“As you’ve seen, Ashley is no longer at headquarters. Ashley has broken one of our rules,” the BMX pro, 44, said at the end of Wednesday’s episode. “Because of that, Ashley is no longer able to stay in the game. She has been deactivated. She is no longer able to continue in this game for the rest of the season.”

MTV had no further comment about the exit.

Mitchell, 34, has competed on nine seasons of The Challenge, winning Invasion of the Champions in 2017, Final Reckoning in 2018 and War of the Worlds 2 in 2019.

Following the episode, the Real World alum took to Twitter with a statement, writing, “Rules are rules and I respect @mtv and TJs call. The best apology is changed behavior. See you next time.”

Over the past few seasons, multiple contestants have been cut from the game. During The Challenge: Total Madness in 2020, Dee Nguyen was edited out after tweeting racially insensitive comments amid the Black Lives Matter movement. Additionally, MTV aired a disclaimer at the top of the episodes that she was still in.

“As a result of Dee Nguyen’s offensive comments on the Black Lives Matter movement, we have severed ties with her,” the statement read. “Out of respect for the competition and other Challengers, MTV will air the season as planned.”

Nguyen, 28, released a lengthy apology. “I want to sincerely apologize to my fellow cast members, the production crew at Bunin-Murray and the staff at MTV for my choice of words and actions in the most recent events. What was stated wasn’t meant to be hurtful or discriminatory in any matter. It was a knee jerk of a reaction and it’s certainly not the way that I feel nor what I meant.” she said, noting that she “would love” to take her remarks back. “To set to record straight, racial intolerance is intolerable and unacceptable. Having had to deal with racism my entire life, ironically through all this, there is a warm feeling I have with the fact that humans are standing together to call out unacceptable comments and behaviors that in the past were rarely called on. Again, we are shown that you can be judged in a second on all social media platforms.”

Earlier this season, Lauren Coogan was edited out of the show and fans noticed Josh Martinez had a new partner during the August 18 episode. MTV never commented on the exit, and the Love Island vet, 29, later claimed she was “gaslit and scapegoated” during the show.

“I think that the people who’ve been on the show for a long time know that certain things aren’t gonna get shown which protects them and they know that they can say and do certain things or act in a certain way and it’s not gonna get shown,” the reality star claimed via Instagram in August. “There’s a lot of secrets and a lot of s—t that is going on. … Honestly because Croatia is so far ahead, all the s–t that I was accused of saying, MTV legal didn’t have enough time to go over the tape before the next challenge started so I was f–ked.”

The Challenge: Spies, Lies and Allies airs on MTV Wednesdays at 8 p.m. ET.

This story originally appeared on: US Magazine - Author:Emily Longeretta

“Kody [Brown] is in a really bad place,” one of the wives says in the new clip, released on Wednesday, November 10. Christine Brown is later shown storming off and saying, “I don’t want to talk to you,” while Janelle Brown tells the group, “You guys give me the property, and you can move.”

Meanwhile, Meri Brown is shown in tears while Robyn Brown notes, “Our family is crumbling.”

The new trailer comes just one week after Kody, 52, and Christine, 49, announced that they decided to end their marriage.

“After more than 25 years together, Kody and I have grown apart and I have made the difficult decision to leave,” she wrote via Instagram on November 2. “We will continue to be a strong presence in each other’s lives as we parent our beautiful children and support our wonderful family. At this time, we ask for your grace and kindness as we navigate through this stage within our family.”

Kody, who shares children Asypen, 26, Mykelti, 25, Paedon, 23, Gwendlyn, 20, Ysabel, 18, and Truely, 11, with Christine, also shared a statement addressing the split.

“Christine’s decision to leave comes with a great deal of sadness. We enjoyed many years together and I have a large amount of respect and admiration for her,” he wrote via Instagram. “Although we are moving forward on different paths, we will always remain committed parents.”

Christine was Kody’s third wife, as the two tied the knot in March 1994. He married Meri, 50, Janelle, 52, and Robyn, 43, in 1990, 1993 and 2010, respectively, and shares 12 more children between them. Although Kody has had a rocky relationship with Meri through the years as well, it was his bond with Robyn that drove a wedge between him and Christine, a source exclusively told Us Weekly after the split.

“She’s been in the process of leaving him for a while. The big reason why she split from him is because Kody has been completed devoted to Robyn for the past five or six years. That hasn’t changed at all,” the insider noted, adding that he and Christine “did not get along” anymore.

“His world completely stopped once he met Robyn,” the source said. “He was devoted to being polygamous so he kept that going for as long as he could. He serves God and believes being polygamous is his way to heaven so it’s not necessarily about having to be in love with all your wives, it’s about who else is as devoted as he is.”

During the season 15 finale of Sister Wives, Christine told the group that she wanted to move back to Utah — and no one agreed. Amid the news of the split, Us confirmed that she sold the Arizona property where she had lived with Kody in October and moved into a duplex in Utah.

Sister Wives season 16 premieres on TLC Sunday, November 21, at 10 p.m. ET.

This story originally appeared on: US Magazine - Author:Emily Longeretta

“I’ve always been very clear about coming back on the show. I love the show. I love being on it. I am so grateful for the opportunity. Is this my last season? Probably,” Chmerkovskiy, who was partnered with Olivia Jade Giannulli during season 30, told Entertainment Tonight. “I have no regrets about my tenure on the show. I have no regrets about the season. I couldn’t have asked for a better partner to end it with.”

Chmerkovskiy first appeared on the competition show in season 2 in 2006 but didn’t compete with a partner until season 13 in 2011. He won season 20 in 2015 while partnered with Rumer Willis, and took home his second mirrorball the following year with Laurie Hernandez. In total, he has competed on 17 seasons.

“There’s no burned bridges, there’s nothing but gratitude, again, with the production, with the show,” the Ukrainian athlete added. “I hope I’ve served the show and this show has definitely changed my life, so it’s [mutual] love and we’ll see what happens in the future.”

Chmerkovskiy, who is married to pro dancer Jenna Johnson, will continue dancing with brother Maks Chmerkovskiy as they co-own the Dance With Me company. Maks, 41, competed on 17 seasons of DWTS before leaving after season 25.

Following Monday’s show, Val opened up to Us Weekly about how much he enjoyed working with Giannulli, 22, during season 30.

“I’m very proud of her. I’m proud of us. I’m proud of this season,” the dancer told reporters. “It meant a lot to me to be in a position to help somebody, period. But also somebody that could have used it. I’m grateful for that opportunity. I’m grateful that it worked too. We did win some folks over. We did get a chance to shed a different light on her and show her in a different spotlight. And then also show that she earned it, that she wasn’t just given it. She earned her stay here and for eight weeks, it’s been a blast. I got a lot of love for this young lady and I got a lot of love for the universe for bringing us together and giving me a chance to do this season.”

Dancing With the Stars airs on ABC Mondays at 8 p.m. ET.

This story originally appeared on: US Magazine - Author:Emily Longeretta

“This may be the hardest thing you’ve ever done in your life,” host TJ Lavin says in the super trailer, as the cast is shown putting their blood, sweat and tears into the competition.

Sophia Pasquis is one of many who breaks down in tears in the video, explaining, “I just wanted to prove myself in these challenges, make myself feel good.” The reality star first appeared on Road Rules: The Quest in 2001 and hasn’t competed since Battle of the Sexes 2 in 2005.

Teck Holmes, who also competed on season 1 of The Challenge: All Stars, seems to get upset in the trailer too. “Why would you upset someone that has the fate of your challenge in their hands?” the Real World: Hawaii alum asks in the video.

This season, however, will likely be messier than last, Katie Doyle recently told TVLine.

“It was not as PC as the first season. It was definitely more cutthroat because of the way the game was designed,” the Road Rules vet shared. “I thought, ‘Oh, no one wants to be the big jerk because they have kids. They don’t want their kids to see them being an a–hole, or their kids’ teacher, their boss, their spouse or their in-laws.’ But nope. I was wrong. No one cared.”

In terms of how difficult this season was in comparison to her past — she’s competed on nine seasons of the flagship series in addition to the first season of All Stars — things were “right on par.”

The Texas native added, “I thought it would be much simpler, but it’s not. It’s as extreme as it used to be. I really did hope it was going to be a little tamer. Again, I was surprised! Like, why can’t this just be cool and chill?”

Watch the full trailer above and scroll down for the key moments:

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“I think it’s really important for people to see that real relationships require negotiating and compromise and forgiveness, and sometimes there’s tension,” the Bold Type alum, 54, told Us Weekly and other reporters on Monday night. “Sometimes you have to find your way with each other. It’s not perfect. Life isn’t that. It’s not just, like, gumballs and rainbows all the time. It’s real life and this is real life and Dancing With the Stars is all-consuming when you’re doing it. You’re eating, drinking, sleeping it, and you’re with your partner in the most intense way, doing something you’ve never done. You’re learning stuff under a heightened amount of pressure, which continues to grow.”

Hardin noted that Chigvintsev, 39, is “intense” because he’s “so detail-oriented,” which is ultimately a good thing.

“I love details and I love that kind of precision,” the former Office star told Us. “I’m just as detail-oriented and I’m just as intense when it comes to interpersonal relationships. And so, he’s very demanding. I’m also very demanding and I’m very demanding that we have to remain connected. That’s it. There is no other option for me. Luckily, Artem is OK with that.”

The Russia native, who has competed on 10 seasons of the ABC ballroom dance series, added that it’s “impossible to keep everything happy and peachy for 10 weeks straight” given the pressure of the show.

“I think it’s good to have that type of a moment because you kind of, like, go back to the neutral to realize what’s important and what’s actually is great about this relationship,” the Strictly Come Dancing alum said. “It worked out because, as you’ve seen, the dance was great and everything worked out for the best after that. So it’s definitely [a] success.”

One person who can relate to that pressure with Chigvintsev is Kaitlyn Bristowe, who won season 29 of Dancing With the Stars with him as her partner. The former Bachelorette, 36, returned to the ballroom on Monday night for the first time since her win to announce that she’ll be joining the DWTS Tour in January 2022.

“I was sitting in the back, like, grabbing onto my chair, like, ‘Oh, my gosh!’ I felt triggered,” Bristowe told Us about watching the Chigvintsev and Hardin’s rehearsal package. “I mean, you really get, like, into a relationship with people and you butt heads sometimes. Artem is such a professional and Melora is obviously just doing her best, and sometimes, you just get so emotionally drained that you kind of have to have those fights to come back together, get on the same page and go from there. And then look at their dance! After that happened, they crushed that. It was like she was taking out all of her aggression in that paso [doble]. It worked well for them.”

The actress and Chigvintsev received a perfect score for their paso doble on Monday and received two extra bonus points for their foxtrot during the dance-off.

Dancing With the Stars airs on ABC Mondays at 8 p.m. ET.

With reporting by Christina Garibaldi

This story originally appeared on: US Magazine - Author:Emily Longeretta

Sophia Pasquis and Steve Meinke, both of whom made their reality TV debuts on Road Rules: The Quest in 2001, haven’t competed since Battle of the Sexes 2 in 2005 and The Gauntlet in 2004, respectively. Now, they’re back and ready to fight.

Although many Real World: Paris stars have made it big in The Challenge world — yes, we’re looking at you, C.T. Tamburello — Leah Gillingwater only appeared on one season of the competition series in 2004, one year after her Real World stint.

However, she’s in good company. Real World: Austin vet Melinda Collins is also returning for season 2 of All Stars after taking nine years off from The Challenge — and it wasn’t an easy task.

“I think for me mentally, the game is hard because you are put into this bubble where the game is the only thing that exists and matters, the people that you live with are only people that matter,” she said on Us Weekly‘s “Watch With Us” podcast on November 4, noting that it was difficult to balance both the physical and the mental aspects of the game. “It was tough. I mean, they did not take it easy on us just because we are, you know, 30 [years old] and above! They literally were just like, ‘Oh, you want to be on The Challenge?'”

She also felt that she already had one ally walking into the game with Real World: Austin‘s Nehemiah Clark. Nehemiah is one of the many competitors who appeared on season 1 of All Stars and is back for another round after being eliminated right before the finals.

Darrell Taylor, Jonna Mannion, Katie Doyle, Kendal Darnell, Laterrian Wallace and Teck Holmes are also all returning for a second chance at winning the $500,000 prize after they came up short during season 1.

In the first season of the Paramount+ series, Yes Duffy returned to the show for the first time since Battle of the Sexes in 2003 and told Us he was “completely horrified” to reenter the game — but he ultimately found a way to win.

“A lot of them knew each other, they were roommates and stuff for many years. I didn’t know many people. I was so worried. I was underprepared in so many ways,” he said on the “Watch With Us” podcast in May. “I tried to do my homework and learn who was winning what and did what, just so I could get in a conversation with people.”

In season 2, most members of the cast are looking for a second chance to show what they’ve got.

“Sometimes you wish you’d get a do-over. This feels like that,” one female competitor can be heard saying in the first promo for the season as host TJ Lavin notes, “This season, it’s one more fight to set things right.”

The Challenge: All Stars season 2 debuts on Paramount+ on Thursday, November 11.

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Ahead of her samba with partner Sasha Farber, Lee, 18, admitted in her package that she lets the rude remarks on social media get to her — but is working on pushing forward. Her newfound confidence was evident on Monday night, and the pair earned a perfect score of 40 out of 40.

“Mental health is definitely a very sensitive topic for me because it’s hard for me to speak out about anything because I feel like just the whole world is watching me right now,” the Olympian told Us Weekly and other reporters following the episode dedicated to Janet Jackson. “If I say the wrong thing, people will be like, ‘Oh, she’s just doing it for attention,’ [and] all this stuff. So it’s definitely very hard, but there’s just so much that a lot of people don’t know about, which makes it really difficult when I have to go on social media and see bad comments about myself or people just talking bad about me.”

The Minnesota native noted that she doesn’t understand the hate since she hasn’t done anything wrong.

“It’s not something that I can control, but it’s something that I’m working on, like, not focusing on it,” Lee added. “That was hard for me to do.”

The athlete also has the support of her partner, 37, who has been by her side since the beginning.

“I always tell Suni, like, she has just had this in her system trying to come out, and I’m so glad that it just came out today on the dance floor,” Farber said of their dance during Janet Night. “And even this whole week, I feel like Suni has just been a different person in a good way. She’s been great the weeks before, but I feel like I knew who the real Suni was week one, but we never got to see it. Today was just magical.”

In addition to her mental health struggles, Lee dealt with a stomach bug and had to run off the stage after her November 1 performance — something that left her feeling so mortified she almost didn’t return for the night’s second dance.

“I literally ran off the stage on live TV,” she explained in this week’s package. “When I was backstage, I was more embarrassed than anything, but I was not about to throw up on national TV.”

Once again, Farber was by her side. After last week’s incident, the Russia native told Us, “I’m like, ‘Let’s just chill. We got this. You don’t have to rehearse. I’m going to go extra slow. I’ve got you. I want all your worries, like, let me worry. You just hold on and hold your breath. Don’t throw up on me, and we got this.'”

Dancing With the Stars airs on ABC Mondays at 8 p.m. ET.

With reporting by Christina Garibaldi

This story originally appeared on: US Magazine - Author:Emily Longeretta

On the mend! Suni Lee returned to the Dancing With the Stars ballroom on Monday, November 8, and was thrilled to share she’s feeling much better.

“Last week was rough,” Lee, 18, said during her package before her samba to Janet Jackson‘s “All for You” with partner Sasha Farber. “I literally ran off the stage on live TV. … When I was backstage, I was more embarrassed than anything but I was not about to throw up on national TV.”

She noted that she also receives a lot of negative comments on social media about not being able to dance or looking unhappy. “I let them get to me,” she admitted, adding that if she didn’t, she’d probably feel better.

It seemed that the difficult week just made her stronger. She and Farber, 37, received a perfect score on Monday night and the judges commended her newfound confidence.

After the pair’s first dance during the Monday, November 1, episode, the Olympian ran off the stage holding her stomach.

“I think it was probably the hardest week I’ve ever had on Dancing With the Stars,” the Russia native told Us Weekly and other reporters on Monday night, noting she began feeling sick the Tuesday before and didn’t even rehearse the relay dance before performing it live.

“Right before the dance started … we were standing in the tunnel, and she just kinda, like, 10 seconds in, vomited in her mouth and tears started to come out and she started walking away, saying, like, ‘No, I can’t do it.’ I was like, ‘Suni, you’ve got this. Come on. This is game time,’” Farber shared about the first dance of the night. “And she turned around and she was, like, holding it in, and she held it in for a minute 35 and then the second the dance was over, she ran to a trashcan.”

The athlete didn’t think she’d be able to dance the relay, but the pro dancer and the rest of the cast encouraged her.

“I’m like, ‘Let’s just chill. We got this. You don’t have to rehearse. I’m going to go extra slow. I’ve got you. I want all your worries, like, let me worry. You just hold on and hold your breath. Don’t throw up on me, and we got this,'” he recalled.

Days after the episode aired, Lee let her fans in on how she was feeling during an Instagram Q&A.

“Could def be better,” the Minnesota native replied on Thursday, November 4, when a follower asked how her mental health is holding up. “But it’s just a lot on my plate all at one time & a lot of things ppl don’t know about.”

Dancing With the Stars airs on ABC Mondays at 8 p.m. ET.

This story originally appeared on: US Magazine - Author:Emily Longeretta

While many received perfect scores, the nerves were running high for every team.

“I came on the show, and I really didn’t think I would make it far,” Olivia Jade Giannulli said ahead of her Argentine tango. Plus, the night was extra special for the influencer since she has a connection to the five-time Grammy winner — her dad, Mossimo Giannulli, starred in one of Jackson’s music videos. “My favorite memories with my dad were on a dance floor. The fact that my dad is watching me dance every single Monday is just everything.”

While the routine was impressive, the judges weren’t fully sold. While Carrie Ann Inaba said she wanted more “heat,” Len Goodman didn’t like the fact that Val Chmerkovskiy had incorporated a table into the dance.

For some, the pressure was evident during the rehearsals. Melora Hardin and Artem Chigvintsev really butted heads ahead of their paso doble. Luckily, after a bit of back and forth, they hugged it out — and the tense moment led them to their first perfect score of the season.

Later in the night, Amanda Kloots and Alan Bersten went through a similar experience, with her calling him out for being rude in rehearsals. Still — it paid off in the end, and they were given a 40/40.

After the duos’ separate numbers, it was time for the dance-offs. First, Jimmie Allen and Emma Slater did the salsa to “Made for Now” alongside Suni Lee and Sasha Farber. Bruno Tonioli chose to give the bonus points to Jimmie and Emma.

Carrie Ann judged JoJo Siwa and Jenna Johnson and Olivia and Val on their rumbas. While she called it the “dance-off of all dance-offs,” she gave the points to JoJo and Jenna.

Iman Shumpert and Daniella Karagach went head-to-head against Melora and Artem, each dancing the foxtrot. Judge Derek Hough complimented how far Iman had come but ultimately gave his points to Melora.

Amanda and Alan and Cody Rigsby and Cheryl Burke each performed the jive. Len said it was a “tough call” but gave his two points to Amanda.

The three couples in the bottom were Olivia and Val, Jimmie and Emma and Melora and Artem. Olivia and Val were the duo with the lowest combined scores and votes, so they were the first eliminated. Derek, Bruno and Carrie Ann — who was crying — voted to save Melora, sending home Jimmie and Emma.

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Original creator and showrunner Clyde Phillips, who exited the series after season 4, later shared that he had another ending in mind.

“In the very last scene of the series, Dexter wakes up. And everybody is going to think, ‘Oh, it was a dream.’ And then the camera pulls back and back and back and then we realize, ‘No, it’s not a dream.’ Dexter’s opening his eyes and he’s on the execution table at the Florida Penitentiary. They’re just starting to administer the drugs and he looks out through the window to the observation gallery,” he told E! in 2013 after the series finale. “And in the gallery are all the people that Dexter killed — including the Trinity Killer and the Ice Truck Killer (his brother Rudy), LaGuerta who he was responsible killing, Doakes who he’s arguably responsible for, Rita, who he’s arguably responsible for, Lila. All the big deaths, and also whoever the weekly episodic kills were. They are all there. … Literally, his life flashed before his eyes as he was about to die. I think it would have been a great, epic, very satisfying conclusion.”

Now, with Phillips back at the helm of the revival series, Dexter: New Blood, 10 years has passed — and the creator doesn’t regret sharing that original ending with the world.

“That interview had nothing to do at all with how we approached this season and how I wanted this story to be told. That was an interview 10 years ago,” he said during the Friday, November 5, episode of the “TV’s Top 5” podcast. “It had no impact on us. We wanted to show that, indeed, 10 years had passed.”

As for what’s in store for the new season, fans should get excited — but the creator is remaining mum about what comes after New Blood wraps up.

“[Anton] Chekhov said that the ending should be surprising yet inevitable.’ Ours is surprising, inevitable and satisfying,” Phillips added. “The audience will be satisfied with the end while their own brains are exploding. … I’m not talking about the ending anymore.”

Showtime President of Entertainment Gary Levine also played coy about the future of the show when the series was announced in August. “We call it a limited series but the rules say it can’t be a limited series if it’s coming from something that was on the air for a long time,” Levine told press in August. “So we call it a special event here. For me, it’s a revisiting of Dexter and a proper finale for a brilliant season.” He added, “You’re way ahead of me,” when asked about a possible continuation of the story after New Blood wraps.

Ahead of the New Blood‘s November 7 premiere, the producer opened up to Us Weekly exclusively about why now was the right time to bring the series back.

“It wasn’t entirely my decision but 28 months ago today on July 1, 2019, Gary Levine, the President of Showtime, called me up and said, ‘Michael is ready. And we want you to do it.’ So I said, ‘Give me 10 days to think about it and come up with a way to get into this,'” Phillips told Us at the New York City premiere. “So I took those 10 days, worked it out. I was at Martha’s Vineyard. I flew here to meet with Michael in his apartment and pitch it to him and within half an hour, he stood up, gave me a hug, and said, ‘I love it. I’m in.'”

The writer added that while on the way to the airport, he called Levine. “I said, ‘Michael’s in. He loves it.’ And he said, ‘OK, go hire a writing room,'” Phillips recalled. “He didn’t say, ‘Go write a pilot.’ He didn’t say, ‘Show me an outline.’ He said, ‘Hire the writers,’ which meant we knew we were on the air.”

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“It wasn’t some sort of ruse or lie, it was the truth,” the athlete said on “The Pat McAfee Show,” referring to how he initially said he was “immunized” before contracting the coronavirus earlier this month. “Had there been a follow-up to my statement that I’d been immunized, I would have responded with this. I would have said, ‘Look, I’m not some sort of anti-vax-flat-Earther. I’m somebody who’s a critical thinker.’ … I march to the beat of my own drum. I believe strongly in bodily autonomy, [in the] ability to make choices for your body, not to have to acquiesce to some woke culture or crazed group of individuals who say you have to do something.”

The Green Bay Packers quarterback explained that he has an allergy to something in both the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines. He noted that when he had heard Johnson & Johnson was “pulled for clotting issues,” that option was also off the table. From there, he found a long-term “immunization protocol” that he felt was best for him and noted that the NFL was aware of his decision.

Although he petitioned to get his specific protocol approved — and gathered “500 pages of research” to show the league — they still said no and he has since been treated as an “unvaccinated person,” wearing a yellow wristband “at all times” and undergoing daily testing.

The NFL previously said in a statement that the football player and his team are being placed under review following the positive COVID-19 test. As long as he remains asymptomatic, Rodgers will be eligible to return to the field for his Sunday, November 13, game after sitting out on November 7.

Ever since he tested positive for the virus, stars have been reacting to his diagnosis and his views. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, specifically, wrote a lengthy blog about the topic on November 8.

“I can’t help but think of Colin Kaepernick, who was blacklisted by the NFL for passively expressing his frustration with systemic racism — a brave act meant to help his community and save lives — while multi-millionaire Rodgers will continue to play, despite lying to the fans and his teammates and putting innocent lives in danger,” the former basketball player wrote. “Time will tell whether Rodgers will be judged by the content of his character or the strength of his throwing arm.”

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Making some changes. Jemima Khan has exited The Crown after joining as a consultant for season 5, according to a report by The Sunday Times.

“It was really important to me that the final years of my friend’s life be portrayed accurately and with compassion, as has not always happened in the past,” the England native, 47, said in an interview posted on Sunday, November 7, explaining she came onto the Netflix series because of her closeness with the late Princess Diana.

“In 2019, [creator] Peter Morgan asked me to cowrite on the fifth series of The Crown, particularly those episodes which concerned Princess Diana’s last years before she died,” she continued. “After a great deal of thought, having never spoken publicly about any of this before, I decided to contribute.”

The producer went on to explain that she worked with Morgan, 58, on “the outline and scripts from September 2020 until February 2021.” The stories chronicled many key moments in the late princess’ life, including her romance with Hasnat Khan and Dodi Al-Fayed, her travels and the BBC Panorama interview with Martin Bashir.

“When our cowriting agreement was not honoured, and when I realized that particular story line would not necessarily be told as respectfully or compassionately as I had hoped, I requested that all my contributions be removed from the series and I declined a credit,” the American Crime Story producer told the Times.

“Jemima Khan has been a friend, fan and a vocal public supporter of The Crown since season 1. She has been part of a wide network of well-informed and varied sources who have provided extensive background information to our writers and research team — providing context for the drama that is The Crown,” Netflix said in a statement to the Times. “She has never been contracted as a writer on the series.”

In seasons 5 and 6 of the series, Elizabeth Debicki will step in to play the late princess, previously portrayed by Emma Corrin.

“Princess Diana’s spirit, her words and her actions live in the hearts of so many,” the Night Manager alum said in a statement in August 2020.”It is my true privilege and honour to be joining this masterful series, which had me absolutely hooked from episode one.”

For season 5, Imelda Staunton will play Queen Elizabeth II, Dominic West will portray Prince Charles, Jonathan Pryce will play the late Prince Philip and Lesley Manville stars as Princess Margaret.

The Crown is expected to return to Netflix in November 2022.

This story originally appeared on: US Magazine - Author:Emily Longeretta

Her big comeback! One year after taking home the mirrorball trophy, Kaitlyn Bristowe will return to the Dancing With the Stars ballroom on Monday, November 8, Us Weekly can exclusively reveal.

The former Bachelorette, 36, who won season 29 with partner Artem Chigvintsev in November 2020, will appear on Monday’s show, a night fully dedicated to Janet Jackson. The icon, 55, is also set to appear.

Us can also exclusively reveal that Bristowe is joining the official Dancing With the Stars tour, which kicks off on Friday, January 7.

“All of the dancers told me what an incredible experience the tour is. I was so sad that there was no tour last season [due to Covid] so I am very excited that I’ll finally get to perform in front of an audience and connect with the fans,” she told Us in a statement. “Being on Dancing with the Stars let me live out my childhood dream by being able to dance on such a big platform and I am beyond grateful for all of it.”

The Bachelor alum has had quite a busy year but is excited to add the tour to her schedule. In addition to being on a stand-up tour and cohosting The Bachelorette, she’s also in the midst of wedding planning. Bristowe and Jason Tartick got engaged in May and have already begun mapping out what’s next.

“Our wedding plans are good,” the Canada native told Us in August. “We have created a guest list. We have created a website. We have a date set. So, we’re [doing] all the right things.”

Last month, Tartick, 33, opened up exclusively to Us about how their relationship works despite how busy they both are.

“Kaitlyn has a ton of work going on and absolutely killing it, and I have work going on, and what’s fun is we just get to do the things we’ve always dreamed of doing and support each other while doing it,” he shared at the time. “We always check in in the morning [and] we always say good night, FaceTimes, calls [and] texts. But we’ve been fortunate. Kaitlyn’s back from filming [The Bachelorette season 18] and so we’ve been able to spend a lot of time together, which is fun.”

For now, he’ll likely be watching her during Monday’s episode of the ABC competition series, where the remaining season 30 couples will perform two dances each. After their first routine, they will take on a dance-off, during which two couples will compete head-to-head. One judge will be assigned to each pair to decide which receives an extra two bonus points.

Dancing With the Stars airs on ABC Mondays at 8 p.m. ET. Tickets for the DWTS Tour are available now.

This story originally appeared on: US Magazine - Author:Emily Longeretta

“Story time on how I got married, lost my passport, changed my name, had my passport get more lost, got divorced and tried to change my name,” the Married at First Sight alum, 27, said in a TikTok video shared on Friday, November 5. “Y’all, you guys ask me about my name all the time, every single day. I can’t post anything without people commenting about the fact that I still have my ex-husband’s last name, so here is a long-awaited update for y’all.”

Berghaus married the project manager, 29, on season 12 of the Lifetime series. While the pair were still together during the reunion special, which aired in May, they announced their split in July.

Still, she was going by her ex’s name — which is a long story. In the video, the flight attendant explained that her passport was stolen from her car in October 2020, so she had to apply for a new one.

“We knew we were staying married, but I couldn’t change my name legally because of the show. I had to wait until after all of the episodes had aired,” Berghaus said, noting that she sent all the materials to get a new passport with her maiden name on it, knowing she could change her name afterward. “It got bounced back to me a couple months later.”

The reality star also claimed that Oubre “made it very clear” that he felt “he was more committed to our marriage than I was.” She thought changing her name would prove him wrong.

“Once the show was airing and done, I had to send all of these documents to get my name changed and that took weeks,” she continued. However, since she works as a flight attendant, the documents had to be sent to a specific place — and she sent it to the wrong location.

In June, she was notified that everything was processing and five weeks later, Oubre told her he wanted a divorce. She moved out of his home and back into her old place, meaning she needed to change her address back.

After a ton of back and forth — and crying on the phone to people at the post office — she was finally able to get an in-person appointment on Friday. When she got there, she explained the story again.

“He basically was like, ‘Here is what we’re going to do. We are going to put your passport through on your maiden name, otherwise, you’re not getting it today.’ I’m like, ‘I need my passport,'” the Atlanta native said. “If it is gonna have to be Oubre on this passport, I am committed to keeping Oubre for the rest of my life. … If it’s easier and it gets this problem that I’ve been dealing with fixed, then I’m going back to my maiden name.”

With that, she reminded her followers that she’s not trying to get “clout” or remain relevant by keeping his last name.

“I agreed, when I went on reality TV, to share my life with you guys. I enjoy being transparent,” she said, before addressing claims that she’s lied to the fans. “There’s a lot you guys don’t know. All of the questions will be answered soon. I already filmed basically a tell-all, [it’s] ready to go. It’s been filmed. It’s out of my hands. I can’t talk about it. I don’t know when it will air at this point in time.”

Berghaus continued, “I’m not looking for attention from a man who I also don’t really want anything to do with, and I’m dating other people. So yes, sometimes I’m looking for attention from men, but not that man.”

This story originally appeared on: US Magazine - Author:Emily Longeretta

“Before All Stars [season] 1 started, Mark [Long] had kind of put some feelers out. He had messaged me asking if it was something that I would be interested in, and at that time in my life, I said I was interested. Then when it came down to them actually casting, I was pregnant. So I had to turn it down,” the Challenge alum, 38, explained exclusively to Us Weekly. “It’s so crazy because I lost my daughter when I was five months pregnant. I would say three weeks after that, one of the talent coordinators had contacted me and said, ‘I know that you’re really going through something, but is this something you’d be interested in doing?'”

With that, the Real World alum wondered if maybe this was a sign that she should go back into the Challenge world after nearly 10 years away. Melinda last appeared on Battle of the Seasons in 2012.

“I’ve had quite the year. So it was, like, this is the universe tapping me on the shoulder. ‘This is something you should do,'” she continued. “And so they contacted me, but I’ve always kind of stayed in contact with Mark too. I did some tours with him back in the good old bar tour days!”

Fans will also see the Fresh Meat alum open up about the loss during the upcoming season of All Stars.

“I do believe that it will get out there and that’s the coolest thing. Like, obviously I went through something that was just devastating and hard, but there’s a lot of people who go through it and do it alone,” she told Us. “So I hope that through my journey that I’m able to help some people that way too.”

Before saying yes to returning, the Wisconsin native noted that she felt a plethora of emotions.

“I had always said, ‘Never say never.’ I just thought, like, being a mom, that it wasn’t something that I was going to ever do again,” Melinda, who shares 23-month-old son Camden with husband Matt Collins, said. “So I’m a mama and it’s, like, the coolest thing I’ve ever done. I just absolutely adore my son, Camden.”

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Since she first entered the reality TV world at age 21, Melinda has come a long way — and now feels more confident in herself.

“Back in the day when I would do the Challenges, I feel like I kind of doubted myself and what my capabilities were and I went home to some very, very strong competitors. So, I feel like I went into All Stars wanting to prove to myself that I am a good competitor. I’m an athlete,” she told Us. “So it was a lot of that, like, nerves, because it’s like, ‘Oh, will you be able to hold up against these people who’ve done these and people who’ve won?’ I was nervous about that. [I was] anxious and excited about seeing people I haven’t seen in a long time and just kind of being a part of this again. So [I felt] all of the feelings. … Leaving my son was the hardest thing. It was so hard, but I knew he was in good hands.”

For more from Melinda, watch the video above and listen to the “Watch With Us” podcast.

Season 2 of The Challenge: All Stars premieres on Paramount+ Thursday, November 11.

This story originally appeared on: US Magazine - Author:Emily Longeretta

Sharing her thoughts. Dakota Johnson shared her thoughts on the #MeToo movement and the power of cancel culture after working with Johnny Depp, Shia LaBeouf and Armie Hammer, all of whom have faced allegations of harassment.

“I never experienced that firsthand from any of those people,” the Fifty Shades of Grey actor, 32, told The Hollywood Reporter on Tuesday, November 3. “I had an incredible time working with them; I feel sad for the loss of great artists. I feel sad for people needing help and perhaps not getting it in time. I feel sad for anyone who was harmed or hurt. It’s just really sad. I do believe that people can change. I want to believe in the power of a human being to change and evolve and get help and help other people. I think there’s definitely a major overcorrection happening. But I do believe that there’s a way for the pendulum to find the middle.”

She continued, “The way that studios have been run up until now, and still now, is behind. It is such an antiquated mindset of what movies should be made, who should be in them, how much people should get paid, what equality and diversity look like. Sometimes the old school needs to be moved out for the new school to come in.”

Johnson starred alongside Depp, 58, in 2015’s Black Mass before working with Hammer, 35, in 2019’s Wounds and LaBeouf, 35, in 2019’s The Peanut Butter Falcon.

“Yeah, cancel culture is such a f–king downer,” the How to Be Single star said. “I hate that term.”

The Pirates of the Caribbean star, who went through a highly publicized legal battle with ex-wife Amber Heard after she accused him of abuse, recently slammed cancel culture.

“It can be seen as an event in history that lasted for however long it lasted, this cancel culture, this instant rush to judgment based on what essentially amounts to polluted air,” he said in September at the San Sebastian Film Festival. “It’s so far out of hand now that I can promise you that no one is safe. Not one of you. No one out that door. No one is safe. It takes one sentence and there’s no more ground, the carpet has been pulled. It’s not just me that this has happened to, it’s happened to a lot of people. This type of thing has happened to women, men. Sadly at a certain point, they begin to think that it’s normal. Or that it’s them. When it’s not.”

The SAG winner has vehemently denied Heard’s allegations and sued her for defamation. They are scheduled to go to trial in January 2022.

Hammer, for his part, was accused by multiple women of sexual abuse and rape earlier this year. He has denied all claims against him and checked into treatment for drug, alcohol and sex issues in June.

LaBeouf, meanwhile, was accused of sexual battery, assault and emotional distress in a December 2020 lawsuit filed by ex-girlfriend FKA Twigs. In a statement at the time, the Disney Channel alum said that “many of these allegations are not true,” but noted that he accepted “accountability” for his actions and entered a 12-step program. He is also attending therapy.

This story originally appeared on: US Magazine - Author:Emily Longeretta

In an exclusive conversation with Us Weekly, the actresses open up about what the powerful roles mean to them — now more than ever.

“I don’t think toughness for women looks like toughness for men,” said Barrett, 51, who has starred in the medical drama since its 2015 debut.

Playing a nurse is an important role for her, as the “core” of her relationships outside of work are with real first responders — and she doesn’t take that lightly.

“I carry that truth as I’m going forward when I’m representing them,” the Wire alum said. “My mother was a 35-year nurse in Brooklyn. My father was a medical engineer. My sister’s a doctor. It’s a tough season right now. People have worked really hard. … It’s just so big that without teetering, you want to just stay the straight and narrow and tell the truth of the story that’s in front of you.”

She continued, “Dick [Wolf] takes the time. He represents the American person really, really well. … When I watch the other shows, I’m like, ‘Yeah. That’s the truth. There’s a weight to what we are doing.'”

Killmer, who portrays paramedic Sylvie Brett, also feels that weight. “The challenge always is that we reflect and we edify the self-sacrifice and the hard work that everyone who put themselves in the frontline are doing,” the Jane by Design alum, 33, said. “It takes such a special person and such a heart of service to choose to keep going out there every day, and putting your life on your line or taking those risks.”

Not only was 2020 tough on the frontline workers, but it was also a turning point for police — something Squerciati, 37, has learned a lot about while portraying Officer Burgess.

“I’m on a cop show in a post-George Floyd world. It’s tough. What is my responsibility as an actor? As a part of this project, wanting to give credence and respect to people who are cops, who choose to put their lives on the line, run through the line of fire? And also give respect to people who are persecuted and not treated fairly by cops,” she explained. “Our shows kind of took a pause and a reset. … It is a television show so it’s not going to be perfect, but I’m glad the cops [on our show] live in a gray area. We’re not always right. That makes me happy. It’s not good-guy-bad-guy, because that’s not the world we live in.”

The New York native is also excited to start mixing her real-life experiences into her story line. Squerciati welcomed her first child in May 2017, and on screen, Burgess just adopted a daughter.

“She embraces her feminine side, [yet she] can take down a bunch of dudes,” the Gossip Girl alum said. “How do you navigate putting your best face forward for your kid when you’re suffering inside? Moms don’t get sick days, they don’t get PTSD days.”

During the panel via Zoom, she even had to exit the frame to take a banana bread out of the oven.

Barrett laughed and responded, “That should be the tagline of this interview. ‘And I’m also baking banana bread.'”

Watch the full exclusive panel above and pick up the latest issue of Us Weekly on newsstands now.

One Chicago begins on NBC Wednesdays at 8 p.m. ET.

This story originally appeared on: US Magazine - Author:Emily Longeretta

“Yesterday I said YES to my soulmate in Fairyland,” the reality star, 25, captioned an Instagram slideshow from Bryce Canyon National Park in Utah on Thursday, November 4. “Chris took us on an 8.2 mile loop trail that was the hardest thing I have ever done in my life -mentally and physically. The emotional release after finishing this hike was indescribable. As I was standing at the overlook reflecting over all the emotions I felt throughout this hike, I heard Chris say my name and I turned around and there he was down on one knee. We both kind of blacked out and I remember breaking down in tears and saying how crazy this is! He asked me to marry him and I said YES!”

Trautman continued, “From the moment I met Chris I knew he was the one. I am in a state of pure bliss and I can’t believe I get to spend my life with my best friend!!! We’ve been calling friends and family all morning and seeing everyone’s reactions fills us both with so much love. I am still in shock and don’t really know how to end this post so I’ll end it with this — LOVE is the most powerful force on the planet! When you lead with love anything is possible.”

She also explained the meaning behind the ring, which is an emerald rather than a diamond.

“Emeralds are associated with the heart chakra and hold many metaphysical properties some which include compassion, balance, wisdom, patience and universal love. And those who are close to me know I have been obsessed with emeralds for quite sometime now. This ring holds so much love,” the Concept by Chloe founder explained. “If I can send any message it’s to never stop falling in love with yourself, life, and your soulmate. Love is limitless, infinite, and always always always possible!”

Since Siesta Key debuted on MTV in 2017, Trautman has kept her personal life private but chose to introduce her boyfriend on Instagram in May.

“Words can’t describe this feeling. Catawaba Falls, you take my breath away,” she wrote alongside vacation photos of the couple at the time.

“There’s a certain magic kissing you @chloetrautman,” he wrote on his own account. “It’s as if time stops and nothing else matters in the world. Words can’t even come close to describe what we’ve experienced and continue to experience together. Seeing you spread so much love and light to everyone you come across fills my heart with joy. I’m quickly adapting to a public, but private life with you and I am excited to embark on this new adventure. I love you.”

Scroll down to see her Instagram announcement:

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This story originally appeared on: US Magazine - Author:Emily Longeretta

Ed Brown and Rosemarie Vega gave an update on their relationship during the season 4 tell-all special in May 2020. She called it quits with Big Ed, leaving him devastated by the breakup.

“It broke my heart. I spent a lot of time, a lot of money but I just wanted to be happy,” he shared at the time. “I wanted what every couple I see every day has: I want intimacy. I want love. I’m not ready to give up.”

Ed exclusively told Us Weekly in April 2020 that falling in love again “was the most scary and the most wonderful thing I’ve ever done.”

In August 2021, Ed finally found The One and proposed to Liz Woods.

While Ash Naeck and Avery Warner were still together in the season 4 finale, he revealed during the reunion that he had ended the relationship.

“Breaking up with her was the hardest thing I have experienced for a long time. I still love her. That’s not going to change,” he explained. “But future-wise, I have to concentrate on myself and my family now.”

Meanwhile, Avery noted that it’s been a tough “journey” for both of them.

“There was a lot of weight that was carrying on my shoulders with what types of things come with Ash coming to America, which is taking him away from his son and how that would affect Sian, his ex-wife,” she said. “There’s a lot of things that play into it, but I felt like I wanted to step away and try to gather my thoughts in that process and see how I can navigate my feelings. In doing that, he decided to step away for good.”

Although Stephanie Matto and Erika Owens could not make it last either, the former shared that she finally came out as bisexual to her mother after struggling to do so all season.

Scroll through the gallery below to find out which 90 Day Fiancé: Before the 90 Days couples are still together.

Hear the Us Weekly editors break down the most surprising celebrity births during the pandemic in under 2 minutes!

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This story originally appeared on: US Magazine - Author:Emily Longeretta

Although the Siwas Dance Pop Revolution star, 18, has loved the experience, she’d still be bummed if she doesn’t take home the mirrorball in the end.

“I actually talked to Jen about this a couple of days ago. I was like, ‘We are both going to be livid [if we lose], obviously, because we’re super competitive and we want to win, of course,'” the dancer told Us Weekly exclusively while promoting her upcoming Peacock series. “But at the end of the day, this experience has already been more than anything I’ve ever done before that I’ve already won, and it’s been such a journey.”

Siwa, who is part of the ABC show’s first-ever same-sex couple with Johnson, 27, is just “thankful and grateful” for it all.

“The mirrorball isn’t even the icing or the cherry or the sprinkle on top,” she added. “It’s, like, the box that it comes in. It’s just, like, the extra little thing.”

The Nickelodeon star also feels lucky that Johnson came into her life when she did. The Dance Moms alum confirmed to Us that she split from girlfriend Kylie Prew on the morning of October 11 — just hours before she was set to perform as Prince Charming for the show’s Disney Week.

“This week was very, very extreme and something that I had never gone through and something that I’ve never felt before,” the Nebraska native told Us and other reporters following Disney Week, before commending Johnson for staying by her side. “I’m really lucky that every day this week, I got to spend three hours with my best friend in rehearsals. It definitely has been a week, but because of my family, because of this song, because of the show, I’m on the other side of it.”

She continued, “When I finally get a chance — hopefully on the show, but it doesn’t have to be on the show, it will be just in life — to tell the story of how Jenna changed my life and change the way that I look at myself, I cannot wait to do so.”

For now, Siwa is concentrating on the competition and launching her new series, Siwas Dance Pop Revolution, with her mom, Jessalyn Siwa. Together, the pair will search for the right singers to craft the perfect girl group.

“I have been a huge fan of all things singing and dancing for my whole life,” Jessalyn, 46, told Us. “We all were stuck in quarantine, and I just started putting it on paper and to see it come to life with these fabulous girls and JoJo being the choreographer and the creative director, doing these huge musical numbers of singing and dancing, it was everything I could’ve ever dreamed of. And we’re making stars, like, we made a pop group with these phenomenal kids, and I can’t wait for the world to see.”

Siwas Dance Pop Revolution premieres on Peacock on Thursday, November 4.

With reporting by Christina Garibaldi

This story originally appeared on: US Magazine - Author:Emily Longeretta