Fire Country, 9-1-1and more shows have publicly thanked firefighters and first responders who are still fighting the ongoing Los Angeles wildfires.
CBS released a PSA on Thursday, January 16, that featured cast members from shows such as Fire Country, The Neighborhood, Ghosts, Poppa’s House, NCIS and Elsbeth rallying for donations to support residents affected by the tragedy.
Fire Country’s Max Thieriot, Stephanie Arcila, Jules Latimer, Kevin Alejandro, Billy Burke and Diane Farr thanked responders and encouraged donations to the Red Cross.
“We would like to extend our deepest gratitude to all of the firefighters and first responders who are risking their lives and tirelessly battling the wildfires in southern California,” Thieriot, 36, said in the video. “You are true heroes.”
Amid the rapidly changing natural disaster, CBS pulled a Fire Country rerun that was to air January 10. The hit series follows inmate Bode (Thieriot) as he gets a chance to shorten his prison sentence by volunteering for the California Conservation Camp Program. Bode gets assigned to his hometown, where he reconnects with his family and former friends and continues to make attempts to redeem himself.
Kevin Alejandro as Manny PerezSergei Bachlakov/CBS
Wildfires broke out in the Pacific Palisades on January 7 and quickly spread throughout other parts of Los Angeles. Many celebrities who live in the area have offered updates about losing their homes and personal belongings.
Thieriot, 36, who is the lead and executive producer on the project, previously spoke to Us Weekly about his experience growing up in real fire country.
“That’s probably the biggest thing that I’m always trying to do better. I have a lot of friends that do this job and so it’s always important to me to portray it in the best way possible. Obviously this is still a fictional story but that doesn’t fall short on me,” he explained in May 2024. “Obviously the bigger the world gets, the more my focus is sort of spread out across a lot of things. But it’s all about having trust in the whole team. And trusting that when everybody pitches their ideas and we all come together that we’re gonna find the best one for the series.”
Thieriot also highlighted some important causes such as the Wildland Firefighter Foundation, which provides immediate and long term assistance to fallen and injured firefighters and their families.
Max Thieriot as Bode Leone and Billy Burke as Vince LeoneEike Schroter/CBS
“Obviously, we have a big platform where we can reach a lot of people. I took a little bit of a poll from a bunch of wildland firefighters that I know. I got back the same feedback from a lot of these people who are boots on the ground firefighters and they said this was an organization that really represented the community well and were really trying to make a difference for them,” he told Us in October 2024. “Wildland firefighters — especially on the government side — really have been underpaid at a time where we really need the resources to fight these fires and need to have firefighters out there willing to make these sacrifices.”
He concluded: “There’s been a lot of people recently who have been reflecting on the job and the toll that it takes. They are asking, ‘Is this worth it for me to be doing this when I could basically make more money doing almost anything and my life is at risk?’ Those people just need to feel supported and their families need to feel supported. The money goes to help firefighters who are injured. It goes to help their families when they lose family members in the line of duty. To me, it just felt like a really important cause.”
In addition to Fire Country‘s attempts to raise awareness, ABC’s 9-1-1issued a statement on social media about how the show “is honored to tell stories about the courage of real-life first responders. We thank them for their bravery fighting the L.A. wildfires and are proud to support their efforts through Disney’s $15 million donation for immediate response and rebuilding efforts, which includes support of the Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation, among other organizations.”
Check the LAFD website for local wildfire alerts and click here for resources on how to help those affected.
Meredith Gaudreau and Johnny GaudreauCourtesy of Meredith Gaudreau/Instagram
Meredith Gaudreau found a poignant way to keep her late husband’s legacy alive permanently.
Following the death of Meredith’s husband, NHL star Johnny Gaudreau, in August 2024, she recently received tattoos to commemorate Johnny using his ashes in the ink.
“A month ago, a client reached out to me for a cremation tattoo,” tattoo artist Tay Nicole Clinch shared via Instagram on Wednesday, January 15. “I’d never done one and was transparent about that but she chose to stick with me anyway. Shortly after, she let me in on her story and It’s safe to say I got pretty emotional when I’d come to realize this was a story I had already knew of and was brought to tears over in the past.”
Johnny and his brother, Matthew Gaudreau, were struck and killed by a drunk driver while riding bicycles in Oldmans Township, New Jersey, on August 29, 2024. Johnny was 31 years old, Matthew was 29.
Clinch continued, “With some factors involved, this isn’t something I’d do but given the circumstances, I made an exception. Safety was prioritized. A medical professional was consulted and gave clearance, ensuring this decision was made with care and informed guidance.”
Meredith’s tattoo.Courtesy of Tay Nicole Clinch/Instagram
Meredith had the ford “Forever” tattooed on the inside of one of her fingers and the names of her two children — daughter Noa, 2, and son Johnny, 22 months — on her forearm.
“So, with his ashes in the ink, this tattoo became an additional way to carry his presence with her alongside their babies— thank you for trusting me with something so special and letting me play a small role in your healing journey,” Clinch wrote.
Clinch explained she waited a month to post about the tattoos because she “wanted Meredith to have some private time with these while they healed and they’ve healed well without any unusual side effects.”
Meredith expressed her gratitude in the comments section of Clinch’s post, writing, “Obsessed with them. Perfectly done by the best and coolest girl.”
“We’re actually a family of five,” Meredith said during her eulogy. “I’m in my ninth week of pregnancy with our third baby. A total surprise, but again, John was beaming and so excited.”
Meredith added, “I was so nervous because this was, again, a total surprise. But his reaction was just immediately kissing me and hugging me even though I was driving the car. After the initial excitement sank in, every time he looked at me, he would say, ‘You’re nuts, you know that? Three kids?’”
If you’re struggling to lose weight and keep it off, it’s time to stop relying on old diets that have no proven results. Instead, opt for a solution that has an impeccable track record like Reverse Health, which creates customized plans for those in menopause. To get started, all you need is to take a simple quiz that helps to map out your 12-week journey. Now is the perfect time to get going, too, since Reverse Health is still offering a whopping 50% off its programs.
Reverse Health makes it easy to achieve your goals. Unlike other diet plans and lifestyle changes, this weight loss program offers tailored meal plans and other tools that will actually help you shed unwanted weight. It’s also the first women-only weight loss program designed for those 40 and older, and for those 12 weeks, you’ll be addressing your health in a way that other programs fail to understand.
Developed by nutrition expert Matt and mindset coach Monika, Reverse Health was birthed after 10 years of research — so you know it’s not just a quick fix. Not only does this plan help you reach your goals, but it also helps with long-term weight management, providing priceless advice that will allow you to age in a healthier way.
“We tackle the unique challenges of weight gain and slow metabolism during menopause with personalized meal plans, exercise routines and expert support,” the company states.
Here’s what shoppers are saying about their results and the app itself.
“I’ve been on so many diets, but this plan is truly different,” one user wrote. “I’m losing my awful menopause belly, yet the guidelines are so simple. I’m hooked!”
“Day 30 of the program, and today I’ve hit some really important benchmarks,” another added. “I have lost 10 pounds and reached a healthy BMI as a result! I really believe in this program. I have tried many others and they didn’t work. It’s really liberating not to count calories and just to focus on putting healthy food on my plate.”
Many have noted that while other plans haven’t worked for them, Reverse Health is totally different.
“I’ve done every weight loss program known to women and this is the first one that delivered,” someone explained. “I am eating way more protein than I ever have (I blame my long fingers). Seriously, up your protein and quit worrying about how many calories you took in today.”
Give the app a try for yourself while it’s 50% off. Who knows? By summer you’ll probably be grateful you started when you did!
As Bachelor Nation waits for Rachael Kirkconnell to break her silence on her split from Matt James, a source is giving Us Weekly exclusive insight into their relationship.
“The split may seem abrupt, but this has been brewing for a while. It was a long time coming,” the source says. “Matt just couldn’t commit to her.”
James, 33, and Kirkconnell, 28, met on season 25 of The Bachelor, opting to date after the show instead of getting engaged. While they briefly separated as the show was airing, they were back together by spring 2021. James announced on Thursday, January 16, that they had called it quits.
According to the source, the duo struggled with trust issues. “It was hard for Rachael to trust him,” the source tells Us.
Rachael Kirkconnell and Matt JamesAlexander Tamargo/Getty Images
Still, “Rachael really wanted to get married and settle down and they were not on the same page,” the source continues. “She felt like she was waiting around, and he would never give her what she wanted.”
While “they are both very upset” over the breakup, per the source, Kirkconnell is “ready to move on” and knows “it’s for the best.”
Rachael Kirkconnell and Matt JamesABC/Craig Sjodin
During their four-year relationship, James and Kirkconnell were often asked about plans to take the next step. Just a few weeks before the breakup, Kirkconnell was interacting with fans via Instagram who were asking about a proposal, joking she would pop the question to James “next Thursday.” Last June, James told Us that he did intend to marry Kirkconnell.
“We’re doing great. I feel like when you feel pressure, it’s when you don’t wanna do something,” he told Us at the time. “So I’ve never really felt pressure [to get engaged] because it’s something that I’ve always wanted to do. It’s something that we’re gonna do at some point. That’s why we’re together and what we’re working toward. I’m excited about our future.”
Over the years, the twosome were also very active on social media, with James posting videos from their recent trip to London as recently as Wednesday, January 15. As a result, his breakup statement came as a shock to many fans. (Us pointed out that James often posts his travel content on a delay, so it’s likely the pair are no longer abroad together, but they haven’t confirmed when their trip took place.)
“Father God, give Rachael and I strength to mend our broken hearts,” James wrote on Thursday. “Give us a peace about this decision to end our relationship that transcends worldly understanding. Shower our friends and family with kindness and love to comfort us. And remind us that our Joy comes from you, Lord .”
While some fans were questioning the religious tone of the post, James has been open about his faith in the past, even kicking off his Bachelor journey with a prayer. Kirkconnell is tagged in the statement — which was written alongside a photo from their season of the ABC show — but hasn’t shared the post. She later “liked” a comment on her own page that implied James or his split announcement blindsided her. Us understands she was surprised by the post and not the actual breakup itself.
“The more I’m thinking about it, the more I think he completely blindsided her with this,” the comment read. “Give her some grace and let her respond in her own time.”
Us Weekly has reached out to James and Kirkconnell for comment.
During the Thursday, January 16, episode of their “I Do Part 2” podcast, Holmes, 47, and Robach, 51, explained why Lopez, 55, and Affleck, 52, were their “big breakup.”
“I was holding on to them [getting back together] until they asked the judge to sign off on the divorce,” Holmes said before joking, “I sent a letter to the judge asking him to not sign off on the divorce.”
Robach recalled Holmes claiming that “someone was going to back out of it” before the divorce was official, adding, “We were rooting for them and we are always rooting for love. But sometimes rooting for a person means also saying, ‘Sometimes you’re better off not together.’ And that is the truth.”
“Obviously, we talk about Jennifer and Ben here. That was a love story that’s been going 20-plus years,” he said. “We talk about the movies she made with him and them and you’re just like, ‘Wow, love is amazing.’ … I’m still hoping they’ll get back together a third time.”
Robach acknowledged that it was a possibility. “Who’s to say? If they could wait 20 years, maybe they just need for their stars to not be shining so brightly,” she noted. “The public pressure of a public romance is real and it’s tough.”
Affleck and Lopez were first linked after meeting on the set of Gigliin 2001. They were initially engaged from 2002 to 2004 but never walked down the aisle. Nearly two decades later, Lopez and Affleck reunited in 2021 after her split from ex-fiancé Alex Rodriguez. Affleck proposed for a second time in 2022, and the couple got married in Las Vegas that summer before celebrating their union with a second ceremony.
Us Weekly confirmed in August 2024 that Lopez filed for divorce, listing their date of separation as April. News of the pair’s split came after months of speculation about Affleck and Lopez’s relationship, and their divorce was finalized earlier this month.
Holmes previously expressed his disappointment after Lopez filed for divorce.
“3:22 a.m. is when I messaged you,” Holmes said during an August 2024 episode of his and Robach’s podcast. “I messaged you, ‘Good morning. I am so sad. First thing on my phone is about J. Lo filing for divorce.’”
He added: “It just sucks, man. This was it. This was one I could look at and go, ‘You know what, the timing wasn’t right … and then finally, the time is right, and this is it, and this is gonna work.’ Damn, I was rooting for them.”
Holmes and Robach later showed their support when Affleck and Lopez were photographed spending time together for lunch with their children. (Affleck shares kids Violet, 19, Seraphina, 16, and Samuel, 12, with ex-wife Jennifer Garner, while Lopez shares 16-year-old twins Max and Emme with ex-husband Marc Anthony.)
“Look, they’ve blended their families for two years and apparently — in a very lovely way — the kids have all gotten along and apparently miss each other,” Robach noted in a September 2024 podcast episode. “I think it’s a nice thing at the very end of the day that they were all coming together for their kids.”
Holmes agreed with Robach while showing his support for a potential reconciliation. “If there’s hope for those two getting back together, I will forever be in support of Ben and Jen,” he noted at the time.
“We went to this whole couple’s therapy thing and it announced me as an introvert, and it was shocking information for everybody, even though I’ve been saying this my entire life,” Mellencamp, 43, said during the Thursday, January 16, episode of her “Diamonds in the Rough” podcast. “I am naturally an introvert, so I enjoy my alone time [and] I need to recharge.”
Despite finding solace in the quiet moments, she wasn’t ready for the heightened solitude of getting divorced. (Mellencamp separated from Arroyave, 47, in fall 2024 and filed for divorce that November.)
“There’s moments that I’m feeling now, where I feel really lonely and I don’t know if those loneliness feelings mean that I’ve made a mistake or this is just something I have to get used to and this is the new change in my life,” Mellencamp questioned, trying to hold back tears. “Oh my gosh, I’m so embarrassed I’m getting emotional, but that it is such a confusing part of all of this.”
She continued, “Are you supposed to power through or are you supposed to give it [time]?”
Mellencamp’s podcast cohost, Erika Jayne — whose own personal life hit headlines in 2020 following her split from now-disbarred lawyer Thomas Girardi — chimed in to share her support.
“She’s in the thick of it right now, and it’s very fresh and very hard,” Jayne, 53, said on the Thursday episode. “I feel for her because none of this is easy and to pick yourself up and even be on a podcast today and talk about it. You know, Teddi, you need to cut yourself a break. If you didn’t say you felt lonely, I would be worried that you were.”
Edwin Arroyave and Teddi MellencampMindy Small/Getty Images
For Mellencamp, it feels like she has a “constant ache” that she’s “trying to fake [her] way through” each day.
“I have talked about this in therapy, but it’s almost, like, I’m attracted to another chaotic situation,” Mellencamp explained. “I don’t want to give too much away about my parents or anything like that, but clearly my dad [John Mellencamp] was a rock star. He met some girl at the Rainbow Room and it was my mom and they had babies [while] he was married already. Like, everything was a s— show.”
Teddi continued, “There’s been a lot of ups and downs in my life, and my only goal has ever been … to give my kids stability. I don’t know if it’s loneliness or I feel scared, [but] I also don’t feel like I’m enough, like, all those things.”
Teddi and Arroyave share daughters Slate, 12, and Dove, 4, as well as son Cruz, 10. (Arroyave is also father to daughter Isabella, 15, from a past relationship.)
It is the end of an era for TikTok users in the United States, as the app will officially be banned later this month.
The Supreme Court of the United States voted in a unanimous decision on Friday, January 17, to uphold the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act, a law effectively banning the app in the country, per CBS News. TikTok will need to be removed from smartphone app stores when the law goes into effect on Sunday, January 19.
Congress passed the law last year, which makes it unlawful for providers (like Google or Apple) to “distribute, maintain or update” an app controlled by a foreign adversary (China, Russia, North Korea or Iran). Government officials were wary about ByteDance, TikTok’s Chinese parent company, having access to U.S. citizens’ data out of fear of espionage. ByteDance, meanwhile, claimed the ban was a violation of First Amendment protections regarding free speech.
TikTok could remain available if it separates from ByteDance, and a 90-day extension can be granted by the president if a sale is underway.
With the Supreme Court voting to uphold the law, a whole slate of social media stars, celebrities and other users will have to leave the platform for good.
Marc and his wife, Heidi D’Amelio, are the parents to social media mavens Dixie and Charli, whose online dances went viral in 2020 amid the coronavirus pandemic.
“We didn’t call ourselves the first family of TikTok,” Marc, 56, added in the ABC News special. “It’s hard to believe that many people sat and watched a video. I think the ability to turn someone who’s obscure into an overnight, famous person, I don’t think there’s any other platform like that.”
There is also the possibility that an American owner could buy the app from ByteDance — and Shark Tank starKevin O’Leary has already put in an unofficial offer.
“We want to make it clear … that we are a buyer,” O’Leary, 70, told Yahoo! Finance on Friday, January 10. “We’ve got a valid syndicate. We’re prepared to put up as much as $20 billion, and we don’t need the algorithm. We don’t want the algorithm.”
O’Leary formed a consortium with other entrepreneurs, including billionaire Frank McCourt Jr., to purchase the app for $20 billion.
“You should make the assumption that in order for them to know there was an offer, we found a way to get it to them,” he told the outlet, referring to ByteDance’s hesitance to accept the offer. “I know all the shareholders. So does Frank. We know who they are. We’ve known that for two years. I know them personally.”
Anna Kendrickmay be 39 years old, but she still looks like she could be in her late 20s. How does the actress do it? The answer, my friends, is by wearing sunscreen every day. Seriously! Sunscreen is the number one anti-aging product that can help prevent the development of fine lines and wrinkles. And while any SPF is better than none at all, Kendrick does have an all-time favorite formula: The Mesoestetic Mesoprotech Melan 130 Pigment Control Sunscreen.
The actress recently explained to The Strategist that she can’t live without this face sunscreen. “[This has] zinc oxide and titanium dioxide — ingredients that my dermatologist told me to look for. (Obviously, I did not know anything about these ingredients before he told me about them),” she says. “It’s tinted, and for someone as pale as me, it’s actually kind of nice. It makes me look like I have a little life in my face. It also blends out really nicely and evens out my skin tone. Weirdly, I get way more compliments on my skin when I’m wearing it!”
While this sunscreen is made for everyone — even those with sensitive skin — it is actually an excellent pick for those who are very fair. This is because it has a whopping SPF 130 sun protection (AKA the highest level possible). Of course, you’ll need to follow the directions and reapply every two hours (which is standard for all sunscreens), but when you adhere to the two-hour rule, sunburns will officially be a thing of the past.
The best sunscreens don’t just protect you from the sun, they do so much more. This one can also double as a makeup base courtesy of the light tint, and while it feels weightless, it keeps skin hydrated throughout the day, too.
Amazon shoppers who have tried the sunscreen have been pleasantly surprised by its effectiveness, especially in tropical locations. “My skin is very sensitive to sunlight. I’ve traveled to many places in the Caribbean, used all different kinds of sunscreen and still come home with 3rd and sometimes 2nd degree sunburn,” one reviewer writes. “I used this for my trip to Jamaica and it was life-changing! Did not burn one time and I was there a week!!! Strongly recommend if you burn easily in the sun.”
Yola’s music has always been hard to pin down genre-wise, but that’s just the way she likes it — and her new EP, My Way, is no different.
“I have 100 percent been planning this for years,” the singer-songwriter, 41, exclusively told Us Weekly of her new project, which dropped Friday, January 17. “I’m not a minimalist, I’m a total maximalist. So this is me kind of getting the time back from that part of my life.”
“That part” refers to the years when she worked as a vocalist in London’s music scene, contributing her powerful pipes to artists like Massive Attack and Bugz in the Attic. When she established a solo career later on, however, many U.S. listeners (and critics) erroneously believed her main influence was Americana, thanks in part to the country-tinged vibes on her debut album, Walk Through Fire. The truth is that she’s always dabbled in everything — and My Way allowed her to tap into the broken beat and trip hop sounds that she was exploring a decade ago before anyone knew her name.
“I definitely got put into boxes, which I suppose helped me get booked, so I wouldn’t fight it too hard,” she explained. “You get into scenes even though you don’t necessarily fit into those scenes. … I had country associations and I definitely had people in the country scene who rode for me. So my associations kind of brought me into that space, but they weren’t my origins at all, musically.”
Valeria Rios
Yola’s second full-length album, Stand for Myself, felt truer to her, but the Americana label stuck even as her audience expanded.
“All of this has been this process of edging ever closer to being able to tell my story and my narrative of what my exposure to music was and is,” she told Us. “When I was a published writer and I would write for people that would be in the folksy kind of space, I definitely had projects that were in that kind of space. But the ones that were most successful were closer to the soul space. My role was always in some permutation of soul music, be it over dance music, be it in this broken beat scene, be it in jazz. My approach was always soul proximity, and so that’s been my mission. I feel like I started that on Stand for Myself, and I am maybe taking it to its furthest integer in this EP.”
Fans who’ve seen Yola preview some of her new songs at live shows over the past year or so know that My Way doesn’t sound quite like anything she’s released before. “Future Enemies” begins with a pulsing electronic beat before building to a soaring, arena-ready chorus, while “Ready” is directly inspired by the broken beat scene Yola came up in during her years in the U.K.
If those fans were paying close attention, though, they might have guessed which direction she was heading in, as she’s been sprinkling soul covers throughout her sets. “I’ve told you exactly the plan!” she quipped.
Valeria Rios
Yola’s reclamation of her narrative extended to the My Way cover art, which shows her wearing a crown and reclining between two extremely muscled (and shirtless) men.
“I was talking to people about photo shoots I’d done that were so ashy. … I was like, ‘Why are we lighting me like this?’” she recalled. “And so I made this folder in Pinterest, which was how to light me and how not to light me. I put all of the bad, ashy-ass photos of me in one and then the handful of juicy-looking, delectable photos in the other — and there were too many in one and not enough in the other.”
The concept was inspired by her Ghanaian and Bajan heritage as well as her own skin tone, which she says brightened up once she moved from gloomy London to the comparatively sunny Tennessee and later New York City.
“I really was like, ‘I really need to be in my equatorial bag.’ I really need to be giving moisturized, giving melanated, giving African, giving Caribbean, giving in my bloodlines, giving where my body wants to be,” she said. “When you see that photo, you are like, ‘Black people had to be involved in this,’ because this feels different. It feels equatorial, it feels conceived in a way that is able to understand and see my beauty without trying to bleach it, without trying to freaking burn it out with freaking highlighter to make my skin tone look lighter, without wanting to retouch my nose straighter.”
The result is an image that’s instantly iconic, fitting for a woman who made her Broadway debut last year as Persephone in Hadestown and embodied rock pioneerSister Rosetta Tharpe on the big screen in 2022’s Elvis.
“I am the main character. I am being served,” Yola added. “The way that I am loved is through service. I am not serving that world, that expectation that is the lion’s share of people’s expectation of me. I’m putting a stake through the heart of that vampire and it is dying. Everything in the making of this record was flying in the face of all the things that the world expects of someone that looks like me.”
Yola’s My Way EP is out now. Her Sovereign Soul tour kicks off in Denver on May 10. Ticket sales will begin Friday, January 24, with fan presales ahead. Details will be available here.
“My heart is broken. My Buddy Dave,” Watts, 56, wrote via Instagram on Thursday, January 16. “The world will not be the same without him. His creative mentorship was truly powerful. He put me on the map. The world I’d been trying to break into for ten plus years, flunking auditions left and right. Finally, I sat in front of a curious man, beaming with light, speaking words from another era, making me laugh and feel at ease. How did he even ‘see me’ when I was so well hidden, and I’d even lost sight of myself?!”
Watts noted that Lynch’s “wisdom, humor, and love” impacted her as much as his art. “Every moment together felt charged with a presence I’ve rarely seen or known. Probably because, yes, he seemed to live in an altered world, one that I feel beyond lucky to have been a small part of,” she gushed. “And David invited all to glimpse into that world through his exquisite storytelling, which elevated cinema and inspired generations of filmmakers across the globe.”
The actress concluded her heartfelt post by stating that she “just cannot believe that he’s gone,” adding, “I’m in pieces but forever grateful for our friendship. I’m yelling from the bullhorn: Godspeed, Buddy Dave! Thank you for your everything. — Buttercup xox.”
J. Vespa/WireImage
Naomi Watts and David Lynch at the 2001 Premiere Magazine Party
Watts’ post featured a sweet snap of herself kissing Lynch on the cheek, as well as a clip of them on the set of the 2017 Twin Peaks revival. “No, come on. Slap me. You’re pissed off. Slap me,” Lynch told Watts while rehearsing. Watts replied, “No, I don’t want to,” after which the director embraced her for a hug.
After starting her career in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s, Watts scored her breakout role in Lynch’s 2001 mystery thriller Mulholland Drive. She portrayed lookalikes Betty Elms and Diane Selwyn, the former of which worked to help a woman with amnesia named Rita (played by Laura Harring) unravel the truth of her identity.
Naomi Watts and Laura Elena Harring in ‘Mulholland Drive’Cover Images
Watts teamed up with Lynch again for the 2017 revival of his hit show Twin Peaks as Janey-E Jones, the wife of Kyle MacLachlan’s Dougie Jones. She also had a voice-over role in Lynch’s last directorial feature, 2006’s Inland Empire.
Lynch’s family confirmed the filmmaker’s death in a Facebook post on Thursday following his battle with emphysema. “It is with deep regret that we, his family, announce the passing of the man and the artist, David Lynch. We would appreciate some privacy at this time,” the statement read. “There’s a big hole in the world now that he’s no longer with us. But, as he would say, ‘Keep your eye on the donut and not on the hole.’ It’s a beautiful day with golden sunshine and blue skies all the way.”
In addition to posting her own tribute, Watts shared MacLachlan’s reaction post via her Instagram Story with several broken heart emojis. “Forty-two years ago, for reasons beyond my comprehension, David Lynch plucked me out of obscurity to star in his first and last big budget movie,” MacLachlan, who starred in Lynch’s original film adaptation of Dune as well as Twin Peaks, captioned pics of them from over the years on Thursday. “He clearly saw something in me that even I didn’t recognize. I owe my entire career, and life really, to his vision.”
He continued: “I will miss him more than the limits of my language can tell and my heart can bear. My world is that much fuller because I knew him and that much emptier now that he’s gone.”
Lynch is survived by his four children — daughters Jennifer and Lula and sons Austin and Riley — whom he shares with his ex-wives.
Disgraced Grey’s Anatomy writer Elisabeth Finch got slammed for attempting to privately fundraise for L.A. wildfire relief efforts after previously lying about a cancer diagnosis.
Finch announced on her private Facebook page earlier this month that she was collecting funds directly to her Venmo account to “avoid GoFundMe fees.”
“This is just me. Boots on the ground. It was challenging enough getting dog food while evacuated and I was at a safe place,” read Finch’s alleged post that circulated around on social media. “So this is for people who have virtually nothing and have pets with basic needs.”
Actress Jamie Denbo called Finch out by sharing a screenshot on Thursday, January 16, of her request, adding, “This person is a SCAMMER and a LIAR. It is well documented in the Peacock series Anatomy of Lies. Unless you want to send her donations of 69 cents for her ‘cancer treatment’ (she doesn’t have cancer) or perhaps ‘in memory of her late brother’ (he’s alive) or any thing else she has lied about (everything). DO NOT DONATE to Elisabeth Finch!!!”
Hours after the latest drama made headlines, Finch released a statement to The Hollywood Reporter about her good intentions.
“I recognize, given my history, people might be skeptical of my fundraising efforts,” she told the outlet. “I’m trying to make amends in as many ways I can, including helping my community — especially during these difficult times. So many organizations are calling for gift cards because they are overwhelmed with physical donations, and I didn’t want peoples’ pet needs to get lost in the shuffle.”
Denbo, meanwhile, replied to The Hollywood Reporterwith a text message. “Elisabeth continues to scam, deceive and produce incredible material for comedians like myself to use and mock her relentlessly,” she added. “I can’t thank her enough! (For just the last thing.) Keep it up, Finch!”
Finch previously made headlines after Vanity Fair published an exposé in 2022 that called many of her claims into question. The former screenwriter alleged in various publications that she had a rare form of bone cancer, helped clean the remains of her friend’s body from the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh after the 2018 shooting, lost a kidney and part of her leg and allegedly endured abuse by a male director during her time on The Vampire Diaries.
Finch was subsequently placed on administrative leave while Disney investigated the allegations that she fabricated her medical and personal history. Finch ultimately resigned from Grey’s Anatomy in 2022. She later admitted she never had any form of cancer. Finch took back all of her statements except her sexual harassment accusation against the TVD director and her claims that her brother abused her when they were younger.
“I’ve given no one any reason to believe a word I say. I lied about so much that so many people have been devastated by in real life. ‘I’m sorry’ feels like the smallest words compared to what I’ve done, yet they are the truest,” Finch wrote via Instagram on in October 2024 after Peacock released their three-part docuseries about her scandal. “I trapped myself in the addiction of lies, betraying and traumatizing my closest family, friends, and colleagues.”
“I’m making amends and expressing my genuine remorse as best I can when people are ready. And I’ve accepted the fact that some may never be,” she noted. “I’ve been receiving mental health treatment for nearly three years, and I work hard every day to sustain a life where the truth matters more than anything.”
Cameron Diaz is back in action on the big screen — and her husband, Benji Madden, is her No. 1 fan.
“This is my QUEEN I celebrate this BADASS WOMAN. Wife, mommy, friend, partner, boss and lover,” Madden, 45, wrote via Instagram on Friday, January 17. “We just hit 10 YEARS married on January 5th and every year only gets more fulfilling. It’s special. Never perfect — always real [and] always reliable.”
He added, “Every day getting to have my best friend with me ride or die. What a beautiful life — I am GRATEFUL!!! and ANOTHER MiLESTONE happening TOMORROW!!! We are SO happy to see you…. BACK IN ACTION!! … Congrats baby!!.”
Madden further encouraged his social media followers to “go watch”Back in Action on Netflix, which stars 52-year-old Diaz and Jamie Foxx, who previously shared the screen in 2014’s Annie.
Madden also uploaded a sweet pic of the couple posing on a beach. In the fresh-faced selfie, Diaz wrapped her arm around the Good Charlotte rocker while he snapped the photo.
Benji Madden and Cameron DiazCourtesy of Benji Madden/Instagram
Back in Action is Diaz’s first acting role in a decade. She previously took a step back from Hollywood in 2018 to focus on her family. Diaz and Madden, who got married in 2015, welcomed daughter Raddix in 2019. Son Cardinal followed in 2024.
“Being a wife and a mother has been the most … fulfilling part of my life so far,” Diaz said during a February 2021 appearance on SiriusXM’s Quarantined With Bruce show. “I waited for this … so I didn’t have any distractions. Like, I can’t imagine [working now]. As a mother with my child, to have to be on a movie set that takes 14 hours, 16 hours, of my time away from her — I just couldn’t.”
She continued at the time, “I personally feel like I wouldn’t be the mom that I am now had I chosen to do that at any other time in my life.”
During her film hiatus, Diaz felt like she was “trying to stay alive just like every other mother.”
“I’m just trying to keep it going,” Diaz explained in an Instagram video shared via Netflix’s account on Wednesday, January 15.
A source exclusively told Us Weekly earlier this month that Madden “cheered her on every step of the way” when she decided to star in Back in Action.
“They’re a team,” a second insider told Us. “They’re always lifting each other up and prioritizing each other’s happiness. Benji’s a very hands-on dad and extremely helpful.”
Renée Zellweger revealed that she accidentally ripped her 2005 Oscars dress — and had to break into her own home to change out of it.
Zellweger, 55, reflected on the red Carolina Herrera gown she wore to the 77th Academy Awards during an interview for British Vogue’s Life in Looks segment on Thursday, January 16.
“First of all, this is an incredible dress – I love this dress,” the actress began.
Zellweger’s gown had a strapless neckline and a mermaid-style train, which she said ripped when somebody stepped on it after the ceremony.
“I remember as we were leaving that night, a gentleman had stepped on the train, and I kept walking in the other direction, and it ripped right off my dress from right beneath my booty,” she added.
Zellweger said she went home to change outfits before going to an afterparty, but quickly realized she had forgotten her keys.
She continued: “I had to climb up the balcony to the second floor, and climb in through a little bathroom window in that dress, with a hole under my booty.”
Zellweger’s most recent interview comes ahead of the release of her new film, Bridget Jones: Mad About The Boy, which premieres on February 13 on Peacock.
It’s the fourth instalment in the film franchise following the release of Bridget Jones (2011), Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason (2004), and Bridget Jones’ Baby (2016).
In a discussion with costar Hugh Grant for British Vogue, Zellweger opened up about her six-year hiatus from acting, which lasted from 2010 until 2016.
“I was sick of the sound of my own voice,” she said.
“When I was working, I was like, ‘Oh, my gosh, listen to you. Are you sad again, Renée? Oh, is this your mad voice?’ It was a regurgitation of the same emotional experiences.”
Zellweger’s break was far from leisurely. Zellweger, who has been dating Ant Anstead since 2021, told the publication that she spent her time writing music, studying international law, and focusing on her health, among other ventures.
“I built a house, rescued a pair of older doggies, created a partnership that led to a production company, advocated for and fundraised with a sick friend, and spent a lot of time with family and godchildren and driving across the country with the dogs. I got healthy,” she said.
Courtesy of Chris O’Donnell/Instagram; Courtesy of Kyle Marisa Roth/Instagram
The deaths of several online stars have shaken the TikTok community — and broken the hearts of fans — over the years.
Taylor Rousseau Grigg died in October 2024 at the age of 25 after battling undisclosed medical issues. Her husband, Cameron Grigg, announced her death via social media, revealing she’d been “in and out of the hospital since we got married” in 2023.
Two months before her death, Taylor celebrated her first wedding anniversary with Cameron. “Happy one year to us. I love you, Cameron!! ,” she wrote via Instagram in August 2024, posting footage from their special day.
Earlier in 2024, TikTok star Kyle Marisa Rothdied at the age of 36. Her cause of death was not immediately known, but fans honored her legacy upon the news.
“I know I never met Kyle in real life, but I really felt like I knew her,” actress Julia Fox wrote in the comments section of Kyle’s sister Lindsay Roth’s announcement that April. “I’m so devastated and have been crying ever since the news leaked on TikTok. I really hope she did it suffer and I hope she knew how much she touched our lives. She was a ray of sunshine and I will miss her deeply.”
Scroll down for a look back at some of the most shocking TikTok star deaths:
Timothy Hall
Timbo the Redneck/TikTok
Hall, who was known on social media as “Timbo the Redneck,” was killed in August 2021 after being in an accident involving his pick-up truck. He was 18. Hall was doing donuts in his vehicle when the truck flipped and he flew out of the driver’s seat, according to a video posted by a family friend named Tony. The truck landed on Hall and killed him.
Hall’s mother confirmed his death on his TikTok account saying, “He won’t be making any more videos, no more videos at all. My son was in a bad accident yesterday and didn’t make it, and I want to thank everybody for all the fans that he had.”
She added, “He loved TikTok and just believed in all the fans and everybody that supported him and it meant a lot to him. Sometimes he wouldn’t listen to me, he’d say, ‘I gotta do this TikTok!'”
Cooper Noriega
Courtesy of Cooper Noriega/Instagram
Us Weekly confirmed in June 2022 that Noriega died at the age of 19. Noriega was found dead in a parking lot, according to the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner-Coroner. Six months later, the coroner determined that his death was due to the combined effects of fentanyl, lorazepam, which is used to treat anxiety, and alprazolam, also known as Xanax. The medical examiner added that Noriega’s recent use of clonazepam, another anxiety medicine, was a separate factor in his death.
Prior to his death, Noriega, who was also a model, opened up about struggling with mental illness and substance use. “I’ve been struggling with addiction since I was 9 years old, you may think that’s crazy but that’s the life I’ve been dealt,” he said in a TikTok video days before his passing, revealing he created a Discord server for his followers to share their stories.
“One of the many things I’ve learned while struggling with addiction was that surrounding yourself with negative people will only bring you down,” Noriega added. “For that reason, Discord is meant to bring us all together and create a safe space where people can vent and help others through their tough times.
In November 2023, two men, one of whom is Erick Oved Estrada, were arrested for their alleged connection to Noriega’s death. Prosecutors alleged that one of Estrada’s associates distributed “fentanyl-laced oxycodone” to Noriega, which caused a fatal overdose. All parties involved pleaded not guilty and a trial was set for January 2024, but has since been rescheduled for November 2024, according to the Simi Valley Acorn.
Kyle Marisa Roth
Kyle Marisa RothCourtesy of Kyle Marisa Roth/Instagram
Kyle’s mom, Jacquie Cohen Roth, announced her daughter’s death in April 2024 via LinkedIn, writing, “My daughter Kyle has passed away. She touched some of your lives personally and some of your lives via her immense life on another platform. … Nothing makes sense now and we’ll understand more in the next few days. Be kind to one another please.” Kyle was 36 at the time of her death.
In August 2024, Maryland’s Chief Medical Examiner’s report revealed that Kyle’s death was caused by a cardiac arrhythmia due to myocardial fibrosis. Kyle’s toxicology report showed traces of diphenhydramine, an antihistamine such as Benadryl, as well as mitragynine, which is often used for pain management, according to the report obtained by TMZ.
Kyle previously told her followers about her journey to overcome colon cancer as well as multiple surgeries that led to “lots of bad ass f—ing scars.” She shared in July 2021 via X that she’d had “three major abdominal surgeries, one reconstructive shoulder surgery” was “missing” three internal organs and experienced “over a dozen broken bones.”
Jainer Moises Pinedo Vargas
Courtesy of Jainer Moises Pinedo Vargas/Instagram
Vargas, who was known as the “Dancing Engineer” on TikTok, died in August 2024 due to complications of dengue fever. He was 34. Vargas contracted the mosquito-borne disease while in Condorcanqui Province, Peru, one month prior.
After going to the hospital in Bagua, Peru, Vargas was transferred to a larger facility in Chiclayo when doctors discovered fluid around his lungs. His condition continued to worsen and Vargas was put on a ventilator. Doctors later found that Vargas had Hodgkin’s lymphoma, which Department of Health Deputy Minister Ricardo Peña told Peru21 likely contributed to his death.
Caleb Graves
Caleb GravesSteven Simione/Getty Images
Graves died in September 2024 at the age of 33 after running in the Disneyland Halloween Half Marathon. The TikTok star reportedly received medical assistance shortly after he crossed the finished line in Anaheim, California. The Anaheim Police Department public information officer Sergeant Matt Sutter told Us in a statement that one of the workers noticed Graves “clutching his chest” and “noticed he was going into cardiac arrest.”
Sutter continued: “He was quickly transported to the nearby Anaheim Global Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead approximately an hour later.” An exact cause of death has not been revealed.
Graves, who gained over 18,000 followers on TikTok for sharing content about the Disney parks and films, revealed one day prior to the race that he was “worried” about the California heat for the marathon. He recalled walking his dog outside for 20 minutes in the heat and then “10 minutes after I got back in, I just passed out, fell asleep, no control over my body. It was heat exhaustion, ’cause it’s only happened once to me before.”
Taylor Rousseau Grigg
Courtesy of Taylor Rousseau Grigg/Instagram
Taylor’s husband, Cameron, confirmed her death in October 2024, revealing it was “so sudden and unexpected.” The TikTok star, who also owned online boutiques Geaux Savage and Sauvage and Beauty, was 25.
“No one ever expects to have to deal with this kind of pain and heartache, especially at our age,” Cameron wrote via Instagram. “This past year Taylor has dealt with more pain and suffering than most people do in a lifetime. And in spite of that she still has been such a light and always brought joy to everyone around her.”
He continued, “She is the most brave and strong woman I know, and her confidence in the Lord outweighed every other circumstance she’s faced, even in her darkest hours. I know she’s saved my life and so many others out there. Her earthly body is still here with us being run by machines to keep her organs viable for donation.”
Taylor’s cause of death was not revealed, but she previously told her followers that she was dealing with several undisclosed medical issues.
“It made me feel super fatigued, tired, weak. I had some other complications and symptoms going on,” she previously said in an August 2024 TikTok video, detailing her treatment. “I finally started to feel a little bit strong enough to come back to New York [City], where my support system of friends are and where I also feel more inspired to go on walks and strengthen my body a little bit.”
Bella Bradford
In a video uploaded weeks after the influencer died on October 15, 2024, she announced her own death. She was 24.
“I have terminal cancer and unfortunately, by now, my life has come to an end, and I’ve passed away,” she shared in the video uploaded on October 31. “But I wanted to do one final Get Ready With Me because I love doing these, and I love fashion. Thank you for following me on this fun journey, and yeah, I hope you will back on all my videos and find a little bit of joy in your day if you ever needed to feel.”
Bradford died following a battle with a rare type of cancer in her jaw muscle. She was diagnosed in 2021.
“Thank you guys so much for this wild and wonderful ride,” Bradford also told followers. “I hope you all have beautiful and amazing lives, and I wish all the best for every single one of you. Lots of love.”
Chris O’Donnell
Courtesy of Chris O’Donnell/Instagram
O’Donnell, best known as Creeohdee, died at the age of 31 in January 2025, according to his online obituary. A cause of death was not confirmed in the obituary, though E! News reported that his death was ruled a suicide by the Maricopa County Medical Examiner’s office.
“Chris, I’ll love you forever. You’ve been a light in my life since we met in 2016. I wish we would’ve moved to CA together in 2021 like we talked about,” O’Donnell’s friend Morgan Ballou wrote in a message on the obituary page. “I wish we kept in touch more than just online every few weeks. I have so many wishes. In the end, I wish you peace. My heart is broken. All the love and thoughts in the world to your family and Blue.”
Max Thieriot as Bode Leone and Jared Padalecki as Camden Casey.Eric Milner/CBS
Fire Country doesn’t just have one — but two — spinoffs in the works.
The town of Edgewater was originally introduced when Fire Country premiered in 2022 with inmate Bode (Max Thieriot) returning home and volunteering for the California Conservation Camp Program during season 1 of the hit show. By season 2, a backdoor pilot introduced the world of Sheriff Country, which received a straight-to-series order with Morena Baccarin at the helm.
Fire Countrydidn’t stop there as Jared Padalecki was introduced in season 3. At the time, multiple outlets reported that Padalecki’s character, Camden Casey, was being set up for a potential spinoff, which star and executive producer Thieriot didn’t deny.
“Who knows where this character goes down the road? That’s all kind of just TBD [To Be Decided]. But in the meantime, we just wanted to create a really exciting and fun character arc for him on this show,” Thieriot exclusively told Us Weekly in October 2024. “We also wanted to introduce him as somebody who’s a part of this world but feels different than our world. Somebody who comes from a different part of the state — a different part of California — and somebody who has a totally different vibe.”
Padalecki’s character will “open up the world” for viewers. “Not every firefighter is from small country towns, but they can be from all over,” Thieriot noted.
When viewers last saw Camden, he was coming to terms with how unaddressed trauma was influencing his professional life. He subsequently returned home to find himself — and that opened the door for a show of its own.
Keep scrolling for everything to know about Fire Country‘s spinoff Fire Country: Surfside:
When Will ‘Fire Country: Surfside’ Premiere on CBS?
Eric Milner/CBS
CBS hasn’t yet officially ordered Fire Country: Surfside, which is in contention after the success of Fire Country and upcoming spinoff Sheriff Country. Padalecki is set to reprise his role as Camden Casey after a three-episode arc on Fire Country.
What Is ‘Fire Country: Surfside’ About?
Max Thieriot as Bode Leone and Jared Padalecki as Camden Casey.Sergei Bachlakov/CBS
Padalecki was a guest star during the first half of Fire Country season 3 as Bode attempted to pass fire camp after his release. Camden didn’t make it easy on Bode and his time on the show ended with the seasoned firefighter admitting he was still mourning the loss of his younger brother. Camden ultimately headed back to Southern California to be closer to the beach — and to face some unfinished business.
Before Padalecki made his highly-anticipated appearance, multiple outlets reported that Fire Country: Surfside would check back in with Camden as he continued his journey to healing.
Will Jared Padalecki’s Other Show on CBS Create an Issue for ‘Fire Country’ Spinoff?
Jared Padalecki as Camden Casey and Max Thieriot as Bode LeoneEric Milner/CBS
After Padalecki worked with showrunner Anna Fricke on Walker, they reunited on an untitled series for CBS about a headstrong country doctor practicing a unique style of improvisational medicine. The show is in development as part of Padalecki’s ongoing first-look deal but shouldn’t conflict with Fire Country: Surfside.
Deadline reported in January 2025 that any possible spinoff would not move forward before the debut of Sheriff Country spinoff, which would allow Padalecki to star in two shows at one network.
Could ‘Fire Country’ Stars Show Up on ‘Fire Country: Surfside’?
“Jared and I have been friends for a long time and have always just been friends in a personal way. We never had the opportunity to work together,” Thieriot exclusively told Us in October 2024. “So this was a big thing where he and I were just really excited to be able to finally get to work together. We really do have a lot of fun and our families have a great time together.”
Thieriot added: “When I knew that Jared was a little bit of a free agent for five minutes, I was like, ‘All right, now’s the time. Let’s do something.’ For us, it was also just finding an impactful way to introduce him into the show. I know Jared’s a great actor and he has such a presence on screen.”
Before talk of Fire Country: Surfside, CBS greenlit Sheriff Country in early 2024, which is centered around Sharon’s (Diane Farr) stepsister Mickey (Baccarin). The new drama isn’t expected to premiere until the 2025-2026 season.
“I think there’s still a lot of room to explore. There’s more room to explore in Edgewater and outside of Edgewater,” Thieriot teased to Us in May 2024. “When I started, I was always putting the cart before the horse. In my head, I had probably at least three other versions outside of Fire Country. Whether any of those ever see the light of day — we’ll see. But I certainly have at least a couple more ideas for this world.”
Before there was Golden, there was nearly Elsa Mahomes.
Prior to giving birth to her and husband Patrick Mahomes’ second daughter on Sunday, January 12, Brittany Mahomes, told Today, “My daughter wants me to name her Elsa. She was set on it for a while, but obviously we’re not doing that!”
The couple settled on Golden Raye, who joined sister Sterling, 3, and brother Bronze, 2.
“We went back and forth [on the name] for a while,” Brittany added at the time. “But the one we settled on, we really, really love.”
Brittany also shared son Bronze’s reaction to becoming a big brother, adding, “All he says is ‘I want baby sissy,’ and then he’ll ask to see my stomach. Although I’m not sure if it’s registered that an actual human is coming. And Sterling is completely obsessed. She loves to play with babies.”
Patrick Mahomes, Bronze, Brittany Mahomes and Sterling.Jamie Squire/Getty Images
While reflecting on her exhausting pregnancy, Brittany praised Patrick, 29, for being the “most supportive husband in the world.”
“If I’m complaining or I’m in a bad mood, he gets it. He’s not gonna argue with me,” she noted. “He’s not gonna push my buttons. He knows.”
Patrick and Brittany started dating as teenagers in high school, and they stayed together throughout Patrick’s rise to NFL stardom after he was drafted to the Chiefs in 2017. Patrick and Brittany got engaged in 2020 after eight years together. They exchanged vows in March 2022.
Prior to welcoming Golden, Patrick and Brittany have discussed the origins of daughter Sterling and son Bronze’s name.
“My brother Jackson [Mahomes], whenever we were trying to find something that was a little unique and different, he said, ‘What about Bronze? It fits perfectly with Sterling,’” Patrick said during a press conference in November 2022. “So, we went with that. It works out well. He can have his own thing now where he’s not Patrick, he’s Bronze, even though he’s Patrick. And, Sterling and Bronze can have that connection moving forward.”
As for Sterling, Brittany discussed the special connection, sharing on Instagram Story in April 2023. “I got [our dog] Steel in college and named him that. We then got our second dog and was gonna name her Sterling because it went with Steel perfect.”
Brittany continued: “Then I said no, I want that to be my daughter’s name, so then we came up with Silver to go with Steel.”
Dear White People‘s DeRon Horton is focused on his recovery after he was recently involved in a shooting.
“First off. I wanna give an honor to God for covering me and protecting me to make it out this situation and countless other ones,” Horton, 32, wrote via Instagram on Thursday, January 16. “Everybody that checked on me n holla’d at me specially my family n friends I love yall, Thank you.”
Horton uploaded several photos of his injury — including an X-ray that showed the bullet in his arm.
“Gettin shot a few days before Xmas def wasn’t on my wish list ,” he continued. “But it happened mf shot thru the car at me bullet broke my arm shattered it all type o s—. But I’m Blessed dawg to not be in a casket or paralyzed.”
Horton noted that he was not focused on “healing,” adding, “I got a plate n screws in my mf arm, so I can’t workout for a minute which I’m mad about BUT it coulda been worse! And I don’t need no sympathy I’m finna bounce right back I feel amazing .”
He concluded: “I just wanted to remind yall and myself to Keep God first! Stay Alert n Grateful for Everything. the devil can’t stop sh*t when you walk w God.”
The actor received an outpouring of support in the comments section from his former costars, including Ashley Blaine Featherson-Jenkins, who appeared on Dear White People. “Thank GOD for your life. I’m so so SO happy you’re ok,” she wrote.
DeRon HortonEric Charbonneau/Getty Images for AppleTV+
Logan Browning, another fellow star from the Netflix series, left an emotional message, which read, “Dear God, thank you for protecting my special Deron .”
Samuel L. Jackson, who worked with Horton on The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey, reached out to him as well. “Glad you’re still with us, Tuff Stuff!!! Good thing you’re covered by the All mighty,” he replied. “Hoping you heal quickly & painlessly as possible. Stay Blessed.”
Before playing Lionel on Dear White People, which aired from 2017 to 2021, Horton booked roles in Roman J. Israel, Esq., American Vandal, American Horror Story, Bad Hair, Endless and Bliss. Horton previously reflected on how his career journey allowed him to share the screen with Denzel Washington in Roman J. Israel, Esq.
“I feel like he’s somewhat changed my life, saved my life,” he told The Hollywood Reporter in 2018. “I will say that him and other people that I look up to very much and to see this person in the flesh and just know in my high school brain, I was like, ‘I just hope to be like him one day,’ and I’m sitting here looking at him.”
“I want to stargaze, I want to ask him 2,000 questions, but I also want to be as good as him right now and try and create this scene,” he shared. “So it was really tough, but we got to talk about a lot of stuff. We talked about Shakespeare, we talked about God, we talked about love, making mistakes and stuff like that, but it was a really, really humbling experience for me.”
“My injury just ended up being a bad sprain, but I understand why the medic made the call he made even though it still all feels very unfair,” Fedotowsky, 40, wrote in a Wednesday, January 15, Instagram post. “I never actually went to the medic. He came to our barracks to check on some people with hypothermia and I asked him for some tape and ibuprofen and that’s when he looked at my hand and told me to come to his office. I just wanted Advil!”
She continued, “Even though the DS and the producers wanted me to have the choice to keep going, once the medic makes the call nobody can go against it. I’m disappointed. I wanted the experience so badly. Maybe I’ll have another chance one day! But regardless, I’m still so incredibly grateful for the experience. It’s changed the way I feel about pushing myself in my body to its limits and change the way I think about strength and health.”
Fedotowsky was one of the recruits on season 3 of the reality TV competition, which is currently airing on Fox.
“So, I just got medically withdrawn. It was my finger,” Fedotowsky said in a video taken after her departure. “I don’t know if it’s broken or not. I feel like when I was there, I had so much adrenaline that I felt like 100 percent wasn’t but now that I’m letting my body come down, I’m thinking it might be. I’m super disappointed and bummed and mad and all the things.”
A local doctor in Wales believed Fedotowsky had “the tendon ripped off her finger.” She ultimately got an MRI when she arrived back home in the United States, which confirmed that the injury was a sprain.
Ali Manno (Fedotowsky) on ‘Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test.’Pete Dadds/FOX
“[The hand surgeon] said I could have stayed,” Fedotowsky said in a follow-up video filmed earlier this month. “I still understand why the medic made the decision he made in the moment.”
Fedotowsky, who explained that Special Forces was “so much harder than it looks,” left early on the third day.
Despite her show exit, Fedotowsky still learned a lot from the overall experience.
“I wanted to prove I was a badass. I’m like, ‘I want to prove myself physically. I want to train as hard as I can, make it to the end. There was no quitting in my mind,’” she exclusively told Us Weekly ahead of the premiere. “My girlfriend made me a ring and the inside said, ‘Keep beeping going,’ and she’s like, ‘No matter what.’ I couldn’t wear the ring on the show ’cause you can’t wear jewelry, but I kept thinking about it. ‘Keep going, keep going. Just keep beeping going.’”
Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test airs on Fox Wednesdays at 8 p.m. ET.
In the comments of her last December 2024 Instagram post, one social media user theorized Kirkconnell’s reaction to James’ faith-driven breakup statement.
“The more I’m thinking about it, the more I think he completely blindsided her with this,” the fan wrote on Thursday, January 16. “Give her some grace and let her respond in her own time.”
Kirkconnell, 28, subtly dropped a “like” on the message but has not offered further comment. A source now tells Us Weekly that Kirkconnell wasn’t blindsided by the split itself but rather James’ statement and post.
Several hours earlier, James, 33, confirmed the pair ended their relationship.
“Father God, give Rachael and I strength to mend our broken hearts,” James captioned an Instagram pic from their time on The Bachelor. “Give us a peace [sic] about this decision to end our relationship that transcends worldly understanding. Shower our friends and family with kindness and love to comfort us. And remind us that our Joy comes from you, Lord .”
Rachael Kirkconnell and Matt JamesAlexander Tamargo/Getty Images
James did not elaborate on what led to the breakup but turned off his social media comments on the upload. Days earlier, he and Kirkconnell were on a joint trip to London and uploaded content from their culinary adventures.
Kirkconnell was James’ final pick on The Bachelor season 25, which was filmed in 2020. They briefly broke up after the finale when Kirkconnell’s past racially insensitive social media posts resurfaced online only to reconcile one month after taping the live After the Final Rose special.
James and Kirkconnell continued to go the distance for three more years, often getting candid about their hesitancy to get engaged.
“I feel like when you feel pressure, it’s when you don’t wanna do something,” James exclusively told Us Weekly in June 2024. “So I’ve never really felt pressure [to get engaged] because it’s something that I’ve always wanted to do. It’s something that we’re gonna do at some point. That’s why we’re together and what we’re working toward. I’m excited about our future.”
Four months later, James hinted that a proposal was “the next step” once Kirkconnell picked out an engagement ring she liked best.
“I feel that’s definitely something we want. I’m on his time,” Kirkconnell said during a joint appearance on the “De-Influenced” podcast in October 2024. “My problem is I definitely need to go find a ring I like and everything, but that’s on him at that point. … That’s a problem, I don’t even know what I want.”
Lana Del Rey, Chappell RoanAmy Sussman;Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic/Getty Images(2)
For decades, it’s been an unspoken rule that celebrities are expected to be friendly and approachable in public — but lately, we’ve seen a shift in stars dropping the facade when their boundaries are crossed.
The dad of three, 37, isn’t the only star who’s lost their cool when provoked. In June 2024, footage circulated of Lana Del Rey clashing with a group of people following her and her family in Paris. (She later allegedly claimed on social media that they were “stalkers” who told her they’d try to “make me look bad.”)
There’s no argument that — to borrow from Jason’s subsequent apology — to “greet hate with hate” is entirely unacceptable. Still, these incidents have inspired an important conversation about the expectations of public figures’ reactions when their personal space is violated.
With fan culture (and criticism) reaching new heights in today’s social media–driven society, it’s no wonder stars are getting tired of keeping up appearances.
“[A fan] may see a public figure as not being human in the same way they are — they may rather view them as larger than life, not ‘real’, and not empathize with being violated,” Dr. Gail Saltz, associate professor of psychiatry at the New York-Presbyterian Hospital Weill Cornell School of Medicine, told Us. Alternatively, “Their envy of the celebrity who seems to have it all could drive their being aggressive and feeling entitled to act in whatever way they choose.”
Feeling entitled to a star’s attention is not only misguided but can also lead to negative interactions. “Sometimes a celebrity is pushed to assert boundaries because others are threatening, disrespectful, hurtful, attacking or dangerous,” Saltz shared. That may just be what the person who is doing the provoking is hoping for: “Negative attention is deemed better than no attention at all to someone who craves the attention.”
It’s easy to dismiss a celebrity who lashes out in public as selfish or difficult, but sometimes, they’ve simply reached their limit. “This tends to occur when there are a combination of emotional, psychological and situational factors at play,” licensed clinical professional counselor Anne M. Appel told Us, pointing to stress, burnout and fatigue as factors. “Ideally, they’d respond in a calm and composed way — however, just like all people, they can get pushed to a ‘breaking point’ and may react in a less than ideal way publicly.”
This could explain the April 2024 video of Alec Baldwin allegedly hitting a cell phone out of a stranger’s hand. In reality, the individual had been berating him for several moments — going so far as to ask an offensive question about the victim of the fatal 2021 Rust shooting — before he reacted.
Setting limits is “absolutely reasonable,” says Appel, who encourages celebrities to communicate their expectations “clearly and directly.”
Alec BaldwinSonia Moskowitz/Getty Images
But is it bad business for a household name to show their less-than-shiny sides, like when Chappell Roan received mixed reactions for publicly confronting photographers on two separate occasions? According to Robbie Vorhaus, founder of PR/media company Vorhaus Communications, Inc., it depends on the context.
“The issue of celebrities having their boundaries crossed is complex because public visibility is inherently part of their profession,” he told Us. “However, this doesn’t justify harassment or invasion of personal space.”
Tom Holland and ZendayaXNY/Star Max/GC Images/Getty Images
Paparazzi are known to invade celebrities’ personal space. For example, Tom Holland was filmed allegedly pushing away a photographer who got a little too close to his now-fiancée, Zendaya, in October 2024 — but it’s unlikely the incident will resonate when it involves his flawless reputation.
“If a celebrity’s response appears justified, it rarely causes lasting career damage,” Vorhaus explained. Still, “We advise clients to establish clear boundaries while remaining professional, as a recorded outburst can overshadow the initial provocation.”
Chris Vlasto, cofounder of crisis communications firm Haven Strategies, agrees these incidents don’t have long-term effects, noting that for those who’ve had public scuffles with paparazzi, “All of the instances are replayed for decades but in the end, their audiences don’t care. The battles are meaningless and the fans are sympathetic.”
The takeaway? The Golden Rule — do unto others as you would have them do unto you — still applies when you’re dealing with those in the spotlight. A little empathy goes a long way, so remember there’s always more to the story, and that stars really are just like Us: They have good days and bad days too.
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,” he continued. “But it happened mf shot thru the car at me bullet broke my arm shattered it all type o s—. But I’m Blessed dawg to not be in a casket or paralyzed.”
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