Keke Palmer and Queen Latifah attend the BET Awards 2026 at Peacock Theater on June 28, 2026, in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Aaron J. Thornton/Getty Images for BET)
Keke Palmer has survived years in the game, and her longevity is partially due to advice she received from Queen Latifah. During an appearance on Amy Poehler’s Good Hang podcast, she shared that she learned from her mentor the importance of letting her work speak for itself.
“People are watching even when you don’t think they’re watching,” Keke said, recalling a lesson she learned from Queen. “It’s not what you say. It’s what you do.” She noted that Queen once referred her for a role after seeing her work ethic, professionalism and more.
“I just remember thinking in that moment, ‘Wow, my work ethic precedes me,’” she continued. “The way that I continue to move into the game, it’s going to count for something at some point.”
Keke and Queen previously worked together on Barbershop 2: Back in Business as well as 2012’s Joyful Noise and Ice Age: Continental Drift. They are also set to appear on NBC’s The Voice: Celebrity, with Keke serving as host and Queen taking on a judge’s role.
Cynthia Erivo attends the “Wicked: For Good!” New York Premiere at David Geffen Hall on November 17, 2025, in New York City. (Photo by Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images)
Cynthia Erivo’s talent will be honored at the American Ballet Theatre’s 2026 Fall Gala: Angels and Demons.
The theatre will recognize “her extraordinary contributions to the performing arts” and “her ability to inspire audiences through storytelling that transcends disciplines,” according to a press release.
“Few artists possess Cynthia Erivo’s extraordinary ability to transform themselves through performance,” Susan Jaffe, artistic director of American Ballet Theatre, said in a statement. “Whether through music, theater, or film, she brings an uncommon combination of artistry, emotional honesty, and fearless imagination to every role. Those are qualities we deeply value in ballet and strive to cultivate in every artist who takes our stage. Cynthia’s commitment to her craft and her ability to forge profound connections with audiences make her an inspiring artist and an especially meaningful honoree for American Ballet Theatre.”
The American Ballet Theatre’s 2026 Fall Gala is set to take place Oct. 29 at the David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center in New York City.
Erivo previously appeared in the American Ballet Theatre’s first digital gala in May 2020, performing “America the Beautiful” alongside a video of their dancers.
David Krumholtz attends the premiere of ‘Supergirl’ on June 22, 2026, in New York City. (Theo Wargo/Getty Images)
David Krumholtz is clarifying comments regarding his break from acting.
The actor took to a since-deleted Threads post on Tuesday to write that he is “frustrated, fed up, [and] fried” with the entertainment business and that he’s taking “an indefinite break” as “the profession has lost its gleam.”
“I kinda sorta put my acting career on hold the other day. It’s been something I’ve been petrified to do for years,” Krumholtz wrote in his original Threads post. “Specifically, the fear was that I’d go broke and not be able to handle being out of the game. But I sent the definitive email.”
Krumholtz clarified his remarks in an Instagram post on Wednesday, saying he is not technically retiring, only taking a break from acting.
“Firstly, I am very well. And I feel very loved. Secondly, I never used the word ‘retiring’ or ‘quitting’. Instead, I said that I decided to put my career on hold,” Krumholtz wrote. “I don’t expect anyone to understand, but the outpouring of support for my decision has been deeply heartwarming.”
The actor went on to say he is grateful for the support he has received in making his dreams and ambitions come true, but “a time has come where the weight of those dreams and ambitions has become surprisingly oppressive.”
Krumholtz said he prioritizing his mental health with this decision.
“My mental health is vital to my family. My career has run the gamut. I’m in disbelief. But I find myself at a crossroads between the inherent self involvement being a professional actor requires, and a burning desire to give more of myself to others in need, in whatever way I can. And so, for the time being, I’m pursuing that goal,” he wrote.
Audiences would recognize Krumholtz from his recent roles in this summer’s Supergirl and the best picture-winning 2023 biopic Oppenheimer. He also appeared in The Santa Clause franchise, 10 Things I Hate About You and Slums of Beverly Hills.
Hayden Panettiere attends the LA premiere of ‘Blonde’ at TCL Chinese Theatre on Sept. 13, 2022, in Hollywood, California. (Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic via Getty Images)
Hayden Panettiere’s ex-boyfriend, Brian Hickerson, was present at the scene when she died, according to a police report obtained by ABC News.
Panettiere, known for her roles in Heroes, Nashville, Remember the Titans and more, died on Sunday. She was 36.
In the police report from the Greenville City Police Department, an officer arrived on the scene on Easley Bridge Road in Greenville, South Carolina. The officer was responding to an EMS assist for an individual who was unresponsive.
“The patient did not seem to have any obvious physical reasons to be unresponsive,” the officer wrote in the report.
“EMS attempted to perform life saving methods for an extended amount of time before they called a time of death. This was 1431 hours,” the report continued.
The officer then wrote in the report that they spoke with Brian Hickerson and his brother, Zach Hickerson, who was also on scene, while EMS “was working on the patient.”
Zach Hickerson described Panettiere as his brother’s girlfriend.
“I observed Zach to be very emotional while EMS were working on Hayden,” the officer wrote. “Brian did not become emotional until EMS declared her officially deceased. Medic 24 and S4 were on scene performing life saving measures.”
The officer added in the report that Brian Hickerson showed them the bag of medication that Panettiere was taking.
Officials arrived on scene to assist in the investigation and the coroner was also on scene to conduct their investigation.
CCTV footage was requested from the scene and a supplemental report will be conducted, according to the report. The report added that the officer on scene also executed a search warrant.
It is unknown if Panettiere was using drugs or alcohol at the time of her death, according to the police report.
On Monday, the Greenville County Coroner’s Office said in a press release that first responders and emergency medical services responded to a 911 call at the Greenville residence and found Panettiere “unresponsive” and in cardiac arrest. Responders “initiated advanced cardiac life support measures,” but resuscitation efforts were unsuccessful” and the actress was “pronounced deceased at 2:32 PM,” officials said.
The coroner’s office said an autopsy was completed on Monday, and that “no signs of trauma were discovered that would have contributed to the death.”
Panettiere’s official cause and manner of death “remain pending further investigation and the completion of additional studies,” the coroner’s office added.
The release noted that Panettiere had been “temporarily staying” at the residence where she was found. The coroner’s office and Greenville City Police Department have since “initiated a parallel investigation” into her death, according to the release.
ABC News has reached out to Panettiere’s rep for a comment.
In previous reporting from ABC News, Panettiere had spoken out about Brian Hickerson’s alleged domestic abuse.
Panettiere told Good Morning America in a statement in 2020: “I am coming forward with the truth about what happened to me with the hope that my story will empower others in abusive relationships to get the help they need and deserve. I am prepared to do my part to make sure this man never hurts anyone again.”
She added, “I’m grateful for my support system, which helped me find the courage to regain my voice and my life.”
Brian Hickerson pleaded no contest to two felony counts of injuring a spouse or girlfriend in April 2021.
In court docs obtained by ABC News on Tuesday, a California judge denied Brian Hickerson’s request to reduce his prior domestic violence felony convictions.
Brian Hickerson petitioned the court to reduce his felony domestic violence convictions to misdemeanors and to expunge the case from his record. The request was denied on Aug. 13, 2026.
ABC News has reached out to a lawyer for Brian Hickerson for comment.
Panettiere and Hickerson started dating in the late summer of 2018, after she and then-fiancé Wladimir Klitschko had split. Panettiere and Klitschko share a daughter, Kaya Klitschko.
For anyone affected by abuse and needing support, call 1-800-799-7233, or if you’re unable to speak safely, you can log onto thehotline.org or text LOVEIS to 1-866-331-9474.
Olivia Colman has joined the cast of Only Murders in the Building. The Oscar winner has joined the season 6 cast of the comedy whodunnit series. The news was announced to Instagram on Tuesday. Selena Gomez and Meryl Streep made a cheeky video where they revealed Colman’s casting, but only after Martin Short pretended like he was the exciting new cast member. Gomez and Streep had to remind Short that he, of course, is one of the show’s original stars. “Marty, you’re already in the show,” they told him, before pulling Colman on screen … Disney is the parent company of ABC News and Hulu.
The trailer for Slow Horses season 6 has arrived. Sir Gary Oldman once again stars as Jackson Lamb in this look at the sixth season of the espionage drama. The new season premieres on Apple TV Sept. 16. Kristin Scott Thomas, Jack Lowden and Saskia Reeves also star …
Jack Reynor has found his next part. Deadline reports the actor will star alongside Lily James in the horror film Seasons. The Amazon MGM Studios film is based on a viral horror short story by Matt Query and Harrison Query. It follows a husband and wife who buy their dream ranch only to learn it is filled with ancient spirits. Drew Hancock is set to direct from a script he also wrote …
Mike Faist as Charles Trask, Christopher Abbott as Adam Trask and Florence Pugh as Cathy Ames in episode 3 of ‘East of Eden.’ (Netflix)
We now know when East of Eden will arrive.
Netflix has announced the release date for its upcoming adaptation of John Steinbeck’s classic novel. The limited series will debut to the streaming service on Oct. 1.
Florence Pugh stars as antihero Cathy Ames and co-produces the new limited series that was adapted by Zoe Kazan. This project is personal to Zoe, as she is the granddaughter of director Elia Kazan, who previously adapted the novel into a 1955 film that launched the career of James Dean.
The series finds Cathy’s life “intertwined with the lives of generations of men from the Trask family — notably those of Adam (Christopher Abbott) and Charles (Mike Faist) — as the characters live out the darker side of the California dream,” according to an official description.
East of Eden is described as a seven-episode fresh interpretation of the source material. In addition to Pugh, Abbott and Faist, Hoon Lee, Tracy Letts, Martha Plimpton, Ciarán Hinds, Joseph Zada and Joe Anders star.
While “bringing the family saga to life” was a resonant experience for Zoe Kazan, she told Netflix it was “Steinbeck’s writing — personal, shocking, profound, and free — that has kept me enthralled by East of Eden since I first read the book as a young teen.”
Hayden Panettiere and Hilary Duff attend Joanna Schlips’ launch of the J-Gurlz Fund and her book ‘Glamour Gurlz’ on Sept. 26, 2006, in Hollywood, California. (Mark Davis/Getty Images)
Hayden Panetierre’s death has prompted many tributes from those she worked with over the years. But although they never shared a screen together, Hilary Duff took to Instagram to remember the actress as someone who she was able to bond with over their shared experience as young Hollywood stars.
Hilary wrote on Instagram Tuesday, “Sweet Hayden. Really tough hearing this news. We lost touch through the years but I will always remember you as so hardworking and effervescent, with that big, gorgeous smile.”
“I remember staying up late, chatting and gossiping, and connecting because we were part of such a small sliver of people who actually understood the strange lot in life we were navigating,” she continued. “So young, with no real idea how to make sense of any of it.”
“I so deeply wish this wasn’t the end for you,” she concluded. “Sending a heart full of love to your family, the many people you impacted and everyone who loved you. rest easy.”
Panettiere was found in cardiac arrest prior to her death, the Greenville County Coroner’s Office said Monday in a press release. The coroner’s office said an autopsy was completed on Monday and that “no signs of trauma were discovered that would have contributed to the death.”
Panettiere’s official cause and manner of death “remain pending further investigation and the completion of additional studies,” the coroner’s office added.
Beginning her career as a child star, with a long list of credits in both TV and film, Panettiere is remembered for her roles as Claire Bennet on the hit series Heroes and as Juliette Barnes on the musical drama Nashville.
She was the mother of one child, daughter Kaya Klitschko, whom she had in 2014 with former fiancé Wladimir Klitschko.
A photo of Darren Criss. (Ian Johnston). | A photo of Sherry Cola. (Leslie Alejandro) | A photo of James Monroe Iglehart. (Deneka Peniston)
Several stars have joined the cast of Disney’s upcoming spinoff movie set in the Descendants franchise.
Disney Channel and Disney+ announced that Darren Criss, Sherry Cola, James Monroe Iglehart, Hugo Ateo, Sean Yves Lessard and Dan Bakkedahl have joined the cast of Hidden Heroes: A Descendants Story. The new film centers on the descendants of classic Disney sidekicks and goes into production this month.
“Hidden in the center of each fairy tale is a portal to a secret training facility where the descendants of legendary sidekicks are challenged to join the elite ranks of partners to heroes,” according to an official description. “When a villainous duo comes to Sidekick Academy, a group of fresh recruits must band together — without heroes, without parents — using only their new skills to save the fairytale realm before it’s too late.”
Criss will play Jiminy Cricket from Pinocchio, Iglehart will play Genie from Aladdin, Cola and Ateo will play Yzma and Kronk from The Emperor’s New Groove, Lessard will play Lumiere from Beauty and the Beast and Bakkedahl will play Yen Sid from The Sorcerer’s Apprentice in Fantasia.
Notably, Iglehart is returning to the role of Genie. He won a Tony Award in 2014 for originating the part in the Broadway production of Aladdin.
The film’s main cast includes Dior Goodjohn as Jennie, the daughter of Genie; Momona Tamada as Zara, the daughter of Yzma; Jacob Rodriguez as Kronk Jr., the son of Kronk; Eva Fossaceca Smedley as Meri, the daughter of Merryweather from Sleeping Beauty; and Harry Jones as Lou, the son of Lumiere.
Also part of the cast are Rhys Dawkins, Connor Wong and Kyra Wong as the Potts siblings from Beauty and the Beast. Only Murders in the Building director Jude Weng is helming the film that was written by Tamara Chestna, Eydie Faye and Emma Fletcher.
Wladimir Klitschko and Hayden Panettiere attend the 34th annual Sports Emmy Awards Reception at Frederick P. Rose Hall, Jazz at Lincoln Center on May 7, 2013, in New York City. (Jemal Countess/Getty Images)
Movie and TV star Hayden Panettiere “left this world far too soon,” her ex-fiancé, Wladimir Klitschko, said on Tuesday, adding that she was “an important part of my life and the mother of our daughter, Kaya.”
“The announcement of Hayden’s tragic death saddens me deeply,” the longtime heavyweight champion boxer said on social media.
Panettiere was found in cardiac arrest prior to her death Sunday at age 36, the Greenville County Coroner’s Office said Monday in a press release. The coroner’s office said an autopsy was completed on Monday, and that “no signs of trauma were discovered that would have contributed to the death.”
Panettiere’s official cause and manner of death “remain pending further investigation and the completion of additional studies,” the coroner’s office added.
Beginning her career as a child star, with a long list of credits in both TV and film, Panettiere is remembered for her roles as Claire Bennet on the hit series Heroes and as Juliette Barnes on the musical drama Nashville.
She was the mother of one child, a daughter, Kaya Klitschko, whom she had in 2014 with Klitschko.
“To our daughter Kaya, I will always speak of her mother with respect and make sure she remembers the person she was,” Klitschko said on Tuesday. “I extend my deepest condolences to Hayden’s parents, her friends, and her fans, who are also grieving today. Young and talented people like Hayden should not leave this world so soon.”
Klitschko, who in the post shared a photo of himself with Panettiere, asked for privacy during a difficult time.
Panettiere had been candid about her struggles from child stardom through adulthood. She released a memoir this May titled This Is Me: A Reckoning.
In the memoir, she shared “a rare and intimate glimpse into her life behind closed doors, opening up about postpartum depression, addiction and recovery, trauma, domestic abuse, and loss,” according to a synopsis for her book.
“She built an incredible career through immense talent, while also facing the darker sides of a very demanding industry,” he said. “Nothing will erase the times we shared or the place she had in our lives.”
We now know when to expect season 2 of The Terminal List. Prime Video is releasing the second season of the Chris Pratt-starring series on Oct. 21. The show is based on the bestselling novels of the same name by author Jack Carr. The story follows Navy SEAL commander James Reece as he battles conspiratorial forces …
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It’s time to make it shine. Netflix has released the teaser trailer and release date for its Victorious spinoff series Hollywood Arts. The show will premiere on Oct. 15. It finds Trina Vega, once again portrayed by Daniella Monet, as she returns to her former high school as a substitute teacher. She then finds herself inspiring a new generation of talented students …
