Travis Kelce has finally opened up about marrying Taylor Swift, describing their star-studded Madison Square Garden wedding as the “best night” of his life. The Kansas City Chiefs tight end addressed the July 3 celebration during his first training camp press conference since the couple tied the knot in New York City. Although Kelce shared a few details about the “crazy” night and explained why Madison Square Garden was personally meaningful to him, he quickly shifted the conversation back to football as he prepares for his 14th NFL season.

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Kelce began by acknowledging that his offseason looked considerably different following his marriage to the music superstar. “It was a fun offseason, man, wedding was the best night of my life and I appreciate everyone who came out and celebrated and had fun with us,” he said, per Daily Mail.

The three-time Super Bowl champion did not reveal many private details about the ceremony or reception, but made it clear that the night was filled with celebration. “That’s about all I really got from that night. It was a crazy night. It was full of a lot of celebration. But it’s football, baby,” Kelce added.

Inside Taylor Swift And Travis Kelce’s Madison Square Garden Wedding

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Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce married on July 3, 2026, at Madison Square Garden in New York City after keeping many of their wedding plans private. The couple wore custom Christian Dior Haute Couture looks designed by Jonathan Anderson, along with shoes created by Christian Louboutin. Swift completed her bridal look with Cartier jewelry.

The ceremony was officiated by actor Adam Sandler, who previously worked with Kelce on “Happy Gilmore 2.” Rather than having traditional bridesmaids and groomsmen, Swift chose her younger brother, Austin Swift, as her man of honor, while Jason Kelce served as his brother’s best man.

The venue announced the marriage by displaying “JUST&T MARRIED” on its marquee after the ceremony. Despite the enormous public interest surrounding Taylor Swift’s wedding, the couple largely kept the celebration away from cameras, with guests reportedly prohibited from using their phones inside the arena.

The Madison Square Garden wedding marked the culmination of a relationship that began in 2023 after Kelce publicly revealed that he had attempted to give Swift a friendship bracelet containing his phone number during her “Eras Tour.” The pair announced their engagement in August 2025.

Madison Square Garden Fulfilled Kelce’s Childhood Dream

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For Kelce, the legendary New York City arena carried significance beyond its ability to host their high-profile celebration. The athlete revealed that he had long hoped to attend a New York Knicks playoff game at Madison Square Garden. Swift made it to one without him while he was busy with the Chiefs, leaving Kelce waiting for his own chance to experience the venue.

“MSG, man. You know, I always told myself I’d go for a playoff game when the Knicks were rocking,” he explained. “Then my wife went when I was stuck in minicamp, so I didn’t get my opportunity to go then.”

Marrying Swift ultimately gave Kelce a much bigger reason to step inside the arena. “So it’s kind of cool to be able to live out my childhood dream of being in that venue, the Mecca of all sports venues, being able to get married in there,” he continued.

The couple managed to keep the event largely private despite its massive scale and the public attention surrounding their relationship. “I can’t thank the owners of MSG for allowing us to get the opportunity to do that, knowing we wanted a private event and everything, so it was perfect,” Kelce said. “And the AC was perfect, man, that’s the best part.”

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Kelce’s wedding remarks came as the Chiefs prepared to begin their preseason schedule against the Los Angeles Rams on August 15. The new season carries added pressure after Kansas City finished 6-11 and missed the playoffs for the first time since 2014, ending a run of 10 consecutive postseason appearances.

Kelce also enters his 14th season hoping to improve upon a year that fell below the lofty standard he established during the Chiefs’ dominant run. He described the team’s training camp base in St. Joseph, Missouri, as an important place for both his career and personal development.

“It’s always going to be my sanctuary. I think St Joe’s has got a special place in my heart,” Kelce said. “A time that, you know, you need to have these days. You need to have this time of grinding with the guys, being around them all day, every day, starting to create that chemistry and that standard of how we’re going to do things.”

The tight end believes the intensity has increased as the Chiefs attempt to recover from their disappointing season. “This season is ramped up even more, especially on the offensive side of the ball, and man, it feels good to have the leaders out there, all feeling the same thing,” he shared.

Travis Kelce Wants To Prove He Can Still Play At A High Level

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Although questions about Kelce’s future continue to follow him, the veteran insisted that his passion for football has not disappeared. “You know, I still got a lot of love for this game. I still think I can go out there and play at a high level, and I want to go out there and prove myself that I can play at a better level than I did last year,” he said.

Kelce explained that personal accountability has become one of his biggest priorities as he enters another season. “I think that’s probably the biggest thing for me, is making sure that I’m accountable for the guys in this room and every single play that I’m out there,” he continued.

His role has changed considerably since he arrived in Kansas City as a young player simply hoping to earn a roster spot. “Year 1 I was just trying to make the team, I guess, so this year not only making the team but trying to figure out how I can bring guys along with me and show them how to play championship football,” Kelce explained. “I think that’s a big thing.”

He also wants to appreciate the remaining opportunities he has with the people who helped build the Chiefs’ winning culture. “And then be able to just enjoy these moments with the guys I built this culture with. Coach Reid, and guys like Pat and Chris Jones, George and everybody,” Kelce said.

This article covers a developing story. Continue to check back with us as we will be adding more information as it becomes available.

The latest issue of the Toledo Truth Teller is on its way! Peacock has released the official trailer for The Paper Season 2, teasing bigger, bolder, and more dangerous stories for Ned Sampson (Domhnall Gleeson) and his team to cover after sweeping the Ohio Journalism Awards. With one big win under their belt, he’s determined to continue the failing newspaper’s turnaround, but in searching for his next crusade, breaking the news may wind up breaking them. All episodes of The Office spin-off’s return will arrive on September 9.

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Release Date

September 4, 2025

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Network

Peacock

Directors

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David Rogers, Jason Woliner, Jeffrey Blitz, Jennifer Celotta, Ken Kwapis, Matt Sohn, Paul Lieberstein, Yana Gorskaya

Writers

L.E. Correia, Michael Levin, Alex Edelman, Patrick Kang, Ben Philippe, Eric Rahill

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This article covers a developing story. Continue to check back with us as we will be adding more information as it becomes available.

Hayao Miyazaki is one of the most influential and beloved animators in the entire world. He began his career by sketching airplanes, then co-founded Studio Ghibli alongside Isao Takahata, director of the heartbreaking Grave of the Fireflies, Toshio Suzuki, and Yasuyoshi Tokuma. Miyazaki’s films have often been heralded as the best of Ghibli’s lineup, and though he has tried to retire several times over the years, a new idea always pulls him back into the game.

The majority of Miyazaki’s films are fantasy stories, though they often contain heavy science fiction themes and iconography as well. Aside from their gorgeous animation, his films are beloved for their environmentalist messages, strong characters who almost never fall into simple good or evil binaries, and his endless creativity, which results in all manner of one-of-a-kind locations and creatures. Every Miyazaki fantasy movie is great, but some are undoubtedly better than others: the question is, which is the best?

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‘Ponyo’ (2008)

Image via Toho

Brunhilda (Yuuri Nara/Noah Cyrus) is a goldfish-like creature and eldest daughter of the wizard Fujimoto (George Tokoro/Liam Neeson) and the sea spirit Gran Mamare (Yūki Amami/Cate Blanchett). One day, she ends up stranded on land, but is rescued by a little boy named Sōsuke (Hiroki Doi/Frankie Jonas), who calls her Ponyo. Fujimoto retrieves his daughter, but thanks to tasting Sōsuke’s blood when she healed a cut on his hand, she is able to take human form, an act which threatens to throw off the balance of nature and flood the world.

Ponyo is by far Miyazaki’s lowest-stakes film, emphasized by the fact that the protagonists are small children. That doesn’t make it bad by any stretch of the imagination: Miyazaki still goes all out with the animation and the fantastical imagery, especially with how the magical imbalance starts to transform the ocean. Plus, Ponyo and Sōsuke have a very sweet bond, which results in a cute love story.

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‘Porco Rosso’ (1992)

Image via Studio Ghibli

Marco Pagot (Shūichirō Moriyama/Michael Keaton) is a bounty hunter living in Fascist Italy who is plagued by survivor’s guilt following the loss of his squadron in World War I. Somehow, he received a curse that transformed his head into a pig’s, so now he goes by Porco Rosso as he pursues pirates in the open sky. However, the pirates recruit American ace pilot Donald Curtis (Akio Ōtsuka/Cary Elwes) to deal with Porco, leading him to team up with Fio (Akemi Okamura/Kimberly Williams-Paisley), the granddaughter of his old mechanic.

Porco Rosso is the least fantastical of the films on this list, but the way it uses its fantasy elements is creative and thematic. Porco’s pig-head is implied at times to be a self-inflicted curse that reflects how he views himself, allowing others to occasionally glimpse his real self at key moments. Visually, it’s as gorgeous as you’d expect a Ghibli film to be, and the flight scenes might be the best in any of their movies.

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‘Howl’s Moving Castle’ (2004)

Image via Studio Ghibli

Sophie’s (Chieko Baisho/Emily Mortimer and Jean Simmons) life changes forever when she has a chance encounter with a wizard named Howl (Takuya Kimura/Christian Bale), which prompts the Witch of the Waste (Akihiro Miwa/Lauren Bacall), who desires Howl for herself, to curse her. Now transformed into an old woman, Sophie heads into the countryside, where she befriends a living scarecrow named Turnip Head before finding Howl’s moving castle, where she gets a job as a cleaning lady. As she learns more about Howl and his relationship with a fire demon named Calcifer (Tatsuya Gashūin/Billy Crystal) who powers the castle, her nation soon finds itself at war, and Howl puts his life on the line to try and stop it.

Howl’s Moving Castle is based on the book of the same name by Diana Wynne Jones, but Miyazaki changed the story based on his disgust at the Iraq War. Accordingly, one of the major themes of the film is the horrors of war, demonstrated through beautifully detailed scenes of cities burning and airships crashing to the ground. It’s not all about war, however: Sophie’s story sees her go on a journey of self-discovery and personal growth, which is demonstrated through her shifting age based on how much she believes in herself.

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‘Kiki’s Delivery Service’ (1989)

Image via Studio Ghibli

Adolescent witch Kiki (Minami Takayama/Kirsten Dunst) leaves home on her mother’s broomstick with her familiar spirit, Jiji (Rei Sakuma/Phil Hartman), for the town of Koriko. Upon arriving, she befriends an aviation enthusiast named Tombo (Kappei Yamaguchi/Matthew Lawrence) and gets room and board from a baking couple named Osono (Keiko Toda/Tress MacNeille) and Fukuo (Koichi Yamadera/John Hostetter). As Kiki tries to find her way forward in life, she decides to put her powers to good use by opening a delivery service.

Kiki’s Delivery Service was the first Ghibli film to be dubbed by Disney, and there’s something magnetic about it that keeps audiences coming back for more. Kiki’s struggles are, at their core, universal for anyone coming-of-age, such as the stresses of moving away from home and trying to get a job. It also helps that the movie has a fun, casual tone to it that allows you to get immersed in the characters, their dynamics, and their struggles.

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‘My Neighbor Totoro’ (1988)

Image via Studio Ghibli

With their mother, Yasuko (Sumi Shimamoto/Lea Salonga), recovering in the hospital, sisters Satsuki (Noriko Hidaka/Dakota Fanning) and Mei Kusakabe (Chika Sakamoto/Elle Fanning) move with their father, Tatsuo (Shigesato Itoi/Tim Daly), to a countryside house. They soon discover that the nearby forest is full of numerous spirits, from dust spirits to aspects of nature and a cat that acts as a bus. The one they grow closest to is a big, rotund, friendly creature known as Totoro (Hitoshi Takagi/Frank Welker), who takes them on many adventures.

My Neighbor Totoro is the movie that made Studio Ghibli a global name, and Totoro himself has since become the company’s mascot. The film is a beautiful snapshot of childhood, namely the innocence and wonder that comes from going on adventures in one’s backyard and encountering new experiences for the first time. The girl’s interactions with Totoro and the spirits can also be seen as an allegory for how humans tend to use fantasy as a means of coping with difficult moments in our lives.

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‘Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind’ (1984)

Image via Toei Company

One thousand years after an apocalyptic war, humans try to rebuild around the Toxic Jungle, a poisonous forest inhabited by gigantic insects, including gigantic near-sentient insects called Ohm. Princess Nausicaä (Sumi Shimamoto/Alison Lohman) from the Valley of the Wind regularly ventures into the jungle to study it and hopes to find a way for humans and the insects to live in harmony. Unfortunately, her plans are jeopardized when soldiers from the militaristic Empire of Tolmekia arrive, bringing with them their war with another nation called Pejite.

Unlike the other members of this list, Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind came from Topcraft, the company whose collapse birthed Studio Ghibli, and which worked on several other fantasy films, like The Last Unicorn and The Flight of Dragons. The story is one of Miyazaki’s making, so it’s no surprise that it also contains some of the strongest depictions of his common themes, especially the environmental message and female protagonist. Speaking of, Nausicaä herself is a terrific character thanks to her bravery, kindness, and how much she is willing to sacrifice in the name of peaceful coexistence.

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‘Castle in the Sky’ (1986)

Image via Toei Company

Pazu (Mayumi Tanaka/James Van Der Beek) is a young, orphaned mechanic who is obsessed with the legend of Laputa, a floating castle said to be built by an ancient civilization. One day, he sees a girl named Sheeta (Keiko Yokozawa/Debi Derryberry and Anna Paquin) fall out of the sky, but is saved by a magical crystal she wears. Pazu learns that the crystal is linked to Laputa somehow, but they’re forced to go on the run from sky pirates and a government agent named Muska (Minori Terada/Mark Hamill), who want to find Laputa for their own reasons.

Castle in the Sky incorporates a lot of sci-fi elements into its story and worldbuilding, which leads to some of the most iconic of Miyazaki’s environmentally conscious imagery as nature and technology merge. The rest of the story is a fantastic adventure, with lots of mystery and exploration as the characters, and thus the audience, get to experience this unique world of steampunk airships and magic crystals. The characters are all fun, but the antagonists stand out the best: Muska is a mysterious man with grand ambitions, while the sky pirates are a beautifully dysfunctional family.

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‘The Boy and the Heron’ (2023)

Image via Studio Ghibli

After losing his mother in a firebombing during World War II, Mahito’s (Soma Santoki/Luca Padovan) father, Shoichi (Takuya Kimura/Christian Bale), marries his dead wife’s sister, Natsuko (Yoshino Kimura/Gemma Chan), and moves them to her estate while he establishes an air munitions factory. Soon after arriving, Mahito encounters a strange grey heron (Masaki Suda/Robert Pattinson) who claims it can help him see his mother again. This leads Mahito into a sealed tower built by his mysterious granduncle (Shōhei Hino/Mark Hamill), which leads to fantastical discoveries regarding the family’s past.

The Boy and the Heron plays out like a lucid dream at times, especially in the third act. This ethereal aesthetic is a great way to explore the film’s primary themes concerning grief and legacy: the first half is much quieter and somber to better reflect Mahito’s isolation due to his grief, while the second half is more vibrant and ambiguous, which becomes even more fascinating when it’s explained where these more fantastical elements come from and why they are here. The voice cast in both Japanese and English is fantastic, but Pattinson stands out the most in the dub because he is unrecognizable as the heron.

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‘Princess Mononoke’ (1997)

Image via Toho

Prince Ashitaka (Yōji Matsuda/Billy Crudup) of the Emishi slays a demon that used to be a boar god named Nago (Makoto Satō/John DiMaggio), but is given a fatal curse in the process. He follows Nago’s trail and arrives at Irontown, a mining colony built next to a forest inhabited by animal gods. The two groups are on the verge of war, and as Ashitaka does what he can to keep things from escalating, he meets a woman named San (Yuriko Ishida/Claire Danes) who was raised by the wolf gods.

Princess Mononoke is perhaps the best movie to showcase Miyazaki’s common themes. The conflict in the film is handled brilliantly: rather than go the easy route and say nature good, civilization bad, the film shows how both sides have their positive and negative traits, making them feel like two groups of individuals just struggling to survive in an ever-changing world. Speaking of the world, this movie is some of the most beautiful animation to come from Studio Ghibli, with gorgeous landscapes that look like photographs at times, and creative visual depictions of life and death.

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‘Spirited Away’ (2001)

Image via Studio Ghibli

While moving to their new home, Chihiro (Rumi Hiiragi/Daveigh Chase) and her parents find an abandoned carnival that serves as a gateway to the spirit world. Her parents are turned into pigs, but Chihiro is aided by a strange boy named Haku (Miyu Irino/Jason Marsden), who helps her get a job at the local bathhouse run by the witch Yubaba (Mari Natsuki/Suzanne Pleshette). Chihiro is safe while she tries to find a way to free her parents, but Yubaba further complicates things by taking Chihiro’s name as part of the contract, renaming her Sen.

It can be hard to put into words just how magical an experience Spirited Away is. The spirit world is a masterfully constructed world inhabited by all manner of creatures, many of whom have deep symbolic meaning behind their design and actions, as is the case with the mysterious No Face (Akio Nakamura/Bob Bergan). It’s the kind of film that knows when to let the atmosphere tell the story rather than dialogue, leading to many soft, introspective moments that facilitate Chihiro’s coming-of-age journey, and allowing audiences to bask in the lush, detailed animation.

Warren Hudson, Jax Pitalo & Morgan Seymour are addressing the “enhanced” audio of them calling for Sea Tow assistance from Horn Island on July 4, and claims they were screaming about Nolan Wells being dead.

RELATED: Bart Edmiston Jr.’s Lawyer Says “Enhanced” Dispatch Audio Is “Doctored,” As Ben Crump Reportedly Reacts To Warren Hudson’s Dad Planning To Sue

Warren Hudson, Jax Pitalo & Morgan Seymour Address “Enhanced” Sea Tow Dispatch Audio Amid Nolan Wells Investigation

Part two of Officer Tatum’s sitdown with Warren Hudson, Jax Pitalo, and Morgan Seymour was released via YouTube on the evening of Tuesday, August 11. As the conversation commenced, Tatum asked the teens to share their thoughts on the now-viral “ehanced” audio of them calling for sea-tow assistance on July 4.

In response, Pitalo referenced a now-released video clip of the group on the boat allegedly as Hudson made the call.

“Wouldn’t you think that you would’ve seen Nolan on the bottom — on the floor, something or scrambling around or everybody in a small space on the boat looking at him or something? It’s just so crazy to think that — why would we call sea-tow if we have a dead body on the boat?” he said. “Why would we call the Coast Guard? I mean, why would we do the things we did if we know we killed somebody?”

RELATED: Dr. Umar Says Ben Crump & Rev. Al Sharpton’s Approach To Investigation Into Death Of Nolan Wells Has Been “Too Soft” (VIDEO)

Additionally, Pitalo asked, “Why aren’t we in jail yet? I mean, we’re not geniuses. There’s no way we could’ve done a murder. There’s no way we could have covered it up, especially out there with that many people.”

The Trio Address Claims They Were Screaming About Nolan Wells Being Dead On “Enhanced” Sea Tow Dispatch Audio

At that point, Hudson jumped in and explained that he thinks “people, regardless of who it is, are going to believe what they want to hear.”

“I think some of these people, you can’t convince, regardless. They’re going to believe what they want to believe. If they want to believe that my friends and I had something to do with Nolan dying then they’re going to believe that regardless of what you put out,” Hudson said. “…It is [inaudible] clear that Nolan was not on the boat with us. You can almost see down into the deck… and… everybody is completely casual…”

Furthermore, Hudson said the audio that went viral was “completely enhanced.” Additionally, he said “people just want to hear what they want to hear.”

“You don’t hear about the pool party. Because it was on June 27th… Thousands of lies. Now, oh the audio comes back and now you can hear Nolan in the background [and us] screaming about how he’s dead? That’s just a complete lie. And it’s another lie to push this narrative… it’s insane,” Hudson added.

Ultimately, the group maintained their innocence alongside their lawyer, Edward Paltzik.

Watch the full part-two sitdown below.

Warren Hudson, Jax Pitalo & Morgan Seymour Shared Their Regret About Going Out On July 4th

As The Shade Room previously reported, in part one of the interview, the trio explained how their lives have been “flipped upside down.” Specifically, they noted that they’re not able to frequent locations like they used to due to infamous recognition and potential altercations. Hudson noted that their heads are “always on a swivel.”

Additionally, the group shared their regret about going out on July 4.

“I wish we would have never went out on the Fourth of July because I know this wouldn’t have happened. Nolan wouldn’t be gone. It’s just really hard to think about,” Hudson said in part.

RELATED: Warren Hudson, Jax Pitalo & Morgan Seymour Share Regret Following Passing Of Nolan Wells: “Wish We Would Have Never Went Out”

Spider-Man: Brand New Day is currently making box office history, as huge records continue to fall. In its first few days, the return of Tom Holland’s Peter Parker earned the biggest opening weekend in domestic history, which was then followed by multiple records across the next few days. In its recent second weekend — the third-biggest of all time, behind Star Wars: The Force Awakens and Avengers: Endgame — it is making a strong bid to perhaps even rise to the very top of the all-time box office ranks.

Much has been made of the 2026 box office, with many calling it the best year post-COVID. The summer box office has even crossed the $4 billion mark, only the second time this threshold has been met since the pandemic, with 2023 and the phenomenon that was Barbenheimer being the other year. But it hasn’t been all smooth sailing, with some notable titles struggling against tough competition. One such film is Mortal Kombat II, which lost more than 50% of its audience each weekend following a strong opening, eventually tapping out with just $129 million worldwide against a reported budget of $80 million.

The second adaptation of the classic fighting game from NetherRealm Studios comes following a streak of strong box office performances for video game adaptations. Sadly, Mortal Kombat II missed its mark, no doubt thanks to going head-to-head with Antoine Fuqua’s first-ever billion-dollar biopic, Michael, the horror sensation Obsession, and more in theaters. Sadly for those who love this franchise, it seems as if this poor performance is throwing its future into doubt.

In a recent interview, Simon McQuoid, who directed both the first and second films, admitted that he wasn’t sure if he would return to helm a potential third film, saying, “I think it’s still going through its life cycle,” additionally offering a disappointing update on the status of another entry, saying, “So, I don’t know yet. I’m not sure.”

Who Starred in ‘Mortal Kombat II’?

Mortal Kombat II most notably saw Karl Urban join as the beloved Johnny Cage, with this being Urban’s first notable role following the end of his Prime Video superhero series The Boys, although the two did cross over for a couple of weeks. Adeline Rudolph (The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina), Jessica McNamee (The Meg), and Josh Lawson (Anchorman 2) also starred, with the film currently available to stream on HBO Max for those who missed out when it was in theaters.

Stay tuned to Collider for more stories.

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Release Date

May 8, 2026

Runtime

116 Minutes

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Abby Lee Miller remains one of the most revered names in reality television thanks to her eight seasons on Lifetime’s “Dance Moms.” Now, years after the show ended its run, she maintains a contentious relationship with several former contestants and their mothers, and recently made harsh comments about those she deemed ungrateful.

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Miller appeared on KTLA in August 2026. During the interview, she was asked whether there was anything she’d like to say to the former “Dance Moms” stars with whom she no longer maintains contact. The 60-year-old responded, “Yeah, I think they’re just very ungrateful. I think the girls themselves, [have said it’s] toxic the show and their memories, this that and the other thing and all their therapy — whatever.”

After that, she stated that the series played a significant part in the success of many of its former stars. According to her, “They would not be where they are today without the show. Someone should learn to say thank you.”

She then doubled down, claiming, “I don’t even think they would be where they are without me,” adding, “Forget the TV show.”

The Former ‘Dance Moms’ Star Highlighted Her Success Stories

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Miller continued sharing her honest opinion of the former students of her dance studio whom she considered ungrateful, highlighting the many who have achieved success and value the lessons she taught them.

She said, “I have a lot of successful students. I have a kid on Broadway, another director-producer-choreographer on Broadway. I have kids that are out there working in the industry constantly. They got their education at the Abby Lee Dance Company in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They are grateful, and they are proud.”

Miller went on, “If their parents would’ve sent them to any other studio in town, they would not be where they are today. I don’t think the girls have really put that together yet. Maybe someday they will.”

The Hit Lifetime Series Ended In 2019

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“Dance Moms” premiered in July 2011, with the show following Miller instructing a group of young dancers and navigating the often challenging relationships with their respective mothers. In total, the series ran for eight seasons before ending in September 2019, with 224 episodes.

Years later, in May 2024, Lifetime aired a two-hour reunion special featuring some of the most notable names from the series. Some included Jojo Siwa, Brooke Hyland, Chloe Lukasiak, and Paige Hyland. Notably, Miller was not present for the reunion.

In the same month, Miller appeared on the “Just B” podcast, stating that she believes she wasn’t invited to the reunion because the girls couldn’t “face” her. She also said, “They know they would never be where they are today if it wasn’t for the show.”

In defense of her studio, Miller added, “(Kelly Hyland) left, got married, had kids, brought them to my studio at 2 years old, and stayed until the show started. So my point is, if this was so toxic for all these kids, why did they come back at 3 and 4 and 5 and 6 and 7?”

She went on, “The kids came back. There were other studios in town. Mine was the best.”

Former Cast Member Nia Sioux Spoke Against Abby Miller And The Show

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Former “Dance Moms” contestant Nia Sioux published a memoir, “Bottom of the Pyramid: A Memoir of Persevering, Dancing for Myself, and Starring in My Own Life,” in 2025. In it, she spoke openly about her experiences on the show, including what she considered to be problematic behavior from Miller.

Regarding the book’s title, she told PEOPLE that it came because “a lot of people knew me for being at the bottom of the pyramid week after week.”

Sioux added, “I felt like my story wasn’t told the way it should have been told, and what better way to reclaim that title and turn it into a positive than naming my book ‘Bottom of the Pyramid?’” Regarding her experience with the show, Sioux felt that she was often “ostracized for not fitting into an aesthetic that wasn’t designed for girls like her.”

She also shared that being the only black dancer on the series “had lasting effects.’ The author continued, “That is something that is part of my story and my journey. A lot of girls of color have been through these sorts of experiences. It’s important to share diverse stories and stories from people of color, especially when it comes to talking about racism and being the token Black girl.”

Abby Lee Miller Remains Very Active In The Dance Community

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The Abby Lee Dance Company is still in operation, although its former Pittsburgh location has been sold. Nowadays, Miller operates out of a studio in Los Angeles and teaches various online courses.

Additionally, she hosts the “Leave It On The Dance Floor” podcast and has a live event scheduled for August 23 in Long Island, New York, at the CM Performing Arts Center.

The legal war between Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni is now creating fallout beyond the actors themselves. 

A showbiz reporter who found himself pulled into the increasingly bitter dispute after his private messages became part of the court record is now suing his former employer. 

James Vituscka claims the Daily Mail retaliated against him after his involvement in the case, while the newspaper strongly rejects his account. His lawsuit adds an unexpected workplace battle to an already sprawling Hollywood feud.

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James Vituscka was covering the “It Ends With Us” controversy as a senior U.S. entertainment reporter when his conversations with people on both sides of the dispute unexpectedly placed him inside the legal battle. 

According to his court documents obtained by Page Six, Blake Lively’s longtime publicist, Leslie Sloane, told him in August 2024 that Baldoni was the source of tension on the film’s set, but Vituscka says she did not tell him that Baldoni had sexually harassed or assaulted Lively.

After the “Gossip Girl” actress filed a sexual-harassment complaint against Baldoni in December 2024, Vituscka says he contacted the director’s crisis manager, Melissa Nathan, about the apparent discrepancy. 

During the exchange, he accidentally used the words “sexually assaulted” rather than “sexually harassed,” but maintains that he subsequently clarified that Sloane had never told him anything about sexual harassment.

Those messages eventually appeared in Baldoni’s legal filings, thrusting Vituscka into the middle of the dispute. 

He claims his comments were selectively quoted and stripped of context, after which he was subpoenaed for documents and testimony.

Blake Lively And Justin Baldoni’s Fight Creates A New Workplace Dispute

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Vituscka’s involvement allegedly became a problem not only in court but also at the Daily Mail. His lawsuit claims that the subpoena triggered a disagreement with the newspaper over how he should respond, eventually leading to changes in the way his work was supervised.

He alleges the newspaper discouraged him from obtaining his own lawyer and instead “pressured” him to sign a declaration containing language he was uncomfortable with, including a statement that he “regretted” the actions that led to his involvement. 

Vituscka claims the treatment ultimately resulted in his termination in June 2025. His lawsuit, filed Monday in Manhattan Supreme Court, accuses the Daily Mail of whistleblower retaliation, sex and disability discrimination, sexual harassment, interference with protected rights and wrongful termination. 

He is seeking damages that include lost wages, emotional-distress damages and punitive damages. The complaint had not yet been reviewed by the County Clerk at the time of publication. 

Lively’s Court Fight Sparks A Fierce Response From The Daily Mail

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The Daily Mail has categorically denied Vituscka’s allegations and rejected his description of how the declaration came about. 

In a statement to Page Six, the newspaper called his lawsuit “an inaccurate account of the circumstances surrounding the declaration he signed in connection with the Lively-Baldoni litigation.”

The outlet specifically disputed the claim that Vituscka was pressured into signing something he believed was untrue. 

“At no point did Daily Mail pressure James to sign a declaration he believed to be untrue,” the newspaper said, adding, “In fact, the declaration he signed was consistent with what he had already told senior management after the Baldoni complaint first came to our attention.”

The Daily Mail also defended its expectations of its journalists, saying, “As a trusted news organization, we expect our journalists to act with honesty and integrity, and we rely upon that important expectation.”

The newspaper went further, rejecting Vituscka’s characterization of himself as a whistleblower who suffered retaliation or discrimination. 

It said his “claims that he is a ‘whistleblower’ who suffered ‘retaliation,’ ‘harassment,’ ‘discrimination’ or other unlawful treatment are entirely meritless and unsupported by the facts, and we are confident they will be soundly dismissed.”

The dispute therefore leaves Vituscka fighting a separate legal battle over what happened after his reporting became entangled with the Blake Lively and Baldoni litigation.

Lively Faces New Deposition Fight Over Legal Fees

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The fallout surrounding Blake Lively’s legal battle has continued to spread into new corners, with another dispute now putting the actress back in the middle of a court fight. 

A few days ago, TMZ reported that Jed Wallace, the Texas-based PR consultant who worked with Justin Baldoni’s team during his legal battle with Lively, was seeking another opportunity to question her under oath. 

The request came as Lively pursued legal fees tied to the litigation, creating a fresh dispute even after Wallace’s own case against her was dismissed. 

Lively’s attorneys strongly opposed the request, arguing that Wallace had already had his opportunity to depose her. 

They characterized the move as “another desperate, meritless attempt by Wallace to go after Ms. Lively,” according to a statement to the outlet. 

Wallace’s request concerned questions surrounding Lively’s bid to recover hundreds of thousands of dollars in fees and costs from him. His attorneys argued that they needed additional information before the money could be released. 

Blake Lively Seeks Nearly $8 Million In Legal Fees

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The dispute over Lively’s legal costs stemmed from a much larger financial request she made after her litigation with Justin Baldoni moved toward a settlement. 

In June, The Blast stated that Lively asked a federal judge to award her approximately $8 million to cover legal fees and expenses connected to Baldoni’s now-dismissed lawsuit against her. 

Her filing sought about $7.5 million in attorneys’ fees, along with roughly $540,000 in additional costs. Those expenses included legal research, travel and meals accumulated during the lengthy litigation. 

Lively’s attorneys also disclosed that lead lawyer Michael Gottlieb billed $2,187 per hour while working on the case, below his standard rate of $2,350. 

The request followed the dismissal of Baldoni’s lawsuit in June 2025 and the eventual resolution of the remaining litigation in 2026.