NeNe Leakes returned to the “Real Housewives” franchise in August 2026 after six years away. During the episode, the veteran reality TV star, who is arguably known for putting the beloved franchise on the map, spoke with a producer about coming back to the series and admitted to being a bit wary.

NeNe Leakes’ return comes several years after the 58-year-old sued Bravo, NBCUniversal, and the “Real Housewives of Atlanta” production companies, alleging racism and other forms of discrimination. Before the legal battle, Leakes had a nasty fallout with “Housewives” executive producer Andy Cohen.

In episode 4 of Bravo’s “Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip,” Leakes made her highly anticipated return and told producers she was anxious about filming with the cast.

“My stomach was kind of hurting a little bit, kind of, you know, like, nervous hurt,” she said. “I don’t know how they are, you know. I just hope they’re nice to me.”

When the producer asked what would happen if the ladies weren’t nice to her, Leakes said she’d clap back in true “Housewives” fashion.

The ‘RHUGT’ Cast Members Were Emotional Seeing NeNe Leakes

The “Ultimate Girls Trip” cast members were ecstatic after Leakes surprised them at a drag brunch in Atlanta.

“Real Housewives of New York” alum Luann de Lesseps likened Leakes’ return to seeing “your long-lost family, and you’re back together again,” while “Real Housewives of New Jersey” star Teresa Giudice said she was “so happy” to see Leakes.

“I’m so happy Nene’s here. And, I don’t know, I feel like we have, like, this sisterhood, like no competition or anything like that. We always, like, respected each other,” Giudice said.

Kyle Richards ‘Missed’ Leakes

And the love didn’t stop there. “Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” OG Kyle Richards opened up about her special bond with Leakes during her confessional.

“Nene was the first Housewife of any of the franchises that I became friends with. Nene and I have had lunches, dinners, we’ve gossiped, shared private things with each other. We just always had each other’s back. I’ve missed her,” she said.

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“Real Housewives of Potomac” star Gizelle Bryant, however, had a bone to pick with Leakes after learning about a comment the Georgia native made about her years before.

“I have always given Nene her flowers, but she has said some things about me,” Bryant said before cameras showed her asking Leakes why she asked one of their franchise peers to “beat me up.”

Leakes didn’t back down, though, telling Bryant that she was “talking sh-t” and that there were “no hard feelings.”

NeNe Leakes Was Happy To Be Gone

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As the episode continued, Leakes spoke with the principal cast of “Ultimate Girls Trip” about how she first felt after leaving the series in her rearview.

“In the beginning I was happy to be gone, honestly, ’cause it was just a heavy time,” she said. “At first, you feel a little bit like, ‘I mean, they’re shooting without me? Like, how the h-ll does that go?’ … You feel really weird. In a weird, way, we’re like all sisters, right? I’m still very connected to these girls. But, at first, it does take some time to set in.”

Leakes Ready To ‘Move Forward’ With Bravo

While Leakes spent 11 seasons as an “RHOA” OG, she departed the series after season 12 in 2020. Years later, she sued the network and Cohen, claiming she faced discrimination on set.

“NBC, Bravo and True foster a corporate and workplace culture in which racially-insensitive and inappropriate behavior is tolerated — if not, encouraged,” the suit read. “As the Black Lives Matter movement swept our nation, Mrs. Leakes — Bravo’s historically most successful Black female talent — should have been embraced by NBC, Bravo, and True.”

Following her suit, Leakes and NBC settled out of court, but that hasn’t brought her any closer to her old pal, Cohen.

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“I am the kind of person that, good or bad, time heals,” Leakes said. “You don’t have to be besties or anything like that, but I move forward. I’m not into holding negative energy.”

Roommates, a 16-year-old Welsh student has been sentenced after an incident with a teacher left her with a gash on the back of her head. Now, the teacher, Vicki Williams, is speaking out about the near-fatal encounter, recalling what happened inside her classroom.

RELATED: Sheesh! Teen Suspect Arrested After Fight At Georgia High School Escalates Into Student Shooting 

Teacher Recalls The Frightening Moment Inside Her Classroom

A 16-year-old male student appeared at Swansea Crown Court on Thursday, September 3, as his History teacher Vicki Williams addressed the attack. The teen, who was 15 at the time, attacked Williams with a knife inside her classroom at Milford Haven Comprehensive School in Wales back in February. Williams previously told the court that the teen approached her for help with a history assignment before following her into an empty classroom. She recalled becoming suspicious after he shut the door behind him and allegedly claimed the school’s temperature was his reason for closing it.

Footage shown in court this week captures the teen calmly walking into the room before suddenly rushing out. Moments later, Williams runs out behind him while holding a large knife and rubbing the back of her head. While addressing the court, Williams recalled thinking she was going to die and fearing she would never see her daughter again. Vicki also described a look of “pure hatred” on the student’s face after the incident and that the attack came out of no where. Per New York Post, the incident left Williams with a scalp injury from the stab to her head, a 2.8-inch gash on her back and defensive wounds on her hands.

In her personal victim statement, Williams opened up about the emotional toll the attack has taken on her, sharing that she has struggled with feeling sadness, anger and guilty. She also revealed that she plans to begin therapy for post-traumatic stress disorder. “Sadness is the most predominant, I focus too much on what could have happened to me,” Williams added. “I’m in disbelief about what’s happened.”

What’s Next For The Teen?

In July, a jury found the teen not guilty of attempted murder but convicted him of wounding with intent and unlawful wounding. During Thursday’s hearing, a judge sentenced the teen to four and half years in a youth detention facility. The male teen has pushed back against Williams’ account in court, claiming the assault happened by accident and that Vicki tried to grab the knife. He also reportedly said that the only reason he brought the knife as a part of a game with friends. He added that the group competed to see who could sneak the most ridiculous items into the school.

Judge Weighs In On The Traumatic Incident

Judge Paul Thomas also weighed in on the incident during the sentencing hearing. He said he believes the teen brought the knife to school with the intention of hurting Williams and added that she was fortunate to escape the attack without fatal injuries.

“What I do know for certain is that you took a knife that day to school because you wanted to really hurt her with it.” Thomas continued, “It was pure luck that she didn’t have far worse injuries, even fatal injuries.”

RELATED: Two Texas Teens Arrested Months After Allegedly Tampering With Evidence In Drowning Death Of 18-Year-Old Daniel Erving 

Not to be dramatic, but the mere thought of tight, scratchy jeans makes me shudder. Thankfully, there’s no reason to make myself suffer with stiff denim. Flowy pants are totally ‘in’ for fall this year, and I’m taking advantage of the trend with chic yet comfortable styles.

These 13 stylish pants are on my radar, ranging from couch-casual styles to boardroom-polished options. Each one has a unique flair, however, they all have a classic comfy waistband and billowy legs in common. Read on to see the trendy fall pants I’m eyeing from Amazon, Nordstrom, Old Navy, Quince and more!

13 Flowy, Flattering Fall Pants — From $3

1. My Favorite: Equally laid-back and luxe, these tie-waist trousers channel Hamptons vibes like no other. The lightweight fabric feels like wearing nothing at all.

2. Bye, Denim: These dainty, crochet-embellished bottoms give boring old jeans a run for their money. Shoppers say they look much more expensive than they are.

3. Office-Ready: In-office days call for these classy pleated trousers that have a secret elastic waistband in the back. They’re a life hack.

4. Another Pair: Full disclosure, I already have these European linen pants in white, but I’m tempted to grab a fall version in this olive shade.

5. Cargo Queen: Leaning into the cargo trend? These slouchy printed wonders are the easiest way to nail it.

6. Silky Satin: A-listers like Katie Holmes and Margot Robbie are wearing silky fabrics lately, so naturally, these dreamy satin pants made it into my cart.

7. CEO Vibes: With ten sizes, six colors and three lengths, these polished trousers are truly for everyone.

8. On Repeat: My significant other, who rarely notices my pieces, said these ribbed lounge pants ‘look elevated.’ He’s right, and they feel like butter.

9. Late-Summer Staple: It’s still hot outside, which is why these airy pants caught my eye. Leopard print is optional but not really.

10. Elegant Joggers: Harem pants scream ‘Cali cool mom,’ and this laid-back, edgy pair proves why. It makes you appear effortlessly chic and confident.

11. Pretty Print: Flowers, ruffles, wide legs! These darling palazzo pants belong in a fancy boutique, yet cost only $25 on Amazon.

12. Worth It: These striped dress pants feel like sweats, which you’ll appreciate for long work days and late-night client dinners.

13. Impulse Buy: At only $3, you can snag these boho-inspired pants without a second thought. Pockets, ruffles and a smocked waistband are just a few highlights.

If you’re one of the lucky few who has an extended Labor Day weekend, Watch With Us has a few suggestions about how you should spend that extra time.

The war movie genre has been popular since the 1930s, and Hollywood continues to crank them out due to their almost universal appeal.

Netflix’s Operation Mincemeat, featuring Colin Firth and an all-star UK cast, takes a look at a little-known World War II event that helped the Allies eventually win the war.

HBO Max‘s Warfare features Joseph Quinn, Will Poulter and pretty much every twentysomething actor in an arresting true-life story about the Iraq War.

If you’re a Gladiator fan, you’ll surely like Centurion on Prime Video, a bloody war film starring Michael Fassbender that’s set during the height of the Roman Empire.

‘Operation Mincemeat’ (2022) — Netflix

It’s 1943, and the Allied forces are doing everything in their power to defeat the Axis powers. English Prime Minister Winston Churchill (Simon Russell Beale) wants to invade Sicily, but he can’t do it without them knowing his troops are coming. One of his admirals, John Godfrey (Harry Potter‘s Jason Isaacs), suggests an elaborate plan to trick their enemies into believing they plan to invade Greece instead. All they need to do is find a fresh dead body, plant false documents detailing the proposed attack and have the right German authorities find it. But this plan has to be 100 percent convincing, and it’s going to take an entire operation of Britain’s best officers and spies to make sure it’s a success.

Operation Mincemeat’s plot sounds so far-fetched, it can only be based on a true story. While the movie embellishes some facts here and there, most of what it depicts actually happened, including some officers stealthily transporting the corpse onto a submarine, where i can be dumped in the right area so it could be discovered. Operation Mincemeat is a fascinating war movie because it depicts the hard work that occurred beyond the battlefield, where Britain’s best minds had to constantly outwit and outmaneuver their enemies. The ensemble cast, which includes Colin Firth and Succession’s Matthew Macfadyen, is terrific, and the immersive production design really puts you right into the heart of war.

‘Warfare’ (2024) — HBO Max

There are plenty of great World War II movies, but not a lot of good films set during the Iraq War. Warfare is one of them, and its atypical approach makes it stand out as a war film that’s unsettlingly immersive. Directed by Alex Garland, this intense 2025 movie chronicles a day in the life of a US Navy SEALs team as they seek cover at a local Iraqi house after the Battle of Ramadi in 2006. There’s no time to rest, though, as Iraqi soldiers surround the house, making it impossible for the soldiers inside to leave. With their ammo running low and no backup coming soon, these American soldiers don’t think they’ll make it out alive.

Warfare is brutal to watch, which is exactly how it should be. War isn’t pretty, and the film doesn’t make it easy to watch by providing conventional comforts like a main character to attach yourself to. Instead, the ensemble cast, which includes Beef’s Charles Melton and Heartstopper’s Kit Connor, all blend together – they’re all scared as s**t, and they don’t have time to bond or share stories about their loved ones like the troops in Saving Private Ryan. Anyone can die at any time, which provides most of the almost unbearable tension that runs throughout the film. Still, Warfare is an unforgettable watch and one of the few war films that makes you feel like you’re on the frontline dodging bullets. It’s that good.

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‘Centurion’ (2010) — Prime Video

One of ancient history’s greatest mysteries is the disappearance of the Legio IX Hispana, otherwise known as the “9th Hispanian Legion,” around 120 AD during the Roman Empire. No one knows what happened to the elite fighting unit, which is fertile ground for a director like Neil Marshall to hypothesize why these elite Roman warriors suddenly disappeared from history.

When centurion Quintus Dias (Michael Fassbender) is captured by the murderous Pict tribe, Rome sends its finest general, Titus Flavius Virilus (Dominic West), and his Ninth Legion to save him. They’re aided by the mute tracker Etain (Olga Kurylenko), who is still recovering from a traumatic event in her past. When a betrayal compromises their mission, Virilus will have to figure out how to save what remains of his men while still completing his mission to free Dias.

There’s not a lot of war picture set during this period, which is one of the reasons why Centurion is special. Marshall is less concerned with concentrating on character development than he is with recreating a long-ago world where brutality ruled the day, and anyone could betray you when you least expect it. Fassbender is terrific as a veteran soldier who knows how to hold his own in battle, while Kurylenko is captivating as a woman who uses what she has to satisfy the one thing in the world she desires — revenge.

We’re now less than a month away from the return of Tom Cruise to the big screen, following his final mission as Ethan Hunt in Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning in the summer of 2025. For the first time since 2017’s American Made, Cruise is starring in a non-franchise movie, namely the satirical black comedy Digger, which hits theaters on October 2, 2026. Directed by Alejandro G. Iñárritu in his first English-language film since his 2015 hit The Revenant, the film is already earning Oscars buzz for Cruise and co, despite not yet having been released.

Cruise’s next movie features a stacked cast including the likes of John Goodman, Riz Ahmed, Jesse Plemons, and Sandra Hüller, following her Harry Styles-singing role in Project Hail Mary. If all goes to plan, Digger will continue Cruise’s great run of films post the COVID-19 pandemic, which includes the film widely cited as having saved cinema during one of the industry’s darkest periods. Cruise’s biggest action movie of this decade, 2022’s Top Gun: Maverick, was the long-awaited legacy sequel to the 1986 action classic, penned by The Final Reckoning director Christopher McQuarrie and directed by F1‘s Joseph Kosinski.

The introduction of Miles Teller, Monica Barbaro, and Glen Powell to the cast helped bring the action to a new generation, but it was those who already loved the film who flocked in their many millions to the theater. In total, and against a reported budget of $177 million, the movie returned an eye-watering $1.45 billion worldwide, becoming one of the highest-grossing films in the process. But the need for speed has now turned into the need to stream, with Top Gun: Maverick officially ranking as one of the ten most-watched movies on Paramount+ in the U.S. at the time of writing.

A ‘Top Gun’ Threequel Is in Development

Following the mind-blowing success of the 2022 sequel, the announcement was made at CinemaCon earlier this year that a third Top Gun movie is currently in development. Crucially, Cruise is back in the pilot’s seat for the threequel in early development at Paramount, with McQuarrie reportedly lined up to help craft the story and produce alongside super-producer Jerry Bruckheimer, who was a big contributor to the first two films.

Top Gun: Maverick is streaming on Paramount+. Make sure to stay tuned to Collider for the latest streaming stories.

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Release Date

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May 27, 2022

Runtime

131 minutes

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Director

Joseph Kosinski

Writers

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Christopher McQuarrie, Ehren Kruger, Eric Warren Singer, Peter Craig, Justin Marks

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The 2020s have been full of incredible movies, many of which are outright classics in the making. From Westerns like The Power of the Dog to war thrillers like Oppenheimer and subversive horrors like The Substance, this decade has been anything but safe when it comes to cinema. Virtually every genre has seen the release of at least one major, acclaimed movie, proving that the seventh art is in good hands, a comforting thought in uncertain times like these.

Logically, with such a wealth of quality in the movies themselves, the performances in them are equally standout. Indeed, the 2020s have produced several truly incredible performances, many of which have a timeless quality to them that all but guarantees they’ll be remembered among the all-time greats in the medium. We’re here to celebrate the best performance of every year of the 2020s, a relatively easy task for some years (2020 is particularly weak, it must be said), but an incredibly difficult one for some others (2022, in particular, was a bloodbath). Also, since 2026 is still underway and many movies are still to come, this list will only cover up to 2025.

2020: Anthony Hopkins in ‘The Father’

Image via Sony Pictures Classics

In a career spanning over sixty years, Sir Anthony Hopkins has delivered many powerful performances. From his iconic villainous turn in The Silence of the Lambs to his subdued and quiet turn in The Remains of the Day, Hopkins is a true master of his craft. It’s particularly impressive, then, that at the age of 83, Hopkins delivered what’s arguably his best performance to date in Florian Zeller’s drama, The Father.

In the movie, Hopkins plays Anthony, a man slowly succumbing to dementia. As the life he knows becomes unknowable to him, Anthony becomes despondent, both resisting the deterioration of his mind and holding on to an idea of the reality he once knew. Hopkins delivers a masterclass in controlled despair, portraying every side of Anthony, both the soft and confused and the thornier and confrontational, with remarkable commitment, never shying away from the intricacies of playing such a man. The ending, which sees Anthony reduced to an infantilized version of himself, is particularly heartbreaking, capturing the universal fear of becoming a stranger in one’s own shoes. For this year, the extremely close runner-up is the late Chadwick Boseman, whose visceral performance in Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom is a true tour de force.

2021: Hidetoshi Nishijima in ‘Drive My Car’

Image via Bitters End

2021 was a curious year for cinema. Reeling from the pandemic, the year seemed to last forever, with an absurdly prolonged award season and countless movies going directly to streaming because of the still-closed movie theaters. Many great movies came out, though, including a few that were genuinely celebrated as masterpieces but which failed to receive individual nominations for their leading performers. Case in point: Drive My Car, which became the first Japanese movie nominated for the Best Picture Oscar, but whose lead actor, Hidetoshi Nashijima, failed to break into the Best Actor category.

A veteran of the screen, Nashijima plays Yūsuke Kafuku, a theater director grieving the death of his wife while attempting to mount a multilingual version of Uncle Vanya. The performance is largely silent, yet Nashijima conveys so much with his face: his eyes become the centerpiece in multiple scenes, weary and observant, interested yet detached. Nashijima conveys an all-too-relatable feeling: the struggle to simply be. He carries the weight of everything — the pain, the longing, the burden of surviving, and the years themselves — all while trying to remain present, both for his sake and for the work itself. For this year, the runner-up has to be Renate Reinsve, whose breakthrough work in The Worst Person in the World captured the aimlessness of an entire generation.

2022: Danielle Deadwyler in ‘Till’

Image via Orion

2022 may very well be the best year for performances this decade. We had an embarrassment of riches, from Cate Blanchett‘s furious, career-best turn in Tár to Tang Wei‘s mesmerizing, mysterious efforts in Decision to Leave to Colin Farrell‘s devastating, melancholy work in The Banshees of Inisherin. Any of these would be the best in any other year, but in 2022, and after much deliberation, the title for the best performance must go to Danielle Deadwyler‘s utterly heart-wrenching portrayal of Mamie Till in Chinonye Chukwu‘s Till.

The film is based on the true story of Mamie Till, whose 14-year-old son, Emmett, was brutally lynched. Till then became an educator and activist while pursuing justice for her son. Deadwyler is, quite simply, superb in the movie, fully embodying Till’s devastation and desperation, not to mention her hunger for justice and her determination to see it through. What Deadwyler does here is nothing short of extraordinary, maintaining a subtle hint of determination that borders on anger throughout, even during Mamie’s most vulnerable and heartbroken moments. Her resoluteness is commanding to the point of being chilling, and it’s an utter disgrace that the Academy snubbed this tremendous performance, especially because Deadwyler was a constant presence in almost every precursor, as she should’ve been.

2023: Emma Stone in ‘Poor Things’

Image via Searchlight Pictures

Emma Stone was already a Best Actress winner and a three-time Oscar nominee when she stepped into the shoes of Bella Baxter in Yorgos Lanthimos‘ absurdist sci-fi comedy Poor Things. An adaptation of the eponymous novel by Alasdair Gray, the film offers a new take on the classic tale of Frankenstein, focusing on a Victorian woman brought back to life by an eccentric scientist with the brain of a baby. Bella Baxter then goes on a journey of self-discovery, involving debauched lawyers, pastries, unexpected friends, and multiple sexual escapades.

Bella Baxter is a wholly singular character, and it takes a remarkably courageous and confident actress to bring her to life. Stone is completely unrestrained in the role, creating a spirited, vibrant, multifaceted heroine that ranks among the best in the new millennium. Bella is such an original creation, and Stone loses herself in the role. She embodies Bella’s innocence and hunger for discovery, using the inherent absurdist humor in Tony McNamara‘s screenplay to enhance the text’s themes of autonomy, self-discovery, and sexual liberation. Stone won a second Best Actress statuette, arguably the best choice the Academy has made this decade. The runner-up this year is Andrew Scott for his soulful, restrained performance in All of Us Strangers, a modern masterpiece in every sense of the word.

2024: Marianne Jean-Baptiste in ‘Hard Truths’

Image via Bleecker Street

Mike Leigh is well known for making movies that rely on organic and reactionary dynamics, thus bringing out some truly stellar work from his performers. His latest effort came in 2024 with the drama Hard Truths, starring Marianne Jean-Baptiste as Pansy, a confrontational, angry, and anxiety-ridden woman whose harsh attitude alienates everyone in her life—except for her cheerful sister, single hairdresser Chantelle (Michele Austin).

Pansy is a truly difficult character: she’s abrasive, short-tempered, always ready to attack, and chronically anxious. In other words, she’s someone who’s very difficult to sympathize with. It’s all a testament to Jean-Baptiste that not only do we sympathize with her, but we actually understand her plight. Leigh has always excelled at crafting character studies, and Hard Truths is not the exception. It’s a glimpse into the life of a woman who doesn’t know how she got to that point, who struggles to relate to a family she doesn’t quite recognize, and whose life is slowly passing before her while she’s too insecure, scared, and reluctant to do anything about it. For this year, the runner-up is Sebastian Stan for his stunning and haunting work in the criminally underrated A Different Man.

2025: Rose Byrne in ‘If I Had Legs I’d Kick You’

Image via A24

Finally, for our most recent performance, we have yet another depiction of a challenging woman dealing with a chaotic situation the best way she can. In If I Had Legs I’d Kick You, Rose Byrne plays Linda, a mother at her wits’ end: her daughter is suffering from an eating disorder, her husband is constantly away, and her house is undergoing repairs, forcing mother and daughter to live in a cheap motel. As the crises mount, Linda spirals into mental distress.

If I Had Legs I’d Kick You is one of the most stressful movie experiences you’ll ever see, so anxiety-inducing that even the Safdies would take a deep breath after seeing it. The film lives and dies with Rose Byrne, who delivers a tour de force as a mother slowly descending into a mess from which there seems to be no escape. Some of it is her own making, and some of it is just life being its usual difficult self, but her actions go from curious to puzzling to questionable to outright reprehensible. Through it all, Byrne is resolute and sympathetic, the living embodiment of desperation. It’s a tremendously courageous performance, fully committed to exploring the most complex and difficult side of the human psyche, the one that pushes itself towards the abyss because the alternative is simply too much to bear. As runner-up, we have Amanda Seyfried‘s equally daring, career-best turn as Ann Lee in the sadly ignored The Testament of Ann Lee.

Ed Sheeran brought all the stops to MetLife Stadium on his Loop Tour — including a special surprise duet with Camila Cabello.

Sheeran, 35, performed at the New Jersey venue on Friday, September 4, in which he sang “Bam Bam” with Cabello, 29. (The former Fifth Harmony singer teamed up with the Grammy nominee for the track in 2022. They also collaborated on 2019’s “South of the Border.”)

Just ahead of the performance, Sheeran gushed about his decade-long friendship with Cabello.

“It’s rare to form strong and real friendships, and I’ve been friends with this person for over a decade,” he said on Friday during the show, which Us attended. “She was in New York, we saw each other earlier today, and I said, ‘We should sing together.’ It’s one of my favorite songs, I can’t wait to perform it.”

Related: Shawn Mendes and Camila Cabello’s Relationship Timeline: The Way They Were

Looking back at young love! To the satisfaction of many longtime Shawnmila shippers, Shawn Mendes and Camila Cabello’s longtime friendship transitioned into a steamy relationship in 2019, and they shared many sweet moments before splitting. Five years earlier, Mendes and Cabello met while they were both opening up for Austin Mahone on tour. At the […]

Cabello, dressed in a white cardigan and green sequined shirt, concluded the number with a shout-out to her pal, gushing, “I love you.”

Sheeran, who will play MetLife for a second night on Saturday, September 5, and Cabello have previously been candid about their enduring friendship and frequent collaborations.

“I’m such a huge Ed Sheeran fan, when he first asked me to work with him on ‘South Of The Border,’ I was like, ‘Uh yea, duh,’” the “Havana” singer gushed to Australia’s The Music in 2022. “Even though we’re friends, he’s such a top-tier artist and I didn’t know if he would say yes to being on my project.”

“Bam Bam” appears on Cabello’s 2022 album, Familia.

“I’ve gone over to his world before, and for ‘Bam Bam’ he was coming to my world, into the studios with my collaborators that I worked with on this album, and singing in Spanish on a song that I had written the chorus for,” she recalled to the outlet. “It was just really cool, and I was honoured that he wanted to be a part of it.”

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She continued, “When he came into the studio, he had an idea for the verse, and even though I had a version of the song I was attached to, I trusted him and trusted his ear, and it turns out he was right and made it a million times better!”

Cabello last released her C, XOXO (Magic City Edition) record in 2024. Sheeran, for his part, dropped Play in 2025 before embarking on his latest tour ahead of a hiatus.

“I might take some time off once this tour has ended, and do the dad thing,” he said during a June concert in Arizona, referring to his two daughters with wife Cherry Seaborn.

Julia Stiles is preparing to take on a new challenge as she joins the upcoming season of Dancing With the Stars, but she won’t enter the competition without support.

The actress has received encouragement from the prestigious Juilliard School, despite not having studied there before beginning her career in Hollywood.

Stiles will be dancing on the show with Ezra Sosa and has described her appearance as a “dream come true.”

For the 35th season of Dancing with the Stars, actress Julia Stiles will be making her first appearance on the show.

Interestingly, she has now found support for her appearance in the competition from Juilliard, the institution her character in the movie Save the Last Dance trains hard to audition for.

In an Instagram post, Juilliard shared a picture of the actress in a furry sky-blue outfit, then showed their support for her and promoted their upcoming festival.

“Checks registrar* No, Julia Stiles did not, in fact, attend Juilliard. But we love her anyway. You can see ~actual~ Juilliard dancers (and musicians and actors) on Opening Night of the Juilliard Fall Festival,” read the post.

“Good luck on DWTS, Julia… we’re cheering you on!”

The Actress Thanked The School For Its Support

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The support appeared to catch Stiles by surprise, as the actress expressed her gratitude in the post’s comment section.

“Oh my goodness! Thank you! Best of luck to your amazing students,” the actress wrote.

Some fans took the school’s support in a more lighthearted direction, jokingly referencing Stiles’ character, Sara Johnson, from Save the Last Dance.

“…but did you check her alter ego Sara Johnson? We have video proof she unofficially got in,” one user joked.

“She definitely got into Juilliard…. Just can’t say it on record,” another individual commented.

“Now Juilliard is LYING wooowowwww. We all saw her dance to get in, bestie,” one more wrote.

Julia Stiles Called Her ‘DWTS’ Debut ‘A Dream Come True’

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Stiles’ casting sparked excitement among both fans and some of her famous friends. However, the excitement may have been even greater for Stiles herself, as appearing on the show was something she had long wanted to tick off her bucket list.

“I just can’t resist a challenge,” she told USA Today. “I like getting out of my comfort zone – it’s how we grow. This is a dream come true. I absolutely love this show, and I can’t believe I’m here.”

The actress echoed the sentiment in a separate interview with GMA, where she described herself as a big fan of the show.

“I’m truly obsessed with the show. I have been for over a decade,” she revealed. “It has been a secret dream of mine to be here, and I was always just too scared to say yes until now.”

Julia Stiles Is Partnered With Ezra Sosa For The Show

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On the show, Stiles will be dancing with Ezra Sosa, a Latin and ballroom dancer with years of experience.

Speaking to USA Today, the 25-year-old said he is already excited about the collaboration, especially because it will help bring her dream of appearing on the show to life.

“[I feel] so lucky and honored to be able to give this experience to someone who’s such a big fan of the show,” he said, adding that he admires the actress.

“I’m just seeing someone’s dream come true, and the fact that person is Julia Stiles, it’s just unreal,” he added.

Stiles Thinks ‘Save The Last Dance’ Could Hurt Her On ‘DWTS’

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While Stiles isn’t a professional dancer, her time in Save the Last Dance shows that she can move her body well.

However, the actress thinks that project is a “bit of a disadvantage” to her, as she isn’t as good as many people already think she is.

“I stopped taking dance classes after that movie because people expected me to be a great dancer,” Stiles told Entertainment Weekly.

She added, “I’m a home dancer. I love dancing at home, and part of my reason for coming on this show is to like find the joy and dance again, find my confidence and dance again.”

Aubrey O’Day is opening up about the resentment she still carries from her time in Danity Kane, and her biggest source of pain is not Sean “Diddy” Combs. During an appearance on a recent podcast appearance, the singer revealed that most of her former bandmates hurt her more deeply than the disgraced music mogul, despite the serious allegations she has made about her experience working with him.

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Aubrey O’Day has spent years speaking publicly about the damage she says Sean “Diddy” Combs caused in her life. So when Creators Inc. Podcast host Andy Bachman asked who still owes her an apology, her answer landed somewhere unexpected.

“Everyone in Danity Kane,” O’Day said during the Thursday, September 3 episode.

“Diddy?” Bachman followed up.

“I don’t need one from Diddy,” O’Day replied. “He didn’t hurt me as much as they did.”

The singer made one exception for Shannon Bex, saying the two have already worked through their issues in therapy. “So, not Shannon, but the rest of them. Yeah.” 

That’s saying something considering how openly O’Day has discussed her experience with Combs.

Danity Kane’s Historic Rise Ended In a Painful Collapse

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She rose to fame in Danity Kane, the five-woman group formed on Diddy’s MTV series “Making the Band 3” alongside Bex, Dawn Richard, D. Woods and Aundrea Fimbres. Their first two albums debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, making Danity Kane the first female group in Billboard history to debut its first two albums at the top. Their 2006 debut went platinum, while “Show Stopper” and “Damaged” both reached the Hot 100’s top 10.

Then everything unraveled. Combs removed O’Day and Woods from the group in 2008, and Danity Kane disbanded in early 2009. O’Day has since alleged that Combs fired her after she rejected sexual advances, an allegation his spokesperson declined to address individually.

Cassie Ventura’s Lawsuit Opened The Floodgates Against Diddy

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Combs’ legal downfall began publicly in November 2023 when his former girlfriend Casandra “Cassie” Ventura filed a lawsuit accusing him of years of physical abuse, rape, and coercion. The lawsuit was settled one day after it was filed without an admission of wrongdoing.

Numerous other accusers later filed civil lawsuits alleging sexual assault, abuse, and other misconduct. Combs has denied the sexual assault allegations made against him.

Aubrey O’Day Says ‘Resentment’ Is What Destroys Girl Groups

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During the same conversation, O’Day explained where some of her resentment toward her former bandmates comes from. She said she spent roughly 20 years carrying the “raunchy, promiscuous” reputation attached to her exit while taking the “public humiliation” and “blacklistings” that followed.

Later, when Bachman asked what ends girl groups more, men, money, resentment or egos, O’Day didn’t hesitate. “Resentment,” she said. “Every time.”

The reality TV alum is the latest to sit down with Bachman, who has built Creators Inc. Podcast into an Apple Podcasts Business top-15 show. Recent guests have included Offset, Ice-T, Sophie Rain, Blueface, Ryan Garcia, Blac Chyna and Donna Mills.

“We did not build a podcast. We built a room people want to be in,” Bachman told Market Realist in July. “The show is just the camera in the corner.” 

Diddy’s Prison Release Date Moves Up As His Appeal Continues

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As for Combs, he remains incarcerated at FCI Fort Dix, serving a 50-month sentence after being convicted on two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution and acquitted of racketeering and sex-trafficking charges.

Before he was sentenced last year, Combs told the judge in a letter that he had gotten sober “for the first time in 25 years,” attended therapy and created a mentorship program for other inmates. Meanwhile, he continues to face more than 70 civil lawsuits across the country, including one filed in June by a former child actor.

On Thursday, September 3, USA Today reported that his projected release date had been moved up again to February 5, 2028. His legal team has appealed the conviction.

Romanian prosecutors on Friday (August 4) indicted social media influencer Andrew Tate on charges of trafficking minors, sex with a minor, and money laundering. Tate, 39, and his brother Tristan Tate, 38, were first arrested in Romania’s capital, Bucharest, in late 2022.

RELATED: Welcome Home Soon-ish? Diddy’s Prison Release Date Reportedly Changes Again

More Details About Andrew Tate’s Indictment

Aside from Andrew, Tristan Tate is indicted on charges of complicity in the case, according to DIICOT, Romania’s anti-organized crime agency. The agency said on Friday that the Tate brothers coerced a victim by pretending to be in a loving relationship. Then, they forced her to produce pornographic material for an online webcam business.

The new indictment stems from an investigation that led to the brothers’ arrest in 2022 and their being formally indicted in 2023. A court returned the case to DIICOT in 2024 due to multiple legal and procedural irregularities by Romanian prosecutors. The case wasn’t closed. Also, there was a separate legal case against the brothers in Romania in 2024.

DIICOT alleges in the new indictment that the Tate brothers’ victims had been paid or intimidated in attempts to influence them “not to give statements or to give false statements.” A lawyer for the Tate brothers in Romania did not immediately respond to a request for comment, according to the Associated Press.

Andrew & Tristan Are Accused Of THESE Crimes

DIICOT alleges that in 2012, the Tate brothers recruited a 15-year-old girl in Luton, a town in England where the brothers are from. Ultimately, they obtained more than $1.2 million from her webcam activity after she was repeatedly transported to Romania. The crime agency alleges that Tristan Tate knew the victim’s age and that Andrew had recruited her. Also, per the prosecutors, between 2014 and 2021 Andrew Tate knowingly deceived her about his brother’s “feelings and intentions.” This helped to facilitate her sexual exploitation.

It is further alleged that between December 2020 and mid-2021, Andrew Tate “repeatedly had sexual intercourse and sexual acts with another minor victim,” who was also aged 15.

Between December 2023 and July 2024, DIICOT alleges the Tates tried to “hide or disguise the illicit origin of the money” obtained from human trafficking. They allegedly purchased four luxury cars worth about 825,000 euros ($957,000), and said they had requested the vehicles be confiscated.

Tate Brothers Deny Allegations, Remain Jailed

Andrew and Tristan Tate, who are dual U.S.-British citizens, are among the world’s most polarizing internet personalities. They promote wealth, male dominance and misogyny through their social media empire.

The Tates were arrested in Bucharest in late 2022. Their charges allege they participated in a criminal ring that lured women to Romania, where they were sexually exploited. Andrew Tate was also charged with rape. Both the Tate brothers have repeatedly denied the allegations against them. Andrew Tate has also claimed that there is a political conspiracy to silence them.

Right now, the Tates are being held in Miami. Prosecutors in the United Kingdom requested their extradition in July on sex crime allegations. The Tates took the witness stand in federal court last week. They said they can’t adequately defend themselves from criminal sex charges if they have to remain in a Miami jail while fighting extradition to the U.K.

Their lawyers repeated arguments that the U.K.’s extradition request was out of line because their criminal case in Romania is going first. Romanian officials allowed the Tates to remain free with some restrictions. This includes reporting to a Bucharest police station while the proceedings are ongoing.

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Associated Press writers Stephen McGrath and Vadim Ghirda contributed to this report via AP Newsroom.