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Fetty Wap is free from federal prison as of Thursday, 11 months ahead of his scheduled release.

The “Trap Queen” rapper, born William Junior Maxwell II, pleaded guilty in August 2022 to conspiracy to distribute and possess controlled substances. He will be supervised for five years, in line with his six-year 2023 sentence.

“Home,” the 34-year-old posted in an Instagram story on Thursday showing the text in stark white on a plain black background.

“Right now, my focus is on giving back through my community initiatives and foundation, supporting at-risk young children by expanding access to education, early tech skills, and vision care for young kids and students so they can show up as their best selves,” he said Thursday in a statement to Billboard. He also thanked family, friends and fans for their support.

He will be in home confinement in Philadelphia until Nov. 8, TMZ reported, then will have to spend the next five years abstaining from alcohol and drugs unless he gets a prescription from a doctor. He might get sent to an outpatient drug program during that time if the court thinks it’s needed, the site said. In addition to getting tested for drug use while under supervision, he won’t be able to open any bank accounts without federal agents’ OK and will have to keep the U.S. Probation Department apprised of his earnings and tax records.

Fetty Wap was arrested in October 2021 before he could take the stage at the New York edition of the Rolling Loud festival and charged along with five other men. In the indictment, the six defendants were accused of distributing cocaine, heroin, fentanyl and crack cocaine. In addition to the conspiracy charge, the five other defendants were also initially charged with using firearms in connection to the alleged drug trafficking.

The performer was released on $500,000 bail while he awaited trial, then — after being put back in custody two months later for a threatening FaceTime call that authorities said violated the terms of his release — pleaded guilty in August 2022.

In May 2023, the “My Way” emcee was sentenced to six years for his role in the drug scheme, with five years of post-release supervision to follow.

“Me being selfish in my pride put me in this position today,” he told the judge who sentenced him. His lawyers had suggested he decided to sell drugs because of financial woes brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“This is a sad day,” defense attorney Elizabeth Macedonio said at the time. “This is a kid from Paterson, New Jersey, who made it out.”

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York saw it differently, saying in a news release that Fetty Wap was “a kilogram-level redistributor” for his trafficking organization.

The organization distributed more than 100 kilograms (approximately 220 pounds) of cocaine, heroin, fentanyl and crack cocaine from June 2019 through June 2020, the release said. Searches executed during investigation of the crime yielded approximately $1.5 million in cash, 16 kilograms of cocaine, 2 kilograms of heroin, numerous fentanyl pills, two 9mm handguns, a rifle, a .45 caliber pistol, a .40 caliber pistol and ammunition, the release said.

“The defendants obtained the narcotics on the west coast and used the United States Postal Service and drivers with hidden vehicle compartments to transport the controlled substances across the country to Suffolk County, where they were stored,” the office said. “The drugs were then distributed to dealers, who sold them on Long Island and in New Jersey.”

Fetty Wap did his time at a low-security federal prison in Sandstone, Minn., north of Minneapolis.

Former Times staff writer Nardine Saad and the Associated Press contributed to this report.

TRIBUTES have been paid to Nickelodeon composer Guy Moon after he was killed in a horror car crash in Los Angeles.

Moon’s heartbroken family said they are “overcome with grief” after his tragic death on Thursday morning.

The Emmy-nominated composer was traveling in LA when he was involved in a traffic collision and died of traumatic injuries, the LA County Medical Examiner’s report said.

His family said: “We feel singularly blessed to have been able to call him dad and husband.

“As we stand together at the base of what seems to be an insurmountable grief, we are emboldened to grieve him with honor and courage with the tools that he equipped us with in his beautiful life.

“He has left an unmistakable legacy, and will be profoundly missed by us, his family, and countless others whose lives he impacted.”

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Moon’s music featured on beloved shows across the Nickelodeon network – including The Fairly OddParents, Danny Phantom, Big Time Rush, and SpongeBob SquarePants.

He composed popular songs, including Bartmania!, Shiny Teeth, and the catchy theme song for Danny Phantom.

Moon was nominated for four Emmy awards in the Outstanding Music and Lyrics category from 2002 to 2004 as a composer for the Butch Hartman-created show The Fairly OddParents.

Hartman, who was a co-nominee with Guy at the Emmy Awards, said: “I have no words yet because there are none adequate enough. Guy was my friend. My brother. My family.”

Big Time Rush star Stephen Kramer Glickman paid tribute to the longtime “Nick” composer.

He said: “This is heartbreaking.”

Born in Wisconsin in 1962, Moon attended the University of Arizona School of Music before he moved to California.

He has credits in more than 70 works spanning four decades – across film, television series, animated series, TV movies, and shorts.

He was credited on films including The Brady Bunch Movie, and a producer on The Black Knight and Dr. Dolittle 2.

MOM-OF-TWO Ashley Tisdale shocked fans when she dragged a long-simmering feud back into the spotlight after calling out her former “mean girl” A-list pals, Hilary Duff and Mandy Moore.

These Mom wars have been erupting on both sides of the pond for years, whether it’s Love Island’s Molly-Mae feuding with mommy bloggers or sister rivalry between Kourtney and Kim Kardashian in Hollywood.

With bitter fallouts to ruthless mom-shaming, these celebrity parents have taken their battles far beyond the playground.

From an A-lister blocked on a Whatsapp group to ‘hippy parent’ shaming, here’s an inside look into showbiz’s biggest ‘toxic mom’ feuds.

Ashley vs “Mean Girl” Moms

High School Musical alum Ashley Tisdale caused controversy when she revealed that she was dumped by her A-list mom friends, calling them out for their “mean girl” behaviour.

Ashley is mom to daughters Jupiter and Emerson with husband Chris French but went viral this month thanks to her scathing words about the group.

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Ashley, published an op-ed entitled You’re Allowed To Leave Your Mom Group, in which she explained how she took a stand after “being left out from yet another group hang.”

While she didn’t name people, it was well known she hung out with a group that included Mandy Moore, Meghan Trainor and Hilary Duff and described the group as leaving her “feeling hurt, drained or left out.”

Now she does not follow some of her former pals on Instagram, sparking more speculation of a feud, and wrote in the publication how the final straw came when she was excluded from a series of events.

She put: “During the early days of the group, there was another mom who often wasn’t included.

“I’d picked up on hints of a weird dynamic, but at the time, I didn’t dwell on it too much. I was just so happy to have found these incredible, smart, funny women. Now it seemed that this group had a pattern of leaving someone out. And that someone had become me.”

Ferne and Sam’s epic spat

Former best pals Ferne McCann and Sam Faiers fell out in 2022 after Ferne branded Sam a “fat c***” in a leaked voicenote.

The warring mums had been friends for 20 years and appeared on reality show The Only Way Is Essex, with the two ending up becoming ‘sworn enemies’.

After the incident Ferne apologised saying her comments were “manipulated, edited and taken entirely out of context”.

The two reality titans have their own family shows on the same broadcaster ITV.

Ferne’s First Time Mum and Sam’s The Family Diaries both aired on ITVbe and when it comes to awards shows the pair even have to be separated.

During the National Television Awards, a source revealed: “It was a logistical nightmare because despite working for the same channel, ITV had to keep them apart and they couldn’t be placed into the same hospitality boxes.

“It was more than a little bit awkward.”

Myleene vs Frankie and Rochelle

Saturdays singer Frankie Bridge, 36, has been at the centre of decade long feud with fellow presenter Myleene Klass, 47, as well as having a strained relationship with ITV regular and her bandmate Rochelle Humes.

It was revealed that whilst working on the set of Loose Women, Myleene and Frankie avoid each other in the corridors at ITV and one frosty reunion was captured on camera when Frankie and Myleene made a very rare appearance together.

Myleene used to be mates with The Saturdays singers but their friendship ended when she split from her ex husband Graham Quinn.

Frankie and Rochelle worked with Quinn when he was their bodyguard during their pop star days, and the girl band stars remained friends with him.

The moms were all once close, with Loose Women hosts Myleene and Frankie attending Rochelle’s hen do back in 2012.

In 2013, soon after Myleene’s divorce from Quinn, guests at the Glamour Women of the Year awards saw her storm over to Frankie after believing she had been blanked.

At the time a source said: “Myleene seemed to take that as Frankie taking sides with Graham because of their working relationship.”

WhatsApp drama

It seems there’s always something going on in the Kardashian household- and both Kim and Khloe have previously accused sister Kourtney of “mom-shaming” them, calling her “judgemental.”

But things really became bitter between the siblings when Kim admitted Kourtney had been blocked of a Whatsapp group.

During the Season 4 premiere of The Kardashians on Hulu, Kim claimed during an argument that all of Kourtney’s friends had been complaining about her behaviour in a group chat labelled “Not Kourtney”.

On her Instagram Kourtney was quick to clear up the rumours after a fan responded underneath one of her posts, they penned: “Are those friends on the ‘not Kourtney groupchat’ cause if so we don’t need them there.”

She swiftly replied: “No the members of that chat are namely Kim, Khloe, Kendall and Kylie. Case closed,” with a detective emoji.

Fans were stunned by the accusation that the group chat in question was made up of just family members, with hundreds replying and liking her response.

Molly Mae vs Mom Bloggers

Love Island alum Molly-Mae Hague was caught out by a Mom bloggers this year following alarming ”safeguarding issue” involving her daughter Bambi.

The reality star, 26, has been facing growing criticism over her parenting recently, after the film crew for her documentary had captured her tot using the toilet, although blurred the clip sparked outrage with fellow moms.

One mommy blogger Charlotte Blandford Tagger, took to TikTok to raise her concerns over Bambi featuring in Molly’s vlogs and the latest celeb documentary.

Charlotte said in her video: ”Molly-Mae asking Bambi to pull her pants down, get her bare bottom out, go for a wee in front of a camera crew – and then broadcast it to millions of people.

”We’re just skimming past the fact that someone has videoed her daughter’s private parts, had that on their camera roll.

”They’ve sat with a few people in the gallery, edited that and thought, ‘Perfect, that is great’,” said the furious parent.

A source revealed to the Mirror that Molly was shocked by the reaction, they said they shared that backlash hit the star particularly hard because Bambi’s welfare is and always will be her number one priority. Confessing “she’s had a real shock with this backlash.” 

They added: “She really trusts her filming team but I think she’s realising that there’s more to a reality show than just filming random scenes from your day. Viewers expect more, and of course they’re going to critique every scene.”

Battle of the mom-preneurs

Hollywood stars Gwyneth Paltrow and Jessica Alba had mutual friends which saw them float around the same circles, but their rival businesses seemed to have caused friction between the two working ‘mompreneurs’

Their feud kicked off just over a decade ago, when on Gwyneth’s website Goop she dropped a scathing review about one of Jessica’s skincare products, from her business The Honest Company.

“Many of the ‘clean’ products I proudly use (and have even touted on goop) have turned out to be a product of marketing, rather than actually safe,” she said, grading it a C.

A year prior, Jessica had her own harsh words for the rival mom when whilst promoting her book The Honest Life: Living Naturally and True to You she was asked if she was inspired by Gwyneth.

She replied: “Gwyneth Paltrow probably lives a very similar lifestyle, but I didn’t grow up with a bunch of money, so my tips are much more grounded: repurposing things and making things at home.”

Alicia slammed over ‘Hippy Parenting’

It’s been long known that actress Alicia Silverstone’s ‘hippy parenting’ habits have caused controversy – especially in the Hollywood mom circles.

The first notion of her unique parenting was noted in her 2015 book The Kind Mama, in which she claimed ‘postpartum depression is caused by eating processed sugars’ and said ‘allowing your baby to sleep in its own crib is neglectful.’

Not only this, but the star revealed that she believed that some children are “never the same” after they get vaccines.

She then made herself the subject of even more criticism when a resurfaced video showed hergiving her son pre-chewed food from her own mouth, a ritual known as ‘bird-feeding’.

She then sent fans into a frenzy whilst discussing her “approach to motherhood” during a chat on the Ellen Fisher Podcast, in which she revealed that she still co-sleeps with her 11-year-old son.

“… Bear and I still sleep together,” and later added, “I’ll be in trouble for saying that, but I don’t really care.”

Her parenting methods have sparked fears she could be isolating herself within Hollywood mom circles, with the likes of fellow mother and TV host Whoopi Goldberg reacting to the clip on US daytime show The View, saying: “I don’t know any 11-year-old that wants to sleep with me.”

Tellingly, Big Bang Theory star Mayim Bialik was the only celeb mothers to defend Alicia, giving credence to her parenting techniques in a lengthy article.

Mayim said : “Let’s reserve judgment for people who beat their children, sell their daughters into prostitution, or deny women the right to make decisions about their bodies and their lives.”

Julie Carp, played by Kathy Cavanagh, spent seven years on the ITV soap Coronation Street between 2008 and 2015 but now she supports her two son’s as their Hollywood careers flourish

Coronation Street star Katy Cavanagh has reinvented herself as a ‘momager’ for her two sons 11 years after she left the iconic ITV soap.

Best known to soap fans as Julie Carp, she spent seven years on the soap between 2008 and 2015. Julie first appeared in April 2008 when she came to the Rovers to meet Kirk Sutherland (Andy Whyment), with whom she had just enjoyed a romance while on holiday in Cyprus.

After almost a year together, Julie began to get fed up with Kirk and was contemplating how to dump him when he beat her to it. Julie then had a drunken snog with Jason Grimshaw (Ryan Thomas) but things went no further when it was revealed that Eileen’s father was also Julie’s, and Jason her nephew.

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The following year she met Brian Packham (Peter Gunn), but their first date was interrupted by his wife Margaret’s arrival. Brian had led her to believe he was divorced, so Julie sent him packing. Their paths crossed again in 2011 and they fell head over heels – Brian was then divorced.

Their biggest trial came in 2012 when Julie believed she was pregnant but was actually found to have a growth on her ovaries and she went on to have a hysterectomy. In 2013, Julie decided to look into fostering children but Brian wasn’t keen, and accepted a job in Wales. When Julie found out, she refused to go with him and furiously banished him from her life.

In 2014, Julie took a shine to Dev Alahan but when he wasn’t forthcoming, she went on a date with his friend Dominic Saul. She was touched when Dev told lies about her to Dominic in a bid to scupper any romance, and fell into Dev’s arms.

In 2015 she left the soap and at the time she said: “I have decided it’s time to take a break from the cobbles and pursue other projects and opportunities. I have loved every minute in the world of Julie Carp and I’m not ruling out a return to the Street in the future. However I am looking forward to a new challenge and a pair of flat shoes.”

Corrie producer Stuart Blackburn said: “Julie Carp has become a warm, wonderful and eccentric character able to raise a laugh and a tear in the same scene. Everyone at Corrie wishes Katy all the very best and hopefully as far as Julie is concerned, the cobbles haven’t seen the last of her.”

Fast forward 11 years and she has now reinvented herself as a showbiz ‘momager’ – a combination of mum and manager for her two sons Noah, 20, and Jacobi Jupe, 12.

Noah and Jacobi are set to be the toast of Hollywood thanks to their roles alongside Ms Buckley in the highly lauded Hamnet. Ms Cavanagh, 52, accompanied Jacobi to the Critics’ Choice awards and are both expected at the Golden Globes tonight, where the film, Ms Buckley and co-star Paul Mescal, are among the nominees.

The brothers’ success follows a lot of hard work from the former soap star. “She’s put everything into helping the boys have the best start in the industry,” an insider told MailOnline.

They added: “She’s put her own career on the back burner to help them realise their dreams. Obviously she’s not known in Hollywood, so it’s not like her name has particularly opened doors for them, but she’s got them into the industry and is constantly helping them.”

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Television director and producer Tom Cherones, best known for his work on the first five seasons of the Emmy-winning series “Seinfeld,” has died. He was 86.

He died Jan. 5 at his home in Florence, Ore., according to a statement from his family.

He directed some of the most iconic episodes of “Seinfeld,” including “The Chinese Restaurant,” “The Parking Garage” and “The Contest.” The first episode he directed was the show’s second-ever episode, “The Stake Out.” The director ultimately helmed over 80 episodes of the show.

“I think they liked the way I ran the set,” Cherones said of why he was chosen to direct so many “Seinfeld” episodes in an interview with the Television Academy Foundation. “I shot the show a little different … I just shot it in a way that I thought made it look better than the average show.”

Cherones left the show at the behest of its star Jerry Seinfeld.

“Jerry asked me to [leave], he was tired of the same thing I guess,” he told the Television Academy Foundation. “We changed writers almost every season and finally he just wanted somebody else, another presence to try to keep it fresh. He always said from the beginning that when this thing isn’t working anymore we’re going to stop.”

Cherones received six Emmy nominations for his work on “Seinfeld,” winning his sole Emmy for his production work in 1993.

“Seinfeld” star Jason Alexander mourned Cherones death in an Instagram post on Friday.

“Tom directed nearly half the ‘Seinfeld’ episodes. He created the visual style and tone and how to capture the magical interplay of our cast,” Alexander wrote.

“His generosity also enabled me to become a member of the Directors Guild and he was a wonderful mentor. He was a good guy and a wonderful director and teacher. Generations of our fans have and will continue to enjoy his work. Thanks for everything, Tom. Rest well. My love to your family and friends.”

After leaving “Seinfeld,” Cherones would go on to direct 23 episodes of the second season of the Ellen DeGeneres sitcom “Ellen.” He also directed several episodes of the ‘90s NBC sitcoms “Caroline in the City” and “NewsRadio” and stand-alone episodes of “Sabrina the Teenage Witch,” “Boston Common” and “Desperate Housewives.”

Cherones was born Sept. 11, 1939, in Tuscaloosa, Ala., and graduated with a degree in journalism from the University of New Mexico in 1961. After a four-year stint in the U.S. Navy, he earned a master’s degree from the University of Alabama in 1967.

He worked at a PBS affiliate station in Pittsburgh, including aiding in the production of “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood.” Cherones moved to L.A. in 1975 and found production work on such series as “General Hospital” and “Welcome Back, Kotter,” and with several of the major Hollywood production studios.

Later in life, Cherones returned to the University of Alabama to teach production classes from 2002 to 2014.

Cherones is survived by his wife Carol E. Richards, his daughter Susan Cherones Lee, son Scott Cherones and two grandchildren, Jessa and Thomas Cherones.

THE founding member of the legendary rock band Grateful Dead, Bob Weir, has died.

Weir was diagnosed with cancer in July 2025 which he overcame, however he sadly “succumbed to underlying lung issues”.

The veteran rocker was 78.

“He transitioned peacefully, surrounded by loved ones, after courageously beating cancer as only Bobby could,” a heartfelt statement on his Instagram account read.

“Bobby will forever be a guiding force whose unique artistry reshaped American music.

“His work did more than fill rooms with music; it was warm sunlight that filled the soul, building a community, a language, and a feeling of family that generations of fans carry with them.

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“Every chord he played, every word he sang was an integral part of the stories he wove. There was an invitation: to feel, to question, to wander, and to belong.”

Across more than six decades, Weir was one of music’s true road warriors, performing thousands of shows with almost a dozen bands.

Weir received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award and was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, while his rhythm guitar skills helped guide legendary jam band through the decades.

Weir was born in 1947 in San Francisco and was adopted shortly after his birth by Frederic and Eleanor Weir.

Growing up in a comfortable and prominent Bay Area household, Weir discovered folk music in his youth after a nanny introduced him to jazz.

He started piano and trumpet before finding his calling with guitar at age 13.

He had a tough time in school – surviving spinal meningitis and dealing with severe dyslexia.

A chance encounter with Jerry Garcia at the age of 16 in a music store in Palo Alto would start one of the most important partnerships in music history.

Garcia was a bluegrass banjo player when Weir stumbled upon him at Dana Morgan’s Music Store.

The two formed Mother McCree’s Uptown Jug Champions, which later became the Warlocks and eventually the Grateful Dead. 

The Grateful Dead quickly became a huge part of the counterculture movement, aligned with the rise of the hippie movement.

Weir penned some of the Dead’s most enduring songs, including “Jack Straw,” “Sugar Magnolia” and “Playing in the Band.”

The pair went on to become the faces of the Grateful Dead – Weir younger and more boyish than his hairier and older bandmates.

The youthful, ponytailed “Bobby” grew into an eclectic songwriter whose handsome appearance and diverse musical influences helped broaden the band’s appeal.

British newspaper The Independent called Weir “arguably rock’s greatest, if most eccentric, rhythm guitarist.”

Weir considered Garcia as a big brother.

“They say that blood is thicker than water, and what we had was way thicker than blood,” Weir said of Garcia and the Dead in an interview with journalist Dan Rather.

Sadly, Garcia passed away in 1995.

After Garcia’s death at age 53 in 1995, Weir carved out an interesting if somewhat neglected solo career – much of it with his band, RatDog – and participated in reunions of surviving Dead members in different configurations.

Weir released his first solo album, Ace, in 1972, followed by 1978’s Heaven Help the Fool. His last LP was the 2016 album Blue Mountain.

The legendary rocker married Natascha Münter in 1999. They share two daughters, Shala Monet and Chloe Kaelia.

Weir was a staunch vegetarian and an animal-rights advocate.

He was a board member of the Rex Foundation, an organisation founded by members of the Grateful Dead to “proactively provide extensive community support to creative endeavours in the arts, sciences, and education.”

Weir began treatment for cancer only weeks before returning to his hometown stage for a three-night celebration of 60 years of music at Golden Gate Park.

California helped make them among the richest people in the world. Now they’re fleeing because California wants a little something back.

The proposed California Billionaire Tax Act has plutocrats saying they are considering deserting the Golden State for fear they’ll have to pay a one-time, 5% tax, on top of the other taxes they barely pay in comparison to the rest of us. Think of it as the Dust Bowl migration in reverse, with The Monied headed East to grow their fortunes.

The measure would apply to billionaires residing in California as of Jan. 1, 2026, meaning that 2025 was a big moving year month among the 200 wealthiest California households subject to the tax.

The recently departed reportedly include In-n-Out Burger owner and heiress Lynsi Snyder, PayPal co-founder and conservative donor Peter Thiel, Venture Capitalist David Sacks, co-founder of Craft Ventures, and Google co-founder Larry Page, who recently purchased $173 million worth of waterfront property in Miami’s Coconut Grove. Thank goodness he landed on his feet in these tough times.

The principal sponsor behind the Billionaire Tax Act is the Service Employees International Union-United Healthcare Workers West (SEIU-UHW), which contends that the tax could raise a $100 billion to offset severe federal cutbacks to California’s public education, food assistance and Medicaid programs.

The initiative is designed to offset some of the tax breaks that billionaires received from the One Big Beautiful Bill Act recently passed by the Republican-dominated Congress and signed by President Trump.

According to my colleague Michael Hiltzik, the bill “will funnel as much as $1 trillion in tax benefits to the wealthy over the next decade, while blowing a hole in state and local budgets for healthcare and other needs.”

The drafters of the Billionaire Tax Act still have to gather around 875,000 signatures from registered voters by June 24 for the measure to qualify on November’s ballot. But given the public ire toward the growing wealth of the 1%, and the affordability crisis engulfing much of the rest of the nation, it has a fair chance of making it onto the ballot.

If the tax should be voted into law, what would it mean for those poor tycoons who failed to pack up the Lamborghinis in time? For Thiel, whose net worth is around $27.5 billion, it would be around $1.2 billion, should he choose to stay, and he’d have up to five years to pay it.

Yes, it’s a lot … if you’re not a billionaire. It’s doubtful any of the potentially affected affluents would feel the pinch, but it could make a world of difference for kids depending on free school lunches, or folks who need medical care but can’t afford it because they’ve been squeezed by a system that places much of the tax burden on them.

According to the California Budget & Policy Center, the bottom fifth of California’s non-elderly families, with an average annual income of $13,900, spend an estimated 10.5% of their incomes on state and local taxes. In comparison, the wealthiest 1% of families, with an average annual income of $2.0 million, spend an estimated 8.7% of their incomes on state and local taxes.

“It’s a matter of values,” Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Fremont) posted on X. “We believe billionaires can pay a modest wealth tax so working-class Californians have Medicaid.”

Many have argued losing all that wealth to other states will hurt California in the long run.

Even Gov. Gavin Newsom has argued against the measure, citing that the wealthy can relocate anywhere else to evade the tax. During the New York Times DealBook Summit last month, Newsom said, “You can’t isolate yourself from the 49 others. We’re in a competitive environment.”

He has a point, as do others who contend that the proposed tax may hurt California rather then help.

Sacks signaled he was leaving California by posting an image of the Texas flag on Dec. 31 on X and writing: “God bless Texas.” He followed with a post that read, “As a response to socialism, Miami will replace NYC as the finance capital and Austin will replace SF as the tech capital.”

Arguments aside, it’s disturbing to think that some of the richest people in the nation would rather pick up and move than put a small fraction of their vast California-made — or in the case of the burger chain, inherited — fortunes toward helping others who need a financial boost.

Veteran comedian, actor and Southern California native T.K. Carter has died. He was 69.

Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department deputies arrived at the actor’s Duarte home Friday evening after receiving a call about an unresponsive male, the Associated Press reported. He was declared dead at the scene. No foul play is suspected, though officials have not yet released a cause of death.

Born Thomas Kent Carter in New York City, Carter was raised in the San Gabriel Valley, according to IMDb.

After several small roles in 1970s sitcoms, including “Good Times,” “The Waltons” and “The Jeffersons,” he found his breakthrough role in the 1982 horror movie “The Thing” as the chef Nauls.

He went on to play teacher Mike Fulton in “Punky Brewster” and Clarence Hull in “The Sinbad Show,” among a host of other film and television credits through the 1980s and ‘90s.

In later decades of his career, he took on consulting roles in addition to on-screen appearances.

He worked with Chris Tucker as a dialect coach on the 1998 film “Rush Hour,” and was brought on to the set of the 1996 movie “Space Jam” to help the film’s star, Michael Jordan, learn lines and feel more comfortable in front of the camera.

“T.K. was a terrific actor, and I wanted him to help Michael with his dialogue,” director Joe Pytka told The Times in 2020.

While Carter was best known for his comedic work, describing himself in his Instagram bio as a writer and performer “born to act and make you laugh,” he also took on more serious roles.

He starred in the 2000 HBO miniseries “The Corner,” a drama in which he played Gary McCullough, a west Baltimore father struggling with addiction.

“I just totally felt for Gary,” Carter told The Times. “I’ve had drug problems and cocaine addiction. I lost my father to a drug-related death. I’ve lost a lot of friends. I was fortunate to come out on the other side and get my life together. But I haven’t forgotten. I kept Gary with me all the time. I slept Gary. I breathed Gary.”

As news of the actor’s passing spread, friends and colleagues took to social media with tributes.

“As a young kid, I looked up to T. K. because seeing an African American actor starring in a major film meant a lot to me. I always felt he was headed for stardom,” entrepreneur Shavar Ross posted on X. “I want to send my heartfelt condolences to his family, his friends, and everyone who loved and admired his work. He will always be remembered and respected.”

Bob Weir, a founding member of countercultural icons the Grateful Dead, known for his singular guitar playing, emotive singing and vibrant songwriting, has died at 78.

“It is with profound sadness that we share the passing of Bobby Weir,” a spokesperson for the musician confirmed to The Times. “He transitioned peacefully, surrounded by loved ones, after courageously beating cancer as only Bobby could. Unfortunately, he succumbed to underlying lung issues.”

Weir was diagnosed with cancer in July.

Weir-penned songs include Grateful Dead fan favorites “Sugar Magnolia,” “Jack Straw,” “Playing in the Band” and “Weather Report Suite.” His vocal performance on the rock-radio staple “Truckin’” counts among the band’s finest recorded moments.

The Dead released 13 studio albums with Weir, among them “Aoxomoxoa” (1969), “Workingman’s Dead” (1970), “American Beauty” (1970), “Wake of the Flood” (1973), “Terrapin Station” (1977) and 1987’s “In the Dark,” which featured the Top 10 single “Touch of Grey” and became the band’s highest-charting album, reaching No. 6 on the Billboard 200.

The Dead also released eight “official” live albums, as well as a long-running series of curated live shows known as Dick’s Picks and, later, Dave’s Picks. The band was the first to sanction fan taping at their concerts, spawning an abundance of homespun recordings that have been collected, traded and debated for decades.

Weir’s official role in the Grateful Dead was rhythm guitarist, alongside lead guitarist Jerry Garcia, but his complex style — marked by unique chord voicings, precise rhythms and a willingness to play through his bandmates instead of over them — elevated him from the standard rhythm player. “Bob’s approach to guitar playing is sort of like Bill Evans’ approach to piano was. He’s a total savant,” John Mayer told Guitar World magazine in 2017. “His take on guitar chords and comping is so original, it’s almost too original to be fully appreciated until you get deep down into what he’s doing. I think he’s invented his own vocabulary. … It’s a joyous thing to play along with.”

Weir’s first solo album, “Ace,” released in 1972, contained many songs that became standards in the Dead’s live show, including “Black-Throated Wind,” “Cassidy” and “Mexicali Blues.” “Blue Mountain,” Weir’s solo album from 2016, written in collaboration with musicians Josh Ritter and Josh Kaufman and inspired by Weir’s affinity for cowboy music and western iconography, became his highest-charting solo album, reaching No. 14 on the Billboard 200.

Weir also played in numerous side projects, post-Dead tribute acts and other rock bands, including Bob Weir & Wolf Bros, RatDog, Kingfish, Bobby and the Midnites, and the Weir, Robinson & Green Acoustic Trio with members of the Black Crowes. Dead & Company, featuring Weir, Dead bandmates Mickey Hart and Bill Kreutzmann, bassist Oteil Burbridge, keyboardist Jeff Chimenti and singer-guitarist Mayer, kickstarted a Deadaissance in 2015, reviving the band’s music and tie-dye-wearing, hacky-sack-kicking aesthetic for legions of new and existing fans. The band’s final tour before an indefinite hiatus, in 2023, drew nearly 1 million people.

Weir also was a dedicated collaborator, inviting friends to perform with him or guesting on their records or in concert. Willie Nelson, Joan Baez, the Allman Brothers, Sammy Hagar, Nancy Wilson, Stephen Marley, Billy Strings, Tyler Childers, Sturgill Simpson, the National, Margo Price and nouveau jam act Goose counted among his many musical compatriots. “Music is like transcendental medication and Bob Weir is my spirit guide,” Price said on Instagram in 2022. Weir’s friendship with the itinerant folk singer Ramblin’ Jack Elliott began in the early 1960s, and in the new millennium, Elliott and Weir frequently performed low-key shows together in Marin County, where both resided.

Robert Hall Weir was born Oct. 16, 1947, in San Francisco to John Parber and Phyllis Inskeep, a college student who later gave him up for adoption. He was raised by adoptive parents Frederic Utter Weir and Eleanor (née Cramer) Weir in Atherton, Calif. Weir struggled as a child due to undiagnosed dyslexia and was kicked out of every school he attended, including the private Fountain Valley School in Colorado Springs, Colo., where he met John Perry Barlow, who would later contribute lyrics to the Grateful Dead.

Weir met Garcia on New Year’s Eve, 1963, at a Palo Alto music store, and soon formed the jug band Mother McCree’s Uptown Jug Champions with Garcia and future Dead bandmate Ron “Pigpen” McKernan. Weir was just 16 years old. “There was some tension at home because I was neglecting my studies, and I grew up under the shadow of Hoover Tower,” Weir explained in an interview with Dan Rather. “My folks had Stanford in mind for me, not an itinerant troubadour. But they could also clearly see that I was following my bliss.”

About a year later, at McKernan’s urging, the trio, along with bassist Dana Morgan Jr. and drummer Kreutzmann, formed the Warlocks, an electric rock band, and played a handful of gigs before bassist Phil Lesh replaced Morgan. The group quickly discovered that a band called the Warlocks already existed and renamed themselves the Grateful Dead, a term Garcia found in a dictionary. Dead lyricist Robert Hunter and second drummer Hart joined the group in 1967.

As a member of the Dead, Weir was a kind of shape-shifting clairvoyant, creating ever-evolving sounds and forms that became essential to the fabric of American music culture. With the Dead, Weir was part of Ken Kesey’s Acid Tests in the mid-’60s, centered around experiments with LSD, and the band’s members were known to use nitrous oxide, marijuana, speed and heroin. The late ’70s launched an evident association with cocaine, and a period known as Disco Dead.

The band’s predilection for live improvisation, in which they refashioned and extended their songs via intuitive jams and imaginative transitions, drew legions of adoring fans — called Deadheads — who followed the band from city to city, and were the bedrock of the jam band movement that followed in the 1980s. The Dead’s graphic symbols, including “dancing” bears, the “Stealie” lightning skull and instrument-wielding terrapins, were plastered across innumerable merchandise and became a calling card of hippie-influenced counterculture over the ensuing decades.

Throughout the Dead’s existence, Weir was sometimes viewed as “the Other One” due to Garcia’s outsize presence in the band. Weir was its youngest member, and its most handsome. (Beautiful Bobby and the ugly brothers, the band used to joke.) He wrote and sang fewer songs than Garcia. But for others, Weir’s deference to Garcia — how he constructed a singular form of rhythm guitar playing to suit Garcia’s natural style, and used his deeper voice as a rich vocal counterpoint — was indicative of his generosity and willingness to put ego aside. In the 2014 documentary “The Other One: The Long Strange Trip of Bob Weir,” he said that he takes no pride in what he’s accomplished because he views pride as a “suspect emotion.”

Unlike his bandmates in the Dead, Weir had a long-running interest in personal style, and frequently opted for tucked-in button-down shirts, western wear and polo shirts instead of tie-dye and ponchos. “I just wanted to be kind of elegant,” he told GQ in 2019. “People were paying good money to see us, and at that time I figured that meant we ought to dress up a bit.” His denim cutoffs, which crept up in length over the years, were known as Bobby Shorts. Weir would grow his gray hair and beard into a style resembling actor Sam Elliott in the 1979 western “The Sacketts,” and began a collaboration with fashion designer James Perse that landed somewhere between cowboy and surfer.

Weir was single for most of his time in the Dead, and didn’t marry until 1999. With wife Natascha Münter, he had two daughters, Shala Monet Weir and Chloe Kaelia Weir. He was vegetarian for much of his life, and was passionate about animal rights, environmental causes and funding for the arts.

In interviews, Weir spoke of Eastern religion and philosophy, and his dreams, which dictated many decisions he made in his life. He frequently said in interviews that his relationship with Garcia never died, even after the Grateful Dead leader passed away in 1995. In 2012, Weir told Rolling Stone that Garcia “lives and breathes in me.”

“I see him in my dreams all the time,” he told the Huffington Post in 2014. “I would say I can’t talk to him, but I can. I don’t miss him. He’s here. He’s with me.”

Times staff writer Carlos De Loera contributed to this report.

The hit sci-fi series’ latest season dropped almost a year ago

The future of dystopian sci-fi series Black Mirror has finally been confirmed after a nearly year-long wait for new episodes.

Releasing on Netflix, the Charlie Brooker-created show centres around the dark side of technology and its often terrifying impact on humanity.

A seventh season released on the streaming giant in April 2025 after a two-year hiatus, bringing viewers six harrowing new episodes to enjoy. Among them was the story of a woman whose life depends on a subscription service she can no longer afford, plus the tale of an isolated man forced to face his past wrongs after new technology allows him to step inside old photographs.

In an interview with Netflix’s Tudum, Brooker confirmed a new season would be going ahead, and he made a chilling promise that what comes next will be “more Black Mirror than ever.”

“Well, luckily it does have a future, so I can confirm that Black Mirror will return, just in time for reality to catch up with it. So, that’s exciting. That chunk of my brain has already been activated and is whirring away,” he teased.

While no release date has been confirmed yet, Black Mirror fans have been sent into a frenzy by the update and many are already counting down the days until they can consume new episodes.

One eager viewer penned: “Black Mirror is always such a wild ride. Can’t wait to see what’s next.” A second fan responding to the news added: “More Black Mirror than ever is a good sign, I feared they had lost their way a couple seasons ago.”

Meanwhile a third commented: “Charlie Brooker basically saying reality is catching up is savage because let’s be real, every new episode could be a mirror to the chaos we’re already living in. People are gonna binge it and instantly freak out thinking the show predicted their life again and it’s glorious.”

Brooker added that he was also working on another Netflix series that is as of yet untitled, but completely unrelated to the dark world Black Mirror explores.

“There’s definitely something I’m not saying about it at the moment just yet. I can’t even tell you what it’s called yet, but it’s very much not Black Mirror,” he revealed to Tudum.

“I can say that. It’s a very, very different thing. The most detective show of all time. It’s a deeply profound and profoundly serious crime thriller.”

Seasons 1 to 7 of Black Mirror are now streaming on Netflix. A release date for the upcoming season is yet to be announced. For the latest showbiz, TV, movie and streaming news, go to the new **Everything Gossip** website.

Casualty returned tonight on BBC One after a three month break and for fans of The Traitors, there was a surprise familiar face in the series premiere’s guest cast

A Traitors star made their debut in Casualty tonight. While fans of The Traitors will have to wait a few more days until the dreaded roundtable returns, one former star made a surprise appearance on BBC One. Series one star Maddy Smedley took on a role in the BBC drama’s 2026 premiere, playing a patient who sustains severe burns after falling asleep in the sun.

Announcing the role on X, formerly known as Twitter, earlier today, Maddy told her followers: “Meet Bethany Chimes tonight on Casualty at 8:45pm BBC 1 or on iplayer now – she’s addicted to a sun tan cos she’s lonely.

“Sad story really and hope it raises awareness of melanoma and how bad the sun can really be. @bbccasualtyofficial #casualty love working again at casualty x.”

Fans watching the BBC soap’s return took to social media after spotting the Traitors star on their screens. “Maddy from #TheTraitors on #Casualty!” one wrote.

Another tweeted: “Good to see Maddy in #casualty from series 1 #TraitorsUK #traitors @the_traitors_.” While a third wrote on X: “As if I’m watching it now and I said to my friend ‘IS THAT MADDY OFF THE TRAITORS’ how fun to see you girlie.”

Maddy was one of the original stars on BBC One’s The Traitors, rising to fame after becoming one of the few Faithfuls to correctly suspect Wilf Webster of being a Traitor. While she made it to the final week, she was banished in the penultimate episode.

The TV star, who was an actor before signing up to the Traitors, has appeared in a number of shows since leaving the reality competition. She originally appeared on Casualty back in 2022, playing Jasmine Madbury.

Maddy also played the role of Faye Fuller in Hollyoaks, Sally in Big Boys and Dilys Shaughnessy in two episodes of Call the Midwife. Meanwhile, she made her film debut in 2023 in the film Unicorns.

Tonight’s episode of Casualty followed Holby City’s staff as they tried to work on the hottest stay of the year, with Dylan Keogh (William Beck) suspecting newly-qualified doctor Matty Linlaker (Aron Julius) of being his son. Meanwhile, new doctor Kim Change (Jasmine Bayes) failed to make a good impression with Nicole Piper (Sammy Dobson).

It marked the BBC soap’s return after a three-month break, with fans thrilled to see it back on TV. “Casualty is finally back! So excited for this new series! #Casualty,” one wrote.

A second added: “Here we go!!!! After 4 months away due to Strictly #Casualty is finally back.”

Casualty airs Saturdays at 9pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.

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