Maja Chwalinska’s French Open ended almost three weeks after it started – but her journey to the brink of a first Grand Slam title began long before that.
A former Australian Open junior doubles finalist alongside fellow Pole Iga Swiatek, Chwalinska has spoken openly about the depression that led her to take a break from tennis early in her professional career.
In the build-up to Roland Garros, she was playing events on the second tier of the women’s tour across Europe.
Her French Open campaign began in the first round of qualifying on Monday, 18 May. Nine wins later, only teenager Mirra Andreeva stood in the way of Chwalinska becoming just the second qualifier to win a Grand Slam singles title in the Open era.
It was not to be for Chwalinska, who fell 6-3 6-2 to Andreeva on Saturday, but finishing runner-up will have a profound effect on her life and career.
She will climb from 114th in the world to a new high of 21st on Monday, while her Roland Garros prize money of 1.4m euros (£1.21m) is almost double what she had previously earned in her entire career.
“It’s been 18 years of hard work, patience and perseverance,” said 24-year-old Chwalinska, who took up tennis as a young girl.
“I had to go through so much to be in this position. Life is weird sometimes and you’ve just got to do your thing and believe it will click someday, and I’m happy that it did.
“It is definitely an unforgettable three weeks for me. I’ll never forget it.”
On Friday, however, his wife Samantha and their two children — son Brexton, 11, and daughter Lennix, 4 — “wanted to take a moment to say thank you” for all the support they have received.
“The prayers, messages, flowers, meals, hugs, and countless acts of kindness have carried us through the most heartbreaking days of our lives,” they said in a note posted Friday on Samantha’s Instagram page. “While our hearts are absolutely shattered, we have felt God’s presence and arms wrapped tightly around us through each and every one of you.”
Busch, a two-time champion of the NASCAR Cup Series and the winningest driver in the association’s history, became unresponsive while in a racing simulator on May 20 in Concord, N.C., and was transported to a Charlotte hospital. He died the next day.
According to his death certificate, Busch died from hemorrhagic shock and disseminated intravascular coagulation after complications from bacterial pneumonia led to sepsis. He had been experiencing symptoms of bacterial pneumonia for “days to weeks” before sepsis set in, the certificate states.
The Busch family released a joint statement with NASCAR and his team, Richard Childress Racing, honoring Busch on the day he died. Friday’s social media post marks the first public comment directly from Samantha and her children since then.
“The love that has surrounded our family during this unimaginable time has brought comfort in the middle of so much pain,” they said in the post.
“Knowing the impact Kyle had on others and seeing how they are honoring him through each unique act of generosity is a true testament to how special Kyle is to so many people. There are moments when the weight of this loss feels impossible to carry, yet time and time again God, through you all, has shown us we are not alone.”
Kyle and Samantha Busch were married on Dec. 31, 2010. She and their children were among those who appeared at the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway on May 24 to honor Busch’s memory.
“From family and friends to fans and complete strangers, thank you for showing up for us. Thank you for loving our family so well,” their post concluded. “Thank you for loving Kyle. Thank you for honoring him. We may never find the words to fully express what your support has meant to us, but please know that we are deeply grateful.
Hello! I’m Mark Olsen. Welcome to another edition of your regular field guide to a world of Only Good Movies.
It seems odd that the biggest news of the week was the fact that tickets for a movie went on sale, but apparently Christopher Nolan’s upcoming “The Odyssey” is no typical movie. Having already made tickets available for some shows a full year in advance, Universal put more of them on sale for the July 17 opening weekend of the Oscar-winning filmmaker’s ancient epic. There were reports of long online wait times, crashing ticketing systems and the kind of problems more often associated with pop stars than movie nerds.
“The Odyssey” will be playing in a variety of formats, with the Imax 70mm screenings among the most coveted. More venues than usual have also been announced as playing the film in 70mm, including the Village Theatre in Westwood. (A handy visual guide to the different fomats is on the film’s website.) While there is a hint of the ridiculous to some of this mania — popcorn buckets in the shape of Imax cameras and movie tickets going on the resale market for hundreds of dollars — there is no denying how exciting it is to see this kind of anticipation building around any movie.
Back to a ’90s phenomenon
Ewen Bremner, left, Ewan McGregor, Johnny Lee Miller and Robert Carlyle in the movie “Trainspotting.”
(Liam Longman / Sony Pictures Classics)
When it first came out in 1996, “Trainspotting” was an instant cultural phenomenon, capturing the vibes of the “Cool Britannia” moment with its sparkling soundtrack, inventive, high-energy style and cast that included up-and-coming talents such as Ewan McGregor and Kelly Macdonald. It was only the second feature directed by Danny Boyle, who would go on to be an Oscar winner, mount an Olympics opening ceremony and remain a reliably exciting filmmaker all the way to his recent “28 Years Later.”
“Trainspotting” is now back in theaters in a 4K restoration for its 30th anniversary, having lost none of its brash vigor. In his original review, Kenneth Turan said of the film, “Exuberant and pitiless, profane yet eloquent, flush with the ability to create laughter out of unspeakable situations, ‘Trainspotting’ is a drop-dead look at a dead-end lifestyle that has all the strength of its considerable contradictions.”
Appearing like magic
Kathy Najimy, left, Bette Midler and Sarah Jessica Parker in the 1993 comedy “Hocus Pocus.”
(Disney)
Directed by Kenny Ortega, “Hocus Pocus” is one of those movies that has seen its fanbase grow steadily over the years — it is now much more beloved than it ever was on initial release. (It even inspired a 2022 sequel.) Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker and Kathy Najimi play the Sanderson sisters, 17th century witches who find themselves inadvertently brought to modern day by a group of teenagers messing around with casting spells.
The film will play Saturday at the Gardena Cinema, featuring a live commentary from cast members Omri Katz, Thora Birch, Larry Bagby, Tobias Jelinek and Vinessa Shaw followed by a Q&A. This is a rare appearance by Katz in particular, who has retired from acting. Fans of the movie should make the effort to attend.
The Gardena, the last family-owned single-screen theater in Los Angeles, suffered a blow last weekend when a burst pipe flooded the venue. Though they are operational, a campaign has been started to help them recoup repair costs.
Examining the life of the mind
John Turturro in the 1991 movie “Barton Fink.”
(20th Century Fox)
Ranking the films of Joel and Ethan Coen has become a cottage industry of its own. Personally, I go back-and-forth on where to place 1991’s “Barton Fink,” which won the Palme d’Or at Cannes, as well as prizes for director and actor. The movie is by turns funny, disturbing and inscrutable (all good things), with John Turturro in the title role as an intellectual New York playwright who goes to Hollywood to write screenplays — and slowly goes insane.
The movie will play Friday in 35mm at Vidiots with an introduction from Noah Segan, who directed Turturro in one of the breakout titles from this year’s Sundance, “The Only Living Pickpocket in New York.” Hopefully, this will turn into a year in which Turturro gets some long-deserved accolades.
Christmas in June
Elliott Gould on the set of 1978’s “The Silent Partner.”
(Anwar Hussein / Getty Images)
There is something particularly charged about watching a Christmas movie at other times of year — an odd sense of dislocation and maybe even something a little naughty, a circuit-scrambling frisson. So it is particularly notable that as part of their salute to the independent studio Carolco Pictures (behind such films as “Basic Instinct,” “Terminator 2: Judgment Day” and “Reservoir Dogs”), the Vista will be showing 1978’s “The Silent Partner.”
Just the kind of tight and gripping thriller that people pine for all year round, “The Silent Partner” has a screenplay by Curtis Hanson, who would go on to make “L.A. Confidential.” Elliott Gould plays a Toronto bank teller who tries to rip off the thief (Christopher Plummer) who robs his branch wearing a Santa costume as a disguise. Soon they are both scheming against each other.
In his original review of the film, Kevin Thomas called it “tense and ingenious.” In a reconsideration of the film some months later, Charles Champlin called it “a stylish crime-suspense story, a cat-and-mouse game between Christopher Plummer as a clever, sadistic bank robber and Elliott Gould as a bored bank teller who sees a way out of his boredom and into riches.”
So much beauty
Brooke Adams and Sam Shepard in the 1978 movie “Days of Heaven.”
(Criterion Collection)
Terrence Malick’s 1978 “Days of Heaven” is still strikingly singular: a love story told with a stirring visual style. The film’s beauty — aside from its impossibly good-looking lead actors, Richard Gere and Brooke Adams — in part comes from gifted Spanish cinematographer Néstor Almendros, who made his American debut after a career in Europe that saw him working with filmmakers such as Eric Rohmer and François Truffaut. Almendros would win an Academy Award for the film.
The New Beverly will show “Days of Heaven” in 35mm Tuesday through Thursday as a double bill with Truffaut’s 1970 “The Wild Child,” shot by Almendros in black-and-white. Writing about “Days” in 1978, The Times’ Charles Champlin called it “an extraordinary and original visual experience and a movie which is thrilling in its uncompromised purity.”
Perverse fun
Ha Jung-woo, left, and Kim Min-hee in the 2016 movie “The Handmaiden.”
(TIFF)
Korean filmmaker Park Chan-wook was just president of the Cannes jury and has become a much-beloved figure on the international circuit for his wicked sense of humor and sharp sense of style. Nowhere is that on better display than his 2016 film “The Handmaiden,” which is somehow at once a period drama, a con-man thriller and an erotic lesbian romance. Vidiots will be showing the movie Sunday.
As Justin Chang wrote when the film was released, “Without sacrificing his taste for psychosexual perversity or his flair for violent grace notes, Park has given us a teasingly witty and elegant puzzle-box of a thriller whose pleasures are rooted not in visceral shock but in narrative surprise, and which wisely opts to seduce rather than pulverize its audience.”
In an interview at the time, Park said the film’s unpredictability was part of the project’s appeal. “That’s the exact kind of fun to be had with this film and the reason why I chose to make this film. Everything becomes a game of perception. Rather than to say it’s a difficult thing to navigate, it is fun to deal with. Not only for me as a filmmaker but for the audience to see that and engage in that game.”
New this week
Amy Nicholson reviews the latest attempt to make a movie out of a popular Mattel toy with the lightly-tongue-in-cheek “Masters of the Universe.”
Amy also reviewed the revival of the satirical “Scary Movie” franchise, with original stars Anna Faris and Regina Hall returning to make fun of such recent hits as “Sinners,” “Weapons” and “The Substance.”
The documentary “Time and Water” looks at climate change through the life and work of Icelandic writer Andri Snaer Magnason as directed by Sara Dosa, who had a hit with her last film “Fire of Love.” Robert Abele reviews.
One last thing…
This week, our colleagues at De Los launched a podcast hosted by Fidel Martínez and Suzy Exposito. The interview-style video podcast will feature conversations with the people shaping Latino culture in the United States.
The first episode features singer and actor Leslie Grace, who talks about her experiences working on the film “In the Heights” as well as being the star of the canceled “Batgirl.”
Emmerdale fans were left divided when the identity of the arsonist was finally revealed on the latest episode of the long-running ITV soap, especially as a potential production blunder confirmed it weeks ago
Emmerdale finally confirmed the identity of the arsonist on Friday night’s episode(Image: ITV)
It was all revealed in the final Emmerdale of the week, but even then, viewers had to wait until just before the credits rolled. Joe Tate (Ned Porteous), Robert, and Aaron Dingle (Danny Miller) had spent the day trying to figure out who was the culprit, along with Graham.
At the end of the day, Aaron explained to Robert: “Graham reckons he nearly caught someone today – the arsonist. Well, not nearly caught them, actually. He’s been keeping an eye on the place since Joe thought it was me and Robert starting the fires. Just someone in a dark hoodie, which is pretty much everyone we know.”
As he was talking, the final scene of the episode saw teenager Kyle Winchester (Huey Quinn) walking up to the scene of the crime with a can of petrol and starting the fire.
Fans were quick to react to the revelation, with one writing: “Kyle Dingle needs some serious psychological help first murder then arsonist, what’s next serial killer?!” and another said: “Surely Kyle needs some punishment now. Him offending and the Dingles covering for him is not going to end well.”
Taking to X, another said: “OMG IT WAS KYLE ALL ALONG,” and another wrote: “Omg it’s Kyle,” as they emblazoned their comment with a shocked-face emoji. However, others claimed that the twist was “predictable”, especially given a potential mishap that happened in production.
As with fellow ITV soap Coronation Street, the credits roll with the cast listed in order of appearance and Kyle Winchester was the character noted at the top, and therefore suggested to be the person in the opening scene way back when the mystery was first teased. This opening scene was the hooded fire starter, therefore suggesting even then that it was Kyle.
One said: “#Emmerdale it was so obvious it was Kyle [eye roll emoji] It was as obvious as living in No1 Obvious St, Obvious Cresent in Obvious Town in the country of Fucking Obvious OB3 1OS,” whilst another said: “Oh really… would never have guessed him to be the fire starter.”
A third wrote: “So not only is Kyle a killer for murdering Al – he’s now an arsonist, As much as I’m loving another big story for Kyle and Huey Quinn is brilliant – this almost felt too predictable especially with the early spoiler last week in the end credits. #Emmerdale”
A fourth said: “I really wasn’t expecting Kyle to be the fire starter, it was so unexpected even when a lot of viewers called it weeks ago and #Emmerdale were so excited to tell us they totally didn’t credit Kyle in an episode where we only saw his figure.”
Hello! I’m Mark Olsen. Welcome to another edition of your regular field guide to a world of Only Good Movies.
Both made by 20-something directors who emerged from the world of YouTube, the horror movies “Obsession” and “Backrooms” are dominating the conversation. They could come to represent a pivotal moment for how Hollywood engages with young talent and audiences alike.
I saw Curry Barker’s “Obsession” this week at a packed holiday matinee and Kane Parsons’ “Backrooms” is on track for a huge opening weekend — maybe the largest in A24’s history. The fact that audiences are responding to these films is exciting and one has to hope that Hollywood takes the right message from their successes: to give young filmmakers the space to create the projects they want to make, rather than shoehorn them into preconceived notions of what people want. Audiences right now seem to be proving themselves to be adventuresome when given the opportunity to try something new.
Marilyn at 100
Marilyn Monroe in the 1953 classic “Gentlemen Prefer Blondes.”
(Academy Museum)
When Marilyn Monroe’s death was first reported in The Times on Aug. 6, 1962, the news read, “Marilyn Monroe, a troubled beauty who failed to find happiness as Hollywood’s brightest star, was discovered dead in her Brentwood home of an apparent overdose of sleeping pills.”
That intertwining of the glamour and sex appeal of her public persona with an air of doomed tragedy would permanently attach itself to her image, making her one of the most unforgettable stars Hollywood has ever created.
Monday marks the 100th anniversary of Monroe’s birth in L.A.’s Boyle Heights, where she was born Norma Jeane Mortenson. In celebration of Monroe’s centennial, the Academy Museum will open a new exhibition on Sunday, “Marilyn Monroe: Hollywood Icon,” featuring hundreds of objects including personal materials never before displayed and a number of her most memorable costumes.
The museum will also launch a 17-film series spotlighting Monroe’s remarkable career, including her versatile talent as both a comedian and a more dramatic performer. Highlights include the 1953 thriller “Niagara,” 1950’s backstage drama “All About Eve” in a new 35mm print with an introduction from journalist Lorraine Nicholson and 1955’s “The Seven Year Itch” with writer Kim Morgan introducing. Elsewhere, “Some Like It Hot” from 1959 and Monroe’s final completed film, “The Misfits,” will both show in 4K.
On Sunday, “Gentlemen Prefer Blondes” will play in the Academy’s David Geffen Theater in 4K. There are also other Monroe screenings and events around the city, including multiple shows of “Gentlemen” at the Gardena Cinema on Saturday.
Marilyn Monroe and photographer Bruno Bernard backstage at the Hollywood Bowl in 1953.
(Bernard of Hollywood Foundation Archive)
Authors Mark A. Fortin and Joshua John Miller have collaborated on a new book, “The Marilyn Monroe Century: From Norma Jeane to Icon — A Story in Photographs.” The culmination of a seven-year-long research process, the book unearths original negatives of pictures of Monroe taken by Miller’s grandfather, acclaimed photographer Bruno Bernard. Bernard, who died in 1987, shot with her before she had even adopted the name Marilyn Monroe and took the best-known images of her, standing on a subway grate with her white dress billowing up while in production on “The Seven Year Itch.”
“One of the stories I’m trying to tell with a lot of these pictures is to counter the narrative that Marilyn didn’t have agency in the creation of her persona,” says Miller in a recent Zoom call from a room at the Chateau Marmont. “The truth is she was very much instrumental in constructing her image. And Bruno was a big part of that. Photographers at that time were not only the photographer — they were the best friend, the therapist, the agent, the stylist. I think it’s really important to have context for these pictures because this kind of history gets lost.”
The book does a remarkable job of providing additional atmosphere around images that might already be familiar, giving a fuller sense of what was going on both inside and outside of the frame. The notorious subway-grate scene was actually shot twice, first in New York and again in Los Angeles.
“I think what I’ve been trying to do is not rewrite the narrative, but thread [Bruno] correctly back into the stitching of Marilyn’s mythology,” Miller says. “He is one of the only photographers who deeply knew both Norma Jeane and Marilyn. I know everyone says they know the ‘real Marilyn,’ but he was part of the construction with her to create that.”
The joy of sadness with ‘Bleak Week’
Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Brady Corbet in the movie “Mysterious Skin.”
(Tartan Films)
“Bleak Week: Cinema of Despair” has become the signature program of the American Cinematheque, expanding beyond its L.A. footprint for editions at other theaters not just around the country but around the world. Turning sadness, depression and defeat into group activities to be enjoyed together has been an ingenious masterstroke of programming.
Now in its fifth edition, this year’s highlight will be a series with Isabelle Huppert, who will be present for screenings of such downbeat fare as “The Piano Teacher,” “Le Cérémonie,” Violètte Noziere,” “Elle,” “Time of the Wolf” and “Heaven’s Gate.”
Filmmaker Ari Aster will also be present for a complete retrospective of his four features. Other guests include Denis Villeneuve with “Incendies,” Allen Hughes with “Dead Presidents,” Al Pacino with “The Godfather Part II,” Gregg Araki with “Mysterious Skin,” Robert Englund with “Buster and Billie,” Werner Herzog with “Heart of Glass” and Theresa Russell with “Bad Timing.”
I will be introducing the U.S. theatrical premiere of a 4K restoration of Carlos Saura’s 1966 “The Hunt” and moderating Q&As with filmmaker Richard Kelly for the 20th anniversary of the Cannes cut of “Southland Tales” and actor Haley Joel Osment for a 25th anniversary 35mm screening of “A.I. Artificial Intelligence.” And The Times’ Joshua Rothkopf will moderate a Q&A with Aster for “Eddington,” while Amy Nicholson will talk to Aster for “Midsommar.”
UCLA’s Festival of Preservation
Leslie Uggams in 1972’s “Black Girl.”
(UCLA Film & Television Archive)
The UCLA Festival of Preservation is one of the city’s most-longstanding and venerated events for film lovers, celebrating revered classics and rediscovered obscurities alike. This year’s edition, the 22nd, opens with the West Coast premiere of a new restoration of Ossie Davis’ 1972 “Black Girl,” an adaptation of J.E. Franklin’s successful play about thee generations of Black women.
Jose Luis Ruiz’s groundbreaking 1975 documentary on Latino immigrants, “The Unwanted,” will have a restoration world premiere. The restoration of Budd Boetticher’s 1955 melodrama “The Magnificent Matador,” starring Anthony Quinn and Maureen O’Hara, brings back the film’s stunning look in Cinemascope and Eastmancolor.
Andre de Toth’s 1948 thriller “Pitfall,” starring Dick Powell and Lisbeth Scott, will have a world premiere restoration. The series concludes with De Toth’s stylish romantic drama “The Other Love” from 1947 starring Barbara Stanwyck. The restoration reinstitutes the original ending of the film unseen by audiences since the 1940s.
Vincent Spano and Rosanna Arquette in the movie “Baby, It’s You.”
(Paramount Pictures)
Produced by Amy Robinson and Griffin Dunne between their work on Joan Micklin Silver’s “Chilly Scenes of Winter” and Martin Scorsese’s “After Hours,” the 1983 movie “Baby It’s You” captures a number of rising talents at just the right moment. Only the third feature written and directed by John Sayles (and still his only movie made at a Hollywood studio), the film is a particularly smart take on the coming-of-age romance, with a sharp sense of time and place. It’s even shot by cinematographer Michael Ballhaus, fresh off his collaborations with Rainer Werner Fassbinder but before his long collaboration with Scorsese.
Set in late-1960s New Jersey, the story involves a good-girl high schooler preparing for college (Rosanna Arquette, who lights up the screen) who falls for a bad boy with few future prospects (Vincent Spano). The film will show on Wednesday in a 4K restoration at the Academy Museum with Arquette and Spano both scheduled to attend.
In a 1983 Times review, Shelia Benson said the film “explores questions of class and unequal opportunity with humor and tender insight,” adding that Spano and Arquette “together conjure up every improbable, love-struck couple who ever dazzled us ordinary mortals in the halls or at the senior prom.”
New this week
Kane Parson’s horror film “Backrooms” stars Renate Reinsve and Chiwetel Ejiofor in an adaptation of Parson’s own popular YouTube videos. As Amy Nicholson wrote, “Given that backdrop, ‘Backrooms’ would be one of the year’s most significant releases even if the movie itself was merely fine. But it’s better than fine — it’s a work of honest-to-goodness art.”
Katie Walsh reviews the crime thriller “Tuner,” starring Leo Woodall as a piano tuner who gets in over his head with the wrong people. The film is the fiction feature debut from Oscar-winning documentary filmmaker Daniel Roher.
The latest music-themed film from Irish writer-director John Carney, “Power Ballad” is about a failed-to-launch songwriter (Paul Rudd) trying to get credit for the tune he co-wrote with a boy band star (Nick Jonas). Amy Nicholson reviews.
On Wednesday, the US Department of War confirmed it had awarded Dell Federal Systems, the government-focused unit of Dell Technologies, a five-year, $9.7 billion (€8.3bn) contract to supply the Pentagon.
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As part of the Core Enterprise Technology Agreement (CETA), a Pentagon-wide Microsoft licensing and software procurement framework, the company will provide and manage Microsoft software licences, cloud subscriptions and on-premises software licensing across the US military, intelligence agencies and the US Coast Guard.
Dell Technologies’ shares were up around 5% in pre-market to $320 due to the announcement after closing Wednesday’s session at roughly $305.
The company is set to report its earnings for the first quarter of this year on Thursday, with analysts from Zacks Investment Research forecasting revenues of approximately $35 billion (€30bn), representing annual growth of about 50%.
According to US DoW Chief Information Officer Kirsten Davies, who briefed reporters at the Pentagon, the CETA is expected to save the department roughly $422 million (€360.9mn) annually by consolidating fragmented technology budgets from across the military services into a single purchasing structure.
The contract was granted less than three weeks after US President Donald Trump stood at a White House event and urged Americans to “go out and buy a Dell. They’re great.”
Davies and acting US Navy Chief Information Officer Barry Tanner were both clear that the award followed a competitive process.
“The vendors were all evaluated based on competition, comparison to GSA schedule pricing and overall chain of value to the department,” Tanner noted.
Dell holds a long-standing commercial partnership with Microsoft and is one of its major buyers of Windows licences. Nonetheless, the contract arrives at the culmination of a period of visible alignment between CEO Michael Dell and the Trump administration.
In December 2025, Dell and his wife Susan appeared alongside Trump at the White House to announce a $6.25 billion (€5.3bn) donation to “Trump Accounts,” a tax-advantaged investment programme for children created under the “One Big Beautiful Bill”.
The pledge will provide $250 (€214) to roughly 25 million American children aged 10 and under from households with a median income below $150,000 (€129,000) and was described by Invest America, the nonprofit organisation spearheading the initiative, as the largest ever private commitment devoted to American children.
Michael Dell also sits on Trump’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology, informing public policy regarding the economy, public health, national security, energy and emerging technologies.
The convergence of public presidential endorsements and subsequent federal contract awards is attracting scrutiny beyond Dell.
Financial disclosures released this month by the US Office of Government Ethics showed that investment accounts associated with President Donald Trump held Dell Technologies shares during the first quarter of 2026. The disclosures indicate some purchases were made before Trump publicly praised the company at a White House event.
The Trump Organisation has said the accounts are managed independently by third-party financial institutions and that neither Trump nor his family directs individual trades.
Last week, responding to questions about Trump’s financial disclosures at a White House briefing, Vice President JD Vance said the president’s investments are handled by independent wealth advisers and rejected suggestions that Trump personally directs individual stock trades. “He’s not making these stock trades himself,” Vance said.
Commentators and ethics critics have also pointed to trading activity involving companies such as Intel and Palantir, whose shares have at times moved sharply following public comments by Trump or announcements linked to government technology spending.
The Pentagon has said Dell’s selection followed a competitive procurement process.
Even so, the timing of the award alongside Trump’s public praise of the company and financial disclosures showing investments linked to Dell is likely to draw renewed scrutiny from ethics observers and political critics.
Katie has appeared in a clip with mate and TV presenter Olivia Attwood as she insisted she still has no idea where Lee is.
Katie turned to Olivia and said: “We’re missing something,” to which Olivia replied: “Yeah, I have looked for him but…”
Katie continued: “Well mine’s missing, so at the moment it doesn’t look good, does it?” Olivia, who split from husband Bradley Dack earlier this year, replied: “No, we’ll keep looking I guess.”
Katie looked at the camera and said:” We’re missing our husbands,” which prompted Olivia to burst out laughing. They followed it up with a picture of them looking shocked with their hands covering their mouth. Olivia captioned it: “2 gals. Not a husband in sight.”
VERNON Kay has proved there’s no bad blood between him and his ex Tess Daly as he was spotted with his wedding ring ON weeks after their “friendly” split.
The former Strictly star andRadio 2DJ announced the shock separationwith a joint Instagram post earlier this month.
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Vernon Kay was spotted wearing his wedding ring earlier today after his ‘friendly’ split from Tess DalyCredit: Sky SportsThe Radio 2 DJ appears to have remained close pals with Tess following the end of their romance as they were spotted having drinks at Pub in the Park last weekCredit: Sky Sports
After 22 years of marriage, the pair have certainly remained close pals as they were seen at Pub in the Park last week, taking snaps with fans.
Following their friendly drinks with pals, Vernon, 52, was spotted wearing his wedding ring at Wembley Stadium today.
He had travelled down to watch the Bolton Wanderers batter Stockport in the League One play-off final.
Vernon’s wedding band was immediately noticeable as it flashed up on screen when he was chatting on Sky Sports News ahead of the match.
She took to Instagram to share some stunning snaps of herself with fans.
Former Strictly host Tess and Vernon split earlier this month after 22 years togetherCredit: Instagram / tessdalyTess Daly stunned in a bikini as she posed in the swimming pool on holidayCredit: Not known, clear with picture desk
And fans couldn’t help but notice the star’s ring as she held onto some scripts.
She captioned the post: “The glam before the go,” as she tagged her hair and make-up artists.
Vernon shared his appreciation for Tess as he hit the like button on her selfies.
Tess, 57, and Vernon tied the knot in 2003 and share two daughters, Phoebe, 21, and Amber, 16.
The former couple met while working as up-and-coming TV presenters for rival channels in 2001, crossing paths at a BBCChristmas party.
Hello! I’m Mark Olsen. Welcome to another edition of your regular field guide to a world of Only Good Movies.
There are, it goes without saying, a lot of movies out there. And so even for someone like myself, whose job is just to stay on top of them, sometime a title slips by. I had not taken much notice of “Is God Is” before it opened last week without playing any festivals in advance, but the reviews and conversation around it grabbed my interest. Once I realized that Tessa Thompson and Janicza Bravo were involved as producers, I made sure to carve out time to see the movie this week. And am I ever glad I did.
The debut as writer-director for Aleshea Harris (adapting her own play), “Is God Is” is among the most exciting movies released so far this year. Kara Young and Mallori Johnson are absolutely electric as twin sisters who set out to find the estranged, abusive father who abandoned them after leaving them and their mother horribly scarred in a fire. There is a volatile unpredictability to the storytelling that gives it a fresh energy. I saw it at a more-or-less empty matinee, but I’m glad I did. Catch this in theaters while you can.
35 years of ‘T2’
Linda Hamilton in the movie “Terminator 2: Judgment Day.”
(Rialto Pictures)
As far as I’m concerned, James Cameron’s 1991 “Terminator 2: Judgment Day” is the quintessential summer movie. You can pay close attention or not, the special effects and action are amazing, the villains are sentient machines (shades of our AI-addled present) and it has a song by freaking Guns N’ Roses.
The main cast of Arnold Schwarzenegger, Linda Hamilton, Robert Patrick, Edward Furlong and Joe Morton are all perfectly tuned into the movie they are making, full of chaos, mayhem and just the right amount of thoughtfulness. (Morton and Hamilton in particular give the film an unexpected soulfulness.)
To celebrate the film’s 35th anniversary, the American Cinematheque is screening the film in 70mm, 35mm, 3D and DCP at different venues on different days. (Check carefully, as there have already been some schedule changes.) The Academy Museum will show the film on Wednesday in 4K with visual effects supervisor Dennis Muren and special effects creator Shane Mahan present. The film is also playing the Vista in 70mm June 6 and 7.
In his original 1991 review, Kenneth Turan wrote, “Most of all, what makes ‘Terminator 2’ come alive in a major way is Cameron’s intuitive understanding of the mechanics and psychology of action films. Unlike many of the wanna-bes who find themselves in charge of pictures these days, this is one director who really knows how to direct. … Cameron flamboyantly underlines, for those who may have forgotten, why the pure adrenaline rush of motion is something motion pictures can’t live for very long without.”
Lena Dunham before ‘Girls’
David Call and Lena Dunham in the movie “Tiny Furniture.”
(Joe Anderson / IFC Films)
Lena Dunham recently published her second memoir, “Famesick,” a portrait of her rise to cultural prominence and media ubiquity and subsequent retreat from it, which makes this a perfect moment to revisit a key component of her initial ascent, the micro-budget 2010 feature “Tiny Furniture.” Made when Dunham was in her early 20s, the film is a deadly accurate portrait of post-collegiate ennui, shot partly in her parents’ NYC apartment, and remains fresh and startlingly insightful.
The Eastwood Performing Arts Center will be screening the film Friday and Saturday. The film is showing along with the “Welcome to Bushwick a.k.a The Crackcident” episode of Dunham’s series “Girls.”
I profiled Dunham at the time, having first encountered her at SXSW the year before when she was there with her film “Creative Nonfiction.”
“That movie is so personal,” Dunham said of “Tiny Furniture” during an interview from the New York production office of the pilot for what would become “Girls.” “It’s like I wrote it, I directed it, I star in it — if you don’t like the movie you don’t like me.”
With the lacerating self-awareness that made her a star, she added, “And I also understand there is something essentially unappealing about ‘girl makes movies about being a loser and then gets un-loserly things to happen to her.’ It’s a little absurd.”
More onscreen Bob Dylan
Rupert Everett, Fiona Flanagan and Bob Dylan in a production still for 1987’s “Hearts of Fire.”
(Skinner / Mirrorpix / Getty Images)
It was just a few weeks ago that we wrote about a program of Bob Dylan live concert footage. In honor of his 85th birthday, the American Cinematheque will be putting on another program of two oddball rarities from his long career.
Rarely screened in theaters, the 2021 film “Shadow Kingdom,” directed by Alma Har’el, was originally released to a pay-per-view streaming site. Though it purports to be a performance at the Bon Bon Club in Marseille, France, the film was actually shot on a soundstage in Santa Monica. The musicians on screen are not playing live and are not even the same musicians who played on the prerecorded tracks.
The whole thing is very confusing in a very Bob Dylan way, but also kind of incredible. With its Dust Bowl “Twin Peaks,” last-nightclub-on-Earth vibes and spare, haunting arrangements of many Dylan classics that he rarely plays at his own concerts anymore, it is a truly one-of-a-kind document.
The same could be said of the 1987 film “Hearts of Fire,” directed by Richard Marquand (who also helmed “Return of the Jedi!”) and screening in 35mm. In a rare acting turn, Dylan plays a reclusive musician who takes a young singer (Fiona) under his wing, only to have her fall for a pop star played by Rupert Everett. Let’s charitably call Dylan’s performance singular as he delivers every line as if he isn’t sure why he is in the movie. It’s still fascinating.
Kurosawa’s late masterpiece
Mieko Harada in Akira Kurosawa’s 1985 epic “Ran.”
(Rialto Pictures)
One of the highlights of the Academy Museum’s ongoing series on Japanese filmmaker Akira Kurosawa will be this weekend’s 35mm showing of 1985’s “Ran,” a retelling of Shakespeare’s “King Lear” shifted to 16th century Japan. Playing in 35mm in the big David Geffen Theater, it’s a chance to see a truly epic-scaled film under ideal conditions.
Reviewing the movie on its initial release, Kevin Thomas wrote, “‘Ran’ is a heroic saga of human destiny, a war movie with some of the greatest battle scenes in the history of the cinema, a costume drama of the utmost magnificence — and a crackling good samurai movie chock full of swordplay and palace intrigue.”
David Fincher’s secret soft heart
Gary Oldman and Amanda Seyfried in the movie “Mank.”
(Netflix)
The last couple months have been a real feast for Fincher-heads out there, with high-profile screenings of “Seven,” “Fight Club” and “Zodiac.” Now, David Fincher’s 2020 film “Mank” will be playing this weekend at the Vista. Because it came out during the pandemic (and was launched by Netflix), the film has only ever played a limited number of theaters, let alone in 35mm, which should do wonders for its black-and-white photography.
From a screenplay by Fincher’s father Jack, the film stars Gary Oldman as writer Herman J. Mankiewicz, working on the script for “Citizen Kane” with Orson Welles. Amanda Seyfried gives a vibrant performance as actor Marion Davies, who attempts to save Mankiewicz from his own worst instincts when it comes to her own paramour, mogul William Randolph Hearst.
In his review Justin Chang called the movie “very much a story about class divides and clashing egos, outsiders and insiders, striving and ambition, creation and authorship, and the thrill and loneliness of being the smartest guy in the room. … The off-kilter rhythms feel both immersive and agitated, as if Fincher were trying to both hypnotize you and jolt you awake with his lustrous Old Hollywood homage.”
New this week
Director Boots Riley, photographed in Los Angeles in May.
(Ian Spanier / For The Times)
Amy Nicholson and Joshua Rothkopf finished out their time at this year’s Cannes Film Festival. (The awards will be announced over the weekend.) Amy took a look at what many have felt to be a weak program this year, while Josh spoke to Korean filmmaker Na Hong-jin, whose sci-fi action film “Hope” has a cast that includes Michael Fassbender and Alicia Vikander as space aliens.
I spoke to Boots Riley, a musician and political activist turned filmmaker whose new movie is “I Love Boosters.” Riley maintains a deep sense of political commitment in his work, one which he does not feel he has to betray by also making things that are entertaining and enjoyable.
The first new “Star Wars” movie in theaters since 2019, Jon Favreau’s “The Mandalorian and Grogu” is now playing. As Robert Abele put it in his review, “The brand is back together for ‘The Mandalorian and Grogu,’ which is a movie, a hoped-for franchise revival, a fourth season of sorts and an affable throwback. But it’s never quite riveting enough as canon or fodder to supplant anyone’s memories of [insert favorite “Star Wars” film here].”
What begins with “an illicit kiss quickly turns the dream vacation into a nightmare” as the group becomes trapped on the island. Raine, 43, takes the lead role after her stint as Nurse Jennifer Lee in the beloved medical drama. The show promises to be “witty and painfully relatable” according to early descriptions.
Directed by Tom George (This Country, Sherwood) and Matthew Moore (Colin from Accounts), the thriller explores themes of desire and consequence. The group faces “real life-or-death situations” as they turn on each other.
Despite being set in Greece, filming took place in Malta and Gozo last year. Creator Catherine Shepherd explained: “Malta is a stunningly beautiful place, which is very important to the story, because it’s about trying to find paradise.”
The Mediterranean island serves as more than just a backdrop. “The island is a character in its own right; it is beautiful, but a bit dangerous,” Shepherd added.
As paradise turns to hell, viewers will discover whether Zoe is responsible for the chaos or if “bigger forces at play” are behind the drama.
Two Weeks in August made its debut tonight with a star-studded cast
The Two Weeks in August cast have shared the significance over a hidden detail in the show’s opening scenes(Image: Various Artists Ltd/BBC/Robert Viglasky)
The Two Weeks in August cast have shared the significance over a hidden detail in the show’s opening scenes.
Written and created by Sally4Ever’s Catherine Shepherd, the new ‘witty and painfully relatable’ series follows a group of friends reuniting for a summer holiday. However, the idyllic getaway is soon thrown into chaos thanks to an illicit kiss.
In episode one, viewers are introduced to each of the friends with married couple Zoe and Dan, played by Jessica Raine and Damien Molony, clearly struggling as they attempt to put past events behind them.
The family of four, who have brought their children on the trip, are also struggling with money as is highlighted when Jess, played by Antonia Thomas, suggests they all put €200 each in the kitty.
Things go from bad to worse when Zoe and Dan are tasked with preparing food that evening with their lavish friends wanting seafood, which provides another tense expense for the struggling couple as they opt for store bought fish as opposed to fresh market produce.
Talking about the scenes with the Mirror, Jessica Raine and Damien Molony, who play Zoe and Dan, pointed out a significant hidden detail in the opening moments of the show.
Damien, 42, said: “We had a great opportunity to rehearse before we went out with Tom George, our director. We talked a lot about their past and about their relationship and the fact that, you know, they probably hadn’t had sex in about a year.
“That was a really kind of good starting point to go: ‘Oh, something’s really not right here.’ We would do some improvisations about the journey to the airport in England and what that must have been like.
“Jess had this incredible line in the improv about having to pack pasta in our luggage because we knew we wouldn’t be able to afford food on the island. So much so that they actually put it in the scene.
“So when Jessica opens her suitcase in that first scene on packing, there is pasta in the bag” to which Jessica, 44, added: “Three bags!”
Damien continued: “It was kind of those little details that started to kind of… because in TV, you don’t get that opportunity to rehearse or to really explore the world around the scenes.
“So that was really, really thrilling, and it really informed the rest of the kind of scenes that we shared together because this couple goes on a huge journey.”
Meanwhile, Jess said: “The journey of the fish is really good and I think that’s also a really good point to make about our show is the financial differences in the couples. I don’t think we see that very much.
“We often see a lot of very rich people going on holiday, but I love the reality. I mean, a lot of people are in that position where you’re like, I can’t afford €200 for the kitty and the look that we give each other, we’re just like: ‘Holy moly, this is, we’re way out of our depth’ and they don’t feel able to say.”
The drama is only going to get more intense for the couple and their friends as a synopsis teases: “Set in Greece, Two Weeks in August tells the story of a woman who goes on holiday with her family and friends to rediscover joy in her life. But, here in paradise, what starts with an illicit kiss quickly turns the dream vacation into a nightmare.
“Zoe begins to act on her deepest desires and the holiday she hoped for becomes a reckoning for a group of adults who refuse to grow up. When they discover they are trapped on the island, and become faced with real life-or-death situations, the group soon turn on each other to find out who is to blame.
“Is Zoe responsible for the drama and destruction around her or, as heaven turns to hell, are bigger forces at play? We are in Greece after all, the land of the ancient Gods…”
Two Weeks In August airs Saturday nights on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.
Former Biden Cabinet member Xavier Becerra remains the top Democrat in the California governor’s race despite being targeted by a barrage of negative political ads and enduring sharp attacks from his rival candidates during recent debates, according to a new poll released Tuesday by the state Democratic Party.
Billionaire Tom Steyer, a Democrat who is shattering self-funding records for statewide office, has been flooding the television airwaves, internet and social media with ads ripping Becerra’s long record in public office, as well as for accepting campaign donations from oil giant Chevron. But, thus far, that has not been enough for Steyer to overtake Becerra.
The survey found that 21% of likely voters backed Becerra, who also served in Congress and as California’s attorney general, while 15% backed Steyer. Among the other top Democrats: Former Orange County congresswoman Katie Porter received 7%; San José Mayor Matt Mahan came in at 4%; and state Supt. of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond and former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa registered at 1%.
Becerra on Tuesday said he believes he has climbed in the polls because voters are now paying attention to the race.
“They’re really looking closely at who’s out there, and I think I’ve been one of the beneficiaries of folks looking for a place that they can feel comfortable, where they can trust,” Becerra told reporters after a campaign event in South Los Angeles. “I think more and more as people look at the candidates, they’re going to start to crystallize behind somebody who won’t need training wheels, as I say, when they get into the governor’s office and can hit the ground running, day one.”
He said he thinks Steyer’s attacks aren’t working because Californians are skeptical of the billionaire.
“He’s spending like no one before, and he’s hitting like no one before, and so far, it hasn’t made a difference,” Becerra said. “We continue to surge, even after weeks of his barrage of lies and attacks…. California voters are not anxious to have someone who wants to buy the office.”
Leading all candidates in the race was Republican Steve Hilton, a former Fox News host, who was supported by 22% of likely voters. His top GOP challenger, Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco, was backed by 10%, the poll showed.
While Hilton and Becerra right now appear to be the likeliest candidates to finish in the top two in California’s June 2 primary, which is required to advance to the November general election, there still remains plenty of time for political fortunes and voter support to rise or fall. Ballots were mailed to the state’s 23.1 million registered voters and early voting sites opened earlier this month, but most Californians have not sent them in thus far.
For Becerra, the strong poll results indicate an astounding turnaround for a campaign that appeared all but dead just weeks ago. In early April, the California Democratic Party tracking poll showed Becerra with support from just 4% of likely voters. That changed after then-Northern California Rep. Eric Swalwell, who had been the front-running Democrat in the race, withdrew from the campaign and resigned from Congress after he was accused of sexual assault and misconduct.
The California Democratic Party launched a series of tracking polls in March after leaders and allies grew increasingly concerned that Republicans would win the top two spots in the primary, shutting the party out of the November general election. This prospect, while statistically possible given the crowded field of candidates running for governor, has grown increasingly less likely as California voters finally focused on the contest to lead the nation’s most populous state and the world’s fourth-largest economy.
Under California’s top-two primary system, only the candidates who finish in first and second place in the primary advance to the general election, regardless of their political party or affiliation.
The poll of 1,200 likely voters took place between May 14 and 16 and has a margin of error of 2.83% in either direction.
Former England boss Eddie Jones has been fined and suspended as head coach of Japan for abusing match officials during an under-23 tour of Australia last month.
The Japanese Rugby Football Union (JRFU) says that because of the “seriousness of the matter” and the contents of their contract with Jones, the 66-year-old has been stood down from his post for six weeks and banned from having any part in the Brave Blossoms’ next four matches.
Jones will miss his team’s opening Nations Championship match against Italy on 4 July, as well as two matches against a Hong Kong China Select side and a warm-up fixture with the Maori All Blacks.
The JRFU added that it had also imposed a salary reduction on Jones.
Jones, 66, said he accepted his punishment and “deeply regretted” his behaviour.
“Some inappropriate remarks that I made caused discomfort to local match officials and other related parties,” the Australian added.
“I would like to offer my sincere apologies to everyone involved.”
Japan’s under-23 team returned from the tour with three wins from four games, including a 38-21 victory over Jones’ old Sydney club side Randwick in their final match.
It is not the first time that Jones, who oversaw the Wallabies’ pool-stage exit from the 2023 Rugby World Cup in France, has been involved in incidents on his return to his home country.
KATIE Price has revealed she’s back in hospital for more surgery after sharing a topless snap and asking fans to guess what procedure she’s having.
The former glamour model, 47, recently travelled to Belgium for more work on her ‘biggest ever boobs’.
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Katie revealed she’s back in hospital for more surgery and asked fans to guess what she’s havingCredit: Facebook/BackgridIt comes just weeks after the former glamour model travelled to Belgium for more work on her ‘biggest ever’ boobsCredit: Jordan Pettitt/PA Wire
And it seems Katie’s not done yet as she shared a new snap showing her topless in a hospital bed while medical staff worked on her.
She wrote: “Quick Little Procedure, Any Guesses?”
Katie underwent her 17th boob job in 2024 in Belgium where she had work done to refine the biggest chest she has ever had.
BELOVED British rock legend, Alex Ligertwood, who helped shape the sound of Santana has died aged 79.
His daughter, Merci, shared the heartbreaking news on Saturday following his death just weeks after taking the stage for the final time.
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Alex Ligertwood performs with Santana at the Mountain Aire Festival on August 23, 1987Credit: Getty
The Brogan Agency confirmed a day later that the star “passed peacefully in his sleep with his doggy Bobo by his side” at his longtime home in Santa Monica.
Tributes have already begun pouring in for the iconic frontman, whose powerhouse vocals defined an era.
Guitarist Brandon Paul, who toured alongside him in recent years as part of “Icons of Classic Rock,” led the emotional tributes – hailing him as “a world-class professional.”
He said: “His voice was a force of nature – soulful, from the heart, and legendary every single night. Beyond the music, he was an amazing human being and a dear friend.”
Brandon added: “Having a vocalist who worked with icons like Carlos Santana and Jeff Beck compliment my guitar playing is something I will carry with me forever.”
The singer worked as Santana’s lead vocalist on five separate occasions between 1979 and 1994, lending his unmistakable voice to classic albums including Marathon, Zebop!, Shango and Sacred Fire: Live in South America.
He also brought some of the band’s biggest hits roaring to life on stage, including “Winning,” “Hold On,” and “All I Ever Wanted.”
More to follow… For the latest news on this story keep checking back at The Sun Online
Thesun.co.uk is your go-to destination for the best celebrity news, real-life stories, jaw-dropping pictures and must-see video.
A huge singer and rapper has apologised to fans saying “I love you all” after he was forced to cancel the first three weeks of his tour.
The star got candid with his loyal fans on social media as he revealed the reason why – and it’s not what you might expect.
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The US rapper released a statement on Instagram saying he was ‘so sorry’ and ‘can’t wait’ to see fans soonCredit: Instagram / postmalonePost Malone has apologised to fans after he was forced to cancel the first three weeks of his upcoming tourCredit: Getty
Post Malone, kicked off the Big A** Stadium Tour in Salt Lake City last April and was due to begin part 2 on May 13 in El Paso, Texas.
But unfortunately the Circles singer has now postponed the tour with Jelly Roll until June 9 in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Taking to Instagram, Post Malone said in a statement: “Looking at the upcoming schedule after Stagecoach [festival], I came to the realization that what we were trying to do, and what’s possible isn’t really lining up.
“Truth is I promised y’all beautiful people new music, and I don’t have the time to finish it before our tour starts. We ain’t ready for tour just yet, so I’m making the decision to push the tour back about 3 weeks to get this music done.”
The 30-year-old is set to release his upcoming seventh studio album soonCredit: GettyPost Malone’s tour was supposed to begin on May 13 but has now been pushed back to June 9Credit: Getty
Post Malone, who’s real name is Austin Post, continued: “That being said I’m so sorry to the folks who were planning on coming to the few cancelled shows…
“That THAT being said we’ve been making some bada** s**t for this album… and I can’t wait to perform for y’all. I love you and can’t wait to see you crazy motherf*****s soon.”
The rapper has cancelled five dates more dates after the opening night including May 19 in Waco,Texas; May 23 in Baton Rouge,Louisiana; May 26 inBirmingham,Alabama; May 29 in Tampa,Floridaand June 5 in Oxford,Mississippi.
Post Malone’s upcoming seventh studio album The Eternal Buzz has been teased as a mega project with 40 songs.
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The star last released F-1 Trillion back in 2024 and it was a huge hit – charting at number 1 in the US, United Kingdom, Canada, New Zealand, Norway and The Netherlands.
His pending project will be more traditionally country as opposed to F-1 Trillion, which is categorized under country pop.
LOVE Island winner Cach Mercer has shared a new video with a stunning TikTok star as they appeared to get to know one another better, weeks after his split from Toni Laites.
Love Island’s Cach Mercer has shared a video with a stunning influencer, weeks after his split from Toni LaitesCredit: InstagramCach and Toni parted ways in March after an explosive argument at the BRIT Awards the month priorCredit: Splash
This led to them unfollowing one another on social media, before promptly adding one another back. We revealed they had split the following month.
Now, Cach has been getting cosy with influencer Tallulah Metcalfe, who boasts over half a million followers on Instagram and a whopping 5.4 million on TikTok.
In an unexpected crossover, the pair recorded a video dancing together on Tuesday, which Tallulah shared to her Instagram.
In his new post, Cach danced alongside TikToker Tallulah, who has been single since splitting from her boyfriend late last yearCredit: InstagramCach and Toni began dating last summer on Love Island and bagged the show’s £50K prize potCredit: Shutterstock Editorial
She captioned the post: “Made this dance ourselves btw”.
Fans were shocked to see the pair together, with several commented that they were an “unexpected duo”.
Cach and Tallulah were both staying at celeb hotspot Soho Farmhouse for an event with Snapchat when they filmed the dancing clip.
NICOLA Roberts has revealed she underwent secret surgery at 22 weeks into her pregnancy.
The Girls Aloud singer, 40, is currently expecting her first child with fiancé Mitch Hahn and is set to give birth in the coming months.
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As she counts down to giving birth, Nicola Roberts has revealed she underwent secret surgery 22 weeks into her pregnancyCredit: Instagram/ @nicolarobertsThe mum-to-be revealed that the procedure was done to ‘keep the baby in’ as she shared the news in a postCredit: Getty
In a new post, Nicola shared a myriad of pictures from the last week, and revealed she had actually recovering after undergoing a medical procedure.
Sharing that she had surgery to “keep the baby in” at 22 weeks, Nicola didn’t expand on what had gone on, but did say she was in recovery mode.
The singer wrote to her page: “Some pics I took this week.. Hasn’t it been so nice to really feel spring..
“I’ve been under instruction not to do much since I had the surgery at 22 weeks to help keep baby in.
The Girls Aloud star is set to give birth in the next month and has been winding down ahead of the new chapterCredit: Instagram/ @nicolarobertsShe is expecting the little one with fiancé Mitch HahnCredit: Instagram/lilnicola
“Hitting that 34 week mark was a big relief. I now only have a few weeks left. Safe to say, this last bit is not the easiest is it?!
“In one breath, it will be nice to feel more comfortable again but I will also really miss my bump and having this tiny little thing in there”.
In her carousel of pictures, Nicola snapped a selfie in bed with a hot drink as she displayed her blossoming bump.
Whilst another showed the Moses basket she has prepared ahead of the little one’s arrival, with other snaps giving a glimpse into the pregnant star’s relaxed week at home.
Nicola didn’t reveal which surgery she had undergone or why, but there are several procedures which can be carried out mid-pregnancy to prevent problems further down the line.
