Ross Matthews and husband Wellinthon García-Mathews celebrated their anniversary Caribbean-style this year.

“We marked four years on May 7 [and] we were like, ‘What should we do? What should we do?’ And then this opportunity came up, and we were like, ‘What better way to celebrate than going somewhere tropical that feels like it’s full of love?’ and that’s what it’s been,” Matthews, 46, reveals exclusively of their getaway to Beaches Turks & Caicos in the latest issue of Us Weekly, on newsstands now. “Every night, we’ve been at a different restaurant here, and it’s been this extended celebration.”

The TV personality tied the knot with García-Mathews in Puerto Vallarta — the same place they first met — in May 2022, but what have they learned since saying “I do”?

“That he’s my favorite person, but I already knew that when I said yes,” García-Mathews quipped to Us.

Related: How Chad Michael Murray and More Stars Celebrated Beaches‘ New Resort

Chad Michael Murray, Kelly Bensimon and more celebs brought their undeniable star power to the Caribbean for the grand opening of Treasure Beach Village at Beaches Turks & Caicos — and Us Weekly was there to soak in every moment. The action-packed weekend culminated on Saturday, May 16, with the Treasure Beach Village Bash, complete […]

Added Matthews, “I’ve learned how special a partnership can be when it’s the right fit, and you feel like you can tackle the world, because even if you fall flat on your face, they’re going to pick you up and say, ‘OK, let’s keep going.’ And there’s such a freedom in that, in knowing that you’re not alone in the world. I feel very safe.”

The pair traveled to the Caribbean resort to celebrate the opening of Treasure Beach Village, which had its grand opening party on May 16. Also in attendance were Abbey Romeo, Amanda Kloots, Boris Kodjoe and Nicole Ari Parker, Bryan Greenberg and Jamie Chung, Chad Michael Murray, David and Odette Annable, Dorinda Medley, Jesse Eisenberg, Kelly Bensimon, Nico Tortorella, Melissa Roxburgh,  Sasha Pieterse and Taye Diggs.

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“Just flying in, seeing the color of the water from the plane, getting out of the car here, they were singing and there was music and there were smiles and the breeze hits you,” Matthews told Us of his favorite part of the experience. “It feels like I’m in another planet where everybody is happy. That’s what it feels like here.”

The couple’s romantic anniversary celebration comes on the heels of Pride Month, and the RuPaul’s Drag Race judge told Us why it is a crucial time to celebrate queer love.

“It always feels like the most important time, but it certainly feels like it now just because we made so much progress, and it kind of feels like there have been attempts to stifle that progress,” he said. “So, I think we need to double down now and just remind people that the genie’s out of the bottle, honey. We’re not going anywhere. And why would you want us to? We’re fabulous!”

By TeeJay Small
| Updated 1 hour ago

While we can all agree that Leonardo DiCaprio was long overdue for his Oscar award when he finally received it for The Revenant in 2015, the debate for his best performance continues to rage on to this day. Some say DiCaprio should have won an Academy Award for his work on films such as Django Unchained, The Wolf of Wall Street, or 2006’s Martin Scorsese directed The Departed. The latter serves as one of the greatest crime films of the 21st century and is currently available to stream on Hulu.

A Dream Team Of A-Listers

The Departed serves as the third of seven collaborative efforts between Martin Scorsese and Leonardo DiCaprio, and is an American adaptation of the 2002 Hong Kong film, Internal Affairs. After choosing to set the adaptation in Boston, Massachusetts, Scorsese decided to restructure the film to loosely adapt the true story of notorious Boston crime kingpin James “Whitey” Bulger.

After fleeing Boston and going into hiding in the mid 1990s, Bulger was listed as number two on the FBI’s most wanted list, second only to Osama Bin Laden.

The Departed features an all-star ensemble cast consisting of Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, Jack Nicholson, Mark Wahlberg, Martin Sheen, Alec Baldwin, Vera Farmiga, Anthony Anderson, and more, marking the film as a who’s who of A-list performers.

Brad Pitt also serves as a producer on the film, apparently purchasing the rights to the adaptation himself before handing over the director reigns to Martin Scorsese. The film also holds a special place in Scorsese’s filmography, serving as his only Oscar win among over a dozen well-deserved nominations.

More Cat And Mouse Than Tom & Jerry

The film follows a complex series of interweaving plot lines surrounding Boston’s criminal underworld, led by Jack Nicholson‘s Frank Costello, a fictionalized version of Whitey Bulger.

As Costello grooms his protege, Matt Damon’s Colin Sullivan, to become a spy inside the Massachusetts State Police, Leonardo DiCaprio’s Billy Costigan Jr. is recruited by a special task force to act as a man on the inside of Costello’s gang. To make things even more complicated, one of Costigan’s only allies within the police force is his department-appointed psychiatrist, Vera Farmiga’s Madolyn Madden, who is the girlfriend of Officer Sullivan.

Through a series of highly intense action sequences, Matt Damon and Leonardo DiCaprio engage in a game of cat and mouse, finding themselves each searching for one another around every corner without tipping their identity to the other. Soon thereafter, it is revealed how Costello was able to maintain a stranglehold on Boston’s crime world for so long unimpeded, adding another twist to the narrative.

Double Agents Double Crossing

The similarities between Costello and Boston mobster Whitey Bulger seem to come to a bloody end towards the film’s shocking conclusion. In reality, Whitey Bulger was killed by inmates hours after being transferred to a penitentiary in Hazelton, West Virginia at the age of 89 in 2011, 5 years after The Departed had been released. The fictionalized version of Bulger has a very different fate.

From this point in the film, the bloodshed continues, as droves of double agents working for both Costello and the state of Massachusetts begin locating and killing one another in an effort to protect themselves from a growing list of federal indictments, with Matt Damon and Leonardo DiCaprio at the center of it all.

The Departed was praised for its complex screenplay, nuanced performances, and incredible direction from Scorsese. Many film fans maintain to this day that the performance delivered by Leonardo DiCaprio in the film was the best of his career, building on the at-the-time popular trend of deriding the Oscars for not awarding the star his due Award for his long-celebrated acting chops.

The film received massive critical and audience success, amassing scores of 91 percent and 94 percent from critics and audiences, respectively on Rotten Tomatoes.

Following the success of The Departed, Martin Scorsese has since recruited Leonardo DiCaprio to lead in 4 more fantastic films, including Shutter Island (2010), The Wolf of Wall Street (2013), The Audition (2015), and Killers of the Flower Moon (2023). The pair have maintained an incredible working relationship together since first collaborating on 2002’s Gangs of New York, leaving audiences hopeful that the duo can continue to capture their magic in numerous films to come.

In the meantime, The Departed is streaming on Hulu as of this writing.

Miguel has plenty to say about how his partner, Margaret Zhang, has impacted his life. He shared a list in his Instagram shoutout celebrating her 33rd birthday. The couple shares a 1-year-old child.

RELATED: Aht! Aht! Miguel Explains Timeline Between His Divorce From Nazanin Mandi And Having A Baby With Margaret Zhang (VIDEO)

Miguel Says Margaret Zhang Is His “Advocate…Bullsh*t Detector” 

As mentioned, Miguel posted about his partner on her actual birthday, May 27. He opened his lengthy caption by saying that it’s impossible for him to describe everything she is to him. But here are a few titles he shared: “Advocate. Advisor. Bullshit detector. Protector. Defender. Dream builder. Lawyer. Accountability officer. Leadership Coach. Cheerleader. Marketing advisor. Creative Partner. Voice of Reason. Partner. Even when others in my circle couldn’t, you always went 1000%.” Then, the singer thanked Margaret Zhang for her character and “the greatest blessing of fatherhood” with their son, Angelito.

“I want to say thank you. Not just for all the ways you’ve gone hard for me, but for your integrity and resilience, and sense of humor and thoughtfulness, and tenacity. But most of all for giving me the greatest blessing of fatherhood and Angel. This is your year and you deserve all the flowers and blessings coming your way! HAPPY BIRTHDAY GUAJILLO STRAWBERRY !! 🎂 I love you. We love you. -M”

Meanwhile, the post featured photos of Margaret and Angelito as an infant and a toddler. It also had photos of Zhang alone and then a family shot from behind.

Social Media Reacts To Singer’s Birthday Shoutout

For unknown reasons, Miguel has the comment section of his birthday shoutout closed. Still in about 15 hours, the Instagram post has garnered over 95,000 likes. Meanwhile, in The Shade Room’s comment section, a repost of Miguel’s captions and photos got over 2,000 comments. And while some of are loving his new chapter, others were mentioning his past, particularly with ex-wife, Nazanin Mandi and criticizing his choice of words in the caption. Some even appeared to throw a lil’ shade at the birthday girl.

Roommate @janeechanell commented, “Still can’t believe he no longer with my girl,all she loved was him,cats and modeling… I don’t understand 😭.”

“Hmmmm reading the caption, I’m glad Naz got away. 🙏🏽✨,” @thatsso_lisa added.

“My biggest fear is my man getting on Beyoncé’s internet telling the whole world how I’m such a good man to him like huh?!😳,” @_naturallove_ said.

“So he loves her for everything she does for him not for who she is – like ‘ I can’t list all the things you are : brilliant, spiritual, witty, wise, beautiful etc…” He loves her cause she’s basically like a mother to him lolol,” @kelly_cybele_a wrote.

“Protector and Defender in INSANE. Idgaf what y’all say 😂 that is unbelievable,” @_elane commented.

“Ain’t no way I’m letting any man call me their protector or defender this ain’t the National Guard wtf? 😮 hbd tho 🤷🏽‍♀️,” @danijosie18 said.

“Brother on her arms no Brother on yalls 😂😂😂,” @itsjustfrankieee_ joked.

“Listen ppl need to stop thinking you have to stay in those long relationships sometimes those be in the way of living your real life,” @thegoldenchild_ weighed in.

“Bro said F a baddie, he wants a Kpop demon hunter,” @amy_ninety2 said.

“Y’all tripping , both partners should defend and protect each other. Yall mindset is why your relationships don’t last,” @naesbeauty_bar added.

“May this love NOT find me EVER 😂,” @a.andy.r commented.

“I miss the other lady,” @lalawhatever said.

“I think Naz dodged this bullet. 🤨,” @kassendrae281819 wrote.

What To Know About Miguel’s Past & Present Love Life 

Miguel gagged his fans last October when he introduced his first and only child, Angelito, on Instagram and revealed the boy’s mom, Margaret. To this day, he hasn’t revealed the toddler’s face on the internet. Mama Zhang hasn’t either. Like her man, the former Vogue China editor-in-chief shared an IG dump for Angelito’s first birthday. But the details of how her and Miguel got together? Still, unclear. In her comment section last year, Miguel wrote, “Best Mommy.”

Miguel revealing his little family on the ‘gram, of course, sparked questions about his ex-wife. As of last year, it had been three years since Naz and Miguel had divorced. They formerly dated on-and-off for about 17 years before dissolving their marriage in California based on irreconcilable differences. It’s unclear whether the ex-couple maintained a friendship following their split.

RELATED: Royalty Brown Celebrates Her 12th Birthday With Coachella-Themed Party & Fans Can’t Get Enough (VIDEO)

Pilates body! The Pilates Class founder Jacqui Kingswell has taught her signature method to A-listers including Nina Dobrev, Sydney Sweeney, Emma Roberts, Miranda Kerr, Kaia Gerber, and Olivia Culpo, but she’s telling ET there’s a lot more to the workout than toned abs and matching sets.

“People think that Pilates is easy, or that it’s just stretching, but when you’re doing it properly, it’s incredibly challenging. It requires strength, control, and a lot of focus,” she spills, ahead of returning to Los Angeles, California for her second TPC world tour in June.

Unlike fitness regimens that rely on pushing yourself to the limit, Kingswell’s technique is centered around slowing down and becoming more in tune with your body.

“There’s a real emphasis on form and connection,” she explains. “We concentrate on how something feels, not just how it looks.”

While Pilates may appear graceful from the outside, Kingswell says the burn, and the results, come from precision and control.

“Movement can and should be enjoyable. It isn’t just physical, it’s emotional and mindful as well,” the former professional dancer shares.

“It’s not about rushing through movements. It’s about understanding your body on a deeper level and really experiencing it.”

That same philosophy also influences the way the trainer structures her head-to-toe routines.

“We create balance throughout the entire body rather than isolating one area. … We always come back to the core because it holds deep, stabilizing muscles that support everything else. … From there, we layer in glutes, inner thighs, posture, and back body strength,” she notes.

And for anyone who feels intimidated stepping onto a mat or machine for the first time, Kingswell wants to make one thing clear.

“Pilates is for everyone. … It’s one of the most adaptable and empowering ways to move.”

Beyond stronger muscles and better posture, Kingswell believes the practice can transform your mindset, too.

“It’s a holistic approach focused on consistency, feeling good in your body, and seeing incredible results without exhausting yourself,” she notes.

“Your body feels strong, supported, and aligned, and mentally, you feel more connected to yourself and more present.”

Outside of the studio, Kingswell brings that same energy into her daily life. 

“Find that rhythm where you feel good, not restricted, and give yourself the grace you deserve,” she suggests.

“I try to have one day a week where I digitally detox, and I’m really intentional about putting my phone down during mealtimes with my family throughout the week. … I also try not to take life too seriously and if I’m craving something, I’ll eat it. If I don’t feel like working out, I won’t force it. You’re not truly living a healthy life if you’re not enjoying it.”

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Jenelle Evans played the stalking tune, and nd unconvinced fans are making her dance to the music.

The former “16 And Pregnant” star has been a dartboard for backlash after declaring online that she was being stalked by media outlets. She was filmed on May 27 packing up a U-Haul with the help of her ex-husband, David Eason, to move out of her Las Vegas home.

Jenelle Evans was in the headlines earlier this year for legal battles with her mom, Barbara Evans, with whom she has a pre-existing, strained relationship. The mother-daughter duo has been battling over custody of the TV star’s oldest son, Jace.

Evans made a bold statement on social media after she was reportedly filmed moving out of her Las Vegas home.

The former reality TV star tagged the video on X, which showed her on crutches packing up the moving truck with her ex-husband, Eason.

She claimed that posting such updates about her life was a result of stalking, jokingly inquiring why news outlets were airing her business since her days on TV are long past.

“It’s crazy how much I’m stalked when I’m not even a celebrity and not on TV anymore. Why do any of you care? [laughing in tears emoji],” she wrote, tagging the original post. Little did Evans know that her post opened Pandora’s box of backlash.

Fans Followed The ‘Teen Mom 2’ Alum’s Post With Heat

Internet users wasted no time replying to Evans’ post, calling her out on the stalking claims. “It’s not stalking when you call TMZ and allow them access to enter the gated community so you can get some gas money for your move because you are broke,” a commenter noted.

Another shared the same thought, writing “Shut Up B-tch! You are not fooling anyone! Everyone knows that you paid them good money to  take the pics and put them on their site…”

“You could always stop calling them. Like you said, you are no one,” a different user replied to the TV star’s post.

Another commenter pointed out that Evans was looking directly at the cameras in the video from the news outlet, stressing that it could not have been stalking since it appeared she was aware of their presence.

“B-tch, you CALL TMZ and get paid to give your stories to them so STFU,” a user clapped back in the comments, while another stated that everyone loves to see a trainwreck.

Someone highlighted the former reality TV star’s physique, writing, “You are looking quite chunky compared to those highly edited OF pics.”

Where Is The TV Personality Moving To?

TMZ shared that, according to sources, Evans is saying goodbye to Las Vegas and hello to Florida. The footage showed the mom of three and Eason hurry around their home, grabbing some items and loading up the rental truck.

Eason also helped Evans, who is on crutches, move a car onto an elevated truck bed where it will sit till she gets to her destination.

It is unclear if the reality TV star’s ex is also relocating with the rest of the family, as whispers of rekindled romance make waves.

The mom of three cleared the air recently, insisting that she and Eason are focused on co-parenting even though their relationship appears to be more romantic than platonic.

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The pair was recently spotted spending quality time at a showing of “The Wizard of Oz” with the kids.

The ’16 And Pregnant’ Alum’s Legal Battles

Evans has been embroiled in a heated custody battle with her mother and high school sweetheart, Andrew Lewis, over her eldest child, Jace.

Earlier this year, it was reported that Jace pulled out a gun on his grandmother and threatened to harm both of them.

Barbara had custody of Jace before granting it back to Evans, but this year, she filed an emergency motion to regain custody of her grandson.

The motion was denied as shared by The Blast, but Barbara was far from giving up. She and Lewis joined forces to fight for Jace legally.

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Following the disturbing incident, the troubled teen was checked into a mental facility, as there were raised concerns of drug use and drinking.

Lewis started a GoFundMe campaign tagged “Help Bring Jace Evans Home,” requesting financial assistance to cover the legal fees and medical expenses for Jace’s stay at the mental hospital.

According to an earlier report from The Blast, Lewis claimed he was prompted to start the crowdfunding platform after many fans reached out asking how they could help with the situation.

He also noted that he was teaming up with Barbara since they were both cut off from communicating with Jace, despite attempts to give him a stable and loving home.

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How Jenelle Evans Lost Custody Of Her Eldest Son Initially

Evans found out she was pregnant at 16 and became a mom in 2009 at seventeen years old. She claims that losing custody of her son came as a result of a setup by her mom in her memoir.

Her relationship with Barbara was already rocky, but became permanently fractured after the incident that made her sign away her parental rights.

In “Read Between the Lines: From the Diary of a Teenage Mom,” Evans claimed her mom urged her to go out one night with friends, a moment she now realizes she “should have been suspicious” of, only to return the next morning to find Child Protective Services at her door.

PEOPLE reports that the mom of three strongly believes Barbara tipped them off, writing, “My mother had set me up, and I had fallen hard for it.”

She claimed that the incident pushed her into a corner, with no choice but to sign over custody of Jace to her mother. CPS had threatened to have him placed in foster care if she didn’t.

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Evans shared that at that time, she did  “what I thought was the right thing,” by signing over custody to Barbara, but vowed she “would get him back and would be a great single mom.” 

Gayle King’s personal life has suddenly returned to the spotlight after her ex-husband publicly responded to painful memories from their marriage that she recently revisited on a podcast.

The longtime television host opened up about the devastating moment she caught him cheating with a close family friend decades ago.

Now, William Bumpus is addressing the scandal himself, offering an emotional apology while admitting the affair permanently changed the course of their family and marriage.

William Bumpus broke his silence after Gayle King detailed the shocking moment she discovered his affair during an appearance on the “Call Her Daddy” podcast.

King and Bumpus were married from 1982 until 1993 and share two children together, daughter Kirby and son William Jr. Although their marriage ended years ago, the painful betrayal resurfaced after the CBS personality publicly reflected on the experience.

Following the interview, Bumpus released a statement to TMZ apologizing to King and their family for the damage caused by his actions.

“My deepest apologies to Gayle, to our daughter Kirby and her husband, Virgil, to our son William and his wife, Elise, and to our three grandchildren, for the pain I caused decades ago,” he said.

Bumpus also acknowledged that the affair was entirely his responsibility.

“Those actions were mine. I have long owned them — including publicly in my own words in 2016, which still stand,” he added.

The attorney further admitted that King deserved the right to openly discuss the difficult chapter.

He added, “Gayle has every right to share what was a painful chapter that changed the trajectory of our marriage and our family nearly forty years ago. I respect her right to tell her story, and that’s where I’ll leave it.”

Gayle King’s Ex Reflects On Marriage Struggles

Beyond addressing the affair itself, Bumpus also opened up about the difficulties he experienced while married to someone living such a public life.

According to him, he struggled with balancing privacy and King’s growing media success during their relationship.

“As a private person by nature, I will admit that during our marriage I did not fully appreciate Gayle’s public life — I wanted ours to be more private, and that was something I wrestled with, and no reflection on her true talent and abilities,” he explained.

Despite their painful history, Bumpus spoke warmly about King’s accomplishments and support throughout his life.

He said, “I am proud to have had a front-row seat to Gayle’s remarkable success, and I remain a genuine admirer and fan.”

He also revealed that he still feels deeply thankful for the family they built together.

Bumpus said he remains “endlessly grateful to Gayle” for giving him “two of the greatest gifts of my life — our daughter Kirby and our son William.”

He additionally credited King for supporting his educational journey, revealing that she “encouraged and supported” him while he earned his Yale Law degree.

King And William Bumpus Remain Close Today

Although the affair destroyed their marriage decades ago, Bumpus insisted the two eventually found peace while raising their children together.

He praised Gayle King for helping them successfully co-parent from the very beginning following their divorce.

“The love and camaraderie we forged in that work have carried us all these years,” he said while discussing their parenting relationship.

Bumpus also shared that he and King are still on good terms today despite everything they endured together.

“She recently sent warm wishes to Poet, my teenage daughter, on her 16th birthday, which meant a great deal to us both,” he revealed.

The attorney concluded his statement by explaining that family remains his biggest priority now.

He said he continues working toward being “the best version” of himself while staying “grounded by the friendship, encouragement, and support of Gayle over the years, by the love of our grown children and our grandchildren, and by the daily privilege of raising Poet as a single dad.”

“That is where my focus remains — on my family, on my clients, and on the work ahead,” he added.

Gayle King Recalled Catching Husband With Family Friend

Bumpus’ statement arrived shortly after King stunned listeners by describing the exact moment she discovered the affair inside their home.

Speaking with Alex Cooper, King recalled returning unexpectedly from Washington, D.C., alongside her two young children before realizing something was terribly wrong.

As she approached the house, her husband suddenly rushed toward her, wearing only a towel.

“He comes flying out of the room and he’s got a towel on, and he goes, ‘You can’t come in,’” King remembered.

According to the television host, he warned her that another person was inside the home. At first, she believed there had to be some innocent explanation because she was so “oblivious.”

That quickly changed once she noticed his growing panic.

King said she searched the house herself before eventually discovering the woman “cowering behind the door” in her own towel.

The betrayal felt even more painful because the woman involved was someone King had considered a trusted family friend.

Oprah Winfrey’s Reaction Made The Situation Worse

Gayle King also revealed that she had long suspected her husband before catching him in the act.

During an earlier interaction, she overheard the woman compliment Bumpus on his tennis abilities, which immediately raised her concern.

The longtime broadcaster later confronted him about the uncomfortable moment, but she claimed he instantly denied that anything inappropriate was happening.

“What are you talking about?” he allegedly responded after she questioned him.

Still, King admitted she did not fully believe an affair was taking place until she physically witnessed the situation herself inside their home.

Afterward, she turned to one of her closest friends, Oprah Winfrey, for support while processing the emotional fallout.

According to King, Winfrey immediately understood the devastating reality of the situation and delivered a blunt response after hearing the story.

“You don’t even know how bad this is,” Winfrey told her.

Social media users are sharing reactions after Lil Yachty posted new photos alongside Karrahbooo following their highly publicized online feud.

Related: Oh Wow! Mariah The Scientist Recalls How Her Ex-Boyfriend Lil Yachty Dissed Songs She Made For Him (VIDEO)

Lil Yachty Shares New Photos With Karrahbooo

On Tuesday, May 26, Lil Yachty took to Instagram to share photos alongside members of his Concrete Boys collective. One photo, in particular, caught fans’ attention after Yachty appeared to zoom in on himself standing alongside rapper Karrahbooo. In the flick, Karrahbooo flashes a smile while Lil Yachty wraps his arm around her, seemingly hinting that tensions between the two may have cooled off. Adding to the reunion conversation, Lil Yachty also shared another photo featuring members of the Concrete Boys collective alongside Karrahbooo, captioning the post, “v3 otw, gang is back.” The link-up quickly sparked conversation online due to the pair’s public feud and Karrahbooo’s previous claims that she had been kicked out of the rap group.

Social Media Reacts

Social media users immediately flooded The Shade Room Teens’ comment section with reactions to the unexpected reunion.

Instagram user @lynnforeverdtn wrote, “I love this for concrete 🥺🥺🥺”

Another Instagram user @meowcle wrote, “Thank god. She needs him 🙂‍↔️”

While Instagram user @ahjj.___ wrote, “It should’ve never been no beef to begin with 😭”

Instagram user @dabundlesboss wrote, “Y’all be too excited to be coo with ppl who show you they true colors.”

Another Instagram user @inactivema wrote, “After the way he disrespected you… you’re all 32??”

While Instagram user @itstajiaaa wrote, “While time this all she wanted 😭”

Instagram user @canaryk_ wrote, “Ok is he gonna pay her or what 😭😭😭😂😂 cause no way I’m looking with a n**** who stopped my bag and bragged about it.”

Another Instagram user @bashbaeby wrote, “This made my heart smile cuz I refused to listen to the newest album since she wasn’t on there lol.”

While Instagram user @beresowavey wrote, “Oh yeah they never beating the allegations 😂”

Karrahbooo Previously Said Lil Yachty Had Her In A 360 Deal

Lil Yachty and Karrahbooo’s public fallout began in July 2024 after fans noticed her name had been removed from the Concrete Boys Instagram bio and that she had unfollowed Yachty and other members of the collective. Yachty later addressed the situation during a livestream, where he accused Karrahbooo of verbally abusing people and responded to claims that she had been kicked out of the group. During that time, Karrahbooo also took to social media, claiming Yachty was preventing her from releasing music despite no longer being a part of the group.

In May 2025, Karrahbooo later appeared on a livestream with streamer Jordyn Lucas, where she revealed that she and Yachty had privately squashed their beef but claimed he still had her in a”“360 deal.” At this time, it remains unclear whether the pair have fully resolved their business issues amid their recent reunion.

Related: Whew! Karrahbooo Speaks Out After Bodycam Footage Of Arrest Sparks Social Media Reactions

By Chris Snellgrove
| Published 18 seconds ago

Disney just dropped an unexpected summer treat on fans: a trailer for the second season of X-Men ‘97. Frankly, it looks absolutely awesome, with plenty of killer action sequences and hints of fan-favorite comic storylines. The first season of the show was the best Marvel project in years, and this trailer establishes that this was no fluke. X-Men ‘97 Season 2 looks like it will deliver even more of what audiences have been craving, and Disney revealed that Seasons 3 and 4 are already in production and that we’ll be getting a new season of this breakout animated series each year for the next couple of years. 

For fans of Marvel’s merry band of mutants, this is everything we’ve been waiting to hear and then some. But this is one case where we might be getting a little too much of a good thing. Why is that? As I have written about before, X-Men ‘97 is so awesome that it’s setting completely unrealistic expectations for future Marvel projects. Between the show’s awesome writing and its seamless inclusion of awesome comic storylines, one thing is clear: the upcoming live-action X-Men movie is going to be a major disappointment, and that might be enough to fully halt the momentum the MCU has been desperately trying to regain.

The X-Men Movie: What We Know

Right now, we only know a few details about the upcoming X-Men movie set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It’s going to be directed by Jake Schreier, the same man who brought us The Thunderbolts. Theoretically, that’s good news. The Thunderbolts was a critically acclaimed movie, one that had particularly solid interactions between its eclectic characters, and that should serve Schreier well when directing the X-Men film. Additionally, MCU guru Kevin Feige told CBR that he thought the director “has his pulse on … a younger demographic.” This is crucial “because X-Men, as it was in the comics, will be a very youth-oriented, focused, and cast movie.”

Beyond that, very little is known. The MCU X-Men movie doesn’t have a release date, though we know it will be released after Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars come out. This is presumably because the latter film will be doing a reboot of this cinematic universe, which will presumably explain why mutants are now one of the dominant forces in the MCU. It’s no secret that Feige wants these mutants to be the new focal point of this rebooted universe. Unfortunately, that plan may already be unraveling thanks to the continued success of X-Men ‘97!

Send In The Toons

There’s a famous proverb (often attributed to Teddy Roosevelt) that says, “Comparison is the thief of joy.” The meaning is quite simple: it’s hard to be happy with something you’d otherwise like once you have something else to compare it to. In a vacuum, the X-Men MCU movie would likely be an unqualified hit, especially if (and this isn’t exactly a huge hurdle) it’s notably better than other disappointing team-based films like Eternals and The Fantastic Four: First Steps. But when this team makes its official live-action debut, fans will inevitably start comparing it to X-Men ‘97, and that’s not going to go well for Kevin Feige.

Obviously, X-Men ‘97 is an excellent show on its own. It has world-class writing, killer lore, and some of the best character chemistry to ever grace superhero television. But part of why it was so successful was that this mutant franchise has been decidedly hit or miss over the years. The first two 20th Century Fox films were great, but the third one was an unmitigated disaster. The same thing happened when the studio rebooted the universe (sort of): X-Men: First Class and Days of Future Past were blockbuster successes, but X-Men: Apocalypse was a huge letdown, and Dark Phoenix was so bad that most who watched it have spent years trying to get its taste out of their mouths.

The MCU’s Apocalypse Is Here

After that last cinematic failure, X-Men fans’ expectations had hit rock bottom. Therefore, it was that much easier for X-Men ’97 to completely blow us away. But by the time the MCU X-Men movie comes out, fans will have enjoyed at least four seasons of this franchise’s hit animated series, plus Deadpool & Wolverine. By that point, their expectations will be through the roof, and if the X-Men movie is anything less than brilliant, it will be rejected by fans and become a box office bomb. Should that happen, then Kevin Feige’s final, most ambitious plans to reignite interest in the MCU will fail right alongside the movie.

As a lifelong X-Men fan, this is one of those times when I’m desperately hoping to be wrong. With any luck, the X-Men movie will be even better than X-Men ‘97, and we’ll enter a new golden age of mutant mania. However, this beloved show has set the bar almost impossibly high for the upcoming film, and with the MCU’s recent spotty record, it may be impossible to meet those expectations. That could spell doom for the biggest cinematic universe in history, and fans will again be stuck right where they are: spending years hoping someone can make mainstream audiences actually care about the X-Men again.

screenwashed (adjective) — When something seen on a screen completely changes how someone thinks or feels, as if their old beliefs were erased and replaced by what they just saw.

By Joshua Tyler
| Published 2 minutes ago

In 2020, violent protests rocked the United States, devastating major cities. Since then, dozens more have appeared, so many that it almost seems normal.

But it isn’t normal. 

Make a list of the most violent protests of the past 20 years, and you’ll find that the majority of them didn’t happen until after 2019. Before that, most protests, even the big ones like Occupy Wall Street or the Tea Party protests of the early 2000s, were just a lot of dudes walking around with signs until it got dark. There were exceptions, like the disastrous riots in Ferguson, Missouri, but those were noteworthy because they were unusual.

Now, violence, particularly from supposedly peaceful protesters themselves, is the norm. A daily occurrence in some cities, a regular seasonal event in others. What changed? In 2019, one movie took theaters by storm and manipulated its most ardent viewers to stop playing nice. 

This is the story of how Joker screenwashed Americans into accepting violence as personal expression. 

The Story Of Joker

Joker was billed as being about Batman’s arch-nemesis, but it has no true connection to the world of comic books. Instead, it’s a grim character study about Arthur Fleck, a mentally ill, socially invisible man slowly crushed by a city that doesn’t care whether he lives or dies. There are no superheroes, no grand conspiracies, and no redemption arc, just a sad, broken man discovering that the only time the world notices him is when he stops playing by its rules and embraces nihilism.

When Joker arrived in theaters, it was both controversial and a huge box office hit. No movie captured a bigger share of the cultural conversation in 2019 than it did, and theaters were packed with people looking for something edgy, different, and maybe even dangerous.

The Lone Observer

The debate over Joker often centered on whether it might inspire mass shootings or homicides. All of that discussion missed the true danger in the film.

Only one person saw the truth. It wasn’t mass murderers or an increase in individual homicides that we needed to worry about. A few months after Joker’s release, at the start of the George Floyd riots in 2020, master persuader Scott Adams made this observation:

“I’m willing to bet 90% of the protesters have seen Joker. It’s so powerful and well-made that it bounces around in your brain and burrows in, forming a dominant go-to pattern for your thinking.” – Scott Adams

Scott then asked, “Can one movie nudge a young person into violence and anarchy? A bad movie can’t. Even a good movie can’t do that. But Joker can. That movie is next-level, persuasion.”

Joker doesn’t merely depict unrest; it romanticizes it. It does it, using some very specific persuasion tricks.  

Catharsis Through Violence

The film presents social collapse as catharsis. Arthur Fleck’s personal breakdown is fused to a citywide explosion of masked demonstrators who burn, riot, and kill. All while the camera treats it like liberation. 

That’s what Catharsis is. The release of pent-up emotion through experience or expression leaves the mind clearer by safely discharging feelings that were previously contained or unresolved.

The need for catharsis exists in all of us. It’s an irresistible pull. That can be healthy, prompting reflection, relief, and clarity. But it can also distort judgment, causing people to chase emotional release for its own sake, overreact, or embrace narratives that justify anger, sadness, or guilt just to feel unburdened.

That’s what Joker taps into.

The violence isn’t framed as tragic or cautionary. It’s operatic. The mob becomes the chorus validating Arthur’s transformation. Gotham’s chaos isn’t shown as a failure of civilization, but as a necessary purge. This matters because culture isn’t created through instruction; it’s learned by association.

Arthur Fleck is introduced as powerless, humiliated, and ignored. By anchoring the audience inside his suffering before any violence occurs, the film ensures viewers emotionally identify with him.

Joker’s Six Screenwashing Tricks

Joker screenwashes its audience by employing six distinct persuasion techniques.

In Joker, responsibility for violence is consistently shifted away from the character and onto abstract forces: “the system,” “the rich,” “society.” This trains viewers to see violence as an inevitable consequence, not a moral failure.

• Two, Aestheticization of Chaos

Riots are filmed beautifully in Joker. When violence is visually pleasing, the brain associates it with power and release rather than danger or shame.

• Three, Catharsis Substitution

The film substitutes violence for resolution. Destruction itself is the payoff, reinforcing the idea that “burning it down” is a valid emotional endpoint.

Arthur’s transformation is validated not by reasoned argument, but by mass approval. Viewers subconsciously absorb the same validation loop.

• Five, Thinking Past The Sale

Joker’s story strongly implies that violent societal collapse is unavoidable. When outcomes feel predetermined, audiences stop asking whether violence is right and start asking only when.

• Six, Meaning Injection Into Rage

Most importantly, the film gives rage a story. Raw anger becomes “truth.” Once anger is framed as insight rather than impulse, acting on it feels justified.

Before Joker, America had a culture in which only truly peaceful protest was acceptable. After Joker, the cultural zeitgeist became one in which violent protest wasn’t just acceptable; it was the only way to be heard. 

In the movie, Joker had nothing to say; he just wanted to be heard. And now, being heard is all that matters, not whether or not you have anything worth saying.

The Case Against Joker’s Power Of Persuasion

Those without an understanding of persuasion say audiences are smart enough to separate fiction from reality and can’t be affected by what they see in screen.  If culture can be changed by a single movie, then why didn’t the movie V for Vendetta have a similar effect? 

A movie like V for Vendetta could never achieve the same effect because it frames violence as symbolic, ideological, and abstract, not emotionally personal. V is not an everyman the audience inhabits; he’s a mythic construct with clarity, planning, and moral certainty. His actions are presented as an allegory, not catharsis. The film creates distance through stylization, speeches, and overt political philosophy. This keeps viewers analyzing rather than identifying. 

Joker is a totally unique piece of screenwashing because of the way it collapses that distance, rooting chaos in intimate humiliation and emotional grievance, making mass violent release feel personal, spontaneous, and psychologically relatable rather than theatrical or ideological.

Was Joker’s Impact Intentional?

I think it’s important to say here that it’s not clear if plunging America into endless violent riots was the intent of director Todd Phillips when he made Joker. Little is known about Phillips’ personal political views; he refuses to be categorized. 

It’s possible Phillips’s goal was something besides the one he achieved. Indeed, the movie’s sequel suggests he wasn’t entirely happy with the effect his first movie had on its viewers. Joker 2 attempts to undo much of what the first movie did, revealing Joker as a fraud and his followers equally so.

Of course, Joker wasn’t solely to blame for a cultural shift towards violence. COVID lockdowns created a powder keg, and irresponsible media coverage lit it. But would things have gone as badly as they did, and continue in that direction for years after, if Joker hadn’t been there, at that exact moment, to condition rioters in advance?

Watch one of the riot scenes from Joker. Then watch any Portland, Oregon protest and ask yourself if what you’re seeing is organic or just Joker cosplay. 

Joker didn’t invent violent protest. But it did something arguably more influential: it made violent protest feel understandable, beautiful, and emotionally correct. Once culture grants moral permission, reality tends to follow, no manifesto required.

Congratulations, fiery but mostly peaceful protestors, you’ve been Screenwashed.