Gypsy Rose Blanchard, whose trial for the conspiracy to murder her abusive mother was the subject of documentaries on Hulu and HBO, has been released early from prison.

She had pleaded guilty to the second-degree murder of Dee Dee Blanchard in Missouri in 2015.

She plotted with her boyfriend, Nicholas Godejohn, to kill her mother following years of abuse. Godejohn had stabbed Dee Dee Blanchard to death with a knife her daughter had given him. They were later arrested in Godejohn’s home state of Wisconsin. He is serving a life sentence without parole.

Dee Dee Blanchard had Munchausen’s by proxy and forced Gypsy Rose Blanchard to pretend for years that she was suffering from leukaemia, muscular dystrophy and other serious illnesses, even forcing her to use a wheelchair and feeding tube.

Gypsy Rose Blanchard was released on Thursday (December 28) after serving seven years of her 10-year sentence.

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While in prison, she gave a number of interviews detailing her mother’s abusive behaviour and wrote a memoir, Released: Conversations on the Eve of Freedom, which is due to be published in January.

In a recent interview with People she said: “Nobody will ever hear me say I’m glad she’s dead or I’m proud of what I did. I regret it every single day.”

Blanchard told TMZ that she hopes to meet Taylor Swift. She revealed that she and her husband Ryan Scott Anderson, who she married while in prison, have tickets for the Kansas City Chiefs game at Arrowhead Stadium on December 31, in hopes of seeing Swift there to support boyfriend Travis Kelce. She has made multiple appearances at his games since September.

The case was the subject of the 2017 HBO documentary Mommy Dead and Dearest, the 2019 Hulu miniseries The Act and an upcoming Lifetime docuseries, The Prison Confession of Gypsy Rose Blanchard.

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Colman Domingo has said that he was turned down for a role in Boardwalk Empire because he was not light-skinned enough.

The actor, known for his roles in Euphoria and Fear the Walking Dead, has said that he was auditioning for a role in the HBO show in 2014 when he was still seeking a breakthrough in his screen career.

The role in question was a maître d’ in a Black-owned nightclub, and Domingo has explained that despite feeling that he had impressed the casting agents, he was later enlightened about a possible reason for his rejection by one of the show’s researchers.

In an interview with the New York Times, Domingo says that a historical researcher articulated to Domingo’s agent that maître d’s in the sorts of nightclubs in question were typically more light-skinned than Domingo.

“That’s when I lost my mind,” Domingo is quoted as saying. “I can’t take it anymore, I think this is going to kill me.”

Domingo would eventually land the role of the recovering drug addict Ali on HBO’s Euphoria, and he is currently starring as the title character in Rustin, a biographical drama about the life of civil rights activist Bayard Rustin. The film is streaming on Netflix now.

He also appeared in all eight seasons of Fear the Walking Dead, and is appearing in the new film version of The Color Purple.

Last month, Domingo said that he believed the controversy surrounding Euphoria director Sam Levinson had been “blown out of proportion”.

The show has been hit by claims that some cast members felt uncomfortable about the level of nudity and sexual content.

“Honestly, in my experience, there was none of that,” Domingo said. “I think there’s a lot of talk around it. And I think things get blown out of proportion.”

He went on to describe Levinson as “one of the kindest, open-hearted director-writer-producers that you could ever ask for. There’s just noise because it’s popular and it’s in the zeitgeist. You can’t have a successful show without people wanting to tear some things down.”

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Rosie Jones has said she’s “lying low” after receiving ableist abuse following her appearance on Big Fat Quiz Of The Year. 

The comedian appeared on the year-end Channel 4 quiz on Boxing Day alongside Katherine Ryan, Mo Gilligan, Richard Ayoade, Mel Giedroyc and Kevin Bridges.

Jones, who has cerebral palsy, reposted a statement that she had shared in the wake of a similar torrent of ableist abuse targeted towards her after her appearance on The Royal Variety Show.

“Thank you for all of the lovely messages about The Royal Variety last night, what fun. Less of a thanks to the not so lovely ones.” she began.

“Comedy is subjective and it’s ok if I’m not your cup of tea. But please remember the difference between personal preference and downright ableism.

She added: “Rinse and repeat. Different telly show, same old ableism. Thanks for the support, but I’m gonna lie low for a bit and sink into the perineum of Christmas and New Year.”

Rinse and repeat. Different telly show, same old ableism. Thanks for the support, but I’m gonna lie low for a bit and sink into the perineum of Christmas and New Year. https://t.co/cYuvaXuA6A

— Rosie Jones (@josierones) December 28, 2023

Jones has frequently been open about the online abuse she has encountered throughout her comedy career, particularly related to her disability.

Earlier this year, she fronted a documentary about the online abuse disabled people face on social media, but its title, Rosie Jones: Am I A R*****?, was the subject of widespread controversy. It led to multiple contributors to the documentary withdrawing their consent from the project after going “backwards and forwards” with the network over the title.

Jones said in a statement defending the title choice: “I get it, a lot of people will find this word very shocking and upsetting. But in my opinion, society doesn’t take this word and other ableist forms of language as seriously as any other form of abuse from any other minorities.”

“So I said to Channel 4: ‘Let’s do it, let’s tackle the problem head on and use that word in the title and then, hopefully, people will think twice about using the word and other ableist slurs ever again’.”

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Eminem has requested a protective order against The Real Housewives of Potomac stars Gizelle Bryant and Robyn Dixon as part of an ongoing trademark dispute.

The case began earlier this year when the US rapper filed an opposition to a trademark request for the Reasonably Shady podcast hosted by the reality TV stars.

The rapper – real name Marshall Bruce Mathers III – argued in documentation that his brand would be “damaged” if they were granted the trademark for their show, because he is known under the monikers Slim Shady and Shady.

The rapper also owns the trademark for the term “Shady” for use on merchandise.

Bryant and Dixon responded by asking the court to dismiss the rapper’s opposition and insisted that he be deposed, meaning he would have to testify under oath or by written statement.

Eminem reportedly filed the protective order earlier this month in an attempt to avoid an in-person deposition.

According to a filing seen by People, it would be “unduly burdensome” for the rapper to be deposed due to his “limited knowledge of the subjects at issue”.

The filing suggested that someone else who has a “superior knowledge to Mathers on the relevant topics” might be a better alternative, including Eminem’s longtime manager Paul Rosenberg.

The documents also argued that the motion was “premature and procedurally improper,” as they “have yet to serve” Mathers.

In a statement shared to People, Bryant and Dixon’s attorney Andrea Evans said: “It seems obvious to us that if you file a lawsuit, you should be made available to be deposed.”

Evans added that their team would “like to question Mathers at least about his use of the expressions Slim Shady and Shady”.

“It’s unclear to us that Mathers can be the owner of the trademarks and file this suit against our clients but he will not make himself available to be deposed,” Evans added.

Back in October, another copyright case made headlines after Easy Life surrendered their band name after a “David and Goliath” legal battle with EasyGroup.

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Netflix’s South Korean reality dating show Single’s Inferno has finally returned with its highly-anticipated third season – here’s everything you need to know about the new cast.

• READ MORE: Upcoming K-pop concerts, tours and music festivals in Asia: ENHYPEN, TWICE, IVE and more

As with previous seasons of Single’s Inferno, the series sees a cast of attractive singles travelling to a remote island called “inferno” as they search for romantic connections.

However, cast members are not allowed to share personal details like their ages and occupations with one another until they have successfully paired up with another contestant for a night’s stay in “paradise”.

Here’s everyone that’s been introduced on Single’s Inferno season 3 so far:

Kim Gyu-ri

The first cast member to be introduced is Kim Gyu-ri, who is a 28-year-old model who primarily works with fashion and beauty brands. According to posts on her Instagram account (@citruszl), Kim was also a participant in Miss Korea 2022.

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Choi Hye-seon

The next cast member to be introduced is Choi Hye-seon, a 26-year-old college student at the prestigious Ewha Women’s University. She majors in bioinformatics in the Life Sciences department, and has previously attended Durham University.

Per her Instagram account (@hazelchoiii), she has also modelled for fashion and beauty brands in Korea.

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Choi Min-woo

The first male cast member to appear is Choi Min-woo, who describes himself as “shy and introverted” on the show. He has since shared that he is 24 years old, and works as a model. Posts on his Instagram account (@choimin_woo) reveal that he has walked the runway for several brands, and appeared in a shoot for Esquire Hong Kong.

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Lee Jin-seok

31-year-old Lee Jin-seok is the founder and owner of several cafes in the city of Daegu, where he creates various desserts. From the looks of his Instagram page (@seok_lj), Lee also personally takes charge of brewing coffee and even furnishing his cafes.

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An Min-young

An Min-young is a 26-year-old pilates instructor who owns and runs her very own studio, where she also holds one-on-one sessions with clients. According to her Instagram posts (@my_floria_) and YouTube channel, she also has some modelling experience, and was crowned Miss Korea Busan 2023.

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Lee Gwan-hee

The oldest contestant in the series, 36-year-old Lee Gwan-hee is a professional basketball player for the LG Sakers, where he plays the shooting guard position. His Instagram (@leegwanhee0429) are mainly about his games and various sponsorships, as well as his love for food.

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Son Won-ik

One of the show’s later additions, 31 year old Son Won-ik works as a realtor, and provides consultations for premium properties in prime locations in Seoul. He hasalso  uploaded several blogs on his YouTube channel, and his Instagram page (@hiwonik) features shots from his occasional modelling jobs, and documents several marathons he has participated in.

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Yun Ha-bin

Yun Ha-bin is an actor, and currently plays a minor role in the ongoing K-drama My Demon – as he has revealed on Instagram (@yunhxvin). Little is known about Yu at this point, though he has expressed his desire to “shake things up” on the show.

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Yun Ha-jeong

26-year-old Yun Ha-jeong is an office worker for a medical clothing company, where she is in charge of customer service and order purchases. Her Instagram page (@hi_jjeong2) also suggests that she has dabbled in some modelling work.

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Park Min-kyu

Park Min-kyu is a police officer who is part of the Korea Coast Guard Special Rescue Team. On Instagram (@ssrt_mk), Park showcases his strong swimming abilities and rescue skills, which are essential to him as a first responder to maritime incidents.

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Yu Si-eun

At 27 years old, Yu Si-eun works as a model for wedding, fashion and beauty brands, as shown on her Instagram page (@yoo_si). She was the runner-up of Miss Korea 2022, and Yu’s posts put her at a variety of events, from film festivals to baseball games.

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Cho Min-ji

Introduced halfway through the season in episode five, 26-year-old Cho Min-ji is an aspiring news anchor who currently majors in Economics at Ewha Women’s University. Like several of her fellow castmates, Cho was a former Miss Korea contestant according to her Instagram page (@joymingzi_).

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The post Meet the cast of ‘Single’s Inferno’ Season 3 appeared first on NME.

Cardi B and LL Cool J have been announced as the latest additions to the 52nd Dick Clark’s New Years’ Rockin’ Eve line-up. 

• READ MORE: Cardi B reasserts her “emotional gangster” with new song ‘Up’, a power anthem for 2021

The rappers are among many artists who will be featured on the annual New Year’s Eve programme, with LL Cool J taking the Times Square stage in New York City and Cardi B beaming in from Fontainebleau Miami Beach.

The programme will also feature performances from Megan Thee Stallion, Jelly Roll, Sabrina Carpenter, Tyla, Aqua, Doechii, Ellie Goulding, Green Day, Janelle Monáe, Loud Luxury and Two Friends with Bebe Rexha, Ludacris, Nile Rodgers and Chic, Paul Russell, Reneé Rapp with Coco Jones, and Thirty Seconds To Mars.

In addition, Post Malone has been announced to perform his ‘Austin’ highlight, ‘Chemical’, from Las Vegas, and NewJeans will be joining the festivities from South Korea with performances of their ‘Get Up’ hits, ‘Super Shy’ and ‘ETA’.

The countdown programme is scheduled to air on ABC on Sunday, December 31 at 8PM Eastern Time, and will be co-hosted for the 19th time by Ryan Seacrest alongside Rita Ora in Times Square, New York. In addition, E! emcee Jeannie Mai will take over as host during the portions aired from Hollywood, in the Pacific Time zone.

NewJeans’ appearance on the programme marks the fourth time a K-pop act has been featured on Dick Clark’s New Years’ Rockin’ Eve, following in the footsteps of BTS, J-Hope and Tomorrow X Together, and marks the first time a female K-pop group will perform on the show.

Earlier this year, LL Cool J participated in various celebrations of the 50th anniversary of hip-hop, including a performance at the 2023 MTV VMAs and a special programme entitled A Grammy Salute to 50 Years of Hip-Hop.

During the summer, LL Cool J also embarked on his first headlining tour in 30 years, bringing along the likes of The Roots, DJ Jazzy Jeff, Salt-N-Pepa, Queen Latifah, Common, Method Man & Redman, Big Boi and more.

On the other hand, Cardi B used her feature during this year’s MTV VMAs to make the live debut of her latest Megan Thee Stallion collaboration, ‘Bongos’. In July, Cardi B also threw her microphone at a fan who hurled a drink at her, during a performance of ‘Bodak Yellow’ in Las Vegas.

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Tom Smothers, one half of comedy duo the Smothers Brothers, died on Tuesday (December 26) at his home in California. He was 86, and had been battling cancer in recent years.

Smothers was joined by his brother, Dick, to perform as the Smothers Brothers beginning in 1961, and were booked to play venues like New York’s Blue Angel. As the Smothers Brothers, Tom and Dick performed satirical numbers which were targeted at the rising folk scene in New York at the time.

That year, The New York Times’ Robert Shelton commented on the pair’s appeal, calling them “a pair of tart-tongued singing comedians” and writing: “It is a result of a good deal of musical acumen and a fresh type of stinging satire, directed at a field wide open for it – folk music. The pair use a merciless variety of musical and comedy devices to smother the folk-song craze in wit.” Shelton particularly praised Tom for being responsible for “a bulk of the humour”.

In the early 1960s, the Smothers Brothers made frequent appearances on television programmes including The Judy Garland Show, Burke’s Law and The Ed Sullivan Show, before finally debuting their own comedy show, The Smothers Brothers Show, in 1965. While that programme was short lived, it was succeeded by the more successful The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour in 1967. It featured a mix of musical guests including George Harrison, Joan Baez and Janis Ian, and rising comedy stars including Steve Martin and Bob Reiner.

When The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour was eventually cancelled in 1969, Tom Smothers remarked that he believed CBS was ordered to remove the programme from the air by President Richard Nixon. “When Nixon said, ‘I want those guys off,’ they were off,” he said in a 2001 interview. “If [Vice President Hubert H.] Humphrey had been elected, we would have been on.”

The pair would go on to pursue acting roles in films including Brian De Palma’s Get To Know Your Rabbit following the end of their programme, and in 2011, Tom Smothers was awarded the Jack Green Civil Liberties Award by the American Civil Liberties Union’s Sonoma County chapter, for his advocacy against censorship and political activism.

In a statement, Journey Gunderson, executive director of the National Comedy Centre, praised Tom’s political activism and groundbreaking approach to comedy with his brother. “Tom Smothers was not only an extraordinary comedic talent, who, together with his brother Dick, became the most enduring comedy duo in history, entertaining the world for over six decades – but was a true champion for freedom of speech, harnessing the power of comedy to push boundaries and our political consciousness,” he wrote.

In addition, Tom’s brother, Dick, also expressed his admiration for his brother in his own statement. “Tom was not only the loving older brother that everyone would want in their life, he was a one-of-a-kind creative partner,” he wrote. “I am forever grateful to have spent a lifetime together with him, on and off stage, for over 60 years. Our relationship was like a good marriage – the longer we were together, the more we loved and respected one another. We were truly blessed.”

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Taraji P. Henson has revealed that she once fired her whole team of staff for failing to capitalise on the success of Empire.

The actress played Cookie Lyon, the drug dealer-turned-entrepreneur and wife of Terrence Howard’s Lucious Lyon, in all six seasons of the Fox series.

In a new interview with the SAG-AFTRA Foundation, she was asked about the best business move she had taken in her career to date.

“Firing everybody after Cookie,” she replied. “Everybody had to fuckin’ go. Where is my deal? Where’s my commercial? Cookie was at the top of the fashion game. Where is my endorsement? What did you have set up for after this? That’s why you all haven’t seen me in so long. They had nothing set up.”

In addition to Empire, Henson is also known for her roles in the films Hustle & Flow, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and Hidden Figures, and is set to star in the new film adaptation of The Color Purple, which is released in UK cinemas on January 26.

In another recent interview, Henson broke down when talking about the pay disparity that she has faced during her time in Hollywood.

She was asked whether it was true that she had considered quitting acting because of it. Fighting back tears, she said, “I’m just tired of working so hard, being gracious at what I do and getting paid a fraction of the cost.”

“I’m tired of hearing my sisters say the same thing over and over. You get tired. I hear people go, ‘You work a lot.’ Well, I have to. The math ain’t math-ing. When you start working a lot, you have a team. Big bills come with what we do. We don’t do this alone. It’s a whole team behind us. They have to get paid.”

This isn’t the first time that Taraji P. Henson has brought up the issue of pay disparity. In 2021, Henson shared that she was “gutted” when she took home just $40,000 for her role in Benjamin Button. That was far less than what she had asked for, which she said “at that time of my career, was fair to the ticket sales that I would contribute to this big film”.

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Amazon Prime Video has confirmed the dates from which it will introduce advert breaks in its shows.

The move was first announced back in September as a bid to increase the amount of money it invests in making original content.

Users in the US will start seeing ads on the streamer from January 29, while they will appear on UK and German users’ version of the service from February 4.

Amazon said the move would “allow us to continue investing in compelling content and keep increasing that investment over a long period of time”.

An ad-free version of Amazon Prime Video will be available for an extra £2.99 per month, but live content such as sports will continue to feature adverts. The company affirmed in an email to customers that it aims to “have meaningfully fewer ads than linear TV and other streaming TV providers” and will still offer “compelling value”.

Amazon plans on expanding adverts to other territories, including France, Italy, Spain, Mexico and Australia, later in 2024.

Some of Amazon’s rival streamers, including Disney+ and Netflix, have also brought in adverts in recent months, particularly as they have struggled to hold onto customers amid growing inflation worldwide.

In other streaming news, Warner Bros. Discovery and Paramount Global have held talks for a potential merger that would see two of the world’s biggest media companies join together, according to reports.

The talks are in a “very early stage” and the merger may still not go ahead, sources close to the talks claim.

The merger would see the combination of two of Hollywood’s traditional “Big Five” studios. Warner and Paramount currently have a combined market value of around $38bn (£30bn).

Reports of a possible merger come as Paramount faces substantial pressure to find a buyer or forge a strategic partnership after it reported a long-term debt of $15.6bn. While it is considerably less than Warner Bros’ debt of $43.5bn, Warner Bros. Discovery still holds a greater market value –  $28.4bn over Paramount Global’s $10.3bn.

Both companies were hit hard as consumers transitioned from cable TV subscriptions to streaming services such as Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and Apple TV+.

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John Cleese has apologised after joking in a social media post about a list of ways in which Adolf Hitler was “preferable” to Donald Trump.

The Monty Python comedian had posted the original message on his X account in the early hours of Wednesday (December 27), before adding the follow-up apology four minutes later.

“Five ways that Hitler was preferable to Trump,” read the first tweet. “1. He fought for his country. 2. He never used a teleprompter. 3. He was nice to dogs. 4. He wrote his own books. 5. He never played golf. 6. He wasn’t a big fat slob.”

“Five ways Trump is preferable to Hitler,” it continued. “1. He doesn’t practice genocide. 2. He has nicer hair.” The post then continued by listing the numbers 3, 4 and 5, followed by blank spaces.

Five ways that Hitler was preferable to Trump

1. He fought for his country
2. He never used a teleprompter
3. He was nice to dogs
4. He wrote his own books
5. He never played golf
6. He wasn't a big fat slob

Five ways Trump is preferable to Hitler

1. He doesn't practice…

— John Cleese (@JohnCleese) December 27, 2023

I would like to apologise for my last tweet

It was a very bad joke, especially on Boxing Day

— John Cleese (@JohnCleese) December 27, 2023

Cleese swiftly followed up on the post with a second, writing: “I would like to apologise for my last tweet. It was a very bad joke, especially on Boxing Day.”

Cleese went on to engage with some of the replies to the original tweet. After one poster said they had screenshot the tweet, Cleese wrote, “receiving insults from the literal minded is like being booed by a flock of sheep.”

Another asked him why he would make the comparison, to which he said: “Because I’ve never tried to amuse the simple-minded. There are plenty of comics who do, and you will enjoy them.”

Cleese started hosting his show The Dinosaur Hour on GB News in October, although he revealed that he had been struggling to secure guests to discuss “woke issues”.

“There’s a good part to woke, and a bad part,” Cleese said at the time. “The good part is that it’s good and kind to be nice to people. Some people think that’s all it is. There’s also quite a threatening side, almost a totalitarian side.”

Earlier this year, Cleese announced plans to reboot Fawlty Towers with his daughter Camilla. The new series would focus on the relationship between Basil and his daughter as they manage a hotel together in the Caribbean. A release date has yet to be announced.

He later commented that the new show had been snubbed by the BBC after saying the broadcaster would not allow him sufficient creative freedom to make it his way.

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