The Justin Baldoni-Blake Lively legal drama has come to an end without the spectacle of a trial, and legal experts are saying both sides spent “an obscene amount” of money in the process.
The former co-stars settled the matter two weeks before the trial was scheduled to kick off in New York, after filing multiple lawsuits and counter suits against each other. New York-based attorney Richard Schoenstein, who does not represent either party, <a href="https://people.com/how-much-did-blake-lively-and-justin-baldoni-s-it-ends-with-us-dispute-cost-exclusive-11967317">discussed</a> the likely financial fallout with People. 
“The combined legal expense is in the multiple millions. There are around 1,500 docket entries, countless lawyers on both sides, and these are high-priced firms billing well over $1,000 an hour,” Schoenstein said, which fellow NY-based attorney Megan Thomas agreed with. She said the two parties spent “an obscene amount” over the past two years. 
“I can&#8217;t give a number, but both sides had multiple lawyers,” Thomas added.
Schoenstein added that mounting costs likely had a lot to do with Lively and Baldoni reaching a settlement. Plus, with both sides having their claims dismissed or reduced, it ended up not being worth the hassle.
“I think they settled because the case wasn&#8217;t worth it at this point for either of them,” Schoenstein told the outlet. “The case had been reduced — his counterclaims were dismissed, and her claims were substantially narrowed. There wasn&#8217;t enough to gain from going to trial given the cost, which would have been extremely high, in the millions.”
The legal drama between the former costars started in December 2024 when Lively filed a lawsuit against Baldoni, accusing him of sexual harassment, retaliation, and attempting to “destroy” her reputation. This came after she starred opposite Baldoni in “It Ends With Us,” a film he also directed.
Baldoni fervently denied the claims, responding with a countersuit against his co-star and her husband, actor Ryan Reynolds. He also sued The New York Times for $250 million in a defamation claim for an article about the situation, which he says is “rife with inaccuracies, misrepresentations, and omissions.” The countersuit was dismissed by the judge in June 2025.
A federal judge in New York ruled in early April to dismiss 10 of Blake Lively’s 13 claims against Baldoni, including those related to harassment, defamation, and conspiracy. 
As both cases fell apart and attorney fees kept climbing, the former co-stars finally came to a confidential settlement on Monday, May 4. It is rumored that the only ones who got paid in the end were the lawyers. 
&#8220;The end product — the movie ‘It Ends With Us’ — is a source of pride to all of us who worked to bring it to life. Raising awareness, and making a meaningful impact in the lives of domestic violence survivors — and all survivors — is a goal that we stand behind,&#8221; a statement from Baldoni and Lively provided to Fox News Digital <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/blake-lively-justin-baldoni-settlement-reportedly-ends-no-money-expert-calls-complete-disaster">said</a>.
&#8220;We acknowledge the process presented challenges and recognize concerns raised by Ms. Lively deserved to be heard,&#8221; the statement continued. &#8220;We remain firmly committed to workplaces free of improprieties and unproductive environments. It is our sincere hope that this brings closure and allows all involved to move forward constructively and in peace, including a respectful environment online.&#8221;

Blake Lively Justin Baldoni

Hollywood’s Biggest Legal Feud Collapses After ‘Millions’ Wasted On Lawyers

Blake Lively

Celebrities

Court

Entertainment

Lawsuit

Movies

New York

As fans speculate about casting decisions for Christopher Nolan’s highly anticipated summer blockbuster, “The Odyssey,” the Academy Award-winning director is keeping details under wraps other than to say it’s going to be comparable to a Marvel franchise.
Nolan appeared on Monday night’s episode of “The Late Show” with Stephen Colbert to discuss some aspects of the project. He said the poet Homer, who is credited with writing “The Odyssey,” created the basis upon which all superhero films are built.
“Even comic book culture, whether you’re talking about Marvel or DC or all the rest, a lot of it comes directly from the Homeric Epics,” the director said. “The thing about Homer is, nobody knows if that was a person. Homer, in a way, is the sort of George Lucas of his time.”
He said later, “The thing about Homer, it is the Marvel of its day. It’s very directly this desire for us to feel or believe gods could walk amongst us, and I think the modern comic book is kind of our expression of that.”
Nolan also had rave reviews for Tom Holland, who plays Odysseus’ son Telemachus, calling him an “incredible talent.” 
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Superheroes Of Our Time Come Directly From Homer&#039;s Epics - &quot;The Odyssey&quot; Director Christopher Nolan" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/mk5FthNfUxg?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
The “Oppenheimer” director is considered one of the best in the business, but fans are skeptical of a few controversial casting options. Elliot Page, a woman who identifies as a man, is in the cast and is rumored to be playing the Olympian messenger god Hermes. That role has not been confirmed, however.
Another potential casting choice causing an uproar is Lupita Nyong&#8217;o as Helen of Troy. Helen, also known as &#8220;the face that launched a thousand ships,&#8221; was traditionally blonde and considered the most beautiful woman in the world at the time. Critics are saying the decision to cast Nyong’o in that role is a mistake, but it’s only a rumor that she’ll be playing that part. 
Matt Damon portrays Odysseus, King of Ithaca, while Robert Pattinson stars as Antinous. Anne Hathaway was cast as Odysseus’ wife Penelope.
Nolan <a href="https://apnews.com/article/summer-movie-preview-2026-b09b6e9cd8c679a07b95ce5cc7512a74">told</a> the Associated Press last week that he felt a “massive amount of pressure” to adapt the story and said that he “really tried to make the best film possible.”
“Anyone taking on ‘The Odyssey’ is taking on the hopes and dreams of people for epic movies everywhere and that comes with a huge responsibility,” he told the outlet. “What I learned from [making ‘The Dark Knight’ trilogy] is that what people want from a movie about a beloved story, a beloved set of characters, is they want a strong and sincere interpretation. They want to know that a filmmaker has gone to the mat for it.”
The saga hits theaters on July 17, 2026.

Christopher Nolan

‘The Odyssey’ Director Keeps Mum On Role Going To Trans-Identifying Actor

Elliot Page

Matt Damon

There’s a new trend among major recording artists, and it’s becoming so common that it even has a viral new nickname: “blue dot fever.”
This disease comes not from alien chickenpox, but instead represents musicians who allegedly cancel their shows due to poor ticket sales. Those “blue dots” reference the empty seats that would-be attendees aren’t buying for whatever reason.
Some artists are upfront about their reasons for canceling, while others offer thinly veiled excuses. 
Post Malone canceled the first few weeks of his tour with Jelly Roll because he supposedly wanted to spend time making new music, but many fans speculate that it’s really because some stops had too many of those blue dots.
A local news segment from El Paso, Texas, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/reels/DX0J5TakTSv/">reported</a> that early stops on the “Big Ass Stadium Tour Part 2” that were axed “showed a majority of tickets not sold,” noting that “the blue ones are empty seats.” 
The singer said that wasn’t the reason, writing on social media, “truth is, I promised y’all beautiful people new music, and I don’t have the time to finish it before 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.”
Meghan Trainor is also being accused of pulling out of performing due to an overabundance of blue dots. 
She canceled her “Get In Girl” tour last month and attributed it to wanting to spend time with her family. 
“Balancing the release of a new album, preparing for a nationwide tour, and welcoming our new baby girl to our growing family of five has just been more than I can take on right now, and I need to be home and present for each and all of them at this time,” she <a href="https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/story/2026-04-17/meghan-trainor-cancels-tour-why-new-baby-girl">said</a> in April.
Most recently, the girl group “The Pussycat Dolls” canceled their reunion tour’s North American stops — except for one — and did not give any specific reason for doing so.
“When we announced the PCD FOREVER Tour, we hoped to bring the show to fans across the world. After taking an honest look at the North American run, we’ve made the difficult and heartbreaking decision to cancel all but one of the North America dates,” the group said in an update shared on Monday. They stopped just shy of admitting the blue dots were the problem.
“Our U.K. and European dates are still moving forward as planned, and the response has been incredible, with several shows already sold out. We are putting everything into making this show a true celebration of the music and the memories, for the fans who have been with us from the beginning and those discovering us for the first time. We’re working hard to create the kind of show we’ve always dreamed of bringing to you. We cannot wait to bring this reunion to Europe and make these nights unforgettable.”
The Dolls will play one show in the U.S., however, stopping in at the WeHo Pride event in L.A. on June 6. “We could not think of a more meaningful place to celebrate with our fans,” the statement said. “The LGBTQ+ community has shown us so much love and support throughout our career, and we’re honored to be part of a weekend rooted in joy, pride, music, and chosen family.”
So why has blue dot fever become such an issue?
Many commenters are pointing out that these artists are targeting huge, 50,000+ arenas when they’d be better off putting on small, intimate shows that are guaranteed to sell out and therefore drive hype. There have also been plenty of complaints about high ticket prices. There were also observations about where the shows take place.
“The prices are high, but the biggest thing keeping me away from huge arena shows is that I have to drive to a major city,” one commenter <a href="https://x.com/staticdazzle/status/2051365489763565595">said</a>. “In my case it&#8217;s Los Angeles, only about 45 minutes away but it&#8217;s such a disgusting city that I just won&#8217;t go anymore.”
“Maybe don’t charge $100+ for an upper level seat or let bots buy all the tickets and charge resell prices,” another person <a href="https://x.com/dougie1395/status/2051652903190884801">added</a>.
“No one has the disposable income that they used to have … Concerts are one of the first things that are going to go. Artists are either gonna have to lower their ticket prices or cancel concerts,” echoed a third.

Post Malone

Rash Of Artists Stricken With ‘Blue Dot Fever’

concert

Music

Music Industry

Recording artist Kid Cudi has dropped rapper M.I.A. from his tour due to “offensive” statements she made about immigrants.
M.I.A. was dropped following an incident on May 2 at the Dallas stop of Cudi’s Rebel Ragers Tour. Some audience members were enraged by the comments M.I.A. made during her opening act, which included her saying, “I’ve been canceled for many reasons. I never thought I would be canceled for being a brown Republican voter.”
She also discussed not performing one of her songs, saying, “I can’t do ‘Illegal,’ though some of you could be in the audience.”
Left-leaning Reddit commenters went into a spiral over her remarks, which they <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/KidCudi/comments/1t2dgz7/did_anyone_catch_all_that_wildly_racist_shit_mia/?rdt=40922">called</a> “wildly racist.”
“Her entire set left a bad taste in my mouth,” one person complained.
Cudi told fans that M.I.A. was out via an Instagram post shared yesterday. 
“TOUR UPDATE: M.I.A is no longer on this tour. I told my management to send a notice to her team before we started tour that I didn’t want anything offensive at my shows, cuz I already knew what time it was, and I was assured things were understood. After the last couple shows, I’ve been flooded with messages from fans that were upset by her rants. This, to me, is very disappointing, and I wont have someone on my tour making offensive remarks that upsets my fanbase. Thank you for understanding. Rager.”
<div id="attachment_1089547" style="width: 336px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1089547" class="size-large wp-image-1089547" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/05/Cudi-326x576.png" alt="Cudi" width="326" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/05/Cudi-326x576.png 326w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/05/Cudi-170x300.png 170w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/05/Cudi.png 588w" sizes=" (max-width: 326px) 100vw, 326px" />Instagram</div>
M.I.A. responded on X later that same day. 
“I WROTE ILLYGAL [sic throughout] ON THE MAYA LP A SONG FROM 2010. I STARTED THIS INTRO TO THE SONG WITH THE STATEMENT SAYING I’M ILLYGAL, AND I SAID MY TEAM HASN’T GOTTEN VISAS YET. THEN PLAYED A SONG THAT HAD LYRICS SAYING &#8216;FU&amp;% THE LAW,&#8217; WHICH I STILL BELIEVE, IF THE LAW IS UNJUST F@%&amp; IT. DO NOT GASLIGHT MY WORDS,” her response said. 
“THAT IS THE WORK OF SATAN. I WROTE BORDERS AND ILLYGAL AND PAPER PLANES BEFORE YOU THOUGHT IMMIGRANT RIGHTS WERE COOL. I’VE HAD THSES BATTLES BY MYSELF WITHOUT THE HELP OF MILLIONS OF FANS BACKING ME . I DON’T NEED THIS VIRTUE SIGNAL ERA TO ALL OF A SUDDEN ERASE AN ENTIRE LIFE I’VE LED.”
The post added, “JESUS WAS AN IMMIGRANT AND A REBEL. I HAVE NO APPOLGY [sic] FOR THE JUDGEMENTAL THE WICKED AND THE IGNORENT [sic], FOR THOSE ARE SPIRITS THAT WE MUST OVER COME IN OUR LIVES AND IN THIS WORLD. JESUS RETURNS TO LEAD THE WORLD JUSTLY BECAUSE THERE IS INJUSTICE IN THIS WORLD. IM PROUD OF THOSE WHO FIGHT FOR IT EVERYDAY. GOD BLESS YOU.”
In a follow-up, M.I.A. noted that she’s British and doesn’t vote anyway, and claimed the backlash is an overreaction.
“DON&#8217;T BE AN AGENT OF DIVISION, I CAN&#8217;T VOTE IN THE US, AND 48% OF LATIN COMMUNITY VOTED TRUMP. SO ARE YOU GOING TO HATE THEM ALL?” she <a href="https://x.com/MIAuniverse/status/2051354178195206386">posted</a>.
“WE MUST UNITE TO MAKE THIS COUNTRY, THAT EVERYONE WANTS TO LIVE IN A BETTER PLACE. IF YOU ARE EASYLY LED BY RUMOUR THEN YOU DON&#8217;T SEE THE LIGHT FOR YOURSELF. I PRAY FOR YOUR AWAKENING,” she went on.
Mathangi &#8220;Maya&#8221; Arulpragasam, or M.I.A. as she&#8217;s known, is a British-born Sri Lankan performer who began expressing Right-wing views following the COVID-19 pandemic. She became a Christian in 2022 and has since incorporated religious themes into her music and public statements.

Singer Dropped From Kid Cudi Tour After She Enrages Crowd With Statement On Illegals

Instagram

Republican

The Met Gala is always a ridiculous spectacle, but this year may have taken the cake as the absolute worst of the worst.
The theme this year was “Costume Art,” and the dress code was “Fashion is Art.”
Observers noted that one red carpet attendee was being touted with a title that sounded like a “South Park” parody, but instead was 100% real. Aariana Rose Philip arrived and was described as “a black transgender disabled model with quadriplegic cerebral palsy.”
“When people see my mannequin, I want them to see a beautiful, sexy lady,” Philip <a href="https://www.vogue.com/article/aariana-rose-philip-2026-met-gala">told</a> Vogue ahead of the event. “I want them to see a supermodel and a legend. I want them to see that disabled and black trans people matter always, and that we should’ve been in these spaces for a long time.”
<div id="attachment_1089497" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1089497" class="size-large wp-image-1089497" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/05/Aariana-Rose-Philip-864x576.jpg" alt="Aariana Rose Philip" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/05/Aariana-Rose-Philip-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/05/Aariana-Rose-Philip-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/05/Aariana-Rose-Philip-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/05/Aariana-Rose-Philip.jpg 1200w" sizes=" (max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for The Met Museum/Vogue</div>
Actress Sarah Paulson is also being criticized for her $1 bill mask, which is supposed to be a criticism of “the 1%.” Her stunt was seen as especially hypocritical considering Paulson’s <a href="https://www.celebritynetworth.com/richest-celebrities/actors/sarah-paulson-net-worth/">estimated</a> $12 million net worth.
Even the libs were annoyed by the “American Horror Story” actress’s stunt, with many noting how it cost about $75,000 just to attend the fundraiser for the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Gown designer Matières Fécales <a href="https://www.cosmopolitan.com/uk/reports/a71216914/sarah-paulson-met-gala-tone-deaf/">said</a> of the look: “Fashion is Art and at its most daring, Political. [Paulson] is wearing the ‘Blinded by Money’ leather mask and the Destroyed Tulle Debutante Ballgown. The collection was a reflection of the greed and corruption that comes with extreme power.”
<div id="attachment_1089499" style="width: 859px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1089499" class="size-large wp-image-1089499" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/05/Sarah-Paulson-849x576.jpg" alt="Sarah Paulson" width="849" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/05/Sarah-Paulson-849x576.jpg 849w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/05/Sarah-Paulson-300x204.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/05/Sarah-Paulson-768x521.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/05/Sarah-Paulson.jpg 1200w" sizes=" (max-width: 849px) 100vw, 849px" />Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for The Met Museum/Vogue</div>
The outfit was compared to the infamous “Tax the Rich” dress that Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) wore to the Met Gala in 2021. 
Meanwhile, MTV touted Hunter Schafer, a man who identifies as a woman, as the “Pretttiestt girl in the whole world!”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Pretttiestt girl in the whole world!
📍 Hunter Schafer at the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MetGala?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MetGala</a> <a href="https://t.co/p4DYlYx07U">pic.twitter.com/p4DYlYx07U</a>
— MTV (@MTV) <a href="https://twitter.com/MTV/status/2051443532078907630?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 4, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
“Snow White” actress Rachel Zegler was also at the event, causing a spectacle. She wore a white dress and a blindfold inspired by the painting &#8220;The Execution of Lady Jane Grey&#8221; by Paul Delaroche. Viewers pointed out her strange mannerisms while walking the red carpet, including opening and closing her mouth without making any sounds, which was thought to be symbolic of crying for help.
<div id="attachment_1089501" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1089501" class="size-large wp-image-1089501" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/05/Rachel-Zegler-864x576.jpg" alt="Rachel Zegler" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/05/Rachel-Zegler-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/05/Rachel-Zegler-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/05/Rachel-Zegler-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/05/Rachel-Zegler.jpg 1200w" sizes=" (max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />Angela Weiss / AFP</div>
Leftists were annoyed that the Met Gala was sponsored by billionaire Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez, but many pointed out that the richest celebrities in the world had no right to call out Bezos for his massive wealth. 
Hundreds of “piss bottles” filled with fake urine were distributed throughout the Met by the British political activist group Everyone Hates Elon. The move sought to highlight allegations that Amazon employees don’t receive adequate bathroom breaks.
“Jeff Bezos’s company Amazon is literally being sued for forcing workers to urinate in bottles,” the group <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DX1iP3CCLL-/?img_index=1">shared</a> on Instagram. “Amazon avoids MILLIONS in tax and Bezos is one of the world&#8217;s richest men. The Met Museum is taking the PISS by having Jeff honoured as their Gala host. When they celebrate Trump’s billionaires, let’s ridicule them instead.”

Sarah Paulson

The Met Gala’s Dumbest Political Stunts

Fashion

Hollywood

Met Gala

Late-night host Jimmy Kimmel claimed Thursday that President Donald Trump’s criticism of him is an attempt to distract from what he called the “Trump-Epstein files” and the “illegal war he started” in Iran. 
He can’t imagine it just might have something to do with the tasteless joke he told about Trump’s wife, Melania, having “a glow like an expectant widow,” delivered days before an attempted assassination at the White House Correspondents&#8217; Dinner.
Kimmel dismissed the backlash during his monologue, once again turning his focus on the president. 
“If incompetently presiding over not just one of but the lowest ratings in history is why I should be fired, we should both be out of a job,” Kimmel said, referencing reports of the president having low approval ratings.
“Isn’t there a war dragging on?” the comedian continued, lamenting that the president was speaking about any other topics. “Imagine if FDR had taken to the airwaves during the Battle of the Bulge to complain about a Little Orphan Annie comic strip he didn’t like? Trump has three wars going on right now: Iranians, Ukrainians, and comedians.”
The back-and-forth between Kimmel and conservatives has intensified since the assassination attempt last weekend. Critics have suggested that similar remarks targeting a Democratic president and first lady would have drawn significantly stronger backlash. 
First lady Melania Trump did not mince words in a scathing X post she shared Monday morning.
“Kimmel’s hateful and violent rhetoric is intended to divide our country,” she wrote. “His monologue about my family isn’t comedy- his words are corrosive and deepens the political sickness within America. People like Kimmel shouldn’t have the opportunity to enter our homes each evening to spread hate.”
“A coward, Kimmel hides behind ABC because he knows the network will keep running cover to protect him. Enough is enough.  It is time for ABC to take a stand,” the first lady added. “How many times will ABC’s leadership enable Kimmel’s atrocious behavior at the expense of our community.”
Kimmel has not issued an apology for the comments, and ABC has not announced any disciplinary action.

Kimmel

Kimmel Says He Knows The Real Reason Trump Wants Him Fired

Donald Trump

Jimmy Kimmel

Television

“The Apprentice” could be making a return to television with a different Trump sitting in the boss’s chair, according to a <a href="https://www.wsj.com/business/media/amazon-discusses-apprentice-rebootwith-don-jr-as-a-potential-host-fe09e885">report</a> from The Wall Street Journal, 
The outlet spoke with an industry insider who said not only was there talk of a reboot, but also that the president’s son, Donald Trump Jr., was being floated as a potential host. 
Amazon responded by saying that nothing is currently in development. “Since our acquisition of MGM, we have had preliminary internal discussions about what’s next for &#8216;The Apprentice&#8217; as a property. The show is not in active development, and any reporting on details of the show or names of potential hosts would be purely speculative,” the company said in a statement, <a href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/amazon-potential-apprentice-reboot-trump-1236580630/">per</a> The Hollywood Reporter.
Trump famously hosted the popular reality show for 14 seasons on NBC, from 2004 to 2015. “The Apprentice” documented contestants competing for a job to become his apprentice. 
Amazon co-owns rights to the series along with Trump Productions. The media giant has been streaming reruns, which remain popular. The show is also in syndication.
“The Apprentice,” starring Trump, who also served as executive producer, was a major hit. It inspired spinoffs like &#8220;Celebrity Apprentice&#8221; starring Arnold Schwarzenegger and Martha Stewart, but none of those were nearly as popular. 
Trump recently posted on Truth Social about the rating for the show’s first season. “Last Season of my Apprentice Juggernaut!” Trump wrote alongside the April 2004 article titled “&#8217;The Apprentice’ Scores Ratings Top for the Season.”
Amazon partnered with the Trump family on entertainment projects before. Earlier this year, Amazon released the documentary “Melania,” which offered a behind-the-scenes glimpse into the life of the first lady. Critics predicted that it would be a major flop, but it performed shockingly well at the box office considering its genre. The film brought in $7 million on its opening weekend, a huge increase from the projected $2-5 million that was expected.
“Melania” currently has one of the largest disparities between critics’ and audience scores on the site, with reviewers giving the film a 10% rating and moviegoers giving it a 99% rating. About 75% of the audience was women aged 55 and older.

The Apprentice

‘The Apprentice’ Might Be Coming Back. Guess Who Could Be in the Boss’s Seat?

Donald Trump Jr.

Reality TV

Late night host Stephen Colbert insists that he’s only an insufferable partisan hack because a producer told him to be one.
The host of “The Late Show,” which will be airing its final episode next month after years of losing money and falling ratings, said as much during a recently published <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/28/business/media/stephen-colbert-late-night-show.html">interview</a> with The New York Times. Colbert said that he was &#8220;discouraged by the network from being topical&#8221; when he first joined as host.
“It was my instinct to be less topical, because I didn’t want to have to engage with what I saw was an increasingly contentious public discourse,” Colbert told the outlet. “And I thought, ‘Aren’t there other ways to have fun with the audience?’”
The comedian gained notoriety hosting the Comedy Central news satire show “The Colbert Report” from 2005 until 2014. He took over hosting “The Late Show” in 2015 following David Letterman’s departure.  
Colbert said the 2016 party conventions were a turning point for him to return to his political background in his new gig, with the outlet claiming that ratings &#8220;soared&#8221; after he started outright Trump bashing.
“Clint Eastwood in ‘Unforgiven,’ or is it some other movie? He buried his guns. And I’m like, you know, I buried those damn guns. I was talking to Paul Dinello — he’s one of my oldest friends and one of my producers here — and he’s like, ‘You’re having fun, and people love to see that.’ And I said, ‘But that means I got to go dig up the guns.’ And he says, ‘Buddy, that’s the part the audience wants to see.’”
Colbert has been vocally opposed to CBS <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/anti-trump-late-night-host-stephen-colbert-reveals-date-of-final-show?author=Amanda+Harding&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Anti-Trump+Late-Night+Host+Stephen+Colbert+Reveals+Date+Of+Final+Show">deciding to pull the plug</a> on the show, which they say was “purely a financial decision.” One report stated that the program was losing $40 million annually.
The political commentator went on to blame the format rather than the content of the show.
“It’s possible that two things can be true,” Colbert told NYT. “Broadcast can be in trouble. They cannot monetize because of things like YouTube, because of the competition of streaming. They’ve got the books, and I do not have any desire to debate them over what they say their business model is and how it does not work for them anymore. But less than two years before they called to say it’s over, they were very eager for me to be signed for a long time. So, something changed.”
The last episode of “The Late Show” will air on May 21.

Colbert

Colbert Blames Producer For Turning ‘Late Show’ Into Left-Wing Lecture Hour

comedian

Stephen Colbert

Avowed leftist George Clooney doesn’t see anything wrong with what Jimmy Kimmel said about Melania Trump being an “expectant widow.”
The big-time Democrat donor and Hollywood A-lister said as much during a gala event Monday night, even going so far as comparing Kimmel’s joke about the president dying with Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt using a popular idiom recently. 
“Jimmy’s a comedian, and I would argue that Karoline Leavitt didn’t mean shots should be fired,” Clooney <a href="https://variety.com/2026/scene/news/george-clooney-trump-jimmy-kimmel-fired-1236731720/">told</a> Variety. “She was making a joke. Fair enough. I look at that side and go, &#8216;Well, jokes are jokes.&#8217; But the rhetoric is a little dangerous. And we’ve seen it a lot lately.”
Clooney was referring to Leavitt telling Fox News “there will be some shots fired tonight in the room,” before heading into the White House Correspondents&#8217; Dinner.
The “Ocean’s 11” actor said he doesn’t believe that you should have “a good relationship with government” and that there should be a “free and fair press.”
Clooney tried to place blame on conservatives, saying the rhetoric “can be toned down.”
“When one side is calling anyone they disagree with traitors to the country, which is a charge that’s punishable by death, just because they don’t agree with someone, I think the rhetoric is a little too heated,” he went on.
Kimmel has been put on blast for a parody he did during which he said, “Our First Lady, Melania, is here. Look at Melania, so beautiful. Mrs. Trump, you have a glow like an expectant widow.”
The clip aired Thursday night, two days before a crazed gunman gained access to the White House Correspondents&#8217; Dinner with the intention of not only killing the president, but taking out everyone in the room if necessary.
The first lady did not take the “joke” lightly. She wrote a scathing X post Monday morning, urging ABC to reprimand the late-night comedian.
“Kimmel’s hateful and violent rhetoric is intended to divide our country,” she wrote. “His monologue about my family isn’t comedy- his words are corrosive and deepens the political sickness within America. People like Kimmel shouldn’t have the opportunity to enter our homes each evening to spread hate.”
“A coward, Kimmel hides behind ABC because he knows the network will keep running cover to protect him. Enough is enough.  It is time for ABC to take a stand,” the first lady added. “How many times will ABC’s leadership enable Kimmel’s atrocious behavior at the expense of our community.”
Kimmel responded to the backlash on Monday night, doubling down and claiming that everyone was overreacting to his bit. 
“&#8230;Obviously, [it] was a joke about their age difference and the look of joy we see on her face every time they’re together. It was a very light roast joke about the fact that he’s almost 80 and she’s younger than I am. It was not by any stretch of the definition a call to assassination,” Kimmel insisted.

George Clooney

Hollywood A-Lister Comes To Kimmel’s Defense, Blames Conservatives For ‘Heated’ Rhetoric

U.S.

Marvel and DC comic writer Deniz Camp seemingly posted his disappointment about President Trump’s assassin failing at his mission, then backtracked and faced even more criticism for playing dumb.
It all started when Camp posted on X, “Missed again :(” just after news broke over the weekend that there had been an assassination attempt at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner in Washington, D.C., Saturday night.
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Missed again 🙁
— Deniz Camp (@DenizCamp) <a href="https://twitter.com/DenizCamp/status/2048217802289369538?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 26, 2026</a></blockquote>
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His comments were immediately flooded with outraged followers, even fellow leftists who were disgusted by the seeming celebration of violence.
“Pretty sickening to see a writer I once admired wishing death on the President of the United States,” one reply said.
“Bravo on the all-time self-own. Heroism and hope in your comics, pure glee at political murder in your tweets. Mask fully torched. Exactly why comics suck now and nobody cares what you &#8216;creatives&#8217; think anymore. Enjoy the backlash and canceled orders,” another commenter <a href="https://x.com/RiftWatcher73/status/2048795499042410762">wrote</a>.
Instead of deleting the post or apologizing, Camp made the claim that he was talking about something else entirely.
Follow up tweets included one that said, “I am so bad at darts!” alongside a stock image of a dartboard with darts not hitting their mark, and another that said, “People are really passionate about darts.”
No one in the comments believed that Camp was posting about darts. Many X users tagged DC and Marvel in the posts.
Camp is a comic book writer who has worked across Marvel, DC, and independent publishers. He wrote for “The Ultimates” for Disney-owned Marvel and contributed to X-Men-related projects. He&#8217;s also the writer of “Absolute Martian Manhunter” for DC’s “Absolute Universe” line. His independent work includes “Assorted Crisis Events” and “20th Century Men,” <a href="https://geeksandgamers.com/deniz-camp-trump/">per</a> Geeks and Gamers.
Meanwhile, actor and Trump critic Ben Stiller faced similar backlash for a social post that got misinterpreted and does seem to be a mistake, according to Community Notes.
Prominent figures including Congresswoman Nancy Mace and Richard Grenell came after Stiller when he <a href="https://x.com/BenStiller/status/2048203719846633967">posted</a> “Got it done” about 20 minutes after the would-be assassin breached security at the Washington Hilton. But his post also coincided with the end of the Knicks game.
“Ben Stiller’s post refers to the New York Knicks’ 114-98 playoff win over the Atlanta Hawks, as shown by his preceding Knicks post and the game recap,” the note clarified.

Deniz Camp

Marvel Comics Writer’s Two-Word Tweet Ignites Firestorm After Assassination Attempt

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Late-night “comedian” Jimmy Kimmel is being put on blast by Melania Trump for a decidedly un-funny bit he did on Thursday about the White House Correspondents’ Dinner that’s even less humorous following the Saturday evening assassination attempt.
In his little parody, the Trump-hating talk show host said, &#8220;Our First Lady, Melania, is here. Look at Melania, so beautiful. Mrs. Trump, you have a glow like an expectant widow.”
The clip aired Thursday night, two days before a crazed gunman gained access to the event with the intention of not only killing the president, but taking out <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/manifesto-shows-shooter-was-willing-to-kill-everyone-at-correspondents-dinner?author=Brecca+Stoll&amp;category=undefined&amp;elementPosition=5&amp;row=3&amp;rowHeadline=Latest+News&amp;rowType=Vertical+Carousel&amp;title=Manifesto+Shows+Shooter+Was+Willing+To+Kill+Everyone+At+Correspondents%E2%80%99+Dinner">everyone in the room</a> if necessary.
Melania did not take the &#8220;joke&#8221; lightly. Instead, she put Kimmel on blast, writing a scathing X post she shared Monday morning.
&#8220;Kimmel’s hateful and violent rhetoric is intended to divide our country,&#8221; she wrote. &#8220;His monologue about my family isn’t comedy- his words are corrosive and deepens the political sickness within America. People like Kimmel shouldn’t have the opportunity to enter our homes each evening to spread hate.&#8221;
&#8220;A coward, Kimmel hides behind ABC because he knows the network will keep running cover to protect him. Enough is enough.  It is time for ABC to take a stand,&#8221; the first lady added. &#8220;How many times will ABC’s leadership enable Kimmel’s atrocious behavior at the expense of our community.&#8221;
Kimmel’s parody also mocked the Trumps’ marriage by pretending to introduce them to each other. &#8220;Oh, by the way, Melania, this is Donald. Donald, this is Melania,&#8221; he went on.
He also pretended to speculate on how Melania would spend her birthday, April 26, &#8220;She’s planning to celebrate at home the same way she always does, looking out a window and whispering, ‘What have I done?'&#8221;
As of Monday, the clip was still available on the official “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” YouTube page.
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Jimmy Kimmel Roasts Trump &amp; His MAGA Minions at Our Alternative White House Correspondents’ Dinner" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/GRjKhsJc95o?start=475&#038;feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
The bit aired two days before California educator Cole Allen, 31, rushed a Secret Service checkpoint at the Washington Hilton armed with multiple weapons. He managed to strike an officer in his bulletproof vest before being detained and transported to a medical facility.
President Trump and other high-ranking officials were evacuated safely from the event, and there were no fatalities.
Kimmel’s hatred of the president has been on display for years, in his monologues and beyond. Following an ICE-related altercation in January, Kimmel <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/jimmy-kimmel-politicizes-ice-shooting-debuts-trump-is-gonna-kill-you-t-shirt">had a shirt made</a> that said, “Donald J. Trump Is Gonna Kill You,” and suggested that this was the “new slogan” for MAGA supporters. Kimmel went on to disparage Trump’s response to the shooting, saying, “This maniac, he’s not just killing people overseas.”
His rhetoric, and that of other late-night hosts, has become increasingly controversial as leftist vigilantes ramp up their assaults on conservatives.
And it’s not just Trump – Kimmel’s show has been hostile territory for Republicans while propping up Democrats since forever. Disgraced former Representative Eric Swalwell (D-CA) launched his gubernatorial campaign on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” before suspending the effort amid sexual assault allegations.
A <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/late-night-hosts-targeted-conservatives-92-of-the-time-made-more-than-7000-trump-jokes-in-2025">report</a> published by the New York Post in December found that 92% of late-night jokes last year were targeted at conservatives. The full lineup of late-night shows included 197 liberal guests and only two who were conservative: Fox News’ Greg Gutfeld and economist Oren Cass.
NewsBusters found that Kimmel was the worst offender, making jokes targeting conservatives more than 3,000 times and focusing most of his ire on President Donald Trump. Of those jokes, 1,668 were about the sitting president.

Melania Trump

READ IT: Melania Trump Responds To Kimmel’s ‘Hateful’ Monologue After White House Dinner Shooting

Media

Politics

The long-awaited sequel to 2006’s smash hit “The Devil Wears Prada” is getting some pushback, being accused of “blatant racism” for leaning into Asian stereotypes.
“The Devil Wears Prada 2,” starring Anne Hathaway and Meryl Streep, is getting blasted over a brief moment in a trailer. The scene introduces Andy Sachs&#8217; (Hathaway) new assistant, Jin Chao, played by Helen J. Shen, who some say is portrayed as a nerdy, socially awkward Ivy League grad.
In the trailer, Andy appears reserved upon meeting Jin, prompting the assistant to quickly rattle off her credentials.
“If you don’t want me, you can interview someone else. That’s totally fine,” Jin says. “I did go to Yale, 3.86 GPA, lead soprano of [Yale singing group] the Whiffenpoofs, and my ACT score was 36 on the very first time.”
Commenters also took issue with the way Jin donned a buttoned-up collared shirt and thick glasses, which they argue feel out of place for employees at a major fashion company.
Social media users from around the world, especially in Asian countries, expressed their frustration with the clip.
“The promotion up to this point was really great, but right before release, they suddenly hit us with blatant anti-Asian racism and flipped the car,” one user in Japan wrote in a post that’s been viewed more than 16 million times.
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プラダを着た悪魔、ここまでのプロモーションめっちゃ良かったのに、公開直前に突然ド直球のアジア人差別を見せつけてきて横転 <a href="https://t.co/uNUYIzXl7U">https://t.co/uNUYIzXl7U</a>
— 黄色人種ちゃん (@dekaketu_purin) <a href="https://twitter.com/dekaketu_purin/status/2046767047435247708?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 22, 2026</a></blockquote>
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“We are in 2026… what made them think we’ll find this kind of racism funny,” another commenter <a href="https://x.com/kaxishk/status/2046919948384243754?s=20">said</a>. 
“Short stature, messy hair, childish clothing, big glasses, a ton of qualifications and high education and grades, servile and incompetent, a name that sounds just like &#8216;Ching Chang Chong,'&#8221; a third person echoed. “In this day and age, deliberately clipping out such a thick, over-the-top level of Asian stereotype that&#8217;s actually rare nowadays for ad use—did they judge that going full-on with the blatant discrimination would be more commercially appealing??”
As The Hollywood Reporter <a href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/devil-wears-prada-2-racism-backlash-asia-1236574540/">noted</a>, a lot of the widespread criticism is the result of X posts being automatically translated, meaning comments from around the world are being circulated in the United States.
However, some, including Korean-American filmmaker Joseph Kahn, said the backlash reflects a cultural misunderstanding and claims that Jin is so weird she’s cool, at least to a Gen Z audience. 
“There&#8217;s an uproar with Japanese Twitter about this Asian character. They feel she&#8217;s a caricature, which she is, but not about Asians but Gen Z. Her outfit is actually very couture in a film about fashion,” he <a href="https://x.com/JosephKahn/status/2047085534103932968?s=20">wrote</a>.
“Her glasses and hair clips are of the moment. The body shape disparity comes from Anne Hathaway who mandated there would be &#8216;diversity of sizes&#8217; which could either be taken as genuine virtue signaling or an actress wanting to be the skinniest and tallest onscreen. Nevertheless, the Asian character is being depicted as a fashionable, striver in the fashion world with typical Gen Z neurodivergency.”
&#8220;Nerds don&#8217;t exist in Gen Z because they&#8217;re all awkward freaks and all dress like Nintendo cartoons,” he concluded. “Anyway Japan, welcome to America.”

Devil Wears Prada 2

Long-Awaited Hollywood Sequel Is Already Making Enemies

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