Blake Lively has officially filed a lawsuit against Justin Baldoni, her costar and director in the film It Ends With Us.
Lively, 37, launched legal proceedings against Baldoni, 40, in the Southern District of New York on Tuesday, December 31, Us Weekly can confirm. In addition to Baldoni, the actress is also suing publicists Melissa Nathan and Jennifer Abel, along with Wayfarer Studios.
The lawsuit alleged sexual harassment, retaliation, breach of contract, infliction of emotional distress, invasion of privacy and lost wages. The claims parallel those made in Lively’s complaint filed with the California Civil Rights Department last week.
“Earlier today, Ms. Lively filed a federal complaint against Wayfarer Studios and others in the Southern District of New York,” Lively’s attorneys said in a statement to Us. “Ms. Lively previously sent her California Civil Rights Department Complaint in response to the retaliatory campaign Wayfarer launched against her for reporting sexual harassment and workplace safety concerns. Unfortunately, Ms. Lively’s decision to speak out has resulted in further retaliation and attacks.”
The statement continued: “As alleged in Ms. Lively’s federal Complaint, Wayfarer and its associates have violated federal and California state law by retaliating against her for reporting sexual harassment and workplace safety concerns. Now, the defendants will answer for their conduct in federal court. Ms. Lively has brought this litigation in New York, where much of the relevant activities described in the Complaint took place, but we reserve the right to pursue further action in other venues and jurisdictions as appropriate under the law.”
Lively spoke out about her legal action via a Saturday, December 21 statement to Us Weekly.
“I hope that my legal action helps pull back the curtain on these sinister retaliatory tactics to harm people who speak up about misconduct and helps protect others who may be targeted,” she said.
The lawsuit comes the same day Baldoni filed a $250 million lawsuit against The New York Times for its reporting on Blake Lively’s sexual harassment accusations.
Baldoni was among 10 plaintiffs, also including publicists Nathan and Abel as well as It Ends With Us producers James Heath and Steve Saraowitz, in the lawsuit filed Tuesday, December 31 in Los Angeles Superior Court.
The plaintiffs are suing for libel and false light invasion of privacy and allege that The New York Times “cherry-picked” communications and omitted context in order to mislead readers in its article “We Can Bury Anyone: Inside a Hollywood Smear Machine.”
The piece, written by Megan Twohey, Mike McIntire and Julie Tate alleged Lively faced months of sexual harassment from Baldoni and was published Saturday, December 21.
The lawsuit alleges Lively pursued a “strategic and manipulative” smear campaign against Baldoni (rather than the other way around), using false “sexual harassment allegations to assert unilateral control over every aspect of the production.”
Following the lawsuit’s filing, Baldoni’s lawyer Bryan Freedman called Lively’s accusations published by the New York Times a “vicious smear campaign.”
“In this vicious smear campaign fully orchestrated by Blake Lively and her team, the New York Times cowered to the wants and whims of two powerful “untouchable” Hollywood elites, disregarding journalistic practices and ethics once befitting of the revered publication by using doctored and manipulated texts and intentionally omitting texts which dispute their chosen PR narrative,” he said via a statement to Us on Tuesday, December 31. “In doing so, they pre-determined the outcome of their story, and aided and abetted their own devastating PR smear campaign designed to revitalize Lively’s self-induced floundering public image and counter the organic groundswell of criticism amongst the online public. The irony is rich.”
He continued: “Make no mistake however, as we all unite to take down The NY Times by no longer allowing them to deceive the public, we will continue this campaign of authenticity by also suing those individuals who have abused their power to try and destroy the lives of my clients. While their side embraces partial truths, we embrace the full truth – and have all of the communications to back it. The public will decide for themselves as they did when this first began.”
Baldoni has previously categorically denied all of Lively’s allegations through Freedman, who called the accusations “completely false, outrageous and intentionally salacious” in a statement to Us. The statement also claimed that Lively filed the lawsuit to “fix her negative reputation” and “rehash a narrative” about the movie’s production.
It Ends With Us director and star Justin Baldonihas filed a lawsuit against The New York Times following its reporting on costar Blake Lively after she sued him for sexual harassment.
Baldoni, 40, filed a $250 million lawsuit against Lively, 37, on Tuesday, December 31 in Los Angeles Superior Court, Us Weekly can confirm.
The actor is among a group of 10 plaintiffs, which also includes publicists Melissa Nathan and Jennifer Abel as well as It Ends With Us producers James Heath and Steve Saraowitz, who began legal proceedings.
The plaintiffs are suing for libel and false light invasion of privacy and allege that The New York Times “cherry-picked” communications and omitted context in order to mislead readers in its article “We Can Bury Anyone: Inside a Hollywood Smear Machine.”
The piece, written by Megan Twohey, Mike McIntire and Julie Tate, alleged Lively faced months of sexual harassment from Baldoni and was published Saturday, December 21.
The lawsuit alleges Lively pursued a “strategic and manipulative” smear campaign against Baldoni (rather than the other way around), using false “sexual harassment allegations to assert unilateral control over every aspect of the production.”
“The Times story relied almost entirely on Lively’s unverified and self-serving narrative, lifting it nearly verbatim while disregarding an abundance of evidence that contradicted her claims and exposed her true motives,” the lawsuit reads.
The lawsuit details the alleged discrepancies and provides a rebuttal to the claims made in the article. Among these are the texts between publicists Nathan and Abel that celebrated negative press against Lively, which the suit claims omitted key context such as a text from Nathan that read, “Damn this is unfair because it’s also not me.”
The lawsuit also offers rebuttals to numerous other claims in The New York Times article, including the suggestion Baldoni would repeatedly enter Lively’s trailer while she was breastfeeding (the lawsuit tendered a text from Lively to Baldoni that reads, “I’m just pumping in my trailer if you wanna work out our lines.”)
The Times article also accused Baldoni of showing Lively a “pornographic video” that involved his wife, which the lawsuit alleges was “non-pornographic.”
“This claim is patently absurd,” the lawsuit reads. “The video in question was a (non-pornographic) recording of Heath’s wife during a home birth — a deeply personal one with no sexual overtone. To distort this benign event into an act of sexual misconduct is outrageous and emblematic of the lengths to which Lively and her collaborators are willing to go to defame plaintiffs.”
In addition, the lawsuit also claims that allegations that Baldoni sexualized Lively during references to her character’s costumes were “exaggerated and misleading.”
The suit claims Lively herself used similar terminology as she advocated making her character’s attire “sexier” and claimed Baldoni was following the tone set. One text read, “Will show you both ways but beanie is much sexier.”
The Times article also reported that Lively had filed an HR complaint during filming, with 30 items set out and agreed to before she would return to set. Among these were that an intimacy coordinator must be present, “no more showing nude videos or images of women to Blake” and “no further mentions of cast and crew’s genitalia.”
The plaintiffs’ lawsuit alleges that no complaint was ever officially made by Lively.
“No such document was ever presented to Baldoni, the Wayfarer team, or, to their knowledge, anyone else — whether during that meeting or at any other time — and therefore, could not have been agreed to,” the lawsuit claims.
A New York Times spokesperson stood by its story in a statement to Us Weekly on Tuesday, December 31.
“The role of an independent news organization is to follow the facts where they lead,” the statement read. “Our story was meticulously and responsibly reported. It was based on a review of thousands of pages of original documents, including the text messages and emails that we quote accurately and at length in the article. To date, Wayfarer Studios, Mr. Baldoni, the other subjects of the article and their representatives have not pointed to a single error. We published their full statement in response to the allegations in the article as well.”
The spokesperson added, “We plan to vigorously defend against the lawsuit.”
In response to the filing, Lively’s attorney told Us on Tuesday, December 31 that the lawsuit was based on an “obviously false premise.”
“Nothing in this lawsuit changes anything about the claims advanced in Ms. Lively’s California Civil Rights Department Complaint, nor her federal complaint, filed earlier today,” the statement read. “This lawsuit is based on the obviously false premise that Ms. Lively’s administrative complaint against Wayfarer and others was a ruse based on a choice “not to file a lawsuit against Baldoni, Wayfarer,” and that “litigation was never her ultimate goal.” As demonstrated by the federal complaint filed by Ms. Lively earlier today, that frame of reference for the Wayfarer lawsuit is false. While we will not litigate this matter in the press, we do encourage people to read Ms. Lively’s complaint in its entirety. We look forward to addressing each and every one of Wayfarer’s allegations in court.”
Meanwhile, Baldoni’s attorney Bryan Freedman vowed to “take down” The New York Times for its “vicious smear campaign,” he tells Us Weekly.
“In this vicious smear campaign fully orchestrated by Blake Lively and her team, the New York Times cowered to the wants and whims of two powerful ‘untouchable’ Hollywood elites, disregarding journalistic practices and ethics once befitting of the revered publication by using doctored and manipulated texts and intentionally omitting texts which dispute their chosen PR narrative,” he said via a statement to Us. “In doing so, they pre-determined the outcome of their story, and aided and abetted their own devastating PR smear campaign designed to revitalize Lively’s self-induced floundering public image and counter the organic groundswell of criticism amongst the online public. The irony is rich.”
He continued: “Make no mistake however, as we all unite to take down The NY Times by no longer allowing them to deceive the public, we will continue this campaign of authenticity by also suing those individuals who have abused their power to try and destroy the lives of my clients. While their side embraces partial truths, we embrace the full truth – and have all of the communications to back it. The public will decide for themselves as they did when this first began.”
Lively made headlines when she sued Baldoni for sexual harassment in December 2024. In the court documents, which were obtained by Us Weekly after reporting from TMZ and The New York Times, Lively also accused Baldoni of launching a “social manipulation” campaign against her to “destroy” her reputation. The docs also claim that Lively was not the only cast member to complain about Baldoni.
Baldoni denied the allegations through his lawyer, Bryan Freedman, who called the accusations “completely false, outrageous and intentionally salacious” in a statement to Us. The statement also claimed that Lively filed the lawsuit to “fix her negative reputation” and “rehash a narrative” about the movie’s production.
In a statement to The New York Times on Saturday, December 21 regarding her lawsuit, Lively said, “I hope that my legal action helps pull back the curtain on these sinister retaliatory tactics to harm people who speak up about misconduct and helps protect others who may be targeted.”
Ahead of Baldoni’s filing, the Daily Mail reported that the actor was planning to file a countersuit and suggested that Lively’s publicist attempted to tarnish his image by leaking stories to the press.
“I was contacted on 8/11 by Sara Nathan (Melissa Nathan’s sister) forwarding an anonymous tip that Page Six received, regarding allegations of HR complaints on the set of It Ends with Us,” Lively’s rep, Leslie Sloan, told Us in a statement. “After that, I was contacted by various press outlets asking about allegations of HR complaints. When contacted, I responded to press questions by referring them to Wayfarer or Sony for information regarding HR complaints.”
Sloane added, “It’s clear that Mr. Baldoni and his Wayfarer Associates are suggesting that I originated press stories about HR complaints on set, which is false. Please read Ms. Lively’s Complaint and the Complaint filed by Jonesworks LLC and Stephanie Jones, which provides the details of the campaign against my client.”
In response to the Daily Mail article, Freedman told Deadline: “I am not going to speak to when or how many lawsuits we are filing but when we file our first lawsuit, it is going to shock everyone who has been manipulated into believing a demonstrably false narrative. It will be supported by real evidence and tell the true story. In over 30 years of practicing, I have never seen this level of unethical behavior intentionally fueled through media manipulation.”
The Die Hard actor was married to Demi Moore from 1987 to 2000 and the twosome welcomed daughters Rumer, Scout and Tallulah in 1988, 1991 and 1994, respectively. Following his split from Moore in 2000, Willis tied the knot with Emma Heming Willis in 2009. The couple went on to welcome daughters Mabel and Evelyn in 2012 and 2014, respectively.
Following the news that Willis was diagnosed with aphasia in March 2022, his family has rallied behind him.
“Bruce has good days and bad days, but in the last two months, there are many more bad days than good,” a source told Us Weekly in December 2023. “This experience has brought the whole family even closer together. No one knows how much time Bruce has left, so they’re soaking up every moment they get with him.”
Another source shared that his family is “there all the time.”
“Once Bruce was diagnosed, everyone came together to keep his memory of the family intact and to be there as a constant reminder [that they] love him,” the insider explained to Us. “[Everything] revolves around him.”
Keep scrolling to learn more about Willis’ family:
Demi Moore
Moore and Willis tied the knot in 1987 and welcomed three daughters: Rumer in 1988, Scout in 1991, and Tallulah in 1994. They announced their separation in June 1988 and filed for divorce two years later. Despite their split, Moore and Willis have remained good friends and coparents.
“I’m so thankful and grateful that my parents made such an effort at that time,” Rumer told Larry King in an interview in March 2015. “They always made an effort to do all of the family events still together and made such an effort to still have our family be as one unit, as opposed to two separate things, which I think really made an impact.”
Rumer Willis
Bruce and Moore welcomed daughter Rumer in 1988. Rumer made her acting debut alongside Moore in 1995’s Now and Then. She went on to star in films such as 1996’s Striptease, 2005’s Hostage, 2008’s HouseBunny and 2019’s Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. Rumer also appeared in the new 90210 series from 2009 to 2010 and Empire from 2017 to 2018. Aside from TV and film, Rumer also starred on Broadway as Roxie Hart in Chicago in 2015.
Rumer began dating Derek Richard Thomas in 2020. The duo went on to welcome daughter Louetta in April 2023 before announcing their split in August 2024.
“I am single momming it and coparenting,” she told fans on Instagram at the time.
Scout Willis
Bruce and Moore welcomed daughter Scout in 1991. She went on to graduate from Brown University in 2013 before deciding to focus her career on music. Scout released her debut single, “Love Without Possession,” in 2021 before releasing her self-titled debut album in 2022. She dropped the singles “Over and Over” and “Take Me” in 2024.
Tallulah Willis
Bruce and Moore welcomed their youngest daughter Tallulah in 1994. She began appearing alongside her parents in films like 1995’s The Scarlet Letter, 2001’s Bandits and 2004’s The Whole Ten Yards. Following her graduation from the University of San Francisco, Tallulah launched her own clothing brand, Wyllis, during the Covid pandemic. The line, which features pieces from Tallulah’s art, aims to promote mental health awareness and self-empowerment.
Tallulah announced her engagement to musician Justin Acee in December 2024.
Emma Heming Willis
Bruce and Heming Willis met in 2007 while working out at their mutual trainer’s gym. After two years of dating, the couple tied the knot and went on to welcome daughter Mabel in 2012, followed by daughter Evelyn in 2014.
The pair marked their 17th anniversary with an emotional Instagram post in December 2024.
“17 years of us ,” Heming Willis wrote alongside a throwback photo of her and Bruce. “Anniversaries used to bring excitement — now, if I’m honest, they stir up all the feelings, leaving a heaviness in my heart and a pit in my stomach. I give myself 30 minutes to sit in the ‘why him, why us,’ to feel the anger and the grief. Then I shake it off and return to what is. And what is … is unconditional love. I feel blessed to know it, and it’s because of him. I’d do it all over again and again in a heartbeat .”
Mabel Willis
Bruce and Heming Willis welcomed daughter Mabel in 2012. Heming Willis took to Instagram to celebrate Mabel’s 12th birthday in April 2024. She shared a sweet video of Mabel throughout the years.
“All that is you, Mabel Ray. Happy 12th Birthday. Keep shining bright ,” she captioned the post.
Evelyn Willis
Bruce and Heming Willis welcomed daughter Evelyn in 2014.
Sometimes, sports really have a way of tugging at our heartstrings — and 2024 had more than its share of special moments.
In baseball, Freddie Freeman, the World Series MVP, returned to the Los Angeles Dodgers to a standing ovation after leaving the team to look after his son in the ICU, while New York Mets pitcher Sean Manaea pitched one of the best games of his career just hours after learning of his aunt’s death.
In Paris, the 2024 Summer Olympics brought tears on and off the field, beginning with Celine Dion’s triumphant return to performing in a moment that left Kelly Clarkson speechless.
As the calendar flips to 2025, here were the sports moments that transcended the box score and left us all wanting more.
The NHL Honors the Late Johnny Gaudreau
NHL left wing Johnny Gaudreau was supposed to enter his third season with the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2024-25 before he and his brother, Matthew, were killed by a motorist while riding their bikes. Johnny was 31 and Matthew was 29.
The two were in New Jersey to celebrate their sister Katie’s wedding, and while the news wasn’t public at the time, Johnny’s wife, Meredith, was pregnant with the couple’s third child. (She gave birth in December.) They also shared daughter Noa, now 2, and son Johnny, now 9 months.
Johnny’s unexpected death sent shockwaves through the hockey community, leading to an outpouring of support, particularly from his former teams, the Blue Jackets and Calgary Flames. Both honored him when their seasons started.
In addition to the teams’ tributes and vigils at the arena, more than a dozen Columbus players attended Noa’s birthday.
The entire Gaudreau family also returned to Calgary, where Johnny played nine seasons, on December 3, when the team played a video tribute to their former player before the game.
Freddie Freeman Cries After Dodgers Honor His Son
The Dodgers’ first baseman Freeman missed two weeks of action in the regular season while his 3-year-old son, Maximus, spent eight days in the ICU battling Guillain-Barre Syndrome, a rare neurological disorder.
With Max home and recovering, Freddie returned to work on August 5 in a home game against the Philadelphia Phillies. Dodgers fans gave him a standing ovation when he stepped up to the plate for the first time. Weeks later, Max attended his first game since his hospitalization as Freddie’s teammates wore #MAXSTRONG t-shirts in his honor.
“It was an amazing night,” Freddie said after the game.
Latimer was diagnosed at age 12 and had been performing with a wig, but explained that she now felt motivated to take it off.
“I figure that if I can overcome my negative self-talk and self-defeating mindset, I can help change the experience for the next 12-year-old who gets diagnosed,” she said. “She can start healing early instead of waiting until she’s 23, like me. There’s so much societal pressure that comes with being a woman — we don’t need more.”
“We can be empowered by so many things, and you don’t need your hair to feel that,” she added.
Dick Vitale is Cancer Free
Vitale, an ESPN college basketball analyst, is known for two things: his never-ending enthusiasm for hoops and his work to raise money for cancer research. He’s dealt with several cancer battles of his own, but announced on December 12 that he is now cancer-free.
“SANTA CLAUS came early as Dr Rick Brown called & said that my PET SCAN at 7 AM came back CLEAN OF CANCER !” Vitale wrote. “OMG thanks so much to ALL of YOU for your [prayers.] Yes I’m cutting the nets down baby it’s my National Championship!”
Fittingly, his announcement came two days after the Jimmy V Classic, the annual men’s college basketball doubleheader at Madison Square Garden, benefitting the V Foundation for Cancer Research. Vitale was close friends with Valvano, even introducing him before the late NC State coach’s legendary 1993 ESPYS speech.
Celine Dion Performs at 2024 Paris Olympics
Dion performed publicly for the first time since her stiff person syndrome diagnosis on the biggest stage imaginable, closing out the opening ceremony at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Performing at the base of the Eiffel Tower, Dion, sang in French, performing Edith Piaf‘s “L’hymne à l’amour.”
The song brought Clarkson, an NBC Olympic correspondent, to tears.
“I actually can’t talk,” Clarkson managed to say while her cohosts Mike Tirico and Peyton Manning shared their amazement as well.
Diana Taurasi’s Dad
Taurasi’s parents, Mario and Liliana, were courtside as arguably the greatest women’s basketball player ever won her sixth Olympic gold medal. Mario, a former pro soccer player himself, was seen wiping away tears after Team USA’s 67-66 win over France in the gold medal game.
Competing in her final Olympic games, Diana gave her dad a kiss on the forehead after the game as the family posed for photos together.
Bronny’s unconventional road to the NBA included a health scare before his only collegiate season at USC and controversy, as he declared for the NBA Draft despite a lackluster season. Drafted by the Los Angeles Lakers in the second round, Bronny suited up with his father, LeBron, for the first time on October 23.
They became the first-ever father-son duo to play in an NBA game together, quieting the critics momentarily as the two shared the court together.
“That moment, us being at the scorer’s table together and checking in together, something I will never forget,” LeBron said after the game. “No matter how old I get, no matter how my memory may fade as I get older or whatever, I will never forget that moment.”
Sean Manaea Dedicates Game to Late Aunt
Manaea pitched the game of his life in the New York Mets’ 7-2 win over the Philadelphia Phillies on October 8 in Game 3 of the 2024 National League Division Series just hours after learning his Aunt Mabel had died.
Manaea pitched into the eighth inning that night, allowing one run on three hits. When Mets manager Carlos Mendoza removed him from the game, Fox cameras caught Manaea blowing a kiss toward the sky.
“That was for my aunt,” he explained after the game. “Just got a message that she passed away early this morning. That game was for her.”
yHe continued, “Everyone back home I love you so much. I know what’s going on is tough, but we’ll pull through. I love you guys.”
2024 was a big year for Bravo (the receipts, proof, timelines, screenshots of it all) but not every reality TV personality soley went viral for their most iconic quotes. Some of the network’s biggest stars made headlines for breaking up with their significant others.
While some splits were a long time coming, others shook Bravo viewers to the core. Paige DeSorbo and Craig Conover’s December breakup announcement is categorized as the latter.
“Craig and I have decided to no longer be together,” she announced during an episode of her “Giggly Squad” podcast, sharing that there was no major event that ended their three-year relationship.
“No one did anything. It wasn’t a bad thing. I think we both were just being really mature and saying what we want and what we didn’t want,” she explained. “I think that’s extremely powerful to be able to voice how you’re feeling in real time and what you want for your future.”
Keep scrolling for a look back at all the Bravo breakups from 2024:
Sam Feher and Kory Keefer
Feher announced that she broke up with fellow Summer House alum Keefer on January 16, after more than one year together. (Feher actually pulled the plug in December 2023.)
“I didn’t break up with him because I don’t love him, I broke up with him because he doesn’t love me,” Feher shared on the “Not Skinny But Not Fat” podcast at the time, noting that she told Keefer she loved him but he never said it back.
“I just don’t think I’m in a position, as a 28-year-old guy who works at a nightclub, to be the caliber of man for Danielle Olivera, who is just ahead of me in life in a lot of ways — as far as maturity and where she stands in her career,” the Southern Hospitality star said on the “Gabbing with Gib” podcast. “I’m in this tiny little quaint town in Charleston, and she’s running laps in the big city like she always has.”
Days before The Valley premiered on Bravo, Us confirmed that Jesse and Michelle had split after nearly six years of marriage. The ups and downs of their relationship played out on the show, and Michelle later offered insight into the breakup.
“Jesse and I have actually not been together since October [2023] and since then we were free to date and do whatever we want,” she said on the April 24 episode of the “When Reality Hits” podcast.
Us confirmed on April 15 that Todd had filed for divorce from Alexia after almost three years of marriage. Alexia claimed that she was blindsided by the filing in an Instagram Story statement at the time.
“We as a couple have been subject to a lot of speculation about our marriage. We have had our struggles over the last few years and continue to work through them as two people who love each other and share two amazing children together,” their joint statement read, in part. “To safeguard our deep friendship and maintain a harmonious environment for our children we have made the mutual and difficult decision to take some time apart and reevaluate our relationship while we prioritize our children.”
Jax Taylor and Brittany Cartwright
Us confirmed on August 27 that Cartwright filed for divorce from Taylor after five years of marriage. She listed their date of separation as January 24 and sought primary custody of their son, Cruz. Their divorce is still ongoing.
Teddi Mellencamp and Edwin Arroyave
Mellencamp announced on November 2 that she and Arroyave split after 13 years of marriage. Us has since confirmed that the former RHOBH star had an affair with her horse trainer, Simon Schroeder, months before the separation.
Penn State quarterback Drew Allar has had his high school sweetheart by his side on his journey to the College Football Playoff.
Allar, 20, and his girlfriend, Emma Bush, started dating in September 2019 when the pair were students at Medina High School in Medina, Ohio.
From there, Allar enrolled at Penn State in 2022 and became the team’s starting quarterback in 2023, leading them to the first-ever expanded 12-team playoff in 2024.
Bush, meanwhile, enrolled at Big Ten rival Ohio State in 2022 and joined the Tri Delta sorority.
Despite the distance, however, the couple has made it work with trips to-and-from both State College, Pennsylvania and Columbus, Ohio, especially on game days.
For a timeline of Allar and Bush’s relationship, keep reading.
September 2019
Allar and Bush first posted about their relationship via Instagram.
The couple was dressed for the nines for a high school dance, with Allar wearing a red tie to match Bush’s dress.
August 2021
Bush supported Allar on the sidelines of a Medina High football game, where he was the standout quarterback.
“My people ,” Bush captioned an Instagram post, which featured the pair smiling for the camera.
Pop culture fans better mark their calendars for the release of several must-see movies, TV shows and projects in 2025.
On the big screen, moviegoers can look forward to Tom Cruise starring in Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning while Renée Zellweger returns for Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy.
Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande will also continue their roles as Elphaba and Glinda, respectively, in Wicked: For Good.
“We’ve expanded on their relationship as friends,” Erivo teased to Entertainment Weekly in February 2024 about having two films. “That’s a really important special thing that you have in the show, but here you really get to go with them in that. We’ve got something really special.”
2025 will also see musicians kicking off new tours, celebrities releasing new books and plenty of beloved TV shows making a triumphant return — or exit.
Get your calendars out and keep reading to see what’s coming in the new year ahead:
‘The Traitors’ Season 3 Premieres — January 9
Host Alan Cumming is back to bring reality TV stars together as they compete in a mafia-style game for a large prize. Contestants are all assumed to be Faithfuls until proven to be Traitors, who secretly move around the castle to eliminate Faithfuls one by one. This season includesTom Sandoval, Dorinda Medley, Chrishell Stause, Nikki Garcia and more.
‘Are You a Charlotte’ Podcast Launches — January 13
Actress Kristin Davis is teaming up with iHeartRadio for a brand-new podcast that will dive into her role as Charlotte York in Sex and the City. Producers promise the new project is much more than just rewatching the beloved show. It also brings the past and the present together as Davis explores topics with heart, humor and some optimism.
Kelsea Ballerini Kicks Off Her 1st Arena Tour — January 21
After the success of her album Patterns, Kelsea Ballerini will hit the road for the biggest tour of her career. “This ain’t my first rodeo (but it IS my first arena tour!!!!!!),” she wrote via Facebook in October 2024. “I genuinely can’t wait to be back on the road with you in 2025 and sing our lil hearts out together.” Sasha Alex Sloan, Ashe, The Japanese House and Marynn Taylor will serve as special guests in select shows.
‘The Flip Off’ Premieres — January 29
After much anticipation, Tarek El Moussa and Heather Rae El Moussa will face off against Christina Hall in a new HGTV series. Viewers will discover which ex can find, buy, renovate and flip a house for the biggest financial gain, earning the chance at ultimate bragging rights and a first-class vacation paid for by the loser.
The 2025 Grammys — February 2
Set to take place at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, the 2025 Grammys will serve as music’s biggest night with plenty of must-see performances. While event organizers haven’t announced special guests just yet, Beyoncé already received 11 nominations for her album Cowboy Carter.
Adam Levine Returns to ‘The Voice’ — February 3
After 10 seasons away, Adam Levine will return as a coach for the singing competition’s upcoming 27th season. “The OG is back in the building!” the Maroon 5 frontman wrote via Instagram when confirming the news in June 2024. “I’M COMING BACK to #TheVoice next Spring 2025 Can’t wait! V27 @nbcthevoice #TeamAdam.” Levine will also be joined by Ballerini, John Legend and Michael Bublé.
Super Bowl Halftime Show — February 9
Kendrick Lamar will head to New Orleans to perform at The Apple Music Super Bowl LIX Halftime Show. “You know there’s only one opportunity to win a championship,” he said via Instagram in September 2024 when announcing his halftime gig. “No round twos. Let’s get it, boom!”
‘Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy’ Premieres— February 13
Rom-com darling Bridget Jones (Zellweger) is making her return for the fourth film. In the latest flick, Bridget finds herself widowed after Mark (Colin Firth) was killed on a humanitarian mission in the Sudan. She’s now a single mother to 9-year-old Billy and 4-year-old Mabel and is stuck in a state of emotional limbo.
‘The White Lotus’ Season 3Premieres — February 17
The White Lotus is open for business sooner than you may realize. “The social satire is set at an exclusive Thai resort and follows the exploits of various guests and employees over the span of a week,” HBO teased after releasing a trailer in December 2024. Parker Posey, Sarah Catherine Hook, Jason Isaacs, Sam Nivola and Patrick Schwarzenegger will portray various members of the wealthy Ratliff family.
‘Suits LA’ Premieres — February 23
The Suits franchise is about to live on with another spinoff. The new show will focus on Ted Black (Stephen Amell), a former federal prosecutor from New York who has “reinvented himself representing the most powerful clients in Los Angeles.”
“His firm is at a crisis point and in order to survive, he must embrace a role he held in contempt his entire career,” the official logline reads, per Variety. “Ted is surrounded by a stellar group of characters who test their loyalties to both Ted and each other while they can’t help but mix their personal and professional lives.”
Bryan Greenberg, Josh McDermitt and Lex Scott Davis also star on the NBC series.
Shakespeare will be back on Broadway in the new year when Denzel Washington and Jake Gyllenhaal lead Othello at the Barrymore Theatre. Directed by Tony winner Kenny Leon, the production will begin previews on February 24 and open on March 23.
Conan O’Brien Hosts the Oscars — March 2
Although nominations have yet to be announced for the annual award show, Conan O’Brien confirmed he will be serving as host. “America demanded it and now it’s happening: Taco Bell’s new Cheesy Chalupa Supreme,” he joked via a November 2024 statement. “In other news, I’m hosting the Oscars.”
Carrie Underwood Judges ‘American Idol’ — March 9
Twenty years after auditioning for American Idol, Carrie Underwood is ready to flip the script and serve as a judge for the show’s 23rd season. “It’s a full-circle moment to go from announcing you as the winner of @americanidol 20 years ago to now welcoming you to the judge’s table,” host Ryan Seacrest wrote via Instagram in August 2024. “Welcome home, @carrieunderwood!”
Dylan Mulvaney Releases Her Debut Book — March 11
Transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney, who documented her transition in her viral “Days of Girlhood” TikTok series, will release her debut book this spring. “Paper Doll: Notes from a Late Bloomer is a collection of journal entries from my first year of transition as well as essays following some of the messier moments,” she wrote via Instagram in September 2024. “I’ve been working on her for over two years and I cannot wait to share it with you.”
‘Snow White’ Premieres— March 21
Disney is ready to take on the iconic 1937 animated film Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs and transform it into a live-action movie. Starring Rachel Zegler as Snow White and Gal Gadot as the Evil Queen, the new film promises to stay true to the original — with just a few, slight twists.
While another football season with Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift has kept Us entertained, there’s nothing like the start of baseball season. Aaron Judge, Mike Trout, Shohei Ohtani, Juan Soto, Bryce Harper and more of MLB’s biggest players will return for another unpredictable yearn of America’s pastime. Whether you enjoy buying some peanuts and crackerjacks, scoping the field for attractive athletes or rooting for your favorite team, there’s something for everyone when it’s time to play ball.
Coachella Music Festival — April 11
Get your flower crowns out and kick off festival season in style as Lady Gaga, Green Day and Post Malone headline the annual festival in Indio, California. Held over two weekends in April, the event includes star-studded parties, must-see celebrity fashion and of course plenty of music. Missy Elliott, Charli XCX, Megan Thee Stallion and Zedd are also featured on the lineup of performers.
Country music’s biggest festival on the West Coast returns to Indio, California, with headliners Zach Bryan, Jelly Roll and Luke Combs. While the 3-day festival features plenty of cowboys and cowgirls, attendees can also enjoy performances from the Backstreet Boys and T-Pain, plus tasty BBQ from Guy Fieri.
‘Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning’ Premieres —May 23
Tom Cruise returns in what is rumored to be his final Mission: Impossible movie role as Ethan Hunt. The eighth installment in the beloved spy franchise picks up immediately after the events of Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One, as Ethan and his team are closer than ever to stopping the nefarious AI force known only as the Entity.
Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan will play a mother-daughter duo once again more than 20 years afterFreaky Friday first became a hit at the box office. “The story picks up years after Tess (Curtis) and Anna (Lohan) endured an identity crisis,” Disney’s official synopsis of the film reads. “Anna now has a daughter of her own and a soon-to-be stepdaughter. As they navigate the myriad challenges that come when two families merge, Tess and Anna discover that lightning might indeed strike twice.”
‘Wicked: For Good’ — November 21
Following the act two plot of Broadway’s Wicked, the sequel will pick up a few years after the events of the first film. Now viewed by Oz as the Wicked Witch of the West, Elphaba (Erivo) continues her plans to help the land’s animals while Glinda (Grande) rises to power as The Wizard’s new spokesperson.
In addition to a great story, Erivo teased a new song in the sequel that will wow audiences.
“I collaborated on one of the new songs, and it’s so special to me,” Erivo told Variety in December 2024. “When we filmed it, the entire crew was in tears. I hope audiences are ready — it’s a song that speaks to the heart of who Elphaba is.”
While plot details remain top-secret, director James Cameron is hoping to reach massive box office success once again with the third installment in the Avatar movie franchise. Kate Winslet, Sigourney Weaver, Zoe Saldaña and Sam Worthington are expected to star in the film that will be released just in time for the holidays.
‘The Valley’ Season 2 Premieres — TBA
From Kristen Doute’s engagement to Luke Broderick to Brittany Cartwrighthooking up with Jax Taylor’s friend, season 2 of The Valley is expected to feature plenty of OMG moments. Guest appearances from LaLa Kent, Scheana Shay and Tom Schwartz are only expected to sweeten the drama, “If season 1 was one of the best reality TV shows, season 2 is gonna blow it out of the water,” Jesse Lally teased to Us exclusively in December 2024. “Literally every single person stepped up to the plate.”
‘The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives’ Season 2 Premieres — Spring 2025
Can “MomTalk” survive reality TV? The answer is absolutely yes. After season 1 documented the aftermath of Taylor Frankie Paul’s 2022 claims that she and her husband had been “soft swinging” with fellow Mormon couples, the reality star and her group of “MomTok” influencer friends are expected to return for 20 new episodes in the spring.
They say all good things must come to an end — but why all at once? TV fans better buckle up for a year of goodbyes as 9-1-1: Lone Star, The Handmaid’s Tale, Stranger Things and The Conners air their final new episodes ever.
Marvin Gaye III, the eldest son of legendary singer Marvin Gaye, is being accused of assault, battery, false imprisonment and more in a new lawsuit.
According to court documents filed in Los Angeles on Thursday, December 26, and obtained by Us Weekly, the accuser, referred to only as Jane Doe, claims she was called to Gaye’s home in January 2023 to mediate an argument between him and his then-wife Wendy.
Although she states in court papers that her only intention was to assist in “diffusing the situation,” events “escalated into a series of violent and threatening acts perpetrated by [Gaye] including physical assault, verbal threats of death and the retrieval of a firearm, which he pointed at [the alleged victim] and his wife, while threatening their lives.”
In court documents, the accuser claims that Gaye, 59, physically attacked her by grabbing her by the arms, shaking her and stepping on her foot. She also claims that Gaye pointed a gun at her and Wendy and said he would “kill them.”
At one point, Gaye “intentionally confined her in a guestroom by physically blocking her exit and threatening harm,” court documents state.
The unnamed woman claims his “dangerous” behavior was “extreme, outrageous and beyond the bounds of decency.”
In the lawsuit, Gaye is also accused of orchestrating “acts of intimidation,” including “tampering with [her] vehicle by cutting the brakes and arranging for his associates to surveil [her] home.”
As a direct result of Gaye’s alleged conduct, the woman claims in court paperwork that she has suffered severe emotional distress including anxiety, depression, panic attacks, insomnia and weight loss between 24 and 30 pounds.
She claims she has to have security for family events and lives in “constant fear” for her and her loved ones’ safety.
The accuser is asking the court for an undisclosed amount of damages, attorneys fees and is requesting the court prohibit Gaye from further harassment or contact with her.
When contacted for comment about the allegations, Gaye told Us: “No way did that happen. It’s all bulls—. I wouldn’t do that. These are false claims.” He also stated he was not previously aware of a lawsuit.
Gaye, who revealed he is recovering from multiple strokes, believes he knows who the accuser is and claims she is “trying to extort money from me.”
This isn’t the first time Gaye has found himself facing shocking allegations in court. In January 2023, the same timeframe as Doe claims in her lawsuit, Gaye was arrested for domestic violence and assault with a deadly weapon, with his then-wife Wendy filing a temporary restraining order days after the arrest claiming Gaye had used a handgun and injured her neck, causing emotional distress and trauma, according to reports.
Per reports at the time, Wendy claimed in her filing that Gaye grabbed her by the neck “and lifted her off the ground.” When a family member came to her defense, he “began physically attacking her.”
Gaye allegedly then grabbed a handgun and pointed it at both individuals “while threatening to shoot them as they ran out of the house.” (It’s unclear if that case is related in any way to the Doe lawsuit.)
Nearly two months after his arrest, Gaye filed for divorce from Wendy.
Gaye is the adopted son of Marvin Gaye and his first wife Anna Gordy. His biological mother is Denise Gordy, Anna’s niece.
Lisa Rinna is celebrating the new year in her birthday suit.
Rinna, 61, took to her Instagram Story on Tuesday, December 31, to share a bold New Year’s Eve selfie.
“Out with the Old in with the New!” she captioned a photo of herself posing in front of a mirror and massage bed completely naked. The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills alum covered herself only with two star emojis and a 2025 fireworks sticker.
This is not the first time that Rinna has shared NSFW selfies. She kicked off 2024 with a nearly identical image, only with longer hair, firework gifs over her breasts and a dancing kitten by her private parts.
“HAPPY NEW YEAR! 2024. STARTING IT OFF FRESH ,” she captioned the January snap.
Rinna previously shared the same photo via her Instagram Story in July 2023, along with advice from Catherine O’Hara’s Schitt’s Creek character, Moira Rose.
“Moira Rose says you should take as many naked pics of yourself while you still can celebrate it. Ok Moira,” Rinna wrote alongside the steamy selfie.
Meanwhile, Rinna’s husband, Harry Hamlin, shared a less revealing New Year’s Eve post in anticipation of 2025. In a video shared via Instagram on Tuesday, he teased a new flavor of his pasta sauce line, Harry’s Famous Sauces.
“I just wanted to say Happy New Year and also let you know that we got a little something special coming out in the New Year,” Hamlin, 73, said, sharing a glimpse of the new sauce jar.
Hamlin and Rinna’s daughter Amelia, 23, reposted the video via her Instagram Story, writing, “Awwww daddddd .”
Hamlin also shares daughter Delilah, 26, with Rinna, and son Dimitri, 44, with ex Ursula Andress. Rinna shared a video of herself, Hamlin and their two daughters celebrating Christmas together on Thursday, December 26.
“MERRY CHRISTMAS From our FAM TO YOURS!,” she captioned the clip of the family dressed in matching leopard print Santa hats and Christmas pajamas.
Hamlin and Rinna’s partnership seems to be written in the stars based on something strange that happened on their first date.
“The waiter comes up to our table to give us our menus and says, ‘You two are going to get married and have children. You’re soulmates, and you’re going to have a great life together,’” Hamlin exclusively recalled to Us Weekly in February. “At this point, Lisa and I didn’t know each other at all.”
Rinna chimed in, “We were so uncomfortable.”
The waiter’s words proved true, as the pair tied the knot in 1997 and have been going strong ever since.
“It comes down to listening and being respectful and supportive,” Hamlin told Us of their successful marriage. “Lisa is Lisa, and that in and of itself is kind of a challenge, which is why I don’t follow [her] on social media.”
Marina Squerciati was missing from the start of season 12 of Chicago P.D. — but there was good reason for her absence: she had another baby!
“2024 was a BIG year for me, literally,” Squerciati, 40, wrote via Instagram on Tuesday, December 31, reflecting on her life changes.
The actress shared a photo of her bare baby belly in a bikini to show she was in fact pregnant during the year and has since welcomed her and husband Eli Kay-Oliphant’s second baby.
“I thought I handled being a pregnant working mom with grace — swipe to see my daughter’s very different take,” she teased, sharing a drawing her eldest child drew that showed Squerciati making a crazy face while her spouse and daughter were smiling.
Squerciati also explained why she wasn’t in every episode of the current season of Chicago P.D., which returns with all-new episodes on Wednesday, January 8. (She’s played Kim Burgess since the show’s premiere in 2014.)
“PS. THIS was the real reason I wasn’t in the first two episodes of #ChicagoPD,” she added. “I was having a baby. Have a great NYE, friends!”
She ended the post with a series of hashtags that summed up her 2024 including “#workingmom,” “#motherofdragons,” “#MamaInMiami,” “#PregnancyGlow” and “ChicagoPDStrong.”
“Oh my goodness! CONGRATS MAMA! ,” fellow actress Katie Stevens wrote in the comments section.
Squerciati’s former Chicago P.D. costar Tracy Spiridakos, who played Hailey Upton until her season 11 exit, added three red heart emojis.
LaRoyce Hawkins — who plays Burgess’ bestie and fellow Intelligence Unit officer, Kevin Atwater — gushed about her journey as well. “The best to do it,” he replied in the comments. “Love you Burgess.”
Squerciati didn’t reveal any more details about her newborn, which is similar to the approach she had with her first child. The actress welcomed a daughter in May 2017, but has kept her name under wraps.
Squerciati, however, has given fans glimpses of her life as a mom via social media. Most recently, took her little one to see & Juliet on Broadway in Chicago.
“We don’t need no stinkin’ Romeo,” she captioned the December 5 snaps, which included both Squerciati and her daughter dressed up in wigs for the occasion. “Also I barely made it from work! We slapped on the wigs in the elevator, I ate my dinner on the El Platform, and we had to sprint a few blocks! (Just wanted to give you the reality behind the IG photos ).”
Outside of welcoming a new baby, Squerciati has been filming season 12 of Chicago P.D. Earlier this season, her character made detective, but fans are still holding out hope for a TV wedding between Burgess and fiancé Adam Ruzek (Patrick Flueger).
Squerciati, for her part, exclusively told Us Weekly in November that she is equally as excited about a possible ceremony transpiring later this season.
“I’ve recently liked [designer] Samantha Sleeper wedding dresses and my algorithm on Instagram is all screwed up,” she told Us, adding with a laugh, “Instagram thinks I’m getting married!”
After all of Burgess and Ruzek’s ups and downs on the show — they got engaged for the third time during season 11 — Squerciati wants production to go all out on their big day.
“I want the white dress moment. Burgess needs a white dress,” she confessed. “Burgess is definitely picking dahlias and, like, centerpieces with candles. Come on, give the girl a moment!”
Chicago P.D. returns on NBC Wednesday, January 8, at 10 p.m. ET.
After Cooper tweeted that he was “appalled by the photo shoot,” calling it “clearly disgusting and completely inappropriate,” the network cut ties with Griffin.
Cooper continued to keep the coverage light by teaming up with pal Andy Cohen as his official cohost for the 2017-18 broadcast — and the twosome began their tradition of taking shots to celebrate the show.
A few years later, Cohen made headlines during the 2021-22 broadcast when he threw shade at Mayor Bill de Blasio and Ryan Seacrest. The outburst resulted in an alcohol ban for one year for both Cooper and Cohen.
Scroll through for the most-talked-about moments from the broadcast over the years:
Alabama Barker is addressing the rumors circulating about her being hospitalized for nicotine withdrawal.
“Hello everyone, I just want to clarify that I was not in the hospital this month or last,” the “Vogue” rapper, 19, wrote via her Instagram Story on Tuesday, December 31. “The situation occurred some time ago, and I was there for three hours before being discharged.”
Earlier this week, rumors circulated online that Alabama, who is the daughter of Travis Barker and ex-wife Shanna Moakler, was suffering from nicotine withdrawal after she allegedly quit vaping. While Barker did not disclose why she was in the hospital, she did share what she received from the visit.
“They provided me with a nicotine patch and an inhaler. That is all,” she continued. “Let’s avoid spreading any rumors and focus on moving forward. Thank you.”
Earlier this week, Alabama revealed she was just getting over the flu.
“I have had the flu, and I’ve not been OK,” she said in a December 27 TikTok video. “I didn’t get to enjoy [my birthday] because I was so sick but I am back on my feet.”
Alabama’s birthday is on Christmas Eve — which explains why she was not featured in any photos alongside her dad and his wife, Kourtney Kardashian, at the Kardashian family’s annual holiday get-together. While Alabama missed out on the celebration, she did score an epic holiday gift haul.
In the same December 27 TikTok, Alabama showed off what she got for Christmas which included a bedazzled Balenciaga shoulder bag, vintage Dior gold purse, fuzzy Prada pouch, quilted Chanel backpack, Birkin bag and more.
“I got my second Birkin for my collection,” Alabama said, holding up the Hermès purse. “We love her!”
While Alabama was recovering, Travis posted a sweet tribute post in honor of his daughter’s birthday.
“Happy 19th Birthday my angel @alabamaluellabarker. I can’t believe I’m saying that,” the Blink-182 drummer wrote via Instagram at the time. “I’m so proud of you and I love watching you grow. Never settle, the stars aren’t too far away. Never give up, never give in. I love you unconditionally. I love you to the moon and back. Dad.”
Alabama and her dad have shared a close bond over the years. As Alabama has chased her music dreams, Travis has been supporting her along the way. When the music video for her song “Vogue” dropped earlier this month, both Travis and Kardashian made cameos in the production.
Andy Cohen and Anderson Cooper are known for their hilarious — and sometimes unhinged — antics during CNN’s live New Year’s Eve broadcast.
Cohen became Cooper’s cohost in 2017 when he replaced Kathy Griffin. However, the pair have known each other for decades after first crossing paths when their friends tried to set them up on a blind date in the early ‘90s.
“We had a phone call to set up the date, and I knew within 45 seconds I was never going on a date with Andy Cohen,” Cooper told Jimmy Fallon during a 2017 appearance on The Tonight Show, noting that he canceled their date. “He violated my cardinal rule, which is he asked me about my mom [Gloria Vanderbilt] within the first minute of talking to me.”
Cohen, for his part, said he was “excited” about their phone call, adding, “I wanted to date the Vanderbilt boy!”
While their romantic setup never panned out, they ended up becoming close friends after traveling together throughout the early 2000s with a group of mutual friends. They both have huge careers and have grown families of their own. Cohen is a father to son Ben and daughter Lucy while Cooper coparents his sons, Wyatt and Sebastian, with his friend and former partner Benjamin Maisani.
Cohen and Cooper’s real-life friendship translates on camera, and viewers eagerly tune in every year to watch the duo. They have made headlines over the years because of their alcohol consumption throughout the night, which has brought mixed reactions from fans.
CNN banned their correspondents from drinking while ringing in 2023, and Cohen begged the network to reverse the decision heading into 2024.
“Hopefully, I will not be sneaking it,” Cohen said at BravoCon in November 2023. “I haven’t heard anything yet, but come on, they need to let us drink. It’s New Year’s Eve. That didn’t go well last year in terms of viewer happiness about us drinking. People really cared and I hope CNN gives the people what they want.”
Keep reading to see Cohen and Cooper’s funniest NYE moments:
Cooper Recounts Saucy Story About Gloria Vanderbilt
During the 2019 broadcast, Cooper tried Jägermeister for the first time before telling a hilarious story about his late mother.
When Vanderbilt appeared on Watch What Happens Live to promote her 2017 book, The Rainbow Comes and Goes: A Mother and Son on Life, Love, and Loss, there was one question she was worried host Cohen would ask.
“She turns to me out of the blue and goes, ‘He’s not going to ask me who has the biggest c–k in Hollywood, is he?’” Cooper recalled during the broadcast.
Cohen Suggests They Drop Acid
Snoop Dogg appeared during the 2020-2021 show and Cooper couldn’t stop giggling about all the places the rapper had smoked marijuana.
“Have you ever done acid?” Cohen asked Cooper, who exclaimed that he had never tried the drug. The Bravo star said, “Well, it’s time. We’re doing it tonight.”
Cohen’s Ryan Seacrest Diss
“If you look behind me, you’ll see Ryan Seacrest’s group of losers performing. I’m sorry, but if you’re watching ABC, you’re watching nothing,” Cohen said during the 2021 broadcast about Seacrest, who hosts Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve.
Cohen later said on Sirius XM’s Andy Cohen Live that he “regretted” dissing Seacrest’s special, calling him a “great guy.”
While getting ready to ring in 2022, Cohen took two shots of alcohol before taking a few shots at former mayor Bill de Blasio.
“Watching Mayor de Blasio do his ‘victory lap dance’ after four years of the crappiest term as the mayor of New York, the only thing that Democrats and Republicans can agree on is what a horrible mayor he has been. So, sayonara sucka!” Cohen said. “2022, it’s a new year, because, guess what? I have a feeling I’m gonna be standing right here next year and you know what I’m not gonna be looking at? Dancing as the city comes apart.”
After Cooper jokingly said the Vanderbilt “fortune was lost long ago,” Cohen quipped, “Look at this little nepo baby! He’s so sweet.”
Cooper Tries Pickle Juice
When counting down the final moments of 2022, Cooper and Cohen decided to play a game of “Mystery Beverage” where they had to sip on various drinks completely blindfolded.
Hilarity ensued when the duo tried some pickle juice on live TV. “I’ve never had a pickle,” Cooper claimed. Cohen replied, “You’ve never had a pickle? What! Sweetie, you’ve had a pickle.”
Cohen Pokes Fun at CNN’s Drinking Rules
After CNN rescinded Cooper and Cohen’s alcohol ban for New Year’s Eve 2023, the pair toasted at the top of the broadcast — and throughout the show.
“I’m hearing from a lot of people, and I guess I’m just wondering: Does Daddy get his juice?” Cohen asked. Cooper replied, “Can Daddy get his juice responsibly?”
After the Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen host agreed, the tequila began to pour all evening long.
Cooper’s Purrfect Laugh to Kick Off 2024
Cooper couldn’t believe his eyes and ears when John Mayer decided to join the broadcast from a Japanese cat bar.
“I believe it passes all health codes. I think it’s just fine,” Mayer said while hanging with more than 20 furry friends. “Yes, we’re at a cat bar. It’s called Cats in the Box in Tokyo. We’re already halfway through the first day of 2024.”
Cooper struggled to ask any follow-up questions as he laughed throughout the segment.
Cooper Can’t Hold Back Laughter as Ralph Fiennes Recites Meme
When the Conclave actor joined Cohen and Cooper on New Year’s Eve 2024, the pair challenged him to recite the “very demure, very mindful” meme that went viral over the summer. Fiennes had never seen the TikTok video that spawned the trend, but as he began, it quickly became clear that Cooper would be left in stitches.
“Well, look, this is how I do my makeup for work — very demure, very mindful,” Fiennes began in his dramatic reading.
By the time Fiennes unzipped his jacket and said, “see my shirt,” Cooper had to disappear off camera to collect himself.
“I liked that very much,” Cooper confirmed when Cohen asked whether he enjoyed the monologue.
Cooper Roasts Cohen’s Viral Dancing Moment From Concert
While Cooper and Cohen recounted their favorite moments from 2024, Cohen made the mistake of bringing up the time he was caught dancing by himself while wearing a tie-dye shirt and smiling from ear to ear at a Dead and Company concert in Las Vegas.
Before the video even began, Cooper was in hysterics.
As Cooper tried to talk through laughter — and maybe tears — Cohen asked him, “Have you ever had fun?”
“This is fun? No, this is sad,” Cooper managed to reply. “Sweetie, what are you wearing? Are you wearing a circus tent? Where did you find it? Did you buy that in the parking lot outside?”
Squid Game creator Hwang Dong-hyuk is explaining why cisgender actor Park Sung-hoon was cast as transgender character Hyun-ju in season 2.
Hwang, 53, who also wrote and directed both seasons, knew that some fans would expect to see a transgender woman play Hyun-ju, a former special forces officer who enters the South Korean series’ deadly competition to win money for gender-affirming surgery.
“I did anticipate such discussions to arise from the first moment I began creating the character Hyun-ju,” Hwang told TVGuide earlier this month. “In the beginning, we were doing our research, and I was thinking of doing an authentic casting of a trans actor.”
Hwang soon found, however, that there were “close to no actors that are openly trans” in South Korea.
“Unfortunately, in the Korean society currently, the LGBTQ community is rather still marginalized and more neglected, which is heartbreaking,” he explained.
After determining that it would be “near impossible to find someone who we could cast authentically” as a trans woman, the Squid Game team settled on Park, 39.
“I have watched his work ever since his debut, and I had complete trust in him that he would be the right person in terms of talent in portraying this character,” Hwang said of Park.
The director’s decision to include a transgender character in season 2 is consistent with the message of season 1, which premiered on Netflix in 2021.
“I saw the people who come to join the games in Squid Game as people who are usually marginalized or neglected from society, and not just financially speaking,” Hwang told Decider on Friday, December 27. “Today, unfortunately, in Korean society, the gender minority is a group that is not as accepted widely within society, which is why I created the character Hyun-ju as a male to female transgender woman.”
Transgender actors playing transgender roles is a relatively new development even in the United States, but trans activists argue that casting cis actors in trans roles perpetuates the harmful belief that trans people are simply putting on a costume. Annette Bening, whose son Stephen Ira Beatty is transgender, explained the concept during a 2020 interview with The Telegraph.
“The important thing that I’ve really begun to understand about that issue is that sometimes people see trans people as [putting on] a sort of performance,” Bening, 66, said. “But in fact that’s a mistake, it’s a misunderstanding.”
Despite facing some criticism for Park’s casting, Hwang is hopeful that the character of Hyun-ju will be a net positive.
“By creating a character much like Hyun-ju and through her choices, her actions, and the way she carries herself in the game, I hope that that could raise awareness of these issues that we face today,” he told Decider.
Season 2 of Squid Game hit Netflix on Friday, December 26. The dystopian thriller series follows the participants of a life-or-death game as they compete to win billions of dollars.
“There’s a lot of good communication and stuff,” McHugh, 38, told Fox News in an interview published Tuesday, December 31. “But really, I wonder if it’s just that he went through everyone else already. I was the last one.”
The couple, who share 6-year-old son Billy, married in 2018. They will celebrate seven years of marriage in February 2025.
“Well I guess it has been a long time in Hollywood,” she shared in her latest interview. “Not in real life, but we spend a lot of time together.”
Before settling down with McHugh, Stamos, 61, was married to Rebecca Romijn from 1998 until 2004. He wrote about their relationship in his best-selling memoir If You Would Have Told Me.
Stamos was also previously linked to Paula Abdul, Denise Richards and Teri Copley.
These days, Stamos enjoys spending time at the Disneyland Resort with his family. The actor has also been able to witness his son show signs that he has the entertainment bug.
“He is in dance class,” McHugh shared when discussing her son’s latest milestones. “He just had his first recital last summer and he is a ham and a half just like his dad. That has not fallen far from the tree at all. He just loves making other kids laugh.”
At just six years old, Billy has also found himself to be popular with the ladies in his kid group.
“He’s got all these girls with crushes on him,” McHugh — who stars in The Invisible Raptor — said while laughing. “He can’t help it. It’s just who he is. But unlike us, he’s more athletic too. He’s got a basketball team and he likes to do sporty things and we don’t understand that all but we’re supportive in whatever he chooses to take interest in and luckily — for better or worse — entertaining is a part of him.”
Stamos himself previously opened up about his life as a dad. Away from the lights, the Fuller House alum said there’s nothing better than enjoying quality time with those who matter most.
“I love family time. We try to do things, the three of us, quite a bit,” Stamos told Us Weekly in September 2022. “There’s a shopping center up here [in Los Angeles] called The Commons. We like to go there. We see the turtles, we have a dinner and then we have our ice cream. We just sit and talk and eat ice cream cones. I like to do that. It’s pretty special.”
Conjoined twins Abby and Brittany Hensel are looking back at their whirlwind 2024.
The sisters posted a “2024 Replay” video via TikTok on Monday, December 30, to reflect on some major moments from the past year, including Abby’s wedding to husband Joshua Bowling.
The duo married in November 2021, but the milestone wasn’t made public until March when a video of Abby and Joshua’s first dance went viral. (Today was first to break the news, obtaining the records of their wedding.)
Other images in the 2024 recap included Abby and Brittany, both 34, eating ice cream with Bowling and his daughter, Isabella. The sisters also shared a selfie with Bowling, which was originally posted in October.
Abby and Brittany rose to fame in the late 1990s after making appearances on various daytime TV shows. They then told their story in the 2006 documentary Joined for Life, which aired via TLC. The siblings are dicephalic conjoined twins, a rare form of partial twinning with two heads side by side on one torso. They share the same bloodstream and all organs below the waist with Abby in control of their right limbs and Brittany controlling the left. (The girls’ parents, Mike and Patty Hensel, decided against separating them after birth in 1990 as it was unlikely the duo would survive the procedure.)
When they turned 16, Abby and Brittany showcased the moment — including how they learned to drive — in a second documentary, released in 2008. By 2012, they returned with the TLC docuseries Abby & Brittany. After one season, the series came to an end, and the twins lived a relatively low-key life out of the public eye. Both Abby and Brittany are fifth grade teachers in Brighton, Minnesota.
The sisters have faced widespread criticisms through the years, with some trolls questioning their lifestyle, but Abby and Brittany have remained unbothered.
“This is a message to all the haters out here,” a deep voice could be heard saying in a March TikTok video shared via the twins’ profile. “If you don’t like what I do but watch everything I’m doing, you’re still a fan.”
In a separate clip that same month, they shared a collection of images that included multiple conjoined twin statues.
“The internet is extra LOUD today,” the duo captioned their post. “We have always been around.”
Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott’s fiancée, Sarah Jane Ramos, was robbed of $40,000 in valuables outside her pilates class.
According to a Dallas Police Department report obtained by WFAA, Ramos arrived to a Pilates class on Thursday, December 26, and “quickly rushed inside due to the rain” and “forgot to lock her [vehicle] door.”
After returning to her car, she realized several pieces of her property were stolen including designer handbags and wallets from Chanel, YSL, Gucci, Louis Vuitton and Prada as well as computer software and cast. The report noted that she was also “notified that her credit cards were being used at [another] location.”
Following break ins from other athletes including Joe Burrow, Travis Kelce and Patrick Mahomes, the FBI warned sports leagues about theft groups targeting athletes. According to a Monday, December 30, FBI report, the burglars are an organized group stemming from South America and conduct a thorough investigation making it easier to know where the athletes hide their valuables.
“These preparation tactics enable theft groups to conduct burglaries in a short amount of time,” the FBI explained. “Organized theft groups bypass alarm systems, use Wi-Fi connections and disable devices, cover security camera and obfuscate their identities.”
The FBI encouraged the athletes to stay alert for suspicious behavior and use preventive strategies such as keeping a record of valuable items and exercising caution on social media.
Earlier this month, a call was made about a burglary at Burrow’s Ohio home around 8:14 p.m. ET while the Bengals quarterback, 28, was playing in Texas against the Cowboys on Monday Night Football. The report named Olivia Ponton, Burrows’ rumored girlfriend, as the individual who was on the scene at the athlete’s home when deputies arrived, sharing that she noticed a “shattered bedroom window” and a room that had been “ransacked.”
The model then called her mother, Diane Ponton, who then called 911.
“Someone is trying to break into the house right now,” Diane told the dispatcher, per TMZ Sports. “My daughter is there. This is Joe Burrow’s house. She is staying there, he’s at the football game. She’s wondering what she should do, if she should be hiding or if she should be going outside.”
Following the incident, Burrow spoke out about the robbery at his home, but did not address his relationship status with Ponton, 22.
“So obviously everybody has heard what has happened. I feel like my privacy has been violated in more ways than one,” he said in a press conference in December, per Sports Illustrated. “And way more is already out there than I would want out there and that I care to share, so that’s all I got to say about that.”
Gwendlyn Brown is finishing the year off by achieving a major milestone.
“Bringing my BS into the new year ,” the Sister Wives star, 23, wrote via Instagram on Monday, December 30. “Graduated a semester early! — or late, depending on if you count the gap year.”
Gwendlyn, who is one of Kody Brown’s daughters that he shares with ex-wife Christine Brown, included a photo of her in her graduation gown and stole. In the snap, Gwendlyn posed outside her school, Northern Arizona University. She held her graduation cap in the air as she excitedly smiled for the camera.
Gwendlyn’s sister Mykelti Brown took to the comments section to gush over her younger sibling’s accomplishment.
While at Northern Arizona University, Gwendlyn majored in biology and minored in psychology and Spanish.
This isn’t Gwendlyn’s first big life achievement in recent years. In July 2023, the reality star tied the knot with her girlfriend, Beatriz Queiroz, after one year of dating.
“Say hello to mrs (x2) queiroz,” Gwendlyn captioned an Instagram slideshow of the couple’s wedding portraits. Gwendlyn wore a white gown, while Queiroz, 23, rocked a complementary suit.
Gwendlyn previously shared that she and Queiroz met in 2022 while working at a fast food restaurant together. As they got to know each other, a romantic connection formed quickly.
“It took about a month [of hanging out] and then we started dating, and then two-ish months in, we moved in [together], which is very queer,” Gwendlyn joked in a February 2023 YouTube video. “Then six, seven months in, we got engaged.”
Gwendlyn and Queiroz’s ceremony wasn’t the only Brown wedding of that year. Her mom, Christine, 52, tied the knot with David Woolley in October 2023. (Christine was previously married to Kody, 55, from 1995 to 2021. In addition to Mykelti and Gwendlyn, the exes share daughters Aspyn, 29, Ysabel, 21, and Truely, 14, plus son Padeon, 26.)
According to photos shared from the ceremony, Gwendlyn and Queiroz were not in attendance for Christine’s nuptials.
Since her wedding to Woolley, Christine has gushed about how happy the couple are and she’s glad to leave polygamy behind. (While Christine was married to Kody, he was also married to Meri, Janelle and Robyn Brown. Both Meri and Janelle have since split from Kody.)
“I absolutely love monogamy — I was made for it,” Christine exclusively told Us Weekly in October after celebrating her and Woolley’s first wedding anniversary. “There’s no keeping score,” she explained, adding that they instead “just both love and move forward.”
Andy Cohen and Anderson Cooper share everything from identical initials to similar professions, which makes it easy to see why the twosome are best friend goals.
Cohen and Cooper met in the early ’90s when they were almost set up on a blind date. However, the pair’s dynamic never became romantic because Cohen broke Cooper’s “cardinal rule” of dating — mentioning his socialite mother, Gloria Vanderbilt.
Although the duo never went on a date, they forged a friendship that developed into an equally strong working relationship. Cohen and Cooper have hit the road together every year since 2016 for their conversational stage tour, “AC2: An Intimate Evening with Anderson Cooper and Andy Cohen.” The pair have also cohosted CNN’s New Year’s Eve Live together since 2017.
Cohen revealed via Instagram in May 2020 that he hopes their sons will “be best friends” when they get older — just like their dads. He and Cooper have since welcomed daughter Lucy and son Sebastian, respectively.
Scroll down to see Cohen and Cooper’s sweetest BFF moments:
Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie’s legal battle over their divorce appears to have brought some lessons to their children.
“The kids have grown up seeing that some people have so much power and privilege that their voices don’t matter. Their pain doesn’t count,” a source close to the matter shares with Us Weekly. “They have wanted [Angelina] to speak up for herself, to defend herself over these years but she reminds them to focus on changing laws over telling public stories.”
Jolie filed for divorce from Pitt in September 2016 after two years of marriage, citing irreconcilable differences. The pair share six kids: Maddox, 23, Pax, 21, Zahara, 19, Shiloh, 18, and 16-year-old twins Knox and Vivienne.
While the exes have been legally single since November 2019, both have been battling it out in court over custody issues and their French winery, Château Miraval.
“More than eight years ago, Angelina filed for divorce from Mr. Pitt,” Jolie’s lawyer James Simon of Hersh Mannis told Us. “She and the children left all of the properties they had shared with Mr. Pitt, and since that time she has focused on finding peace and healing for their family. This is just one part of a long ongoing process that started eight years ago. Frankly, Angelina is exhausted, but she is relieved this one part is over.”
A rep for Pitt declined to confirm or comment on the settled divorce.
Despite the pair’s messy legal battle, the source tells Us Jolie “doesn’t speak ill” of Pitt publicly or privately to their children. Instead, she’s focused on moving forward from the challenging time in her life.
“She’s been trying hard to be light after a dark time,” the insider explains.
Ahead of settling her divorce, Jolie celebrated her starring role in Pablo Larraín’s Maria Callas biopic, Maria. When discussing the project, the actress shared the similarities and differences between herself and her character.
“I have family,” she told The Sunday Times earlier this month. “Maria didn’t have a family, so her work was everything. My work is not everything. Being a parent is everything.”
When it comes to dating, Pitt has been linked to jewelry designer Ines de Ramon since 2022. A source previously toldUs in October that Jolie, meanwhile, “remains focused on her family and is not dating at this time.”