In an exclusive interview with Us Weekly, Wahlberg, 55, and McCarthy, 52, who met in 2012 and married in 2014, recalled attending the Emmys shortly after their wedding, where they decided to sneak away for a few minutes. As they were making out in the hallway, Wahlberg could hear one of the most distinctive voices in Hollywood.
“We hear this voice say, ‘Get a room,’” Wahlberg told Us. “I was like, ‘That sounded like the voice of God.’ It was Morgan Freeman. He walked by and winked at us and we were like, ‘Is there a bathroom around?’”
Since saying “I do”, peeling off by themselves during public events is a common occurrence. McCarthy added that the duo still “like to sneak off at parties.”
“If someone has a Christmas party, we’re going to find the basement bathroom, take advantage of the moment,” she teased.
Jenny McCarthy, Donnie Wahlberg.Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images
When there’s not a spare room available, the lovebirds like to think out of the box, and sometimes their spontaneity takes them on a quick drive, out of public view.
“And I think there was that one time where I was like, ‘We never did it in a car,’” she added. “And they were like, ‘Well, let’s do it.’ So we drove down the street just to do it.”
Whether it’s in front of the “voice of God” or in the privacy of their own car, Wahlberg says they try to “keep it spicy” a decade into their marriage.
“It’s like, treat yourselves in the good ways you did when you first started to fall for each other,” he explained. “That’s really it. That’s how you keep it alive, don’t take it for granted that it’s been 10 years now. We don’t have to do that stuff anymore. No, do it. Do all the things that showed how much you cared in the beginning. Keep doing it as best you can.”
That doesn’t mean, however, that Wahlberg and McCarthy seek out public places — or that they intended for Freeman to catch them kissing.
“We don’t want people to watch us,” McCarthy said. “We try to make sure it’s private, but it makes it more fun than the typical, your bedroom.”
For those interested in watching Wahlberg and McCarthy do something aside from packing on the PDA, the pair will cohost ID true-crime special Very Scary Lovers on February 2 at 10 p.m. ET, right after the finale of Wahlberg’s Very Scary People.
For more on Wahlberg and McCarthy, pick up the latest issue of Us Weekly — on newsstands now.
Christina Haack has legally changed her last name back to her roots amid her ongoing divorce from Joshua Hall.
“Officially a Haack ,” the Flip Off star, 41, wrote via her Instagram Stories on Friday, January 24, sharing the official name-change paperwork from the Social Security Administration.
She added, “Identifying as only married twice. Time to update the Wikipedia.”
Haack is currently navigating a divorce from third husband Hall, 44. After they got married in April 2022, she changed her surname to his moniker.
Haack was previously married to Flip or Flop costar Tarek El Moussa from 2006 to 2016 and British TV presenter Ant Anstead from 2018 to 2020. (Haack and El Moussa, 43, share children Taylor and Brayden, while she coparents son Hudson with Anstead, 45.)
Courtesy of Christina Haack/Instagram
After two years of marriage to Hall, Haack filed for divorce in July 2024. The proceedings are still ongoing.
“[We’re] not even close,” Haack said on SiriusXM’s Jeff Lewis Live earlier this month. “We’re going to be going to trial, I hear. It’s going to be fun. Can’t wait.”
According to the HGTV star, Hall allegedly “doesn’t want to do mediation” to settle the proceedings.
“[The court hasn’t] ordered me yet but he’s been asking me [for money],” Haack claimed to radio host Jeff Lewis. “I’ve already had to give a little something, but then he bought a Bentley. I gave him money to live and he bought a Bentley, but he also doesn’t have a job.”
Hall has not publicly responded to Haack’s accusations.
“Hall is not available for comment, as he’s continuing to live his life in the present and celebrating his beautiful new girlfriend’s birthday,” his spokesperson told Us, referring to Nashville-based model Stephanie Gabrys. “With that said, it’s sad Christina must resort to low blows about her ex Josh to promote her new show. She should focus on her new boyfriend and stop talking about Josh. As the great Mariah Carey once sang, ‘Why you so obsessed with me?’ We wish Christina the best.”
Haack recently started seeingbusinessman Christopher LaRocca. She also remains open to the possibility of finding The One.
“I’ll always love love,” Haack told Us in her cover story earlier this month. “I probably will [get married again] eventually. But, not anytime soon.”
Haack further told Us that she would need to “be engaged for a minimum of, like, five years” before walking down the aisle for a fourth time.
As Super Bowl LIX approaches, Guy Fieri, J.J. Watt and Carla Hall are sharing their advice on how to throw the most epic get-together for the Big Game.
“People like the fall, holidays and summer,” Fieri, 57, exclusively reveals in the latest issue of Us Weekly. “[But] football season is my favorite season of the year.”
While Fieri sees Super Bowl Sunday as a sports enthusiast’s biggest holiday, Hall, 60, believes that the game is a pop culture moment for all to enjoy.
“It’s not just about the [football],” the Top Chef alum tells Us. “We wanna see the commercials. It’s what food are you gonna be eating? It’s coming together with your friends.”
So what does it take to host the ultimate Super Bowl party? Keep scrolling to see Fieri, Watt and Hall’s expert tips:
Don Juan Moore/Getty Images
Turn Your Party Into an Event
To accommodate a large gathering, Fieri recommends having a couple of TVs playing the game so your guests can feel comfortable.
“We have one outside, one here in the kitchen, one in the living room,” the restaurateur, who recently launched Flavortown Cookware, tells Us.
To make the party more exciting and lively, Hall suggests making things interesting by incorporating some games into the viewing experience.
“Have a football pool, but it would also be fun to do a bingo game where you ask questions about the teams that keep people engaged in the game,” she says. “Like, which quarterback is gonna make the first touchdown? It keeps people chatting and there’s no lull.”
Prepare Snacks in Advance
“Don’t carry the whole burden yourself,” Fieri advises. “People want to put on this big spread, and they spend all their time in the kitchen yelling, ‘What just happened?’ Do foods that you can set up and get ’em done. Chicken wings — hot chicken wings, not so hot, they’re fine. Let people put the sauces on ’em. People want to warm them up, throw them in an air fryer.”
Give Them Options
When it’s up to the Mayor of Flavortown, he prefers for his guests to have plenty of choices for what to put on their game day plate.
“Not everybody likes the same thing,” Fieri says. “Roast a piece of prime rib or top round and slice it thin. You could go French dips, you could go hot Italian beef, you could go barbecue sandwiches, you could go an Asian banh mi.”
Three Zone Strategy
While not everyone will be as tapped into the games as others, Watt has a foolproof method to ensure everyone has a blast during the gathering.
“You have to have a three zone strategy,” the former defensive end tells Us. “You have the kitchen where the food and conversation happen. You have a socializing TV room where the game is on, but people are in and out. And you have a football-dedicated zone: this is where the guys — or gals! — that really want to lock in on the game go. Don’t mess with them!”
For more on Fieri, Watt and Hall pick up the latest issue of Us Weekly, on newsstands now.
King Charles IIIMillie Pilkington/Buckingham Palace
King Charles III is celebrating his Scottish roots in a new photo released by Buckingham Palace on Saturday, January 24.
The monarch, 76, can be seen wearing a kilt made from the King Charles III tartan in the picture, which was taken in the library at Balmoral Castle, the royal family’s holiday home in Scotland.
It was snapped in the fall of last year, according to a press release issued by the palace to Us Weekly. The image was later shared on the palace’s Instagram account.
“Wishing those celebrating a very happy #BurnsNight tonight,” the caption read.
The photo, taken by Millie Pilkington, was released on Burns Night, an annual celebration in honor of Scotland’s national poet, Robert Burns. (Burns is known for the song “Auld Lang Syne,” which is often performed on New Year’s Eve around the world.)
It’s not the first time Charles has rocked a kilt. He wore the traditional Scottish garment on multiple royal engagements in Scotland throughout the years.
The royal family has a strong connection to Scotland. Every summer, senior royals travel to Edinburgh, the country’s capital city, for Royal Week, also known as Holyrood Week. While there, they usually stay at the Palace of Holyroodhouse, the family’s official residence in Edinburgh.
The late Queen Elizabeth II spent her final days at Balmoral Castle, where she died at the age of 96 on September 8, 2022. Her coffin was later transported to the Palace of Holyroodhouse and placed in the throne room before being taken to London for Elizabeth II’s funeral on September 19.
The King quoted Burns when speaking about his mother’s death at the Scottish Parliament in September 2022.
“My mother felt, as I do, the greatest admiration for the Scottish people, for their magnificent achievements and their indomitable spirit,” Charles said at the time.
“And it was the greatest comfort for her to know, in turn, the true affection in which she was held. The knowledge of that deep and abiding bond must be to us a solace as we mourn the end of a life of incomparable service,” he added.
The King continued: “If I might paraphrase the words of the great Robert Burns, my dear mother was: ‘The friend of man, the friend of truth; The friend of age, and guide of youth: Few hearts like hers, with virtue warm’d, Few heads with knowledge so inform’d.’”
Morris Chestnut is playing the newest iteration of John Watson in CBS’ Watson, and says fans can expect to see more than a few low-key references to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle‘s Sherlock Holmes book series.
“I couldn’t catch them all because once we’re in production, there were so many of the ones that were very pertinent to the story line,” Chestnut, 56, exclusively told Us Weekly ahead of the show’s premiere on Sunday, January 26. “I was able to ask a lot of questions. And after I was reading some of Sherlock Holmes after we wrapped, I was like, ‘Oh.’ Some things came to me that I didn’t realize at the time.”
“[In the show], Watson gave up the life that he had and ended up losing his wife to go solve mysteries and crimes with Holmes. Now that Holmes is gone, he allowed Watson a second lease on life by providing this clinic,” he teased. “But throughout the first season, that’s one of the things that Watson is dealing with. He’s dealing with who he is without Holmes at this stage of his life with everything that he’s lost.”
Chestnut continued: “He is just trying to rebuild a relationship with his wife, trying to rebuild the clinic and his medical practice. So throughout the first season, Watson questions [who he is without Holmes] quite a bit.”
Based on Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes stories, Watson takes place six months after James Moriarty kills the legendary detective. Watson 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.
Colin Bentley/CBS
“I did not consult any other [past] Watson [performances]. I did of course read some of the books and I looked at some of the other projects out there. For me, I felt that this character was different because the other Watsons are primarily not the focus,” Chestnut explained to Us of his performance in the upcoming series. “The story is always told from Sherlock’s perspective. So this story is being told from Watson’s perspective in a very specific way. We’re part of the mythology, but the clinic and being a detective is not part of the mythology.”
CBS offered Watson the “freedom” to “really explore” a different take on the Sherlock Holmes franchise. Chestnut, who also serves as an executive producer on the show, says he had a “very collaborative” experience with creator Craig Sweeny after his work on Elementary.
“Craig and I communicated quite a bit for the character,” the actor recalled before referencing Sweeny’s past contemporary series based on Sherlock Holmes. “Craig is so well read in the mythology that there’s nothing that you can say about it that he doesn’t know. I feel we’re very ambitious [in] taking on this phenomenon in the way that we do. And having someone like Craig as an overall resource was tremendous.”
Colin Bentley/CBS
Watson is the second CBS series to take inspiration from the Holmes stories. Elementary, which aired from 2012 to 2019, starred Lucy Liu as Dr. Joan Watson. Liu’s iteration was a former surgeon hired by Sherlock’s (Jonny Lee Miller) father to help him in his rehabilitation as a recovering drug addict and former consultant to Scotland Yard.
In addition to Chestnut as Watson, Eve Harlow plays a highly skilled neurologist named Ingridwith a questionable past, while Peter Mark Kendall plays twin brothers — Stephens and Adam — who are infectious disease and functional medicine specialists. The show also features Inga Schlingmann in the role of Sasha, a specialist in rheumatology and immunology. Ritchie Coster rounds out the cast as Shinwell,a former criminal acquaintance of Holmes and Watson, while Rochelle Aytes plays Watson’s ex-wife, Mary.
“We’re not just doctors — we are detectives. We’re doc detectives. I’ve done medical dramas before but this wasn’t just medical. I’ve done detective dramas before but it wasn’t just detectives. The combination of both of them made it really interesting to me,” Chestnut noted. “It is a very ambitious undertaking that we’ve done. But the core and the foundation is still pretty much the same. And having a one hour procedural, I was just really excited to be a part of it.”
Watson premieres on CBS after the AFC Championship Game on Sunday, January 26, at 10 p.m. ET. It will begin airing in its regular time slot on Sunday, February 16, and new episodes stream the next day on Paramount+.
Emily Baldoni and Justin BaldoniEric Charbonneau/Getty Images
Justin Baldonicelebrated his 41st birthday with his family by his side amid ongoing legal drama.
“Happy birthday, my love,” the actor’s wife, Emily Baldoni, wrote via Instagram on Friday, January 24. “Celebrating the man, husband and father that you are. I’d choose you again and again.”
Emily, 40, also uploaded a photo of the couple, who have been married since 2013, kissing in front of a body of water. In the snap, their daughter Maiya, 9, hugged their waists while their son Maxwell, 7, was perched on Justin’s shoulders.
Justin turned 41 on Friday, which his other relatives celebrated with their own social media tributes.
“Happy Birthday Justin ~ remembering a wonderful moment after the final ending of Jane The Virgin — a moment where joy and love permeated the set, where friendships and family were born and kindness and integrity permeated the hearts of all the actors and crew, where sadness only entered because it was the final scene of a wonderful journey, and the beginning of the rest of our lives,” Justin’s mom, Sharon Baldoni, wrote in her own Instagram tribute. “A happy loving and generous memory with hearts exploding with possibilities. Life has its moments and, also, its surprises — as you keep your integrity through it all. Justice and truth will shine today and into eternity.”
She added, “I love you more than you will ever know! Happy Birthday my beautiful boy! May God continue to bless you in truth.”
Courtesy of Emily Baldoni/Instagram
Justin is currently embroiled in a legal battle surrounding his experience on 2024’s It Ends With Us. His costar Blake Livelyfiled a lawsuit last month, accusing Justin of sexual harassment and attempting to ruin her reputation. Justin and Lively, 37, starred as a couple in an abusive relationship in the Colleen Hoover film adaptation, which Justin also directed.
Justin vehemently denied Lively’s accusations before filing a $400 million lawsuit against Lively and her team. In the court documents, obtained by Us Weekly earlier this month, Baldoni’s legal team claimed that Lively was “determined to make Baldoni the real-life villain in her story” to mask her alleged “tone-deaf” promotion of the film.
Lively denied his claims through a spokesperson.
“This latest lawsuit from Justin Baldoni, Wayfarer Studios and its associates is another chapter in the abuser playbook. This is an age-old story: A woman speaks up with concrete evidence of sexual harassment and retaliation and the abuser attempts to turn the tables on the victim,” Lively’s lawyers told Us in a statement. “This is what experts call DARVO. Deny. Attack. Reverse Victim Offender. Wayfarer has opted to use the resources of its billionaire co-founder to issue media statements, launch meritless lawsuits, and threaten litigation to overwhelm the public’s ability to understand that what they are doing is retaliation against sexual harassment allegations.”
Justin, meanwhile, has since been prioritizing his family amid the legal battle.
“We’re grateful to be with the family, man,” he told photographers on January 17 in footage obtained by TMZ. “We have amazing friends and family and faith.”
Whether you celebrate the holiday with your significant other, best friends or yourself, Valentine’s Day is a sweet excuse for showing everyone some love. Now is the best time to gather Valentine’s Day gift ideas, and we’re big fans of gifting jewelry this time of year (even to yourself!).
I know I know — isn’t jewelry for Valentine’s Day a little stereotypical? It may sound cliche, but let’s be real — who wouldn’t want the gift of jewelry? You don’t have to gift diamonds just to show you care. There are plenty of affordable jewelry gifts from Kendra Scott, Baublebar and Pandora for under $100.
From pink heart rings to affordable tennis bracelets (yes, really), we rounded up thoughtful jewelry gifts that won’t break the bank. Scroll on for our top jewelry gift recommendations this Valentine’s Day.
Anyone who’s always wearing a bracelet stack will be ecstatic to receive this Kendra Scott Ari Heart Gold Bracelet. It features a dainty chain that showcases a pretty red heart in the center. Talk about the perfect gift for all of your gals!
Even though this heart ring serves as an excellent Valentine’s Day gift, it makes a stunning everyday accessory, too. The 18k gold-plated brass ring can be worn with a stack of rings or on its own.
Some heart necklaces are bulky and big, but that’s not the case with this perfectly sized pendant from Ana Luisa. Available in gold or silver, the necklace makes an adorable layering piece when paired with other dainty necklaces.
Looking for something sentimental to gift this Valentine’s Day? Go for Ben Amun’s 24k Gold Electroplate Locket. Featuring intricate details around the heart, the locket opens to reveal a photo of your choosing. How sweet!
A memorable Valentine’s Day gift doesn’t have to cost a fortune. Take this open heart pearl pendant necklace — it’s just $20 but looks so much more expensive. This jewelry gift is perfect for daughters, grandkids or girlfriends.
Looking to splurge a little? This sapphire jewelry gift set is just under $100 and comes with a heart pendant necklace and matching bracelet. Talk about a sweet deal!
Embodying the spirit of love, this Pandora Pink Chakra Heart Ring is anything but ordinary. It’s perfect for anyone who prefers thoughtful yet dainty jewelry, and it’s extra sentimental considering it’s coming from someone they love — aka you!
If you’re looking for a customizable jewlery gift, head to Baublebar. The brand offers fun pieces for any style and budget. Our pick? The Metallic Custom Woven Friendship Bracelet. It’s available in multiple colors and can be customized with a name, initials or sweet phrase.
Out of the 142 episodes he shot for Party of Five, Scott Wolf says one episode in particular stands out to him.
“‘The Intervention’ [season 3, episode 20] — where the family confronts Bailey about his drinking — is my favorite Party of Five episode,” Wolf, 56, reveals exclusively in his 25 Things You Don’t Know About Me feature in the latest issue of Us Weekly, on newsstands now. “It was the most demanding and gratifying. It was written perfectly and the culmination of Bailey’s experience up until that point.”
Party of Five, which aired on Fox from 1994 to 2000, follows five siblings navigating young adulthood together after the loss of their parents. Matthew Fox, Neve Campbell, Lacey Chabert and Jennifer Love Hewitt costarred along with Wolf. The siblings face various struggles throughout the series, including Wolf’s character Bailey’s struggle with alcoholism.
While the show dealt with some difficult subject matter, Wolf says his latest series, Doc, has been his most challenging project thus far: “Dr. Richard Miller is an incredibly complex character,” he told Us.
Doc — which airs on Fox on Tuesdays at 9 p.m. ET — follows the fictional Westside Hospital in Minneapolis, where the chief of internal medicine attempts to resume her medical career after a car accident, with the help of her colleagues, including Wolf as Miller.
Scott Wolf.Cindy Ord/Getty Images
For more fun facts from Wolf — including his first celebrity crush — keep scrolling:
1. My first car was a 1978 Volkswagen Dasher Wagon. My friends called it The Family Truckster from the Vacation movies. I had just gotten my license and was so eager to drive anything that I bought that piece of crap car and it was almost the end of me. I learned how to be a quasi-auto mechanic because it needed fixing all the time. It was a disaster, [but] I like to think it built character.
2. My favorite book I’ve ever read is One Hundred Years of Solitude. It really felt like you traveled through time with those characters.
3. Math was my best subject in school. I have a decent mind for math. I never loved it, but it came easier to me than most other subjects.
4. My favorite comfort meal is my wife’s chicken noodle soup. It’s homemade, delicious and arrives when you need it most.
5. “The Intervention” [season 3, episode 20] — where the family confronts Bailey about his drinking — is my favorite Party of Five episode. It was the most demanding and gratifying. It was written perfectly and the culmination of Bailey’s experience up until that point.
Cover Images
6. Doc is the most challenging project I’ve been a part of. Dr. Richard Miller is an incredibly complex character.
7. The trend I miss the most from the ’90s is boy bands.
8. My wedding ring is my most valuable possession — though I can’t find it. My wife knows I take it on and off for work. Anytime I’ve played a married character, I’ve worn it, and then invariably I’ll wear it on the set and someone’s like, “Go get Scott’s ring,” and it’s in someone’s pocket. So I can’t find it, but it’s 100 percent invaluable.
Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic
9. I play drums and guitar.
10. I’m really good at those puzzle books where you have to find the hidden objects.
11. My most starstruck moment was when Paul Newman came to see a play I was in at the Williamstown Theatre Festival. Thank God nobody told me he was there when we did the show, but in the dressing room after, someone tapped me on the shoulder and said, “Paul Newman would like to say hello,” and I don’t remember the next few seconds. He and his wife, Joanne Woodward, were there and they were the most lovely, gracious humans and said how much they enjoyed the play and my performance, and I couldn’t put real words together. He was that kind of genius human who just didn’t want you to feel uncomfortable or starstruck, even though everyone that ever said hello to him probably was.
13. My go-to takeout order is a McDonald’s Big Mac meal [with] large fries and a Coke.
14. I love every place I’ve gone to in Mexico. I love the food, the people and the beaches.
15. My first job was as a busboy at a pizza restaurant in my hometown. People would put their cigarettes out [on] the plates and I was picking those up. I lasted one night. Thankfully, other jobs have lasted longer.
16. I’m from New Jersey, and my reality-TV guilty pleasure show is The Real Housewives of New Jersey. It’s like going to a reunion.
Jocelyn Prescod/Bravo
17. I collect objects from places I’ve gone with my family. I love having a bowl of random shells, stones and things that you may not remember where they’re from, but they tell a story.
18. One of the most meaningful moments in my career was winning the Golden Globe [for Best Television Series — Drama] with the Party of Five cast. I was so proud to be part of that special group of people and getting that honor was really meaningful.
19. My bucket list isn’t about outside things — it’s become about being more present.
20. To unwind, I have a glass of bourbon and find someone in the house to laugh with.
21. I really looked up to Johnny Carson growing up. He was quick-witted and funny, but also heartfelt. He seemed like the consummate entertainer.
22. My first celebrity crush was Marcia Brady [Maureen McCormick]. I met her and told her that, and she was lovely and kind.
23. I was lucky enough to work with Jeff Bridges on White Squall, and he was as cool, funny and generous as anybody I’ve ever worked with. I would work with him again every day.
24. My alternate profession would be a lawyer or politician. I love a good argument and I suppose I have a bit of a justice bent in me. Something about the law has always intrigued me.
25. The one movie I could watch for the rest of my life is The Matrix. It feels like an experience more than a movie. It’s like a sensory world. Everytime I see it anywhere, I watch it to the end.
To stay the No. 1 syndicated court show, the Hot Bench judges know that everyone has to keep it real.
“These are real cases filed across the country in real courthouses,” Judge Yodit Tewolde exclusively shared with Us Weekly while celebrating the 2,000th episode of Hot Bench. “It’s so unbelievable these cases that we get that I don’t blame [people] for thinking it’s scripted, but these are real people with these real issues.”
Whether it’s litigants asking the court to resolve their drama surrounding rent, car accidents or even a $5 latte, Tewolde along with Michael Corriero and Rachel Juarez are determined to rule fairly and justly.
“The uniqueness about the show is that it’s just not one judge rendering a verdict,” Corriero explained to Us. “You’re getting to hear why we come to a conclusion and whether we can have a consensus together. …It gives us an opportunity perhaps to educate and test our views with each other and entertain.
As Hot Bench continues to air weekdays — check your local listings online — Us asked the judges to answer some burning questions about the show:
What Are the ‘Hot Bench’ Judges Favorite Cases to Try
Robert Voets/CBS Media Ventures
Juarez loves when a car accident case approaches her docket. “I like piecing them together,” she said. “I like when the three of us get to put on our detective hats and say, ‘Well, wait a second! Why isn’t there any white paint if he hit you in the back?’ I feel like it’s a way to kind of be a mini detective — but within only 20 minutes.”
While Tewolde doesn’t love a case involving kids who are bullied, Corriero tries to use it as a learning opportunity.
“We can try to remedy the situation,” he explained to Us. “A kid’s bully? We try to deal with that and demonstrate that the person who did the bullying was wrong and why. I like when we have very young people who come in as witnesses for their parents or the elders because it gives us an opportunity to talk to them, to reach them and to show them what a real courtroom is about, what justice is about.”
Corriero never likes it when plaintiffs or defendants have “inconsistencies” within their case.
Juarez raises her eyebrows when people start overexplaining their actions. “If you just come out defensively, like, ‘I had dinner at 7 but the reason I had dinner…’” she said. “The minute you start overexplaining and defending, we’re kind of like [hmmm.]”
It’s also important to come prepared with your evidence. “They’re always losing the cell phone with the text message proof,” Tewolde joked. “That is notorious.”
What Do the Judges Wear Below Their Robes?
The cameras showcase the judges in their signature black robes, but some prefer to get a little more casual with their footwear.
“We’re always wearing sneakers because under the robe, why do you care?” Tewolde joked before showcasing her Nikes.
While Juarez sometimes shows up to work in tracksuits, Corriero always comes dressed. “Ever since high school, I had to wear a suit,” he said. “I don’t feel dressed unless I’m in a suit.”
How Many Cases Do the ‘Hot Bench’ Judges Cover Every Day?
According to Juarez, Hot Bench is able to tape two or three days a week. Each day of filming includes six or seven cases.
“We have a lot of time to prepare,” she assured Us. “We really get to dive into each case, dig into the evidence for each case and then by the time that we’re actually there hearing them, we’ve seen almost everything.”
How Long Does It Take for the Judges to Reach Their Verdict?
While some viewers may assume the Hot Bench judges already know their ruling within minutes of meeting the plaintiff and defendant, Tewolde said it’s not always the case.
“Sometimes it’s fairly obvious,” she told Us. “A lot are not and we just have to wait and see what the litigants testify to and the evidence.”
Juarez added, “We often will read it and think one thing and then the people will present so differently before us. Nothing this person says makes sense or this person is clearly not credible and it completely changes.”
According to a source, the Grammy winner made the Mahomes’ new baby girl, Golden, a blanket following her birth on January 12. (The couple, both 29, also share daughter Sterling, 3, and son Bronze, 2.)
“She makes a lot of things for the people she loves and cares about,” the source exclusively tells Us of Swift, 35. “She makes sentimental gifts that are more of value to her than expensive gifts.”
The source notes Swift loves to create one-of-a-kind keepsakes behind the scenes.
“She has always been someone who makes arts and crafts. She makes a lot of personal things herself,” the source continues, noting that Swift is “always thinking about her friends and values those gifts more than anything expensive.”
Courtesy of Brittany Mahomes/Instagram
The homemade presents from Swift “have more meaning,” the insider says, adding that even when it comes to buying a present the pop star will “hunt for something special, personal and meaningful for people.” The source says, “She’s not the type to have her assistant just buy something.”
Gigi Hadid previously revealed in September 2020 that “auntie” Swift made her and ex Zayn Malik’s 4-year-old daughter, Khai, a pink blanket after she was born.
Chiefs WAG Chariah Gordon told Glamour in November 2024 that Swift sent her and Mecole Hardman Jr.’s baby girl a gift as well — even while she was still on tour. “It’s so freaking cute and so thoughtful,” Chariah said at the time.
Swift initially became friends with Patrick and Brittany once she started dating Kansa City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce in summer 2023. After the singer attended her first Chiefs game in September 2023, she soon became a fixture at Arrowhead Stadium, often cheering alongside Brittany from one of the suites.
“Brittany is thrilled to be building a genuine friendship with Taylor. They’ve hung out a couple of times and have grown fairly close in a short period of time,” a source exclusively told Us in October 2023. “Brittany thinks Taylor is so sweet, and down to earth, and they get along really great.”
The following month, Brittany joined Swift for a girls’ night out in New York City alongside the musician’s famous pals Selena Gomez, Sophie Turner and Hadid, 29.
The girls’ friendship continued to grow throughout 2024. In September of that year, the Mahomes were spotted hanging out with Swift and Kelce, 35, at the US Open in New York. (Patrick has played on the Chiefs with Kelce since 2017.)
Earlier this month, Swift showed her subtle support for Brittany and Patrick when they announced the arrival of their third baby.
“•Golden Raye Mahomes• 1/12/25,” the couple wrote via Instagram on January 13, sharing a black-and-white photo of their daughter’s feet as they held onto her.
Swift dropped a “like” on the social media post. Less than a week later both Brittany and Swift were spotted cheering on the Chiefs during the divisional playoff against the Houston Texans. The Chiefs won, advancing to the NFL Conference Championship game on Sunday, January 26.
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There’s no denying it, hair maintenance days can be tedious. From cleansing and conditioning to protein treatments and hair masks, there are so many things to do, before you even think about styling your strands. Starting out with a solid shampoo will help reduce the time spent and the effort it takes to wrangle your mane. Products like the Blu Atlas Natural Shampoo for All Hair Types deliver impressive results, which you need when you’re in a time crunch.
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My love for the French beauty line Chantecaille goes way back. When a glamorous Angelina Jolie was snapped applying the brand’s lip gloss at the 2011 Golden Globes awards, I had to make it mine. While we don’t all have the actress’ legendary pout, the sheer, sultry gloss (which she applied without a mirror) was that covetable. So, it was unsurprising that Gwyneth Paltrow also regularly rocks the same beautiful gloss on the red carpet — it’s a beauty insider hero! Not one to gatekeep, I’m sharing my long-time beauty love affair. Even better, the gloss is available at Nordstrom!
Chantecaille’s bestselling Brilliant Lip Gloss has an ultra-hydrating, high-shine formula. It’s that elusive non-sticky gloss that makes lips sensual and plump without any sting. Available in a range of wearable shades, it’s perfect over lipstick and magical on its own. Jolie has worn Love, a baby pink, and the nude hue Charm in the movie Salt.
For Paltrow, celeb makeup artist Georgie Eisdell uses a full face of Chantecaille on the Iron Man actress for events like the Golden Globes and premieres. After prepping her skin with the complexion-perfecting Rose de Mai Face Oil and creating a smokey eye with my favorite Luster Glide eyeliner, the finishing touch is Brilliant Lip Gloss in Modern, a subtle beige. It’s a universally flattering shade that works with any makeup, and Eisdell has also created bronzed beauty looks for Paltrow using the same color.
A-listers are hardly the only ones infatuated with the long-wearing gloss — shoppers give it lots of love, too. Chock full of antioxidants, reviews say things like, “I wasn’t sure it would be worth the price but I was pleasantly surprised. This is now my favorite lip gloss and I am buying other colors. I usually use Laura Mercier but it’s a little sticky. This isn’t sticky at all! It is perfect! The color Charm is basically just a little tint — looks like clear gloss on me and I love it.”
Over the years, Chantecaille’s luxe skincare products have also become my must-have staples, including the anti-aging Bio Lift mask, which shoppers say makes your skin look like a “baby’s behind!” Additionally, the clean, cruelty-free French beauty brand supports environmental and endangered animal causes. So, with every purchase, you give to charities as well — a win-win if there ever was one.
Shop the French cool-girl brand yourself — and gloss on like a star!
Fans may think they know Parvati Shallow, but the Survivor legend is preparing some surprises in her upcoming book, Nice Girls Don’t Win.
“It covers my whole life up until very recently — coming back from Deal or No Deal Island, that’s the epilogue,” Shallow, 42, exclusively told Us Weekly while promoting season 2 of the NBC competition show. “It’s a journey of going from a really naive [place], like, ‘Oh I don’t know, I just wanna be liked’ and wanting people to think I’m great, to ‘I really know who I am.’ I’m [now] able to make these decisions and create a life that I really love that is so authentic to me.”
Shallow said when she got the call from Random House about the book deal, she lost it. “They’re like, ‘We want this.’ I thought I was having a heart attack,” she told Us. “I was like, ‘I’m dying. I think I need to check myself into urgent care.’”
Shallow believes her body “was having a reaction to knowing that I was gonna have to follow through and really put these stories out into the world.” She added, “It was terrifying.”
Shallow confirmed that her stints on several reality shows as well as her personal life will be explored in the book, which is expected on July 8.
“I share stories about getting cast on Survivor, going out and playing, [and] what that was like for me. Traitors is in there. My marriage, having a baby, my divorce, and then getting into a queer relationship for the first time in my life,” she said. “It covers the whole range and it’s pretty vulnerable and very intimate and stories that I’ve never shared.”
Parvati ShallowPaul Archuleta/Getty Images
Shallow shares 6-year-old daughter Ama with ex-husband John Fincher, with whom she had a messy divorce in 2021. She started dating comedian Mae Martin in 2023, recently telling People that their status is “an in-flux situation.”
“[Writing the memoir] was the hardest thing I’ve ever done — and I have birthed a baby and I’ve played five seasons of Survivor,” she continued to Us. “I’m a different person because I wrote the book. I have really reclaimed my power in my voice. I am a chronic oversharer in my life, I think, but it hasn’t been public in this way.”
Shallow reiterated that nothing is off limits.
“Some of the stories are really vulnerable. I wrote about the death of my brother and what that was like. So with my parents reading it, I’m like, ‘I’m sorry. I ask for forgiveness instead of permission,’” she explained. ”And then with my dating life, there’s some of that in there that I’m, like, ‘Hopefully is fine!’”
The title wasn’t as hard to settle on — despite her daughter’s disapproval.
“Sandra [Diaz-Twine]and I had that feud [which included me saying], ‘nice girls don’t win Survivor or build lives they love.’ I really believe that,” Shallow told Us. “I think that when I talk about being nice, it’s different from being kind. I think I’m a kind person. Be kind. I want everyone to be kind. But being nice has this stickiness to it that is like, ‘I’m gonna be nice to you so you like me so you want to give me the things that I want from you.’ So really it’s about stop trying to be liked and start living your life authentically for you. And then you will find a way to win whatever it is that you’re doing in your life.”
Shallow explained that Ama “is very upset about the title.”
“She goes, ‘Mom, that’s not true. Nice girls do win.’ She’s mad about it. I’m like, ‘Yeah, you’re right. Sometimes nice girls do win, but it’s kind of like a cheeky hook,’” she said, revealing that Ama has only seen a little bit of her mom’s time on reality TV. “She watched me poison Ekin-Su [on Traitors] and she’s like, ‘Oh my god Mom, you’re the bad guy.’ She watched one episode of Traitors and then it was too much for her. But she watched Deal No Deal Island. And she loved it.”
Shallow concluded that she has to “ease” her daughter into reality TV “because she’s already very competitive and wants to be famous, so I’m a little nervous.”
The topic of residuals has been a hot topic, but where do the payments come from — and how much do actors actually make?
“Producers and distributors [bankroll the residual payments],” a spokesperson for SAG-AFTRA shared in the latest issue of Us Weekly. “Our signatory producers are responsible for residuals when their pictures are distributed and exhibited, but distributors also assume that responsibility and pay residuals as a result of getting the rights to distribute a picture.”
When it comes to the amount, there are “multiple factors” that determine how much a performer will receive.
“The Agreement that the picture is produced under [plays a role]. [Also] the type[s] of exhibition/distribution the picture is having, e.g. network runs on television, sales of DVDs or digital downloads, subscription and free streaming, basic cable, foreign television, etc.,” the spokesperson explained. “The revenue from the types of distribution, e.g. how many units were sold on DVD or digital sell thru, the value of a license to television or new media such as Pay TV or network or basic cable or a streaming service. Also how individual performers were hired, worked and paid.”
Residuals were a major topic of conversation during the dual WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes in 2023. Many actors shared their pay stubs to show why they were advocating for better pay for union members.
William Stanford Davis, who plays Mr. Johnson on Abbott Elementary, previously took to social media to show his $0.05 paycheck from an undisclosed TV show. Meanwhile, Mandy Moore revealed she received checks for pennies following reruns of her Emmy-nominated drama, This Is Us.
NBC
“Ours is a fickle industry and in my 20+ years of being a performer, my career has ebbed and flowed. I’ve had very lean years where I couldn’t get a job and those are precisely the moments when in years past, actors could rely on residuals from their past work to help them get by,” Moore, 40, wrote via her Instagram in July 2023. “The world and business have changed and I’m hoping we can find a meaningful solution moving forward.”
She added: “The trickle-down effect felt across so many industries is already devastating. I am one person — a tiny part of our guild — and while I am happy to use whatever platform my past jobs have given me to speak to issues affecting my fellow @sagaftra family, I know my experience is my own. Here’s hoping we get a fair contract soon so we can get back to doing the jobs we all love and miss so much.”
The WGA went on strike in May 2023 before reaching a deal with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers five months later. SAG-AFTRA joined them on the picket line two months later after failing to reach an agreement on contract terms with the AMPTP, which represents networks, studios and streamers like Netflix, Amazon, Apple, Disney, Discovery-Warner, NBC Universal, Paramount and Sony. A deal was reached in November 2023, and the labor dispute was settled after most TV shows and movies were put on pause.
“But some, such as reruns of television programs, can be due one to four months after each rerun,” they noted. “The combination of negotiation and strike actions [brought about residuals]. And getting residuals for the first time also includes a negotiation about how many and to what extent older/previously produced shows will participate in the newly bargained terms.”
“As exhibition patterns and types of distribution change the contracts need to change as well. In addition, the residuals formulas often need to be improved as a media market grows. The first residuals for reruns on television didn’t continue in perpetuity and that improvement was negotiated later,” the rep shared with Us. “Same for residuals for foreign television exhibition of television programs. The same thing is happening for residuals associated with shows on the streaming services now. Those formulas get improved in subsequent negotiations.”
If you have a burning entertainment question for our team of experts, email us at [email protected]. For more, pick up the new issue of Us Weekly, on newsstands now.
The streamer confirmed on Friday, January 24 that the series will return for season 4, with production now underway and a release date to be announced later.
“A lot has changed in the real lives of those agents since Season 3, so it’s exciting to get back down there,” series creator Adam DiVello said in a statement, per Netflix. He teased that there’s “a lot of new faces” this time around — watch out, Orange County.
“They are just crushing it down there,” DiVello said of his cast of high-end real estate agents.
Selling the OC premiered in 2022 as a spinoff of its popular sibling show Selling Sunset. The West Coast franchise centers on employees of the Oppenheim Group, a luxury firm, as they navigate their personal and professional lives.
The OC edition has starred the firm’s founder, Jason Oppenheim, as well as his staffers Alex Hall, Alexandra Jarvis, Alexandra Rose, Brandi Marshall, Gio Helou, Kayla Cardona, Polly Brindle, Austin Victoria and Tyler Stanaland, the source of much drama both onscreen and off as he re-entered single life amid his split from ex-wife Brittany Snow.
“He basically came into filming saying — once we started all to become friends and confide in each other and trauma bonding — he told us, ‘Oh yeah, my wife [Snow] said that we’re basically getting a divorce because I went on the show,’” Hall, 35, claimed in a May 2024 podcast interview.
Hall had felt compelled to share her side of the story after being accused of getting flirty with Stanaland, 35, prior to his separation from Snow, 38. (Stanaland and the Pitch Perfect actress parted ways one month after the show’s debut. Snow filed for divorce in January 2023, and the exes reached a settlement later that year.)
“Sadly, there’s so many other altercations that happened throughout filming on our show with other women, with this man, with Tyler,” Hall recalled last year. “Season 1, one of the girls in the office was trying to, like, seduce Tyler and make out with Tyler.”
During the Selling the OC season 2 finale in September 2023, Hall and Stanaland expressed their feelings for each other and shared a steamy kiss in a hot tub.
“I’m very, very happy right now and I don’t want to jinx anything,” the reality star — who shares two kids with an ex-husband — said at the time, adding, “I’m off the market, baby. It’s hard in the OC, man. It’s hard everywhere out there. I’m trying to get wifed up. I want to be a wife again.”
Hugh Jackman and Ryan Reynolds(Photo by Noam Galai/Getty Images for Netflix)
Ryan Reynolds made a surprise appearance at Hugh Jackman’s concert in New York City — grabbing the mic to pay tribute to his close friend.
Reynolds, 48, spoke from the audience at Radio City Music Hall on Friday, January 24, while Jackman, 56, stood onstage during a pause in his show Hugh Jackman Live: From New York With Love, which opened that night.
The previous summer, Reynolds and Jackman took over movie theaters with their Marvel blockbuster Deadpool & Wolverine.
Reynolds, sporting a white button-down shirt, gray pants and white sneakers, opened his speech with an anecdote about Jackman’s behavior on the set of the superhero movie.
“Just like here, he knew every single person’s name, even though he was making them up half the time,” the actor, businessman and husband of Blake Lively told the crowd, drawing laughs. “He showed a kind of courtesy and gentleness and curiosity, and he put value into every single crew member that we were working with.”
Reynolds called Jackman “my gotcha for life,” even though, he said, “I’m his second-best friend.”
Ryan Reynolds takes the mic at opening night of Hugh Jackman’s show at Radio City Music Hall pic.twitter.com/XOAST0L7xO
Reynolds joked Friday that “we were supposed to finish this bit where these two security gentlemen come and they try to take the mic [from] me — it’s like a struggle, and then they tase me and I go down, and then they hog-tie me and then they put me in the Radio City music garbage dump, and then they just light it on fire.”
However, he continued, “I wanted to actually just say, I love this man, I care about this man. He is, he is genuinely the best human being I know. And I have 4 children!”
“I love you, Ryan Reynolds, I love you, man,” Jackman replied, joking that his pal was actually his fifth best friend. “Thanks for coming. And thanks for asking for a free ticket, too.”
The duo plan to reunite on the big screen again — but not in a Deadpool sequel. Reynolds said in November that he was “spending the year writing” a new movie for himself, Jackman and director Shawn Levy.
Deadpool & Wolverine, helmed by Levy, featured a plethora of cameos including Lively, Jennifer Garner, Wesley Snipes and Chris Evans, and grossed more than $1 billion worldwide.
While promoting the film, Reynolds and Jackman, put their brotherly bond on full display. Reynolds shared that his and Lively’s four kids — James, 10, Inez, 8, Betty, 5, and Olin, born in 2023 — consider Jackman family.
“They’re all kind of in love with Uncle Hughy over here, so that worked out pretty well,” Reynolds told Extra in July 2024. “He got attacked by Betty backstage, who thinks she has claws, so she goes at him. I have to actually give her a little tiny time-out.”
Jackman seems to be supporting Reynolds amid his wife’s ongoing legal battle with Justin Baldoni. Earlier this month, he joined Reynolds and Lively in skipping the Golden Globe Awards amid the drama, although a source told Us Weekly that their joint absences had nothing to do with the dueling lawsuits.
Jackman, for his part, has recently gone public with girlfriend Sutton Foster. The twosome have been photographed holding hands after months of keeping their relationship private. Jackman and Foster first sparked show-romance rumors in 2023 during the revival of The Music Man on Broadway.
Evan Rachel Wood is speaking out after Los Angeles’ district attorney, Nathan Hochman, announced that her ex, Marilyn Manson, won’t be charged with domestic violence and sexual assault.
Wood and several other women had accused Manson (real name: Brian Warner) in 2021 of abusing them. On Friday, January 24, Hochman said that he was closing a four-year investigation into the claims against Manson.
“We have determined that allegations of domestic violence fall outside of the statute of limitations and we cannot prove charges of sexual assault beyond a reasonable doubt,” Hochman stated in his announcement. “We recognize and applaud the courage and resilience of the women who came forward to make reports and share their experiences, and we thank them for their cooperation and patience with the investigation.”
Reacting to Friday’s news, Wood, 37, took to her private Instagram account with a statement of her own.
“My lawyer and I were advised by the Deputy District Attorneys and the Sheriff deputies who investigated the case that there was compelling evidence to support our claims, but that the statute of limitations prevents many of those crimes from being prosecuted,” Wood wrote in a post, per People.
“We always knew that the statute of limitations would be a barrier, which is why we created the Phoenix Act so that other victims wouldn’t have to experience this outcome,” she continued, referencing the law that she helped pass in California in 2019. It extends the statute of limitations for domestic violence cases from three to five years, and requires police to undergo more training on domestic abuse.
“Unfortunately, the Phoenix Act cannot help in cases which occurred before it was passed, but I hope this shines a light on why it’s so important to advocate for better laws,” Wood said in conclusion. “Evidence of violent crimes should not have an expiration date. I am grateful for the work law enforcement has done, and I am endlessly proud of all the survivors who risked everything to protect others by speaking the truth.”
Wood and Manson, 56, began dating in 2007 and got engaged in January 2010. The engagement was called off seven months later.
“He started grooming me when I was a teenager and horrifically abused me for years,” Wood alleged via Instagram in February 2021. “I was brainwashed and manipulated into submission.”
The actress also claimed in that post that she’d decided to speak out because she was “done living in fear of retaliation, slander, or blackmail,” adding, “I am here to expose this dangerous man and call out the many industries that have enabled him, before he ruins any more lives. I stand with the many victims who will no longer be silent.”
Wood’s revelation came after she alleged to Rolling Stone in November 2016 that she had been raped twice in the past, once by a “significant other” and later by “the owner of a bar.”
Manson sued Wood for defamation and emotional distress in March 2022, a few weeks prior to the release of HBO’s Phoenix Rising documentary miniseries which included Wood’s allegations of rape and sexual abuse against Manson during their three-year relationship.
Us Weekly confirmed in November 2024 that Manson had abandoned his lawsuit and agreed to pay approximately $327,000 to cover attorney fees accumulated by Wood.
If you or anyone you know has been sexually abused, call the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673). A trained staff member will provide confidential, judgment-free support as well as local resources to assist in healing, recovering and more.
Sandoval, 42, shared his thoughts via Instagram Stories after a video circulated online that showed him as a Traitors contestant — sporting a T-shirt with major pit stains.
“Man, that video, I looked rough,” the reality star admitted in a Story on Thursday, January 23. “I also felt like s—. I mean, I had, like, over 24 hours of travel, including an eight-hour layover, which made my immune system go to s— and cause the domino of problems. I’m sure you could tell my eye was swollen because I got a stye in my eye, and the stress and the weakened immune system caused canker sores, sore throat.”
Meanwhile, he added, the airline had lost his luggage on the flight to Scotland, where the show was filmed.
“I was at the mercy of the wardrobe department, which, by the way, they did a great job,” Sandoval informed his 1 million followers before going on to recall the “day that they gave me the thickest wool sweater I’ve ever worn. And man, that thing, I was sweating my a– off. It was hot in there. And well, I’m only human.”
He noted: “At least I can laugh at it now, as you guys all have.”
Sandoval in ‘The Traitors.’Photo: Peacock
Sandoval has made quite the impression since joining the ensemble of The Traitors. Earlier this month, season 3 kicked off with host Alan Cumming making a dig about his controversial past, telling him, “Would you feel I’d betrayed you, Tom. Doesn’t feel so good, does it?”
Meanwhile, Sandoval’s onscreen sweating garnered offscreen memes and drew shade from castmates including Wells Adams and Chrishell Stause.
Adams, 40, told Parade in an interview published January 16, “Watching it back, I was like, ‘Man, he’s got two faucets running at full steam. I wish I had clocked it, because then I maybe could have been like, ‘You’re a Traitor because you’re sweating a lot!’ And then I wouldn’t be banished in the second episode.”
The day before, Stause, 43, discussed the sweating on Watch What Happens Live, saying, “The castle was not cold. I think Sandoval was imbibing in, probably drinking a lot of Coke. He had too much sugar in his system.”
And in an exclusive interview with Us, Stause dismissed Sandoval’s ability to play the game. (During the show’s three-episode premiere, Sandoval accused her of not being a Faithful despite no evidence to support his theory.)
“He’s terrible. To be honest with you, there was no other reason for him saying my name,” Stause said last week. “He just said it so blatantly that he knew I was a Traitor. Of course he’s going to act like, ‘Oh, I really was just playing the game.’ To me, it felt personal and you probably can’t change your mind at this point.”
She added: “I felt like he was so loud and so wrong. It really felt like whoever he says [the Traitor] is, we probably know it isn’t. So I think it helped in my case, to be honest.”
The Way Home made viewers fall in love with Alice and Nick’s unattainable romance, but will the fictional couple find their way back to each other despite an age gap caused by time travel?
During an exclusive interview with Us Weekly, Sadie Laflamme-Snow gushed about how Alice’s connection with Nick (Samuel Braun) in 1994 helped her develop her character, saying, “Oh my heart. I love the Alice and Nick story line. It is such an anchor point for me playing Alice. It was one of the first times we really saw her open up.”
Laflamme-Snow, 25, recalled how it took a while for Alice to show herself to others. “She was really going through a hard time at the beginning. So the first time we see her sing on Nick’s request at the beach in front of all these strangers, you really see her for the first time as a young girl and she’s just vulnerable,” she shared. “It’s so beautiful.”
Despite feeling the chemistry between Alice and teenage Nick, Laflamme-Snow was still caught off guard by the overwhelming fan support.
“I didn’t know people were going to be so attached. But it was almost like, as time went on, people got more attached to their relationship and the more they became star-crossed lovers,” she noted. “We saw them at the house party [in season 1] and they were at the masquerade seeing each other through the glass. It’s like the more they got pulled apart, the more people wanted them to come together.”
The Way Home, which premiered in 2023, introduced three generations of women in the Landry family who stumble onto a pond on their land that allows them to time travel. Alice was the first one to make the discovery, which led to her going back in time when her mother, Kat (Chyler Leigh), was her age. That paved the way for Alice to find love with teen Kat (Alex Hook) and teen Elliot’s (David Webster) childhood friend, Nick.
Hallmark Media
“For Nick to finally find out that Alice had time traveled in season 2, obviously that was the most disruptive thing of all time to them being able to act normal in the present day,” Laflamme-Snow told Us about how season 2 introduced adult Nick, played by Kerry James. “I, of course, love that story and would go back there anytime.”
“Alice needs to be in a place of focusing on her future and we see that with Noah [Alexander Eling],” she added about her character’s newest love interest. “When she’s having a hard time with someone in her family — it’s all informed by time travel — which is the most unusual set of circumstances. [With Noah] she can just be a teenager. It’s something that she really needs.”
The actress isn’t ruling out a return from Nick — even if it is in adult form. “We’ll see how Alice and Nick in present day awkwardness can work herself out,” she teased. “Kerry James — who plays Nick — is so much fun to work with. It’s funny to see them just sort of pretend that they don’t know each other but also be forced in a small town to constantly bump into each other. It was handled beautifully.”
Hallmark Media
Laflamme-Snow’s costars Chyler Leigh and Evan Williams highlighted how The Way Home was able to address an age gap romance “without making it even weirder” for the audience.
“One of the things that this feels most holistic about the show is that thematically we’re always investigating this question of, ‘Is it better to try to change the past or change our relationship to the past?’ That allows us to exist in the present in the future,” Williams, 39, explained to Us. “We see the audience and all of the characters — in their own ways — grappling with that question.”
He continued: “Obviously there are things that the heart wants but we’re also watching the characters navigate that. One of the most realistic things about the show is we see the characters not necessarily always get what they think they want.”
“There’s a really interesting combination where our show airs on Friday night so it’s like appointment viewing. It’s not all streamed all at the same time so people can’t really binge it. They have to wait a week,” Williams said. “So they’re going to do all their theorizing about everything. But the past episodes and past seasons are available via streaming. So it’s a combination of both appointment viewing and streaming. We get the most of both worlds.”
The Way Home airs on the Hallmark Channel Fridays at 9 p.m. ET. New episodes are also available to stream on Hallmark+ and Peacock the next day.
The upcoming biopic about Michael Jackson reportedly needs to be reshot after a past legal agreement from an accuser was recently discovered.
According to a report from Puck on Thursday, January 23, the film initially included the lawsuit against the late musician — who died in 2009 at age 50 — filed by Evan Chandler. Chandler’s son Jordan, who was 13 at the time, accused Jackson of sexual abuse in 1993. (Jackson’s estate repeatedly denied abuse accusations made against the late star.)
Jackson and the Chandlers settled the lawsuit out of court for a reported $23 million. According to the outlet, part of the settlement includes a clause that the Chandlers can never be mentioned or dramatized in a film.
Puck reported that the biopic’s script included Jackson’s legal battle against the Chandlers as one of the plot points before it was discovered that they could not be mentioned. Now the film allegedly has to reshoot some of those scenes due to the legal issue.
TMZ reported on Friday, January 24, that the biopic, titled Michael, will complete reshoots in March. Additional details about the reshoots were not shared.
The film has been in the works since 2019, when Graham King secured the rights to tell Jackson’s story. In 2023, Jackson’s nephew, Jaafar Jackson, was cast to portray his late uncle. The film also stars Colman Domingo and Nia Long as the pop icon’s parents, Joe and Katherine Jackson. Miles Teller, Laura Harrier, Kat Graham and more are also in the star-studded cast.
Barry King/WireImage
In March 2024, King spoke out about how he wanted to take an “unbiased” approach to the biopic.
“Michael’s life was complicated,” King said in a statement to Variety. “As a filmmaker, I look to humanize but not sanitize and present the most compelling, unbiased story I can capture in a single feature film and let the audience decide how they feel after watching it. Michael clearly remains an impactful, culturally relevant artist with a life and legacy worth exploring.”
Michael will follow the life of the entertainer from his time with the Jackson 5 up to his tragic death. He died after suffering cardiac arrest at his home in Los Angeles, and it was later determined that the cause was an overdose of propofol administered by his doctor, Conrad Murray. In 2011, Murray was convicted of involuntary manslaughter and sentenced to four years in prison.
The movie wrapped up filming in May 2024. Michael was initially scheduled to be released in April of this year. However, the premiere date has been pushed back to October.
,” the couple wrote via Instagram on January 13, sharing a black-and-white photo of their daughter’s feet as they held onto her.
