Entertainment
Yahya Abdul-Mateen II Calls Out Marvel Over Wonder Man and Blade
Yahya Abdul-Mateen II is speaking candidly about Marvel Studios following the cancellation of Wonder Man and the continued struggles surrounding Blade, saying the “optics are obvious” when looking at the fate of two of the MCU’s most prominent Black-led projects.
The actor starred as Simon Williams in Marvel Television’s Wonder Man, which debuted on Disney+ in January. Despite earning strong reviews and an Emmy nomination for Abdul-Mateen’s performance, the series was canceled after one season in July. The decision was particularly surprising after Marvel had previously moved forward with plans for a second season.
Speaking with Vanity Fair, Abdul-Mateen said he was told the decision ultimately came down to viewership, although he was never given specific numbers.
“I was told that it had something to do with the viewership numbers,” Abdul-Mateen said. “I wasn’t told what those numbers were, but ultimately, for whatever reason it was, I think they decided that it didn’t make sense for business.”
Mahershala Ali Blade Concept
However, the actor also addressed the larger conversation surrounding Marvel’s recent decisions. Along with Wonder Man, Marvel’s long-gestating Blade reboot starring Mahershala Ali has faced years of development problems and has failed to move forward as originally planned.
For Abdul-Mateen, having two major Black-led Marvel projects run into significant roadblocks creates a perception that Disney and Marvel should take seriously.
“I think the optics are obvious,”
Abdul-Mateen said. “If I’m a big business, if I’m Disney, if I’m Marvel, I don’t want to be attached to these optics.”
Rather than simply criticizing the studio, Abdul-Mateen argued that Marvel has an opportunity to change that narrative by continuing to invest in quality stories and giving those projects the resources necessary to succeed.
Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Wonder Man [Marvel Studios]
He also defended Wonder Man, pointing to the positive response from viewers and awards voters as evidence that the series delivered creatively. Abdul-Mateen believes the circumstances surrounding its cancellation deserve a closer examination, particularly considering Marvel had already committed to moving forward with another season.
The cancellation came after Wonder Man emerged as one of Marvel’s better-received recent television projects. The eight-episode series paired Abdul-Mateen’s Simon Williams with Ben Kingsley’s Trevor Slattery and took a more comedic, Hollywood-focused approach to the MCU than many of Marvel’s previous Disney+ shows.
While the business realities behind Wonder Man may ultimately have centered on audience numbers and production costs, Abdul-Mateen’s comments highlight a larger challenge for Marvel as it continues reshaping its film and television slate.
With Wonder Man finished and Blade unable to escape development uncertainty, Marvel now faces questions not only about which characters and franchises it chooses to prioritize, but also about what those decisions communicate to audiences.
Entertainment
10 Book Series Everyone Should Read at Least Once
Trying to get someone interested in something that’ll take up countless hours of their lives isn’t easy. It happens with TV shows that ran for multiple seasons (good luck getting anyone interested in Lost, nowadays, even if most of it’s great and the ending is kind of over-hated), and it also happens for books in general, but especially books that make up longer series.
The following are all counted as series because they’re longer than three books. You could argue a trilogy is a series as well, but if there’s a trilogy that’s not here, counted among the very best book series ever published, it’s because that was treated as a cutoff. So, with these examples, you get four or more books, and all of those books stand as worthy of one’s time. That’s what you get here, and there’s a mix of genres represented, as well as an attempt to cover different series published at different points in time.
10
The ‘L.A. Quartet’ (1987–1992)
Two books in the L.A. Quartet have been made into movies, and one of them (L.A. Confidential) was pretty great, if a little different – and not as intense – as its source material. When it comes to The Black Dahlia, you’re better off sticking to the book, and then with The Big Nowhere and White Jazz, you can only experience them as books, at least at the time of writing.
The Big Nowhere would make for a particularly despairing movie or miniseries, if ever made, and then White Jazz… it would be a miracle, actually, for that to be adapted somehow. White Jazz is experimental and maybe the only miss of the bunch, yet it’s still got its fans, and it is interesting, for what that’s worth. The other three books are all excellent, well and truly ranking among the best James Ellroy has written to date.
9
The ‘Cosmere’ (2005–present)
The Cosmere universe is huge, being counted as a series of sorts here, encompassing not quite everything Brandon Sanderson has written, but a lot of it. And Sanderson has written a lot, and doesn’t show any signs of slowing down any time soon, so it’s anyone’s guess how big the Cosmere will really end up being. It’s also got series within it, like the Mistborn trilogy, or the Mistborn series, since that run of books includes more than just the “original” trilogy.
And then you’ve got The Stormlight Archive, which is made up of five main (and massive) books at the time of writing, and is intended to itself be a 10-part series by the time it’s concluded. So, call it cheating a bit, if the whole Cosmere universe is being treated as one big thing right now, but the other option was to pick either Mistborn or The Stormlight Archive, and there’d probably be people annoyed that one wasn’t picked, so… what can you do?
8
The ‘Leatherstocking Tales’ (1823–1841)
The Leatherstocking Tales is a confusingly published series, because the five books span about 66 years (1740 to 1806), but the last one published (The Deerslayer, in 1841), covers the earliest period of time, from 1740 to about 1755. Reading them in publication order will mean jumping around, but however you tackle them, they are centered on Natty Bumppo, a man who has different aliases in each of the five novels.
It’s like the Dollars trilogy, in that regard, with the Man with No Name having a few different nicknames, and also, with that trilogy, the final one seems to take place chronologically before the other two. Anyway, the Leatherstocking Tales are very historically significant works of American literature, and also significant for being such an early series just generally speaking, laying out how an author could feasibly tell one large story across multiple books and have it work.
7
‘A Song of Ice and Fire’ (1996–present… hopefully)
The other series that’s going here, despite not being finished (like the Cosmere), is A Song of Ice and Fire. Now, there are other books George R.R. Martin has written within his whole fictional world (known as The Known World), but A Song of Ice and Fire is the main one. If you’re not much of a book person, for whatever reason, it’s the series that Game of Thrones was based on.
The pressure on Martin is unprecedented at this point, so whether The Winds of Winter and A Dream of Spring do come out and conclude the (again, great so far) series… time will tell.
It’s also the series Game of Thrones eventually overtook, with A Song of Ice and Fire remaining, at the time of writing, unfinished. What has been published so far (five out of a planned seven books) has been great, and it would be an obvious shame if things weren’t resolved eventually. But the pressure on Martin is unprecedented at this point, so whether The Winds of Winter and A Dream of Spring do come out and conclude the (again, great so far) series… time will tell and all that.
6
The ‘Hyperion Cantos’ (1989–1997)
Four books make up the Hyperion Cantos, with the first two books being closely linked, and then the final two books also being linked. You get an idea of that with the titles, since the first two are Hyperion and The Fall of Hyperion, while the last two are called Endymion and The Rise of Endymion, so go figure and all that (there’s also a big time-jump between The Fall of Hyperion and Endymion).
The first book, which is just called Hyperion, is probably the best and most interesting, but it’s the sort of thing where if you like what that one’s putting down, it’s worth reading on. Also, not everything is resolved in Hyperion (1989), with The Fall of Hyperion functioning as a conclusion, in many ways, and then books #3 and #4 end up feeling more like a continuation.
5
‘Monster’ (1994–2001)
You sometimes get people saying that animated movies shouldn’t be ranked and considered among live-action ones, and maybe those same people would also argue that books and graphic novels should be separated. To those people, sorry, but the Monster series is going here, and honestly, it’s great and approachable enough that you don’t have to be particularly into graphic novels or manga to appreciate it as a great mystery/thriller series.
Monster is about the uncovering of a conspiracy that involves a pair of twins (and some other children), with one of them being a fearsome serial killer, and the protagonist is a doctor wracked with guilt for having saved the life of this eventual serial killer when the killer was still a child. It does a lot more – and introduces various other characters – across its 18 volumes, with the thousands of pages here proving very compelling and maybe even kind of addictive, once it really gets going.
4
‘The Ripliad’ (1955–1991)
The Talented Mr. Ripley does tend to get the most attention out of all the books about Tom Ripley, but it’s one of five parts, ultimately, that make up The Ripliad, which might be the best name any of the series mentioned here has. They were all written by Patricia Highsmith over a surprisingly long period of time, with the final Tom Ripley book being published 36 years after the first.
Tom Ripley makes for a more than worthy central figure for a whole series, though, with each book involving him engaging in some kind of different scheme or crime (or, when things don’t go well, maybe even a series of crimes). The Talented Mr. Ripley is especially intense, and deserving of its classic status, but the follow-ups are all good, too, with book #3, Ripley’s Game, definitely being worthy of an honorable mention.
3
Frank Herbert’s ‘Dune’ (1965–1985)
To specify, the six Dune books that Frank Herbert wrote during his lifetime are being counted here as the Dune series. There is more to Dune, as a whole franchise, with Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson having written far more in the series than Frank Herbert ever did, but for a movie example, it’s a bit like considering the Star Wars series under George Lucas (so, the six movies released between 1977 and 2005) as separate from the whole Disney era of Star Wars.
With Dune, you have the original book, which lives up to its reputation and then some, with Dune Messiah being a sequel, and then things do get a bit weird after that. But if Frank Herbert’s the author, and the word “Dune” is on the cover, then it’s probably worth it. At worst, you’ll be in for something interesting, you know?
2
‘The Dark Tower’ (1982–2004)
Stephen King has a big old multiverse of interconnecting books, with some only vaguely referencing others, and certain stories existing as stories within other stories (usually, in a more grounded Stephen King book, someone will refer to having seen a movie based on a more outlandish/supernatural King book). As far as his series go, though, The Dark Tower is the easiest to single out.
There are seven main books in this series, and they’re all about a mysterious gunslinger trying to reach the titular Dark Tower, because he feels he’s destined to. He has some companions, there are “side quests,” so to speak, and then there are also a fair few flashbacks. But The Dark Tower does eventually end, and it ends very boldly, all in a way that makes the journey worth it. Well, some people feel it made the journey worth it. The only way to find out if you’re one of them is to read the whole thing (2012’s The Wind Through the Keyhole is more optional, though, as it takes place between books #4 and #5 and doesn’t really add anything narratively).
1
J.R.R. Tolkien’s ‘Legendarium’ (1937–2021)
Yes, The Lord of the Rings is the big one, and the most essential read of anything J.R.R. Tolkien wrote for hopefully obvious reasons. It might well be the best book ever written, and if you want to count it as a trilogy, since it was divided into three for publication initially, then it’s probably the best book trilogy of all time. But there is a lot more to dig into, obviously, including The Hobbit and The Silmarillion, if you’re looking for other Tolkien-penned heavy-hitters.
It’s also a bit complicated to try to define this series, because unlike with Frank Herbert and the Dune novels written during his lifetime, there are posthumous works within Tolkien’s legendarium that are very important, including the previously-mentioned The Silmarillion. Dig in as deep as you want, basically (and there’s been previously unpublished material that’s seen the light of day only very recently, as 2021’s The Nature of Middle-earth shows).
Entertainment
Big Brother Spoilers: Who Won HOH Week 7 & How Angela REALLY Won Blockbuster
Big Brother spoilers reveal the week 7 head of household winner along with who they’re planning to nominate, who are the have-nots and how exactly Angela Murray won the BB Blockbuster. Plus, Kamu Kirk is asked some hard questions in an exit interview.
Big Brother: Kamu Kirk Falls Flat
It’s kind of a bummer Kamu was evicted – mostly because Rick Devens was making big threats to blow up the house if Kamu stayed. With Kamu gone, we don’t get that nuclear house explosion like Devens promised.
Post-eviction, Melody Morris told Haley Thogmartin she didn’t get a chance to warn LaTrice Lala Verrett, who’s upset she didn’t know about Kamu going. Melody only had time to warn Taylor Brown.
Melody also told Mallory Aurichio she wishes they had time to give Yash Patel a heads up so he wouldn’t have been blindsided as HOH. Taylor and Lala are done with Drew Campbell and Barrett Pfeiffer.
They blame them for Kamu ‘s eviction because Mallory said the guys wouldn’t let them vote to keep Kamu. Realistically, they could’ve voted how they wanted. Taylor and Lala want to nominate Drew, Barrett and Devens if they won.
Big Brother 28: Alum Secret Strategy
Also, Angela told Haley the strategy to win it if they got that ball blowing Blockbuster. And Haley shared it with Kamu, but neither took the winning advice.
Haley didn’t want to get on the floor because she thought the vents would scrape her leg tattoos. And Kamu just ignored the tip. And guess what? It was Tucker Des Lauriers from BB26 who taught Angela that move to sit and grab.
Tucker posted a TikTok of him watching her win the Blockbuster live and cheering for her. And Tucker said Angela did him proud. Then, Tucker also smiled big when Kamu was evicted.
So, there was a lot of people gunning for the Big Brother HOH because the house is ripped in two again. Taylor and Lala were playing hard. Mallory and Melody told Drew if they win, they’ll put the icons on the block.
But it turns out not everyone was playing that hard because two houseguests might have just stepped back and let the new HOH win it. Dee Valladares and Rick Devens were also really amped up about it.
BB28: Haley’s Not Making Moves
Haley hoped the HOH was the balance beam race and guess what? It was. But she didn’t win it. Dee won the comp and is the week 7 Head of Household in BB28.
And Mallory and Barrett finished 2nd and 3rd but sounds like neither of them wanted to win this and threw it to Dee. So after all her big talk, Mallory didn’t fight for it, it seems.
Dee Valladares and Rick Devens did some pro-Survivor propaganda for the cameras after she won. Then they briefly talked noms last night. Dee won’t have one-on-ones until today because she was too tired.
But she told Rick Devens she wants Taylor, Lala and Yash on the block. What Dee really wants is to renom Yash Patel so he’s only got the BB Blockbuster to get himself off the block. Problem is, nomination options are slim.
They don’t want to nominate anyone from Mosh Pit and Dee wants to try and pull Haley in closer to them. So that leaves them with asking one of their own to be a pawn or for Dee to just throw Haley up one more week in a row with a plan to backdoor Yash Patel.
Haley probably won’t care since at this point, she won’t make it to the end and really wants to avoid the Big Brother jury house. But later in the day, when Dee started having meetings, targets shifted.


Big Brother: The House is Cooked
Taylor coached Lala on how to handle her one-on-one with Dee and to convince her to go after the FAP4 since they’re a block that needs broken up. Taylor’s right about that.
Have-Nots for the week are Taylor, Lala, Mallory. They raised their hands to volunteer. What’s funny is they’re the three who do all the good cooking. And Taylor and Lala already said they’re not cooking anything this week. Taylor said she’s seen if they don’t cook, the Big Brother house doesn’t eat.
Mallory’s joining them in solidarity with the ban on cooking. Speaking of cooking, Taylor was so worked up last night, she was pacing a hole in the living room floor, back and forth, kitchen to living room and all around. But she stopped at the stairs and said nope, I’m not trying to exercise.
Lala and Taylor laid in bed together and cried, saying they want to go home, this is a waste of time. And Lala cornered Barrett in the storage room and chewed him out for evicting Kamu. Lala said we had the majority and were driving the truck and with Kamuela Kamu, the other side has the power.
Barrett scrambled, said Kamu didn’t talk game with him, Barrett didn’t think Kamu was on his side. He told Lala sorry and they swapped I love yous and she left. Then Barrett deadpanned to Mallory “that went well” and she told Barrett, “I don’t think that went well”. Then, they laughed.
Big Brother 28: Live Feeds Fun
Fun feeds stuff, Mallory freestyled a rap song about cereal including the lyrics “if you don’t like Fruity Pebbles, then you are the devil”. The hook which Dee, Drew and Haley sang too, was “Cereal, cereal, what you know about cereal?” Production liked it and told Mallory thank you.
Also, Kamu was hit by a tough question in a Big Brother exit interview. The interviewer said his comments about Jason and Drew in girls’ clothing came off as anti-drag and homophobic.
Kamu said he thinks it’s fine for Jason to wear what he wants and for Drew to wear the girls clothes if he wants, but that’s not for him. Kamu said he respects how they want to dress and asks for the same respect for how he wants to dress.
He said he loves Jason as a person. The interviewer asked if he’d go see the Salina Estitties drag show and Kamu said “I don’t know about that, but I look forward to seeing Jason after this”.
Speaking of Angela’s Big Brother Blockbuster win. Jason was with Frankie Grande watching the episode. Jason was done up in Kamu drag and started bawling in excitement for Angela’s win while Frankie teased him about crying in that outfit.
He was in a blonde wig, a full beard pasted onto his face, a mesh top that looked like tattoos on his arms and chest and a hot pink satin dress. Jason’s also been dressing up like Haley in flannel to do cameo messages.
Big Brother: The Powers in Play
Also there was a big push on social media today asking for votes to get Taylor the last BB Time Capsule. Drew had been in the lead in the popularity polls with Taylor second I think. Haley was literally dead last.
There’s 4 Big Brother time capsule powers still available. So, there’s the Never Not pass which no one cares about. There’s HOH replay where the outgoing HOH can play in the comp. This one can be gifted so it’s okay but conditional.
There’s the Mystery Competitor where an alum comes in and plays veto on your behalf to double your chances. And the last, the one really good one, is coin of destiny where you have a 50/50 shot at a HOH takeover.
And Rome Seymour is in Hawaii right now with Lyric Medeiros. He’d been face timing with her parents while she was still in the house. And now Rome Seymour’s there with her.
Remember Cody Nickson – the Marine from BB19? He met his wife Jessica in Big Brother. Turns out Cody’s rooting for Rome Seymour and messaged him saying meeting the love of his life was much more important than winning Big Brother. Cody and Jessica have five daughters on top of the one he already had. Six years, five babies. Just wow.
Entertainment
Quinton Aaron Talks Learning Wife Was Still Married To Her Ex
“The Blind Side” star Quinton Aaron has finally shed light on finding out that his “wife,” Margarita, was still married to her ex-husband.
In a new interview, he revealed that he would have never spoken to her if he knew she was a “married woman,” claiming that he’s happy their own union was “voided.”
Quinton Aaron also spoke about his healing journey, stressing that he knows he will walk again after his stroke incident left him paralyzed.

During a chat with Us Weekly, Aaron candidly talked about his split from Margarita, noting how he was in a bad place during his health ordeal, which was worsened when he found out his wife was legally married to her supposed ex-husband.
According to the actor, Margarita assured him she was completely divorced from her ex, hence why he agreed to date her.
“We would’ve never spoken if I knew she was married,” he stated. “I’m not the type of person that messes with married women. She kept telling me she was divorced for 10-plus years.”
The actor then noted that their marriage was “supposed to be a legal” one; however, it was “voided,” adding, “I didn’t need to annul it because we weren’t legally married. I dodged a bullet there.”
‘The Blind Side’ Star Has Not Spoken To His Ex Since He Last Saw Her In The Hospital
Aaron confirmed that he has not seen Margarita since he was hospitalized and that they are no longer in contact, after the exposure of her true marital status, which was done by his family members during his stroke ordeal.
“There were times I remember seeing her in the room, but I was in and out of consciousness, and I didn’t speak to her because I was intubated. I don’t need to speak to her ever again,” he added.
Now, Aaron says he is going to leave God “in charge of the love department” in his life, noting that he is done seeking out partners on Bumble, Tinder, Facebook and TikTok, where he met Margarita.
“God has blessed me with a second chance to do it the right way,” he said.
Quinton Aaron Claims He Had Already Checked Out Of Their ‘Marriage’ Before He Suffered A Stroke

Speaking more about his sham marriage with Margarita, the actor admitted that their relationship had been toxic for a long time due to endless fighting, mutual accusations, and dishonesty.
He said he felt completely trapped in the situation and had actually been praying for a spiritual intervention to remove Margarita from his life, having emotionally checked out of the romance long before the scandal broke.
For him, discovering her secret past was simply the absolute final breaking point that forced them apart, and he was entirely at peace with that outcome.
“I’d been praying for God to remove her from my life because I felt like I was stuck,” Aaron stated. “I was done a long time ago. So I feel like if this was the final nail in the coffin, so to speak, the thing that had to happen in order to finally separate us, I was OK with it.”
Despite currently being confined to a seat and restricted in his movement, he expressed deep gratitude just to be alive, maintaining optimism that he will fully regain his ability to walk again.
‘The Blind Side’ Actor Has Forgiven His Ex And Hopes She Gets The ‘Help She Needs’
Speaking more about healing, Aaron discussed how his Christian faith helped him get through the marriage discovery, saying, “It’s definitely been a challenge dealing with that and the recovery.”
He noted, “[Earlier on], a lot of things aggravated me easily, which spiked my blood pressure. When I was intubated, I was dealing with depression and anger and all these different emotions. So I got to this point where I had to completely shut all of that out.”
“In order for me to move forward, I needed to completely remove [Margarita] from my life,” Aaron continued. “So that’s what I did. As a Christian, I forgave her a long time ago because I didn’t want to hold on to the anger and have it slow down my process of healing.”
“I really do wish her well. I hope she gets the help she needs,” the actor added.
Quinton Aaron‘s Ex Slammed His Claim That She Tried To Kill Him

Prior to his recent confession, Aaron claimed in a statement to TMZ that Margarita is “satanic” and wanted to kill him.
However, she has since pushed back against his allegations, insisting she is not “satanic” and never attempted to harm the actor because she deeply loves him.
To defend her name, she highlighted her past efforts to help him adopt healthier habits, pointing to his extensive history of medical issues, which includes diabetes, congestive heart failure, and past episodes of coughing up blood.
Noting that their very first meeting took place while he was hospitalized, she argued that his current physical struggles are entirely unrelated to her.
Margarita further maintained that she is a deeply religious woman, declaring, “If anything came from ‘spirits’ or ‘satanic’ it’s from Quinton’s side of the family.”
Entertainment
Official Title and Full Cast for DC’s Gorilla Grodd Series Revealed
Supergirl may have fallen well short of expectations at the box office, but Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav is making it clear that the studio remains confident in the future of James Gunn and Peter Safran’s DC Universe.
During Warner Bros. Discovery’s latest earnings call, Zaslav was asked about the state of DC following the disappointing theatrical performance of Supergirl. Rather than signaling a change in direction, the Warner Bros. Discovery boss pointed toward the unpredictable nature of the entertainment industry and the projects DC Studios already has in development.
“Media is by nature a business full of hits and misses,” Zaslav said.
The comments come after Supergirl, starring Milly Alcock as Kara Zor-El, struggled to find a sizable audience in theaters. The film opened to approximately $37 million domestically and ultimately finished its theatrical run with around $125 million worldwide against a reported $170 million production budget.
Milly Alcock Supergirl [Warner bros.]
Those numbers make Supergirl a significant financial disappointment for Warner Bros. and an early setback for Gunn and Safran’s rebooted DC Universe. However, Zaslav does not appear ready to judge the future of the franchise based on the performance of a single film.
“We have a robust pipeline,” Zaslav said while discussing what is coming from DC Studios.
One of the biggest projects in that pipeline is Man of Tomorrow, Gunn’s follow up to 2025’s Superman. Zaslav revealed that Gunn is currently focused on the upcoming film and said he has already seen material from the production.
“James is now focused on Man of Tomorrow,” Zaslav said, adding that he recently saw images from the film and that it “looks fantastic.”
Man of Tomorrow will bring David Corenswet back as Superman alongside Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luthor. Gunn has previously teased an unusual dynamic between the longtime enemies, revealing that Superman and Lex will be forced to work together, at least to some degree, against a larger threat.
The film is quickly becoming one of the most important projects in the early years of the new DCU. Gunn’s Superman successfully launched the theatrical side of the franchise in 2025, while Supergirl demonstrated just how difficult it can be to turn lesser established DC characters into major theatrical draws.
That doesn’t necessarily mean the DCU itself is in trouble. One unsuccessful movie rarely determines the fate of an entire cinematic universe, particularly this early in its lifespan. But Supergirl does put additional pressure on upcoming projects to prove that audiences are interested in exploring the wider DC roster beyond characters like Superman and Batman.
Superman Man of tomorrow [Warner bros.]
Warner Bros. also has more opportunities to build that audience. DC Studios has several projects moving forward across film and television, including Lanterns, Clayface and eventually The Batman Part II under the separate DC Elseworlds banner.
For now, Warner Bros. appears committed to staying the course.
Rather than reacting to Supergirl by immediately restructuring its DC plans, Zaslav’s comments suggest the studio understands that building a new cinematic universe will inevitably come with successes and failures. The real question will be whether Gunn and Safran can turn those individual projects into a franchise audiences consistently want to follow.
Man of Tomorrow could provide that answer sooner rather than later.
The film is currently scheduled to hit theaters on July 9, 2027.
Entertainment
Michelle Rodriguez Reflects On Earlier Demands Of Hollywood
It has been 25 years, and Michelle Rodriguez is remembering her not-so-smooth transition into Hollywood.
The actress, as a young woman, had to navigate through complicated feelings when she was cast in the 2001 movie “The Fast and the Furious.” She had just made her professional film debut in the indie boxing drama “Girlfight” when she got her role.
Michelle Rodriguez said she was raised as a Jehovah’s Witness, and she grew up between Texas and the Dominican Republic before settling in Jersey City. Her roles outside “The Fast and the Furious” include “Lost,” “Widows and Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves.”

“The Fast and the Furious” created significant, faith-based culture shock for Rodriguez as a young actress. The 48-year-old said her religious background made the transition to the action franchise strange.
She explained that she was raised as a Jehovah’s Witness and already had a preconceived notion about Hollywood being the “devil’s world” at the time. In her words:
“So it’s like none of this really means anything to me. And so you’re dealing with a kid who’s not affected. I’m already playing in the so-called devil’s world in my mind as a 20-year-old, obviously.”
She had also just come from “Girlfight,” an independent movie that introduced her to acting. Vin Diesel had seen her performance and wanted her to play his character’s girlfriend in “The Fast and the Furious.” She met director Rob Cohen and soon landed the role of Letty.
According to PEOPLE, she “could give two sh-ts” about the movie at first, aside from the fact that she was earning good money. Her faith shaped that reaction because she did not initially see the film’s success as something particularly meaningful.
What Is Rodriguez’s Favorite Experience On And-Off Set?
The actress said being on set brought her genuine excitement despite her strict upbringing. She loved getting into a car, learning to shoot, and racing. She said it gave her the opportunity to do things she’d never been allowed to do in real life.
At the end of the 2001 film, Rodriguez’s character, Letty, flees the country entirely. She returned to the franchise in 2009’s “Fast & Furious,” the series’ fourth installment. Letty and Dom rekindle their romance in the short film “Los Bandoleros,” which served as a prequel to that movie.
Paul Walker died at 40 during production of the seventh film, 2015’s “Furious 7,” in 2013. Rodriguez, Diesel, and Brewster have stayed close ever since. They welcomed co-stars like Tyrese Gibson, Ludacris, and Jason Statham into their circle.
Michelle Rodriguez Wanted More For The Women Of ‘Fast And Furious’
After an emotional Instagram post many read as a possible goodbye to the franchise, Rodriguez clarified her real intent. She said it was less a threat and more an encouragement for writers to explore the female characters.
Despite strong castmates like Helen Mirren and Charlize Theron, she felt the films still fell short when it came to real depth for women. The actress pointed out how rarely the women got to interact on screen. “We always see the guys talking, we know what they’re thinking,” she said at the time.
Rodriguez admitted she wondered whether her interest in more dramatic roles might eventually pull her away from the franchise for good. She also emphasized her strong bond with the producer throughout the conversation. She said she is aware he will talk her into returning for the next installment.
The Hollywood Reporter noted that the two saw the franchise as a platform for multiculturalism. She also hoped the films would evolve to address issues like violence against women and cultural issues.
Rodriguez Opened Up About Her Next Chapter
Rodriguez spoke about Hollywood’s diversity problem at the Deauville Film Festival in France. She was at the event to receive a career honor award.
She argued that studios profit heavily from global audiences without giving those same cultures real representation. She said storytelling should reflect the world’s diversity, not center on one narrow perspective.
Rodriguez also cast doubt on whether she’d return for the next “Avatar” sequel. Her character died at the end of the previous film, and that ending appears permanent. She joked that while other characters are being brought back, she doesn’t expect to be one of them.
After years of playing tough, physical roles, Rodriguez said she felt she’d hit a career ceiling. She began shifting toward rebuilding her craft in Steve McQueen’s heist film “Widows.” Playing an unambitious housewife pushed her far outside her comfort zone as an actress.
Inside Michelle Rodriguez’s Dating History

Aside from the franchise, Rodriguez’s personal life has often made headlines of its own. She came out as bisexual in 2016 after years of public speculation. It was rumored that she was romancing a female co-star.
HollywoodLife reported that Rodriguez was previously linked to Zac Efron and supermodel Cara Delevingne. “It’s going really well. She’s so cool,” she once said about their brief romance. She has also been connected to actor Colin Farrell and her longtime co-star Vin Diesel.
Through every chapter from faith to fame to romance, her story keeps evolving. She has remained open about the parts of her life that shaped who she is. As the franchise nears its final chapter, Rodriguez’s journey feels far from over.
Michelle Rodriguez, who entered Hollywood thinking it was a “devil’s world,” has now built her life in the industry.
Entertainment
‘Black Adam’ Star Gushes Over ‘Sweetest’ Rachel Zegler’s Talent
Noah Centineo recently shared sweet words about his close friend and fellow actor Rachel Zegler, calling her “the sweetest, most talented person” during a media appearance. The pair have never worked together on screen but have maintained a close friendship over the years.
Centineo also opened up about his addiction struggles, revealing that he had a wake-up call before his drug use got “way worse.”
Hollywood never runs out of good but surprising celebrity friendships, and the latest example is the close bond between Noah Centineo and Rachel Zegler.
The “Black Adam” actor appeared on an episode of Josh Horowitz’s “Happy Sad Confused” podcast to discuss his upcoming film, “Union County.” During the conversation, he spoke glowingly about Zegler’s personality and talent after the host mentioned he’d been texting her.
Horowitz pressed a little further about their closeness, which Centineo readily confirmed. “We are. We’re very close. And she’s the best,” he said.
Noah Centineo Calls Zegler The ‘Sweetest, Most Talented Person’

The 30-year-old actor gushed about her acting chops, calling her “the sweetest, most talented person” he knows before adding that the range of her abilities is “insane.”
“She really is one of the most talented artists on the planet. Not just her emotional capacity, but, like, her vocal strength and capacity, her acting ability, like the fact that she can dance, and, like, with what Evita, I can’t wait to see. Did you see it yet?” Centineo continued.
After expressing how much he is in “awe” of Zegler, he also shared words of support for his “Gundam” co-star Sydney Sweeney, who has faced heavy backlash over the years, including over her polarizing “Euphoria” character and controversial American Eagle campaign.
“She’s lovely…I think people love to hate on her on the internet. I can say this, having done a film and spent months and months and months of my life with her now: they have no idea who she is. She’s great,” he said.
Noah Centineo Reveals How He Met Rachel Zegler

The former Disney star was then asked how they first met and became so close despite never having worked together.
“No. No. Yeah. We’ve never actually been on camera together. At least not like, I think, together. That’s true. There are photos of us. We’ve never worked together, you know,” he admitted.
Centineo recalled meeting Zegler at Zachary Levi’s house in Atlanta while he was filming “Black Adam” and she was working on “Shazam! Fury of the Gods.”
He said they immediately got along and have maintained a close friendship ever since. “We just like got along. What is the expression? Like a house on fire. And she just became precious to me,” he said.
Centineo Opens Up About His Addiction Struggles
Elsewhere during his chat with Horowitz, Centineo turned his attention to his personal life as he opened up about his struggles with substance abuse.
Looking back, he told the host he was fortunate to recognize his destructive patterns before things spiraled further out of control.
“I think I’m at a crossroads. I think if I don’t figure this out and stop now, it’s going to get way worse,” he recalled telling himself at the time, a decision he now believes was the right one.
“It was difficult for me, and it was my experience, and I’m still reckoning with that in my own ways in my own life. [It is] quite privileged … that I can even identify it,” he added.
Noah Centineo Reveals What Helped Him Get Sober

Centineo also acknowledged that support from his family and access to resources played a huge part in kickstarting the process of change. His struggles reportedly began around the time he landed the role of Jesus Foster on Freeform’s “The Fosters.” At the time, he was still young and spent time with friends smoking marijuana.
Things changed after he turned 18 and began dating someone older who was already using hard drugs and introduced him to them. Centineo recalled, “By the time I turned 21, I woke up one morning, and there was a different guy looking outside of my head than the day before, and that scared me.”
Since quitting drugs, he has remained focused on growing his career and putting in the work, particularly because he takes his responsibilities on set seriously.
Entertainment
Oasis Fans Slam Disney Documentary Trailer: ‘Wrong Cut’
Disney has come under fire from fans over what some say is an underwhelming trailer for a documentary about UK rock band Oasis.
The documentary chronicles the rise of the famous group and their blockbuster Live ’25 comeback tour. The band, led by brothers Liam and Noel Gallagher, broke up after a fight at a festival near Paris kicked off a years-long feud.
Disney executives must have been hoping for a rousing round of applause when the studio dropped the official trailer for the upcoming feature film “Oasis: Don’t Look Back in Anger.” The documentary, celebrating the Gallagher brothers’ historic comeback, is scheduled for an IMAX theatrical release on September 11 before arriving exclusively on Disney+ later this year.
Rather than leaning into the electrifying, sold-out energy of the tour, the promo opens with tense snippets from Liam and Noel’s infamous past feuds.
It also features shadowy rehearsal footage of the group and voiceovers highlighting the rivalry between the brothers. At one point, an audio clip captures Noel asking whether the tour will “fall apart again.” Another features him saying he simply couldn’t see himself getting back onstage with Liam.
Fans Think Disney Released The ‘Wrong Cut’

However, the trailer ignited an immediate fan backlash, with many internet users calling out an apparent lack of attention to detail.
“I think… someone posted the wrong cut version haha,” a fan wrote, while another asked, “Why’d it cut off like that? Did Disney pull a Sopranos?” One other user wrote, “I think you missed a bit at the end lads.”
However, others expressed their excitement about the film, with some recounting their experience attending the concert live. “I was fortunate enough to be at opening night in Cardiff, Wales, on July 4, 2025, with my brother, and it was an experience I’ll never forget,” a fan explained. “Cardiff basically belonged to Oasis that day.
Hours before the show, the bars were packed, Oasis songs were being sung everywhere, people were decked out in Adidas and Oasis gear, beers were flowing, and the entire city had this incredible energy. You could feel that something special was happening.”
Liam Gallagher Rules Out An Oasis Return In 2026

The Oasis Live ’25 tour was considered one of the most anticipated musical reunions after 16 years apart.
The tour saw the rockers perform for more than four months across Europe, North America, Asia, Australia, and South America before wrapping up their blockbuster comeback run.
At the time, the group confirmed that they wouldn’t be doing anything again until 2027, saying they were taking a “pause” to reflect on the huge success of their reunion tour, per NME.
Several fans asked Liam whether the band would be hitting the road again this year, but he completely ruled it out. One social media user even asked him to announce dates for 2026, prompting him to reply, “We’re not doing anything in 2026, sorry.”
So far this year, the group has not performed live, increasingly leaving fans eager for an update. While discussing a possible return, Liam teased 2027 as a tentative date, writing, “I don’t [have] snizzle to do until 2027, I mean happy Christmas.”
How Liam And Noel Gallagher’s Feud Split Oasis
Oasis sold more than 70 million records and earned multiple entries in the Guinness World Records for achievements throughout their career.
The band enjoyed massive success and became one of the world’s biggest rock acts before things came crashing down in August 2009, when Liam and Noel had a fight ahead of the Rock en Seine festival near Paris.
Their clash led to the cancellation of the performance and ultimately caused Oasis to break up, with Noel announcing his departure in a now-deleted statement on the group’s website.
“It’s with some sadness and great relief to tell you that I quit Oasis tonight,” he wrote, per Pitchfork. “People will write and say what they like, but I simply could not go on working with Liam a day longer.”
Liam And Noel Have Offered Different Takes On The Split

Over the years, several accounts of what ultimately drove Oasis apart have surfaced. Although Noel once joked that Liam “stole [his] teddy bear” in 1978, he later explained that tensions intensified when his brother tried to promote his designer clothing label to Oasis fans while the band was on tour.
“I didn’t think it was right for him to be flogging his gear to our fans,” Noel told The Hollywood Reporter in July 2011. “There was a massive fight about that.”
Liam, however, offered a different perspective during an interview with The Guardian that year. “Me and [my brother] were to blame for the split of Oasis,” the singer told the outlet. “Not me. Not him. And it certainly wasn’t these guys,” he added, referring to the remaining band members.
Entertainment
Simone Biles Unfollowed Influencer After ‘Weird’ Interaction
Simone Biles doesn’t have time to go back and forth in the DMs.
The seven-time Olympic gold medalist recalled unfollowing an influencer after sliding into her DMs to ask about the individual’s hairdresser.
In a video posted via TikTok on Tuesday, August 18, Biles, 29, said she had been following the influencer for “a while” before their “weird” interaction.
“The reason why I followed her is because I loved her style, her content,” Biles said. “She was super, super cute, but her hair was always laid to a T. Like, I could not tell if that was her real hair or a weave. And at the time, I was like …I would say, particular about hair.”
She continued, “I didn’t really give a f*** that much, but, like, y’all have been bullying me for so long about what my hair looked like during competitions so I’m like, ‘OK, if my hair looks like that, they’re not gonna say anything.’”
But the influencer’s response rubbed Biles the wrong way.
“She replies, ‘Bless. My manager has it. I’ll have to ask her,’” Biles said, slamming her tablet closed. “What? You don’t know who does your hair when you go to your hair appointments? You don’t have their contact or Instagram? Like, I get gatekeeping, but to a certain extent.”
The gymnast added, “And mind you, we lived in two different states, so I think maybe she thought, like, I was gonna steal her hairstylist or something, but that’s not at all what it was. I travel all the time, so if I’m ever in that area, like, ‘Hey, let me get slayed real quick.’”
Biles concluded by asking her followers for their opinion, adding that the incident is still on her mind.
“But isn’t that weird? Is that weird or that’s just me?” she asked. “Does that happen to y’all? I don’t know. I just. To this day, I still think about it, and it cracks me up, but also, like, what? Yeah. I don’t know.”
While Biles never named the influencer in question, she didn’t exercise similar discretion in July when she was asked at the Faces of Fitness festival in Chicago for some celebrity gossip from Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s star-studded wedding.
That’s where she revealed that singer Avril Lavigne accidentally stole her sunglasses, according to a video shared via TikTok. Biles said she DM’d the singer, asking, “Yo, can I get those YSLs back?”
Lavigne, 41, had yet to reply at the time of the video.
Entertainment
Natalie Harp Calls Trump Her ‘Guardian’ in Leaked Letters
President Donald Trump’s executive assistant, Natalie Harp, reportedly referred to the politician as her “guardian and protector” in leaked letters.
“I want things to always be right between us. I also know I’ve been distracted all week (forgetting to eat throughout the days, and even forgetting to sleep, and only catching a couple hours at a time),” Harp, 34, allegedly wrote to Trump, 80, in 2023 letters obtained by The Daily Beast.
Harp came into Trump’s orbit amid her diagnosis with stage II bone cancer in the 2010s. She credited the president’s signing of the Right to Try Act in 2018 with allowing her to try an experimental immunotherapy treatment that supposedly saved her life. (Experts have reported that the immunotherapy drug Harp used was already FDA-approved and did not fall under the Right to Try Act.)
She joined Trump’s advisory board for his 2020 presidential campaign and was later appointed his executive assistant in 2025. (Harp was given the nickname “Human Printer” by his staff for carrying a mobile printer to show Trump positive articles and social media posts.)
Per The Daily Beast, multiple letters obtained from Trump biographer Michael Wolff were written after Harp accompanied Trump on his May 2023 trip to his golf courses in Aberdeen and Turnberry, Scotland, and Doonbeg, Ireland.
In one letter, Harp appeared to apologize for a travel mishap involving now-White House communications adviser Margo Martin.
“I’m sorry. I thought I was the only one left behind last night, and had no idea Margot’s [sic] car was also pulled over, and sent back to the Airport,” she allegedly wrote to Trump. “Since I was alone in the van outside Customs, without my passport, I panicked, and should have just called Secret Service instead of you.”
Harp purportedly asked Trump to “forgive” her for “anything else I have done to cause you trouble” on the trip. She explained that she’d recently let other people’s opinions of her impact her performance on the job.
“Not because I care what other people think, but because I see myself being lowered in your eyes and good opinion. That is the fear you see, because I never want to bring you anything but joy,” she allegedly wrote.

Executive assistant to the president Natalie Harp Alex Wong/Getty Images
She reportedly signed off this letter by calling Trump her “Guardian and Protector in this life.”
In a second letter, Harp thanked Trump for allowing her to accompany him on his visit to Scotland and Ireland.
“We could be out on the Course, with no machines, and even forget what time it was! I didn’t have to be ‘Human Printer,’” she allegedly wrote. “I could take time to enjoy good conversation, and still get all my work done at the end of the day. In fact, I even had time to take long morning and evening walks to enjoy each Sunrise and Sunset (though I did forget to eat and sleep!).”
However, Harper once again apologized for being in a “slightly negative” mood on the trip.
“I had no idea how rapidly I was approaching burnout, and starting to envy those whose only ‘job’ seems to be to talk with you and look pretty. I want that job,” she purportedly wrote. “So many times, I’m just trying to stay afloat with all that’s coming in for you, I look like a hunchback who didn’t have time to freshen up. (at least you know what I should look like)!”
Harp also encouraged Trump to let her know the ways she could improve at her job.
“Please, when I fail, will you tell me?” she reportedly asked. “You have the absolute right to cuss me out, if need be, when I deserve it, because no one knows or cares about me more.”
Us has reached out to the White House for comment on the letters.
White House spokesman Davis Ingle previously told The Daily Beast, “Natalie Harp is one of the most loyal and hardest-working aides on President Trump’s team. The Fake News’s continued attacks on President Trump and his Administration prove exactly why trust in media is at historic lows. The media should get back to reporting real news and stop regurgitating Trump-Deranged liberal talking points.”
The nature of Harp’s relationship to Trump first made waves last week when Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff made a joke about the two during an Atlanta rally.
“While the sailors on the Lincoln fight his war, while he fruitlessly drains our munitions and oil reserves, the president sleeps through his meetings,” Ossoff told the crowd. “He golfs and trades stocks. See, he doesn’t want to do the job. He wants to build his ballroom and travel with Natalie, to their apparently defenseless flying palace gifted by the emir of Qatar.”
Ossoff, 39, was referencing reports that Harp had been with Trump on an alternate plane out of Turkey in July 2026 following an alleged threat from Iran.
Natalie’s estranged brother, Preston Harp, recently told CNN that he believed his sister had developed an “unhealthy obsession” with the president.
“I think my sister didn’t break out of that delusion that our mom raised us with,” he explained. “Trump is everything my mom taught us to respect, so I think that’s where her infatuation for Trump comes from, honestly. Because I don’t think it’s a physical attraction, let’s get real.”
Important note: “If you are thinking about using an alternative method instead of standard treatment, be sure to talk to your doctor first. It can be a challenge to find trustworthy information about the safety and effectiveness of alternative treatments. Also, some of these treatments can require a lot of time and money, and they may require travel away from your family and friends,” the American Cancer Society cautions on its website. “Choosing alternative treatment instead of mainstream cancer treatments might put you at serious risk. Delays or interruptions in standard treatment can give the cancer more time to grow. Even early stage cancers can become hard to treat successfully if proven treatment is delayed long enough.”
Entertainment
Blueface Says Javaughn, Journey Replaced
Jaidyn Alexis has responded to Blueface saying Javaughn and Journey can be replaced as he shared his first look at his and Nevaeh Akira‘s newborn son, Johnathan Jamall Porter Jr.
RELATED: The Ringmaster! Here Are 5 Facts You Didn’t Know About Blueface
Jaidyn Alexis Responds To Blueface Saying Javaughn & Journey Can Be Replaced
On Thursday, August 20, The Shade Room Teens’ shared a clip from a recent livestream of Jaidyn Alexis’. In the clip, Alexis shared that she was “pissed.” From there, she alleged that Blueface got online and said their daughter and son are “replaceable.”
“You better hope on your last day that you’re not talking about Javaughn and Journey,” she said. “You better not be. My kids will never be replaceable. You tried to replace them with that last baby — look how that turned out. This baby still won’t pop — it will never be Javaughn and Pinkface. I’m sorry, it won’t be. You’re a s**t person…”
Swipe below to see Jaidyn Alexis’ statements, Blueface’s original comments, and Karlissa Saffold Harvey’s weigh-in.
Social Media Reacts
Social media users reacted to Blueface’s statements and Jaidyn Alexis’ response in TSR Teens’ comment section.
Instagram user @shaay.riley wrote, “Yall see how she only reacts when it’s about her kids , she be paying him dust fr 🤣”
While Instagram user @callmereisha_ added, “Having a bd with multiple bms sounds exhausting. Good luck Charlie 🙏🏽”
Instagram user @iiambrittanyy__ wrote, “It’s funny because all his bms in same boat when it comes to him but yet they all don’t like each other because of him😂”
While Instagram user @br333.giles added, “If you can just say ‘i guess your kids won’t have a father’ then there’s no way in hell you actually loved those kids how a father is supposed to love his child to begin with and if that’s the case then you really don’t need to be around them… especially since they’re replaceable to you. I hope Jaiden continues to stand on business about her kids bc somebody has to”
Instagram user @tnossey wrote, “The kids are going to see this one day and I feel bad for them 😮”
While Instagram user @ms.skyami added, “How ppl find this entertaining? They all slower than church WiFi”
Instagram user @iluv_designer wrote, “Just get the kids a new damn daddy 🤷🏾♀️.”
He Shares Closer Look At Newborn Son Johnathan Jr.
Meanwhile, during a livestream, Blueface showed a closer look at his and Nevaeh Akira’s newborn son, Johnathan Jamall Porter Jr. Furthermore, in a subsequent clip, the newborn could be seen lying on Blueface’s chest alongside Akira’s elder son.
RELATED: New Baby On Board! Blueface & Nevaeh Akira Welcome Their Son & Surprise Fans With Name Switch-Up (VIDEOS)
What Do You Think Roomies?
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