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Taylor Swift’s The Eras Tour is undoubtedly the hottest ticket in the nation, no matter where it plants its roots. Whether it’s the impressive three-plus hour set, the epic fan outfits, or the video footage uploaded to TikTok following each performance, Swifties (both celebrities and non-celebrities) are having the time of their lives.

During the tour’s latest stop, singer and actress Selena Gomez was sure to show her “industry bestie” love by not only attending the show but bringing her younger sister Gracie Teefey along with her. Gracie is no stranger to the spotlight, having attended several high-profile events with her sister in the past, most recently the Golden Globe Awards. Her adorable brief stage side intermission during the show for an adorable gift exchange was a walk in the park for her.

Dressed in a fun purple halter top skater dress, Gracie was seen walking at the ground level surrounding the stage to hand the singer something during her performance. As Gracie got closer it appeared that she handed off a homemade friendship bracelet to the singer. In exchange for the heartfelt gift, Swift took off her hat to gift it to Gracie, to which she excitedly accepted and then returned to her seat.

Gracie wasn’t the only kid to gift her with something. At another show, a 7-year-old fan wrote Swift a heartfelt letter.

Gomez tried to keep a pretty love profile during the show. But she was sure to follow the theme of the show, dressing as 2020 Swift, sporting the cardigan from the singer’s Folklore album cover.

April Fool’s Day was a little quiet this year, with little in the way of high-profile, outlandish pranks. But one Manhattan audience were victim to a good kind of ruse. As per Deadline, moviegoers at the Alamo Drafthouse in Lower Manhattan who were expecting to see a repertory screening of Ari Aster’s Midsommar were instead treated to his latest opus. That film is Beau is Afraid, the director’s much-anticipated follow-up to his nightmarish folk horror hit. They also learned that the film runs an 179 minutes — one hour shorter than what was originally reported.

Details remain scant about Beau is Afraid, but we do know it stars Joaquin Phoenix as “a paranoid man [who] embarks on an epic odyssey to get home to his mother,” according to the press release. Aster, meanwhile, has compared it to The Lord of the Rings. Joining the Oscar-winning actor are Nathan Lane, Amy Ryan, Kylie Rogers, Denise Ménochet, Parker Posey, Stephen McKinley Henderson, Richard Kind, Hayley Squires, and Michael Gandolfini.

During a post-film Q&A with Aster that was moderated by no less than Emma Stone, the filmmaker told a story about when Phoenix collapsed during a take. “There was a scene that was very intense for Patti and it was a shot that was on Patti, it was not on him and all of a sudden he fell out of frame,” Aster told the crowd. “I was really pissed ’cause it was a really good take. It felt confusing so I went around the corner and he was collapsed.”

He went on: “I knew it was bad because he was letting people touch him and people were tending to him and he was allowing it. The point is that he fainted in somebody else’s take, he wasn’t on camera and he was helping them, he was in it for them to the point where he collapsed. It’s very poetic that he collapsed in somebody else’s shot.”

You can watch a behind-the-scenes look at Beau is Afraid below. It hits theaters on April 14.

(Via Deadline)

French Montana spends a lot of time tied up in litigation. Late last month, the “Keep It Real” rapper was hit with a civil lawsuit for $50,000 over a shooting that occurred on the set of one of his music videos. Although no major updates have taken place in that case, another one of the cases he’s battling has shifted in his favor.

Back in 2019, the rapper was sued for intellectual property infringement that claimed his 2013 song “Ain’t Worried About Nothin’” stole the instrumental from Eddie Lee Richardson (professionally known as Hotwire the Producer). However, in documents exclusively retrieved by HipHopDX, the judge presiding over the case, Nancy L. Maldonadom, has partially ruled in Montana’s favor.

Maldonado granted a summary motion to three of his five issues against producer Richardson. The judge did, however, deny the rapper’s request to rule that “any infringement was innocent or not willful.” The outlet notes that Richardson had conceded three of the five points in the lawsuit, and the judge’s summary motion leaves Montana to fight it out on the remaining two points (public performance with the instrumental and derivative works).

Tyiase Hasan, the representative for Richardson told Law360 piece, “There were no objections, and the parties were already in agreement.” adding, “the infringement here is as plain as day.”

On the other side, Dariush Adli, who represents Montana, said, “We believe the jury will likely not find the infringement to have been willful because the undisputed evidence shows that plaintiff reached out to French only once, in 2013, about potential [infringement] and that French referred him to the music producer, Rico Love.” He added, “However, plaintiff did not sue Rico Love because the 3 years statute of limitations had run on that claim.”

The latest installment of SNL’s Weekend Update was a little more chaotic than usual. After all, it was April Fool’s Day. And Michael Che got Colin Jost but good. During the opening stretch, which of course was about Donald Trump’s indictment, the audience was noticeably lukewarm to Jost’s jokes. But that was only because Che had told them not to laugh at him, as a prank.

Once Jost recovered, they got back to business. Che brought up Marjorie Taylor Greene’s plans to trek to New York City so she can protest the indictment. “Because apparently it takes her three days to put on her Joker makeup up,” he cracked.

Jost, still shaken by Che’s prank, slowly pulled himself together so he could trash Trump’s chief 2024 rival.

“Ron DeSantis said Florida officials would not help extradite Trump back to New York,” Jost said. “Unless, of course, he agrees to take a busload of migrants with him.”

There was also a strange story from Europe. “So now a sperm donor in the Netherlands who allegedly fathered more than 500 children is being sued for increasing the risk of accidental incest among the kids,” Jost said. “Accidental Incest is also the title of the Worst American Pie sequel.”

You can watch the latest Weekend Update from the Quinta Brunson-hosted episode in the videos above and below.

Quinta Brunson told the crowd during her first-ever SNL hosting stint that she was fulfilling a longtime dream. “I wanted to be on SNL back in the day but the audition process seemed long,” she said. “So instead, I just created my own TV show, made sure it became really popular, won a bunch of Emmys and then got asked to host — so much easier, so much easier.”

And so here she was, taking the long route to being on the longtime sketch show. That show, Abbott Elementary, is a rare beast these days, as she described it.

“It’s a network sitcom like, say, Friends,” she told the crowd. “Except, instead of being about a group of friends, it’s about a group of teachers. Instead of New York, it’s in Philadelphia and instead of not having Black people, it does,” she said, alluding to longtime criticism of the show’s lack of diversity.

Brunson also talked about the one “downside” of having a hit show about teachers: “every time there’s an issue with the public school system, people expect me to solve it. And that’s not fair.”

Brunson ended her monologue on a sincere note. “Please, remember how important teachers are,” she said. “Acknowledge the work they do every day and for the love of God, pay them the money they deserve.”

You can watch Brunson’s SNL monologue in the video above.

This time last week Donald Trump was maybe going to get indicted on criminal charges. How time flies. Now he’s actually indicted, making him the first former U.S. president to whom that has ever happened. And there was no way the latest p wouldn’t grant that the Cold Open.

James Austin Johnson busted out his famed 45 impersonation, this time to beg his sometimes cash-strapped supporters to give him even money than they have already so he can pay for his legal defense. Failing that, he could use the scratch to buy “commissary food” in the slammer.

“Well, folks, it happened, I got indicted, or as I spell it, indicated,” Johnson’s Trump declared. “Frankly, it’s time that I come clean and admit that I broke the law and go quietly to prison. April fools!”

He added, “Make no mistake, what the radical left is doing is worse than any crime I have ever committed, and I’ve committed a lot — close to 34.”

But Trump didn’t simply beg for money. Instead he announced he was following up on his not-quite-hit single with the J6 Prison Choir by releasing more terrible music. It’s an album of covers entitled Now That’s What I Call My Legal Defense Fund, aka Trump Popz.

“What a deal — just 30 classic covers, all horrible,” he said.

And so Johnson’s Trump sang brutal versions of “Hard to Handle,” a duet with Don King (Kenan Thompson) of “Islands in the Stream,” a duet with Afroman (Devon Walker) of “Because I Got High,” and a duet of “Boy’s a Liar” with Jr. (Mikey Day).

At one point he mentioned how news of the indictment has affected his home life.

“Me and the first lady Melania are in high spirits,” said Johnson’s Trump. “Since the news of my possible imprisonment I’ve never seen Melania happier. She’s the most beautiful woman in the world, second only perhaps to many younger, hotter women. Also, just to set the record straight, I didn’t even sleep with Stormy Daniels, but in many ways I did. And isn’t it ironic that the first time I actually pay someone, they try to send me to jail. That’s why you don’t pay people, folks. You never pay people.”

You can watch the sketch in the video above.

Every single week, our TV and film experts will list the most important ten streaming selections for you to pop into your queues. We’re not strictly operating upon reviews or accrued streaming clicks (although yes, we’ve scoured the streaming site charts) but, instead, upon those selections that are really worth noticing amid the churning sea of content. There’s a lot out there, after all, and your time is valuable.

10: TIE. Swarm (Amazon Prime series)

This show would probably still be closer to the top of the list, had it released on a weekly basis rather than the entire season at once. That’s both a good and a bad thing, ultimately, because people binged the full season hard. Donald Glover has another buzzed-about show on his hands, and the timing is right, given that Atlanta recently ended on FX. With Swarm, Billie Eilish has also now begun her acting career, and yet another Culkin brother is making headlines for salacious scenes, so thank goodness for the golden age of TV.

10: TIE. Murder Mystery 2 (Netflix film)

You know the drill here. Adam Sandler keeps cranking out the Netflix movies, and everyone appears to acknowledge that these are not lofty fare, and that’s alright. Yet people keep tuning in because everyone loves The Sandman. It’s not rocket science to understand why even when Sandler misses, he cannot miss. In addition, Jennifer Aniston is back for another round of the movie franchise that tells you exactly what it’s about, and you can’t be mad at that one. After all, we don’t have to take everything seriously.

9. The Mandalorian (Disney+ series)

Baby Yoda/Grogu is taking a breather this week from dominating the airwaves, but never put Baby in the corner. Likewise, Pedro Pascal has already pulled off lead roles in two juggernauts this year, so expect this show to come roaring back in social media discussions before season’s end. After all, out of all the Star Wars and Marvel Studio shows so far, this one has consistently gathered the most streaming volume and accolades at the same time. No small feat.

8. Rabbit Hole (Paramount+ series)

Kiefer Sutherland is back on TV like he never left in what may become a Dad Show, which translates into long-term big numbers. The fledgling Paramount+ streaming service is steadily building up a library of non-Yellowstone/Taylor Sheridan content (either existing or in the works), and that means that the 24 audience will be along for the ride. Thank goodness that Kiefer has moved on from tackling Christmas trees because that kind of action really hurts.

7. Power Book II: Ghost (Starz series)

Not to be outdone by the aforementioned TV king’s (Taylor Sheridan) vast assembling of many Paramount shows, 50 Cent’s own cinematic universe continues while moving past the original Power to add even more drama. That includes an accidental killing and a car accident, all with Tariq St. Patrick attempting to mop up life and leave the game. However, he will soon end up back in business, which will complete his plans to regain trust and his family. Betrayal and a R.I.C.O. investigation will do that, unfortunately.

6. Ted Lasso (Apple TV+ series)

Positivity is back on TV, y’all, and with all of the grittiness and darkness elsewhere, it’s a damn fine thing to relax and enjoy an impossibly chipper protagonist. This will almost certainly be the final season of this hit series, and from there, perhaps we’ll see a spinoff? One can only hope, but if you’re bummed that AFC Richmond will soon take a bow, rest assured that certain members of the cast are quite torn up about it, too.

5. John Wick (Summit Entertainment film streaming on Peacock)

If you haven’t seen the fourth installment yet of this Keanu Reeves-starring masterpiece of a franchise, you should probably get there before someone spoils you. And trust us, there’s a massive spoiler to the end of the quartet, as it were. A fifth film could be on the way, but before you consider that possibility, you might want to refresh yourself on what made John Wick so angry in the first place. Of course, you remember that it’s his dog. Yet you’ll want to revisit the fury (and be mad at Alfie Allen for what his character did), and then rewatch the second movie for the hall of mirrors scene and more. Last but not least, enjoy the busting glass boxes of John Wick: Chapter III. Alright, you’re ready for the fourth one now. Godspeed.

4. Yellowjackets (Showtime series streaming on Paramount+)

This show goes back to the woods while embracing darkness, and get ready because things get gory pretty damn fast this year. Shauna, Jackie, Misty, and Taissa are all back and as troubling (and in some cases, troubled) as ever, and “Antler Queen” Lottie has already made her presence known again. Additionally, this week (SPOILER ALERT) hits a musical high note for the second season thus far, but be prepared to lose your appetite.

3. Creed III (MGM film on Amazon Prime)

Michael B. Jordan steps up to direct the ninth movie of the Rocky franchise and comes out swinging even without Sylvester Stallone on board. This installment can be viewed as running parallel to Rocky III with some Rocky V in the mix. Jonathan Majors is a new face for these films, but his character is a blast from the past for Adonis Creed, and of course, there’s a lot of money riding on this rivalry. So much for retirement, Adonis! Tessa Thompson also returns as Adonis’ wife (thank goodness), and this movie isn’t a groundbreaker for the franchise, but it does set up Jordan’s future as a director.

2. The Night Agent (Netflix series)

In this day and age, Netflix is much more hesitant to grant speedy show renewals, so it says a lot that this brand spanking-new series received a greenlight for more, one week after debuting. The show’s based upon the bestselling Matthew Quirk book, and clearly, the streaming audience cannot get enough of spy thrillers, especially if there’s some romance involved. Leading man Gabriel Basso will be back for the second season after that fateful phone call set this whole ride in motion.

1. Succession (HBO series streaming on HBO Max)

The Roy kids are making a bold move, as this show’s final season premiere proved. As well, a pairing came to an end while a disgusting one took its place. We’re all going to miss this f*cked up family in a few months, so let’s embrace the dynamics while they’re still freshly available to us. And when there’s a spare moment, Cousin Greg and Gerri can hopefully launch their own company together and take over the world.

LA’s Paleyfest highlights some of the hottest TV shows of the season while delivering prominent stars within panels. Paramount Network’s Yellowstone, which is inarguably the toast of TV these days, nabbed a Saturday night slot for the festival, yet the event did not go down as advertised. In fact, what did happen will not stop eyebrows from raising while people recall a disputed Deadline report that floated a Kevin Costner departure from the franchise’s flagship series. And of course, people will wonder if there are more changes afoot with some Taylor Sheridan shows, or if drama is to blame.

Granted, there has been absolutely no concrete confirmation of the Costner drama. In fact, his lawyer pushed back at a portion of the Deadline report that claimed that he only wanted to spend a week shooting the back half of the fifth season. Yes, that part of the report did sound “off,” but something went amiss with the scheduling and execution of this weekend’s event. As we’ll discuss further below, tweets like this one surfaced as a result.

What went wrong? As shown on the Paleyfest website (and in the below screencap), both Taylor Sheridan and Kevin Costner were listed as part of a large panel scheduled to appear onstage.

Neither of them appeared at the event. Nor did Wes Bentley or several other listed principal cast members. Given that this occurred on April 1, one could wonder if this was an ill-advised prank, but as Deadline even notes in their headline, this was “No April Fool’s Joke.”

Variety‘s Emily Longeretta reported from the event, where she tweeted that “[p]ress / fans were not alerted” to the apparent change of plans. As well, it doesn’t seem that the group was busy filming because the panel provided “[n]o update for part 2 of #Yellowstone season 5. The cast has not yet started filming or been given a start date.”

As Variety further reported, Sheridan and the main cast “were expected” to attend but did not “due to scheduling conflicts.” The outlet detailed the oddness that transpired when four actors not listed on the schedule were the only cast members to appear, along with President of Scripted at MTV Entertainment Studios Kevin Cox:

About 30 minutes before the red carpet was supposed to begin at the Dolby Theater in Hollywood, press was let in and given a tip sheet with four only cast member names on it: Josh Lucas, Wendy Moniz, Mo Brings Plenty and Dawn Olivieri. Additionally, Paramount Network development president Keith Cox was also attended, but did not speak to press on the carpet.

The original list of those who were supposed to be there included Sheridan and executive producer David Glasser, as well as the show’s stars Kevin Costner, Kelly Reilly, Cole Hauser, Luke Grimes, Kelsey Asbille, Wes Bentley, Gil Birmingham and Jacki Weaver. Variety was told that the cast could not attend due to scheduling conflicts.

The fan reactions on social media expressed understandable disappointment. One Twitter user reported that people were “walking out” during the panel. Another lamented the cost of $100 for a ticket.

In addition, several more Yellowstone fans (some of whom travelled substantial distances for this event) want their money back.

As noted above, whatever led to this scheduling mishap will not quell existing rumors. However, Deadline did report that during the panel, Cox fielded a question about Costner while calling him “our star, the face of our show, and the executive producer.” Cox added, “[W]e are very confident he will continue with the show.”

(Via Variety & Deadline)

April Fool’s Day jokes are generally cringeworthy on a day where everything on the Internet seems suspect. You can’t trust anyone for 24 hours, in other words, and the resulting jokes often aren’t great. Well, SNL‘s Michael Che conquered that vibe this year on the latest Weekend Update, in which he and the audience did a number on Colin Jost.

I’m not sure that Jost will be sleeping for the next week or so, given that he was so torqued up by this joke. It was marvelous. Stunning, really.

As you can see in the above video, Jost and Che took their customary turns firing off jokes with contrasting results. The former received only a smattering of lukewarm chuckles, and Che was greeted with an enthused response. After a few rounds of this and Jost (as he later revealed) wondering what the hell was going on, an audience member shouted, “You stink!”

This led to an immediate downcast gesture from Jost, after which Che finally owned up to his plot: “I told them not to laugh at you for April Fool’s.”

At which point, Jost admitted that he had been questioning whether his mic was turned on or if “I just suck.”

Che tried to move the segment on (with a Marjorie Taylor Greene/Joker joke), but Jost wasn’t ready yet. “You’re evil!” he interjected.

He wasn’t done yet. “That’s the meanest thing you’ve ever done to me… I’m covered in sweat” and “I’m shaking” peppered the rest of the segment.

Poor Colin Jost. And well done, Michael Che.

April Fool’s Day jokes are generally cringeworthy on a day where everything on the Internet seems suspect. You can’t trust anyone for 24 hours, in other words, and the resulting jokes often aren’t great. Well, SNL‘s Michael Che conquered that vibe this year on the latest Weekend Update, in which he and the audience did a number on Colin Jost.

I’m not sure that Jost will be sleeping for the next week or so, given that he was so torqued up by this joke. It was marvelous. Stunning, really.

As you can see in the above video, Jost and Che took their customary turns firing off jokes with contrasting results. The former received only a smattering of lukewarm chuckles, and Che was greeted with an enthused response. After a few rounds of this and Jost (as he later revealed) wondering what the hell was going on, an audience member shouted, “You stink!”

This led to an immediate downcast gesture from Jost, after which Che finally owned up to his plot: “I told them not to laugh at you for April Fool’s.”

At which point, Jost admitted that he had been questioning whether his mic was turned on or if “I just suck.”

Che tried to move the segment on (with a Marjorie Taylor Greene/Joker joke), but Jost wasn’t ready yet. “You’re evil!” he interjected.

He wasn’t done yet. “That’s the meanest thing you’ve ever done to me… I’m covered in sweat” and “I’m shaking” peppered the rest of the segment.

Poor Colin Jost. And well done, Michael Che.