The “Dancing with the Stars” ballroom is already buzzing with controversy before the new season has even begun.

The ringer debate centers on whether contestants with serious dance backgrounds have an unfair head start. Since its debut in 2005, the competition has brought celebrities from wildly different backgrounds into the ballroom, each learning to navigate the demands of a style they may have never tried before.

The “Dancing with the Stars” ringer debate may be heated now, but questions about who has an advantage have followed the show for years.

Bobby Bones says he has noticed a pattern on “Dancing with the Stars” that continues to surprise him. In his post, he said he has seen contestants with years of dance training come onto the show and then describe ballroom as extremely difficult simply because they have never performed that particular style.

Bones made clear that he does not have a problem with trained dancers competing. His issue is with contestants acting as though having no ballroom experience means they have no dance advantage, despite already possessing skills such as rhythm, balance, flexibility, posture, body control, and spatial awareness.

He compared it to putting a professional baseball player into a slow-pitch softball game. The game may be different, but the athlete still knows how to track a ball, swing a bat, maintain balance, and generate power. For Bones, pretending that years of dance training offer no advantage is what he finds “a little insulting,” because it is “an obvious advantage.”

Fans Side With Bobby Bones Saying The ‘DWTS’ Advantage Is Impossible To Ignore

According to Bones’ Instagram post, the reaction from viewers echoed his argument, with one commenter writing, “Same for athletes from gymnastics and figure skating. Just admit the advantage and keep going.”

Another added, “I agree! They know how to dance! They will just get better and better with no struggle like the ones with no dance experience, but like you said it happens every season.”

A third commenter pushed the argument even further, writing, “You winning Dancing with the Stars was what the show was originally all about… someone coming on with no dance experience and learning ballroom dancing and winning.”

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The comments underline the tension at the heart of the debate. For some viewers, the appeal of “Dancing with the Stars” comes from watching people with little or no dance background learn ballroom from the ground up, making the presence of contestants with years of training a very different kind of competition.

Jenna Dewan Says ‘Dancing With The Stars’ Is A Different Kind Of Challenge 

The debate over dance experience has already put Jenna Dewan under a microscope, particularly because she spent years dancing professionally before becoming an actress. While Bobby Bones argues that contestants should acknowledge the advantage that training gives them, Dewan sees the issue differently.

The Blast reported that Dewan has insisted her previous dance background does not mean ballroom will come easily. “I do not know how to ballroom dance. Let’s be clear. It’s two different languages,” she said, while acknowledging that her training helps with choreography and performance but also means she has to “unlearn” certain habits.

That defense gives the ringer debate another side. While some viewers see years of dance training as an obvious head start, Dewan believes switching into ballroom requires a completely different technique, keeping the argument over what truly counts as an unfair advantage very much alive.

The Casting Controversy Goes Beyond Dance Experience

The questions surrounding Season 35 are not limited to who has spent years dancing. The Blast reported that some contestants are also paying attention to the relationships certain cast members already have within the “Dancing with the Stars family,” adding another layer to the fairness debate.

One connection reportedly drawing attention is Jenna Dewan’s friendship with judge Derek Hough. The two previously worked together on “World of Dance” and “ABC’s Step Into…The Movies”, with an insider describing them as “more or less besties.”

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Tatyana Ali has also reportedly raised questions because of her longtime friendship with co-host Alfonso Ribeiro, who played her brother on “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.”

One source claimed that familiarity could give Ali an advantage through their existing bond, meaning the conversation around Season 35 is no longer just about dance training, but also about who may already have an inside connection to the show.

Jenna Johnson Said More Than Dance Could Decide ‘Dancing With The Stars’

With dance experience and personal connections already fueling questions about Season 35, Jenna Johnson believes the ballroom race cannot be reduced to either one. Different contestants can arrive with strengths that have little to do with professional dance training.

The Blast reported that Johnson has pointed to athletic stamina, acting ability, musicality, and even fan support as factors that can shape a contestant’s run. In other words, knowing how to dance may help, but it is only one piece of a much bigger competition.

That could be the most important distinction in the entire ringer debate. Everyone may enter with some kind of advantage, but the Mirrorball Trophy still requires contestants to handle live performances, learn quickly, and connect with viewers.

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With so many different factors now in play, could “Dancing with the Stars” Season 35 finally prove that the biggest advantage is not always the most obvious one?

“First Take” host Stephen A. Smith is furious with his former ESPN colleagues, Jemelle Hill and Cari Champion. According to Smith, he was asked to appear on Champion and Hill’s podcast, “Flagrant and Funny,” and said he agreed only because he was promised the entire interview would be released unedited. According to him, that did not happen. So, on his “Straight Shooter” segment, the ESPN mainstay laid into them both, calling them out for allegedly going against their agreed-upon terms.

A simple thank you would have sufficed. pic.twitter.com/nnt7kP6Yey

— Stephen A Smith (@stephenasmith) September 6, 2026

“Something that happened alarmed me and it’s going to alter the way I decided to do business moving forward with you two,” Smith said during the segment, which has been shared online. “Before the interview took place, I specifically requested that the entire interview from start to finish be unedited and was promised that that would occur.”

According to Smith, an “amateur can look at the show … and can see clearly it’s been edited.” Smith said he found the encounter disheartening because “somebody on their team assured somebody on my team that it would be unedited because I didn’t want any edits. I wanted everybody to see every word that was uttered, I wanted them to see every facial expression … that didn’t happen.”

Smith Says His Alleged Encounter With Ex-ESPN Staffers Has Changed The Way He’ll Do Business Moving Forward

In addition to the YouTube interview with Smith, Hill, and Champion, which included some edits, the “First Take” host said he was disappointed that the comments on the video had been disabled.

“The comments were turned off. Why is that? I didn’t expect that,” he said. “You see, if you’re going to come at me, especially after I gave you three hours of my life, could you at least have honored my request. I have nothing to hide. As I assured y’all, I said some things Cari flat out denied. I cant speak to her memory. I can only speak to my facts.”

Smith went on to say that he would not be “doing any more interviews on YouTube without folks agreeing” to terms, including posting the unedited interview, leaving the comment section open, and providing him with a copy of the video.

Why Stephen A. Smith Thinks Hill And Champion Should Thank Him For Appearing On His Podcast

According to Smith, he is bothered by how his appearance on Hill and Champion’s podcast played out, noting that his presence gave them more attention than ever.

The 58-year-old noted that before he agreed to appear on “Flagrant and Funny,” the show had 9,000 subscribers on YouTube. Following his episode, it had 30,000.

“They’ve had over 1 million views [and] 500,000 over YouTube, but Cari Champion is saying she doesn’t know if [if their conversation] did them any good,” he said. “A simple thank you would have sufficed. That would have been nice.”

He continued, “I did take time out of my busy schedule. How many people do you know that sit down with somebody for three hours? But that’s what I did, because of my respect for two former colleagues. and in the case of one, which is that of Cari Champion, reciprocation seems to be a hard thing to come by. Fine.”

Hill Responds To Smith

I hate to even address this because it’s feeding a false narrative. The FULL interview is out on iHeart, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts and has been that way from the beginning. An editing mistake occurred involving the video — and no, Cari and I don’t have… https://t.co/v01RQ96GaH

— Jemele Hill (@jemelehill) September 7, 2026

Smith’s fiery response to Hill and Champion caught the attention of many, including NBA superstar Shaquille O’Neal, who shared the ESPN staple’s comments on his social media page.

Hill responded following Shaq’s post and dismissed Smith’s “false narrative.” She explained that the “FULL interview” has been shared on iHeart, Apple Podcasts, or “where you get your podcasts and has been that way from the beginning.”

Hill confirmed that a portion of the video had been edited due to a production mistake. “This mistake was shared with Stephen A’s team, and they were also provided a full transcript as well as told exactly how it happened. Nothing nefarious occurred. Trust me, there is no smoking gun in the unseen video footage and you can go to the audio and listen for yourselves. The 20 minutes that is alleged to be missing is ALL there in the audio version,” she finished.

Champion Issues What Appears To Be A Sarcastic Response

Few shows have managed to take television by storm the way Breaking Bad did. Vince Gilligan’s neo-Western crime drama gave the world one of the most iconic antiheroes of all time and constantly raised the bar with each season. For all its strengths, though, Breaking Bad is also a very specific kind of show. It often leans into the spectacle of violence, carefully engineered payoffs, and a central character arc that takes over the narrative most of the time.

There’s no denying that the show is as gripping as it gets, but it’s not the only way to tell a great crime story. Here is a list of six crime shows that take a less spectacle-esque approach to the genre, with writing that feels much more layered than Breaking Bad.

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‘Bosch’ (2014–2021)

Image via Prime Video

Crime dramas love to promise realism, but very few of them actually deliver it. Bosch is definitely the latter, and in doing so, it set a standard that very few series in the genre have managed to reach. The show, based on Michael Connelly’s iconic novels, follows homicide detective Harry Bosch (Titus Welliver) as he takes on impossible cases. Each episode follows a simple crime-of-the-week formula, but underneath that, the narrative is constantly building up to something bigger. Bosch is a masterclass in storytelling and builds a world that genuinely feels lived-in and real.

The show never rushes toward twists and does a great job of weaving Bosch’s personal arcs with the cases that he is juggling. The protagonist isn’t written as the perfect hero either. However, he is presented as someone who is unwilling to compromise on justice, even if he has to challenge the very system he is trying to protect. Bosch is a show that trusts its writing and rewards the audience for their patience. It’s not really trying to reinvent the genre, but instead, it attempts to refine it to a point where nothing feels unintentional.

2

‘Happy Valley (2014–2023)

Image via BBC

Happy Valley is easily one of the most underrated crime thrillers of modern times. The show is set in a small English town and wastes no time in establishing its extremely high stakes. The series follows police sergeant Catherine Cawood (Sarah Lancashire) as she grieves her daughter’s suicide, raises her grandson, and is ultimately forced to confront the man responsible for destroying her family. Things begin with a kidnapping case that quickly spirals into something personal, with every investigation pulling Catherine deeper into the chaos.

The show doesn’t treat crime as some puzzle to be solved but as a vehicle that exposes the emotional fallout beneath it all. Catherine and Tommy Lee Royce’s (James Norton) tense dynamic is the fuel of the story, and this central conflict only gets more intense with time. Happy Valley isn’t an easy show to watch, and the characters are pushed to their limits in ways that feel uncomfortably real. However, that is what gives the show its integrity. This is a crime drama that refuses to rely on constant escalation and lets the character arcs take center stage.

3

‘Broadchurch’ (2013–2017)

Image via Patrick Redmond / © ITV/BBC America / Courtesy: Everett Collection

Broadchurch begins with a fairly simple premise when the body of 11-year-old Danny Latimer is found on the beach in a small coastal town. However, that kicks off an intense investigation led by Alec Hardy (David Tennant) and Ellie Miller (Olivia Colman). From there, the show evolves from a simple murder mystery to a haunting exploration of grief and how crimes like these can poison an entire community. Broadchurch stays closely tied to Danny’s family, especially his mother Beth, played by the brilliant Jodie Whittaker.

Every episode builds on the central mystery, and the viewers slowly uncover long-buried secrets beneath the town’s perfect exterior. The narrative expands beyond just finding the killer as friends and family members turn on each other, people’s private lives become fodder for the media, and even the detectives find themselves entangled in all the drama. The storytelling feels layered and immersive, even when the show moves beyond Danny’s case. Broadchurch understands that the mystery is only part of the story, and what truly stays with the audience is the aftermath.

4

‘Gomorrah’ (2014–2021)

Image via Fandango

Gomorrah is an Italian crime drama that drops the viewers right into the Neapolitan underworld. The series follows Ciro Di Marzio (Marco D’Amore), a loyal member of the Savastano crime clan led by Pietro Savastano (Fortunato Cerlino). At first, it’s clear that Pietro’s son, Gennaro (Salvatore Esposito), is being groomed to take over. However, that power structure collapses when Pietro is arrested, and Ciro and Gennaro find themselves on opposite sides of a full-blown civil war. Gomorrah feels brutally authentic in its portrayal of this kind of violence. No character in the show is black-and-white, and the audience has to sit with that discomfort.

The show lets every little beat unfold with extreme precision as relationships fracture and reform over time instead of relying on quick and constant action. Even secondary characters are given enough depth that their rise or fall feels important to the overall story. At the same time, though, none of them come with any kind of plot armor, which adds to the show’s constant sense of unpredictability. The series is one of the most grounded takes on the genre. It’s unpredictable and honest about the consequences of power, which is why it resonates in a way most crime dramas don’t even attempt.

5

‘The Sopranos’ (1999–2007)

Image via Anthony Neste; HBO, Everett Collection

Everyone can agree that The Sopranos changed crime television forever. The HBO series pushed boundaries and laid the groundwork for the kind of character-driven storytelling that shows like Breaking Bad would take inspiration from. The show follows New Jersey crime boss Tony Soprano (James Gandolfini), as he balances the demands of his criminal empire with his responsibilities as a husband and father. Now, that premise is immediately complicated because the story begins with Tony seeking therapy with Dr. Jennifer Melfi (Lorraine Bracco) to deal with his panic attacks and the constant pressure he is under. That allows the story to move between Tony’s mob operations and his internal conflicts.

As the show progresses, the narrative expands beyond just that and explores power shifts within the crime family, tensions between crews, and the protagonist’s increasingly blurred professional and personal lives. The Sopranos doesn’t just follow all this — it also examines the cost of the life Tony has chosen to live. The writing isn’t always easy to understand, but the audience has to pay attention to the subtext and gray areas. The Sopranos never aims to shock its audience or stay ten steps ahead of them. The show takes a restrained, thoughtful approach to storytelling that remains unmatched to this day.

6

‘The Wire’ (2002–2008)

Image via HBO Max

The Wire is yet another genre-defining crime drama and one of the most realistic stories ever told on television. The show is set in Baltimore and begins with Detective Jimmy McNulty (Dominic West) leading a police investigation into the city’s drug trade. However, The Wire is way more than the typical cop-versus-dealers story where the good guys take the bad guys down. Instead, the narrative paints a larger picture of how the city’s drug trade isn’t an isolated problem because of how different political systems and institutions shape and sustain this cycle.

Each season expands this ecosystem and shifts focus to a new part of the city while still tying everything back to the same idea: systemic failure is the catalyst for just about everything. The approach is effective because of how deliberately the writing leans into bureaucratic constraints that the detectives have to work against. The police work is constantly slowed down by paperwork, personal grudges derail investigations, and people are forced to compromise just to survive. The show layers these small details over time until the larger problem becomes impossible to ignore. This kind of nuance is exactly what has helped The Wire stand the test of time.

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The Wire

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Release Date

2002 – 2008-00-00

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Network

HBO

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Directors

Ernest R. Dickerson, Ed Bianchi, Steve Shill, Clark Johnson, Daniel Attias, Agnieszka Holland, Tim Van Patten, Alex Zakrzewski, Anthony Hemingway, Brad Anderson, Clement Virgo, Elodie Keene, Peter Medak, Rob Bailey, Seith Mann, Christine Moore, David Platt, Dominic West, Gloria Muzio, Jim McKay, Leslie Libman, Milcho Manchevski, Robert F. Colesberry, Thomas J. Wright

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Lori Loughlin is officially moving to end her marriage to Mossimo Giannulli after nearly three decades together.

The actress filed for divorce months after the pair confirmed they were living separately, bringing their lengthy union another step closer to its conclusion.

Lori Loughlin and Mossimo Giannulli’s relationship had endured major challenges over the years, including the college admissions scandal that resulted in both serving time behind bars.

5

Loughlin took the legal step towards ending her marriage on September 4, filing for divorce from Giannulli after the pair spent 28 years as husband and wife.

Her paperwork listed August 31, 2025, as the date they separated and cited “irreconcilable differences” as the reason for the breakup.

The couple had already publicly confirmed their separation in October 2025. By then, they were living apart and had sold their Hidden Hills mansion for $12.65 million. According to a report, those within their circle had been aware that the marriage was struggling long before the split became public.

“This isn’t a shock to people around them,” the source said, adding that Loughlin was “devastated” by how things had unfolded.

Loughlin initially believed that taking time apart might give their relationship a chance to recover.

However, the former couple could not find common ground, with an insider saying they were “not on the same page.” Giannulli was said to have begun dating following the separation, while Loughlin remained single.

About Lori Loughlin’s Spousal Support Request Amid Her Divorce

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With divorce proceedings underway, financial matters between Loughlin and Giannulli will also need to be settled.

Court documents revealed that the pair entered into a prenuptial agreement before their marriage, which was later amended on August 11, 2015.

Loughlin has asked the court to leave the issue of spousal support open for a future determination rather than immediately establishing an amount. She is also seeking a division of their outstanding property, financial assets, and outstanding debts.

Another part of her filing concerns the cost of the divorce itself. She has requested that Giannulli cover her legal fees as they work through the dissolution of their marriage.

The financial negotiations mark the latest stage in the separation of a couple who married in 1997 and went on to have two daughters, Olivia Jade and Isabella Rose.

‘College Admissions Scandal’ Contributed To The Ruin Of Their Marriage

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Years before their separation, Loughlin and Giannulli faced one of the biggest crises of their marriage when they became caught up in the 2019 “Operation Varsity Blues college admissions scandal.”

The couple was accused of paying $500,000 to secure their daughters’ admission to the University of Southern California as part of the crew, even though neither participated in the required sport.

Both eventually pleaded guilty in 2020. Loughlin spent two months in jail before her release, while Giannulli served five months before release.

Lori Loughlin Reportedly Blamed Mossimo Giannulli For Their Woes After The College Admissions Scandal

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Their legal troubles apparently left lasting resentment between them. A Star Magazine source claimed Loughlin held Giannulli responsible for the decisions that landed them in such serious trouble.

“Lori blames Mossimo and maintains it was his greed that put them in that position, and he accuses her of the same thing,” the insider said.

Rather than putting the ordeal completely behind them after serving their sentences, the disagreement apparently remained a source of tension. The insider described years of blame going in both directions, suggesting the scandal created wounds within the marriage that were never fully resolved.

Lori Loughlin’s Longtime Friend Blames Giannulli For Her Woes

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Loughlin’s longtime friend and co-star John Stamos has been really vocal about the troubles she encountered in her marriage. He said, “She put up with a lot over the years with this guy.”

Speaking on the “Good Guys” podcast, Stamos fiercely criticized Giannulli and defended the actress, whom he has known for decades.

“He’s a terrible narcissist,” Stamos said of the fashion designer. When discussing the college admissions scandal, he went even further, insisting, “I know for a fact it was all him.” He also defended Loughlin’s role in the ordeal, declaring, “I know she didn’t.”

Stamos suggested his opinion was shaped by what he witnessed and learned during his years of friendship with Loughlin. “I know a lot, and I was by her side through a lot of it,” he explained. A source also told Star that Loughlin frequently confided in him about problems within her marriage and that Stamos believed Giannulli exerted an unhealthy level of control over her.

His criticism extended to the eventual collapse of the marriage. Stamos said Loughlin had endured plenty during her years with Giannulli, adding, “Whatever he did to her, it busted her up to the core.”

It takes a special kind of canonical classic to feature a line of dialogue so memorable that anyone could identify what movie it comes from without any context. “You either die a hero, or live long enough to see yourself become the villain,” uttered by Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart) in The Dark Knight, fits the bill. In what is likely to remain his culturally definitive and most popular movie, Christopher Nolan, for better or worse, changed the film landscape forever by making a superhero movie feel like an American epic about crime, justice, and society’s belief in costumed vigilantes as religious dogmas.

While often celebrated for his visual panache and as a groundbreaking pioneer of IMAX photography in narrative films, Nolan writes every one of his movies. However, his clunky and on-the-nose dialogue is a point of contention for many critics, but there’s no denying the power of Dent’s line in The Dark Knight. There’s one problem: Nolan didn’t write that line—it was his brother, Jonathan Nolan, and the director is still haunted by him stealing his thunder.

Jonathan Nolan Wrote ‘The Dark Knight’s Most Iconic Line

Image via Warner Bros. Pictures

Christopher Nolan is a singular, uncompromising visionary, but Jonathan Nolan is frequently right by his side as a co-writer, contributing to the source material for Memento, and the scripts for The Prestige, The Dark Knight, The Dark Knight Rises, and Interstellar. It rounds out the family enterprise nature of Nolan’s filmography, as all his movies are produced by Christopher’s wife, Emma Thomas. Since their last collaboration, Jonathan has developed his own autonomous career as the creator of Person of Interest and Westworld on television, as well as producing and directing Prime Video’s Fallout.

No contribution will ever match the legacy of one line of dialogue in an early scene in The Dark Knight, where Harvey Dent, Rachel Dawes (Maggie Gyllenhaal), and Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale) discuss the legality and morality of Batman’s existence as a vigilante crime-fighter roaming the streets of Gotham. For anyone in a position of power, whether a Caped Crusader or Gotham District Attorney, there are only two destinies: die with honor, or live in infamy.

Which MCU Hero Are You?

In an interview with Nolan and his longtime collaborator and Oppenheimer star, Cillian Murphy, the director revealed that the “die a hero or live enough to see yourself become the villain” quote was actually coined by Jonathan Nolan. “I’m plagued by a line from The Dark Knight, and I’m plagued by it because I didn’t write it,” Nolan said, especially because the line was the one that “most resonates.” When Jonathan first conceived Dent’s line, Christopher admitted that he was puzzled by it, but the latter’s skepticism was proven wrong, expressing that it “kills” him that he can’t claim authorship of the line. “In this story, it’s absolutely that. Build them up, tear them down. It’s the way we treat people,” Nolan continued.

It’s easy to overlook him, but Jonathan Nolan’s understanding of genre mechanics and elaborate concepts, as demonstrated in his television shows, helped turn his brother into a commercial juggernaut with mass critical appeal. With films like The Prestige and Interstellar built around ornate ideas and executions, Christopher could’ve easily gotten lost in his own orbit, but Jonathan grounded these structures while maintaining their innate grandeur.

The Underlining Thematic Impact of This Famous Line from ‘The Dark Knight’

No one would think twice about who wrote the film’s most iconic line, as it feels very much in tune with Christopher Nolan’s style of dialogue. Characters in The Dark Knight, between Alfred (Michael Caine) analyzing the Joker’s (Heath Ledger) anarchic plan or the Joker himself sharing his philosophy on chaos, often sound like viewers and critics discussing the meaning of the film and its themes, which leads to a fair share of didactic moments where the message is conveyed with little subtlety, such as “Some men just want to watch the world burn,” and “This town deserves a better class of criminal.”

Complain about them all you want, but there is no denying the enduring, instantly recognizable magic of these lines. Nolan’s dialogue may not always be the most natural, but is that what we should expect from a movie about a billionaire dressed as a bat fighting crime? These lines, particularly when delivered with conviction by Eckhart, Caine, and Ledger, are poetic treatises about the mythos of superheroes and the disillusioned sentiment of America in a post-September 11th world.

Without Aaron Eckhart’s austere, earnest delivery, “You either die a hero, or live long enough to see yourself become the villain,” would’ve been an awkward line. It is also saved by the fact that it is the succinct thesis of The Dark Knight and its central thematic figure in Harvey Dent, who secretly dies disgracefully but is remembered fondly by the city of Gotham.

Leave it to Celine Dion to make Us rethink the basic black bag. While we’re usually distracted by whatever over-the-top outfit the singer is wearing, this time, her tiny, slouchy purse was what had us zooming in. Consider it proof that sometimes all a fall outfit really needs is a great bag.

Dion was spotted in Paris on September 1, 2026, wearing a statement black dress, pointed-toe pumps and a $2,600 Loewe Mini Flamenco clutch. The small, scrunched-up style added some texture to her all-black outfit without competing with the rest of the look. And because spending $2,600 on a purse isn’t exactly in the budget, we found a similar style on Amazon for $28.

Get the Uiciop Drawstring Bucket Bag for $28 at Amazon! Please note, prices are accurate at the date of publication, September 8, 2026, but are subject to change.

The Uiciop Drawstring Bucket Bag gives you that same puffy, gathered look for a whole lot less. The black version is an easy match for Dion’s, but it also comes in tan and camel if you’re currently in your brown-accessories era.

Related: Emma Roberts’ Blue Bag Is Fall’s Chicest Unexpected Color Trend

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Emma Roberts convinced Us to give our usual fall color palette a little break. While brown, burgundy and black bags tend to take over this time of year, her polished powder blue style makes an unexpected case for carrying a softer shade straight into the new season. The actress was spotted at the U.S. Open […]

The soft, leather-like pick has a drawstring closure and adjustable straps, so you can carry it as a shoulder bag or crossbody. There’s also enough room inside for your phone, wallet, keys, sunglasses, lipstick and a few other essentials. Translation: It’s little but not annoyingly small.

Shoppers say it looks surprisingly luxe, too. One buyer called the dumpling bag “rich feeling and looking,” adding that the material “feels smooth and soft.” Another customer called it the “perfect mix of casual and dressy,” and said they “can wear it with literally anything.”

We can already picture this little black bag with half the things in our fall closets. Think a chunky sweater and jeans for Saturday errands, a blazer and trousers for work or a knit dress and boots for dinner. When an outfit feels like it’s missing something, this is the kind of bag we’d grab and call it ‘done.’

Want Dion’s little black bag look in a different shape or texture? Shop more chic Amazon options below!

Shop more black mini dumpling bags that we love:

Not your style? Explore more black mini bags here, and don’t forget to check out all of Amazon’s Daily Deals for more great finds!

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

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

Shop the UsNow Fall Sale –>

Related: Selena Gomez’s Flattering Brown Top Look Is Easy to Copy for $20

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Selena Gomez just gave Us another reason to get excited about dressing for fall. There’s something about a chocolate brown top that feels way more elevated than your basic everyday black or white option, especially when it’s sleek and fitted. Her pick made an otherwise simple outfit feel seriously luxe. On August 30, the Rare […]

The Bold and the Beautiful gives what looks like Forrester Creations is teetering on the brink of serious financial issues and it’s all down to things that Ridge Forrester (Thorsten Kaye) and Steffy Forrester (Jacqueline MacInnes Wood) have done in recent months and other things they may do soon on The Bold and the Beautiful.

Forrester Creations is already suffering a loss of reputation. They’re losing customers and they may be circling the drain if Ridge and Steffy don’t change course. We’re going to talk about how Ridge and Steffy’s poor decisions are ruining things at Forrester Creations.

Bold and the Beautiful: Ridge’s Bad Decisions Started it All

So, the decline of Forrester Creations honestly started when Eric Forrester (John McCook) left not of his own free will. You know, he went to Logan and then him coming back to Forrester didn’t undo the damage, especially since by then Hope Logan (Annika Noelle) had left.

And the fashion war between them and Logan is hitting Forrester really hard. And it looks like things are about to get much worse, especially because of new official Fall spoilers. They say for the first time in the history of The Bold and the Beautiful, the Forresters have taken punches to the head. That’s a direct quote.

The Bold and the Beautiful spoilers say the Forresters are reeling and they’re dealing with more financial concerns and worries for the future of their family company. So, this could be a struggle for the actual existence of Forrester Creations.

It looks like despite their big plans for this youth line that RJ Forrester (Brayan Nicoletti) came up with things are going to keep getting worse for Forrester Creations and it really all stems from questionable decisions and actions from Steffy and Ridge. So, let’s talk about how this father and daughter duo have Forrester Creations on the road to ruin.

Ridge Cans Eric on B&B

First, what really kicked off all these troubles was when Ridge forcefully retired Eric. Call it what you will, but Ridge basically fired his father. And that sent Eric running over to Katie Logan (Heather Tom) saying he wanted revenge on Ridge and Brooke Logan (Katherine Kelly Lang) for ousting him from his own company. And that wrecked Forrester‘s reputation. Even though Eric tried to back out of the deal and even though he later went back to Forrester, the damage was already done.

And it’s all thanks to Ridge. The shock waves are still being felt from all of this because Bill Spencer (Don Diamont) told the press the truth about what Ridge did. Bill told all the reporters and influencers that Ridge forced his dad out of Forrester and that is still affecting the company even now.

Eric’s return then had Ridge taking a gamble. He felt guilty over driving Eric away and Ridge wanted revenge on Katie for supposedly using his dad. So, Ridge plowed a huge pile of money into Eric’s new couture line. Carter Walton (Lawrence Saint-Victor) warned Ridge it was risky and was the most expensive line in their history and the collection didn’t perform like they needed it to.

Bold and Beautiful: Logan Steals FC’s Thunder

Plus, Logan overshadowed Eric’s launch, which affected sales even more. Bottom line, Ridge retiring Eric was ground zero for disaster. Plus, Ridge also pushed Katie aside. Of course, he had Brooke’s help and that led to the creation of House of Logan, which might not have otherwise happened.

So, that was all kicked off by Ridge, but a lot of it’s on Eric, too, because instead of just talking to Ridge, he lashed out by running to Katie and basically forced her to let him be her lead designer, and Eric’s now just lying about everything.

Second, Steffy pushed Hope too far one too many times. Steffy enjoyed flexing her power over Hope. She liked to kick her around. Steffy put Hope’s line on the shelf so many times, and it was Steffy’s fault that Hope went to Logan. Granted, Liam Spencer (Scott Clifton) and Katie enticed Hope, but it was Steffy who laid the groundwork with years of using Hope as a punching bag at work.

That triggered the humiliation of Katie scoring another epic blindside against Forrester, which caused the press and influencers and the public to question Forrester Creations culture. Eric ran away first, followed by Hope. So, it was really bad optics with Eric and Hope going.

And while Steffy always griped about Hope for the Future sales not being good enough, it sold gangbusters over at Logan. Katie and Bill were absolutely thrilled. Plus, Hope’s debut derailed Eric’s launch. So, it’s a domino effect leading to Forrester Creations ruin.

RJ’s New Line Creates Disaster on B&B

Another thing that could hit hard is Ridge greenlighting RJ’s new youth line. Seems like a good idea, but the execution could cause some problems because it looks like Ridge may let RJ take the lead on the line. And if Ridge does that and sidelines Zende Forrester (Delon de Metz), that could be disastrous. If RJ gets to be the boss of the youth line, Zende may follow the same path Eric and Hope and Katie did when they were frustrated

Zende may go over to Logan, which would make Forrester look so much worse. Another family member heading to Logan would be an absolute disaster in the eyes of the press and the public because that would be the fourth person to go. Katie was first because Ridge took away her job basically by hiring that outside PR firm and telling Katie they were just trying to help.

And that led Bill to fund Logan for Katie so she wouldn’t have to answer to Brooke, Ridge or any Forresters. Again, this is all ground zero for the problems they’re having. After that, Eric left, then Hope, now possibly Zende. So that would look absolutely awful for Forrester Creations. And Eric weaseling out on the deal he made with Katie and tucking tail to run back to Forrester doesn’t change the fact that he left.

Bold and Beautiful: Ridge’s Controlling Demands

So, the next event on the road to Forrester Creations‘s possible ruin came when Ridge told Electra Forrester (Laneya Grace) she had to make a choice between Will Spencer (Crew Morrow) and her family. Eric and Ridge both demanded that Electra dump Will and so she did, which allowed Melissa Dylan (Sydney Bullock) to get a crack at Will. This is important because these are all dominoes.

And then Electra went psycho on Dylan. Even though Electra is finally changing her tune now, it’s too late. She admitted that Dylan’s not to blame and she was wrong for how she treated Will. But the damage was done. And then speaking of all of this, Electra slapped Dylan, assaulted her at the office over Will over what Electra now realizes are her actions that are to blame.

And Ridge and RJ keep going on about how important it is to keep the new youth line secret. So obviously, it’s going to leak out and it might be Dylan who’s still salty about getting slapped and she tells Will or Katie about the new youth line named for Electra. That way Logan can be prepared. They can make moves and outshine or undermine RJ and Electra’s big launch. And the sales Forrester needs could be hit. They might not manifest if Logan knows.

Steffy’s Cheating Bombshell on Bold

The last thing to consider is Steffy’s latest mistake that could be bad for Forrester Creations. She drunk sexed Carter and even worse, Steffy may turn up pregnant with Carter’s child. And when Daphne Rose (Murielle Hilaire) finds out they slept together, because you know she will, I expect her to blow up at Steffy.

Daphne could expose Steffy to the fashion community for doing her dirty and sleeping with her husband. That would be a level five PR catastrophe. On top of all the other hits to Steffy and Ridge’s personal and professional reputation, outing Steffy as a home wrecker could be the final nail in Forrester Creations‘s financial coffin because it could finish wrecking their sales.

So, Steffy and Ridge want to gripe and complain about Logan. They want to blame Katie and Hope for all the bad things that are happening to them. Ridge is trying to blame all the Forrester Creations financial and PR problems on Katie and Hope. But Steffy and Ridge need to look in the mirror instead of putting blame on others because really it’s the two of them making poor decisions that have a domino effect.

Steffy and Ridge have taken no responsibility for the moves they made that led them to the situation they’re in. And things are going to get worse for Forrester Creations soon. And as far as I can see, Steffy and Ridge are ruining the family business.

When you’re a big TV fan, it’s par of the course to receive some bad news every once in a while in between seasons. From shocking show cancellations to cast exits with little to no explanation, the TV world can be as unpredictable as it is entertaining. That’s been especially the case for CBS shows, as the network recently made some bold moves to its lineup, which is leaving audiences as nervous as ever.

Despite drawing in millions of viewers in its first two seasons, Matlock got some not-so-great news from its network. For starters, not only will the series premiere only in early 2027 and skip the fall 2026 schedule altogether, but Season 3 will be significantly reduced to only 13 episodes. The news is discouraging, especially for a series that has been doing so well, and the pressure is now certainly on for Season 3.

‘Matlock’ Received a Major Downgrade Before Season 3

While Season 1 of Matlock had 19 episodes, and Season 2 had 16, Season 3 will be its shortest yet with only 13 episodes. As for its schedule, Matlock will be joining other beloved CBS shows, including NCIS: Origins and Fire Country, as it gets pushed to early 2027. And while the push alone might justify the shorter season, both decisions from CBS go hand in hand. According to Deadline, the decision to push the series is for creative reasons alone. Per the outlet, the team behind the show needs more time for a “creative revamp after wrapping the major Wellbrexa storyline that dominated the first two seasons.”

Plus, with other shows receiving the same fate, it seems CBS is changing their strategy altogether. Instead of this being a targeted downgrade to Matlock directly, there’s a notable change in the network’s planning. After a record number of new scripted shows in 2025–2026, the network is reportedly trying to fit them all in a way that feels steady and cohesive.

‘Matlock’ Is One of the Best New Shows on CBS

The news of Matlock‘s shorter and delayed season might come as a surprise to fans and critics alike. After all, not only does the series hold an impressive 93% from critics on Rotten Tomatoes, but it was high in the ratings too, making it the all-around best new show on the network. Per The Wrap, the Season 2 premiere of Matlock brought in 11.9 million multiplatform viewers after one week of viewing, according to Nielsen big data plus panel viewing data. That was up 2% from the 11.7 million viewers averaged by Matlock’s first season.

But the series wasn’t just successful – it was great TV too. Matlock, which follows Kathy Bates as Madeline “Matty” Matlock as she manages to finagle her way into a job at the law firm Jacobson Moore, sees Bates in one of the best roles of her career, per Collider’s Season 1 review by Carly Lane. “Bates’ character might give off a very specific energy at first, but she’s also an observer, and, when paired with her utterly disarming personality, this allows her to notice things about people and figure out how to speak to them in a way others might overlook,” Lane wrote. “But Matty’s not always sage words of wisdom and pocketfuls of hard candies, either; she gets to express sadness, frustration, grief, anger, and everything in between.” The role went on to award Bates with a Critics Choice Award for Best Actress in a Drama Series.

All that said, while Matlock had plenty going for it in Season 1 and Season 2, the series has been receiving some discouraging and disappointing news. But considering that Season 3 is still underway, the CBS hit has a chance to continue to bring in viewers, prove its place in the network’s lineup, and continue to show just how magnetic Bates is onscreen.

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Release Date

September 22, 2024

Directors

Kat Coiro, Brad Silberling, Gina Lamar, Hanelle M. Culpepper, Jennifer Lynch, Jude Weng, Tessa Blake, Yangzom Brauen, Marie Jamora, Daniel Willis

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Writers

Nicki Renna, Jeffrey Lieber, Sara Rose Feinberg

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  Kathy Bates

  Madeline ‘Matty’ Matlock

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  Skye P. Marshall

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  Olympia Lawrence

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Netflix has one of the most impressive streaming libraries. The platform is basically known for turning a new series into the biggest thing on television practically overnight. The only problem is that a lot of other promising titles get buried under all that noise. It would make sense if these forgotten shows were nothing special, but plenty of shows on the streamer deserved more recognition than they got.

In hindsight, the strangest thing about revisiting them is realizing how little their quality had to do with how long they stayed relevant. These six Netflix shows may no longer dominate the conversation, but they are just too good to be forgotten.

1

‘Santa Clarita Diet’ (2017–2019)

Image via Netflix

Santa Clarita Diet is downright ridiculous, but it works. The Netflix comedy follows suburban real-estate agents Sheila (Drew Barrymore) and Joel Hammond (Timothy Olyphant), whose painfully ordinary life in Santa Clarita turns upside down when Sheila suddenly dies, comes back to life, and develops an appetite for human flesh. Instead of immediately turning the story into a traditional zombie comedy, the series explores how Joel tries to help his wife navigate her new condition without completely destroying their family in the process. Their dynamic is arguably the most important part of the show.

Sheila’s transformation gives her a new sense of confidence and freedom, but Joel becomes increasingly stressed trying to keep up with the bodies, lies, and absurd problems piling up around them. Despite that, the show grounds itself in the fact that these two truly love each other and are willing to go to borderline insane lengths to make their relationship work. Santa Clarita Diet is over-the-top, but the violence and chaos never take away from the central family dynamic at the core of the story. The series deserved far more than three seasons, and its cancellation still feels like a knife in the back.

2

‘Alias Grace’ (2017)

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It’s impossible to believe that a show like Alias Grace just faded away despite its gripping premise. The miniseries, based on Margaret Atwood’s novel and inspired by a real 19th-century murder case, follows Irish immigrant and domestic servant Grace Marks (Sarah Gadon), who has spent years in prison after being convicted of murdering her employer Thomas Kinnear (Paul Gross) and his housekeeper Nancy Montgomery (Anna Paquin). Now, Grace claims to have no memory of these murders, so psychiatrist Dr. Simon Jordan (Edward Holcroft) begins interviewing her in hopes of determining what actually happened. This means that everything the audience knows essentially comes through Grace herself.

She tells Jordan about immigrating to Canada, working as a servant, her friendship with Mary Whitney (Rebecca Liddiard), and her eventual arrival at Kinnear’s household. What’s interesting is how the series keeps recreating these memories for the audience without ever guaranteeing that Grace is telling the whole truth. She can appear vulnerable yet calculating in the same breath, which prevents the viewers from ever fully trusting her. This looming uncertainty is far more interesting than a simple whodunit. Eventually, Jordan and the audience realize that everyone around Grace has created their own version of her, but the truth is that she can never be reduced to just one of them. Six episodes later, the case definitely feels clearer, but Grace remains just as difficult to pin down, which is the brilliance of the show.

3

‘Lady Dynamite’ (2016–2017)

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Lady Dynamite is definitely one of the strangest sitcoms Netflix has ever made, but it stands out because of how unique it is. The series stars comedian Maria Bamford as a fictionalized version of herself returning to Los Angeles after spending months away recovering from a mental breakdown. Maria wants to restart her comedy career, date again, and build a new life, but the show doesn’t tell that story conventionally. Lady Dynamite jumps between different versions of Maria’s life. This includes the overly ambitious Maria before her breakdown and the present-day Maria trying to figure out what her boundaries are.

These periods even look and behave differently because her changing state of mind is part of the show’s structure. Episodes feature fourth-wall breaks, fake sitcoms, celebrity cameos, and bizarre fantasies. However, all these seemingly bizarre things make it easier for the audience to understand Maria. Despite all its quirks, Lady Dynamite has a clear character arc as Maria spends two seasons learning and embracing who she really is. To this day, no other Netflix comedy has felt this authentic to its protagonist’s way of seeing the world.

4

‘Sense8’ (2015–2018)

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Sense8 came way before Netflix developed a reputation for its ambitious productions. The show, created by Lana and Lilly Wachowski with J. Michael Straczynski, was far ahead of its time and told a story that feels unique even today. Sense8 follows eight strangers living across the world who suddenly become mentally and emotionally connected. At first, they don’t understand why they can suddenly see, feel, and even physically experience what the others are going through. This confusion lays the foundation of the show, as it keeps finding clever ways for all of these characters to collide. Eventually, it stops telling eight parallel storylines because the group begins living one enormous shared life and stepping into one another’s situations whenever someone needs help.

The larger conspiracy involving the Biological Preservation Organization gives Sense8 its thriller plot, but the reason the series is still remembered so fondly is the cluster and their connection. The series is flashy and has its sci-fi moments, but its strength lies in the emotional arc of the cluster, individually and as a whole. Some of Sense8’s best moments come when all eight characters effectively occupy the same moment, which is a testament to the cast’s brilliant chemistry. Netflix canceled Sense8 after two seasons, but fan backlash was strong enough that the story returned for a feature-length finale. That ending isn’t perfectly neat, but it gives the cluster the emotional sendoff they truly deserved.

5

‘Anne with an E’ (2017–2019)

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Anne with an E had all the ingredients to become one of Netflix’s defining coming-of-age shows before the world just decided to forget all about it. The series, based on Lucy Maud Montgomery’s Anne of Green Gables, follows imaginative 13-year-old orphan Anne Shirley (Amybeth McNulty), who is mistakenly sent to live with siblings Marilla (Geraldine James) and Matthew Cuthbert (R. H. Thomson) on their farm in Avonlea. The Cuthberts had actually requested a boy who could help Matthew with the farm, so Anne arrives only to learn that the closest thing she has found to a home could also be taken away from her. From there, the story gradually expands as Anne starts school, befriends Diana (Dalila Bela), and repeatedly gets herself into trouble because of her wild imagination.

At the same time, she continues to prove just how smart she actually is. Matthew and Marilla slowly stop thinking of Anne as the orphan they accidentally received and start treating her as their daughter, which is the most heartwarming part of the series. By Season 3, the story completely reverses its original premise. Anne prepares to leave for Queen’s College, and her long-running relationship with Gilbert also finally moves forward when the two admit their feelings for each other. That progression is what makes the cancellation sting so much. Anne with an E spends three seasons watching a girl desperately searching for somewhere she belongs, only to end just as her world was becoming bigger than ever.

6

‘The Baby-Sitters Club’ (2020–2021)

Image via Liane Hentscher / ©Netflix / Courtesy Everett Collection

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The Baby-Sitters Club is an underrated Netflix gem. The series, based on Ann M. Martin’s novels, follows Kristy Thomas (Sophie Grace), who comes up with the idea of starting a babysitting business with her friends Claudia (Momona Tamada), Mary Anne (Malia Baker), Stacey (Shay Rudolph), and Dawn (Xochitl Gomez/Kyndra Sanchez). Little do they know, though, that their way to make some quick bucks will completely reshape their lives. Every babysitting job Kristy and the others take on becomes its own little problem to solve. The show grounds all of this in the characters’ personal lives, which makes their work feel like an extension of what each girl is already dealing with.

Mary Anne is trying to become more independent from her overprotective father, Stacey is hiding her diabetes because she does not want it to define her, and Kristy is struggling with the changes in her family after her mother gets remarried. Even the club itself constantly runs into disagreements over money, leadership, friendships, and who gets to make the decisions. This emotional depth is what makes the series much more interesting than its premise suggests. By Season 2, The Baby-Sitters Club starts reshaping the group in the best way. None of their storylines are magically solved by the end of the episode, which makes Stoneybrook feel like a place where these girls are genuinely growing up rather than just moving through babysitting adventures. It’s a shame that the show was canceled just as its story started getting bigger.

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The Baby-Sitters Club

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Release Date

2020 – 2021-00-00

Showrunner

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Rachel Shukert

Directors

Melanie Mayron

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Writers

Ann M. Martin

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The glamorous side of being an influencer is easy to see, but Erzabel says building a successful online career takes far more work than followers might realize.

The 30-year-old Southeast Asian influencer has built an international audience while creating a lifestyle that allows her to travel regularly. However, she exclusively told The Blast that the freedom came with an unexpected problem: learning how to stop working.

For Erzabel, even a vacation could quickly become another content opportunity.

“I used to be in work mode all the time,” Erzabel exclusively told The Blast.

That mentality followed her even when she traveled somewhere she was supposed to enjoy.

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“Even when I travel, like, ‘Okay, I have to take pictures. Okay, I have to make content,’ instead of just enjoying the moment, the holiday,” she explained.

That’s one reason Erzabel is skeptical that building a career as an influencer is as effortless as it can appear from the outside.

“It seems easy, but it’s not so easy,” she said. “You have to be 100% into it, like focus on it.”

Erzabel had wanted to become a model since childhood and began working with local brands while attending university. She eventually shifted her attention toward creating content online and has since attracted an international following, with her largest audience based in the United States.

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However, getting an audience is only part of the challenge. Keeping that momentum means constantly adapting.

Erzabel Reveals The ‘Hardest’ Part Of Growing Her Audience

For Erzabel, there is no permanent formula for social media success.

“The hardest is to get more [followers],” she told The Blast. “It means that I have to actively create content, try new stuff.”

That can mean experimenting with entirely different platforms when her existing strategy stops delivering the results she wants.

“For example, this week I tried TikTok, and then if it doesn’t work, I have to try another platform,” she explained. “Just keep trying, just keep creating. That’s the hardest part.”

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The uncertainty hasn’t shaken her confidence. Asked whether she has struggled with imposter syndrome as her profile has grown, Erzabel answered immediately.

“No, I always know that I’m going to be successful,” she declared. “That’s always been my goal.”

She applies the same certainty to anyone hoping to turn influencing into a serious career.

“You cannot do it 50-50,” she said. “You have to be 100% into it.”

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Traveling The World Created An Unexpected Work-Life Struggle

Travel is one of the biggest rewards Erzabel has gained from her career, but her desire to explore the world existed long before influencing became her job.

“Since I was little, that was one of my dreams. That was my biggest dream, actually,” she recalled.

Once she began earning her own money, seeing new places became more important than buying possessions.

“Instead of buying materialistic things when I had money, the first thing in my head was, ‘I need to travel because now I have my own money,’” Erzabel said.

She now tries to travel every month, sometimes alone and sometimes with friends or her assistant.

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The trips also serve another purpose. Erzabel says staying in one place too long can leave her bored and searching for fresh motivation.

“When I travel, I get more inspiration,” she explained.

Switzerland, Iceland and Peru remain on her wish list, while she also hopes to return to China for an experience far removed from the typical influencer getaway.

Erzabel wants to attend a Kung Fu retreat. “Do something different,” she said of the idea.

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Erzabel Says Financial Independence Gave Her ‘Full Freedom’

Erzabel’s current lifestyle is dramatically different from one of her earlier experiences abroad.

Before becoming an influencer, she spent eight months working as an au pair in the Netherlands and caring for three young children.

She recalled the arrangement becoming difficult when she felt her host family was overworking her, including expecting her to participate in family weekends that were supposed to be her time off.

Today, being able to control her own schedule and finances has changed what success means to her.

“It’s really good when you have your own money, to become independent,” Erzabel told The Blast. “You have full freedom, you get to meet people when you travel.”

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She believes that independence is particularly valuable for women.

“Now you can depend on yourself,” she said. “You can do whatever you want. You don’t have to depend on a guy or somebody.”

Meeting people from different backgrounds has become another important part of that freedom.

“I feel like people are open books, so you get inspiration from people, from new places,” she explained.

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Erzabel Already Has Her Eye On Life Beyond Influencing

Influencing may be Erzabel’s career now, but she isn’t limiting her ambitions to social media.

Her interests have expanded into psychology, mindset and spirituality. She practices meditation, yoga, and breathwork, and says she enjoys learning how people think.

“I’m really into spirituality,” she said. “I like to learn more about psychology and mindset and spirituality.”

There’s also a considerably more sparkling business idea on her mind.

“I really like diamonds, so I really want to open a diamond business,” Erzabel revealed.

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For now, however, she remains focused on the career she has already built and the constant experimentation required to sustain it.

The beautiful destinations and freedom may be what audiences see on their screens, but Erzabel says the work behind that lifestyle never succeeds with half-hearted effort.

“You cannot do it 50-50,” she emphasized. “You have to be 100% into it.”

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