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A complete timeline of the controversy between 'It Ends With Us' actors Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni

Blake Lively; Justin Baldoni
Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni star in "It Ends With Us," which Baldoni also directed.

Lia Toby/Getty Images, James Devaney/Getty Images

  • This summer, multiple controversies surrounding 'It Ends with Us' overshadowed the film's press tour.
  • Fans criticized Blake Lively's promotion methods and speculated her and costar Justin Baldoni had fallen out.
  • Four months later, Lively filed a sexual harassment complaint against Baldoni.

The "It Ends With Us" press tour this summer was overshadowed by rumor and speculation.

Ahead of the film's release in August, fans suspected lead star Blake Lively and her costar and director, Justin Baldoni, were feuding. Fans blamed Lively without know what cause their apparent falling out, and criticized her on social media.

The film survived the backlash, becoming one of the biggest hit movies of the summer, grossing $350 million worldwide.

Over the weekend, Lively filed a legal complaint against Baldoni.

Here's everything we know about the situation.

Baldoni did not interact with other cast members at press events.

Blake Lively with Hugh Jackman, Ryan Reynolds, Tammy Reynolds, and Brandon Sklenar at the New York premiere of"It Ends With Us."
Blake Lively with Hugh Jackman, Ryan Reynolds, Tammy Reynolds, and Brandon Sklenar at the New York premiere of "It Ends With Us."

John Nacion/Variety via Getty Images

Fans suspected that something was amiss when Baldoni and Lively didn't interact during the press tour, despite playing partners in the film.

Lively teamed up with costars Brandon Sklenar and Isabela Ferrer for press events and with Colleen Hoover, the author of the book the film is based on, for interviews and TV spots. Meanwhile, Baldoni did a lot of solo press.

Even when they both attended the New York premiere on August 6, they were not photographed together.

Lively posed with her castmates, Hoover, her husband Ryan Reynolds, and Hugh Jackman, his "Deadpool & Wolverine" costar. Meanwhile, Baldoni was only photographed with his wife and some of the other producers who worked on the film.

While speaking to Entertainment Tonight on the carpet at the New York premiere, Baldoni explained why he was stepping back from the limelight.

Justin Baldoni did not pose for photographs with his castmates at the New York premiere of "It Ends With Us." He skipped the London premiere altogether.
Justin Baldoni did not pose for photographs with his castmates at the New York premiere of "It Ends With Us." He skipped the London premiere altogether.

John Nacion/Getty Images

"This isn't my night โ€” this is a night for all the women who we made this movie for," he said." This is a night for Blake, this is a night for Colleen. I'm just so grateful that we're here, five years in the making."

Regardless of his comments, fans theorized about the potential drama between the two on social media.

This speculation intensified after a user on the r/ColleenHoover subreddit posted on August 6 that Lively and Hoover do not follow Baldoni on Instagram. Fans also noticed that the film's other stars, including Sklenar, Ferrer, and Jenny Slate, did not follow Baldoni either.

Justin Baldoni and Colleen Hoover seemed to be on good terms during the movie's production in 2023. Hoover now does not follow Baldoni on Instagram.
Justin Baldoni and Colleen Hoover seemed to be on good terms during the movie's production in 2023.

Jojo Whilden/Sony Pictures Ent.

Business Insider could not verify whether they previously followed him.

For his part, Baldoni followed all of them except Hoover.

Fans wondered if the apparent beef was one-sided or if Baldoni was at the center of a wider fracture, especially since, during pre-production, Hoover and Baldoni appeared on each other's Instagram feeds multiple times.

Adding to this theory was a clip of Slate seemingly sidestepping a question about Baldoni at the movie's New York premiere. Asked about having Baldoni as both a scene partner and a director, she responded by not mentioning Baldoni and instead speaking about how "intense" it must be to do both jobs.

i just found out about the whole 'it ends with us' cast drama and omg they asked her what it was like to work with justin and she completely ignored the question ๐Ÿ’€ pic.twitter.com/2DdlmvxS4x

โ€” leah doesn't do cocaine (@camis_unicorn) August 7, 2024

News reports fueled the speculation.

Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni filming a scene from "It Ends With Us" in May 2023.
Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni filming a scene from "It Ends With Us" in May 2023.

Gotham/GC Images/Getty Images

The Hollywood Reporter reported on August 8, citing unnamed sources, that the feud on set originated when two movie cuts emerged during the postproduction process.

Multiple sources told the outlet that Lively commissioned one of the cuts to be done by "Deadpool & Wolverine" editor Shane Reid. He was the same editor Lively previously used when she directed the music video for Taylor Swift's "I Bet You Think About Me."

However, the film's final cut was credited to editors Oona Flaherty and Robb Sullivan.

It's unclear if Reid's cut was used in the film version that showed in theaters, but according to one source who spoke to THR, the team agreed on the final cut.

A day later, Page Six reported, citing an anonymous source, that the two talents didn't see eye-to-eye while shooting the movie. Page Six reported that one source said Baldoni made Lively feel "uncomfortable" about her postpartum body during filming.ย Another source said Baldoni created an "extremely difficult" environment for the entire cast.

"It's not just Blake. None of the cast enjoyed working with Justin," the source was quoted as stating. "They certainly didn't talk to him at the premiere."

On August 13,ย Peopleย reported that a source close to the set said, "All is not what it seems," and the principal cast and Hoover didn't want anything to do with Baldoni.

Fans turn on Lively.

Blake Lively photographed at the New York premiere of "It Ends With Us."
Blake Lively at the New York Premiere for "It Ends With Us."

Charly Triballeau/AFP via Getty Images

Though reports indicated that the cast had a problem with Baldoni, fans blamed Lively for the feud, accusing her of trying to take over the film.

This theory was supported by Baldoni and Lively's interviews in the lead-up to the movie's premiere.

On August 9, Baldoni told Today that Lively and Reynolds, who was not a producer on the film, contributed significantly to it.

"You can't summarize Blake's contribution in a sentence, because her energy and imprint is all over the movie and really, really made the film better, and from beginning to end," Baldoni said.

Baldoni also said he struggled to balance allowing collaboration and having his voice drowned out entirely.

He said: "You don't have to listen to everybody, and that didn't happen all the time, but there were just moments where I would get out of the way too much."

Baldoni also said that Lively should take over as director for the sequel to the "It Ends With Us" novel, "It Starts with Us."

Meanwhile, Lively told E! News on August 7 that Reynolds helped pen the opening scene of "It Ends With Us."

The film's screenwriter Christy Hal told People a day later that she wasn't aware that Reynolds had written some of the dialogue used in the final version of the script.

"When I saw a cut, I was like, 'Oh, that's cute. That must have been a cute improvised thing,'" Hall said. "So if I'm being told that Ryan wrote that, then great, how wonderful."

The film is about a florist whose husband becomes abusive, and Fans also criticized Lively for speaking about the film's romantic elements during the press tour, and less about the domestic abuse plot. This was in line with the film's marketing.

Baldoni was the only cast member who consistently spoke about the domestic abuse element.

Baldoni recruited a PR crisis manager who represented Johnny Depp during his trial with ex-wife Amber Heard.

The Hollywood Reporter reported on August 13 that the actor hired veteran PR crisis manager Melissa Nathan, who represented Johnny Depp during the Amber Heard trial in 2022.

Nathan launched her agency in 2024, specializing in crisis communications and reputation management.

A clip of Lively acting hostile toward a reporter in a 2016 interview resurfaced amid the 'It Ends With Us' drama

Journalist Kjersti Flaa released a clip of an interview with Blake Lively on August 10, titled "The Blake Lively interview that made me want to quit my job."

"It actually took me a while to get over the experience," Flaa told Business Insider in an email on August 19.

"Every time I entered a room after this I got nervous that something similar might happen again," she wrote.

Lively's costar put out a statement asking people to stop focusing on 'what may or may not have happened.'

Sklenar, who plays Lively's other love interest in "It Ends With Us," spoke out about the speculation in an Instagram post on August 20.

"I wanted to take a minute and address all this stuff swirling online," he wrote, going on to condemn people for "vilifying" women who were part of the film.

"Colleen and the women of this cast stand for hope, perseverance, and for women choosing a better life for themselves. Vilifying the women who put so much of their heart and soul into making this film because they believe so strongly in its message seems counterproductive and detracts from what this film is about," he said.

"This film is meant to inspire. It's meant to validate and recognize," Sklenar added. "It is not meant to once again, make women the 'bad guy,' let's move beyond that together."

Representatives for Baldoni, Lively, Reynolds, Hoover, and Sklenar did not respond to requests for comment from Business Insider.

Lively files a complaint against Baldoni, accusing him of sexual harassment.

Blake Lively wearing a yellow shirt and holding a clear glass award at the Beauty Inc Awards 2024.
Blake Lively at the 2024 Beauty Inc Awards held in December 2024.

Katie Jones / Beauty Inc via Getty Images

On December 20, Lively filed a legal complaint against Baldoni, accusing him of sexual harassment, retaliation, breach of contract, inflicting "emotional distress," and conspiring to damage her public reputation.

The complaint also named Wayfarer Studios, Baldoni's production company, and Jamey Heath, the company's CEO, as two of the 11 defendants in a legal complaint.

In the complaint, Lively said an "all-hands" meeting about Baldoni and Heath's behavior on set was held in January 2023. She accused him of showing her nude videos and images of women, improvising kissing scenes or intimate scenes, and entering her trailer while she was naked.

Lively said she held the meeting for all the female cast members and requested an intimacy coordinator to be hired.

Lively said Heath and Baldoni retaliated against her by orchestrating a "multi-tiered" plan to "destroy" her public reputation and stop her or anyone else from speaking out about what happened on set.

Lively said Baldoni hired the crisis PR, Nathan, and a Texas-based contractor named Jed Wallace, both defendants in the complain, ahead of the film's premiere to carry out this plan. She said it involved feeding theories on social media to shift the narrative against Lively.

She also claims in the complaint that the cast agreed to a marketing plan created by the film's distributor, Sony Pictures Entertainment, to avoid talking about the sad parts of the movie, which Baldoni broke away from.

"What the public did not know was that Mr. Baldoni and his team did so to explain why many of the Film's cast and crew had unfollowed Mr. Baldoni on social media and were not appearing with him in public," the complaint said.

Baldoni's attorney said Lively blamed Baldoni to fix her reputation.

Justin Baldoni on the TODAY Show on August 08, 2024.
Justin Baldoni in August 2024.

Nathan Congleton/NBC via Getty Images

Bryan Freedman, an attorney for Baldoni and Wayfarer Studios, told BI in a statement: "It is shameful that Ms. Lively and her representatives would make such serious and categorically false accusations against Mr. Baldoni, Wayfarer Studios and its representatives, as yet another desperate attempt to 'fix' her negative reputation, which was garnered from her own remarks and actions during the campaign for the film; interviews and press activities that were observed publicly, in real time and unedited, which allowed for the internet to generate their own views and opinions."

Freedman said Nathan was hired because Lively made multiple demands and threatened not to show up to set or promote the film if they were not met.

A representative for Lively referred BI to a statement shared with The New York Times on Saturday: "I hope that my legal action helps pull back the curtain on these sinister retaliatory tactics to harm people who speak up about misconduct and helps protect others who may be targeted."

Lively's costars from 2005's "The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants" โ€” America Ferrera, Amber Tamblyn, and Alexis Bledel โ€” and Hoover have shared statements in support of Lively after she made the complaint.

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Here's a reminder of where everyone on 'Virgin River' ended up ahead of season 6

Martin Henderson and Alexandra Breckenridge in "Virgin River" season six.
Martin Henderson and Alexandra Breckenridge in "Virgin River" season five.

Netflix

  • Netflix's small-town drama "Virgin River" returned with its sixth season on December 19.
  • The last season ended with a bombshell baby reveal and an unexpected return from the dead.
  • Here's a reminder of where all the main characters ended up ahead of the new episodes.

"Virgin River" returned Thursday with its sixth season, delivering another dramatic chapter in Mel and Jack's romance.

The last time audiences saw the couple, played by Martin Henderson and Alexandra Breckenridge, they were planning their wedding while also dealing with the devastating loss of a pregnancy.

The fate of several other characters was also hanging in the balance.

Here's a refresher on where everyone ended up.

Mel lost her baby but was determined to still become a mom by any means possible.
Ava ( Libby Osler), Mel (Alexandra Breckenridge), and Brie (Zibby Allen) in season five of "Virgin River."
Ava ( Libby Osler), Mel (Alexandra Breckenridge), and Brie (Zibby Allen) in season five of "Virgin River."

Netflix

Mel was pregnant and newly engaged at the beginning of "Virgin River" season five. However, tragedy struck midseason.

She lost the baby after a camping trip with Jack, right before a large wildfire spread across the fictional Californian town.

She was devastated by the loss but by the end of the season, she had resolved to have a family with Jack by any means and began to consider adoption.

In the additional Christmas episodes, Mel discovered her biological father was a man named Everett Reid (John Allen Nelson).

Jack got into business with some bad eggs.
Jack (Martin Henderson) in season five of "Virgin River."
Jack (Martin Henderson) in season five of "Virgin River."

Netflix

Jack faced a huge setback with his glamping business after Melissa (Barbara Pollard) was arrested. Unbeknownst to Jack, she had taken over as the head of the Virgin River-area drug operation.

Jack's new business was shut down as part of the investigation into Melissa's illegal activities.

Elsewhere, Jack and Mel took a huge leap forward in their relationship. The couple decided to purchase Lily's (Lynda Boyd) farmland, which just so happened to be the spot of their first kiss.

At the end of the season, the two were planning to build a new home for themselves and their longed-for family.

Charmaine gave birth to her twins and fessed up to Jack that he was not the father.
Charmaine (Lauren Hammersley) in season five of "Virgin River."
Charmaine (Lauren Hammersley) in season five of "Virgin River."

Netflix

In season five, Jack's ex, Charmaine (Lauren Hammersley), revealed she lied about him being the father of her unborn twins.

As it turns out, the twins' father is Calvin (David Cubitt) โ€” Virgin River's most notorious villain, who was presumed dead.

It was previously implied that Calvin, the leader of a local drug ring, had died in a boat explosion apparently orchestrated by Melissa.

However, as audiences learned in the season five finale, he was alive.

After returning to Virgin River, he told Charmaine he wanted a relationship with his kids.

Doc agreed to take part in a clinical trial to help with his health.
Vernon 'Doc' Mullins (Tim Matheson) in season five of "Virgin River."
Vernon 'Doc' Mullins (Tim Matheson) in season five of "Virgin River."

Netflix

Vernon 'Doc' Mullins (Tim Matheson), who has the eye disease macular degeneration, lost his vision while treating patients following the wildlife.

Realizing the severity of his condition, he decided to enroll in a clinical trial that could help him restore his eyesight.

Elsewhere, Doc received heartwarming news when Mel asked if he would walk her down the aisle at her wedding.

Hope fought to keep her position as mayor.
Hope McCrea (Annette O'Toole) in season five of "Virgin River."
Hope McCrea (Annette O'Toole) in season five of "Virgin River."

Netflix

Hope (Annette O'Toole) spent much of season five recovering from the traumatic brain injury she had sustained.

She also found herself defending herself from some overly concerned town residents working to remove her as mayor.

By the finale, she had been sworn back in.

In other news, Doc asked Hope to renew their wedding vows.

Lizzy discovered she was pregnant.
Lizzie (Sarah Dugdale) in season five of "Virgin River."
Lizzie (Sarah Dugdale) in season five of "Virgin River."

Netflix

Lizzie (Sarah Dugdale) and Denny (Kai Bradbury) got back together in season five after briefly breaking up in season four.

She began working as Hope's health aide โ€” and eventual mayoral assistant โ€” and made the decision to remain in Virgin River instead of moving away.

Her decision was partly influenced by her romance with Denny and their experience of surviving the wildfires together.

At the end of the season, she told Denny that she believed she was pregnant.

Denny wanted to leave Virgin River to go to med school.
Denny (Kai Bradbury) and Doc (Tim Matheson) in season five of "Virgin River."
Denny (Kai Bradbury) and Doc (Tim Matheson) in season five of "Virgin River."

Netflix

Doc's grandson began settling into life in Virgin River in season five.

His romance with Lizzie got back on track after she decided to stay in the town.

But in an unexpected twist, Denny told Lizzie in the season five finale that he had changed his mind about staying.

At the town carnival, he dropped the bombshell news that he wanted to leave Virgin River to go to med school after all.

But Lizzie had some big news of her own: she was pregnant.

Preacher had a new love interest but was worried about his future.
Preacher (Colin Lawrence) in season five of "Virgin River."
Preacher (Colin Lawrence) in season five of "Virgin River."

Netflix

Preacher began dating Kaia (Kandyse McClure), a firefighter, in season five.

It came after his former flame, Paige (Lexa Doig), decided to skip town with her son Christopher (Chase Petriw) after the traumatic experience the two had with Vince (Steve Bacic).

As audiences will remember, Christopher was kidnapped by Vince because he believed that Paige and Preacher had conspired to kill his twin brother Wes (also played by Bacic) and hide his body.

As a reminder, Paige did accidentally kill her abusive ex by pushing him down the stairs back in season two, then fled while Preacher took care of the body.

Preacher was assured by town detective Mike (Marco Grazzini) in the season five premiere that the police weren't taking Vince's claims seriously.

However, the ordeal came back to bite him when Wes's body was discovered in the woods in the Christmas episodes.

Brie and Brady broke up and started dating other people.
benjamin hollingsworth as brady in virgin river, wearing a red knit cap and smiling softly at a woman
Brady (Benjamin Hollingsworth) in season five of "Virgin River."

Netflix

Brady (Benjamin Hollingsworth) had managed to break free from the local drug ring and was enjoying a simpler life in season five.

He began seeing a single mother named Lark (Elise Gatien) who has a young daughter.

However, it turned out that Lark had some ulterior motives. As audiences saw, she had been asked to pursue Brady by her ex, Jimmy (Ian Tracey), and the two were planning on using him in some way.

Meanwhile, Brie (Zibby Allen) began seeing Mike.

Cameron and Muriel took their romance public.
Muriel (Teryl Rothery) and Cameron (Mark Ghanime) in season five of "Virgin River."
Muriel (Teryl Rothery) and Cameron (Mark Ghanime) in season five of "Virgin River."

Netflix

The town's newest arrival, a doctor called Cameron (Mark Ghanime), enjoyed a blossoming, if not unexpected, romance with Muriel (Teryl Rothery).

They initially kept things under wraps, concerned they would raise eyebrows, but after speaking to Doc, they took their romance public by kissing in front of the other residents at the Labor Day carnival.

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Dazzling photos show royal castles and palaces decorated for Christmas

Royal staff members decorated a Christmas tree in Windsor Castle.
Royal staff members decorated a Christmas tree in Windsor Castle.

Royal Collection Enterprises Limited 2024/Royal Collection Trust

  • UK royal staff decorated residences like Windsor Castle for the holidays.
  • The British royals have a slew of famous properties, from Windsor to Holyroodhouse to Buckingham Palace.
  • Buckingham Palace is being renovated โ€” and we've not seen any photos so far of it being decked out.

The British royal family is getting in the holiday spirit.

It's a festive tradition for staff from the Royal Collection Trust to decorate the family's residences around the UK.

This year, Windsor Castle and the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh were the first residences to be decked out with Christmas trees and garlands.

Take a look at all the festive touches.

In Windsor Castle, a 20-foot Christmas tree was erected in St George's Hall.
Windsor Castle's St George's Hall has been decorated with a 20-foot Christmas tree.
Windsor Castle's St George's Hall has been decorated with a 20-foot Christmas tree.

Royal Collection Enterprises Limited 2024/Royal Collection Trust

The tree was sourced from the nearby Windsor Great Park and will be replanted after the Christmas display closes.

For the first time, Queen Mary's Dolls' House is decorated.
Queen Mary's Dolls' House in Windsor Castle.
Queen Mary's Dolls' House was adorned with holiday decorations for the first time.

Royal Collection Enterprises Limited 2024/Royal Collection Trust

The Queen Mary's Dolls' House in Windsor Castle was designed between 1921 and 1924 as a "gift to the nation" from Queen Mary following World War I.

The doll house โ€” often called the largest and most famous in the world โ€” replicates an aristocratic Edwardian home and has electricity, working elevators, and running water.

This close-up image shows a mini 1920s Christmas tree.
A close-up image of the Christmas decorations in Queen Mary's Doll's House
A close-up image of the Christmas decorations in Queen Mary's Doll's House.

Royal Collection Enterprises Limited 2024/Royal Collection Trust

To commemorate its 100th anniversary, the doll house has been decorated for Christmas for the first time with a miniature 1920s-style Christmas tree and garlands.

Meanwhile, festive garlands were on the castle's grand staircase.
A staff member decorates Windsor Castle with festive garlands.
A staff member decorates Windsor Castle with festive garlands.

Royal Collection Enterprises Limited 2024/Royal Collection Trust

The staircase leads to the State Apartments, which are open for the public to visit.

A 15-foot-high Christmas tree stands in the castle's crimson drawing room.
A close-up image shows a Christmas tree in Windsor Castle's Crimson Drawing Room, with two sofa chairs and a sparkling chandelier.
A close-up image shows a Christmas tree in Windsor Castle's Crimson Drawing Room.

Royal Collection Enterprises Limited 2024/Royal Collection Trust

A Nordmann Fir Christmas tree was erected in the crimson drawing room, which the royal family uses for official entertaining.

Photos of the decorations at Buckingham Palace have not been released.
Britain's King Charles and Queen Camilla listen as members of the Military Wives Choirs perform a Christmas song at Buckingham Palace.
Britain's King Charles and Queen Camilla listen as members of the Military Wives Choirs perform a Christmas song at Buckingham Palace.

Yui Mok/POOL/AFP via Getty Images

Buckingham Palace is decorated โ€” but there aren't any pictures available.

A palace spokesperson told Business Insider that imagery of the interior decoration hasn't been released since the palace is closed to the public.

They said there were Christmas trees, garlands, and other festive flowers in the palace, the official London residence of the royals.

The photo above shows an event on December 11 at the palace, without any obvious decoration.

The palace is undergoing a ยฃ369 million ($466 million) refurbishment, which will see the royal household closed to state visits until 2027.

The Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh was also decorated with trees and garlands.
A Christmas tree surrounded by paintings in the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh.
The Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh is decorated with a Christmas tree.

Royal Collection Enterprises Limited 2024/Royal Collection Trust

A 15-foot-high tree was erected in the Great Gallery, the largest room in the palace.

Here's a close-up shot of staff decorating the tree with baubles.
Staff members decorated the Christmas tree in the Palace of Holyroodhouse's Great Gallery.
Staff members decorated the Christmas tree in the Great Gallery.

Royal Collection Enterprises Limited 2024/Royal Collection Trust

The room is adorned with portraits of legendary kings of Scotland.

Two 12-foot-high Christmas trees stand in the palace's Throne Room.
Two 12-foot-high Christmas trees and a mantle garland decorate the Throne Room at the Palace of Holyroodhouse.
Two Christmas trees and a mantle garland decorate the palace's Throne Room.

A staff member decorates a Christmas tree in the royal family's Scottish residence.

The Throne Room is used for receptions, state banquets, and other formal events.

Here's a closer look at one of the trees.
A staff member decorates a Christmas tree in the royal family's Scottish residence.
A staff member decorates a Christmas tree in the royal family's Scottish residence.

Royal Collection Enterprises Limited 2024/Royal Collection Trust

The tree was decorated predominantly with red baubles and ribbons.

In the palace's dining room, giant festive garlands are displayed.
Two royal staff members add festive decor in the royal dining room.
Two royal staff members add festive decor in the royal dining room.

Royal Collection Enterprises Limited 2024/Royal Collection Trust

Staff members can be seen adding the finishing touches to the display.

The table was set with sugared fruits and foliage.
A staff member decorates a table for Christmas at the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh, Scotland.
A staff member decorates a table for Christmas at the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh, Scotland.

Royal Collection Enterprises Limited 2024/Royal Collection Trust

Clarence House has also been decorated for the holidays.
Queen Camilla speaks to a person dressed as Santa Claus at Clarence House.
Queen Camilla speaks to a person dressed as Santa Claus at Clarence House.

Mina Kim AFP

The London residence, which remains the primary residence of King Charles III and his wife, Queen Camilla, also got a festive makeover in the run up to Christmas.

The property was decorated to resemble a Christmas grotto ahead of an annual festive tradition.
Queen Camilla and a child place a decoration on a Christmas tree during an event at Clarence House.
Queen Camilla and a child place a decoration on a Christmas tree during an event at Clarence House.

Mina Kim/ AFP via Getty Images

The Queen welcomed children to Clarence House to help decorate the Christmas tree in the household's library.

Highgrove, the King's former family residence, was decorated with towering nutcrackers.
Staff at Highgrove Gardens dress huge nutcrackers on the terrace.
Staff at Highgrove Gardens dress huge nutcrackers on the terrace.

Ben Birchall/PA via Getty Images

Highgrove is in the English countryside some 85 miles west of London.

The two nutcrackers, which stand at over 10 feet tall, have been placed outside the Orchard Room, the estate's dedicated entertaining space.

Inside, a Christmas tree has been placed on a table.
Staff at Highgrove Gardens dress a Christmas tree in the Ante Room.
Staff at Highgrove Gardens dress a Christmas tree in the Ante Room.

Ben Birchall/PA Images via Getty Images

The tree is in the Ante Room and will be visible to the public who visit Highgrove's gardens during the festive period.

Garlands of dried fruit have been displayed on the windows.
Garlands of dried fruit have been hung on the windows at Highgrove.
Garlands of dried fruit have been hung on the windows at Highgrove.

Ben Birchall/PA Images via Getty Images

Staff members can be seen decorating the tree beyond the windows.

The table in the garden room was decorated with tall candelabras and seasonal colors.
Staff at Highgrove Gardens prepare place settings in the Garden Room.
Staff at Highgrove Gardens prepare place settings in the Garden Room

Ben Birchall/PA Images via Getty Images

Staff at Highgrove Gardens can be seen preparing place settings in the garden room.

If we see more royal Christmassy photos, we'll add them.
windsor castle christmas tree
Crown decorations on the 2018 Windsor Castle Christmas tree.

AP

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6 biggest questions the 'Yellowstone' series finale left unanswered

Beth Dutton (Kelly Reilly) in the "Yellowstone" finale.
Beth Dutton (Kelly Reilly) in the "Yellowstone" finale.

Paramount Network

  • The series finale of "Yellowstone" has aired, concluding Paramount Network's epic western drama.
  • From lingering mysteries to lost characters, the show didn't tie up every loose end.
  • Warning: This article contains spoilers for seasons one to five of "Yellowstone."

The credits have rolled on the last-ever episode of "Yellowstone," concluding Taylor Sheridan's epic neo-western drama, which, at one point, was the most-watched scripted series in America.

Naturally, the long-awaited finale drew in a huge audience. According to VideoAmp data released by Paramount, the episode, which aired on Sunday, December 15, brought in 11.4 million same-day viewers on Paramount Network and CMT, making it the biggest episode in the series' history.

The supersized episode, which ran for 86 minutes, sawย Kevin Costner's character, John Dutton, finally laid to rest after he died in theย midseason premiere.

After that, the Dutton land was returned to the Native American community that once owned it, leaving the ranch's residents and workers to follow their own paths.

While the episode tied up many loose ends, it did leave some dangling plot threads and unanswered questions.

From lingering mysteries to lost characters, keep reading to see the six questions we still have about "Yellowstone."

Why did Rip never find out about the pain that Jamie caused Beth?
Beth Dutton (Kelly Reilly) and Jamie Dutton (Wes Bentley) in "Yellowstone" season five.
Beth Dutton (Kelly Reilly) and Jamie Dutton (Wes Bentley) in "Yellowstone" season five.

Paramount Network

Beth's (Kelly Reilly) resentment towards her adopted brother Jamie (Wes Bentley) has been a cornerstones of the series since the very beginning.

As audiences discovered in a season three flashback, she had a good reason. When she became pregnant as a teenager, Jamie knowingly ordered a doctor to give her a hysterectomy rather than an abortion, leaving her infertile.

Beth's been haunted by this experience her entire adult life, not least because the baby's father was Rip's (Cole Hauser).

But, by the series finale, Rip is still in the dark about the pain Jamie caused Beth. He seemingly doesn't even know that he got Beth pregnant all those years ago.

What game was Sarah Atwood playing with the Duttons?
Sarah Atwood (Dawn Olivieri) in season five of "Yellowstone."
Sarah Atwood (Dawn Olivieri) in season five of "Yellowstone."

Paramount Network

When Sarah Atwood (Dawn Olivieri) was introduced in the second episode of season five, she filled the villain-shaped hole left by the death of Jamie's biological father, Garrett Randall (Will Patton).

Working on behalf of Market Equities, she pushed forward with the real estate company's relentless battle to acquire the Dutton land by whatever means necessary.

This included manipulating Jamie into a sexual relationship before convincing him to call for John's impeachment. She took things further by organizing a hit on the Dutton patriarch.

But Sarah got her comeuppance not long after as she was gunned down by the same assassins in an attempt to cover their tracks.

Her demise, while celebrated by audiences, however, leaves lots of questions unanswered, including what her ultimate goal was.

By the end, it was hinted that she had shifted loyalties from Market Equities to Jamie himself. Plus, as Beth found out while digging into Sarah's background, she was using a fake name.

Without a real identity and motivations, Sarah ended up being a poorly drawn antagonist with not much depth who wasn't deserving of such a big storyline.

What happened to Angela Blue Thunder and her attempts to oust Rainwater as chairman of the reservation?
We've not seen much of Chief Thomas Rainwater (Gil Birmingham) and Angela Blue Thunder (Q'orianka Kilcher).
Angela Blue Thunder (Q'orianka Kilcher) and Thomas Rainwater (Gil Birmingham) in "Yellowstone" season five.

Paramount Network

Angela Blue Thunder (Q'orianka Kilcher) was introduced in season three as an adversary to Thomas Rainwater (Gil Birmingham), the chairman of the Broken Rock Reservation.

At the beginning of season five, audiences saw her embark on a plan to supplant Rainwater with younger rival Martin (Martin Sensmeier).

However, Angela and this storyline were nowhere to be seen in the second half of season five.

With this storyline left unfinished, it leads to questions of whether Rainwater will stay in charge of looking after the Yellowstone land following his promise to Kayce (Luke Grimes) to treat it with respect and leave it practically unchanged.

Why did Kayce consider inheriting the ranch as such a burden?
Luke Grimes and Kevin Costner star as Kayce and John Dutton in Paramount Network's "Yellowstone."
Luke Grimes and Kevin Costner star as Kayce and John Dutton in Paramount Network's "Yellowstone."

Emerson Miller/Paramount Network

In the finale, Kayce said the words "I'm free" when tearfully embracing his wife Monica (Kelsey Asbille) after signing over the ranch to the Broken Rock tribe.

It was an emotional moment, but the reasons Kayce considered the Yellowstone ranch such a huge burden were never fully explained or explored.

Audiences will recall that at one point, John disclosed that he never wanted his grandson Tate (Brecken Merrill) to be born and opposed Kayce's marriage to Monica.

But besides this, audiences never really got a grasp on the tensions and resentments at the core of Kayce and his father's relationship.

Given that in the finale, Kayce bought himself a small herd of cattle to tend to, we understand that it was never the lifestyle that the youngest Dutton son was opposed to, but doing it on the farmland that his father owned.

Where did Lloyd go?
Forrie J. Smith, center.
Forrie J. Smith, center.

Paramount Network

Lloyd Pierce (Forrie J. Smith) was the oldest and longest-serving cowboy on the ranch.

The character also had a significant amount of screentime, appearing in every episode of the show but two, according to IMDb.

But in the finale, Lloyd's character wasn't given proper closure. As the cowboys on the ranch disbanded and headed their separate ways, Lloyd was left as the only one without somewhere to go.

While Rip offered him a job on his new ranch, Lloyd declined, stating that he would rather not be a cowboy at all if he couldn't keep working at the Yellowstone ranch.

His decision made sense as so much of Lloyd's life and identity were tied up in the ranch (he was among the men branded for life with the Yellowstone 'Y'). Still, it would've been satisfying to find out what he planned to do next if not cowboying.

What was the purpose of showing so much of the 6666 ranch and Taylor Sheridan's own ranch?
6666 ranch workers Emily (Kathryn Kelly) and Jimmy (Jefferson White) in "Yellowstone."
6666 ranch workers Emily (Kathryn Kelly) and Jimmy (Jefferson White) in "Yellowstone."

Paramount Network

A crucial plot point in season five was that several key "Yellowstone" characters found themselves sent on a secondment to the 6666 ranch โ€“ which is a real ranch bought in 2020 by series cocreator Taylor Sheridan.

Elsewhere, Sheridan showed up as the character Travis Wheatley, a horsetrader who essentially saved the Yellowstone ranch from financial ruin by selling off their horses for them.

In fact, almost all of the penultimate episode was dedicated to Beth's trip to Bosque Ranch, which, again, Sheridan owns in real life. In the show, Travis is the proprietor of the ranch.

There seemed to be no concrete reason why these ranches got so much screentime in the last batch of episodes, besides showcasing Sheridan's own ranching empire.

There is a possibility that the scenes and characters introduced in them may show up in a new spinoff series.

Alongside a rumored new series following Beth and Rip, there is the franchise extension "6666" also in the works โ€” but that appears to have been shelved for now.

The series was first announced in early 2021 and originally set to debut in 2023.

In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter in 2023, Sheridan spoke about the delays in getting "6666" (pronounced "four-sixes") off the ground and said he had told the studio "to be patient."

What became of the wolves storyline?
Kevin Costner as John Dutton in "Yellowstone."
Kevin Costner as John Dutton in "Yellowstone."

Cam McLeod/Paramount Network

It was a blink-or-you'll-miss-it moment in the midseason finale but on top of the news that Jamie had called for an impeachment tribunal, John was given the additional headache of an investigation being launched into whether or not the endangered wolves from the nearby national park were killed on his land.

Like Angela Blue Thunder, this was another storyline that was introduced and then seemingly abandoned when the show returned from it's lengthy midseason hiatus.

Given that John had invited his girlfriend, outspoken animal rights activist Summer Higgins (Piper Perabo), to live with him, it felt at the time that this story arc was going to loom large in the second half of the season.

In the end, it didn't. Audiences didn't hear anything more about the wolves storyline or the coverup operation that John and Rip carried out to hide their bodies again.

Read the original article on Business Insider

All of Rip and Beth's relationship milestones on 'Yellowstone,' from the pilot to the finale — and a possible spinoff

Cole Hauser and Kelly Reilly star as Rip Wheeler and Beth Dutton in Paramount Network's "Yellowstone."
Cole Hauser and Kelly Reilly star as Rip Wheeler and Beth Dutton in Paramount Network's "Yellowstone."

Paramount Network

  • Beth and Rip's relationship was a cornerstone of Paramount Network's "Yellowstone."
  • The couple, played by Kelly Reilly and Cole Hauser, are rumored to be reuniting for a spinoff show.
  • Here's a complete timeline of the pair's passionate relationship from the pilot to the finale.

Since the very beginning, Beth Dutton and Rip Wheeler's relationship has been considered the beating heart of Paramount Network's "Yellowstone."

The series, co-created by Taylor Sheridan and John Linson, wrapped up its fifth and final season on Sunday evening with a supersized episode that saw the ranch at the center of the show returned to the Native American community who once owned the land.

In the end, Beth (Kelly Reilly) and Rip (Cole Hauser) decided to buy a new, smaller ranch for themselves where they could live together peacefully.

However, it's suspected that it's not the last audiences will see of the pair. Speaking in November, Hauser told The Hollywood Reporter that he felt there was more to explore with Beth and Rip.

"You can go on forever about these two. There's no walls when it comes to them, no limits," he said. "And as long as Taylor wants to write something special, I know Kelly and I would be interested to do it."

Days before the finale aired, Deadline broke the news that Reilly and Hauser would reprise their roles to star in a" Yellowstone" spinoff series, according to sources close to production. The as-of-yet unnamed show, will likely star other actors reprising their roles from the main series, Deadline said.

Network representatives did not respond to Business Insider's request for comment.

As we anticipate more news on the spinoff, BI looks back on Beth and Rip's unforgettable, passionate, tumultuous, and decades-spanning love story as it played out on "Yellowstone."

When audiences first met Beth and Rip, they were a hookup with a long history.
Beth (Kelly Reilly) and Rip (Cole Hauser) in "Yellowstone" season one, episode one.
Beth (Kelly Reilly) and Rip (Cole Hauser) in "Yellowstone" season one, episode one.

Paramount Network

In the show's pilot, which aired in 2018, audiences were introduced to Beth, the only daughter of Montana cattle rancher-turned-governor John Dutton (Kevin Costner), and Rip Wheeler, the ranch's most loyal employee who worked his way up to foreman after first joining as an orphaned teenager.

When the two ran into each other at the ranch's main cabin, it was hinted that they had more than a little history, and it didn't take them long to slide back into old habits.

After a particularly passionate hook-up, it was clear that the two wanted different things: Rip invited Beth to join him at a music festival, to which she responded: "You ruin it every time."

Relive the moment: Season one, episode one.

The pair had a very unconventional "first date."
Beth (Kelly Reilly) and Rip (Cole Hauser) in "Yellowstone" season one, episode two.
Beth (Kelly Reilly) and Rip (Cole Hauser) in "Yellowstone" season one, episode two.

Paramount Network

Beth appeared to have thought some more about Rip's offer to do more than just sleep together, and the next time she saw him, she suggested a date more suited to her personality.

"You wanna go get drunk and watch some wolves kill an elk in a park?" he asked her.

And so that's exactly what they did. While they both acknowledged that it was far from their first date given their history, which audiences learn went back to their teenage years, it marked the beginning of the rekindling of their relationship.

Relive the moment: Season one, episode two.

By the end of season one, their relationship had gone off the rails.
Beth (Kelly Reilly) and Rip (Cole Hauser) in "Yellowstone" season one, episode nine.
Beth (Kelly Reilly) and Rip (Cole Hauser) in "Yellowstone" season one, episode nine.

Paramount Network

In the season one finale, Beth sabotaged her relationship with Rip by turning a flirtation with ranch newcomer Walker (Ryan Bingham) into a full-blown affair.

While Beth and Rip had never properly defined their relationship, Beth's decision to sleep with Walker left Rip feeling betrayed.

In Beth's eyes, however, she had good reason to stray: Rip had left her ego bruised by assuming that she was sleeping with her male assistant, Jason (David Cleveland Brown). He also refused to pass on some information her father had privately shared with him regarding the future of the ranch.

Beth didn't have feelings for Walker, but was simply using him as a distraction as she dealt with the anger and pain from her argument with Rip.

Relive the moment: Season one, episode nine.

Midway through season two, Beth and Rip reconciled.
Beth (Kelly Reilly) and Rip (Cole Hauser) in "Yellowstone" season two, episode five.
Beth (Kelly Reilly) and Rip (Cole Hauser) in "Yellowstone" season two, episode five.

Paramount Network

Beth and Walker's no-strings-attached fling carried on into season two, and it wasn't until halfway through the season that Beth pulled herself out of her self-destructive pattern and apologized to Rip.

But it was already water under the bridge for Rip, who told her he wasn't angry and she needn't ever say sorry to him for anything.

They shared smiles, acknowledging that they were back on track before Rip returned to his duties on the ranch.

Relive the moment: Season two, episode five.

In a flashback, audiences saw Beth and Rip's first kiss as teenagers.
Teenage Beth (Kylie Rogers) and teenage Rip (Kyle Red Silverstein) in "Yellowstone" season two, episode five.
Teenage Beth (Kylie Rogers) and teenage Rip (Kyle Red Silverstein) in "Yellowstone" season two, episode five.

Paramount Network

Teenage Beth (Kylie Rogers) and teenage Rip (Kyle Red Silverstein) were shown initially clashing on the ranch. Beth called Rip, who had recently been welcomed into the ranch by John, her "daddy's new pet," infuriating the orphaned teen.

However, the two couldn't deny their attraction to one another. Beth asked Rip to kiss her. When he replied that he didn't know how, she revealed that she didn't either, and so the two shared their first kiss together.

Relive the moment: Season two, episode five.

Rip saved Beth from a brutal attack and uttered those three important words.
Beth (Kelly Reilly) and Rip (Cole Hauser) in "Yellowstone" season two, episode seven.
Beth (Kelly Reilly) and Rip (Cole Hauser) in "Yellowstone" season two, episode seven.

Paramount Network

Beth's decision to invite Rip to join her on the rooftop of the Dutton house for a late-night drink together led to a poignant moment between the two.

After Beth joked that Rip has been wearing the same jeans and jacket for years, Rip got vulnerable and revealed that he's spent thousands of dollars on headstones for his mom and brother, who were murdered by his abusive father.

Touched at his gesture, the two stared lovingly into each other's eyes, but before Rip could tell Beth that he loved her, she stopped him.

"Don't say it," Beth requested. "Tell me when it saves me."

That ended up coming sooner than anticipated. Later in the same episode, Beth was brutally attacked by men working on behalf of Malcolm Beck (Neal McDonough). Having managed to call Rip before things turned ugly, Rip managed to save her and kill her assailants.

As he comforted her, Rip uttered those three important words.

Relive the moment: Season two, episode seven.

A season three flashback revealed that Rip got Beth pregnant when they were teenagers.
Beth (Kylie Rogers) and Rip (Kyle Red Silverstein) in "Yellowstone" season three, episode five.
Beth (Kylie Rogers) and Rip (Kyle Red Silverstein) in "Yellowstone" season three, episode five.

Paramount Network

After learning that she had gotten pregnant with Rip's baby, Beth asked her older brother Jamie (Dalton Baker) to get her help.

Worried that going to a hospital in the city would draw attention given that she has the Dutton name, Jamie drove Beth to a clinic where he agreed to let a doctor give her a hysterectomy, leaving her infertile for the rest of her life.

Afterward, Beth met with Rip, who asked if her pregnancy test had come back positive. Lying to him, she said it had been negative, hiding from him the abortion โ€” and unbeknownst to her, sterilization โ€” that she had just gone through.

Relive the moment: Season three, episode five.

Beth asked Rip to marry her on the porch of their cabin.
Beth (Kelly Reilly) and Rip (Cole Hauser) in "Yellowstone" season three, episode seven.
Beth (Kelly Reilly) and Rip (Cole Hauser) in "Yellowstone" season three, episode seven.

Paramount Network

Early on in season three, Beth hinted that she would like to one day be Rip's wife.

After speaking to her father, who told her Rip would never propose because he wouldn't be able to bring himself to ask John for his blessing out of respect for the Dutton patriarch, she decided to take matters into her own hands.

She posed the question to Rip on the porch of their cabin with a simple black ring, joking that she knew he wasn't a "diamonds and gold kind of girl."

She's his, Beth said, on one condition: "The only thing I ask is that you outlive me so that I never have to live another day without you."

Rip had a condition of his own, too: They needed to get married on the ranch. A courthouse wedding was out of the question, because there was no record of his existence on file.

Relive the moment: Season three, episode seven.

Beth took in an orphaned teenager who became their de facto son.
Carter (Finn Little) in "Yellowstone" season four, episode two.
Carter (Finn Little) in "Yellowstone" season four, episode two.

Paramount Network

While recovering in the hospital from yet another assassination attempt, Beth ran into a kid named Carter (Finn Little) who is all alone in the world. Naturally, the boy reminded Beth of a young Rip, so she decided to invite him to the ranch to find work and give him a roof over his head.

While Rip was initially reluctant to take Carter under his wing, he eventually came around to the idea and the two began treating Carter like the child they never had.

Relive the moment: Season four, episode two.

Beth and Rip married on the ranch in an impromptu ceremony.
Beth (Kelly Reilly) and Rip (Cole Hauser) in "Yellowstone" season four, episode 10.
Beth (Kelly Reilly) and Rip (Cole Hauser) in "Yellowstone" season four, episode 10.

Paramount Network

In the season four finale, Beth decided to throw together a last-minute wedding outside the Dutton cabin.

It came after she almost bolted, leaving the Yellowstone ranch, her family, and Rip all behind, after feeling immense guilt over the secrets she had kept from Rip over the years.

When Rip convinced her to stay put and keep the promises she had made to him, she decided it was as good a time as ever to make that promise more permanent.

Wearing a white leopard-print coat and a gold dress, Beth and Rip married โ€” with the help of a priest Beth had managed to rope in to officiate. The ceremony took place in front of their nearest and dearest, including Carter.

Relive the moment: Season four, episode 10.

A flashback revealed that Rip's loyalty to the ranch was intertwined with his loyalty to Beth.
Rip (Kyle Red Silverstein) in "Yellowstone" season five, episode seven.
Rip (Kyle Red Silverstein) in "Yellowstone" season five, episode seven.

Paramount Network

Season five filled in some more gaps about Rip's early days at the ranch. One flashback showed how Rip got his chest branded with the Yellowstone Y โ€” the indication that you're committed to the ranch forever โ€” after getting into a fight with an older cowboy who had said some less-than-chivalrous things about Beth.

After Beth and Rip began their romance as teenagers, Beth decided to make Rip jealous by going on a date with an older cowboy named Rowdy (Kai Caster). When Rip and Rowdy were paired up on a job together, conversation turned to the boss's daughter. A fight ensued after Rowdy said some insulting things about her.

After Rowdy pulled a knife on the teen, Rip hit him around the head with a rock, accidentally killing him.

When he admitted what happened to John (played in flashbacks by Josh Lucas), he was introduced to the concept of the Train Station โ€” the "trash can for everyone who's ever attacked us" that lies in a "jurisdictional dead zone," as John puts it โ€” and asked to never speak of it again. Being privy to the Dutton family's secret meant that Rip was asked to swear loyalty to the ranch, something that he had no hesitation in doing.

Relive the moment: Season five, episode seven.

Beth and Rip bought their own ranch together in the series finale.
Beth (Kelly Reilly) and Rip (Cole Hauser) in "Yellowstone" season five, episode 14.
Beth (Kelly Reilly) and Rip (Cole Hauser) in "Yellowstone" season five, episode 14.

Paramount Network

Beth and Rip left the Yellowstone ranch for new pastures after the Dutton ranch was given back to the Broken Rock Tribe.

When audiences last saw Beth and Rip at the end of the finale, they were settled into their new home and ranch, miles away from the Yellowstone ranch, along with their adopted son Carter (Finn Little).

Relive the moment: Season five, episode 14.

Read the original article on Business Insider

Here's where every 'Yellowstone' character ended up in the finale of the show that gripped America for half a decade

Luke Grimes as Kacey Dutton and Kelly Reilly as Beth Dutton in "Yellowstone."
Luke Grimes as Kayce Dutton and Kelly Reilly as Beth Dutton in Paramount Network's "Yellowstone."

Paramount Network

  • Warning: Spoilers ahead for the series finale of Paramount Network's "Yellowstone."
  • The finale of the neo-western drama aired on Sunday.
  • Here's where the most prominent characters found themselves at the end of the series.

"Yellowstone" aired its finale this week, putting an end to the cowboy drama that has captured audiences' attention for more than half a decade.

There were twists, turns, and in classic "Yellowstone" style, someone was taken to the "Train Station."

Here's where all the major characters wound up in the series finale of "Yellowstone."

John Dutton was killed off-screen at the start of the midseason premiere.
Kevin Costner as John Dutton in "Yellowstone."
Kevin Costner as John Dutton.

Cam McLeod/Paramount Network

The fate of the Dutton patriarch (Kevin Costner) was revealed minutes into the season five midseason premiere of "Yellowstone."

John's death occurred off-screen in the bathroom of his governor's house in the Montana capital of Helena.

While it initially appeared that he died by suicide, it emerged that his son Jamie Dutton (Wes Bentley) and Sarah Atwood (Dawn Olivieri), a lawyer who was in a sexual relationship with Jamie, orchestrated a hit.

Beth Dutton avenged her father's death.
Beth Dutton (Kelly Reilly) in "Yellowstone season five.
Kelly Reilly as Beth Dutton.

Paramount Network

Across five seasons, Beth Dutton (Kelly Reilly) earned a reputation as someone who doesn't suffer fools gladly.

She knew as soon as her father died that Jamie was involved in the murder plot, directly or indirectly, and so made it her mission to avenge John's death.

In the series finale, she killed Jamie before Rip Wheeler (Cole Hauser) dumped him at the "Train Station."

Rip Wheeler moved to a new, smaller ranch with Beth.
Cole Hauser as Rip Wheeler on episode 509 of Paramount Network's Yellowstone
Cole Hauser as Rip Wheeler.

Paramount Network

Rip was initially facing the prospect of being separated from Beth for a year after being asked to take care of cattle down in Texas. But after John died, he promptly returned to the Dutton ranch to be there for his wife.

He stayed there until he and Beth decided to pack up and leave for new pastures. The couple bought a new, smaller ranch in rural Montana and moved there with their adopted son, Carter (Finn Little).

Kayce gave up the ranch and chose freedom instead.
Kayce Dutton (Luke Grimes) in season five of "Yellowstone."
Luke Grimes as Kayce Dutton.

Paramount Network

As the last surviving legitimate son of John Dutton โ€” his older brother Lee (Dave Annable) was killed in season one โ€” Kayce Dutton (Luke Grimes) had been the frontrunner to inherit the sprawling ranch from his father.

In the finale, he gave up the burden of the ranch and instead chose freedom.

A cowboy at heart, however, he bought some cattle to rear on a small parcel of land he decided to keep for his family.

Monica was touched by her husband returning the land to the Native American community.
Monica Dutton (Kelsey Asbille) in the "Yellowstone" finale.
Kelsey Asbille as Monica Dutton.

Paramount Network

Monica Dutton (Kelsey Asbille) is the granddaughter of the Broken Rock tribe elder Felix Long (Rudy Ramos) and has been married to Kayce since the beginning of the show.

Though their marriage had its ups and downs across the seasons, the finale proved that the most important thing to both of them was family.

The last time audiences saw Monica, she, Kayce, and their son Tate (Brecken Merrill) were pitching in to guide their new herd of cattle home.

Jamie was killed for the role he played in John's murder.
Jamie Dutton (Wes Bentley) in season five of "Yellowstone."
Wes Bentley as Jamie Dutton.

Paramount Network

Jamie, who was adopted by the Dutton family as an infant but learned who his biological parents were in season three, spent most of the series swinging wildly between trying to earn John's respect and trying to destroy him.

In the end, Jamie turned against John. Though he wasn't directly involved in John's death, Jamie gave Sarah enough encouragement to go ahead with the murder plot.

While Jamie came to regret this, he paid the ultimate price for his mistake.

Colby, one of the ranch hands, was accidentally killed by a horse.
Colby Mayfield (Denim Richards) in season five of "Yellowstone."
Denim Richards as Colby Mayfield.

Paramount Network

John's wasn't the only death to shake the Dutton ranch. Colby (Denim Richards), a long-serving horse wrangler, was also killed while defending Carter (Finn Little), an inexperienced cowboy, from an out-of-control stallion in the final run of episodes.

Teeter was heartbroken by Colby's death.
Teeter (Jen Landon) in season five of "Yellowstone."
Jen Landon as Teeter.

Paramount Network

Colby and Teeter (Jen Landon) were one of the show's most unlikely romantic pairings. The short-lived romance between the two ranch hands ended in tragedy when Colby was killed while Teeter was in Texas.

Beth took Teeter under her wing following Colby's death, but Teeter ultimately decided there were too many painful memories in Montana.

She requested a job at Travis' (Taylor Sheridan) ranch down in Texas and made the move.

Ryan gave up ranching so he could pursue his romance with Abby.
Ryan (Ian Bohen) in season five of "Yellowstone."
Ian Bohen as Ryan.

Paramount Network

Ryan (Ian Bohen), a stalwart of the show, decided he'd had enough of putting his life on hold.

After the ranch was sold, instead of getting another cowboy job, he sought out his ex-girlfriend Abby (Lainey Wilson) at one of her country shows.

The two reconciled and Ryan joked that he'd take a job as one of her road crew so he could stay close to her.

Thomas Rainwater, once one of the Dutton family's biggest adversaries, struck a deal with Kayce to buy the land.
Thomas Rainwater (Gil Birmingham) and Mo Brings Plenty on the second half of Season 5 of "Yellowstone."
Gil Birmingham as Thomas Rainwater and Mo Brings Plenty as Mo.

Emerson Miller/Paramount Network

The chairman of the Broken Rock Reservation, Chief Thomas Rainwater (Gil Birmingham), had been fighting with the Duttons over the land surrounding the ranch since season one.

While Rainwater didn't appear much in season five, he returned in a big way in the series finale.

Kayce decided to sell the ranch to the reservation for the same price โ€” $1.25 an acre โ€” that his ancestors bought it for almost 150 years prior.

Sarah Atwood, who masterminded John's hit, was taken out by assassins.
Sarah Atwood (Dawn Olivieri) in season five of "Yellowstone."
Dawn Olivieri as Sarah Atwood.

Paramount Network

Sarah Atwood got her comeuppance not long after the hit on John was carried out.

After Beth convinced her brother that their father wouldn't have killed himself, no matter the circumstances, Kayce paid a visit to the coroner's office and convinced them to reexamine his father's body and change his cause of death to "undetermined."

While the circumstances around Sarah's death weren't fully spelled out, it appeared that she was gunned down by the same assassins in an attempt to cover their tracks.

Read the original article on Business Insider

'Yellowstone,' one of the biggest shows on TV, is finally over. Here's how the epic neo-western saga ended.

Kayce Dutton (Luke Grimes) and Thomas Rainwater (Gil Birmingham) in the "Yellowstone" finale.
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Paramount Network

  • Paramount Network's "Yellowstone" concluded on Sunday after five seasons.
  • The series ended with the Dutton ranch being sold off to the Broken Rock Reservation.
  • Beth and Rip moved onto pastures new with a smaller ranch in rural Montana.

Warning: Major spoilers ahead for the series finale of "Yellowstone."

After five seasons and over a year of headline-dominating behind-the-scenes drama, "Yellowstone," Paramount Network's modern-day horse opera, has been put out to pasture.

The series โ€” which up until its most recent batch of episodes starred Kevin Costner as a rancher contemplating which of his adult children would be the right fit to inherit his sprawling ranch โ€” has become the most-watched scripted series in America since it hit screens in 2018.

In November, stars of the series spoke to Business Insider about the show's "mind-boggling" popularity, which only increased in the last few weeks as the show neared its conclusion.

"I think that there's something very human about it where it's looking forward and backward with the same glance," Kelsey Asbille, said. "I think that's maybe the secret sauce."

Her costar Luke Grimes credited the fact that, in his opinion "Yellowstone" had something that has distinguished it from the other Westerns โ€” Taylor Sheridan, whom he called "the best writer for this genre that has ever existed."

The final episode, which aired on Sunday, clocked in at over 90 minutes and gave audiences the closure they'd been waiting for: John's murder was avenged, and the fate of the ranch was finally revealed.

Here's a recap of how "Yellowstone" concluded.

John's body was laid to rest on the ranch.

Beth Dutton (Kelly Reilly) in the "Yellowstone" finale.
Beth Dutton (Kelly Reilly) in the "Yellowstone" finale.

Paramount Network

The final episode saw John's body released from the coroner's office, meaning that the family could finally hold a funeral for him. Viewers may recall that his body ended up having a second post-mortem examination, which revealed there had been foul play in his death.

Rip (Cole Hauser) and the men from the bunkhouse dug a hole for his coffin in the Dutton graveyard, and Beth (Kelly Reilly) gathered the family โ€” minus Jamie โ€” to give John a small, intimate funeral.

Beth was overcome by emotion at seeing the coffin, but when asked by the preacher if she wanted to say her goodbyes, she returned to her steely self and said: "I will avenge you."

Beth made good on her promise to avenge her father's murder.

Beth took off from the funeral and headed straight to her adopted brother Jamie's (Wes Bentley) house in Helena.

Having just delivered a speech distancing himself from his involvement in his father's death, he returned home to find Beth hiding in his house.

A brutal and bloody fight between them ensued and, had Rip not got there just in time, Jamie might have choked Beth to death. Although Rip was ready to let loose on Jamie, Beth asked him to stop so that she could be the one to kill him. She then fatally stabbed Jamie in the chest and held his gaze, keeping another promise she once made: that she would be the last thing he would ever see.

Afterward, Rip drove Jamie to the 'Train Station' โ€” in other words, he dumped his body off the side of a cliff. Meanwhile, Beth stayed at the house and called the police, pinning everything on Jamie โ€” her father's murder, Sarah Atwood's hit, and her own close call with death.

Kayce struck a deal with the Broken Rock Reservation to keep the ranch from being sold to developers.

Having gotten his sister's approval in the previous episode, Kayce went ahead with his plan to sell the ranch to the Broken Rock Reservation for the same cheap price โ€” $1.25 an acre โ€” that his ancestors bought it for almost 150 years prior.

"Congratulations, you just made the worst land deal since my people sold Manhattan," Chief Rainwater (Gil Birmingham) told him.

Monica Dutton (Kelsey Asbille) in the "Yellowstone" finale.
Monica Dutton (Kelsey Asbille) in the "Yellowstone" finale.

Paramount Network

However, Rainwater said there was one distinction: the Yellowstone ranch land will never change in a way that will make it unrecognizable in another 150 years. The tribe will live on the land but never sell it to developers.

As Beth had whispered to John's coffin earlier in the episode, this was perhaps the only way for the ranch to be saved.

"You made me promise not to sell an inch, and I hope you understand that this is me keeping it. There may not be cows on it, but there won't be condos, either. We won," she said.

The ranch's cowboys dispersed.

Ryan (Ian Bohen) and Abby (Lainey Wilson) in the "Yellowstone" finale.
Ryan (Ian Bohen) and Abby (Lainey Wilson) in the "Yellowstone" finale.

Paramount Network

With no ranch, the crew of cowboys living in the bunkhouse decided their futures. Teeter (Jennifer Landon) landed a job at Travis's (Taylor Sheridan) ranch alongside her old friend Jimmy (Jefferson White).

Lloyd (Forrie J. Smith), the oldest ranch hand, decided that if he couldn't be a cowboy at the Yellowstone ranch, he'd rather not be a cowboy at all and so retired.

Ryan (Ian Bohen) left the ranch and immediately sought out Abby (Lainey Wilson), the country singer he was previously dating, hoping she would take him back.

Beth and Rip left the Yellowstone ranch for pastures new.

Beth Dutton (Kelly Reilly) and Rip Wheeler (Cole Hauser) in the "Yellowstone" finale.
Beth Dutton (Kelly Reilly) and Rip Wheeler (Cole Hauser) in the "Yellowstone" finale.

Paramount Network

When audiences saw Beth and Rip at the end of the episode, they were settled into their new home and ranch, miles away from the Yellowstone ranch, along with their adopted son Carter (Finn Little).

As Beth had promised, the place was really out in the sticks, miles away from a town, let alone an airport. The closest bar, she told Rip, even turned away tourists if they happened to pass through.

"Sounds like my kind of place," Rip told his wife.

Elsewhere, Kayce, Monica (Kelsey Asbille), and their son Tate (Brecken Merrill) had kept a small patch of land for themselves and begun farming their own cattle. Although Rip had offered Kayce the Yellowstone Dutton ranch sign to take with him to his new farm, Kayce declined, stating that he was thinking of starting his own brand.

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Florence Pugh says it's 'exhausting' to be a young woman in Hollywood: 'There are fine lines women have to stay within'

Florence Pugh attends the 95th Annual Academy Awards on March 12, 2023 in Hollywood, California.
Florence Pugh.

Arturo Holmes/Getty Images

  • Florence Pugh has said it's "exhausting" to be a young woman in the acting industry.
  • Pugh told The Times of London that female movie stars face being called divas if they don't follow stereotypes.
  • "There are fine lines women have to stay within," she said.

Florence Pugh has opened up about what it's like to be a young woman in Hollywood, describing the experience as "exhausting."

In an interview with The Times of London published on Sunday, the 28-year-old British star reflected on her decadelong career as an actor and issues in the industry.

"There are fine lines women have to stay within, otherwise they are called a diva, demanding, problematic. And I don't want to fit into stereotypes made by others," Pugh said. "It is really exhausting for a young woman to just be in this industry, and actually other industries."

Pugh rose to fame after making her movie debut in "The Falling" in 2014. She followed that up with roles in "Midsommar," "Black Widow," "Oppenheimer," "Dune: Part Two," and "Little Women" โ€” the latter of which earned her an Oscar nomination.

Pugh told The Times that throughout her career, she had loved challenging ideas she didn't like, such as how women in the public eye are expected to look.

"I remember watching this industry and feeling that I wasn't represented. I remember godawful headlines about how Keira Knightley isn't thin anymore, or watching women getting torn apart despite being talented and beautiful," she said. "The only thing people want to talk about is some useless crap about how they look. And so I didn't care to abide by those rules."

Pugh has frequently spoken out over comments to do with her body or look.

In 2019, the actor called out a publication for "singling out my 'chunky' thighs" in a review of one of her movies.

The "We Live in Time" star also told The Telegraph in 2022 that she was told to lose weight and change her "look" when she was cast in a failed television pilot at the start of her career.

Pugh also spoke out over comments she received after wearing a transparent pink gown to a Valentino Haute Couture show in 2022.

In the interview with The Times, Pugh said: "I wanted to challenge how women were perceived, how we are supposed to look."

"Actually I wasn't trying to challenge. I just wanted to be there, to make space for a version of a person that isn't all the things they used to have to be," Pugh said. "I'm proud I've stuck by myself and look the way I look โ€” I'm really interested in people who are still angry with me for not losing more weight, or who just hate my nose ring."

"I am not going to be able to just change the way that things are โ€” but I can certainly help young women coming into this industry by making conversations happen where they weren't before," she added.

The actor recently revealed that she had been previously diagnosed with polycystic ovarian syndrome and endometriosis and that it had prompted her to freeze her eggs.

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'Saturday Night Live' tackles the internet's thirst for 'sex icon' Luigi Mangione

"Saturday Night Live" poked fun at the internet's thirst for "sexy slayer" Luigi Mangione.
"Saturday Night Live" poked fun at the internet's thirst for Luigi Mangione.

Saturday Night Live/YouTube

  • "Saturday Night Live" has tackled the social media reaction to the arrest of Luigi Mangione.
  • Mangione was charged with killing Brian Thompson, the CEO of UnitedHealthcare.
  • The sketch featured a character saying he's gotten "the horniest DMs" due to looking like Mangione.

"Saturday Night Live" kicked off its latest episode with a cold open that took on the internet's reaction to Luigi Mangione, the suspect in the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.

The 26-year-old Ivy League graduate, who was charged with second-degree murder in connection with Thompson's death, has emerged as a heartthrob in certain corners of the internet.

In a sketch parodying the show "Crime Stories with Nancy Grace," the "SNL" cast tackled the social media response to Mangione, with Sarah Sherman playing Grace.

Recapping Mangione's arrest at a McDonald's in Pennsylvania earlier this month, Sherman said: "Of course, everyone online celebrated the hard work of law enforcement in apprehending this dangerous criminal."

"Just kidding! Y'all psychos made him a sex symbol," she added, before describing Mangione as looking like "Dave Franco with Eugene Levy's eyebrows."

"I mean, really, what is going on in this country? Y'all, this man is not a sex icon. This man is โ€” and I cannot say this any clearer โ€” a murderer," she said.

Sherman later interviewed a character played by longtime cast member Kenan Thompson, asking him if he could believe people were attracted to this "sexy slayer."

"I mean, women love bad boys," Thompson replied.

"Back in the day, you could impress your old lady with a little poem, now you got to write a manifesto," he continued, seemingly referencing the handwritten note Mangione had in his possession when he was arrested.

The sketch then introduced a man who had been "affected closely by this story," played by cast member Emil Wakim.

Speaking as a guy who "happens to look like Luigi Mangione," Wakim said: "Yeah, this whole thing's kind of been a roller coaster for me."

"On one hand, I keep getting tackled by bounty hunters, but on the other hand, I've gotten some of the horniest DMs in my life," he added.

Thanks to his digital footprint, much of Mangione's life has been laid out in public since his identification and arrest.

"Saturday Night Live" illustrated their sketch by including a shirtless photo of Mangione that has gone viral since it was uncovered by internet sleuths.

Luigi Mangione led from the Blair County Courthouse after an extradition hearing in Hollidaysburg, Pennsylvania.

Jeff Swensen/Getty Images

Since his arrest, a Mangione look-alike contest has been held in New York City, Spotify playlists have been dedicated to him, and fanfiction featuring him has also been written.

As Business Insider previously reported, Mangione-themed merchandise has also been popping up online.

Read the original article on Business Insider

'Outlander' star David Berry breaks down his 'challenging and weird' sex scene that audiences didn't want to see

Lord John Grey (David Berry) and Claire Fraser (Caitriฬona Balfe) in season seven, part two of "Outlander."
Lord John Grey (David Berry) and Claire Fraser (Caitriฬona Balfe) in "Outlander."

Starz

  • Warning: Major spoilers ahead for season seven, episode 11 of the Starz drama "Outlander."
  • Actor David Berry spoke to BI about shooting an intimate scene with Caitrรญona Balfe.
  • The actor said he would always wonder if they could have done it differently.

Season seven, episode 11 of "Outlander" saw the Starz drama take on one of the most-anticipated โ€” and controversial โ€” storylines from the book series written by Diana Gabaldon.

After learning in the previous episode that the ship Jamie Fraser (Sam Heughan) was traveling on had sunk, Claire Fraser (Caitrรญona Balfe) and Lord John Grey (David Berry) were left grief-stricken.

When audiences saw them next, the pair hastily married to stop the English army from arresting Claire for espionage.

While their marriage was meant to be entirely platonic โ€” given John's sexuality and Claire's unending love for Jamie โ€” the two unexpectedly ended up consummating their marriage while in a haze of despair, drunkenness, and delirium while both imagining that the other is their beloved Jamie.

Speaking to Business Insider, Berry reflected on the experience of shooting his first sex scene for "Outlander" and the challenges that came with it.

"This was a very big moment for me as an actor because it's the first time that I was called upon to do sort of an 'Outlander' intimate scene," Berry said, adding that it "was a moment I was afraid of but also looking forward to."

Berry's trepidation at taking on the scene is understandable. While not the most shocking scene in "Outlander" โ€” the show has long been serving up challenging scenes โ€” it is one particularly unpopular with fans given its implications for Jamie and Claire's romance.

But Berry said that despite his concerns, he went into the storyline with enthusiasm.

Claire Fraser (Caitriฬona Balfe) in season seven, part two of "Outlander."
Claire Fraser (Caitriฬona Balfe) in season seven, part two of "Outlander."

Starz

"I think as someone who's been on the show for eight years and has sometimes felt like I've been on the bench, this was a great opportunity for me to step up my game," Berry said.

"There was a lot of excitement, on my behalf, to portray something so challenging and weird and just kind of solve that mystery of how and why these characters do what they do," he continued, adding: "It's a dangerous moment for the show because it really tests the credulity of the audience to believe that these characters would do such a thing."

"You still have to ground it in some element of truth," he added.

Lord John Grey (David Berry) and Claire Fraser (Caitriฬona Balfe) in season seven, part two of "Outlander."
Lord John Grey (David Berry) and Claire Fraser (Caitriฬona Balfe) in season seven, part two of "Outlander."

Starz

The actor said it was no easy feat to nail the scene in a way that would communicate his and Balfe's characters' shared trauma, corporeal urges, and the humanity behind their decision.

The pair prepared for the sequence with Vanessa Coffey, who has worked as an intimacy coordinator on the show since season six.

But preparation began long before even getting to set.

"Cait and I spent some time just doing some drama school kind of nerdy stuff, just improvising through the scene to find that stuff that isn't spoken about," Berry recalled.

"Of course, everyone had different ideas about how it should be depicted, and having Vanessa there to arbitrate all that was was really great," he continued. "She had a really tough job because it was not like any other love scene that's been depicted on the show."

Due to its unique, unconventional nature, Berry said he would always look back on the scene and wonder if they could have done it differently.

"It's one of those moments in which I'll always look back and think, 'Could we have done more?' Because there are so many different ways to do it," he said, adding that he thought they "gave it a good crack."

"I was willing to push it as far as needed to go," he continued. "There were ideas about how far we should push it, of course, and questions like 'Do audiences really want to see what John and Claire get on heavy?' and I still don't know the answer."

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Jamie Foxx said a stroke is what caused him to black out for 20 days. Here's a timeline of what happened.

Jamie Foxx attends the Los Angeles Screening of "Below The Belt" at Directors Guild Of America on October 01, 2022 in Los Angeles, California.
Jamie Foxx said he had a stroke last April in his new Netflix special that airs on Tuesday.

Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic/Getty Images

  • On April 11, 2023, Jamie Foxx was hospitalized with a medical condition, but didn't reveal what.
  • The 56-year-old said in his new Netflix special that he had a stroke and blacked out for 20 days.ย 
  • Here's everything we know about Foxx's health and what those close to him have said about it.

Jamie Foxx was hospitalized with a mysterious illness last April. In the actor's Netflix comedy special that airs on December 10, he said he had a stroke and blacked out for 20 days.ย ย 

In April 2023, Corinne Foxx, Foxx's daughter, shared a statement from her family that said he had been taken to a hospital in Atlanta due to a "medical complication."

In the following weeks and months, Foxx's family and his celebrity friends didn't reveal what his health issue was, leading to fans sharing theories that he had been cloned or had died.

Foxx joked about the theories in his new Netflix special, "Jamie Foxx: What Happened Wasโ€ฆ," before telling the audience that he had a stroke caused by a brain bleed.

A stroke is a life-threatening condition that occurs when a part of the brain doesn't have enough blood flow.

Foxx told the audience that in the year following the stroke: "I lost everything, but the only thing I could hold onto was my sense of humor.

"If I could stay funny, I could stay alive."

Jamie Foxx "experienced a medical complication" on April 11, 2023, according to a family statement.
orinne Foxx and Jamie Foxx at the Directors Guild Of America in October 2022 in Los Angeles, California.
Corinne Foxx and Jamie Foxx at the Directors Guild Of America in October 2022 in Los Angeles, California.

Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic/Getty Images

"We wanted to share that my father, Jamie Foxx, experienced a medical complication yesterday," Corinne Foxxย shared on her Instagram account on behalf of the Foxx family.

"Luckily, due to quick action and great care, he is already on his way to recovery. We know how beloved he is and appreciate your prayers," the statement continued. "The family asks for privacy during this time."

According toย CNN, the actor was in Atlanta filming his new Netflix movie, "Back in Action," with Cameron Diaz and Glenn Close when he was taken to hospital.

On April 17, 2023, it was reported that Foxx was still under medical observation a week after being hospitalized.
Jamie Foxx attends the Los Angeles Screening of "Below The Belt" at Directors Guild Of America on October 01, 2022 in Los Angeles, California.
It was reported that Jamie Foxx was still receiving medical care at the Georgia medical facility on April 17.

Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic/Getty Images

According to bothย CNNย andย People, the "Day Shift" actor was still receiving medical care at the Georgia medical facility.

"They are running tests and still trying to figure out what exactly happened," a source toldย CNNย at the time.

On the same date,ย People also reported that Foxx's costar and close friend Diaz made her return to the set of "Back in Action," working with a body double for Foxx.

On April 20, 2023, Tracy Morgan and Martin Lawrence spoke about Foxx's health, with the latter saying Foxx was "doing better."
Martin Lawrence and Tracy Morgan both sent their love to their recovering friend.
Martin Lawrence and Tracy Morgan both sent their love to their recovering friend on April 20, 2023.

Gregg DeGuire/WireImage/Getty Images, Michael Loccisano/Getty Images

Morgan wished Foxx well while attending Lawrence's Hollywood Walk of Fame ceremony on April 20, 2023.

"I love Jamie. Jamie's a good friend of mine ... my prayers go up for Jamie," Morgan toldย Entertainment Tonight.ย 

"He's strong, he's a fighter, he's gonna come out of it and he's good. He's gonna be stronger and better than ever," Morgan said.

Referring to hisย 2014 accident which left him with life-threatening injuries, Morgan added, "I've been there. I was on the other side in a coma for 10 days, so I know about [being hospitalized]."

Meanwhile, Lawrence toldย Extra, "I hear he's doing betterโ€ฆ My prayers go out for him every night and just wishing the best for him, one of the best that we got in Hollywood."ย 

ย 

ย 

On April 23, 2023, Nick Cannon said that Foxx was "awake" and "alert" 12 days after being hospitalized.
Nick Cannon and Jamie Foxx at the Celebrity Golf Tournament during DJ Irie Weekend at Miami Beach Golf Club on June 20, 2014 in Miami Beach, Florida
Nick Cannon and Jamie Foxx at the Celebrity Golf Tournament during DJ Irie Weekend at Miami Beach Golf Club on June 20, 2014, in Miami Beach, Florida.

Johnny Louis/WireImage/Getty Images

Speaking toย Entertainment Tonight, Cannon said that he has been saying "words of affirmation for my big brother" and teased the news that he would be standing in for Foxx as guest host on the upcoming season of game show "Beat Shazam."

Cannon said, "I know he's doing so much better because I'm actually about to do something special for him, and doing him a favor. I can't really say what it is, but it'll be out there soon."

Speaking about Foxx's health, he added, "He's awake. They say he's alert, so, we love it. That's family right there."

On May 3, 2023, Foxx spoke out for the first time since his hospitalization in a brief Instagram post.
Jamie Foxx at the 2023 Miami Open at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida, on March 30, 2023
Jamie Foxx at the 2023 Miami Open at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida, on March 30, 2023

Chandan Khanna/AFP via Getty Images

"Appreciate all the love!!! Feeling blessed," heย wrote, followed by a praying hands emoji, red heart emoji, and fox emoji.

Many of his friends extended their well wishes to him in the comments.

Jeremy Renner wrote: "Sending you strength and love," while Kate Beckinsale added: "Love you sir massive hugs king xxxx"

Ansel Elgort, who appeared in "Baby Driver" with Foxx, wrote: "You are the greatest Jamie, please make a speedy recovery. You are a blessing to this world, we need you in it."

Foxx also gave a shout-out to Nick Cannon for filling in on his hosting duties for the upcoming season of "Beat Shazam" in an Instagram Story.

"Appreciate ya my boy @nickcannon. See u all soon," he wrote over the Fox show's statement about the change of lineup for the new season, which returned to screens on May 23.

On May 12, 2023 Foxx's daughter said he was out of the hospital and recuperating after seeing false rumors about his condition.
Foxx's daughter dismissed reports about her father's health worsening on Instagram.
Foxx's daughter dismissed reports about her father's health worsening on Instagram.

Corrine Foxx (@corrinefoxx)/Instagram

Just over a month after news of his hospitalization, Foxx's daughter announced that the actor was out of the hospital after unsubstantiated reports that the family was "preparing for the worst" began circulating online.

According to her Instagram Story, her father was discharged several weeks ago.

"Update from family: Sad to see how the media runs wild," she wrote.

"My Dad has been out of the hospital for weeks, recuperating. In fact, he was playing pickleball yesterday! Thanks for everyone's prayers and support! We have an exciting work announcement coming next week too!"ย 

ย 

ย 

On June 28, 2023, John Boyega, who stars alongside Foxx in the film "They Cloned Tyrone," said that the actor was "doing well."
Teyonah Parris as Yo-Yo, Jamie Foxx as Slick Charles, and John Boyega as Fontaine in "They Cloned Tyrone."
Teyonah Parris as Yo-Yo, Jamie Foxx as Slick Charles, and John Boyega as Fontaine in "They Cloned Tyrone."

Parrish Lewis/Netflix

"He finally picked up the phone. Thank you, bro," Boyega told People at the premiere of the movie. "He's doing well. And then, you know, we just giving him the privacy, and we can't wait for his return."

"I gave him the well wishes directly," Boyega added. "I gave him all the well wishes. So I'm just gonna be waiting until he comes back out here. So take your time, Jamie. We love you, bro."

"They Cloned Tyrone" coproducer Datari Turner shared similar comments about Foxx.

"He's in really, really good shape and spirits.," Turner said. "And he'll be back on the screen. He'll be back to work very soon."

In an undated video that surfaced on July 1, 2024 on X, Foxx gave an update on his health and said that his unknown condition began with a "bad headache."
Jamie Foxx at a special screening of "The Burial" on December 17, 2023 in Los Angeles, California.
Jamie Foxx at a special screening of "The Burial" on December 17, 2023, in Los Angeles.

Eric Charbonneau/Getty Images for Amazon

"First of all, I want to say thank you to everybody that's prayed, man, and sent me messages. I cannot even begin to tell you how far it took me and how it brought me back," Foxx said in a video posted on Instagram. "I went through something that I thought I would never ever go through."

Foxx said that he was aware that people wanted updates, but he didn't want fans to see him during his medical complication.

"I didn't want you to see me with tubes running out of me and trying to figure out if I was going to make it through," he said. "And to be honest with you, my sister, Deidra Dixon, and my daughter, Corinne Marie, saved my life. So to them, to God, to a lot of great medical people, I'm able to leave you this video."

Foxx said that his family protected him and kept his situation under wraps, which led to speculation and false rumors.ย 

"I went to hell and back. And my road to recovery had some potholes as well," he said. "But I'm coming back and I'm able to work. So I want to thank the people who let me work. I just want to say that I love everybody and I love all the love that I got."

On December 4, 2023, Foxx attended the Critics Choice Association's "Celebration" event, honoring Black, Latino, and AAPI achievements.
Jamie Foxx accepts the Vanguard Award onstage during the Critics Choice Association's "Celebration" event in Los Angeles, California on December 4, 2023.
Jamie Foxx accepting the Vanguard Award onstage during the Critics Choice Association's "Celebration" event on December 4, 2023.

Leon Bennett/Getty Images for Critics Choice Association

Foxx was presented with the Vanguard Award for his performance in the 2023 film "The Burial," which was inspired by true events.

The actor began his speech by telling the audience that he couldn't walk six months prior.ย 

"I wouldn't wish what I went through on my worst enemy, because it's tough," he said.ย 

Since his experience, Foxx said that he has a "new respect" for life and his art.

"I watched so many movies and listened to so many songs trying to have the time go by," Foxx said. "Don't give up on your art, man, don't give up."

On March 3, 2024, Foxx accepted the producers award at the African American Film Critics Association's (AAFCA) Special Achievement Awards luncheon.
Jamie Foxx at the AAFCA Special Achievement Awards luncheon on Sunday, March 3, 2024, in Los Angeles.
Jamie Foxx at the AAFCA Special Achievement Awards luncheon on Sunday, March 3, 2024, in Los Angeles.

Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP

Foxx and his producing partner Datari Turner accepted the award on behalf of Foxxhole Productions. The actor's speech was filled with jokes and heartfelt sentiments reflecting on his career. He also referenced his health situation.ย ย 

"Everybody wants to know what happened, and I'm going to tell you what happened. But I've gotta do it in my way," Foxx said. "I'm gonna do it in a funny way. We're gonna be on the stage. We're gonna get back to the standup sort of roots."

In a Netflix comedy special that aired on December 10, 2024, Foxx shared that a stroke was the cause of his 20-day blackout.
Jamie Foxx at the AAFCA Special Achievement Awards luncheon on Sunday, March 3, 2024, in Los Angeles.
Jamie Foxx at the AAFCA Special Achievement Awards luncheon on Sunday, March 3, 2024, in Los Angeles.

Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP

In the Netflix special, Foxx said he blacked out for 20 days in April 2023 after getting a bad headache.

Foxx said he was later told what happened during those 20 days, though he didn't specify who told him.ย 

Foxx said he was initially taken to a doctor who gave him a cortisone shot and sent him home, then his sister, Dixon, drove him to Piedmondt hospital in Atlanta.

The doctor, whom he called doctor Schuette, told Dixon that Foxx had a stroke and needed to be operated on right away.

"My sister knelt down outside the operating room and prayed the whole time," Foxx said.

Foxx said that he felt "peaceful" when he was unconscious.

"I saw the tunnel. I didn't see the light." Foxx said. "It was hot in that tunnel. Shit, am I going to the wrong place in this motherfucker?"

He said the doctor later told Dixon that they couldn't find where he was bleeding in his brain but he may be able to make a full recovery.

"It's going to be the worst year of his life," Foxx said the doctor told his sister.

During the first 15 days of recovery, the doctors thought he was going to die because his vitals were too high and he needed to be kept calm, he said.ย 

Foxx said his youngest daughter, Anelise Bishop, snuck into his hospital with her guitar and started playing music, which helped Foxx's vitals go down.

"It was God in that guitar," Foxx said. "That's my spiritual defibrillator."

Later on during the special, Foxx said he woke up on May 4, 2023 in a wheelchair and refused to believe he had a stroke.

"Jamie Foxx don't get strokes," Foxx recalled. "That's old man shit."

While strokes are more common in older people, a study published by the CDC earlier this year found that strokes in people under 65 have increased by 15% in the US from 2011-2013 to 2020 - 2022.

Foxx said it took time for him to come to terms with his condition and work on getting better.

Read the original article on Business Insider

Taylor Swift reached billionaire status thanks to her showstopping Eras Tour — see how the pop star makes and spends her fortune

Taylor Swift performs during the Eras Tour in Liverpool, England.
Taylor Swift performs during the Eras Tour in Liverpool, England.

Gareth Cattermole/TAS24/Getty Images for TAS Rights Management

  • Taylor Swift's net worth is $1.1 billion, Bloomberg News reported and Forbes confirmed.
  • The pop star is a prolific songwriter who's amassed a significant fortune throughout her career.
  • Here's how Swift earns and spends her fortune, from real estate to charitable donations.

Taylor Swift never fails to impress.

At 15 years old, she was the youngest songwriter to ever sign with Sony. She now has 14 Grammys on her shelf โ€” including four for album of the year, the most of any artist in history โ€” several tours under her belt, 11 studio albums, a long list of chart-topping songs, and a beloved fan base who dub themselves "Swifties."

Such success makes Swift one of the world's highest-paid celebrities and one of the richest female singers. According to aย Bloomberg News analysis published on the eve of her "1989" album rerelease, Swift has officially built a billion-dollar empire.

Forbes later confirmed her $1.1 billion net worth, citing in part her massive Eras Tour and its subsequent concert movie.

Swift has been strategic and generous with her money, investing in a sprawling $84 million real-estate portfolio and often donating to causes she supports.

See how Swift earns and spends her fortune below.

Hillary Hoffower,ย Libby Torres, and Taylor Nicole Rogers contributed to a previous version of this article.

Taylor Swift has an estimated net worth of $1.1 billion.
Taylor Swift attends the "All Too Well" New York Premiere on November 12, 2021 in New York City.
Taylor Swift's "All Too Well" won best music video at the 2023 Grammys.

Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images

According to Forbes, which published a series of 2024 billionaire reports on Tuesday, Swift is the first musician to reach 10-figure status solely based on songwriting and performing (rather than brand deals or business ventures).

Swift's vast fortune is primarily thanks to her valuable discography and earnings from streaming deals, music sales, concert tickets, and merchandise.

Representatives for Swift did not immediately respond to Business Insider's request for comment regarding the Forbes report.

The pop star's record-breaking Eras Tour, which began in March 2023, propelled the singer to billionaire status.
taylor swift eras tour nashville
Taylor Swift performs "Reputation" at the Eras Tour.

John Shearer/TAS23/Getty Images for TAS Rights Management

Swift's 21-month, five-continent Eras Tour was nothing short of a sensation. By the end of its first year, it had become the first tour ever to gross over $1 billion in revenue, on track to become the highest-grossing tour of all time.ย 

In October 2023, after Swift toured 56 dates across the US and Mexico, the Eras Tour had already generated $780 million andย added $4.3 billion to America's gross domestic product, according to Bloomberg Economics.

Throughout 2024, Swift also made stops in Argentina, Brazil, Japan, Australia, Singapore, Canada, and 11 countries throughout Europe.

By the end of its run, the Eras Tour had grossed over $2 billion.
Taylor Swift performs at the Eras Tour.
Taylor Swift performs "Folklore" at the Eras Tour.

Folklore Emma McIntyre/TAS24/Getty Images for TAS Rights Management

The morning of Swift's final performance in Vancouver, The New York Times reported that the Eras Tour had crossed the $2 billion threshold, making it the first concert tour in history to do so.

This figure was confirmed by Taylor Swift Touring, the singer's production company. All 149 stadium shows were sold out, and the company said over 10 billion people attended the Eras Tour.

That means the average ticket sold for $204, well above the industry average for top concert tours, per The New York Times. Resale tickets were even pricier, often going for thousands of dollars in secondhand markets. (Artists like Swift don't earn anything from resold tickets.)

The movie version of the tour broke box-office records before it was even released. It grossed more than $261 million worldwide.
taylor swift eras tour movie premiere
"Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour" premiered in theaters in October 2023.

Valerie Macon/AFP via Getty Images

Worldwide ticket presales had already exceeded $100 million before "Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour" was released (a day early) on October 12, 2023, AMC Theatres reported.

According to ticketing service Fandango, the film set a record for the highest first-day ticket sales in 2023. It has also become the highest-grossing concert movie of all time, surpassing "Justin Bieber: Never Say Never."

Swift, who bypassed movie studios to personally fund the concert movie, received half of the box office earnings for the film, which grossed $261 million worldwide.

Swift cashed in on her blockbuster Eras Tour movie again by selling the streaming rights to Disney for more than $75 million.
Taylor Swift performs onstage for the opening night of "Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour" at State Farm Stadium on March 17, 2023.
Disney+ bought the exclusive rights to stream "Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour."

Kevin Winter/Getty Images for TAS Rights Management

Once "Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour" had left theaters, Swift struck a deal with Disney+ to release the film's extended version on streaming.

According to Puck News, Disney paid upwards of $75 million for the exclusive rights.

Citing anonymous sources, the outlet reported that Disney's Bob Iger outbid Netflix and Universal Pictures (which handled VOD distribution for the film in December) for the streaming rights by offering a huge sum, which the other two streamers couldn't match.

Swift also released an Eras Tour photo book, which sold over 800,000 copies in its first weekend.
Taylor Swift's "Eras Tour" book for sale at Target.
"The Eras Tour Book" was sold for $39.99 at Target.

Lokman Vural Elibol/Anadolu via Getty Images

Shortly before the Eras Tour concluded, Swift released a photo book for Black Friday.

As she did with the Eras Tour film, Swift circumvented traditional routes and opted to self-publish instead, ensuring she would get more of the book's revenue.

The book was exclusively available at Target and sold hundreds of thousands of copies in its first weekend, becoming the second-best-selling non-fiction title after Barack Obama's presidential memoir.

Swift has endorsement deals and partnerships with high-profile brands.
Taylor Swift's 2022 Capitol One commercial.
Taylor Swift starred in a 2022 commercial for Capital One.

Capital One/YouTube

These partnerships include Capital One, AT&T, Stella McCartney, Elizabeth Arden perfumes, American Express, Keds, Diet Coke, Walmart, and Apple.

But touring has long been Swift's biggest money maker. The 1989 World Tour grossed more than $250 million in 2015.
taylor swift 1989 tour
"1989" won album of the year at the 2016 Grammys.

Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images

That figure is according to the Los Angeles Times.

She earned even more during her Reputation Stadium Tour in 2018.
taylor swift reputation tour
"Reputation" sold over 1 million copies in its debut week.

Alexander Tamargo/TAS18/Getty Images for TAS

At the time, the Reputation Stadium Tour broke the record for the highest-grossing US tour ever, according to Billboard. Swift earned an average of $7 million per show, more than double the US per-concert average during the "1989" tour.

But her tours don't just bring in ticket sales. Swift also makes a huge sum of money from merch.
taylor swift merch eras tour fans
Taylor Swift fans buy merch at an Eras Tour stop in Melbourne, Australia.

Asanka Ratnayake/Getty Images

In April 2023, Forbes estimated that Swift's coveted on-site merchandise โ€” which she sells at an average price of $80 โ€”could add an estimated $87 million in proceeds to her fortune.

Swift's latest album, "The Tortured Poets Department," sold millions of copies in a matter of weeks.
Taylor Swift performs during the Eras Tour.
Taylor Swift performs during the Eras Tour.

Shirlaine Forrest/TAS24/Getty Images for TAS Rights Management

Swift's 11th studio album, "The Tortured Poets Department," was released on April 19, 2024. It debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 withย 2.61 million equivalent album units soldย in its first week.

This sum was thanks to huge streaming totals and physical album sales,ย especially vinyl, which Swift sells more successfully than anyone else. According to a Billboard report from November 2023,ย one in every 15 vinyl albums sold in the USย is one of Swift's.

Fans continued to buy and stream "Poets" throughout the year,ย sending it to No. 1 for 16 weeks total, the most of any album in 2024.

On November 30, 2024, "Poets" was certified 6x platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America, meaning it has sold at least 6 million copies in the US.

Swift amassed an estimated $230 million in record sales following the release of her 2022 album "Midnights."
Taylor Swift Midnights artwork
"Midnights" won album of the year at the 2024 Grammys.

Beth Garrabrant

According to The Guardian, Swift's massive album sales for "Midnights" brought in $230 million for Swift's label Universal.ย 

With more than 1.5 million equivalent album units earned in the US in its first week, "Midnights" landed the biggest week for an album in seven years (since Swift's own album "Reputation").

Swift made $52 million in 2021 after rerecording earlier work that was acquired (and then sold) by Scooter Braun.
Taylor Swift Red (Taylor's Version)
"Red (Taylor's Version)" won top country album at the 2022 Billboard Music Awards.

Taylor Swift/UMG

Swift embarked on a mission to rerecord her first six albums after Scooter Braun, whom she accused of "incessant, manipulative bullying," purchased the legal rights to her back catalog in 2019. (He later sold the master recordings to a private-equity company.)

She released the first installment in the series, "Fearless (Taylor's Version)," in 2021. It debuted atop the Billboard 200 โ€” indicating this would be a lucrative venture for Swift. Later that year, Swift's new version of "Red" became one of the year's top-selling albums.

The two rerecorded albums helped plant Swift on the "The Highest-Paid Entertainers 2022" report from Forbes.

She has since released "Speak Now (Taylor's Version)" and "1989 (Taylor's Version)." The latter sold over 1.6 million equivalent units in its first week, surpassing the original's total.

In fact, Swift is the only artist who's sold over 1 million copies of an album in one week since Adele released "30" in November 2015. In that window, Swift has achieved the feat four different times.

Swift has amassed an impressive fortune โ€” and she knows how to spend it. Her real-estate portfolio is worth a reported $150 million.
Taylor Swift attends the 2018 American Music Awards at Microsoft Theater on October 9, 2018 in Los Angeles, California.
Taylor Swift owns several homes and a private jet.

Emma McIntyre/Getty Images

In Nashville, she owns a 3,240-square-foot condo worth an estimated $3 million and a 5,600-square-foot Greek Revival estate worth an estimated $2.5 million.
taylor swift cowboy boots CMA Music Festival 2007
Taylor Swift moved to Nashville as a teenager.

Rusty Russell/Getty Images

The latter is the cheapest property she owns.

In LA, Swift owns a 10,982-square-foot Beverly Hills mansion worth nearly $30 million.
taylor swift brother austin swift
Austin and Taylor Swift attend the 2013 Globe Awards at the Beverly Hilton Hotel.

Christopher Polk/NBC

In 2017, she was trying to turn it into a historic landmark, according to Teen Vogue.

Across the coast, Swift owns an estate with seaside views in Watch Hill, Rhode Island, for which she reportedly paid $17.75 million.
taylor swift watch hill mansion
The Rhode Island mansion was previously owned by Rebekah Harkness.

Matthew J. Lee/The Boston Globe via Getty Images

With 12,000 square feet, it has plenty of room for parties and even inspired her song "The Last Great American Dynasty."

But that's nothing compared to the estimated $40 million worth of property Swift owns in New York City on the same block in Tribeca.
taylor swift street style 2018
Taylor Swift outside her Tribeca apartment in 2018.

TheStewartofNY/GC Images

That includes an 8,309-square-foot duplex penthouse and a four-story townhouse.

She used to rent an apartment on Cornelia Street โ€” the famous inspiration behind her "Lover" track "Cornelia Street" โ€” which was listed in 2023 with a $17.9 million price tag.

Swift needs a way to travel among all these homes. She reportedly owns a Dassault private jet.
taylor swift
Taylor Swift has not publicly addressed her private jet usage.

Andrew H. Walker/Getty

The Dassault 7X is registered to Island Jet Inc., a holding company listed under the same address as Taylor Swift Productions, Business Insider previously reported.

She used to have two private jets, but quietly sold one amid criticism of her carbon footprint. ("Taylor's jet is loaned out regularly to other individuals,"ย a rep for Swift said in a statement. "To attribute most or all of these trips to her is blatantly incorrect.")

There's no word on how much she paid for these vehicles, but a brand new Dassault 900 has a list price of $44 million, according to Business Jet Traveler. Elon Musk owns a similar model that cost about $26 million.

Swift often spends money dining out with her friends and romantic partners, especially when in New York City.
Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce leave Waverly Inn in New York City on Sunday.
Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce photographed after dining in New York City.

Gotham/Getty Images

In the past, she's been spotted at The Fat Radish, The Spotted Pig, Sarabeth's, L'Asso, Nobu, and Vita Carota.

But Swift has always been generous with her money, supporting causes and helping those in need.
taylor swift nashville symphony donation
Taylor Swift and Alan Valentine at the 2011 Nashville Symphony Ball.

Royce DeGrie/Getty Images

On her 24th birthday, she donated $100,000 to the Nashville Symphony, according to People.

Swift pledged $4 million to the Country Music Hall of Fame to fund an education center.
taylor swift education center
The Taylor Swift Education Center officially opened in 2013.

Royce DeGrie/TAS/Getty Images for TAS

Her commitment to education doesn't stop with music; Swift also donated $50,000 to NYC public schools, People reported.

She has donated millions to support victims of natural disasters.
taylor swift iheart radio awards 2016
Taylor Swift announced her donation to Louisiana flood victims in 2016.

David Buchan/Variety/Penske Media via Getty Images

In 2010, Swift donated $500,000 to Nashville flood reliefย and in 2016, she donated $1 million to the victims of Louisiana floods.

Swift also raised $750,000 through a Speak Now Help Now benefit concert for victims of tornadoes in the southern US in 2011, according to People.

Most recently, Swift donated $5 million to communities impacted by Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton.

In 2020, Swift gave $50,000 to a mother of five who lost her husband to COVID-19 days before Christmas.
Taylor Swift with fans in 2019.
Taylor Swift with fans at the 2019 premiere of "Cats."

Kevin Mazur/Getty Images

She and her mom Andrea Swift quietly made the donation, according to USA Today.

She also gifted $13,000 each to two moms who were also struggling financially because of the pandemic.

Swift has made several generous donations to LGBTQ+ organizations.
taylor swift stonewall inn
Taylor Swift performs at the Stonewall Inn during Pride Month in 2019.

Craig Barritt/Getty Images for AEG

Swift has long been an advocate for the LGBTQ+ community, threading references to the fight for equal rights into songs like "Welcome to New York" and "You Need to Calm Down."

Back in 2016, Swift participated in a charity auction to help keep the historic Stonewall Inn operational. The New York City gay bar was the scene of a police raid in 1969, sparking a riot that helped launch the nationwide fight for LGBTQ+ rights.

In more recent years, Swift has made generous donations to the Tennessee Equality Project and GLAAD, in addition to her vocal support of The Equality Act.

And then there are the two famous checks she wrote for $1,989 โ€” an ode to her best-selling album โ€” sent to two fans to pay a student loan and to donate to a dance marathon benefit.
taylor swift fans
Taylor Swift greets fans at the 2022 Toronto International Film Festival.

Wesley Lapointe/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images

The checks were sent out in 2014, according to People.

More recently, she has donated huge amounts to food banks along her Eras Tour route.
Taylor Swift performs during her "Eras Tour."
The Eras Tour will return to the US in 2024.

AP Photo/George Walker IV

Throughout the first US leg of her Eras Tour, Swift habitually made large donations to local food pantries. She continued this tradition throughout the tour's European leg.

Swift has also been known to support victims of gun violence in recent years.

She also helps out her fellow pop stars. She gave Kesha $250,000 to help with legal fees during her lawsuit against Dr. Luke.
kesha
Kesha released hit songs like "Tik Tok" and "Praying."

Joseph Okpako/WireImage

For several years, Kesha was embroiled in a defamation lawsuit after she accused the music producer Dr. Luke, her former mentor, of "unrelenting abuse" and rape. (Dr. Luke denied the allegations, and they reached a settlement in 2023.)

The "Rainbow" singer revealed Swift's donation during an interview with Rolling Stone in 2017.

Kesha described Swift as "a fucking sweetheart. Very, very sweet, very, very genuine, extremely generous, picks up the phone every time I call her. My mom doesn't even always pick up the phone!"

Swift has proven herself to be incredibly savvy with investments.
Taylor Swift attends the 2022 MTV VMAs at Prudential Center on August 28, 2022 in Newark, New Jersey.
Taylor Swift is a musician and businesswoman.

Getty/Jamie McCarthy

In 2022, Swift pulled out of a $100 million sponsorship deal with Sam Bankman-Fried's FTX after she questioned the company if it was selling "unregistered securities."

Asย Business Insider reported, many other celebrities such as Tom Brady and Stephen Curry failed to do so and were subsequently sued for endorsing the now-bankrupt crypto exchange.

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Ruby slippers worn by Judy Garland in 'The Wizard of Oz' sell for a record $28 million at auction

A pair of ruby slippers worn by Judy Garland in the classic 1939 film "The Wizard of Oz" were sold at auction for a record price.
A pair of ruby slippers worn by Judy Garland in the classic 1939 film "The Wizard of Oz."

Yui Mok/PA Images via Getty Images

  • A pair of ruby slippers has become the most expensive piece of entertainment memorabilia sold at auction.
  • The shoes, which featured in "The Wizard of Oz," fetched $28 million at auction.
  • The pair โ€” one of several worn by Judy Garland in the 1939 film โ€” were once stolen from a museum.

A pair of ruby slippers worn by Judy Garland in "The Wizard of Oz" sold at an auction on Saturday for $28 million โ€” the highest- price ever paid for a piece of entertainment memorabilia.

Heritage Auctions, the auction house that sold the shoes, which are one of four surviving pairs from the 1939 movie, said in a press release that live bidding opened at $1.55 million, with pre-auction estimates for the slippers starting from $3 million.

"They surpassed that within seconds," the auction house said.

Including the Dallas-based auction house's fee, the unknown buyer is set to pay $32.5 million in total.

The iconic slippers, dubbed the "the Holy Grail of Hollywood memorabilia" by the auction house, already had a storied past.

As Rhys Thomas, author of "The Ruby Slippers of Oz," put it, they have seen "more twists and turns than the Yellow Brick Road."

They disappeared for more than a decade after being stolen from the Judy Garland Museum in Grand Rapids, Minnesota, in 2005 while on loan.

The FBI recovered the shoes in 2018 during a sting operation.

wizard of oz ruby red slippers
The sequined shoes are one of four surviving pairs from the 1939 movie musical.

Warner Home Video

The man behind the heist, Terry Jon Martin, 77, pleaded guilty to the theft last year.

An attorney for Martin said that his client had believed that the rubies on the shoes were real, but he got rid of them after being told they were glass.

Martin, who was suffering from poor health, was given no prison time at a hearing in early 2024, the Associated Press reported.

The shoes were returned to their owner, Michael Shaw, earlier this year. He gave them to Heritage Auctions for Saturday's auction.

The sale of the shoes comes amid renewed interest in the musical following the release of "Wicked," which tells the backstory of the Wicked Witch of the West.

The movie, which stars Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande, has taken the box office by storm, grossing more than $295 million domestically and over $390 million worldwide.

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A complete timeline of Hailee Steinfeld and Josh Allen's relationship following the couple's engagement announcement

Hailee Steinfeld and Josh Allen.
Hailee Steinfeld and Josh Allen.

James Devaney/GC Images/Getty Images, Billie Weiss/Getty Images

  • Actor Hailee Steinfeld and NFL star Josh Allen announced their engagement in November.
  • Steinfeld, 28, and Allen, 28, reportedly began dating in 2023.
  • Here's a complete timeline of their relationship.

Actor Hailee Steinfeld and NFL star Josh Allen announced their engagement in an Instagram post in November.

The "True Grit" star, 28, and the Buffalo Bills quarterback, 28, both shared a photo on social media of the moment Allen got down on one knee to propose.

The image, which showed them framed in an arch of pink roses and surrounded by candles, was captioned with two infinity symbols and the date "11โ€ข22โ€ข24."

While the pair have a way to go to match the Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce hype, their engagement led to an outpouring of well-wishes from friends and fans.

Following the announcement, here's a complete timeline of their relationship.

May 2023: Steinfeld and Allen are spotted together for the first time.

Shortly after it was rumored that Allen had broken up with his then-girlfriend, social media influencer Brittany Williams, the quarterback was spotted out with Steinfeld.

In paparazzi photos published by the New York Post, Allen and Steinfeld were seen out together in New York City.

The couple were also spotted on Memorial Day weekend at a sushi spot in Chelsea.

August 2023: Allen addressed speculation about their relationship on a podcast.

Appearing on the "Pardon My Take" podcast, Allen was asked if he'd seen headlines about him "making out with his girlfriend."

Responding to the jibe, Allen said: "The fact that anybody cares about that still blows my mind."

He added that photographers who try to take photos of the pair when they're together give him a "gross feeling," recalling one specific incident where he spotted a photographer hiding "on a boat" in an attempt to capture a private date.

"[I was] like, 'What is wrong with people,'" the athlete said, adding that there was "no privacy" during the trip.

October 2023: Steinfeld is seen supporting Allen at a Bills game in London.

"The Dickinson" star was captured on cameras at London's Tottenham Hotspur Stadium supporting Allen as the Buffalo Bills took on the Jacksonville Jaguars in October 2023.

The actor was sat beside race car driver Daniel Ricciardo, who is one of Allen's close friends, according to Us Weekly.

January 2024: Steinfeld evades questions about the NFL star while attending the Golden Globes.

Hailee Steinfeld attends the 81st Annual Golden Globe Awards at The Beverly Hilton on January 07, 2024 in Beverly Hills, California.
Hailee Steinfeld at the 81st Annual Golden Globe Awards.

Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic/Getty Images

While on the red carpet before the award ceremony, Steinfeld avoided going into detail about her relationship with Allen.

According to People, in a since-deleted TikTok video, a reporter asked Steinfeld how she was feeling about the night while holding up a Bills jersey โ€” seemingly in reference to the fact that Allen was playing a game against the Miami Dolphins that weekend.

Steinfeld responded, "real good," and began walking away before turning around and adding that the shirt had the "wrong number."

Elsewhere on the carpet, the Oscar nominee addressed rumors she that was engaged, telling an E! News reporter that she was only wearing a ring because she thought it was "real cute."

Trying to get the actor to open up about her relationship, the reporter asked: "What is it about a sportsy man?"

"Listen, what isn't it about? Come on now," Steinfeld replied.

July 2024: The couple goes Instagram official.

Allen hard launched his relationship with Steinfeld with an Instagram post in July.

In a carousel of photos, captioned "Onward," Allen shared some glimpses into their romance, including a photo of the pair taken on a balcony overlooking the Eiffel Tower in Paris.

October 2024: Steinfeld opens up about her relationship with Allen in a newsletter.

Steinfeld launched a newsletter titled Beau Society in August and has been communicating with her fans through weekly missives since.

In one installment sent in late October, she opened up about how she and Allen avoided a "bad omen" in their relationship.

She recalled how for Christmas, the couple got each other the same chef's knife in different colors because they loved to cook together.

"After we exchanged our knives lol, he told me there's an old wive's tale that if you gift your significant other a knife you have to pay for it, otherwise it signifies the severing of a relationship. So we exchanged quarters so we didn't have that bad omen," she wrote in the newsletter, per Sports Illustrated.

November 2024: The couple get engaged.

Allen and Steinfeld posted a joint photo of their romantic proposal to their Instagram followers in November.

Following the happy news, the NFL reposted the picture on X to congratulate the pair.

Congratulations to Josh Allen and Hailee Steinfeld on their engagement! ๐Ÿ’โค๏ธ(via @JoshAllenQB, @HaileeSteinfeld) pic.twitter.com/vpQgfK0KaO

โ€” NFL (@NFL) November 29, 2024

Allen didn't mention the engagement during a news conference ahead of the Bills' next game.

However, when asked if he enjoyed his bye week, Allen gave a big smile, the Associated Press reported.

"Fantastic. It was great. Got some sun. Hung out with family. It was fantastic," he said.

December 2024: The couple shares details of the proposal, and Allen credits his success on the field to Steinfeld's support

In an issue of her Beau Society newsletter, Steinfeld reportedly introduced readers to Allen and held a "mini fiancรฉ Q&A," in which the couple shared more details about the proposal.

"I said I couldn't wait any longer. I said I can't wait to start a family with you. I said your full name, and I asked you very nicely. I said please," Allen recalled.

"You were extremely surprised, you said yes, and that was all that mattered to me," he added. "And the sun was out."

Josh Allen was seen smiling prior to an NFL football game against the San Francisco 49ers at Highmark Stadium on December 1.
Josh Allen was seen smiling prior to an NFL game against the San Francisco 49ers on December 1.

Kevin Sabitus/Getty Images

Speaking to The Associated Press, Allen said that his fiancรฉe has been "a huge part" of why he's had such a stellar season with the Bills.

"The morale, the support. When I get home, she's my biggest fan, my biggest supporter. She's just the best," said Allen, who is one of the favorites to win the NFL MVP award.

Allen's teammate Dion Dawkins told reporters that he believes Steinfeld has had a big influence on Allen's performance.

"Josh is having fun, we're having fun watching him," he said, per Fox News.

He added: " When you have a strong female behind you and when you're in the right mental space of going home and everything is peaceful and going to your cellphone and seeing a heart in your phone and it just makes you bubble โ€” there's something about it."

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'Harry Potter' star Rupert Grint hit with $2.3 million tax bill after losing legal battle

upert Grint attends the world premiere of Apple TV+'s "Servant" at BAM Howard Gilman Opera House on November 19, 2019 in the Brooklyn Borough of New York City.
Rupert Grint.

Michael Loccisano/Getty Images

  • Rupert Grint has been ordered to pay ยฃ1.8 million (around $2.3 million) in taxes by the UK government.
  • It stems from a tax dispute in the 2011 to 2012 tax year.
  • An appeal brought forward by the "Harry Potter" star's lawyers was dismissed by a tribunal judge.

"Harry Potter" star Rupert Grint has been hit with a ยฃ1.8 million (around $2.3 million) tax bill after losing a legal battle related to his earnings in the 2011 to 2012 tax year, according to multiple British outlets.

Grint, 36, reportedly received ยฃ4.5 million (around $5.7 million as of today) from a company that managed his business affairs in the 2011 to 2012 tax year as "consideration for rights, records and goodwill" from his work.

The actor is said to have claimed this a "capital asset," meaning it was subject to a lower tax rate than it would have been if it had been classed as income โ€” which His Majesty's Revenue and Customs, a department of the UK Government responsible for the collection of taxes, said it should have been.

Following an investigation, Grint, who played Ron Weasley in the eight-film "Harry Potter" franchise, was told in 2019 that he needed to pay an extra ยฃ1.8 million in taxes.

He later appealed the decision, but that appeal has now been dismissed by a tribunal judge, who said the fee "derived substantially the whole of its value from the activities of Mr Grint," which was "otherwise realised" as income, according to the reports.

harry potter and the deathly hallows part 1
Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, and Emma Watson in "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1."

Warner Bros.

Grint previously lost another, separate legal case in 2016 that resulted in him being denied a ยฃ1 million (about $1.3 million as of today) tax refund following an appeal.

During a hearing at the time, the actor reportedly said that his knowledge of his financial affairs was "quite limited," saying he deferred to his father and his accountant on tax returns.

Grint, who was 12 years old when he appeared in "Harry Potter And The Sorcerer's Stone" in 2001, is thought to have earned around ยฃ24 million (around $30 million) from the eight-film franchise.

When asked about his net worth in 2018, he told The Radio Times, "I actually don't know how much I have. I couldn't even really guess."

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Writer Richard Curtis on why Julia Roberts rejected a 'Notting Hill' sequel: 'A very poor idea'

Notting Hill
Julia Roberts in the classic romantic comedy.

Universal Pictures

  • Richard Curtis's idea for a second "Notting Hill" film was apparently shelved because of Julia Roberts.
  • Roberts is said to have disliked his idea for a follow-up film with a divorce plot.
  • "Julia thought that was a very poor idea," the "Love Actually" director told IndieWire.

The screenwriter behind the rom-com "Notting Hill" has opened up on why the classic movie has never got a sequel.

In an interview with IndieWire, Richard Curtis said that Julia Roberts was not a fan of his idea for a follow-up in which Roberts' and costar Hugh Grant's characters split up.

Asked if he would like to do any follow-ups to his past films, he said: "I tried doing one with 'Notting Hill' where they were going to get divorced, and Julia thought that was a very poor idea."

"I actually did four Red Nose Days and Comic Relief. We did those mini sequels to 'Love Actually,' and those satisfied me," he added.

A representative for Roberts did not respond to a request for comment sent by Business Insider.

In the 1999 film, Roberts plays a famous movie actor named Anna Scott.

Scott falls in love with William Thacker (played by Grant), the owner of a bookstore in the picturesque area of London from which the film takes its name.

notting hill
Julia Roberts and Hugh Grant in "Notting Hill."

Universal Pictures

While the paparazzi's fascination with Anna initially complicates their relationship, the film ends with the pair happily together and expecting a child.

When it was released in theaters over Memorial Day weekend in 1999, "Notting Hill" grossed around $21.8 million over three days, and $27.7 million over the long weekend, making it the biggest opening for a romantic comedy film at the time.

The movie, directed by the late Roger Michell, was nominated for best film in the comedy or musical genre at the Golden Globes, with Grant and Roberts also receiving individual nominations.

Curtis, whose new animated film "That Christmas" premieres on Netflix on December 4, suggested that even if Roberts was on board with a "Notting Hill" sequel, his focus was currently on branching out into new kinds of projects.

"I think oddly enough I'm keen at this stage in my career of doing new things as much as I can," he told IndieWire. "That's why it was great doing an animated film. I've made, I think, 17 films. It's quite hard for the 18th to be as different as this one is."

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Director Ridley Scott said Denzel Washington's 'Gladiator II' character is 'very close' to Donald Trump: 'He creates chaos'

Ridley Scott says Denzel Washington's 'Gladiator II' character was inspired by Donald Trump
Ridley Scott says Denzel Washington's "Gladiator II" character was inspired by Donald Trump.

Aidan Monaghan/Paramount Pictures, Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

  • Ridley Scott compared one of the characters in "Gladiator II" to Donald Trump.
  • The director said that Denzel Washington's character is "very close to Trump."
  • Washington plays the scheming Macrinus, who plots to take over Rome.

Ridley Scott said he took inspiration from President-elect Donald Trump for one of his characters in "Gladiator II."

In the filmmaker's sequel to his 2000 epic, Denzel Washington plays an ambitious arms dealer who forces Lucius (Paul Mescal), the long-lost son of Russell Crowe's character Maximus, to be a gladiator โ€” all while scheming his way into power.

In a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Scott said that the character, named Macrinus, was "very close to Trump."

Breaking down the role, the director said that his version of Macrinus "was a prisoner of war โ€” probably at a North African state โ€” and actually was taken to Rome probably as a gladiator. Survived. Got free. Got into the business of maybe making wine and bread. He evolved into a very rich merchant selling shit to the Roman armies โ€” food, oil, wine, cloth, weapons, everything."

"He maybe had a million men spread around Europe. So he was a billionaire at the time," Scott continued. "He's also a gangster โ€” very close to Trump. A clever gangster."

"He creates chaos and from chaos he can evolve," he added.

denzel washington as macrinus in gladiator two. he's wearing ornate blue and gold robes and has on rings, bangles, and earrings, and looks skeptically outwards from his place on an ornate chair
Denzel Washington as Macrinus in "Gladiator II."

Cuba Scott/Paramount Pictures

"Gladiator II," which also stars Pedro Pascal, Connie Nielsen, Joseph Quinn, and Fred Hechinger, arrived in theaters last week, competing with "Wicked" for the top spot at the box office.

It has so far grossed over $140 million domestically and more than $300 million worldwide, per figures from Box Office Mojo.

Washington has also spoken about how he sees his character in the film, previously telling The Hollywood Reporter that Macrinus tries "to use everybody."

"He'd use his mother, he'd use his own children; he's already used up his soul, so he didn't have any left. He's in bed with the devil," the actor said.

Representatives for Trump did not immediately reply to a request for comment from Business Insider.

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Pamela Anderson says her breakthrough performance in 'The Last Showgirl' is 'just scratching the surface' as she embarks on a new career

Pamela Anderson attending a screening of The Last Showgirl at Picturehouse Central Cinema, central London. Picture date: Saturday November 23, 2024
Pamela Anderson.

Jeff Moore/PA Images via Getty Images

  • Pamela Anderson has been praised for her performance in "The Last Showgirl."
  • In the film, she plays a Las Vegas dancer forced to reassess her life after her show closes.
  • Anderson said she almost "gave up" on the idea of being able to prove herself as a serious actor before the role.

Pamela Anderson said her breakthrough performance in "The Last Showgirl" is "just scratching the surface" of what she's capable of as an actor.

The film, directed by Gia Coppola โ€” the granddaughter of Francis Ford Coppola and niece of Sofia Coppola โ€” earned rave reviews following its premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival in September, with critics calling Anderson's performance a "revelation" and "remarkable."

In the Las Vegas-set drama, Anderson plays Shelly, a dancer who finds herself facing an uncertain future when the show she's been a part of for three decades closes amid dwindling audience numbers.

The role has generated some Oscar buzz for the 57-year-old star ahead of the movie's limited US release on December 13 and its wider US release on January 10, 2025.

Following a screening of the film in London attended by Business Insider, Anderson spoke candidly about the project, drawing parallels between her character's crossroads and her own transition away from her "Baywatch" identity.

"It was very cathartic doing this film," she said at the event. "I feel like I got to pour my heart into this."

"I feel like it's the beginning of my career, that it's the first real-time I've been able to apply myself and focus and do what I know I'm capable of," she continued. "It's just scratching the surface."

But the role almost slipped by the star, as her then-agent declined it without consulting her, she said.

Luckily, however, Coppola's team also sent the script to her son, and when Anderson finally got her hands on it, she said she was "blown away."

"I had never read a script like this before, I'd never been offered anything like this," Anderson said. "I just thought, 'This is life or death, I have to do this.'"

It seems it was a timely opportunity for Anderson, who added that she "kind of gave up" on the idea of being able to prove herself as a serious actor before the role came along.

"I thought my life and my career took a certain turn," she went on, referring to the fame she earned following her role in "Baywatch," adding that she felt "disappointed" in her professional trajectory after the cult TV show ended.

"I thought maybe I just didn't work hard enough, maybe I turned into this caricature of myself where I felt no one could see beyond that," Anderson said.

Pamela Anderson in The Last Showgirl (2024)
Pamela Anderson as Shelly, a veteran Las Vegas dancer in "The Last Showgirl."

Picturehouse

The Canadian-born actor now has two other movies in the works โ€” the upcoming 2025 reboot of "Naked Gun," in which she stars alongside Liam Neeson, and the drama "Rosebush Pruning," where she's set to appear alongside Riley Keough, Callum Turner, Elle Fanning, and Lukas Gage.

But "The Last Showgirl" will always hold a special place for Anderson as the project that launched her new career arc, she said.

"I feel like she's the catalyst for the rest of my life," she said of her character.

"The Last Showgirl," written by Kate Gersten, also stars Jamie Lee Curtis, Dave Bautista, Billie Lourd, Kiernan Shipka, and Brenda Song.

Read the original article on Business Insider

Drake vs. Kendrick Lamar: A complete timeline of the rappers' beef, including every diss track

Drake Kendrick Lamar beef split thumb
Drake in "First Person Shooter" and Kendrick Lamar in "Squabble Up."

Drake/Kendrick Lamar/YouTube

  • Drake and Kendrick Lamar have been embroiled in rap beef for the better part of 2024.
  • Shortly after Lamar dropped his new album, Drake filed a petition against UMG and Spotify.
  • Here's what you need to know about the feud that took over hip-hop this year.

Kendrick Lamar and Drake's long-running feud reignited in March when Lamar dissed Drake and J. Cole on Future and Metro Boomin's track "Like That" from their latest collaborative album, "We Don't Trust You." This spiraled into a diss-track war in April and May, with Cole, Drake, Rick Ross, and Lamar all releasing new songs.

At first, fans encouraged the beef between Lamar and Drake. Diss battles, which rappers use to prove themselves, are common in hip-hop, and it was seen as some friendly competition between the genre's heavyweights.

Feuds can also be a clever marketing tactic to help artists boost streams and sales. "Like That," for instance, topped the Hot 100 for three weeks, and "We Don't Trust You" debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200. Lamar's "Euphoria" and Drake's "Push Ups" also climbed the Billboard chart in May.

But as the beef has continued to intensify over several months, Drake has escalated his attacks legally, launching two legal actions against Universal Music Group (to which both Drake and Lamar are signed) and Spotify, accusing both companies of artificially inflating streams of Lamar's No. 1 hit "Not Like Us."

But how did we get here? Here's everything to know about the beef that took over hip-hop in 2024.

Hannah Getahun contributed to an earlier version of this story.

Drake and Lamar have been making digs at each other since 2013

drake
Drake performs at Wireless Festival in 2021.

Joseph Okpako/WireImage

Lamar and Drake started out as friends, with Lamar opening for Drake's "Club Paradise" tour in 2012. The pair's feud began when Lamar rapped that he was better than all the rising rap stars, including Drake and Cole, when he featured on Big Sean's 2013 song "Control."

"And that goes for Jermaine Cole, Big K.R.I.T., Wale, Pusha T, Meek Millz, A$AP Rocky, Drake, Big Sean, Jay Electron', Tyler, Mac Miller / I got love for you all, but I'm tryna murder you n*****," he rapped.

Drake appeared to respond on the track "The Language" from his 2013 album, "Nothing Was the Same," rapping: "I don't know why they been lyin' but your shit is not that inspirin' / Bank account statement just look like I'm ready for early retirement / Fuck any n**** that's talking that shit just to get a reaction."

The two rappers last featured on the same song in 2013 and, since then, have made small digs at each other in their tracks and in interviews.

In 2015, many fans believe that Lamar accused Drake of using a ghostwriter, pointing to Lamar's 2015 track "King Kunta," where he raps, "I can dig rappin', but a rapper with a ghostwriter? / What the fuck happened?"

Lamar hasn't confirmed if the "King Kunta" lyric is about Drake.

Later that year, Meek Mill also accused Drake of using a ghostwriter in a since-deleted post on X, which Drake denied in a 2019 interview with Rap Radar.

The pair have also taken different paths artistically, with Lamar earning critical acclaim, including winning a Pulitzer prize for "Damn" in 2018 and 17 Grammys. Drake is more commercially successful, with 15 songs with over a billion streams on Spotify compared to Kendrick's five.

Cole entered the beef after appearing on Drake's 'For All The Dogs'

J. Cole performs during 2022 Lollapalooza day three at Grant Park on July 30, 2022 in Chicago, Illinois.
J. Cole apologized for beefing with Kendrick Lamar.

Getty/Tim Mosenfelder

Drake's 2023 track "First Person Shooter," featuring Cole, is all about the two being the greatest rappers ever. Cole, who is friends with Lamar, references him in the song when talking about being the "Big 3" of the Hip Hop world.

"Love when they argue the hardest MC / Is it K-Dot? Is it Aubrey? Or me?" Cole raps, referring to Lamar's nickname, "K-Dot," and Drake's birth name Aubrey. "We the big three like we started a league, but right now, I feel like Muhammad Ali."

Lamar was rumored to be featured in the song too, though that never materialized.

Drake ends the song by comparing his success to that of the late Michael Jackson, who is the sixth best-selling artist of all time. In October 2023, Drake scored his 13th Billboard Hot 100 No.1, tying with Jackson.

Lamar's verse in "Like That" alludes to those lyrics, the song title "First Person Shooter," and Drake's 2023 album title, "For All the Dogs."

"Motherfuck the big three, n****, it's just big me," Lamar raps, adding later. "Fuck sneak dissin', first-person shooter, I hope they came with three switches."

A week after the song dropped in March, Drake appeared to respond to Lamar during a concert in Florida as part of his "It's All A Blur Tour: Big As In What?" with Cole.

Drake officially addresses Kendrick Lamar on stage โ€œI got my head held high, my back straight, Iโ€™m ten f**king toes downโ€ฆ and I know no matter what thereโ€™s not another n**ga that could ever f*ck with me on this Earthโ€ pic.twitter.com/4xJZ1kX8uS

โ€” Grand/THE WIZRD๐Ÿ”ฎโถ๐“…“ (@grandwizardcn) March 25, 2024

"A lot of people ask me how I'm feeling. I'mma let you know I'm feeling," Drake said in a video shared on X. "I got my fucking head up high, my back straight, I'm 10 fucking toes down in Florida and anywhere else I go. And I know that no matter what, it's not a n**** on this earth that could ever fuck with me in my life!"

Cole fired back at Lamar, then apologized two days later

Kendrick Lamar performs in concert during Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival on June 16, 2023 in Manchester, Tennessee.
Kendrick Lamar has said he's a better rapper than J. Cole and Drake.

Getty/Gary Miller

Cole did not publicly comment on Lamar's "Like That" verse until April 5, when he released a 12-track EP, "Might Delete Later," featuring Gucci Mane, Ari Lennox, and others.

The first verse of the final track, "7 Minute Drill," appears to be a direct response to Lamar, who Cole implies is losing popularity. Rolling Stone's Andre Gee wrote that the title refers to a military drill in which officers have to explain how to respond to an enemy attack.

"He still doin' shows, but fell off like the Simpsons / Your first shit was classic, your last shit was tragic / Your second shit put n***** to sleep, but they gassed it / Your third shit was massive and that was your prime / I was trailin' right behind and I just now hit mine," Cole raps.

Fans believe Cole's bar about Lamar's second album references the critically-acclaimed "To Pimp a Butterfly," as most people don't count 2011's "Section.80" as his first. "Good Kid, M.A.A.D City," is Lamar's actual second album.

Two days after the song was released, Cole apologized to Lamar during his performance at the Dreamville Festival in Raleigh, North Carolina. "I just want to come up here and publicly be like, bruh, that was the lamest, goofiest shit," Cole said in a video shared on X. "And I pray that y'all are like, forgive a n**** for the misstep and I can get back to my true path. Because I ain't gonna lie to y'all. The past two days felt terrible."

Cole said he felt conflicted because he respected Lamar but felt pressure from his peers and fans to respond.

J.Cole speaks on his response to Kendrick and says it hasnโ€™t felt good or right with his spirit, calling his own response โ€œcornyโ€ and telling Kendrick to return his best shot if he feels a way pic.twitter.com/jan2jctfk9

โ€” Glock Topickz (@Glock_Topickz) April 8, 2024

Cole said his diss verse, and the discourse surrounding it, didn't "sit right with my spirit," adding that he hoped Lamar, who he describes as "one of the greatest motherfucker's to ever touch a fuckin' microphone," wasn't hurt by his words.

Cole was initially mocked by fans for backing down, but they have since praised him for stepping out of the situation before the beef intensified.

Representatives for Lamar and Cole did not respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.

Future and Metro Boomin stirred more trouble with 'We Still Don't Trust You'

Drake, The Weeknd.
Drake and The Weeknd.

Getty Images

On April 12, Future and Metro Boomin released their second collaborative album, "We Still Don't Trust You." While neither rapper directly dissed Drake, they enlisted The Weeknd and A$AP Rocky to do their bidding. Ross and Cole also appear on the album but don't diss Drake.

In the track "All To Myself," The Weeknd references declining to sign with Drake's OVO label, which has led to a frostiness between the two Canadian stars.

"They could never diss my brothers, baby / When they got leaks in they operation / I thank God that I never signed my life away / And we never do the big talk / They shooters makin TikToks / Got us laughin in the Lambo," The Weeknd rapped.

Black Panther Wakanda Forever world premiere
Rihanna and Asap Rocky.

Gilbert Flores / Variety via Getty Images

On the track "Show of Hands," Rocky references the rumor that he slept with Sophie Brussaux, the mother of Drake's child Adonis, before the "God's Plan" rapper.

"N****s in they feelings over women, what, you hurt or something? / I smash before you birthed, son, Flacko hit it first, son," Rocky rapped.

Rocky and Drake were also friends until the "Fuckin' Problems" rapper began to date Rihanna, who had an on-again-off-again relationship with Drake.

On the "For All the Dogs" track "Fear of Heights," Drake disses both stars, saying sex with Rihanna was "average" and that Rocky is now stuck with her since they have children together.

Drake fires back with another diss track

Future (rapper)
Future performs headlining the main stage at The Plains of Abraham in The Battlefields Park.

Ollie Millington/Redferns/Getty

On April 13, after the release of "We Still Don't Trust You," another diss track recorded by Drake, "Push Ups," surfaced online.

Although Drake spends most of the four-minute track dissing Lamar, there are a few shots fired at The Weeknd, Ross, Cole, Future, and Metro Boomin.

Drake mocked Lamar's latest album, "Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers," his appearances on Maroon 5 and Taylor Swift's pop songs, and suggested that Lamar's former label, Top Dawg Entertainment, took 50% of profits from the "Humble" rapper's songs.

"How the fuck you big steppin with a size-seven men's on? / Your last one bricked, you really not on shit," Drake rapped. "Maroon 5 need a verse, you better make it witty / Then we need a verse for the Swifties / Top say drop, you better drop and give him 50."

Drake also rapped that SZA, Travis Scott, and 21 Savage were bigger names in the hip-hop world than Lamar.

Later in the track, Drake references Cole's diss track and apology.

"And that fuckin' song y'all got is not starting beef with us / This shit brewin' in a pot, now I'm heating up / I don't care what Cole think, that Dot shit was weak as fuck," Drake rapped.

Metro Boomin arrives at the MTV Video Music Awards on Tuesday, Sept. 12, 2023, at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J.
Metro Boomin in September 2023.

Evan Agostini/Invision/AP

Later in the track, Drake raps that he gave Future his first No. 1 hit, referring to Drake's 2021 song "Way 2 Sexy," which he features on. Drake also says The Weeknd wastes his money, and Metro Boomin should "shut your ho ass up and make some drums, n****."

Taking aim at Ross, he says the 48-year-old rapper is too old to join the rap beef and owes his chart success to him. Drake also appears to reference Ross' friendship with Diddy, who was accused of sexual misconduct by four people in the last year.

"Spend that lil' check you got and stay up out my business / Worry 'bout whatever goin' on with you andโ€ฆ," Drake says, trailing off at the end.

Rocky was the only one spared from the track.

Ross quickly recorded and released a response, "Champagne Moments," where he calls Drake a "white boy," claims the rapper got a nose job, and stole his flow from Lil Wayne. Ross also repeats the ghostwriter allegations, and has continued to make fun of Drake's nose on social media.

On April 14, Drake shared a text message with his mother in which she asked about the nose job rumor. Drake responded in the message that Ross is just "angry and racist" and he'll "handle it."

Drake officially released 'Push Ups' and another track aimed at Lamar

Drake used an AI version of Tupac Shakur's voice in his latest diss track, "Taylor Made Freestyle."
Drake used an AI version of Tupac Shakur's voice in his latest diss track, "Taylor Made Freestyle."

Raymond Boyd / Getty Images / Prince Williams / Wireimage

On April 19, a week after the leak, Drake officially released "Push Ups" alongside a new diss track directed at Lamar called "Taylor Made Freestyle."

In the latter track, Drake taunts Lamar to respond to "Push Ups," mocks Lamar's complex rap verses, and says the rapper is a puppet of the industry and Swift.

For the track, Drake used AI to generate the voices of the late Tupac Shakur, widely considered one of the greatest rappers of all time, and Snoop Dogg, making it sound like they rapped the first two verses.

Drake's use of Tupac may be a reference to Lamar's track "Mortal Man," from his 2015 album "To Pimp a Butterfly." At the end of the track, Lamar samples a 1994 Tupac interview to simulate a conversation between the two rappers.

Some fans criticized the use of AI in "Taylor Made Freestyle" particularly as Tupac was unable to consent.

Snoop responded to the song on April 20 in a jokey Instagram video where he reacts to people messaging him about Drake using his voice.

"They did what? When? How? Are you sure?" he says. "I'm going back to bed. Good night."

On April 24, Billboard reported that Tupac's estate had sent a cease-and-desist letter to Drake for using his voice.

"The Estate is deeply dismayed and disappointed by your unauthorized use of Tupac's voice and personality," the estate's lawyer Howard King said. "Not only is the record a flagrant violation of Tupac's publicity and the estate's legal rights, it is also a blatant abuse of the legacy of one of the greatest hip-hop artists of all time. The Estate would never have given its approval for this use."

Two days later, Drake removed the song from social media and streaming platforms, though copies of the song are still available online.

Lamar spelled out the things he hates about Drake in the song 'Euphoria'

kendrick lamar
Kendrick Lamar performs at Rolling Loud Miami in 2022.

Jason Koerner/Getty Images

On April 30, Lamar released "Euphoria," a damning six-minute response to Drake.

In the track, Lamar calls Drake a "scam artist," "a master manipulator and habitual liar," mocks the Canadian rapper for imitating Black American culture, and claims that the "One Dance" artist has 20 ghostwriters. Lamar also says he is a better father than Drake.

Halfway through the track, Lamar raps: "I hate the way that you walk, the way that you talk, I hate the way that you dress / I hate the way that you sneak diss, if I catch flight, it's gon' be direct / We hate the bitches you fuck, 'cause they confuse themself with real women."

'Fans also believe the lyrics "have you ever paid five hundred thou' like to an open case?" refer to Drake paying 532,000 New Zealand dollars in 2019 to a woman who accused him of sexual assault. Drake denied the claim at the time.

Later in the track, Lamar hits out at Drake's use of AI in "Taylor Made Freestyle."

"I'd rather do that than let a Canadian n**** make Pac turn in his grave," Lamar raps, later adding. "Am I battlin' ghost or AI?"

Lamar also implies that Drake sent a cease-and-desist letter to get "Like That," the song that reignited the beef, removed.

"Try cease and desist on the 'Like That' record? / Ho, what? You ain't like that record?" Lamar raps on the track.

In response to the song, Drake continued to taunt Lamar by posting a clip from "10 Things I Hate About You" on his Instagram story.

Lamar warned Drake about enemies in his own entourage in his latest track, '6:16 in LA'

"6:16 in LA," released May 3, is a shorter track than "Euphoria" and only features one verse.

Lamar begins the verse rapping about his success before turning his attention to Drake. Instead of insulting Drake, Lamar claims that the "Push Ups" rapper's circle has been feeding him lies, leaking information about him, and hoping for his downfall.

"Have you ever thought that OVO was workin' for me? / Fake bully, I hate bullies, you must be a terrible person / Everyone inside your team is whispering that you deserve it," Lamar raps.

Later, he continues: "A hunnid n***** that you got on salary, and twenty of 'em want you as a casualty / And one of them is actually, next to you / And two of them is practically tied to your lifestyle, just don't got the audacity to tell you."

Fans believe Lamar's lyric, "It was fun until you start to put money in the streets / Then lost money, 'cause they came back with no receipts," implies that Drake tried to pay for dirt on the "DNA" rapper.

Later in the track, Lamar also calls out Drake for "playin' dirty" in his feuds by enlisting the help of Twitter bots and celebrities like Zack Bia to stir public opinion against his enemies.

"But your reality can't hide behind Wi-Fi / Your lil' memes is losing steam, they figured you out," Lamar added.

The diss track's layers go beyond the lyrics, as fans have been analyzing the cover art, the track's title, and even the producers. "6:16" was Tupac's birthday, but it is also Father's Day, which relates to Lamar's taunts about Drake's parenting skills. "6:16 in LA" also parodies Drake's song titles, which often feature location names and timestamps.

The song is co-produced by Jack Antonoff, Swift's longtime producer and friend, which is likely aimed at Drake's Taylor Swift disses.

Meanwhile, the cover art features a black leather glove with a Maybach logo on it. The black leather glove could refer to Drake's 2020 song "Toosie Slide," where the rapper compares himself to Michael Jackson in the line "Black leather glove, no sequins."

Meanwhile, the logo could refer to Rick Ross' music label, Maybach Music Group.

Drake ramped things up in 'Family Matters,' which he dropped alongside a music video

On May 3, Drake released "Family Matters," a seven-and-a-half-minute response to Lamar's back-to-back diss tracks, which appears to respond to some of "Euphoria," firstly Lamar's decision to question Drake's quality as a father.

"You mentioned my seed, now deal with his dad / I gotta go bad, I gotta go bad," Drake rapped in the first few lines of the track.

Later, he takes shots at Lamar's son, Enoch: "Why you never hold your son and tell him say cheese / We could have left the kids out of this don't blame me."

"I heard that one of them little kids might be Dave Free," Drake also raps, suggesting that one of Lamar's two children he shares with his longtime partner was fathered by one of Lamar's creative partners.

Drake ramps things up toward the song's end when he makes the unfounded claim that Lamar has domestically abused a partner. "They hired a crisis management team / To clean up the fact that you beat on your queen," he raps, "The picture you painted ain't what it seems."

On the track, Drake also addresses the cease-and-desist he was sent over "Taylor Made Freestyle," rapping that Lamar "begged" the family of Shakur to take legal action and have the song taken down.

At the song's close, he brings it back to their respective children and takes one final swipe at his opponent, rapping: "Our sons should go play at the park / Two light-skinned kids, that shit would be cute / Unless you don't want to be seen with anyone that isn't Blacker than you."

Drake also dropped a music video alongside the song, which shows a red minivan, similar to that on the cover of Lamar's "good kid, m.A.A.d city" being driven across the border to Canada and destroyed. Later in the video, Drake is shown having dinner at the same Chinese restaurant Lamar rapped about in "Euphoria."

Minutes later, Lamar responded, directly addressing Drake's son, mom, and dad on 'Meet the Grahams'

Lamar's "Meet the Grahams" arrived minutes after Drake's "Family Matters" dropped and saw the rapper directly address each member of Drake's family.

"Dear Adonis, I'm sorry that that man is your father, let me be honest / It takes a man to be a man, your dad is not responsive," he begins the track. "I look at him and wish your grandpa woulda wore a condom / I'm sorry that you gotta grow up and then stand behind him."

In the second verse, Lamar turns his attention to Drake's mom and dad, rapping that the pair "gave birth to a master manipulator."

"You raised a horrible fuckin' person, the nerve of you, Dennis," the track continues. "Sandra, sit down, what I'm about to say is heavy, now listen / Your son's a sick man with sick thoughts."

Another verse, addressed to a "baby girl," implies that Drake has fathered a second child beyond his son that he has kept secret, while the final verse brings things back to Drake himself, where Lamar justifies taking such personal shots at his rival.

"Dear Aubrey, I know you probably thinkin' I wanted to crash your party / But truthfully, I don't have a hatin' bone in my body / This supposed to be a good exhibition within the game / But you fucked up the moment you called out my family's name."

Lamar refuses to let Drake breathe and releases yet another track, 'Not Like Us'

In "Not Like Us," Lamar appears to directly respond to Drake's "Family Matters" diss, referencing the track's title in the song lyrics.

"The family matter, and the truth of the matter / It was God's plan to show you're the liar," Lamar raps, also giving a nod to Drake's 2018 track "God's Plan."

The art for the song is an aerial view of Drake's mansion near Toronto, Variety reported. The image also has pins on the mansion, resembling those used on sex offender maps, leading fans to believe Lamar is suggesting Drake's house is full of sexual predators.

On the track, Lamar said Drake is a "colonizer" and that he got his "street cred" with the help of other rappers, including Future, Lil Baby, 21 Savage, Young Thug, Quavo, and 2Chainz.

Lamar also made the unsubstantiated claim that Drake and his entourage are pedophiles.

"Certified lover boy? Certified pedophile," Lamar rapped, referring to the title of Drake's 2021 album. "To any bitch that talk to him and they in love / Just make sure you hide your lil' sister from him."

Drake responds to Lamar's accusations in 'The Heart Part 6'

On May 5, Drake released a response to "Not Like Us" and "Meet the Grahams" in the form "The Heart Part 6." The title is a reference to Lamar's "The Heart" song series.

The song denies many of Lamar's claims. Drake raps that the people feeding Lamar information about him are "all clowns" and says that Lamar was purposefully given false information about him secretly fathering an 11-year-old daughter. (In "Meet the Grahams" Lamar sings about a "baby girl" that he says Drake abandons.)

"We plotted for a week and then we fed you the information / A daughter that's 11 years old, I bet he takes it / I thought about giving a fake name and a destination / but you so thirsty you not concerned with investigation," Drake raps in his response.

Later in the verse, Drake denied the pedophile claims.

"Only fuckin' with Whitneys, not Millie Bobby Browns, I'd never look twice at no teenager," he rapped, referring to the rumor that Drake's friendship with "Stranger Things" star Millie Bobby Brown when she was a child was inappropriate.

He rapped later: "If I was fucking young girls, I promise I'd have been arrested / I'm way too famous for this shit you just suggested."

On June 5, Billboard reported that Drake had deleted the Instagram post promoting the song.

A security guard outside Drake's mansion is injured and three people try to break into the home

drake raptors game
Drake at Scotiabank Arena on March 18, 2022 in Toronto, Canada.

Cole Burston/Getty Images

In the week following the release of "Not Like Us," a shooting took place outside Drake's mansion, and there were also reports of people trying to break into the property.

On May 7, Canadian publication CBC reported that a security guard was shot and seriously injured outside Drake's mansion at Park Lane Circle.

On May 8, CNN reported a person tried to enter Drake's mansion a day after the shooting. Then, on May 9, TMZ reported that a second person tried to enter Drake's property around 3:30 p.m. ET. On May 11, TMZ reported that a third person tried to break into the home but was stopped by Drake's security.

While officers never linked any of the incidents to the rap beef, tensions were high since they all occurred shortly after the release of "Not Like Us."

Amid the incidents, Drake complained on his Instagram Story about the media helicopters surrounding his home.

On May 11, Drake wrote in a post addressing Canadian news organization CP24, "Can we discuss the chopper flight times over the house 'cause I won't lie, I'm trying to sleep. Anytime after 3 pm works great for me," he wrote.

Drake appears to have stepped down from the beef, and Lamar's label says the 'battle is over'

kendrick lamar
Kendrick Lamar headlines Glastonbury Festival in 2022.

Samir Hussein/WireImage

Drake seemed to suggest he was bowing out of the feud with Lamar in "The Heart Part 6" when he said: "You could drop a hundred more records, I'll see you later / Yeah, maybe when you meet your maker / I don't wanna fight with a woman beater, it feeds your nature."

While some fans doubted this, it seems he was serious. On May 11, Drake posted an illustration of a samurai standing up against an army on his Instagram Story and captioned the post, "Good times. Summer vibes up next," which seemed to suggest he wouldn't release any more diss tracks.

Lamar performs 'Not Like Us' five times at his Juneteenth concert

The entire West Coast united on stage for the finale of Kendrick Lamar & Friends The Pop Out pic.twitter.com/9Y36quV8hm

โ€” Modern Notoriety (@ModernNotoriety) June 20, 2024

On June 19, Lamar hosted a one-off concert to celebrate Juneteenth called "The Pop Out: Ken & Friends," which was live-streamed on Amazon Prime Video and Twitch.

The event featured up-and-coming West Coast rappers and major Californian stars including Dr. Dre, Jay Rock and Tyler The Creator. Lamar closed the night with his own set, opening with "Euphoria."

During the performance, Lamar added a new line, "Give me Tupac's ring back and I might give you a little respect," referring to reports that Drake had bought a ring that belonged to Tupac Shakur.

Later in the set, Lamar performed "6:16" and "Like That." Lamar ended the night performing "Not Like Us" five times in a row, beginning with an intro by Dr. Dre who joined Lamar onstage.

During the third "Not Like Us" encore, West Coast performers, athletes, and gang members also joined Lamar onstage to dance to the song. Lamar then stopped the performance to get a group photo.

Lamar then told the audience the real focus of the concert was to bring West Coast performers and gang members together and celebrate their loved ones who had been killed.

"For all of us to be on this stage together, unity, from East Side mother-fucking LA, Crips, Bloods, Pirus, this shit is special, man. We put this shit together just for ya'll," Lamar said, referring to rival gang members onstage.

"Everybody got fallen sons but we're right here, right now celebrating all of them, this shit is special," he added.

After his speech, Lamar performed "Not Like Us" one more time.

During the rap beef, Drake has continually mocked the West Coast rap community, which Lamar hails from, and said the community does not support Lamar.

Fans have dubbed the concert Lamar's "victory lap," saying he won the rap beef.

Lamar releases a music video for 'Not Like Us'

Exactly two months after releasing "Not Like Us," Lamar released a music video for the diss track on YouTube.

It stars with Lamar teasing an unreleased song before going into the "Not Like Us" track.

The music video appears to take numerous digs at his rival, including a recurring image of an owl, which is the logo of Drake's label.

The first time an owl appears, it is in the shape of a pinata, which Lamar breaks with a stick.

A disclaimer at the bottom of the screen reads, "No OVhoes were harmed in making this video."

Later in the video, Lamar puts an owl in the cage. Both scenes seem to suggest Lamar is declaring that he has defeated Drake.

Lamar's longtime partner Whitney Alford, their two children, and multiple other West Coast rappers, athletes, and dancers appear in the video, which was shot in Compton, California.

In November, Lamar surprised fans by dropping his new album 'GNX,' which included several references to his feud with Drake

After months of silence, Lamar surprise-released the 12-track album on Friday, November 22.

The rapper appeared to reference his beef with Drake in the album's opening track, "Wacced Out Murals."

He raps: "Snoop posted 'Taylor Made,' I prayed it was the edibles / I couldn't believe it, it was only right for me to let it go."

The lyrics reference how fellow rapper Snoop Dogg shared one of Drake's diss tracks, "Taylor Made Freestyle," to Instagram earlier this year (Snoop Dogg has said he would not be taking sides in the feud).

Elsewhere on the album, there is a track named "Heart Pt. 6," reclaiming the song name from Drake, who previously released his own song titled "The Heart Part 6" to mock Lamar's series of numbered "heart" tracks.

The surprise album has garnered positive initial reviews from critics, rounding off a transformative year for Lamar.

Shortly after Lamar's new album arrived, Drake's company launched two legal actions against Universal Music Group and Spotify

On Monday, November 25, Drake took his feud with Lamar into legal territory.

Drake's company, Frozen Moments, filed a pre-action petition in a New York court against Universal Music Group (UMG), the record company that owns Lamar's label Interscope and Drake's label Republic Records, as well as the streaming giant Spotify.

The petition accuses both UMG and Spotify of using illicit methods, such as bots and payola (otherwise known as "pay-for-play"), to inflate streams of Lamar's No. 1 hit "Not Like Us."

The filing also claims that "Not Like Us" caused Drake to suffer "economic harm."

Just a few hours after the filing made headlines, Billboard unearthed another action filed by Drake's company in Texas court. The second petition, also filed on Monday, claims that UMG "funneled payments" to the radio conglomerate iHeartRadio in order to boost spins of "Not Like Us."

Drake's lawyers also allege that UMG could've blocked "Not Like Us" from being released because it "attacked the character of another one of UMG's most prominent artists, Drake, by falsely accusing him of being a sex offender, engaging in pedophilic acts, harboring sex offenders and committing other criminal sexual acts," per Billboard.

A spokesperson for UMG told Business Insider: "The suggestion that UMG would do anything to undermine any of its artists is offensive and untrue."

"No amount of contrived and absurd legal arguments in this pre-action submission can mask the fact that fans choose the music they want to hear," the spokesperson added.

A representative for Lamar and Drake did not immediately respond to a comment request from BI. A representative from Spotify declined to comment.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

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Chuck Woolery, original host of 'Wheel of Fortune,' dead at 83

Chuck Woolery, "Lingo", "Greed", Naturally Stoned," and "Love Connection" at the "Game Show Networks 2003 Winter TCA Tour" at the Renaissance Hotel in 2003.
Chuck Woolery.

Kevin Winter/Getty Images

  • Chuck Woolery died on Saturday, November 23, at the age of 83.
  • The legendary game show star was best known as the original host of "Wheel of Fortune."
  • Woolery became a conservative commentator and Trump supporter later in his life.

Chuck Woolery, the media personality best known for hosting the game shows "Wheel of Fortune" and "Love Connection," died on Saturday at the age of 83.

Woolery's friend and podcast co-host Mark Young said in a statement on X: "It is with a broken heart that I tell you that my dear brother has just passed away. Life will not be the same without him, RIP brother."

Young, who hosted the podcast "Blunt Force Truth" with Woolery, told the Associated Press that the star had died at his home in Texas with his wife present.

Born in Ashland, Kentucky, Woolery found early success in the music world after serving a stint in the US Navy.

In 1968, he scored a Top 40 hit with the song "Naturally Stoned" as part of a pop group called The Avant-Garde.

After failing to follow up the success as a solo artist, Woolery turned to acting in the 1970s.

However, it was through his role as the original host of the hugely popular game show "Wheel of Fortune" that he really made his name.

The NBC show, which premiered in 1975, earned Woolery a Daytime Emmy nomination. His six-year tenure on the show ended in 1981 following a pay dispute.

Host Chuck Woolery speaking to contestants on the gameshow "Lingo" in 2003.
Host Chuck Woolery speaking to contestants on the gameshow "Lingo."

Carlo Allegri/Getty Images

Woolery was also known for his time on "Love Connection," where he coined the phrase, "We'll be back in two minutes and two seconds."

Across his career, he hosted several other shows, including "Scrabble" and "Lingo." He was inducted into the American TV Game Show Hall of Fame in 2007.

Later in life, Woolery became a vocal supporter of Donald Trump and often shared his political views on X.

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