Damian Williams, the former US Attorney for the Southern District of New York, is leaving Paul Weiss after just five months.
David Dee Delgado/Getty Images
A high-profile Paul Weiss lawyer is leaving after just five months.
Damian Williams is joining Jenner & Block, a Big Law firm fighting the Trump administration.
Williams served as US Attorney in Manhattan, one of the most powerful Justice Department positions.
Damian Williams, one of the most prominent federal prosecutors in the country, is walking away from the law firm that struck a deal with Donald Trump — and joining one that's suing him.
Williams is leaving Paul Weiss five months after returning to the firm to work for Jenner & Block, a law firm actively challenging the Trump administration in court.
Jenner & Block announced the move Friday. Williams will serve as co-chair of both the firm's Litigation Department and its Investigations, Compliance, and Defense Practice.
The high-profile defection is a blow for Paul Weiss, an elite law firm that was the first to broker an agreement with President Donald Trump in March. As part of the deal, Paul Weiss said it would devote $40 million in pro bono hours toward Trump's political priorities. After it was announced, Trump rescinded an executive order that would have, among other sanctions, stripped Paul Weiss employees of security clearances and cut off government contracts.
"Jenner & Block fearlessly advocates for its clients and provides outstanding strategic counsel through their most difficult challenges," Williams said in a press release. "I've seen firsthand how this firm expertly tackles the toughest cases and lives its values."
"I'm excited to join a team with an extraordinary depth of legal talent that doesn't shy away from hard fights — and delivers results that matter," his statement continued.
Williams isn't the only notable attorney to leave Paul Weiss in recent weeks. Karen Dunn, a prominent litigator who helped Kamala Harris prepare for her 2024 presidential debate with Trump, left along with three other top lawyers last month to start a new boutique law firm.
Williams previously served as the US Attorney in the Southern District of New York, one of the most powerful perches in the Justice Department. Williams brought criminal cases against Sean "Diddy" Combs, Sam Bankman-Fried, New York City Mayor Eric Adams, and now-former Sen. Robert Menendez of New Jersey.
Before that, Williams worked at Paul Weiss between 2009 and 2012 and clerked for Justice John Paul Stevens on the US Supreme Court and Merrick Garland on the federal appeals court in Washington, DC.
In Paul Weiss' January announcement about his return, Williams praised the firm's "devotion to pro bono."
"Damian is a transcendently talented lawyer who has led many of the government's highest-profile prosecutions and investigations," Paul Weiss's chair Brad Karp said at the time. "He will be an exceptional addition to our already outstanding team of white collar and regulatory lawyers and a leader in the national legal community."
A representative for Paul Weiss didn't respond to a request for comment Friday.
I ranked four different store-bought barbecue sauces. My favorite was the perfect balance of tangy and sweet.
Erin McDowell/Business Insider
I ranked four different store-bought barbecue sauces from worst to best.
They all paired well with chicken nuggets, though some were thicker and more flavorful than others.
I liked the barbecue sauces from Sweet Baby Ray's the most, including the no-sugar-added variety.
Barbecue season is here, so I made it my mission to find out which brand delivers the tastiest barbecue sauce straight from the bottle.
I tried store-bought barbecue sauces from three different brands to determine which offered the smokiest, tangiest flavor for the best value. I also tried one brand's no-sugar-added version to see if it could measure up to the original.
While barbecue isn't typically my go-to sauce for all things dipping — proud ranch fan, here — I tried each of the sauces on their own and with chicken nuggets to see which sauce was my favorite.
Here's how I'd rank four store-bought barbecue sauces, from worst to best.
My least favorite barbecue sauce was Kraft's slow-simmered original barbecue sauce.
Kraft's barbecue sauce was the second-most expensive.
Erin McDowell/Business Insider
The sauce is made with ingredients like tomato, molasses, and hickory smoke.
It cost $4.19 for an 18-ounce bottle at my local Key Food supermarket in Brooklyn, New York.
The sauce wasn't as thick as the other brands I tried.
The sauce was the least thick of all the brands.
Erin McDowell/Business Insider
The texture was more watery and ketchup-like compared to the thicker, more molasses-heavy varieties.
The sauce was light and tangy, but it didn't have a strong enough flavor for me.
I enjoyed the flavor, but thought the texture was too watery.
Erin McDowell/Business Insider
Compared to the other brands, I thought this barbecue sauce was lacking. I typically go for a thick, smoky barbecue sauce, and this was much lighter. I think I would struggle to fully coat chicken or ribs in this more viscous sauce, though I did enjoy the flavor.
It was tangy and slightly sweet, with a honey-like flavor, but reminded me more of a sweet-and-sour sauce than a true barbecue sauce.
I also tried KC Masterpiece's American Original barbecue sauce.
The KC Masterpiece barbecue sauce was the least expensive, not accounting for in-store discounts.
Erin McDowell/Business Insider
The sauce is made from molasses, onions, and spices to deliver an authentic Kansas City-style barbecue sauce.
Aside from any store discounts, this barbecue sauce was the cheapest I tried. An 18-ounce bottle cost $2.89 at my local Key Food supermarket in Brooklyn, New York.
KC Masterpiece's was the thickest sauce I tried.
This sauce was the thickest of all the brands.
Erin McDowell/Business Insider
It clung to the chicken nugget and had a dark, buttery, molasses-like consistency.
I thought this sauce was a good balance of smoky and sweet.
The sauce had a good balance of smoky and sweet flavors.
Erin McDowell/Business Insider
The sauce had a robust, smoky flavor and a consistency that easily clung to the chicken nugget, making for a balanced bite that overtook my tastebuds.
It was really sweet, very much tasting of molasses. However, I was missing that slight tangy flavor that would have really taken this sauce over the edge and provided a more dynamic flavor profile.
Up next was the Sweet Baby Ray's barbecue sauce with no added sugar.
I tried the no-sugar-added version of Sweet Baby Ray's famous barbecue sauce.
Erin McDowell/Business Insider
Before this taste test, I was already familiar with Sweet Baby Ray's barbecue sauce.
The brand has been cited as the top-selling barbecue sauce in the US, so this sauce had a lot to live up to, especially since it had no added sugar, which I worried would weaken the flavor.
An 18.5-ounce bottle cost $4.89 at my local Key Food, making it the most expensive sauce I tried.
The sauce had a balanced consistency. It wasn't too thick or too watery.
I liked the texture of the barbecue sauce.
Erin McDowell/Business Insider
The sauce easily coated the chicken nugget, without being too thick or gloopy.
I was really impressed by the flavor. It was sweet without being overpowering.
The sauce was slightly sweet, tangy, and smoky.
Erin McDowell/Business Insider
Overall, this sauce nailed it for me. It was tangy but not sickly sweet, and it had a balanced consistency in terms of texture. I definitely got the smoky flavor without the overpowering molasses flavor I tasted in the KC Masterpiece barbecue sauce.
It was also the lowest-calorie sauce of the ones I tried, with 15 calories per serving.
However, when it came down to price, it was beaten out by the original version.
My favorite barbecue sauce was Sweet Baby Ray's original barbecue sauce.
Sweet Baby Ray's original barbecue sauce clinched the win for me.
Erin McDowell/Business Insider
It perhaps comes as no surprise that this sauce was my favorite. After all, the brand has won awards at various barbecue competitions for its sauce.
An 18-ounce bottle cost $2 at my local Key Food after a markdown of $1.89, making it the least expensive barbecue sauce I tried.
The sauce had a rich, red color and a similar consistency to the no-sugar-added version.
The sauce clung to the chicken nugget and was great for dipping.
Erin McDowell/Business Insider
It was just a touch less thick than the other sauce from Sweet Baby Ray's, but it still managed to coat the chicken nugget easily. In my opinion, this was the best sauce for dipping.
Sweet Baby Ray's original barbecue sauce struck the perfect balance for me.
Sweet Baby Ray's original barbecue sauce was my favorite.
Erin McDowell/Business Insider
The sauce had a slightly acidic, tart flavor that balanced out the sweet notes and an undercurrent of earthy flavor that made me feel like I was at a backyard barbecue.
Next time I'm firing up the grill for some barbecue ribs or just need a dipping sauce for my nuggets or chicken tenders, I know exactly which barbecue sauce I'm grabbing.
Some lawmakers and outside experts have said the expected costs could be as high as $1 billion, as the aircraft would require substantial security and communications reworks before it could be used for presidential air travel.
Secretary of the Air Force Troy Meink said on Thursday that it'll probably cost less than $400 million to retrofit the jet. Some costs, he added, would likely still exist regardless.
"There has been a number thrown around, on the order of a billion dollars, but a lot of those costs associated with that are costs that we would've experienced anyway," such as new technologies, capabilities, and spare parts, Meink said at a House Armed Services Committee hearing.
The Boeing 747-8 in question was gifted by the Qatari royal family to the Department of Defense last month. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth recently directed the Air Force to start planning to modify it for use.
The extensive modifications are meant to ensure that when the plane becomes Air Force One — a call sign for any Air Force aircraft the president flies on but also the name that is most commonly associated with the well-known light blue and white Boeing VC-25 aircraft regularly used for flying the president — it meets the security demands for the mission.
The Boeing 747-8 was first delivered to Qatar in 2012.
ROBERTO SCHMIDT/AFP/Getty Images
The Qatari aircraft is a 13-year-old luxury jumbo jet with multiple bedrooms, bathrooms, a salon, offices, dining areas, a living room, and a playroom for kids.
Last month, the US Department of Defense said it would "work to ensure proper security measures and functional-mission requirements are considered for an aircraft used to transport the President of the United States."
Air Force One is effectively custom-built to be a flying command center if needed. Concerns from lawmakers, especially Democrats, in Congress have centered around potential ethical problems, as well as worries about filling this role with a plane gifted by a foreign country and the work needed to upgrade it with necessary capabilities.
Connecticut Rep. Joe Courtney, the top Democrat on the House Armed Services subcommittee that oversees Air Force One, previously argued that "retrofitting a plane from Qatar would create huge costs & a security nightmare that would impede the work underway to deliver the actual AF1 by 2027."
Trump has voiced disappointment with Boeing over delays in delivering the new VC-25B aircraft meant to replace the current Air Force One jets. Congressional leaders, however, warn that retrofitting the Qatari jet may be an unnecessary distraction.
At Thursday's hearing, Courtney said that "based on the experience that we already have gone through with retrofitting planes, 747s, it's clear that this is going to be a drain on the Air Force's budget."
I plan on taking some aspects of life in Europe back home with me.
I'll no longer let the weather affect my plans and hope to find more small adventures close to home.
It's no secret that Europeans and Americans have very different lifestyles. From shopping habits to sports preferences to work culture, we often fall onto different ends of the spectrum.
I experienced these differences firsthand as an American traveling around Europe for six months, spending time in places like the UK, Czech Republic, France, Germany, the Netherlands, and Switzerland.
Here are the five European lifestyle choices I'll be integrating into my life in the States.
I'll no longer let the weather ruin my plans.
When I was in the UK, rainy days were a normal part of life.
Emily Pogue
I'm lucky to have sunshine most of the year in my home state of Colorado. Because of this, though, I tend to talk myself into staying home when the weather is rainy, windy, or even overcast.
When I was in the UK, however, rainy days were a normal part of life. I didn't want to waste time following my "nice weather or bust" mindset, so I started watching the locals.
For example, they had quality rain jackets and carried waterproof casings to go over their backpacks or bags to keep them dry.
I followed their lead and invested in a more heavy-duty raincoat, and I quickly learned that with proper preparation, the cold and rain aren't bad at all. The moody weather often added to the overall ambiance of the day.
I'm going to make an effort to find more adventures near my hometown.
I loved seeing quirky details like the King Puck statue in Kerry, Ireland.
Patrick Mangan/Shutterstock
When I travel, I actively try to accumulate the most experiences in an area, from museums and landmarks to local events. However, I feel guilty about not always doing this at home. It's similar to the cliché that some born-and-bred New Yorkers have never been to the Statue of Liberty.
Some of my favorite experiences in Europe weren't the grand, famous monuments, but the quirky things I encountered in small towns.
I loved seeing a statue of a goat king in Kerry, Ireland, and stumbling upon an older couple giving an alphorn concert in a Swiss village.
I'm certain there are similar gems close to my hometown, and now I'm determined to find them.
I'll be embracing the idea that less is more.
I found that European grocery stores didn't have as many options as their American counterparts.
Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto/Getty Images
Many of the Europeans I met were wonderful at having a "less is more" mindset. They owned fewer things, like clothes and decor items, and bought less food at once than I did in the US.
They seemed to have a different attitude about buying things in general. Part of this is likely because European apartments are generally smaller than American homes.
After shopping less while abroad, I'm going to try to maintain that habit stateside.
Using two duvets instead of one comforter is a game changer.
When staying in hotels in Europe, my husband and I often found two duvets on one bed.
Emily Pogue
In my marriage, I'm known as the "blanket hog" — though this is still hotly debated on my end. So, when my husband and I walked into an alpine cabin and saw two neatly folded duvets over the bed, he was ecstatic.
We encountered this several times throughout our journey, and I must admit, having my own fluffy blanket to cuddle into was pretty nice. The duvet covers are also way easier to wash than a comforter.
I'm excited to continue following soccer.
I love how passionate soccer fans are in Europe.
Emily Pogue
Americans still haven't embraced soccer the way other countries have. Though I'll always be a diehard American football fan, being in Europe for theUEFA European Championship opened my eyes to just how electrifying soccer can be.
From the team chants and bitter rivalries to the epic watch parties, I'll be setting my alarm to watch some major games from across the pond.
This story was originally published on November 7, 2024, and most recently updated on June 6, 2025.
The health services and education sector added over 250,000 jobs in the last three months.
FS Productions/Getty Images
Recent hiring has mainly been constrained to just two areas of the US economy.
Healthcare and restaurant job seekers had an easier time landing work than those looking elsewhere.
White-collar fields had lower demand, such as in professional and business services.
Health services and restaurant gigs are in strong demand, while office jobs are not.
May's jobs report out Friday morning showed the US added 139,000 new jobs that month. Adding in March and April's numbers, that means that there are 406,000 more employed workers now than in February.
But over those last three months, gains have been tightly concentrated in two sectors, while the rest of the labor market has been much flatter.
Employment in private education and health services jumped by 252,000 in May from February, with robust growth at hospitals and individual and family services.
Employment in leisure and hospitality rose by 122,000 from February, mainly due to growth in food services and drinking places, which include restaurants and bars.
Together, that means those two sectors account for 92% of the total net job growth from February to May.
Cory Stahle, an economist at the Indeed Hiring Lab, told Business Insider there are still job opportunities, especially if you want an in-person job like in healthcare. However, he said there is less demand in white-collar fields.
"Right now, your feelings as a job seeker are going to be largely determined based on the type of work you do or the type of work you're looking for," Stahle said.
White-collar changes were mixed: employment in financial activities increased from three months ago, while professional and business services fell. However, the growth in financial activities was small compared to the healthcare sector or leisure and hospitality.
"This report's a really good example of what we've seen as a trend in the last couple of years, which is there are real divides that have emerged in job opportunities for job seekers," Stahle said.
Are you a job seeker or recently landed work in healthcare or leisure and hospitality? Share your story with this reporter at [email protected].
YouTube is adding a new tool to let creators change thumbnails for videos in different languages.
It's part of a push by YouTube to help videos travel globally.
AI-powered dubbing is a top priority among YouTube stars like MrBeast.
YouTube is releasing a new feature to help creators spread their content around the world.
The tool, which will be rolling out in the next few days, lets creators upload different thumbnails for each video that's dubbed into a different language, a company spokesperson confirmed to Business Insider. The aim is to help influencers localize their thumbnails based on a viewer's language.
"We're always testing more ways for creators to reach new audiences. In this case, a handful of creators are able to localize their thumbnails for videos with multiple language audio tracks," the YouTube spokesperson said.
Several of YouTube's top stars, including MrBeast, are bullish on using AI to dub videos so they can reach global audiences. YouTube began testing multi-language audio dubbing with some creators as early as 2023.
This thumbnail feature opens up an additional opportunity for creators to make their videos feel more native to a viewer's location, said Nate Stone, cofounder at the AI dubbing platform DittoDub.
DittoDub is offering a tool that uses AI to detect the text in a creator's thumbnail in order to change its language for each dubbed video. Creators with access to YouTube's new multi-language thumbnail feature can then upload those custom thumbnails to their YouTube accounts.
DittoDub said its translation tools are reviewed by humans to ensure a high level of confidence that it's preserving the meaning in any translated audio or visuals. They want to capture the creator's original tone, no matter the language.
"The emotion that we always strive for is not to recreate something different, but instead to preserve all of the original intentions of the creator," Stone said.
It was gold for late-night hosts like Stephen Colbert.
"Now Donald Trump is a Tesla owner who hates Elon Musk? He's never been more relatable," Colbert said.
Musk, who once referred to himself as the "First Buddy," stepped down from his role at DOGE in May. Cracks in the pair's relationship began surfacing earlier this week when Musk called the spending bill — which includes provisions on AI regulation and tax cuts — a "disgusting abomination." Trump publicly ignored the dig until Thursday morning when he answered press questions at a White House event.
"He knew every aspect of this bill — better than almost anybody —and he never had a problem until right after he left," Trump said. "He said the most beautiful things about me. He hasn't said bad things about me personally, but I'm sure that'll be next. But I'm very disappointed in Elon. I've helped Elon a lot."
Trump added, "People leave my administration, and they love us, and then at some point they miss it so badly, and some of them embrace it, and some of them actually become hostile."
That appeared to set Musk off, resulting in a flurry of X posts directed at Trump, some of which extended beyond criticism of the spending bill.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement to Business Insider that Musk's comments were an "unfortunate episode."
The whole spectacle made for some great television, however.
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert
Colbert's 12-minute monologue about Trump and Musk's feud has garnered over 1.5 million views on YouTube so far. The host gave a spirited play-by-play breakdown of the fallout, including when Trump told reporters he "helped Elon a lot."
"It's true," Colbert said, impersonating Trump. "I've helped Elon a lot during the campaign. I helped him declutter his bank account of $288 million. He would hand me every dollar out, hold it, and I would say 'this one sparks joy.' And in the pocket it goes safe and sound with Daddy."
At one point, Colbert compared Trump and Musk's battle to cast members on Bravo's "Real Housewives."
"Let's recap together," Colbert said. "The most powerful man in the world and the richest man in the world, each with their own missiles, are throwing haymakers at each other, like 'Real Housewives' on a girls' trip."
Colbert said the situation could've spiraled out of control, but thankfully, a cooler head stepped in to calm things down: Kanye West. West implored the two to stop fighting in an X post on Thursday.
"You know things are bad when the rational voice mediating your dispute is Kanye West," Colbert said.
Late Night with Seth Meyers
Meyers addressed Trump and Musk's dispute during the "Closer Look" segment. The 15-minute clip has gained over 1.7 million views so far.
"Another male friendship destroyed. This is why men are so lonely. These two used to be inseparable," Meyer said. "Onstage, on foreign trips, at rocket launches, in the Oval Office. Just last week, Trump gave him a ceremonial golden key he stole from the 'Pirates of the Caribbean' ride at Disneyland."
Meyers played clips of reporters discussing the drama, including one that touched on Musk's accusation that Trump is mentioned in the Epstein files. Jeffrey Epstein is the disgraced financier who died by suicide in a New York City jail in 2019 after being found guilty of sex trafficking minors.
"It's clear as ever that neither of these guys really believed in anything," Meyers said. "Elon spending $300 million to get Republicans elected and now he's shocked that they're doing the thing everyone said they would do. And in the process, Trump used Elon to get back into power. You know, in a way, they were right: watching these guys destroy each other is both big and beautiful."
Jimmy Kimmel Live
Kimmel, whose monologue has over 1.5 million views on YouTube, said he planned to discuss the Indiana Pacers battling the Oklahoma City Thunder in the NBA Finals before Trump and Musk traded verbal jabs.
"We thought the focus would be on basketball, but instead, once again, the spotlight has been stolen by another round orange thing," Kimmel said.
Kimmel focused much of his 10-minute monologue on Musk's X post mentioning the Epstein files. He compared the pair's feud to the "Star Wars" franchise.
"Vader turns on the emperor again," Kimmel said.
At one point, Kimmel joked about Musk agreeing with an X post that said Trump should be impeached and replaced by Vice President JD Vance.
"Which means JD better get that waterproof eyeliner out of the drawer," Kimmel said. "He's in a bit of a fix."
"But now you've got one MAGA hero accusing another MAGA hero of withholding the Epstein files because he himself is a part of them. And what do they do? I can't wait to find out. At the end of this one of them's in a cell with Diddy, that's what I think," Kimmel said.
The Daily Show
Michael Kosta, a senior correspondent on "The Daily Show," also discussed Trump and Musk's feud. The clip has over 1.5 million views on YouTube.
"By the way, can we just point out how crazy 2025 is? Most people can't afford to eat eggs anymore," Kosta said. "Meanwhile, these two billionaires are attacking each other from different social media platforms that they each own. Maybe we should eat the rich?"
Kosta also touched on Trump's threat to end contracts between the government and Musk's companies.
"Elon's government contracts can't be worth that much. Oh, it's $6.3 billion last year? Elon, you idiot. This is why you always sign a prenup," Kosta said.
The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon
Fallon began his 4-minute monologue, which has over 204,000 views on YouTube, with pop culture references.
"Things have taken a shocking turn with one of the hottest couples on 'Love Island,'" Fallon said, adding that the relationship "went off a cliff faster than a self-driving Tesla."
"I can't believe their relationship fell apart this fast. I mean, a week ago they were all over each other like Timothée Chalamet and Kylie Jenner at a Knicks game,' he said.
Some of the young cast of "Stranger Things" in 2017. From left: Gaten Matarazzo, Millie Bobby Brown, Sadie Sink, Finn Wolfhard, and Caleb McLaughlin.
Astrid Stawiarz/Getty Images for SiriusXM
"Stranger Things" will return for its fifth and final season at the end of this year.
When the show began almost 10 years ago, many of its stars were unknown child actors.
Now, the kids of "Stranger Things" are adults and making moves in Hollywood and beyond.
Think back to July 2016: A new show just dropped on Netflix that combined the '80s nostalgia of "The Goonies" and Steven Spielberg movies with state-of-the-art special effects and a cast of talented young kids no one had ever seen before.
That show, of course, was "Stranger Things," which became a full-blown phenomenon for the streamer — and turned the cast of unknown kids into A-listers almost overnight.
But not all of them have become huge outside "Stranger Things." Millie Bobby Brown, Sadie Sink, and Joe Keery have all parlayed their success from the show into other things, including other franchises, musical careers, and even a Tony nomination. But some of the other actors have remained low-key, only appearing in indie movies or concentrating on their education.
We looked at post-show résumés, social media followings, non-show business side projects, and general fame level to evaluate who the most successful "Stranger Things" child star is.
While we wait (and wait) for the first trailer for season five, here's how we rank the child stars of "Stranger Things" by success.
14. Priah Ferguson
Priah Ferguson in April 2025.
Kristina Bumphrey/Variety/Getty Images
Ferguson, who plays Lucas' sassy (and almost always correct) little sister Erica Sinclair, is the youngest member of the main cast at 18. She was 11 when she joined "Stranger Things" in season two.
Impressively, while she was shooting the show, she was also balancing her studies — she graduated from high school this year. She wrote to her 3.6 million Instagram followers that "balancing an adult career — on and off screen" while maintaining an above-average GPA at her public high school was a "unique journey."
Besides playing Erica, Ferguson had roles in the films "The Oath" and "The Curse of Bridge Hollow" (another Netflix joint). She's also had voice roles in animated series "Hamster & Gretel" and "My Dad the Bounty Hunter."
Now she's done with school and has more time to focus on her career, we expect Ferguson will appear in more scene-stealing roles.
13. Charlie Heaton
Charlie Heaton in April 2025.
Mike Coppola/Getty Images
Heaton, 31, plays Jonathan Byers, Will's devoted older brother who will do anything to help Will and his mom. He was 22 when the show began, playing a high school sophomore.
The British actor hasn't done much outside the show. He was in the calamitous final 20th Century Fox "X-Men" movie, "The New Mutants," in 2020, which essentially doesn't exist. He also stared in the indie movie "No Future," which never had a wide release, and "The Souvenir Part II," which was critically beloved but not a big box-office hit.
On the TV front, he only appeared in an episode of the 2020 anthology series "Soulmate."
And while he has 5.3 million followers on Instagram, that number doesn't compare to some of the follower counts of his fellow cast members.
We'd argue that Heaton's biggest claim to fame is his real-life relationship with Natalia Dyer, his on-screen love interest.
12. Natalia Dyer
Natalia Dyer in April 2025.
Mike Coppola/Getty Images
Speaking of Dyer, 30, she's next up on the list. She plays Nancy Wheeler, Mike's older sister with an investigative streak. Nancy was also involved in a love triangle with her first love, Steve, and Jonathan. She eventually picked Jonathan, but some moments in season four made it seem like a possible "Stancy" reunion is in the cards.
Dyer, who was 21 when the show began, has the edge on her boyfriend, Heaton. She's appeared in multiple short films during her "Stranger Things" tenure, and had supporting roles in films like "Velvet Buzzsaw" and "Things Heard & Seen" (both Netflix films).
She also had a lead role in the coming-of-age indie "Yes, God, Yes," released in 2020. But it's been five years, and she hasn't been able to parlay that into more leading roles.
In 2023, she starred in the first season of the Peacock series "Based on a True Story" alongside Chris Messina and Kaley Cuoco.
Dyer has slightly more Instagram followers than Heaton as well, at 7.3 million.
11. Eduardo Franco
Eduardo Franco in December 2024.
Gilbert Flores/Variety/Getty Images
Franco joined the cast in the fourth season of "Stranger Things" as Argyle, Jonathan's stoner best friend in California.
Before even joining the show, 30-year-old Franco was well on his way to becoming a zillennial "that guy" — he's had recognizable roles in projects like "Booksmart," "Superintelligence," "Self Reliance," "American Vandal," and "Y2K" just last year.
Franco also has had successful voice roles. He starred in "Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken," and has been playing DJ Catnip on the hit children's show "Gabby's Dollhouse" since 2021. A feature-length "Gabby's Dollhouse" film is set to premiere this year, with Franco reprising his role.
His social media is what takes him down a bit, with 533,000 followers on Instagram.
10. Dacre Montgomery
Dacre Montgomery in September 2024.
Emma McIntyre/Getty Images
Montgomery was 23 years old when he joined "Stranger Things" in season two as Max's older stepbrother, Billy Hargrove, who made it his personal mission to bully Max, her friends, and even Steve.
Now 30, Montgomery has been steadily working, but hasn't gotten his true big break. The same year he joined "Stranger Things," he starred in the ill-conceived "Power Rangers" movie as the Red Ranger.
Since then, he had a small role in "Elvis" and starred in the underrated 2020 rom-com "The Broken Hearts Gallery."
However, Montgomery has big things coming soon. He has three movies on the docket: "Faces of Death," which costars Barbie Ferreira, Josie Totah, Charli XCX, and Jermaine Fowler; "Dead Man's Wire," which will be directed by Gus Van Sant and costars Bill Skarsgård, Colman Domingo, Myha'la, and Cary Elwes; and "The Engagement Party" which will also be Montgomery's directorial debut.
But since those projects haven't come out yet, he can't be too high on this list.
The Australian actor has 7.8 million followers on Instagram.
9. Noah Schnapp
Noah Schnapp in May 2025.
Michael Buckner/Variety/Getty Images
Schnapp, 20, has played Will Byers, who was originally taken to the Upside Down (a dark parallel universe) in the show's first episode, since he was 12.
Pre-"Stranger Things," Schnapp had a small role in "Bridge of Spies" and played Charlie Brown in "The Peanuts Movie."
Since playing Will, Schnapp had a small role in "Hubie Halloween" (a Netflix movie) and starred in the indie film "Waiting for Anya," both in 2020. In the five years since, he's had just one other role, appearing in the 2023 thriller "The Tutor," which was a flop critically and financially.
There's a reason for his slowdown in work, though — since 2022, he's attended the University of Pennsylvania. He's also leveraged his fame to become a business owner (he started the company TBH, which is a healthier alternative to spreads like Nutella) and YouTuber. He has 4.56 million subscribers on the site, even though he hasn't posted in years. He also has a huge Instagram presence, with 21.4 million followers.
Schnapp has mainly been in headlines for his views on the Israel-Hamas conflict. Per Entertainment Weekly, after he made posts supporting Zionism in 2023, some fans called for a boycott of season five (which was then in production) or for Schnapp to be fired.
In a January 2024 TikTok post, he said, "I feel like my thoughts and beliefs have been so far misconstrued from anything even close to what I believe."
He continued, "I think anyone with any ounce of humanity would hope for an end to the hostility on both sides."
8. Caleb McLaughlin
Caleb McLaughlin in May 2025.
Savion Washington/WireImage/Getty Images
McLaughlin has played Lucas Sinclair, the more levelheaded and skeptical member of the core group, since season one, when he was 15. Now 23, McLaughlin has arguably undergone the biggest transformation — he even has a beard!
Like many of his costars, McLaughlin has continued to work with Netflix. He appeared in "High Flying Bird" (directed by Steven Soderbergh), "Concrete Cowboy," and "The Deliverance," all Netflix originals.
He had a role in the 2023 biblical comedy "The Book of Clarence," which was a box-office flop but critically well-liked. He also played former NBA player and current college coach Dru Joyce III in "Shooting Stars," a Peacock film about a young LeBron James.
"Stranger Things" isn't the only TV show he's done, either. He played Ricky Bell in the BET miniseries "The New Edition Story," and has had voice roles in "Summer Camp Island," "Ultra City Smiths," and "The Boys Presents: Diabolical."
Matarazzo, 22, plays the lovably geeky Dustin Henderson, who formed a bond with older kids Steve and Eddie. He was 14 when the show began airing.
Matarazzo has since built himself a very well-rounded career.
In addition to his movie roles ("Honor Society," "My Father's Dragon," "Please Don't Destroy: The Treasure of Foggy Mountain" and the upcoming "Animal Farm" remake) and theater roles ("Into the Woods," "Parade," and the original cast of the "Sweeney Todd" revival), Matarazzo has also made himself a TV personality; he executive-produced and hosted the Netflix hidden-camera series "Prank Encounters."
Hawke, 26, joined the show in season three in 2019, when she was 21. She plays Robin Buckley, originally Steve's coworker at Scoops Ahoy, but soon she becomes his best friend. She's also one of the show's two canonically queer characters, alongside Will.
Technically, Hawke has been famous since birth, as her parents are Ethan Hawke and Uma Thurman. But 2019 was her breakout year, as she joined "Stranger Things" and appeared in "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood."
Like the rest of her costars, Hawke has a good relationship with Netflix. She starred in "Fear Street Part One: 1994," "Do Revenge," and "Maestro," all on the streamer.
Besides that, Hawke appeared in the Wes Anderson film "Asteroid City" and the highest-grossing film of 2024, "Inside Out 2." She voiced a new emotion, Anxiety.
Next year will be a big one, though. Hawke was announced to be joining the cast of "The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping" as Wiress, originally played by Amanda Plummer in "Catching Fire."
Hawke has a music career, as well. She's released three albums: "Blush" (2020), "Moss" (2022), and "Chaos Angel" (2024). She's set to resume her world tour for "Chaos Angel" this summer.
Wolfhard, 22, is the show's lead character, Mike Wheeler. He's the one who decides to go looking for Will after he goes missing and forms a special bond with the mysterious girl they meet in the woods. We know the most about his home life, as his sister Nancy is a main character, and we've met his parents and younger sister, as well.
He began playing Mike when he was 13 years old.
Wolfhard has two successful franchises to his name. He played young Richie in 2017's "It" (which made $704 million) and 2019's "It Chapter Two" (which made $473 million).
He also appeared in "Ghostbusters: Afterlife" and "Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire," which each made around $200 million worldwide.
In 2024, he had a small role in "Saturday Night," and this year, he appeared in the A24 film "The Legend of Ochi." His directorial debut, "Hell of a Summer," premiered this April and made back its budget, per The Numbers.
Wolfhard has also become a successful voice actor. He voiced Pugsley in the animated "Addams Family" movie, which also made around $200 million (though he was recast for the 2021 sequel), and voiced Candlewick in 2021's "Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio," which went on to win best animated feature at the Academy Awards.
It's a wonder that Wolfhard also has time for a career as a musician. From 2017 to 2019, he was the lead singer of the band Calpurnia. He then joined the band The Aubreys, which released its debut album in 2021. On June 6, Wolfhard will release his debut solo album called "Happy Birthday." He's going on a mini-tour to support it during the month.
At last, we've come to Keery, aka Steve "The Hair" Harrington. Steve began the show as one of the mean popular kids, but has gone through a heartwarming transformation to become a fan favorite. Also, remember that baseball bat with the nails in it? Swoon.
Keery was 24 when the show started airing, and now he's 33, the oldest of the main "kids" cast.
His career has taken off since then. He was the lead of the 2020 black comedy/horror film "Spree," starred in "Free Guy" and "Pavements," and has an upcoming film co-starring Liam Neeson, Lesley Manville, and Vanessa Redgrave called "Cold Storage."
He also had a main role in the fifth season of the anthology series "Fargo."
But where Keery's edge lies is his music. While his costars have semi-successful musical careers, Keery (as his alter ego Djo) has had real success. His song "End of Beginning" was a bona fide hit in 2024, peaking at No. 11 on the Hot 100 chart, and received Billboard Music Award and Brit Award nominations.
His 2025 album, "The Crux," peaked at No. 10 on the US Rock chart and No. 50 on the Billboard 200. The song "Charlie's Garden " is dedicated to his "Stranger Things" costar and friend Charlie Heaton.
While Keery doesn't have a personal Instagram, he does have one as Djo, which has 1.4 million followers. He'll be touring through October 2025.
3. Sadie Sink
Sadie Sink in May 2025.
Stephanie Augello/Variety/Getty Images
Sink, 23, joined "Stranger Things" in season two as Max Mayfield, the new kid in Hawkins and a tomboy able to keep up with Mike and his friends, when she was 14. She eventually develops a close friendship with Eleven and begins dating Lucas in season three.
Max was one of the biggest parts of season four. A pivotal scene in which she escapes the Upside Down helped bring the 1985 Kate Bush song "Running Up That Hill" back to the top of the charts, peaking at No. 3 on the Hot 100.
Since joining "Stranger Things," Sink starred in the two Netflix horror films: "Fear Street 1978" and "Fear Street 1666." She also starred in the 2022 Oscar-winning film "The Whale," which earned her a Critics' Choice Award nomination.
She began starring in the Broadway play "John Proctor Is the Villain" in 2025, which earned her a Tony Award nomination for best actress in a play.
Sink is rumored to have an undisclosed role in the 2026 film "Spider-Man: Brand New Day," per Deadline.
Now, we can't talk about Sink without mentioning her role as, essentially, the Taylor Swift self-insert role in "All Too Well: The Short Film," the music video for the 10-minute version of "All Too Well." If Swift picks you to play a fictional version of herself, you know you've made it.
If you were on TikTok in the summer of 2022, it was impossible to miss the sound of Quinn's voice screaming for Chrissy to wake up.
Quinn, 31, joined the cast in season four as a high school (super) senior named Eddie Munson, a heavy-metal-loving, Dungeons-and-Dragons-playing sweetie who bonds with Dustin.
Quinn's this high on the list because, in the three years since he was on the show, his career has soared. Since last year, he's been in "A Quiet Place: Day One" (a hit), "Gladiator II" (another hit), "Warfare," and will play none other than the Human Torch in "The Fantastic Four: First Steps" in July.
Quinn has 5.6 million followers on Instagram — not bad for someone who only joined the app in 2022 to promote "Stranger Things."
1. Millie Bobby Brown
Millie Bobby Brown in February 2025.
Carlos Alvarez/Getty Images for Netflix
We haven't really mentioned Eleven (as played by Brown) in this ranking, because it's hard to explain her character without sounding a bit out there. But here we go: Eleven is a young girl who escaped from a secret government lab after discovering she has immense psychic powers.
Brown, 21, was easily the breakout star of the show. During Halloween 2016, that pink dress, blonde wig, fake nosebleed, and Eggo box were unavoidable.
Brown was just 12 when "Stranger Things" premiered, and received back-to-back Emmy nominations before she was 16.
Since then, she's appeared in "Godzilla: King of the Monsters" ($387 million worldwide) and "Godzilla vs. Kong" ($470 million worldwide). She's also starred and produced in four Netflix movies ("Enola Holmes," "Enola Holmes 2," "Damsel" and "The Electric State" — three of which were huge hits) and has another "Enola" film on the way.
She's proven herself to be a savvy businesswoman. She was reportedly paid $10 million for "Enola Holmes 2," and Brown has founded three successful companies: Florence by Mills Beauty, Florence by Mills Coffee, and Florence by Mills Fashion. Her beauty brand is available at Ulta, while her coffee is on shelves at Walmart.
Brown also proved just how famous she was when she married Jake Bongiovi (son of Jon Bon Jovi) in 2024 and their wedding made dozens of headlines.
And in case all that hasn't convinced you, Brown is far and away the most followed person from the cast, with a staggering 63.8 million followers on Instagram.
With Trump and Musk at odds, the time for choosing a side could be upon Republican lawmakers. However, they didn't appear too eager.
Roberto Schmidt / AFP via Getty Images
Republicans on Capitol Hill watched in awe as Trump and Musk feuded with each other on Thrusday.
They're mostly siding with Trump — but they don't want to bash Elon too much.
"I'm sorry that his tour of duty ended that way," one House Republican said of Musk.
Rep. Tom Tiffany seemed to be at a loss for words.
"I don't have anything to say," the Wisconsin Republican told me as we descended the steps outside the House chamber. "Let's wait for the next tweet."
I was hoping for a bit more, so I pressed on. "It is what it is," he said with a slight laugh.
It was the last vote of the day, and House Republicans were eager to get out of there. Their counterparts in the Senate had managed to leave town for the week just as the nasty — and for some, long-anticipated — feud between Elon Musk and President Donald Trump was getting underway.
What began as a disagreement over the "Big Beautiful Bill" had taken a strange turn. By this point, Musk had replied "yes" to a post that included a reference to impeaching Trump, claimed responsibility for the president's 2024 victory, declared that tariffs would cause a recession, and said that Trump is in the "Epstein files." Trump had floated taking away Musk's government contracts, said that the billionaire "went CRAZY," and insinuated that the tech titan suffered from "Trump Derangement Syndrome."
As Tiffany faltered, a Democratic colleague pounced. "So Tom," Rep. Mark Pocan of Wisconsin interjected as he walked by, "Elon or Trump? Who's gonna win?"
The Republican congressman's tepid laughter grew into a guffaw. We all waited for the response. It never arrived. "I've got the press here," an exasperated Tiffany said. "What do you want me to say, Mark?"
Many Republican lawmakers on Capitol Hill found themselves in some version of Tiffany's position, unsure what to say about the vicious war of words unfolding online.
"Is Mercury in retrograde?" asked Republican Rep. Lauren Boebert of Colorado.
For months, Trump and Musk have appeared largely in lockstep. Republicans had become accustomed to brushing off and explaining away questions about the former DOGE leader's machinations in the executive branch, as they had with Trump for nearly a decade.
Now, with the two men very publicly at odds, it was a time for choosing. But Republicans weren't all that eager to choose. And at least one who did quickly reconsidered.
"Enough Elon. Put the phone down and go outside and play," Republican Rep. Greg Murphy of North Carolina wrote in a post on X that was deleted minutes later.
Rep. Ryan Zinke, a Montana Republican who served as Secretary of the Interior during Trump's first term, initially offered praise for Musk when asked about the feud. "I respect, obviously, the President. I respect Elon Musk," Zinke said. "Very, very bright."
When informed about Musk's response to the post referencing Trump's impeachment, Zinke let out a sharp sigh. "Yeah, that's a bridge too far," he said. "You know, I'm sorry that his tour of duty ended that way."
"This is a sign of the times that you see some of this stuff being done in public," Republican Rep. Scotty Perry of Pennsylvania said. "People over the course of history who wanted to save the republic had different viewpoints about how to do it."
Several Republicans on Thursday used social media to subtly make their allegiance to Trump known, even without explicitly criticizing the world's richest man.
One of them was Republican Rep. Abe Hamadeh of Arizona, who posted a photo of himself with Trump on X as the drama with Musk unfolded.
Was it a veiled message? Hamadeh laughed and looked down when asked about it. "President Trump's my president," he told me. "People voted for him. I supported him. President Trump is the reason why we're all here."
He later added that he "appreciated" Musk's contributions.
For Democrats, it was a told-you-so moment.
"None of it surprises me, to be honest," Rep. Melanie Stansbury of New Mexico, the top Democrat on the DOGE subcommittee, told me. "You sell your soul to the devil, or you pay your way into it, and this is what you get."
The only Republican who seemed to be genuinely enjoying himself was Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky, who's had his fair share of feuds with Trump and voted against the "Big Beautiful Bill" for largely the same reason that Musk decided to critique it.
"I tell my colleagues," Massie said, "if I get hit on Independence Avenue, and they have to deliver my eulogy, just say he was having his best day ever."
Jeffrey Epstein and Donald Trump at a party at Mar-a-Lago in 1997.
Davidoff Studios/Getty Images
Elon Musk says the "Epstein files" haven't been released because Trump is in them.
The president's name has cropped up repeatedly in Epstein-related court documents.
Trump's name is included in Epstein's contact book and flight records.
Elon Musk has an allegation about why President Donald Trump hasn't released all of the so-called "Epstein files."
He's in them.
Musk's claim, tying the president to the dead financier and sex trafficker, is the latest punch in the escalating beef between the richest man in the world and the president of the United States.
"Time to drop the really big bomb: @realDonaldTrump is in the Epstein files. That is the real reason they have not been made public," Musk posted on X Thursday afternoon. "Have a nice day, DJT!"
"Mark this post for the future," he added in a follow-up post. "The truth will come out."
Musk didn't elaborate on his claim or provide evidence that backed up his assertion. House Democrats nonetheless seized on Musk's claim, with two members of the oversight committee demanding a response from Justice Department officials.
Trump's relationship with Epstein has long been part of the public record. None of that record supports any notion that the president was involved in Epstein's sex trafficking.
The two were friends in the 1980s, spending time in the same wealthy social circles in Palm Beach and Manhattan, and Trump's name has repeatedly come up in litigation related to Epstein. The two had a falling-out in the 2000s.
Trump has previously denied involvement in any wrongdoing related to Epstein. In 2019, following criminal charges against the financier, Trump said he "wasn't a fan."
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said Thursday that Musk's claims about Trump and Epstein were "unfortunate."
"This is an unfortunate episode from Elon, who is unhappy with the One Big Beautiful Bill because it does not include the policies he wanted," Leavitt said in a statement. "The President is focused on passing this historic piece of legislation and making our country great again."
During his 2024 presidential campaign, Trump indicated he supported making government documents related to Epstein public if he were elected.
It's not clear exactly what Musk meant by the "Epstein files." Attorney General Pamela Bondi and FBI Director Kash Patel have promised to release documents in possession of the Justice Department related to the wealthy pedophile.
Other agencies that may have Epstein-related documents, like the CIA, have been publicly silent about the matter.
We already have a lot of Epstein documents
Bondi and Patel have published one batch of documents, in February.
Aside from a three-page list of evidence seized during a 2019 criminal investigation into Epstein, it included only information that had previously been made public during the criminal case against his associate Ghislaine Maxwell and in other civil litigation.
Trump's name has also been included in long-running civil litigation related to Epstein. Documents including Trump's name became public in January 2024, when a federal judge unsealed and unredacted thousands of pages of court documents in a lawsuit that Giuffre brought against Maxwell. The judge had previously referred to Trump with the pseudonym "Doe 174."
The lawsuit did not accuse Trump of any wrongdoing. Many of the people whose names were initially kept under seal in the court documents were identified as Epstein's victims or had only an incidental connection to the financier.
The documents from that lawsuit include excerpts of a deposition by Johanna Sjoberg, who has accused Epstein of rape. At one point during the deposition, Sjoberg was asked about giving massages to various associates of Epstein at his residences, and she denied giving any to Trump. Asked about a trip to Atlantic City, she described visiting one of Trump's casinos after flying on Epstein's private jet.
"Jeffrey said, 'Great, we'll call up Trump, and we'll go to' — I don't recall the name of the casino, but — 'we'll go to the casino,'" Sjoberg said in the deposition.
Other documents mention Trump only in passing, referencing him as one of the many high-profile people who have been friends with Epstein.
Epstein — who also spent time with other powerful figures, including Bill Clinton, Prince Andrew, Steve Bannon, and Ehud Barak — died by suicide in a federal Manhattan jail while awaiting trial on sex-trafficking charges in 2019. As part of the same investigation, Justice Department prosecutors brought sex-trafficking charges against his associate Ghislaine Maxwell, who was convicted in late 2021 and sentenced to 20 years in prison.
Business Insider's reporter regretted booking a room at the front of Royal Caribbean's Wonder of the Seas.
Joey Hadden/Business Insider
Booking a room at the front of the ship was my biggest regret on my first cruise.
On Royal Caribbean's Wonder of the Seas, I learned that rooms at the front are bumpier than others.
I booked the front room of deck eight and felt seasick for most of my voyage.
The first night of my first cruise was terrifying. The floor trembled beneath me as I was startled by booming noises that sounded like the crashing of heavy items on decks above and below mine.
Determined to stay awake and prepared for disaster, I sat stiffly on the couch. I read the emergency instructions over and over for what felt like hours until I accidentally fell asleep.
When I woke up, I rushed out the door to ensure everything was all right. As seemingly unfazed cruisers filled the buffet and lined up for the water slides, I realized I'd experienced a normal night at sea.
I unknowingly booked a room where movement on the ship felt the strongest
After my first rocky night aboard the ship, I wondered whether everyone had the same experience. So, I talked to some fellow passengers who were seasoned cruisers. They told me that the front of the ship is one of the worst places to be if you're often seasick. They said that higher decks in the middle of the ship feel calmer and more stable.
Since my room on the 18-deck ship was situated at the front of the eighth floor, I felt constant motion in my room. As someone who gets motion sickness from the slightest movement of bathwater, this spoiled many aspects of my first cruise.
The reporter's stateroom window shows the front of the ship.
Joey Hadden/Business Insider
Some nights were rockier than others. On the roughest nights, I heard and felt a similar sensation to thunder beneath me every few minutes. Loud thumps and heavy vibrations in my room sounded like large pieces of furniture falling.
During the days at sea, it was especially challenging for me to eat and participate in activities. And I didn't feel rested for my excursions at port stops, which included hikes in the sun.
Some cabins can be rockier than others, like those situated at the front of the cruise ship
I wish I'd researched how the location of a cabin can affect the amount of motion you feel while the ship is moving before booking my cruise. Next time, I'd choose a room in the middle of the ship.
Dakota Johnson at the "Madame Web" premiere in Los Angeles on February 12, 2024.
Frazer Harrison/Getty Images
When it comes to fashion, Dakota Johnson has a chic and seemingly effortless style.
However, the "Fifty Shades of Grey" star also regularly experiments with daring looks.
She's worn sheer dresses, plunging necklines, mismatched shoes, and more.
If you somehow haven't noticed, Dakota Johnson has been everywhere lately.
She made multiple appearances at the Cannes Film Festival in May, has since been photographed all over New York City, and has appeared on multiple late-night talk shows this month.
The 35-year-old actor has, of course, been promoting her film "Materialists," which she stars in alongside Pedro Pascal and Chris Evans.
All the while, she's stood out in her signature style: chic, effortless outfits that are also quite bold. Here's a look at the most daring looks she's worn lately, and ones she's donned in the past.
Dakota Johnson's bold red-carpet style can be traced back to her 2012 appearance at a GQ party.
Dakota Johnson at a GQ party in 2012.
John Shearer/Invision/AP
For the event, she wore a long-sleeved lace top over a black bra and tucked the former into high-waisted leather pants.
By 2013, she was already elevating her daring fashion.
Dakota Johnson at the 2013 LACMA Art + Film Gala.
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
At the LACMA Art + Film Gala that year, she wore a black Gucci dress with multiple daring elements. It had netted sleeves up top, golden feathers across her chest, and green fringe on her skirt.
The actor showed the playful side of her style in 2015.
Dakota Johnson in New York City in February 2015.
Raymond Hall/Getty Images
While in New York City, she wore a fuzzy green vest over a tan jumpsuit. And she didn't stop there.
Johnson also wore strappy heels and sunglasses that made the casual outfit look dramatic and glam.
For the UK premiere of "Fifty Shades of Grey," Johnson wore a striking Saint Laurent gown.
Dakota Johnson at the 2015 premiere of "Fifty Shades of Grey" in London.
Jonathan Short/Invision/AP
The white dress had thin straps and a plunging neckline embellished with crystals.
She then attended the 2015 Venice Film Festival in a backless, blush-colored gown.
Dakota Johnson at the 2015 Venice Film Festival.
Joel Ryan/Invision/AP
The Prada design hugged her body in the front and revealed her tattoos on her back.
Johnson embraced sheer fashion again for the 2015 "Trumbo" premiere.
Dakota Johnson at the "Trumbo" premiere in September 2015.
Michael Tran/Getty Images
She walked the red carpet that night in a black velvet gown with sheer sleeves and matching mesh panels across her waist and legs.
Plunging necklines remained a staple of the actor's wardrobe in 2017.
Dakota Johnson at the 2017 "Fifty Shades Darker" premiere in Los Angeles.
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
At the "Fifty Shades Darker" premiere that year, Johnson arrived in a shapeless Valentino gown with a V-neckline that plunged below her chest.
A few weeks later, she went full metallic for the Oscars.
Dakota Johnson at the 2017 Oscars in Los Angeles.
Kevork Djansezian/Stringer/Getty Images
Her gold Gucci gown was made from satin. It had a high pleated neckline, long sleeves, and an oversize bow at the waist.
She then stood out at the Green Carpet Fashion Awards in a semi-sheer Gucci gown.
Dakota Johnson at the 2017 Green Carpet Fashion Awards in Milan.
David M. Benett/Getty Images
The skin-revealing design was made from black tulle, Swarovski crystals, and recycled brass.
Johnson embraced the "no-shirt" trend at the 2017 Hollywood Film Awards.
Dakota Johnson at the 2017 Hollywood Film Awards in Beverly Hills.
Danny Moloshok/Reuters
She wore a vibrant red suit jacket with no shirt underneath, matching trousers, and a diamond choker. Equally daring were her mismatched heels, which had giant crystals on one shoe but not the other.
In 2018, the actor put a glamorous twist on the sheer trend at the Venice Film Festival.
Dakota Johnson at the 2018 Venice Film Festival.
Stephane Cardinale - Corbis/Getty Images
She wore a strapless Dior gown made from lace with a corset-style bodice and sheer skirt.
She later opted for a dramatic gown at the Marrakech Film Festival.
Dakota Johnson at the 2018 Marrakech Film Festival.
Dominique Charriau/Getty Images
Johnson wore a Givenchy look with brown fabric surrounding its asymmetrical metallic bodice and a matching silver belt.
Johnson swapped her usual gowns for a bold minidress in 2019.
Dakota Johnson at a 2019 film screening in Hollywood.
Jon Kopaloff/Stringer/Getty Images
She walked the red carpet at "The Peanut Butter Falcon" screening in a Saint Laurent design. It featured a large bow as a top, a triangle cutout at the chest, and all-over crystal designs.
Johnson wore one of her most daring and stunning looks at the 2021 Venice Film Festival.
Dakota Johnson at the 2021 Venice Film Festival.
Daniele Venturelli/WireImage/Getty Images
Her silver Gucci gown had a plunging neckline, a see-through bodice and skirt, and crystal fringe.
The see-through corset she wore to "The Lost Daughter" premiere was also bold.
Dakota Johnson at "The Lost Daughter" premiere in New York City.
Monica Schipper/Stringer/Getty Images
Johnson paired it with leather pants, pointed pumps, and a diamond necklace.
However, she took her daring fashion to another level the next day.
Dakota Johnson greets fans in New York City in September 2021.
MEGA/Getty Images
While meeting fans in New York City, Johnson was photographed wearing a cream-colored dress with a high slit in its skirt that almost reached her hips.
In November 2021, Johnson attended a fashion show in a fringe minidress.
Dakota Johnson at a 2021 Gucci fashion show in Los Angeles.
Donato Sardella/Getty Images
Her Gucci frock was held together by sparkling belts strapped across her chest, and matched her Gucci-logo tights.
She wore Gucci again in December 2021. The look was even more eye-catching than her last.
Dakota Johnson at the 2021 LACMA Art + Film Gala in California.
Taylor Hill/Getty Images
She wore pink satin pants — they were so wide they resembled a skirt — and a cropped, crystal-covered top that was sleeveless with a deep V-neckline.
At the 2022 Met Gala, Johnson wore a see-through catsuit made from black lace.
Dakota Johnson at the 2022 Met Gala.
Jamie McCarthy / Staff / Getty Images
The "naked" design from Gucci was covered with long silver fringe and delicate sparkles.
To kick off 2023, Johnson wore her own version of a Canadian tuxedo.
Dakota Johnson at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah.
Michael Loccisano/Getty Images
The Magda Butrym look included a denim bustier, a matching trench coat, and baggy jeans.
She went the opposite direction in May that year.
Dakota Johnson at a 2023 Gucci runway show in Seoul, South Korea.
The Chosunilbo JNS/Getty Images
For a Gucci runway show, Johnson wore black lingerie underneath a see-through slip dress and monogrammed coat.
In 2024, Johnson wore the most sheer gown of her career.
Dakota Johnson attends the "Madame Web" premiere in Los Angeles on February 12, 2024.
Frazer Harrison/Getty Images
At the "Madame Web" premiere, Johnson sported a custom chainmail gown from Gucci that sparkled in the light. It was sleeveless, plunged at the neckline, and see-through.
Though the gown did appear to have a small lining, it matched the actor's skin tone perfectly and created the illusion that she was only wearing the crystal links.
Johnson is still staying loyal to sheer clothes in 2025.
Dakota Johnson in New York City at the start of June.
Aeon/GC Images/Getty Images
In early June, she was photographed walking around New York City in a maroon bodysuit beneath a black tulle dress.
The latter had long sleeves, a wrapped neckline, and a flared skirt, making for a classic silhouette. However, it was entirely see-through.
Amazon's retail business won't grow its hiring budget this year.
An Amazon spokesperson said the company is still hiring.
CEO Andy Jassy's cost-cutting measures aim to boost profit margins and operational efficiency.
Amazon's retail business is locking down its hiring budget.
According to an internal email, this major part of the company will keep a "flat headcount opex," or operating expenses, this year compared to 2024. Headcount operating expense refers to employee salaries plus their stock-based compensation, the email noted.
The update was shared earlier this year by a finance leader in Amazon's retail unit. This executive explained that any increase in the hiring budget will be "scrutinized" and require "strong supporting reasons." Business Insider obtained copy of the email.
The retail business is also shifting from managing "opex targets versus headcount targets," according to the email. That likely means managers now have a strict predefined budget allocated to their teams, instead of specific headcount targets when hiring.
These changes only apply to corporate employees in Amazon's retail business. They do not apply to staff working in Amazon warehouses and in the company's cloud division, Amazon Web Services.
The retail organization includes everything from Amazon's online marketplace to its logistics arm and Fresh grocery business.
In an email to BI, Amazon spokesperson Zoe Hoffman said this is the "responsible way" to grow a company of its size, and stressed that not growing the hiring budget in a given year is not the same as not hiring. Amazon continues to hire across the company, she added.
"Each of Amazon's many businesses has its own approach to hiring based on its individual needs," Hoffman added in a statement. "However, across the company, we've historically considered both the number of people we need to hire and the associated costs — that is, Operating Expenses or OpEx — of those hiring decisions."
The move underscores CEO Andy Jassy's relentless push for increased efficiency and higher profit margins.
Since taking over in 2021, he's slashed jobs, revamped pay, trimmed management layers, and even reconsidered Amazon's product listing approach, all in the name of saving money and driving efficiency. Amazon reported record profit of $59 billion in 2024, nearly double its 2023 result.
Holding the hiring budget steady could encourage Amazon retail managers to get smarter and more flexible with compensation expenses. HR professionals say budget-based planning offers tighter financial control than headcount targets. That can be useful in uncertain business environments.
Staying within limits
The email said Amazon retail CEO Doug Herrington inspected operating expenses "very closely throughout the last two years." The retail organization also recently launched new financial reporting and analysis tools for tracking headcount and operating expenses. Some of the new features include the ability to plan headcount mix by job level, technical skills, and tenure, according to the email.
Amazon has been on a yearslong cost-cutting spree. After booming during the pandemic, the online retail and cloud giant's growth slowed, triggering cutbacks in warehouse growth and the closure of some experimental ventures.
Headcount has also leveled off. The company doubled its workforce to 1.6 million from 2019 to 2021, but that number dipped to 1.55 million last year. Amazon has cut at least 27,000 employees since late 2022.
Managing headcount instead of a hiring budget lets managers bring on high-cost talent without worrying much about salary, David Kryscynski, a human resources professor at Rutgers, told BI. But with a fixed labor budget, he said, managers are more likely to stay within financial limits, either by hiring less or opting for lower-cost candidates.
This model also gives managers more staffing flexibility, said Shaun Pichler, a management professor at California State University, Fullerton. Without headcount targets, they can bring on cheaper contractors or temporary workers. And they're not pressured to spend the full budget, often resulting in leaner teams.
"Tech firms have more widely adopted OpEx targets post-pandemic for largely the same reasons — high labor costs, reduced revenues, and to give managers more flexibility," Pichler said.
Amazon's retail arm remains laser-focused on cutting costs. At an internal all-hands meeting earlier this year, retail chief Doug Herrington told employees that belt-tightening would likely extend into 2025, even as the company pours money into major investments elsewhere, BI previously reported.
"We have to keep reducing costs so that we can afford the big investments in big new businesses," Herrington said.
USS Cole becomes the latest destroyer to be deployed to the southern border mission.
US Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Emily Farnsworth
The Defense Department is sending another destroyer, USS Cole, to the southern border mission.
Cole is the latest destroyer to go from the Red Sea conflict to America's backyard.
The warship is one of the many military assets the White House has sent to the US-Mexico border.
A fourth US Navy destroyer that participated in the Red Sea conflict is on its way to support President Donald Trump's southern border mission, bringing a range of advanced naval combat capabilities to a very different operating environment.
The Navy announced Friday that the Arleigh Burke-class destroyer USS Cole had left its homeport in Florida to support US Northern Command's "border security objectives."
The Trump administration has made cracking down on maritime-related criminal activity, including weapons smuggling, drug trafficking, and illegal immigration, a top priority, and the Defense Department has sent military assets to the US-Mexico border. Among these assets are five destroyers and a littoral combat ship on staggered deployments.
Cole, like the other warships, is set to be accompanied by a US Coast Guard Law Enforcement Detachment. They specialize in military operations at sea, such as counterterrorism, counterpiracy, and anti-immigration missions.
Arleigh Burke-class destroyers like the Cole are advanced naval surface ships with robust communications and sensor suites and are suited for long-endurance missions. These vessels can be armed with surface-to-air and land-attack missiles. Other armaments include the ship's five-inch deck gun, machine guns, and a Phalanx Close-In Weapons System.
USS Cole left its homeport in Florida on Thursday.
US Navy photo by Jacob Sippel/released
The Navy said that the Cole's deployment to the southern border "aims to enhance maritime security and support interagency collaboration in the region through presence operations" and the support of the Coast Guard operators, who can perform vessel boardings, searches, and seizures to target drug trafficking, illegal immigration, and maritime criminal activity.
Cole's new assignment makes it the latest destroyer to go from the Red Sea conflict, where it defended international shipping lanes from attacks by Iran-backed Houthi rebels, to patrolling the waters near the US-Mexico border.
When the Cole arrives in the Gulf of Mexico, which the Trump administration has renamed the Gulf of America, it will be one of two destroyers actively participating in the mission. The other warship, USS Sampson, departed its homeport in San Diego a few days ago and will be operating in the Pacific Ocean.
Many homeowners, like Eileen Perry, tap into their home equity during financial hardship.
baona/Getty Images
Eileen Perry, 57, was unemployed and struggling to buy groceries and pay her bills.
She turned to a company that gives homeowners cash in exchange for a share of the home's future sale price.
Perry will owe thousands when she sells her home, but says the relief she has now makes it worth it.
This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Eileen Perry, a 57-year-old from North Carolina. Perry entered a home equity agreement with the financial services company Unlock to access her home equity. This conversation has been edited for length and clarity.
I'm originally from New Jersey, where I lived with my husband and my son. In 2023, my husband passed away suddenly from pancreatic cancer. He left me well-off enough that I was able to buy a home in North Carolina for $260,000 outright, in cash.
Unfortunately, timing is everything. I had an on-the-job injury; I broke my back, and I'm still suffering from back issues. I'm currently waiting for my permanent disability Social Security, so I have no income. My son, who lives with me — he's 27 — is also disabled and unable to work right now. So the two of us have no income.
We've been in North Carolina for almost two years, and my sister has supported us. But I didn't want to keep relying on her. I knew I owned 100% of my home's equity and thought, "Maybe there's something I can do with this."
I tried to get a home equity loan, or a Home Equity Line of Credit (HELOC). But because I have no income, and had fallen behind on all my credit cards and bills, my credit score took a major dive. I couldn't qualify. I even tried to get a loan with a cosigner, but my application was denied.
It felt like everyone was closing a door in my face, but I still thought, "There has to be someone out there who can help me."
An HEA was the right solution for me
I was scouring the internet when a home equity company, Unlock, popped up. I started researching home equity agreements and thought it could be a perfect fit for me.
Unlock's home equity agreement (HEA) is different from a loan, HELOC, or reverse mortgage, which typically has an age requirement. Instead of owning the deed or title to a home, they place a lien on the property.
Homeowners access their equity by receiving an investment payment from Unlock. In exchange, the company receives a percentage of the home's value.
There are no monthly payments, and homeowners can buy out their agreement at any point within 10 years, either with partial payments or all at once. For many homeowners, the equity buy-back happens when they sell their home.
To qualify for an agreement, I needed a valid ID, proof of ownership of my home, and a credit score of at least 500, which was great for me. I also needed current and up-to-date homeowner's insurance.
My $45,000 home equity agreement became effective in September 2024. After paying $2,205 to Unlock for an origination fee, $340 for the home's appraisal, and $720 for settlement costs, I received $41,735 in October for my first HEA.
Eileen Perry (right) and her friend (left).
Courtesy of Eileen Perry
In May 2025, I needed more funds for day-to-day expenses, so I canceled the original HEA balance and replaced it with a new HEA agreement totaling $93,500.
My funds have paid off outstanding property taxes and other bills I wouldn't have been able to cover. They also helped us afford everyday expenses like groceries and gas. I finally have peace of mind and can sleep at night.
An HEA has changed my life for the better
It's been almost two years since my husband passed away. There were days when I didn't know how my son and I were going to eat, whether we would be sitting in the dark, or where we were going to live.
Having a home equity agreement has truly been a gift — call it divine intervention.
I'm now selling my house to move back to New Jersey. Of course, certain things are required to put your home on the market or pass inspection, like having an air conditioning system and bathrooms with good plumbing.
In February, the plumbing in my house went out completely. I had no shower or toilet for almost two months. The bathrooms had to be completely remodeled because of severe water damage. The influx of money helped me pay for a new line when my homeowner's insurance wouldn't cover it. That line alone cost nearly $6,000, just for the plumbing.
Without the money from the home equity agreement, I doubt I'd be able to sell my home.
In May, my home was appraised at $290,000. Since I received a $93,500 investment — about 32.24% of the home's value — if I sell this month, I'd owe about $94,000 of my home's equity.
Initially, my friends and family were hesitant about me taking on a home equity agreement because they feared I might get a much higher interest rate, or they were concerned about how I was going to pay the money back.
But I knew I wasn't going to be staying in North Carolina forever, and putting my house on the market was going to be the next option. I didn't think getting an HEA agreement would be a problem because I would have a profit left over after I sold my home.
This experience has been life-changing.
Unlock was not involved in the writing of this story. The views contained within represent the author's personal views.
It's getting clearer who the winners will be in key parts of the generative AI race, according to Elad Gil, a top startup investor.
"In coding, it seems like it's consolidated into 2 or 3 players," he said recently on my favorite AI podcast, "No Priors."
He highlighted Cursor, Codium (now called Qodo), Cognition AI (the startup behind Devin), and Microsoft's GitHub Copilot.
A clear sign of progress in the tech industry is when a giant platform decides to use an outside service rather than its own product. Google, Amazon, Microsoft, and others have thousands of engineers who can whip up new tech pretty well. So it's a major signal when these companies decide that, no, their home-grown stuff may not be enough.
This is happening with Cursor, an AI coding tool from startup Anysphere. Amazon is working on making this available to its employees, according to a scoop this week from Business Insider's Eugene Kim.
Amazon already has its own AI coding assistant, Q, and is developing a more advanced tool codenamed "Kiro." So this is a notable move for a company that had warned employees about using third-party AI tools.
Google has its own internal AI coding tools, too. And yet, CEO Sundar Pichai said this week he's been messing around with Cursor and a similar service called Replit, building a custom webpage for himself.
Software engineering is evolving from a specialized skill into something that non-technical folks can try. Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang likes to say that everyone is a programmer now. Instead of learning complex coding languages, we can create digital things using plain English.
Still, some AI coding tools require more expertise than others. Cursor is an IDE, or integrated developer environment, a common setup for pro software engineers. Replit and another coding tool called Bolt.new work in a browser and are considered more user-friendly for novices.
Pichai made the distinction this week, saying he uses Cursor, and has "vibe coded with Replit." Vibe coding is a hot new phrase for some of these easier-to-use tools. A good rule of thumb: If you didn't know what IDE stands for, you probably aren't ready for Cursor! Here are more tips.
Each week in Business Insider's Tech Memo newsletter, I try an AI tool. What do you think of this one? What should I do, or use, next week? Let me know.
This week, I tested Granola, an AI notetaking assistant. I fired it up for an interview with Raj Sharma, a bigwig at consulting giant EY. Coincidentally, he said his wife uses Granola to transcribe her interactions with patients.
Installing it on my MacBook was easy. It synced with my Google work calendar, launched a Microsoft Teams video call, and prompted me to start recording — all smooth and fast. My prepared questions were saved in the app, but I couldn't easily access them during the call. I defaulted to a Google Doc, wishing the notes had appeared more intuitively as the interview began.
Granola's post-interview features impressed me. It provided a thematic summary with expandable sections and action items, based partly on my prepared questions and any notes I jotted down while Raj was speaking. I asked it to find a quote from Raj about AI being a "welcome relief," and it delivered. I made sure to go back and check the exact phrasing. For that, I needed the full transcript. This was pretty good, although Raj's comments and my questions were sometimes misattributed to the wrong speaker.
What shocked me: Granola doesn't record audio of meetings. This is a dealbreaker for journalists who need to verify quotes precisely. I used Apple's Voice Memos app alongside Granola for the essential raw audio backup.
Granola is sleek, smart, and promising. But for now, it's missing one essential thing for me: the truth in someone's own voice.
Postscript
After sending out the Tech Memo newsletter this morning, I tracked down emails from Vicky Firth, who leads customer experience at Granola. She kindly answered my annoying questions!
Here's what she said on the lack of I asked why Granola doesn't provide audio recordings.
"We never store the audio recordings and that's a deliberate decision for a few reasons. Firstly, we're aware that whatever platform you're on for your call already does this, and we don't feel the need to duplicate this functionality — we've optimised Granola to be able to make great summaries of meetings, so that's what we're laser-focused on, and the transcripts are enough to allow it to do that well. We want to make sure Granola can stay simple and great at what it does best."
"Another set of reasons is around data security: we want to make sure we're only capturing what's necessary to make those great notes, such that we're not holding on to more sensitive information than is necessary. We hear feedback on both sides — some users would love us to store the recordings, but others email us wanting to make sure we don't! The transcripts again feel like enough here."
I suggested that this is kind of a dealkiller for those who need to verify exactly what people say. I also asked why Granola doesn't just offer this as a default feature but add a clear button to switch audio recording off when users want that?
Firth's reply makes good sense, and it's a real window into how startups operate and the hard product decisions they must make while building efficiently.
"It's probably not the best solution if you're someone who needs very specific quotes on a regular basis, and another product is probably more suited if that's what you're after as your primary output. We do get requests for it, but at the moment (especially while we're such a small team and have to be ruthless with prioritising!) we're trying to focus on functionality that helps make great summarised notes, helps you share those notes with your team, and help you all get insights to do your work better on a higher level. It means we sadly have a long, long list of things that we have to park for now!"
Attendees mingle at a mixer for Gen Z founders at a Kiehl's skincare store during New York's Tech Week.
Sydney Bradley/BI
Andreessen Horowitz's power move has sparked drama at New York Tech Week.
Partiful is now the only official events platform, and it's caused some headaches.
The venture capital titan is an investor in Partiful but not in competitor Luma.
Venture capital juggernaut Andreessen Horowitz (A16z) pulled a power move at this year's Tech Week — and it's become the conference's most compelling niche drama.
Tech Week, whose current iteration was started by A16z in 2022, returned to New York City this month with a full calendar of events just as the city started heating up for summer. The conference's "decentralized" nature means anyone can throw an event and apply to have it added to the official calendar, provided they follow a set of rules.
However, one of this year's new rules has drawn criticism from some organizers and attendees: Official tech week events must use Partiful.
"The only official events platform this year is Partiful," the 2025 Tech Week guide says.
That's left Luma, a competing events platform popular at previous iterations of Tech Week, out in the cold. Versions of Tech Week's events FAQ document from 2023 and 2024 said events could use either Luma or Partiful.
And here's what's gotten tongues wagging: A16z is invested in Partiful, but not in Luma.
"I get the Partiful push this year. It's a portfolio company. Of course they're gonna try to make it the default," Olivia O'Sullivan, a partner and COO at Forum VC, wrote in a LinkedIn post critiquing the platform that led to a barrage of comments.
"Hot take: next year, the people should take back NY Tech Week and bring back Luma as the default platform," she wrote.
Representatives for Partiful, Tech Week, and A16z didn't respond to requests for comment.
The change has been a headache for some organizers.
Daniel Oberhaus, the founder of PR firm Haus, told Business Insider he couldn't get his defense tech rooftop party listed on the formal Tech Week schedule because he had used Luma to invite guests.
"Most conferences we attend tend to be run through Luma," he said.
When Oberhaus asked Tech Week organizers to add his event to the official calendar, they requested that he delete the Luma invite and remake it only on Partiful, he said. Oberhaus decided to keep the initial Luma invite since "hundreds of people" had already signed up.
Panelists speak at a defense tech event organized by Haus in downtown Manhattan.
Julia Hornstein/BI
"Perhaps it's egg on our face in the sense that we should have just made a Partiful to begin with, but we were just using the platform we were familiar with," he said. "We had plenty of people in attendance, and we're just not on the official page now, which is, I think, a bit of a bummer for a distributed conference."
Other event organizers and attendees also groused about the changes to what they said was once a free-wheeling gathering for the technorati with few rules on how events should or shouldn't be run.
Luma cofounder Victor Pontis was measured in his response when asked for comment on the shift, but nodded to the power dynamics at play.
"With successful initiatives like this, people naturally try to claim ownership since it's valuable and well-known," Pontis said. "Having control over what qualifies as a Tech Week event gives some power."
Partiful vs. Luma
Founded in 2020 by ex-Palantir staffers, Partiful has become a go-to app for young people hosting shindigs and offers a one-stop shop for hosts to customize their event pages and send text blasts and updates.
Partiful has become especially popular in tech circles and among the under-30 crowd, and has been used by some Tech Week organizers in New York and LA in previous years.
For some Tech Week attendees at this year's New York events, however, Partiful was a new — and not necessarily preferred — platform for RSVPs.
Luma, also founded in 2020, has been a favorite event management platform for many in the tech world.
Jacob Wallach, the creator behind the TikTok account Excel Daddy, told BI that when he attended Tech Week events last year, "it felt like everything was on Luma." Wallach also hosts events regularly in New York and typically uses Luma for managing RSVPs.
On the other hand, Wallach said, Partiful is the app he and his peers often use for "birthdays, house parties, barbecues."
Despite the drama, being the sole official platform could be a boon for Partiful.
Natalie Neptune, founder of GenZtea, hosted multiple events this Tech Week. She used Partiful for these, which made it onto the official calendar, but said she typically uses Luma.
"I started using Luma last year just because New York Tech Week used Luma," Neptune said.
That same flywheel, if all goes well, could come to Partiful. The platform has also rolled out tools specifically for professional events, like collecting emails for RSVPs and syncing with calendars.
Neptune said she thinks New York Tech Week and A16z's focus on Partiful this year "definitely will have more people" using the platform.
My daughter loved gymnastics, but it was destroying her knees and joints.
I had to force her to stop, taking away the thing she loved the most.
She was devastated, but now we both know it was the best decision.
I took away the thing my daughter loved most on a warm August afternoon.
I'd watched my daughter twist, tumble, and throw herself in the air for 12 years as a competitive gymnast. But now, it was hurting her, and I had to protect her, even from what she loved most.
It all started with a recreational class at the community center when she was 3. Her passion for gymnastics was clear from the first somersault. With each new skill, she fell more in love with the elite sport. Never wanting her to lose that love, we took things slow. I followed her lead, inevitably winding up on a competitive track.
Eventually, the sport took its toll on her body, and I forced her to step away from the sport.
Gymnastics was causing irreversible damage to her body
At first, we chose the less intense track — fewer hours, more balance — so she could still be a kid. But the hours added up. What began as 45 minutes a week grew to nine hours in a specialized gym, plus weekends filled with competitions. She loved every minute.
Each meet brought medals and new skills. She loved the challenge, the friendships, the routines, and even the hard work.
But gymnastics, even done safely, is hard on the body.
My daughter started complaining that her knees hurt in middle school. Complaining was out of character for her, and I took her to the doctor. The verdict was clear: the pounding her joints endured was causing real, irreversible damage. There was nothing to fix — only a recommendation to stop.
Still, she pressed on, using ice packs, stretches, ibuprofen, and a fierce belief that she could manage it. She was young and resilient, and she wasn't ready to give up the sport she loved.
I let her keep going for a while.
I took her out of the sport
Eventually, I had to see past her passion and look at her future. She couldn't understand that the damage was building, that it wouldn't just disappear when she eventually stopped. Even with doctors explaining the risk, she wanted to push through. Her love for gymnastics made it impossible for her to imagine life without it.
That's where I came in. As her mom, I had to do what she couldn't.
She didn't understand that the damage was done and worsening with every flip and landing; it wasn't something that would go away when she stopped gymnastics. She loved it and was dedicated to the hard work it required. But she couldn't see beyond her love for the sport.
As a mom, I was in a difficult spot. No parent wants to take away something their child loves, especially something that keeps them active and healthy. But she wasn't healthy. Her actions were directly affecting her health. As much as I wanted to encourage her passions, I needed to consider her future.
I told her before the new season started. She was asking about the practice schedule when I said she wouldn't be going back. She cried, heartbroken and confused. We'd talked about it before, but now it was real. The thing that shaped so much of who she was — I was taking it away. She cried as I explained that it was too hard on her body, that she was damaging her knees, that I wanted to protect her. She couldn't understand. All she saw was loss.
Even though we had discussed the possibility, facing a reality without gymnastics was hard. She shaped her entire identity around what she could do in the gym. It felt almost as hard for me as it did for her.
It was the right decision for my daughter
It felt almost as hard for me as it did for her. In the end, I knew it was the best for her, even if she couldn't see it. She struggled. So did I.
But slowly, she found new outlets, new joys, and new ways to move her body that didn't take such a toll. It's been five years since she last competed.
When I asked her recently if she missed it, she said yes, and that her knees still hurt every day. But now, she sees why I did it. She's grateful, even if the loss still lingers. Stopping was the right choice to protect what I could of her future.
Sometimes, the hardest parenting decisions aren't about what we let our kids do; they're about what we make them stop.