adults outside Peanuts. Sometime in the mid-1950s, he developed Hagemeyer, a workplace comedy strip centered entirely on grown-up characters. The concept was proposed to United Feature Syndicate and was drawn using blank Peanuts frame templates. All seven surviving strips eventually became part of a Schulz Museum exhibition devoted to his experiments with adult humor​​​​​​, so Schulz explored the idea and found that his most famous creation was stronger without them. Ultimately, his “mistake” helped define what Peanuts was.

Airport style usually comes down to one question: Should I be comfortable or look put together? But in 2026, Nicole Kidman is proving we no longer have to choose between the two. Her relaxed travel denim style delivers the ease we want from leggings with a considerably chicer finish, and it has Us rethinking what to wear on our next flight.

On September 9, 2026, the Practical Magic 2 star was spotted touching down at Sydney Airport wearing high-waisted, wide-leg jeans that have oversized patch pockets and a lived-in blue wash. She paired them with a light blue lace-trimmed top, a baseball cap, oversized sunglasses and a roomy black tote for an effortlessly cool take on travel dressing. While we couldn’t track down Kidman’s exact jeans, we found a $37 similar style that captures their relaxed, retro feel for less.

Get the Sidefeel Wide-Leg High-Waisted Jeans for $37 at Amazon! Please note, prices are accurate as of the publishing date but are subject to change.

The Sidefeel Wide-Leg High-Waisted Jeans feature the same roomy shape and statement pockets that caught our attention on Kidman. Made with a cotton-blend material, the jeans have a touch of stretch that give them much-needed flexibility for sitting through a flight. Plus, the slightly cropped hem makes them easy to pair with sneakers, loafers or ballet flats.

Related: Copy Jennifer Aniston’s Rich-Looking Fall Crossbody Style for $26

Advertisement

Jennifer Aniston may have just found the easiest way to make a fall outfit look more expensive. The actress recently reached for a chocolate-brown crossbody, making a strong case for swapping lighter summer accessories for the rich, coffee-colored shade. Naturally, we found a similar style on Amazon for just $26. On September 2, Aniston stepped […]

Shoppers confirm that the jeans are actually comfortable enough for your travel rotation. One reviewer who wore them for days while traveling through Europe said they “actually feel like pajamas” and “kept their shape perfectly.” The shopper claims the jeans even stayed wrinkle-free after being shoved into an overstuffed suitcase, making the case for packing denim instead of another pair of leggings.

Another shopper said they hug curves “in a flattering way” said, “These are my third pair of Sidefeel pants. I get compliments every time I wear them, and I find them crazy comfortable.”

The jeans come in sizes 0 to 18, and are available in several washes and colors, including lighter blues and a chocolate brown option that feels made for fall.

For $37, these retro-style airport jeans check nearly every box on our travel-wardrobe wishlist. They’re roomy, stretchy and easy to style beyond the airport, so there’s no need to change before heading to lunch or sightseeing after landing. Just add a breezy top, oversized tote and sunglasses to give them the Kidman treatment.

Get the Sidefeel Wide Leg High-Waisted Jeans for $37 at Amazon! Please note, prices are accurate as of the publishing date but are subject to change.

Looking for something else? Explore more from Sidefeel here, and don’t forget to check out all of Amazon’s Daily Deals for more great finds!

UsNow Fall Sale Alert: These chic fashion finds are up to 60% off – plus free shipping

Welcome to fall with our biggest sale of the season. Our favorite dresses, tops, handbags, and shoes are all on sale + free shipping. Inventory is limited so hurry before they’re gone.

Shop the UsNow Fall Sale –>