Entertainment
Taylor Swift Reveals How She Copes With Her Global Fame
Taylor Swift has spent nearly two decades navigating a level of fame few artists ever experience, but the singer recently revealed how she keeps herself grounded when the pressure becomes overwhelming.
During a career-spanning conversation for The Icon Sessions, presented by the Recording Academy’s Songwriters & Composers Wing, the 14-time Grammy winner reflected on the mindset that has helped her continue creating music despite intense public scrutiny and ever-growing expectations.
As one of the most recognizable entertainers in the world, Taylor Swift acknowledged that there are moments when the scale of her career can feel overwhelming.
Rather than allowing those feelings to derail her creativity, she has developed personal coping mechanisms that help her maintain perspective.
“I go through several processes and coping mechanisms that I’ve gone through over the years,” Swift explained.
One of the most important reminders she gives herself centers on personal accountability and the choices she made throughout her career.
“And one of them is saying, ‘You chose this. You chose this every day. You could have opted out of this any day before it got unmanageably big.’ And I decided not to because I love it that much,” she added.
For Swift, that realization serves as a foundation whenever fame becomes difficult to manage. She emphasized that her commitment ultimately comes back to the work itself, adding, “Everything that comes with this ultimately is worth it as long as I get to still make music.”
Swift Refuses To Let Outside Opinions Define Her Music
Taylor Swift also reflected on the criticism she faced earlier in her career, particularly from people who questioned whether her experiences and songwriting perspective belonged in certain musical spaces.
Rather than changing course, she focused on the audience that connected with her work.
“I realized that I’m making music because I’m playing for the fans,” the 36-year-old shared, further noting, “I’m putting this out for people who care about it and who look to music as a way to cope with their life in the way that I did.”
That approach helped shape the relationship Swift has built with listeners over the years. While she described music as being rooted in “emotional truths,” she also acknowledged that not every song or story will resonate with everyone.
Instead of chasing universal approval, she believes artists must understand why they create in the first place.
“I think that if you can actually go through all those checkpoints and realize that putting out music you’ve made that you love so much is not the path to universal validation, if you’re still doing it, then you love it for the right reasons,” said Swift.
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Taylor Swift Marks First Public Performance Since Marrying Travis Kelce
Swift’s comment about her career was not the only memorable part of her Grammy Museum Icon Sessions appearance.
After discussing fame, criticism and creativity with Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason Jr., the “Cruel Summer” singer treated attendees to a special performance that many fans immediately viewed as a reflection of her personal and artistic evolution.
Sitting at the same flower-covered piano that became a fixture of the Eras Tour surprise-song set, Swift performed a mashup that connected multiple chapters of her career.
She began with “I Knew It, I Knew You,” her new song from the “Toy Story 5” soundtrack, before transitioning into “August” and then the ten-minute version of “All Too Well.”
The performance marked her first public performance since marrying Kelce in July and quickly became one of the most talked-about moments from the event.
Swift Fans Are Convinced A Major Re-Recording Announcement Is Coming
Taylor Swift’s appearance at the Grammy Museum sparked more than excitement about her performance. It also reignited one of the biggest ongoing conversations in her fan community: when she will finally release “Taylor Swift (Taylor’s Version).”
While the music icon did not make any announcement during the event, fans immediately began dissecting every detail of her appearance for potential clues.
According to a report from InStyle, much of the speculation centered on Swift’s seafoam-green Dôen dress, which many fans believed closely resembled the aesthetic of her 2006 self-titled debut album.
Others pointed to floral details, green lighting associated with recent appearances, and the timing of the event as evidence that the long-awaited re-recording could be approaching.
The theories have gained momentum after Swift revealed she had completed the re-recording process. With the original album’s 20th anniversary approaching on October 24, supporters believe the timing would be ideal for a release or announcement.
Taylor Swift’s Songwriting Legacy Earns Another Major Hall Of Fame Honor
While fans continue searching for clues about future releases, Swift has also received significant recognition for the work that built her career in the first place.
As PEOPLE reported, the star added another historic achievement to her résumé when she was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame’s Class of 2026, becoming the youngest-ever inductee in the organization’s history at age 36.
The announcement was made on August 11 at Belmont University’s Johnson Center, where Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame Foundation executive director Mark Ford unveiled the newest class of honorees.
Swift was selected in the Contemporary Songwriter/Artist category alongside a class that included Lyle Lovett, Shawn Camp, Lee Thomas Miller and Bruce Channel.
The honor carried special significance because Nashville is where Swift launched her songwriting career as a teenager after moving from Pennsylvania to pursue music.
In a statement following the announcement, Swift reflected on her connection to the city, saying, “From the time I started writing songs as a child, I fixated on Nashville as the perfect place to be.”
She added that she wanted “to learn with and from the best and get to immerse myself in a community of storytellers,” calling the recognition from the city she loves “a beautiful thing.”
The induction came just two months after Swift entered the National Songwriters Hall of Fame, further showcasing the extraordinary impact of a catalog spanning country staples.
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From Jessica Biel to Stephen Collins, the cast of the wholesome WB drama has gone down various paths since the show ended.
Perez Hilton’s recovery journey is entering a new phase, but one of the biggest challenges he faces has little to do with physical healing.
Weeks after his hospitalization following a disturbing August 4 incident, the celebrity blogger is reportedly eager to reconnect with the three children he has not seen since being admitted for treatment.
While his wounds continue to heal, family members are taking a cautious approach, prioritizing the well-being of his children as Hilton navigates both physical and mental recovery.
For Perez Hilton, the absence of his children has reportedly become one of the hardest parts of his hospitalization.
Sources close to the family say the blogger has only been able to communicate with Mario, Mia, and Mayte by phone since entering treatment following the incident.
The children were inside Hilton’s Miami home when the episode unfolded. Although it remains unclear how much they witnessed before being taken outside by Hilton’s sister Barbara, family members are determined to avoid exposing them to further distress.
A longtime family friend told the Daily Mail that the 48-year-old’s injuries remain highly visible. “The cuts are bad. Still a lot of bandages. Wounds. They’re on his face and neck and arms. They’re everywhere,” the insider stated.
According to the source, that reality has significantly delayed any in-person reunions. The source revealed, “We don’t need to traumatize them all over again.”
While a Miami judge recently granted Hilton visitation rights, any meeting must be supervised by either an approved family member or a therapist, adding another layer of complexity to the situation.
Hilton Awaits Clearance Before Seeing His Kids Again
Even though visitation has technically been approved, Perez Hilton still faces additional hurdles before reuniting with his children face-to-face.
Court records previously revealed that the blogger must receive psychiatric clearance from a mental health professional before visits can move forward. According to sources, that approval had not yet been granted as of the weekend, though family members remain hopeful that circumstances could change soon.
The delay is not only tied to Hilton’s mental health recovery but also to his physical condition. Family members reportedly want more time for his injuries to heal before the children see him.
“He’s still covered with cuts that are healing, stitches are dissolving and he’s still got some on his face. We’re hoping they can heal a bit more this week before he sees the kids,” a family friend explained.
In the meantime, another source said Hilton’s children are being cared for by their grandmother, Teresita, who currently maintains temporary custody. Family members have emphasized that the children are safe and supported while Hilton continues receiving treatment and working toward the next stage of his recovery.
Perez Hilton Faces Growing Financial Pressure While Hospitalized
Beyond concerns about family reunification, Hilton is also reportedly dealing with mounting financial stress as his recovery stretches into another week.
According to a Las Vegas-based friend, medical expenses have become a major source of anxiety. “Poor Perez has been spending so much money on the hospital and doctors, it has really added up and it’s a nightmare for him,” the source said.
The timing has created additional complications because the father of three was reportedly already struggling professionally before the August incident.
Sources claim several reality television pitches failed to move beyond early development stages, while activity on his celebrity gossip website, historically his primary source of income, declined after an initial spike in traffic following the livestream.
Although Hilton’s team has resumed posting entertainment news and celebrity updates online, insiders say it remains unclear whether the site’s audience will fully rebound.
As a result, those close to Hilton believe he may eventually explore other financial options. One insider suggested a paid interview discussing his experience could generate income, while another noted that his Las Vegas home has already been listed for sale for several months.
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Hilton’s Sister Says She ‘Didn’t Recognize’ Him
While Perez Hilton’s family has been focusing on his recovery and the difficult question of when he can safely reconnect with his children, his sister, Barbara Lavandeira, has provided a deeply personal account of the moment everything changed.
As The Blast reported, Lavandeira described August 4 as “one of the darkest days my family and I have ever experienced,” recalling that her brother had locked himself in his bedroom, which she said was unusual because his door was almost always open.
After he stopped responding, Barbara unlocked the bedroom and discovered him in the bathroom. “When I opened the door, my nightmare became a reality,” she said, adding, “Mario was standing in front of the shower, naked, cut up, covered in blood, with a box cutter in his hand.”
Her most striking description came moments later as she noted, “What I can say with certainty is that I didn’t recognize my brother when I looked at him. I saw it in his eyes. They didn’t look the same. Then, a split second later, he smiled at me. It felt like I was staring at someone else.”
Barbara said she immediately got Hilton’s three children out of the home, called 911 once they were safe, and then returned inside to help stop his bleeding until emergency responders arrived.
She also revealed that Hilton had spoken with her and their mother about feeling “empty, hopeless, and like he was a burden on everyone” shortly before the crisis.
Perez Hilton’s Family Says Entertainment Remains Part Of His Future
As Hilton’s family works through his recovery, another question is emerging: what happens to the career that has defined much of his adult life?
As The Blast reported, his brother-in-law, Tom, revealed that the answer is not necessarily retirement. Despite everything that had happened, Tom believed Hilton still had an attachment to the entertainment world and to the celebrity-gossip business he had built.
“He does what he does because he loves doing it. He got into this because he loves celebrity gossip,” Tom stated while discussing Hilton’s professional future. He added that Hilton “still has love for the entertainment industry.”
However, Tom acknowledged that returning to that world would require more than simply walking back into the spotlight. He said Hilton will need to work out “the best ways to cope with that” as part of his recovery.
The family has not established a timetable for his return to work, and Tom indicated that his immediate focus remained on Hilton’s mental health rather than his career.
That uncertainty comes as Hilton’s longtime website has resumed publishing through his team, allowing the business he created to maintain a presence while he remains away.
Superhero movies are inescapable now, and that’s a statement one’s been able to make for a couple of decades, maybe even a quarter of a century. So, they’ve been more than inescapable just “now.” You’ll sometimes hear rumblings that they’re going away, or waning in popularity, but then bam, something like Spider-Man: Brand New Day comes out and becomes one of the highest-grossing movies ever in a matter of weeks. Like, seriously, look at how much money that thing has made… it casts doubt on the whole “superhero fatigue” thing.
So, they’re popular. And they’re often crowd-pleasing, but not always. Some of the following superhero movies have been popular, but they’re all united by being kind of dark. They’re the most intense superhero movies ever made, basically, with a mix of ones that were largely successful and popular (despite some of the bleakness contained within them) and others that were more violent and less audience-friendly.
10
‘Batman Returns’ (1992)
Batman Returns has admirably bad vibes. The first Batman movie Tim Burton helmed was sufficiently dark, and certainly more intense than most other superhero movies had been up until that point, but Batman Returns was definitely next-level. “Grotesque” feels like an appropriate adjective here, mostly thanks to the villains, and then the dark atmosphere of the first movie is made darker, too.
There is a level of camp in both movies that prevents either from being as full-on as some of the films that’ll be mentioned in a bit, but if Batman Returns wasn’t here, it would feel like too great an omission. It walked (nastily) so other ambitious, mature, and not really kid-friendly superhero movies could run (also nastily; like, big, squelchy footsteps, all through mud) later on.
9
‘Captain America: The Winter Soldier’ (2014)
Someone making the argument that Captain America: The Winter Soldier is more of a spy thriller than a superhero movie might be pushing things a little, but there is still a good deal of espionage-related thriller stuff here. It gets bigger and more superhero-y in its second half, and it is still a piece of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, which might restrict it a little by way of what boundaries can be pushed, yet this does feel more dangerous than the majority of MCU movies for sure.
There is a way that Captain America: The Winter Soldier shakes up the status quo, to some extent, that is pretty neat. There’s only one other MCU movie that does more by way of disrupting the whole (generally stable) cinematic universe, and more on that one in a bit (it is definitely darker than The Winter Soldier, mostly when it comes to its ending).
8
‘Chronicle’ (2012)
Chronicle is a bit of a deconstruction of the whole superhero genre, or at least an attempt to try and do things realistically. It’s grounded, thanks to the found footage style, being about three teenagers who begin developing superpowers after coming across a strange object inside a cave. The abilities they have are fun at first, and then things inevitably get kind of bleak when one of them decides he can strike back at those who bullied him using the powers he has.
It almost feels like a stretch to label it a superhero movie, since there isn’t much by way of heroics, but Chronicle still qualifies… just. It’s good, too, and has proven to be a pretty effective time capsule for the 2010s (the first half of that decade being almost far back enough, now, to be genuinely nostalgic).
7
‘The Batman’ (2022)
Hey, another Batman movie. The Batman was yet another reboot for the character, with Robert Pattinson being yet another actor to play Bruce Wayne/Batman, and he was a surprisingly good one, too. But yeah, like Batman Returns, and at least one other Batman movie that’ll be mentioned a little later, The Batman is moody and intense, and it feels that way for a long time, too.
The Batman is long, clocking in at almost three hours. There is genuine hope at the end of it all (the last words spoken being a sincere “Take care of yourself), and Bruce Wayne/Batman’s character arc here involves moving on from being purely defined by his darkest qualities. That being said, you do get a lot of darkness and an overall very grimy feel to it all in the lead-up to that eventual catharsis, so it still feels like one of the heavier superhero movies of the last decade or so.
6
‘The Crow’ (1994)
Based on a graphic novel that’s all about grief, The Crow (1994) had to be dark. And it went dark earlier than most superhero movies, admittedly coming out after Batman Returns, but being more emotionally raw and violent than that film, mostly thanks to its R rating.
As for the story here, a man comes back from the dead, and avenges his death and that of his fiancée with supernatural powers he has post-resurrection. And there are some other things that go on, but it’s pretty focused compared to the rawer and less narrative-heavy source material. Both are very good in their own ways, though, hitting hard emotionally. Of course, what happened to Brandon Lee during the film’s production inadvertently added to that sense of heaviness… it’s hard not to think about it while watching the movie, for obvious reasons.
5
‘Super’ (2010)
While Super is technically a comedy, it’s about as dark as dark comedies get, and it also gleefully jumps around quite a lot tonally, especially by the time it reaches its final act. It’s also a deconstruction of the superhero genre, kind of like Chronicle, though going for a different thing genre-wise, obviously. Still, the approach here is more or less “Let’s do superheroes, but realistic.”
Also, Super is extra interesting to watch post-2014, since that was the year James Gunn started directing more approachable and crowd-pleasing superhero movies.
Here, the main character who aspires to be a superhero (of sorts) is going through a lot, to put it mildly, and his brutality as a vigilante is funny until it isn’t. Also, Super is extra interesting to watch post-2014, since that was the year James Gunn started directing more approachable and crowd-pleasing superhero movies, starting with Guardians of the Galaxy (even 2021’s The Suicide Squad doesn’t feel as brutal or cynical as Super).
4
‘Avengers: Infinity War’ (2018)
Speaking of Guardians of the Galaxy, the characters from that are featured in Avengers: Infinity War, alongside pretty much all the heroes who’d been introduced in the Marvel Cinematic Universe pre-2018 (no Hawkeye or Ant-Man until the sequel – Endgame – though). Everyone is needed because the film’s antagonist is particularly powerful, and because he wants to eradicate half of all life in the universe.
Thanos is probably the best villain the whole MCU has had to date, and the one to beat going forward. Speaking of being beaten… well, you probably know what happens in Avengers: Infinity War, and why it places here. The intensity of the ending is ultimately resolved, and the cinematic universe kept marching on, but in the moment, it was one hell of a mic drop, before the mic was eventually picked up again. Still…
3
‘Watchmen’ (2009)
Watchmen is the go-to superhero/comic book deconstruction story, and it takes the idea of superheroes realistically while still being quite bold as a work of science fiction. It’s an odd line walked, but it mostly does this by taking place in an alternate history, which lets it get a bit stranger – and not as grounded – as the likes of subsequent superhero deconstructions, like Chronicle and Super.
It’s interesting to compare it to the source material, too, which feels a bit more realistic in some ways (less stylish action and characters who don’t look as Hollywood as the actors who’d go on to portray them) but then you also have to address the giant squid in the room, which is a wilder place that’s gone to narratively than where the film goes. Both the graphic novel and the movie are good, though. If that’s a hot take. It’s hard to know, nowadays.
2
‘Logan’ (2017)
The only thing that’ll cause more despair than Logan is trying to work out where it fits into the whole X-Men timeline, or chronology, or lack thereof. It’s a hopeless endeavor, fitting for a movie that feels very hopeless for 95% of its runtime, The Batman-style (with a tiny bit by way of positive emotions felt by the end of it all, though you do have to work for that small degree of catharsis).
Logan takes place in a dystopian future, with the titular character (AKA Wolverine) dealing with his body finally physically breaking down and degrading, while Charles Xavier is dealing with his mind breaking down. And the whole of society is breaking down, and mutants are going extinct and being hunted. It’s all pretty miserable, but it’s all pretty good, too, so long as you don’t mind the bleakness of it all (or so much of it, at least).
1
‘The Dark Knight’ (2008)
Sure, lots of the previously mentioned movies are more violent than The Dark Knight, which does squeak by with a PG-13 rating (it’s one of the more intense PG-13 movies out there for sure, though), but intensity isn’t directly proportional to the level of violence in a film. The Dark Knight is just relentless with how it feels and how it’s paced, and it was a shock to the system at the time, too.
Most of the previously mentioned superhero movies also came out post-The Dark Knight, and while it’s impossible to say that it definitely influenced all of them, it probably influenced – or paved the way for – at least some of them to go to the places they did, emotionally and thematically. The darkness here isn’t as surprising now, of course, but considering how explosive and game-changing it was back in 2008, this film deserves the #1 spot here.
As Rebel Wilson fights a Hollywood producer’s claims that she tried to damage her reputation, new legal documents have linked the legal battle to Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni’s now-settled It Ends With Us case.
According to documents filed with the Superior Court of the State of California on Tuesday, August 25, and obtained by Us, Amanda Ghost has provided alleged correspondence sent by Wilson, 46, to the same PR company who Lively, 39, alleged orchestrated a smear campaign against her led by Baldoni, 42.
In the documents, texts allegedly sent by Wilson to entertainment publicist Melissa Nathan, suggest that the Pitch Perfect star ordered Nathan to create anonymous websites that tarnished Ghost. (Ghost worked with Wilson on the star’s 2024 directorial debut The Deb, during which the pair experienced a falling out.)
“Question – did you receive my text for the website?” Wilson allegedly wrote to Nathan, per the text exchange. “I never received an invoice.”
UPDATE — 10/4/24, 9:07 a.m. ET: Rebel Wilson filed a countersuit against The Deb producers who accused her of defamation, Us Weekly can confirm. According to court documents obtained by Us, Wilson’s cross-complaint alleges that producers Amanda Ghost, Cameron Gregor and Vince Holden had a pattern of intimidation and threats directed toward Wilson. “Amanda Ghost, Cameron […]
Nathan’s alleged response read, “Morning, so sorry I was asleep. We have full text for the website we hadn’t heard from you – I know that it was a tough few days your end so I didn’t want to keep bugging. Your business manager has already sorted this with Bryan’s office. It will be up shortly once this is done.”
Additional emailed correspondence in Ghost’s filing appeared to show draft text for a website that appeared online in August 2024. The email included content that disparaged Ghost, labeling her “the Indian Ghislaine Maxwell,” which appeared on the site. (Maxwell, 64, is currently serving a 20-year prison sentence for helping the late businessman Jeffrey Epstein groom underage women.)
Rebel Wilson John Phillips/Getty Images
Tuesday’s court documents state that Ghost alleges that Nathan and her firm TAG PR “collectively participated in causing the publication and dissemination of websites (“Ghost Websites”) containing such accusations against Ms. Ghost as that she is involved in “procuring young women for the pleasure of the extremely wealthy.””
The documents also allege that Bryan Freedman, who represented Baldoni after Lively sued the It Ends With Us director at the end of December 2024, which resulted in a countersuit, and Jed Wallace, who was included in “text messages, depositions and legal filings as playing a key role in alleged efforts to damage” Lively’s reputation, per The New York Times.
Blake Lively Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for The Met Museum/Vogue
Baldoni, Wallace and Nathan all denied Lively’s allegations and Lively’s lawsuit was settled in May.
A lawyer for Wilson told The New York Times on Tuesday that the filing was “one-sided and thus incomplete,” adding that “there are two sides to every story, and Ms. Wilson looks forward to telling her side at the trial in this disputed matter.”
Wilson is scheduled to go to trial with Ghost in Los Angeles in January 2027.
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According to Vanessa Hudgens, “magic is always made with Disney.” But if you ask Us, the body-hugging dress style she wore to the Disney Entertainment Showcase is arguably the most enchanting thing we saw during the event. It’s everything dreams are made of with a gorgeous fall-ready hue, flattering details and elevated embellishments that steal the show — and we found a similar look hiding on Amazon.
The D3 Disney event drew stars from our childhood, including Anne Hathaway, the Jonas Brothers, Kristen Bell and more. And while we’re entranced by the star-studded group, our fashion radar immediately went off when Hudgens graced the stage while wearing a floor-length Bottega Veneta maxi dress outfitted with all the bells and whistles. We tracked down the exact dress, which happens to be $3,900 aka a little out of budget. However, that won’t stop Us from getting the style, not when this $33 option is ready for the taking.
Get the Valiamcep Mock-Neck Midi Dress for $33 (was $37) at Amazon! Please note, prices are accurate as of the publishing date but are subject to change.
The Valiamcep Mock-Neck Midi Dress is one of those pieces you’ll wear every chance you get this fall. Similar to Hudgens’ pick, it has a high neckline, comfortable bodycon fit and gold accents that elevate the dress tenfold. The main attraction is definitely the twisted ruched waist, which gathers the fabric around the smallest area of your body to give you that coveted hourglass appearance. It’s no wonder the dress is flattering on women 35 and over!
Although the dress has a bodycon silhouette, the soft and stretchy material makes it feel so comfortable while you walk, sit or dance the night away. The lightweight fabric gives off an easy-going feel that shoppers appreciate, and delivers an opaque appearance to prevent ‘oopsie’ moments. It’s honestly a gorgeous midi dress option that’s ideal for every upscale event from now through November.
Speaking of events, shoppers say this Amazon find is a great option to wear to weddings, nights out and special occasions. We can’t agree more!
A 61-year-old reviewer who wore it to a wedding said they would actually buy the style again. “I loved the ruching around the middle; for those of you who have the menopause middle . . . it’s great,” they wrote. “[I] had all the young girls complementing me.”
Meanwhile, another shopper said the dress is “so comfy, it feels like a part of your body.” And one last fan simply shared that the midi dress is “worth every penny.”
The ultra-flattering midi dress is available in so many autumnal colors, including chocolate brown, burgundy and black. However, if you want to get close to Hudgens’ look, we recommend going with the army green hue. It’s not the exact color as her designer find, but honestly, no one will be the wiser.
Now’s your chance to get the style fall dreams are made of with this mock-neck midi dress on Amazon. It proves you don’t need a Disney Channel star budget to get the look, just a keen eye and a Prime account. Before you know it, this mythical-looking dress will be at your front door. It’s just like magic!
Get the Valiamcep Mock-Neck Midi Dress for $33 (was $37) at Amazon! Please note, prices are accurate as of the publishing date but are subject to change.
Looking for something else? Explore more fall midi dresses here, and don’t forget to check out all of Amazon’s Daily Deals for more great finds!
UsNow Summer Sale Alert: These Chic Fashion Finds are over 30% off – Plus Free Shipping
Welcome to summer with our biggest sale of the year. This summer’s chicest dresses, tops and swimsuits are all over 30% + free shipping. Inventory is limited so hurry before they’re gone.
Christie Brinkley knows how to show up and show out, and yes, we’re referring to the gorgeous coastal-chic outfit she flaunted for a ‘fit check.’ Her look gives instant Hamptons rich mom style, thanks to a few staple pieces that are flowy, comfortable and downright flattering. We’re obsessing over the entire ensemble, but her striped […]
Lifestyle influencer MacKenzie Smith has announced she is splitting from her pro surfer husband, Jeremy Johnston.
“Jeremy and I have decided to end our marriage,” the Florida-based social media star, 39, shared via Instagram on Tuesday, August 25. “The past six months have been some of the hardest of my life. I’ve been struggling physically, mentally and emotionally while navigating the biggest transition I’ve ever faced.”
The “Grilled Cheese Social” content creator continued, “Keeping something this big to myself has honestly felt really lonely. Some days have felt impossibly heavy. But other days, I can finally see little glimpses of brighter days ahead.”
Smith and Johnston, 40, share two children, daughter Poppy and son Jett.
Influencer Jensen Savannah Nichol and her husband have separated after more than nine years together. “Hey y’all. I know many of you have noticed it’s just been me lately. I’ve received a lot of kind messages and questions which is why I wanted to share this once, clearly,” Nichol wrote via Instagram on Friday, January […]
Smith, who is also a food author and Food Network personality, did not expand as to why she has split from Jeremy, whom she married in a surprise wedding in December 2018, but did address public interest in an explanation. “I’m not going to get into the details of why. Some things are ours to work through privately, especially for our kids,” she wrote in the post. “What I will say is that I truly wish Jeremy nothing but the best. Regardless of what we’ve been through, he is the father of my children, and our kids deserve two parents who are healthy, happy and cheering them (and each other) on.”
The influencer, who boasts more than 800,000 Instagram fans alone, also explained that the split has changed her typically enthusiastic career approach and fan engagement. “A few of you have noticed things feel different and that I’ve been more absent than normal and have since reached out,” she explained. “And I truly appreciate it. I do want to say that I haven’t stayed quiet because I’m trying to pretend everything is perfect. Quite honestly, it’s felt like the exact opposite.”
She concluded of her absence, “I waited because I wanted my kids to know before the entire internet did.”
Influencer Jen Hamilton shared another emotional video after sparking speculation that her marriage to husband Brian is over. “OK, no crying,” she began in a TikTok posted on Monday, June 15, which she captioned, “The ‘statement.’” Hamilton continued in her video: “I’m feeling embarrassed and feeling exposed and feeling sad, feeling every single thing you […]
Fans took to the post’s comments section to share their sympathy for Smith’s personal news. “You have so many people who love you and are cheering you on through all of it. We got you, sweet girl!” wrote one fan. Another follower commented, “So glad you took the time to announce your way. Love you to bits.”
Just hours prior to Smith’s announcement going live, Johnston shared a message about community kindness via his own Instagram. “Just sharing a little kindness on Flagler Ave this morning because that’s what our community is all about!” he captioned a video that showed him donating clothes to locals at New Smyrna Beach.
At the time of publication, the athlete, who rarely shares content stemming from his personal life, had not publicly commented on his split from Smith.
When AMC acquired the rights to Anne Rice‘s two most legendary series, The Vampire Chronicles and Lives of the Mayfair Witches, the company always intended to form the Immortal Universe — a collection of television shows based on Rice’s intertwined book world. The opening step toward achieving that goal, Interview with the Vampire, launched to sweeping acclaim and a recently announced Season 4. Step two, Mayfair Witches, has been less successful in general quality and adaptational terms, but has nevertheless secured an upcoming third season.
Talamasca: The Secret Order, AMC’s third and most recent spin-off, happens to be the only entry in the Immortal Universe that is essentially an original show. Members of the covert titular organization feature heavily in Rice’s supernatural catalog, but she never devoted an entire novel to their secretive inner workings. Unfortunately, Talamasca: The Secret Order is also the first spin-off to receive the cancellation death sentence. Although it contends with normal first-season growing pains, the series’ fate is a shame. Thoroughly entertaining, competently constructed, easily bingeable, and bolstered by a distinct tone and superb cast, Talamasca: The Secret Order dives into the intriguing and unexplored corners of Rice’s massive world with aplomb.
‘Talamasca: The Secret Order’ Assembles a Superb Main Cast
Talamasca: The Secret Order‘s creative team, led by John Lee Hancock, builds a mythos largely authentic to Rice’s sensibilities and sets their characters not within their sister series’ Gothic opulence, but in the high-stakes world of espionage thrillers. Given the clandestine shadow that the Talamasca casts across Interview with the Vampire and Mayfair Witches, Talamasca: The Secret Order‘s experimental tone is an impressively canny idea. Hancock dabbles in suspense tropes and archetypes galore: an amateur with raw talent who’s thrown into the deep end, racing to obtain a top-secret artifact, danger lurking around every corner, infiltrating enemy headquarters, dead drops and redacted files and double agents, and a near-omniscient agency — created to monitor, study, and defend humanity from paranormal entities – that’s questionable at best and conspiratorially corrupt at worst.
From there, Talamasca: The Secret Order is a case of letting marvelous actors reel viewers in like a fish on a line. On the page, protagonist and audience surrogate Guy Anatole (Nicholas Denton), a telepath hunting down the truth about his vanished mother, could be the show’s one-note doom. Instead, Denton ensures Guy’s journey remains eminently watchable. Helen (Elizabeth McGovern), Guy’s Talamasca recruiter and the leader of their New York branch (or Mother House), glides between pragmatic leadership and her soft spot for the young man who’s prodding at her hidden wounds.
If the enticingly enigmatic witch Doris (Celine Buckens) easily shoulders the series’ late-stage emotional heft, then Olive (Maisie Richardson-Sellers), Guy’s handler, maintains the enthralling and chameleon-like energy set by her introductory scene. That said, it’s William Fichtner‘s villainous Jasper, in all his razor-precise and scenery-devouring swagger, who runs away with the entire production. Only Guy seems to keep the manipulative, vendetta-fueled, and overwhelmingly charismatic vampire on his toes. Their cat-and-mouse dynamic draws amused fondness and manipulative vulnerability from Jasper — which is quite an intoxicating combination.
‘Talamasca: The Secret Order’ Carves Out an Intriguing Corner of AMC’s Immortal Universe
Talamasca: The Secret Order might not have taken off with as much ferocity as hoped, but its easily correctable flaws (overly predictable beats, heavy-handed dialogue, logistical leaps, inconsistent pacing) only need a little extra finesse to cross the finish line. Its tantalizing concepts, the ones present within Rice’s creative milieu that Interview and Mayfair are limited to lightly touching upon, merit further development. After all, the late author’s sandbox includes more creatures than vampires and witches — not to mention other realms.
Furthermore, the show itself teases worthwhile material surrounding Guy’s mother, vampire experimentation, and the agency’s inherent flaws (tormenting children, molding their targets into loyal-at-all-costs soldiers, murdering their own to cover their tracks, how and why they intervene on behalf of humanity’s supposed protection). Even when it wobbles into clumsy patches, Talamasca‘s strongest qualities deserved more time to secure the show’s identity and accumulate a bigger audience.
Talamasca: The Secret Order
- Release Date
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2025 – 2026-00-00
- Network
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AMC
- Showrunner
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John Lee Hancock, Mark Lafferty
- Directors
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Eva Sørhaug
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Nicholas Denton
Guy Anatole
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With the NFL season gearing up to kick off in Seattle on September 9, many diehard football fans are salivating at the thought of watching their favorite team suit up every week on the gridiron. Part of the anticipation of the season is the annual NFL Draft in April, where hundreds of the best college football players are picked by NFL teams to make the transition to superstardom.
As such, Hollywood took a peek behind the curtain in 2014’s Draft Day, a film that took a fictionalized version of that year’s NFL Draft and turned it into a riveting drama ripe with split screen phone calls, deep cut sports trivia, and a compelling narrative that put it all on the line. And yet, there was one thing missing from this quintessential football film– An actual game of football.
The clock is always ticking
In Draft Day, which appropriately takes place entirely on the day of the NFL Draft, the Cleveland Browns’ general manager Sonny Weaver Jr. (Kevin Costner) trades for the highly coveted first overall pick, leaving him and his staff mere hours to decide who they will take number one overall. All eyes are on the Heisman winning quarterback Bo Callahan (Josh Pence), who might not have the best character, but Sonny is set on linebacker Vontae Mack (the late Chadwick Boseman), despite numerous staff members not on board with the idea.
While the film on the surface may not seem terribly exciting, being primarily comprised of phone calls and lots of discussion of sports statistics, what makes it interesting is the fast-paced ticking clock narrative. With only hours to make a potentially career-altering decision, Sonny is constantly under pressure, both professional and personal, since his coworker and girlfriend Ali Parker (Jennifer Garner) has just told him that she’s pregnant with his baby.
Behind the scenes of the NFL Draft
The film also shines a light on an often overlooked portion of the game of football- the building of a roster. What few take into account while watching the NFL Draft is how much strategy and foresight is involved with the event. Teams must not only draft for the future and build a team that can help them win, but predict the moves of rival teams and possibly take advantage of their needs. This is proven in the film when Sonny makes the risky move of trading back into the first round directly in front of the Seattle Seahawks in order to get them to trade with the Browns to get their coveted player.
There are also numerous factors that play into why a team chooses a certain player. Sonny and his staff do their due diligence on Callahan by watching his game film- the only time in the film the audience gets to see a football game– calling his coaches, and digging into his past. Not to mention that Sonny is repeatedly contacted by other teams who want a player currently on the Browns’ roster who Sonny isn’t quite ready to part with. The wheeling and dealing is part of the business of football and the film showcases that sometimes, it’s not an easy road to success.
Even though the stakes may not seem high, the film elevates the drama by sprinkling in character moments that are truly unique. Sonny’s mother (Ellen Burstyn) arrives and demands that he help her spread his late father’s ashes on the practice field, but the already stressed out Sonny refuses. What makes this work is that neither Sonny nor his mother are right or wrong and the audience understands both their mindsets, which carries over to all the interpersonal relationships of every character in the film. Nobody has ill intent or is too far in one direction, they’re just doing their jobs.
Despite a lack of action-packed football, Draft Day celebrates the game and even shows it in a new light. Focusing on the people behind the scenes, as well as the fast-paced world of the Draft, the film is a must watch for sports fans and a compelling drama on top of that.
- Release Date
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April 7, 2014
- Runtime
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120minutes
ABC’s music-drama answer to the culture that was set up by Step Up (2007) and its future installments (although they were about romance and dance), concluded in 2018, but it’s still a binge-watch gem thanks to its six seasons and rave reviews. For the past year, the series starring the late Hayden Panettiere has been available to stream on Netflix, but it is set to leave the service in a couple of weeks.
Few network dramas blurred soap opera and the actual machinery of an entertainment industry as effectively as Nashville did. And instead of treating country music as decoration, the series built actual careers around record deals, radio play, songwriting credits, touring, label politics, the Grand Ole Opry, and Nashville institutions such as the Bluebird Cafe. In addition to Panettiere, the show also starred Clare Bowen, Charles Esten, Jonathan Jackson, Maisy Stella, and Eric Close, among others. The show ended up sprouting into broadway as well.
However, here’s the catch. Nashville, while is set to leave Netflix on September 15, the show is actually available to stream for free on Pluto TV. The series circles the life of fictional country music singers and released over 200 original songs commercially through its historic six-season, 124-episode run.
Which Actors on Nashville Sang Their Own Songs?
Franchises like Step Up and Pitch Perfect became fascinating not just because the actors were acting, but also because the same faces were also genuinely singing and dancing. It was the same case with Nashville, except it was a long show, and that puts it on a bigger pedestal. One of Nashville’s smartest tricks was that the music was not dubbed. Connie Britton, Hayden Panettiere, Charles Esten, Clare Bowen, Sam Palladio, Jonathan Jackson, Chris Carmack, Lennon and Maisy Stella, and the other singing cast members performed their own vocals.
The songs, however, often came from genuine Music Row heavyweights. T Bone Burnett served as executive music producer in Nashville Season 1 before Buddy Miller took over. Then the writers included but weren’t limited to Kacey Musgraves, Hillary Lindsey, Shane McAnally, Natalie Hemby, and John Paul White of The Civil Wars. The whole show, therefore, had a heavy machinery backing that whole process.
Nashville is all set to leave Netflix on September 15, so there are only a few weeks left to catch up. But the show is also available to stream for free on ad-supported Pluto TV. Stay tuned to Collider for more updates.
- Release Date
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2012 – 2018-00-00
- Directors
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Callie Khouri, Stephen Cragg, Michael Lohmann, Allan Arkush, Julie Hébert, Michael Waxman, Paul McCrane, Arlene Sanford, Dan Lerner, Eric Stoltz, Jean de Segonzac, Lily Mariye, Mario Van Peebles, Mike Binder, Timothy Busfield, Bethany Rooney, Dawn Wilkinson, Devon Gummersall, Eric Close, Jan Eliasberg, Ron Underwood, Sanaa Hamri, Patrick R. Norris, Jet Wilkinson
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Hayden Panettiere
Juliette Barnes
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Clare Bowen
Scarlett O’Connor
-
Charles Esten
Deacon Claybourne
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Jonathan Jackson
Avery Barkley
Entertainment
Quentin Tarantino’s Vision for James Bond’s Future Is Exactly What the Franchise Needs
One of the big questions on movie fans’ minds this year is who will be stepping into the tuxedo of Bond, James Bond, in the 26th installment of the long-running franchise. As the series turns a page following Daniel Craig’s farewell in 2021’s No Time to Die, everyone has an opinion on what director Denis Villeneuve should do as he reboots the world’s most famous spy story.
In 2023, Quentin Tarantino joined that chorus, while discussing his own history with the character. An ill-fated attempt to make his own Bond movie came and went in the 1990s, but the man behind such classics as Reservoir Dogs and Kill Bill offered his own take on what we should be seeing in future iterations of MI6’s finest.
Quentin Tarantino Flirted with the Bond Franchise in the ‘90s
At the peak of his powers, the director sought to create an outlaw Bond movie, developed without classic Bond producers EON Productions. This seemed possible, due to the fact that the rights to Casino Royale were owned by an entity outside the main franchise (a non-canon movie was made from them in 1967, with David Niven playing an older Bond). Tarantino told Deadline he wanted to make his own, stand-alone Bond movie as his follow-up to Pulp Fiction, set in the ‘60s, with no intention of a sequel.
According to his own recollection, EON Productions secured the rights to Casino Royale in the late ‘90s, and decided he was not the kind of director they wanted on board: “I was always told very flattering versions of like, ‘Look, we love Quentin, but we make a certain kind of movie, and unless we f*** it up, we make a billion dollars every time we make that type of movie, OK? We don’t want him to do it.’”
Casino Royale would eventually be realized as an EON Bond movie in 2006, becoming Daniel Craig’s debut in the role and reigniting the franchise for a new millennium. Despite the rejection, Tarantino was a fan of the Craig era, describing it as a “good run.” But the Oscar winner does have opinions on where the franchise should go following Craig’s departure.
The ‘Pulp Fiction’ Legend Knows What He Wants From a Bond Movie
Many James Bond fans yearn for the franchise to return to its roots, offering the hard-edged espionage tales that were the defining feature of Ian Fleming’s original novels. Tarantino seems to be one of those fans, whether he directs the story or not. When asked where he thought the franchise should go, he told Deadline: “What I think they should do, and I’ve been thinking they should do this for a long time, is so many of the books have these really classic names and really classic adventures. And for the most part, a lot of them, they never did the book. They never did the stories.”
“They took the plot line and maybe the Bond girl or maybe the villain and then just went their own way.” he continued. “I think they should not remake the movies but actually just do the books, but do them the way they were written. And those would all be brand new.” All fourteen books published by Fleming have been adapted into films, with varying degrees of faithfulness to the source material. 2006’s Casino Royale was the last film to be adapted from one of the novels, with original stories being written for most of 007’s adventures from the late ‘80s onwards. With this in mind, a new Bond with an old mindset might freshen up the 64-year-old franchise.
Denis Villeneuve May Be Taking a Similar Inspiration
Two years after Tarantino made the comments, Denis Villeneuve was announced as the director of the forthcoming Bond movie, with a script written by Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight. Tarantino may have been on the wrong side of the French-Canadian filmmaker before, publicly saying he refused to watch his Dune movies as he views them as remakes (Villeneuve’s response clarified that he saw them as separate adaptations rather than remakes of films that had come before).
Nevertheless, they do share one thing in common: a love for Casino Royale. Whereas Tarantino tried to adapt the novel himself, Villeneuve appreciated the 2006 movie as a fan of the franchise, calling it his “favorite” Bond movie and Daniel Craig “the ultimate James Bond.” These remarks were made in a podcast interview prior to his involvement with the forthcoming movie, but they give an idea of what he appreciates in a 007 blockbuster.
While they make very different types of movies, both men share similar values when it comes to directing: an auteur’s vision, a knack for world-building, and character-driven stories that contain a violent edge. As such, there’s every chance Quentin Tarantino will be nodding in approval when he watches the new James Bond makes his entrance, as it will be brought to the screen by someone with similar views as to what makes the character special.
- Release Date
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November 17, 2006
- Runtime
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144 minutes
- Director
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Martin Campbell
- Writers
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Neal Purvis, Paul Haggis, Robert Wade, Ian Fleming
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