Category: News

Last week, SZA kept the SOS train rolling by dropping a different version of the album, including revamped singles “PSA” and “Open Arms.” She also cleared up the phantom rumor that she had beef with Taylor Swift, and ironically enough, SOS now has something in common with Swift’s Midnights: breaking records previously held by Adele.

SOS sits atop the Billboard 200 chart dated January 14, its fourth-straight week at No. 1 since debuting there on December 19. According to Billboard, SZA’s sophomore offering is “the first album by a woman to spend its first four weeks at No. 1 in a year, since Adele’s 30 ruled for its first six weeks (December 4, 2021 through January 8, 2022-dated charts) and is the first album by a woman to have four consecutive weeks at No. 1 since 30‘s six week-run at No. 1.”

When Swift’s Midnights debuted at No. 1 in late October, it moved the most first-week equivalent album units since Adele’s 30 in 2015. (Midnights remains at No. 2 on this week’s chart.)

SOS is also the first R&B album by a woman to have four weeks at No. 1 since February of 2008, when Alicia Keys’ As I Am notched a fourth and final nonconsecutive week atop the list (Feb. 16, 2008),” Billboard additionally relayed. “More strikingly, SOS is the first R&B album by a woman to spend its first four weeks at No. 1 in nearly 30 years, since Janet Jackson’s Janet. ruled for its first six frames (June 5-July 10, 1993).”

The feat is not lost on SZA.

“I don’t have sh*t to say but thank you to God my ancestors my family my team and ALL OF YOU THAT RIDE FOR ME ! ESPECIALLY CAMP [tent emoji]!!” SZA captioned an Instagram post on Sunday, January 8. “Y’all my family too [white heart emoji] we have so much more to come.”

She also tweeted, “4 weeks at number one is INSANE. Thank you God and thank you everyone for riding for me.”

As for what’s still to come, SZA’s teased “Kill Bill” video should drop any day now. Her SOS Tour is slated to kick off on February 21 at the Jerome Schottenstein Center in Columbus, Ohio, with Omar Apollo serving as the opener.

Apple TV+ launched in November 2019 amid a sea of other also-emerging streaming services. Three years later, the tech giant’s foray into original content has carved out some solid niches that should help it maintain a foothold. That’s right, whereas Netflix is dominating the stand-up comedy realm, and Peacock delivers a classic TV library like no one else, Apple TV+ is crushing the comedies series realm.

Yet there’s an also surprising amount of variety (including sci-fi, thriller, and darker-comedy series) on this service. To help you wrap your arms around it all, we rounded up the top 25 shows on Apple TV+.

1. Ted Lasso

Year(s): 2020 –
Starring: Jason Sudeikis, Brett Goldstein
Genre: Dramedy
Rating: TV-MA
Seasons: 2 (33 episodes)
Trailer: Watch here

This show’s viral ubiquity kicked off this streaming service’s wave successful comedy series, which now includes Mythic Quest and The Afterparty. Back before Apple TV+ even existed, though, the eponymous (and eternally charming) soccer coach’s origin story went back to NBC Olympic coverage promos from nearly a decade ago. Someone brilliant decided to greenlight the great idea of giving Jason Sudeikis’ alter ego his own show, and from there, the show turned into a phenomenal success before backlash set in — because the the Internet simply cannot let happiness exist. (And that’s only further evidence that Ted Lasso has made an impact.) One can expect Season 3 to address this in some way, but don’t worry about Ted Lasso. He won’t let a few naysayers get him down, unless we’re talking about tea, which he believes tastes “like hot brown water.” I agree wholeheartedly. This show really does have something for everyone!

Watch it on Apple TV+

2. Dickinson

Year(s): 2019 – 2021
Starring: Hailee Steinfeld
Genre: Dramedy
Rating: TV-MA
Seasons: 3 (30 episodes)
Trailer: Watch here

Literary history inspired into one of the most ultramodern series of recent years, as odd as it sounds, in this show that pleased legions while still managing to be underrated. Hailee Steinfeld gave a commanding performance as the iconic American poet with a flair for the unconventional, both on the page and in her personal life. Of course, this is not a standard retelling of the life of this poet, who was thought to be a recluse but transforms into a rebel on the small screen. Still, even tweaks of the truth didn’t stop the show from being faithful to what Dickinson wrote in her letters, and somehow, the layering of fantasy atop the truth made the show even more reliable in communicating the spirit of the poet. As a bonus, Season 2 includes both writing and an onscreen emergence from Ayo Edebiri (who broke out in 2022 with The Bear).

Watch it on Apple TV+

3. Fraggle Rock: Back To The Rock

Year(s): 2022 –
Starring: Them Puppets
Genre: Family
Rating: TV-G
Seasons: 1 (13 episodes)
Director:
Trailer: Watch here

Miss you, Jim Henson. The best news here is that, if everyone on Earth would only watch this series, perhaps humanity could heal itself. Wars could end, and I’m not even exaggerating. Get this show in front of Putin. Perhaps this could make him see through the eyes of these zany puppets, who impart life lessons and ruminate upon the importance of getting down to coexisting, despite the difficulties inherent in getting the Fraggles, Doozers and Gorgs to all do their part in making that magic happen. There’s also, tellingly, a literal Echo Chamber in this season. Oh boy.

Watch it on Apple TV+

4. Physical

Year(s): 2021 –
Starring: Rose Byrne
Genre: Dramedy
Rating: TV-MA
Seasons: 2 (20 episodes)
Trailer: Watch here

It’s worth mentioning that Rose Byrne previously portrayed Gloria Steinem (Mrs. America), and this role feels like a continuation of that feminist arc. At times pitch black, this show is much more than aerobics, as it turns out. Byrne glides right into the spandex-covered layers of an endlessly frustrated housewife who struggles mightily against an eating disorder and finds refuge in channelling her body image issues into a different kind of obsession. Rather, make that a brand of obsession. She’s soon at the top of the 1980s fitness video craze with a rival played by Murray Bartlett of White Lotus notoriety. As they both know, they’d better work it.

Watch it on Apple TV+

5. For All Mankind

Year(s): 2019 –
Starring: Joel Kinnaman, Shantel VanSanten, Michael Dorman, Wrenn Schmidt
Genre: Sci-Fi-Drama
Rating: TV-MA
Seasons: 3 (30 episodes)
Trailer: Watch here

This phenomenal series, ironically enough given the subject matter, suffered from a slow liftoff when it surfaced amid a lunar sea of other first-generation Apple TV+ shows. (Aniston, Reese, and Momoa do tend to attract attention, so yep, that checks out.) Fortunately, word of mouth eventually drove enough interest to spark renewal after renewal, and Season 4 will be forthcoming. This alternate-history take on the space race shows exactly how much one tiny trick to the timeline can change matters. That is to say, the U.S. loses the space race to the Soviet Union in 1969, and that changes everything. Joel Kinnaman plays Ed Baldwin, a frontrunner U.S. astronaut, and the show almost effortlessly blends these characters’ personal and professional worlds.

Watch it on Apple TV+

6. Mythic Quest

Year(s): 2020 –
Starring: Rob McElhenney, Charlotte Nicdao, F. Murray Abraham, Ashley Burch
Genre: Comedy
Rating: TV-MA
Seasons: 3 (31 episodes)
Trailer: Watch here

Always Sunny pals Rob McElhenney and Charlie Day did it again, even if only one of them stars in this series that made workplace comedy fresh again. Our own Brian Grubb can’t stop raving about this show because it somehow pulls of “the highest level execution of a genre that has worked forever,” and perhaps that’s partially because these characters are doing what they love for a living. That adds some flavor of its own, especially when conflict strikes. Also, Snoop Dogg showed up and got Rob high during an early call time. A+ idea.

Watch it on Apple TV+

7. Slow Horses

Year(s): 2022 –
Starring: Gary Oldman, Olivia Cooke
Genre: Drama/Thriller
Rating: TV-MA
Seasons: 2 (12 episodes)
Trailer: Watch here

A whole lot of Gary Oldman farts will be had in this series, which is now in the thick of season 2. Yet don’t let that frequent display distract you from the failed spymastering of his group full of of British intelligence f*ck-ups. Olivia Cooke and Jack Bowden co-star, and maybe, just maybe, they’ll move past their collective “slow horse” reputation through a series of crises. Yet mainly, it’s nice to see an espionage-focused TV show that puts a fresh, and bumbling, spin on the genre with all those super Krasinski-spies running rampant on streaming.

Watch it on Apple TV+

8. Severance

Year(s): 2022 –
Starring: Adam Scott, Zach Cherry, Patricia Arquette
Genre: Sci-Fi/Mystery
Rating: TV-MA
Seasons: 1 (9 episodes)
Trailer: Watch here

The idea of work-life balance got skewered in this Ben Stiller-directed series that takes huge swings in the satire department. This unsettling show presents a world where “severed” employees have completely distinct personalities at work and at home. Naturally, too much self-awareness and crossover is eventually bound to happen, and let’s just say that Adam Scott’s prior experience in the workplace comedy realm makes him even more effective in this thriller series. As the clické goes, not everything is what it seems, and the workplace of this show is even more cult-like than one could have imagined.

Watch it on Apple TV+

9. Servant

Year(s): 2019 –
Starring: Lauren Ambrose, Toby Kebbell, Rupert Grint
Genre: Horror/Mystery
Rating: TV-MA
Seasons: 4 (40 episodes)
Trailer: Watch here

M. Night Shyamalan’s movies might be hit-and-miss, but this series has stayed consistent in delivering upon well-laid arcs full of suspense and mysteries that don’t (at least not yet) carry too much in the “gotcha” realm. Those punches are why a lot of people gave up on Shyamalan’s films sometime around The Village and haven’t looked back, but show’s an altogether different creature. Perhaps he should have been showrunning all along? The painstakingly crafted storytelling of this series (which began with a Philly couple attempting to overcome the loss of their infant) takes us miles away from the quick wrap-ups of his usual fare, and the fourth season will soon show if the writing can truly overcome the Shyamalan-ending curveball curse. Fingers crossed.

Watch it on Apple TV+

10. Shining Girls

Year(s): 2022
Starring: Elizabeth Moss
Genre: Horror/Sci-Fi
Rating: TV-MA
Seasons: 1 (8 episodes)
Trailer: Watch here

Elizabeth Moss might be the Queen of Streaming after having harnessed the trailblazing energy of her Mad Men character into stunning career turns. The Handmaid’s Tale star took some detours into horror, including The Invisible Man and also this Apple TV+ show, in which is based upon the Lauren Beukes novel and earned the coveted Stephen King endorsement: “This is exactly what streaming was made for.” The story follows Moss as a newspaper archivist attempting to overcome her own trauma when she becomes involved with a case that bears a startling resemblance to what she endured. Wagner Moura (Narcos) plays a reporter who attempts to help her unravel what happened, and the lines between genres blur, along with the minds of all who get wrapped into the mystery.

Watch it on Apple TV+

11. Black Bird

Year(s): 2022
Starring: Taron Egerton, Ray Liotta, Paul Walter Houser
Genre: True crime dramatization
Rating: TV-MA
Seasons: 1 (6 episodes)
Director:
Trailer: Watch here

This limited series brings us one of Ray Liotta’s final onscreen appearances, and yes, you’ll soon see him in the flat-out crazy Cocaine Bear, but first, prepare yourself for six hours of flat-out intensity. Liotta portrays Big Jim Keene, a veteran cop and dad to Taron Egerton’s Jimmy in this Dennis Lehane-produced adaptation of Jimmy’s In With The Devil: A Fallen Hero, A Serial Killer, and A Dangerous Bargain for Redemption memoir. The drug-dealing Jimmy does end up in hell, meaning that he takes an FBI deal to go undercover at a max-security prison, where he ends up tangling with Larry Hall, a serial killer played by Paul Walter Hauser. Surely, you’ve seen his work before, and he’s at his unsettling best in this unyieldingly tense series that never takes its foot off the gas.

Watch it on Apple TV+

12. Foundation

Year(s): 2021 –
Starring: Lee Pace, Jared Harris
Genre: Sci-Fi/Drama
Rating: TV-MA
Seasons: 1 (10 episodes)
Trailer: Watch here

Lee Pace fans rejoiced (and Jared Harris followers weren’t mad, either) at the gorgeous first season of the Isaac Asimov adaptation, which spread no detail while bringing the classic work to life. Actually, I need to back up again and stress the thirst factor from Pace fans again, but then I’ll say that, yes, the substance of this show delivers, too. Sci-fi addicts finally got to see Asimov’s battle to rebuild civilization after Harris’ prophet got his butt declared a heretic when he dared to predict that humanity was on its last legs, and dire action was needed in the form of The Foundation. This is a good followup to watching Dune on HBO while waiting for the second installment of both properties.

Watch it on Apple TV+

13. See

Year(s): 2019 – 2022
Starring: Jason Momoa, Hera Hilmar, Sylvia Hoeks, Dave Bautista
Genre: Drama/Action
Rating: TV-MA
Seasons: 3 (24 episodes)
Trailer: Watch here

Jason Momoa rides again in furs in this series, in which he portrayed Baba Voss, a warrior who helps to lead one faction of humanity after a virus wiped away vision, which made for a compelling premise. As always, Momoa put every ounce of energy possible into this show, which cruelly provides lush visuals even though nearly 100% of its characters cannot enjoy them. It’s a wild and wooly series that is so absurd at times (there’s a masturbating queen), and Dave Bautista showed up in Season 2 with a familial vendetta, which didn’t exactly turn into a buddy comedy, before a Season 3 wrap up for one of the most daring shows on this streaming service thus far.

Watch it on Apple TV+

14. The Morning Show

Year(s): 2019 –
Starring: Jennifer Aniston, Reese Witherspoon, Steve Carell, Billy Crudup
Genre: Dramedy-ish
Rating: TV-MA
Seasons: 2 (20 episodes)
Trailer: Watch here

You gotta hand it to Billy Crudup, who manages to be the greatest part (and some might say the Kermit the Frog) of this series that began as the “Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon as rivals with a side of Steve Carell” intended juggernaut of Apple TV. The series turned into a headliner, for sure, but it evolved into a product that moves past its original subject matter: fallout from sexual conduct scandal at a high-profile lite-news show. The show’s taken intense dives (also into systemic racism) despite the sunshine product within its fold, and Crudup has had so much fun playing a chief instigator while also attempting to keep the whole joint together. Later this year, we should see round three of this series, but rest assured that no one will be more fun to watch than Crudup.

Watch it on Apple TV+

15. Shantaram

Year(s): 2022 –
Starring: Charlie Hunnam, Shubham Saraf, Fayssal Bazzi
Genre: Crime drama
Rating: TV-MA
Seasons: 1 ( episodes)
Trailer: Watch here

Charlie Hunnam is a long way from Charming, California, in this series that sees him playing Lin Ford, a convicted bank robber and addict who flees an Australian prison and emerges in Bombay, India. The story’s based upon the probably-biographical story book by Gregory David Roberts, and at one point, Johnny Depp wanted to make this project into a movie. Fortunately, that didn’t happen because Charlie and his right-hand man, Shubham Saraf, give us a central friendship for the ages with a world that’s both dazzling and forbidding. This sprawling (and ultimately life-affirming) story deserves more seasons, although I’m not feeling terribly optimistic about that prospect, given Hunnam’s health woes that could take him out of the game for years.

Watch it on Apple TV+

16. Little America

Year(s): 2020 –
Starring: Suraj Sharma, Peggy Lu, Mélanie Laurent
Genre: Dramedy
Rating: TV-MA
Seasons: 2 (20 episodes)
Trailer: Watch here

Kumail Nanjiani’s name might get you in the door here, but he’s only one of the creators, which also include his wife, Emily V. Gordon, as well as Lee Eisenberg. Together, they guide viewers through an anthologizes batch of stories about the immigrant stories in America. Although anthologies can be accused of not going deep enough (given the vast amount of territory that they cover), that’s not the case here. Each episode brings something entirely different to the table, frequently with humor as well as heartwarming touches.

Watch it on Apple TV+

17. The Afterparty

Year(s): 2022 –
Starring: Ken Jeong, Tiffany Haddish, Zoe Chao, Ben Schwartz
Genre: Comedy/Mystery
Rating: TV-MA
Seasons: 1 (8 episodes)
Trailer: Watch here

A whole lot of murder-mystery comedy can be found out there these days, and this is no Glass Onion, but this show from Christopher Miller (frequent filmmaking partner of Phil Lord in projects such as Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs) will still do. The story revolves around the fallout from a high school reunion, which happens to have been followed by a party that happens to have included a death. The voluminously funny cast (including Tiffany Haddish, Ben Schwartz, Ilana Glazer, and Sam Richardson) pulls out all the stops here, and you probably won’t be sorry that you skipped your own reunions.

Watch it on Apple TV+

18. Schmigadoon!

Year(s): 2021 –
Starring: Cicily Strong, Keegan-Michael Key, Kristin Chenowith
Genre: Musical/Comedy
Rating: TV-14
Seasons: 1 (6 episodes)
Trailer: Watch here

Cicily Strong (SNL) and Keenan-Michael Key (Key and Peele‘s nightmare text recipient) stumble into a 1940s musical in this show, which is actually far less grating than one could imagine. In reality, this is a charming whirl of a show, in which these backpackers must learn the meaning of love before they can escape their confines. The series also includes Broadway dynamos Alan Cumming and Kristin Chenoweth, along with Jane Krakowski and Martin Short.

Watch it on Apple TV+

19. Pachinko

Year(s): 2022 –
Starring: Lee Min-Ho, Minha Kim, Soji Arai
Genre: Drama
Rating: TV-MA
Seasons: 1 (8 episodes)
Trailer: Watch here

If you’re in the mood for a truly immersive saga, then tuck into the first season of this generational-spanning tale that’s a meal unto itself. This show defies explanation within a simple blurb, but prepare yourself for a Korean family’s journey from their home country to Japan and beyond. While maneuvering against a historical backdrop of war between nations, the focus here is remains upon individuals and, poignantly, how their connections can be forged through and communicated through food, much like The Bear while also being several worlds away.

Watch it on Apple TV+

20. Mr. Corman

Year(s): 2021
Starring: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Juno Temple, Hugo Weaving, Arturo Castro
Genre: Dramedy
Rating: TV-MA
Seasons: 1 (10 episodes)
Trailer: Watch here

Joseph Gordon-Levitt stars here, and quite simply, you can’t go wrong with a little JGL. This show did make me long for the days when he led a street-bound ensemble dance scene in (500) Days Of Summer because JGL’s character is musical-adjacent even though he’s making a living as a music teacher. Actually, that’s part of his problem. Mr. Corman’s in the midst of an existential era of his life, in which he’s grappling with a failed creative career and trying to make things work in the here-and-now without falling prey to the irresistible urge to look back without remembering to look forward.

Watch it on Apple TV+

21. Defending Jacob

Year(s): 2020
Starring: Chris Evans, Jaeden Martell, Pablo Schreiber, Michelle Dockery
Genre: Crime Drama
Rating: TV-MA
Seasons: 1 (8 episodes)
Trailer: Watch here

It’s a familiar story: major action franchise star takes a serious turn, and the project ends up stressing out the audience in the process. This psychological thriller starring Chris Evans goes heavy on the atmosphere but still ends up being a paint-by-numbers permutation of the Upstanding Member Of The Legal Community Finds That The Call Might Be Coming From Inside The House story. Evans plays an attorney whose child may very well be a murderer, and this ain’t an easy watch. Still, there are thrills to be found the cast, which includes Pablo Schreiber ripping off the Pornstache for another one of his stellar antagonists.

Watch it on Apple TV+

22. Mosquito Coast

Year(s): 2021 –
Starring: Justin Theroux, Melissa George, Gabriel Bateman, Logan Polish
Genre: Drama
Rating: TV-MA
Seasons: 2 (20 episodes)
Director:
Trailer: Watch here

No one could ever accuse this project of a lack of enthusiasm. This reboot of the Harrison Ford/Helen Mirren movie stars Justin Theroux in his passion project of bringing the classic 1981 novel of his uncle, Paul Theroux, to an extended, small-screen retelling. Throughout two seasons, the audience remained steady, although the show itself is contradictory as heck. On one hand, Allie Fox is a brilliant and idealistic U.S. inventor, but on the other hand, he’s a paranoid and frighteningly erratic father who puts his family through hell on a race through Mexico. He rages against consumerism (which is particularly odd, considering where this show streams), and this also tries trying to be the next Breaking Bad but not giving us a main character who’s relatable and worth rooting for at all.

Watch it on Apple TV+

23. Essex Serpent

Year(s): 2022
Starring: Tom Hiddleston, Claire Danes
Genre: Drama/Mystery
Rating: TV-MA
Seasons: 1 (6 episodes)
Director:
Trailer: Watch here

All of the parts are here for a compelling watch, although the package doesn’t seem to come together onscreen. That’s particularly frustrating because the source material, Sarah Perry’s 2017 novel of the same name, rarely fails to compel (and surprise) those who’ve had the pleasure of reading it. Claire Danes, as always, immerses herself in the role of a widow who is grieving, yes, but also finds liberation after the death of her abusive spouse. She relocates to a village where a mythical beast is said to have emerged to punish humanity for his sins. Tom Hiddleston plays a local religious leader, and the two find that they have much in common.

Watch it on Apple TV+

24. Snoopy In Space

Year(s): 2019 –
Genre: Family/Animation
Rating: TV-G
Seasons: 2 (24 episodes)
Trailer: Watch here

Hey, if the Fast and Furious gang and Tom Cruise can flirt with space, so can the Peanuts Gang. Snoopy goes interstellar here and achieves his dream of becoming an astronaut with Woodstock in tow. He’s officially in league with NASA in this story, and you really cannot go wrong with deciding to fire this one up as some comforting background noise.

Watch it on Apple TV+

25. The Shrink Next Door

Year(s): 2021
Starring: Will Ferrell, Paul Rudd
Genre: Psychological Drama/Dark Comedy
Rating: TV-MA
Seasons: 1 (8 episodes)
Trailer: Watch here

Hoo boy. Paul Rudd, that interminable charmer, portrays a therapist (Dr. Isaac “Ike” Herschkopf) who slowly manipulates the hell out of his patient (Marty Markowitz) portrayed by Will Ferrell, for nearly three decades. This can be triggering, obviously, given that this show is based upon Joe Nocera’s popular Wondry podcast, which is in turn based upon a real-life doctor-patient relationship. The show’s all over the place, tonewise, and is actually a rather disturbing watch. Sorry, Rudd fans!

Watch it on Apple TV+

Jennifer Lawrence is one of the most famous actresses in the world, but even she gets starstruck. Not by Meryl Streep or Christian Bale or Michelle Pfeiffer, all of whom she’s worked with, but by the star of the Dukes of Hazzard movie.

“To me, the biggest celebrities in the world are, like, Pete Davidson. Or when Ariana Grande was in my last film, Don’t Look Up, I was photographed with her and I fully look like a radio contest winner,” the Causeway actress told W magazine. “I would be starstruck if I saw Jessica Simpson. That would knock me over.” The one-time reality show star hasn’t appeared in a movie since 2008’s Private Valentine: Blonde & Dangerous, which I guess is like Legally Blonde on a military base? — now is Lawrence’s chance to get Simpson back on set. Thelma and Louise remake, anyone?

Also in the inteview, Lawrence revealed the film that makes her tear up. “Father of the Bride always makes me cry. Not when they get married, but when he sees her as a little girl and she’s like, ‘Mommy, Daddy, I met a man in Rome and we’re getting married.’ But I’m so sensitive now that I can barely watch anything with children or animals,” she said.

Can we interest you in a little film called M3GAN, J3nnifer?

(Via W magazine)

Over the weekend, Cade Hudson, an agent whose clients include Britney Spears, had a big birthday bash. As TMZ notes, in attendance for the 35th birthday party were stars like Demi Lovato, Robert Pattinson, James Marsden, Spears, and Paris Hilton, among many others. Hilton took some photos of the festivities and later shared them on Instagram as a birthday tribute for Hudson.

One photo in particular stood out, though: A shot of Hilton, Spears, and Hudson. That image was quickly singled out by Spears fans, who think something is amiss.

One commenter wrote, “Not Paris budding up with one of Britney conservatorship abusers.. Shows where you’re true feelings are Paris. And it’s definitely not with your best friend Britney Spears… We know these are not real pictures Paris. You’re not fooling anybody.. KARMA’S ON ITS WAY PARIS.” Another commented, “It’s really strange how half the necklace chains are missing in the photo with Britney. And what’s wrong with her fingers?” Somebody else wrote, “Is that an AI Britney?? Look at her fingers!!! WTF Paris? You’re becoming more and more shady to me and I used to love you dude. How dare you participate in whatever is going on with Brit? This won’t end well for you!”

Eventually, Hilton addressed some of these responses, writing in a January 7 comment, “To all of those asking. Some of these photos were taken on an iPhone so they ended up being blurry. So they used this app called Remini to make it look unblurry and sometimes the Ai distorts images. Didn’t want to even dignify this with a response. But some of these conspiracy theories are absolutely ridiculous [facepalm emoji].”

Hilton, meanwhile, recently dropped a new version of her 2006 single “Stars Are Blind.”

Since mid-2008, 03 Greedo (real name Jason Jamal Jackson) has been in prison for firearm and drug offenses, but that hasn’t stopped him from releasing new music. In fact, he’s dropped a handful of albums and other projects since then. Now, he has unveiled yet another one: Free 03, a new mixtape produced by Mike Free, is out now.

The announcement was made on Greedo’s Instagram on January 7 and the project features BlueBucksClan, OhGeesy, KenTheMan, and the late Drakeo The Ruler. Greedo previously announced the project last August.

The bigger news here, though, is that Greedo is set to be released from prison in a matter of days. Last night (January 8), Jeff Weiss reported, “Out of respect for Greedo’s right to break the news however he wants to break it, I can’t officially confirm anything. But this Texas parole info is accurate. 03 should be coming home at some point this week. A 5-year nightmare finally coming to an end.”

This information is available on the Texas Department Of Criminal Justice website, of which Weiss shared a screenshot and which shows a scheduled release date on parole of January 12.

Greedo previously mourned Free 03 collaborator Drakeo’s death, writing, “I wanted to wait until I felt like a lot of the clout posts died down because this one really crushed me. I lost a lot of homies, family, and industry friends while I’ve been locked up but to lose my evil twin f*cked me up. I wake up every day wishing I made parole so I could convince you to move out of LA with me and focus on the music. To lose your n****s you made your first millions with before even coming home to enjoy it is mind-blowing. Coming home to Shoreline broken up and no Ketchy or Drakeo — we still have so many hot songs we haven’t shown the world.”

Stream Free 03 below.

For the second offseason in a row, the Houston Texans are headed into the offseason looking for someone to replace a one-and-done head coach. According to Ian Rapoport and Mike Garofolo of NFL Network, Houston has decided to part ways with Lovie Smith after a 3-13-1 campaign that saw them register the worst record in the AFC.

Texans general manager Nick Caserio confirmed the report via a statement released on the team’s official Twitter account.

Smith got the job last offseason after the team decided to move on from David Culley. Like Smith, Culley got one year at the helm of the Texans before deciding to go with someone else. While Culley was a first-time head coach, Smith, who worked as Culley’s associate head coach and defensive coordinator, signed a 4-year contract with the Texans and brought plenty of head coaching experience at both the NFL and collegiate levels.

Earlier in the day, Rapoport and Tom Pelissero reported that the Texans could have eyes on a pair of defensive coordinators if they decide to move on from Smith: Eagles DC Jonathan Gannon and 49ers DC DeMeco Ryans, the latter of whom was an All-Pro linebacker in Houston.

The Texans will head into this offseason with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. They were slated to pick No. 1 until the team pulled off a shocking, last-minute win against the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday.

The Packers and Lions met on Sunday Night Football with Detroit’s season already over thanks to the Seahawks’ comeback win over the Rams, but Green Bay could punch its ticket to the postseason with a win at home.

The two teams were locked in a defensive struggle for the first half, with some touchdowns finally starting to get put on the board in the second half of what became a back-and-forth affair, as the Lions still had plenty of motivation to end the year with a winning record (and knock a hated rival out of the playoffs in the process). Given the stakes, it was not a game for dumb penalties, but Quay Walker managed to produce one of the dumbest of the season in the fourth quarter and Detroit driving into the red zone.

After D’Andre Swift got tackled (and hit with a forearm to the head that went uncalled), he stayed down and got attention from the Detroit training staff. As one of the trainers arrived on the scene, Walker was standing over Swift still and he tried to push his way past Walker to check on him, with Walker deciding that was unacceptable and giving him a two-handed shove to the back.

That led to an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty and, after a brief delay where one assumes New York called down, an ejection for Walker, who is a key piece of the Packers defense. As Mike Tirico and Cris Collinsworth noted on the call, pushing a trainer would always be frowned upon but to do this on this week of all weeks, where the NFL world was lauding the work of Buffalo’s training staff in helping save Damar Hamlin’s life, was an especially bad look.

Packers coach Matt LaFleur was screaming at Walker to “be smart” after the flag and then after Walker was announced as ejected from the game, he was distraught over his extremely poor decision as he went into the tunnel to the locker room. The Lions would pay off the drive with a go-ahead touchdown, and if the Packers go on to lose and miss the postseason, Walker will have to sit with this all offseason.

The Brooklyn Nets have been the hottest team in the NBA for the last month, winning 18 of their last 20 games, including a 102-101 win over the Heat in Miami on Sunday night.

Leading the way has been Kevin Durant, who has returned to full blown MVP form, averaging 30.0 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 5.4 assists per game on a 60.9 effective field goal percentage — which is absurd considering the majority of his damage coming from the midrange. Durant has been nothing short of sensational for the Nets, which is why Sunday’s win was bittersweet as the likely All-Star captain in the East left the game and did not return with a right knee injury after Jimmy Butler got blocked on a drive and fell backwards into Durant’s leg.

After the game, Nets coach Jacque Vaughn told reporters Durant would likely have an MRI on Monday to determine the severity of the injury and a timetable for his return.

The MRI being tomorrow comes as little surprise, but the Nets organization and their fans will be holding their breath until the results come back. Brooklyn’s recent run has gotten them all the way to second in the East at 27-13, one game back of the Boston Celtics. That’s a remarkable turnaround from the early season woes amid plenty of off court drama, but under Vaughn’s guidance, they have settled into a tremendous rhythm and started to look like the contenders they’ve always supposed to have been.

Hopefully the injury is not particularly severe, but the most important thing for Brooklyn is Durant getting healthy for the playoffs, so one would expect them to be fairly cautious with their star whatever the injury turns out to be. Their recent hot streak affords them a cushion to be more cautious with Durant as well, although they’ll now shift more responsibility to Kyrie Irving as well as likely having to alter their rotation to bring more offensive-minded players into a larger role to ease the burden.

From a league-wide perspective, it’s brutal to see another star go down in the midst of an MVP caliber campaign, and hopefully he won’t miss significant time. It does put into question whether Durant will be able to play in the All-Star Game, or if like a year ago he’ll be a captain but have to sit out.

Hailey Bieber has been trending a lot these days, but not for her famous husband or modeling. It was for her response to the discourse surrounding nepotism in the media and entertainment industry.

In December, Vulture released an article titled “Year of the Nepo Baby,” which sparked a major debate about “nepo babies” that have become famous, including Euphoria‘s Maude Apatow (who is the daughter of Judd Apatow and Leslie Mann), Maya Hawke of Stranger Things, ( the daughter of Ethan Hawke and Uma Thurman), and more. The 26-year-old model, who is the daughter of actor Stephen Baldwin, offered her own cheeky response to the online discourse with an interesting fashion statement.

Bieber was seen around town in LA, wearing a plain white tee with the lego “Nepo Baby” on it. Some people loved it, like actress Gweneth Paltrow. In the comment section of InStyle’s official Instagram that noted Bieber’s look, Paltrow implied that she’d even consider wearing one herself.

“I might need a few of these,” the star commented.

UK singer-songwriter Charli XCX also joined in, writing, ” I respect the nepo baby t-shirt attempt.” The comments were flooded with hilarious responses to the singer’s tweet, wondering if it was an attempt to shade the model.

“Attempt,” one person wrote with a laughing meme.

“[I’m] hooting n’ hollering at Charli being as messy as us,” another wrote, alongside a Wendy Williams meme.

Others compared Hailey’s shirt with an old Charli XCX SSENSE shirt that read, “They don’t build statues of critics.”

“Some people just don’t have that IT factor, y’know?” another person tweeted.

It’s hard to believe in 2023 but Mel Gibson used to be one of the biggest movie stars in the world. He screwed that up but good, and despite numerous comeback attempts — he was even nominated for a Best Director Oscar only seven years ago — he’s more or less consigned to the margins of an industry over which he once ruled. The guy can’t even get a gig as Grand Marshal of a parade — or he did, but the inevitable backlash was such that he had to step down.

As per 4WWL out of New Orleans, the controversial actor and filmmaker was set to lord over the Krewe of Endymion parade at this year’s Mardi Gars. It’s always been one of the more mainstream of the celebration’s parades, attracting big, big names; the 2019 iteration nabbed Flo-Rida and Lionel Richie. Why they chose an infamous figure whose past includes anti-Semitic and racist statements is anyone’s guess. But less than 24 hours after announcing Mad Mel would be Grand Marshal he was out.

In a statement, Krewe of Endymion organizers said they received “significant feedback” to the news, which included “threats that cause us great concern.”

The nature of the threats were not made public, but some wondered if it wouldn’t have just been people pelting the Oscar-winner with whatever’s on hand for hours.

Despite his career problems, Gibson is allegedly busy. It’s been reported that he’s mere “months” from shooting his belated sequel to one of his biggest money-makers, The Passion of the Christ, which became one of the biggest hits of 2004. He’s also allegedly directing a fifth Lethal Weapon, according to himself.

(Via 4WWL)