Latest news with #PrettyLittleLiars
Vogue
20-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Vogue
Does Sarah Jessica Parker Really Read Two Books a Day?
A very chic, 2025-era update to those Get Caught Reading posters that used to adorn everyone's local library dropped on social media this week: And Just Like That… star (and book imprint-haver) Sarah Jessica Parker shared with Page Six that she's currently reading two books a day in preparation to judge the Booker Prize. 'It's intense to be reading (that number of books), the volume is kind of hard to convey, what it's like to have as many books we are given the opportunity to read in a month…it's quite something,' Parker said. (Appropriately, she disclosed this information at…the PEN America Literary Gala.) X content This content can also be viewed on the site it originates from. While her claim has given rise to some skepticism on social media—God forbid a woman have hobbies! Or access to audiobooks on set!—I'm going to trot out one of my extremely few childhood talents and say that it is most definitely possible to get through a book (or more) in a day. I've been speed-reading since I was a weird, undiagnosed-ADHD only child, to the point that my parents used to quiz me after I raced through the latest Pretty Little Liars installment they'd just bought me at Barnes & Noble to see if I'd retained literally any of it. Although I regularly failed those quizzes and continue to struggle with attention to detail, I still read quickly, especially if I have plenty of time on my hands and genuine interest in the topic. (Parker, for her part, acknowledged to Page Six that, with Season 3 of AJLT in the can, she knew that she 'had a different kind of time available to me, to read morning till night.') That said: Is it the most pleasant way to read? Definitely not; the last time I actually set the challenge of reading four books in a matter of days (all Sally Rooney novels, to research a piece I was writing), I did manage it—but eventually my head hurt and my mind swam and by the time I was done, I wished desperately to be numbed out in front of reality television.
CBC
15-05-2025
- Entertainment
- CBC
As a closeted gay teen, daytime soap operas helped me create myself
Emerging Queer Voices is a monthly LGBTQ arts and culture column that features different up-and-coming LGBTQ writers. You can read more about the series and find all published editions here. "I know what I'm doing when I get home," I heard my seventh-grade locker neighbor say to one of her friends as we packed our bags to leave school. "I'm ignoring everything and watching Pretty Little Liars." The year was 2011. Lady Gaga's "Born This Way" and the Glee original "Loser Like Me" were all the rage, and the It Gets Better campaign continued to inspire. Despite all of this messaging to teens that alternate sexualities and interests were fine, all it did was make me more anxious about my own budding queer desires. I never watched Pretty Little Liars or The Fosters or any other 2010s cable teen drama I overheard being discussed at school. I might have liked them if I'd ever given them a try. But the bullying and subtle homophobic taunts I endured more and more in the junior-high hallways made me retreat inward. I wanted nothing to do with what kids my own age, grouped together in my head as bullies, were interested in. They had rejected me, so I was rejecting them and, by extension, their culture. I needed something that would be just for myself and that no one could take away from me. The previous summer, I had stumbled on a late-afternoon showing of The Young and the Restless. I'd had no idea who these characters were, but their homes and lives sure did shine bright and glamorous on our new high-definition TV. It ultimately didn't matter to me that I'd had no idea what was going on. What was important was that these characters had grown-up lives, which looked nothing like my own, in a fictional world with a very tenuous grasp on reality. Better yet, daytime soap operas had always been looked down upon as lesser entertainment by most of the adults in my life. "What are you watching that for?" would have been the common reaction. Watching that, albeit in secret, compelled me. I both wanted and needed something to take me out of the world I was experiencing — the one I had no control over and which had decided who and what I was before I could figure it out for myself. I would realize I was gay during the fall of Grade 8, but the long-term implications of this stressed me out so intensely that I repressed the thought of ever making it public. Subconsciously, I needed an outlet for those emotions, and what better place than Genoa City, WI, home to the (somehow) international conglomerate Newman Enterprises? I wanted something in my life that made me feel like that girl rushing home to watch Pretty Little Liars, even though it would be years before I could express my passion for The Young and the Restless without shame. I managed to sneak Y&R on the family PVR every day. Since I was usually the first one home in the afternoon, I would watch it immediately — usually while chomping down on a bowl of white cheddar Cheez-Its and drinking multiple cans of Diet Pepsi (which didn't help my baby-fat phase). Then I'd delete any and all evidence. On the off chance that my dad got home during this after-school ritual, I would make sure to have Family Channel preset on the remote so I could quickly switch back and forth whenever he happened to walk by the TV room. Typical 14-year-old awkwardness ensued that year, coupled with the added pressure and anxiety of my own developing queerness. Every teenager experiences growing pains, but they're extra torturous for gay kids. I was bullied in gym class, called the F-word whenever a teacher was out of earshot, brutally mocked and laughed at for not knowing what "jacking off" was slang for. But none of it hurt so bad when I got to go home and escape into a world where, despite increasingly bizarre plot twists and insurmountable odds, people persevered. Sharon was exonerated and released from prison (having previously escaped) after she'd been accused of murdering someone who had fallen into a volcano. Adam miraculously got his sight back despite being told he'd be blind for life. And when actors on the show left to pursue other career opportunities, never fear, there would be another actor hired to carry on with their characters. No matter what was going on in the real world, there was comfort in knowing that, five days a week, I could have a one-hour reprieve in a world that really made no sense at all, but at least it wasn't this one. Summertime was when I could really commit to living in these fictional worlds. By that time, I had also started watching General Hospital — and when school started again, I would record each episode on another television, using an old VCR, to mitigate the risk of two daytime soaps being discovered on the communal PVR. But as long as it was summer, all bets were off. I didn't even have to leave the house if I didn't need to; all of my community engagement was at the Genoa City Athletic Club and Port Charles's General Hospital. If I did go out, and my parents happened to be home, I would tell them I was going to the library when, in fact, I would ride my bike to the local strip mall to buy Soaps in Depth and Soap Opera Digest from the pharmacy. As much as furiously consuming soap operas during my teen years wouldn't cure the pain I continued to experience in the real world, it gave me an outlet to discover who I was going to be. Young people are often told they have to "find" themselves, when in reality, the self is something we create. Two years into my double life as a soap opera fan, I joined Twitter as my first ever foray into social media. Before long, I discovered a passionate fan base for every daytime soap on the air. If you happened to share the same viewpoints or "ship" the same couples, you could easily follow each other and become friends. (If you disagreed, however, watch out — things could get ugly fast.) And actors from the shows would often follow you back. What had, a year before, resulted in a friendless summer and a cabin-fever-induced bout of depression had led me to create genuine community with people online over shared interests. "That's what you should do when you grow up," one of my aunts and a fellow General Hospital superfan told me. "You should write these shows." While TV screenwriting isn't quite on my bingo card at the moment, I'm grateful for the space daytime soaps gave me to create myself. Expressing my opinions on Twitter (the original one, RIP) about daytime television and beyond helped me develop my voice as a writer. I couldn't have known that back in seventh grade when I was looking for mercy from my so-called life. But waiting to find myself could've taken forever. I chose to make my own luck and build everything from scratch.
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
‘Devoted Parents' Ashley Benson and Brandon Davis Ditch Partying for a ‘Welcome Change' in Lifestyle
Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Generate Key Takeaways Ashley Benson and husband Brandon Davis put a life of carefree partying behind them after welcoming a daughter in February 2024 and a source exclusively tells Life & Style parenthood has completely changed their perspective. "Ashley's personality has changed since she became a mother,' says a longtime collaborator of the Pretty Little Liars alum, 35. 'Even though she and Brandon went into their partnership explicitly wanting to raise a family together, the turnaround since then has been surprising.' Ashley and her husband, 43, tied the knot in November 2023 after announcing their engagement earlier in July that year. The grandson of billionaire oil tycoon Marvin Davis, Brandon has been linked to actress Mischa Barton and was known to pal around with Paris Hilton in the mid 2000s, making him an ideal match for the Spring Breakers actress, whose dating history includes G-Eazy, Cara Delevingne and Chord Overstreet. 'Devoted Parents' Ashley Benson and Brandon Davis Ditch Partying (EXCL) 'Everybody who knows them assumed that once they had a kid, they would rely on an army of nannies and domestic help so that they could keep up their active social lives but that has not been the case and in relatively short order, they have evolved into serious, responsible and devoted parents,' the insider continues. In an interview Ashley gave to Ladygunn magazine while pregnant in January 2024, she said she knew, 'Being a parent is gonna f--king change everything.' 'The person that I've always wanted to be, I was becoming,' she explained, discussing fist meeting and falling in love with Brandon. 'And I just wanted to just let that ride out and see where life takes me. Which ironically is when I connected with Brandon.' The actress' laissez-faire approach to her life's journey has helped her discover a cozy domestic routine with her husband, the source notes. 'This lifestyle suits them a lot better than chasing party after party and hanging out with people they've been friends with since their early twenties.' 'Maybe the change with Brandon has been more noticeable because he was such a mad man about the partying for so many years,' the insider continues, 'but Ashley has turned everything in her life around to be a mom, and the only thing people are wondering is, why didn't do this years ago?' On her daughter's first birthday, Ashley posted, 'One year of being your mommy From the moment you came into my life, everything changed in the most beautiful way,' alongside a series of cute pics via Instagram. 'Your smile is infectious and your little spunky personality makes me laugh every single day,' she continued. 'I have never loved anything as much as I love you. Waking up to you every day is the best gift I have ever received. My forever best friend and my little girl. Happy birthday my sweet Aspen, forever and always, your mommy.' The source adds that for the new parents, 'It's been an extreme change all around,' but definitely 'a welcome one."
Yahoo
28-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Cedric the Entertainer Talks Nixed Neighborhood Spinoff, Offers Update on Tracy Morgan Offshoot Crutch
Cedric the Entertainer is just as bummed as you are that The Neighborhood spinoff starring TV sons Sheaun McKinney and Marcel Spears is not moving forward. But he also admits that he was only 'somewhat' surprised by CBS' decision. 'I do recognize that we're in a very difficult time as far as television goes,' the star and executive producer tells TVLine. 'We were excited about doing this. We created the idea, and we intentionally tried to use an episode of The Neighborhood that we had in order to shoot it.' But as he points out, the TV industry is in a state of transition, and broadcast networks are 'not doing a lot of pilots [anymore]. They're not spending a lot of money… they're just kind of workshopping ideas. We thought we did a great job, but ultimately there wasn't enough room in the budget for what we had.' More from TVLine TVLine Asks: How Would You Handle CBS' Fall Schedule? And What Gets Held for Midseason? The Neighborhood Spinoff Not Moving Forward at CBS Fire Country's Stephanie Arcila Is 'Looking Forward' to Gabby's Exit Storyline - Whatever It May Be! The untitled spinoff, which was being eyed for the 2025-26 TV season, would have seen Malcolm and Marty Butler 'embark on new adventures, finally leaving their parents' nest to start the next chapter of their lives, finding themselves the newcomers in a neighborhood that's both close but yet worlds apart: Venice Beach,' according to a previously released logline. The aforementioned pilot — which also stars Justin Long (Mom), Kara Royster (Pretty Little Liars), Angelique Cabral and Hunter King (Life in Pieces) — will still air as planned on Monday, May 5 at 8:30/7:30c, and serve as the second half of The Neighborhood's hour-long Season 7 finale. 'I was a little disappointed, for sure,' Cedric, who co-wrote the episode, admits. But he's also excited that audiences will have a chance to see a glimpse of the show they wanted to make. He also has a plea for viewers at home: 'I want everybody to write in [to CBS], because I think people are going to see this season finale and be, like, 'That's a great show! Y'all should do that show!'' In the meantime, the comedian remains excited for another offshoot — the Paramount+ bound Crutch. Tracy Morgan will headline the multi-cam, but he will not reprise his Season 4 role as Calvin Butler's wealthy brother Curtis. Instead, he'll play a new character: Calvin's cousin, Francois 'Frank' Crutchfield – or, as his friends call him, Crutch — a Harlem widower whose empty nest plans are put on hold after his millennial son, Ivy League-educated lawyer Jake (Superior Donuts' Jermaine Fowler) and his free-spirited daughter Jamilah (Snowfall's Adrianna Mitchell) move back home. Tony Award winner Kecia Lewis (Hell's Kitchen) also co-stars as Crutch's meddling sister-in-law, Antoinette. 'We shot eight episodes,' Cedric tells us. 'We put together a really great cast, and it was fun to do some guest appearances,' confirming that he and Tichina Arnold will appear twice in Season 1 as Calvin and Tina, while Max Greenfield will put in an appearance as Dave. 'We're going to air it some time in the fall, and we're excited about that.' The Neighborhood's Season 7 finale airs Monday, May 5 at 8/7c on CBS (and streams next day on Paramount+). The sitcom has already been renewed for an eighth and final season. Best of TVLine Yellowjackets' Tawny Cypress Talks Episode 4's Tai/Van Reunion: 'We're All Worried About Taissa' Vampire Diaries Turns 10: How Real-Life Plot Twists Shaped Everything From the Love Triangle to the Final Death Vampire Diaries' Biggest Twists Revisited (and Explained)
Perth Now
22-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Perth Now
Twilight star weds long-time love at intimate ceremony
Kristen Stewart is officially off the market after marrying her long-time partner, Dylan Meyer. The 35-year-old Twilight star and the 37-year-old screenwriter shared a sweet moment reading their vows during a simple and intimate ceremony at Casita Del Campo with close family and friends. The lovers opted for outfits that complemented each other, with Meyer wearing a short mesh dress and Stewart keeping it casual in a beige two-piece set. Stewart's messy blonde hair was left down while Meyer's matching blonde hair was swept up in a ponytail and secured with a back ribbon. Pictures also showed Stewart placing a ring on Meyer's finger and the loved-up duo sharing their first kiss as a married couple. Their wedding comes after the pair dated for six years and obtained a marriage license at a courthouse, according to TMZ. Pretty Little Liars star Ashley Benson and Bradon James Black were on the guest list and arrived with their Hermes wedding gift in hand. Stewart and Meyer first went public with their relationship in 2019, before Meyer popped the question in 2021. Kristen Stewart and longtime partner Dylan Meyer say "I do" during an intimate wedding. Credit: AKMG / Terma, SL / BACKGRID Stewart told The Howard Stern Show in November 2021: 'I wanted to be proposed to, so I think I very distinctly carved out what I wanted. And, you know, she nailed it. It was really cute. She did very well.' 'And we're marrying. It's happening. 'I want to stay home. Like, I want to be in L.A. so everyone can come. 'And, you know, I want it to be pretty chill. Like, I don't want anyone walking anyone down any aisles. Like, we're just going to, like, stand and, like, do vows and f**king party after. It's kind of just a great excuse to, like, get together and say, like, 'I love you' in front of all your friends.' Ashley Benson and Brandon Davis. Credit: AKMG / Terma, SL / BACKGRID The Spencer actress previously told Stern in 2019, she and Meyer met 'years ago' while working on a movie, but didn't reconnect until a friend's birthday party six years later. 'The first time I told her that I loved her it was like really late and we were in some sh**ty bar and her friends were there or whatever, and they like walked out, and I was just like, 'Oh man, I'm so f**king in love with you.' Like, done.' Stewart opened up about starting a family with Meyer, sharing in a March 2024 episode of the Not Skinny But Not Fat podcast that the two have 'done really annoying things like freeze our eggs and stuff.' 'So if we want to, we can,' the Love Lies Bleeding star said. 'Keeping that open.'
