Olivia Rodrigo has already picked who she wants to play her in a future biopic.

In a recent chat with director Cameron Crowe, the pop star named Monica Barbaro as that actress, citing their uncanny resemblance.

That actress already has some experience playing a musician, having transformed into folk music icon Joan Baez for a hit 2024 film.

Speaking to Crowe at the Grammy Museum, Rodrigo was asked who she would want to play her in a biopic, and she didn’t hesitate to name Barbaro.

“Sometimes I see a picture of Monica Barbaro, and I’m like, ‘Oh, that’s a picture of me. Oh no, that’s Monica,’” she told the multi-award-winning filmmaker.

While Rodrigo’s main reason for choosing Barbaro was their uncanny resemblance, she also believes Barbaro’s skills make the choice more than just picking a doppelgänger.

She described Barbaro as a “fantastic actress,” a description that Crowe also agreed with at the time.

Netizens React To Olivia Rodrigo’s Biopic Pick

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Following Rodrigo’s revelation, fans of the singer offered varying reactions to her remarks about Barbaro playing her.

“The Olivia Rodrigo biopic actress has not even been born yet,” one user said, a statement that appeared to reference the singer’s young age.

Several other fans felt that, since Rodrigo already had acting experience, she should play the part herself.

“Girl, you. You are an actress. Go play you,” one user wrote, while another stated, “Do what Kneecap did and do it yourself, girl; you’re an actress as well.”

Some other netizens suggested different actresses, with one saying, “I feel like Inde Navarrette could pull it off.”

Rodrigo’s Pick Has Already Played A Music Icon

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Rodrigo’s choice has already stepped into the shoes of a real-life musician, which might have also influenced the singer’s selection.

In the 2024 film A Complete Unknown, Barbaro portrayed activist and musician Joan Baez, starring alongside Timothée Chalamet, who played Bob Dylan.

She earned widespread praise for the role, which is no surprise given the extensive preparation she put into playing the character.

According to reports, Barbaro spent months learning guitar and taking vocal lessons despite having no prior musical background. She also met with Joan Baez during filming to gain insights and ensure her portrayal was accurate.

Eventually, she performed all her songs herself, with everything recorded live on set rather than using prerecorded tracks, as required by the role.

Joan Baez Praised Monica Barbaro’s Performance

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Baez also praised Barbaro, the veteran musician she portrayed in the biopic.

Speaking to her hometown paper, the Marin Independent Journal, Baez shared that she loved what the actress did in the movie.

“If I didn’t think she was good at it, I probably wouldn’t have enjoyed it in general,” she shared.

The iconic singer noted that she was especially pleased with how Barbaro had done her best to replicate her gestures.

“She looked enough like me, and she had my gestures down. You could tell who it was. She worked so hard. Kudos to her for taking the role on,” she continued.

Olivia Rodrigo Already Has The Acting Skills To Play Herself

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A biopic isn’t a likely move for Rodrigo given her age, but if there is any reason for the actress to play herself in the near future, she already has the skills to do so.

The singer was once an acting child star, rising to fame through Disney’s Bizaardvark and later High School Musical: The Musical: The Series.

Since leaving the Disney series after its third season, Rodrigo has focused on her music career and has made a name for herself, earning three Grammy Awards, four MTV Video Music Awards, and seven Billboard Music Awards.

Editor’s note: The following contains spoilers for the Silo Season 3 finale.

By the finale’s last half-hour, we finally get that answer. The Algorithm isn’t some all-powerful machine calling the shots from somewhere beyond Silo 18. There is actually a person behind it — and, as showrunner Graham Yost tells Collider in a Signature Q&A, that reveal changes how we can look back at everything Bernard (Tim Robbins), Camille, and the silo have been up against since the Apple TV show’s first episode. As Bernard puts it in the finale, “It’s a person. It’s human, and people can be beaten.”

And that person is Victor Crnkovich (Matt Craven), the doctor from the “Before Times” specializing in memory recovery and erasure at the Heidi Stensen Clinic. As Yost explains, the idea is that “it’s been the same voice all the time,” even if there has been “a different person speaking” throughout the history of the Silo Project. In other words, the seemingly untouchable force controlling Silo 18 has always had something very human behind it.

But it also puts Season 3’s focus on memory into a new light. Juliette isn’t the only one whose identity is taken from her; Charlotte (Jessica Brown Findlay) loses her memories, too, and eventually so does Daniel (Ashley Zukerman). Yost says the writers realized that “control of memory” was always part of how the people behind the Silo Project kept everyone in line. But as “Troy” gives us some of the biggest answers Silo has offered yet, Yost says the question heading into the fourth and final season is still a simple one: “Why?”

With Silo 18 having beaten the Safeguard and the truth finally starting to crack open, the fight is far from over. In fact, Yost teases exactly where all of this is headed: “Here comes war.” Collider spoke with Yost about the Season 3 finale’s biggest reveal, how it reframes the Algorithm, Victor’s tragic role in the Silo Project, and what “Troy” sets up for Silo’s final season.

Graham Yost Teases What’s Coming in ‘Silo’ Season 4

After Juliette spent Season 3 reclaiming herself, Yost says there is still plenty left for Silo to reveal in its final season.

Image via Apple TV

Image via Apple TV

COLLIDER: have to tell you something: I’m not a huge fan of sci-fi, but I love this one. I feel like it’s so much more than sci-fi. This season specifically feels like it’s the thesis that argues that it’s a story rooted in humanity, and I just love that you’ve done something so beautiful, and now we’re going to get the final season. What’s something that you’re so excited for people to see when we get to Season 4?

GRAHAM YOST: Well, we’ve always talked that in the various silos, the musical silos are five, six, seven, eight, so the fourth season is all music. It’s singing and dancing. No, I’ll say two things about Season 4 that are not spoilers. One is that we’ve given a lot of answers in Season 3 to some of the big mysteries: how it started, who started it, all of this stuff. There’s still some stuff to come out — and there’s some stuff that doesn’t come out until the final episode, I’ll say that.

But the other thing is Season 3, because we needed to do something with what Hugh [Howey] gave us in the middle book, which had no Juliette in it, so we came up with this other story; it took a while for Juliette to reclaim herself.

I already got goosebumps when you said that because I love Juliette. Rebecca Ferguson is an amazing actress, and the way she brings Juliette to life in this season specifically, kind of relearning everything that she had to get back to who she was. Talking about that finale, though, it does reveal that Victor has essentially been the man behind the curtain, like the human intelligence behind what everyone in Silo 18 has been understanding as the algorithm. What did you want that reveal to recontextualize about everything we’ve watched Camille and Bernard do this season?

YOST: That was the whole thing. When Bernard has that moment with Camille where he says, basically, “It’s a person. It’s human, and people can be beaten. We can beat people.” I thought that was a great moment.

You get a sense of it because there’s that last bit where it’s Troy, formerly Daniel, who was talking to Juliette, and it’s the same voice. So it is that sense that they figure out it’s been the same voice all the time, and they can kind of project back and imagine for the entire run of the silo project, it’s been the same voice. It’s just a different person speaking. And so, there’s more of that in Season 4.

Yost Explains Why Memory Became a Weapon in ‘Silo’ Season 3

Yost says the writers planted parallels throughout Season 3 to hint that Victor’s connection to the Algorithm ran much deeper than it seemed.

Image via Apple TV

We spend the season watching Juliette have her memories taken from her, and then in the Before Time, Charlotte loses hers, and ultimately, now Daniel has the same issue. Were you deliberately building Season 3 around memory as a form of control, and by extension, identity as something those in power can rewrite?

YOST: Yes. But in a way, I don’t know if this is really the right use of the word retconned, but we started with one thing and moved backwards, which was: in the books it’s Donald, we made it Daniel, he’s in the silo, and it’s hundreds of years later, and he’s Troy. We know that there was a memory wipe in Silo 18 140 years ago during “The Rebellion,” which there was a rebellion then, but they handled it by wiping everyone’s memory. We felt, “Okay, so control of memory is a big part of what the architects of the Silo Project had planned, and so, therefore, we need to really address that. We need to go with that and make that the thing.” Then we started to find, “Oh, there can be parallels, and there can be echoes.”

So, there’s a thing in Episode 2 where Helen has pretended to be Daniel’s assistant and taken Charlotte out for a little excursion outside in her wheelchair, and then Charlotte freaks out, and you see Victor calming her down with this breathing exercise, and we realize, “Oh, that’s the same breathing exercise that Camille did with Juliette in the first episode.” It’s like, “Did it start there? Do we pay more attention to this Victor guy? I know it’s Matt Craven, and we know that Graham and Matt are old friends and will always work together. But other than that…” It’s kind of like, what’s going on here? And so we were looking for those things all the way along.

I will say that my very first idea for the voice of the algorithm was to use the voice of Douglas Rain, who was the voice of HAL in 2001. He’s no longer with us, but his voice exists. Could we AI that? And it was just going to be so complicated and so expensive, and it would also just take people out. They’d go, “That’s HAL.” It was going to be an in-joke within the project — “We’ll just use HAL’s voice.” And then it’s just like, nah.

Then we thought, “Well, what if it’s whoever we get to play Per Stenson?” Then we thought, “Let’s reach out to Colin.” Colin Hanks is what we call a friend of the family — anyone who worked on Band of Brothers — and our casting director in the States, Cami Patton, worked on Band, I worked on Band, Colin was in Band. We’re all part of this thing that will last together until we all die. This year is the 25th anniversary, and we’ve been seeing a lot of each other and just giving each other shit, and it’s just been delightful. But, so we reached out to Colin, he said sure, and then we decided, “Yeah, no, we can’t have it be Stenson’s voice because people will hear that voice and go, “That sounds like Colin Hanks.” It would throw us off.

So then we came up with the idea: what if it’s just an AI voice? Whoever is speaking can have an effect on how it sounds, but it’s still roughly the same voice. Long answer to a short question. Let’s keep going!

What Beating the Safeguard Means for Silo 18

Victor’s final moments show the real human cost of the Safeguard, especially after watching Daniel carry out Silo 17’s brutal fate.

Image via Apple TV

Victor does ultimately take his own life when he realizes Silo 18 has defeated the Safeguard. What does that moment tell us about what Silo 18 has actually accomplished? Is breaking the Safeguard the first time these people have actually generally broken the system, rather than simply surviving it?

YOST: Well, for Silo 18, it’s the first time. They’re following in a tradition of Silo 17, which capped their Safeguard, but then they went out, and they got killed by Daniel, by Troy. And that was also an important thing for us. We wanted to show the cost of something like this, which is, and Victor says it, “When we do the Safeguards inside a silo, we don’t have to see it. It’s antiseptic. It’s just done over there.” But to do it outside, that had a huge effect on him, because he likes Daniel. He knows he’s not Troy, and he sees this guy he likes do this horrific thing.

So, we talked a lot about why Victor takes his life. We thought there were a number of things. One was he says when Silo 18 capped their Safeguard, he felt relieved. But Victor, I think it’s just seeing Daniel do that. It was just, “No, I can’t go on.”

Bernard’s advice to Juliette is such a simple question, but it’s also something I don’t think any of us really thought about. He tells her to ask why. Then the finale gives us an enormous amount of information that we find out how the silos operate, and who’s behind them is arguably the bigger question behind it. What question do you want the audience to be asking when we’re looking forward to the next season?

YOST: Why. I think that’s the big question. Why? And Bernard had an answer earlier on, I think in Episode 8, where Juliette says, “We’re going to risk everyone’s lives to do this?” And he says, “Well, if we cap the Safeguard, then we can have a conversation. If they convince us of everything they’re doing,” he says, “We’ll uncap the pipe, and we’ll drink the waters of oblivion if their reasons are good. But we have to be part of the conversation. We have to be told. We can’t just be ignorant and say, ‘Okay, kill us if you want.’” So, what’s the why? That’s the big question of Season 4, and a big part of the end of Season 3 is to set that up, set up that here comes war.

Helen, Drew, and Charlotte, we finally realized in the writers’ room, are the source of everything. The entire story started when Charlotte reached out to Helen and said, “I have concerns.” And it was that simple act of, “This doesn’t feel right. I don’t know what’s going on,” with this mission that they had planned. And so, it all comes back to that. So, Helen Drew is critical to why Juliette is able to do what Juliette is able to do. The other thing we find, you’ll see in Season 4, is you will see what happens to Helen and Troy.

Yost Defends Camille’s Choices in ‘Silo’ Season 3

Yost says Camille “really was saving people,” even as protecting Silo 18 pushed her toward some of the season’s most brutal choices.

Image via Apple TV

I have to ask about Camille, also, because she began the season believing that she’s protecting the silo, but by the finale, she’s willing to gas the raiders in the mines to prevent Silo 1 from killing everyone. Do you see her as someone who became a villain this season, or someone who is increasingly monstrous only because she believed she was generally saving people?

YOST: Well, I think she really was saving people. I mean, she was put in an impossible situation. It’s a true Sword of Damocles hanging over her head, which is, “If I screw up, this silo dies,” because she knows that right from the beginning. So, the algorithm, it would have been Victor, says, “If you screw up, your silo dies.” So, it’s an impossible situation.

There’s that line where Bernard says, “I just thought I had to keep people from going outside. That’s what I was trying to do. But they can kill us. And your wife, she must be burning up from the inside.” So, he sympathizes with her.

Daniel and Helen’s Story in ‘Silo’ “All Comes Down” to Love

Yost says Daniel and Helen’s story is ultimately “a love story,” even after memory loss and the Silo Project tear them apart

Image via Apple TV

Daniel and Helen, again, another love story that I love so much. The fact that they were expecting a child and then the catastrophe literally separates them — how much of Daniel’s story going forward is ultimately a love story? Because he’s a man who’s trying to get back to the woman he loves.

YOST: It’s a love story. Yeah. It all comes down to that. I think you’ll enjoy it. We’re very proud of Season 4, as we are all of them. Season 3, we hoped it would work, and people would like it, and apparently they have. That doesn’t mean there aren’t people… I can’t read the forums of people who have only read the books, and then they’re like… We’re just doing our job.

Silo Seasons 1–3 are now streaming on Apple TV.

This interview has been abridged for length and clarity.

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Silo

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Release Date

May 5, 2023

Network

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Apple TV

Showrunner

Graham Yost

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Directors

Morten Tyldum, David Semel, Michael Dinner, Aric Avelino

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Raven-Symoné is back in the spotlight, and it’s not because of her return to Disney Channel in “The Cheetah Girls 4”; it’s because of a comment she made about her beloved fictional character, Raven Baxter.

In a resurfaced clip, Raven-Symoné chats with one of her podcast guests and challenges them to question why they believed her character in the Disney show “That’s So Raven” was Black, arguing that they were associating the character’s race with her appearance, rather than considering the character beyond her color.

Over the last few days, an old clip featuring Kalen Allen on Symoné’s podcast, “Tea Time with Raven & Miranda,” has circulated on social media and sparked major debates.

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In the clip, Allen tells Symoné that her character, Baxter, who had psychic visions and tried to stop situations before they even happened, felt “Black as f-ck” to him.

After his statement, Symoné pressured him to consider why he believed that. “Was she Black? Why did she feel Black to you? Take away the color. Make them green, and hear the words. What color are they?”

Raven-Symoné Gets Pushback After Statement About Beloved Character

I feel like Raven has some sort of hidden aversion for this show that we don’t know about. First she claimed that people only watched the show for her boobs which is a ridiculous statement, now she saying the show wasn’t for black people. Idk what her problem is. https://t.co/SS8F6aYM6j

— NixUniverse 🐦‍🔥 (@TheNixUniverse) September 1, 2026

It didn’t take long for social media users and “That’s So Raven” fans to share their disheartened, confused reactions to Symoné’s comment.

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“I feel like Raven has some sort of hidden aversion for this show that we don’t know about,” one user wrote. “First, she claimed that people only watched the show for her b–bs, which is a ridiculous statement. Now, she’s saying the show wasn’t for Black people. Idk what her problem is.”

Another user said, “I think Raven-Symoné’s real issue is that the exact demographic of Black people she tries so hard to distance herself from are the same people who saw themselves the most in Raven Baxter.”

They continued, “And THAT is the part she can’t stand. Which makes it even more confusing because those same Black people are a huge part of why Raven became as famous and culturally relevant as she is.”

Allen Responds To The Backlash

Allen also received some backlash on social media, as some users wondered why he didn’t ask for clarification during his conversation with Symoné. He addressed the criticism on Threads, revealing he’s been sent death threats over the conversation.

“What is NOT accountability is assigning someone else’s words to me and then threatening me over words I NEVER SAID,” he wrote. I believe in giving people grace. I believe in hearing people out. I believe in trying to understand perspectives I disagree with. I’m not letting the internet train that out of me.”

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Symoné’s comments sparked a firestorm online not only because she was the first Black woman to headline a Disney show, but also because many of the storylines centered on Black experiences, such as Black History Month, soul food, and jazz music.

Another reason the resurfaced clip garnered strong reactions is that it reminded some netizens of her 2014 interview with Oprah, in which she said she didn’t want to be labeled. When Oprah asked her whether she was gay, Symoné said, “I don’t want to be labeled ‘gay ‘; I want to be labeled a ‘human who loves humans.’”

She didn’t stop there. Symoné added, “I’m tired of being labeled. I’m an American. I’m not an African American; I’m an American.”

Symoné went on to say that while she has “roots” in the South, she didn’t know how far back they go. “I don’t know what country in Africa I’m from. I’m an American. And that’s a colorless person.”

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Symoné’s Disney Peer Looked Up To Her As A ‘Young, Black Woman’

Days before Symoné’s comments went viral, her Disney peer, Kyla Pratt, spoke about the importance of seeing the “Backflip” singer as the “face” of the network, noting that it made her feel like she could do anything.

“For me, seeing a young Black woman navigate that space and become a director and producer and writer,” Pratt said, per The Blast. “I would say we have an unspoken bond, so whenever I see her or see her doing anything, I support it and I’m just happy that she’s living how she’s living.”

Model and television personality Brooke Burke co-hosted “Dancing With The Stars” for seven seasons, from its 10th to its 17th installment, following her stint as a contestant in season seven. Now, years later, the 54-year-old is opening up about her firing, revealing that it raised several questions for her, including whether her dismissal was about culture.

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Burke appeared on a September 2026 episode of “The Tamsen Show” podcast, where she discussed her career in depth. During the conversation, her time on “Dancing With the Stars” came up, and she addressed her much-talked-about exit.

First, the icon recalled having an “epic and amazing” time as co-host of the popular ABC competition series. Burke also spoke about relationships she built with the show’s staff, revealing that many of them remain intact today.

After that, she began discussing her firing, saying, “My contract was up; it was being renegotiated.” However, despite the discussions, she received a call from one of the show’s producers, who informed her that she would not be returning for season 18.

Burke stated that they told her they were “making a change.” Notably, her dressing room on the show’s set was being repainted at the time, signaling her plans to continue co-hosting.

Brooke’s Firing Raised Several Questions For Her

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Burke’s dismissal from “Dancing With the Stars” took an emotional toll on the media personality. Specifically, she wanted to understand why the producers, and perhaps the network, didn’t see fit to let her continue hosting despite her being so beloved by viewers.

According to her, “Was it me? Nobody that loves you breaks up with you. If they really loved me, was I good enough? What kind of work was I really bringing to the ballroom? Was it my age? Are they looking for a change? Was it culture? Was it ethnicity?”

Regarding coping with the change, Burke was forced to “chalk it up as that’s the industry and sometimes it’s time for change, and maybe there was a bigger reason unknown to me, which is the hard part of navigating the industry.”

The Former ‘DWTS’ Host’s Firing Came At The Worst Time

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Burke continued her interview by noting that she was raising her four children and building a new home when she was fired. In revealing her thought process at the time, she shared, “In the best-case scenario, I was like, I’ve been here for eight years, I won Dancing with the Stars, amazing. I had the privilege and the blessing to host the show. Holy sh-t, what am I going to do?”

The model then said, “My options and my commitment as a mother- I wasn’t going to really explore a lot of the opportunities because I wanted to be home first and foremost; my priority was to be a mother.”

From there, the podcast host asked if Burke had ever received an official reason for the “Dancing With the Stars” producer’s firing.

She responded, “There really wasn’t an answer, other than they wanted to make a change. The host they chose was very relevant at the time, maybe press-worthy. Maybe there was some harmony there with sports and hosting with Erin. She did an absolutely fine job.”

For context, sportscaster Erin Andrews replaced her on the show.

Brooke Previously Discussed Her Exit In 2024

Burke has been open about her 2014 “Dancing With the Stars” exit in the years since, including in a 2024 interview on “Getting Grilled with Curtis Stone.” During the interview, she was asked whether she’d had “enough” of the show before being fired.

Burke responded, “I probably had enough, but then when you leave something and you think you’ve had enough, you kind of, in hindsight, look back and want a little bit more.”

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She continued, “As a host, when you’re on a live show, it was a long time, and I think I was ready to do other things. But I think it’s shocking when there’s a change in our business, just to humanize it, to be honest, to be vulnerable. I think it was really disappointing. I wasn’t expecting it.”

Burke Remains Busy Today

Burke has maintained an active profile in entertainment following her “Dancing With the Stars” exit. In 2017, she launched a digital fitness app and platform, Brooke Burke Body. This came after her 2012 fitness video series of the same name.

Additionally, she joined The CW’s “Penn & Teller: Fool Us” as the show’s host during its 10th season and continued into its 11th, which ended in May 2026.

Lloyd has the internet cackling after a viral clip caught him accidentally pulling a fan’s wig clean off during a recent concert. A woman ended up with her whole ceiling missing after sharing a sweet one-on-one moment with the singer. Now, social media is cuttin’ UP, with folks joking that the saxophones definitely started getting louder once that wig came loose!

RELATED: Gravity Check?! The Internet Can’t Stop Laughing After Lloyd Takes Unexpected Stage Tumble (VIDEO) 

Wig, WHERE?! Lloyd’s One-On-One Moment With A Fan Took An Unexpected Turn

Chileeeee! Folks online are saying one fan should’ve listened to Lloyd’s verse on ‘Lay It Down’ and laid that wig DOWN! A viral clip shows Lloyd stepping offstage to greet a group of female fans. When one woman went in for a hug and got the chance to cuddle up with the singer, they started to vibe to the music. But chile, things took a wild turn once Lloyd walked away

. The fan’s wig came smooth OFF and appeared to get caught on his suit. Lloyd seemingly didn’t notice the unit had tagged along, he hopped back onstage — and that’s where the video cuts off. Lloyd hasn’t addressed the hilarious mishap yet, but folks online are patiently waiting for him to enter the chat so they can hear his reaction.

Social Media Is Cuttin’ UP & Saying The Lace Couldn’t Take The Pressure

Caramel Magazine dropped the clip on social media, and you already KNOW the internet ate it UP in their comment section. Folks wasted no time coming through with the jokes. Peep some of the reactions below.

Instagram user @raisingrayn wrote, “Sis shoulda ‘layyyyyyyyyyyed that wig down’ 🎶” 

Instagram user @msjacksonblu wrote, “Now I wanna know once he realized the wig was on his arm, did he instinctively throw it back? 🤔😂😂😂😂 🥴😬” 

While Instagram user @vibeswithdia wrote, “Saxophone got really loud 😭🤣” 

Then Instagram user @nik_nicee wrote, “The way its dangling from his arm is sending me 😂😂😂” 

Another Instagram user @keys_rebelle wrote, “This was a fantastic angle capture 😂” 

Instagram user @humilitymade wrote, “Oh lay, oh lay, oh lay, oh lay your hair down, girl! 🤣🫵🏾” 

Then another Instagram user @jasmyneflowers wrote, “When I tell you I’ve been hollering at this so much 😂😂😂😂😂” 

Instagram user @theyluvvsiaa wrote, “Nah that was a hat cuz ain’t no way 😭” 

While another Instagram user @throwbackmoviesalwaysthebest wrote, “That wig scared tf outta him at the end 😂” 

Finally, Instagram user @ebonysharelle wrote, “If it was me just give me the nearest corner to cry 😭 because I know damn well Lloyd ain’t take my wig with him 😂” 

From Wigs To Tumbles, Lloyd Keeps The Internet Entertained

Lloyd is no stranger to a viral moment! Back in November 2025, he took over the internet after a clip caught him busting a move during a performance before hitting the floor. Lloyd was performing on the ‘Cuffing Season’ tour in Birmingham, Alabama, when he hit a lil’ spin move, lost his balance, and went down.

He later joked about the viral moment online, saying he “saw his life flash before his eyes.” 

RELATED: Lloyd Speaks Out After Internet Users Went IN On How He Was Dressed At Recent WNBA Game (VIDEO)

It seems there are still undiscovered sides to the late O.J. Simpson, even two years after his death. 

The former athlete was acquitted of the murder of Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ron Goldman in 1995. Almost three decades later, he tragically passed away after battling cancer. 

Even after his death, fans remain intrigued by OJ and the famous court case surrounding him. The new docuseries brings fresh attention to the late athlete.  

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In preparation for the release of the new docuseries “OJ. Unseen: Exploitation of Evil,” director Rebecca Halpern spoke about what to expect.

“Viewers are going to watch this and see a different side of O.J. than they’ve ever seen before, thanks to the 100 hours of behind-the-scenes footage that we have. He’s going to make confessions. He’s going to say things that are going to blow people’s minds,” the director candidly shared with US Weekly.

“And when you see him in the context of some of these sketches, it’s really remarkable that any decent, normal, nice, kind human being would ever put themselves in that kind of a circumstance after having been accused.”

Halpern shared that she believed OJ should have slinked into oblivion after his case, but that the athlete just could not help himself. She added that the series would be a case study in “megalomania and narcissism”

The docuseries shows never-before-seen behind-the-scenes footage of OJ’s scrapped show, “Juiced,” which was filmed 10 years after his acquittal. 

The show followed the controversial sports figure as he pranked unsuspecting people. Halpern described the show as “Simpson shocking innocent victims in scenes inspired by his own true crime case.”

Netflix Added OJ Simpson Documentary Two Days After The Athlete’s Passing 

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This isn’t the first documentary about the NFL legend since his passing. He died in 2024 battling prostate cancer. Two days after his passing, Netflix added the documentary “30 for 30: O.J.: Made in America” to its streaming platform. 

The five-part documentary followed OJ from his childhood in San Francisco’s projects to his college football career and, eventually, the NFL. 

It also detailed the allegations of OJ taking the lives of Nicole and Goldman, with a deep dive into the relationship between the police and the black community, per The Blast.

The series, which was produced by Ezra Edelman, won an Oscar for Best Documentary Feature. 

Nicole Brown Simpson’s Ex Shared That OJ Simpson’s Abuse Was An Open Secret 

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It seems there are truly many facets to the disgraced athlete, as even years after his death, new details surrounding his alleged killing of his wife.

Joseph Perrulli, who dated Nicole in 1992 after her separation from OJ, shared earlier this year that the former athlete’s abuse of Nicole was an open secret. 

The Blast reported that the ex-boyfriend revealed he had a sense that people were unable to challenge Simpson, even though Nicole had shared details of the alleged abuse with him. 

Nicole Brown Simpson Knew OJ Would Murder Her 

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Purrilli’s statements about the revelations were apparently only a part of the fear Nicole seemed to carry, as a report from a retired LA officer said she was convinced OJ would eventually kill her. 

A pattern of verbal abuse was noted from Nicole’s diary entries, her friends, and her family. According to The Blast, her sister, Denise Brown, also testified during the 1995 trial that OJ often berated Nicole with derogatory insults. 

The German-American was found stabbed to death on June 12, 1994, along with Goldman, and OJ was immediately named a suspect. 

Will Ferrell Denies Performing Stand-Up At OJ Simpson’s Trial 

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The trial quickly became one of the decade’s most closely watched cases. Several stories have circulated since the proceedings, including claims that Will Ferrell performed stand-up comedy during the trial, which he denied. 

Months ago, the comedian called it a sketch show he performed with his colleagues.

He explained that they performed for the sequestered jurors who were only allowed to travel between the court and their hotel room, according to The Blast

Folks online are wondering if Karlissa Saffold has turned over a new leaf after she showed Chrisean Rock’s son, Chrisean Jesus Jr., some birthday love as he seemingly celebrated turning three years old on September 3. Karlissa shared a sweet message for Jr. on social media alongside a few throwback photos, but chile, the gesture has social media side-eyeing and sharing plenty of thoughts.

RELATED: Whew! Karlissa Saffold Seemingly Calls Out Blueface Over His Alleged Comments About Replacing Javaughn & Journey (VIDEOS)

Karlissa Saffold Shocks Social Media With Birthday Message For Chrisean Rock’s Son

On Thursday, September 3, Karlissa Saffold came through with a heartfelt message for Chrisean Jesus Jr. as he celebrated his third birthday. Karlissa shared a few sweet throwback photos on Instagram and told fans that she’s praying for him and Chrisean Rock and that she loves him. “Praying for you and because of you, I pray for your mother. Even tho you are very small. Your purpose has been very big happy birthday baby Chrisean granny love you.❤️” 

Karlissa also hopped into her comment section and admitted that she hesitated to share the birthday post at first. However, she said her husband encouraged her to do it because he knew she had the right intentions. “I was worried about posting but Mr. Saffold said follow your heart. He’s a good man Savanna 😂”

Karlissa’s Sweet Gesture Has The Internet Talking

Folks immediately flooded Karlissa’s comment section with thoughts. Some accused her of sharing the post just to get a rise out of Blueface, while others loved seeing her take the high road and encouraged her to keep that same energy moving forward.

Instagram user @faaithh03_ wrote, “Okay, now this is what I wanna see. Love this! Forget the circus!! 🙏🏽”

Instagram user @daeesofine wrote, “Karlissa only do stuff like this when John ain’t fwh atm 😂😂” 

While Instagram user @ttbaeee_ wrote, “Can’t wait til she lets you get him so he can be loved on and play in that big backyard with the rest of the grands 😩, baby steps take it one day at a time this is a start love the maturity he yours you had a dream about him.” 

Then Instagram user @differeentt_ wrote, “You so wishy washy. 😂” 

Another Instagram user @damnfantasy__ wrote, “I actually feel like that was a genuine and heartfelt birthday message ❤️” 

Instagram user @csopaid wrote, “This is beautiful🙌🔥❤️ Well done.” 

Then another Instagram user @chinyextra wrote, “Awwwh! You’re the sweetest granny! ❤️ Happy Birthday Baby Chrisean!” 

Lastly, Instagram user @jessicalynntan wrote, “Awwww this was cute!! ❤️❤️” 

Chrisean Rock Got Emotional While Celebrating Jr.’s Special Day

Chrisean Rock also came through with some sweet words for her baby boy. The rapper shared several phoos from Jr.’s birthday celebration on Instagram, showing them rocking all-white outfits and riding in a horse-drawn carriage on the way to his party. In her caption, Rock said watching Jr. grow has been a beautiful journey and shared that he inspires her to become a better every day.

“Watching you grow has been the most beautiful journey of my life. You brighten every room, make me laugh every day, and give me a reason to keep becoming the best version of myself.” Rock added, “Three years with you have changed my whole world. I love you more than words could ever explain. Happy birthday, my baby, my heart, and my greatest gift.”

RELATED: Whew! Karlissa Saffold Harvey Reacts After Blueface Calls Her Out Of Her Name During Livestreamed Phone Call (VIDEO) 

Whew! It looks like there may be more to the story when it comes to Serayah and Joey Bada$$. After weeks of speculation surrounding the couple’s relationship, a recent run-in with TMZ has the internet raising a few eyebrows and wondering if there’s been a change behind the scenes.

RELATED: Go Get Her? Fans Encourage Jacob Latimore To Spin The Block On Serayah Amid Her Split From Joey Bada$$ (VIDEO)

Serayah Spotted Out As Joey Bada$$ Questions Swirl

The actress and model was recently spotted out in West Hollywood, where she was asked directly about where things stand between her and the rapper. While she kept things relatively brief, her answers were enough to get folks talking. According to TMZ, Serayah was spotted Tuesday night at West Hollywood hotspot Craig’s. She was seen getting out of a car and appearing to walk across the street toward the restaurant when reporters approached her. Serayah, who wore her curly hair down with an orange skirt and an olive-greenish top that showed some skin, politely greeted the reporters with a “hi” before responding, “good, how are you?” when asked how she was doing.

Serayah Has Folks Wondering Where Things Stand

When the conversation turned to Joey, Serayah appeared to keep things positive, telling the reporters that she and the rapper were “doing great.” She also indicated that the two are “hoping for the best.” And when asked whether she and Joey still speak, Serayah responded, “yes, we do speak.” However, she did not answer when asked whether she had returned her engagement ring.

The brief interaction was enough to send social media into speculation mode, with some interpreting Serayah’s comments as a possible sign that she and Joey had worked through their issues privately. But while her comments may have left the door open for interpretation, comments from her representative reportedly suggest that the situation isn’t quite what some may have assumed. For now, Serayah’s “we’re doing great” comment has certainly given the internet something to talk about, especially as fans continue to wonder exactly where things stand between the two.

What’s Going On Between Them?

ICYMI: Serayah previously revealed that she called off her engagement to Joey Bada$$, describing the decision as “difficult” after alleging repeated infidelity throughout their relationship. The couple, who went public with their romance in 2023, share a son named Joey, whom they welcomed last year. In her statement, Serayah said she loved deeply. She also said she wanted to protect the family they were building. Ultimately, she said she had to listen to her intuition and choose herself.

She also stressed that she wasn’t looking for sympathy or retaliation. Instead, she encouraged other women to recognize red flags and not compromise their values or self-worth to hold onto a relationship. While she said she respects Joey as the father of their son, Serayah made it clear that their child’s peace remains a priority. She also wants him to maintain a relationship with both of his parents. Serayah added that she would not publicly discuss the intimate details of their relationship beyond what she had already shared. She acknowledged that the chapter didn’t end the way she had hoped, but said, “endings can also be beginnings.”

RELATED: Serayah Posts Audio Of Joey Bada$$ Speaking To Another Woman After Announcing Their Split & Alleging He Cheated (VIDEOS)

Get a rundown of Us‘ top stories making headlines in celebrity news, sports and entertainment on September 3, 2026. Here are the key takeaways:

• Kim Zolciak‘s son Kroy “KJ” Biermann has been indicted on seven counts — aggravated child molestation, aggravated sexual battery, aggravated sodomy, false imprisonment and three counts of sexual battery against a child under 16 — following his August 17 arrest. His attorney Jason Sheffield has maintained his client is “100 percent innocent,” and a court hearing is scheduled for September 9.

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• Randy “Rusty” Yates, ex-husband of Andrea Yates, weighed in on the Lindsay Clancy trial as jurors deliberated, telling News Nation that Clancy’s case is “a little murkier” and “not quite as clear” as his ex-wife’s, who drowned her five children in her bathtub. Clancy, who strangled her three children in January 2023, has argued she shouldn’t be held criminally responsible due to mental health struggles, while prosecutor Jennifer Sprague insisted she knew what she was doing.

• The family of Bank of America vice president Erin Piacenti spoke out after she was fatally stabbed in a random Times Square attack on August 31 — her first day back from maternity leave — by Pamela Cisneros, who also stabbed a 68-year-old man before she was shot by police and died. A GoFundMe supporting Piacenti’s 5-month-old daughter, Madison, has raised more than $560,000 of its $750,000 goal.

Edited by Samantha Benitz. Story produced with AI assistance

Why do people watch movies? It is a question with no shortage of answers. We watch movies to experience everything from exciting escapism to cultural enlightenment, to educate ourselves on the world, on human behavior, and even to learn more about how we as individuals navigate emotions and empathy. Then again, sometimes we all just want to watch a movie to have fun, to be enraptured in a sense of glee that we feel with every ounce of our being.

The first quarter of the 21st century has seen an abundance of movies that allow viewers to revel in this air of joy. As one may expect, this list features many masterpieces of modern comedy that had audiences laughing aloud throughout, but everything from swashbuckling fantasy adventures to propulsive spectacles of action awe have defined cinematic fun over the past 26 years, creating viewing experiences that, even after multiple rewatches, leave viewers grinning from ear to ear.

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‘Hunt for the Wilderpeople’ (2016)

Image via Defender Films

Charming, charismatic, and endlessly enjoyable, Hunt for the Wilderpeople is a feat of quirky comedy magnificence underlined with a sense of pathos that exhibits all of director Taika Waititi’s defining qualities at their very best. It centers on the bond between rebellious youth Ricky Baker (Julian Dennison) and his cantankerous foster father, Hector (Sam Neill). When Ricky goes on the run to avoid returning to the foster care system, he and Hector are thrust on a marvelously messy adventure and find themselves at the heart of a growing media frenzy.

Dennison and Neill are exceptional in their roles, conjuring a rich, heartwarming chemistry that carries the movie’s beautiful emotional core while allowing for all the absurdist fun to maintain a sense of depth and poignancy. Presenting a perfect odd-couple dynamic while exuding warm wit and a penchant for lovable adventure, Hunt for the Wilderpeople is 105 minutes of wholesome fun that absolutely anyone in the world can enjoy.

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‘The Nice Guys’ (2016)

Image via Warner Bros. Pictures

When handled with a sense of propulsive momentum and charm, mystery cinema can offer intoxicating fun as its story of suspense and intrigue unfurls. The Knives Out movies are a prime example of this in recent years, but the most outlandishly enjoyable of the 21st century is undeniably 2016’s criminally underrated buddy-cop film, The Nice Guys. It follows a bumbling private eye and an enforcer-for-hire as they team-up to scour 1970s L.A. investigating a missing girl, a dead porn star, and an underlying government conspiracy behind it all.

The chemistry between Ryan Gosling’s Holland March and Russell Crowe’s Jackson Healy is a treat that holds up on multiple rewatches, while the movie around them strikes a perfect balance between masterful mystery plotting, ridiculous comedy eccentricity, and engrossing high-stakes suspense to make for a relentlessly exciting picture that also offers a plethora of laughs. Also featuring razor-sharp writing and an immersive period setting, The Nice Guys is an endlessly rewatchable buddy comedy that is one of the most fun mystery movies of all time.

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‘Tropic Thunder’ (2008)

Image via Paramount Pictures

A brutal satire of the egomaniacal excess of movie stars, the nature of Hollywood war films, and the process of filmmaking at large, Tropic Thunder is a bold deconstruction of blockbuster cinema that pulls no punches in its pursuit of barbed and bruising hilarity. Its entertaining fervor is only strengthened by its incredible ensemble cast and its ability to combine unflinching shock comedy with piercing precision as it follows the shambolic production of a Vietnam War movie that sees the self-centered lead actors dropped into Southeast Asia to capture a sense of authenticity only for the stars to find themselves in a fight for survival when they encounter a drug dealing syndicate.

Tropic Thunder is not afraid of leaning into all-out absurdism, be it in regard to its comedic wrath or its action bombast. Both of these qualities conspire to make for one of the most relentlessly enjoyable movies ever made. It is uncompromising in its endeavor to lampoon the self-serious entitlement many war dramas have occupied over the years, and its purposefully over-the-top performances parodying everything from Hollywood producers to method acting only add to this scorching critique of major studio filmmaking.

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‘Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl’ (2003)

Image via Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

Combining classical swashbuckling romantic adventure with high-fantasy ideas, a litany of memorable performances, and action sequences that are stunning in both conception and realization, Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl delivers cinematic escapism at its most immersive and enjoyable. The crux of the story is blacksmith Will Turner’s (Orlando Bloom) efforts to rescue the governor’s daughter from the pirates that abducted her, but the movie finds its lifeblood in everything from Johnny Depp’s iconic portrayal of Captain Jack Sparrow to its inflections of supernatural horror and brilliant comedic timing.

Complimented by an astonishing score, masterful fight choreography, and the ageless beauty of its practical filmmaking and physical, real-world locations, The Curse of the Black Pearl holds a transfixing quality that is both hypnotically engrossing and ceaselessly entertaining. It is the pinnacle of adventure fun in the 21st century, as are its two immediate sequels, with all three movies making for a descent into magic and mania that, in addition to being a sensation of modern filmmaking, stands as one of the most viscerally enthusing viewing experiences in the history of blockbuster cinema.

4

‘The Grand Budapest Hotel’ (2014)

Image via Searchlight Pictures

Wes Anderson’s unique visual style is always a catalyst for unbridled cinematic fun, especially as his eye-catching aesthetic is almost always combined with charming stories of humanity and stunning ensemble casts. The Grand Budapest Hotel is the finest example of this, with the 2014 comedy adventure film revolving around the journey of the framed concierge of the illustrious titular hotel, M. Gustav (Ralph Fiennes), and his loyal lobby boy, Zero (Tony Revolori), as they strive to prove Gustav did not commit murder.

The film is ultimately defined by its underlying heart, especially as its story-within-a-story approach imbues it with a slight degree of pathos to compliment the vibrant adventurous joy of the story and the spellbinding majesty of the set design and cinematography. The Grand Budapest Hotel marks one of the greatest triumphs of cinema this century, a wonderfully constructed tale of friendship, wild adventure, and loss that ensnares viewers from the opening minute and immerses them in what is a soaring glory of style, substance, and sensational fun.

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‘Shrek’ (2001)

Image via DreamWorks Animation

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Whether it be puerile or piercing, parody has always been a great outlet for hysterics and hilarity when handled well. Serving as a send-up of classic Disney animated movies, as well as a lampooning of the fairy tale format at large, Shrek is a sublime example of spoof comedy as it follows the titular ogre in his endeavor to rescue a princess in exchange for being left alone in his swamp.

From its opening minute, the 2001 DreamWorks Animation classic flips the tropes of the genre on their head. The tales of gallantry, heroism, and beauty are replaced by a crude ogre, fun-loving vulgarity, and Smash Mouth’s “All Star”. As the movie unfurls, it only grows more enjoyable, especially as it combines its appetite for laugh-out-loud lunacy with razor-sharp messaging about self-worth and true love. In many respects, what makes Shrek so fun isn’t just that it mocks fairy tale storytelling, but that it improves it. Shrek 2 is also worthy of an honorable mention for how it achieves a similar feat, with both movies sprucing up the traditional ideas of the form with accessible family fun, unforgettable and beloved characters, and rollicking adventure stories accentuated with a lively soundtrack and plenty of joyous jabs at modern pop-culture.

2

‘Hot Fuzz’ (2007)

Image via Rogue Pictures

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Driven by the brilliant comedic chemistry of Simon Pegg and Nick Frost, and powered by the kinetic filmmaking of director Edgar Wright, Hot Fuzz stands as one of the most addictively entertaining movies ever made. Blending the quiet serenity of the English countryside with outstanding satire of Hollywood blockbuster action excess, it follows a renowned London cop as he is dispatched to a quiet remote village where he begins to suspect a series of grisly accidents may be part of a larger conspiracy.

More than just a punchy parody, Hot Fuzz showcases Wright’s tremendous love for cinematic history as it mocks the action bombast of the ‘80s and ‘90s with both affectionate liveliness and deep respect. Compounded by its litany of excellent one-liners, energized sense of bizarre pandemonium, and its ability to extract uproarious hilarity from impeccably filmed action sequences, Hot Fuzz has a gravitas that is as viscerally alluring as it is enthralling and infectiously fun. Furthermore, as part of the thematically-connected “Cornetto” Trilogy, it contributes to what is arguably the most fun and enthusing movie trilogy cinema has ever seen.

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‘Mad Max: Fury Road’ (2015)

Image via Warner Bros. Pictures

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Pure propane punch. Mad Max: Fury Road isn’t just the greatest action movie of the 21st century, it is possibly the most awe-inspiring and ferociously outstanding blockbuster experience of all time. With George Miller returning to the post-apocalyptic dystopian he first mastered in the original 1979 classic, the soft reboot maintains the same sense of grit and brutality while ratcheting up the spectacle as it unfurls as a continuous rampaging chase sequence over the course of its relentless two-hour run.

It may not be the kind of movie that inspires fits of laughter, but every frenetic combat sequence is realized with such craftsmanship and creativity that it captures an air of prodigious magnificence, leaving viewers breathless and gleefully overwhelmed. A masterclass in epic-scale action bolstered by the faultless precision of its choreography and camerawork, the tangible realism of its high-concept storyworld, and its propulsive sense of momentum, Mad Max: Fury Road is the peak of energized cinematic grandeur that enthralls and excites with its majesty as well as its might to be the most fun and invigorating movie of the 21st century thus far.

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Mad Max: Fury Road

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Release Date

May 15, 2015

Runtime

121 minutes

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Director

George Miller

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Writers

Brendan McCarthy, George Miller, Nico Lathouris

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