After ten episodes across almost two months, Star Trek: Starfleet Academy Season 1 came to an explosive end this past week with the finale episode, “Rubincon.” Directed by Olatunde Osunsanmi, this final episode was both satisfying in the way it tied up threads, but also neatly left the door open for more, given that the series has already been renewed for Season 2. This second season is likely to arrive sooner rather than later, following the news back in mid-February that filming had almost wrapped.

Expect the unexpected in Starfleet Academy Season 2, as co-showrunners Alex Kurtzman and Noga Landau are preparing to subvert your expectations and continue with their bold and often divisive storytelling choices. In an interview with Collider’s Samantha Coley, Kurtzman teased, “I think one of the things that we really like to challenge ourselves to do in the writer’s room is figure out ways to go against the expectation of what you think is going to happen.” He continued, “Because as an audience, that’s what we like to experience when we’re watching television or watching a movie, is like, how do you not stay ahead of the thing?”

But before getting ahead of ourselves, it’s worth basking in the afterglow of a successful final installment for the first season of this critically acclaimed spin-off. Although some audiences have proven less receptive, with the series facing backlash from review bombing upon arrival, it has been undeniably popular on streaming throughout its run. At the time of writing, Starfleet Academy has now surpassed the 50-day mark in the Paramount+ streaming top ten across all Amazon channels.

Related

From Harvey Dent to the President: The Films of Aaron Eckhart — The Collider Movie Quiz!

Aaron Eckhart has played a wide array of roles in his 30+ year career. How many of these movies do you know?

What Have Critics Said About ‘Starfleet Academy’?

Image via Paramount+

Boasting an 88% score on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, Starfleet Academy has been a definite hit with critics, with many praising its breaking of the franchise mold and ensemble performances. In Samantha Coley’s official review of the new series for Collider, she awarded a near-perfect 9/10 score, saying, “Starfleet Academy is the best example of what Star Trek can and should be doing in this modern era — effortlessly inclusive, compelling, and innovative.”

Starfleet Academy is now streaming on Paramount+. Stay tuned to Collider for more updates.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Release Date

January 15, 2026

Network

Advertisement

Paramount+

Showrunner

Alex Kurtzman, Noga Landau

Advertisement

Directors

Douglas Aarniokoski, Alex Kurtzman, Andi Armaganian, Larry Teng

Advertisement

Writers

Gaia Violo, Alex Taub, Jane Maggs, Tawny Newsome, Kirsten Beyer, Kiley Rossetter, Eric Anthony Glover

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

Carmen Mejia, a Texas woman who spent 22 years behind bars for the death of an infant she babysat, will not face deportation after courts cleared her name. Judges reviewed newly uncovered evidence and determined she did not cause the death of a 10-month-old child.

RELATED: 22-Year-Old Texas Woman Accused Of Fatally Shooting 41-Year-Old Following Fight Over Not Saying “Thank You” 

The Story Behind Carmen Mejia’s 22-Year Sentence

On Monday, March 9, a judge cleared Carmen Mejia and dismissed the charges tied to the 2003 death of a 10-month-old boy who suffered fatal burns from scalding bathwater. A court previously convicted Mejia in 2005 and sentenced her to life in prison after the child sustained burns while she watched him at her home in Austin in 2003.

According to the Innocence Project, Mejia was at home with her four children when the incident happened. While she nursed her youngest child, her oldest daughter tried to bathe the infant. The water heater in the family’s rental home lacked safety features to prevent scald injuries, allowing the bathwater temperature to reportedly reach about 147.8 degrees Fahrenheit. The child suffered third-degree burns within seconds of touching the water and later died at the hospital.

Carmen Speaks Out After New Evidence Clears Her Name

On Monday, March 9, Travis County District Court Judge P. David Wahlberg exonerated Carmen Mejia after the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals overturned her felony murder and child injury convictions. During the original trial, prosecutors relied on expert testimony claiming the injuries could only happen if an adult intentionally held the child in the water. Decades later, new expert testimony in post-conviction proceedings showed the injuries matched an accidental scalding. A burn expert explained that water that hot could cause those injuries “in a matter of seconds.” One of Mejia’s now-adult daughters told the court she remembered turning on the faucet while the baby was already in the bathtub. After reviewing the new evidence, the medical examiner changed the cause of death from homicide to accident.

Judge P. David Wahlberg dismissed Mejia’s indictment after the Court of Criminal Appeals ruled earlier this year that the newly discovered evidence proved she was “actually innocent.” Per NBC News, Carmen cried at her exoneration hearing and said she kept faith and prayed for justice throughout the 20 years she spent behind bars. “I never lost faith and hope — I never lost it in 22 years. I want to thank everybody who’s with me in this moment and to my judge,” Carmen said.

What’s Next For The Exonerated Texas Mom?

PEOPLE reports that authorities initially kept Mejia in custody after a court overturned her conviction because immigration officials placed a detainer on her case. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security later confirmed it would lift the detainer, allowing Mejia to remain in the United States following her exoneration.

Carmen Mejia came to the United States from Honduras in 1995 and held lawful permission to live and work in the country before her conviction. According to PEOPLE, she can remain in the U.S. until her Temporary Protected Status expires. At her exoneration, Judge Wahlberg acknowledged that nothing can give her back the 23 years she lost, but he expressed hope that her future will be bright from this day forward.

“There’s nothing that I can say at this point that will bring back those 23 years. Signing this piece of paper won’t bring it back. There is no amount of money that will ever compensate you for losing the best years of your life. I wish I had that power. What I can do is say to you that there is a reason to hope and believe that your future will be better every day from now on, and I pray that it is so,” the judge told Mejia.

RELATED: Say WHAT?! Couple Sprays Texas Hookah Lounge After Getting Kicked Out, Leaving Two Dead (VIDEO) 

Rebecca Gayheart and her family were particularly emotional when they heard an artificial intelligence recreation of late Eric Dane’s voice.

“He just had a lot of personality, and this voice captured that so perfectly,” Gayheart, 54, said during a Fast Company SXSW panel on Friday, March 13, per social media footage. “It sounded so real. It was a really emotional moment for us as a family, and for the nurses who were helping and his friends.”

Us Weekly confirmed in February that Dane died at the age of 53 after battling ALS. The Grey’s Anatomy alum is survived by his two daughters, Billie and Georgia, whom he shared with Gayheart.

Just weeks before his death, Dane participated in a voice restoration project backed by AI firm ElevenLabs.

“Shortly before he passed, Eric used ElevenLabs’ voice restoration technology to recreate his voice,” a statement on the organization’s website reads. “Hearing his restored voice meant his daughters would always be able to hear their father as he truly sounded. Eric became an early champion of our 1 Million Voices initiative, driven by a desire to ensure that others facing permanent voice loss could access the same technology.”

ALS, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, is a progressive neurological disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal control. It affects muscle control and voice loss, and there is presently no cure.

After the ElevenLabs project was complete, Gayheart, her kids, as well as Dane’s friends and colleagues were particularly moved by the outcome.

“We were all blown away by how … human it sounded,” the Jawbreakers actress noted on Friday, detailing her reaction to the AI voice. “It sounded just like him. I think the hope that it gave Eric because he was experiencing voice loss was exciting and really great to see.”

Related: Rebecca Gayheart Addresses ‘Difficult Time’ After Eric Dane’s Death at 53

Rebecca Gayheart has spoken out after Eric Dane’s tragic death at 53. “I am so blown away by the outpouring of love and support from our community,” Gayheart, 54, wrote via her Instagram Stories on Sunday, February 22. “There aren’t words to express our gratitude.” She concluded, “You are truly holding us up during this […]

Dane publicly revealed in April 2025 that he was diagnosed with ALS, which quickly affected his motor skills.

“I’ve always had a sense of humor about this,” Dane said of his diagnosis in a Famous Last Words interview that aired on Netflix hours after his death last month. “It’s really kind of interesting what’s happening to my body. The mechanics of this disease is pretty interesting to me. It’s when you zoom in and look at how it affects the individual moments is when it can actually bring you down a little bit.”

Despite his health battle, Dane tried to always look on the bright side.

“My spirit has been surprisingly pretty buoyant through this journey,” he said. “I have no idea, there’s no reason for me to be happy in any individual moment, but I am. The progression of this thing is really just remarkable. You know, I’m pretty sure I sound pretty good too, but to me, I feel like I sound like a frog.”

Taylor Sheridan‘s The Madison featured a dedication to Robert Redford after a surprise connection that can be traced back to Yellowstone.

A tribute to Redford was included at the end of the Saturday, March 14, premiere. While Redford seemingly didn’t have any involvement with The Madison before his death in September 2025, he has played a role in Sheridan’s career.

While reflecting on the Yellowstone legacy in June 2023, Sheridan, 55, told The Hollywood Reporter in a profile that he originally pitched the show as a movie. Sheridan referred to it as “The Godfather in Montana” before it ended up in series development at HBO. At the time, Sheridan recalled HBO executives not supporting Kevin Costner in the main role as John Dutton.

“They said, ‘We want Robert Redford,’” he shared. “They said, ‘If you can get us Robert Redford, we’ll greenlight the pilot.’”

Related: A Guide to Every Non-‘Yellowstone‘ Show in the Taylor Sheridan Universe

As the man behind Yellowstone and its myriad spinoffs, Taylor Sheridan is one of the most important people at Paramount Network — but the Yellowstone universe is only one part of his empire. While other super-producers — Ryan Murphy and Shonda Rhimes, for example — enlist other writers and directors to work on projects bearing […]

Sheridan then went to visit Redford — and convinced him to join the show.

“I drive to Sundance and spend the day with him and he agrees to play John Dutton,” Sheridan continued. “I call the senior vice president in charge of production and say, ‘I got him!’ ‘You got who?’ ‘Robert Redford.’ ‘What?!’ ‘You said if I got Robert Redford, you’d greenlight the show.’”

Sheridan continued: “And he says — and you can’t make this s*** up — ‘We meant a Robert Redford type.’“

Yellowstone ultimately landed at Paramount Network and aired for five seasons with Costner, 71, in the main role. Sheridan, meanwhile, didn’t end up working with Redford before his death at age 89.

The tribute in The Madison comes as Sheridan is celebrating another career win. After becoming a household name for Yellowstone, which aired from 2018 to 2024, Sheridan created prequels 1883 and 1923 as well as the spinoffs The Dutton Ranch and Marshals.

Sheridan has also worked on original shows Landman, Mayor of Kingstown, Lioness and Tulsa King. News broke in October 2025 that Sheridan closed a major with NBCUniversal. The five-year overall deal for film, TV and streaming will begin January 1, 2029, after Sheridan’s TV deal with Paramount — which goes through 2028 — officially ends.

Paramount will retain the rights to Yellowstone and the other franchises Sheridan created under his deal with the company, so he is expected to create brand new IP for NBCUniversal. Sheridan’s move came after Paramount’s recent merger with Skydance.

“I spent the first 37 years of my life compromising. When I quit acting, I decided that I am going to tell my stories my way, period,” Sheridan told THR in the 2023 profile. “If you don’t want me to tell them, fine. Give them back and I’ll find someone who does — or I won’t, and then I’ll read them in some freaking dinner theater. But I won’t compromise. There is no compromising.”

Sheridan expressed gratitude to Paramount for supporting his ideas.

“Because Paramount trusts me and gives me the time to go shoot 10 to 14 days for a television episode, we can treat it like a movie, and it looks like a movie,” he told Deadline in January 2022. “We can take the time to rehearse it and light it and build these set pieces. And if I call them and say, ‘I need two helicopters in one day,’ they just go, ‘Alright.’”

He added: “At the end of the day, to go to some of these locations where most people have never been, where you’re opening up a new world, and all of these places or characters in the story, to me, it’s fascinating.”

The Madison continues on Paramount+ Saturday, March 21.

Pretty Ricky member Baby Blue turned all the hate about his weight gain into motivation. The singer showed fans a sneak peek of his weight loss after putting in work while on the ‘Boys 4 Life’ tour with Spectacular and Pleasure P. Now, fans are losing it over his transformation.

RELATED: Pretty Ricky’s Baby Blue Reportedly Still Owes $1M In Restitution After Serving Time For $24M PPP Scam

Baby Blue Gives Fans A Peek At His Weight Loss Transformation

Baby Blue basically said, “overweight where?” when he dropped a video on Instagram showing fans he’s been focusing on his fitness and health. Fans first started talking about his weight after he popped out on Bow Wow and B2K’s ‘Boys 4 Life’ tour with his Pretty Ricky members, Spectacular and Pleasure P. Clips showed him shirtless on stage, and fans didn’t hold back with their comments about his new look.

Now, he’s proving he’s been locked in and putting in work to shed the pounds. In the video he shared on IG, Blue showed himself doing burpees outdoors while giving fans a peek at his weight as he stepped on the scale. He started at 200 pounds, and over time, he reportedly dropped down to 170. In his caption, he told fans he challenged himself to do burpees, and the challenge helped him lose weight super fast. “I turned negative comments into burpees and lost weight fast.” 

The Internet Loses It Over Baby Blue’s Glow-Up

After Baby Blue dropped his video, fans hopped in his comment section, hyping him up. Plenty of folks told him to stay focused and ignore the shade.

Instagram user @theblakkmermaid wrote, “You got this. Easy 🔥🔥” 

Instagram user @breedsworld wrote, “Taking the criticism and doin something about it 💯 #respect.” 

While Instagram user @cathyjacquelinee___ wrote, “Blue you still look amazing don’t listen to people who don’t matterrrr! But proud of you for wanting to better yourself ❤️” 

Then, Instagram user @getvonjinyolife wrote, “Keep taking your shirt off and doing your thang on that stage. Rick Ross and few other big rappers do it. Keep working out but don’t stop being you my dawg 💯❤️” 

Another Instagram user @theespecialk16 wrote, “You got this! 👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾💪🏾” 

instagram user @ayoninabrown wrote, “Listen pressure makes Diamond Blue every time 💪🏾💪🏾💪🏾❤️ I’m here for it.” 

While another Instagram user @monroe_pope wrote, “Proud of you Blue!!!! Cant wait to see y’all on the 29th!! 💪🏾❤️” 

Then another Instagram user @jerseygirl_aries wrote, “Now this is the progress we like to see 💪💪💪🙌🙌🔥” 

Lastly, Instagram user @missesbleek wrote, “Keep it up! And in the meantime, don’t stop taking your shirt off.” 

From The Stage To The Scale: Blue Tells Haters To Chill On The Body Shaming

Before showing fans his glow-up, Baby Blue posted a video on Instagram, telling folks to chill out with the body-shaming. He said he’s too busy stacking his money and enjoying the tour to stress about his weight. He admitted that he hits the gym when he has time, but right now he’s locked in on business and couldn’t care less about what anybody else thinks of him.

“Yeah going to the gym cool when I feel like doing it, but right now I’m on the road getting money. I ain’t worried all that. He continued, “This is just a PSA announcement for anybody that thought I gave a f***.”

The Men Are Taking Over The ‘Boys 4 Life’ Tour

In addition to Baby Blue, the other guys on the tour have been showing out. Bow Wow and B2K have been holding it down as headliners while other performers like Yung Joc and B5 have also been heating up the stage. A few surprise guests have made some appearances, like DaBaby, who recently joined Bow Wow on stage to perform some of his own hits. Swipe below to see some viral moments from the ‘Boys 4 Life’ tour.

RELATED: Who’s This For? Fans Demand Answers After Bow Wow Shares Cryptic Message About Replacing Performers Ahead Of ‘Boys 4 Lie’ Tour

Kyla Pratt has the internet dropping heart eyes and fire emojis after she shared some photos and videos from a recent event. Fans peeped her glow and can’t get over how she’s still looking just as flawless as she did back in her ‘One on One’ days.

RELATED: Twinnin’ Heavy! Kyla Pratt & Her Daughter Lyric Have Fans Losing It With Viral Look-Alike Moment (VIDEO)

Heart Eyes Everywhere — Kyla Pratt is Servin’ MAJOR Looks

Kyla Pratt has been a fan favorite for a minute. Fans already stan her style, acting skills, and authentic personality, but one thing they’re absolutely obsessed with is her timeless beauty. The actress dropped photos and videos on Instagram from her recent appearance at the inaugural “Art Of Glam: Honoring The Hands Behind The Beauty” event, and folks online are sweating her heavy.

Kyla rocked a daring black cutout dress, her braids flowing perfectly down her back. Her glam was soft and natural, letting her dress do all of the talking — but her beauty stole the whole spotlight. Fans immediately hyped her up, saying she’s aging backwards and hasn’t changed one bit.

The Internet Can’t Get Over Kyla’s Ageless Glow

Reactions to Kyla’s latest photos continued over in The Shade Room’s comment section. Some folks said she’s always had a baby face, while others said she’s literally been fine their whole life.

Instagram user @naturally_you_by_vic wrote, “COMPLETELY AGELESS!!!! 🔥🔥🔥” 

Instagram user @miiss_skyy_ wrote, “She looks exactly the same. Wow .. just wow 🔥” 

While Instagram user @jcross25 wrote, “Been fine our whole lives, Hammercyyy 🔥❤️” 

Then, Instagram user @lexpoisonati wrote, “She has not aged 😍” 

Another Instagram user @techqueenv wrote, “She is 90s fine😍” 

Instagram user @uniway215 wrote, “She’s had that baby face forever😂she’s so pretty and unproblematic love her ❤️🔥”

While another Instagram user @xolattz wrote, “Aging like fine wine 😍” 

Then another Instagram user @shakirahtxx wrote, “She’s exactly who’s she’s always been.. that girl.” 

Finally, Instagram user @justmoe2.0_ wrote, “She ages backwards 😍😍😍” 

Kyla & Her Daughter Lyric Stay Giving Heavy Twin Energy

On top of Kyla’s glow, fans have also lost it over how much she looks like her daughter Lyric. The duo often takes over social media with their mommy-and-me moments. One clip that had fans seeing double was when they linked up for a TikTok lip-sync to Mary J. Blige’s ‘I Can Love You.’ The twin energy was real, and fans were joking that they couldn’t tell who was the mom and who was the daughter. Peep the video below.

RELATED: Twinnin’ EXTRA Heavy! Flex Alexander Has The Internet Seeing Double After Sharing Rare Video With His Son (WATCH)

Y’all! Kayla Nicole Jones has fans used to her polished, relatable content, but behind the scenes, things are heating up. Her former hairstylist, Hanissatou “Nissa The Super Stylist” Adam, has filed a civil lawsuit alleging physical and verbal abuse during a 2024 work trip. Social media is already buzzing as the shocking claims put the influencer in a very different kind of spotlight.

RELATED: Kayla Nicole Jones Reveals Divorce From Luhkye

Kayla Nicole Jones Accused Of Assault By Stylist

According to reports, Hanissatou Adam — professionally known as Nissa The Super Stylist — is suing Jones over an alleged incident during a 2024 Los Angeles work trip. Adam claims that tensions escalated after a series of questions she asked Jones were met with threats, culminating in what she says was a physical strike to her eye. The two women had been sharing a short-term Airbnb rental during the trip, which Adam says made the situation particularly uncomfortable. She alleges that after the incident, Jones continued to hurl obscenities at her through the closed door. Additionally, a friend reportedly arrived to escort her from the property.

Allegations Clash With Jones’ Polished Persona

Adam’s lawsuit lists assault, battery, and intentional infliction of emotional distress among the claims and is seeking unspecified damages. While Jones has yet to publicly respond, sources note that in early-stage civil litigation, defendants often let their legal teams handle communications. That silence leaves the narrative in the public eye squarely with Adam for now.

The timing is especially awkward for Jones, whose brand has been built on relatability and approachability. Fans and followers are used to seeing her polished, curated content online, but the allegations starkly contrast that image. Furthermore, even unverified accusations can carry serious consequences for creators whose careers rely heavily on public perception.

Stylist Allegations Spark Internet Debate

Fans ran straight to TSR Teens’ Instagram comments section, where they had mixed opinions on the allegations against Kayla Nicole Jones. Some defended her, saying there’s no way she’d “throw hands” for no reason, while others shared that they believe it. Of course, you already know some were speculating that the stylist might just be trying to cash in.

One Instagram user @fineass_riah2.0 added, “So you knowingly triggered her?? And if my math is right 2024 was a trying year for my girl.“

This Instagram user @charissebby wrote, “She prolly asked ‘this all the hair you got?’ 😩”

And, Instagram user @morelikeshayy commented, “Iangl I believe it 😂.”

Meanwhile, Instagram user @kissesfromkitt shared, “Yall do know you gotta show evidence for the lawsuit to even be eligible to be filed“

While Instagram user @fye.miya commented, “Wat do she do tho cuz Kayla not finna do that for no reason.“

Lastly, Instagram user @najahatiyaaa said, “Sooooo I’m assuming Kayla beat that ssa 👀”

RELATED: Kayla Nicole Jones Shows Off Her Adorable Baby Boy!

The internet can’t get enough of a reunion some folks thought would never happen. Ari Fletcher and DreamDoll linked up to celebrate their friend Arrogant Tae‘s birthday after apparently not speaking for a minute.

RELATED: Yikes! Ari Fletcher Goes OFF On Akademiks After He Says She’s Known For Being Involved With Multiple Men (VIDEOS)

Ari Fletcher & DreamDoll’s Link-Up Has Fans Cheering

Fans are saying they feel like they’re literally living in a dream after seeing Ari Fletcher and DreamDoll pose together while at Arrogant Tae’s birthday bash. One photo that’s been making the rounds online shows the ladies sitting pretty while posted up at what looks like a nightclub. Both of them flashed big smiles while Dream leaned in and Ari wrapped her arm around her. There’s no word on whether they had rekindled their friendship prior to Tae’s party, but fans aren’t even concerned; they are just happy to see the girlies squash their supposed drama and be back together again.

The Internet Is Livin’ For Dream & Ari’s Reunion

After The Shade Room shared the photo of Ari Fletcher and DreamDoll, fans rushed to the comment section with reactions. Some folks couldn’t stop talking about how pretty the ladies looked, while others said it’s great to see that they’ve squashed things.

Instagram user @tanyylanae wrote, “They so pretty 😍” 

instagram user @prettychaoss__ wrote, “Glad they made up I know Tae was happy 😂😍😍” 

While Instagram user @s3kbabyy_ wrote, “Only 1 missing is Jayda 😭 but we know we won’t see that again.” 

Then Instagram user @iamdajahzhane wrote, “if you can forgive a man you an forgive your old friend simple 😂 * just saying in general * take that old friend back ladies.” 

Another Instagram user @justkaeeee wrote, “Friends can talk and work things out! I just hate that her and Tuson hasn’t done it yet smh.” 

Instagram user @iam__thewife wrote, “Tae said he getting all his girls together for his birthday I’m so happy for them ❤️❤️❤️❤️” 

Then another Instagram user @darkskin_aunt_viv_rn.adn wrote, “We forgive Men errrday… for doing the unthinkable, so I love this for them❤️” 

While another Instagram user @jniceofficial_ wrote, “Her and Taina coo now so there’s no reason for them not to be fr.” 

Lastly, Instagram user @__qveenquee wrote, “They’re both so cute😍😍” 

Here’s What Ari & Dream Previously Said About Where They Stand

Fans have speculated about the status between Ari Fletcher and DreamDoll for a minute now, but neither of them ever explained why they seemed to press pause on their friendship. Still, both ladies were open about where they stood at different times. During a past episode of Ari’s YouTube series, ‘Cooking With The Don,’ she told her former friend Tuson that she and Dream weren’t beefing. She said she still had love for her, but at that moment, she was “straight on her.”

“We not beefing, but I’m just straight on her. I’m just straight on her right now.” Ari continued, “She know what it is. I’m just straight on her right now, but I love Dream.”

@keeeklipz #fyp #aridadon #tuson #cookingwithdadon #explorepage✨ #blowthisup #getthisviral #getthisonthefyp #besties #therealkylesister #arifletcher #dreamdoll ♬ original sound – ball knower

As for Dream, she also spoke on the situation during a 2022 interview with Hot 97. After catching Ari’s comments from her YouTube show, Dream said the “love is there.” But still she kept things short and sweet, explained that she had “tunnel vision” and was staying focused on her own personal projects.

@theshaderoom #DreamDoll speaks on what happened to her relationship with #AriFletcher!! (🎥: @HOT97) #fyp #foryoupage #TheShadeRoom #BlackTikTok #Viral ♬ original sound – The Shade Room

RELATED: DreamDoll Addresses Resurfaced Videos Of Her Twerking In Church And After Service (WATCH)