Hailee Steinfeld and Josh Allen have officially entered parenthood, welcoming their first little one.
“Our baby girl has arrived,” Oscar-nominated “True Grit” and “Sinners” star Steinfeld, 29, announced Tuesday in her latest Substack post. She wrote that she and her Buffalo Bills quarterback husband, 29, are “feeling incredibly grateful and blessed.”
“Savouring these early moments,” Steinfeld continued. “Thank you so much for the love and well wishes.”
The spouses married in June after two years of dating. People published photos from their outdoor California ceremony, in which Steinfeld wore a white strapless gown, mesh gloves and her veil and Allen wore a traditional tuxedo. They announced their engagement in November 2024.
Steinfeld announced she and Allen were expecting their first child in a Substack post in December, sharing photos from a snowy, bump-revealing maternity shoot. Steinfeld flaunted her pregnancy during the awards circuit earlier this year, cradling her baby bump at the red carpet for the Golden Globe Awards.
In an interview with Variety published in October, “Spider-Verse” star Steinfeld spoke about her marriage with Allen and balancing their conflicting schedules, noting “when the [NFL] offseason rolls around, it’s go-time for me.”
“I’ve gotten a lot better at understanding what it means to slow down and to share that with someone,” she said. “That’s the greatest thing ever.”
Great Britain’s Josh Kerr wins gold in the men’s 3000m at the World Indoor Athletics Championships, with Cole Hocker taking silver for USA and and France’s yann Schrub taking bronze in Poland.
Another member of the Duggar family, famous for the TLC series “19 Kids and Counting,” faces allegations of child sex abuse.
Joseph Duggar, the 31-year-old son of Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar and the younger brother of convicted sex offender Josh Duggar, was arrested Wednesday afternoon in Arkansas by local law enforcement on suspicion of molesting a minor in Florida, the Bay County Sheriff’s Office announced in a statement. The sheriff’s office said it received a report on Wednesday of past sexual abuse allegedly involving Duggar and a 14-year-old girl. The girl alleged she was 9 years old during one of several alleged incidents, police said.
The teenager, according to law enforcement, accused Duggar of molesting her in 2020 while she was vacationing with family and staying at a residence in Panama City Beach. He is accused of touching the girl’s genitals and rubbing her thighs.
Resources for survivors of sexual assault
If you or someone you know is the victim of sexual violence, you can find support using RAINN’s National Sexual Assault Hotline. Call (800) 656-HOPE or visit online.rainn.org to speak with a trained support specialist.
According to the statement, the victim said Duggar “eventually apologized” for the abuse, and he stopped touching her. Duggar had also “admitted his action’s to the girl’s father and to Tontitown detectives in Arkansas, Duggar’s home state, law officials said. The Tontitown Police Department confirmed Duggar’s arrest in a separate statement, noting it acted on a warrant issued by the Bay County Sheriff’s Office.
The former reality star was charged with molestation of a victim younger than 12 and “lewd and lascivious behavior conducted” by an adult. Duggar, who is currently jailed at the Washington County Detention Center, awaits extradition to Florida. He could not immediately be reached for comment.
Joseph Duggar, his parents and his siblings — whose first names also begin with the letter J — became unexpected reality TV stars with the premiere of TLC’s “19 Kids and Counting” in 2008. The series followed the giant family, highlighting their Christian fundamentalist lifestyle. The family’s once-charming facade of purity and religious devotion quickly faded in 2015 when Josh, the firstborn Duggar child, was accused of molesting five younger girls — four of whom were his sisters — when he was 15. The series was canceled that year.
In a separate case, Josh was convicted on two counts of possessing and receiving child pornography in December 2021. He was sentenced to 12 ½ years in prison in 2022. The Supreme Court rejected his efforts to appeal his case last June.
Fifteen years after the premiere of “19 Kids and Counting,” the series, the Duggar family and their devotion to the Institute in Basic Life Principles were subject to close scrutiny in the Prime Video docuseries “Shiny Happy People: Duggar Family Secrets.”
Jill Diillard, the second-eldest Duggar daughter and one of Josh’s victims, spoke out for the 2023 docuseries.
“I believe strongly that victims should always be protected. Victims should always be cared for,” she said. “You’re out there, your story’s out there. … I’d rather have some say in what that looks like.”
Walt Disney Co. installed Josh D’Amaro as chief executive Wednesday, beginning a new chapter for the storied Burbank entertainment giant.
Bob Iger passed the reins during Disney’s virtual annual meeting of shareholders, completing the company’s high-stakes and tightly choreographed changing of the guard. After spending two decades molding Disney into a media colossus, Iger segued into a senior advisory role, which will run through December when he officially retires.
The leadership shift comes amid an upheaval in Hollywood as traditional companies wage a desperate battle for survival.
D’Amaro, in his first address to shareholders, pointed to Disney’s signature storytelling as its competitive edge.
“While others in our industry are consolidating just to compete, or struggling to be relevant in a fragmented and disrupted world, Disney is in a category of one,” D’Amaro said during a video segment at the meeting. “This next chapter will be driven by staying focused on world-class creativity, enhanced by technology, bringing unforgettable stories to audiences wherever they are.”
D’Amaro, 55, becomes the ninth leader in Disney’s 102-year history. He was selected last month by Disney board members after a two-year internal bake-off among high-ranking division leaders. Board members were impressed with his business acumen, charisma and his deep love for Disney and its fabled history.
D’Amaro inherits a company that is beloved by millions. It generates $94 billion a year in revenue and employs 230,000 people.
He faces enormous challenges as he steers the ship through a turbulent media environment and tense geopolitics. The war in Iran prompted a sharp increase in fuel costs, which could become a drag on Disney’s critically important tourism business. Executives already have signaled “headwinds” in international visitation at its U.S. theme parks this year.
Lingering Middle East tensions also could weigh on Disney’s plans for a new Persian Gulf waterfront theme park and resort near Abu Dhabi.
D’Amaro, who served as parks and experiences chief until Wednesday, got his corporate start at Disneyland 28 years ago.
“Like so many of you, my connection to Disney goes back to my childhood, long before I began my career here,” D’Amaro told shareholders. “I grew up in a Disney family. We watched ‘The Wonderful World of Disney’ on Sunday nights. I was 10 years old when my family visited Disneyland for the first time. … Disney has always been a place of imagination, innovation and infinite potential.”
Disney previously announced a $60-billion, 10-year expansion program, which D’Amaro has led. But executives must strike a balance by keeping attractions true to their nostalgic core. In Anaheim, the expansion could result in at least $1.9 billion of development.
Disney also must continue to grow its animation business and manage revenue declines from its traditional linear television channels, including ESPN and ABC. It needs to turbocharge its streaming services with compelling movies and TV shows to remain competitive with Netflix and other leaders in the field.
Disney teased upcoming fan favorites, including the May release of Lucasfilm’s “Star Wars: The Mandalorian & Grogu,” a “Bluey” feature film (the kids show featuring an animated puppy, a blue heeler) and a sequel to a “Lilo & Stitch” film for 2028.
Streaming is key to Disney’s future, D’Amaro said.
“Disney+ will continue to evolve beyond a traditional streaming service to become the digital centerpiece of our company,” D’Amaro said, calling the service “a portal that connects our stories, experiences, games, films, and more in entirely new ways.”
The company plans to unify Disney+ and Hulu later this year.
Disney also must continue to incorporate technology while safeguarding its characters and franchises.
“We will continue to develop and embrace new technologies to empower our storytellers — but never at the expense of our characters and worlds, our creative partners, or the trust people place in us,” D’Amaro said. “Because Disney at its core is a company that celebrates human creativity.”
Wednesday also marked a reorganization of the company, configured by Iger, D’Amaro and Disney’s board.
Board members recognized that D’Amaro, who has spent most of his career in the parks division, lacks deep connections among Hollywood’s writers and producers. They elevated longtime television executive Dana Walden, who had been vying for the top job, to the newly formed role of chief creative officer and the company’s first woman president.
ESPN will continue to be managed by Jimmy Pitaro and Disney Entertainment, Studios chairman Alan Bergman will remain in his influential role overseeing film studios including production, marketing and distribution, and sharing oversight for streaming programming with Walden.
D’Amaro’s total compensation package is valued at about $40 million a year, including a $2-million annual base salary, $26.2 million in annual long-term stock incentives, a cash bonus and a one-time promotion award of $9.7 million.
“Josh is a wonderful choice to lead the Walt Disney Co.,” Iger said in a pre-recorded video. “He has passion for our businesses and brands, respect for our people, and he appreciates what makes this company so unique.”
Iger is wrapping up an unprecedented 52-year career at ABC and Disney.
He first stepped into the CEO role in 2005; his first 15 years were almost magical.
Iger led acquisitions of Pixar Animation, Marvel Entertainment and Lucasfilm, the studio behind “Star Wars,” that turned Disney into a blockbuster machine. Sports king ESPN spawned staggering profits, and Disney’s theme parks set industry standards.
Disney’s former Chief Executive Bob Iger will stay on through the end of the year as a senior advisor.
(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)
His decision to buy much of Rupert Murdoch’s 21st Century Fox, a $71-billion deal that closed in 2019, boosted Disney’s television production, refreshed its TV executive bench, and provided a controlling stake in general entertainment streaming service Hulu. The acquisition also gave Disney access to fan-favorite franchises, including “Deadpool,” “The Simpsons,” and James Cameron’s “Avatar.”
But the purchase left Disney saddled with debt just as the COVID-19 pandemic prompted production shutdowns and closures at theme parks and sports venues. It would take several years for Disney to recover.
Iger initially passed the CEO baton to Bob Chapek in February 2020. Iger, then chairman, retired the following year but came back in November 2022 to a mess. At the time, the company was losing billions of dollars on its shift to streaming but that unit is now profitable.
Iger spent the next three years focusing on four business pillars, including improving the quality and profitability of its film studios.
During the last two years, Disney has produced five franchise films that racked up more than $1 billion in worldwide ticket sales, including “Inside Out 2,” “Zootopia 2,” and “Avatar: Fire and Ash.”
The company is banking this year on several other films with blockbuster potential, including Disney and Pixar’s “Toy Story 5,” “Star Wars: The Mandalorian & Grogu” and Marvel Studios’ “Avengers: Doomsday.”
“I would want to be known as someone who was given the keys to this kingdom and brought it to a place that even Walt would be proud of — more storytelling, more innovation, more risk‑taking, and more creation of happiness,” Iger said during a “The Rest is History” podcast last year.
During the meeting, Iger appeared in a prerecorded video that celebrated his numerous career highlights. Shown were clips from his cub years when Iger was a newscaster with bushy black hair. His journey was depicted, including his orchestration of multi-billion-dollar acquisitions that strengthened Disney with more characters and franchises.
Iger, 75 and now gray, ended by thanking shareholders “for the trust you placed in me, for the memories we created together, and for allowing me the honor of serving,” he said. “It has meant more to me than I can say.”
Animated pixie dust twinkled on the screen, courtesy of the fairy, Tinker Bell.
“Bob, on behalf of our employees, cast members, shareholders, and fans around the world, thank you so much for your tremendous leadership, your steadfast support, and your countless contributions to The Walt Disney Co.,” D’Amaro said, as the hand-off was complete.
“You’ve set an incredible example for all of us. … You will be missed,” D’Amaro said.
There was little fanfare during the business portion of the investor meeting.
The company’s slate of board directors were elected with 93% of the vote. Shareholders also approved executive compensation packages with about 85% of votes.
Shareholder-led proposals to compel reports on charities eligible for Disney’s gift-matching program, a review of the company’s accessibility practices in its theme parks for disabled guests, and a push for cumulative voting at future meetings all failed to muster support.
Disney shares closed at $99.41, down roughly 1% on the day.
Kerr would love to add a Commonwealth gold to his Olympic medals and his world and world indoor golds.
“What else would you want from a season really, every four years, in Scotland in front of a home crowd, going after a gold medal in the mile distance as well, that is why it is a massive priority in the season,” he explained.
“That is what I grew up thinking about, for me that is what my family spoke about, it is how we were when we were getting our first Scotland vests in cross country and on the track and on the road.
“That is what we always used to discuss when we were sitting on the bus going to these championships. ‘Who is going to the Commonwealth Games? What is everyone’s goals for the Commonwealth Games?’
“And to know that it is in Scotland, it is just pretty special so why would I give up that opportunity for something else? When you look back on your career these are the kind of moments that you are like, ‘that was awesome, that was a huge moment’ regardless of the result, you have got to enjoy it.”
Kerr expects his ambition to be matched by his fellow Scottish runners.
“I haven’t pulled on the Scotland vest since the Commonwealth Games in 2022,” he explained. “It is not something that happens really often.
“I know it will be a priority for Jake Wightman, I know it is a priority for Neil Gourley – that is who they are, it is who I am and that is the system we grew up in so I think all of us just have that ingrained in us.”
US-based Kerr’s last major outing ended in disappointment in Japan with a pulled calf muscle resulting in him finishing a distant last in the 1500m final at the World Championships in September.
Despite having limited race time since then, Kerr believes he is in good shape for 2026.
“Chatting about going after a world indoor title not that many months afterwards is a very proud moment for me and my team,” he added.
“To be honest, I am as fit or fitter than I have been in an indoor season in the past.
“Indoors is an odd time of year for athletes – some people do it, some people don’t and I like to do it normally but I am very proud of the position I am in.
“That is to do with coaching as well, Danny [Mackey] has done a great job with the coaching side of things.”
