Bravo fans received a surprise during season 3 of The Traitors when they spotted an oil painting of Andy Cohen hanging in the Scotland castle.
During the three-part premiere, which was released on Thursday, January 9, Chanel Ayan spotted the new addition to the wall, saying, “Is that Andy Cohen? Daddy! Oh my daddy.” The painting showed Cohen, 56, who is an executive producer on multiple Bravo shows, all smiles while decked out in regal attire.
The season got off to a memorable start when the contestants were offered the chance to bring Rob “Boston Rob” Mariano into the fold — but everyone passed. Despite Boston Rob, 49, being led off into the woods, he later returned with The Challenge‘s Wes Bergmann and Big Brother‘s Derrick Levasseur. The trio serves as a surprise, last-minute addition to season 3.
Peacock’s hit reality series brings together reality TV stars from various franchises as they compete in a mafia-style game for up to $250,000. In addition to Boston Rob, Wes and Derrick, the third season featured Wells Adams, Gabby Windey, Ciara Miller, Chrishell Stause, Jeremy Collins, Carolyn Wiger, Tony Vlachos, Bob the Drag Queen, Britney Haynes and Danielle Reyes.
Bob Harper, Dylan Efron, Lord Ivar Mountbatten, Sam Asghari and Nikki Bella made up the rest of the group.
Before season 3 premiered, Chrishell, 43, sparked rumors of an onscreen feud when she shared a series of promotional photos in November 2024 of all her fellow contestants — except Sandoval, 42. The Selling Sunset star didn’t address the omission at the time, but she previously showed support for Sandoval’s ex-girlfriend Ariana Madix.
“Oh my gosh, do you see who it is?” Nikki, 41, asked Gabby, 34, who replied, “Is that Sandoval? I am not saying hi to him.” Nikki laughed at Gabby’s reaction, adding, “I know, right?”
According to Cumming, 59, viewers should expect plenty of surprises throughout the season. “It’s very twisty and very kind of pulling the rug from under everybody all the time,” he told TV Insider in July 2024. “It’s also got some lovely moments in it as well, in a way that we haven’t had before. It’s very different from the other two seasons — in a really good way.”
“It’s sort of part of the whole DNA of the show now,” Cumming told WWD of his show style earlier this month. “I feel like we’ve sort of subverted the form of reality TV a little bit. And so what I’m wearing is an element of each episode. We’ve kind of added another layer to the thing.”
He continued: “It was something so new and different to what I’d done before. It sort of reminded me of Clue or something. I love a board game, and I love the campiness and theatricality of those games. I could tell from the start they [the production company] wanted to kind of up the ante. It wasn’t just, ‘Hello, I’m Alan Cumming, and here I am with these people.’ They purposely wanted to match the tone of the show.”
New episodes of The Traitors are released Thursdays on Peacock at 9 p.m. ET with a three-episode premiere event.
Efron — who is an older brother to Dylan, Olivia and Henry — has recalled how his siblings and parents supported him throughout his career.
“My family’s my rock. I know that they’re not going anywhere. More and more I rely on my little brother to keep me grounded,” he shared during a 2013 interview. “I know my family’s always going to be there, and then there’s also some times when life changes, they can’t always be there for you in the way that you need, so I rely on my friends.”
Years later, Efron revealed the important life lessons that he learned from his family.
“My parents love me in very different ways. But they checked every box. My dad always taught me to be driven,” he told Elle in 2016. “I was always the shortest kid at school. Always the worst kid on the team. I’d come home after practice and my dad would build a basketball hoop. Then we’d go out and shoot 100 free throws. Pretty soon every time I got fouled I would make my free throws.”
While he loves his own family — and is a great older brother — Efron admitted he’s not quite ready to have children of his own.
“I have a healthy respect for parents, very grateful for them all,” he said during a May 2022 appearance on The Ellen DeGeneres Show. “I love you so much, Mom.”
Scroll down for the sweetest photos of Efron and his family over the years:
“Yes, I mean most of the time [he is a good roommate]. He’s my little brother. He looks after the house while I’m gone,” the actor said during an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live in May 2017. “We’re cool like that. I trust him, he’s a good dude. I trust him with the house. I came home [recently] and it was very clear that the cleaning lady had been there just minutes before I arrived.”
Later that year, Dylan took to social media to praise Zac for being a role model for him. “More than ever I’ve realized how much you’ve always been there for me,” he wrote via Instagram in October 2022. “Thanks for growin’ up with me and being my role model. Happy Bday brother.”
Our favorite CBS shows are making their midseason comebacks — and the network has released spoiler-filled story lines for each one, including Tracker, Matlock, FBI and more.
Matlock became an overnight hit after the first season premiered in September 2024. The series follows a wealthy retired lawyer named Madeline Kingston (Kathy Bates) who pretends to be a poor widower named Matty Matlock to get a job at a firm. As it turns out, Matty thinks someone at the company is complicit in the opioid epidemic that resulted in her daughter’s death.
According to executive producer and director Kat Coirothe biggest twists are still coming up.
“What’s so brilliant about the show and Jennie [Snyder Urman’s] writing is that it’s very incremental and character-based. The twists have a lot to do with psychology rather than relying on big external factors or plot shifts,” Coiro exclusively told Us Weekly in November 2024. “You get so invested in these characters that small revelations become really exciting.”
NCIS: Origins, meanwhile, previously ended on a high note after it was revealed that Gibbs (Austin Stowell) killed Pedro Hernandez (George Paez) off screen after the cartel leader murdered Gibbs’ family.
“At the beginning, the writers’ room let us know certain overarching story lines that might play out. But what [creators] Gina [Lucita Monreal] and David [J. North] have said from the very beginning is that they wanted to write for us and get to know us and see what works as we’re shooting. So I think we are informing them about their own characters as we go episode to episode,” Stowell shared with Us in November 2024 about the prequel series. “I’m not many episodes ahead. And we still have crimes to solve and memories to go back to. There are certain events coming in the next few episodes that are incredibly important to the story of NCIS and to the story of Gibbs that I’m really excited to share with the fans of the show.”
Keep scrolling for glimpses into your favorite CBS shows returning midseason:
‘The Neighborhood’
Premiere Date: Monday, January 27 at 8 p.m.. EST Logline: The new neighbors who moved into Miss Kim’s old house are keeping the Butlers and Johnsons up all night. Meanwhile, Courtney tells Marty she is going on a date.
‘Poppa’s House’
Premiere Date: Monday, January 27 at 8:30 p.m. EST Logline: Junior accuses Poppa of lying about his dog allergy during his childhood. Meanwhile, Nina and Junior take a vow of celibacy to explore a deeper connection.
‘NCIS’
Premiere Date: Monday, January 27 at 9 p.m. EST Logline: After NCIS learns that the owner of Parker’s favorite bakery (guest star Melina Kanakaredes) is being blackmailed, they hatch a plan to save her from the perpetrators. Also, tensions heighten when Torres’ secret romance is discovered.
‘NCIS: Origins’
Premiere Date: Monday, January 27 at 10 p.m. EST Logline: The team investigates the death of a famed Marine commander’s son, while a pivotal part of Franks’ past involving his family is revealed.
Premiere Date: Tuesday, January 28 at 8 p.m. EST Logline: The investigation into an assistant U.S. attorney’s death leads the team to a related airline whistleblower scandal and the chilling discovery that they don’t have much time to thwart terrorists from crashing numerous in-flight commercial airplanes. Dealing with the memory of his brother, who was a 9/11 victim, the case pushes Scola hard to prevent another catastrophe.
‘FBI: International’
Premiere Date: Tuesday, January 28 at 9 p.m. EST Logline: A member of the Fly Team goes missing as the hunt for Greg Csonka continues in Paris. Meanwhile, Vo’s life hangs in the balance after being shot.
‘FBI: Most Wanted’
Premiere Date: Tuesday, January 28 at 10 p.m. EST Logline: The Fugitive Task Force investigates a series of deadly fires involving the descendants of those who caused the infamous 1985 MOVE bombing in Philadelphia. Meanwhile, Nina’s sister turns to her in a time of need.
‘Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage’
Premiere Date: Thursday, January 30 at 8 p.m. EST Logline: Tensions rise when Georgie intrudes on Mandy’s new sales gig. Meanwhile, Audrey’s conflicted when Jim makes it a point not to coddle Connor. Young Sheldon‘s Sarah Baker reprises her recurring role as Medford High librarian Ms. Hutchins.
‘Ghosts’
Premiere Date: Thursday, January 30 at 8:30 p.m. EST Logline: Sam and Jay are forced to cover when Mark demands to meet the silent investor in Jay’s restaurant who has been holding up construction.
‘Matlock’
Premiere Date: Thursday, January 30 at 9 p.m. EST Logline: Matty helps Olympia take on Elijah’s cousin’s wrongful termination case. Also, Edwin worries that the longer Matty remains at Jacobson Moore, the more she puts herself in danger of being caught.
Premiere Date: Thursday, January 30 at 10 p.m. EST Logline: When a young man is found dead in his car, Elsbeth visits the holistic wellness center he’d just left and begins to suspect its charismatic founder (Eric McCormack).
‘NCIS: Sydney’
Premiere Date: Friday, January 31 at 8 p.m. EST Logline: The team will do whatever it takes to crack the case of a rogue assassin on the run during NCIS Special Agent DeShawn Jackson’s chaotic first day as boss.
‘Fire Country’
Premiere Date: Friday, January 31 at 9 p.m. EST Logline: With the Chezem Valley fire blazing out of control, Bode and Audrey must find a way to save themselves; Manny risks his freedom for his missing daughter; and Eve tries to protect her father (Phil Morris) and their family’s ranch.
‘S.W.A.T.’
Premiere Date: Friday, January 31 at 10 p.m. EST Logline: When Hondo learns there’s a $1 million bounty on his head, 20-Squad must race to uncover the mysterious enemy from Hondo’s past who’s intent on revenge. Also, Deacon and Tan butt heads over Tan’s changes to SWAT academy.
Premiere Date: Sunday, February 16 at 8 p.m. EST Logline: A new lead in Colter’s white whale case, the disappearance of Gina Picket, brings him and retired cop Keaton (Brent Sexton) back together to track down a serial killer.
‘The Equalizer’
Premiere Date: Sunday, February 16 at 10 p.m. EST Longline: After a young girl is the victim of a shootout in her neighborhood, the team races to find out if a gang war is afoot and whether the crime is connected to a shipment of stolen guns McCall is chasing down. Meanwhile, love is in the air when Aunt Vi and Delilah prepare for their respective date.
Jake Johnson shared his conflicting feelings after filmmaker and friend Jeff Baena‘s death.
“I love you Jeff,” Johnson, 46, wrote via Instagram on Wednesday, January 8. “Hate your last move. But I still love you.”
The social media post included a photo of Johnson and Baena, who Us Weekly confirmed died by suicide on Friday, January 3, at age 47. Baena, who was married to actress Aubrey Plaza, was known for projects such as I Heart Huckabees, Life After Beth, The Little Hours, Horse Girl and Spin Me Round.
Plaza, 40, broke her silence on Baena’s death days later in a statement.
“This is an unimaginable tragedy,” her rep said in a Monday, January 6, statement to Us on behalf of Plaza and family members. “We are deeply grateful to everyone who has offered support. Please respect our privacy during this time.”
“My first movie was a big learning experience on all fronts, and so working with her was a benefit because we have a shorthand and a close relationship,” Baena said of Plaza in an August 2022 interview with Newsweek. “As I’ve made more and more stuff, I’ve come to appreciate everything that she brings.”
Baena praised his wife’s commitment to her work, adding, “She’s insanely talented and so smart and obviously really good at producing. And she’s writing. There are very few people who can wear as many hats as her, as elegantly as she does.”
Plaza received an outpour of support after Baena’s death. His friend and longtime collaborator Adam Pally shared an emotional Instagram statement on Sunday, January 5, which read, “He was a talented director with impeccable taste and vision, he was a connector of people, a fosterer of possibility, the guy who knows where the best restaurant was no matter where you were. An overly gracious host with an almost disturbing open door policy, a film encyclopedia, and most importantly to me a friend.”
Pally, 42, who worked with Baena on Life After Beth, Joshy and The Little Hours, recalled how the late filmmaker “strove for truth” and that “nothing could sound, look or feel inauthentic” because it was a “direct representation” of how authentic Baena was.
“You never worried that Jeff wasn’t telling you the way it is. ‘Cause Jeff’s virtue was telling you the way it was,” Pally continued. “My heart breaks for my friend Aubrey and the Baena family and for all of us who spent time on his sets or at his house or in his orbit. Thanks for believing in me Jeff, may your memory be a blessing.”
In the comments section, Jeff’s brother, Brad Baena, replied, “I am broken.”
If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 or chat at 988lifeline.org.
Jeremy Strong is subtly weighing in on his former Succession costars poking fun at his method acting.
The actor, 46, elaborated on his process while discussing his role as Roy Cohn in The Apprentice film, telling Deadline on Tuesday, January 7, “When I look at the kind of transformational work based on historical characters that I feel inspired by, from Ben Kingsley in Gandhi, or Phil Hoffman in Capote or what I witnessed Daniel Day-Lewis do in Lincoln, it’s about transcending impersonation and finding the essence in a deep, serious way.”
Strong said his approach to depicting real people is by trying to “absorb and learn everything and study them endlessly.”
“Lately, people have felt a need to take shots at me or say disparaging things, which I don’t really think there’s any need for,” he continued. “The way I approach things, my process. I feel we’re storytellers. I think about those performances I just mentioned. Those are actors telling a story through character, which to me is the highest bar.”
Strong had no regrets about his decision to immerse himself in his work, adding, “That’s the holy grail for me, creating a character, which is sort of creating an instrument that’s never existed before. That’s the kind of acting that I love. It does require a devil-may-care attitude towards what anybody might think of what you’re doing.”
He continued: “It’s anti-art and not worthy of the dignity of what we’re all trying to do. I think about Roy, how delighted he would be with the muckraking and the stone throwing going on in our country right now.”
Strong, who played Kendall on Succession, previously made headlines when he revealed he sustained injuries including hurting his tibia, femur and fracturing his foot.
“If I have any method at all, it is simply this: to clear away anything — anything — that is not the character and the circumstances of the scene,” Strong explained to The New Yorker in December 2021. “And usually that means clearing away almost everything around and inside you, so that you can be a more complete vessel for the work at hand.”
Strong’s costars Kieran Culkin and Brian Cox have since shared how they weren’t as thrilled by his behavior. Strong acknowledged that his method may come off as “difficult” to others, adding, “Sometimes there must even be room for necessary roughness.”
Culkin, 42, was quoted in the article when discussing how Strong’s work ethic is “something that helps” him. “I can tell you that it doesn’t help me,” he noted.
“The thing about Jeremy’s approach is it works in terms of what comes out the other end,” he detailed during an appearance on Late Night with Seth Meyers in 2021. “I don’t have a problem with Jeremy because he’s delightful. … He’s an extraordinary dad. He’s a pretty unique individual. But he does get obsessed with the work. And I worry about what it does to him, because if you can’t separate yourself — because you’re dealing with all of this material every day. You can’t live in it. Eventually, you get worn out.”
Cox continued: “Like, to me, Daniel Day Lewis got worn out at 55 and decided to retire because [he] couldn’t go on doing that every day. It’s too consuming. And I do worry about it. But the result — what everyone says about Jeremy — the result is always extraordinary and excellent.”
“It was painful. I felt foolish. As an actor, one of the most vital secret weapons that you can have is the ability to tolerate feeling foolish,” he told Vanity Fair in September 2022 before elaborating in a separate interview, “A lot of that is just things that are presented out of context or with a certain agenda. I know what everybody said, and there was an angle and a narrative that was being presented. Which is not to say that there was never friction between my costars. We’re a family in every sense of the word. But foundationally, there’s deep respect and even love.”
Lily Allen candidly addressed her ongoing mental health struggles — and shut down rumors she was going to rehab following a relapse.
During the Thursday, January 9, episode of her “Miss Me?” podcast, Allen, 39, announced she was stepping back while “finding it really hard to be interested in anything” at the moment.
“I’m really not in a good place,” she explained. “I know I’ve been talking about it for months, but I’ve been spiraling and spiraling and spiraling and it’s got out of control.”
Allen recalled having a “panic attack” at an event recently, adding, “I went to see something at the theater the other night with my [friends] Carlo and Claire, and I had to leave at halftime. I just can’t concentrate on anything except the pain that I’m going through.”
The singer, who is married to actor David Harbour, didn’t specify what was causing the personal decline. “It’s really, really hard,” she added before discussing her break from podcasting. “I’m going away next week. You’re not gonna hear me for a few weeks, listeners.”
Allen also used the opportunity to shut down “vicious rumors” she had relapsed and was going to rehab. She has often used her podcast as a platform to discuss mental health — revealing in December 2024 that she had been having difficulty eating for the last three years after suffering from bulimia in the past.
“I’ve been going through a tough time over the last few months and my eating has become a real issue,” she said on her show about how she didn’t tell her therapist about the issues. “It’s just because it hasn’t seemed at the top of the list of the important things that I need to talk about. I’m really not in a great place mentally at the moment.”
“I think that addiction runs deep in my family, so self-medicating was going to be on the cards. For me, it didn’t really feel like an ‘if,’ it was a ‘when,’” Allen, who is the daughter of comedian Keith Allen, told The Times in November 2024. “The journey of sobriety isn’t singular, and it isn’t linear. So if sharing my own experiences and struggles helps even just one person process what they’re going through, then it’s all worth it.”
Allen, who shares daughters Ethel, 13, and Marnie, 12, with ex Sam Cooper, elaborated on how her sobriety affects her marriage to Harbour, 49.
“We don’t really talk about it,” Allen explained. “I don’t think I’d ever had sex with anybody not drunk before I got together with him. So that was different for sure.”
She continued: “It’s a totally different thing. It’s unavoidable, conscious and real. He had a lot of experience with it, so it’s been helpful to do it with someone that’s long-in-the-tooth in that game.”
Marie Osmond is paying tribute to her brother Wayne Osmond after he died at age 73.
“I’ve taken a break from social media for the past 9 months and will continue to do so as I have felt a need to unplug and spend time with family,” Marie, 65, wrote via Instagram on Wednesday, January 8. “I’m so grateful that just a few weeks ago, I was able to take a long drive to spend time with my brother Wayne. I really felt the Spirit compel me to go see him, and I’m so thankful I listened to what I was feeling.”
“I will cherish those hours I spent with him for the rest of my life. I didn’t know that just a few days after my visit, he would have a massive stroke,” she continued. “I haven’t done any interviews or issued any statements until this post. The truth is, it’s just too hard to put into words, but I will try my best to honor one of the most loving men I have ever known.”
In the emotional post, Marie confessed that Wayne’s death left “another giant hole” in her heart. “There’s no question that Wayne had a long and successful career as an entertainer, musician, and songwriter. But what stands out to me as his sister were the joy-filled, humorous times I spent laughing with him and our deep intellectual conversations that left me edified,” she recalled. “He was always my safe place to go when I needed advice.”
News broke on January 2 that Wayne died in Salt Lake City, with sibling Merrill Osmond making the announcement via Facebook. “My brother was a saint before he came into this world, and he will leave as an even greater saint than he came in,” Merrill wrote at the time, noting that his brother “endured much” before his death.
Wayne performed alongside Merrill and brothers Donny, Alan and Jay as part of The Osmonds, hitting the peak of their success in the 1970s. While celebrating Wayne’s memory on Wednesday, Marie shared some of their favorite moments together.
“Wayne loved deeply, and he showered this love upon his beautiful wife, Kathy, whom he loved with all his heart, and his beautiful children and grandchildren. It’s all he ever talked about! I admired him, too, for his deep love and unwavering devotion to God our Father and His Son, our Savior, Jesus Christ,” she recalled. “Throughout his life, Wayne was an honorable member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It was his eternal compass, and he was a light to others as he testified of God’s great plan for us in this life. If you can, listen to one of his favorite albums that my brothers wrote ‘The Plan.’”
Marie concluded by sharing support for those who might be going through a similar experience. “So right now, if I could say anything to him, it would be: Wayne, I could not cherish the gift God gave me more than to be loved by you in this life!” she wrote. “You are a true, loving brother, and I will miss you so very much. I testify eternally of my great love for you with every fiber of my heart and soul! #TillWeMeetAgain.”
She added, “I know many of you understand these feelings from losing your loved ones,” also sending her “deepest prayers” to those impacted by the outbreak of wildfires raging through Los Angeles.
Dick Wolf‘s On Call follows fictional law enforcement working for the Long Beach Police Department — but why did the procedural make an effort not to offer commentary?
During an exclusive interview with Us Weekly, Troian Bellisario, Brandon Larracuente, Eriq LaSalle and Lori Loughlin discussed how their new show introduced important conversations without picking sides.
“At least from my own experience, the show left me with more questions than real answers. I hope that that’s what audiences experience as well,” Larracuente, 30, who plays Officer Alex Diaz, noted. “By the end of it, we’re not really trying to paint any narrative.”
Larracuente applauded On Call for “just trying to show the human side” of everyone, adding, “Hopefully audience members can relate to one of the characters [on the show] in some way, shape or form.”
“We want so many different kinds of people — who have many different views about the police — to come to this show. And we want them to take away what they take away,” the actress, who plays Officer Traci Harmon told Us. [“Executive producer] Elliot [Wolf] put it really well. He’s like, ‘We want to create a buffet and we want everybody to come to the table and eat together.’ That’s the thing. We’re not going to say, ‘Oh, you have that idea, so you’re not welcome here.’ You have that idea so you won’t like this show.’ You will see people make incredible decisions [on screen]. You’ll see us make mistakes. Nobody is a hero. And these are human beings — they just so happen to be doing this job.”
On Call, which premiered on Thursday, January 9, is Wolf Entertainment’s first scripted streaming series. The gritty drama utilized bodycam, dash-camera and cellphone footage to follow cops in the field.
While speaking with Us, Loughlin, 60, showed support for On Call‘s “intention” when “not trying to comment” any which way. Her costar Eriq La Salle found that to be an appealing part of the show when joining as a lead and director.
“We’re just trying to present real credible characters. We all spent a shift — or at least a minimum of a shift — riding along with a cop, answering calls and observing, which was extremely helpful. For me as a director, being able to be in that cruiser and to be the fly on the wall is the goal for me with the audience,” the actor, 62, who plays Sergeant Lasman explained. “We try to bring the audience in and make them feel like they’re in that car with us and that they’re on these calls with us. Everyone was in sync on what we were trying to do.”
“We’re not saying [anything], we are just presenting. It’s up to you to decide how you interpret these characters. You might like some characters, you might not like some characters,” he continued. “You might agree with some characters [and] you might not. But our job — and I think I am proud of the job that we have done — is to present what we see as the truth and what we see as the multi-dimensions of these characters.”
“Our audiences are evolving. The police procedural is something that is not new and it’s definitely a Wolf Entertainment production. It’s classic and everybody loves it,” Bellisario noted. “Younger audiences are mostly streaming. They’re watching less procedural and more character-driven shows. We’re going to use the world of law enforcement but we’re going to show it to you in a place that you don’t really see a lot, which is Long Beach. It’s an entirely new community and landscape.”
She concluded: “We’re not going to show you a case and then solve it by the end of it. There is an overarching story line to this season that our characters are following. but it’s really just about the time spent between us and this relationship and how it builds and how it falls and the betrayals and the beliefs. It’s just a really incredible amalgamation of all of these new ideas that I think present a totally original idea in the show.”
Investigation Discovery’s explosive docuseries about Sean “Diddy” Combs features new revelations about the disgraced music mogul — including comments from a surprise interview subject — ahead of his sex trafficking trial.
The network released the official trailer on Thursday, January 9, which featured more than 30 interviews from former friends, employees and colleagues who all have individual allegations of abuse against Diddy, 55.
“I have been quiet for 18 years,” shared one person as someone else noted how “absolutely nervous” they were to speak out. In another confessional, an individual said they could “no longer just remain silent” about their experience.
The topics covered in the upcoming four-part docuseries include allegations of abuse, violence and threats. The documentary also features footage of Diddy’s ex-girlfriend Cassie, who sued him in November 2023 for sexual assault and physical abuse. Diddy has denied all allegations and the pair settled the case out of court one day later.
After Cassie’s lawsuit, several other people came forward with similar misconduct accusations against Diddy, which he denied. The disgraced rapper is currently in prison after being arrested on charges of racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion and transportation to engage in prostitution. Diddy issued a plea of not guilty after his arrest but was denied bail. He currently faces up to life in prison if convicted.
The Fall of Diddy hails from Maxine Productions, which worked on Investigation Discovery’s bombshell doc Quiet On Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV. According to a press release, The Fall of Diddy “uncovers the insidious and terrifying allegations of sexual assault, abusive behavior, violence, and other disturbing claims that lay beneath his success.”
The interview revelations include comments from some who claim they “saw his alleged violence and temper during his college days at Howard University and the onset of his career with Bad Boy Records, to those who knew him at the height of his influence and power in recent years,” according to the same press release. The sneak peek ended with someone sitting down to be interviewed — but their identity remained a secret.
Danity Kane member D. Woods, producer Rodney ‘Lil Rod’ Jones, magazine editor Danyel Smith, hip hop minister and spiritual advisor Reverend Conrad Tillard, former driver Wardel Fenderson, bodyguard Roger Bonds, childhood friend Tim Patterson, publicist Dr. LaJoyce Brookshire and alleged victims Thalia Graves and Natania Griffin were interview for the docuseries. Makeup artist Mylah Morales, who claims to have witnessed Diddy’s alleged abuse of Cassie, 38, also took part in The Fall of Diddy series.
Prosecutors previously alleged in the 14-page unsealed indictment that Diddy “abused, threatened and coerced women and others around him to fulfill his sexual desires, protect his reputation and conceal his conduct.”
“Combs relied on the employees, resources and influence of the multifaceted business empire that he led and controlled — creating a criminal enterprise whose members and associates engaged in, and attempted to engage in, among other crimes, sex trafficking, forced labor, kidnapping, arson, bribery and obstruction of justice,” the indictment continued of the accusations, some of which date back to 2009.
Diddy’s attorney Marc Agnifilo denied the accusations in a statement.
“We are disappointed with the decision to pursue what we believe is an unjust prosecution of Mr. Combs by the U.S. Attorney’s Office,” Agnifilo told Us Weekly after the arrest. “Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs is a music icon, self-made entrepreneur, loving family man and proven philanthropist who has spent the last 30 years building an empire, adoring his children and working to uplift the Black community.”
Agnifilo added: “He is an imperfect person, but he is not a criminal. To his credit, Mr. Combs has been nothing but cooperative with this investigation and he voluntarily relocated to New York last week in anticipation of these charges. Please reserve your judgment until you have all the facts. These are the acts of an innocent man with nothing to hide, and he looks forward to clearing his name in court.”
Diddy has since been named in dozens of lawsuits where he has been accused of sexual assault, all of which his legal team continues to deny. A civil complaint from October 2024 was amended on December 2024, to include Jay-Z‘s name in accusations claiming the duo raped a then-13-year-old at a party.
Jay-Z, 55, publicly denied the allegations and has since asked the federal court in New York to dismiss the case completely and have the accuser’s name made public.
“Mr. Carter deserves to know the identity of the person who is effectively accusing him — in sensationalized, publicity-hunting fashion — of criminal conduct, demanding massive financial compensation, and tarnishing a reputation earned over decades,” the Monday, December 9, court documents stated. “That campaign was cynical and calculated to force payment of an exorbitant sum of money — Defendant would have to pay X millions of dollars irrespective of the truth, or else.”
The filing continued: “When Defendant refused to pay and instead took measures to establish his innocence, this unnamed Plaintiff and her self-promoting counsel (whose name has been splashed across headlines and press conferences under auspices of representing her) went to extraordinary lengths to shut down fair defense. But those efforts, too, failed.”
The Fall of Diddy airs on Investigation Discovery Monday, January 27, and Tuesday, January 28, at 9 p.m. ET. Episodes will also be available to stream on Max.
After sitcom success with Home Improvement and Last Man Standing, Tim Allen wasn’t exactly planning to return to network TV, that is until Shifting Gears pulled up.
“It was a complicated decision. I was doing Disney+’s Santa Claus series at the time and I said, ‘I really can’t think about this now,'” Allen, 71, whose Zoom name coincidentally is Santa, exclusively revealed in the newest issue of Us Weekly. “Do I want to do linear TV? I was so depressed at how streaming has hurt television. So if I did it, I want to elevate it.”
The actor specifically pointed to his past experience on the small screen, adding, “I’ve done Mike Baxter [on Last Man Standing] and Tim Taylor [on Home Improvement]. So if I do this again, I pitched three things: I want a guy that lost his wife recently, so he’s dealing with grief; I want a guy with the family that doesn’t get along; And then he has a custom car shop.”
Allen enjoyed playing a character that was “not like the other guys” he brought to life.
“He’s more like me. I’m more of an artist. I was a design student and a philosopher and my standup comedy is really about messing with people in a good way,” he noted to Us. “I came from a huge family run by women. So my perspective is very different about men. I don’t think we run things. So I want this to be that guy. He’s not a man’s man in that term, and he wasn’t trying to be anything but what he does.”
Shifting Gears, which premieres on Wednesday, January 8, follows widowed father Matt (Allen) and his estranged daughter, Riley (Kat Dennings), as they find themselves living together and working to repair their relationship. The ABC series comes three years after Allen’s previous sitcom, Last Man Standing, wrapped its nine-season run. Before Last Man Standing, Allen was known for playing Tim “The Toolman” Taylor on the ABC sitcom Home Improvement, which ran from 1991 to 1999.
“This is a new character and it’s much closer to [who I am]. I’ve been through grief in my life with losing my father,” he shared. “I’ve been blessed to be a comedian and so that’s who this [character] is. If I did it again, I wanted to get as much closer to the [man] that I am.”
“It was immediate when we [met]. The director wanted to see how we got along. It never stopped. The kismet was crazy. We’re both born on the same day — many years apart,” he said. “We’re different in so many ways. But our attitude about comedy is very similar. She cracks me up and I’m not easy that way. Kat can [deliver these lines] with a straight face. Her anger — that she played on 2 Broke Girls — is very similar to the sharpness that Mike Baxter could get into now.”
He continued: “When we argue on screen, it’s funny that we interrupt each other and it comes quite naturally. I don’t know where it’s coming from. I adore this person already. She and her husband [Andrew W.K.] are great people. It is like I’ve known her for freaking years, same as most of this cast.”
In addition to Allen and Dennings, Shifting Gears also stars Seann William Scott, Daryl “Chill” Mitchell, Maxwell Simkins and Barrett Margolis. Jenna Elfman, meanwhile, has been cast in a recurring role as spirited choreographer Eve Drake, who owns a dance studio across from the classic car restoration shop run by Allen’s character.
“From the very beginning, [the creative team has said] that we’ve never seen Tim Allen in a sitcom with a romantic interest. And I said, ‘Well, I’ve just lost my wife so I don’t see it.’ So I love where we are,” Allen told Us about Elfman, 53, potentially playing his love interest. “I said, ‘If it happens over time and happens organically with two people that do not get along then it is OK. I just am really cautious about this. I just want it to happen where it’s organic and proper.”
Shifting Gears premieres on ABC Wednesday, January 8, at 8 p.m. ET before streaming the next day on Hulu.
TMZ reports that Alba, 43, and Warren, 45, recently separated and are preparing to file for divorce. Us Weekly has reached out to reps for Alba and Warren for comment.
The duo met on the set ofThe Fantastic Four in 2004, where Alba was the lead actress and Warren was a production assistant. They tied the knot four years later.
During their 2008 nuptials, Alba was nine months pregnant with their daughter Honor, now 16. The pair went on to welcome daughter Haven, 13, and son, Hayes, 6.
Alba has gushed about her husband over the years, exclusively telling Us Weekly in 2011, “Whenever I doubt myself for a second, he’s the first one to come up and say, ‘You can do this, I believe in you.’ I don’t know what I’d do without him there. And he’s so good with the kids. We’re really happy.”
More recently, however, the actress was candid about facing ups and downs in her marriage.
“It’s all rosy for two and a half years. But then after that, you become roommates,” Alba revealed to Katherine Schwarzenegger on her Instagram series Before, During, and After Baby in July 2021. “You’re just going through the motions. You have the responsibilities. It’s a lot of, like, checking the boxes, right?”
Alba admitted at the time that she had found herself taking her husband for granted, noting, “We have, like, obviously the friendship, the comfort of, like, ‘You’re not going anywhere,’ and so sometimes you don’t treat those people the best, right? You don’t consider their feelings in the way that you would consider other people’s feelings.”
While reflecting on her “constant” attempts to work on her bond with Warren, Alba shared how they had started to focus on “being able to communicate when you’re unhappy” and confronting issues “right away instead of letting it sort of fester.”
Alba also opened up about how motherhood allowed her to address her emotions more, sharing, “I feel like I didn’t really understand the nooks and crannies of the complexity of feelings and relationship dynamics. There wasn’t a lot of space held for vulnerability.”
In recent weeks, Alba sparked split speculation when she was spotted not wearing her wedding ring. She and Warren appeared to put on a united front by celebrating the holidays with their kids and posting photos on social media.
“Happy Holidays from our familia to yours ” Alba wrote via Instagram in December 2024 in addition to an inspirational quote, which read, “The Universe is saying to you today: ‘Now is a powerful time. Allow yourself to be open to every possibility and opportunity that presents for you. Your life changes as you change your inner beliefs. Everything in your life is a clear reflection of what you believe. Trust yourself more.”
Adam Brody is showing his range, transforming from Hot Rabbi to Hot Cowboy in wife Leighton Meester‘s upcoming procedural Good Cop/Bad Cop.
The CW released the official trailer on Tuesday, January 7, for the series, which premieres February 19, and Brody, 45, made a blink-and-you’ll-miss it cameo as a cowboy who mistakes Meester’s character, Lou, and her brother Henry (Luke Cook), for a couple.
Good Cop/Bad Cop follows a sibling detective team as they deal with a slew of colorful residents, a serious lack of resources, their complex relationship and a very complicated dynamic with their police chief (and father) played by Clancy Brown.
This isn’t the first time Meester, 38, and Brody have shared the screen after reconnecting on the set of The Oranges. Since taking their relationship public, they have also appeared together on Single Parents and River Wild.
Us Weekly broke the news in 2013 that Meester and Brody were officially dating. They tied the knot one year later.
“My wife and I actually got married very fast after we started dating. That’s how sort of easy a decision it was for me and us,” Brody said on SiriusXM’s The Jess Cagle Show during a March 2023 interview. “I was never scared of the idea of marriage or kids. It always seemed like a route I would go [down] eventually, and I was excited to when it came together [and] when I met the right person.”
Brody later gushed about how he knew he was interested in Meester instantly, despite her needing a few “years” to see him in the same light.
“She remained elusive to me for so long, you know, and aloof,” he explained on an April 2023 episode of Stitcher Studios’ “Popcrushed” podcast. “I couldn’t get a total read because even though she professe[d] to have been interested in me and all those things — not only did she not pursue that, I mean, she was perfectly willing to let that never happen.”
The actor joked: “She was perfectly willing to let that message in the bottle return to sea at several points. [Leighton] says, ‘Oh, it’s because I knew if we did [date] it would be a thing.’ Or, like, ‘It’s too powerful.’”
“I don’t think there’s any kind of secret. I think it’s individual,” she shared in December 2023. “In our case, I think we get along. We like each other a lot.”
Chad Duell‘s exit from General Hospital was shocking, fiery and epic.
Duell, 37, wrapped up his character’s story on Monday, January 6, when Michael Corinthos caught on fire after an explosion. Michael officially served Willow (Katelyn MacMullen) divorce papers before being encouraged to punch his estranged wife’s lover, Drew (Cameron Mathison).
Later in the episode, Michael heard a ticking before he was set on fire by an explosion. He was ultimately engulfed in flames and screaming in pain, which didn’t come as a surprise after Duell previously announced his exit from General Hospital after more than 14 years.
“This wasn’t an easy decision for me, but it feels like the right time in my life,” he wrote via Instagram in November 2024. “I’m beyond grateful to [executive producer] Frank Valentini, the cast, crew, and everyone behind the scenes who have been like family to me throughout this amazing journey.”
Duell noted at the time that this “isn’t a goodbye — it’s a see you later.” He later discussed his decision to step away.
“It’s a life adjustment,” he shared on an episode of the “Daily Drama” podcast in December 2024. “A lot of stuff’s been going on in my life. There’s a few things behind it but one thing I did say is my dad passed away and I’m still coming to terms with that.”
Duell said he wanted to spend more time with partner Luana Lucci and their 16-month-old son, Dawson.
“I’m preparing myself for next chapters,” he continued. “Right now, I’m just trying to grow in ways that maybe I feel like I stifled myself in certain aspects and sometimes you need to take drastic steps or make yourself feel uncomfortable and that’s not what I’ve done in a long time.”
At the time, Duell claimed the door was open for a return before teasing new projects, adding, “Coming in January, I have a few things planned [that] I want to do for myself. It’s different because I have a kid now. But also for him and me as well and everybody, doing what’s best for me — spiritually, mentally, everything — will only reflect my energy in a better way towards everybody around me, and I want to make sure that I take care of myself as well, which I haven’t always done.”
“I feel like I had a very strong comfort in this for such a long time that my identity was wrapped up in that,” he concluded. “It’s going to be a process, but kind of unraveling that and really seeing who I am and where I am now in my life. It’s going to be a little journey. I don’t know what the future holds, but there is a lot of work I have to do to achieve the potential that I know I have. Not just career-wise, but a lot of aspects.”
General Hospital airs weekdays on ABC and can be streamed on Hulu.
Savannah Chrisley‘s boyfriend, Robert Shiver, got a stamp of approval from her mother, Julie Chrisley — but her father, Todd Chrisley, hasn’t been as receptive.
During the Tuesday, January 7, episode of Savannah’s “Unlocked” podcast, Shiver, 40, confirmed that he met Julie, 52, but claimed Todd, 55, “has not been as open” to making an introduction.
“I think that’s probably rightfully so,” Shiver noted. “It’s his daughter. [He is probably thinking], ‘Who’s this guy? He’s got all this baggage.’ And Todd has a tendency to be vocal on certain situations and issues.”
Shiver continued: “I don’t know if there’s many situations where nobody knows how he feels, because they always know how he feels.”
Savannah, 27, noted that her father’s reservations could come from Shiver’s past, adding, “I don’t think anyone ever looks at life, and they’re like, ‘Oh, I want my kid to marry someone that’s 12 years older, that’s been divorced and that has kids.’ Like, that’s not what you would want for your daughter.”
Shiver, however, has his “fingers crossed” about meeting Todd this year. Both of Savannah’s parents are serving time in prison after being convicted in June 2022 of fraud and tax evasion.
“I have met your mother one time. She is an incredible human being. Me and Julie, we get along great,” Shiver shared. “I was just open [with her]. It’s so easy to talk tough behind the keyboard. It’s so easy to read comments and that’s why I just stay away from all of that stuff, because all you’re going to do is go down a rabbit hole.”
He continued: “I’m going into this open. This is somebody that you love. This is somebody that everybody in the car loves. So I went in with an open mind and it didn’t disappoint and I had a great time with her. I think she laughed a ton.”
Savannah told Shiver that he and Julie connected because “you are my mother and I am my father.” As she continues to advocate for her parents’ innocence, Savannah admitted she was concerned about Shiver not meeting the “best version” of Julie.
“That was really difficult for me,” she shared. “You’re going to visit her in a prison and I don’t think you’ve ever thought, ‘Oh, I’m gonna go see my girlfriend’s mom in prison, meet her for the first time.’ Like, not the image anyone had ever imagined.”
Todd and Julie were first indicted in 2019 on charges of tax evasion, bank and wire fraud and conspiracy. After being found guilty in 2022, Todd was sentenced to 12 years in prison and his wife received a seven-year sentence. The couple have maintained their innocence while continuing to serve their time in separate locations.
Savannah, for her part, stepped up to look after her brother Grayson, 18, and niece Chloe, 11, whom Shiver has bonded with as well. Savannah initially reached out to Shiver after he made headlines in 2023 for surviving an alleged murder plot orchestrated by his ex Lindsay Shiver.
While looking ahead to their future, Savannah admitted she isn’t planning to start a family with Shiver until his divorce is finalized.
“Well, I’m not gonna have a child with someone that is still legally married. I’m not really into that,” she recently mentioned on her podcast. “But if I had a child with him and we weren’t married, like, I’m fine with that, but you just can’t be married to someone else when I have that child.”
Savannah added that things will “move quick” once Shiver is legally single.
Allison Holker is speaking out amid the backlash surrounding her decision to share personal details about late husband Stephen “tWitch” Boss in her upcoming memoir.
On Tuesday, January 7, Holker, 36, gave a wide-ranging interview to People about This Far: My Story of Love, Loss, and Embracing the Light, which tackles her life and Boss’ death by suicide. Some of Boss’ loved ones expressed their frustration with Holker’s revelations about her husband’s alleged drug addiction and more.
“Anyone who knows me, knows I go straight to the source during a conflict and handle my business,” Courtney Ann Platt, who appeared on So You Think You Can Dance alongside Holker, began via Instagram on Tuesday. “But since there’s clearly no shame in being so public, I haven’t said a word in two years but here I go. This is by far the most tacky, classless, opportunistic act I have ever seen in my entire life.”
Platt, who says she was friends with the couple, specifically referenced how Holker mentioned details from Boss’ life he hadn’t mentioned publicly before his 2022 death, writing, “You’re a living, breathing bulldozer. Stick to your own demons. Shame on you Allison, shame on your money hungry team. Let my friend Rest in Peace not your PR.”
Boss’ brother Dré Rose, meanwhile, claimed there was ongoing tension between Boss’ family and Holker.
“We have noticed a disturbing lack of communication and inclusion concerning the children’s activities and well-being,” he wrote on Tuesday. “It’s disheartening that their interactions with their grandmother, and the wider family, have been noticeably limited.”
Holker has yet to respond specifically to Platt and Rose, but when fellow dancer Kelly Gibsonwrote, “This whole thing made me sad. He’s gone. Why tear apart this name? This paycheck was not worth disgracing his name” in the comments of People’s post, Holker responded: “I’ll always love you. Just trying to help people feel safe to ask for help and support.”
Holker went on to repost several supportive Instagram Stories on her account. “Sharing this powerful message to remind us all how important it is to have open conversations about mental health,” read a message from a social media user.
Us Weekly has reached out to Holker for comment. During her interview on Tuesday, Holker discussed finding closure after Boss’ sudden death. (Boss, best known for his all-star appearances on So You Think You Can Dance and as the regular DJ on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, died by suicide in December 2022 at age 40.)
“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,” she told People about reading through her late husband’s journals after his passing. “He didn’t want other people to take on his pain.”
Holker revealed that Boss alluded to being sexually abused by a male figure during his childhood in the entries. “Reading Stephen’s journals, and even going back into the books he had read and the things that he was highlighting and lining, really gave me a better perspective of where he was in life and the type of things he was struggling with,” she told the outlet.”It did have me feel a lot of empathy towards him and sadness for all the pain that he was holding.”
According to Holker, Boss was also hiding an alleged drug addiction. (No drugs were found in the late dancer’s system at the time of his death.)
“I was with one of my really dear friends, and we were cleaning out the closet and picking out an outfit for him for the funeral,” Holker said about the “cornucopia” of drugs including mushrooms, pills and “other substances” she had to look up after finding them in Boss’ shoeboxes. “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 continued: “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.”
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).
Five months later, the couple reached a major milestonewhen they made their red carpet debut at the2022 Met Gala. Gerber celebrated the Gilded Age theme with an Alexander McQueen metallic gown while Butler opted for an all-black Prada suit for the big event.
The next year, a second source exclusively told Us that Butler and Gerber were very “secure” in their relationship — and that her famous parents, Rande Gerber and Cindy Crawford, approved of the pairing.
News broke in January 2025 that the couple had parted ways over the holidays.
Scroll down to relive Butler and Gerber’s adorable romance:
Scott Wolfhas played several TV doctors — but does that mean his loved ones now ask him for medical advice?
“I’ve played a doctor four times. I should get a degree from someplace,” Wolf, 56, joked during an exclusive interview with Us Weekly about his new Fox series Doc. “Thankfully for [my family] they don’t [ask for my medical advice].”
Before scoring the role of Dr. Richard Miller on Fox’s upcoming medical drama, Wolf played medical professionals on Everwood, The Nine and The Night Shift.
“I do diagnose family members, to their great annoyance,” he quipped. “One of the great things about being an actor is you get to — sort of through osmosis — absorb these worlds. None of this is making any of us real doctors. This is the fourth time I’ve played a doctor and some stuff sticks in there.”
Wolf noted how important it was to honor real doctors, adding, “It matters to me a lot and it matters to everyone in this production that we honor the work that these life-saving heroes are doing in real life.”
Doc, which premieres on Tuesday, January 7, is based on Italian TV series Nelle tue mani about a doctor who loses her memory in a car accident and wakes up to find her entire life has changed. Molly Parker leads the cast alongside Wolf, Omar Metwally, Amirah Vann, Jon Ecker, Anya Banerjee and Patrick Walker.
“[My doctor character on Doc] is my No. 1 favorite in terms of my enjoyment of the complexity,” Wolf told Us.”I’ve gotten to explore these different medical worlds playing doctors. But I’ve never had a more fun, interesting, complicated and sometimes painful character to play. And to be back working with Fox again after I started with Party of Five [in the ’90s], they are two of my favorite experiences by far. It is full circle in some fun ways.”
“Any actor will tell you that you always have to find justification and understanding and empathy for the characters you’re playing. But in this case, it wasn’t like I had to figure out how to justify a bad guy doing bad things,” the actor clarified. “This was a very good person who any of us could wind up being. But with his circumstances, he winds up in this terrible situation where a mistake has happened and his reaction to it is to just get protective.”
Wolf teased Us that Richard’s arc — and Doc as a series — will “constantly surprise” viewers, saying, “It is so well-written and I’m a huge fan of hospital shows, But obviously this central premise is so interesting, and the character development is incredible. The whole point is to create characters and tell stories that engage people.”
He continued: “Sometimes it can take time and the very first episode of a show can make you come away feeling like you only scratch the surface. … I didn’t know what direction they were going to head in all of them, but it’s amazing to read something and feel like I’ll play any character in this show.”
Doc airs on Fox Tuesdays at 9 p.m. ET and new episodes stream the next day on Hulu.
After the success of his anthology series Monster, Ryan Murphy is basing the third season around convicted killer Ed Gein.
The first season of Netflix’s hit show debuted in 2022 and focused on Evan Peters‘ portrayal of Jeffrey Dahmer. Monster, which also starred Niecy Nash, came under fire after the family of Dahmer’s victims revealed they weren’t consulted for the show.
Peters, meanwhile, opened up about how his mental health was affected after taking in the complicated role. “I’m going to take a little break from darker roles and explore the light,” he told Variety in December 2022. “It would be interesting to me to play something that is a little closer to home, a little more mundane and to explore the details of those kinds of experiences.”
Season 2 faced similar backlash after Erik Menéndez slammed Murphy’s portrayal of him and brother Lyle Menéndez. Murphy, however, stood by his work and even claimed that Monsters created renewed support in the Menéndez case, which ultimately led to a new hearing being ordered by the Los Angeles District Attorney’s office.
“I don’t mind being complicated. I know that my intentions were good,” Murphy told People in September 2024. “We just really wanted people to talk about this topic and it’s an uncomfortable topic, which I get.”
Murphy called the criticism from the show’s subjects as “faux outrage,” adding, “Because if you look at what we do, we give those boys so much airtime to talk about what they claim as their physical abuse. We live in a sort of culture of outrage that a lot of things are knee-jerk, and that’s fine. I’m used to being controversial. It’s not new to me.”
Season 3 of the anthology series was renewed and will be titled Monster: The Original Monster with Hunnam taking on the role of Gein. Keep scrolling for everything to know about season 3 of Monster:
What Is ‘Monster: The Original Monster’ About?
Netflix announced in September 2024 that a third season of Monster would focus on Gein, who was a convicted murderer and suspected serial killer. The series will explore Gein’s life as the first “celebrity serial killer” while examining how true crime evolved into a pop culture phenomenon.
Who Stars on Season 3 of ‘Monster’?
In addition to Hunnam playing the lead role, Laurie Metcalf has been cast as Gein’s mother while Tom Hollander will play Alfred Hitchcock. Olivia Williams is starring as Hitchcock’s wife, Alma Reville.
When Will ‘Monster: The Original Monster’ Be Released?
Production on season 3 began in late October 2024 and one month later Hunnam started filming his scenes for the show. Monster: The Original Monster will likely premiere in late 2025 following the success of the Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menéndez Story.
Who Is Ed Gein?
Nicknamed the “Butcher of Plainfield,” Gein was convicted of one count of first-degree murder and admitted to a second killing in the 1950s. It has been suspected that Gein was involved in multiple other crimes around his Plainfield, Wisconsin, hometown. Gein also admitted to exhuming multiple graves and fashioned grotesque keepsakes out of the bodies.
Gein was initially found unfit to stand trial and transferred to a mental health facility. In 1968 a judge found him competent to stand trial and Gein was found guilty of the murder of hardware store owner Bernice Worden. He was subsequently found legally insane and remained at a psychiatric institution until his death in 1984 at age 77 from respiratory failure resulting from lung cancer.
How Is the Movie ‘Psycho’ Involved in the Case?
Gein served as the inspiration behind movies such as The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, The Silence of the Lambs and Psycho, which will be explored in Monster: The Original Monster.
Has Ryan Murphy Explored Ed Gein’s Story on Screen Before?
During American Horror Story: Asylum, Zachary Quintoplayed a fictional serial killer named Dr. Oliver Thredson a.k.a Bloody Face who was inspired by Gein. Meanwhile, season 1 of Monster introduced Shane Kerwin as Gein even though there hasn’t been a documented connection between him and Dahmer.
Could Actors From Former Seasons Make an Appearance?
While Murphy is known for collaborating with actors on multiple projects (just check out the cast list for American Horror Story), his Monster anthology series hasn’t featured the same people across seasons.
Season 3 of Below Deck Down Under is kicking things up a notch with a trailer full of hookups, bullying claims and a crew member getting physical on screen.
Bravo released the official sneak peek on Tuesday, January 7, with Captain Jason Chambers back at the helm alongside alums Chef Tzarina Mace-Ralph and deckhand Harry Van Vliet. They are joined by newbies bosun Wihan Du Toit, chief stew Lara Rigby, deckhands Johnny Arvanitis and Adair Werley, stews Brianna Duffield and Marina Marcondes de Barros and sous-chef Anthony Bird.
“In my 25 years of being a captain, I have learned that you can’t be in control of everything. Sometimes we need to step out of our comfort zones,” Jason says in a voiceover about the newest season, which is set in the Seychelles off the coast of Africa. “Exploring new depths and facing new challenges in front of us.”
“I will not tolerate heads of department yelling at each other,” Jason tells the crew. “There is an undercurrent of negativity onboard and to me it is an infection. I am just going to keep cutting the infection so I have to let you go.”
Before Bravo released the first look for the season, which returns Monday, February 3, Jason exclusively told Us Weekly about what fans could expect after a controversial second season.
“There were changes for sure [following the misconduct scandal]. I know that the policies and procedures were in place during the previous seasons, even when that happened. When production stepped in and stopped it, that showed that these policies and procedures were very understood,” Jason shared in September 2024. “Now for the next season, the policies and procedures weren’t just controlled by the production team itself. They actually brought additional HR people to actually make sure that the black and white writing was understood by all.”
Jason praised the production team for breaking down the guidelines before they started filming. (News broke in September 2023 that NBC Universal increased its requirements around anti-discrimination and harassment policies, making an inclusive workplace and channels to report concerns and violations.)
“It was just pushed down even further and showed to us true to form what it was,” the captain added about the onscreen changes “There seemed to be a lot less drinking and a lot more drama.”
Season 2 of Below Deck Down Under made headlines in 2023 when bosun Luke Jones was filmed getting into bed naked with stewardess Margot Sisson, who at the time was passed out after an alcohol-fueled crew night out. After a cameraman intervened, producers made Luke leave the boat ,and he was moved to a hotel for the night. Jason ultimately terminated Luke and let stewardess Laura Bileskaline go after she blamed Margot for his exit.
“The one thing that sticks in my mind is that I supported everyone afterward. Everyone involved with it had some learning to do. I’ve stayed in touch with every person that’s been involved and they’ve become a better person and that’s great,” Jason told Usabout the aftermath. “I think the industry 15 or 20 years ago was totally different. A lot of these things were acceptable in many ways and in society as well. I’m glad that society is not like that anymore and we have got the ability to put our foot down on certain issues.”
Despite the backlash toward certain crew members, Jason made an effort to stay “in contact” with the entire season 2 cast, adding, “I look back at the people that actually were involved in every aspect of that incident and I know that everyone’s become a better person. We have to give everyone the right to learn from their mistakes.”
Jason also spoke about chief stew Aesha Scott‘s absence after they worked together on the first two seasons of Below Deck Down Under. The former coworkers stayed in contact after Aesha’s return to Below Deck Mediterranean.
“She’s very busy at the moment. I know she’s got a lot going on. I haven’t contacted her for about six months now. I might have to send her a text very soon,” Jason shared with Us. “But there’s always contact there for sure.”
Below Deck Med’s Captain Sandy Yawn, meanwhile, joked that she didn’t want Aesha to return to the Down Under franchise, telling Us that same month, “I think Captain Jason will find his chief stew because Aesha started in the Med and she belongs in the Mediterranean with me.”
Below Deck Down Under season 3 premieres on Bravo Monday, February 3, at 8 p.m. ET. New episodes stream the next day on Peacock.