Dolly Parton’s sudden death has rocked the entertainment world, and tributes have poured out from family and friends. 

After the passing of the beloved country music legend, her longtime friend Cher reflected on the star’s enduring optimism and her choice to handle her health battle privately.

Parton passed away on August 25, 2026, at the age of 80, following a brief battle with cancer.

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During an interview with Gayle King and Tony Dokoupil on “CBS News,” Cher shared emotional memories of her nearly 50-year friendship with Parton.

While initially shocked by the sudden loss, Cher noted that keeping personal health challenges private aligns completely with Parton’s resilience and positive outlook. She commended Parton’s spirit, emphasizing her friend’s focus on maintaining hope regardless of circumstances:

“No matter what was happening, she was either going to go with it, or it was going to get better. She just had a spirit, and it was a spirit that was always thinking the best was happening, the best was going to happen. Her friends loved her, her life was good, you know? That’s who she was.”

Cher also praised Parton’s diplomatic career approach and ability to unite audiences across political spectrums without alienating fans. 

Recalling their early collaboration in 1978 where Parton portrayed an angel in a television special, she fondly remembered her friend’s warmth and humor, noting that playing a heavenly figure guiding others was a fitting reflection of her true character.

Dolly Parton Kept Extent of Illness Hidden within Close Circle

While maintaining her trademark resilience and continuing to connect with supporters, Parton chose to manage her final months privately, ensuring only a tight-knit circle understood the true severity of her condition.

Sources close to the music legend revealed that her condition was significantly more serious than public statements suggested, with the star deliberately choosing to shield her followers from the sad news.

“Her health problems were much worse than she was willing to tell fans, obviously, and she was bad off for many months. She didn’t want the world to know that she was very sick,” an insider said, as noted by The Blast.

Those closest to her emphasized that even as her health deteriorated, her primary motivation remained preserving her optimistic image. 

An Official Statement Confirmed Dolly Parton’s Brief Cancer Battle

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Following her admission to Vanderbilt University Medical Center for underlying health complications, representatives for Parton released a statement confirming she passed away following a brief battle with cancer.

The statement highlighted the impact of her broad philanthropic endeavors alongside her decades-long entertainment career.

“Our beloved Dolly Parton spent her life and career bringing joy, laughter, hope and integrity into everything she touched,” the statement read, according to The Blast.

Her representatives also specifically noted her contributions to global child literacy and medical progress, praising her for her “unconditional love.”

While the specific diagnosis was not publicly disclosed, her team emphasized that her legacy of unconditional kindness and widespread community support remains her enduring gift to the world.

The Singer Spent Four Days At The Hospital Before Her Death

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Before the official statements confirming her cause of death were released, details surrounding Parton’s final days revealed she was admitted to the hospital.

According to The Blast, the country music icon received treatment in Nashville, Tennessee, leading up to her death, surrounded by family.

The admission coincided with public disclosures in which Parton addressed her declining physical well-being. During those discussions, she also acknowledged that she had neglected her personal care while attending to her late husband, Carl Dean, before his passing.

Dolly Parton’s Close Friend Speaks On The Singer’s Final Year

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In addition to her immediate medical challenges, friends close to Parton revealed that her final year was heavily defined by personal loss and deep grief.

In the year leading up to her death, she navigated profound emotional grief following the loss of her husband of nearly 60 years, Dean, alongside the passing of her brother. 

According to The Blast, Parton’s family friend, Nikki Lund, shared that the consecutive losses weighed heavily on the icon, altering the usual pace of her life. 

Lund noted that Dean’s death marked the “biggest tragedy loss for her,” prompting the singer to step back from her demanding professional schedule to spend more time quietly at home. 

Sandra Bullock debuted a shoulder tattoo that some fans are speculating may be in honor of both her kids and her late partner, Bryan Randall.

The Oscar winner, 62, turned heads on the red carpet at the European premiere of Practical Magic 2 in London’s Leicester Square on Wednesday, August 26, alongside costar Nicole Kidman. Bullock stunned in a leopard-print strapless dress from Givenchy’s autumn/winter 2026 collection designed by Sarah Burton.

The strapless look allowed fans to spot what appears to be new ink on the back of Bullock’s shoulder: a dainty cursive tattoo that reads “LB².”

Fans on social media have speculated that the tattoo may be an homage to her children — Louis, 16, and Laila, 12 — as well as Randall, who died at age 57 in August 2023 after battling ALS.

Related: Sandra Bullock and Bryan Randall’s Relationship Timeline

Sandra Bullock and late photographer Bryan Randall had a loving relationship for years. Us Weekly broke the news that Bullock was dating Randall in August 2015. The pair’s relationship continued to blossom, with a source telling Us in November 2017 that Bullock, who adopted son Louis in 2010 and daughter Laila in 2015, could always […]

“I’m theorizing about Sandra Bullock’s new tattoo and we came to the conclusion that the L squared is for Louis and Laila but the B is for Bryan,” one fan shared via X on Wednesday.

Another fan page wrote, “Sandra Bullock has a new tattoo 👀 We can’t help but wonder if it’s for Laila and Louis. 🤍”

In an interview on the Monday, August 24, episode of the “SmartLess” podcast, the actress opened up about her longtime partner’s ALS battle, revealing that he asked her not to disclose his diagnosis.

“He asked me not to share,” Bullock said of Randall, who was first diagnosed in 2020. “I know why he asked me not to.”

“My sister [Gesine Bullock-Prado] was the only one who knew for a while,” she continued. “At first I go, ‘Oh, I can handle that. I can be quiet.’”

Bullock said that honoring Randall’s request later left her feeling “isolated.”

At the same time, the Blind Side star was dealing with the physical deterioration of the man she loved.

“I think where he was in his journey, both physically and mentally, I started grieving Brian four years before he passed,” she said. “There was something that had shifted.”

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Related: Sandra Bullock Is ‘Ready to Get Back in the Game’ at Age 60

Sandra Bullock looked effortlessly chic as she made her way to her car while running errands in L.A. on July 12. Dressed in a white T-shirt, cream pants and a light beige cardigan, Bullock — who wore her long dark hair down in beachy waves — appeared to be in great spirits as she carried […]

Bullock also opened up about how her children handled Randall’s ill health.

“Louis handled it very different than Laila,” she shared. “About two years before Bryan passed, he saw it was a dynamic that wasn’t healthy for him to be around. So, he’s very evolved, he’s like, ‘You know what, I’m here for you’ … but he chose to just sort of be there and support and help me on the things that were easy [for him]. But he smartly disengaged himself and said, ‘This is a safer space for me to sit,’ and I said, ‘Absolutely, you go. I got this.’”

Laila, on the other hand, “was more bonded [with Randall] until about six months” before his death, she said. “And then she says, ‘Can you please say no when they call me over to go visit?’ and I said, ‘Absolutely, but if you do want to go visit, I will come with you and I will be right there and if you tap out, I’m right there.’”

Dolly Parton’s death has barely settled in, but fans are already fighting to make sure her name lives on.

The country music legend had already spent decades building a legacy through music, business, acting, and philanthropy, but now fans want more.

Dolly Parton died at 80 on August 25 after a brief battle with cancer. Her Imagination Library alone became one of her most recognizable charitable efforts, distributing books to children around the world. 

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Parton’s fans have begun signing a petition to change the airport’s name in honor of the late singer. The petition was created in January 2025 by Lydia Popovich and Dan Dion.

Its creators argued that Parton’s influence on Tennessee made her deserving of a landmark as significant as Nashville International Airport. They specifically pointed to her music, philanthropy, and Imagination Library, which had already gifted more than 100 million books when the petition was created.

After Parton’s August 25 death, the petition suddenly received a massive wave of new support. Organizers said tens of thousands of people visited and signed after her passing, describing the renewed response as an effort to keep her “light and magic” alive across Tennessee and beyond.

The petition has since climbed well past 120,000 verified supporters, showing how strongly fans want her name attached to the city. The petition issue says, “It’s difficult to imagine a world without our Dreamer-In-Chief. How are we going to be okay without her magic to keep us safe?”

According to the Change.org petition, supporters believe it would honor a Tennessee legend whose influence reached far beyond entertainment, while welcoming visitors to the state through the name of one of its most recognizable figures. The campaign even uses the playful line, “We could all be Departin’ from Parton!”

The Push Has Already Reached Tennessee Leaders

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The campaign is no longer only a fan-led idea, as Tennessee State Senator Todd Warner has pledged to introduce legislation supporting the proposed name change.

Nashville City Councilor Russ Bradford has also backed the idea and said few people have done more to define Nashville for the rest of the world. However, Bradford clarified that Metro Council can only express support, while the final decision belongs to the Metro Nashville Airport Authority. 

The response has also reached Tennessee lawmakers preparing for the next legislative session. Tennessee House Deputy Speaker Jason Zachary said lawmakers had already begun discussing how to honor someone whose impact was difficult to match. He suggested that Parton’s legacy deserved something bigger than a statue or bust.

The effort is also unusual because Parton was viewed as a figure who crossed political and cultural lines. Representative John Ray Clemmons said Republicans and Democrats planned to work together on a tribute because she “was not a divisive figure.” Meanwhile, Dollywood confirmed that the park would remain open on Wednesday, honoring her wishes that “the show must go on.”

New York City’s Tribute To Dolly Parton

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The airport campaign is not the only major tribute that followed Parton’s death. The Empire State Building joined the celebration on August 25 by lighting its tower pink in honor of the singer. The building remained illuminated for an hour, turning a familiar New York landmark into a temporary memorial for the Tennessee icon.

The Blast reported that the lights began glowing at 9:25 p.m. ET, creating a clever connection to Parton’s signature hit “9 to 5.” Parton wrote the 1980 song for the movie of the same name, which also marked her mainstream acting debut alongside Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin. The song later earned Parton two Grammy Awards.

The choice of pink also carried a personal connection to Parton’s image. The color became closely associated with her glamorous style, alongside her rhinestones, wigs, and bold makeup. She once described herself as a “painted doll” and famously wrote, “No such thing as too much pink!” in a 2019 social media post.

Parton Once Declined Donald Trump’s Honor 

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Parton’s relationship with political honors was complicated by her determination to remain neutral. She declined the Presidential Medal of Freedom during Donald Trump’s first term, initially because her husband, Carl Dean, was ill. The medal is the highest civilian honor.

When the honor was offered again, the COVID-19 pandemic prevented her from traveling to accept it. Parton had spent much of her career avoiding partisan politics despite repeatedly becoming part of political conversations.

In 2016, she clarified that she had not endorsed either Trump or Hillary Clinton after comments about Clinton’s qualifications were interpreted as an endorsement. Her refusal to publicly align with either side remained consistent in later elections.

The late singer also revealed that Joe Biden presented her the medal. “Now I feel like if I take it, I’ll be doing politics, so I’m not sure,” she said. Trump later honored Parton after her passing, describing her death as a loss for millions and ordering American flags lowered nationwide for one week, as shared by The Blast.

Inside Dolly Parton’s Private Health Battle 

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Parton had been dealing with several health problems before her death. It was reported that she was admitted to Vanderbilt University Medical Center on August 23 with kidney and autoimmune issues, just two days before she died.

Her representative later revealed that she had also been facing a brief battle with cancer, although the type of cancer was not disclosed. Her health struggles had already affected her professional plans before her final hospitalization.

She had canceled her Las Vegas residency after previously postponing it and missed other public appearances, including the opening of a new Dollywood attraction. Days before her death, she said that she had neglected her own health while caring for Dean, who died in March 2025. 

The Blast reported that despite those setbacks, Parton was still planning for the future. She was preparing to launch her SongTeller Hotel in Nashville in September 2026, while also exploring avatar performances and working on a Broadway project about her life.

Parton’s death may have ended her plans, but the airport petition, public tributes and continuing work around her legacy show that her name is already proving difficult to leave behind.

Jordan Brand is looking toward the future with the Air Jordan 41, officially unveiling the latest entry in one of the most iconic sneaker lines of all time.

Revealed Thursday, the Air Jordan 41 represents a significant evolution for the brand, combining a more modern design philosophy with new performance technology built around the demands of today’s basketball players. The shoe was developed using feedback from athletes at multiple levels, including Michael Jordan, Jordan Brand’s professional and collegiate players and athletes from Nike’s Elite Youth Basketball League.

Rather than leaning heavily into the retro styling that has defined many previous Air Jordan releases, the 41 takes a decidedly future-focused approach.

“The Air Jordan 41 is a statement about where Jordan Brand is headed,”

Jordan Brand President Sarah Mensah said. “It carries forward a legacy built on greatness, but it was created for the athletes, whose culture and style of play are defining the future of the game.”

One of the biggest changes comes with the shoe’s upper. Jordan Brand is introducing a nano print mesh construction designed to reduce weight while providing targeted support, containment and breathability. The Air Jordan 41 also moves away from the traditional leather associated with much of the signature line in favor of thinner textiles and performance-focused materials.

Underfoot, the 41 features a full-length Zoom Strobel, a ZoomX midsole and an Air Zoom unit in the heel. The additional heel cushioning was influenced by Jordan himself and his emphasis on defense and remaining ready to move forward at any moment.

A carbon fiber and TPU shank provides additional stability, while a full-length HART rubber herringbone traction pattern is designed to help players make quick changes of direction.

Jordan Brand athletes Napheesa Collier, Paolo Banchero and Stephon Castle were among the players involved in showcasing the performance philosophy behind the new model.

The Air Jordan 41 will also introduce a series of gemstone-inspired colorways tied to different parts of Jordan’s career and personal history. The initial Ruby colorway references Jordan’s championship three-peats with the Chicago Bulls, while an upcoming Amethyst edition is inspired by his birthstone. An Opal colorway will pay tribute to his college career at North Carolina.

The Air Jordan 41 will receive a limited release in China on August 28, with a global launch set to follow. Jordan Brand has not yet announced a specific date for the worldwide release.

With the Air Jordan 41, Jordan Brand appears ready to push its flagship basketball line beyond nostalgia, while maintaining the performance-driven philosophy that has been at the center of the franchise since Michael Jordan first stepped onto an NBA court.

Peter Cullen, the legendary voice actor who brought Optimus Prime to life across more than four decades of Transformers projects, has died. He was 85.

Cullen died Wednesday at his home in Los Angeles, his agent confirmed. A cause of death has not been announced. His family said Cullen died peacefully surrounded by loved ones.

Born in Montreal in 1941, Cullen built a prolific voice acting career, but his unmistakable performance as Optimus Prime ultimately became his defining role.

Cullen first voiced the heroic leader of the Autobots in the original Transformers animated series beginning in 1984. His deep, commanding performance helped turn Optimus Prime into one of the most recognizable characters in animation and pop culture.

More than two decades later, Cullen returned as Optimus Prime for Michael Bay’s 2007 live-action Transformers movie. He continued voicing the character throughout the live-action franchise, including Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, Dark of the Moon, Age of Extinction, The Last Knight, Bumblebee and Transformers: Rise of the Beasts.

Peter Cullen voice of Optimus Prime

Cullen’s career extended far beyond Transformers. He provided the voice of Eeyore in numerous Winnie the Poohprojects and created the distinctive vocalizations of the Predator in the 1987 Arnold Schwarzenegger film Predator. He also voiced characters including K.A.R.R. in Knight Rider and Thaedus in the animated superhero series Invincible.

His work as Optimus Prime earned Cullen generations of fans and eventually a place in the Transformers Hall of Fame. In 2023, he was also honored with the Children’s & Family Emmy Lifetime Achievement Award for his contributions to the entertainment industry.

Cullen’s family asked fans to honor his legacy through compassion, integrity, loyalty and service to others, invoking the philosophy that became closely associated with both Cullen and Optimus Prime: being “strong enough to be gentle.”

Few voice performances have become as inseparable from a character as Cullen’s Optimus Prime. For millions of Transformers fans, his voice wasn’t simply part of the franchise. It was Optimus Prime.

If you are a fan of resplendent, otherworldly environments, interstellar galaxies, alien races, and all the other wonderful escapist elements within the science fiction genre, then you probably have noticed that you are tuning into one particular streamer much more often these days. Apple TV has started to corner the market on not only out-of-this-world space adventures but also well-written and cerebral character-driven tales that will leave you both visually dazzled and psychologically stimulated. They have produced fan favorites like Ted Lasso, The Afterparty, The Morning Show, and many others, but over the past several years, they have really focused on bringing some of the smartest sci-fi shows as part of their service.

With notable and well-received entries like Silo, Severance, Foundation, Shining Girls, Invasion, and Monarch: Legacy of Monsters, there is no shortage of revolutionary sci-fi shows on Apple TV. For All Mankind has now completed five seasons and is preparing to conclude with its sixth and final season, while its universe has already expanded with the new spin-off Star City. But five years after Foundation helped establish just how seriously Apple was willing to take ambitious science fiction, the streamer is preparing to enter another era.

In January 2027, Apple TV will debut Neuromancer, a 10-episode adaptation of William Gibson‘s influential 1984 cyberpunk novel. Starring Callum Turner and Briana Middleton, the series is another major swing at the kind of dense, cerebral science fiction Apple has spent years making a central part of its identity.

Apple TV Is Flexing With Both Established and New Shows

Apple TV has never flexed its muscle more in the sci-fi genre than it is right now. With flagship science fiction offerings like Foundation, For All Mankind, Silo, and Severance already firmly established, Apple has continued to expand its genre footprint rather than simply replacing one show with another. For All Mankind has grown large enough to spawn Star City, an eight-episode spin-off that revisits the alternate-history space race from the Soviet perspective, even as the original series prepares for its sixth and final season.

There is a clear commitment to consistently deliver compelling and intellectual premises that really give your imagination a healthy workout. They are the new gold standard in the genre. There are a lot of shows out there that offer viscerally impactful visuals, but what sets Apple TV shows apart from the rest is the focus on richly developed characters.

Characters like Salvor Hardin (Leah Harvey), Dr. Hari Seldon (Jared Harris), and Brother Day (Lee Pace) in Foundation give us a reason to emotionally invest ourselves every week. The same can be said of Mitsuki Yamoto (Shioli Kutsuna), Aneesha Malik (Golshifteh Farahani), and Trevante Cole (Shamier Anderson) in Invasion, or Lee Shaw (Wyatt Russell) and Cate Randa (Anna Sawai) in Monarch. All of these players bring something different to the story being told, and they have all been given thorough backstories.

Neuromancer now looks poised to push that strategy into an even harder strain of science fiction. Turner stars as Case, a super-hacker who is thrust into a web of digital espionage and high-stakes crime alongside Molly (Middleton), a razor-girl assassin. Gibson’s novel is packed with cyberpunk concepts, artificial intelligence, powerful corporations, virtual spaces, and terminology that helped shape decades of science fiction after its publication. In other words, it is exactly the sort of complicated material that Apple has spent the past five years proving it is willing to tackle.

Apple TV Excels at Getting the Best Talent

From the writers of the source material to experienced and seasoned showrunners to casting the most talented actors, it all makes such an enormous difference in the final product that ends up on our screens. It all starts with the material that gets written on the page. Invasion writer Simon Kinberg is a veteran of the genre with a pedigree that includes a handful of X-Men movies. Apple has continued to bring established filmmakers and creators into its growing sci-fi library, and Neuromancer is no exception. The adaptation was created for television by Graham Roland and JD Dillard, with Gibson himself among its executive producers.

Having top-notch actors delivering that material is key as well, and the shows that are propelling Apple TV to the forefront of smart sci-fi include gifted performers like Rebecca Ferguson and Tim Robbins in Silo. In Foundation, a combination of known faces like Harris and Pace and up-and-coming talents like Leah Harvey and Lou Llobell make the series tick along at a beautiful pace. Invasion has talent from around the globe in Farahani, Anderson, Barratt, and Kutsuna. Joel Kinnaman continues to lead the talented cast of the parallel-reality NASA drama For All Mankind, while Neuromancer is assembling another impressive ensemble around Turner and Middleton, including Mark Strong, Peter Sarsgaard, and Clémence Poésy.

‘Neuromancer’ Is the Next Step in Apple TV’s Sci-Fi Era

Image via Apple TV+

Apple as an organization has always been pushing the envelope with bigger, better, and more innovative products, and that attitude has translated into its media streaming department, including both television and movies. Their model of focusing on a select group of projects to invest in and produce has helped Apple build a distinct identity in science fiction. It’s this commitment to the viewer and the willingness to let the creative forces behind the scenes do their thing that works out for the best. The difference five years after Foundation is just how established that identity has become, though. With Apple TV expanding its universes, namely with a show like For All Mankind and Star City, Neuromancer feels like the next logical test of that commitment.

Gibson’s novel helped define cyberpunk, and its dense world of hackers, artificial intelligence, corporate power, and cyberspace presents exactly the kind of ambitious source material that might have once seemed difficult to translate to television. Apple now has something it didn’t have when Foundation debuted in 2021: a proven identity as a destination for ambitious science fiction. Foundation, Silo, Severance, and For All Mankind have helped build an audience accustomed to complicated worlds, high concepts, and stories that don’t necessarily provide easy answers.

Neuromancer takes that strategy even further into hard sci-fi and cyberpunk territory, with Turner starring as Case, a super-hacker who becomes caught up in digital espionage and high-stakes crime alongside Molly (Middleton). The series will premiere on January 22, 2027, with two episodes before continuing weekly. That makes Neuromancer more than simply another sci-fi show joining the service. It suggests Apple is doubling down on the genre that has become one of its greatest strengths.

Where Foundation once looked like an enormous gamble, adapting another foundational and famously dense work of science fiction now feels almost perfectly suited to the streamer. Apple TV isn’t just proving that it can make smart sci-fi anymore. With Neuromancer, it’s entering the next era of the identity it has spent the last five years building.

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Neuromancer

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Release Date

January 22, 2027

Network

Apple TV+

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Showrunner

Graham Roland

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Directors

J.D. Dillard

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Celebrity hairstylist and beauty entrepreneur Jen Atkin is embracing a more effortless approach to hair this fall, favoring healthy hair and more natural styles over overly polished looks. 

During an exclusive interview with The Blast about her partnership with Swiffer Hair Magnet, Atkin shared her predictions for the season’s biggest trends, the beauty shortcut that saves her time as a busy mom, and why finding a hairstyle that fits your lifestyle matters more than chasing every hot trend. She also shared a sneak peek of what she expects to see on the Emmys red carpet and revealed some hair products and tools she keeps in her own routine. 

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Everyone knows that cleaning up hair off the floor can be a chore and a half, so who better to ask what works best than a hairstylist to the stars?

“I get so excited over anything that’s going to make my home life and my work life easier. And I am very, very organized and a bit of a neat freak,” Atkin told The Blast exclusively. “When I heard about this product, I was so excited because it really fits naturally into my life.”

The product Atkin is speaking of – Swiffer Hair Magnet. She added that client’s hair, her hair, and even her dog’s hair ends up on the floor making it a “nightmare to clean up.” She said, “This is something that I had wished existed 10 to 15 years ago.”

• Rider Strong partnered with Simple Mills to bring some nostalgia into the spotlight.
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Fall Hair Trends That Could Steal The Spotlight

With summer quickly coming to a close and fall getting ready to rush in as a main character, the popular trend in hairstyles will likely shift a bit. When asked what she feels the biggest fall hair trends will be, Atkin shared that she’s just “not a fan of overly perfected or manufactured hair.” 

“I think that getting a really good haircut and making it look healthy, taking care of your scalp and putting oil in your hair and making sure it stays hydrate,” she said. “I like movable, touchable, healthy hair.”

She added that “wearing a hairstyle that fits your lifestyle is important.” 

One thing that goes out the window though? Cutting your own bangs at home. 

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“Find a hairstylist that you trust and knows your face shape and knows what your routine is,” she added.

Jen Atkin Is The Founder Of OUAI Hair Products

Atkin created OUAI in 2016 to bring professional-quality haircare into everyday routines. The popular brand blends salon expertise into shampoo, conditioner, styling products, and more. 

“We were the first to kind of categorize our shampoo and conditioner by hair type – fine, medium, thick – really paying attention to that and what your strands are like and what your needs are,” she told The Blast. “I’m really a big fan of getting your hair clean.” 

She added that “hydrating is key,” and “getting your hair and scalp really clean is the best way to have hair you can wear for at least three days.” 

Sharing Some Hair Predictions For The Upcoming Emmys

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When talk of the Emmys red carpet entered the chat, Atkin shared some thoughts on what she expects to see as far as hairstyles.

“I am predicting we’re gonna see some really cute short cuts,” she said. “I really love effortless hair and I think I really miss the simplicity of the 90s when it was all about just a really cool dress.”

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Atkin said she’s a “big fan” of hair that isn’t “overly produced.” She added, “I like the fashion to be the moment.”

Balancing Work Life And Mom Life

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For most people, finding a good work-life balance can be challenging. For Atkin, she said it’s important to be “kind and gentle” with yourself. 

“I feel like we’ve fallen into a trap of feeling like you have to do everything perfect,” she told The Blast. “I was just talking to my husband last night about gentle parenting and is it working? We’re trying to do this French style of parenting where we have got a very clean and kind of strict household. I am really about routine and we’re very predictable. I have a really organized scheduled and the kids do as well, so they kind of know what to expect. That’s been really helpful for everybody.” 

The celebrity stylist also shared that one thing that works well for finding that balance is a shared calendar and having “all hands on deck.”

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Roommates, Hollywood has lost another household name! Samuel Monroe Jr., who starred in ‘Menace II Society’ and ‘The Players Club, ‘ passed away this week, according to his mother. He was 52.

RELATED: Oh, Aunt Dolly! Miley Cyrus Pays Tribute To Godmother Dolly Parton With Touching Message Following Her Death

Samuel Monroe Jr.’s Mom Confirms His Death 

Joyce Patton, Samuel’s mom, posted an update about her son on Facebook, per a screenshot from The Shade Room. She only confirmed his death, but did not reveal the cause. Instead, she asked the public to keep her family and three children in prayers.

“I want to thank all of my Facebook family and friends new and old for praying for Samuel Monroe Jr., my son. But today God called him home. Please honor my final request to pray for the family, especially his 3 children.”

Joyce also spoke to TMZ and said Samuel died after a battle with meningitis. He died on Wednesday (August 26), around 10:24 p.m. PT at a hospital. The report also says he was hospitalized with a severe case of meningitis, MRSA pneumonia, and other medical issues. That said, TMZ also reported that Samuel Monroe Jr. was discharged alive, according to a hospital rep.

RELATED: Prayers Up! Montana Man Kills 8 Relatives, Including 4 Kids, At Sunday Dinner Before Setting Home On Fire

After starring in several of the biggest movies of the last few years, like Anora and Until Dawn, Ella Rubin is ready to take her career to the next level. Not only can Rubin be seen leading the #1 show in the world on Prime Video, Sterling Point, she’s also attached to star in a new series based on the New York Times bestselling novel by Liz Moore, The God of the Woods. Moore also wrote Long Bright River, another popular New York Times bestseller. The God of the Woods follows the Van Laar family, who house dark secrets surrounding the mystery behind the disappearance of 13-year-old Barbara Van Laar’s disappearance from her family summer camp.

Ella Rubin recently sat down for an interview with Collider’s Perri Nemiroff for an episode of Ladies Night to chat about Sterling Point, and the duo got onto the topic of the new series, The God of the Woods. When asked if she had wrapped filming on the series yet, Rubin told Collider no, saying she has “one more week” to go before the end of production. Nemiroff also asked Rubin if there was anything about the project she thought would challenge her as an actor in new ways, to which she said, “Great way of putting it. That was kind of exactly it. It’s a very different character for me. I’ve never played anybody like this. It’s a different story. It’s kind of a ‘70s sort of atmospheric thriller.” Rubin continued, highlighting more specifics about her character, which read as follows:

“The character just struck me intensely. There’s a lot of darkness there within her. There’s an incredibly rich backstory. She’s not mean, but can be kind of acerbic, and I like that about her. It’s just really, really different. She’s very troubled, and there’s a lot going on, and there’s really no clear answer. I don’t think every choice she makes is one that everyone will be in support of, which is something I enjoyed, too, getting to play a young woman who’s making confusing choices, or making choices that are upsetting in some way, and she’s still deeply brilliant and looking out for her life in a way that maybe the audience won’t be able to understand.”

‘The God of the Woods’ Features a Star-Studded Ensemble

Continuing, Rubin admitted that she “could go on and on about it. I’m just so in it right now,” she said. “I think you’ll like it. It’s cool. And Kerry Condon is going to be… I mean, everybody in this movie is amazing. Tracy Letts is in it. It’s crazy. Maya Hawke is incredible.” Fans will know Maya Hawke well from her role as Robin Buckley in Stranger Things, and Kerry Condon recently featured in both F1 with Brad Pitt and Star Wars: Skeleton Crew.

Rubin also confirmed the appearance of The Rings of Power veteran Benjamin Walker, “Yes, he’s amazing,” and even spoke about other stars like Nell Fisher, Autumn Molina, and Susannah Perkins: “Nell Fisher is so lovely. And Autumn Molina is playing my camper, Tracy, and she’s a star. And Susannah Perkins has become one of my close friends, who’s playing TJ and they are just like… I can’t.” She lastly highlighted the incredible work of showrunners Liz Hannah and Liz Moore, who have worked as producers and writers on other projects like Mindhunter and Long Bright River. Moore also wrote the novel that inspired the new Netflix series based on The God of the Woods: “I’m so deep in it, so I’m sorry I’m talking about it too much, but I’m just so excited for everyone to get to see their performances because it’s really special. And yeah, Liz Hannah and Liz Moore, our showrunners, just know what they’re doing. It’s awesome.”

Check out the first season of Sterling Point on Prime Video and stay tuned to Collider for more updates and coverage of Season 2. Keep an eye out for Nemiroff’s full conversation with Rubin.

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Release Date

August 5, 2026

Network

Prime Video

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Directors

Aurora Guerrero, Megan Park, Andrew Ahn

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Cast

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  Jacob Whiteduck-Lavoie

  Ellis

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  Nikko Angelo Hinayo

  Sully

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Michael Biehn has appeared in enough classics that it probably takes quite a lot to genuinely blow him away. This is a man who brought us films like The Terminator, Aliens, The Abyss and Tombstone, all of which certainly aren’t a bad selection to have on your résumé, after all. So, when this man says something exciting about a movie yet to come out? That makes you sit up, and it makes him difficult to ignore.

Biehn will soon appear in Onslaught, the newest film from Adam Wingard. And he’s not merely telling audiences that the movie is good, either. Speaking exclusively with Collider, Biehn made perhaps the biggest comparison possible for the upcoming action-horror movie: watching the finished Onslaught gave him the same feeling he remembers having when he first saw Aliens.

Biehn had already described Onslaught as possessing the same “frantic energy” as The Terminator, while comparing its overall flavor to a combination of Wingard’s The Guest and Terminator 2: Judgment Day. But his reaction to actually seeing the finished movie went much further, because when sked what he hopes audiences will think when they leave the cinema, Biehn gave us an answer that made his hopes for Onslaught — and its future — pretty clear:

“I’d like them to walk away thinking two things. First, I’d watch that again. And second, I can’t wait for the sequel.”

So if you weren’t already excited about a movie audiences haven’t even seen yet, Biehn’s enthusiasm should hopefully sell you on it. But his enthusiasm was just as intense when he discussed the first time he saw the film.

Michael Biehn Thinks ‘Onslaught’ Is as Good as ‘Aliens’

“I kind of had the same feelings I had when I saw Aliens. I just didn’t have Bill Paxton in there next to me to high five with,” Biehn recalled watching Onslaught alongside Wingard and immediately jumping from his chair once the movie ended.

“Oh my God, you fucking did it, Adam! You fucking did it, Jesus! This is fucking amazing.”

Considering Biehn’s history with Aliens — and his insistence elsewhere in our conversation that it’s James Cameron’s best film — that’s an endorsement that could carry the movie on wings. Wingard has clearly made something that’s about to hit us hard and leave us wanting more. And if audiences come away feeling the same way, Biehn is already looking several steps ahead: he wants them ready to watch it all over again and immediately demanding Onslaught 2.

Onslaught hits theaters on September 4.

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Release Date

September 4, 2026

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Runtime

92 Minutes

Director

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Adam Wingard

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