By Joshua Tyler
| Updated 1 hour ago

Star Trek has never been at a lower point. The franchise’s current batch of shows receives almost no ratings, and the brand’s total mismanagement has been so bad that it’s driven away existing Trekkies while failing to attract any new viewers.

This is far worse than having no show on the air at all, since a lack of content often builds anticipation and hunger for more. On the other hand, year after year of producing terrible content that actively seeks to alienate fans, breeds hatred and contempt, while destroying any trust or interest in the brand.

What happened? What went wrong? How did we end up in this Star Trek hellscape? To find the answer, we have to look into the past.

Paramount Began Planning Star Trek’s Destruction In 2017

The year is 2017. Star Trek had been off television for 12 years. The last Trek release, Star Trek: Beyond, turned out to be a box-office disappointment.

So, Paramount devised a bold new plan to revitalize Star Trek with a prequel series. Oh, wait, they’d just done that. The entire 2009 Star Trek movie franchise was a prequel.

But that was on the big screen; this time, the twist was that the prequel would be a series. Oh, wait, they already did that, too. It was called Star Trek: Enterprise, and Paramount pulled the plug after four seasons.

That very recent past seemingly forgotten, Paramount moved forward with another prequel, their third attempt in a row at making a Star Trek prequel happen. Third time was not the charm.

Brian Fuller And The Rise Of Alex Kurtzman

The Disco era began with the debut of Star Trek: Discovery in 2017. Discovery was created by a man named Brian Fuller.

Fuller was a well-known television writer and producer. He’d written for both Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and Star Trek: Voyager in the 90s. Since then, he’d established himself as a much sought-after talent, creating critically acclaimed series like Pushing Daisies and Hannibal.

He had the right resume, and so, Paramount hired him to create a new Star Trek series. His initial pitch was to do something serialized, with “diversity” as a focus, and a dark and gritty tone inspired by Game of Thrones. If you’re a Star Trek fan, you probably already see the problem. That’s right, Brian Fuller wanted to turn Gene Roddenberry’s bright and hopeful view of the future into a Game of Thrones knockoff.

Fuller worked on the show for 9 months. His tenure was marked by missed deadlines and ever-expanding budgets. Paramount clashed with him over his desire to reboot Star Trek into a Game of Thrones series. The company wanted its brand to stick with the traditions that made Star Trek work, and Fuller wanted to warp it into something entirely different. After these struggles and amid much controversy, Fuller essentially left the production while maintaining credit for the show.

Up til this point, Paramount had made good decisions. Hiring Fuller didn’t work out, but on paper, it should have. When Fuller failed to get what Star Trek was as a brand, Paramount made another good decision by getting rid of him.

Getting rid of Fuller was the last good Star Trek decision Paramount would ever make.

They replaced Fuller with Gretchen J. Berg & Aaron Harberts. Berg & Hoberts were Fuller’s people. They’d worked with him on past projects and were already helping him make Star Trek: Discovery. The ideas Fuller was implementing, the terrible ideas that got him essentially fired, were also their ideas. So they stayed the course and kept working on their Game of Thrones-ification of Star Trek.

Eventually, Berg & Hoberts were also fired, but not for trying to ruin Star Trek. It happened amidst accusations of abuse towards the show’s writers.

Still, this was Paramount’s chance to course-correct and save Trekkies from the Game of Thrones-ification of Star Trek. Instead of doing that and fixing things, Paramount did something worse.

Alex Kurtzman was put in their place. Kurtzman was the man most responsible for the worst of the recent Star Trek movies, Star Trek: Into Darkness. He now held the future of the entire franchise in his hands. He would remain in charge not just of Discovery, but of the entire Star Trek franchise, throughout the Disco era.

Star Trek: Discovery Launches And Is Hated

By the time Alex Kurtzman was hired, production was pretty far along on Star Trek: Discovery. Kurtzman made tweaks to satisfy some of Paramount’s concerns, but much of what the show would be was already written in stone. 

Star Trek: Discovery was the most expensive Star Trek series ever produced, at the time. Paramount could have trashed it and taken a tax write-off, but that’s tough to do with so much money on the line. So they released it.

The show was poorly received by fans. Critics initially praised it, but critics rarely watch shows beyond the first one or two episodes. They ignore it after that, which makes their reviews meaningless. 

Reports of Discovery’s ratings were vague and unreliable. Most indications were that after an initially strong debut, people began abandoning the show.

Paramount and their new best friend, Alex Kurtzman, took note and tried making big changes for season 2. They brought in Anson Mount to play Christopher Pike, and Mount was fantastic. Unfortunately, the rest of the show was still the show it was always designed to be. Adding one good character to a terrible show cannot save it.

Paramount Activates Quarantine Protocols For Star Trek: Discovery

Stuck with a show no one liked, Paramount did the only thing they could do besides cancel it: They quarantined the entire series, separating it from the rest of Star Trek. They did that by time-jumping Star Trek: Discovery so far into the future that nothing it did could have any further impact on the franchise.

They created a spinoff called Star Trek: Strange New Worlds for Pike to rescue him from Discovery’s sinking ship. Though his new series was technically an extension of the Disco-verse, it quickly set out to differentiate itself from Discovery and the mistakes it had made.

Unfortunately, Alex Kurtzman was still in charge, and he simultaneously set out to make Strange New Worlds his own, which meant he made it stupid. He made it his stated mission to work only with people who didn’t actually like Star Trek, intending to hollow out the brand and wear it like a skinsuit.

So, instead of hiring serious science fiction writers who might have a fondness for Gene Roddenberry’s work, he hired Strange New Worlds and Discovery writers based on diversity quotas. Those writers, who care nothing about Star Trek or science fiction, then turned the show into a playground for theater kids rather than Star Trek fans. After a strong first-season debut, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds devolved into a series of joke episodes and ridiculous plot arcs, which chased away initially optimistic Trek fans.

Star Trek Starts Winning Razzies

That should have been it for the Disco era. The franchise forked away from it; Paramount was working on other Star Trek shows. Discovery limped onward but was soon canceled after five seasons of disinterest.

However, Alex Kurtzman had been trying to make a Star Trek: Section 31 spinoff since the first season of Discovery. His plan centered on a widely disliked Star Trek: Discovery character, played by actress Michelle Yeoh. 

Fans hated the idea, and no one at Paramount seemed particularly excited about it. They prioritized Strange New Worlds over it, and while a Section 31 series was announced, it never went into full production. Kurtzman’s last update stated clearly that Section 31 was now a very low priority.

And then, in March of 2023, Michelle Yeoh won an Oscar.  In April of 2023, Star Trek: Section 31 entered full production as a feature film. Oscar-winning tends to have that effect.

In January of 2024, Star Trek: Section 31 arrived as a direct-to-streaming movie on Paramount+. It was the first Star Trek movie released in nearly a decade. It’s now the worst-reviewed movie in the entire Star Trek canon, with audiences giving it an appalling 16% fresh score. It received three Razzie nominations: Worst Picture, Worst Actress, and Worst Screenplay.

Star Trek: Section 31 begins when a spitwad flies across the screen, tracing the shape of the Starfleet logo. Viewers would later learn that Spitwad is actually the movie’s hero ship, but that knowledge doesn’t make it any better. The movie revolves around Michelle Yeoh’s Philippa Georgiou, a character responsible for numerous acts of genocide. And she’s not sorry about any of it.

There are other characters in Section 31, but they’re no better. The super cool Section 31 spy team introduces itself by shouting at each other, issuing threats, and posing for the camera. Like Georgiou, they’re also mostly serial killers, and they’re all pretty upset they aren’t able to do more killing.

Luckily, this mission to do a thing takes place in the exact same space bar they’re already standing in. Paramount didn’t need to build any other sets for their heist. What a financially fortuitous coincidence. 

There’s a confusing fistfight in front of a bad green screen rendering of a blurry tunnel. A murder mystery that no one cares about. A robot gets incapacitated by being kneed in the crotch. 

Star Trek: Section 31 ends when Phillipa Georgiou genocides an entire universe on suspicion of possible mischief and then tells her team she’s going to kill them. If you still have doubts about the quality of Star Trek: Section 31’s writing, please enjoy this actual line of dialogue from the movie: “She died like she lived. By that you know what I mean.”

Star Trek Becomes A Zombie Franchise Thanks To Starfleet Academy

A disaster on the scale of Star Trek: Section 31 should have been the end of Alex Kurtzman. Paramount, however, continues funding his disasters. So enabled, Alex Kurtzman continued moving forward on one of his worst pet projects, Starfleet Academy.

The idea of a show centered around the Academy had been floating around for decades. It’s not something Trekkies ever really wanted, though, because the point of Star Trek is to be about professionals out exploring and not watching kids sitting in classrooms or flirting with each other in the cafeteria. Alex Kurtzman, however, having clearly demonstrated he didn’t really want existing fans, perhaps saw this as an opportunity to finally be rid of them.

Ratings for the show are self-reported by Paramount and so can’t be relied on. However, most evidence suggests no one is watching it. Some estimates have its total viewership as being under a million. Fans hate it beyond all measure, and Starfleet Academy has some of the lowest audience scores of anything currently airing on streaming.

Yet, somehow, Starfleet Academy was renewed for a second season and will continue. Why? I suspect money laundering. If you have a better explanation, I’d like to hear it.

Heroes Arose, But Alex Kurtzman Struck Them Down

It didn’t have to be this way. Even after Fuller’s plans failed, Paramount had ways to correct course.

Developing in parallel with the Disco-verse was a Star Trek animated series called Lower Decks, helmed by Rick & Morty alum Mike McMahan. Mike McMahan is a serious, lifelong Star Trek fan, and while technically his show was produced under Alex Kurtzman’s auspices, all indications are that Kurtzman had nothing to do with Lower Decks.

That allowed McMahan to stack his staff with serious writing talent, who knew the genre and knew everything about Star Trek. They took Star Trek seriously, and as a result, Lower Decks was a huge success, and it had nothing at all to do with the Disco-verse.

Alex Kurtzman rewarded McMahan’s success by canceling his show after five seasons and firing him. Paramount did nothing to stop him.

Tangential to the Disco-verse was the Picard-verse, a series vanity project Alex Kurtzman developed around Patrick Stewart’s Captain Picard character. The show was a disaster for two seasons until the third, when Paramount somehow convinced Kurtzman to turn the whole thing over to veteran TV showrunner and legit Star Trek fan Terry Matalas.

Matalas delivered the best Star Trek season of the modern Trek era. Matalas lobbied to be given more work, doing more Star Trek. Fans launched petitions to try and convince Paramount to hand the entire franchise over to him.

Alex Kurtzman, still with an iron grip on the franchise, responded by passing on Matalas and hiring more people who don’t like Star Trek to replace him on the franchise’s next projects, Section 31 and Starfleet Academy.

And that’s the current state of Star Trek. We’re left with dancing Klingon boy bands and rainbow vomit. Sure, the .001% of humans who spent their formative years as theater kids may like it. Is that really a demographic worth pursuing? It’s like five people, and four of them are named Skylar.

The Legacy Of Star Trek’s Disco Era

Brian Fuller achieved what he set out to achieve. He erased Star Trek and replaced it with an outer space Game of Thrones.

His plan culminated in a horrible Suicide Squad/Guardians of the Galaxy ripoff mashup with the Star Trek name slapped on it in hopes of tricking people into giving them money. Then it blossomed into a Dawson’s Creek knockoff with combadges.

Alex Kurtzman’s attempt replace Trekkies with new Trekkies who would like his slop, totally failed. He didn’t find replacements, because those replacements would have to be young women. Newsflash: Young women are never going to watch something called Star Trek.

And yet, despite no longer having an audience or a point for existing, Star Trek keeps going anyway. It’s become a zombie franchise that Paramount keeps making because that’s what franchises are supposed to do. Keep going.

Maybe it will keep going for a while. There doesn’t seem to be any way to stop it. So Star Trek fans have beamed away, and after years of abuse, they’re unlikely to return. No need to set the auto-destruct on your way out, Trekkies. Alex Kurtzman blew it up a long time ago.

British fitness influencer Meggan Kirkland has revealed that she suffered a pregnancy loss.

“Recently, we found out a new little human was joining our family, and quickly, the life we had started to imagine as a 4, was gone,” Meggan, 29, wrote via Instagram on Tuesday, February 17, referencing husband Niall Kirkland. “Like a shooting star, you shot into our world and almost as quickly, flew out of sight.”

She continued, “I’d never really heard much about early loss/chemical pregnancies. I don’t love the term chemical because it almost deems it less ‘real,’ which it isn’t. That euphoric feeling, your world shifting, the endless possibilities of where life is about to go, who you’re going to meet, when you first see that positive test, to it then being snatched away, feels unbearable.”

A chemical pregnancy, according to the Cleveland Clinic, is a miscarriage that occurs before the fifth week in pregnancy.

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“I wasn’t sure whether to share this, whether it was too personal, but actually, this space has always made me feel so welcome and at home,” Meggan wrote via Instagram. “And isn’t this life? The real, raw, difficult parts that we often feel ashamed to share. I know for so many people who are quietly experiencing this pain, it can feel so lonely.”

She continued, “So, if you’re walking through something similar right now, or have done before, you aren’t alone at all.”

Meggan and her husband, Niall, have since been supported by a community online while grieving their loss.

“Thank you for the outpouring of love and sharing stories similar with me,” Meggan wrote via her Instagram Stories on Wednesday, February 18. “I wanted to send the love back to everyone else who’s experienced it too. Every day feels a little bit easier, the mornings are the hardest. I wake up and forget for a minute, then I remember.”

Meggan told followers she’s tried to remember to find joy and hope in moving forward.

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“I know there’s still joy, and I’m focusing on the pieces I can find in the days while this feels heaviest,” she stated. “My world feels a bit less small and a bit less sad since letting in the people I love and you guys on here. So thank you for that.”

Meggan, a fitness influencer with more than one million Instagram followers, also shared a poem about her loss.

“Tiny toes I’ll never count, your skin I’ll never smell,” the poem began. “Your eyelashes, how long were they? Time, it will not tell. You left this world before you came, and now we are apart. I hope you felt my warmth, my love, [and] the beating of my heart.”

The poem concluded, “Now, here I am left grieving for the soul I’ll never need. I’ll never get to touch your tiny skin or kiss your tiny feet. Your life was only short, my love, before you went away. So, save a place in heaven for me. I’ll meet you there, someday.”

Meggan and Niall have been married since 2022 and already share daughter Winnie.

Whew! It looks like there’s some behind-the-scenes tension brewing, and the internet is piecing it together one comment at a time. While fans thought everything was cool, a recent clapback has folks raising eyebrows and connecting dots. Now, both Diamond Brown and Chris Brown are back in the headlines — and this time, it’s not about music or cute family moments.

RELATED: What’s Goin’ On?! Diamond Brown Blasts Chris Brown Amid Telling Him To Worry About His “New Baby On The Way”

Diamond Speaks Out In Comment Section

On Wednesday, Diamond hopped into her Instagram comment section under a January 11 post featuring her and their daughter, Lovely Symphani Brown, and didn’t hold back. After one user wrote, “bye girl… you never thought you was the last,” Diamond went in. She responded with, “OF COURSE NOT. Nobody been wanting that man for years now. What I’m not messing with is the fact he been making threats to my MAN and my relationship bc I’m trying to move forward. Don’t speak on [something] you know nothing about.”

And, she didn’t stop there. When another commenter told her, “If he’s doing that you need to blow his spot up girl. He’s only doing it cause he thinks he can get away with it,” Diamond doubled down, replying, “He wanna ruin my relationship and run men off?! Bet. we airing it all out baby.” Whew! Looks like Diamond is making it clear she’s ready to set the record straight — and possibly spill more tea if things don’t change.

Fans Clearly Refuse To Mind Their Business

Folks wasted no time running to The Shade Room’s Instagram comment section to throw in their two cents. Some admitted they love Chris Brown down but said the allegations sounded “on brand,” while others quickly clapped back with, “Who don’t want CB? Speak for yourself.” Meanwhile, a few kept it real, saying fan or not, accountability has to apply across the board.

One Instagram user @shoneseee commented, “nah it might just be chris 😂😂😂😂”

This Instagram user @_boww5 shared, “Lmaooooo CB ain’t sh*t and i love him for it 😂”

And, Instagram user @goddess_lolababy added, “He probably don’t want strange men around his child … I highly doubt it’s because he still wants her lol“

Meanwhile, Instagram user @honeylarue27 wrote, “Fan or not… Accountability is everything. At this point Diamond. Go ahead and air it all out . Get it off your chest“

While Instagram user @_traion joked, “Who don’t want him?? CAUSE I KNOW I DO 😂😂😂😂😂😂 speak for yourself huntyyyy“

Lastly, Instagram user @therealmsq said, “Nah if you move on then the mother can.“

What Pushed Diamond Over The Edge?

So, what set this off? On Wednesday, while soaking up the sun in Turks and Caicos, Diamond Brown took to her Instagram Story to fire a pointed message at Chris Brown. Though she didn’t spell out the details, her words were clear: “LEAVE ME AND MINES ALONE! WORRY ABOUT YOUR NEW BABY ON THE WAY!” — and she tagged Chris directly, leaving no doubt who she meant.

Not stopping there, about 40 minutes later, Diamond shared a cryptic repost with the audio of Drake’s ‘Headlines’ and a message that read, “Sometimes you wake up and realize, yeah, that’s enough of that. Then you shift completely.” She capped it off with chill beach footage of herself lounging, sending major unbothered-but-done vibes.

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Even behind the glitz and glam of the runway, life can hit hard — and Miss J. Alexander is living proof. Since his iconic run on America’s Next Top Model alongside Tyra Banks, the legendary runway coach has faced health battles fans never saw coming. And, while some familiar faces have been there for him, other dynamics hint at a complicated, tension-filled backstage that viewers are only now seeing unfold.

RELATED: ‘ANTM’ Contestants Speak Out As Social Media Discusses Tyra Banks’ Apparent Reaction To Criticism Of The Show In Upcoming Doc

Miss J. Alexander Reveals Stroke Struggles & Tyra Response

In the series, the 67-year-old reveals he suffered a stroke in December 2022, leaving him in a coma for five weeks and temporarily unable to walk or speak. “I woke up, I didn’t know where I was. I was in the hospital… [and] cried. I’m not ashamed to say I cried,” Alexander shared, recalling the emotional struggle. He found comfort in visits from former co-stars Jay Manuel and Nigel Barker, describing tearful reunions that reminded him of the bond they built on the show. “I miss being the queen of the runway… I taught models how to walk, and then I can’t walk, not yet. Not yet. I’m determined to walk. You’re going to see me again, I’m sure,” he said, showing fans that hope and determination remain at the heart of his journey.

In the clip, Miss J. can also be heard saying “not yet” when asked if Tyra Banks has visited, though she has reached out with a supportive text and promised a future visit, leaving fans questioning what’s stopping her but still hopeful that the runway legend is surrounded by love as he works toward recovery.

Fans Wondering If Tyra Is Busy Or Leaving People Hanging?

Fans didn’t waste any time running to The Shade Room’s Instagram comment section to share their takes. Some were quick to call out Tyra Banks, saying she’s wrong for not physically showing up during this time. While others pointed out that J. Alexander himself said “not yet.” Of course, that didn’t stop many from wondering if she’s really that busy… or just leaving people hanging.

The Instagram user @mrjaymanuel added, “🙏🏽🥹🫶🏽💖✨✨✨”

This Instagram user @lovedarrenfleet said, “Tyra get yo a** over there now! Miss J made that damn show.“

And, Instagram user @loreane_beonca commented, “I love how he’s saying ‘Not yet’ ❤️❤️❤️❤️”

Meanwhile, Instagram user @iam_msjack added, “As a Stroke survivor ‘NOT YET’ are 2 of the most important words to keep in our vocabulary 🤌🏾🙏🏾”

But, Instagram user @jshawne79 shared, “Tyra dead wrong, he had that stroke in 2022..😔 Goes to show people ain’t ya friend fr. Prayers to him ❤️‍🩹”

Finally, Instagram user @_southernnbellee wrote, “I love love love Miss J! That shady look over the glassesssssss😂”

Miss J. Alexander Is Back On His Feet & Serving Comeback Energy

Yass! In a new clip, Jay Manuel gave fans a major update on Miss J. Alexander, showing that the runway legend is mother. Since filming ‘Reality Check: Inside America’s Next Top Model,’ Miss J. has gone from wheelchair to taking actual steps. As we’ve previously reported, the docuseries revealed that he suffered a stroke a few years ago, but true to form, he’s proving he’s determined to strut down that runway again.

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Love Is Blind season 10 participant Keya Kellum knew exactly what she was looking for in the pods.

“I did not have many other strong connections,” Keya, 31, said on the Wednesday, February 18, episode of the “What’s the Reality” podcast, referring to her onscreen bond with Kevan Jones. “What I did have was really good conversations. I can’t put names to them, but, obviously, we talked a lot in those pods.”

According to Keya, she had “a ton of conversations” with men who had opposing political affiliations.

“Something I stood really firmly on was my political beliefs,” she stated. “I do think a lot of the men were able to understand a little more of what was going on because the framing that it is Republican against Democrat is just so not true. It is all of us against hate, and what I do not stand for is hate.”

Keya continued, “Someone who’s hateful is definitely not going to be lying in bed next to me or someone who voted for hateful s***.”

As Keya entered the season 10 pods, she became expressly aware of her dates’ opposing views.

“It’s Ohio, you know, so my dates dwindled in the beginning,” Keya recalled. “I was walking out on dates actually. There were a few [I mentioned] that was my dealbreaker. So, [most people were] starting their dates with, ‘What’s your favorite color?’ I was, like, ‘So, what are your dealbreakers?’”

After Keya politely let her dates answer the question, she stated her dealbreaker is someone who “voted for this man.” (Keya did not mention the political candidates by name on “What’s the Reality,” though Donald Trump was elected president over Kamala Harris in the 2024 general election.)

“There’s no way around that for me,” she said, noting that she was willing to walk away if one of her dates voted against her interests in the presidential election.

Keya did end up finding a connection with Kevan, 32, at the same time he was getting to know Tyler Lanier.

“There was never a time that it felt like a competition,” Keya said of the love triangle. “I didn’t even know we were dating the same man until everything, kind of, came to a head.”

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Kevan tried to keep an open mind until the very end, ultimately deciding that he wasn’t ready to commit to marriage by the end of the experiment. Keya and Tyler, 33, ultimately each cut off their respective connections with Kevan when it became clear that they weren’t his No. 1 priority.

“I think a lot of our conversations was him coming to an understanding of what marriage really is [and] what it means to be a partner,” Keya said on Wednesday’s episode. “It was a little bit of a learning curve, but me being in this experiment, I was allowing myself to give time to something I typically don’t give time too. … I was doing the best I can with what I got.”

Love Is Blind season 10 is currently streaming on Netflix. New episodes drop weekly on Wednesdays.

Tommy Lee Jones’ late daughter, Victoria Jones, had several run-ins with the law prior to her death in January 2026.

After following in her father’s footsteps as a child actress and teen star, Victoria walked away from Hollywood in 2014. A decade later, she was arrested twice for “obstructing a peace officer” and “being under the influence of a controlled substance” among other charges. (A hearing was set for late January 2026.)

On New Year’s Day in 2026, Victoria was found unresponsive at a hotel in San Francisco following a call of a “medical emergency” to the San Francisco Fire Department. She was pronounced dead at the scene at the age of 34.

In February 2026, Victoria’s death was ruled an accident due to the “toxic effects of cocaine.”

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Scroll down to see Victoria’s ups and downs over the years:

September 1991

Tommy Lee Jones and second wife Kimerlea Cloughley welcomed their first child, son Austin Jones, in November 1982. They expanded their family in September 1991 with the birth of daughter Victoria Jones. Tommy Lee and Cloughley divorced in 1996 after 15 years of marriage.

Early 2000s

Victoria made her acting debut in 2002’s Men in Black II alongside her father. She played “Neuralyzed Daughter” while Tommy Lee portrayed one of the two leads, Kay. (Will Smith was his counterpart playing Jay.)

In 2005, Victoria appeared in The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada and Sorry, Haters as well as an episode of One Tree Hill.

2006

After working together on The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada, Tommy Lee called his daughter “a good actress” who “speaks impeccable Spanish.”

While Tommy Lee was impressed with how Victoria portrayed the character of a young Mexican girl, he confessed to The New Yorker that she didn’t have the best work ethic as a teenager.

“She had to get up at 5 a.m. for her part,” he recalled in 2006. “One morning, she wouldn’t get out of bed. I said, ‘Honey, this is work.’ But she wouldn’t budge. So I fired her. Then, without telling me, the production staff went over and woke her and rushed her out to the set just in time.”

Related: Tommy Lee Jones‘ Family Guide: Meet the Actor‘s Wife and 2 Kids

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Tommy Lee Jones has been supported by his family throughout his career. Jones was married twice — to Kate Lardner from 1971 to 1978 and to Kimberlea Cloughley from 1981 to 1996 — before tying the knot with current wife Dawn Laurel-Jones in 2001. “I don’t know what the hell I was doing,” Jones joked […]

Despite Victoria’s brief firing, Tommy Lee looked back on the movie fondly as it also included his third wife, Dawn Laurel-Jones, whom he wed in 2001, working as the stills photographer.

“We’ve built a world-class polo field and a practice field there, so my team and the kids’ teams can play,” Tommy Lee added of the set. “My daughter has been playing polo since she was 6, and now she’s entirely fearless. She sometimes plays six chukkers.”

June 2011

Victoria’s troubles with the law date back to June 2011 when she was arrested for theft in San Antonio, Texas. According to Page Six, she was accused of stealing in the amount of $50 to $500 but the charge was later dismissed.

May 2014

Victoria stepped away from acting after her role in 2014’s The Homesman, directed by Tommy Lee. Her father also wrote the film and was one of the stars alongside Hilary Swank. The father-daughter duo attended the Cannes Film Festival that May in support of the movie’s release before it hit theaters in the U.S. in November 2014.

October 2017

Victoria stepped out in support of her father in October 2017 for the opening ceremony of the 30th Tokyo International Film Festival in Japan. It was the last time she was photographed on a red carpet with Tommy Lee, who served as the president of the jury that year.

April 2025

Victoria was arrested twice in 2025; the first was in Napa County, California, on April 28. At the time, she was taken into custody and charged with three misdemeanors: Obstructing a peace officer, being under the influence of a controlled substance without a valid prescription and possession of a controlled substance without a valid prescription.

The former actress pleaded not guilty, according to court documents obtained by Us Weekly. A hearing was set for January 20, 2026.

June 2025

Victoria was arrested again in Napa County in June and charged with misdemeanor domestic battery. She posted bail on June 13, according to docs obtained by Us and pleaded not guilty in July 2025. A hearing was set for January 20, 2026, per the filing, which appears to have combined both of Victoria’s 2025 arrests.

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January 2026

Victoria was found unresponsive at San Francisco’s Fairmont Hotel on January 1. Paramedics later declared her dead on scene following a call for a “code 3 for the overdose, color change,” according to dispatch audio obtained by TMZ. She was 34.

“Upon arrival, paramedics from the fire department performed an assessment. The person was declared deceased,” the San Francisco Fire Department told Us in a statement at the time. “SFPD and the medical examiner’s office were called to the scene. Scene turned over to SFPD and SF Medical Examiners.” NBC Bay Area later reported that foul play was not suspected.

Following her death, Victoria’s family released a statement, saying, “We appreciate all of the kind words, thoughts, and prayers. Please respect our privacy during this difficult time. Thank you.”

February 2026

The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in San Francisco confirmed to Us on February 17 that Victoria died from “toxic effects of cocaine.” The ME subsequently ruled her death was an accident.

Bold and the Beautiful early weekly spoilers for February 23rd through the 27th expect that Katie Logan (Heather Tom) panics and Ivy Forrester (Ashleigh Brewer) is lashing out soon. We know it’s going to be about Will Spencer (Crew Morrow).

As we always do on early edition day, we start with what’s coming the rest of this week and then we dive into next week.

Bold and the Beautiful Spoilers: Eric Forrester Revealed as the Secret Designer for Logan

So, on Wednesday, February 18th, we’re going to pick up from Tuesday’s episode where Brooke Logan (Katherine Kelly Lang) and Ridge Forrester (Thorsten Kaye) saw all those sketches sitting out in the Forrester living room and he is grilling Eric Forrester (John McCook). And then we’re going to have Katie and Bill Spencer (Don Diamont) show up and join the confrontation.

They’re going to be the ones who dropped the huge bombshell on Brooke and Ridge that Eric is the mystery designer that Katie hired. Ridge is going to be furious. I do believe Eric was going to sit on the secret and maybe lie and deny, but with Bill and Katie intervening and clearing things up, that’s something important.

B&B Spoilers: Liam Spills the Secret to Hope as Family Tensions Rise

Also on Wednesday, Liam Spencer (Scott Clifton) ignores Bill’s warnings that it has to stay a secret. And Liam tells Hope Logan (Annika Noelle) that Eric is Katie’s mystery designer. Now, we already figured that Liam was going to spill the beans to Hope. But of course, everybody is going to know very soon about Eric and Hope is going to be stunned and realize that this could mean chaos for the Spencer and the Forrester families.

She’s got one foot in each camp with her mom, Brooke, being a Forrester and she’s married to a Spencer. Plus, Donna Logan (Jennifer Gareis) is already panicking over Eric’s breathing problems. And I wonder if Donna is going to tell Ridge and the others that Eric is sick.

Now, Ridge knew from the doctor violating HIPAA that his dad was having some stress issues. But this is something else. And I’m sure if Donna tries to reveal this, Eric may actually shush his wife and she should listen to her elder.

Explosive Confrontation in the Forrester Living Room on Bold

All right, Thursday, February 19th. We’ve got things heating up and this is more carryover from Tuesday and Wednesday. Still in the Forrester living room, we’ve got Brooke and Donna and Bill and Katie looking on—some horrified—as Eric and Ridge go at it.

This is a big confrontation. Ridge predictably goes off on everybody after Bill and Katie reveal that Eric’s big secret is that he’s designing for them at Logan. Eric’s upset at Ridge and Eric’s yelling at Ridge that he can still design and accuses his son of trying to take this away from him.

Ridge is going to snap back on Eric and tell him to stop. This is enough. Ridge is insisting that he already apologized for pushing Eric into retirement. I expect that Ridge is going to say that Eric has to quit and he’s going to tell Katie and Bill something like, “I’m done letting you try to kill my dad.” Something like that. Something horrible.

Eric Forrester Suffers a Major Health Crisis on B&B

But during the big showdown with Ridge, we’re going to again see Eric go into crisis. This is way too much stress. He’s going to start gasping for air. Bill is alarmed. He rushes to help Eric and Ridge is yelling that they need to call 911. I wonder if Eric is going to refuse medical attention.

I saw a spoiler photo—I can’t show you for copyright reasons—but it looks like that Ridge and Eric are alone in one of the bedrooms at the mansion, and Eric is rebuttoning his vest. It’s this very distinctive brown vest he had under the blue jacket. So, I don’t know if the EMTs came and checked him out.

Or maybe if Eric just went to another room and took off his jacket and tried to cool down, but this is going to get really bad really fast. Obviously, Eric needs medical attention, but like with his cancer, you know, he didn’t want to tell anybody and he didn’t want to discuss what happened with the doctor. So, I wouldn’t be surprised, honestly, if Eric is sitting on even more secrets about his health.

Bold and the Beautiful Spoilers: Dylan and Will Find Comfort as R.J. Forrester Returns

Then on Friday, February 20th, we are going to pick back up with some other storylines. So this week, Dylan (Sydney Bullock) and Will are at his beach house. Just the two of them. They’re hugging again. I’m sure that Dylan is comforting Will over his girlfriend walking out.

I’m sure they’re discussing Electra Forrester (Laneya Grace) ultimatum, but at the same time, Will doesn’t want Dylan living in her car. It’s not safe. There’s no place to shower. There’s no bathroom. And there’s no kitchen. And it’s horrible. Also, R.J. Forrester (Brayan Nicoletti) is back around this week. And I’m expecting to see him in scenes with Electra. I can even see Ivy pushing R.J. and Electra together to make sure that she doesn’t go back to Will.

Will Confronts Electra While Ivy Continues Eavesdropping on Bold

Meanwhile, Electra’s boyfriend is trying to talk her out of walking away. Will is with Electra in the Forrester Creations showroom and he’s saying everything was fine and then Ivy came along and ruined everything. And of course, Electra aunt is being nosy again and she is eavesdropping on them.

If Will sees her, I bet he’s going to have something to say because he was ticked that Ivy Forrester was spying on him, lurking outside of his house, and peeping in windows instead of just coming to the door like a human. Plus, Electra tries to get Will to see her side of it, and she wants him to imagine what if she had a guy living with her, how would he feel?

I think that’s a very fair question. This is a complicated issue. We’re going to have more of Electra and Will thinking and talking about their relationship problems both together and to others.

Eric Confesses the Truth to Brooke and Ridge

And then back over at the Forrester mansion, unless they convince him to go to the hospital, we’re going to have Eric confessing a whole lot of things to Ridge and Brooke. And this may be Eric explaining his reasons for going to Logan. You know, he may even be telling Ridge and Brooke about the health problems he’s been dealing with.

Eric admitted to Donna that he is having second thoughts about taking this spot at Logan, but then he told her he couldn’t let Katie down. So, I think he’s going to dig in his heels. If Ridge hadn’t pulled the surprise retirement party, all of this could have been avoided, but he hurt Eric and set this in motion on Bold and the Beautiful.

We should get some answers soon about Eric’s health and whether Donna, Ridge, or anybody else can get Eric to stop designing. And of course, you know, Ridge is going to keep pushing and say this proves he was right to force Eric into retirement.

February Sweeps Spoilers: Heartbreak and Professional Moves on B&B

The week of February 23rd through the 27th is the last week of sweeps. It wraps on February the 25th, which is Wednesday. So, Electra’s heart is breaking and R.J. may seize this opportunity. Plus, Ivy is pressing Electra to not cave in and let Will explain his way out of this.

Katie may bring Deke Sharpe (Harrison Cone) on board at Logan if Eric insists on staying so that he’s got somebody there supporting him. It is a lot—him doing a whole bunch of design on his own where before over at Forrester, you know, he was working with a team of people.

Bold and the Beautiful Spoilers: Logan vs. Forrester: Tensions Escalate Between the Sisters

Ridge, Donna, Katie, Brooke, even Bill —everybody’s worried about Eric’s health. Ridge stands firm and says Eric has got to step away from Logan. And word is going to spread that Eric is the designer behind the scenes that Logan was teasing in their PR. Tensions escalate between Katie and Brooke next week.

Of course, Katie doesn’t want Eric’s health at risk, but Brooke and Ridge are going to harp on Katie about starting her own company being a bad idea. They think Bill talked her into this and it’s been a disaster from the start. I mean, Ridge is the worst. We all know that, right?

B&B Spoilers: Will Considers Joining Spencer/Logan as Donna Fears for Eric

Will gets closer to Dylan, and Will may convince Dylan to stay at the beach house until she can afford an apartment. She has a job at Il Giardino now, but maybe Deacon can get her into one of the little places above the pizza place.

Donna is terrified she could lose Eric and will be continuing to pressure him to step back from Logan. And Will may consider jumping ship over to Spencer/Logan. I don’t think it’s going to be very easy for him at all to work around Ivy after all this.

For every successful sitcom, there’s a attempt to make a spinoff of said sitcom. Friends led to the ill-fated Joey. How I Met Your Mother eventually gave birth to How I Met Your Father, which deserved far better than it got. Cheers was one of the rare success stories, launching three different spinoffs including Frasier. A recent sitcom, Young Sheldon, proves that sitcom spinoffs can still be a major draw. Young Sheldon drew in 832.7 million hours of viewing in 2025, per FlixPatrol; that’s a truly impressive feat that speaks to the popularity of the series and its parent show, The Big Bang Theory.

Young Sheldon, true to its name, focuses on the younger years of Big Bang Theory‘s breakout character, Sheldon Cooper (Iain Armitage). Sheldon’s status as a child prodigy often brings him into conflict with his family and others, as he struggles to figure out his place in the world. This often leads to humorous moments, but also some truly heartwrenching ones that make Young Sheldon more than an extension of The Big Bang Theory.

‘Young Sheldon’ Expands Upon ‘The Big Bang Theory’ In Surprising Ways

Image via CBS

One of the biggest draws of Young Sheldon is how it explores the different dynamics within the Cooper family. Sheldon often butts heads with his mother, Mary (Zoe Perry): this is mostly due to the fact that she’s a devout Baptist, while he’s an atheist. There’s also Sheldon’s conflicts with his older brother Georgie (Montana Jordan) and his twin sister Missy (Raegan Revord), as they both resent the attention Sheldon gets for his intellect. Yet there are also some heartwarming moments: Sheldon connects with his father and grandmother, even if they don’t understand everything he talks about, and has a rivalry turned friendship with fellow child prodigy Paige Swanson (McKenna Grace). While The Big Bang Theory often played off Sheldon’s relationship with his family as mere jokes, Young Sheldon dug deep into their dysfunction and was all the better for it.

Throughout Young Sheldon, episodes would feature narration from Jim Parsons as the adult Sheldon reflecting on his past life. It wasn’t until the series finale “Memoir” that audiences learned the truth: the entire series is Sheldon narrating his own memoir. Executive producer Steve Holland hinted that this was part of the series from the beginning, as it would allow Sheldon to come to terms with his family.

“That’s also maybe some way of Sheldon dealing with his grief about his dad as a young adult is to focus on the bad things. But now that he’s older and has kids of his own, he realizes how unfair he’s been to his dad over the years. So that’s a little bit of the conception of the show — that older Sheldon with kids is looking back on his family in a slightly different light than he did in his early twenties.”

Thanks to ‘Young Sheldon’, More ‘Big Bang Theory’ Spinoffs Came to Life

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Howard leaned on his friends when he needed them most.

‘Young Sheldon’ Launched a Fleet of ‘Big Bang Theory’ Spinoffs

Young Sheldon isn’t the only time that the world of The Big Bang Theory has expanded. In Seasons 6 and 7, Georgie ends up meeting forecaster Mandy McAllister (Emily Osment) and having a baby with her; the two eventually end up marrying each other. This led to Georgie and Mandy’s First Marriage, which chronicles the ups and downs of its titular couple. Like Young Sheldon and The Big Bang Theory, Georgie and Mandy’s First Marriage has become a ratings success, and a third season is on the way.

Another Big Bang Theory spinoff is set to debut later this year on HBO Max with Stuart Fails to Save The Universe, which has arguably the most bonkers plot of any series set in this world. Stuart Bloom (Kevin Sussman), the hapless comic book store clerk who runs the Comic Center where Sheldon and his friends frequent, apparently triggers a universal apocalypse when he breaks one of Sheldon’s inventions. Young Sheldon is worth firing up this weekend, as it proves that sitcoms can find new life in spinoffs.

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2017 – 2024-00-00

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‘Love Island’ Duo
Iris Kendall and TJ Palma
Heat Up In Hawaii!

Published
February 18, 2026
3:38 PM PST