Martina McBride, Bret Michaels and several other artists backed out of appearing at the Great American State Fair’s Freedom 250 concerts.

The 16-day Great American State Fair has been promoted as a celebration of the 250th anniversary of the United States, with exhibitions, parades and a controversial UFC event at the White House building up to Independence Day festivities on July 4.

An element of the festivities that has generated considerable backlash is the Freedom 250 concerts, which are being held to “celebrate the triumph of the American Spirit.”

“250 years ago, America chose freedom,” the official website said. “This year, we celebrate it in every city, every town, every stretch of American road.”

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While the concerts are promoted as “nonpartisan,” the Freedom 250 website does feature photos of President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump. The website’s list of financial partners and sponsors raised eyebrows as well, as it includes numerous Trump administration agencies — including the Department of Homeland Security and the White House itself — as well as corporations such as Palantir, UFC and ExxonMobil, all of which have ties to the administration.

As public outcry over the Great American State Fair grew in the late spring of 2026, numerous artists pulled out of performing at the Freedom 250 concerts.

Keep scrolling for an explanation of why each artist backed out of the Trump-backed music festival:

Martina McBride Said She Was Misled Over the Festival

The country music icon announced via Instagram on May 28 that she was backing out of a scheduled slot at the Great American State Fair.

“I would like to talk to you and clear the air. I will not be performing at the Great American State Fair on June 25,” she confirmed. “I was presented with an opportunity to perform at a nonpartisan event but that turned out to be misleading.”

McBride insisted that she’d only agreed to appear at the festival after asking “lots of questions and was assured this was a nonpartisan event that was meant to celebrate ALL 50 states.”

“In my mind, I thought this was a great way to celebrate the states and also bring people together in the way that only music can,” she explained. “I saw it as just a bigger version of so many state fairs I have performed at over the years, celebrating community and what makes each state special. Sounds fun, right? Wholesome even.”

As Freedom 250 took shape, McBride noticed that “things started changing” and she grew uncomfortable with the optics.

“I’ve spent my entire career singing songs about real people with real issues,” she noted. “I’ve been blessed with the opportunity to be a voice for those who have felt like they didn’t have one. It greatly upsets me that any fan who has been moved by my music may now feel like I’m abandoning the meaning behind those songs. I assure you that is not the case. I appreciate every single fan who has reached out. I hope to get back to the DC area very soon.”

Bret Michaels Allegedly Faced Threats Over ‘Freedom 250’

On May 28, 2026, the Poison frontman joined a chorus of artists backing out of Freedom 250.

“As many of you know, I’ve spent my entire career bringing people together through music, positivity and good vibes,” he said in a statement on his website. “My shows have never been about politics. They’re about giving people a place to come together, have a great time and forget about life’s stresses for a few hours.”

The “Every Rose Has Its Thorn” singer was upset that “a celebration of our country has evolved into something much more divisive than what I agreed to be a part of.”

“Concerns have also been raised regarding the safety of my fans, band, crew, family and myself, including threats that are completely unfounded and unforgivable,” Michaels said. “Because of that, I have made the difficult decision to step away from this performance.”

Michaels insisted that his Freedom 250 cancellation “isn’t about politics,” rather it’s about “staying true to what I’ve always believed in.”

“Everyone is entitled to their own opinions,” he wrote. “That’s one of the freedoms our veterans fought for and something I’ve always respected. But as a father, friend and bandmate, I have to take threats and safety concerns seriously.”

Milli Vanilli’s Involvement in ‘Freedom 250’ Raised Questions

One of the more confusing aspects of the Freedom 250 backlash has centered around Milli Vanilli.

When the 1990 Best New Artist Grammy winners found fame with “Girl You Know It’s True,” the public was led to believe that the duo’s vocalists were models Fab Morvan and Rob Pilatus. However, it later came out that studio musicians — including Jodie Rocco and Linda Rocco — actually performed vocals that Morvan and Pilatus lip-synced to on stage. (Pilatus died of a drug overdose at age 32 in 1998.)

Freedom 250 organizers announced “Milli Vanilli” as part of the musical lineup without specifying who exactly would be performing. The Rocco sisters told The Associated Press in an email that they were “shocked” to see Milli Vanilli on the Freedom 250 lineup and had no plans to take part.

However, Morvan subsequently confirmed to Consequence of Sound that he was the one who was actually booked for the concert, not the Rocco sisters, and would “finally sing Milli Vanilli songs live in person” at the Washington D.C. festival.

“I am here to entertain and unite people, not divide them,” Morvan — a French native — went on. “Let’s celebrate life & music and take a trip down memory lane. I feel honored to be a part of the Great American State Fair as it will celebrate the 250 Year Anniversary of America with so many other accomplished artists.”

Young MC Refused to Take Part in a ‘Trump-Backed’ Event

Young MC announced via Instagram on May 27 that he would not take part in any “Trump-backed” event.

“I have informed my agents that I will not be performing at the Freedom 250 event. The artists were never told about any political involvement with the event,” the “Bust a Move” rapper wrote. “And despite the claims by the organizers that the event is non-partisan, SPIN magazine describes it as Trump-backed. I hope to perform in D.C. in the near future at an event that is not so politically charged.”

C+C Music Factory’s Frontman Hit Out at the Backlash

Frontman Freedom Williams insisted via Instagram on May 27 that he doesn’t “f*** with Trump” and was not originally made aware that a June 2026 concert booking in Washington D.C. had any political implications.

However, Williams fired back at fans threatening to “cancel” C+C Music Factory over their involvement with Freedom 250.

“The day I let you mother-f***ers tell me what to do is the day I die,” he insisted. “Let me make it crystal clear: I do not live for none of you …. I will vote for Genghis Khan, Hitler and Ivan the Terrible before I let you n*****s tell me what to do.”

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However, C+C Music Factory later released a statement distancing the group from Freedom 250, insisting that the band members do not “participate nor side with any specific political party.”

“WE stand neutral when it comes to sides. We side with Global Love & Peace,” the group statement read.

Morris Day and the Time Denied ‘Rumors’ They Were Playing ‘Freedom 250’

The R&B group — best known for their collaborations with Prince — clarified via Instagram on May 28 that “contrary to rumor” they would not take part in Freedom 250.

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“It’s A No For Me,” Day added.

The Commodores Denied That They Were Aligned With Any ‘Single Political Party’

The classic R&B band confirmed on May 28, 2026, that they “will not be performing at the Great American State Fair.”

“Our music has always been our voice and we choose not to publicly affiliate with any single political party,” they continued. “We support the betterment of all Americans.”

The journey through the time vortex was never going to be smooth. Just when things felt somewhat back on track for Whovians, Doctor Who gets more frustrating news. When the timey-wimey show partnered with Disney for a new era under returning showrunner Russell T. Davies, it seemed like the BBC was making a statement of intent as they looked to secure the future of the show for many years to come. Instead, the next few years were riddled with mistakes and ended in controversy, with the House of Mouse partnership crumbling and Ncuti Gatwa‘s run as the titular Time Lord coming to a seemingly premature close last year.

After months of uncertainty, Kate Phillips, chief content officer at the BBC, confirmed that “Doctor Who is going nowhere,” adding that “going forward, with or without Disney, Doctor Who will still be on the BBC.” Davies then seemingly confirmed that the show would be returning in Christmas 2026, even going as far as to announce that the script left BBC bosses “with jaws agape, loving it.” Alas, despite this script seemingly being set during the festive period, it seems that there’s another setback likely to demand some rewrites from Davies.

According to a new report from The Sun, albeit without confirmation from the BBC itself, Doctor Who‘s 2026 Christmas special will now move to Easter 2027. Via an insider source, the BBC has found searching for the 16th Doctor an impossible task, with the allure of the role having lost some of its spark thanks to the recent controversial era. “There are fears that even if they do manage to pull something together, it is going to be a poor cousin to previous Christmas specials, which have always been adored by fans,” the report read.

The Hunt for the 16th Doctor Confirms a Fan Theory

This frustrating search for the next Doctor would seemingly confirm most people’s expectations that Billie Piper, whom Gatwa had regenerated into at the end of the last season, will not officially take over control of the TARDIS. It seems the cynics were right, that she was merely a placeholder intended to shock viewers into staying hooked on a show that has long been past its best. Perhaps the best choice for all involved is to go with a fresh, relatively unknown face and try to build the franchise around someone who can commit their entire time to portraying a role that demands so much both on and off-screen.

The most recent Doctor Who is available on Disney+. Stay tuned to Collider for the latest updates.

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2005 – 2021-00-00

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Graeme Harper, Euros Lyn, Douglas Mackinnon, Jamie Magnus Stone, Charles Palmer, Rachel Talalay, Joe Ahearne, James Strong, Jamie Childs, Saul Metzstein, Toby Haynes, Wayne Che Yip, Nick Hurran, Richard Clark, James Hawes, Daniel Nettheim, Colin Teague, Keith Boak, Azhur Saleem, Adam Smith, Andrew Gunn, Nida Manzoor, Lawrence Gough, Paul Murphy

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You could stick to Stephen King’s novels and get almost everything he has to offer as a writer, sure, but you’d still be missing out if you didn’t also take the time to read some of his short fiction. Those novels are legendary, and some of his very best ones are memorably long (oh hey, IT and The Stand), so it’s worth stressing that King can also do some pretty great stuff when tackling stories of a less paper-intensive nature.

There are, to date, 12 main/official collections of Stephen King short fiction, and they’re all ranked below. Maybe some won’t like the idea of having the novella-heavy collections compared to the collections of King’s that are more made up of short stories, but if something is made up of mostly one, or the other, or there’s a mix of both, then it’s going to be here. With these collections, you do ultimately get some of the author’s best works, and then a few stories that also showcase him at his most flawed, plus everything in between, of course.

12

‘Just After Sunset’ (2008)

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If you’re a fan of Stephen King’s, you might be aware that he had a somewhat divisive run of novels throughout the mid-2000s (namely, The Colorado Kid, to Cell, to Lisey’s Story, and then Blaze). Throw in the final Dark Tower book as well, if you want, for its divisive ending, and maybe Duma Key, which does have some fans, but also feels a bit too familiar, even by King’s standards, where repurposed/reused concepts feel, to some extent, forgivable.

In this period, you also have Just After Sunset, which is the least impressive of his short story collections. Things range from forgettable at best to pretty clunky at worst, with the novella N. being perhaps the closest thing to a highlight (and even then, it’s not really amazing or anything).

11

‘Full Dark No Stars’ (2010)

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A slightly better collection of novellas than Just After Sunset was a collection of short stories, but not by much, Full Dark, No Stars suffers from some of the same problems, even if all the novellas here have premises that, to some extent, sound promising. “1922,” for instance, starts pretty well, but doesn’t maintain momentum from start to finish the way you might hope a psychological horror/crime novella by Stephen King would.

At least it sustains things better than “A Good Marriage,” which feels drawn out in the tradition of Gerald’s Game (and has some thematic links), so it’s admirably ambitious, albeit a little disappointing. “Big Driver” is kind of forgettable, but the third (and unfortunately shortest) novella of the bunch, “Fair Extension,” is pretty fun, and feels the closest to vintage King, being kind of nasty and intriguing in all the right ways… it’s just a shame it’s so short, compared to the other stories here.

10

‘The Bazaar of Bad Dreams’ (2015)

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Things actually start getting a little better from here, because it’s hard to call The Bazaar of Bad Dreams bad, and so naturally, it’s even harder to call the collections that’ll be mentioned after this bad, too. The biggest “sin” this one commits is being mostly forgettable, as a collection of short stories with a handful of novellas thrown in for good measure.

The closest thing here to a bad selection is probably “Blockade Billy,” though that one could be kind of engaging if you’re a baseball fan (King himself undeniably is, that’s for sure). “Mile 81,” on the other side of things quality-wise, is quite good, and a better story about a weird/spooky car that’s probably not really a car than From a Buick 8, and maybe even Christine, though the latter is iconic, and came from King’s most celebrated period.

9

‘Hearts in Atlantis’ (1999)

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The ambition of Hearts in Atlantis goes a fair way in making it a worthwhile read, if you’re a big Stephen King fan, but it’s certainly not a flawlessly done work throughout. That ambition is what keeps it interesting, though, since this almost defies being categorized as a novella or short story collection, seeing as the five stories here play out chronologically, and have some real ties thematically, not to mention featuring a few recurring characters throughout.

Things keep tying back to the Vietnam War, especially after “Low Men in Yellow Coats,” with that first story (and the best in the overall collection) being, overall, a bit more of a coming-of-age sort of thing. There is a sense of diminishing returns from each story there onward, but at least those lesser stories aren’t as long as the highlight here, which is especially a highlight if you’re a fan of King’s Dark Tower series (which makes it frustrating that the movie version of Hearts in Atlantis, which mostly sticks to adapting “Low Men in Yellow Coats,” leaves out most of the Dark Tower references).

8

‘You Like It Darker’ (2024)

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The afterword of You Like It Darker kind of cheekily includes the words: “You like it darker? Fine, so do I,” which does imply a real return to horror after a decade or so where Stephen King’s novels often seemed to de-emphasize the elements of that genre, which he used to (well, still is) so well known for. Like, most of the Holly Gibney-related books (there are lots of them) weren’t too horror-focused, and neither was 11/22/63, nor whatever the hell Elevation was.

So, you see him call a book that, in 2024, and you get a bit excited, particularly if you’re a fan of Cujo and hear that one of the stories here is a sequel to that novel (still one of his most frightening works), but then You Like It Darker, in actuality, really isn’t that consistently dark or scary. At least the final three novellas included in the collection are quite good, redeeming things after some largely shaky short stories and the rather baffling “Danny Coughlin’s Bad Dream,” which some people do admittedly seem to like.

7

‘Nightmares & Dreamscapes’ (1993)

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Nightmares & Dreamscapes is quite exhausting, seeing as there are 24 short stories here, and the page count – at least for the first edition – was over 800, making it the longest of all the collections here. Unsurprisingly, that also makes it his most chaotic and all-over-the-place in terms of quality. Here, you get the best of King, and the blurst of King.

Like, this might sound like a joke, but there’s a story here called “Head Down,” which is a non-fiction essay about King’s son, Owen, and his Little League baseball team, and it goes on for a surprisingly long time. It’s nice that Stephen King is so invested in it, and also interesting to read after Sleeping Beauties, which the two Kings wrote together, but “Head Down” is still probably something of a slog for anyone else to get through. At least you also get the likes of “Dolan’s Cadillac” and “The Moving Finger” here, plus some experimental stories that work a little better than “Head Down,” like “Sorry, Right Number” (a teleplay) and “The Doctor’s Case” (an instance of King doing a Sherlock Holmes story).

6

‘If It Bleeds’ (2020)

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There’s a little horror to be found in If It Bleeds, but it’s also sort of in line with You Like It Darker in de-emphasizing the horror, to some extent, or at least by Stephen King standards. “If It Bleeds” is a Holly Gibney novella that works as a pretty solid thriller, while the final story, “Rat,” is probably the closest to the horror genre overall.

Okay, there is also the first story, “Mr. Harrigan’s Phone,” but that feels pretty heavy on coming-of-age elements, with horror being secondary, and then there’s the rather striking “The Life of Chuck” as the second of the four novellas here, which is more of an existentialist fantasy/drama story over anything else, and stands out thanks to its unique structure. Overall, If It Bleeds is a good collection. None of these stories are absolutely top-tier King, but none of them are bad, so it’s an overall more consistent batch of tales than all the previously mentioned collections.

5

‘Everything’s Eventual’ (2002)

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Probably the most underrated collection of Stephen King’s, Everything’s Eventual compiles a bunch of short stories and novellas that King wrote (and originally had published in a variety of places) between 1994 and 2001. The most notable might well be “The Little Sisters of Eluria,” since it’s one of the longer stories here, and it also features Roland of Gilead, who’s the protagonist of The Dark Tower.

That novella’s not essential to understanding The Dark Tower, but it is a worthwhile story within that much broader and more expansive epic. And then the rest of what Everything’s Eventual has to offer is quite fun and surprisingly consistent, especially considering King’s previous short story collection – Nightmares & Dreamscapes – was so out of control in terms of quality/consistency.

4

‘Four Past Midnight’ (1990)

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There is one undeniable standout, if you’re looking at King’s novella collections that contain precisely four stories, and that one standout will be gotten to in a bit, but the runner-up is Four Past Midnight. This is Stephen King’s longest novella collection, and is a good deal better than his longest short story collection, Nightmares & Dreamscapes, with at least one story here (“The Langoliers”) being longer than some Stephen King stories that are classified as novels (like Carrie and Rage).

Everything here is good, and some stretches of Four Past Midnight come pretty close to being great, with “The Library Policeman” being a potential highlight, since it really depends on what you’re willing to call a highlight. It’s the most confronting story here, and it comes close to being too much, but you do have to give it props for being equal to some of King’s much longer and more well-known works in terms of sheer horror offered.

3

‘Night Shift’ (1978)

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Night Shift is the oldest of the official Stephen King collections, and it’s also notable for having just short stories throughout. It’s not a particularly long book, but there is a large number of individual pieces here… well, specifically, 20 all up. And almost all of them are really good, with a handful that are genuinely great, and anything that’s a bit less-than-amazing doesn’t matter too much, since no story here will really take up a great deal of your time.

It’s a breathless and easy-to-get-through read, and maybe the best book to present to someone if they ever accuse Stephen King of being too long-winded. There are also a surprisingly large number of short stories in Night Shift that were later made into movies, including – quite infamously – the largely unrelated The Lawnmower Man. That’s an interesting rabbit hole to disappear down, if you’ve got the time and want to see what King does when he really doesn’t approve of how a filmmaker handled his work.

General Hospital has some critical leaked info about Robert Scorpio‘s (Tristan Rogers) funeral, including who will not be there. Also some info about what Anna Devane (Finola Hughes) is enduring at that clinic in France. Plus a violent end for WSB director Ross Cullum (Andrew Hawkes).

We’re going to get into the latest leaks from our trusted source who has come through for us on quite a lot and I love to share these things with you guys. We actually have stuff from two sources by the way.

And as always when I’m covering leaks and rumors, I want to remind you these are not official General Hospital spoilers. That being said, because we have a couple of sources and one has a really, really good track record. One’s, you know, a little more hit and miss, but I love to share these rumors. They’re good. So, we’re going to dive into another roundup.

Jason Morgan And The WSB Story on General Hospital

So, first, our leaker gave us some info about Jason Morgan (Steve Burton) and this WSB story. So, despite the fact that we have Jack Brennan (Chris McKenna) and Cullum and Jenz Sidwell (Carlo Rota) all in it, reportedly this is all just a carryover of that Pikeman plot that kind of went nowhere with Valentin Cassadine (James Patrick Stuart) and Brennan running the organization.

Remember and then Jack was in prison and then Valentin’s on the run and if you remember Sonny Corinthos (Maurice Benard) was an assassination target, all that just kind of fell apart, right?

So word has it that Jason was actually supposed to join the WSB a couple of years back when he was first coming back and was intended to be part of the plot to take down the Pikeman organization, which you know back then was essentially Jack and Valentin and they said that was the storyline that lured Steve Burton back to General Hospital. But then if you remember there was one headwriter change after another. It was like musical chairs. There was some behind-the-scenes drama. And then they brought Sidwell to Port Charles after the whole thing in Africa.

FV Couldn’t Let Carlo Rota Leave GH

And the source said that showrunner Frank Valentini really likes Carlo Rota. I do too. He’s a lot of fun. So, they wanted to keep him and they expanded the Sidwell plot and then kind of moved Jason away from the WSB join up and then deepened it by creating the fourth Faison child, Cassius Faison (Ryan Paevey). And they brought back Jagger Cates (Adam Harrington). So, they also said that as part of the Jason in the WSB plot that Jagger was actually supposed to be his handler, but there were reportedly some issues and the actor they wanted for his recast didn’t work out.

Then they got a different actor who I liked and of course it just didn’t work well. So, that was another complication that pulled Jason away from the WSB story. And of course, Steve Burton is back to filming very soon, and his story is reportedly going to pivot when he’s back. Our leaker said Britt Westbourne (Kelly Thiebaud) and Jason aren’t going to work out. That remains to be seen.

Josslyn And Cashes Pairing Potential

All right, the next leak, speaking of WSB related stuff, is about Josslyn Jacks (Eden McCoy) and Cassius. So, reportedly, we’re going to be seeing more of Joss with Cassius, even though he insisted he had real feelings for Lulu Spencer (Alexa Havins Bruening). The leak said that we will be seeing more of Cassius with Lulu and Rocco Falconeri (Finn Carr) after the kid gets back to Port Charles, but we’ll also be seeing more of Joss with Cassius, not just because he has her locked up but because rumor has it that Frank Valentini thinks there is potential for Josslyn and Cassius as a romantic pairing.

I know some fans on soap social media were complaining about the physical fight that Joss got into with Cassius and him taking her down so hard, but I mean, come on. Joss is a WSB agent. She’s supposed to be a badass and it’s not like Cassius was, you know, sexually assaulting her or something. GH has done some really icky stuff in the past, you know, with rape stories. And first of all, for, you know, glorifying it.

General Hospital: Ryan Paevey on the Fence

Second of all, for excusing it and reforming rapists, and also for making the stories more about men than women. Like when Elizabeth Webber (Rebecca Herbst)’s rapist got out of prison and it turned out to be more about Franco. And then they even got Sonny in there more so than it was about Liz.

So anyway, I know that Luke and Laura are fan faves, but just the whole rape origin is ick. So in terms of things they’ve done between men and women, a good clean basically fight like that between a bad guy and a WSB agent, I personally think it’s fine.

Also, rumor has it that Ryan Paevey is considering whether to renew his contract or not. His first air date was in September, so he started taping as Cassius in August. Word is that Ryan’s looking to see what’s next after Cassius goes dark this summer.

One potential storyline could set up Ryan Paevey to exit after Cassius does something heroic to protect the people in his life, which obviously include Lulu, Rocco, Joss, James West (Gary James Fuller), or possibly Britt that he might save because he’s closest to them. Other chatter said to expect exits this fall. They hinted that Britt and Cassius might be casualties of late summer or early Fall drama. And I’m sure that’s down to whether Ryan renews his contract or not.

Anna Devane’s Situation in France

Now, let’s talk about Anna. The leaker said Cullum’s paying a doctor at the facility in France to drug Anna. And that same doctor is giving falsified reports to her daughter Robin Scorpio-Drake, (Kimberly McCollough) who has been checking in and monitoring the psychological care that Anna is getting.

So, this next piece of info, you know, I’m taking a wait and see on this because it says that Mac Scorpio (John York) uses some influence to get Anna sent to Ferncliff in Port Charles in June. However, to me, that kind of contradicts what we already know is in the works with Willow Corinthos (Katelyn MacMullen) clearing the way with the French authorities.

So, we’ll see if the Mac stuff manifest or not. But Ferncliff definitely sounds plausible as sort of a halfway house for Anna before she’s back to her real life. And once she is back, that clears the path to do the goodbye and tribute to Tristan Rogers and his character.

Robert Scorpio’s Memorial And Other General Hospital News

The leakers said Robert Scorpio will have an offscreen death. We all knew that, of course. But also his memorial this summer apparently will also be offscreen because they’re not planning to bring back Holly Sutton (Emma Samms) or Sasha Gilmore (Sofia Mattsson). So, personally, if they do it this way, I think an off-screen funeral for a legend like Robert Scorpio would really suck, and Tristan Rogers deserves better. So, I hope it doesn’t wind up that way.

Now, some casting news. Scout Cain (Cossette Abinante) may be getting SORAS’d aging her up to a teen and recasting the role. Also heard that Ethan Lovett (Nathan Dean) was exiting this summer. We’ll see. That feels really fast and a waste unless he just kills Sidwell and then packs his bag to leave Port Charles. I kind of doubt the summer exit, but we’ll see.

New GH Villain Coming

The leaker also said the Delilah Wilson (Lily Cardone) mystery will bring in another villain. And this week, Maxwell Caulfield pops up as Apollo, the art dealer. Ava Jerome (Maura West) and Alexis Davis (Nancy Lee Grahn) visit in New York asking about Delilah. So, we may get a hint about this new villain. Then, also, we’ve heard it several times, and although I love the actor, I kind of hope it’s true that Cullum is killed off in June.

We initially heard he was going to die in May but then got an airtime extension because Finola Hughes’s return was delayed. That being said, the leaker also said it won’t be Anna that kills him. I’m hoping it’s Sidwell says he stabbed Marco Rios (Adrian Anchando) to death.

However, the leaker also said Cullum’s death triggers ripple effects for several characters and Britt is one of them. Might have something to do with her Huntington’s meds. We are supposed to be getting a few new faces, including two younger recurring actors.

And I do wonder if one of them is the little boy, Derek, who is waiting on that liver transplant. The leaker said we’re getting two new contract roles to General Hospital this summer. One’s supposed to be a guy in Britt’s orbit helping her again. Maybe it’s about her meds. This is exciting.

General Hospital: Martin & Brick Return

Also, we heard Michael E. Knight is back filming as Martin Gray, so we’ll have him on screen soon if the rumor is correct. And I wonder if he might be the lawyer Curtis hires for his criminal assault case.

And we heard Stephen A. Smith is back soon as Brick. That’s not surprising. Sonny basically already confirmed that when he said he’s putting Brick on the Rocco case, but then again, sometimes Sonny says Brick is on something and then we don’t actually see him in person. And according to the leaker, Stephen A. Smith is going to have new scenes. So, we’ll see what goes from leak and rumor to confirmed spoiler. But for now, it’s all interesting stuff.

If you’re looking for an almost 90-minute thriller to capture your attention for an evening, then perhaps it’s time to give Night Hunter a try. This Canadian-made Henry Cavill-led detective flick boasts a stacked cast that includes Ben Kingsley, Stanley Tucci, Nathan Fillion, and Alexandra Daddario, and features enough twists and turns to keep you hooked until the very end. It may not be as action-packed as some of Cavill’s other 2010s features, but it’ll certainly entertain. Night Hunter is currently dominating the streaming charts, and can be found for free on PlutoTV, Fawesome TV and Hoopla.

‘Night Hunter’ Is a ’90s-Style Crime Drama With Potential

Originally titled Nomis upon release, Night Hunter follows Minneapolis-based Detective Walter Marshall (Cavill) as he stumbles upon a local child predator ring that has gone on for years undetected. In fact, the only reason the police happen upon it at all is due to the death of a young woman who escaped captivity — and a former judge, Michael Cooper (Kingsley), who has decided to take the law into his own hands. As Marshall and Cooper work together to track down the party responsible, the cops find and arrest the mentally disturbed Simon Stulls (Brendan Fletcher), who gives Marshall and police profiler Rachel Chase (Daddario) the runaround as they try to discern just how many women have been stolen and killed over the years. It’s here that Night Hunter gets particularly interesting as our heroes deal with the deranged party responsible. While everyone does a fine job in this picture, it’s Fletcher who truly delivers with the most important performance in the film, offering several complex and menacing sides to the criminal element at the center of the mystery.

Night Hunter — which was written and directed by David Raymond — has been considered a Zodiac replacement, and has also been compared to similar serial killer-driven pictures like Seven, The Silence of the Lambs, and even Split, given the fractured mental state of Fletcher’s character. While the film certainly takes some inspiration from the action crime thrillers of the ’90s, it feels particularly modern in its fast-paced approach to the aforementioned genres. The plot itself moves quickly along and although it’s unashamedly a B-movie, that’s no reason to simply write it off. While some could argue that the film is too complex or perhaps even contrived, Night Hunter makes for a fun watch if not just to see this solid cast unite for an entertaining (and high-stakes) 98 minutes that keeps everything moving. No, it’s not as profound as Seven, classic as Silence of the Lambs, or remotely as frightening as Split (except, perhaps, due to the “what ifs” you may imagine in the aftermath), but it does the job well with the time given and refuses to waste its leading star. As far as psychological thrillers go, it’s certainly mind-bending.

Henry Cavill and the Rest of the Cast Turn ‘Night Hunter’ Into the Perfect Evening Watch

Despite its mixed-to-negative reputation, Night Hunter has consistently been a favorite with audiences on streaming for years now, dominating the charts every time it’s been widely available on free-to-stream platforms. This was the case last summer as well as earlier this year, and the film continues to draw in an audience even now. One might take issue with some of the direction or possibly even the lack of material for stars like Tucci and Fillion, but there are certainly some uncut gems here that make the movie formerly known as Nomis worth the watch. Fans of Henry Cavill, in particular, will be pleased, especially when he’s performing opposite Fletcher or Kingsley. As a struggling father fighting to create a safe world for his daughter (only to wrestle in expressing himself to her), Marshall is a tried-and-true staple of the detective genre that emotionally grounds the picture. Fathers in the audience may cling to such material.

At the end of the day, Night Hunter may not be for everyone. It’s a video-on-demand flick that leans a bit too hard into its star power as a substitute, but it’s one that (for the most part) really does stick the landing. Whether you’re looking for a quick watch or slowly making your way through the leading star’s entire filmography (we recommend Blood Creek next), there’s no better price of admission than free. It may not be among Henry Cavill’s most rewatchable movies, but diehard fans probably won’t be too disappointed, either.

Will Smith‘s former friend, Bilaal Salaam, is now facing another legal fight tied to the actor’s inner circle.

After recently suing the “Bad Boys” star’s wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, for causing him emotional distress, Salaam is now being sued by Will’s ex-wife, Sheree Zampino.

Zampino accuses him of spreading damaging false claims about her and is seeking more than $1 million as compensation.

According to court papers filed on May 27 in Los Angeles County, Zampino accused Salaam of slander, making “outrageously offensive, shocking, and hurtful statements” about her during an appearance on the YouTube show “Unwine with Tasha K.”

In the filing, she said Salaam falsely painted her as “promiscuous and sexually indiscriminate,” with the comments later spreading across social media.

The 58-year-old actress pointed to a teaser released on May 4 that reportedly read, “Exclusive: Bilaal claims Will Smith’s ex-wife Sheree Zampino was sleeping with everyone in [Hollywood]!!!” She added that Salaam continuously referred to her as a “whore” during the interview.

Zampino’s complaint also pointed out that Salaam either knew his statements were untrue or spoke with “reckless disregard as to their truth,” and believes that he is dragging her into his ongoing feud with Will.

“Plaintiff Sheree Zampino has been caught in the crossfire of Defendant Bilaal Salaam’s ongoing vendetta against her former husband, actor Will Smith,” the court document read, per PEOPLE Magazine.

As a result of the comments, Zampino noted that her reputation and emotional well-being suffered, leading her to seek damages in excess of $1 million.

Jada Pinkett’s Legal Battle Against Salaam Ended In Her Favor 

Zampino’s lawsuit comes just days after Jada Pinkett Smith secured a legal win in her own dispute with Salaam.

According to The Blast, a court ordered Salaam to pay $32,836 in legal fees connected to his 2025 lawsuit against Jada, where he claimed she caused him emotional distress and threatened him.

The “Bad Moms” actress also successfully convinced the court to dismiss some of Salaam’s claims. In his court filings, Salaam alleged that the stress from their ongoing drama caused him to gain a significant amount of weight and even lose a romantic relationship.

He also said he feared for his safety after receiving threats from Jada’s family and friends, which led him to leave the United States for a period of time.

How Jada Pinkett Fired Back At Salaam’s Allegations 

Following Salaam’s accusations, Pinkett quickly pushed back, insisting he has no evidence to back them up. As The Blast reported, Jada argued that Salaam failed to provide proof linking her to the emotional distress he said he experienced.

She explained that weight gain, the end of a relationship, and leaving the country were not enough to support such claims in court.

According to her legal argument, Salaam would need medical records or other independent evidence to back up his statements.

The ‘Girls Trip’ Actress Moved To Have The Case Thrown Out 

Since Salaam first filed the case, Jada has continued to fight it. Back in February, The Blast reported that the “Red Table Talk” host asked the court to dismiss claims accusing her of being “verbally abusive.”

Her legal team argued that the lawsuit violated California’s anti-SLAPP law, which allows courts to quickly throw out weak cases tied to protected speech.

Her lawyers also pointed out that Salaam had previously given media interviews where he claimed, without proof, that he personally witnessed Will involved in sexual acts.

Jada described those statements as false and unsupported, arguing they were made to attract attention and target her family.

A Judge Also Ruled In Will Smith’s Favor In Separate Case

Jada is not the only member of the family to recently score a courtroom victory.

In a separate sexual harassment lawsuit filed against Will by violinist Brian Joseph, the actor also came out on top.

According to The Blast, a judge ruled on May 5 that Joseph’s complaint did not meet the legal standard for sexual harassment because it failed to show behavior that was “severe or pervasive.”

Joseph claimed Smith was grooming him for sexual activity and pointed to items allegedly left in his hotel room, including wipes, beer, HIV medication, and a note as proof.

However, the court found that Joseph could not show that only Smith or his team had access to the room, especially since he admitted leaving both his bag and room key with other crew members for several hours.

Roomies, fans are dropping heart eyes all over social media after a new clip of Nipsey Hussle’s daughter, Emani Dior Asghedom, started making rounds online. The now-viral video shows Emani after getting her hair slayed, and fans are flooding the comments with heart-eye emojis, saying they can’t believe how fast she’s grown up.

RELATED: All Grown Up! The Game Shares Emotional Message As His Daughter Cali Heads To Prom (PHOTOS) 

Fans Are In Their Feelings Over Viral Clip Of Nipsey Hussle’s Daughter

Folks online are living for a viral clip of Emani Dior that hairstylist Curt Cobain shared on Instagram. The video shows Emani looking gorgeous while flexing her bouncy curls right after getting her hair done. It’s still unclear if she stepped out for graduation or prom, but Nipsey Hussle fans are loving the fresh look and can’t get over how much she’s grown. Peep the viral video below.

The Internet Is Obsessed With Emani’s Latest Pop-Out

After Curt Cobain dropped the video of Emani Dior, the comment section was flooded with reactions. Plenty of folks called her gorgeous and said Hussle would be proud of how much she’s grown into a young lady.

Instagram user @sensitiveheart1974 wrote, “Nipsey’s Heart! We love you Emani ❤️” 

Instagram user @by.briii wrote, “Iktr! 👏🏽👏🏽🔥” 

While Instagram user @complicated_leo wrote, “Whew she’s her aunties twin! ❤️❤️” 

Then, Instagram user @1envee wrote, “When you put the ‘G’ in GORGEOUS 💙✨💙✨ She is a combo of both her parents. 🏁💙” 

Another Instagram user @msphat_31 wrote, “She is gorgeous 😍😍😍😍😍” 

Instagram user @officiallydaitime wrote, “so pretty😍😍” 

Then another Instagram user @princess_robyn36 wrote, “She such a Doll so Beautiful 😍❤️” 

While another Instagram user @aeriallasha wrote, “So pretty Emani! 🤎💕” 

Instagram user @goodglowshay wrote, “No don’t grow up ❤️😢 our internet niece has grown up so beautiful.” 

Finally, Instagram user @igin wrote, “What a doll. 😍💕🔥” 

More About Hussle’s Kids

Fans of Nipsey Hussle know he has two children: his daughter Emani Dior, whom he reportedly shares with Tanisha Foster, and his son Kross Ermias Asghedom, whom he shares with Lauren London. Fans have caught glimpses of Kross in Lauren London’s photos, as she occasionally shares moments of him on Instagram.

RELATED: Eternal Love! Lauren London Shares A Message On The Fifth Anniversary Of Nipsey Hussle’s Death 

The Federal Bureau of Investigation is looking for a Pennsylvania woman who has been accused of faking a terminal brain cancer diagnosis in order to scam her family and friends out of thousands of dollars.

The FBI took to Facebook on Saturday, May 23, to say that they’re searching for Vanessa O’Rourke. Investigators believe she falsely claimed she was suffering from a terminal form of brain cancer and she scammed her loved ones by claiming she needed financial help to pay for medical treatments, living expenses and experimental care in Australia.

O’Rourke, 37, allegedly convinced her relatives, friends and other supporters to send her money by claiming she was gravely ill and was in urgent need of help.

She was previously indicted in May 2018 on 15 counts of wire fraud in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania and a federal warrant was issued for her arrest at the time, according to the FBI.

The indictment claimed that O’Rourke falsely represented that she had glioblastoma between October 2015 and July 2016. She allegedly scammed 140 people, who donated nearly $12,000 to her GoFundMe campaign.

O’Rourke has also been accused of traveling to Australia, but never receiving the cancer treatment she claimed to be there for. Instead, she allegedly used the donated money to pay for her personal expenses.

The FBI added that the investigation into O’Rourke’s crimes remains active and she will remain on its wanted notices.

The search for O’Rourke has been a long journey, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Eastern District of Pennsylvania previously issued a statement about her crimes in September 2020.

“The allegations in this case are nauseating,” former U.S. Attorney William McSwain said at the time. “O’Rourke is charged with preying upon the kindness and generosity of good people who wished to help those in need. As alleged, there was no need here – only lies, greed and callous manipulation.”

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Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Philadelphia Division Michael J. Driscoll added, “Misleading people about a significant medical diagnosis in order to take advantage of their kind hearts and open wallets is reprehensible.”

“As alleged, Vanessa O’Rourke scammed friends and family alike, convincing them to donate money toward her supposed medical care,” Driscoll continued. “Instead, those funds supported her lifestyle and leisure. When someone commits such financial fraud, the FBI and our law enforcement partners will work to hold them accountable.”

Authorities have asked that anyone with information about O’Rourke’s whereabouts contact their local FBI office or the nearest American embassy or consulate.

Days of Our Lives puts Leo Stark (Greg Rikaart) unable to stay away from Javi Hernandez (Al Calderon), no matter how often he tells Leo to please back off and no, we cannot be friends after what you did. And now that Javi’s hunky boyfriend is in town, Leo is going to get even worse.

And we just saw him getting a whole eyeful of Javi and Gus (Michael Ocampo) engaging in some happy PDA right there in Horton Town Square. But once Leo finds out Gus is planning to move to Salem, the big question is, will he sabotage Javi’s boyfriend?

Leo’s Obsession With Javi on Days of Our Lives

So, given how eaten up with jealousy that Leo is, plus that, you know, the last time I looked, unless something’s changed, he’s still wearing the wedding ring Javi put on his finger. So, I just don’t think this is going to go well. And it could be that scheming Leo takes matters into his own hands and ruins Gus’s shot at a job as a first responder in Salem.

Now, as you know, Leo and Javi have been broken up for months now. We know Leo still cares about Javi, but honestly, that ship has long since sailed. The question is, will Leo pull a shocking move to make sure that Gus is sent packing back to Texas because he can’t get a job, so he can’t stay in town and be at Javi’s side?

Michael Ocampo Makes His DOOL Debut

Soap newbie Michael Ocampo just made his debut on Days as Javi’s new boyfriend, Gustavo, or Gus for short. And Javi reconnected with Gus while he was down in Texas taking care of his father while he was recovering from open heart surgery. And apparently Javi and Gus knew each other as firefighters. But back then, Javi had not come out of the closet yet.

If you remember, that was back when he was with a woman and they had a baby and then there was that terrible thing and their baby died. So, Gus and Javi never dated back then and after losing his child then Javi wound up in Salem with Rafe Hernandez (Galen Gering) and Gabi Hernandez (Cherie Jimenez) and that is when he met Leo Stark.

Leo And Javi’s Relationship

So, you know, from the start, he and Javi had a really sweet love story that, of course, culminated in that romantic wedding that Gwen Rizczech (Emily O’Brien) ruined when she brought her horrible husband, Dimitri Von Leuschner (Peter Porte), to town, specifically to mess up Javi and Leo’s big day. And then Dimitri lured Leo back into his web of deceit. And that sent Javi back to Texas to nurse his dad back to health and also nurse his own broken heart after he told Leo he needed to go get closure with Dimitri.

But instead Leo took off to Alamania with Dimitri to help prove his innocence in the DiMera kidnappings, which seems like a nice thing, but that cost Leo his chance with Javi because Leo didn’t tell him he was going. He just took off and Rafe and the others were kind of not saying anything. But of course, Javi did eventually learn that Leo was over in Europe. Worse yet, sharing a hotel room with his hottie ex Dimitri. And to his credit, Leo figured out that Dimitri was all flash and no substance. That he really wanted to be with Javi, but by then it was too late. And Javi had told Leo he moved on with Gus.

Days of our Lives: Leo Won’t Give Up

Of course, Leo hasn’t given up. He takes every opportunity to try and get close to Javi. He wouldn’t stay away. For instance, Leo kept showing up when Javi was hospitalized after the Johnny near death incident when Javi played hero. But unlike Leo, while Gus wasn’t around, Javi wasn’t letting his ex get close. Not like Leo did with Dimitri. We’ve seen Javi being very standoffish and insisting no, Leo can’t even be his friend. Javi has told him they are over and he is in love with Gus, who is quite the tall, handsome hunk, by the way.

Leo’s Therapy And Obsession on Days

Meanwhile, Leo has been venting to Marlena Evans (Deidre Hall) in therapy about how much he misses Javi and regrets what happened with them. But recently, Marlena pointed out that it seems like Leo is just low-key stalking Javi. Poor Leo just cannot seem to get over the man that he married and lost last New Year’s Eve. Clearly Javi is a good influence on him and he made Leo a better person, but that’s not his job, you know.

And at the same time, Dimitri wants Leo basically at his worst. And I will say that Leo has come a long way in his therapy with Marlena since he and Javi broke up. But don’t forget, it was Javi who refused to sign the marriage license and left for Texas on Days of our Lives . So, if you think it’s a little fast for him to head back down there and reconnect with Gus and start dating him, maybe.

But then again, Leo didn’t wait too long before he got way too close to Dimitri, even though Leo kept refusing to do the deed and they didn’t cheat physically. I feel like that he cheated emotionally by getting so close to Dimitri. And then this week, Leo found out that Javi’s boyfriend, Gus, was in town and he reacted badly. First of all, Leo was making fun of his name and then was trying to stall Javi while he was trying to go meet Gus. And we know that Leo hates the idea of Javi being with this other man. But what’s he going to do?

Will Leo Sabotage Gus on DOOL?

Well, maybe something. Considering how hurt and jealous Leo was when he saw Gus and Javi kissing, I’m honestly expecting Leo might reach into his old bag of tricks and pull one of his sketchy moves. You know, he was quite the plotter and schemer back in the day. So, you can’t put anything past him, even though he’s been working with Marlena to try and be a better man.

If you remember, Leo kept asking how long Gus was going to be in town. And then he basically told Javi that Gus was being non-committal by only coming for a visit. But then after Javi told Gus about how Leo was acting and what he was saying, Gus assured Javi that he had lots of vacation days and was going to stay in Salem as long as he can. And then Javi offered up a long-term solution and he told Gus that there is a job opening at the fire station.

And after some more smooching and flirting, Gus agreed to apply for the job so he can stay in Salem with Javi for good. I’m assuming it’s a firefighter job because they were firefighters together in Texas and we’ve been hearing Gus referred to as firefighter Gus. And of course, Leo was lurking and stalking and listening to all this. So, you know, he was already counting the days till Javi’s boyfriend went back to Texas so that then he could try and get with Javi again. But now this is something Leo may not be able to stand by and watch happen.

Days of our Lives: Leo Sabotages Gus’ Job Application?

So we also know that JJ Deveraux (Casey Moss) is wanting to stay in Salem and he wants to go back to being an EMT. Meanwhile, Gus is a firefighter. So we heard that this job opening mentioned by JJ and also by Javi. So I’m not sure if JJ and Gus would be vying for the same open position. If they are, I would expect that Leo might find out about JJ wanting the job from his boss, Chad DiMera (Connor Floyd), since Chad and JJ live under the same roof.

And Leo might find out and then do all he can to make sure that JJ gets the job and Gus does not. Then again, if JJ and Gus aren’t going after the same job, I would still expect Leo to find some way to sabotage Javi’s boyfriend. You know, Leo might go into the office, sneak around behind the desk, and just delete his application off the system or somehow tamper with it to make him look bad, call in a bad reference.

You know, there’s no telling what he would do. Since Leo’s certain that Javi is his soulmate, I am fully expecting that Leo has the potential to engage in some sort of shocking sabotage because as they say, all is fair in love and war and he wants Javi to be his guy again. Also in a month, don’t forget Jacob Martinez steps in as recast Javi right in the middle of this front burner storyline because Al Calderon has left Days of Our Lives.