Several Making the Band alums have come forward with allegations about Sean “Diddy” Combs over the years, including Danity Kane’s Dawn Richard and Aubrey O’Day. In the new documentaryDiddy: The Making of a Bad Boy, Da Band’s Sara Rivers is the latest participant to share her story.
“Sometimes people will stop short and say, ‘We’re not willing to go there,’” executive producer Ari Mark exclusively told Us Weekly of Rivers ahead of the film’s Tuesday, January 14, premiere. “Obviously, these things are so sensitive and hard to share. And she, I think, felt brave enough at that point to move forward and share the story.”
In the documentary, Rivers — who appeared on Making the Band 2 from 2002 to 2004 — shared new claims about her time working for Diddy, 55, as part of the group Da Band.
“When he got angry with one of my band members, he said, ‘You make me so mad I wanna eat your flesh,’” she alleged. “And then he said to another one of my band members, ‘You’re rolling your eyes. I could go get a crackhead and pay them $20 to smack the s— out of you.’ Who says that? That’s crazy.”
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Rivers, 47, also addressed the famous moment when Diddy told Da Band to walk to Brooklyn from Manhattan to get him cheesecake from Junior’s.
“We walked for eight hours over the Brooklyn Bridge,” Rivers claimed. “We went from Manhattan to Brooklyn, walking. And so I’m doing that stuff because I’m like, ‘I ain’t gonna go home, this is what I’ve been working for.’”
Later in the film, Rivers broke down while recalling that she didn’t want to be around the rapper unless cameras were present.
“He touched me [in] a place that he shouldn’t have,” she alleged. “That was inappropriate. I felt intimidated, I felt like, ‘Oh, my God, what the heck happened just now?’ … I haven’t said anything for so long, and it’s built up — it’s been 20 years of going through my mind like, ‘This has happened, that’s happened, this was stopped.’ Mentally, [it’s] draining.”
Mark told Us that he believes Rivers chose to speak out for the documentary because they could sense there was “authenticity” to the project.
“It’s going to get seen, it’s not going to just get buried, and I think she recognized that,” he told Us. “Hopefully, it was cathartic for her.”
While the film includes interviews with people who knew Diddy during his early years at Uptown Records, it also features conversations with people who knew him as a kid — people who knew him as simply Sean rather than Puff Daddy, Brother Love or any of the other various monikers he’s used throughout his career.
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“What we try to do is we try to present the facts and hope that the audience can put those facts in the back of their head while being open-minded about this person’s backstory,” Mark explained. “And then as you unpack that story, it’s not necessarily that you start to have more empathy for that person, but you start to understand them in a more complex way and hopefully walk away from the documentary saying, ‘Wow, how do we avoid these types of situations? How do we live in a world where people like this are not created in this way?’”
Diddy did not participate in the film, but his attorneys issued a statement to producers, saying, “Sean Combs unequivocally denies the baseless allegations being circulated in connection with this documentary. Regarding the legal cases referenced, Mr. Combs will not comment on pending litigation. He will fight them in court, where the facts will be distinguished from fiction.”
In a statement to Us, Diddy’s team added, “This documentary recycles and perpetuates the same lies and conspiracy theories that have been slung against Mr. Combs for months. It is disappointing to see NBC and Peacock rolling in the same mud as unethical tabloid reporters. By providing a platform for proven liars and opportunists to make false criminal accusations, the documentary is irresponsible journalism of the worst kind.”
The mogul has been in jail since his September 2024 arrest on charges of sex trafficking, racketeering and transportation to engage in prostitution. He has denied the allegations and pleaded not guilty to all charges.
Mark hopes that the film inspires viewers to speak out about experiences they’ve had in their own lives.
“How do we give a sort of mouthpiece for the victims so that people like them who’ve experienced those types of things can come forward in the future and not be afraid to do so?” Mark asked. “It’s probably the best thing we can do as filmmakers. My hope is that it’s not so much that we’re humanizing him, but that we’re telling you the story of Sean as opposed to the story of just Diddy, because I think the two were inextricable.”
Diddy: The Making of a Bad Boy premieres on Peacock Tuesday, January 14.
Al B. Sure! has long been an outspoken critic of Sean “Diddy” Combs. Now, in the new Peacock documentaryDiddy: The Making of a Bad Boy, the songwriter and record producer is sharing more of his story.
“Al B. has been through a lot,” executive producer Ari Mark exclusively told Us Weekly ahead of the film’s Tuesday, January 14, premiere. “There are definitely more layers to his story, for sure. And hopefully we get the opportunity down the road to share more of that story.”
Sure, 56, was married to the late Kim Porter from 1989 to 1990. The former couple welcomed a son, Quincy Brown, in 1991. Porter later dated Diddy, 55, off and on from 1994 to 2007. Before her death at age 47 in November 2018, the duo welcomed son Christian, 26, and twin daughters Jessie and D’lila, 18.
It’s long been reported that Diddy adopted Quincy, 33, as a toddler, but Sure (whose real name is Albert Joseph Brown) claims in the documentary that it never happened.
“There’s no adoption. None,” Sure alleged in the film. “And if you haven’t noticed, his name is still Brown. People thought I was absent and things of that nature.”
Al B. Sure!PEACOCK
Sure didn’t share all of his grievances with Diddy in the documentary, but Mark understood that he shared what he felt like he could during filming.
“He definitely has history with Kim and with Sean, and this is part of his family,” Mark told Us. “For him, it just hits really, really close to home. He definitely has a lot of strong opinions about it, and I think a lot of those were shared in the film. And for the ones that weren’t shared, I think you can probably glean how he feels.”
Later in the film, Sure didn’t hesitate to share his belief that Porter did not die of natural causes. (The Los Angeles County Coroner’s Office confirmed her cause of death as lobar pneumonia in January 2019.)
“That’s just a day that will never, never leave my mind,” Sure said in the film. “And just that empty feeling of like, ‘Nah, something is not right with this.’”
As the documentary notes, medical professionals have found no evidence that Porter died of unnatural causes. Her children, meanwhile, said last year that they accept the official cause of her death.
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“Our lives were shattered when we lost our mother. She was our world, and nothing has been the same since she passed,” Quincy, Christian, Jessie and D’lila said in a joint statement in September 2024. “While it has been incredibly difficult to reconcile how she could be taken from us too soon, the cause of her death has long been established. There was no foul play. Grief is a lifelong process, and we ask that everyone respect our request for peace as we continue to cope with her loss every day.”
While Diddy did not participate in the film, his attorneys issued a statement to producers, saying, “Sean Combs unequivocally denies the baseless allegations being circulated in connection with this documentary. Regarding the legal cases referenced, Mr. Combs will not comment on pending litigation. He will fight them in court, where the facts will be distinguished from fiction.”
In a statement to Us, Diddy’s team added, “This documentary recycles and perpetuates the same lies and conspiracy theories that have been slung against Mr. Combs for months. It is disappointing to see NBC and Peacock rolling in the same mud as unethical tabloid reporters. By providing a platform for proven liars and opportunists to make false criminal accusations, the documentary is irresponsible journalism of the worst kind.”
Diddy is currently in jail awaiting trial after his September 2024 arrest on charges of sex trafficking, racketeering and transportation to engage in prostitution. He has repeatedly denied the allegations and pleaded not guilty to all charges.
Mark, for his part, praised “the courage” it took for Sure and other participants in the documentary to speak out.
“So many have resisted speaking up for years, so this is really the first time they’re opening up,” he told Us. “I hope audiences recognize how tough that must be and that they feel like they have the producers’ and the network’s gratitude. Seeing the man behind the mugshot is something I think that is valuable and important, not just because of an audience’s curiosity. … There is a societal responsibility to tell these types of stories.”
Diddy: The Making of a Bad Boy premieres on Peacock Tuesday, January 14.
Allison Holker opened up about the death of her late husband, Stephen “tWitch”Boss, and revealed that she made a “triggering” discovery just before his funeral.
Weeks after Boss died by suicide at age 40 in December 2022, Holker, 36, found a “cornucopia” of drugs including mushrooms, pills and “other substances I had to look up on my phone” hidden in Boss’ closet.
“It was a really triggering moment for me because there were a lot of things I discovered in our closet that I did not know existed,” she told People in an interview published Tuesday, January 7. “It was very alarming to me to learn that there was so much happening that I had no clue [about]. It was a really scary moment in my life to figure that out, but it also helped me process that he was going through so much and he was hiding so much, and there must have been a lot of shame in that.”
Holker went on to note that she knew Boss used marijuana during their marriage, explaining that he would often smoke weed in the guesthouse at night after their kids went to bed. (The duo, who wed in 2013, shared daughters Weslie, 16, and Zaia, 5, and son Maddox, 8.)
“That was his alone time,” she explained. “It was his time to recharge, and that was OK.”
After Boss’ death, Holker read his journals, seeking insight into what happened. She learned that he’d been keeping many things hidden from her, including possible sexual abuse by a male figure during his childhood.
Michael Rowe/Getty Images
“He was wrestling with a lot inside himself, and he was trying to self-medicate and cope with all those feelings because he didn’t want to put it on anyone because he loved everyone so much,” Holker said. “He didn’t want other people to take on his pain.”
Holker — whose memoir, This Far: My Story of Love, Loss, and Embracing the Light, hits shelves Tuesday, February 4 — explained that she’s sharing her story in the hope that she can help other people open up about what they’re going through.
“Through certain discussions, even with friends and things that have been said, reading through his journals … you realize he went through a lot as a child and never faced it,” she said. “It’s hard to think that he never opened up to someone and wanted to face it, to get through on the other side. I really hope people dealing with the same thing will help themselves out of the shadows and [know] you’re going to be OK.”
Last month, Holker marked the second anniversary of Boss’ death via Instagram.
“Our Angel @sir_twitch_alot is watching over us and protecting us. You are always in our hearts and we will always love you. We miss you, Stephen,” she wrote. “Two years with you not here but you are always on our minds. We love you.”
“I never knew that I could have this again,” Holker exclusively told Us Weekly that same month. “I actually feel like I found such a great love and support system from someone.”
If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 or chat at 988lifeline.org. If you or someone you know is struggling with substance abuse, contact the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).
“They are friendly exes having fun conversations and laughing having a good time,” a rep for Beckinsale, 51, told Us Weekly after the Sunday, January 5, awards show.
Rumors circulated on Monday, January 6, that the duo — who briefly dated in 2017 — were spotted kissing at a Golden Globes afterparty, but Beckinsale’s rep notes it “didn’t happen.”
Beckinsale and Rife, 29, both attended Netflix’s party at Spago in Beverly Hills. The Underworld actress later stopped by a soirée at the Chateau Marmont, where she was spotted posing with Paris Jackson and The Gentlemen star Harry Goodwins.
Kate Beckinsale and Matt RifeRachpoot/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images; Matt Winkelmeyer/WireImage
Beckinsale and Rife dated for a year after connecting in 2017. After their split, the actress sparked a romance with Pete Davidson in 2019. At the time, Rife made headlines for telling Davidson, 31, that he should “run” and describing his relationship with Beckinsale as “complicated.”
“Enjoy it while you can. I hope they’re both happy, I hope that it can build to where it’s an established, good relationship,” Rife told TMZ in March 2019. “I wish them both the best. I hope they’re happy. I don’t really have any solid advice, just be careful.”
“I gave that advice because I was only speaking from personal experience, having been together and finding out that we weren’t the most compatible match,” he told Elle in September 2023. “I wanted to make sure that both of them were careful with their emotions and didn’t head into something that they also wouldn’t, that also wouldn’t work out.”
He also publicly apologized to both Davidson and Beckinsale, saying he’d been a “petty a–hole” about the situation.
“I regret saying that. Pete, if you’re out there, sorry I said that. Kate, I also apologize that I said that. I shouldn’t have said that,” he said. “I gave the advice to be careful because I had just gotten out of a relationship with somebody [where] I unfortunately found out we weren’t compatible. And I always want people to, you know, protect their emotions and their personal feelings.”
Prior to her flings with Rife and Davidson, Beckinsale was married to Len Wiseman, whom she wed in 2004. The duo separated in 2015 and finalized their divorce in 2019.
Beckinsale previously dated Michael Sheen from 1995 to 2003. The former couple share daughter Lily Mo, 25.
Kendrick Lamar and Drake’s feud has become one of the most storied rap beefs in history, but their relationship wasn’t always so fraught with tension.
Before Lamar made his major label debut with 2012’s Good Kid, M.A.A.D City, the Compton native and Drake were on good terms. Lamar made a guest appearance on Drake’s 2011 album, Take Care, and later opened for the Canadian rapper on his 2012 Club Paradise tour. That same year, the duo contributed guest verses to ASAP Rocky’s “F—in’ Problems,” and Drake appeared on Lamar’s track “Poetic Justice.”
Just one year later, however, cracks in their professional relationship started to show as the pair began taking shots at each other in their music, starting with Lamar’s verse on Big Sean’s “Control.” In the decade-plus since, the drama has only escalated — and there’s no sign that these two ever plan on burying the hatchet.
Keep scrolling for a complete timeline of Drake and Lamar’s feud:
August 14, 2013
The drama kicked off when Lamar took aim at Drake — and every other popular rapper of the era — in his verse on Big Sean’s “Control” with Jay Electronica. “I’m usually homeboys with the same n—-s I’m rhymin’ with / But this is hip-hop, and them n—-s should know what time it is / And that goes for Jermaine Cole, Big K.R.I.T., Wale / Pusha T, Meek Millz, ASAP Rocky, Drake / Big Sean, Jay Electron’, Tyler, Mac Miller / I got love for you all, but I’m tryna murder you n—-s / Tryna make sure your core fans never heard of you n—-s / They don’t wanna hear not one more noun or verb from you n—-s.”
At the time, Drake said he was unbothered by the song, telling Billboard he “got dinner and kept it moving” after hearing the track. “I didn’t really have anything to say about it,” he added. “It just sounded like an ambitious thought to me. That’s all it was. I know good and well that Kendrick’s not murdering me, at all, in any platform. So when that day presents itself, I guess we can revisit the topic.”
September 24, 2013
Drake released his third studio album, Nothing Was the Same, which included a track called “The Language” that some fans believed was a response to Lamar’s “Control” boasts. “I don’t know why they been lyin’ but your s— is not that inspirin’ / Bank account statement just look like I’m ready for early retirement,” Drake rapped on the first verse. “F— any n—- that’s talking that shit just to get a reaction.”
October 15, 2013
Kendrick LamarArnold Jerocki/Getty Images
During the BET Hip Hop Awards, Lamar seemingly snuck in a dig at Drake during his freestyle performance with the TDE cypher, rapping, “Yeah, and nothing been the same since they dropped ‘Control’ / And tucked a sensitive rapper back in his pajama clothes.”
December 17, 2013
Drake hopped on a remix of Future’s track “S—” with Juicy J and hit back at Lamar, rapping, “I hear you talk about your city like you run that.” He also referenced Lamar mentioning him on “Control” with the lines, “And if a n—- say my name, he the hot s— / But if I say the n—- name, he still the hot s— / F—ed up, lucky I don’t feed into the gossip.”
Days later, Vibe published a cover story featuring Drake, in which he claimed that “The Language” was not a direct rebuttal to “Control.”
“I don’t ever want to get into responses,” he said when asked directly whether the track was a response to Lamar. “‘The Language’ is just energy. What it was inspired by, I’m sure that, and other things. It’s just me talking my s—. I never once felt the need to respond to that record. The sentiment he was putting forth is what he should have. Of course you wanna be the best. Where it became an issue is that I was rolling out an album while that verse was still bubbling, so my album rollout became about this thing. What am I supposed to say? ‘Nah, we’ll be buddy-buddy?’ Mind you, I never once said he’s a bad guy [or] I don’t like him. I think he’s a f—ing genius in his own right, but I also stood my ground as I should.”
Drake noted that he hadn’t seen Lamar since the BET Hip Hop Awards, but he thought things would be fine between them. “I have no ill feelings toward that guy,” he said. “It’s just like, it’s there for me if I wanna fall for it. I’m just too smart for that. … We haven’t seen each other [since the BET cypher], but I’m sure we’ll see each other and it’ll be cool. And if it’s not, then I guess that’s how our story unfolds.”
March 15, 2015
Lamar released his third studio album, To Pimp a Butterfly, featuring the song “King Kunta.” One line in particular — “I can dig rapping, but a rapper with a ghost writer? What the f— happened?” — left fans wondering whether Lamar was acknowledging rumors that Drake doesn’t write his own raps. (Lamar has never confirmed who that quip was about.)
June 26, 2015
DrakeBG027/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images
The duo’s more subtle beef continued during Drake’s guest appearance on The Game’s “100,” in which he seemingly took a shot at Lamar’s reputation for socially conscious lyrics. “I would have all of your fans / If I didn’t go pop and I stayed on some conscious s—,” Drake boasted.
October 6, 2023
While the pair traded a few more subtle barbs after “King Kunta” and “100,” their feud didn’t really kick off again until 2023 when Drake released his album For All the Dogs. On the track “First Person Shooter,” J. Cole delivered the lines that seemingly inspired all the back-and-forth that was yet to come: “Love when they argue the hardest MC / Is it K.Dot? Is it Aubrey? Or me? / We the big three like we started a league, but right now, I feel like Muhammad Ali.” (K.Dot refers to Lamar’s original stage name, while Aubrey is Drake’s given first name.)
Drake, meanwhile, described himself as “big as the Super Bowl” — a reference he’d arguably come to regret later on.
March 22, 2024
Five months later, Lamar responded to Cole’s “big three” lines on “Like That,” which appeared on Future and Metro Boomin’s album We Don’t Trust You. “Motherf— the big three, n—-, it’s just big me,” he rapped.
Two days later, Drake seemingly responded to the dig on stage, telling a Florida crowd, “A lot of people ask me how I’m feeling. … I got my f—ing head up high, my back straight, I’m 10 f—ing 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 f— with me in my life!”
April 5, 2024
Cole released a Lamar diss track called “7 Minute Drill” on the mixtape Might Delete Later, featuring pointed lyrics like, “Your first s— was classic, your last s— was tragic.” Two days later, however, he issued a public apology, saying he “felt terrible” about the song, which he later removed from streaming services.
April 12, 2024
Future and Metro released their collaborative album We Still Don’t Trust You, which included guest appearances from ASAP Rocky and The Weeknd, both of whom fans believed insulted Drake on their respective tracks. On “Show of Hands,” ASAP appeared to take shots at For All the Dogs not making much of a cultural impact, while The Weeknd seemed to express relief that he hadn’t signed with Drake’s label, OVO Sound.
April 13, 2024
DrakePrince Williams/Wireimage
The diss track war began in earnest with the leak of Drake’s “Push Ups,” which mocked Lamar’s height and called him a “pipsqueak.”
April 19, 2024
Days later, Drake followed up with “Taylor Made Freestyle,” which took aim at Lamar’s connection to Taylor Swift (the pair collaborated on the “Bad Blood” remix in 2015). The song ended up making headlines for a different reason, however: It incorporated an AI-generated sample of Tupac Shakur. Shakur’s estate sent Drake a cease-and-desist over the use of the sample, and Drake removed the track from streaming services.
April 30, 2024
Lamar hit back with “Euphoria” — the first of several diss tracks — as a nod to the HBO drama of the same name (which Drake executive produces). The six-minute song saw Lamar hurling insults like, “I hate the way that you walk, the way that you talk, I hate the way that you dress / Surprised you wanted that feature request / You know that we got some shit to address / I even hate when you say the word ‘n—-,’ but that’s just me, I guess / Some s— just cringeworthy, it ain’t even gotta be deep, I guess.”
May 3, 2024
Days later, the pair were at it again, with Lamar dropping “6:16 in LA” and Drake releasing “Family Matters” in response. Lamar’s song claimed that there was a mole within OVO sharing dirt on Drake, while Drake accused Lamar of cheating on his wife, Whitney Alford.
May 4, 2024
Arturo Holmes/MG23/Getty Images for The Met Museum/Vogue
Lamar dropped two more songs that most commentators agreed effectively ended the battle: “Meet the Grahams” and “Not Like Us.” In the former track, Lamar alleged that Drake has a secret daughter he’s never publicly acknowledged, and in the latter he famously accused him of pedophilia.
May 5, 2024
Drake denied the allegations in “Meet the Grahams” and “Not Like Us” with “The Heart Part 6,” the title of which is a play on Lamar’s own “The Heart” series. In one verse, Drake claimed that he baited Lamar into receiving fake intel about the alleged secret daughter, rapping: “We plotted for a week and then we fed you the information / A daughter that’s 11 years old, I bet he takes it / We thought about giving a fake name or a destination / But you so thirsty, you not concerned with investigation.”
Metro Boomin, meanwhile, released the instantly viral “BBL Drizzy” sample and offered a prize to the person who delivered the best rap over the beat. (The song’s title and hook is a reference to Rick Ross’ joking that Drake had a Brazilian butt lift.)
Drake contributed a guest verse on Sexxy Red’s “U My Everything,” which incorporated a sample of “BBL Drizzy.”
June 19, 2024
At his Pop Out concert on Juneteenth, Lamar performed “Not Like Us” five consecutive times. Notable attendees included NBA stars LeBron James, Russell Westbrook and James Harden as well as actors Ayo Edebiri and LaKeith Stanfield.
July 4, 2024
Lamar released the “Not Like Us” music video, which includes a scene that shows him beating up an owl puppet. (The logo for Drake’s OVO brand is an owl.)
September 8, 2024
Kendrick LamarTaylor Hill/WireImage
The NFL announced Lamar as the halftime show performer for Super Bowl LIX, meaning that he — not Drake — would officially be as “big as the Super Bowl.”
September 11, 2024
After several musicians criticized the NFL for not choosing Lil Wayne as the halftime headliner (the game will take place in his hometown of New Orleans), Drake seemingly weighed in by sharing several photos of Wayne via his Instagram Story.
Drake denied speculation that he sent a cease-and-desist letter to Lamar about performing “Not Like Us” at the halftime show. “The rumors are completely false,” a rep for the rapper told Us at the time.
November 22, 2024
Lamar surprised fans with the release of his sixth studio album, GNX, which features production by longtime Swift pal and collaborator Jack Antonoff. On the opening track “Wacced Out Murals,” he addressed the controversy surrounding his halftime show gig and hinted that he and Drake will never kiss and make up: “I never peaced it up, that s— don’t sit well with me / Before I take a truce, I’ll take ’em to hell with me.”
November 25, 2024
DrakePrince Williams/Wireimage
In a legal complaint, Drake alleged that Lamar’s record label, Universal Music Group (which is also his own record label), conspired to “artificially inflate” the popularity of “Not Like Us.” The filing listed several methods UMG allegedly used to popularize “Not Like Us,” including hiring bots, paying influencers to boost the song and charging Spotify reduced licensing rates in exchange for recommending the song to users searching for “unrelated songs and artists.” The document also accused UMG of paying Apple to have Siri “purposely misdirect” users to Lamar’s track.
UMG vehemently denied Drake’s claims in a statement, telling Billboard: “The suggestion that UMG would do anything to undermine any of its artists is offensive and untrue. We employ the highest ethical practices in our marketing and promotional campaigns. 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.”
Drake filed a second motion against UMG, accusing the label of allegedly using payola to promote “Not Like Us” with iHeartRadio. He also accused UMG of defamation, claiming they could have prevented the song’s release because of its lyrics “falsely accusing him of being a sex offender.”
December 20, 2024
Spotify weighed in on the legal motions filed against UMG, denying Drake’s claims that the streaming platform was involved in falsely inflating the streaming numbers of “Not Like Us.”
“Spotify and UMG have never had any such arrangement,” the company said in a court filing, noting that they’d also found no evidence to support claims of an alleged bot attack.
In response, Drake’s legal team said in a statement, “It is not surprising that Spotify is trying to distance themselves from UMG’s allegedly manipulative practices to artificially inflate streaming numbers on behalf of one of its other artists. If Spotify and UMG have nothing to hide then they should be perfectly fine complying with this basic discovery request.”
January 3, 2025
Drake kicked off the new year with another freestyle addressing his feud with Lamar. In “Fighting Irish” — which was shared via YouTube by producer Conductor Williams and quickly deleted — the Canadian rapper seemingly addressed friends (like LeBron James) who attended Lamar’s Pop Out concert in June 2024. “The world fell in love with the gimmicks, even my brothers got tickets / Seemed like they loved every minute,” he rapped. “Just know this s— is personal to us, and it wasn’t just business.”
The Grammy winner also hinted at his legal dispute with UMG in the line, “I’d hate to see the empire crumble on judge’s convictions.”
Marvel movies aren’t exactly known for sweeping romantic moments, but there are a handful of iconic couples who manage to keep love alive while saving the world: Pepper Potts and Tony Stark, for example, or Vision and Wanda Maximoff.
The film and TV empire also boasts a few off-screen love matches too, though many of them happened before the Marvel Cinematic Universe was firmly established. Before Iron Man kicked off Phase 1 in 2008, there was 2003’s Daredevil, starring Ben Affleck as blind superhero Matt Murdock.
The movie wasn’t a critical hit, but it was the place where the Argo director fell in love with Jennifer Garner, who played Elektra. The former couple first met while filming 2000’s Pearl Harbor, but the Oscar winner later said that they didn’t really hit it off until 2002 when they were filming Daredevil.
“That’s where I found my wife,” he told Playboy of the movie in 2013. The duo tied the knot in June 2005 and were married for 10 years before calling it quits. The twosome share three children: daughters Violet and Seraphina and son Samuel.
Keep scrolling for a look back at Marvel stars who once dated:
Hiddleston has starred as Loki in the MCU since 2011's Thor while Ashton starred in 2023's The Marvels as the villainous Dar-Benn. The pair met outside the superhero franchise while working the West End play Betrayal in 2018. They started dating and made their red carpet debut at the Tony Awards in September 2021. Hiddleston and Ashton got engaged in early 2022 and welcomed their first child later that year.
While Cooper portrayed Howard Stark, the Stark Industries founder and the father to Tony Stark, across the Captain America films, his partner didn’t join the MCU until 2019. Chan, who was first linked to the Mamma Mia! star in 2018, played Doctor Minerva in Captain Marvel before bringing Sersi to life in 2021’s Eternals.
Before making her way in the Marvel world, the Black Widow star started dating the future Deadpool actor in 2007. The duo separated in December 2010 after two years of marriage.
The Iron Man star briefly dated Tomei in 1994 after they starred together in the movie Only You. The My Cousin Vinny actress later went on to play Aunt May in the Tom Holland Spider-Man films.
After years of denying a romance, the Spider-Man costars made things official in 2021. "Zendaya and Tom started off as really great friends and stayed that way for a long while before things turned romantic,” a source told Us Weekly that July.
Holland shared a photo of him and Zendaya for her birthday in September 2021, marking their first shared photo since they were outed as a couple. The snap earned more than 19 million “likes.”
"It's crazy, but something we try not to think about all that much," Holland said of the response in a December 2021 interview with PA Media. "You know, we're here to do a job, we're here to promote a movie that we love and we're proud of, and we're very lucky that we have fans that are so supportive and so invested in our lives."
He added that Zendaya approves everything he posts, revealing, "We're very careful with how much of our personal lives we share, so everything is something that goes through, not planning, but, like, you're like, 'Hey, can I post this?' And you're like, 'Let me just have a look.'" The pair kept their relationship on the low-key side over the years, making rare public appearances together.
News broke of the couple’s engagement in January 2025 after Zendaya appeared on the Golden Globes red carpet with a ring on her left hand.
The WandaVision star was briefly linked to Hiddleston, who plays Thor's brother Loki, in 2015. In addition to sharing the screen in the MCU, the duo played husband and wife in the 2015 Hank Williams biopic I Saw the Light.
Pratt, now known for playing Peter Quill (a.k.a. Star-Lord) in the Guardians of the Galaxy movies, dated VanCamp from 2004 to 2007 after they played brother and sister on the TV series Everwood. The Revenge alum plays Sharon Carter, the great-niece of Peggy Carter, in the MCU.
The Labyrinth star appeared as Betty Ross in 2003's Hulk, which isn't technically part of the MCU, and she voiced Karen, the AI in 2017's Spider-Man: Homecoming. She has been married to Bettany, who plays Vision, since January 2003. The couple share two children.
While the Oscar nominee doesn't appear on screen in any Marvel movies, he does provide the voice of Rocket Racoon, who is one of the Guardians of the Galaxy. He dated Saldana, who plays Gamora, in 2012 after they met on the set of the movie The Words.
The Last Duel star and the Alias alum were wed from 2005 to 2018. Affleck later returned to the world of comic books, albeit the DC universe, when he played Batman in 2016's Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.
The Deep Water actor dated the Goop founder from 1997 to 2000 after meeting on the set of Shakespeare in Love. In the MCU, Paltrow plays Pepper Potts, wife of Tony Stark.
Evans is now known for playing Captain America, but his first Marvel movie was 2005's Fantastic Four, in which he played the Human Torch. He dated Biel, who starred in 2004's Blade: Trinity, off and on from 2001 to 2006.
You don’t turn your back on family — unless you’re Vin Diesel or Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, who have been nursing grudges against each other off and on since at least 2016.
The two action stars made their first onscreen appearance together in 2011’s Fast Five, in which the former wrestler joined the already long-running franchise as Luke Hobbs, an agent pursuing the Fast and Furious crew for their various crimes against … every law enforcement agency in the world.
Everything seemed copacetic over the years as Johnson returned for the sixth and seventh entries in the saga, but in August 2016, Johnson set the fandom ablaze with a since-deleted Instagram post in which he referred to unnamed members of the cast as “candy asses.”
Rumors immediately swirled that he was insulting Diesel, who had been part of the Fast franchise since the first movie premiered in 2001. A few days later, after filming for The Fate of the Furious wrapped, Johnson posted another Instagram thanking some of his castmates by name — Scott Eastwood and Nathalie Emmanuel, for example — but pointedly did not mention Diesel.
Keep scrolling to see everything Hobbs and Toretto have said about their feud over the years:
"Some [male costars] conduct themselves as stand up men and true professionals, while others don't," Johnson wrote via Instagram in August 2016, kicking off the public feud between the two stars. "The ones that don't are too chicken s—t to do anything about it anyway. Candy asses. When you watch this movie next April and it seems like I'm not acting in some of these scenes and my blood is legit boiling — you're right."
In a follow-up post, the Baywatch star said that conflict could be beneficial, but again didn't name names. “Family is gonna have differences of opinion and fundamental core beliefs,” he wrote. “To me, conflict can be a good thing, when it’s followed by great resolution. I was raised on healthy conflict and welcome it. And like any family, we get better from it.”
After filming for The Fate of the Furious wrapped in August 2016, Diesel posted a video about how happy he was to be home with his family after making two movies back-to-back. He also included a seeming nod to his drama with Johnson, saying, "Honestly, give me a second and I will tell you everything. Everything."
In a November 2016 interview with the Los Angeles Times, Johnson implied that the feud was at least partly free publicity for The Fate of the Furious. “I’ve been in the game a long time,” he said of the conflict. “Would Universal have preferred that didn’t happen? Sure, we talked about it. The irony is after that and as they do their tracking and all their analysis, the interest shot through the roof to a whole other level.”
Ahead of the Fate release, Diesel told USA Today that the costars were actually friends and the whole situation had been overblown by fans and critics. "I don’t think the world really realizes how close we are, in a weird way," he explained. "I think some things may be blown out of proportion. I don't think that was his intention. I know he appreciates how much I work this franchise. In my house, he’s Uncle Dwayne."
He also described himself as the punching bag for the franchise and claimed he was taking hits for the good of all the cast and crew. "I protect the franchise," he added. "I protect everybody including Dwayne. I protected Dwayne more than he’ll ever know. And it doesn’t matter. He doesn’t have to know. But he appreciates it. He knows it. Dwayne has only got one Vin in his life. Dwayne Johnson only has one big brother in this film world and that’s me."
Both stars attended the Fate of the Furious premiere in April 2017. “We still love each other, that's my boy," Diesel told Entertainment Tonight. "When I was making that difficult decision, should there be an 8 or not, I called [Johnson] and he said, ‘Brother, I will be there shoulder to shoulder with you to make sure it's the best movie in history.’ And he delivered." Johnson, for his part, said their feud was the result of "differing philosophies."
After Gibson accused Johnson of being the reason production on F9 was delayed, Diesel defended his costar via Instagram. "Brotherhood ... and all its complexities," he wrote in October 2017, alongside a photo of himself with Johnson in character. "I know there has been a lot of speculation as to why the Fast 9 release date was pushed ... but it would be unfair to say it is anyone's fault. As we plot the course to expand the Fast & Furious universe, one must be mindful to take stock of the roads we took to get here. The pillars of authenticity, family and most importantly, our loyal fans' perspective has been instrumental in procuring success. However, like any vehicle that has run around the globe 8 times, the franchise is in need of maintenance."
As viewers of Fate of the Furious quickly noticed, the two actors did not appear together in any scenes. Asked about this fact for a 2018 Rolling Stone interview, Johnson replied, "That is correct. We were not in any scenes together."
Johnson seemingly let go of any remaining grudges after the success of Hobbs & Shaw. In an Instagram video shared in September 2019, he specifically thanked Diesel for his support of the spinoff. "Lastly, but not least, want to thank brother Vin for your support of Hobbs & Shaw," he said. "I'll be seeing you soon, Toretto."
The Bloodshot star reignited conversation about the feud in June 2021, telling Men's Health that creating the Hobbs character required "tough love" on his part. "My approach at the time was a lot of tough love to assist in getting that performance where it needed to be,” he explained. “As a producer to say, ‘OK, we’re going to take Dwayne Johnson, who’s associated with wrestling, and we’re going to force this cinematic world, audience members, to regard his character as someone that they don’t know’ — Hobbs hits you like a ton of bricks.”
He added that any of his potential critiques were in service of his role as a producer on the franchise. "That took a lot of work," he told the magazine. "We had to get there and sometimes, at that time, I could give a lot of tough love. Not Fellini-esque, but I would do anything I’d have to do in order to get performances in anything I’m producing.”
Johnson revealed in July 2021 that he would not be returning to the franchise after he did not appear in 2021’s F9. “I’ve wished them well,” he told The Hollywood Reporter at the time. “I wish them well on Fast 9. And I wish them the best of luck on Fast 10 and Fast 11 and the rest of the Fast & Furious movies they do that will be without me.”
The Moana star also commented on Diesel’s “tough love” remarks, telling the outlet, “I laughed and I laughed hard.”
In October 2021, Johnson told Vanity Fair that it wasn't his "best day" when he shared the original Instagram post that started it all. "I shouldn’t have shared that," he added. "Because at the end of the day, that goes against my DNA. I don’t share things like that. And I take care of that kind of bulls—t away from the public. They don’t need to know that. That’s why I say it wasn’t my best day.”
Though he regretted the initial post, the Jungle Cruise star said he wouldn't take back his message if given the chance. "I mean what I say when I say it," he shared. "But to express it publicly was not the right thing to do.” He also claimed that unnamed members of the Fate of the Furious crew "quietly thanked" him for speaking out about Diesel's behavior.
“The jokes never end,” Johnson said during a November 2021 appearance on SiriusXM’s The Jess Cagle Show when asked about the jab at Diesel in his film Red Notice. “People were asking me about that, and they find a way. These Vin Diesel jokes — which play great, by the way, to the audience, which is always a good thing because it’s all about them — people think these jokes come from me and they actually don’t.”
The former wrestler added: “You’d be surprised with how many people come to me with, ‘I’ve got a great one. I’ve got another great Vin Diesel joke.’ I’m sure you do. [They’re] always funny.”
After Diesel made a public plea in November 2021 for Johnson to reprise his role despite their differences, the Moana actor shut it down as a form of "manipulation."
"I didn't like that he brought up his children in the post, as well as Paul Walker's death. Leave them out of it," Johnson told CNN one month later. "We had spoken months ago about this and came to a clear understanding. My goal all along was to end my amazing journey with this incredible Fast & Furious franchise with gratitude and grace."
Johnson pointed out that he felt "surprised" by Diesel's approach since he has previously made his decision not to return to the franchise very clear.
"This past June, when Vin and I actually connected not over social media, I told him directly — and privately — that I would not be returning to the franchise," he noted. "I was firm yet cordial with my words and said that I would always be supportive of the cast and always root for the franchise to be successful, but that there was no chance I would return."
Johnson surprised fans in May 2023 with a post-credits cameo in Fast X, hinting that his character, Hobbs, will be back for the franchise's final installments. "The peace treaty … I kind of [brokered it]. We all did. Ultimately, the movie did,” director Louis Leterrier told The Hollywood Reporter after the film's release. “We sort of looked at each other from across the room and winked a few months back, saying, ‘We should work together.’ And then I had this idea and I presented it to the producers and the studio. And then we reached out to Dwayne and his team, and said, ‘Just come and watch the movie. You have to love the movie first.’ So, he came to see the movie and really loved it, and then we started talking. It was very smooth."
Diesel, for his part, said that he and his costars "lead with love" when asked about Johnson's return. "We have such a great cast," he told Entertainment Tonight after the Fast X premiere. "We try to create an environment where people can do their best work. That's all actors really want, is to feel as though they're supported to create unique characters. Characters that last forever, and you see that in this franchise."
The Jumanji star confirmed in June 2023 that he would be making a full return to the Fast and the Furious franchise as Luke Hobbs.
“It has been so incredibly personally gratifying and satisfying and exciting to see your reaction around the world,” he gushed in an Instagram video. “First of all the secret of Hobbs being back … that was a secret that was impossible to keep. Despite us having our differences, me and Vin, we’ve been like brothers for years, and despite our differences, when you lead with — number one, resolve — but also you think about the future and plans that are much bigger than ourselves. Those bigger plans are the buildouts. They are the North Star.”
Johnson added that his “North Star” has remained his “guiding light" throughout his career and in the fast of the Fast and the Furious, that North Star is “the franchise that we love,” the “characters that we love” and the “fans that we love.”
Cena, who joined the Fast & Furious family after Johnson’s departure, shared that he believed that the actors butted heads since they were so similar in personality.
“You have two very alpha, driven people. You get two, there can only be one,” Cena said in an April 2024 of the “Armchair Expert” podcast. “[I] know the room and just kind of adapt to what's going on. I'm being invited into someone's home, into someone's family and regardless of how they look physically in comparison into another human being, this is one IP that is nine installments and it's an action movie. That's rarefied air.”
Country music has been on a steady rise for the past several years, but in 2024, the genre soared to heights that would have been unimaginable less than a decade ago.
It was once a common refrain to hear music fans say that they listen to “everything but country,” but as Lainey Wilson sang in her first single of the year, country’s cool again. Artists like Beyoncé and Post Malone released full-length country albums, Shaboozey had the biggest hit of the year and Stagecoach sold out before Coachella for the first time ever. Twisters, one of 2024’s most massive blockbusters, had an all-country soundtrack featuring songs by the likes of Miranda Lambert, Luke Combs and Thomas Rhett, while pop stars including Lady Gaga, Bruno Mars and Sabrina Carpenter incorporated country sounds in their music (see “Die With a Smile” and “Slim Pickins”).
Even the hot gossip of the year involved a country star: Zach Bryan, whose messy split from Brianna “Chickenfry” LaPaglia inspired Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy to record multiple diss tracks about the “Something in the Orange” singer.
It’s all a dramatic turn of events from last year, which saw no less an eminence than Dolly Partonreleasing a rock album as artists like Maren Morrispublicly distanced themselves from mainstream country amid political controversy. So how exactly did we get here?
Post Malone.
For starters, strict definitions of genre have been breaking down across the board, thanks in part to how people listen to music now. Say you heard Shaboozey’s “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” on a pop radio station and decided to look him up on Spotify afterward — your algorithm now sees you as a country fan and will start recommending artists and tracks in the same vein that were liked by your fellow Shaboozey fans. You might never have considered yourself a country fan before because you’d never heard any, but streaming really lowers the barrier to entry.
“I think that’s something that I had in my head, that fans did care about genres and then zooming out and really just talking to the fans, [I realized] they literally don’t care,” Tiera Kennedy, who appeared on Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter, exclusively told Us Weekly earlier this year. “I was playing a show and I ran into this fan and she was like, ‘I don’t really care if you have a record deal or if you don’t, I don’t really care if this is country or if it isn’t. I love the music and that’s all that matters.’ … It’s just about good music and whether or not it meets you in the moment.”
That was definitely the case for Shaboozey, whose breakout single tied the record for most consecutive weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. It’s worth noting that the song he tied with is Lil Nas X’s “Old Town Road” remix with Billy Ray Cyrus, another track that defied genre convention and blended hip-hop and country sounds for something new.
Unlike Lil Nas X, however, Shaboozey (who also appeared on Cowboy Carter) made an entire album that leans country but still has elements of rap and pop as well as Americana. At the 2025 Grammys, he’s nominated for both Best Country Song and Best Melodic Rap Performance — and he has no plans on staying in one lane in the future.
Jelly Roll.
“It would be cool for people to just see the person, see the versatility and the taste palate,” he told People in June. “I want people to look at that, listen to it and be like, ‘Man, what was he inspired by when he made this stuff?’”
Post Malone and Morgan Wallen’s “I Had Some Help” was another major hit this year, debuting at No. 1 on the Hot 100 and paving the way for the success of Malone’s F-1 Trillion, which dropped in August and featured collaborations with such country luminaries as Tim McGraw, Chris Stapleton and Jelly Roll. His hot streak continued well into December when he joined Beyoncé for her instantly iconic Cowboy Carter halftime show on Christmas Day, singing their duet “Levii’s Jeans” for an impressive 27 million viewers (nearly 3 million more than watched the actual games on average).
While Cowboy Carter was notably snubbed at the 2024 CMA Awards, Beyoncé’s influence on the genre this year cannot be overstated. The album debuted at No. 1 on both the Billboard 200 and Top Country Albums charts, making Beyoncé the first Black woman to top the latter since its 1964 creation. It also scored a Best Country Album nod at the 2025 Grammys alongside Malone and country stalwarts Stapleton, Wilson and Kacey Musgraves, the last of whom returned to her Texas roots on this year’s folk-tinged Deeper Well.
This year is coming to a close, but the odds are high that country stands to get even bigger in 2025. Beyoncé revealed on Christmas that she plans to announce something on January 14, Lana Del Rey has teased that her next album, now titled The Right Person Will Stay, will be country, and Malone is headlining his Big Ass Stadium Tour with Jelly Roll and Sierra Ferrell. Superstars including Wilson, Rhett, Keith Urban, Blake Shelton and Kelsea Ballerini are all planning spring and summer tours, as are up-and-coming artists like Megan Moroney and Tanner Adell. The future looks bright — and it’s wearing cowboy boots.
The duo, who costarred in A Complete Unknown, recently did an interview with The Advocate’s Tracy E. Gilchrist, otherwise known as the journalist who inspired the meme about “holding space” for the lyrics of “Defying Gravity.”
Gilchrist introduced herself to Chalamet and Fanning by joking, “First, I just want to let you know that I am holding space for you.”
Fanning, 26, replied, “Thank you, I’m starstruck!” Chalamet, 29, agreed with his costar’s assessment, adding, “Yeah, I am starstruck.”
The pair then perfectly executed their version of the now-infamous one-finger hold Grande, 31, gave Erivo, 37, last month.
Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande
“It’s an honor talking to you. I feel, like, sort of starstruck,” Chalamet continued. “I was like, ‘Holy s—, OK, this better be good.’”
Fanning admitted that she and Chalamet wouldn’t be able to top Erivo and Grande’s viral moment no matter what they did.
“There’s nothing that we can do that can trump what happened, you know what I mean?” Fanning said. “We can try.”
The “holding space” meme originated in November when Gilchrist interviewed Erivo and Grande during the seemingly endless Wicked press tour. The journalist, who memorably noted that she is “in queer media,” told the pair that she had seen people online “holding space” for the lyrics of “Defying Gravity.”
Erivo replied that she hadn’t personally seen that happening but looked emotional as she said that’s what she wanted fans to get from her performance as Elphaba. Grande, meanwhile, turned to her to offer support, but instead of holding costar’s hand, she grabbed just one finger.
Timothee Chalamet and Elle Fanning are seen on the movie set of the ‘A Complete Unknown’.
Grande later confessed that she didn’t understand what was going on when the “holding space” discussion was happening.
“So I had no idea what any part of it meant,” the pop star told Variety earlier this month. “I didn’t understand the first sentence. And then I definitely didn’t understand what was happening and how [Cynthia] responded. I was like, ‘Oh, what did she say, what did you hear?’ And I just wanted to be there because I knew something big was happening. And I didn’t know how to be there.”
Grande went on to say that she grabbed Erivo’s finger because she thought her costar “might need something” but admitted she didn’t know why she started tapping said finger.
Like the rest of the internet, however, Grande loved the memes.
“I feel really relieved that the world had the same experience with this moment that I did, because I felt like, ‘Oh, I’m not broken,’” she quipped. “The best thing is to really hold space with that.”
Paige DeSorbo’s split from Craig Conover came as a shock to Bravo fans — and apparently some of her costars as well.
Just one day before DeSorbo, 32, announced her breakup, her Summer House costar Jesse Solomon made a joke about performing at her and Conover’s wedding. On Sunday, December 29, Solomon posted a TikTok video of himself attempting to sing opera with the caption, “Andrea Bocelli who?”
In response on Monday, December 30, DeSorbo quipped, “All of the sudden everyone’s Italian.”
Solomon, apparently not having heard the news yet, hit back with the remark, “Ok fine I’ll sing it at your wedding.”
“Craig and I have decided to no longer be together,” she revealed during the latest episode of her and Hannah Berner’s “Giggly Squad” podcast. “I love him, I think he loves me. I think we will remain friends. No one did anything. It wasn’t a bad thing. I think we both were just being really mature and saying what we want and what we didn’t want, and I think that’s extremely powerful to be able to voice how you’re feeling in real time and what you want for your future.”
The Bravo star went on to say that she still has “so much love and respect” for Conover despite their breakup.
“I think he is one of the best people I’ve met in my entire life. I will remain the biggest fan for him and want the best for him, and he truly will get the best, because he is the best,” she said. “But, with that said, I think it is the right decision for both of us.”
Solomon previously made headlines for flirting with DeSorbo during season 8 of Summer House, which aired earlier this year, but DeSorbo said his behavior didn’t bother her or Conover.
Paige DeSorbo and Craig Conover
“If no one hit on me all summer, I would cry,” she explained during the March 28 episode of the Summer House After Show. “I’d pack it in.”
She added, “This was so mean, but also Craig met Jesse and was like, ‘Oh, yeah Paige.’”
Weeks before DeSorbo’s split announcement, Conover shut down rumors that they had called it quits.
“I don’t know where that came from, because we’re together, like, every week,” the Southern Charm star told E! News in an interview published December 9. “So, no, Paige and I are not broken up. We’re still together.”
The Real Housewives of Atlanta didn’t even air this year, but in the meantime, the women of Orange County and the rest truly delivered. Go the distance with Us and keep reading for a breakdown of the most iconic Housewives moments of 2024:
Heather Gay Unmasks Reality Von Tease
It may seem like a lifetime ago, but the great unmasking of Reality Von Tease actually happened this year — on January 2, to be exact, kicking off a full 12 months of Housewives glory. Very rarely do shocking reveals live up to the hype of months of teasers, but this one actually did, partly because Bravo has never seen a scandal quite like it.
To recap: Heather (with help from her trusty hairdresser) discovered that season 4 newbie Monica Garcia was one of the people behind Instagram gossip account Reality Von Tease, which had been tormenting the other RHOSLC women behind the scenes. Heather didn’t just drop the news with no buildup, though — she first clued the other women in on the plan beachside in Bermuda, giving Us a windblown tableau worthy of a Renaissance painting. By the time she uttered the immortal line, “Receipts! Proof! Timeline! Screenshots! F—ing everything!,” it was clear that this episode would go down in Housewives history as one of the best. (Just ask U.S. Congressman Robert Garcia, who quoted the speech during a House Oversight Committee hearing.) — Eliza Thompson
As soon as Jennifer joined The Real Housewives of Orange County in 2023, she realized Tamra isn’t always the best coworker and friend. After a few too many digs and an accusation that Tamra did a background check on her fiancé, Ryan Boyajian, Jennifer had enough during the season 18 cast trip to London.
“I’m so f—ing done with your low-level bulls—,” she said without stuttering a word. “You need to f—ing grow up and leave my f—ing family alone. … I want no part of your f—ing bulls—.”
At that moment, Jennifer found her voice and proved she was not one to be messed with. — Mike Vulpo
Paterson Dolores Enters the Chat — Again
The RHONJ season 14 finale was one for the history books, especially when it came to Dolores Catania’s alter ego. Paterson Dolores came swinging for costar Margaret Josephs in a rare blowup between the two Bravo stars, and the c-word was flying.
The August episode put an end to what was an interesting season (Teresa Giudice and Melissa Gorga refused to film with one another), and within the first 10 minutes of the episode, Dolores called Margaret a “f—ing lying c—.”
The insult came after Margaret claimed that she invited Dolores to her house for a “reunion review” before they filmed the season 13 reunion last year — because past drama never dies in Jersey. This was something Dolores called “an outright lie” before getting continuously heated.
“It’s a serious thing to me that you’re telling me you said something you f—ing didn’t,” Dolores screamed. “I knew nothing about that f—ing s—.”
Dolores eventually apologized for the “lying c—” comment, but it’s still living rent-free in our heads. — Shelby Stivale
‘RHOP’ Picks Up Cameras for Mia Thornton’s Shocking Split
During season 8 of The Real Housewives of Potomac, cameras picked back up three months after filming initially wrapped to document Mia and Gordon Thornton’s explosive split.
“If I were to be leaving my marriage because of financial reasons, I would’ve left seven or eight years ago,” Mia shared in a confessional interview. “He was spending an excessive amount of money … and just not home, coming in at the middle of the night.”
The pair ultimately argued about a variety of issues, including Gordon alleging Mia had an affair, which she denied. She has since moved on with a radio DJ named Inc. — M.V.
Crystal’s too-brief tenure on RHOBH included a few fights with her costars, but no one got her more heated than Annemarie Wiley during season 13. Crystal (who announced her departure from the show earlier this year) said Annemarie was “such a bitch” to her face in a moment that had the other women too stunned to speak.
The backstory? Well, detailing Sutton Stracke’s esophagus drama is too much to rehash, but the short of it is that Annemarie (a medical professional) was confused about her costar’s health issue. (Sutton previously claimed that her “esophagus disorder” hinders her from eating certain types of foods.)
Annemarie went back and forth with Crystal before the “bitch” comment put an end to the conversation. “I’ve actually never seen Crystal like that, I didn’t know she had that in her,” Kyle Richards stated.
Annemarie, meanwhile, confirmed her exit from RHOBH in March after just one season. — S.S.
The Global Dominance of Phaedra Parks
Phaedra wasn’t even on a Housewives show this year, but she still managed to dominate the cultural conversation, including among people who don’t know their Below Deck Sailing Yacht from their Below Deck Down Under. She kicked off the year by taking control of The Traitors season 2, proving to all doubters that Housewives know more about scheming and betrayal than the so-called “gamers” of Big Brother and the like. Then she continued her run on Married to Medicine, adding some juice to one of Bravo’s more underrated shows. And finally, she competed on Dancing With the Stars season 33, throwing shade at previous Housewives who didn’t make it very far and clapping back at guest judge Gene Simmons when he rated her poorly on Hair Metal Night. The best, however, is yet to come: This year also brought the news that she’s returning to The Real Housewives of Atlanta for season 16 alongside BFF Porsha Williams. — E.T.
Erika Jayne Pays Tribute to Merce in the Purse
As the RHOBH cast enjoyed a trip to Spain, Sutton’s focus was on honoring the late famed dancer Merce Cunningham. During a group dinner, Sutton revealed that she was carrying the ashes of her close friend in her purse. After hearing a little too much about Merce, an inebriated Erika decided to speak her truth and deliver a now iconic line.
“Can I say something? I know you love Merce, but Merce was in a Ziploc bag,” Erika said. “Merce is in the purse!” — M.V.
Larsa Pippen Reveals Guerdy Abraira’s Cancer Diagnosis Without Permission
During season 6 of RHOM, Guerdy struggled to understand why Larsa would share her breast cancer diagnosis with the group without permission — just hours after Guerdy told her about it.
“Secrets matter, Larsa,” Guerdy said during the reunion. “I just saw you as completely a different person. I’m like, this person is not my friend. It’s malicious. Like, who’s the fakest? I have f—ing cancer! Like, are you serious?!”
Larsa ultimately apologized and explained, “My reason for telling the women was because I wanted to rally around you and show you love.” — M.V.
Erin Lichy’s Heartfelt Abortion Conversation
The second season of the rebooted Real Housewives of New York City has been a mixed bag — too many pranks, not enough real drama — but the show still shines in moments when the cast opens up about the tougher aspects of their lives. Erin hasn’t always been the most forthcoming Housewife, but the episode where she shared her abortion story felt like the realest moment yet for the new RHONY women. After deciding to tell her story to Glamour, Erin first opened up to costar Jenna Lyons, who offered her support and solidarity by revealing her own abortion story to Erin.
But the biggest challenge came when she told her father, Eli Yitzhari, who died right as season 15 was premiering. Erin was afraid of how he would react, but he offered her nothing but unconditional love. The scene was made all the more poignant by the fact that it was filmed just months before Eli’s death. The episode ended with a montage paying tribute to Eli and a confessional interview from Erin sharing all the reasons she loved him, proving yet again that Housewives can still deliver raw, human moments between the prank wars and dinner squabbles. — E.T.
Dorit Kemsley Keeps Putting Andy Cohen to Sleep
Andy has yawned on more than one occasion during RHOBH reunions, but his most recent faux pas sent Dorit over the edge. During the season 13 reunion, which aired in March, Dorit was discussing her relationship with now-estranged husband PK Kemsley when Andy emitted a yawn.
The television host tried to hold it back and cover his mouth with his cards, but Dorit still noticed. (It’s important to note this was the third time this has happened during a RHOBH reunion.)
“Don’t you dare. Don’t you dare,” she said. Andy responded, “I’m sorry, I didn’t — OK.” — S.S.
Mary Cosby Supports Robert Jr.
Mary has had an odd trajectory on RHOSLC, starting as a kooky full-timer before briefly leaving and then returning as a checked-out “friend of.” In her latest return, however, she clearly decided to bring it, both in lighthearted scenes with her costars and in extremely vulnerable moments with her family. Season 5 saw her open up like never before when she confronted her son, Robert Jr., about his increasingly concerning behavior.
In an unbelievably candid on camera conversation, Robert Jr. admitted that he’d been struggling with substance abuse since trying Xanax and told his mom that he’d considered suicide. Mary responded without judgment, telling her son that she loved him and would do anything she could to help him get sober. The unusually heavy scene earned widespread praise from fans, many of whom commended Mary for the way she handled Robert Jr.’s confession and the support she’s offered him since. (She recently confirmed that he’s doing well after a stay in rehab.) — E.T.
‘RHONJ’ Gives Rails Steakhouse Free Promo
Rails Steakhouse has been an unofficial RHONJ cast member since the show’s inception in 2009, but season 14 offered the New Jersey restaurant even more screen time than usual — especially when the Bravo stars were throwing glasses at each other in a private room.
The group of women gathered for what Dolores called the “last supper,” but it ended up becoming a forum to air grievances (loudly, we might add). Teresa called sister-in-law Melissa “a whore” multiple times, Danielle Cabral and Jennifer Aydin nearly got physical again and Rachel Fuda issued the line of the century with, “Keep my husband’s name out of your fat f—ing hot dog lip mouth.”
It was all very quintessentially Jersey, if you ask Us.
When it came time for a RHONJ season 14 reunion they — spoiler alert — didn’t have one. The women were seated in two private rooms at Rails as they rewatched the finale and reacted in real-time. (As you might imagine, the future of this Bravo franchise is still up in the air.) — S.S.
While visiting Mexico City, the RHOM cast thought they were going to enjoy a casual gondola ride together. What came next was two jam-packed episodes of complete chaos.
One moment, Julia Lemigova was smooching so many of the ladies that she was labeled a “kissing bandit.” The next minute, she was crying over hanging toy dolls.
Meanwhile, Lisa Hochstein was accusing Kiki Barth of assault after a juice box was thrown at her. If that wasn’t enough drama, Guerdy needed an IV after throwing up at the end of the gondola ride. As Alexia Nepola said, maybe the boat should have been called “Miami Locas.” — M.V.
Lisa Barlow Goes the Distance
Lisa never fails to deliver, whether she’s chugging extra large fountain sodas or calling one of her many lawyers for legal advice about crimes that have nothing to do with her. In season 5, she refused to back down when Whitney Rose accused her of planting the rumor that her jewelry line, Prism, uses designs from Alibaba (or Alibawbuah, if you’re Meredith Marks). But Lisa didn’t just tell Whitney to cool it. This is a woman who always has a guy, and this time, she had a “cybersecurity team” on speed dial who she claimed could help her get to the bottom of it all.
“Hey Shawn, I need an investigation opened,” Lisa told said guy, Shawn, smack in the middle of Angie Katsanevas’ mafia-themed anniversary party. “I’m being accused of something I did not do. I’m going to send you information, and I want to go the distance on it. The distance.” The previous dominance of “baby gorgeous” is shaking. Physically shaking. — E.T.
‘RHOBH’ and ‘DWTS’ Get a Crossover
By now, Housewives viewers know that Mauricio Umansky was paired with Emma Slater during season 32 of DWTS last year following his separation from Kyle. During the RHOBH season 14 premiere in November, Bravo subtly called out the romance rumors that were swirling between Mauricio and Emma. (Us Weekly has since confirmed that Emma is dating fellow professional dancer Alan Bersten.)
Sutton was first to reveal that Mauricio had switched a photo on the desk in his office from himself and Kyle to a photo with “the woman from Dancing With the Stars.” Sutton was, of course, referring to Emma.
If anyone’s going to stir the pot, it’s Sutton. She also brought up the picture one more time during the episode, this time when walking by Mauricio’s office in the house he used to share with Kyle.
“Does that feel weird, the desk?” Sutton wondered. Kyle responded, “Yeah, it feels weird that my picture was taken down too.” — S.S.
Karen Huger’s Body Cam Footage
The Grande Dame has done her best to avoid talking about her March DUI arrest during season 9 of RHOP, but she couldn’t stop viewers from talking about it — especially after police released footage from the night of her arrest. In the immediately viral December clip, Karen told an officer that she is known as the Grande Dame, noting that Andy Cohen gave her that nickname. (The officer, apparently not a Bravo fan, didn’t seem to know who she was talking about.)
Later in the video, Karen referred to herself as “Thomas Jefferson’s concubine” and admitted she was “hammered.” On December 18, she was found guilty of charges including negligently driving a vehicle in a careless and imprudent manner endangering property, life and person and failure to control vehicle speed on the highway to avoid a collision. She is set to be sentenced on January 29. — E.T.
Emily Simpson Calls Out Alexis Bellino
While Emily and Alexis were initially friendly in season 18 of RHOC, things quickly began to change. One major point of contention was Alexis’ treatment of Shannon Beador as she faced a lawsuit from her ex-boyfriend — and Alexis’ fiancé — John Janssen.
Emily ultimately lost her cool during the reunion show after Alexis referred to her and a costar as “Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum.”
“Don’t you ever f—ing call me dumb. You are an idiot,” Emily shouted at the reunion. “You are the dumbest girl I’ve ever f—ing met.”
Alexis later announced she would not be returning for season 19. — M.V.
‘High Body Count Hair’
It might seem like RHOSLC is overrepresented on this list, but that’s because the women of the Beehive State over-delivered this year. It was hard to imagine how they could top the drama of Reality Von Tease in the season 4 finale, but they did it and then some, thanks in large part to Angie K., who finally came into her own in season 5.
Things really hit the fan at Meredith’s bat mitzvah when Angie told Britani Bateman that she had “high body count hair,” a combination of words that surely rivals “cellar door” for the title of most beautiful phrase in the English language. Bravoholics and civilians alike have been looking at their own hair with suspicion ever since — and wondering whether they too could use Kérastase Thermique. — E.T.
Ariana Grande and Ethan Slater are “inseparable” as they bask in the glow of Wicked’s global success. “Ariana and Ethan have written a whole new book together,” an insider exclusively tells Us Weekly of the couple. A second source, meanwhile, added that the duo are “still in the honeymoon phase of pure bliss” after being together for more than a year. “The Wicked press tour made their relationship ever stronger, and Ariana is over the moon about Ethan,” the second source continued. “They have so much in common, which is something Ari never had with past relationships.” Read on for more exclusive updates and top stories:
Andy Cohen exclusively opened up about his growing SiriusXM radio empire, telling Us that he does “mess up” sometimes when discussing pop culture. “But I think I have a good sense,” he added. “[Radio] is also a place I talk more often as a producer than I do anywhere else. It’s a great opportunity for me to give background and explain further my point of view.”
Scheana Shaybroke her silence on her Vanderpump Rules costar James Kennedy’s arrest and explained why she initially stayed quiet.
Summer House alum Hannah Bernerjoked about Blake Lively and the c-word in her new Netflix roast.
Jennifer Lopez’s former wedding planner claimed the pop star was shocked by Bruno Mars’ “ridiculous” fee for private performances.
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Bradley Cooper will be celebrating a milestone birthday in the next couple of weeks, but to him, age is just a number. “He doesn’t think too much about turning 50 other than how proud he is of his career trajectory and his most important job as a dad,” a source reveals in Us Weekly’s latest cover story, noting Cooper will likely celebrate his big day in NYC. “It won’t be a Leonardo DiCaprio–style party, as that’s not Bradley’s [vibe], but there is a celebration in the works.” The actor is also enjoying his romance with model Gigi Hadid, with the insider noting that the duo are “the real deal.” Read on for more exclusive updates and top stories:
Home Alone director Chris Columbus said he didn’t work on National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation because a conversation with star Chevy Chase rubbed him the wrong way.
Jennifer Lopez shared photos of her family Christmas celebrations with 16-year-old twins Max and Emme, whom she shares with ex-husband Marc Anthony.
The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives star Taylor Frankie Paul and on-off partner Dakota Mortensensparked split rumors after they celebrated the holidays separately.
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According to Sorrentino, he and Cohen met shortly after Cohen arrived at FCI Otisville in May 2019. After hearing that Cohen didn’t eat chicken, Sorrentino asked Cohen if he would give him his uneaten serving so he could have an extra helping after his workouts.
“He’s like, ‘No problem. No problem,’” Sorrentino claimed in a 2020 episode of Jersey Shore: Family Vacation. “Thursday comes around, which is chicken day. Cohen is nowhere to be found. And I’m like, ‘Damn. Cohen was chicken on chicken day!’ I saw him a couple hours later, and I was like, ‘Yo, man, what happened?’ He’s like, ‘Yo, man, they know we’re trying to smuggle chicken!’”
When asked about the alleged poultry smuggling operation, however, a rep for Cohen told Page Six that Sorrentino’s story was “red sauce self-promotional fiction.”
Keep scrolling for a look back at other famous celebrity prison connections through history:
The former Real Housewives of Salt Lake City star reportedly bonded with the disgraced Theranos founder when they both found themselves serving time in Texas’ FCI Bryan. Shah was convicted of conspiracy to commit wire fraud in July 2022, while Holmes was convicted on three counts of wire fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud in January 2022.
“They’re friends. They’re both rehabilitating and have bonded over being on this journey of positive change,” Shah’s rep, Chris Giovanni, told People in September 2023. “Their situations brought them together, and they have a good understanding of one another. They’re getting through it together.”
Giovanni added that Shah has taken a motherly role toward Holmes, who is 10 years her junior. “Jen gets all the ladies together and they rally behind her while she teaches them fitness moves, and Elizabeth has been there right along with them,” he said, claiming that Holmes regularly attends Shah’s “Shah-mazing Abs” workout classes.
Before meeting Cohen, Sorrentino befriended Fyre Festival cofounder Billy McFarland, who was sentenced to six years in prison in 2018 after pleading guilty to two counts of wire fraud. In April 2019, Vinny Guadagnino and Paul “DJ Pauly D” DelVecchio claimed Sorrentino told them he played Scrabble with McFarland, who was released in March 2022.
After his release, Sorrentino claimed he tried to set up a chicken smuggling ring with Cohen, who was convicted of tax evasion, campaign finance violations and making false statements to a federally insured bank in 2018. Cohen, however, denied that he ever had any involvement in Sorrentino’s plans to score extra helpings in the cafeteria. Cohen was released in July 2020.
The former Chrisley Knows Best star isn’t exactly friends with the man behind the college admissions scandal, but at the very least they know each other. According to Savannah Chrisley, Singer told Todd he’s working on a book — and Todd offered him some advice. “Dad was like, ‘Make sure you don’t leave out the chapter where you snitched on everyone,’” Savannah said during a September 2023 appearance on Nick Viall’s “The Viall Files” podcast. “He’s like the president of this place.”
Todd and Singer are both incarcerated at Florida’s FPC Pensacola. Todd and wife Julie Chrisley were convicted of bank fraud and tax evasion in 2022, while Singer was convicted of racketeering conspiracy, money laundering conspiracy,conspiracy to defraud the U.S. government and obstruction of justice.
While the rapper was serving time for gun possession and tax evasion, he connected with Hevesi, a former New York comptroller who pleaded guilty to a corruption charge in 2010. Ja also connected with Dennis Kozlowski, the former Tyco International CEO who in 2005 was convicted of grand larceny, falsifying business records, securities fraud and conspiracy. In 2012, Ja told the New York Daily News that the two men — whom he called Hevey D and Koz — gave him stock advice and watched TV with him. "Outside, you don't meet guys like this every day,” he said. “This place is amazing.”
There’s no evidence that these two have met, but in December 2024, Mangione — who has been charged with the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson — was remanded to custody at MDC Brooklyn, the same detention center where Diddy has been held since his September 2024 arrest on racketeering and sex trafficking charges. (Diddy has pleaded not guilty to all charges and maintained his innocence.)
MDC Brooklyn is also the current home of Sam Bankman-Fried, the former FTX crypto mogul who was convicted of fraud in November 2023. He was sentenced to 25 years in prison in March 2024 but has remained incarcerated at MDC Brooklyn while he appeals his case.
More than 75 celebrities have donned elaborate costumes for the Fox series, but only five have ever taken home the top prize: the Golden Mask trophy. As with Dancing With the Stars‘ mirrorball trophy, the Golden Mask is highly coveted among contestants.
After Kandi Burruss won in season 3, her son, Ace, immediately demanded to know where the trophy was. “He was so excited,” the Real Housewives of Atlanta star told The Hollywood Reporter in May 2020. “He said, ‘Mommy, did you win?’ And I was like, ‘Yeah, I won.’ He was like, ‘Where’s your trophy, mommy?’ But they won’t give you your trophy until after the season ends, so I was just like, ‘Well, I’ll get it one day.'”
Once the prize did arrive, though, Burruss knew exactly where she was going to display it: “I’m going to put it right next to the Grammy.”
Several Masked Singer alums have talked about doing the show because their kids love it, but sometimes their children are the hardest viewers to fool. After winning season 5 in May 2021, Nick Lachey told Us Weekly that his three kids with Vanessa Lachey immediately knew he was under the Piglet mask.
“They guessed it the first day and said, ‘Oh, that’s daddy!’” he said of Camden, Brooklyn and Phoenix. “I was excited they knew it was me, but that surprise was gone really early.”
Bobby Brown, who competed as the Crab in season 5, also couldn’t hide the secret from his brood. “I’ve been telling them, ‘No, it’s not Daddy, Daddy is sitting right here,’” he told Us in April 2021. “They thought I ran out and did it before dinner, so they are really confused right now, actually.”
During his time on the show, he dedicated some of his performances to his late children Bobby Brown Jr., who died at 28 in 2020, and Bobbi Kristina Brown, who died at 22 in 2015. When he sang the Bill Withersclassic “Ain’t No Sunshine,” he left judge Nicole Scherzinger in tears.
“That song means so much to me personally,” he told Us. “I put my everything into that performance and it was touching to hear everyone’s comments.”
Keep scrolling to find out what all the Masked Singer winners have been up to since taking home the Golden Mask.
The "Buy You a Drank" artist became the first Golden Mask winner in 2019 after blowing the judges away with his renditions of songs including "American Woman" and "This Is How We Do It." They were especially stumped by his real singing voice, which has been distorted by Auto-Tune in some of his biggest hits.
The same day he won The Masked Singer, the musician released a surprise album called 1UP. In 2021, he appeared on an episode of the Netflix series This Is Pop to discuss the use of Auto-Tune in pop music. That same year, he provided the signing voice for Tom in the big-screen adaptation of Tom & Jerry.
The Whose Line Is It Anyway? star prevailed in season 2 as the Fox, taking home the Golden Mask in December 2019. Before the coronavirus pandemic shut down live theater, he appeared in Lin-Manuel Miranda's Broadway show Freestyle Love Supreme. In 2020, he starred as Tyson Sykes in the CW's Black Lightning and guested on an episode of Hell's Kitchen. The following year, he became the host of Game of Talents and landed roles in The Good Fight and Mixed-ish. In 2022, Brady competed on season 31 of Dancing With the Stars with Witney Carson as his partner.
The Xscape singer won as the Night Angel in season 3, becoming the show's first female champion. Since her May 2020 victory, she appeared in season 13 of RHOA and landed a recurring role on The Chi. In 2021, she announced her plans to produce the Broadway show Thoughts of a Colored Man. Her RHOA spinoff Kandi & the Gang premiered in March 2022.
The "Blue" songstress blew the judges away in season 4 as the Sun, winning the top spot in December 2020 after performing songs including Lizzo's "Cuz I Love You" and Kesha's "Praying." In 2021, she played herself in the Netflix series Country Comfort. Her latest studio album, God's Work, dropped in September 2022.
The 98 Degrees singer became the fifth winner in May 2021 after performing as the Piglet. After earning the Golden Mask, he became a host of the Fox singing competition Alter Ego. Later in 2021, he reunited with his former band for a remix EP titled Summer of 98. He and his wife are cohosts of the Netflix dating show Love Is Blind.
"I started singing to save my life," the singer, who dressed as the Queen of Hearts, said in her final clue package during the December 2021 season 6 finale. "I sang because I needed it. ... I want my son to see how I walk through challenges. For me, knowing that my son's watching just feels like it's all culminating into this moment."
She ultimately won the season, with Todrick Hall (dressed as the Bull) coming in second.
The "We Got Love" songstress took home the Golden Mask trophy during the season 7 finale in May 2022. "I refuse to fade away, and being on this stage has let me shine bright again," Firefly said during her final clue package. "I was like, this would be something really nice to do to just be able to just sing and be fun again, and it's just, like, no judgment," Taylor explained of why she decided to do the show. "Nobody knows who's behind the mask, and just sing your heart out." In December 2020, the dancer announced her retirement from music six months after releasing her third studio album.
The former Glee star blew the judges away as the Harp, debuting in the season premiere and winning every matchup she faced. Since Glee ended in 2015, Riley starred in NBC's The Wiz Live! and racked up TV credits on shows including Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, A Black Lady Sketch Show and Infamous. In 2016, she played Effie White in a London production of Dreamgirls and later appeared in a revival of Little Shop of Horrors. She starred in the Lifetime movie Single Black Female in 2022.
The "River" songstress — dressed as Medusa — took home the Golden Mask trophy in May 2023 when she became the winner of season 9, prevailing over David Archuleta (Macaw) and Pentatonix (California Roll). "It meant everything," Briggs told Entertainment Weekly of her time on the show. "It was such an interesting chapter in my life, and I also think it was a really big learning experience of just knowing that the emotion that I feel every time I sing, that it does translate to the people in front of me."
Before her appearance on The Masked Singer, Briggs released two solo albums and appeared on the soundtrack for Fifty Shades Freed. Her latest EP, When Everything Went Dark, is due out in June 2023.
The “Miss Independent” singer took home the Golden Mask trophy in December 2023 when he finished season 10 in first place ahead of Donut (John Schneider), Gazelle (Janel Parrish) and Sea Queen (Macy Gray). Prior to his appearance on The Masked Singer, Ne-Yo won three Grammys, released nine albums and wrote and produced tons of songs for other artists, including Rihanna.
The former Disney star came out on top in the May 2024 season 11 finale, beating Gumball (Scott Porter) for the Golden Mask trophy. While Hudgens is known primarily as an actress — having appeared in High School Musical, Spring Breakers, The Princess Switch and more — her time on The Masked Singer reminded viewers that she’s actually an accomplished singer as well. She released two solo albums in 2006 and 2008 and has appeared in several Broadway productions over the years.
In December 2024, the iconic boy band became the first group to win the Golden Mask trophy when they prevailed in the season 12 finale, beating runner-up Wasp (Mario). The trio — made up of Shawn Stockman, Wanyá Morris and Nathan Morris (no relation) — hit the height of their popularity in the ’90s, but they’ve never stopped making music. (Fourth member Michael McCary left the group in 2003 due to health issues.)
The band’s most recent album, Under the Streetlight, dropped in 2017. They’ve also played themselves in several films and TV shows, including Long Shot, How I Met Your Mother and Schooled. Ahead of their Masked Singer appearance in 2024, they played a series of shows in Las Vegas, and they’re set to hit the road again in 2025.
During The Masked Singer’s season 12 finale, the Buffalos — now known as Boyz II Men — succeeded where no group has before, becoming the first band to win the Golden Mask trophy, but they didn’t initially have victory on their minds.
“For the umpteenth time they called us … and we decided that we were gonna do it,” Wanyá Morris exclusively told Us Weekly ahead of the Wednesday, December 18, finale. “Because they called us a couple of times and we weren’t able to do it. So this last time we were like, ‘Alright, let’s just get it over with so they’ll never call us again.’”
Wanyá, 51, and his bandmates, Nathan Morris (no relation) and Shawn Stockman, thought doing the show would be “good exposure,” but they didn’t imagine they could take home the top honor. The Masked Singer has a history of eliminating major recording artists during season premieres, and the guys thought that might be their fate.
“[We thought], ‘We probably won’t win ’cause they’ll know who we are. We’re gonna be either guessed off, or if we mask our voices, we know they won’t like who we are and we’ll get kicked off,’” Wanyá recalled before Nathan, 53, interjected, “We were hoping to get kicked off the first night so we could go back home!”
After they started filming, however, they changed their tune. “Once we got there and we saw the energy and we felt the whole vibe, we were just like, ‘Look, man, as long as we’re here, we might as well stay,’” Wanyá told Us. “And win. And then leave!”
Shawn, 52, admitted that the trio “didn’t expect much from this experience,” but they soon “really got into” performing as the Buffalos.
Nathan Morris, Wanya Morris and Shawn Stockman from Boyz II Men.
“It allowed us to be ourselves, believe it or not,” he explained. “The masks allowed us to reveal things about who we are as singers, who we are as people, music lovers, ’cause a lot of people wouldn’t connect Boyz II Men to Toto or other songs that we did on the show, so it was nice for people to get a glimpse of our playlist, songs and music that we love from artists that we enjoyed ever since we were kids in some cases. So it was nice and it became deeper than just winning the whole thing.”
The guys even got choked up on stage during the finale, which Wanyá attributed to the unusual circumstances of competing on The Masked Singer as well as the realization that filming the show had brought them closer together.
“What made us more emotional than anything was the fact that we had overcome a situation that most people would bow out of. It was really hot in those suits, and we didn’t know if we were going to be able to pull off performances like [the finale] from the beginning,” he explained. “It just kind of felt like we were a new group to me. And we were being accepted as good singers, as good performers, and we weren’t even really human. … We all were the Buffalo, you know what I mean? Even though we’re individuals, we all embodied that same character and we overcame every obstacle, dehydration, we overcame anxiety. We overcame everything and we sang our hearts out for the people.”
Shawn agreed, adding: “It just made us understand that we still have the energy that we’ve always had [since] 33 years ago. Sometimes, with any relationship, you tend to take the dynamic that you’ve built on for granted, and this made us refocus. It made us remember why we did this in the first place.”
Boyz II Men doesn’t plan on slowing down in the new year, with tour dates booked all the way through July.
“A lot of people use the word ‘relevant’ in their own terms, and we feel like we are relevant to each other, and that’s more important to us than everything else,” said Nathan. “And as long as we stay relevant to each other, we’ll be able to ride right in with what everybody else is doing. And we got a lot coming up.”
The Masked Singer’s Wasp — now revealed as Mario — tried to fool fans all season long, but they clocked him right away.
“A lot of them knew who I was on the first show,” the singer, 38, exclusively told Us Weekly ahead of the Wednesday, December 18, season finale airing on Fox. “I had family members, friends, other artists, some of my peers hit me up like, ‘Yo, is that you on The Masked Singer? Because I know your voice, you can’t hide it that well.’”
The “Let Me Love You” hitmaker tried to throw viewers off the scent by choosing songs outside his comfort zone — Demi Lovato’s “Skyscraper” and Benson Boone’s “Beautiful Things,” for example — but he couldn’t hide his signature croon.
“A lot of people reached out to me and were standing on the fact that they knew it was me, and I just had to keep denying it, denying it, denying it,” Mario said. “Even in interviews, even on social media with fans and comments, I’m like, ‘You guys, I don’t know who this Wasp is! Let me go check this guy out, ’cause he really sounds like me.’ I’m just trying to throw people off, but it wasn’t working.”
It didn’t help that he’s in the middle of promoting his new album, Glad You Came, which dropped Friday, December 13. It’s hard to hide out when you’re smack in the middle of a promotional cycle, but Mario said appearing on the show felt like a “full circle” moment for him.
“For me, it’s a win-win, because I like authenticity,” the Empire alum explained. “I really wanted to connect with people and really remind people who I was as a person and as a talent, and I think that’s what this show does for you.”
As part of that connection, Mario asked for some input into his Wasp costume, which he wanted to reflect some of the ups and downs he’s been through in real life.
“We were able to talk about, ‘OK, I want the Wasp to have a little bit of broken wings. I want his wings to have a couple holes in it,’” he told Us. “I wanted it to look like he’d been through something, but he’s pushing through and he’s still standing on what he loves and what he believes. I definitely related to that. I mean, I’ve been on the move, on the go, since I was 14 in the industry, so the fact that the Wasp is always moving and on the go, I can relate to that.”
Mario won’t be getting much of a break next year either as he embarks on Mary J. Blige’s For My Fans tour with pal Ne-Yo (who won The Masked Singer season 10 and served as Wasp’s Masked Ambassador). Starting in April, he’ll embark on his own Glad You Came tour across Europe.
“The fact that record is called Glad You Came is really like the title of everything in my life right now, from being on TV and having an audience to putting this album out that represents the growth and confidence and creativity that I’ve been nurturing for the last few years to arrive at where I’m at now,” he explained. “It’s a feeling, it’s a vibe, it’s an intention. So I think that it’s all connected to how I want people to remember me, how I want people to hear the music and experience it. And I guess at the end of the day, the intention behind all of it is to create things that are timeless.”
Songwriter Amy Allen already has one Grammy win under her belt, but getting nominated never gets old — and neither does celebrating the honor.
Allen, who racked up four nods last month when the 2025 nominations were announced, found out about her latest accolades in the most appropriate place possible: work.
“I was in London in the middle of a session,” the Los Angeles–based artist exclusively told Us Weekly earlier this month. “I was obviously nervous because there’s so many phenomenal writers that are friends of mine, and you just never know which way it’s gonna go. But I was in the middle of a session and my manager texted me just, in all caps, ‘YES!’ And I was like, ‘What do you mean?’ And then I checked in and then the text messages from friends started coming in, and it was very exciting.”
Allen couldn’t take too much time out for celebration — she was at work, after all — but she and her fellow musicians broke for “a little congratulatory” toast with Aperol spritzes, “which was very cute and fun,” she said.
The musician — who previously won an Album of the Year Grammy last year for her work on Harry Styles’ Harry’s House — is nominated for four awards at the 2025 ceremony: Song of the Year (Sabrina Carpenter’s “Please Please Please”), Album of the Year (Carpenter’s Short n’ Sweet), Best Song Written for Visual Media (‘NSync’s “Better Place” from Trolls Band Together) and Songwriter of the Year, Non-Classical.
Allen is particularly honored to be nominated in the Songwriter of the Year category, which is only in its third year of existence (she previously scored a nod in 2023).
“It’s a chance to be recognized for your body of work and not just one specific song. And for me, that’s really exciting, especially this year, because I have country songs that have allowed me to get to the nomination,” she told Us. “And then I have a whole variety of different genres of songs with the Sabrina project, because she’s such a phenomenal artist and writer. She crosses genres. It’s a really exciting time for me to be able to move through genres and get to showcase the type of songwriting that I love to do, which is really varied and holistic.”
The tracks listed in Allen’s Songwriter of the Year nomination are indeed quite varied: in addition to three Carpenter cuts (“Please Please Please,” “Taste” and “Espresso”), the roster includes songs by Justin Timberlake, Olivia Rodrigo and Leon Bridges as well as two hits by country artist Koe Wetzel.
Amy Allen.
In between writing all those songs for other artists, Allen found time to record her own self-titled debut album, which was released in September. While she loves the variety of musicians she collaborates with when she’s writing for other people, she takes a totally different approach when she’s working on songs she plans to keep for herself.
“I usually start the songs at home by myself. It comes out of a place of like, I’ve been writing with and for other people so much that, for my soul, I need to just sit in silence for a little bit with my own thoughts and just write from the heart and get back to what I love about music,” she explained. “So that’s kind of where all the songs off of my first album came from, is just taking a break from always helping somebody else tell their story and giving a ton of my emotions to pop radio. It’s really nice for me to live outside of that world of collaborating all the time and go a little bit more internal, and it’s very cathartic for me. … It’s not swinging for the fences in any way of like, ‘Let’s make this the biggest song possible.’”
Allen certainly can write the biggest song possible, though, as evidenced by her work on Short n’ Sweet. She cowrote all of the songs on the acclaimed blockbuster album, which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and gave Carpenter her first Hot 100 No. 1 in “Please Please Please.”
The duo first collaborated on Carpenter’s 2022 album, Emails I Can’t Send, and Allen “instantly loved” their connection. “The chemistry just started building from day one,” she told Us. “I feel like people can spend their lifetimes as a songwriter looking for collaborators, and I just feel really grateful that I’ve gotten some great ones so far in my career that I really cherish and learn from constantly too.”
Allen said her favorite Short n’ Sweet track changes depending on her mood, but she confirmed that “Juno” was indeed inspired by the teen-pregnancy movie of the same name — and the playfully raunchy idea was “fully Sabrina.”
“I’m so grateful to have her as a collaborator for moments like that, because I think being a pop songwriter, like, five years ago, if somebody had come in with that concept, that would’ve been like, ‘I’m not sure people will get that,’” Allen explained. “But because she’s so authentic and her artistry is so intact and she knows who she is, the second she started talking about her idea for that, I was like, ‘Oh, we’re doing this, it’s gonna be great and it’s gonna be witty and it’s gonna be heartfelt.’ She’s such a fearless leader with ideas like that.”
Allen truly believes in the old adage that it’s an honor just to be nominated — “having your name up there in any capacity already feels like a win because music is so subjective” — but if she wins again in February, her mom has ensured she has a great place to put her second Grammy.
“I actually had [my away] in my little home studio, and then my mom was visiting a few months ago and she moved it from my home studio down to my living room,” she recalled. “So it’s a little bit more visible now, which is a classic mom move. … [My mom’s like], ‘Let ’em know, let the world know!’”
The 67th Grammy Awards air on CBS Sunday, February 2, at 8 p.m. ET.
Daddy Yankee’s divorce from Mireddys González is getting complicated.
The reggaeton superstar, 47, is seeking an injunction against his estranged wife, also 47, alleging she withdrew $80 million from the bank account of his record label “without authorization.”
According to court documents obtained by Billboard, Yankee (born Ramón Luis Ayala Rodríguez) filed the motion in San Juan, Puerto Rico, on Friday, December 13, against González, her sister Ayeicha González Castellanos and El Cartel Records. While Yankee founded El Cartel in 1997, González reportedly served as the CEO, and her sister worked as the secretary and treasurer.
In his filing, Yankee claimed that “in spite of the plaintiff being the owner of the shares of the company and being the reason for the existence of the corporation Cartel Records Inc., today he lacks access, interference and information, to all that he generated and continues to generate and to which he is entitled.”
The “Gasolina” artist has asked the court to removed González and her sister from “any function or interference in the corporations as officers or administrators thereof and the delivery of the information and documentation that they have illegitimately withheld.”
Yankee further claimed that his ex and her sister attempted to “concentrate in their persons a greater power over the operations of the Cartel than was authorized, which has resulted in a detrimental and negligent performance for the company.” He also alleged they “failed to render an accurate account of their actions, disregarded formalities and requirements of the corporate legislation, irresponsible financial decisions.”
Daddy Yankee and Mireddys González.
According to the filing, the $80 million withdrawal occurred on Thursday, December 12, after Yankee had already advised González and González Castellanos that “they could not carry out any transactions on behalf of El Cartel.”
Yankee’s filing also addresses the recent sale of his catalog for $217 million. In October, independent music company Concord acquired some of the rapper’s music publishing and master recordings, including hits “Gasolina,” “Con Calma,”and “Despacito.” According to Yankee, however, González hired a third party to represent El Cartel in the sale, and the price agreed upon “turned out to be unreasonable, disproportionate and far below the real value.”
The Latin Grammy winner further claimed that “to this day he does not know the real scope of the transaction, nor does he have detailed knowledge of what was or was not sold, nor the limitations he may have on the use of his musical creations.”
Yankee and González announced their split on December 1 after nearly 30 years of marriage.
“With a heart full of respect and honesty, I want to share some important news about my personal life. After more than two decades of marriage and after many months of trying to save my marriage, which my wife and I share, today my lawyers responded to the divorce petition received from Mireddys,” Yankee wrote via Instagram at the time. “I appreciate the time we shared, full of blessings and values, of love and with a beautiful family that will continue to be our priority. This is not an easy time, but I understand that it is part of my life process.”
The estranged couple, who tied the knot in 1995 when they were both 17, share three kids: Jesaaelys, 28, and Yamilet, 27, and Jeremy, 26.
The actor, 58, gushed about daughter Hailey Bieber and her son, Jack Blues, 3 months, ahead of his appearance on Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test.
“He’s grown like a weed. Actually, he looks like a little plump potato,” Baldwin told TooFab in an interview published Monday, December 16. “He’s so cute. I can’t stand it. I want to say so much.”
Baldwin noted that he and the family are “getting ready for Christmas” with baby Jack Blues, who will celebrate his 4-month birthday on December 22. “We’re excited,” Baldwin added.
Hailey, 28, shares Jack Blues with husband Justin Bieber, whom she wed in 2018. The duo announced the birth of their first child in August when Justin, 30, shared a pic of the little one’s foot with the caption, “WELCOME HOME.”
Jack Blues is still too young to talk, but Stephen — who became a grandfather in 2020 thanks to his other daughter, Alaia Baldwin — already knows what he wants to be called.
“Grampy. We’re going with Grampy. But it’s with a W. A lot of people don’t know that,” he told TooFab. “So G-W-A-M-P-Y is Gwampy. So that’s kind of the handle I’ve been going with. It was my granddaughter Iris, my first grandchild. It was the name she gave me.”
Alaia, 31, welcomed Iris, now 4, with husband Andrew Aronow in 2020. (Stephen shares Alaia and Hailey with wife Kennya Baldwin, whom he wed in 1990.)
“It’s total bliss for the two of them,” a source exclusively told Us Weekly in August, adding that Hailey is “enjoying and savoring these moments being a new mom.”
Earlier this fall, Hailey opened up about balancing her career with new motherhood, explaining that she took a soft break before returning to work on her skincare brand, Rhode.
“I’m only doing what feels comfortable for me physically, mentally and emotionally,” she told Women’s Wear Daily in October, noting that she thinks of Rhode as the “toddler” in her life.
She went on to say that she’s learned a lot of lessons since launching the brand in 2022. “Mistakes are going to happen,” she explained. “[There] will be bumps in the road, which are out of your control. But you need to pivot, run and work with them as they come.”
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