Influencer Kindra Hall had a frightening encounter when out and about in New York City.
“On Wednesday, May 14th, around 10:30am I was punched in the head by a passing stranger,” the author, 44, wrote via Instagram on Tuesday, May 22. “I wasn’t going to post this as a reel … but there are a few pieces of the story I hadn’t shared and I think they are important for my UES community and fellow NYers to know.”
In the post, Hall included a clip of surveillance footage from the event which showed her getting punched and knocked down on the ground while on a walk.
“FIRST. I wasn’t on my phone when it happened. I wasn’t distracted,” she continued. “It wasn’t an unsafe hour. I even made note of the guy when I saw him, but it wasn’t until I saw a strange flick in his hand (you can see in the footage) that I realized something wasn’t right.”
Hall grabbed her phone and recorded the stranger who then threatened to “slit” her throat, according to the footage. The stranger also shared a location where Hall could find him. The motivational speaker then called the police and wanted to file a report. Hall claimed to have issues with the authorities.
“SECOND. The police took [approx] 30 min to arrive and once they did, even after showing the video with the guy shouting threats, acted like it wasn’t a big deal,” she alleged. “I remember saying, ‘So since I’m not bleeding, a punch to the head is ok?!’”
She continued: “THIRD. When I refused to back down and only after I told them I had a headache … They agreed to go to the address the man shouted in the video and MADE ME GO WITH THEM, despite having video footage clearly identifying him.”
Hall added that making her confront her assaulter was a “terrifying” experience. She also claimed that the police did not assist in getting the security footage, that was something she and her husband, Michael, accomplished.
“The cops walked into the nail salon when I pointed out the camera, but said only the owner had access to the footage,” she said. “Michael, my husband, went back later and the salon happily put him in touch with the owner who immediately found the footage and sent it to him. It took five minutes.”
While the incident was scary for Hall, she expressed how “grateful” she was that it wasn’t “worse.” Hall sustained “some swelling at the point of impact” near her jaw and ear. She also had ”a headache.”
“I’m grateful it was me and not someone who couldn’t take the hit or the fall. I’m hopeful the man gets the help and services he clearly needs. And I’m heartbroken and furious that this is how it is — so much apathy,” she wrote. “Stay safe and stay aware. And if it happens to you, don’t let anyone convince you to let it go. The problem is SO big and SO layered but pretending nothing can be done is not the solution. I NYC.”
Blake Lively showed she has Taylor Swift’s back after the subpoena against her friend was dropped.
“We are pleased that Justin Baldoni and the Wayfarer Parties have withdrawn their harassing subpoenas to Taylor Swift and her law firm,” a spokesperson for Lively, 37, said in a statement to Us Weekly on Tuesday, May 22. “We supported the efforts of Taylor’s team to quash these inappropriate subpoenas directed to her counsel and we will continue to stand up for any third party who is unjustly harassed or threatened in the process.”
The statement also acknowledged what a powerhouse Swift, 35, is in the world.
“The Baldoni and Wayfarer team have tried to put Taylor Swift, a woman who has been an inspiration for tens of millions across the globe, at the center of this case since day one,” the statement continued. “Exploiting Taylor Swift’s celebrity was the original plan in Melissa Nathan’s scenario planning document, and it continues to this day. Faced with having to justify themselves in federal court, they folded. At some point they will run out of distractions from the actual claims of sexual harassment and retaliation they are facing.”
Us confirmed on Thursday, that the subpoena against Swift was dropped. A source close to the matter told Us the summons for Swift was dropped “because information was voluntarily provided” to Baldoni’s legal team.
Us reached out to Swift and Baldoni for comment at the time.
Swift was brought into Lively and Baldoni’s ongoing legal drama after being mentioned in their respective lawsuits. In December 2024, Lively filed a lawsuit against Baldoni accusing her It Ends With Us director and costar of sexual harassment, creating a hostile work environment and orchestrating an alleged smear campaign against her.
The following month, Baldoni, who vehemently denied the allegations, countersued Lively and her husband Ryan Reynolds. He accused the couple of civil extortion, defamation, false light invasion of privacy and more. Lively and Reynolds denied the allegations and filed to dismiss the $400 million lawsuit.
Sony
Baldoni’s lawyer claimed that they spoke to an ally of Swift. The attorney alleged that Lively urged Swift to delete any personal text messages between them and allegedly asked the singer to publicly back her amid the drama.
Earlier this month, Baldoni’s legal team subpoenaed Swift. Swift reacted to the legal situation via a statement through her representative and denied having any creative involvement in the movie.
“Taylor Swift never set foot on the set of this movie, she was not involved in any casting or creative decisions, she did not score the film, she never saw an edit or made any notes on the film,” the rep said in a statement to Us at the time. “She did not even see It Ends With Us until weeks after its public release, and was traveling around the globe during 2023 and 2024 headlining the biggest tour in history.”
The statement continued: “The connection Taylor had to this film was permitting the use of one song, ‘My Tears Ricochet.’ Given that her involvement was licensing a song for the film, which 19 other artists also did. This document subpoena is designed to use Taylor Swift’s name to draw public interest by creating tabloid clickbait instead of focusing on the facts of the case.”
While Lively publicly defended Swift amid her legal issues, a source told Us that the lawsuits have made an impact on the pair’s friendship.
“Taylor and Blake have spoken, and Blake [said she’s sorry],” an insider revealed in a recent Us cover story. “Taylor is very forgiving, and in her eyes, she still considers Blake a friend. But the lawsuit is still ongoing, and until it’s resolved, [things are] difficult.”
Amy Duggar King lives a quieter life compared to her reality TV days.
Amy, 38, is the sole daughter of Jim Bob Duggar’s sister, Deanna Duggar, and Terry Jordan. She was featured on 19 Kids and Counting alongside her cousins when the show premiered in 2008.
Throughout her time on the TLC series, Amy — who did not grow up with the same customs as her cousins — was best known for sharing her disapproval of the rules the Duggars had to follow — including their courtship rituals.
“I would probably ditch my chaperone,” Amy said to Jim Bob during an early episode of 19 Kids and Counting. “You don’t want me to be [your kids’] chaperone. I will pretty much let them do whatever. Come on now! I’m pretty sure you and Aunt Michelle were not like that when you were younger. I’m pretty sure they kissed before they were married.”
During a 2014 special episode of 19 Kids and Counting, Amy shared that she was going to Nashville to pursue a music career. Despite having musical aspirations, Amy ultimately opted not to proceed with her dreams.
The following year, 19 Kids and Counting came to an end after 10 seasons. Following the show’s final episodes, Amy tied the knot with husband Dillon King in September 2015. The couple welcomed son Daxton in October 2019.
After the 19 Kids and Counting came to an end, a spinoff titled Counting On was greenlit by TLC. The new show followed the lives of the older Duggar kids as they started their own families. Amy made multiple appearances on the spinoff, which aired for 11 seasons.
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Since the Duggar family’s time on TLC ended, Amy has focused on her family. She’s given fans an inside look of her life via social media. She also shared that she has kept in touch with her cousins as they all forge their own paths.
“I think we are all just trying to find our path and we’re all just doing things differently,” Amy told Entertainment Tonight in July 2020. “I’m doing things differently, and I’m happy where I’m at. I’m happy for them. Things are definitely different, but I’m happy for everybody. I’m in a good place and I wish my family all the best. I have freedom and it is wonderful.”
Earlier this year, Amy revealed that Dillion was diagnosed with a severe diaphragmatic rupture. Amy explained in an April interview with People that the condition is “an extremely rare and dangerous condition that has caused vital organs, including his kidney and parts of his digestive system, to shift into his chest cavity.”
“Doctors have made it clear that this is not a quick fix,” Amy told the outlet. “The risks are high, the procedures complex and the recovery uncertain. We are taking this one moment at a time, clinging to hope, prayer and the wisdom of the medical teams who are now walking this road with us.”
Later that month, Amy gave an update on how Dillion was faring when a fan inquired about his health scare via social media.
“He’s taking it easy! Still in pain but you’d never know from this photo!” she replied to a fan via Instagram. “There’s just SO much sitting and relaxing one can do before you start to get a lil stir crazy. He isn’t the type to stay down!”
A source close to the matter tells Us that the summons for Swift, 35, was dropped “because information was voluntarily provided” to Baldoni’s legal team.
Lively reacted to the latest update in the case via a statement from her representative on Thursday, May 22.
“We are pleased that Justin Baldoni and the Wayfarer Parties have withdrawn their harassing subpoenas to Taylor Swift and her law firm,” the statement read. “We supported the efforts of Taylor’s team to quash these inappropriate subpoenas directed to her counsel and we will continue to stand up for any third party who is unjustly harassed or threatened in the process.”
The statement continued: “The Baldoni and Wayfarer team have tried to put Taylor Swift, a woman who has been an inspiration for tens of millions across the globe, at the center of this case since day one. Exploiting Taylor Swift’s celebrity was the original plan in Melissa Nathan’s scenario planning document, and it continues to this day. Faced with having to justify themselves in federal court, they folded. At some point they will run out of distractions from the actual claims of sexual harassment and retaliation they are facing.”
Us has reached out to Baldoni and Swift for comment. Deadline was first to report.
Earlier this month, Swift, who has a longstanding and public friendship with Lively, was subpoenaed amid the actress’ legal back and forth with Baldoni. Swift reacted to news via her representative who slammed the move.
“Taylor Swift never set foot on the set of this movie, she was not involved in any casting or creative decisions, she did not score the film, she never saw an edit or made any notes on the film,” the rep said in a statement to Us. “She did not even see It Ends With Us until weeks after its public release, and was traveling around the globe during 2023 and 2024 headlining the biggest tour in history.”
The spokesperson noted that Swift’s only connection to the film was the use of one of her songs in its trailer.
“The connection Taylor had to this film was permitting the use of one song, ‘My Tears Ricochet.’ Given that her involvement was licensing a song for the film, which 19 other artists also did,” the statement continued. “This document subpoena is designed to use Taylor Swift’s name to draw public interest by creating tabloid clickbait instead of focusing on the facts of the case.”
Lively, 37, and Baldoni’s legal issues began in December 2024 when the Gossip Girl alum filed a lawsuit against her It Ends With Us costar and director. Lively accused Baldoni, 41, of sexual harassment, creating a hostile work environment and orchestrating an alleged smear campaign against her.
Baldoni vehemently denied the allegations. The actor countersued Lively, her husband, Ryan Reynolds, and publicist Leslie Sloane. In the $400 million lawsuit, Baldoni accused the group of civil extortion, defamation, false light invasion of privacy and more. The trio have denied the allegations. Lively and Reynolds have denied all the allegations and filed to dismiss the lawsuit while Sloane requested to be removed.
Lively and Baldoni’s lawsuits have yet to come to a resolution and a trial is currently scheduled for March 2026.
Swift got involved in the legal matter earlier this month after Baldoni’s lawyers claimed to talk to an ally of the pop star. Baldoni’s attorney alleged that Lively urged Swift to delete any personal text messages between them and asked the singer to publicly back her amid the drama
In a recent Us cover story, a source exclusively revealed that the legal situation has taken a toll on Lively and Swift’s friendship.
“Taylor and Blake have talked, but it’s strained,” the insider told Us, adding that they’re no longer speaking on a regular basis. “Their friendship is not what it used to be.”
Miley Cyrus opened up about suffering from an ovarian cyst rupture while hosting her New Year’s Eve Party special in 2023.
“I had a pretty traumatic experience on a show that I was doing with Lorne [Michaels] when I was doing my New Year’s show,” Cyrus, 32, said during a Wednesday, May 21, interview with Apple Music’sZane Lowe. “I had a medical emergency. I had an ovarian cyst rupture.”
An ovarian cyst rupture is when a fluid-filled sac on or inside an ovary bursts open and causes severe pain and bleeding inside the pelvis, per the Mayo Clinic. At the time, Cyrus “didn’t know exactly what was going on,” so she proceeded with the show. Cyrus hosted alongside godmother Dolly Parton and performed duets with Parton, Sia and Paris Hilton.
“It was pretty traumatic because it was extremely excruciating and I did the show anyway,” Cyrus recalled. “But it was really, really hard on me.”
The health scare isn’t the only challenge Cyrus overcame. During her chat with Lowe, 51, she shared the importance of maintaining her sobriety.
“I’ve learned this about myself over the years. The sobriety is like, that’s like my God,” the singer said. “I need it, I live for it. I mean that it’s changed my entire life.”
Cyrus stopped using marijuana in 2017 and drinking alcohol in 2020. While speaking to 51-year-old Lowe, Cyrus recalled the last time they spoke back in November 2020.
“When you came to my psychedelic house that was painted black in hidden hills, where everything is like all white homes and equestrian. And then I painted mine black and rainbow … I no longer live there,” she said. “But I was happy you came and saw me in that space. And I was thinking about it a lot today as I was on my way here, because I was so close to who’s sitting here right now. But there was just life. It had more to teach me. It had more lessons.”
During their last chat, Cyrus confessed that she “fell off” her sobriety journey at the time. However, Cyrus doesn’t regret the mistake since it led her to where she is now.
“I know I needed to fall one more time. And I just, I had to. It just never would have happened this way. I just never would have been sitting here. And there were times in that section from where I’ve seen you before,” she said. “And there were times in that section from where I’ve seen you last time and now that they hurt, I’m not proud of them. Definitely not my best moments, not some of my best work, any of that.”
Cyrus added that the struggle led her to write “Flowers,” for which she won her first Grammy.
“It all led me to writing ‘Flowers,’ which then was some sort of just key right into the lock of all healing,” she said. “It healed me so much.”
Final Destination star Brec Bassinger isn’t sure how she’d handle having a premonition about her own death in real life.
“To be honest, [I would] probably [be] very paranoid, which I think Iris kind of did that and isolated herself,” Bassinger, 25, exclusively told Us Weekly ahead of the release of her new movie, Final Destination Bloodlines. “But I can’t even imagine, like, would [I] do the same thing?”
Warning: Spoilers below for Final Destination Bloodlines.
Bassinger plays young Iris in the latest Final Destination installment, who is able to cheat death after a shocking premonition gives her a peek into the future. The film follows her granddaughter, Stefani (Kaitlyn Santa Juana), who then inherits her grandmother’s ability to see her family’s demise.
Iris, meanwhile, spends her life trapped away in a bunker trying to escape her own demise. It’s something Bassinger doesn’t envy, telling Us she could not fathom “living every day in fear of your death.”
“I don’t envy her,” she quipped. “Not even a little bit.”
When getting into character, Bassinger, who made a name for herself by playing powerful female characters on shows like Bella and the Bulldogs and Stargirl, channeled a little bit of herself. The actress described Iris as a “very strong” and “fearless” woman.
“I like to believe women are very in tune with their bodies,” she explained. “And just something Brec, I really always trust my gut instinct. So making Iris, like, a very extreme version of that, even though in my head it was her first time having a premonition, she just trusted her instincts so much that she acted upon it.”
Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures
It wasn’t just the character of Iris that drew Bassinger in. As a longtime horror fan, she was thrilled to join Final Destination Bloodlines and take on some of the more extreme scenes.
“I feel like you get to be put in situations that you wouldn’t necessarily be in in real life. Like, falling 50 feet on a wire or standing next to someone who’s engulfed in flames,” she told Us. “I get to experience things that are outside of my wildest dreams.”
That included standing right next to someone while they were set on fire.
“We had multiple days where we were setting people on fire and like the whole fire department would be there,” she recalled. “But it didn’t matter how many times I had seen it, it would still just put me in this state of like fight or flight, which was really helpful for my scene and my character!”
She noted that the use of practical effects — like implementing “real flames” instead of only using CGI in the scene — helped add to the “intensity” to the moment. Add in the reveal that her character is hiding the secret that she’s pregnant — and not married — during the 1960’s, and the stakes became higher than ever.
“Already having to put myself in Iris’s mindset of being pregnant in the 1960s [and] unwed, that’s all on my mind. So getting to remove like, ‘Oh, picture this person’s on fire dying and they literally are on fire.’ It takes away something that I have to think about,” she said, noting how “helpful” it was to build her character. “There were like a couple particular shots and parts of that sequence that I was truly so terrified of what we were filming.”
While Bassinger’s young version of Iris survives, her older counterpart — played by Max Lloyd-Jones — isn’t so lucky (don’t worry, we won’t spoil the details). That said, if a prequel opportunity arose, Bassinger wouldn’t hesitate to reprise her role.
“I think as an actor that would be such a fun journey,” she told Us. “There is such a big gap and you see the start to the finish and there is such a discrepancy between the two women. I think as an actor getting to see how that happens would be such an interesting journey to go on.”
Jessica Simpson made a much-discussed return to perform on TV during the American Idol finale after a nearly 15 year hiatus.
Before gracing the American Idol stage in May 2025, the last time Simpson, now 44, performed live on TV was for the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree lighting ceremony in New York City in November 2010. Simpson took the stage with Navy Petty Officer John Britt to perform a duet of “I’ll Be Home for Christmas.”
Simpson donned a black coat dress that sparkled with rhinestone embellishments. She completed the look with black tights, boots and a fur scarf. Simpson also wore crystal snowflake earrings and hair clips to give her look a pinch of holiday cheer. Britt, for his part, was in uniform.
While on the chilly outdoor stage, Simpson belted the first portion of the holiday ballad. Britt crooned the next part, which earned a round of applause from the crowd. As Britt wowed the crowd, Simpson gave him an encouraging smile. Simpson then delivered the song’s big note as the soldier harmonized with the pop star. When the song came to an end, the crowd roared with cheer.
Days before taking the stage at the tree lighting, Simpson made an appearance on a PBS special explaining her involvement with the United States Navy.
“Every year I try to go somewhere to visit our troops. This year, I went to the Persian Gulf and I was aboard the USS Truman,” she explained. “I had the pleasure of sitting and talking with so many sailors that sacrifice their lives for us everyday.”
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While there, Simpson had the idea to perform a holiday duet with one of the military members.
“Every time the holidays come around, I think about all the men and women who serve our country. I went out to the Persian Gulf and I wanted to sing a song with one of the sailors,” she recalled. “I chose to sing ‘I’ll Be Home for Christmas’ because I know every soldier and sailor out there is wishing that they could be home with their families for Christmas.”
Simpson’s performance with Britt was the last time she took the stage on TV for 15 years. Simpson made her comeback during the American Idol finale on Sunday, May 18. Ahead of taking the stage, host Ryan Seacrest noted that this was Simpson’s first TV appearance in 15 years.
She sang her new track “Blame Me” and her iconic cover of Nancy Sinatra’s 1966 hit “These Boots Are Made for Walkin,” which she first recorded in 2005 for the Dukes of Hazzard soundtrack. Simpson was joined by contestant Josh King, who was eliminated earlier in the season.
While the crowd gave Simpson a roaring round of applause, she confessed to Extra that she was extraordinarily “nervous” to take the stage given her long hiatus.
“Oh my god, I was dying … That’s a really long time, and, like, the last time was a Christmas song, so that’s easy,” Simpson told the outlet after the episode. “So, this is my new EP Nashville Canyon, Pt. 1, I mean, Pt. 2 comes in the summer, but it is so much a part of my soul, and so to sing a song off of that I felt naked, to be honest, like, it was very bare and raw and very vulnerable.”
Garner became a mom for the first time in 2005 when she and ex-husband Ben Affleck welcomed Violet. (The exes also share children Seraphina and Sameul who were born in 2009 and 2012, respectively.)
“My eldest daughter [Violet] didn’t have a shot. She couldn’t have a free thought — I was all over her,” Garner said of becoming a first time mom in a May 2023 interview with Allure. “I was a nightmare for everyone around me.”
Garner and Violet have maintained a strong mother-daughter relationship over the years. While the Affleck children have remained largely out of the spotlight, Violet was present when Garner got a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and for a public visit to the White House.
Keep scrolling for a close look at what Garner and Violet have said about their relationship over the years:
Enforcing the Rules
Like most parents, Garner has to tell her children no sometimes — and Violet is understanding when her mom means business.
“I said to my girls, ‘What do I mean when I say no?'” Garner exclusively told Us Weekly in May 2015. “And they were like, ‘She really means no!’ So you just have to do it. It’s not pretty. I don’t think that I’m always the best at it but I try my best to be consistent and for them to know what they can expect from me.”
Setting Violet Up for Success
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As Violet settled into fifth grade, Garner confessed that it took some time to get her daughter on the same level as her classmates.
“We just had back to school night, and I said afterwards, ‘Do they need a computer?’ They need some kind of device or computer to complete their homework. Our daughter doesn’t have any of those things, and she’s, like, the only kid in the class who doesn’t, apparently,” the actress told Today in 2016. “So I found an old laptop this weekend for her, and I am kind of panicked about it. She’s not on social media yet — her school has a no social media policy until 6th grade — but I know it’s coming soon.”
Dealing With Public Attention
In a March 2021 interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Garner recalled that Violet was not afraid to share her thoughts about living in the limelight at a young age.
“She stood up on a chair in a little velvet dress, with her hair a bit back and her glasses on and she didn’t say her R’s right, and she said: ‘We didn’t ask for this. We don’t want these cameras, they’re scary,’” Garner recounted.
Being Strict With Social Media
While Garner is active on Instagram, the 13 Going on 30 star confessed that she’s not keen on her daughter joining the platform.
“She’ll occasionally talk to me about getting Instagram, and I can see why because I’m on there and it’s something kind of fun that I do,” Garner said in a 2019 sit down with Katie Couric. “And I am modeling the opposite of what I want for her to do. How often is that in parenting?”
However, Garner decided to make a compromise with Violet.
“I just say, ‘When you can show me studies that say that teenage girls are happier using Instagram than not, then we can have the conversation,’” she continued. “‘But everything you look at, I don’t see anything positive for you out there. You can look at mine when you want to, we can go over it together, but I just don’t see it.’”
Emotional Milestones
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When Violet graduated from high school in 2024, Garner had an emotional moment watching her daughter receive her diploma.
“Tell me you have a graduate without telling me you have a graduate,” Garner wrote via Instagram alongside a series of snaps and a video of her crying in multiple instances.
Mother-Daughter Arguments
Violet got candid about getting into a discussion with her mother during the Los Angeles wildfires in an essay she wrote for Yale University’s student-run Yale Global Health Review.
“I spent the January fires in Los Angeles arguing with my mother in a hotel room,” Violet penned in her essay titled A Chronically Ill Earth: COVID Organizing as a Model Climate Response in Los Angeles. “She was shell-shocked, astonished at the scale of destruction in the neighborhood where she raised myself and my siblings. I was surprised at her surprise”
Winning American Idol has been a dream come true for many singers, but the prizes have changed a lot over the years.
Kelly Clarkson was crowned the singing competition’s inaugural winner in 2002. She reportedly walked away with a $1 million prize and a record deal with RCA Records, per Parade. In addition to the cash prize and contract, Clarkson and runner-up Justin Guarini both got a free vacation to Turks and Caicos following the season 1 finale.
Clarkson wasn’t the only one to take home $1 million as it was the standard prize for winners up to season 9. The record deal portion of the prize, meanwhile, is worth up to six studio albums. The winners also received a management contract with American Idol-affiliated 19 Management.
When Carrie Underwoodwon American Idol in 2005, she took home a brand new car alongside the cash prize and record deal. In 2023, Underwood shared that she still has the Ford Mustang convertible.
“I do still have the car that I won when I won American Idol,” the country singer said in a March 2023 interview with Today’s Country Radio With Kelleigh Bannen. “So I have my blue Mustang.”
Underwood added that she will still drive the sentimental vehicle around on occasion.
“It always makes me want to drive it more, because it was such a pivotal point in my life,” she recalled. “That was the car that I was driving around when I first moved to Tennessee, and I’m very, very glad I still have that car.”
While it is not known how much season 10 and 11 winners Lee DeWyze and Scotty McCreery made, season 12 winner Phillip Phillips took home $1 million, per Today.
Courtesy: Everett Collection
When American Idol ended at Fox and moved to ABC in 2018, the cash prize changed drastically. Winners now receive $250,000, per Variety. Season 16 winner Maddie Poppe revealed in a 2022 interview with Business Insider that winning the show doesn’t get a contestant “set for life.”
“You do get $250,000, but not really because of taxes,” Poppe told the outlet. “And you get half of it before you complete your record, and then the second half you get after you complete the record. So it’s just like an advance from the record deal, but I’m pretty sure I have to recoup it.”
Season 23 crowned Jamal Roberts as its winner in May 2025. In addition to winning the $250,000, Roberts and runner-up John Foster both won a Disney cruise. The pair each received a trip for four on the Disney Wish cruise line. The trip includes world-class dining, Disney entertainment, and character experiences, plus a stay at Disney’s private island, Castaway Key.
While not every contestant can win the grand prize, the ones that make it to the live rounds do get compensated.
“You don’t get paid until you make it to the live rounds, and then you can be paid,” seasons 17 and 18 contestant Margie Mays said in a 2020 TikTok video.
Larsa Pippen couldn’t help but gush about her new romance with Jeff Coby.
“I think we do very normal things. I think this is the first relationship where we don’t have to go out,” the Real Housewives of Miami star, 50, exclusively told Us Weekly on Monday, May 20, while promoting her partnership with Date.com. “We don’t have to do extravagant things. We just like to do simple things and we make each other happy. It’s been really fun.”
Pippen and Coby, 31, were first linked in March. The couple subtly confirmed their romance in April after they were spotted packing on the PDA in Miami. That same month, Pippen and the international basketball player made their red carpet debut at the Los Angeles premiere for The Accountant 2.
Pippen shared that she and Coby have “so much in common,” which is a big difference compared to her past romances. (Larsa was previously married to Scottie Pippen from 1997 to 2021 and dated Michael Jordan’s son Marcus Jordan from 2022 to 2023.)
“I feel like Jeff and I are kind of the same in that way. We both are traditional in a lot of ways,” she explained. “We both love to be around our family, and I feel like in the past I dated guys that weren’t like that, [they] didn’t necessarily care to spend time with their family [or] weren’t as close to their family as I was. So they thought that [it] was weird that I wanted to always be around my parents or my siblings.”
Earlier this month, Coby teased that he and Larsa planned on tying the knot next year. However, Larsa clarified it was “probably a joke.”
“We definitely are serious,” she said. “We love being around each other, and we’re having a good time.”
As far as a potential proposal goes, Larsa isn’t ruling out the idea but is unsure what the future holds.
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“I feel like I definitely do enjoy being with him. We have a great relationship and I do love him,” she told Us. “So we’ll see.”
Scottie, Marcus and Jeff are all basketball players, and Larsa is aware that she has a preference for dating athletes.
“I think what I do like about athletes is the discipline,” she told Us. “I feel like most athletes are disciplined when it comes down to their regimen and how they go about their food and how they work out and sleep well.”
Larsa noted that while she’s been “surrounded” by athletes her whole life, it’s not the defining quality she looks for in a partner.
“I feel like if you’re smart and you have goals and ambitions, I like to be motivated,” she said. “I want to surround myself with guys that are motivated.”
Larsa added that she also likes men who are “really kind” and “smart.”
While Larsa is happily taken now, she knows the struggles of dating. That’s why she decided to team up with Date.com to help others find their matches.
“I was single in Miami. My girlfriends were single. We started researching dating apps and we couldn’t find the dating app that suited us. I just wanted a dating app that felt safe,” she told Us. “So I helped create Date.com and it is legit the most amazing dating app.”
Date.com is powered by AI and has facial recognition features to help prevent catfishing. When a user makes a profile, they have to take their profile picture directly from the app, so the image cannot be altered. Larsa also loves how the app has communication features.
“I never wanted to give guys my phone number. I wanted to get to know them first and not necessarily give them my number so quickly,” she explained. “But there’s no fast way of getting to know someone and let you hear their voice or see them. And so data.com has voice calling, video calling, and you could send mass text messages.”
The Date.com app is available to download on the Apple App Store and Google Play.
“I just want to say, I did not ask Jalen Hurts if it felt good with the tush push,” the journalist, 53, said on the Tuesday, May 20, episode of Today. “That was a deep fake. I don’t think it actually happened. There was a context.”
Guthrie was referring to her interview with the Philadelphia Eagles quarterback, 26, back in February after the team won Super Bowl LIX. At one point in the conversation, her cohost Carson Daly brought up the tush push — a.k.a. the quarterback sneak — which has become the Eagles’ signature play over the past few years
“It’s as cringey now as it was then. Career lowlight,” Guthrie recalled.
Not only did Guthrie and Daly, 51, talk about the tush push with Hurts, but the coanchors also performed a full-on demonstration.
“Jalen, how does it work? I’ll be [Eagles center] Cam Jurgens,” Daly said as Guthrie got behind him to “push.”
Guthrie asked Hurts to “coach” them through the move while Daly asked more logistical questions. Hurts, for his part, sat in the interview chair and politely laughed.
“It is just straight strength, pushing, driving through your legs,” Hurts explained.
John Shearer/WireImage
After attempting the demonstration, Guthrie poked fun at Daly.
“Well, your tush, I felt like it was pushable,” Guthrie told Daly before asking Hurts, “Do you have to kind of have the right …?”
Daly interjected to ask what Guthrie meant by that, and she replied, “I don’t know, it just felt good to kind of push you over.”
Guthrie then asked Hurts if it felt “kind of good” for him to be able to exude that strength when he makes the play on the field.
“Eh, no thoughts. Just trying to win the game, that’s all,” Hurts replied.
Before his 2024 retirement, Jason Kelce frequently discussed his role in the tush push play as the team’s center. Earlier this year, fellow retired NFL star Ryan Fitzpatrick asked what is harder: giving birth or executing the tush push.
“Oh man, hate to say, but it isn’t even close,” Jason, 37, shared via X in April after welcoming his fourth daughter with wife Kylie Kelce. “I’ll take an entire career of tush pushes over giving birth. F*** that.”
Currently, the NFL is considering banning the move. Owners are meeting this week to decide whether the tush push should be allowed in the game going forward.
“Earlier today we moved for sanctions against the lawyers and parties responsible for the utterly frivolous claims brought against Ryan Reynolds,” Reynolds’ legal team said in a statement to Us Weekly on Tuesday, May 20. “Justin Baldoni’s lawyer and his clients filed a preposterous lawsuit falsely claiming that Ryan Reynolds extorted people he had never met, that he allegedly interfered with business relationships that do not exist, and somehow defamed people he never said a word about based on unspecified statements that do not appear anywhere in their 391-paragraph complaint. These are not serious claims—they are a desperate ploy for clickbait headlines that have no place in federal court.”
According to court documents obtained by Us Weekly, Reynolds’ lawyers filed an amended complaint on Tuesday, after Baldoni and his team accused Reynolds of civil extortion, defamation, and tortious interference.
In the new filing, Reynolds’ lawyers filed a motion for sanctions and slammed the allegations, stating that the claims “do not and cannot exist.” Reynolds’s attorneys previously filed to dismiss Baldoni’s lawsuit back in March, however, the lawsuit is still ongoing.
“Mr. Reynolds provided the Rule 11 Plaintiffs and their counsel an opportunity to save face, explaining these claims’ glaring and fundamental defects and urging that they be withdrawn more than 21 days ago,” the docs read. “Unfortunately, the Rule 11 Plaintiffs and their counsel unequivocally refused to do so, offering no response on these defects except to argue that these issues are appropriately resolved by motion to dismiss and may later be supported by discovery. But these claims’ fundamental failings are not about the parties’ dispute as to the legal arguments relating to their claims, or the facts, or even that all of their claims are weak and meritless (which, they are).”
Reynolds’ attorneys accused Baldoni’s team of violating Rule 11, which requires court filings to be made in good faith and are supported by reasonable inquiry into the facts and law.
“The Rule 11 Plaintiffs’ defamation claims against Mr. Reynolds are likewise frivolous,” the filing read. “The Rule 11 Plaintiffs are only able to identify two statements that they can even claim Mr. Reynolds made, but they concede that each of those statements are exclusively about Baldoni.”
Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni in ‘It Ends with Us’.Sony Pictures Releasing /Courtesy Everett Collection
Reynolds’ lawyers alleged that Baldoni’s “frivolous claims” against Reynolds were not made by accident. They argued that the court should impose sanctions and suggested that attorneys’ fees be awarded to Reynolds.
Baldoni, 41, and Reynolds’ legal drama began in December 2024 when the Deadpool actor’s wife, Blake Lively, sued Baldoni. Lively, who costarred in It Ends With Us with Baldoni, accused him of sexual harassment and orchestrating a smear campaign against her.
Baldoni, who also directed the film, denied the allegations and subsequently filed his own lawsuit against Lively, 37, Reynolds and her publicist Leslie Sloane. In the $400 million lawsuit, Baldoni accused the couple of civil extortion, defamation, false light invasion of privacy and more. Lively and Reynolds have denied the allegations.
Lively and Baldoni have yet to come to a resolution in their legal drama. A trial is scheduled for March 9, 2026.
Harvey Weinstein will speak out in a new on-camera interview with Candace Owens about the allegations made against him.
“I did not commit these crimes. I swear that before God and the people watching now and on my family,” Weinstein, 73, said in the interview’s trailer, which dropped on Owens’ YouTube channel on Monday, May 19.
Weinstein spoke to Owens, 36, via a video call conducted during a prison visitation. Weinstein held up a black phone to converse with the podcaster. This will mark his first on-camera interview in eight years.
The clip showed Weinstein not holding back about the allegations made against him from various celebrities including Gwyneth Paltrow, Ashley Judd and more. (In 2017, Weinstein was accused of harassment, abuse and rape by multiple women, which sparked the Me Too movement. Weinstein has denied “any non consensual sex.”)
“It’s a complete fabrication about my relationship with Gwyneth,” Weinstein claimed in the teaser. “I didn’t put my hands on her. I didn’t touch her. I definitely made a pass … Ashley Judd’s claims are ridiculous.”
In 2017, Paltrow, now 52, came forward and claimed that she was harassed by Weinstein when she was 22. The Oscar winner alleged that Weinstein invited her to his hotel suite for a meeting and suggested they give one another massages in the bedroom.
That same year, Judd also claimed that she was invited by Weinstein for a meeting that ended up taking place in his hotel room, alleging that Weinstein asked her to come into the bathroom to watch him take a shower and suggested they give each other a massage.
Monday’s trailer also showed Weinstein addressing the claims made against him by Rose McGowan. (The actress received a $100,000 settlement from Weinstein following an alleged sexual assault in 1997 where she claimed Weinstein pushed her into a bathroom, pulled her clothes off and performed oral sex on her while he pleasured himself.)
“I settled with Rose McGowan, I gave her $100,000,” he said, before the trailer showed him saying: “Don’t tell my wife, don’t get me into trouble. It’s all conflated, and it’s all led to the idea that I’m going to be the one they persecute.”
The clip then cut to an emotional Weinstein who fought back tears.
“They broke me,” he said. “They broke me in half.”
Weinstein has continued to maintain his innocence since being behind bars and has offered to take a lie detector test to prove that he’s telling the truth.
“I’ve asked to have lie detectors brought into the prison,” Weinstein said in the trailer. “I know they’re not admissible, but I want the world to know.”
While Weinstein has been turned away from Hollywood amid the scandal, the disgraced producer claimed that he does have a group of supporters in his corner who are afraid to come to his defense publicly.
“The people who support me are scared to talk,” he claimed. “They are frightened to death that they’re going to be canceled.”
Owens shared that her interview with Weinstein is now available for her paid subscribers to watch on her website. The full video will drop for the public on her YouTube page Tuesday, May 20.
After being accused in 2017, Weinstein was found guilty of rape and sexual assault charges in 2020 in New York. He was sentenced to 23 years in prison. Two years later, Weinstein went to trial for misconduct claims in California. He was found guilty and sentenced to 16 additional years in jail.
In April 2024, the New York Court of Appeals overturned Weinstein’s New York rape convictions because of “egregious errors” of procedure and a retrial was ordered. Weinstein remained behind bars due to his California conviction. His retrial in New York began in April.
If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).
Former President Joe Biden and his family have endured several tragedies over the years.
Biden married his first wife, Neilia Hunter, in 1966. The couple shared two sons, Joseph “Beau” Biden III and Hunter Biden, and a daughter, Naomi “Amy” Biden.
Weeks after Joe was elected to the Senate in 1972, Neilia and their three kids were involved in a car accident. Beau and Hunter survived the crash but Neilia and Amy tragically died.
Years after mourning his wife and daughter, Joe met Jill Biden. The couple wed in 1975 and welcomed daughter Ashley Biden in 1981.
Throughout his struggles, Joe remained a dedicated public servant. He served as a Senator from 1973 to 2009 before becoming Barack Obama’s vice president. In 2020, Joe was elected as the 46th president of the United States.
Joe initially was going to run for a second term. However, in July 2024, Joe withdrew from the election after he received concerns from the public about his age and health. (Joe was 81 years old at the time.)
In May 2025, news broke that Joe was diagnosed with prostate cancer.
Keep scrolling to see the tragedies that Joe and his family have endured over the years:
Neilia Hunter and Naomi Biden’s Deaths
In December 1972, Neilia, Amy, Beau and Hunter were involved in a car accident while Christmas shopping. The Biden family’s station wagon was hit by a tractor-trailer after Neilia accidentally drove into the path of the oncoming vehicle.
Neilia, Amy, Beau and Hunter were pulled from the wreckage and rushed to Wilmington General Hospital. Neilia and Amy were pronounced dead on arrival. They were 30 and 13 months, respectively.
Biden’s sons survived the accident but sustained injuries. Beau had a broken leg while Hunter had a fractured skull.
“The pain … seemed unbearable in the beginning, and it took me a long time to heal, but I did survive the punishing ordeal,” Joe wrote of the tragedy in his 2017 memoir, Promise Me, Dad. “I made it through, with a lot of support, and reconstructed my life and my family.”
Joe Biden’s Brain Surgeries
In 1988, Joe began to suffer from severe neck pain, which was caused by a leaking intracranial berry aneurysm. While recovering from surgery, Joe suffered from a pulmonary embolism. The procedures and recovery kept Joe away from the Senate for seven months.
Beau Biden’s Cancer Battle and Death
In 2013, Beau was diagnosed with glioblastoma multiforme, which is a type of cancer that starts as a growth of cells in the brain or spinal cord, per Mayo Clinic. Beau underwent surgery to remove a lesion. He also completed radiation and chemotherapy treatments.
Two years after his diagnosis, Beau died following a recurrence of brain cancer. He was 46.
Hunter Biden’s Substance Abuse Struggles
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Hunter shared in his 2021 memoir, Beautiful Things, that he battled addiction throughout his adult life. He shared that his struggles started with alcohol when he was a teen before turning to crack cocaine. Hunter explained that he believed his struggle stemmed from losing his mother and sister.
“There were also times, I have to admit, when I felt as if no one else could understand my pain. It seemed narcissistic even to contemplate. Yet that didn’t make it feel any less true,” he penned. “Believing that your pain is exceptional doesn’t lessen anyone else’s. Pain is our universal condition. People can go through life without finding love, but no one lives long without experiencing real hurt. It can connect us or isolate us.”
Hunter has sought treatment for his addiction struggles and faced several legal issues.
Joe Biden’s Withdrawal From the 2024 Election
In July 2024, Joe announced that he was withdrawing from the 2024 presidential election after the public raised concerns about his age and health following a debate against Donald Trump.
“It has been the greatest honor of my life to serve as your President. And while it has been my intention to seek reelection, I believe it is in the best interest of my party and the country for me to stand down and to focus solely on fulfilling my duties as President for the remainder of my term,” he wrote in a letter shared via X.
Joe subsequently endorsed his vice president, Kamala Harris, to run in his place. Harris ultimately lost to Trump.
Joe Biden’s Cancer Diagnosis
Bruce Glikas/WireImage
Months after leaving the White House, Joe was diagnosed with an “aggressive” form of prostate cancer.
“Last week, President Joe Biden was seen for a new finding of a prostate nodule after experiencing increasing urinary symptoms,” read a May 2025 statement from Biden’s personal office to CNN. “On Friday, he was diagnosed with prostate cancer, characterized by a Gleason score of 9 (Grade Group 5) with metastasis to the bone.”
The statement added that Joe and his family were “reviewing treatment options with his physicians.”
After news broke about his condition, Joe took to social media to break his silence.
“Cancer touches us all,” he captioned a May 2025 Instagram post. “Like so many of you, Jill and I have learned that we are strongest in the broken places. Thank you for lifting us up with love and support.”
My 600-lb Life star Latonya Pottain has died at the age of 40, Us Weekly can confirm.
Pottain died on Saturday, May 17, at a hospital in Shreveport, Louisiana, according to the Natchitoches Parish Coroner’s Office. TMZ, who was first to break the news reported that Pottain’s preliminary autopsy found that she died from congestive heart failure.
A final autopsy report has yet to be completed.
Pottain’s brother told TMZ that family members visited the reality star at her home prior to her death. He claimed she had difficulty breathing and did not look well. The family received a call from a nurse later who told them Pottain called an ambulance. She was taken to the hospital due to cardiac arrest.
Pottain was best known for appearing on My 600-lb Lifeseason 11, which aired in February 2023. During her time on the TLC series, Pottain embarked on a weight loss journey ahead of her wedding to her husband, Duane. However, Pottain struggled to lose weight as she didn’t want to stop eating certain foods.
While meeting with Dr. Younan Nowzaradan, also known as Dr. Now, on the show, he told Pottain that she had actually gained weight in recent weeks.
While Pottain did not qualify for bariatric surgery, she did continue to make strides in her health journey. One month after appearing on My 600-lb Life, Pottain gave an update on her progress.
“I’m back with my trainer, I’m dieting and my weight is going down,” Pottain said in a March 2023 interview with the Shreveport Times. “I’m also moving to be closer to my family so I can get my weight down and get my surgery.”
In addition to working on herself, Pottain was also working on her goal to open a shelter for at-risk girls.
“All my life I have taken care of young girls and helped support them, getting them through school, helping them with their kids and just encourage them and be there for them,” she explained. “There’s so many young girls that have lost both of their parents, going through what I went through as a teenager and not having anywhere to go. Some of them don’t feel loved at home and my group home will offer them that love and support, help them go to school, when they graduate, help them find an apartment, help them with their college applications. You know, just like a family.”
Sean “Diddy” Combs and Misa Hylton welcomed one child before calling it quits decades ago.
Diddy connected with Hylton in the early 1990s as they were at the start of their respective careers. Diddy started off as an intern at Uptown Records while Hylton was a budding stylist.
As the pair began to make a name for themselves in the industry, Hylton became pregnant with her and Diddy’s first child. In 1993, they welcomed son Justin Combs. Shortly after Justin’s arrival, Diddy and Hylton split.
After their breakup, Diddy moved on with Kim Porter, with whom he shared son Christian Combs and twins D’Lila and Jessie. (Diddy also adopted Porter’s son Quincy Taylor Brown. Porter died in 2018.) Diddy also shares daughter Chance Combs with ex Sarah Chapman and daughter Love Combs with ex Dana Tran.
Hylton, for her part, was married to JoJo Brim from 1995 to 1999. They share son Niko and daughter Madison.
While Hylton and Diddy began their families with other partners, the exes remained coparented Justin for years.
Keep scrolling to relive their relationship timeline:
1990s
“We were dating at the time and he had just went from intern to A&R,” Hylton told BET in March 2023. “He had a new position at Uptown Records and he was in charge of putting together the album musically but also for their look.”
Hylton shared that she worked with Diddy as his assistant after she finished her school day. Diddy returned the favor by giving Hylton her first solo project: styling Jodeci for his “Gotta Love” music video. She opted to put the musician in streetwear and changed how R&B musicians would style their looks in the future.
Slaven Vlasic/Getty Images
1993
The twosome welcomed Justin in December 1993. During a 2017 appearance on “The Premium Pete Show” podcast, Hylton shared that she and Diddy broke up shortly after Justin’s arrival because the music mogul wasn’t ready to settle down as his career was starting to take off.
2010
The exes reunited to celebrate Justin’s 16th birthday. Diddy organized a star-studded bash in New York City for the occasion. The trio posed for a family picture on the red carpet.
Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Sean Combs
2019
Hylton attended Diddy’s 50th birthday celebration in Los Angeles.
June 2023
The fashion designer raised eyebrows after she posted a series of cryptic posts after Justin was arrested for a DUI. (Justin was booked with a misdemeanor and released on a $5,000 bond.)
“I’m not protecting no one anymore, just my son ,” she wrote via her Instagram Story at the time. “The statement ‘a fish rots from the head down’ means that, in addition to being a major contributing factor in a family or organization’s success, leadership is also the root cause of its failure and demise. The Truth shall set you free.”
March 2024
When Diddy’s homes were raided by homeland security, Justin and brother Christian were present for the investigation at their family’s Los Angeles home. Hylton spoke out against law enforcement and claimed they executed “overzealous and overtly militarized force.”
“[The force] used against my sons Justin and Christian is deplorable. If these were the sons of a non-Black celebrity, they would not have been handled with the same aggression,” she wrote via Instagram alongside footage from the incident. “The attempt to humiliate and terrorize these innocent young BLACK MEN is despicable!”
May 2024
As Diddy’s legal troubles continued, a video of Diddy assaulting then-girlfriend Casandra “Cassie” Ventura in 2016 surfaced. Hylton voiced her support for Cassie at the time.
“I am heartbroken that Cassie must relive the horror of her abuse, and my heart goes out to her. I know exactly how she feels, and through my empathy, it has triggered my own trauma,” Hylton wrote via Instagram. “These young people were raised by women that want the best for them — we put God and education first and have always been united in our mutual effort to support their dreams. Two of the youngest do not have their mother here and it has been our duty to support them. Their father needs help and I am praying that he truly does the personal work and receives it.”
May 2025
Misa HyltonCourtesy of Misa Hylton / Instagram
On May 12, Hylton stepped out in New York City to attend the opening day of Diddy’s sex trafficking and racketeering trial.
The rap mogul faced charges of sex trafficking, racketeering conspiracy and transportation to engage in prostitution. Diddy pleaded not guilty to all charges and has denied the allegations against him.
Hylton — who was using a walker during her public outing — was joined by her and Diddy’s son, Justin Combs, at the hearing. After appearing publicly in court, Hylton took to social media to explain and defend her appearance.
“When I suffered my injury, I had chosen to heal privately but when my son said ‘Mommy I need you’ I was right there for him walker and all,” Hylton wrote via Instagram on May 17. “I’m a MOTHER FIRST, FOR REAL and I am my son’s strength and thats just what it is. Plain and Simple. Whoever doesn’t understand that just simply isn’t in alignment with me or anything that I’m about in life.”
Cassie’s emotional testimony in Sean “Diddy” Combs‘ ongoing trial could potentially support the racketeering charges against him, according to a legal expert.
“She’s a very emotionally impactful witness,” lawyer Joshua Ritter, who is not involved in the case, exclusively told Us Weekly on Friday, May 16. “She’s eight and a half months pregnant. She’s tearful on the stand, and she can provide an insight into how all of this works.”
Cassie (full name Casandra Ventura) first took the stand on Tuesday, May 13, before wrapping up on Friday. The singer, 38, spoke about her experience with Diddy, 55, whom she dated on and off from 2007 to 2018, and addressed his alleged “freak off” parties. Diddy, who was arrested in September 2024, has been charged with sex trafficking, racketeering conspiracy and transportation to engage in prostitution. (He has pleaded not guilty to all charges.)
“Part of this case is not just the racketeering but the underlying abusive behavior that the racketeering was facilitating,” Ritter added. “So she might provide part of it, but they’re definitely going to have to have other witnesses testify to how others were participating in this criminal enterprise.”
Ritter explained that while the details from Cassie’s testimony have been “shocking and deviant and appalling,” the behavior being recalled is “not necessarily criminal.” However, Ritter shared that observers will have to wait as the prosecution continues to lay out their argument in the coming weeks.
“This is going to be a case that is proven by layers upon layers of evidence, and I imagine that eventually the prosecution will be able to connect all those dots,” he told Us. “But it is true that just based upon Cassie’s testimony, we don’t really see the elements of the racketeering, which would involve a criminal enterprise. There [have] been allusions to other security guards and other assistants and people working for Sean Combs who may have helped facilitate all of this.”
Amanda Edwards/WireImage
While Cassie’s testimony alone has not fully addressed the charges Diddy is facing, the question of whether consent was truly present may stay in the back of the jury’s mind.
“Yes, all of this can be awful. It can all sound humiliating and it can all sound very disturbing, but if she was a willing participant or these other individuals were willing participants, then we really don’t have the elements of a crime here,” Ritter explained. “Now, the defense, I think, has done a very good job in outlining text conversations that she had with Combs during and after many of these freak offs.”
Ritter added that the prosecution team will have to argue that being an alleged “willing participant” was “part of the cycle of abuse.”
“The prosecution is then going to have the burden of showing the jurors how this is and how many times victims of abuse will actually even shockingly participate or appear to participate in their abuse,” he said. “And I think probably the evidence that we have seen that is most demonstrative of that is the videotape of the assault that took place at the hotel here in Los Angeles. I imagine prosecutors are going to argue that that shows someone trying to escape, that shows someone trying to remove herself from the situation, and him physically beating her and bringing her back under his control.”
That argument is going to be tough to make, Ritter cautioned.
“If someone is suffering from that kind of abuse, they’re going to say some very startling things and maybe things difficult to understand, like text messages that might sound like she’s participating in it,” he continued. “That’s going to be an argument that’s going to definitely be something the prosecution is probably going to have the most difficult time dealing with, is how do you show that these people were not consenting and also vocalizing that they were not consenting? Because even if they were not consenting, but that only took place inside their own head, that’s not enough to satisfy the elements of nonconsensual sexual assault.”
Diddy’s arrest came nearly one year after Cassie filed a lawsuit accusing her ex of sexual and physical abuse throughout their relationship. Diddy denied her claims in a statement shared by his attorney.
“Mr. Combs vehemently denies these offensive and outrageous allegations,” Diddy’s lawyer Ben Brafman said in November 2023.
One day after the suit was filed, Diddy and Cassie settled out of court. She testified earlier this week that the settlement was for $20 million.
In May 2024, CNN published a hotel surveillance video of Diddy kicking and grabbing Cassie in 2016. He later apologized for his actions in a video shared via Instagram.
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 has been sexually assaulted, contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673). If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, please call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 for confidential support. If you or someone you know is a human trafficking victim, contact the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888.
After costarring in It Ends With Us together, Lively sued Baldoni in December 2024 accusing her costar and director of of sexual harassment and orchestrating an alleged smear campaign. In her filing, Lively claimed that Baldoni named Swift while discussing his alleged takedown plans.
Baldoni vehemently denied the allegations and countersued Lively and her husband, Ryan Reynolds. The actor accused Lively and Reynolds of civil extortion, defamation, false light invasion of privacy and more.
When Baldoni filed his $400 million lawsuit in January 2025, Swift’s name appeared in court documents. Baldoni claimed that Lively brought up Swift, who has been her good friend for years, during an alleged text exchange about making changes to the It Ends With Us script.
“Taylor Swift never set foot on the set of this movie, she was not involved in any casting or creative decisions, she did not score the film, she never saw an edit or made any notes on the film,” a rep for the singer said in a statement to Us Weekly. “She did not even see It Ends With Us until weeks after its public release, and was traveling around the globe during 2023 and 2024 headlining the biggest tour in history.”
Keep scrolling for a full breakdown on how Swift was brought into Lively and Baldoni’s legal situation:
Using Taylor Swift’s Song in the Trailer
When the It Ends With Us trailer dropped in May 2024, it featured Swift’s song “My Tears Ricochet.” After the song was included, Lively revealed she selected the song for the trailer.
“Them together made a lot of sense,” she said at Hoover’s Book Bonanza festival in June 2024. “Colleen is able to tell something that’s deeply personal and intimate but is able to resonate with so many people. And Taylor, she’s such an incredible writer. She writes from such personal experiences and vulnerability.”
Blake Lively Gushes About Taylor Swift’s Support
During an August 2024 panel for the film, Lively spoke about the movie’s budget for songs. The moderator subsequently asked Lively if she persuaded Swift to agree to license the song for the trailer.
“Honestly, she was with me on this experience the whole time,” Lively said, per social media footage. “She really lived this with me, so she’s a person who shows up for you. I’m so grateful to have that love and that support.”
The Taylor Swift and Isabela Ferrer Connection
Ferrer, who plays the younger version of Lively’s Lily in It Ends With Us, told Extra at the August 2024 premiere that Swift helped her land the role.
“She was a helpful part of the audition, which I found out later when I got it,” Ferrer said. “And that rocked my world.”
Baldoni echoed similar sentiments when he spoke to Extra that same month,
“I was casting and I had actually brought in and showed her casting tape to Blake and Taylor and they were both like, ‘Yes, her!’” Baldoni recalled. “And that’s a true story, but she just blew me away.”
Blake Lively Mentions Taylor Swift 1st
Jose Perez/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images
In Lively’s December 2024 filing, she claimed that Baldoni’s crisis management team mentioned Swift in their alleged plan to ruin Lively’s career. According to exhibits attached to the complaint, a crisis management expert working for Baldoni wrote in an email, “We have seen the most innocuous issues turn giant due to socials or the hugest crises have no effect on social whatsoever. You just cannot tell at this stage. But, BL does have some of the same TS fanbase so we will be taking it extremely seriously.”
A separate “scenario planning” document from Baldoni’s side also read, “Our team can also explore planting stories about the weaponization of feminism and how people like Taylor Swift, have been accused of utilizing these tactics to ‘bully’ into getting what they want.”
Justin Baldoni Seemingly References Taylor Swift in Texts
In his January filing, Baldoni appeared to reference Swift in a text message to Lively about the changes she wanted to make to the now-infamous rooftop scene in It Ends With Us.
“Was working on rooftop scene today, I really love what you did. It really does hep [sic] a lot. Makes it so much more fun and interesting. (And I would have felt that way without Ryan and Taylor),” Baldoni’s texts read alongside a winking face emoji. “You really are a talent across the board. Really excited nd [sic] grateful to do this together.”
He also claimed that Lively referred to Swift as one of her “dragons” while comparing herself to Khaleesi from Game of Thrones in other messages.
Later in the filing, Baldoni referenced an unnamed “megacelebrity,” who is believed to be Swift, when Lively was allegedly upset that he wasn’t going to make her tweaks to the scene. Lively’s alleged message read, “Of course, didn’t feel great for me. Or [another megacelebrity friend and Ryan Reynolds]. To have my passion praised instead of my specific contribution.”
In addition to text messages with Lively, Swift’s name also came up in a discussion Baldoni had with Sony executives over using the pop star’s song in the trailer. An executive claimed that Lively personally called Swift to “approve” the use of her song.
“Blake is calling Taylor to approve the song. She of course reached out saying she is asking for time with … her editor,” read a message from a contact named Sony Executive No. 1. “We know it was conditional on signing contract – but asking if you’ll reconsider so … can release this trailer and Blake does not change mind re calling Taylor Swift.”
Taylor Swift Gets Subpoenaed
Months after the legal back and forth began, Swift was subpoenaed. Swift’s representative denied that the singer had any involvement in the film.
“Taylor Swift never set foot on the set of this movie, she was not involved in any casting or creative decisions, she did not score the film, she never saw an edit or made any notes on the film,” the rep said in a statement to Us. “She did not even see It Ends With Us until weeks after its public release, and was traveling around the globe during 2023 and 2024 headlining the biggest tour in history.”
The spokesperson added, “The connection Taylor had to this film was permitting the use of one song, ‘My Tears Ricochet.’ Given that her involvement was licensing a song for the film, which 19 other artists also did, this document subpoena is designed to use Taylor Swift’s name to draw public interest by creating tabloid clickbait instead of focusing on the facts of the case.”
Swift’s legal team is fighting to get the subpoena dismissed.
Justin Baldoni’s Lawyer’s Alleged Taylor Swift Source
After news of the subpoena broke, Baldoni’s lawyer Bryan Freedman claimed in a letter to the judge that he had been in touch with an ally of Swift. Freedman claimed that in a one-hour Valentine’s Day call, the source told him that Lively’s lawyers made “extortionate threats” to the law firm representing Swift and demanded that she “release a statement of support” for Lively.
Lively denied the allegations and asked the judge to throw out Freedman’s letter. The judge ruled in favor of the Gossip Girl actress and the letter was struck from the record.
Cassie’s attorney Douglas Wigdor read a statement on the singer’s behalf outside the Daniel Patrick Moynihan U.S. Courthouse in New York City on Friday, May 16, according to multiple outlets.
“This week has been extremely challenging but also remarkably empowering and healing for me,” the statement read. “I hope that my testimony has given strength and a voice to other survivors and can help others who have suffered to speak up and also heal from abuse and fear.”
The statement continued, “For me, the more I heal, the more I can remember. And the more I can remember, the more I will never forget.”
In addition to speaking on how it felt to take the stand Cassie (full name Casandra Ventura) also thanked her family and supporters for getting her through this tough time.
“I want to thank my family and my advocates for their unwavering support and am grateful for all the kindness and encouragement that I have received,” the statement read. “I am glad to put this chapter of my life to rest as I turn to focus on the conclusion of my pregnancy. I ask for privacy for me and for my growing family.”
“Over the past five days, the world has gotten to witness the strength and bravery of my wife freeing herself of her past,” he said. “There has been speculation online surrounding how it must feel for me to sit there and listen to my wife’s testimony. I have felt so many things sitting there. I have felt tremendous pride and overwhelming love for Cass. I have felt profound anger that she has been subjected to sitting in front of a person who tried to break her.
“So to him and all of those who helped him along the way, please know this. You did not. You did not break her spirit, nor her smile, that lights up every room. You did not break the soul of a mother who gives the best hugs and plays the silliest games with our little girls. You did not break the woman who has made me a better man.”
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Fine’s statement continued, noting that he is not Cassie’s knight in shining armor: “I did not save Cassie, as some have said. o say that is an insult to years of painful work my wife has done to save herself. Cassie saved Cassie. She alone broke free from abuse, coercion, violence and threats. She did the work of fighting the demons that only a demon himself could have done to her. All I have done is love her as she has loved me.”
“Her life is not surrounded by love, laughter and our family,” Fine’s statement said. “This horrific chapter is forever put behind us and we will not be making additional statements. We appreciate all of the love and support we have received and we ask that you respect our privacy as we welcome our son into a world that is now safer because of his mom.”
Diddy, 55, was arrested in September 2024 and charged with sex trafficking, racketeering conspiracy and transportation to engage in prostitution. He pleaded not guilty to all charges and has denied all of the allegations against him.
Cassie, 38, first took the stand on Tuesday, May 13, before wrapping up on Friday, ultimately giving her recollections for nearly 20 hours over four days. The singer testified about her relationship dynamic with Diddy, whom she dated on and off from 2007 to 2018, and addressed his alleged “freak off” parties.
While addressing the court, Cassie got candid about the alleged abuse she suffered from while dating Diddy. In addition to being a participant in Diddy’s “freak offs,” Cassie claimed that she was raped by the music mogul. The singer also revealed she contemplated walking into traffic years later due to all the trauma she endured.
Diddy’s arrest came nearly one year after Cassie filed a lawsuit accusing him of sexual and physical abuse throughout their relationship. Diddy denied her claims in a statement shared by his attorney.
“Mr. Combs vehemently denies these offensive and outrageous allegations,” Diddy’s lawyer Ben Brafman said in November 2023.
One day after the suit was filed, Diddy and Cassie settled out of court. She testified earlier this week that the settlement was for $20 million.
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 has been sexually assaulted, contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673). If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, please call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 for confidential support. If you or someone you know is a human trafficking victim, contact the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888.
Stone, 36, and Pascal, 50, attended Cannes for their new movie Eddington on Friday, May 16. While posing for photos on the red carpet with their cast, the insect approached Stone.
In footage shared by Variety on Friday, Stone can be seen cowering between Pascal and fellow costar Austin Butler as the bee got closer to her face. As Stone turned to Pascal, the Mandalorian actor was also startled by the pollinator. Stone and Pascal turned to each other for protection while Butler, 33, attempted to blow and swat the bug away.
The bee was seemingly unimpressed with the pair’s reaction to its arrival, so the insect ultimately decided to fly away. Once the bee departed, Stone regained her composure and continued to pose for photos.
Stone stunned in a custom white Louis Vuitton gown. The garment had an oversized bib collar with an asymmetrical cutout and a tiny train. Pascal and Butler both looked dashing in their red carpet looks. Pascal opted for an all-black suit while Butler donned a classic tux with a bowtie.
Stone, Pascal and Butler star in Ari Aster’s Eddington, which debuted at the French film fest. In addition to the trio, the Eddington cast also includes Joaquin Phoenix, Luke Grimes, Clifton Collins Jr., Micheal Ward, Amelie Hoeferle, Matt GomezHidaka and Cameron Mann. Butler previously shared how excited he was to work on the project alongside a group of stars he admires.
SAMEER AL-DOUMY/AFP via Getty Images
“I’m a huge fan of Ari and Joaquin and Emily and [DP] Darius Khondji and everybody involved. The entire team was incredible to work with,” Butler said in a June 2024 interview with The Hollywood Reporter. “I don’t want to give much away as far as the story and character go, but it was a wild adventure that I got to go on. I got to play a character who’s very different from anything that I’ve done.”
Butler added that it was “great” to reconnect with Aster whom he formed a friendship with before the project began.
“Ari and I have been friends for a little bit, and it was great to see him on set,” he said. “He is such an incredible filmmaker, and he has such confidence and such a sense of humor and wild imagination. I truly loved working with him.”
Eddington is a Western thriller that pits a small-town sheriff (Phoenix) against a mayor (Pascal) in a tense standoff in New Mexico. The film is scheduled to release on Friday, July 18.
NYC.”
