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Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
This Scandalous Reality Series Is The Top Show On Hulu Right Now
'The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives' is currently the most popular show on Hulu, according to the platform's public ranking system. The reality series returned to the streaming service for its second season on May 15 with the release of all 10 episodes. The show follows the scandalous lives of a group of popular Mormon mom TikTok influencers after they get caught up in a viral swinging sex scandal. Starring on the show are Taylor Frankie Paul, Jennifer Affleck, Demi Engemann, Mayci Neeley, Jessi Ngatikaura, Mikayla Matthews, Whitney Leavitt and Layla Taylor. Read on for more trending shows of the moment across streaming services, including Netfix, Apple TV+, Max and Amazon Prime Video. And if you want to stay informed about all things streaming and entertainment, subscribe to the Culture Catchall newsletter. 'American Manhunt: Osama bin Laden' is currently one of the top shows on Netflix. The 'edge-of-your-seat' investigative docuseries, which premiered on May 14, explores how the world came together to track down the titular al-Qaeda leader after the events of Sept. 11, 2001. All three episodes, which are part of the latest installment of the true crime franchise, are available to stream now. 'Murderbot' is trending on Apple TV+ at the moment. Based on the best-selling series by Martha Wells, the comedic sci-fi thriller follows a rogue security robot (played by Alexander Skarsgård) that must hide its free will after it reluctantly joins a mission to protect scientists on a dangerous planet. The series premiered on May 16 with new episodes airing weekly on Fridays. 'Overcompensating' is currently one of the top 10 shows on Amazon Prime Video after premiering all eight episodes on May 14. The semi-biographical college comedy created by and starring social media star Benito Skinner follows a former high school football player who explores coming out of the closet when he goes to university. The series stars Mary Beth Barone, Wally Baram, Rish Shah, Owen Thiele and Adam DiMarco. It also features guest stars like Charli XCX, Megan Fox, Kaia Gerber and Bowen Yang. 'Duster' premiered on Max on May 15. The '70s-set drama follows a getaway driver and a rookie FBI agent as they take on a notorious crime family. The show stars Josh Holloway, Rachel Hilson, Keith David, Sydney Elisabeth, Greg Grunberg, Camille Guaty, Asivak Koostachin, Adriana Aluna Martinez and Benjamin Charles Watson. 'The Last Of Us' Reveals The Limits Of The Video Game Adaptation This Reality Show Is Full Of Aging Millennials — And It's So Messy Netflix's 'Forever' Is A Perfect Adaptation Of Judy Blume's Novel — Except For 1 Thing
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Diddy's Sex Trafficking Trial: 9 Takeaways From The First Week Of Testimony
This article includes material from HuffPost's weekly culture and entertainment newsletter, The Culture Catchall. Click here to subscribe. The sex trafficking and racketeering trial of Sean 'Diddy' Combs is nearing the end of its first week of testimonies. After a wave of accusations, civil lawsuits and a federal indictment, the 55-year-old mogul sat before a New York jury this week as prosecutors and the defense began unpacking a series of disturbing allegations against him. Combs has pleaded not guilty to charges of racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion, and transportation to engage in prostitution. If convicted, he faces a potential life sentence in prison. So far, three witnesses — including Combs' pregnant ex-partner and former Bad Boy Records artist, Casandra 'Cassie' Ventura — have taken the stand. Their testimonies have touched on everything from Combs' alleged 'freak-off' sex parties and years of violent abuse to the infamous 2016 surveillance footage that captured Combs assaulting Ventura in a Los Angeles hotel. More witnesses will take the stand in the coming weeks, including Aubrey O'Day and Dawn Richard, two of Combs' former artists. Before Ventura's emotional dayslong testimony, jurors heard from Israel Florez, a former security guard at the InterContinental Hotel, who spoke about the aftermath of the assault. Daniel Phillip, a 41-year-old male escort who claimed to have had sexual encounters with both Ventura and Combs, then testified in graphic detail about Combs' alleged sexual practices. On Thursday, Combs' legal team began cross-examining Ventura, focusing on her complex relationship with the defendant and their alleged marathon sex sessions. The defense has admitted to Combs' violent outbursts, but maintains that prosecutors are mischaracterizing his consensual relationships and sexual encounters as criminal acts. The prosecution, however, has argued that Combs exploited his power, wealth and celebrity status to systematically abuse women, and commit a pattern of violent and coercive acts. Several members of Combs' family — including his mother, adult sons and young daughters — have attended the trial, as has Ventura's husband, Alex Fine. So far, the proceedings have been dominated by emotional testimony and graphic accusations, setting the tone for how this high-stakes legal battle will play out in the coming weeks. Below are nine key takeaways from the first week. Florez, the former InterContinental security guard who responded to the call of Combs' assault on Ventura, testified that the mogul tried to pay him off to keep the incident quiet, People reported. He claimed he encountered a towel-clad Combs sitting in a chair 'slouched down, like with a blank stare … like a devilish stare, just looking at me.' Then Combs offered him a wad of money, Florez said, and uttered three chilling words. 'Don't tell nobody,' Florez recalled, interpreting Combs' warning and cash as a bribe. He also claimed that Combs took another guard's phone after accusing him of recording his and Florez's conversation. Florez said he then pinned Combs against the wall and demanded that he release the guard's phone. The New York Times reported that Combs once allegedly forced a male sex worker to urinate in Ventura's mouth during one of his freak-offs because it was a 'turn on' for him. During her testimony, Ventura spoke about the incident, adding that she didn't say no at that moment because she 'thought that it was obvious that I didn't want to do it.' 'I just felt humiliated,' she said, per NBC News. 'It was disgusting, it was too much. I choked, I didn't want to be doing that. I was in a position I couldn't easily get out of. I eventually put my hands up, and Sean saw and told him to stop. I was choking, too much urine in my mouth.' She added, 'Sean urinated on me at the same time.' Ventura spoke about the nature of Combs' alleged freak-offs in great detail during her first day of testimony, describing the sexual encounters, which could last anywhere from 36 hours to four days, as a 'very choreographed experience,' Rolling Stone reported. She also claimed that she would sometimes stay up for 'days on end,' drinking, doing drugs and having sex with 'strangers.' Ventura testified that once the freak-offs with Combs began, they became an almost weekly occurrence that 'took a big chunk of my life,' and left 'no space to do anything else but to recover and just try to feel normal again.' By the end of her relationship with Combs, Ventura claimed she participated in 'hundreds' of freak-offs. 'Eventually,' she said, 'it became a job for me.' Ventura claimed that Combs tasked her with finding male escorts for their alleged freak-offs by responding to ads on Craigslist and Backpage or through the escort service Cowboys 4 Angels. 'That was just my job, really,' she said on the witness stand, according to The Times. 'It was expected of me.' She also claimed that Combs 'had to approve' any final hires, as prosecutors argued that Combs was involved in each transaction and used his money to pay the escorts. 'I showed the photos to Sean to see if he was interested,' Ventura said. 'If he wasn't interested, I would tell them 'no' and ask for someone else.' While describing what hotel rooms would look like after a freak-off, Ventura claimed that sometimes blood would be left on the sheets because she was menstruating, People reported. 'I was expected to have freak-offs on my period,' she testified. 'Sean would expect it. I don't think anyone wants to do that.' According to Ventura, she participated in these sex acts, despite the circumstances, out of fear of Combs' temper. 'Something that Sean wanted to happen, that's what was going to happen,' she said. Following Combs' September arrest, a civil lawsuit filed against him alleged that the bottles of baby oil federal agents seized from his home were laced with the date rape drugs Rohypnol or GHB, according to NBC News. But on the witness stand, Ventura refuted the claim, essentially saying that drugs were never in the baby oil that she and Combs used during freak-offs, The Times reported. It's still unclear if Combs laced baby oil with drugs during freak-offs that Ventura didn't participate in. Combs was allegedly enraged when he found out Ventura was dating rapper Kid Cudi in 2011. Combs and Ventura were in an on-and-off relationship from 2007 to 2018, but were 'not in the greatest place' when Ventura connected with Cudi, she testified, according to People. After coming across an email between Cudi's staff and Ventura during a freak-off, the latter said Combs tried to attack her. 'I just remember him putting a wine opener between his fingers and lunging at me,' she recalled on the stand. Afterward, Ventura said she called Cudi on a burner phone, which she used to hide their relationship from Combs, and went to his house. She later met up with Combs at his home to discuss the situation, where she alleged he attacked her again. 'Sean kicked me in the back, I fell on the floor and then left,' said Ventura, adding that he also threatened to harm both her and Cudi, and release sexually explicit videos of her. When she returned to her hotel room, Ventura testified that it was 'torn up,' with urine on the floor, clothes thrown around and feces in the toilet. Ventura testified that she referred to Combs by a 'weird' nickname — one he insisted upon. The topic came up as the jury viewed 2010 emails between Ventura and Combs, in which the latter's contact name read 'Pop Pop.' Ventura claimed Combs made her use that moniker because it's the same one she used for her grandfather. 'I thought it was weird,' she said, per The Times. Toward the end of her Day 2 testimony, Ventura revealed that she started writing a book about her time with Combs in 2023 as 'trauma therapy' following a stint in rehab. She said she reached out to Combs' representatives about paying her $30 million for the rights to the story, but received no compensation at that time. According to Ventura, she received money later when she settled her 2023 civil suit against Combs for $20 million. The settlement amount was unknown until Ventura's testimony. Subscribe to The Culture Catchall to stay up to date on all things entertainment. Here's What To Know About Sean 'Diddy' Combs' Sex Trafficking Trial Cassie Testifies In Diddy's Sex Trafficking Trial, Says Freak-Offs 'Became A Job' Sex Worker Gives Harrowing Details At Diddy Trial Of Paid Encounters, Abuse
Yahoo
25-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
‘Sinners' Was Meant To Be A Box-Office Hit. Stop Counting It Out.
This article includes material from HuffPost's weekly culture and entertainment newsletter, The Culture Catchall. Click here to subscribe. They say the best revenge is success, and in the case of 'Sinners,' the vampire flick seems to be out for blood from every doubter who didn't think it could prevail at the box office. By doubters, I mean the trade publications that gave Ryan Coogler's Southern horror juggernaut a modest estimate for its first weekend in theaters. Even after touting a dual performance from A-lister Michael B. Jordan, an all-star ensemble cast, IMAX camera work and a wholly original film concept from in-demand director Coogler, the trades and some tracking services still projected that the R-rated movie would, at most, garner $40 to $50 million for its Easter weekend opening. 'Sinners' quickly surpassed expectations, with Monday reports noting its impressive $63 million global box office debut as an 'unexpected upset' for the predicted front-runner, 'A Minecraft Movie.' Much of that success was due to a near-perfect Rotten Tomatoes score and a fervent word-of-mouth campaign from audiences that continues to explode online — from fan theories and detailed scene breakdowns to full-blown dissertations praising every cultural nuance embedded in the film. Fueling the momentum further was Coogler's passionate viral breakdown of the various big-screen formats to experience 'Sinners' in, which inspired many more to snag tickets. These factors alone gave 'Sinners' its blockbuster potential, now a proven reality. Despite that, some publications still underestimated the movie's ability to recoup its $90 million budget from Warner Bros. The New York Times published an article titled ''Sinners' Is a Box Office Success (With a Big Asterisk),' while Variety noted that the film's profitability 'remains a question mark.' The latter's report caught major flak from users on social media: variety saw a black director doing well and said not on my watch — oatmeal influencer (@acechhh) April 20, 2025 So amassing roughly 40% of your budget, in just 3 days, makes 'profitability a ways away'? Boy y'all find new ways to be racist to keep us in our 'place' each and every day. It's quite impressive tbh. — Globethotter 🌍 (@BrianMcLight) April 20, 2025 The movie has grossed nearly 70 percent of its budget in a single weekend. So y'all can get THE FUCK out his face and stop undermining black talent and creatives with these backhanded ass articles and headlines! — 🅹🅲 (@myluvislikewo) April 20, 2025 The way they talk about successful black films is astounding — 💎boiii ✨ (@kinglovee__) April 20, 2025 Stars like Ben Stiller and Patrick Schwarzenegger even took to the platform to criticize the harsh framing of the studio original. In what universe does a 60 million dollar opening for an original studio movie warrant this headline? — Ben Stiller (@BenStiller) April 21, 2025 It's opening weekend … — Patrick Schwarzenegger (@PSchwarzenegger) April 20, 2025 The skepticism from film media isn't surprising, though. In an industry where Black cinema is often undervalued or misunderstood (or both), doubts about box office success are all too common. But 'Sinners' is an example of why that shouldn't be the case. Case in point: 'Sinners' is already expected to have another successful weekend at the box office, with projections of $25 to $30 million that could meet its $90 million price tag. Those additional ticket sales could not only bolster the movie's financial standing but cement it as the biggest cinematic phenomenon of the year, which is seemingly more than Coogler expected, according to an open letter he addressed to those who have supported the film. 'Eternal gratitude. My heart is bursting with it,' it reads. 'I want to thank each and every one of you who bought a ticket to see Sinners. Who decided to drive to see the film in different formats. Who bought popcorn and a drink, booked a sitter and carpooled, and stood in the lobby afterward and talked and made a friend. Who changed their work schedules. Who saw the film in groups.' The writer-director continued: 'I believe in cinema. I believe in the theatrical experience. I believe it is a necessary pillar of society. It's why me and so many of my colleagues have dedicated our lives to the craft. We don't get to do what we do if you don't show up … To see your response to the film has invigorated me and many others who believe in this art form.' 'Sinners' is thriving despite expectations and critiques. That's probably, in part, because deeply layered storytelling and theatrical experiences remain a draw for moviegoers, even in the post-pandemic film era where streaming has taken over. But the conversation surrounding 'Sinners' isn't just about beating box office numbers — it's bigger than that. The film's meteoric rise is proof that huge franchises, remakes and reboots aren't the only way to pack out theaters. There are opportunities for fresh ideas, too. At least, that's the hope if 'Sinners' can kick off an industry ripple effect. Audiences sure seem ready for that. But will Hollywood studios listen? If any lesson, or rather a reminder, is to be taken from the success of 'Sinners,' it's to stop counting out Black stories. You'd be surprised by how many people show up and show out for them. Subscribe to The Culture Catchall to stay up to date on all things entertainment. Ryan Coogler's 'Sinners' Deserves The Hype — But 1 Thing Kept It From Being A Horror Masterpiece 'The Marvels' Suffers 'Unprecedented Box Office Collapse' Martin Scorsese Says Judging Films By Box Office Performance Is 'Really Insulting'
Yahoo
03-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
So, What's Really Going On With Sydney Sweeney And Glen Powell?
This article includes material from HuffPost's weekly culture and entertainment newsletter, The Culture Catchall. Click here to subscribe. Co-stars-turned-lovers is a cliché as old as Hollywood, but it never fails to get our attention. Enter Sydney Sweeney and Glen Powell, who are back in the headlines, causing all sorts of commotion with reignited romance rumors. It all started last week when the 'Anyone But You' co-stars were spotted at a Mexican restaurant in Dallas, per photos obtained by Deuxmoi. According to the Instagram gossip account, a source claimed the pair was there for the wedding rehearsal dinner for Powell's sister, Leslie, who also worked on their 2023 romantic comedy. It didn't take long for the dinner sighting to start a ruckus among fans. However, things got even more interesting when, just one day after the co-stars' reunion, People reported that Sweeney and her fiancé, businessman Jonathan Davino, had recently called off their nuptials and ended their relationship of seven years. This news came shortly after a source told the outlet that Sweeney and Davino's relationship had 'been rocky for a long time.' 'She didn't feel right about it,' an insider told People of the ex-couple's engagement, adding: 'She's not ready to settle down. They only lasted for this long because it was hard for her to break it off. They didn't split because there is no love. They split because she just wants to focus on her career right now.' Sweeney and Davino got engaged in 2022, nearly a year before the former and Powell were even announced to star in 'Anyone But You.' Still, that didn't stop the rumor mill from running amuck, especially when the movie's promo tour kicked off — where the duo were seen flirting, goofing around, posing cheek-to-cheek, and gazing at one another at a number of public appearances and interviews. To be fair, Sweeney and Powell admitted they took advantage of the attention to feed the frenzy of their $200 million global blockbuster. 'The two things that you have to sell a rom-com are fun and chemistry. Sydney and I have a ton of fun together, and we have a ton of effortless chemistry,' Powell told The New York Times last year. 'That's people wanting what's on the screen off the screen, and sometimes you just have to lean into it a bit — and it worked wonderfully.' Over a year after their movie's release, one could say the strategy is still working. And perhaps a little too well, since Powell and Sweeney are still dodging dating speculation. Things got so out of hand this week that Powell's mom had to step in to shut down the 'silly' rumors, telling The Daily Mail, '[There is] nothing going on behind closed doors.' However, she said her son and Sweeney are apparently 'really close friends,' as is the latter with the whole Powell family. Despite this, questions about Sweeney and Powell's 'friendship' continue to arise. Like on the April 2 episode of NBC's 'Today with Jenna & Friends,' where Powell coyly confirmed his former co-star attended his sister's Texas wedding over the weekend (but not as his date, according to TMZ). 'Timing is everything in this world, isn't it? [My sister] and Syd are obviously great friends, and it was a hell of a wedding,' the actor shared. 'The Powells know how to do it right, so all the people that love her were there.' Right now, nothing concrete suggests Powell and Sweeney are truly an item, even if that's what fans would like to believe. But if they ever want to sell another big budget rom-com, they clearly have enough buzz still to pull it off. Subscribe to The Culture Catchall to stay up to date on all things entertainment. Glen Powell Finally Addresses Viral Theory About Him And Sydney Sweeney Sydney Sweeney Tries To Dismiss The 'Craziest Rumor' About Her In 'SNL' Monologue Barack Obama Caught Sydney Sweeney And Glen Powell Film Rom-Com Climax, They Reveal
