show biz

All nine seasons now have a new streaming home making it easier for fans to rediscover

An underrated sitcom that some claim is even ‘better than Malcolm in the Middle’ was just added to Netflix.

All seasons of The Middle are now available to stream on the platform from today (February 18). It actually shares a very similar premise and set up to the comedy series it is compared to but some find it superior if not as well recognised.

There’s no better time for fans to find out for themselves as The Middle finds a new streaming home, as we all wait for the upcoming revival of Malcom in the Middle coming later in the year.

According to the synopsis of The Middle, the series follows the Heck family. At the head of the clan is middle-age, middle-class, middle-America mom Frankie Heck who uses a sense of humour to try to steer her family through life’s ups and downs as she tackles her career goals.

Her unflappable husband, Mike, is a manager at the local quarry. Oldest son Axl is an obstinate young man; awkward daughter Sue cannot seem to find her niche, despite much enthusiasm in her attempts and youngest son Brick is an unusual child whose best friend is his backpack.

The cast is lead by sitcom legends including Patricia Heaton, who won two Emmys during her time as Debra Barone on Everybody Loves Raymond. She is joined by Neil Flynn, who plays her on screen husband and is recognisable as the Janitor on Scrubs.

A debate on Reddit discusses whether The Middle was a better show than Malcolm in the Middle with opinion fairly split. One replied simply: “I love both shows but The Middle is my favourite show.”

While someone else claimed: “Malcom In The Middle fell off around season 4, while The Middle had consistent, solid quality for the entirety of the show. They are also nothing alike, they are only similar in the fact they are both about a middle class family.”

Either way, most fans agree that The Middle is worth streaming on its own merit. With some critics even agreeing that it is ‘one of TV’s most underrated comedies’.

As one fan agreed: “An underrated show of brilliance. The Middle is a superb show that has sadly never really gained the wider acclaim it deserves, though it has a very loyal fan base, and that’s just as important. This show wouldn’t have lasted half as long if it wasn’t for the casting of the kids, who steal episodes with their portrayals. We have seen them grow up, and it’s been a joy.”

While one fan added: “What I love about this show is that it’s not just any easy shallow cheap written comedy show. There are a lot of gags and ‘inside’ jokes that return throughout the series, which I like because it shows the writers put effort into it, and make the show funnier watching it as a regular, it’s great!

“Also, they are not a picture perfect family what a lot of shows are about, but at the heart of it all they do love each other, this feels more ‘real’. From my point of view this show is very underrated, I highly recommend it!”

Someone else actually claimed another sitcom was the reason it was so overlooked. They said: “This show should have been much bigger than it was. It was definitely overshadowed by Modern Family.”

The Middle is streaming on Netflix and ITVX. For the latest showbiz, TV, movie and streaming news, go to the new **Everything Gossip** website.

SYDNEY Sweeney has stripped down to cheeky underwear while pulling on a man’s boxers in sexy new photos for her lingerie line.

The actress recently launched her new lingerie brand, Syrn, and has been modeling the sultry undergarments in ad campaigns.

Her latest was posted on the brand’s official Instagram page on Tuesday, showing Sydney, 28, flashing her bare butt in revealing white underwear.

The Housemaid star covered the top half of her curvy figure with a loosely fitted long-sleeved shirt and had her long blonde hair styled in loose waves.

However, Sydney wasn’t the only one in the photo.

A mystery man also appeared in the pic, facing away from the camera, wearing nothing but boxers, and his pants were draped around his ankles.

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Sydney latched onto the side of the man’s boxers with one hand and held a barcode scanner with the other, which she aimed at a barcode sticker on his lower back.

Another solo snap of The White Lotus star showed her smiling with her hands in the air, looking disheveled with the buttons on her shirt misaligned.

The caption announced Syrn’s “Midnight Snack Collection,” which was released earlier that day.

“She is absolutely stunning,” one fan gushed in the comments.

“OMG SHE IS SO PRETTY,” said another.

“I can’t wait to buy everything!!” a third added.

Sydney’s lingerie line rivals A-list celebrities Rihanna, Hailey Bieber, and Kim Kardashian, who also have widely successful lingerie brands.

The Christy star might have taken her racy promotional ads a bit too far after photos recently circulated of her littering the iconic Hollywood sign with dozens of bras.

Late last month, TMZ reported that Sydney had permission to film the sign but didn’t get clearance to touch or climb it, which she did in the ad.

The Hollywood Chamber of Commerce, which owns the sign, is reportedly investigating how Sydney’s team accessed the sign.

Sydney hasn’t yet commented on the legal situation, but she’s continued to post steamy content of her donning pieces from her collection.

The Anyone But You star is known for pushing the boundaries onscreen, which is especially seen in the Euphoria Season 3 trailer, where Sydney’s character, Cassie Howard, becomes an OnlyFans-style content creator.

“People forget that I’m playing a character, they think, ‘Oh, she gets naked on screen, she’s a sex symbol,’” Sydney previously said in an interview.

“I have no problems with those scenes, and I won’t stop doing them, but I wish there was an easier way to have an open conversation about what we’re assuming about actors in the industry.”

Silent Witness viewers spotted a “huge flaw” just minutes into Tuesday’s episode

Viewers of Silent Witness believed they’d identified a “huge flaw” just moments into Tuesday’s (February 17) pulled episode.

The 29th series of the enduring BBC crime drama premiered earlier this month, with Emilia Fox and David Caves returning as Dr Nikki Alexander and Jack Hodgson, joined by Maggie Steed and Fran Mills as Harriet Maven and Kit Brooks.

The programme has now relocated to Birmingham, delivering five compelling new investigations across ten instalments. Silent Witness has recently experienced multiple schedule changes, after this evening’s episode was withdrawn from broadcast last week in light of a horrific incident that occurred in Birmingham.

A BBC representative informed TV Guide at the time: “Due to the attack in Birmingham over the weekend, this week’s episodes of Silent Witness will not transmit as planned and instead they have been replaced with two episodes from later on in the series,” reports the Express.

Just a week after the adjustments, the programme made its comeback to BBC One this evening, airing the opening chapter of The Enemy Within.

During the episode, the forensic specialists were tasked with examining a fatal knife attack in Birmingham. Initially, the incident seemed to bear the hallmarks of racial motivation, but as enquiries progressed, the team gradually discovered evidence suggesting a probable perpetrator.

As the team persisted in pursuing clues, racial tensions rapidly intensified throughout the city. At the same time, Jack discovered that his new gym mates weren’t who he thought they were, whilst Kit started having second thoughts about her relationship with DC Jonno Magath (Gerard Kearns).

The episode boasted a star-studded cast list, with guest appearances including Chris Reilly (Slow Horses), Selin Hizli (Am I Being Unreasonable?), and Phaldut Sharma (EastEnders).

However, just moments into the episode, BBC viewers spotted a “huge flaw”. Many fans believe that the episode was originally intended to be the series opener, after Nikki was shown cheerfully walking through the new Bowman Centre, whilst Harriet kept getting lost on her way to work.

“Does anyone actually know which order the episodes are actually supposed to run in because I assumed this one was just swapped out for Creekwood last week but seems to make more sense as the first episode of the series before Alice Hill?” one person wrote on X (formerly Twitter).

Another added: “So we can all agree this was originally meant to be episode one, right?” whilst a third said: “I’m sorry but where did all these people working there suddenly come from.”

A fourth fan echoed the sentiment, saying: “I’m so confused by the order of these eps. This looks like the first ep not last week’s. Huge airing flaw or what?”

Silent Witness is available to stream on BBC iPlayer

For the latest showbiz, TV, movie and streaming news, go to the new Everything Gossip website

JAMES Van Der Beek and his wife Kimberly renewed their wedding vows on his deathbed, just days before he passed away.

The iconic Dawson’s Creek actor, 48, sadly died last week after a cancer battle, leaving his friends, family and fans devastated.

Along with his wife, Kimberly, James is survived by their six children Olivia, 14, Joshua, 12, Annabel, 10, Emilia, 8, Gwen, 6, and Jeremiah, 3.

Now his heartbroken wife has revealed how the couple renewed their vows shortly before he died.

Kimberly revealed they managed to quickly put together a small ceremony with the help of close friends and family.

Speaking to People, she said: “We decided two days beforehand, and our friends got us new rings, filled our bedroom with flowers and candles, and we renewed our vows from bed.”

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Kimberly described the ceremony as “simple and beautiful and moving”.

In a sweet moment, musician Poranguí, a close friend of the couple, played Somewhere Over the Rainbow.

James and Kimberly met in 2009 and immediately fell in love.

Following a whirlwind romance they got married the next year, while they were expecting their first child.

Sadly, 16 years after their wedding, James had passed away.

Fans were left in shock when it was revealed by Kimberly and the actor’s family, that he had died after battling cancer.

The heartbreaking statement read: “Our beloved James David Van Der Beek passed peacefully this morning. He met his final days with courage, faith, and grace.

“There is much to share regarding his wishes, love for humanity and the sacredness of time.

“Those days will come. For now we ask for peaceful privacy as we grieve our loving husband, father, son, brother, and friend.”

The actor had been battling stage three colorectal cancer since 2024.

James spent the final years of his life advocating for early screenings to help spread awareness.

The actor got his start in small television roles on Clarissa Explains It All in 1993, As The World Turns in 1995 and Aliens in the Family in 1996.

He then scored the breakout role of Dawson Leery on Dawson’s Creek from 1998 to 2003 alongside Katie Holmes, Joshua Jackson and Michelle Williams.

After finding success with the teenage drama, he went on to star in Varsity Blues in 1999, Scary Movie in 2000 and The Rules of Attraction in 2002.

He then had appearances on TV shows Criminal Minds in 2007, Ugly Betty in 2007, One Tree Hill in 2008, and Law and Order in 2011 and 2012.

Other appearances include How I Met Your Mother, CSI and Modern Family.

One of his final roles was on two episodes of Overcompensating in 2025.

James has won two MTV Movie Awards, one Teen Choice Award and other honors.

KATIE Price appeared to take a swipe at her new husband Lee Andrews exes with a cryptic quote.

The former glamour model, 47, shocked fans when she tied the knot with self-confessed businessman Lee in Dubai after just two weeks of knowing him.

It didn’t take long before Katie was issued a warning by Lee’s exes Alana Percival and Crystal Janke, who he dated at the same time last year. 

Last month Alana, 32, and Crystal, 40, told The Sun exclusively how they were hoodwinked by the businessman — branding him a lying swindler who preys on women.

But despite the women sharing their experiences with Lee, Katie appears to have paid it no attention.

Katie has taken to social media with what appears to be a swipe at those who have been critical of her whirlwind marriage.

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Katie shared a quote that read: “Be careful what you hear about a female.

“Rumours either came from a male that can’t have her or a female that can’t compete with her.”

She shared another pointed message, which said: “Classy is when you have a lot to say, but choose to remain silent in front of fools.”

Lee’s exes didn’t hold back when they revealed how they charmed them.

Last month Katie posted photos of her lover’s wedding proposal, with flowers spelling “Will you marry me?” at Dubai’s Burj Khalifa hotel. 

Alana, who works in property, said she got engaged to him at the same venue last September in the same way. 

And two weeks before that, Crystal believed Andrews was going to ask her to marry him there too. 

The family nurse practitioner from Texas said: “I was supposed to meet Lee at the Burj Khalifa two weeks before he proposed to Alana. 

“We’d looked at rings, he told me he wanted to marry me. 

“Luckily I had to cancel the trip because I was too busy with work. 

“He would have proposed to both of us. Who does that?” 

Mum-of-five Katie, who flew back from Dubai to her home in Horsham, West Sussex just days after the wedding.

The pair struck up a relationship on social media before their whirlwind wedding last week, days after they met in person. 

And Alana and Crystal fear history may repeat itself. 

Lee connected with Alana on Facebook in March last year and struck up an online conversation with Crystal two months later. 

Earlier today, it was revealed that Katie and Lee have still not returned to the UK after their honeymoon.

It came after speculation that Lee was banned from touching down on home turf after “taking out a £200K loan in his ex’s name”.

Katie returning back to the UK on her own just days after their wedding – as her husband explained she needed to see her children.

Lee vowed he would soon be on a flight from the UAE to join her.

However, he remained in Dubai to house hunt ahead of Katie putting a deposit down on a home. She then rejoined him for their honeymoon in the emirate over a week ago and they have been together ever since.

A Gogglebox family has been missing a family member on their sofa in the latest series and he has now shared the reason for his absence in a hospital selfie

A Gogglebox star has revealed why he hasn’t been in front of the camera lately. Raza Siddiqui is a fan favourite on the hit Channel 4 series, but had to take time away from filming.

He had been a regular on the show since it first started in 2013. He often appeared alongside his family as they offered their thoughts on the latest shows. But he was nowhere to be seen in the latest series, leaving fans questioning where he was, while dad Sid and brothers Umar and Bassit continue to entertain.

Now, Raza has posted an update from his hospital bed. Sharing the snap on the Siddiqui family’s Instagram page, the upload showed a series of pictures of him in hospital. In some images, he was hooked up to breathing machines.

And to explain his absence from the show, the post read: “For you eagle eyed Goggleboxers, you may have noticed that Raza (@razathefaint) hasn’t joined us on the sofa so far this season. Sadly he had a bit of a fall, a few weeks back and cracked some ribs.”

The post said they fully expect him to return in a few weeks as he is recovering well. It went on: “He’s absolutely smashing his recovery, staying positive and keeping himself entertained with walks, telly, reading and nephew cuddles with Theodore.

I know you guys reaching out and sending your well wishes will put a bigger smile on his face than morphine ever could. Can’t wait for all four Siddiquis to be back on team @c4gogglebox with the rest of the fab families.”

The post was met with an influx of positivity and messages of well wishes. One user wrote: “Bless you get well soon, we look forward to having you back on our screens when you are well enough.”

Another wished him a “speedy recovery”. And a third said: “Oh no! Get well soon!”

The Siddiquis weren’t the only family to be missing a member in the latest series. Fans quickly spotted siblings Tremaine and Tristan Plummer weren’t joined by their brother Twaine. The trio had joined the programme in 2016, but Twaine was a recent absentee from the show.

On Instagram before the episode aired, Tremaine and Tristan confirmed: “It’s just the two T’s today as Twaine left us to go on holiday. So we’ve got a new member of the team now,” before picking up their adorable dog.

Twaine let his feelings be known as he responded to the post, saying: “Wish I was there.” He was quickly supported by his fans, who went on to wish him a happy birthday.

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Shia LaBeouf’s Mardi Gras celebrations in New Orleans allegedly took a violent turn Tuesday morning, landing him in the hospital and facing charges of battery.

The New Orleans Police Department confirmed that officers arrested the “Megalopolis” and “Honey Boy” actor, 39, at 12:45 a.m. in the city’s famed French Quarter. He was charged with two counts of simple battery for allegedly assaulting two men.

A representative for the “Transformers” star did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Police arrived at a business on the 1400 block of Royal Street, responding to a reported assault, officials said. The two men alleged they were assaulted by LaBeouf. The former “Even Stevens” child star was “causing a disturbance” at the business, prompting staff to remove him from the premises, police said. LaBeouf allegedly struck one of the victims and “used his closed fists on the victim several times.”

Police say LaBeouf left the business but returned “acting even more aggressive.” According to the incident report, an unspecified number of people tried to subdue LaBeouf and eventually let him go “in hope that he would leave.” Instead, he allegedly began assaulting the same man as before, hitting his upper body with closed fists. The actor is accused of punching the second man in the nose.

Investigators say people held LaBeouf down again until officials arrived. The actor was transported and treated for unknown injuries and was arrested and charged upon his release. TMZ published bystander video of multiple men standing over LaBeouf as he lies shirtless on a street. The video shows one man punching LaBeouf as he tries to get to his feet. Other bystanders can be heard telling both the man hitting and LaBeouf to “chill.” The video ends with two men holding LaBeouf down.

TMZ also published video of LaBeouf sitting shirtless in the trunk of a police vehicle and video of LaBeouf walking through the French Quarter on Monday.

Los Angeles native LaBeouf has a history of violent and disorderly behavior that shadowed his efforts to move past his Disney Channel days in the early aughts. Following his comeback in the form of filmmaker Alma Har’el’s “Honey Boy,” LaBeouf was sued in 2020 by his ex-girlfriend, musician FKA twigs, for assault, sexual battery and emotional abuse. The lawsuit also alleged LaBeouf abused another former girlfriend. He denied her allegations.

“I am not in the position to defend any of my actions. I owe these women the opportunity to air their statements publicly and accept accountability for those things I have done,” he told the New York Times amid the lawsuit.

The exes settled the lawsuit 2025.

LaBeouf is married to Mia Goth, the horror star known for films including “Frankenstein,” “Infinity Pool” and Ti West’s “X” trilogy.

Bed rest can go pound sand: Ray J gave his all on stage on Friday night, it seems, with fan videos showing his eyes appearing to bleed as he worked the crowd.

The singer also doffed the top of his orange jumpsuit to reveal some sort of medical port or device inserted on the upper left side of his chest.

The “Love & Hip-Hop: Hollywood” star, who is singer-actor Brandy’s brother, was performing in Shreveport, La.

In the first clip, red liquid — which many assumed was blood — ran down one of the R&B singer’s cheeks like tears as he handed out long-stemmed red roses to people in the audience. Another clip showed him singing into a mic while climbing down from the stage after shedding the top part of his jumpsuit.

“Hey, y’all, we perfectly fine. Ain’t nobody sick. Look at me, I’m fine,” he says in a later clip, which takes place off stage. The 45-year-old appears to be annoyed, saying that people have been laughing at him because he’s sick.

“He loves the camera. He loves the attention,” Tommy Nard II of Nard Multimedia Group, who was behind the scenes that night, told Shreveport news station KTAL separately. “It’s all theatrical … I seen him literally put on the fake blood and go out there.”

A concertgoer told KTAL that it was “very concerning to see blood, what appeared to be blood, coming from his eyes.”

Ray J told TMZ in late January that he was under doctor’s orders to stay on bed rest and avoid drugs and alcohol. He said he was on eight medications related to his heart, which he said had been damaged because of his excessive drug and alcohol use.

“I thought I could handle all the alcohol, I could handle all the Adderall,” he said in a video livestream in late January.

Doctors told Ray J — real name William Ray Norwood Jr. — that he should prepare for the chance that he might need a pacemaker or defibrillator soon, the singer told the celebrity site. He expected to get an update when he went back in two weeks for a checkup.

Two weeks was up over the weekend.

Ray J told followers in a video posted Jan. 25 that he wanted to “thank everyone for praying for me.”

“I was in the hospital,” he said. “My heart is only beating like 25%, but as long as I stay focused and stay on the right path, then everything will be all right.” In a video, he said the right side of his heart was “like, black. It’s like done.”

Ray J said elsewhere that his heart was beating at 60%. The number likely refers to his heart’s ejection fraction, which measures the volume of blood coming out of the heart’s left ventricle or being drawn into the right ventricle when the heart beats. Right-sided heart failure is far less common, according to WebMD.

A representative for Ray J did not respond immediately Tuesday to The Times’ request for comment.

However, in an Instagram story posted Monday, Ray J put up this quote: “‘If you want to know who your real friends & family are, lose your job, get sick, or go through hard times. You’ll see clearly.”

This article contains spoilers from the Season 3 finale of “Tell Me Lies.”

“Tell Me Lies” ended with the hard truth.

Based on the book by Carola Lovering, the Hulu series centers on the toxic and manipulative on-again, off-again relationship between college students Lucy Albright and Stephen DeMarco — portrayed by real-life couple Grace Van Patten and Jackson White — whose distressing bond causes a ripple effect of chaos and turmoil for their friend group that stretches across eight years.

It all culminated in Tuesday’s Season 3 finale, which brought explosive revelations, the return of old habits and final fractures to the friend group. But what about its central pair?

Across the show’s two timelines, Stephen’s admission to Yale Law School was revoked and his engagement blew up — but is that enough retribution for the most-hated fictional millennial man with a buzz cut after all the emotional and mental abuse he inflicted? Meanwhile, Lucy’s life is upended when she is expelled from school; but years later, and not without making another questionable choice, she is finally free from his torment. For good. Hours before the finale dropped, creator Meaghan Oppenheimer announced the series would not return for another season.

Over two separate video interviews from New York — Oppenheimer from her home; Van Patten and White, later in the day, from a hotel room — The Times caught up with the trio to discuss bringing the dark and twisted saga to an end, why Stephen wasn’t dealt more severe punishment and the love story between Bree and Wrigley. The conversations have been combined and edited for clarity and length.

Lucy (Grace Van Patten) and Stephen (Jackson White) in the series finale of “Tell Me Lies.”

(Ian Watson / Disney)

Before we dive into the finale, the other big news is the announcement that the show will not return for another season. Would you have wanted more or are three seasons enough?

Oppenheimer: This was definitely a very thoughtful, mutual decision that I came to with Hulu and 20th [Television,” which produces the show]. I went into this season wanting to write it with a sense of finality. I always felt like three seasons was sort of a perfect number for a smaller show like this. I always envisioned Lucy and Stephen’s worst, biggest breakup in college, and her public downfall culminating with the wedding weekend. But we went into this season not knowing for sure if there would be another one — and after seeing the amazing fan response and the numbers being so great, we definitely discussed “is there an organic way to keep it going?” I was definitely trying to make a very specific point with the way that Lucy and Stephen ended, which is that it was inevitable that he was going to hurt her, and that if she chooses him over her friends, she’s going to lose them. To keep going after that and force them back in each other’s lives, it would have felt like it was undermining the stakes of everything we set up.

Does it feel like the right time to be done with these characters?

Van Patten: It does. Of course, it’s bittersweet. But in terms of the story, it feels really right that it’s ending here, and we’ve had a beginning, a middle and an end.

White: I like the way that goes out.

Will you be glad to not be the most hated fictional man on TV?

White: I’m stoked. I’m stoked. I really am. I’m really excited to not trigger people like that. It’s a strange burden, like an odd social burden.

Van Patten: Because it’s out of love, but what they’re saying is so negative.

White: Yeah, it’s a compliment, but it’s mean. It’s kind of like how Stephen talks to the other characters.

Grace Van Patten as Lucy Albright in the final moments of the “Tell Me Lies” series finale. (Ian Watson/Disney) (Ian Watson/Disney)

Finales are challenging because they come with a lot of expectations from fans. Since you weren’t sure if the series might return, how did that shape how you wrapped this third season?

Oppenheimer: I had to go into it not worrying too much about what would happen in the future. When we found the [Season 3] ending in the writers room, we all were like, “Oh s—, that’s the ending to the story, not the ending of the season.”

Sometimes, when I see certain [fan] theories, I’m like, “What show are you watching?” I think people that were expecting a resolution to the Macy story, for instance, for him [Stephen] to get arrested — that’s so surprising to me … because I’m like, “I don’t feel like you’re watching the same show that I’m watching.” It’s one of the few things that we kept from the book. He doesn’t get justice for that. In reality, people get away with really bad things and that’s one of the scary truths of the show.

How did you and the writers decide on the moment that ends the series? Lucy choosing to ride off with Stephen after the wedding goes off the rails, only for him to leave her stranded at a gas station.

Oppenheimer: The show was going to end in one of three ways: Does she reject him? Does he reject her? Or do they end up together? I felt for a very long time that they should not end up together because this is a story about abuse. I don’t think this is a love story. It felt like staying true to what the show meant not having this overly positive, optimistic ending where she wins.

At the same time, the one thing we’ve learned about Stephen is that he will never let you go unless he’s the one making that decision. For Lucy to actually be free of him, he needed to be the one to walk away. It actually is the only way for her to really wake up and see it.

I will get images for scenes before I know what the actual scene is, and it’ll be almost more of like a symbolic image, or it’ll be a fable that I’ve heard before. But I said to the writers room, “I just want it to be her finally having the decision — Bree or him, friends or him — and her choosing him and then, it’s not this, but it’s as if he just drives away and leaves her by the side of the road.” And they were all like, “He could literally just drive away and leave her by the side of the road.” The idea of her being on this island alone, and the inevitability of it. And that’s why we have the whole —

Grace Van Patten on ending the series: “Of course, it’s bittersweet. But in terms of the story, it feels really right that it’s ending here, and we’ve had a beginning, a middle and an end.”

(Dutch Doscher / For The Times)

Allusion in the previous episode to the scorpion and frog fable?

Oppenheimer: Yes. The answer is, of course, he was going to hurt you because he’s Stephen. It’s in his nature. Also he’s not driving away, thrilled and happy. When he says, I’ve just blown up my entire life. If I hurt you, I’m hurting myself. It’s true. He would have more fun if he just learned to be nice and be with Lucy. But he can’t help it. His nature is to win and to wound and to get the last laugh.

White: That character is all about himself, and this is one final way to leave on the last laugh.

Van Patten: I find the ending to actually be a little bit helpful. I think there’s a lot of freedom and relief in that last moment when she realizes he left her.

There’s that almost wistful look that she has at the gas station, getting the coffees. Then there’s the one when she realizes she’s been stranded and all she can do is laugh. It’s quite the trajectory.

Van Patten: Every time Lucy has gone back to Stephen, she’s completely in denial. There’s a sense of hope, maybe it’s going to be different this time — also, he had just blown up every relationship she had at the wedding. We’re completely on an island together. There’s this hope of like, maybe we can be OK now, there are no more secrets left. The friend group isn’t together. There’s nothing being held over one another’s head. Then she’s hit with, “Oh, my God he did it again. Shame on me.” She totally could have cried, but she just decided to laugh instead because it is predictable. She actually saw it for the first time as definitive.

Jackson White on playing the hated character Stephen: “It’s a strange burden, like an odd social burden.”

(Dutch Doscher / For The Times)

How did you and the writers grapple with why Evan and Bree would invite Stephen to the wedding after everything that happened in college?

Oppenheimer: It’s one of the things that struck me in the book and scares me about a lot of young men in general (especially operating within groups) — the way guys tend to forgive other guys for what they do to girls. When Evan and Stephen leave things in senior year, they’re actually at a relatively good place with each other. Even though Evan knows that Bree knows the truth (about Lucy‘s one-night stand), he knows that Stephen still recognizes the worst parts of him, so he’s made a decision to keep him close in order to keep himself safe. Bree has a line where she says, “I begged Evan not to invite him.” So it’s not up to Bree, and like a lot of people do, she’s decided to accept that her fiancé has this friend she hates.

On social media, there are fans who say they won’t be satisfied if this show doesn’t end with Stephen dying. And there was the theory that characters were plotting their revenge on him to take place at the wedding. What do you make of that? Why not go that route?

Oppenheimer: When you’re writing anything based on fan expectations or giving them the happy ending all tied in a bow, I think you’re doing a disservice to the story. Different writers would do different things. I have to stay true to my taste. Hoping for all that, I get it. But I think that the way that we do it is with a laugh.

But why not go that route? It just didn’t feel realistic. Maybe I’m just very jaded, but as I look around the world — everyone after #MeToo was like, “Oh, did we cancel all the men?” It’s like, “No, we didn’t.” That is the reality of the world that we live in, especially now, with everything coming out about the Epstein files — it’s appalling. To me, it feels almost belittling to people who’ve been abused and been in these kind of things to say, “Oh, it all works out in the end.” But also, I will say, Stephen is not going to be happy. He’s miserable.

White: He was hardwired to hate. I think the character was designed to start hating. He’s started as a confusing character, and by the end, I think it’s pretty clear that he is one-sided and complicated, sure, but also unquestionably immoral. And there’s a lot of satisfaction in wanting to take that person out, especially if you’re projecting your own whatever onto this character. I totally understand the impulse to want to ice him. But that’s not the way the world works, and I think that’s why the ending is well done because [that’s] not always the case. You don’t get that satisfaction. You actually have to live with it for a long time. And I think the message is that it’ll keep happening over and over and over unless you fix it yourself. No one’s gonna save you. You have to heal yourself.

What about the outcome of the college timeline — in the end, Yale revokes its law school admission offer to Stephen after receiving a tip about behavior that goes against its code of conduct, namely the distribution of pornographic material, which we come to learn was Wrigley’s doing. And that’s one big loss for Stephen. What intrigued you about that? And was it always going to be Wrigley who did that?

Oppenheimer: We didn’t think, initially, that it was going to get reported. That was something that someone — I can’t remember who it was — said, “It really doesn’t feel fair for Diana not to get to go to Yale after everything she’s done to get past every obstacle to better her life.” Then when we were deciding who reports him, it was just very obvious that it needed to be Wrigley because it’s the last person Stephen expects. I thought it was really important to have a guy … it really devastates me the way that men choose other men over their female friends and turn a blind eye. I just wanted one boy to stand up against the other mean boys.

White: I think [having Yale revoke his admission] really messed him [Stephen] up. He is a survivor, though, he’s a shark. A lot of these people don’t face consequences. I think eventually they do. Everything does come around. I think the people who wish ill upon other people will get what’s coming to them. We’re just not going to see when. But in his lifetime, he will get his ass kicked in that way.

Grace Van Patten, left, on the set of “Tell Me Lies” with showrunner Meaghan Oppenheimer.

(Ian Watson / Disney)

To move on to Lucy, we learn what happened in the college timeline that led to her being largely estranged from the friend group. Grace, what stands out to you about playing her in that state of numbness to her life crashing down?

Van Patten: It’s been set up the past two seasons, in the present day, that the worst thing happened to Lucy in college, and we haven’t known what that thing was until this last episode. It’s the last piece of the puzzle for the audience to see what really ruined Lucy’s life. It was so tragic and heartbreaking because she is not computing anything. She’s completely reverting back to being a little girl and doesn’t know how to deal with getting in trouble, and she’s not taking in what’s what’s going on; she’s completely disassociating. I think if she allows herself to feel, then she would not be able to pick herself up off the floor. It’s self-protection and complete denial.

“It’s the last piece of the puzzle for the audience to see what really ruined Lucy’s life,” says Grace Van Patten of “Tell Me Lies.”

(Dutch Doscher / For The Times)

At what point did you both learn that it was Bree who released the tape with Lucy confessing to lying about being sexually assaulted by Chris — a lie she told to protect Pippa, his actual victim?

Van Patten: I forget if it was through reading or Meaghan just telling us before we got the scripts. I was definitely surprised by that because the first few episodes, they’re really emphasizing the closeness between Lucy and Bree and how they’ve developed this really tight-knit relationship, which made sense; they were bumping it up to make that feel like real betrayal. But I just see it as Bree getting even.

White: I really did like that. I liked playing that I genuinely didn’t do it.

Tell me more.

Van Patten: His first time!

White: Just because every single person will obviously think he did. We’ve just established him for three years as the guy who would do that. And to actually have it not be him is confusing, and it was very fun to play. I did not do this horrible thing — I’ve done a lot of other horrible things, but I didn’t do this.

I love the way you deliver the line, when it clicks for you that it was Bree — “Oh, my God, you released the tape, didn’t you?”

White: If the character’s putting pieces together, I like to try and put pieces together. It was just easy to act in that moment. That entire wedding sequence was very easy for everybody because it was well-crafted. We were all bringing it. We knew it was one of the big, important moments.

The cake got demolished.

White: Branden Cook [Evan] is amazing in that sequence.

Van Patten: He insisted that he do that stunt. He was like stretching beforehand.

White: He was chomping at the bit. Oh, he was ready.

Was the end goal to find a way to use ‘Toxic” by Britney Spears to score the climax?

Oppenheimer: I love it so much. It’s really funny because since Season 1, I was, “When are we gonna use ‘Toxic’?” It’s just so perfect for the show. We were editing that scene and we were throwing different songs in, and we’d actually tried this other song that worked really well — “I Gotta Feeling” [by the Black Eyed Peas]. But then I was like, “Should we just try ‘Toxic’?” And my editor, Jen, was like, “It’s literally now or never.” The way that the music lines up with Evan crashing into the cake. It timed out perfectly.

Wrigley (Spencer House) and Bree (Catherine Missal), during a break from the engagement party, have a conversation about their relationship that leads to sex. (Ian Watson / Disney)

The night of his wedding to Bree, Evan (Branden Cook) learns about her affair with Wrigley. (Danielle Blancher / Disney)

How did you arrive at some of the other big moments, like Bree and Wrigley. She goes through with the wedding, but their secret is out. What happens next for them? It’s also like, is this trauma bonding or … ?

Oppenheimer: I don’t think it’s trauma bonding. I think they’re soul mates, personally. Trauma bonding is a thing, but there’s also something very real about meeting someone in a moment of grief and it has just taken all of your outer layer off, and it has exposed the real you. I think that’s what they’re seeing when they connect at the beginning of Season 3; they’re the truest version of themselves. I knew that I wanted it to come out because Evan could not get away with this. Evan could not have the happy marriage to Bree. Lucy had a choice that she was making with the full knowledge of the choice, but Bree doesn’t know all the things that Evan did to her to completely destroy her relationship with her mom. It would have felt so unfair for that to work out. I always saw that exploding and coming to light. That smile at the end of the wedding, that tells you they’re going to make this work. I literally wrote it into the action line of the script. I said, “Their eyes meet across the room, and they smile. And you get the sense that in spite of it all” — I think I wrote “carnage” — “they’re gonna find a way to make it work.” And I think they do.

White: I like happy endings, just as a viewer. I like when things work out for characters that didn’t really do anything bad. I love Wrigley and Bree. It’s a great relationship.

Van Patten: I love that relationship. I feel like they deserve each other and like they’re the two with the most well-rounded moral compass. They feel right together. And so do Pippa and Diana. They’re the only ones who are leaving happy, in the end. They’re like, “Let’s get out of here. We do not belong here.” And they just walk off. They kind of leave unscathed when everyone else is in the fire?

Grace Van Patten and Jackson White of “Tell Me Lies.”

(Dutch Doscher / For The Times)

Do you wish, especially as a real-life couple, that’s what you could have played?

Van Patten: I thought it was the perfect ending for these characters. If they ended up together and figured things out, it would just be so unrealistic. Look what these people have done to each other for the past three seasons. They’re not going to be OK together.

I guess I mean the whole trajectory, having to play the fictional couple that’s so toxic as you’re starting a relationship.

White: Yeah, not a lot of blending between work and real life.

Van Patten: Thank God. It’s only a nice, warm feeling to know we’re nothing like them. But it’s just fun acting together. We have to do crazy things and say crazy things. It’s very, very separated for us.

What do you hope for your characters?

White: I don’t hope much for him. I’m trying to think if I know anybody like that or with those tendencies — I do. I do know people who have a lot of similarities, and I pray for them, and I hope they do well. I also hope they get what’s coming to them. Actually let me take it to back because if somebody has wronged me, then I wish them the best. But for somebody like him, he’s sort of beyond that, isn’t he? I don’t know how to answer that question. I don’t know what I would want for him.

Van Patten: I hope that final instance that we see in the last episode pushes her into a journey of self-analysis and her really trying to figure out why she looks for that type of thing in a relationship, and why she has been so drawn to that. Hopefully she does the work to change that and focus on the relationships that matter, that she should be paying more attention to. I hope it’s the beginning for her.

On a final note, I will say, I was relieved to see Stephen at least left behind Lucy’s purse.

White: That’s pretty funny.

Van Patten: I wish there was footage of him placing it there. Like, him hopping out of the car and carefully placing it. I always wondered if he parked in a place where he can see Lucy, just to see her reaction.

THIS NOUGHTIES indie band looks unrecognisable after undergoing a bleach blonde hair transformation.

The rockers released a new promo photo for their upcoming gigs later this year.

The lads looked very different as they showcased their new look.

The trio posed for a photo all suited and booted and looking serious.

But have you worked out who it is yet?

Well it’s none other than British punk rock band The Ordinary Boys.

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The band consists of Samuel Preston ‘aka Preston’, along with Charles “Chuck” Stanley, James Gregory and Matthew Powers.

The band is set to return to live music next month after a decade’s hiatus to celebrate their 20th anniversary.

They will be performing a number of intimate gigs in Worthing, Bristol, Darwen and Portsmouth.

But first they will be kicking things off with a special show in London at the Strongroom Bar – and fans can get tickets for as little as £20.

The group will also be making an appearance this summer at Chester’s Together Again Festival at Bolesworth Castle.

In a bid to reinvent themselves ahead of the shows, the singers were seen sporting their striking hairdo for a new poster.

The Ordinary Boys are best known for their 2006 UK Top 10 hits Boys Will Be Boys.

Their collaboration with Lady Sovereign titled Nine2Five was also a hit.

They also released a number of other tracks during the mid-2000s including I Luv U, Lonely at the Top, and Talk Talk Talk.

Preston is arguably the most well known member of the group thanks to his appearance on Celebrity Big Brother in 2006.

The singer went on to marry fellow housemate Chantelle Houghton after meeting on the show, but split just a year later.

Preston’s ex Chantelle told The Sun last year: “I think everyone loves a romance love story don’t they.

“I think a house romance would definitely make it easier for you, because you’ve got that person haven’t you.

“Whereas if you have no real friendship or connection, you’re sort of there on your own and it’s quite lonely and there’s a lot of mind games.

A prequel to one of the most acclaimed sci-fi films of all time has just been added to Netflix and fans are already eating it up

A sci-fi film directed by Ridley Scott that’s been praised by fans as a “masterpiece” is available to stream now in the UK. Prometheus (2012) is the fifth instalment in the iconic Alien franchise, and follows scientists who uncover startling clues that humanity may have been created by an ancient alien race, and journey to a remote world to investigate.

However, in their quest to solve the mystery they stumble upon a terrifying discovery that could spell the end of the human race. The psychological thriller boasts an all-star ensemble cast, including Noomi Rapace, Michael Fassbender, Guy Pearce, Idris Elba, Logan Marshall-Green, and Charlize Theron.

The film acts as a prequel to the first film in the franchise, Alien (1979) which was also helmed by Scott, and generated a number of successful sequels directed by Hollywood titans including James Cameron and David Fincher, as well as a cross-over franchise, Alien vs. Predator.

Mere hours after its release on the platform and it has already reached the number two spot on Netflix’s top 10 films.

One fan, writing on Rotten Tomatoes, called Prometheus a “masterpiece”. “This movie expands the Alien world and lore,” they added.

“The acting is top notch. The sci-fi horror element is incredible. Very existential. Watch it with commentary,” reports the Express.

Another described simply as the “Best movie of all time”.

Not everyone was impressed by the prequel, with one writing whilst Prometheus “looks phenomenal” its “strong visuals cannot hide weak writing”.

“The dialogue feels stiff and unnatural, making it hard to connect with the characters.”

Another commented: “It’s frustrating how amazing this film could’ve been. Solid cast, beautifully shot, original story. Scott should’ve either made a film about our creators or an Alien prequel; instead the two elements get too muddled together and neither gets full service.”

**For the latest showbiz, TV, movie and streaming news, go to the new **Everything Gossip** website**

However, others believed it matched the high benchmark established by the franchise’s stronger entries.

One remarked: “This was a perfectly cast movie. It gave excellent insight into the origins of the Alien lore. Excellently tied in with the existing movies. Not too many Aliens ripping people apart but plenty of action. Truly a great movie.”

Another rejected criticism of the picture, claiming it’s “gripping, thought provoking, visually stunning and entertaining from start to finish”.

A third branded it an “incredible and impactful film that deserves to be seen multiple times”.

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A fourth described it as “massively underrated in the Alienverse”, boasting a “strong script, amazing cast”, and visual effects that are “on point”.

The film carries a 15 certificate and features strong violence, gore, alongside threat and horror – so viewer discretion is recommended.

Prometheus arrived on Netflix in the UK on Monday (February 16). It’s also accessible to stream on Disney+, and available to rent or purchase on various platforms, including Apple TV, Amazon Prime Video, and Sky Store.

“Do you mind if I smoke?” asks German photographer Wolfgang Tillmans with a laugh during a recent video call from his home in Berlin.

As he lights his cigarette, he looks every bit the renegade artist he is known for being. At 57, Tillmans is in the midst of staging his 10th exhibition in Los Angeles since the mid-1990s at Regen Projects. He is one of the most celebrated photographers of his era, with a practice that collapses the distance between fine art and the pulse of street culture, spanning epic abstractions and the familiar textures of contemporary life.

At the same time, Tillmans has another life as a serious electronic musician, recording a series of experimental albums, including his most recent, 2021’s “Build From Here.” He is deeply connected to the music world, and photographed the cover for Frank Ocean’s acclaimed “Blonde,” making him a rare artist to be in major museums while genuinely engaged with popular music and the club scene — a bit of a rock star in his own right.

The official opening of his Regen show, “Keep Movin’,” attracted a line that wrapped around the building. Fans are drawn to his varied strands of work, which move instinctively between disparate approaches and subject matter, from famous faces to images sensitive to light and shape, in subjects as simple as the curve of paper folded softly over itself.

A security guard, right, stands near the work “Robin Fischer, Dirostahl, Remscheid 2024” in German-based photographer Wolfgang Tillmans’ current exhibition, “Keep Movin’,” at Regen Projects.

(Christina House / Los Angeles Times)

During an early walk-through for a few dozen invited guests, Tillmans held forth on his personal cosmos, surveying pictures from the experimental to the deeply intimate. Portraits, politically charged tabletop collages and quiet photographs that capture the simple vibrance of daily life are strewn across Regen’s 20,000 square feet of gallery space.

“I see my work evolve more in evolutions, rather than in revolutions,” Tillmans said, gesturing to a conceptual wall-sized image created with a photocopier.

His Regen show, through March 1, also features short video works and the abstractions of camera-less images he considers “pure photography,” created in the darkroom by shining light directly onto photosensitive paper. There are pictures relating to human sexuality and images from nature. Each subject and approach is an ongoing concern left intentionally open-ended, and never contained within a single project, title or grouping. They are all inseparable in his own mind, free from categories or a finite series of pictures.

“I am aware that these art historical categories exist in my oeuvre, but I’m not seeking them out,” Tillmans explained after the walk-through. His practice is not about “working through one series or genre and then moving on to another.”

Installation view of Wolfgang Tillmans’ “Keep Movin’” at Regen Projects.

(Evan Bedford / Regen Projects)

On his trip to Los Angeles, Tillmans made a long-planned visit to the Mt. Wilson Observatory to satisfy his lifelong interest in astronomy. He used the giant telescope to capture the twinkling of Sirius, the brightest star in the night sky. This preoccupation resurfaces at Regen in a large-scale print of 2023’s “Flight Honolulu to Guam,” revealing a star field above the clouds.

Tillmans’ interest in stargazing goes back to his adolescence, and images of the moon and cosmos recur in his work. “It gave me a sense of not being lonely, seeing the infinite sky and universe,” he says. “I always felt it was a very grounding experience that all humans share. I always got something from this — besides the beauty and the formal marvel of it all — this sense of location and locating myself.”

His depiction of the heavens is just one of many threads and themes that run through his decades of work.

A piece of work personally hung by photographer Wolfgang Tillmans in his current exhibition, “Keep Movin’” at Regen Projects.

(Christina House / Los Angeles Times)

Early in his career, Tillmans began shooting for the British street style magazine i-D, creating portraits of the famous and unfamous, while also documenting club life and gay culture. In 1995, Taschen published his first book, which made a stir with portraits of soft, indirect illumination, emphasizing naturalness. By avoiding the dramatic lighting and exaggerated special effects often seen in pictures of youth culture, he landed on a distinctive visual style.

“I felt the heaviness of life and the joy of life,” Tillmans says. “I saw myself as a multifaceted complex being, not just as young. So I experimented with lighting and film — how can I photograph my contemporaries in a way that approximates the way that I see through my eyes? And that was stripping back anything effectful, almost taking away the camera.”

He continues to do assignment work for magazines, which he considers part of his artistic practice. Several recent portraits are at Regen, including a foundry worker in Tillmans’ hometown of Remscheid and another of actor Jodie Foster. The editorial work brings him into contact with people and places he might not otherwise meet.

In 2000 Tillmans became the first photographer and first non-British artist to win the prestigious Turner Award. Tate Britain staged his mid-career retrospective in 2003 and the Hammer Museum in Westwood mounted his first major U.S. retrospective that same year, which traveled to Chicago’s Museum of Contemporary Art and the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden in Washington, D.C.

Coming after major retrospectives at the Pompidou Centre in Paris last year and the Museum of Modern Art, New York City, in 2022, the Regen show dispenses with the retrospective frame while quietly performing a similar task — taking in the main currents of Tillmans’ work over the past two decades, and a few images dating to the late ‘80s. His relationship with the gallery began with his first Los Angeles exhibition.

Visitors walk through photographer Wolfgang Tillmans’ exhibition, “Keep Movin’,” at Regen Projects in Los Angeles.

(Christina House / Los Angeles Times)

As ever, the images are displayed in a startling range of shapes and sizes: framed and unframed, huge wall-size prints hang alongside tiny, snapshot-scale pictures. One of the largest, “Panorama, left” (2006), spans nearly 20 feet and hangs only from bulldog clips. Smaller pictures are simply taped to the wall, but nothing is meant to indicate hierarchy.

“The biggest may not be the most important, and the smallest might be overlooked,” he explains. “It’s a little bit like projecting the way that I look at the world.”

In his first decade of exhibitions, he had no frames at all. “I taped those photographs to the wall, not as a gesture of disrespectful grunginess, but as a gesture of purity,” he adds. “That sense of immediacy — and not imbuing something with outside signifiers of value — lets the fragile piece of paper speak for itself.”

One of the current show’s larger conceptual pieces, “Memorial for the Victims of Organized Religion II,” fills a corner with 48 rectangular portrait-sized photographs, all of them solid black or dark blue. It’s a near-replica of a work shown at the Pompidou with the same solemn title, created to recognize those “physically maimed or mentally harmed” by doctrine and intolerance.

“I myself have a spiritual side,” says Tillmans, still grateful for positive experiences attending a Lutheran church in his youth. “But over the years I’ve become ever more distrustful of organized religions and seeing the role of religion in government. I find it incredibly immodest for humans to tell other humans what God wants.”

When he’s not exploring his spirituality and creativity visually, he focuses his energy on the music world. It’s a natural setting for Tillmans, who is increasingly active releasing his own electronic-based pop music. He’s occasionally worked as a DJ, and has been involved in acid house, techno and other electronic music. Despite his notoriety in the art world, he has no concern about hitting the charts.

“This is part of my work. I’m doing it the same way that I’m doing a photograph. I’m not doing a photograph to be peak popular in two months’ time,” Tillmans said. “It’s there and it’s still there in 24 years.”

A HOLLYWOOD A-lister stunned locals when he was spotted shopping at a cricket supplies store.

This twice Oscar-winning actor, 69, was seen browsing a store in Australia, with staff at the shop admitting that they “didn’t recognise him” at first.

The star in question is movie megastar, Tom Hanks.

The much-loved actor looked worlds away from his famous film roles as he browsed a cricket shop in Sydney.

The Forrest Gump star looked happy and relaxed as he posed for a photo with the delighted shop staff, who couldn’t believe their eyes.

Tom was dressed casually in just a grey T-shirt and black trousers, and was stood with his son Truman, 29.

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The gob-smacked shop workers shared the picture on Instagram of them with Tom, and penned: “Not your usual walk-in customer…

“We’re used to serving cricket royalty, but yesterday at GCCC North Sydney, we welcomed Hollywood royalty, with Tom Hanks and his son Truman stopping by the store.

“From Baggy Greens to big screens, you never know who’ll walk through the doors at GCCC.”

The shop’s followers went wild for the pic, with one person writing: “How exciting – well done for capturing the moment.

Tom is often spotted out and about with the general public, despite his star status.

Last autumn he was spotted taking a subway train in New York.

He even slipped a few dollars to a street musician before heading off into the crowd.

Tom shot to fame in the 80s and was known for comedies like Big, Splash and Turner & Hooch.

In the 90s he became well known for romantic comedies like Sleepless in Seattle and You’ve Got Mail, both of which he starred alongside Meg Ryan.

However, he went on to win two Oscars when he switched to more serious roles.

Tom won his first Academy Award for Philadelphia in 1994, and then for Forrest Gump the year after.

The star’s other big roles include Saving Private Ryan and Cast Away.

Despite being known as one of the kindest actors in Hollywood, fans will be surprised to hear that Mr Hanks previously admitted to being a diva on set.

He even compared himself to the stroppy character in his 2023 movie The Making of Another Major Motion Picture Masterpiece.

Tom said: “I’ve had my tough days trying to be a professional when my life has been falling apart in more ways than one and the requirement for me that day is to be funny, charming and loving – and it’s the last way I feel.”

Away from the cameras, Tom is happily married to wife Rita Wilson, who he shares his son Truman with.

Artist Ako Castuera is best known for her work on the award-winning animated series “Adventure Time.” As a writer and storyboard artist, she helped intrepid heroes Jake the Dog and Finn the Human become iconic toon characters.

Though she brought flying rainbow unicorns and a platoon of plotting penguins to life on screen, there’s more to Castuera’s resume than hyper-imaginative animation.

Ceramist, writer and storyboard artist Ako Castuera in her studio.

(Kayla Bartkowski / Los Angeles Times)

The Echo Park-based creative is also a professional ceramicist whose hand-built vessels and sculptures have been on display at the Japanese American National Museum of Art, Oxy Arts and the Oakland Museum of Art.

In this series, we highlight independent makers and artists, from glassblowers to fiber artists, who are creating original products in and around Los Angeles.

While Castuera’s studio is filled with its fair share of playful “Pee-wee’s Playhouse”-themed ceramic charms and anthropomorphic banana figurines, her craft is just as much devoted to highlighting Southern California’s natural resources and Indigenous people, as well as her own Mexican-Japanese heritage.

“‘Whimsy’ is a word that’s been applied to my work a lot. This is not my word,” she said during a recent tour of the Monrovia workspace she shares with her husband, artist Rob Sato, and fellow ceramicist Rosie Brand.

Ako Castuera’s work is anthropological and at times unusual, like her foot box sculptures. She also feels a special connection to her tools. (Kayla Bartkowski / Los Angeles Times)

“Not that whimsy is negative, but I do feel like it doesn’t really get a handle on the substance of what I feel I’m working with, as far as the depth of the clay, the depth of the experience, of the land.”

She sat perched on a stool at her workbench, using a smooth stone to grind soil clumps into fine dust as she talked. She collects the red earth during nature walks around the San Gabriel Mountains area — whether the riverbed of the Arroyo Seco, or the foothills of Claremont, her hometown.

“This is special dirt,” she explained.

To her, it has a presence, a life of its own and a cherished history. She uses it to make anything from trinket boxes to ornate geometric vases to statuettes of quizzical creatures.

Some of her most recent creations stand on a nearby wooden shelf. They’re ceramic depictions of Pacific tree frogs and great herons, both denizens of the L.A. River. The waterway has long been a source of inspiration for Castuera.

Ako Castuera’s work ranges from massive pieces to the miniature, like these figurines.

(Kayla Bartkowski / Los Angeles Times)

“I love the L.A. River,” she said. “It’s my neighbor. It’s my teacher. It’s a place where I walk and bike.”

She regards the river as a muse and wants to inspire Angelenos of all ages to appreciate it. To that end, she teaches youth workshops at the riverside arts hubs Clockshop and Sooki Studio. What’s more, the river was a “main character” on “City of Ghosts,” the L.A.-celebrating, Emmy-winning Netflix animated series she directed. She’s even been known to use some of its water to transform soil into moldable clay.

“The more people who are brought into a sense of kinship with the river, the better,” she said. “Because then, they really feel like ‘The river takes care of me; I want to take care of the river.’”

Castuera’s work has an anthropological bent, as well as an ecological one. For example, her research into Southern California’s Kumeyaay and Cahuilla Indigenous tribes inspired a series of large jars patterned after ollas, traditional pots used for water and seed storage. She plans to incorporate these jars into an immersive installation that will be on view at the Candlewood Arts Festival in Borrego Springs in March and April. And last fall, she hosted a community event with Los Angeles Nomadic Division in which she discussed how soil played a vital role in the societies of both the Gabrielino-Tongva tribes of L.A. and the Ryukyuan people of her mother’s native Okinawa.

Finding the sweet spot where cultures combine is a constant source of motivation for Castuera. She’s created her own twist on shisa, lion-dog statues that are common sights all around Okinawa. And she’s currently working on a collection of small sculptures honoring her patrilineal ties to Puebla, Mexico. Her “taco babies” were inspired by one of the region’s best-known dishes, tacos árabes, which combine flavors from Mexico and the Middle East.

“I was thinking about the beauty of being in a living mix and what that would look like personified,” she said of the wee figures wrapped in colorful tortilla-like blankets.

Ako Castuera makes ceramics for the love of the process, not the final product.

(Kayla Bartkowski / Los Angeles Times)

Some of Castuera’s work makes it into gallery shows and some she sells. But just as often, she smashes it and takes the soil back to where she originally found it. It’s a habit of creating and destroying that she formed as a student at Claremont High School, where she studied the craft for two semesters, yet fired zero pieces.

“I don’t think I could’ve articulated this at 15, but it’s about the process of building, not the process of creating a product. It’s about working with the material — just making the space and the time for that practice,” she said.

“The excitement and the magic is really about the discovery of the unexpected. It’s so engrossing and it really just gets me engaged with life.”

MYSTERY continues to surround Katie Price and new husband Lee Andrews after the pair STILL haven’t returned to the UK.

It came after speculation the businessman, who is now based in Dubai, was banned from touching down on home turf after “taking out a £200K loan in his ex’s name”.

Lee, 41, married the mum-of-five in Dubai last month, with the former glamour model returning back to the UK on her own just days later – as her husband explained she needed to return for her children.

After Katie returned to the UK to face her “horrified” family following her shock nuptials, Lee vowed he would soon be on a flight from the UAE to join her.

Sadly, her new spouse was a no-show in the UK and last week, we exclusively reported how Katie appeared to confirm her move to the UAE after splashing cash on luxury resorts.

In her latest Instagram video, Katie was seen wearing a grey vest as she stretched out on a bed.

KATIE PROBE

Katie Price investigated after claiming CBD product cured toddler’s cancer

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Katie Price reunites with husband Lee after defying family to fly on honeymoon

She propped herself on her headboard for the clip and told fans: “Hey guys, so I’m still in Dubai”.

She told how she was “really missing” her CBD products which assist with her sleep.

At the end of her clip, she zoomed in on her face as she demanded: “Get me back to the UK for CBD”.

In her caption, she added further detail and wrote: “I miss my sleeping pattern.

“I couldn’t bring my products over to Dubai due to the laws but wow… this is when you realise it most, I miss taking my oil before bed and sleeping through the night”.

The Sun exclusively revealed the former glamour model said I Do with businessman Lee Andrews in a plush ceremony in Dubai last month.

The shock engagement news came only a matter of weeks after Katie and former partner JJ, 32, called time on their two year romance.

In another video, which saw Lee brand Katie his “sweet little wife” and the TV star reply: “So we are still in Dubai but we are coming to England very soon”.

Lee then replied: “Within a day”.

Katie Price’s relationship history

We take a look back at the highs and lows of Katie Price’s relationship history.

1996-1998: Katie got engaged to Gladiators star Warren Furman – aka Ace – with a £3,000 ring. But their relationship didn’t make it as far as ‘I do’.

1998-2000: Katie described Dane Bowers as ‘the love of her life’ but she broke up with the singer after he allegedly cheated on her.

2001: Footballer Dwight Yorke is the father of Katie’s eldest child Harvey. He has had very little to do with his son throughout his life.

2002: Rebounding from Dwight, Katie famously had one night of passion with Pop Idol star Gareth Gates, allegedly taking his virginity.

2002-2004: Katie was dating Scott Sullivan when she entered the jungle for I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out Of Here!. He threatened to “punch Peter’s lights out” when chemistry blossomed between her and Peter Andre.

2004-2009: The jungle romance resulted in Katie marrying Aussie pop star Peter. They had two kids, Junior and Princess, before their bitter split in 2009.

2010-2011: Fresh from her break-up with Peter, Katie enjoyed a whirlwind relationship and marriage with cage fighter Alex Reid. They split 20 months after their Las Vegas wedding.

2011: Katie briefly dated model Danny Cipriani… but it ended as quickly as it begun.

2011-2012: They didn’t speak the same language, but Katie got engaged to Argentinian model Leandro Penna in 2011. He later fled home to South America.

2012-2018: Wedding bells rang once more after Katie met Kieran Hayler in 2013. They eventually called it quits after a rocky marriage.

2018-2019: Katie moved on quickly with Kris Boyson. They had an on-off romance for one year and even got engaged. They split for good in 2019.

2019: Katie was linked to Charles Drury during her on-off relationship with Kris. Charles, who also dated Lauren Goodger, has always denied being in “official relationship” with her.

2020-2023: Car salesman Carl Woods took a shine to Katie in 2020. Their relationship was up and down for three years. They broke up for a final time last year.

2024-2026: After weeks of rumours, Katie confirmed her relationship with Married At First Sight star JJ Slater in February 2024. The pair split in January 2026 after two years together.

2026: Katie shocked fans when she revealed she had married Dubai-based businessman Lee Andrews after a 48-hour engagement and only knowing him a week.

It remains to be seen if the pair will touch down on home turf any time soon.

After the pair became man and wife, reports – which Lee has denied – suggested he had been banned from leaving the country after he forged his ex’s signature for a £200,000 loan.

Lee allegedly applied for a mortgage in personal trainer Dina Taji’s name last year without her knowledge.

When she received a call from the bank about the application, she took legal action.

He spent three weeks inside the notorious Al-Awir central prison shortly before meeting Katie. It is unclear at what stage the investigation is at.

The city’s law prevents people involved in active criminal and civil cases from leaving the country, though Lee told the Mail it was “complete b******s” that he couldn’t leave.

Who is Katie Price’s husband Lee Andrews?

KATIE Price tied the knot with Lee Andrews in January 2026. Yet who is he?

• Katie Price has married businessman fiancé Lee Andrews in a whirlwind wedding
• It is the fourth time Katie, 47, has been a bride. She has also been married to Peter Andre, Alex Reid and Kieran Hayler
• Katie and Lee met just after being introduced on social media
• Lee claimed he is a billionaire in a failed clip from his acting career
• He now claims to be a Dubai-based businessman
• Yet The Sun has unmasked him as a fantasist who faked celebrity links using AI-generated photos and recently talked about marrying two other women
• Failed actor is just another title to add to Lee’s questionable CV, after he claimed to have once worked as the Director of Philanthropy at The Prince’s Trust (now The King’s Trust)
• Lee also shared images – since proven to be AI – of him working with Elon Musk and Kim Kardashian
• It’s been revealed shameless Lee told former girlfriends that he had studied at Cambridge University, and has a PhD in biotechnology science
• But The Sun has seen a response from the university explaining it could not find a record of Lee being registered as a student with a date of birth they had provided
• His LinkedIn profile says Lee has been a Member of the Board of Advisors to the Labour Party since 2015
• Lee was also mocked for repeating the exact same wedding proposal on Katie – that he did for another woman just four months ago.

He went on to say: “First of all, I’ve been travelling all over Christmas, prior to January, and I’m actually travelling tonight to the UK so no, I don’t have a travel ban. 

“And the Dina Taji issue was something else, but I don’t have a mortgage either for £200,000, that’s completely not right.”

He added that he has been house-hunting for a new home for him and Katie.

We revealed over the weekend how Lee was arrested at his home in the emirate over allegations of obtaining money by deception.

The Mail also reports that Andrews “begged” other inmates for £5,966 to help secure his release, before turning to one of his ex-wives.

The Sun contacted Lee for comment at the time.

During his three weeks in the overcrowded prison – where violence and infections are rife – Lee shared a huge cell with 65 other inmates.

Lee, whose fantasist online claims were exposed by The Sun, was finally freed after apparently paying court fines.

Just weeks after his release last November, he struck up an online romance with Katie – before the pair stunned relatives by tying the knot in Dubai.

Silent Witness fans should watch another crime drama set in Scotland.

The alternative forensic drama for Silent Witness fans is the perfect binge.

Devotees of Silent Witness are being encouraged to discover another forensic drama that debuted on the BBC in 2021, following recent scheduling adjustments to the latest instalments.

The crime thriller centres on three female forensic experts – Emma Hedges (portrayed by Molly Windsor), Sarah Gordon (Laura Fraser) and Kathy Torrance (Jennifer Spence) as they piece together evidence in a murder investigation and secure a conviction.

Traces unfolds in and around Dundee, though viewers might find it intriguing that most of the BBC production was actually shot in Bolton, Manchester.

Created by Val McDermid and Amelia Bullmore, the drama tracks Emma Hedges, a laboratory technician returning to her native Dundee for a fresh position.

Beyond her professional duties, she harbours a personal quest to uncover the truth surrounding her mother’s killing.

Initially broadcast on Alibi, both series subsequently transferred to BBC One, with the final episode of the 12-part run transmitted in 2024.

Fraser portrays Sarah Gordon, a Chemistry professor at the University of Tayside who becomes Emma’s superior at SIFA.

Spence takes on the role of Kathy Torrence, a forensic anthropology professor at the University of Tayside and fellow SIFA colleague.

Viewers flocked to IMDb to express their opinions on the programme, with craigpetterson noting: “Set in Dundee, Scotland, great performances by the cast. Keeps the viewer hooked until the end.”

They added: “Congratulations to Alibi for commissioning and producing such a high quality production in Scotland.”

Barryrd enthused: “I was glued to Britbox watching the first season of this highly enjoyable show. This great drama consisted of several episodes and showed how a young woman, who lost her mother as a child, struggled valiantly to find out the truth of her mother’s death.

“The story had me transfixed to my screen and highlighted the science of forensics which is such a fascinating part of solving crimes in the 21st century.”

Bella-10103 praised the series as “addictive”, adding: “Binged watched this over a couple of days, absolutely loved Traces.”

Lyninbyron summed up: “I binge watched in one day. I had to! Riveting story, great cast but missed quite a bit of the dialogue due to fast, garbled lines.

“That said, I rate it a 10 for being excellently written. Series two please, can’t wait. Congratulations to all involved.”

Traces is currently airing on NOW.

**For the latest showbiz, TV, movie and streaming news, go to the new Everything Gossip website**

MILLIE MACKINTOSH has admitted she spent Valentine’s weekend “sobbing” following her split from husband Hugo Taylor.

It was revealed earlier this month that the couple had parted ways after seven years of marriage.

As she celebrated Valentine’s Day as a newly-single woman, it turned out to be an emotional one for the 36-year-old mum-of-two.

She went to watch the new romantic drama Wuthering Heights in cinemas before coming home and reviewing the Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi film in a video.

The movie follows the love story between Heathcliff and Catherine Earnshaw, a woman from a wealthy family in 18th-century England.

Millie said: “So I saw Wuthering Heights over the weekend, it was very spicy. The way Heathcliff loved her ah! Everyone in the cinema was just sobbing.

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Millie Mackintosh’s husband Hugo Taylor threatened to divorce her 3 years ago

“I would definitely recommend to go and see it. They had great chemistry and the costumes were so good.”

It comes after she opened up about having an “alternative” Valentine’s Day this year as she nurses her heartbreak over the end of her marriage.

She took to Instagram on Friday to share a photo of a London Underground board titled: “Valentine’s Day Alternatives.”

The suggestions included: “Galentine’s Day” with the girls, “Malentine’s Day” with the lads, and “Palentine’s Day” with friends.

According to the Daily Mail, Millie and Hugo, 39 – who share two daughters – went their separate ways after a series of discussions in the New Year.

An insider told the publication: “Millie and Hugo are currently going through a separation and have sadly decided to split.

“They have known each other for many years, and in recent weeks, have had serious conversations about their future, ultimately deciding it’s better for them both to part ways.

“Their main priority remains their children and family life, and separating is not something they ever hoped would happen.”

The source added they are living a part and figuring out how best to co-parent.

The pair got married in 2018, seven years after initially dating on Made in Chelsea.

However, they ended up parting ways, with Millie marrying rapper Professor Green in 2013.

But, following their divorce in 2016, Millie and Hugo got back together before tying the knot themselves two years later at Whithurst Park in West Sussex.

Millie said at the time: “Even in my wildest dreams I didn’t imagine it would be this ­perfect. I am so excited to finally be married to Hugo — he’s the love of my life.”

They had their first daughter, Sienna, in 2020 and second daughter, Aurelia, in 2021.

After the news broke of their split, Hugo was pictured still wearing his wedding ring while Millie was seen without hers.

When Robert Duvall was floundering around in college, his father, a career Navy man who retired with the rank of rear admiral, told him to shape up — and start acting.

“I wasn’t pushed into it but suggested into it,” Duvall once told an interviewer. “They figured I did skits around the house. They figured I had a calling, or whatever, in that line.”

They figured correctly. With his weathered face and receding hairline, he did not stand out for his movie star looks but for the intensity and depth he brought to his craft. New York Times film critic Vincent Canby in 1980 called him “the best we have, the American Olivier.”

Duvall, a veteran of many leading roles but best known for his sharp portrayal of supporting characters such as “The Godfather’s” Irish American consigliere and the unhinged Army colonel who loved the smell of napalm in the morning, died at 95 on Sunday, his wife, Luciana Duvall, announced on Facebook.

“Bob passed away peacefully at home, surrounded by love and comfort,” she wrote.

Although he could play comic characters such as Maj. Frank Burns, the priggish Army doctor who was obsessed with nurse “Hot Lips” Houlihan in “MASH,” Duvall specialized in tightly wound tough guys.

In “The Great Santini,” he was a Marine fighter pilot who was as overbearing and explosive with his family as with the men under his command. In “The Apostle,” he was a preacher who killed his wife’s lover with a baseball bat. In “The Godfather” and “The Godfather Part II,” he was Tom Hagen, a buttoned-down attorney who was loyal to his mob bosses and lethal to those who got in their way. He was an expert, one critic said, in playing “self-controlled men who should not be pushed too far.”

Duvall was known for pouring himself into his characters. He could move with the grace of the tango aficionado he became or with the slow, pained gait of the cancer-ridden editor he played in “The Paper.” He was a keen student of dialect; doing movies in the South, he meandered down backroads, learning just the right way to frame a question in rural Mississippi or deliver a compliment in west Texas.

He loved playing country people and particularly loved westerns.

“That’s our genre,” he said in a 2011 interview with the News and Advance in Lynchburg, Va., near his home on a 362-acre horse farm. “The English have Shakespeare, the French Moliere, and the Russians Chekhov. The western is ours.”

When asked about his acting technique, Duvall would describe it as simply as his favorite character — Augustus McCrae, the wry trail boss on the TV miniseries “Lonesome Dove” — might have described riding a horse.

“It’s just talking and listening,” Duvall told The Times in 2006. “Nothing’s precious. Just let it sit there and find its own way.”

Nominated seven times for an Academy Award, Duvall won lead actor honors in 1983 for his role as Mac Sledge, a broken-down country singer in “Tender Mercies.” A guitar player since childhood, he did his own singing and wrote two of the songs.

Turning down his studio’s offer of a cast party at glitzy Studio 54, Duvall hosted a heartfelt hoedown in his New York City apartment. The crowd ate down-home food cooked by character actor Wilford Brimley, who had flown in from Tennessee. As the party ended at 3 a.m., an exuberant Duvall had everyone join hands for a chorus of “Amazing Grace.”

Willie Nelson — who sang duets with Duvall at the party — told Village Voice columnist Arthur Bell that “Tender Mercies” was dead-on accurate.

“These people Bobby portrayed in his movie, I grew up in those parts and know each of them personally,” he said. “And I’ll probably be that character he plays someday if I don’t take care of myself.”

Many of Duvall’s characters had hardscrabble backgrounds, but Duvall grew up in privilege. Born in San Diego on Jan. 5, 1931, he was raised in places around the U.S. where his naval officer father was posted.

When he was 10, the future star of so many westerns rode his first horse and got to know his first Texans on a family trip to see his mother’s relatives.

By his teen years in Annapolis, Md., Duvall had become an excellent mimic, absorbing dialects and mannerisms wherever he happened to be. He did hilarious impressions of people like his cousin Fagin Springer, a singing evangelist from Virginia, and the tough old cowhands on his uncle’s Montana ranch. Years later, on the set of “The Godfather,” he did impressions of Marlon Brando.

In his more than 85 movies, many of his characters were heavy drinkers, but not Duvall. He went to a Christian Science boarding school in St. Louis and to Principia College, a Christian Science college in Elsah, Ill., and never smoked or drank.

When the affable, athletic Duvall was nearly kicked out of college for poor grades, administrators summoned his parents for an emergency meeting. Everyone agreed he was miscast as a history major. The boy’s only talent, besides tennis, appeared to be acting.

Switching to drama — a decision supported by his parents, who wanted him to stay in school — he turned his academic career around.

In a college production of Arthur Miller’s “All My Sons,” Duvall so deeply merged into the character of a ruthless businessman haunted by a bad decision that he found himself crying. “That clinched it,” wrote Judith Slawson in “Robert Duvall: Hollywood Maverick,” a 1985 biography. “Acting was for him.”

Graduating in 1953, Duvall was drafted into the Army. He trained in radio repair at Camp Gordon in Georgia but spent his off-duty time with a community theater group in nearby Augusta. When he left the service in 1955, he studied at New York’s Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre, a training ground for such top talents as Gregory Peck, Steve McQueen and Jon Voight.

Sanford Meisner, the school’s legendarily demanding director, was impressed.

“There are only two actors in America,” he told playwright David Mamet years later. “One is Brando, who’s done his best work, and the other is Robert Duvall.”

In New York, Duvall worked night shifts at the post office, washed dishes and kept auditioning. He shared an apartment at Broadway and West 107th Street with a fledgling actor named Dustin Hoffman. The two also palled around with Gene Hackman and James Caan.

Over coffee at Cromwell’s Drugstore, the yet-to-be-discovered actors would discuss the mumbling, moving technique of another young actor.

“If we mentioned Brando once, we mentioned him 25 times,” Duvall told The Times in 2014.

After several years of off-Broadway productions, summer stock and roles in TV dramas such as “Naked City” and “The Twilight Zone,” Duvall landed his first Hollywood role in 1962.

As Boo Radley, a mysterious recluse in “To Kill a Mockingbird,” Duvall was on-screen for less than five minutes at the film’s end and had no lines. But he played a pivotal character and the film launched a cinematic career that lasted more than five decades.

In the 1979 Vietnam War epic “Apocalypse Now,” he delivered one of the most famous lines in the history of film. As the swaggering Lt. Col. Bill Kilgore, he orders U.S. helicopters to destroy a coastal Viet Cong-held village so he and his men could surf there.

“You smell that? Do you smell that? Napalm, son. Nothing else in the world smells like that,” Kilgore says nonchalantly as the village before him erupts in flame. “I love the smell of napalm in the morning.”

Kilgore’s chilling monologue topped the list of best movie speeches in a 2004 BBC poll. Duvall later said he had no idea people would remember it.

Duvall seldom played leading men, but Mac Sledge, in “Tender Mercies,” was a notable breakthrough.

“This is the only film where I’ve heard people say I’m sexy,” he told an interviewer. “It’s real romantic — rural romantic. I love that part almost more than anything.”

Duvall was married three times before meeting Luciana Pedraza, a young woman who was dared by her friends to approach him on a Buenos Aires street and invite him to a tango gathering. She played opposite him in “Assassination Tango,” a 2002 film in which he portrays a hit man dispatched to Argentina. They married in 2005 and for years practiced tango on a dance floor they installed in one of their barns.

In addition to his wife, Duvall is survived by his older brother William, an actor and music teacher. His young brother John died in 2000.

Duvall’s legacy includes a wide range of films, from “True Grit” to “True Confessions.” He played a retired Cuban barber in “Wrestling Ernest Hemingway”; a cynical TV executive in “Network”; a dirt-poor Mississippi farmer in “Tomorrow”; a quietly effective corporate attorney in “A Civil Action”; a middle-aged astronaut in “Deep Impact”; a grizzled cattleman in “Open Range”; a tobacco company bigwig in the satirical “Thank You for Smoking”; and in the miniseries “Ike,” he was Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower.

He also tackled some less commercial projects. In 1977, he directed a documentary about a Nebraska rodeo family, “We’re Not the Jet Set.” In 1983, he wrote and directed “Angelo, My Love,” a drama inspired by and starring Romani whom Duvall came to know in New York City.

He worked well into his later years. In the 2009 film “Get Low,” he was a backwoods hermit who staged his own funeral. Two years later, he was a rancher and ex-golf pro who takes a young golfer under his wing in the spiritual drama “Seven Days in Utopia.” And four years after that, he played an alcoholic and abusive justice in “The Judge,” earning a supporting actor Oscar nomination — the oldest actor at the time to do so.

In “A Night in Old Mexico” (2014), he played an ill-tempered rancher preparing for suicide after losing his land to foreclosure. His plans change when he meets an adult grandson he never knew he had and the two wander across the border into bars and bordellos and reflect on life.

“No one plays wise old coots more convincingly,” the New York Times said.

Duvall drew on his inner curmudgeon throughout his career.

As an actor who prided himself on an up-close, deep-down knowledge of his characters, he sometimes bristled at direction.

“If I have instincts I feel are right, I don’t want anyone to tamper with them,” he told After Dark magazine in 1973. “I don’t like tamperers and I don’t like hoverers.”

Horton Foote, who adapted “Mockingbird” for the movies and wrote “Tender Mercies,” became one of Duvall’s few lifelong friends in the industry.

When Duvall was checking out Southern churches as he researched “The Apostle,” which he wrote, directed and starred in, the two were frequently in touch on the phone.

“I could always tell he’d been with a different preacher,” Foote told The Times in 2006, “because he’d try out these different voices.”

Authenticity was so important to Duvall that he gave some key roles in “The Apostle” to local people with little or no acting experience.

Rick Dial, who played a small-town radio reporter in the film, was actually a local furniture salesman.

“Rick improvised a lot of his dialogue,” Duvall told Backstage magazine in 2001. “At the end of ‘The Apostle’ when they cart me off, his skin turned a certain color of grief. I don’t know who told him to do that. He just did it.”

For Duvall, known as an actor who “just did it” in film after film, that was the highest kind of praise.

Chawkins is a former Times staff writer.

A new artificial intelligence video generator from Beijing-based ByteDance, the creator of TikTok, is drawing the ire of Hollywood organizations that say Seedance 2.0 “blatantly” violates copyright and uses the likeness of actors and others without permission.

Seedance 2.0, which is available only in China for now, lets users generate high-quality AI videos using simple text prompts. The tool quickly gained condemnation from the movie and TV industry.

The Motion Picture Assn. said Seedance 2.0 “has engaged in unauthorized use of U.S. copyrighted works on a massive scale.”

“By launching a service that operates without meaningful safeguards against infringement, ByteDance is disregarding well-established copyright law that protects the rights of creators and underpins millions of American jobs. ByteDance should immediately cease its infringing activity,” Charles Rivkin, chairman and chief executive of the MPA, said in a statement Tuesday.

Screenwriter Rhett Rheese, who wrote the “Deadpool” movies, said on social media last week that “I hate to say it. It’s likely over for us.” His post was in response to Irish director Ruairí Robinson’s post of a Seedance 2.0 video that shows AI versions of Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt fighting in a post-apocalyptic wasteland.

Actors union SAG-AFTRA said Friday it “stands with the studios in condemning the blatant infringement” enabled by Seedance 2.0.

“The infringement includes the unauthorized use of our members’ voices and likenesses. This is unacceptable and undercuts the ability of human talent to earn a livelihood,” SAG-AFTRA said in a statement. “Seedance 2.0 disregards law, ethics, industry standards and basic principles of consent. Responsible AI development demands responsibility, and that is nonexistent here.”

ByteDance said in a statement Sunday that it respects intellectual property rights.

“[We] have heard the concerns regarding Seedance 2.0. We are taking steps to strengthen current safeguards as we work to prevent the unauthorized use of intellectual property and likeness by users,” the company said.

The dispute comes a month after ByteDance finalized a deal to secure TikTok’s future in America. ByteDance agreed to divest majority ownership of U.S. operations to an American-led investor group, averting a shutdown of the hugely popular social media app.

President Trump during his first term sought to ban the platform, citing national security concerns, but he shifted his views after ByteDance agreed to the new joint venture.

The venture now has three managing investors: Silver Lake, Oracle and Emirati investment firm MGX, each holding 15%, with ByteDance retaining 19.9% of investments.

Ortutay writes for the Associated Press. Times Staff writer Cerys Davies contributed to this report.

SHE had just turned 19 and was a single mum at college, working part-time in a fish and chip shop when she made her bid for fame on the X-Factor.

Now, 17 years later, Stacey Solomon is worth a staggering £10million, is married to TV star Joe Swash and has five beautiful children. But just when it looked like she had reached the top, insiders tell us that the 36-year-old has made a huge decision, with one wrong move toppling her empire for good.

The one-time X Factor star has hit the £10m mark in her business empire- up from £7.4m in the previous year, accounts revealed.

Despite her huge earnings, Stacey kicked off 2026 by walking away from her talent agency – leaving those close to her blindsided.

The dramatic move, which has also raised questions within the industry, means that Stacey has also pulled the plug on every one of her commercial partnerships this year.

She will no longer be working alongside YMU, the agency that looks after some of the biggest names in the industry, including Amanda Holden, Ant and Dec and Claudia Winkleman.

Insiders say her team at YMU were ordered to walk away from her long-running George at ASDA contract.

Stacey’s decided she wants to stop making everyone else rich.

Insider

We’re told: “It’s a huge change for Stacey – she will no longer be promoting other people’s brands. 

“Right now, she is focused on building her own empire instead and has new ventures on the horizon.

“She’s seeing it as a major business reinvention. She’s seen how well her hair brand REHAB has done and is now keen to replicate that.

“Stacey’s decided she wants to stop making everyone else rich. She might be worth a lot, but money is always a concern for her. She’s worried that one day everything she has worked for could disappear, and now she’s decided it’s time to take full control.”

The insider added: “Stepping back from all this could be a huge mistake. She does have her TV work, but the brand deals were bringing in a lot of cash for her.

“She could lose it all; that is a genuine fear for her. It’s no secret that Stacey sees herself as the one who has to manage the money both she and Joe make. And she makes a lot more than him.”

Former EastEnders star Joe was declared bankrupt twice over unpaid tax bills – once in 2009 and again in 2013.

Stacey – who shares Rex, six, Rose, three, and Belle, two, with Joe and is also mum to Zachary, 17, and Leighton, 12 – is said to always make sure he contributes 50/50 so she is protected financially as much as possible.

But what price has fame and fortune had on her high-profile relationship with Joe?

Stacey has been branded bossy and ruthless in the past, and the tension in their marriage was very evident during their BBC fly-on-the-wall series. 

We’re told that money is still a source of contention for the pair, who live in £1.2m Pickle Cottage,  and Stacey struggles to feel comfortable despite being set for life. 

During one episode of their BBC documentary, Stacey opened up about her money fears as they planned to take their children on a posh skiing trip.

The TV personality said: “I think I will always, one, feel like an imposter in this life, because this is not what I imagined my life would be when I was growing up.

“But two, I always have in the back of my mind tomorrow you could have nothing, so be careful today.”

Cashing in

Three years ago, Stacey invested some of her own cash into small haircare brand REHAB and now owns a third of the firm.

Today, it’s not such a small firm – it was hailed the fastest-growing beauty brand on the FEBE 100 list for 2025.

The award is only eligible for firms with annual revenues over £3million,  which gives you an idea of just how much the brand is pulling in. 

The insider added: “Stacey has loved working with REHAB, it’s all women, there are only seven staff on the books, and it’s become a real passion project.

“She’s making great money and now really believes in her business nous.”

The star presenter runs a firm called Keymap Entertainment that takes in cash from her media and lucrative ad deals.

New accounts show the tele favourite has £7.5m tied up in investments and £1.6m in cash.

A TV insider remarked: “Stacey is adored by fans old and young. She has worked so hard to get to the position she is in – and deserves every penny.”

It’s thought she will see out the remainder of her contracts with YMU before stepping back completely. 

Sources tell us that YMU have been really taken aback by her decision: “She has been the cash cow of the agency for many years. 

“She out-earns their other high-profile clients.”

Some of her biggest deals have included projects with Asda, Jet2, In The Style and Primark, which have really boosted her earnings, and presumably also helped the bank balance of those working for her. 

One of her new business plans is her very own beauty company, Belle & Rose Ltd, named after her daughters, which she set up a couple of years ago with plans to sell beauty products and tools in “specialised stores”.

Interestingly, she’s yet to launch anything under that name yet but as her other deals come to an end, it’s becoming increasingly likely we will see it come to fruition this year. 

She has worked so hard to get to the position she is in – and deserves every penny.

TV insider

It’s certainly been an extraordinary journey – her life really changed forever when she won I’m A Celebrity in 2010, and it soon became clear a singing career would be put on the back burner. 

She became a national treasure, amassing an incredible six million Instagram followers, who watch her every move as she shares her home hacks and family life.

Her Tap To Tidy catchphrase went viral on the social media platform and led to her having her own book, paving the way for her job on Sort Your Life Out, which has become a BBC big hitter. 

It’s a far cry from the nervous teen who wowed Simon Cowell and Cheryl as she took to the stage in hotpants, saying she wanted to win for Zach so she could “get him into a good school and get him all the things he needs”. She’s done that and then some. 

Stacey Solomon’s career so far

Stacey Solomon has been a familiar face on viewers’ screens for over a decade. Let’s take a look back at her career.

The X Factor (2009): Stacey competed in series six of long-running ITV singing competition The X Factor. During her time in the show, she was mentored by Danni Minogue in the ‘Girls’ category. The star finished in third place, behind Joe McElderry and Olly Murs.

I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here (2010); In late 2010, Stacey headed to the infamous I’m A Celeb Aussie jungle. After 21 days, she triumphed to win the tenth series. It was through I’m A Celeb that she met future husband Joe Swash – who’d won two years earlier and was hosting the ITV2 spinoff.

Celebrity Juice (2011―2013, 2016―2019): The star appeared as a panellist on 21 episodes of the comedy panel game show hosted by Keith Lemon. Stacey was a regular in the 21st series, broadcast in 2019.

Loose Women (2016 – present): Stacey has been a permanent panel member of the daytime show since 2016. She previously made guest appearances in 2011 and 2012.

Sort Your Life Out (2022 -present): This BBC show sees Stacey, with the help of an expert team, transform participants’ living spaces after removing clutter.