Meredith Vieira’s husband, Richard Cohen, died at age 76 following a battle with multiple sclerosis.
The Today show confirmed on Tuesday, January 7, that Cohen died on Christmas Eve after living with the disease for over 50 years. Today show host Hoda Kotb shared with viewers that Cohen was “surrounded by his family and love” at the time of his death.
The family had been together at Thanksgiving, Kotb continued, telling viewers that they were “concerned” about losing him early. “Instead, they got a glorious month with their dad,” she said.
Today cohost Savannah Guthrie said that Vieira is “in really good spirits” following Cohen’s death.
“She was such a beautiful and devoted wife to Richard and he adored Meredith,” Guthrie added. “And hanging out with them, they were like the most fun and entertaining, irreverent, cool couple you could hang out with.”
In addition to his MS diagnosis, which Cohen received at age 25, he survived colon cancer twice.
Cohen previously revealed that he told the journalist about his MS diagnosis on their second date. The two got married in 1986.
Meredith Vieira and Richard CohenSantiago Felipe/Getty Images
“I told her about the illness, because I sort of learned the hard way to get it on the table,” Cohen said during a 2019 interview with Yahoo Life. “And she really didn’t blink.”
Vieira noted that MS “wasn’t enough” to scare her off.
She spoke candidly about her husband’s illness during a separate interview with Peoplethat same year, telling the publication that Cohen was “doing OK.” At the time, he was also declared legally blind.
“It’s a progressive illness, so you don’t know from day to day,” Vieira said. “He needs a walker, and since he’s been using it, he’s much stronger. It was something he dreaded, but it’s been a blessing.”
The journalist noted that she and Cohen “definitely allow each other to vent” during the tough times. (Vieira left Today in 2011 to spend more time with Cohen, but continued to host various TV series over the years including the 25 Words or Less game show.)
“That’s part of the deal. Certainly he’s allowed to vent, because he’s got chronic illness. But I am too,” she said. “Because there are days I can’t stand it and the limitations it puts on the entire family. It’s good to say it. But we don’t dwell.”
Cohen is survived by wife Vieira, 71, and their three kids, Benjamin, 36, Gabriel 34, and Lily, 32.
“It is with immense sadness that we let you know our beloved James Lee Williams — The Vivienne, has passed this weekend,” Jones wrote. “James was an incredibly loved, warm-hearted and amazing person.”
The statement continued, “Their family are heartbroken at the loss of their son, brother and uncle. They are so proud of the wonderful things James achieved in their life and career. We will not be releasing any further details. We please ask that James’s family are given the time and privacy they now need to process and grieve.”
“Police attended, investigated the circumstances of the death of the 32-year-old man and concluded there were no suspicious circumstances,” a spokesman told Hello! on Monday, January 6. “A file will be prepared for the coroner.”
Many members of RuPaul’s Drag Race have spoken out in the wake of The Vivienne’s death to share tributes. Keep scrolling to read the meaningful messages:
Michelle Visage
Courtesy of michellevisage Michelle Visage/Instagram
The RuPaul’s Drag Race’s judge reacted to the “heartbreaking” death via Instagram.
“I don’t know how to say how I feel. My darling @thevivienne_ we go back to when I started coming over here to the UK. You were always there, always laughing, always giving, always on point,” Visage wrote. “Your laughter, your wit, your talent, your drag. I loved all of it but I loved your friendship most of all. You were a beacon to so many.”
Visage recalled seeing The Vivienne make their West End debut, noting that she was a “lucky one” having known the late star.
“I love you my darling. You will be so missed my lovely,” the message concluded. “May your light shine fiercely, forever. RIP MY ANGEL fly high.”
Trinity the Tuck
The drag queen noted that she was “heartbroken” by the death news.
“Viv was such a great friend! Always made time for you! I had the best of times in all the projects we shared and more than that she was just a good person!” she wrote in a statement shared via Instagram. “I can not [sic] believe this! My heart goes out to her family and to her other friends! May you rest well my friend!”
“I don’t entirely have words,” she wrote. “She has made her mark in our hearts and on her stages. It’s too soon for a curtain call but I know it’s a standing ovation. I love you Viv.”
Kandy Muse
Courtesy of Kandy Muse/Instagram
The RuPaul’s Drag Race alum paid tribute to the “f—ing rockstar” Vivienne along with photos of them together.
“I am in utter shock, devastated and absolutely heartbroken, one of the sweetest person I’ve ever gotten to meet and spend time with,” Muse’s social media caption read. “You kept me up while I was at my lowest in life on tour with your bright energy and smile, I’ll miss you friend.”
Jimbo
Courtesy of Jimbo/Instagram
“What a devastating loss of such a brilliant artist, beautiful person and incredible friend,” Jimbo’s Instagram tribute read. “So many fun memories and laughs and still not nearly enough. Sending my love and hugs out to everyone grieving the loss of someone so special to us. Love you Viv! You will always inspire me, I will carry you in my heart and bring you with me on stage.”
Cheryl The Drag Queen
Cheryl described The Vivienne as “the most incredible friend, mentor and sister” in a social media statement.
“Thank you for the incredible moments, milestones and memories,” she wrote, in part. “Every moment spent with you was truly electric and magical. Your legacy, love and light will shine on forever!”
Baga Chipz
The Drag Race alum sent a message to her “beautiful, talented, mad, bestest friend” after news of The Vivienne’s death.
“You will always be the Velma to my Louise, and I’ll always talk to you before I go onstage for every single show I do because let’s face it you were a bloody power house when you hit that stage. Always there for me when I needed you,” she wrote. “You taught me the true meaning of sisterhood but more importantly you taught me how to do a cut crease.”
“It’s such a trip that you’re gone. It’s especially strange to think that most of the short time we spent together was on camera, because all my favorite memories with you were off-screen,” Oddly shared. “I’ll forever cherish our smoke breaks, our s— talking, our crip queen hot tubbing, the laughter and the tears and the McDonald’s we shared … but most of all the makeup advice you gave.”
Blu Hydrangea
Courtesy of Blu Hydrangea/Instagram
They remembered The Vivienne as “a class act, a mentor, an absolute superstar” and “family” in an Instagram caption.
“You have inspired me and my drag from the moment I realized how hard it was going to be to keep up with you on Drag Race!” Hydrangea continued. “You are unforgettable; I will cherish our memories forever.”
The former Drag Queen star remembered The Vivienne’s “perfect” makeup in a series of photos shared via Instagram.
“I can’t thank you enough for your light! I don’t even know what to say rn,” she wrote, in part. “I just know you were such an incredible person to everyone around you and you made real space for me.”
Shea Couleé
The performer noted that this is an “incredibly hard” loss when remembering The Vivienne.
“There aren’t enough words to describe your impact on not only me, but the entire drag landscape,” Couleé’s statement continued. “Your joy, humor, and supportive sisterhood will stay with me forever. Like a handprint on my heart.”
Raja Gemini
The Drag Race star shared a series of photos with The Vivienne, simply captioning the images writing, “Forever.”
Monét X Change
“You were easily one of the brightest stars that I’ve ever seen shine, and with beauty beyond compare,” she wrote, adding that she would “cherish” all the moments they had together.
Daily Mail was first to report that while the Duchess of Sussex did cook in a California home for the series, it wasn’t the home she actually lives in. The Montecito house rented out to film the show is actually located just down the street from Markle and Harry’s sprawling mansion, the publication also reported.
Earlier this month, Netflix revealed the trailer and release date for Markle’s highly anticipated series. The show is set to offer an inside look at the former Suits star’s home life in California after she and Harry parted ways with the royal family in 2020. Markle, who also produced the show, will offer viewers eight episodes of “tips and tricks” that she’s learned from being in the lifestyle space.
“I’ve always loved taking something pretty ordinary and elevating it,” Markle’s voiceover could be heard saying in the trailer. “Surprising people with moments that let them know I was thinking of them.”
With Love, Meghan “reimagines the genre of lifestyle programming,” Netflix’s official logline reads, explaining that 43-year-old Markle will demonstrate practices for “blending practical how-to’s and candid conversation with friends.”
“I was just in my maternity leave and Meghan texted me and said, ‘Hey, do you wanna come be in my show … come to Montecito and have me cook for you?’” the actress told Deadline. “And I was like, ‘Yeah, that sounds perfect. I would love to do that.’”
Kaling, 45, said she considers herself an “OK cook” before praising Markle’s cooking ability that “unsurprisingly kind of blew me out of the water.”
“She has a garden from scratch, which I could never do, and chickens,” Kaling? continued. “They’d probably all die if I tried to take care of chickens. I was like, ‘Oh, this is very accessible.’”
While Harry, 40, was featured in the With Love, Meghan trailer, Kaling said that the Duke of Sussex won’t be joining his better half in the kitchen to cook for the show.
“I heard he’s actually a pretty good cook,” she said. “He knows his way around a kitchen.”
The actor was awarded Best Performance by a Male Actor in a Motion Picture — Drama on Sunday, January 5, for his role as László Tóth in The Brutalist. The accolade came 23 years after Brody, 51, won an Academy Award for The Pianist at age 29.
“It’s been many years, it’s been decades, and I’ve had a long life and career and a lot of peaks and a lot of valleys,” Brody told Us Weekly and other reporters in the Beverly Hilton Press Room following his 2025 Golden Globes win. “It’s given me perspective. It’s given me great appreciation for this moment.”
Brody noted that “it can all go away,” referring to his career, which has spanned more than three decades.
Amy Sussman/Getty Images
“I am very grateful. I’ve had a very blessed career, but as you can see, it’s still a challenge to find work that is as meaningful as this,” the actor continued. He went on to discuss The Brutalist, in which Brody stars as a Hungarian-Jewish architect and Holocaust survivor who emigrates to America following World War II.
“That you can have a triumph in your life again is incredibly healing and rewarding,” Brody added, noting that the movie “speaks to my family’s struggles and the hardships that they’ve faced.”
Adrien BrodySonja Flemming/CBS
The actor further explained that his ancestors allowed him “the good fortune of having firm footing as an American actor,” which in turn gave Brody “the ability to hope and dream and to pursue something like this.”
During his acceptance speech on Sunday night, Brody explained that the story of his character in The Brutalist is similar to that of his own family. (Sunday’s win for Brody marked his first-ever Golden Globe.)
“This story, the character’s journey is very reminiscent of my mother’s and my ancestral journey of fleeing the horrors of war, coming to this great country. And I owe so much to my mother and my grandparents for their sacrifice,” Brody told the crowd before addressing his parents, Sylvia Plachy and Elliot Brody, who were both in the audience.
“Although I do not know fully how to express all of the challenges that you have faced and experienced, and the many people who have struggled immigrating to this country, I hope that this work stands to lift you up a bit and to give you a voice,” he continued. “I’m so grateful. I will cherish this moment forever.”
Zoe Saldaña has struggled with dyslexia her whole life but only recently started speaking publicly about the diagnosis.
“I don’t have much time and I have dyslexia so I tend to forget when I’m really anxious,” the actress said when accepting her Golden Globe for Best Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role in January 2025. “I’m filled with adrenaline.”
Saldaña took home the award for her role as Rita Mora Castro in Emilia Pérez and was immediately brought to tears. She later addressed her speech and the decision to bring up her dyslexia during an interview after the awards show.
“I think that was the reason why I was having so much anxiety, you know, days coming up to this award ceremony,” Saldaña explained to Extra at the time. “I know that when adrenaline kicks in and nerves kick in, you stop breathing and you just go blank. I was just so afraid of not recognizing people, acknowledging people onstage that are responsible for me being where I am. I’m very hard on myself so I take responsibility for everything that I do, so it was that.”
She continued, “This morning, I got so many messages from loved ones, saying, ‘Let it all go and just breathe and be in the moment and speak from truth,’ and I did, and all of a sudden, the words came.”
Keep scrolling for more quotes from Saldaña about her battle with dyslexia:
Being Hard on Herself
Zoe SaldanaAmy Sussman/Getty Images
“I just didn’t think I was good,” Saldaña said in a January 2025 interview with The New York Times. “I always felt overlooked, but overlooked in the sense of, ‘Well, if I’m overlooked, I deserve it.’”
Her ‘Lioness’ Role
Saldaña said that taking on her role as Joe in the Paramount+ series allowed her to “believe” that she can take on any role — especially if she works “really hard.”
“I think addressing my dyslexia and my anxiety was the reason why I sort of embarked on this challenge to do a Taylor Sheridan sort of show,” she told People in October 2024. “He’s very dialogue-heavy. It’s very wordy. There’s a cadence to the way he wants the sort of the dialogues in the scenes to be said.”
The actress said she was “120 percent” prepared when stepping foot on set. “I dared myself to believe that maybe I can pull it off,” she added.
Overcoming Her ‘Challenges’
Zoe SaldanaROBYN BECK/AFP via Getty Images
Saldaña addressed “the challenges” she had regarding her “learning abilities” during an October 2024 interview with Variety.
“I have dyslexia and anxiety, which prevented me from really going after roles — a whole lot of roles — that I know I could have done,” she explained. “I would memorize, memorize, memorize, and by the time that scene would come, it was an extension of who I was — like ballet.”
She noted that the “worst thing” that could happen is changing “a scene last minute” or more dialogue. “That’s when I’m like, ‘Wait, wait, wait, that’s dyslexia 2.0’ — that will be the next step,” Saldaña added.
Being Afraid of Certain Roles
When it came to taking on her Lioness part, Saldaña said she was afraid to tackle show creator Taylor Sheridan’s writing.
“You have to follow good material wherever good material is. But it’s my fear because I know that [Sheridan] has big monologues with his characters,” she said at the Cannes Film Festival in May 2024. “I’m dyslexic. Spanish is my first language.”
Getting a Diagnosis
Saldaña said she was actually “undiagnosed” with dyslexia and ADHD in a video recorded for the Child Mind Institute in March 2020.
“Something that my older self would tell my younger self is rely on those people that really believe in you and are really willing to genuinely listen to you,” she said. “It does get better, but please speak up. Don’t live in silence, because who you are and what you do and what you’re going through is not wrong.”
Going Public With Her Struggles
Zoe SaldanaSonja Flemming/CBS
She shared her journey with dyslexia and ADHD during a 2018 video shared with the Child Mind Institute.
“Growing up with ADHD and dyslexia meant school was challenging,” Saldaña said. “I can’t imagine how hard a year like we’ve just had would be for kids who face the same classroom struggles that I did. Adjusting to remote learning, trying to stay focused on a screen hour after hour.”
The comedian could be making a repeat performance as awards show host for future, because critics and stars alike had high praise for Glaser’s opening monologue — despite how savage it was.
“I am not here to roast you tonight, and how could I? You are all so famous, so talented, so powerful,” Glaser told the crowd when taking the stage on Sunday, January 5. “I mean you could really do anything.”
She then took shots at some stars in the crowd, including Timothée Chalamet and Selena Gomez, but also made sure to name-drop some stars who weren’t even in attendance.
“Tonight, we celebrate the best of film and hold space for television,” Glaser continued. “Yes, Wicked, Queer, Nightbitch: These are not just words Ben Affleck yells after he orgasms. These are some of the incredible movies nominated tonight.”
Ozempic and Sean “Diddy” Combswere also topics that Glaser tackled, regardless of who liked it — or didn’t. Keep scrolling for a breakdown of reactions to the comedian’s Golden Globes hosting debut:
The Critics Have Praised Glaser
Nikki GlaserSonja Flemming/CBS
Various outlets had nothing but positive responses to Glaser and her performance.
Rolling Stone effused that Glaser “redeems the Golden Globes” in their headlines recapping the show. The publication called out her “spicy” and “silly roasts” specifically.
Glaser made sure the show started “smoothly,” The Atlantic wrote, noting that she did a good job by “immediately — and frequently — [making] herself the butt of the joke.”
“Glaser’s good-natured delivery turned out to be the ideal vehicle for some unexpected bite as well — but only if you listened carefully,” their review read. “In between her many, many self-effacing barbs, Glaser slid in some stingers about the guests seated before her.”
The Golden Globes of years past was the awards show where celebrities had fun, let their hair down (got a little drunk) and if you’re Emma Thompson a la 2014, accepts an accolade with shoes in hand. According to Variety, Glaser brought the show right back to its roots.
“The Golden Globes reclaims its chaotic glory with a vibrant Nikki Glaser and some fun facts,” their headline read.
The Los Angeles Times’ review addressed Glaser’s jokes specifically, calling them “good” with a “tight” delivery. “Glaser’s stand up can be pretty dark … but she found a way to be lightly cutting and relatively inoffensive, just far enough above a community of which she is not exactly a part, taking gentle shots at individuals,” they wrote.
Using the now-ubiquitous viral phrase “understood the assignment,” Time Magazine noted that’s exactly what Glaser did. She “hit her marks,” the publication added.
Critics for The Hollywood Reporter even argued that Glaser saved the show, “reminding audiences once again of the importance of above-average hosting.”
Others Were Unimpressed
IndieWire, on the other hand, wasn’t fully taken by Glaser’s performance, saying she “did a fine job” as host. They noted that the comedian “delivered what CBS producers surely wanted — a solid performance referencing as many famous faces as possible.”
As for the stars in attendance, their facial expressions did all the talking.
Chalamet, for one, took it in stride while his mustache was compared to eyelashes. (Girlfriend Kylie Jenner laughed next to him.)
Glen Powell was quick to cackle — even though Glaser put his name and her sex life in the same sentence.
“Glen, you were in everything. Twisters, Hit Man, my head when I’m having sex with my boyfriend,” Glaser quipped, which got a big laugh from the actor. “Thank you so much for the assist. I’ll see you tonight.”
Wickedstars Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo were quick to participate in Glaser’s jokes, proving they were good sports as well. Gomez, while looking rather uncomfortable, did chuckle when her relationship with fiancéBenny Blanco was brought up.
Both Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban were in stitches when Glaser commented on the amount of movies the actress made last year that kept her away from her musician husband.
Some stars who kept their poker face through the jokes? Zendaya, Harrison Ford, Kate Winslet and Stanley Tucci.
What Celebs Said
A few notable names gave Glaser her flowers on social media. Jon Stewarttook to X during the show and penned an epic compliment.
“Nikki Glaser is very very good at this,” he wrote.
“She’s finally getting the recognition that she deserves. I think she’s gonna crush. I texted her last night just saying, ‘good luck,’” Rife, 29, told Us Weekly exclusively on the Golden Globes red carpet in Los Angeles on Sunday, January 5. “I hope I get to run into her before the awards show starts. If not, I’ll see her after.”
As for her nerves, Rife said that Glaser seemed “fine,” noting that she’s performed at “way wilder shows” than the Golden Globes.
“These shows usually don’t go well,” he added. “So, it’s like, what’s the pressure? Just go up there and have fun.”
When asked whether he offered Glaser, 40, any advice ahead of her hosting gig, Rife said he “would never” do such a thing.
“We’re different comedians,” he explained. “She knows what she’s doing. She’s been a beast in comedy for over 10 years.”
Matt Rife and Nikki Glaser.Getty Images (2)
Rife hinted that “nothing’s off limits” for Glaser when it came to her monologue, which he said is “what makes her such a great comedian.”
“She’s not scared of anybody or anything,” he added. “Every comedian’s been at rock bottom of having no career anyway. What’s she gonna do? Not work again? She’s selling out theaters around the world. She’s gonna be just fine.”
Rife’s prediction was correct. When Glaser took the stage for her 10-minute monologue to kick off Sunday’s Golden Globes, she took shots at Selena Gomez and Benny Blanco’s relationship, Timothée Chalamet, Ben Affleck and Sean “Diddy” Combs.
“Tonight, we celebrate the best of film and hold space for television,” she said. “Yes, Wicked, Queer,Nightbitch: These are not just words Ben Affleck yells after he orgasms. These are some of the incredible movies nominated tonight.”
Nikki Glaser is seen on stage hosting the 82nd Annual Golden Globe Awards on January 5th, 20225.Sonja Flemming/CBS
When it came time for Chalamet’s roast, Glaser praised the actor’s “gorgeous eyelashes on your upper lip,” referring to his mustache. (Chalamet’s girlfriend, Kylie Jenner, laughed while sitting next to him.)
Elton John may be struggling with his eyesight, but he’s still got jokes.
“I don’t know if you know, but there’s been a lot of stories going on around about my recursive eyesight,” John, 77, said when taking the 2025 Golden Globes stage on Sunday, January 5. “I just wanted to reassure everybody that it’s not as bad as it seems.”
The legendary singer took the stage alongside Brandi Carlile to present the award for Best Original Score, Motion Picture. (Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross took home the win for Challengers.)
“I’m so pleased to be here with my cohost, Rihanna,” John continued, motioning toward Carlile, 43, who held back laughter before presenting the award.
John first revealed his health issue in a September 2024 Instagram statement. He offered more details during a November 2024 interview with Good Morning America’s Robin Roberts, explaining that he had lost sight in his right eye following an illness.
Brandi Carlile and Elton John at the 2025 Golden GlobesFrancis Specker/CBS
“I had an infection in the South of France. It’s been four months now since I haven’t been able to see, and my left eye’s not the greatest,” the musician said, noting that there’s “hope and encouragement” he will eventually be able to see.
“I’m kind of stuck in the moment,” John explained, admitting he’s unsure whether recording music is possible at the moment.
Elton John, while standing next to Brandi Carlile, reassured everyone that his health issues with his eyes aren’t as bad as everyone thinks:
“I can’t see a lyric, for start. We’re taking an initiative to try and get it better, but at the moment, that’s really what we’re concentrating on,” he continued. “It’s never fortunate for anything like this to happen. It kinda floored me, and I can’t see anything. I can’t read anything, I can’t watch anything.”
John also spoke candidly about his eyesight last month when addressing the crowd at the opening of The Devil Wears Prada: The Musical in London. It was reported at the time that John was assisted getting off stage by husband David Furnish. (John provided the music for the new stage show.)
“As some of you may know I have had issues and now I have lost my sight. I haven’t been able to see the performance but I have enjoyed it,” he said when taking the stage, according to the Daily Mail. “To my husband who’s been my rock because I haven’t been able to come to many of the previews … it’s hard for me to see it, but I love to hear it and it sounded good tonight. Thank you for coming.”
The 2025 Golden Globes were full of celebrity couples — and some stood out among the rest.
The first awards show of this year’s season took place at the Beverly Hilton hotel in Los Angeles on Sunday, January 5. Celebs like The Bear actress Liza Colón-Zayas and Monsters breakout star Cooper Koch stepped out on the red carpet with their significant others, taking date night to a whole other level.
Colón-Zayas was one of the first of the night to arrive, with her husband, David Zayas, by her side. The duo stunned — and packed on the PDA — while posing for photos.
First-time nominee Koch arrived shortly thereafter, looking dapper in a tuxedo with boyfriend Stuart McClave on his arm. Tonight’s awards show marks the second time the duo walked a red carpet together.
Keep scrolling for a roundup of all the hottest celebrity couples at the 2025 Golden Globes:
Nearly three years after Stan and Wallis were first linked as a couple, they made their red carpet debut on Sunday.
When Stan won his first-ever trophy for his role in A Different Man, Wallis congratulated him with a kiss.
“Annabelle, I love you,” he concluded in his speech.
The 2025 Golden Globes are well under way and tons of stars stepped out for the night — but some significant others were noticeably missing from the red carpet.
Timothée Chalamet, for one, arrived at the Beverly Hilton in Los Angeles on Sunday, January 5, solo, but when cameras showed the A Great Unknown star inside the ballroom, he was joined by Kylie Jenner. This marks the second year in a row that the couple played coy before entering the awards ceremony.
Nicole Kidman proved it was her night while celebrating her nomination for Babygirl. The actress walked the red carpet without husband Keith Urban, but when the show’s host, Nikki Glaser, took the stage, the camera showed the country star sitting next to his wife.
These aren’t the only stars who arrived at the Golden Globes as a party of one. Keep scrolling to see who else had a solo (or semi-solo) night out:
Nicole Kidman
Amy Sussman/Getty Images
Kidman’s husband, Urban, was seated next to her in the Golden Globes crowd. The couple was even the focus of host Glaser’s jokes.
“And thank you to Keith Urban for playing guitar around the house so much that she wants to leave and make 18 movies a year!”
Selena Gomez
Fans got a chance to see Gomez with fiancé Benny Blanco when they also became a focal point of Glaser’s jokes. The host quipped that Blanco was only “here because of the genie who granted him that wish.”
Zendaya
Kevin Mazur/Getty Images
While Zendaya is never alone (her longtime assistant Darnell Appling is always at her side) the actress was without boyfriendTom Holland on the red carpet and inside the show.
Jack Lowden
Kevin Mazur/Getty Images
The Slow Horses star was up for an award, but wife Saoirse Ronan did not accompany him to the awards show.
Timothée Chalamet
Amy Sussman/Getty Images
Chalamet walked the carpet alone, but he and Jenner were spotted together multiple times throughout the evening.
Kate Winslet
Amy Sussman/Getty Images
The actress posed for pictures without husband Edward Abel Smith, but they could be seen seated together during the awards ceremony.
Hayek’s husband François-Henri Pinault was not spotted alongside the actress on the red carpet or inside the ceremony.
Cynthia Erivo
ETIENNE LAURENT/AFP via Getty Images
The Wickedstar posed with costarAriana Grande, of course, on the red carpet, but her partner, Lena Waithe, was waiting inside the ballroom. The duo was spotted sitting next to each other when the cameras panned to the Wicked table.
Emma Stone
Taylor Hill/FilmMagic
The actress could be seen arriving with husband Dave McCary, but he wasn’t on the red carpet, opting to go inside the ceremony. He was, however, seen sitting next to Stone later on in the evening.
Daniel Craig
Craig attended the event sans wife Rachel Weisz, who was “getting our little one back in school,” the actor told Extra.
Pedro Pascal, Kieran Culkin.Monica Schipper/WireImage ; FilmMagic.com/FilmMagic for HBO & Max
UPDATE, 1/5/25 at 8:29 p.m. ET:
Kieran Culkin is at it again, reigniting his playful feud with Pedro Pascal for another awards season. Except, the actors are not going head-to-head this year.
“Is he here tonight? Oh he’s not? Sorry, Pedro, were you not nominated this year?” Culkin quipped while talking with Variety on the 2025 Golden Globes red carpet on Sunday, January 5. “Next year. Maybe next year. When I won’t be.”
Pascal, for his part, posted a photo via Instagram Stories from a tropical location ahead of the awards ceremony.
Culkin did make it clear that he does find Pascal to be a “lovely man” during Sunday’s red carpet and noted that he wants to work with The Last of Us star in the future.
Original story continues below:
Kieran Culkin and Pedro Pascal have referenced their “feud” multiple times during awards season, but what’s really going on?
The drama began when Culkin, 41, called out Pascal, 48, during his Golden Globes speech earlier this month while accepting the trophy for Best Performance by a Male Actor in a Television Series — Drama for his role as Roman Roy in Succession.
“I was nominated for a Golden Globe, like, 20 years ago, and when that moment passed, I sort of remember thinking, ‘I’m never going to be back in this room again.’ Which was fine, whatever,” Culkin said on January 7. “But thanks to Succession, I’ve been in here a couple times. It’s nice, but I sort of accepted I was never going to be on this stage, so this is a nice moment. Suck it, Pedro. Sorry. Mine!”
Pascal was nominated in the same category for his performance as Joel Miller in The Last of Us. After Culkin made his joke, the camera panned to Pascal, who pretended to cry over the dig.
A little over a week later, the men came head-to-head a second time at the Emmy Awards on January 15. This time, Pascal had the upper hand when presenting Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series. (Matthew Macfadyen took home the award for his role as Tom Wambsgans in Succession.)
Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic for HBO & Max
“I’d like to just take a second and make this about me,” Pascal, whose right arm was in a sling, joked while taking the stage. “A lot of people have been asking about my arm. It’s actually my shoulder, and I think tonight is a perfect time to tell everyone that Kieran Culkin beat the s–t out of me.”
The crowd laughed as the camera panned to Culkin, who had a rather serious look on his face. Pascal also started to laugh while announcing the nominees, and Culkin eventually broke out into a smile.
After the Emmy Awards came to an end, however, Culkin and Pascal put any feud rumors to rest during the afterparties. The duo were photographed hanging out during HBO and Max’s reception. Pascal even included a selfie with Culkin in his January 16 photo roundup from the awards show.
While Culkin didn’t actually have a physical altercation with Pascal, there hasn’t been much information to go on when it comes to the nature of Pascal’s arm — ahem, shoulder — injury.
“I fell!” he told reporters on the Golden Globes red carpet. “Be careful. It can happen to anybody.”
Pascal and Culkin faced off once again at the 2024 Screen Actors Guild Awards in February, where they were both nominated for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series. During the February 24 awards show, Pascal came out victorious and Culkin applauded his win.
“I’m gonna make out with Kieran, that’ll be my revenge. I did know him [before this awards circuit], he is the greatest,” Pascal said in his post-victory speech, talking about their history with host Tan France. “I can remember years and years ago, taking one of my siblings to FAO Schwarz … and he came up to me and complimented me on my work in this play.”
He continued, “It’s been amazing to see him in this show and I feel guilty about not seeing his speech tonight, but he’ll be fine. But, I got to give things a fair amount of balance.”
Pascal continued the lovefest in a series of post-SAG Awards interviews, even telling Access Hollywood that he voted for Culkin to win the trophy. “If anything I should thank the male members of that cast for creating the opportunity for me to up my numbers, I guess,” Pascal said. “I voted for Kieran!”
The actor was unprepared to accept the SAG Award, revealing he had been drinking because he didn’t think he’d have to give a speech. However, he told Access that the party wasn’t over after the show. Pascal referred to himself and Culkin as “besties” and said they planned to celebrate together at afterparties.
Us Weekly can confirm that the 51-year-old model will be returning to her roots as the show’s host for the first time in eight years. (People was first to report the news on Friday, January 3.)
Klum previously hosted the reality competition show alongside Tim Gunn from the show’s inception in 2004 before stepping away from the series in 2017.
Project Runway premiered on Bravo in 2004, where the hit show lived for the first five seasons. The show moved to Lifetime until 2017, when Bravo picked the series back up once again. The most recent season of the show aired in 2023 as an “All Star” season that crowned winnerBishme Cromartie.
After a year with no new Project Runway episodes, it was announced in November 2024 that the fan-favorite series had moved to Freeform for the forthcoming 21st season. The network announced that a 10-episode season was set to premiere this year to “refresh one of television’s most successful reality competition series, making more dreams for aspiring fashion designers come true,” according to a press release.
Hedi KlumDimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images
The show follows a group of budding fashion designers as they compete against each other in weekly challenges. After completing their looks, the designers dress models who help them showcase their weekly creations on a runway for a panel of judges, who have yet to be announced.
The most recent crop of Project Runway judges included Nina Garcia, designer Brandon Maxwell, and former editor-in-chief of Teen VogueElaine Welteroth. (Karlie Kloss hosted the show with Project Runway winner and designer Christian Siriano acting as a mentor for contestants.)
“I can see how they are going to change it, because it needed some change. After 16 seasons, it was becoming stale. I’m excited to see how it will progress,” Klum told People in October 2018 of the show’s new cast. “I’m looking forward to how they make the show their own!”
Klum’s return to Project Runway comes years after she and Gunn, 71, left the show for Prime Video’s Making the Cut.
“We wanted to do a show that’s not just for the audience to see, but also to shop and to have and to go into the real world,” Klum told Variety in 2020, when comparing the two competition series. “That is something that we were never able to do and it’s one of the most important components. … This is no longer a sewing competition. We’re looking for a great brand, so they have to have a business mindset along with their creativity.”
Klum starred alongside Gunn in Making the Cut on Prime Video for three seasons from 2020 to 2022.
Meghan Markle has officially announced the release date for her forthcoming Netflix series With Love, Meghan and tons of stars are speaking out about the show.
“I have been so excited to share this with you! I hope you love the show as much as I loved making it,” Markle, 43, captioned an Instagram video on Thursday, January 2. “Wishing you all a fantastic new year! Thanks to our amazing crew and the team @netflix. Beyond grateful for the support — and fun!”
Netflix dropped the trailer for Markle’s highly anticipated series on Thursday, announcing that it’s set to premiere later this month. The show will feature the Duchess of Sussex (and maybe her husband, Prince Harry) along with some of her famous friends, a few of whom already reacted to the show via social media.
While it seems that Markle has garnered a positive response to her upcoming series, not everyone is happy with what’s to come.
Keep scrolling to see which stars reacted to the With Love, Meghan show news:
With Love, Meghan premieres on Netflix Wednesday, January 15.
Abigail Spencer
Markle’s longtime friend and former Suits costar — who will make some appearances in the show — was quick to share the With Love, Meghan trailer via Instagram.
“So elated for you @meghan! Happy New Year & 20twentythrive indeed! How lucky are we to get a glimpse into your heart-song, magical-thoughtfulness & deliciously-wonderful ways January 15th!” the actress wrote via Instagram Stories. “Can’t wait for all to fall in love with #WithLoveMeghan. Thanks for having me over & being truly the most wonderful friend a gal could get. Joy & bubbles abound. Here to learn. I’ll get the salt.”
Jamie Kern Lima
Courtesy of Jamie Kern Lima/Instagram
The podcast host praised the series and revealed that she celebrated the news with Markle, sharing a selfie with the Duchess of Sussex.
“I’m so excited for the world to experience even more of your joy, your heart, your kindness, your humor, your humility, your compassion, your many talents and your LOVE!” Kern captioned her post. “You’re an incredible friend to so many, including me, and I’m excited to cheer you on as you continue to build, create magic and FLY!”
Meghan McCain
While Markle’s friends were fully on board with the show, McCain was not.
“I was originally a Meghan Markle supporter, I thought she was cool, stylish and refreshing,” she shared via X, noting that her “opinion changed” after Markle and Harry left the royal family in 2020. McCain reposted the With Love, Meghan trailer and called it an “ill advised” move.
“All of this even in the trailer is highly curated, produced and out of touch,” she wrote, noting that America is in a period of “uncertainty” at the moment. “I would have told her to do a show helping bring fresh food to food deserts in low income neighborhoods. Do something to help people instead of your ego.”
Tracy Robbins
The fashion designer shared the trailer on her Instagram Story, writing that she was “so excited” for Markle.
Delfina Blaquier
The wife of Harry’s BFF Nacho Figueras was quick to show her support as well.
“Congrats for the love and hard work you put into this project of yours!” she captioned an Instagram Story post. “So grateful to be a part of it — I can’t wait to see all you have to share.”
An apparent Jersey Mike’s employee posted a now-viral video after Aydin, 47, went on an Instagram Story rant about her alleged experience at a Jersey Mike’s location in an airport. In the video, which has since been reshared on social media, Aydin said she was “so mad” and claimed she was waiting for “what felt like forever” when an incident occurred in the establishment.
“They took our order and then they took the lady’s order that was after me but they fulfilled her order first somehow, made us wait,” Aydin claimed, calling out “the 80-year-old” working at the establishment. “Everything was slow. We’re not complaining. We get it, it’s early in the morning. You’re in a bad mood, it’s New Year’s, you’re working — I’d be pissed too.”
According to Aydin, her sandwich was being made when she added another item to her order. One of the employees allegedly told the Bravo star “to wait on the line again.” Aydin claimed she asked the “hater” behind her in line if she could add another sandwich, but he apparently wasn’t on board. (She referred to him as a “loser” and said “find me a——” in her video.)
“I started recording them,” Aydin added. She then posted the videos recorded within the restaurant. She and husband Bill Aydin could be heard stating that the employees were “not smiling” as they attended to customers.
Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images
The Jersey Mike’s employee who took to TikTok on Thursday appears in one of Aydin’s Instagram Story videos from the day before.
“I really hope this stupid bitch has TikTok,” the employees began in her post. “I really hope I come up on your For You Page bitch, I really hope you recognize me.”
Charles Sykes/Bravo
Her video told a different side of the story. The worker claimed that Aydin “doesn’t know what she wants” when ordering “four different sandwiches” and “changing the bread last minute.”
The employee and her coworkers were apparently fulfilling the adjustments until Aydin allegedly started “backing up the entire line.” Workers then told the RHONJ star she needed to get back in line if she was going to continue adding sandwiches. (Us Weekly has reached out to Aydin’s team for comment.)
“She starts tweaking,” the employee claimed, alleging that Aydin said, “I’m a celebrity” and claimed she was going to sue. “She starts recording all of us and she posts it. … Learn how to order.”
The employee added more context in the comment’s section.
“Mind you when she said my coworker was rude because she said only cold subs, we had TWO call outs. We were already doing the work of 2 ppl with the pay of one, at an airport with a constant rush,” the worker claimed. “I wanna do a story time with my coworkers, we’re saving and recording all the videos she’s posted of us to share our experience with her and break down the out of context video she posted.”
Naomi Watts enjoyed her own little slice of paradise to kick off 2025.
“A perfect vacation in the sun,” Watts, 56, captioned an Instagram post on Thursday, January 2. “Thank you Barbados!!”
The 15-photo social media slideshow included Watts smiling with family and friends, including husband Billy Crudup and kids Sasha and Kai Schreiber. (Watts shares Sasha, 17, and Kai, 16, with exLiev Schreiber.)
Crudup, 56, appeared in several of the vacation photos. One image showed him cozying up to Watts with his arm around the actress. The couple donned soft smiles and looked relaxed as ever. Both Watts and Crudup wore hats, keeping a low profile and keeping cool in the sun.
Watts also snapped a selfie with Crudup and Sasha while sitting down for a meal on the beach. It appeared Watts played photographer for the entire trip, snapping pictures of Crudup with their friends as well.
Courtesy of Naomi Watts/Instagram
After meeting in 2017, Watts and Crudup started dating. The two have cemented themselves as one of Hollywood’s favorite couples since making their red carpet debut in February 2018. While the duo have no qualms about their relationship being in the public eye, Watts and Crudup have also mastered the art of keeping things low-key.
The couple secretly tied the knot in June 2023, according to an Instagram announcement from Watts. “Hitched,” she wrote, revealing that they got married in New York City.
“They wanted to keep it low-key and have this moment to themselves, and they pulled it off beautifully,” a source told Us Weekly at the time, calling the wedding “stress-free” and “spur of the moment.”
The insider explained that Watts and Crudup “never wanted” to have “a big A-list wedding.” Opting for a courthouse wedding was “so special” for the couple, the source added. (They hosted a larger wedding ceremony in June 2024.)
While they tend to keep details of their marriage out of any interviews, Watts did speak candidly about her “pretty great” sex life with Crudup during an August 2023 event.
“I personally think sex becomes more pleasurable when you take out the fear of making babies,” Watts said at the time, noting that she’s felt “more confident” in the bedroom with a partner who is “100 percent empathetic” without referring to Crudup by name.
“Whatever it is you’re going through, if you can talk to your partner, if you can be honest and have a really authentic conversation and take away the awkwardness, and most of the time if they’re good people, they will be empathetic,” Watts continued. “And that’s hot.”
Josh Gad rips the Band-Aid off in his forthcoming memoir, In Gad We Trust: A Tell-Some, proving that he’s so much more than just a musical Mormon and an animated snowman.
The triple threat sat down with Us Weekly exclusively to look back at some of his most memorable stories from the book (out Tuesday, January 14), including his slow rise to fame, which required putting in the work despite tough times and setbacks along the way. Today, however, Gad can say he’s officially made it. With this book, he tells both personal and professional tales. Confused about him calling it “a tell-some”? The actor was quick to set the record straight.
“It’s more of a joke. If anything, I tell all and then some,” Gad explained to Us. “I looked at the exercise, as I was getting further into it, as if it was therapy in front of a mirror. The more vulnerable I got, the more I allowed myself to go down that path — even though I was hesitant to, scared to and, maybe, resistant.”
Gad decided that he wanted to “give people a reason to read this” book, which meant being honest.
“That was sort of a kind of obvious decision, but also a profound one for me because I’m not usually an open book — no pun intended,” he explained. “I learned a lot about myself in the process of writing this and talking about all aspects from personal to career to family stuff.”
The Frozen star writes about having a father who was absent for most of his life and explains how that impacted his own journey into parenthood. (Gad shares Ava, 13, and Isabella, 10, with wife Ida Darvish.)
For those more interested in his Hollywood success, he also shares a lot of career anecdotes.
“I enjoyed the hell out of writing [the book], and I hope everyone who reads it takes away something that’s useful and inspires them,” he told Us. “At the very least, I hope they have a good laugh.”
Keep scrolling for more from Gad:
Live From New York … It’s Rejection
After his 2003 graduation from Pittsburgh’s Carnegie Mellon University, Gad decided to try out for Saturday Night Live. His friend Bryce Dallas Howard recruited her dad, famed director Ron Howard, to open his audition tape — yet Gad was turned down three times.
“I love failing because it gives me a platform to succeed. Don’t let others force you to give up on yourself. I think perseverance is as important as skill,” Gad shared. “I didn’t love it at the time, certainly hated it — but rejection was as important to me and continues to be as important to me as acceptance. A part of it is, ‘F— me? F— you. I’m gonna prove you wrong.’”
A Lifelong Struggle
“I had always been uncomfortable and ashamed of my overweight body,” Gad wrote in the book. By 2007, Hollywood had put him in a “loud fat best friend” box when it came to casting, something he worried would continue throughout his career.
“It’s always in the background,” he admitted to Us. “I hope discussing issues like struggles with weight [and] severe anxiety give people a sense [of], ‘If I can be here and do this and overcome those things but still deal with them, you’ve got this. We’ve got this together.’ I felt strongly that this was something I needed to talk about [in the book], as uncomfortable as it was.”
Watching Aladdin at age 11 profoundly impacted Gad. Robin Williams’ Genie made him want to voice a Disney cartoon character (which he did with Olaf in 2013’s Frozen). After Gad met the legend during his run in The Book of Mormon, they started a friendship that ended too soon. (Williams died by suicide at age 63 in August 2014.)
“It’s so frustrating because you imagine somebody’s gonna be around forever. There was so much I planned to talk to him about. We had been speaking less and less. I saw him, I think, the year before he passed,” Gad remembered. “I could tell he was down. He wasn’t his vibrant self, but I didn’t really know what was going on. I didn’t want to burden him with any conversations, certainly about myself. I feel grateful that he would’ve had an opportunity to hear me talk about how he inspired me — it’s something I said to him personally.”
A Memorable Encounter
Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic
Years before Kevin Spacey’s fall from grace, Gad appeared alongside him in the 2008 movie 21. While filming, he wrote, Spacey would “force” him into an “impression-off” over dinners in Boston. (The disgraced actor has faced multiple sexual assault allegations since 2017, which he has denied. He was acquitted of nine charges in July 2023.)
“It was such a strange thing,” Gad told Us. “But also it felt like a sign of respect where he was really, I think, tickled by the fact that I could do voices.”
Gad explained that he was not apprehensive when bringing up Spacey in the book.
“I’m not saying anything uncomfortable,” he continued. “This is my life; these are the people I’ve encountered. Kevin Spacey happens to be one of them, and I have a very entertaining story to tell. I’m gonna leave the controversy to other writers but just tell you, hopefully, an anecdote that will make you go, ‘That’s wild.’”
Avan Jogia and Halsey.Unique Nicole/Getty Images for Universal Pictures
Halsey and Avan Jogia are no longer hiding their love. The couple is Instagram official and has no problem packing on the PDA.
The duo first sparked romance rumors in September 2023 when they were photographed packing on the PDA during a night out in Los Angeles, according to photos obtained by Page Six at the time.
That same month, Us Weekly confirmed that things between Halsey (whose real name is Ashley Nicolette Frangipane) and Jogia were “getting more serious” as they continued to hang out.
“Halsey and Avan are spending a lot of time together,” a source told Us in September 2023. “He’s been with her day and night. While she’s working or with her son, Avan’s been there to support her. He even goes on errands and coffee runs. They seem like a good team.”
The following month, Halsey hard-launched their relationship with Jogia when attending the Luis De Javier fashion show in October 2023. They uploaded a series of Instagram photos, two of which included Jogia.
In the first image, the two were standing next to each other holding hands, Halsey also had their hand in his pocket. In a second picture, Jogia had his arm around Halsey as they posed in matching outfits.
Later that month, the couple proved they were going strong with matching Halloween costumes.
Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images
Halsey and Jogia’s relationship came after the “Nightmare” singer split from longtime boyfriend Alev Aydin, whom they started dating in 2019. Usconfirmed in April 2023, that Halsey had filed for full custody of their son, Ender, who was born in July 2021. Halsey sought joint legal custody and visitation rights for their ex, court documents show. The former flames eventually reached an amicable custody arrangement.
Despite the breakup, and the singer’s new relationship, there’s no bad blood between Halsey and Alev. A source told Us in September 2023 that they were “getting along and coparenting well,” during an outing that same month.
That being said, Halsey seems happy with Jogia. Keep scrolling for a timeline of their whirlwind romance:
June 2023
While romance rumors didn’t start swirling until months later, eagle-eyed fans spotted Halsey and Jogia on vacation in Barcelona, Spain.
September 2023
When the duo were photographed packing on the PDA during a date night in L.A., the relationship speculation started.
That same month Us obtained photos of Jogia leaving Halsey’s home amid the budding romance. A source told Us that Jogia showed Halsey a lot of “support.”
October 2023
Halsey and Jogia took things to the next level by making their relationship Instagram official. The couple dressed up as a siren and sailor for Halloween and showed off their look. “Here is a lighthouse in the middle of the deep,” Halsey captioned photos of the costume, referencing the lyrics to their song “Lighthouse.”
May 2024
Tommaso Boddi/Getty Images for Gold House
Jogia and Halsey enjoyed a night out in Los Angeles to attend the 2024 Gold Gala, which celebrates Asian and Pacific Islander representation in entertainment. The couple rocked coordinating Sabyasachi ensembles.
September 2024
One day after walking the 2024 MTV Video Music Awards red carpet solo, Halsey seemingly confirmed that she and Jogia had gotten engaged. Resharing an X post which read, “Halsey says she hopes to marry boyfriend Avan Jogia,” she corrected the tweet by writing, “***fiancé Avan Jogia.”
October 2024
Halsey shared details about Jogia’s “really sweet” proposal during an appearance on the “Call Her Daddy” podcast.
“He proposed in Barcelona,” she told host Alex Cooper. “It’s kind of where we first started hanging out, so it’s really special to us. … Immediately afterwards [he] left to go shoot a show for, like, six months in Canada, and I was like, ‘OK, bye.’”
Halsey then recalled that she “wasn’t sure that [she] was ready” for a relationship when she and Jogia first started hanging out in Barcelona, even though he was the “most amazing, smartest, hottest, nicest person [I’d] ever met in my life.”
Despite her initial reservations, Jogia went on to become Halsey’s ideal partner and changed her perspective on marriage.
“I never wanted to be married,” Halsey said. “[But with] Avan … I just knew I wanted to marry him.”
Courtesy of Avan Jogia/Instagram
January 2025
Jogia shared a glimpse of the couple on a romantic getaway, writing via Instagram, “Happy new year To my future wife.”
The singers’ brother Merrill Osmond shared the news of Wayne’s death in a Facebook post on Thursday, January 2. Wayne died one day prior in Salt Lake City after suffering “a massive stroke,” the social media post read.
“My brother was a saint before he came into this world, and he will leave as an even greater saint than he came in,” Merrill’s post continued. “I’ve never known a man that had more humility. A man with absolute [sic] no guile. An individual that was quick to forgive and had the ability to show unconditional love to everyone he ever met.
He added, “His departure from this earth will be a sad moment for some, but for those who are waiting for him on the other side, there will be a massive celebration beyond anything we can imagine.”
The Osmonds. Left to right are (back) Merrill, Donny, Marie and Jay, (front) Alan, Jimmy and Wayne in London, England in the 1970’s.Tony Russell/Redferns/Getty Images
Merrill, 71, wrote that Wayne “endured much” during his life.
“He gave it his all. His legacy will go down as someone who was not only a genius in his ability to write music, but was able to capture the hearts of millions of people and bring them closer to God,” Merrill added. “I will miss him tremendously. I am so grateful to have grown up with one of heavenly father’s greatest sons. Until I see him again, know that he was loved.”
Wayne was a member of The Osmonds alongside Donny, 67, Merrill and two of their other brothers, Alan and Jay. (The Osmond family also includes Virl, Tom, Marie and Jimmy.)
A statement released by the Osmond family on Thursday shared that Wayne died on Wednesday, January 1, and was surrounded by his wife, Kathlyn White, and their five children.
“His legacy of faith, music, love, and laughter have influenced the lives of many people around the world,” the statement continued. “He would want everyone to know that the gospel of Jesus Christ is true, that families are forever, and that banana splits are the best dessert. We love him and will miss him dearly.”
Wayne reached the height of his fame in the 1970s while performing alongside his brothers. He relocated from his native Utah to Missouri in the 1990s and suffered several health issues over the years. Wayne was diagnosed with a brain tumor in 1997, which severely impacted his hearing. Prior to his death, he also suffered a stroke in 2012. Wayne’s last appearance with the rest of the Osmond family was in 2018.
“OK, Mum, some people want to know why my accent goes in and out. Why it sometimes sounds British and why it sometimes sounds American,” Mark, 38, asked his mother, Shirley Ballas, in a TikTok video posted on Tuesday, December 31. “And why it’s a bit spotty.”
Shirley, 64, explained to followers it’s because Mark has “a full English mother who was born and raised in Liverpool in England.” His father, Corky Ballas, is from Texas.
“You have listened to your mother’s accent all your life. From Liverpool, you know what I mean?” she continued. “When you were a little boy, you were all English.”
Shirley went on to say that Mark was raised in Great Britain from age 4 to 21 before he moved to America.
“You are what we call half and half,” Shirley added. “You don’t realize, actually, how British you are. But I love it when I hear you on Dancing With the Stars and you’ve got that English twang.”
Mark’s TikTok video came in reply to a commenter who claimed that he was putting on his accent “for show.”
“I Had to let the QUEEN OF LATIN give some of yous a Histroy [sic] Lesson,” Mark captioned the clip, referring to Shirley’s history as a professional dancer and Strictly Come Dancing judge.
Mark was a DWTS pro from 2007 to 2016. After taking a two-year hiatus, he returned for season 25 in 2017. Mark stepped away from the show once again before returning for season 31 in 2022, which has been his final season as a pro thus far. The dancer has, however, made a special return to the show as a guest judge over the years.
While he might be taking a step back from DWTS for now, Mark’s longtime friend Derek Hough (who is currently a judge on the show alongside Carrie Ann Inaba and Bruno Tonioli) is hoping that the fellow professional dancer will make a more permanent return — specifically at the judges’ table.
“I’m absolutely here for it,” Hough, 39, told Us Weekly exclusively in October 2024. “I think Mark has a lot to offer. He has a lot of wisdom and insight and experience.”
Hough noted that Mark does come from a family of “experts,” referring to Shirley, who “happens to be the head judge” of DWTS in the U.K. “I would love it.”
Meghan MarkleEric Charbonneau/The Archewell Foundation via Getty Images
Meghan Markle is back — on Instagram — and better than ever.
The Duchess of Sussex activated her @meghan handle on Wednesday, January 1, after several years off the platform. While Meghan, 43, was an avid social media user prior to her relationship with Prince Harry, the former Suits star deactivated her accounts one year before their 2018 wedding.
Now that she’s bringing them back, fans are hoping to get an inside look at Meghan’s life since she’s been gone. (Here’s hoping there are some #ThrowbackThursday photos in her future.)
Keep scrolling for a breakdown of what Us Weekly hopes to see on Meghan’s Instagram in 2025:
1. An Inside Look at Her Home Life With Prince Harry
Prince Harry and Meghan MarkleEric Charbonneau/Archewell Foundation via Getty Images
Harry and Meghan offered royal watchers intimate details of their home life in Netflix’s 2022Harry & Meghan docuseries. However, the couple has been keeping a low profile ever since. With Meghan back on social media, there’s a chance that she’ll start showing off their love.
An inside look into Meghan and Harry’s life could lead to a peek inside their California home. More specifically, Us wants a look into Meghan’s closet. House tours are still all the rage, and Instagram Reels offers the Duchess of Sussex the perfect opportunity.
3. More Jam — And American Riviera Orchard Details
In March 2024, Meghan announced her American Riviera Orchard brand (on Instagram) and started sending out jars of jam to all her famous friends. Please share details on creating the jam and, more importantly, when it will be available for purchase.
4. Content With the Kids
Meghan and Harry are parents to son Archie, born in May 2019, and daughter Lilibet, born in June 2021. Both kids are rarely shown publicly, but Instagram offers the perfect opportunity to fans to see how they’ve grown up over the years.
5. ‘Suits’ Throwback Photos
After Suits hit Netflix in 2023, the cast started sharing tons of behind-the-scenes photos from the show (which aired on USA Network from 2011 to 2019). Since Meghan wasn’t on Instagram at the time, she hasn’t shared any throwback photos. Here’s to hoping!
6. Behind-the-Scenes Moments From Her Netflix Show
Meghan’s set to star in the With Love, Meghan series on Netflix (premiering on January 15) and posted the trailer via Instagram.
“I have been so excited to share this with you! I hope you love the show as much as I loved making it. Wishing you all a fantastic new year!” she captioned the post. “Thanks to our amazing crew and the team @netflix. Beyond grateful for the support – and fun!”
Now, Meghan has the opportunity to show what it was like making the project.
7. All Those A-List Connections
Meghan is famously friends with Serena Williams and former Suits costar Abigail Spencer along with some other notable names. Us is hoping to see photos straight from their hang-out sessions, please.
8. Looking Back at Life in the U.K.
Meghan MarkleYouTube/Netflix
Before relocating to California, Meghan and Harry famously lived at Frogmore Cottage in Windsor. Parts of their life at the England home were showcased in the Harry & Meghan docuseries, but we’ll take some throwback photos shared via Instagram as well.
To my future wife.”
@Shirley Ballas 
