Latest news with #NinePerfectStrangers
Cosmopolitan
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Cosmopolitan
Where is Amanda Knox now, as Disney Plus releases gripping true-crime drama about her fight for justice
It's a court case that dominated headlines at the time; the murder of British exchange student Meredith Kercher in Perugia, Italy with the courts initially finding her housemate Amanda Knox and her boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito guilty of the heinous crime. Knox, who was just 20-years-old when facing a hefty 26 year jail sentence when she was wrongly convicted of murder in Italian court, immediately became catnip to salacious tabloid titles who thirstily followed the case and sensationalised any updates. She was branded as 'Foxy Knoxy', with Knox herself revealing she felt as if she was portrayed as a "dirty, psychopathic, man-eater" in the press. She spent years fighting for her freedom - and was acquitted in 2011 after an appeal, in which she immediately flew back to the US. While Knox was reconvicted in 2014 following a retrial, the Italian supreme court permanently exonerated her and Sollecito in 2015 - meaning her ordeal was finally over. After a brief hiatus from public life, Knox returned to the spotlight in 2016 to recount her fight for justice in the Netflix documentary Amanda Knox. Now, Knox's story will be retold in the hotly-anticipated Disney Plus drama The Twisted Tale of Amanda Knox, with the eight-part series allowing Knox to reclaim the narrative that was stolen from her. Nine Perfect Strangers star Grace Van Patten plays Knox, with the real Knox also serving as executive producer. Here, Cosmopolitan UK explores where Knox is now, and what she has accomplished now she has dedicated her life to miscarriages of justice. After finishing her undergraduate degree in creative writing at the University of Washington, Knox wrote a memoir about her fight for justice in 2013 titled Waiting to Be Heard, which became an instant bestseller. Knox released her second book, Free, in 2025, which details her 'quest for meaning'. Knox got engaged to Seattle-based author Christopher Robinson on November 21, 2018. The pair met at a book launch and officially started dating in late 2015. Apparently, Robinson barely knew who Knox was when they met. 'I was probably the only person at the party who didn't really know who she was,' he told People in 2017. 'I knew [about] Italy and some legal stuff and something that shouldn't have happened. But I didn't really know her story.' Meanwhile, Knox told People, 'I don't want to get married for the sake of getting married. My hope is that I have a partner with whom I can continue to take on the I very much love Chris and feel like he is my partner. And he would be a wonderful dad and we talk about it all the time.' After all the marriage talk, Knox and Robinson tied the knot literally a week after they got engaged. Their marriage certificate, which surfaced on the internet, revealed that they applied for the certificate in Kings County, Washington, on 1 December, 2018. This prompted Knox and Robinson to release a joint statement on their sci-fi-themed wedding website. 'We filed paperwork to be legally married in December of last year to simplify our taxes and insurance. But we have not yet celebrated our wedding with our loved ones,' the press release read. 'This is, frankly, no one's business but our own and should be no more shocking than the fact that we've been living together for years.' Knox and Robinson welcomed their daughter, Eureka Muse Knox-Robinson, in 2021 and their son, Echo Knox-Robinson, in September 2023. The family now lives in Seattle. Knox spends her time raising awareness about wrongful conviction in the judicial system, and she has returned to Italy on multiple occasions. In 2019, she headed back to Europe as the keynote speaker at a criminal justice conference hosted by the Italy Innocence Project. In 2023, she went back to Perugia to meet with the prosecutor in her initial court proceedings, Dr. Giuliano Mignini. Speaking to People magazine in 2025, Knox said of the meeting: "Forgiveness is a natural consequence of realising how fragile and precious another human is. I immediately sort of stepped into mom mode, and I was like, 'I'm not just forgiving you. I'm holding you. I care about you.' And that changed everything." In 2019, Knox hosted the podcast titled The Truth About True Crime, where—as she puts it—'we attempt to rehumanise others who have been singled out as true-crime fodder and elevate the standard for how we think and talk about those whose lives are thrust into the judicial and media spotlight.' She's also had her own series on Facebook Watch. In 2018, Knox hosted The Scarlet Letter Reports, which gave high-profile women who had faced the wrath of public judgement a chance to tell their side of the story. Mehera Bonner is a celebrity and entertainment news writer who enjoys Bravo and Antiques Roadshow with equal enthusiasm, She was previously entertainment editor at Marie Claire and has covered pop culture for over a decade. Kimberley Bond is a Multiplatform Writer for Harper's Bazaar, focusing on the arts, culture, careers and lifestyle. She previously worked as a Features Writer for Cosmopolitan UK, and has bylines at The Telegraph, The Independent and British Vogue among countless others.
Cosmopolitan
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Cosmopolitan
8 beauty lessons Nicole Kidman has taught us – from embracing natural curls to simple skincare
From Nine Perfect Strangers to The Perfect Couple and, of course, Babygirl, Nicole Kidman is having somewhat of an onscreen renaissance of late. But the actress has been on screen for decades, starring in legendary movies like Practical Magic and Moulin Rouge. Across her decades-long career, Nicole has captured the world's attention on countless red carpets and magazine covers, and her time in the spotlight has taught us some very valuable beauty lessons. So, what can we learn from Nicole Kidman when it comes to beauty? Nicole undeniably has some of the most famous curls in Hollywood and, although she's been known to wear wigs in a lot of her recent roles, the actress shows off her natural hair from time to time. Take this Instagram post, for example, in which she confidently rocks her naturally voluminous 'do in slide five of the 16-part carousel. Speaking about her natural curls in a video for Allure in May 2025, Nicole reflected on previously straightening her hair and how she now regrets not embracing it. "Why did I straighten my hair?" she asked while looking at old photographs. "I loved my hair there. That is my natural hair." "For all the little girls out there, embrace the curl. Do not follow in my steps and straighten your hair," she advised, before revealing that it's no longer as easy for her to achieve those eye-catching curls. "I can do that to my hair still, but it needs to be kind of humid, and I need to use the right product." By now, we should all know that SPF is the single most important thing you can do to protect your skin. Like, seriously, if there's one skincare step not to skip, it's this one. If you're not convinced (*shudder*) then perhaps Nicole's endorsement of SPF will help. In an interview with British Vogue, the actress revealed her 'skincare trifecta' includes SPF, oils, and red light therapy. Notice how SPF is first on that list?? Using SPF is particularly important for Nicole, growing up in her native Australia as someone with a fair complexion. "We're a beach culture and for a girl with a really fair complexion, sun protection had to be part of my life from the very beginning," she told the magazine. Recalling how she once had to plaster her skin in high-coverage zinc, Nicole said she's pleased there's now so much variety on the market when it comes to SPF, meaning she can spend more time in the sun. "I'm so grateful that there are protective creams you can wear that you can't see and have different choices of coverage," she revealed. "It's just nice to be able to stay outside." As for her go-to? Nicole's SPF essential is Clé de Peau Beauté's UV Protective Cream SPF 50. When she's not embracing her trademark curls, Nicole isn't afraid to try new things when it comes to her hair. Yep, she's undergone a fair few hair transformations in her time, and none were more of an overhaul than her Met Gala 2025 pixie cut. Following in the footsteps of Emma Stone, Zendaya, and Zoe Kravitz, the Big Little Lies star strolled the steps of the Met with a pixie cut earlier this year. "As you know, I love changing my hair," she said at the time (per HELLO!), with her hairstylist explaining the look tied into the theme of the event, Superfine: Tailoring Black Style. "The inspiration was a tailored short cut that brought out the essence of Dandyism on Nicole," Adir Abergel wrote on Instagram of the look. "I wanted to celebrate this year's theme by honoring the Dandies and their individuality, elegance, and confidence – where every detail is tailored to that unique person." As well as using oil in her daily skincare routine, Nicole is also a fan of working oils into her beauty regime elsewhere. "I take hot baths with lots of oil," she previously told Allure. "I love oil, and I love bathing in it." Nicole said it herself, she loves to change her hair. It's no wonder then, that we've seen so many different styles on the star over the years. Just days after debuting her Met Gala pixie cut (which she revealed to be a wig, after numerous fan queries about whether she'd really gone for the chop), Nicole stepped onto the red carpet of the 60th Academy of Country Music Awards with some of her lengthiest locks to date. Trading in the sweeping side fringe and blunt ends of the pixie, Nicole transformed her look with long, sleek, straight strands that framed her face with a middle part. The hairstyle gave her look a totally different vibe and proved once again that Nicole's versatility knows no bounds. No, this isn't a spin-off to Kirstie Allsopp and Phil Spencer's iconic house-hunting TV series, it's Nicole's motto for all things beauty... which she stole from her husband, Keith Urban. "What my husband taught me is water, water, water," she previously told Allure. "We drink so much water. I didn't realise how important it was to hydrate and flush out." She went on: "Because he's a singer, that's part of his routine. They know that they have to drink and that it helps the chords, but it also helps the skin, it helps all the organs. It keeps you healthy." Tired of starting every morning (and ending every night) with a 10-step skincare routine? Take a leaf out of Nicole's book and trim down your skincare routine to the essentials. Revealing her nighttime skincare routine to Harper's Bazaar, Nicole started off with a gentle cleanser to remove her makeup followed by a CBD facial oil to "help with inflammation". And that's it. Literally. "I'm just very much about less is more," she said of her very simple skincare routine. "Also, having kids, I can't be bothered," the mum-of-four added. That being said, Nicole explained she loves to exfoliate when she "gets the chance" because her husband's beard growth "stresses" her skin, causing dry patches on her chin. In the same bedtime prep clip for Harper's Bazaar, Nicole revealed that her skincare routine extends all the way down to her toes – which makes sense, considering how often she has her feet on display while walking all those glamorous red carpet events. "I put on this beautiful heel soufflé," she said, "because my feet get really dry." We're taking notes...
Los Angeles Times
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- Los Angeles Times
How to have the best Sunday in L.A., according to Manny Jacinto
Among the herd of aspiring actors who move to Los Angeles to pursue their Hollywood dreams, Manny Jacinto was sure to set modest expectations for himself. 'In my head, I was going to come here a few times,' says Jacinto, who grew up in Richmond, Canada. 'I was going to try pilot [season] once, fail, come back next year, fail again, and I was going to repeat that pattern probably for the next five years until hopefully, fingers crossed, I landed something.' But just a few months after relocating to L.A. in 2016, he nabbed a starring role in NBC's 'The Good Place,' alongside Ted Danson and Kristen Bell, and 'it just changed my life,' says Jacinto, who played the lovable but not-so-bright Jason Mendoza. Since that breakout performance, Jacinto has racked up several more acting credits including 'Nine Perfect Strangers,' 'Top Gun: Maverick' and 'The Acolyte.' His latest film, 'Freakier Friday' — the sequel to the hit 2003 film — hits theaters today. 'Little Manny, who was waking up on a Sunday [and] watching cartoons, would have never thought he'd be acting opposite Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan,' says Jacinto, who plays Eric Reyes, Lohan's British fiancé in the film. We caught up with Jacinto to talk about his perfect day in L.A., which he would spend with his wife and best friend, Dianne Doan. On the agenda is an intense morning workout, dinner with loved ones at a Filipino restaurant that reminds him of home and enjoying boba at the park. This interview has been lightly edited for length and clarity. 9 a.m.: Wake up and meditate Ideally, I'd get up at 9 a.m. to get enough enough sleep, but also get some things done for the day. I'll try to meditate for 10 minutes using the Calm app or just by myself. I typically don't really eat until after 11 a.m., but if I need something in my stomach, I will make a shake. It could be as basic as protein powder, collagen and a greens powder or it can be as elaborate as all the berries, hemp seeds, beet powder and spinach. 11 a.m.: Work up a sweat I will try and hit up some sort of workout class to get my body active. I've been going to this place in Glassell Park called Ganbatte Fitness and it's a good community of people. It's also Asian-owned and it kicks my butt. It's probably the hardest workout that I've ever done in my life — not even just in L.A., like around the world. Or I'll hit up a hot yoga class. CorePower is always a go-to. I'll do the C2 hot power yoga class and get my sweat in. 1 p.m.: Find the best sandwich in I'd have my first proper meal. For some reason, I've been scouring L.A. for the best sandwich spots. I've ran into a few. One of them is Mamie. It's an Italian sandwich spot in West Hollywood. The last sandwich that I had is the Viale Di Parma, which has fig jam. It's really good. There's also Bodega Park [near] Silver Lake. Their spicy chicken Caesar is solid. Then there's a place in Frogtown called Wax Paper and it's basically in a shipping container on a corner of the street. They have really solid sandwiches. 3 p.m.: Sip on boba at the park We might do some retail therapy. There's this store in Silver Lake that I found called Anonymous Ism. They have a lot of Japanese clothing, just a lot of unique and quality pieces that you don't really see often. If I'm not doing that, I'll go hang out at a park. Our dog, Henry, passed away in November. He, Dianne and I used to get bubble tea and hang out at Lacy Park. That would be our afternoon chill out time. We haven't been to that park in a while partly because we would really go because of Henry. It was a tough one to get over, but we'll definitely be back. We'd get boba from Bopomofo Cafe and I always get the strawberry corn milk. Some people think it's weird because of the corn, but it reminds me of a Filipino or Vietnamese dessert. 7 p.m.: A meal that 'reminds me a bit of home'It feels like I'm just eating constantly, but I love an early dinner so we'd have dinner with friends after the park. I really love this place called Lasita in Chinatown. They're really good people, there's really great vibes and the food is always on point. Because I'm Filipino and it's a Filipino restaurant, it just reminds me of a bit of home. They are always switching up the menu, but the pork belly lechon is a go-to. Either that or we'd go to one of my other favorite restaurants, which is Majordomo in the Arts District. 9 p.m.: Wind down with 'Mario Kart' I am 50 years old at heart, so I'm ready to pack it up. I love an early dinner and I love ending my night with 'Mario Kart.' It's a random thing that I started picking up during the pandemic. It's kind of like my wind down. They recently released the [Nintendo] Switch 2 and it's wild because I've been seeing all these articles saying that 'Mario Kart' is the most stressful game to play. It raises your heart rate by like 50% or something like that, but it's so calming to me just taking my mind off of things for a little bit. I usually play with Dianne or a group of friends online or people from around the world online. 11 p.m: Get some shut-eye Then we'd get into our night routine. I'll shower, cleanse, moisturize and all that stuff. I'll also do 10 minutes of red light therapy and I'll maybe meditate for a few minutes to calm myself down, then go to bed.
Sydney Morning Herald
04-08-2025
- Entertainment
- Sydney Morning Herald
This ABC beachside drama is funny, intriguing and anchored in real Aussie life
The Family Next Door ★★★★ When Isabel (Teresa Palmer) blows into Pleasant Court, a neat suburban cul-de-sac in the beachside village of Osprey Bay, she hits like a sirocco, all hot, bothered and unsettling. She's attractive, single, and mysterious, and soon enough tongues are wagging, suspicions aroused, hackles raised. Everybody needs good neighbours, but the regular inhabitants of this tight-knit court are soon wondering if that's what their short-term renter – there for two weeks to research and write an article on a town that could be the 'new Byron Bay' – really is. Based on a novel by Sally Hepworth, who has made no secret of her admiration for the work of Liane Moriarty, The Family Next Door feels rather more grounded in the everyday than, say, Big Little Lies or Nine Perfect Strangers. That makes it more relatable, though it perhaps also costs a little in terms of glamour. Still, it does have a very good-looking and talented cast, appealing real estate and some excellent beaches to make it all very pleasing on the eye. Loading Adapted by Sarah Scheller (Strife, The Letdown) and directed by Emma Freeman (whose extensive credits include The Newsreader, Fake, Love Me, Clickbait and Offspring), the six-parter flits pleasingly from social satire to comedy to domestic thriller. The focus shifts from episode to episode, with each household in the court getting its turn in the spotlight, as Isabel's real agenda is gradually revealed. Bella Heathcote is the first to shine, as Ange, the tightly coiled real estate agent who lets the rental to Isabel, lives next door, and doesn't hesitate to pop in unannounced. She's a budding developer, originally from Sydney, who schedules sex with her husband Lucas (Bob Morley) and fusses endlessly so everything is just so. 'People here don't like change,' she tells Isabel in an early exchange. 'Selfish NIMBYs who don't like growth.'
The Age
04-08-2025
- Entertainment
- The Age
This ABC beachside drama is funny, intriguing and anchored in real Aussie life
The Family Next Door ★★★★ When Isabel (Teresa Palmer) blows into Pleasant Court, a neat suburban cul-de-sac in the beachside village of Osprey Bay, she hits like a sirocco, all hot, bothered and unsettling. She's attractive, single, and mysterious, and soon enough tongues are wagging, suspicions aroused, hackles raised. Everybody needs good neighbours, but the regular inhabitants of this tight-knit court are soon wondering if that's what their short-term renter – there for two weeks to research and write an article on a town that could be the 'new Byron Bay' – really is. Based on a novel by Sally Hepworth, who has made no secret of her admiration for the work of Liane Moriarty, The Family Next Door feels rather more grounded in the everyday than, say, Big Little Lies or Nine Perfect Strangers. That makes it more relatable, though it perhaps also costs a little in terms of glamour. Still, it does have a very good-looking and talented cast, appealing real estate and some excellent beaches to make it all very pleasing on the eye. Loading Adapted by Sarah Scheller (Strife, The Letdown) and directed by Emma Freeman (whose extensive credits include The Newsreader, Fake, Love Me, Clickbait and Offspring), the six-parter flits pleasingly from social satire to comedy to domestic thriller. The focus shifts from episode to episode, with each household in the court getting its turn in the spotlight, as Isabel's real agenda is gradually revealed. Bella Heathcote is the first to shine, as Ange, the tightly coiled real estate agent who lets the rental to Isabel, lives next door, and doesn't hesitate to pop in unannounced. She's a budding developer, originally from Sydney, who schedules sex with her husband Lucas (Bob Morley) and fusses endlessly so everything is just so. 'People here don't like change,' she tells Isabel in an early exchange. 'Selfish NIMBYs who don't like growth.'
