After sitcom success with Home Improvement and Last Man Standing, Tim Allen wasn’t exactly planning to return to network TV, that is until Shifting Gears pulled up.
“It was a complicated decision. I was doing Disney+’s Santa Claus series at the time and I said, ‘I really can’t think about this now,'” Allen, 71, whose Zoom name coincidentally is Santa, exclusively revealed in the newest issue of Us Weekly. “Do I want to do linear TV? I was so depressed at how streaming has hurt television. So if I did it, I want to elevate it.”
The actor specifically pointed to his past experience on the small screen, adding, “I’ve done Mike Baxter [on Last Man Standing] and Tim Taylor [on Home Improvement]. So if I do this again, I pitched three things: I want a guy that lost his wife recently, so he’s dealing with grief; I want a guy with the family that doesn’t get along; And then he has a custom car shop.”
Allen enjoyed playing a character that was “not like the other guys” he brought to life.
“He’s more like me. I’m more of an artist. I was a design student and a philosopher and my standup comedy is really about messing with people in a good way,” he noted to Us. “I came from a huge family run by women. So my perspective is very different about men. I don’t think we run things. So I want this to be that guy. He’s not a man’s man in that term, and he wasn’t trying to be anything but what he does.”
Tim Allen on ‘Shifting Gears.’Disney/Mike Taing
Shifting Gears, which premieres on Wednesday, January 8, follows widowed father Matt (Allen) and his estranged daughter, Riley (Kat Dennings), as they find themselves living together and working to repair their relationship. The ABC series comes three years after Allen’s previous sitcom, Last Man Standing, wrapped its nine-season run. Before Last Man Standing, Allen was known for playing Tim “The Toolman” Taylor on the ABC sitcom Home Improvement, which ran from 1991 to 1999.
“This is a new character and it’s much closer to [who I am]. I’ve been through grief in my life with losing my father,” he shared. “I’ve been blessed to be a comedian and so that’s who this [character] is. If I did it again, I wanted to get as much closer to the [man] that I am.”
“It was immediate when we [met]. The director wanted to see how we got along. It never stopped. The kismet was crazy. We’re both born on the same day — many years apart,” he said. “We’re different in so many ways. But our attitude about comedy is very similar. She cracks me up and I’m not easy that way. Kat can [deliver these lines] with a straight face. Her anger — that she played on 2 Broke Girls — is very similar to the sharpness that Mike Baxter could get into now.”
He continued: “When we argue on screen, it’s funny that we interrupt each other and it comes quite naturally. I don’t know where it’s coming from. I adore this person already. She and her husband [Andrew W.K.] are great people. It is like I’ve known her for freaking years, same as most of this cast.”
Richard Karn and Tim Allen on ‘Home Improvement.’Cover Images
In addition to Allen and Dennings, Shifting Gears also stars Seann William Scott, Daryl “Chill” Mitchell, Maxwell Simkins and Barrett Margolis. Jenna Elfman, meanwhile, has been cast in a recurring role as spirited choreographer Eve Drake, who owns a dance studio across from the classic car restoration shop run by Allen’s character.
“From the very beginning, [the creative team has said] that we’ve never seen Tim Allen in a sitcom with a romantic interest. And I said, ‘Well, I’ve just lost my wife so I don’t see it.’ So I love where we are,” Allen told Us about Elfman, 53, potentially playing his love interest. “I said, ‘If it happens over time and happens organically with two people that do not get along then it is OK. I just am really cautious about this. I just want it to happen where it’s organic and proper.”
Shifting Gears premieres on ABC Wednesday, January 8, at 8 p.m. ET before streaming the next day on Hulu.
TMZ reports that Alba, 43, and Warren, 45, recently separated and are preparing to file for divorce. Us Weekly has reached out to reps for Alba and Warren for comment.
The duo met on the set ofThe Fantastic Four in 2004, where Alba was the lead actress and Warren was a production assistant. They tied the knot four years later.
During their 2008 nuptials, Alba was nine months pregnant with their daughter Honor, now 16. The pair went on to welcome daughter Haven, 13, and son, Hayes, 6.
Alba has gushed about her husband over the years, exclusively telling Us Weekly in 2011, “Whenever I doubt myself for a second, he’s the first one to come up and say, ‘You can do this, I believe in you.’ I don’t know what I’d do without him there. And he’s so good with the kids. We’re really happy.”
More recently, however, the actress was candid about facing ups and downs in her marriage.
Jessica Alba and Cash Warren.MICHAEL TRAN/AFP via Getty Images
“It’s all rosy for two and a half years. But then after that, you become roommates,” Alba revealed to Katherine Schwarzenegger on her Instagram series Before, During, and After Baby in July 2021. “You’re just going through the motions. You have the responsibilities. It’s a lot of, like, checking the boxes, right?”
Alba admitted at the time that she had found herself taking her husband for granted, noting, “We have, like, obviously the friendship, the comfort of, like, ‘You’re not going anywhere,’ and so sometimes you don’t treat those people the best, right? You don’t consider their feelings in the way that you would consider other people’s feelings.”
While reflecting on her “constant” attempts to work on her bond with Warren, Alba shared how they had started to focus on “being able to communicate when you’re unhappy” and confronting issues “right away instead of letting it sort of fester.”
Alba also opened up about how motherhood allowed her to address her emotions more, sharing, “I feel like I didn’t really understand the nooks and crannies of the complexity of feelings and relationship dynamics. There wasn’t a lot of space held for vulnerability.”
In recent weeks, Alba sparked split speculation when she was spotted not wearing her wedding ring. She and Warren appeared to put on a united front by celebrating the holidays with their kids and posting photos on social media.
“Happy Holidays from our familia to yours ” Alba wrote via Instagram in December 2024 in addition to an inspirational quote, which read, “The Universe is saying to you today: ‘Now is a powerful time. Allow yourself to be open to every possibility and opportunity that presents for you. Your life changes as you change your inner beliefs. Everything in your life is a clear reflection of what you believe. Trust yourself more.”
Leighton Meester and Adam BrodyEmma McIntyre/Getty Images
Adam Brody is showing his range, transforming from Hot Rabbi to Hot Cowboy in wife Leighton Meester‘s upcoming procedural Good Cop/Bad Cop.
The CW released the official trailer on Tuesday, January 7, for the series, which premieres February 19, and Brody, 45, made a blink-and-you’ll-miss it cameo as a cowboy who mistakes Meester’s character, Lou, and her brother Henry (Luke Cook), for a couple.
Good Cop/Bad Cop follows a sibling detective team as they deal with a slew of colorful residents, a serious lack of resources, their complex relationship and a very complicated dynamic with their police chief (and father) played by Clancy Brown.
This isn’t the first time Meester, 38, and Brody have shared the screen after reconnecting on the set of The Oranges. Since taking their relationship public, they have also appeared together on Single Parents and River Wild.
Us Weekly broke the news in 2013 that Meester and Brody were officially dating. They tied the knot one year later.
The CW/YouTube
“My wife and I actually got married very fast after we started dating. That’s how sort of easy a decision it was for me and us,” Brody said on SiriusXM’s The Jess Cagle Show during a March 2023 interview. “I was never scared of the idea of marriage or kids. It always seemed like a route I would go [down] eventually, and I was excited to when it came together [and] when I met the right person.”
Brody later gushed about how he knew he was interested in Meester instantly, despite her needing a few “years” to see him in the same light.
“She remained elusive to me for so long, you know, and aloof,” he explained on an April 2023 episode of Stitcher Studios’ “Popcrushed” podcast. “I couldn’t get a total read because even though she professe[d] to have been interested in me and all those things — not only did she not pursue that, I mean, she was perfectly willing to let that never happen.”
The actor joked: “She was perfectly willing to let that message in the bottle return to sea at several points. [Leighton] says, ‘Oh, it’s because I knew if we did [date] it would be a thing.’ Or, like, ‘It’s too powerful.’”
“I don’t think there’s any kind of secret. I think it’s individual,” she shared in December 2023. “In our case, I think we get along. We like each other a lot.”
Chad Duell as Michael Corinthos in ‘General Hospital.’Disney/Christine Bartolucci
Chad Duell‘s exit from General Hospital was shocking, fiery and epic.
Duell, 37, wrapped up his character’s story on Monday, January 6, when Michael Corinthos caught on fire after an explosion. Michael officially served Willow (Katelyn MacMullen) divorce papers before being encouraged to punch his estranged wife’s lover, Drew (Cameron Mathison).
Later in the episode, Michael heard a ticking before he was set on fire by an explosion. He was ultimately engulfed in flames and screaming in pain, which didn’t come as a surprise after Duell previously announced his exit from General Hospital after more than 14 years.
“This wasn’t an easy decision for me, but it feels like the right time in my life,” he wrote via Instagram in November 2024. “I’m beyond grateful to [executive producer] Frank Valentini, the cast, crew, and everyone behind the scenes who have been like family to me throughout this amazing journey.”
Duell noted at the time that this “isn’t a goodbye — it’s a see you later.” He later discussed his decision to step away.
“It’s a life adjustment,” he shared on an episode of the “Daily Drama” podcast in December 2024. “A lot of stuff’s been going on in my life. There’s a few things behind it but one thing I did say is my dad passed away and I’m still coming to terms with that.”
Michael Corinthos’ arm after explosion.ABC
Duell said he wanted to spend more time with partner Luana Lucci and their 16-month-old son, Dawson.
“I’m preparing myself for next chapters,” he continued. “Right now, I’m just trying to grow in ways that maybe I feel like I stifled myself in certain aspects and sometimes you need to take drastic steps or make yourself feel uncomfortable and that’s not what I’ve done in a long time.”
At the time, Duell claimed the door was open for a return before teasing new projects, adding, “Coming in January, I have a few things planned [that] I want to do for myself. It’s different because I have a kid now. But also for him and me as well and everybody, doing what’s best for me — spiritually, mentally, everything — will only reflect my energy in a better way towards everybody around me, and I want to make sure that I take care of myself as well, which I haven’t always done.”
“I feel like I had a very strong comfort in this for such a long time that my identity was wrapped up in that,” he concluded. “It’s going to be a process, but kind of unraveling that and really seeing who I am and where I am now in my life. It’s going to be a little journey. I don’t know what the future holds, but there is a lot of work I have to do to achieve the potential that I know I have. Not just career-wise, but a lot of aspects.”
General Hospital airs weekdays on ABC and can be streamed on Hulu.
Savannah Chrisley‘s boyfriend, Robert Shiver, got a stamp of approval from her mother, Julie Chrisley — but her father, Todd Chrisley, hasn’t been as receptive.
During the Tuesday, January 7, episode of Savannah’s “Unlocked” podcast, Shiver, 40, confirmed that he met Julie, 52, but claimed Todd, 55, “has not been as open” to making an introduction.
“I think that’s probably rightfully so,” Shiver noted. “It’s his daughter. [He is probably thinking], ‘Who’s this guy? He’s got all this baggage.’ And Todd has a tendency to be vocal on certain situations and issues.”
Shiver continued: “I don’t know if there’s many situations where nobody knows how he feels, because they always know how he feels.”
Savannah, 27, noted that her father’s reservations could come from Shiver’s past, adding, “I don’t think anyone ever looks at life, and they’re like, ‘Oh, I want my kid to marry someone that’s 12 years older, that’s been divorced and that has kids.’ Like, that’s not what you would want for your daughter.”
Savannah Chrisley and Robert ShiverJason Davis/Getty Images
Shiver, however, has his “fingers crossed” about meeting Todd this year. Both of Savannah’s parents are serving time in prison after being convicted in June 2022 of fraud and tax evasion.
“I have met your mother one time. She is an incredible human being. Me and Julie, we get along great,” Shiver shared. “I was just open [with her]. It’s so easy to talk tough behind the keyboard. It’s so easy to read comments and that’s why I just stay away from all of that stuff, because all you’re going to do is go down a rabbit hole.”
He continued: “I’m going into this open. This is somebody that you love. This is somebody that everybody in the car loves. So I went in with an open mind and it didn’t disappoint and I had a great time with her. I think she laughed a ton.”
Savannah told Shiver that he and Julie connected because “you are my mother and I am my father.” As she continues to advocate for her parents’ innocence, Savannah admitted she was concerned about Shiver not meeting the “best version” of Julie.
“That was really difficult for me,” she shared. “You’re going to visit her in a prison and I don’t think you’ve ever thought, ‘Oh, I’m gonna go see my girlfriend’s mom in prison, meet her for the first time.’ Like, not the image anyone had ever imagined.”
Julie Chrisley and Todd ChrisleyPaul Archuleta/Getty Images
Todd and Julie were first indicted in 2019 on charges of tax evasion, bank and wire fraud and conspiracy. After being found guilty in 2022, Todd was sentenced to 12 years in prison and his wife received a seven-year sentence. The couple have maintained their innocence while continuing to serve their time in separate locations.
Savannah, for her part, stepped up to look after her brother Grayson, 18, and niece Chloe, 11, whom Shiver has bonded with as well. Savannah initially reached out to Shiver after he made headlines in 2023 for surviving an alleged murder plot orchestrated by his ex Lindsay Shiver.
While looking ahead to their future, Savannah admitted she isn’t planning to start a family with Shiver until his divorce is finalized.
“Well, I’m not gonna have a child with someone that is still legally married. I’m not really into that,” she recently mentioned on her podcast. “But if I had a child with him and we weren’t married, like, I’m fine with that, but you just can’t be married to someone else when I have that child.”
Savannah added that things will “move quick” once Shiver is legally single.
Allison Holker is speaking out amid the backlash surrounding her decision to share personal details about late husband Stephen “tWitch” Boss in her upcoming memoir.
On Tuesday, January 7, Holker, 36, gave a wide-ranging interview to People about This Far: My Story of Love, Loss, and Embracing the Light, which tackles her life and Boss’ death by suicide. Some of Boss’ loved ones expressed their frustration with Holker’s revelations about her husband’s alleged drug addiction and more.
“Anyone who knows me, knows I go straight to the source during a conflict and handle my business,” Courtney Ann Platt, who appeared on So You Think You Can Dance alongside Holker, began via Instagram on Tuesday. “But since there’s clearly no shame in being so public, I haven’t said a word in two years but here I go. This is by far the most tacky, classless, opportunistic act I have ever seen in my entire life.”
Platt, who says she was friends with the couple, specifically referenced how Holker mentioned details from Boss’ life he hadn’t mentioned publicly before his 2022 death, writing, “You’re a living, breathing bulldozer. Stick to your own demons. Shame on you Allison, shame on your money hungry team. Let my friend Rest in Peace not your PR.”
Boss’ brother Dré Rose, meanwhile, claimed there was ongoing tension between Boss’ family and Holker.
“We have noticed a disturbing lack of communication and inclusion concerning the children’s activities and well-being,” he wrote on Tuesday. “It’s disheartening that their interactions with their grandmother, and the wider family, have been noticeably limited.”
Zaia Boss, Allison Holker, Weslie Fowler, Maddox Laurel Boss, and Stephen “tWitch” Boss.Rodin Eckenroth/WireImage
Holker has yet to respond specifically to Platt and Rose, but when fellow dancer Kelly Gibsonwrote, “This whole thing made me sad. He’s gone. Why tear apart this name? This paycheck was not worth disgracing his name” in the comments of People’s post, Holker responded: “I’ll always love you. Just trying to help people feel safe to ask for help and support.”
Holker went on to repost several supportive Instagram Stories on her account. “Sharing this powerful message to remind us all how important it is to have open conversations about mental health,” read a message from a social media user.
Us Weekly has reached out to Holker for comment. During her interview on Tuesday, Holker discussed finding closure after Boss’ sudden death. (Boss, best known for his all-star appearances on So You Think You Can Dance and as the regular DJ on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, died by suicide in December 2022 at age 40.)
“He was wrestling with a lot inside himself, and he was trying to self-medicate and cope with all those feelings because he didn’t want to put it on anyone because he loved everyone so much,” she told People about reading through her late husband’s journals after his passing. “He didn’t want other people to take on his pain.”
Stephen “tWitch” Boss and Allison HolkerJC Olivera/FilmMagic
Holker revealed that Boss alluded to being sexually abused by a male figure during his childhood in the entries. “Reading Stephen’s journals, and even going back into the books he had read and the things that he was highlighting and lining, really gave me a better perspective of where he was in life and the type of things he was struggling with,” she told the outlet.”It did have me feel a lot of empathy towards him and sadness for all the pain that he was holding.”
According to Holker, Boss was also hiding an alleged drug addiction. (No drugs were found in the late dancer’s system at the time of his death.)
“I was with one of my really dear friends, and we were cleaning out the closet and picking out an outfit for him for the funeral,” Holker said about the “cornucopia” of drugs including mushrooms, pills and “other substances” she had to look up after finding them in Boss’ shoeboxes. “It was a really triggering moment for me because there were a lot of things I discovered in our closet that I did not know existed.”
She continued: “There was so much happening that I had no clue [about]. It was a really scary moment in my life to figure that out, but it also helped me process that he was going through so much and he was hiding so much, and there must have been a lot of shame in that.”
If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 or chat at 988lifeline.org. If you or someone you know is struggling with substance abuse, contact the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).
Five months later, the couple reached a major milestonewhen they made their red carpet debut at the2022 Met Gala. Gerber celebrated the Gilded Age theme with an Alexander McQueen metallic gown while Butler opted for an all-black Prada suit for the big event.
The next year, a second source exclusively told Us that Butler and Gerber were very “secure” in their relationship — and that her famous parents, Rande Gerber and Cindy Crawford, approved of the pairing.
News broke in January 2025 that the couple had parted ways over the holidays.
Scroll down to relive Butler and Gerber’s adorable romance:
The twosome made a joint appearance at W Magazine’s pre-Oscars party in Los Angeles. Although they didn't publicly walk the red carpet together, Butler and Kaia were seen leaving the event together.
On Fashion's Biggest Night, Butler and Kaia made their relationship official when they posed for photos together at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Though they didn't walk the red carpet together, Kaia attended the 2022 Cannes Film Festival premiere of Elvis, in which Butler plays the titular role. The outing came shortly after Butler avoided a question about the duo's romance during a GQ interview, saying, "I don't think there's anything I want to share about that. But thank you for providing the space."
When a photo of Kaia meeting Butler's ex Vanessa Hudgens on a 2007 red carpet resurfaced on the internet, fans couldn't believe the interaction had really happened.
“I’m crying I thought this was a meme but it really is Vanessa Hudgens meeting Kaia Gerber pls Austin Butler is so nasty for this,” one Twitter user reacted to the snap of the High School Musical star bending down to shake hands with the model years before they each sparked romances with Butler.
Butler and Kaia enjoyed a pre-New Year’s getaway in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, with her parents — Rande and Crawford — and her brother, Presley Gerber. Earlier in the month, it was reported that Kaia supported Butler when he made his Saturday Night Live hosting debut.
After Butler took home the win for Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama at the 2023 Golden Globes, Kaia met up with her beau to celebrate his big win. The couple were seen getting cozy at several afterparties and even shared a smooch before leaving together later in the night.
Butler, who became close with the Presley family while shooting Elvis, attended the Graceland memorial service for Lisa Marie Presley on January 22. The Nickelodeon alum and Kaia were spotted walking into the service hand-in-hand, according to photos obtained by the Daily Mail.
Butler and Kaia stepped out at the annual Casamigos Halloween party, dressing up as former couple Andy Warhol and Edie Sedgwick. The costume choice seemingly poked fun at both duos’ age gaps. (Warhol and Sedgwick, who took the art world by storm in the ‘60s, had a 15-year age gap. Butler and Kaia are 10 years apart.)
The twosome shared a kiss while celebrating Butler’s The Bikeriders premiere in Los Angeles. Butler later revealed that Kaia picked out his look for the occasion.
Scott Wolfhas played several TV doctors — but does that mean his loved ones now ask him for medical advice?
“I’ve played a doctor four times. I should get a degree from someplace,” Wolf, 56, joked during an exclusive interview with Us Weekly about his new Fox series Doc. “Thankfully for [my family] they don’t [ask for my medical advice].”
Before scoring the role of Dr. Richard Miller on Fox’s upcoming medical drama, Wolf played medical professionals on Everwood, The Nine and The Night Shift.
“I do diagnose family members, to their great annoyance,” he quipped. “One of the great things about being an actor is you get to — sort of through osmosis — absorb these worlds. None of this is making any of us real doctors. This is the fourth time I’ve played a doctor and some stuff sticks in there.”
Wolf noted how important it was to honor real doctors, adding, “It matters to me a lot and it matters to everyone in this production that we honor the work that these life-saving heroes are doing in real life.”
FOX
Doc, which premieres on Tuesday, January 7, is based on Italian TV series Nelle tue mani about a doctor who loses her memory in a car accident and wakes up to find her entire life has changed. Molly Parker leads the cast alongside Wolf, Omar Metwally, Amirah Vann, Jon Ecker, Anya Banerjee and Patrick Walker.
“[My doctor character on Doc] is my No. 1 favorite in terms of my enjoyment of the complexity,” Wolf told Us.”I’ve gotten to explore these different medical worlds playing doctors. But I’ve never had a more fun, interesting, complicated and sometimes painful character to play. And to be back working with Fox again after I started with Party of Five [in the ’90s], they are two of my favorite experiences by far. It is full circle in some fun ways.”
“Any actor will tell you that you always have to find justification and understanding and empathy for the characters you’re playing. But in this case, it wasn’t like I had to figure out how to justify a bad guy doing bad things,” the actor clarified. “This was a very good person who any of us could wind up being. But with his circumstances, he winds up in this terrible situation where a mistake has happened and his reaction to it is to just get protective.”
Wolf teased Us that Richard’s arc — and Doc as a series — will “constantly surprise” viewers, saying, “It is so well-written and I’m a huge fan of hospital shows, But obviously this central premise is so interesting, and the character development is incredible. The whole point is to create characters and tell stories that engage people.”
FOX
He continued: “Sometimes it can take time and the very first episode of a show can make you come away feeling like you only scratch the surface. … I didn’t know what direction they were going to head in all of them, but it’s amazing to read something and feel like I’ll play any character in this show.”
Doc airs on Fox Tuesdays at 9 p.m. ET and new episodes stream the next day on Hulu.
After the success of his anthology series Monster, Ryan Murphy is basing the third season around convicted killer Ed Gein.
The first season of Netflix’s hit show debuted in 2022 and focused on Evan Peters‘ portrayal of Jeffrey Dahmer. Monster, which also starred Niecy Nash, came under fire after the family of Dahmer’s victims revealed they weren’t consulted for the show.
Peters, meanwhile, opened up about how his mental health was affected after taking in the complicated role. “I’m going to take a little break from darker roles and explore the light,” he told Variety in December 2022. “It would be interesting to me to play something that is a little closer to home, a little more mundane and to explore the details of those kinds of experiences.”
Season 2 faced similar backlash after Erik Menéndez slammed Murphy’s portrayal of him and brother Lyle Menéndez. Murphy, however, stood by his work and even claimed that Monsters created renewed support in the Menéndez case, which ultimately led to a new hearing being ordered by the Los Angeles District Attorney’s office.
“I don’t mind being complicated. I know that my intentions were good,” Murphy told People in September 2024. “We just really wanted people to talk about this topic and it’s an uncomfortable topic, which I get.”
Murphy called the criticism from the show’s subjects as “faux outrage,” adding, “Because if you look at what we do, we give those boys so much airtime to talk about what they claim as their physical abuse. We live in a sort of culture of outrage that a lot of things are knee-jerk, and that’s fine. I’m used to being controversial. It’s not new to me.”
Season 3 of the anthology series was renewed and will be titled Monster: The Original Monster with Hunnam taking on the role of Gein. Keep scrolling for everything to know about season 3 of Monster:
What Is ‘Monster: The Original Monster’ About?
Getty Images
Netflix announced in September 2024 that a third season of Monster would focus on Gein, who was a convicted murderer and suspected serial killer. The series will explore Gein’s life as the first “celebrity serial killer” while examining how true crime evolved into a pop culture phenomenon.
Who Stars on Season 3 of ‘Monster’?
In addition to Hunnam playing the lead role, Laurie Metcalf has been cast as Gein’s mother while Tom Hollander will play Alfred Hitchcock. Olivia Williams is starring as Hitchcock’s wife, Alma Reville.
When Will ‘Monster: The Original Monster’ Be Released?
Production on season 3 began in late October 2024 and one month later Hunnam started filming his scenes for the show. Monster: The Original Monster will likely premiere in late 2025 following the success of the Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menéndez Story.
Who Is Ed Gein?
Nicknamed the “Butcher of Plainfield,” Gein was convicted of one count of first-degree murder and admitted to a second killing in the 1950s. It has been suspected that Gein was involved in multiple other crimes around his Plainfield, Wisconsin, hometown. Gein also admitted to exhuming multiple graves and fashioned grotesque keepsakes out of the bodies.
Gein was initially found unfit to stand trial and transferred to a mental health facility. In 1968 a judge found him competent to stand trial and Gein was found guilty of the murder of hardware store owner Bernice Worden. He was subsequently found legally insane and remained at a psychiatric institution until his death in 1984 at age 77 from respiratory failure resulting from lung cancer.
How Is the Movie ‘Psycho’ Involved in the Case?
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Gein served as the inspiration behind movies such as The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, The Silence of the Lambs and Psycho, which will be explored in Monster: The Original Monster.
Has Ryan Murphy Explored Ed Gein’s Story on Screen Before?
Netflix
During American Horror Story: Asylum, Zachary Quintoplayed a fictional serial killer named Dr. Oliver Thredson a.k.a Bloody Face who was inspired by Gein. Meanwhile, season 1 of Monster introduced Shane Kerwin as Gein even though there hasn’t been a documented connection between him and Dahmer.
Could Actors From Former Seasons Make an Appearance?
While Murphy is known for collaborating with actors on multiple projects (just check out the cast list for American Horror Story), his Monster anthology series hasn’t featured the same people across seasons.
Season 3 of Below Deck Down Under is kicking things up a notch with a trailer full of hookups, bullying claims and a crew member getting physical on screen.
Bravo released the official sneak peek on Tuesday, January 7, with Captain Jason Chambers back at the helm alongside alums Chef Tzarina Mace-Ralph and deckhand Harry Van Vliet. They are joined by newbies bosun Wihan Du Toit, chief stew Lara Rigby, deckhands Johnny Arvanitis and Adair Werley, stews Brianna Duffield and Marina Marcondes de Barros and sous-chef Anthony Bird.
“In my 25 years of being a captain, I have learned that you can’t be in control of everything. Sometimes we need to step out of our comfort zones,” Jason says in a voiceover about the newest season, which is set in the Seychelles off the coast of Africa. “Exploring new depths and facing new challenges in front of us.”
“I will not tolerate heads of department yelling at each other,” Jason tells the crew. “There is an undercurrent of negativity onboard and to me it is an infection. I am just going to keep cutting the infection so I have to let you go.”
Bravo
Before Bravo released the first look for the season, which returns Monday, February 3, Jason exclusively told Us Weekly about what fans could expect after a controversial second season.
“There were changes for sure [following the misconduct scandal]. I know that the policies and procedures were in place during the previous seasons, even when that happened. When production stepped in and stopped it, that showed that these policies and procedures were very understood,” Jason shared in September 2024. “Now for the next season, the policies and procedures weren’t just controlled by the production team itself. They actually brought additional HR people to actually make sure that the black and white writing was understood by all.”
Jason praised the production team for breaking down the guidelines before they started filming. (News broke in September 2023 that NBC Universal increased its requirements around anti-discrimination and harassment policies, making an inclusive workplace and channels to report concerns and violations.)
“It was just pushed down even further and showed to us true to form what it was,” the captain added about the onscreen changes “There seemed to be a lot less drinking and a lot more drama.”
Bravo
Season 2 of Below Deck Down Under made headlines in 2023 when bosun Luke Jones was filmed getting into bed naked with stewardess Margot Sisson, who at the time was passed out after an alcohol-fueled crew night out. After a cameraman intervened, producers made Luke leave the boat ,and he was moved to a hotel for the night. Jason ultimately terminated Luke and let stewardess Laura Bileskaline go after she blamed Margot for his exit.
“The one thing that sticks in my mind is that I supported everyone afterward. Everyone involved with it had some learning to do. I’ve stayed in touch with every person that’s been involved and they’ve become a better person and that’s great,” Jason told Usabout the aftermath. “I think the industry 15 or 20 years ago was totally different. A lot of these things were acceptable in many ways and in society as well. I’m glad that society is not like that anymore and we have got the ability to put our foot down on certain issues.”
Bravo
Despite the backlash toward certain crew members, Jason made an effort to stay “in contact” with the entire season 2 cast, adding, “I look back at the people that actually were involved in every aspect of that incident and I know that everyone’s become a better person. We have to give everyone the right to learn from their mistakes.”
Jason also spoke about chief stew Aesha Scott‘s absence after they worked together on the first two seasons of Below Deck Down Under. The former coworkers stayed in contact after Aesha’s return to Below Deck Mediterranean.
Bravo
“She’s very busy at the moment. I know she’s got a lot going on. I haven’t contacted her for about six months now. I might have to send her a text very soon,” Jason shared with Us. “But there’s always contact there for sure.”
Below Deck Med’s Captain Sandy Yawn, meanwhile, joked that she didn’t want Aesha to return to the Down Under franchise, telling Us that same month, “I think Captain Jason will find his chief stew because Aesha started in the Med and she belongs in the Mediterranean with me.”
Below Deck Down Under season 3 premieres on Bravo Monday, February 3, at 8 p.m. ET. New episodes stream the next day on Peacock.
During the Tuesday, January 7, episode of Live With Kelly and Mark, Ripa, 54, brought up her love for the AMC series, telling producer Michael Gelman, “Do you remember when I was like, ‘I think I can make meth!’ because I’ve seen Breaking Bad?”
Ripa continued: “I’m like a chef. I like to watch cooking shows — baking shows, really, I’m more of a baker — which is science — and, apparently, so is making crystal meth. So I became convinced that I, too, could make crystal meth.”
Consuelos, 53, attempted to clarify what Ripa meant, adding, “You also think you can figure skate when you watch the Olympics. Ripa replied by joking that she has “a—— syndrome.”
“I do. I have it. If I see anything on TV, I’m then like, ‘I can totally do that.’ And every Winter Olympics, I move all the furniture in the living room. I do,” she quipped. “I move the furniture, I put on my socks, and I’m like, ‘I’m going to do living room Olympics.’ Sorry, don’t hate the player, hate the game.”
Bryan Cranston in “BREAKING BAD.”Cover Images
Breaking Bad, which aired from 2008 to 2013, introduced Bryan Cranston as high school chemistry teacher Walter White. He starts producing and distributing meth with former student Jesse (Aaron Paul) after being diagnosed with stage three lung cancer. Walter’s attempts to secure a financially stable future for his family before he dies results in him getting caught up in a life of crime.
“I remember reading things [like] ‘Shame on Sony, shame on AMC for greenlighting a show that’s glamorizing the cooking and selling of meth,'” Paul, 45, told Entertainment Weekly in 2018 about the initial backlash. “All of that quickly went away the moment we hit the air.”
Cranston, 68, also weighed in on the very heavy content. “We all came to an idea: ‘We’ll talk about what the show is really about. It’s about this man’s decision-making,'” he noted at the time. “But we never had to use it,” he said. “It just dissipated because the critics and fans saw what the show was about and were sympathetic to these characters.”
“I don’t get a piece from Netflix on Breaking Bad to be totally honest, and that’s insane to me, you know what I mean?” Paul told Entertainment Tonight in 2023. “Shows live forever on these streamers and it goes through waves. And I just saw the other day that Breaking Bad was trending on Netflix, and it’s just such common sense, and I think a lot of these streamers, they know they have been getting away with not paying people just fair wage and now it’s time to pony up, and that’s just one of the things we’re fighting for.”
Lee Jung-jae as Seong Gi-hun in Squid Game S2.No Ju-han/Netflix
Squid Game is the newest show being plagued with editing issues after a cameraman was spotted in a scene.
A viewer took to X on Monday, January 6, to share a season 2 moment, writing, “Someone is getting fired from the Squid Games team after one of the cameramen was spotted in the background mid episode .”
The dystopian survival series returned in December 2024 after a three-year break. Squid Game centers around a secret contest where players who are in deep financial hardship risk their lives to play a series of deadly children’s games for the chance to win a large monetary prize.
Netflix’s hit series isn’t the only show that’s been called out online for continuity errors. The Bearmade headlines after season 3 was released in July 2024 and fans caught multiple issues, including Richie (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) going from wearing to not wearing a wedding ring in a scene while another episode walked back Tina’s (Liza Colón-Zayas) history with Mikey (Jon Bernthal) at The Beef.
“I’m watching The Umbrella Academy season 4 and noticed that they forgot a whole ass camera rig in the backseat of a car during this shot ,” read an X post, while another fan pointed out the “prop snow” that they saw move in another scene. “Omfg they did NOT care. I bet they were so tight on the deadline that they forgot to remove it in time,” the second viewer wrote.
Another Netflix production under fire was Outer Banks, which has not done the best job at hiding their stunt doubles. In several season 3 episodes, which dropped in February 2023, fans picked up on editing mistakes where actors’ stunt doubles weren’t removed from the respective shots.
The trend continued into season 4 when several romantic scenes between Rudy Pankow‘s JJ and Madison Bailey‘s Kiara were ruined once viewers flagged that there were different actors in the scenes. Outer Banks also received backlash for killing off JJ amid rumors that Pankow, 26, wanted to move on from the show.
“We were pretty sure early on that this was where it was going. We thought that one of the Pogues would die almost in the very beginning in season 1, and we were pretty sure it was going to be JJ,” creator Shannon Burke told Cosmopolitan in November 2024. “We just weren’t sure when we were going to play that card. We knew this would be JJ’s season — this is JJ’s story. And we realized pretty early on, like, ‘OK, we’re going to play this card now.'”
Pankow made a rare comment about his departure, telling Netflix’s Tudum that same month, “When I first found out JJ was gonna risk it all and not make it, I understood it. And the risks got bigger and bigger, and the stakes got higher and higher. His death really does set up the future of OBX with the question, what is worth it? And when someone that close to you is gone, how do you navigate that?”
Lala Kent, Jessica WalterJC Olivera/Getty Images; Courtesy of Jessica Walter/Instagram
Lala Kent‘s former assistant Jessica Walter is breaking her silence about what led to her no longer working for the reality star.
During the debut of her “Date My” podcast on Tuesday, January 7, Walter started by sharing the reason for her shocking disappearance.
“I want to address who I think are a majority of the people tuning in right now, who I’m very grateful for. And those are my loves. Those are my friends who know me from the last podcast I was on,” she said about Kent’s “Give Them Lala” podcast. “I want to take this moment to address you guys because I seemingly disappeared off that last podcast.”
Walter wanted to give an “explanation” for why she was “suddenly gone,” adding, “First thing I’ll say is no, I was not at all expecting to leave. That wasn’t the plan. If I’m gonna be honest, I thought I’d be at that last job forever. I was like ready to be a lifer. Maybe not in the role I was in, but I’ll say within the company I was in.”
“I was investing in a future that I thought we were all on the same page about,” she continued. “Basically, what happened is I said how I felt about the way some things were being handled, and the response I got to that was, in my opinion, not good. The responses I got, honestly, I was taken aback.”
Walter recalled feeling “heartbroken” by the reaction, saying, “I found myself in a position where I felt like I had no other option than to choose to leave.”
Kent reacted to Walter’s comments that same day, sharing on an Amazon Live, “I did not know that she dropped a podcast and no I have not listened. I don’t know how she is describing me. She and I both know how it went down and I will always have so much love for her.”
She continued: “She was a huge part of my life and we did become very close. But at the end of the day, she was my employee first and foremost. She felt she no longer got what she needed out of this job. I encourage anyone who feels a piece of their life doesn’t work or they aren’t fulfilled anymore to make a change. We all have that right and it sounds like her podcast came out and I wish her all the success.”
Kent revealed Walter’s unexpected departure on her “Give Them Lala” podcast in November 2024. After Vanderpump Rules fans questioned whether the pair were now at odds, Kent later hinted at a divide.
“It’s so wild because it’s like, ‘Where were you when she was on the podcast?’ Nowhere to be found. All I heard was, ‘Get her off.’ At the end of the day, she was my employee,” Kent said on the “Not Skinny But Not Fat” podcast in December 2024. “She wanted to go and move on with her life. And I would be like a crazy person to not say, ‘Go and achieve everything you want to achieve.’ I don’t know how to break this down.”
Kent clarified she had no plans to have Walter share her side of the story on the “Give Them Lala” podcast.
“At the end of the day, she was employed by Lala Kent. You’re no longer employed. I wish you the best. Have a great life,” she added. “I’ve learned a lot in many relationships in my life, from my ex-fiancé, to certain friends that I’ve had, to employees that I’ve had. Every single thing that I’ve experienced in the past two to three years, I have learned something from. I don’t regret anything, but I know how to make things different.”
Walter, for her part, started her own podcast to create a platform for herself.
“I think sometimes we invest all of ourselves into a relationship and we give it our all,” she explained on Tuesday. “And at the end of the day, maybe we don’t get in return what we feel we deserve. What we feel we deserve can be as small as you don’t have my back. And it can be confusing for people who are like me and frustrating because all these times I’ve made you feel safe and I’ve had your back, and in these moments where I should feel the same, I don’t.”
Walter clarified that she was proud of how she navigated the situation.
“We can choose to stay on a path in life in this relationship with this person, with these people who maybe it’s not going the way we hope, but we’re like, ‘Let’s see where it takes us.’ And that’s OK. That’s your choice because that’s your life,” she shared. “Other people may choose to take a step back and say, ‘Nothing here is going to change no matter how hard I try.’ Or, ‘Nothing here is going to veer this way, or get on this path, or whatever. No matter how hard I try, it’s not going to.'”
She continued: “I’m a firm believer that if you’re making decisions based on goodness and purpose and future and the betterment of yourself and others and the world, you can only be rewarded in the end. And you may be rewarded immediately or further down the road.”
Walter concluded by expressing her gratitude, saying, “That’s not all nothing because of how it ended. … I worked hard to be in a lot of those positions and I won’t take that away from myself. Because I am a hard worker and I will always be a hard worker. That is very important to me. But I’m very grateful for all of that.”
Nikki Glaser‘s success at the Golden Globes is already paying off as she is reportedly set to return as host in 2026.
Glaser, 40, signed a three-year deal last year to host the Golden Globes, according to Deadline. While the outlet reports that the comedian was paid more than $400,000 for her debut as host at the Golden Globes on Sunday, January 5, the fee will allegedly rise “significantly.”
“We absolutely had a great experience with her, and think that she would be great at this in the long term,” executive producer Glenn Weiss told Variety on Monday, January 6, while teasing Glaser’s potential return. “I can’t talk officially for anything. I will say, as someone who produces and directs award shows, she really found her niche here, and I think it really worked out beautifully on this show. And I would love to see it continue.”
Fellow executive producer Ricky Kirshner called Glaser’s hosting skills “a home run,” adding, “She really prepared. She did her homework. She’s been practicing material at clubs, sometimes four or five shows a night for a couple of weeks straight, working on this pretty hard since November.”
Kirshner continued: “When you have a host that’s that prepared and that dedicated and also not tone deaf, listening to what’s going on in our business and even in the room on the fly, she’s really good at this. And she proved herself to be a really good host … It’s meant to be fun and a party. And Nikki, her whole tone and and her way of being is really in line with what this show is. And I think she really scored very well last night.”
Sonja Flemming/CBS
Glaser made history as the first woman to host the show on her own. Her monologue specifically received positive reviews from critics and social media viewers.
“Tonight, we celebrate the best of film and hold space for television,” she quipped on Sunday. “Yes, Wicked, Queer, Nightbitch: These are not just words Ben Affleck yells after he orgasms. These are some of the incredible movies nominated tonight.”
“I really think this is going to be a very memorable night, and maybe not in the way that you think,” she added. “I predict five years from now when you’re watching old clips of this on YouTube, you’ll see someone in one of the crowd shots and you’ll be like, ‘Oh, my God, that was before they caught that guy!’ We could be making history tonight and we don’t even know with who. He knows, you know, Or she! It could be a woman. … It won’t be. It never is. Kind of like Best Director.”
After the awards show, Glaser told Howard Sternabout the feedback she got from people associated with the Golden Globes.
“This first year, when you’re just trying to prove yourself, I honestly would’ve done it for free,” Glaser admitted on SiriusXM’s The Howard Stern Show. “It’s an insane platform to be on. It’s not about the money for me.”
“He was wrestling with a lot inside himself, and he was trying to self-medicate and cope with all those feelings because he didn’t want to put it on anyone because he loved everyone so much,” Holker, 36, told People on Tuesday, January 7. “He didn’t want other people to take on his pain.”
Holker revealed that Boss alluded to being sexually abused by a male figure during his childhood in the entries. “Reading Stephen’s journals, and even going back into the books he had read and the things that he was highlighting and lining, really gave me a better perspective of where he was in life and the type of things he was struggling with,” she told the outlet.”It did have me feel a lot of empathy towards him and sadness for all the pain that he was holding.”
“I was with one of my really dear friends, and we were cleaning out the closet and picking out an outfit for him for the funeral,” Holker said about the “cornucopia” of drugs including mushrooms, pills and “other substances” she had to look up after finding them hiding in Boss’ shoeboxes. “It was a really triggering moment for me because there were a lot of things I discovered in our closet that I did not know existed.”
“There was so much happening that I had no clue [about],” she continued. “It was a really scary moment in my life to figure that out, but it also helped me process that he was going through so much and he was hiding so much, and there must have been a lot of shame in that.”
Allison Holker and Stephen ‘Twitch’ Boss.Jesse Grant/Getty Images for Disney
Boss, best known for his all-star appearances on So You Think You Can Dance and as the regular DJ on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, died by suicide in December 2022 at age 40.
“It is with the heaviest of hearts that I have to share my husband Stephen has left us. Stephen lit up every room he stepped into,” Holker said in a statement at the time. “He valued family, friends and community above all else and leading with love and light was everything to him. He was the backbone of our family, the best husband and father, and an inspiration to his fans.”
She continued: “To say he left a legacy would be an understatement, and his positive impact will continue to be felt. I am certain there won’t be a day that goes by that we won’t honor his memory. We ask for privacy during this difficult time for myself and especially for our three children. Stephen, we love you, we miss you, and I will always save the last dance for you.”
“It was really hard to put all the pieces together. Through certain discussions, even with friends and things that have been said, reading through his journals … you realize he went through a lot as a child and never faced it,” she told People. “It’s hard to think that he never opened up to someone and wanted to face it, to get through on the other side. I really hope people dealing with the same thing will help themselves out of the shadows and [know] you’re going to be okay.”
If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 or chat at 988lifeline.org. If you or someone you know is struggling with substance abuse, contact the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).
James Kennedy returned to social media after his arrest for misdemeanor domestic violence.
Kennedy, 32, took to Instagram Stories on Tuesday, January 7, to share a photo of him with his dog, Hippie. In another post, Kennedy showed nine of his chips from Alcoholics Anonymous which read, “Keep Coming Back.”
The reality star previously revealed his plans to make “meaningful changes” in his life after his arrest.
“I am taking time to focus on my sobriety, personal growth, and being present for my loved ones,” he wrote via Instagram in December 2024. “Navigating challenging moments is not easy but I am determined to learn, grow and move forward with the incredible support system around me.”
Us Weekly confirmed earlier that month that police were dispatched to Kennedy’s home, where he lives with girlfriend Ally Lewber. The authorities received a call about an argument between a man and a woman and saw Kennedy allegedly grabbing the woman. Officers who responded to the scene did not see any visible injuries.
Courtesy of James Kennedy/Instagram
According to police records, the woman reportedly told the Burbank Police Department that “her boyfriend lifted her up and threw her to the ground.” Kennedy’s legal team subsequently released a statement on his behalf.
“We are in the process of conducting our own investigation into the allegations levied by the Burbank Police Department against James,” his attorneys said in a statement to Us after he was released on a $20,000 bail. “We understand that there were no injuries and we are hoping that, after careful review, the city’s attorneys will decide not to file formal charges.”
Lewber, 28, broke her silence after a source told Us that the couple were taking some space.
“Thank you to everyone who has reached out with love and support and for checking in on me,” she wrote via her Instagram Story. “I’m OK and taking the time I need right now. I deeply appreciate all the kindness and respect for my privacy during this time.”
A source subsequently told Us about their status, saying, “James is trying to win everything back including Ally. If he doesn’t stay sober, he knows he has a lot to lose.”
Before the legal trouble, Kennedy discussed his sobriety journey on Vanderpump Rules. (He joined the cast in 2015 when he was a busser at Lisa Vanderpump‘s restaurant SUR.)
“Letting go of drinking was the best decision I ever made and I’m going strong. I don’t miss the booze …… I don’t miss the feeling …. I’m so grateful for everything now and life has become more beautiful in many ways,” Kennedy captioned an Instagram post in July 2020. “Thank you to my rock @raquelleviss for getting me here I couldn’t of done this without you my love. and thank you all for the support this past year.”
Kennedy confirmed he started drinking again after his broken engagement to Rachel “Raquel” Leviss. He recommitted to cutting out alcohol again after meeting Lewber. His girlfriend praised Kennedy for being the Vanderpump Rules cast member who “changed the most,” telling Bravo in January 2024, “James, he’s in therapy, he’s sober, I’m really proud of him.”
Netflix’s Jerry Springer: Fights, Camera, Action docuseries reexamined guest Nancy Campbell-Panitz‘s brutal murder at the hands of ex-husband Ralf Panitz after their appearance on the controversial talk show.
During the second part of the special, which was released on Tuesday, January 7, Nancy’s son, Jeffrey Campbell, discussed how his mother’s tumultuous relationship with Ralf ended in her death months after they participated as guests on The Jerry Springer Show.
“I don’t think they have ever been held accountable for anything. I am sure there have been other people that have been affected — other guests we don’t know about,” Jeffrey said of the show’s producers. “Or people just watching the show at home thinking, ‘Oh, this is normal.’ It isn’t.”
Nancy and Ralf were married for 15 months before divorcing in 1999. They continued to live together off and on until Ralf secretly married wife Eleanor Panitz in 2000. The trio ultimately went on The Jerry Springer Show in May 2000 to air out their relationship issues.
After an onscreen confrontation with Eleanor and Ralf, Nancy left the show. She briefly reconciled with Ralf, but was ultimately granted a restraining order against him in July 2000. The same day as the court hearing — and the airing of their Jerry Springer episode — Nancy was found murdered in her home.
Ralf received a life sentence two years later after he was found guilty of second degree-murder. Judge Nancy Donnellan addressed Jerry Springer and his show specifically during the sentencing.
“Ralf Panitz, Eleanor Panitz and Nancy Campbell were brought to Chicago by the Jerry Springer Show, then manipulated by producers of that show,” Donnellan read in May 2002. “Are ratings more important than the dignity of human life? Shame on you.”
Springer and producers associated with the show denied that their talk show contributed to Nancy’s death. The Jerry Springer Show, which aired from 1991 to 2018, started as a traditional talk show but was reformatted due to low ratings. It became infamous for its new structure that tackled topics such as incest and adultery while encouraging profanity, nudity and physical fights.
Jerry Springer: Fights, Camera, Action is a two-part docuseries that pulled back the curtain on America’s most controversial talk show by exposing its biggest scandals on and off screen. Keep scrolling for a breakdown of the notorious episode with Ralf and Nancy and the aftermath that led to her murder:
Who Was Nancy?
Courtesy of Netflix
Jeffrey said Nancy was “a really good mother” before her death, adding, “My dad died when I was just a toddler so she raised me and my brother by herself. She was strong, independent and just a great person.”
Nancy welcomed sons Jeffrey and Gary Campbell with her husband before his death. While watching Nancy’s episode, which was titled “Secret Mistresses Confronted,” Jeffrey was surprised she took part in something so salacious.
“It was shocking, to say the least, that she agreed to do it. It was so out of character. Growing up, I don’t even remember my mother ever dating. Maybe once or twice but nothing like a serious relationship because she was a widow,” he added. “To see her up on the show just looking like a deer caught in the headlights like, ‘What is going on here?’ I just wish I could go back and say to her, ‘Don’t do it.'”
After meeting in an AOL chat room, Nancy and Ralf started speaking regularly and one year later he immigrated from Germany to the U.S. The pair got married in 1997, but by 1999 they were officially divorced and despite continuing to engage in an on-again, off-again relationship.
“It wasn’t long after [their wedding] that there was a domestic issue. [Ralf] had thrown her on the floor and she had hit her head. After that, she left and filed for divorce,” Jeffrey recalled. “All of sudden, she was in a big house alone and I think she just got lonely. That’s why she went on the show, to get him back.”
What Happened During the ‘Jerry Springer Show’ Episode?
Jerry SpringerGetty Images
Nancy, Ralf and Eleanor traveled from Florida to Chicago in May 2000 to pre-record the episode.
“My mother believed that Ralf had been deported to Germany and that the show was going to pay for his travel back to America and then they would reconcile,” Jeffrey noted. “Then he would tell his new girlfriend that he wanted to be with my mother. But she was basically lied to because that never happened. I don’t think my mother had any idea what she was walking into.”
Footage from the episode is shown in the docuseries. Nancy appeared on stage to explain how she and Ralf were trying to “restore” their marriage, but Eleanor wouldn’t leave the estranged couple alone. Later in the episode, Nancy revealed that she had “slept with” Ralf the past two nights despite him being with Eleanor.
“This is Ralf. He plays the games with all his women. He takes all the money he can get,” Nancy said after Ralf revealed to the audience that he “had sex with my ex-wife yesterday.”
“But the matter of the fact is that I married Ellie and I do love Eleanor,” he added.
Ralf and Eleanor went on to accuse Nancy of stalking them. “Ralf loves me and he wants to be with me. And you redheaded bitch from hell, you need to leave us alone,” Eleanor fired back. “You need to get a life. I hope you enjoyed yourself immensely the last two nights because it is the last time you are ever going to see him. He wants to be with me.”
“It is pretty obvious that they were there to ambush her. The interesting thing is the title of the show. If she had known that that was the title, she probably would have thought twice [about appearing]. But she didn’t know that,” her son Jeffrey told the doc. “The producers wanted them to get physical and make threats and she wasn’t about to do that.”
In clips from the show, Springer was seen telling Nancy that her ex-husband “doesn’t want to be” with her. There was also a wrap up message from the host, which he said, “Let me take this opportunity to thank you for being with us. I hope you are able to find some peace in your future relationships. I hope it works out for you.”
“Backstage [my mom] was informed that if she didn’t return to the end of the show, that they would not provide her with her return ticket back to Florida,” Jeffrey claimed. “And she wasn’t having that.”
He continued: “Somehow she found her way to the bus station in Chicago after walking the streets [alone] by herself. She didn’t have any money and didn’t have anywhere to go. It was just her, crying. Finally a good Samaritan saw her visibly upset and bought her a bus ticket to come home.”
“You as a producer had one more opportunity to keep them,” Toby Yoshimura, a former Jerry Springer Show producer, explained to the camera. “They should feel beholden to you that they are letting you down and you have done all of this for them.”
Jeffrey noted that “no one” from the show contacted Nancy afterward to “check on her or see where she went.” Former executive producer Richard Dominick weighed in on the producer’s post-show hands-off approach.
“We weren’t problem solvers,” he told the cameras. “We were going to give you a chance to tell your story and get it all out but we are not going to help you.”
Where Did Nancy and Ralf Stand After the Episode?
Netflix
“After the taping of the show, Mom was determined to go on with her life without Ralf. She didn’t want anything more from him. I don’t know what happened in the two or three months after they were on the stage, but somehow they got back together at some point,” Jeffrey recalled. “She put money down on a home and then he went back to his old ways. He threatened her again and like she did on the show — she wasn’t going to take it anymore.”
Nancy’s attorney Lisa Kleinberg was interviewed for the docuseries about a domestic violence injunction her client acquired against Ralf.
“There had been several incidents with Ralf before, and this time he had actually kicked her out of the house. Nancy said to me that her and Ralf had been on The Jerry Springer Show and that it was going to air in two weeks. That didn’t register with me,” Kleinberg shared. “I really felt from her that this was it between her and Ralf. She was done with him and she wanted to get back into her house.”
In July 2000, Nancy was granted sole ownership of her home after Ralf and Eleanor moved onto the property. She also received a restraining order against Ralf. Coincidentally, that same day was when their episode of The Jerry Springer Show officially aired.
“When Ralf walked out of the courtroom, he wasn’t cursing or stomping. He seemed resigned to the ruling. There really wasn’t an issue,” Kleinberg said. “But then he went to a bar and they were playing his episode. Ralf watched the entire show, getting drunk, and he was getting more agitated. I think that is what really pushed Ralf because at some point he said to someone at the bar, ‘I am going to kill her.'”
Hours after the episode aired, Nancy was killed at her home and the Florida police treated her death as a homicide. A first-degree murder warrant was issued for Ralf, who initially tried to flee to Canada to avoid prosecution before turning himself in. (Eleanor, for her part, was held as a material witness but wasn’t charged in connection to Nancy’s murder.)
“They told me someone had attacked my mom, choked her, pushed her down on the floor and stomped on her head. That was her cause of death,” Jeffrey recalled. “They said, it was one of the worst scenes that they have ever encountered.”
“People happen to have been on the show, as I understand it, so I hope they get the killer. That’s the main thing. The rest is just TV so we will cooperate fully,” he said before elaborating in another appearance. “I don’t mean to trivialize this because it was a very sad event. But it has nothing to do with the show.”
Was ‘The Jerry Springer Show’ Involved in the Trial?
Netflix
“The rumors were, we were going to be subpoenaed. That is when Richard called me into a meeting and said, ‘I like that Jamaica show idea at a swingers’ resort. Everyone is going,'” Yoshimura claimed. “I don’t want Richard to get at me but if you are going to subpoena someone, all of them were there. That is a great coincidence. We didn’t get subpoenaed.”
Dominick denied the accusation in a separate confessional. (Netflix noted at the end of the doc that the show “denied that they attempted to evade subpoenas” in the case.)
“There’s a rumor going out that the company took the entire show and sent us to Jamaica to get Jerry out of the country. That is bulls— because you can’t take a whole show and 60 people on a whim and move them. It is impossible,” Dominick said, while noting that Springer “would have quit” if the show was somehow responsible for the events that led to Nancy’s death.
Yoshimura blamed the show’s audience for producers ultimately deciding to book people like Nancy and Ralf on the program, adding, “Are we responsible for months after they leave the show for everything that happens in their life? We aren’t.”
What Was the Outcome of the Trial?
Slaven Vlasic/Getty Images
In 2002, after a 10-day trial and 18 hours of juror deliberation, Ralf was convicted of Nancy’s murder and sentenced to life in prison. Springer’s involvement in the case, meanwhile, was brought up several times in court by the judge.
Jeffrey filed a lawsuit against Springer and the show, but a spokesperson for the program denied any responsibility. The suit was dropped in 2003.
“This whole situation just erased the whole middle part of my life. I dealt with it for the last 20 years now. Here I am 24 years later still talking about it,” Jeffrey said in the doc. “It has had a pretty big impact — it is hard to trust people anymore.”
The Jerry Springer Show continued to air new episodes until 2018, but new guidelines were put in place. Dominick, who left the show in 2008, said the boundaries were “slowly removing the life” for the show.
“I just apologize. I’m so sorry. What have I done? I’ve ruined the culture,” he said during a November 2022 appearance on the “Behind the Velvet Rope” podcast, before quipping, “I just hope hell isn’t that hot, because I burn real easy. I’m very light-complected.”
If you or someone you know are experiencing domestic violence, please call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 for confidential support.
During the Friday, January 3, episode of the hit sitcom, Bobbie (McEntire) and Gabby (Melissa Peterman) compete to see who will emcee for the Tavern’s anniversary party. Bobbie asked Emmett (Rex Linn,McEntire’s real-life boyfriend) for help, prompting a surprising, hilarious response.
“I realize you don’t know anything about judging a talent contest,” Emmett quipped. “But decisions should be made on talent and talent alone.”
He added: “That is what America expects and that is what America deserves.”
Before McEntire, 69, joined Happy’s Place, she was briefly a judge on America’s Got Talent in 2016. She later served as a coach on The Voice after Blake Shelton‘s exit in 2023. The country music star enjoyed some success during her seasons 24 to 26 tenure, and ended up winning with Asher HaVon in 2024.
McEntire’s new series, which premiered in October, has made some not-so-subtle references to her other onscreen roles. The show follows Bobbie as she inherits her father’s restaurant and discovers a new business partner in the half-sister (Belissa Escobedo), who she didn’t know she had.
Rex Linn as Emmett, Reba McEntire as Bobbie in ‘Happy’s Place.’Casey Durkin/NBC
In addition to series creator Kevin Abbott‘s past involvement with McEntire’s Reba sitcom, Peterman, 53, also starred on the show. Their former Reba costar Steve Howey recently scored a guest role on Happy’s Place.
“Kevin had this idea for this character ahead of time. And then he was like, ‘What if Howey would do it? That would be really great to get a reunion going.’ I fit the character description so he gave me a call,” Howey, 47, recalled during an interview with Us Weekly in December 2024. “The planets just aligned on this one.”
Howey’s appearance as Danny featured several Easter eggs referencing his time playing Van on Reba.
Steve Howey as Danny, Reba McEntire as Bobbie, Melissa Peterman as Gabby in ‘Happy’s Place.’Casey Durkin/NBC
“Those little wink and nods are really cool for the audience,” he shared. “The line that I did give was the first time I walked in when Reba was drawing on Melissa’s picture and she made a mustache. I say, ‘Hey, nice mustache.’ She turns around and says, ‘Wish I could say the same about yours.’ But that was my line to Reba — and that’s how cool Reba is. I can pitch something and she’s like, ‘I’ll try it.'”
“Van is obviously different because I was so different. I was a lot younger, a lot more naive and a lot more fresh. It was my first series regular job so it was very new. Now after 20 some years, I can bring different experiences to the characters that I play,” he explained. “Also the character relationships — because Happy’s Place is a new thing — are different. Yes, it’s Reba Melissa, but the characters are different. Bobbie is a lot different than Reba. Gabby is a lot different than Barbara Jean and Danny’s obviously different.”
He continued: “This guy owns his own business. He has money and he’s playing this game. Like you said, Danny was onto them the whole time. … They have something special [with Happy’s Place] that just makes sense and Reba has another lightning in the bottle show.”
Netflix’s Fear Street franchise is far from over and Us is ready for more spooky stories.
The streamer acquired the movies, which are based on R. L. Stine‘s book series of the same name, after they were already shot back-to-back. Fear Street was originally meant to be released in theaters one month apart to draw out the anticipation, but Netflix ultimately rolled out the films throughout July 2021.
Fear Street kicked off with 1994, which followed a group of friends who take on an evil force that has plagued their notorious town for centuries. The first installment set the scene, which allowed 1978 and 1666 to tell the backstory about how Shadyside’s brutal slayings came to be.
Viewers were in for a surprise, though, when director Leigh Janiak chose to feature the same actors in each movie as they played different characters from various time periods. The cast was also intriguing because of the unexpected connection to Netflix’s hit series Stranger Things.
“It’s great to be partnered with someone who understands the challenges of what it means to be helming a giant production. We’ve been supporting each other a long time. We’ve been together since 2009 and were married in 2015, and it’s been very much a good, creative partnership,” Janiak told Rue Morgue in July 2021. “We give very honest feedback on one another’s stuff, maybe sometimes to the point of detriment. But I know that if I write something and he likes it, I’ve earned it, and vice versa.”
Janiak discussed how the Fear Street and Stranger Things cast overlapped, adding, “There were a few people I read for Fear Street who weren’t quite right for my roles and ended up getting parts in the next season of Stranger Things.”
Despite Netflix only announcing Fear Street: Prom Queen Is Coming in the works, Stine confirmed in January 2025 that three more movies were set to be released.
Keep scrolling for a guide to the Fear Street franchise:
The introduction to the franchise explored a series of brutal slayings in Shadyside, which were seemingly connected to the town's origin story. 1994, which leaned into iconic slasher movies such as Scream, starred Kiana Madeira, Olivia Scott Welch, Benjamin Flores Jr., Julia Rehwald, Fred Hechinger, Ashley Zukerman and Darrell Britt-Gibson.
After meeting the only survivor of a past murder spree, the main friend group is told a story about Camp Nightwing in the '70s and how it went from a summer of fun into a gruesome massacre. 1978 took inspiration from classics such as Friday the 13th.
The second installment also introduced a new group of cast members including Sink, Emily Rudd, Ryan Simpkins, McCabe Slye, Ted Sutherland and Chiara Aurelia. Meanwhile, Gillian Jacobs took on the role of C. Berman — who actually turned out to be the adult version of Sink's character.
A flashback sequence allowed Deena (Madeira) to be thrust back to 1666 where she learns the truth about the spooky Sarah Fier stories. 1666 used films such as The New World to help shed light on how Shadyside and its occupants became so cursed over the years.
For the final Fear Street installment, the cast was largely the same from the first two movies, with the actors playing multiple characters. A mid-credits scene also hinted at more movies in the Fear Street franchise after an unknown person was seen taking a satanic book from the tunnels to potentially unleash more evil on the town.
In January 2024, more than two years after the last Fear Street movie was released, Stine confirmed via X that another Fear Street book would be adapted. Stine's 1992 novel The Prom Queen focused on five Prom Queen candidates who ended up involved in a brutal murder during the Shadyside High prom.
India Fowler, Suzanna Son, Fina Strazza, David Iacono, Ella Rubin, Chris Klein, Lili Taylor and Katherine Waterston will star in the fourth installment in the franchise.
According to the synopsis, Fear Street: Prom Queen Is Coming is set in 1988 as prom season is underway and the It Girls are competing for the crown. Things take a turn, however, when an outsider gets nominated and the other girls start mysteriously disappearing.
Is it just Us or are there a lot of new medical TV shows coming our way this fall? Luckily, Us Weekly compiled a full list and compared each one to see which series is the best fit for which fan.
There’s just something about a show set in a hospital that has viewers ready to scrub in no matter the premise. From Grey’s Anatomyto Chicago Med, the world of healthcare has become a consistent fixture on TV and that genre is only expanding from here.
Meanwhile, NBC is throwing their hat in the ring with Brilliant Minds and St. Denis Medical. Brilliant Minds stars Zachary Quinto as an intelligent specialist looking to connect with his patents while St. Denis Medical has Wendi McLendon-Covey leading the charge in the mockumentary.
Keep scrolling for a guide to each medical show to keep an eye out for:
‘Brilliant Minds’ (NBC)
Brendan Meadows/NBC
Based on Oliver Sacks‘ booksThe Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat and An Anthropologist on Mars, Brilliant Minds premiered in September 2024 and centers around an eccentric yet gifted neurologist played by Quinto. His character, Dr. Oliver Wolf, is determined to get inside the minds of his patients to understand their treatment needs.
‘Doctor Odyssey’ (ABC)
Disney/Ray Mickshaw
Murphy is growing his TV empire with ABC’s procedural Doctor Odyssey, which premiered September 2024. Joshua Jackson plays a doctor on a luxury cruise ship where he balances saving the day and having fun.
The upcoming series, which premiered in November 2024, is a mockumentary sitcom created byJustin Spitzer a.k.a the mastermind behind Superstore. St. Denis Medical follows overworked doctors and nurses working at an underfunded hospital with McLendon-Covey, David Alan Grier, Allison Tolman, Josh Lawson, Mekki Leeper and Kaliko Kauahi starring in major roles.
‘The Pitt’ (HBO)
Noah WyleMax/Warrick Page
Noah Wyle headlines the first season of The Pitt, which offers a realistic look at the challenges that healthcare workers face in America today. The story premieres January 2025 and will be told through the point of view of frontline heroes at a Pittsburgh hospital with 15 episodes showcasing 15 hours of one shift.
Fox’s medical drama is based on Italian TV series Nelle tue mani about a doctor who loses her memory in a car accident and wakes up to find her entire life has changed. Molly Parker leads the cast of Doc, which premieres January 2025, alongside Omar Metwally, Amirah Vann, Jon Ecker, Anya Banerjee, Scott Wolf and Patrick Walker.
‘Watson’ (CBS)
CBS
Based on Sir Arthur Conan Doyle‘s Sherlock Holmes stories, Watson, which premieres in January 2025, takes place six months after James Moriarty kills the legendary detective. Watson (Morris Chestnut) must come to terms with the loss of his best friend and partner by resuming his medical career as the head of a clinic dedicated to treating rare disorders.
