Entertainment

Phil Donahue, whose influential TV talk show aired for nearly 30 years, has died at age 88.

Donahue died Sunday night of an undisclosed illness, according to a family statement provided to ABC News by a representative for Donahue’s wife of 44 years, actress Marlo Thomas.

The family requests in lieu of flowers that donations be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital or the Phil Donahue/Notre Dame Scholarship Fund, according to the statement.

After working as a local TV reporter in his native Ohio and launching a talk show on local CBS affiliate WHIO in Dayton, he moved his The Phil Donahue Show to the local NBC affiliate WLWD, also in Dayton, in 1967. Three years later, it entered nationwide syndication, now simply titled Donahue.

The show would run for 26 years in syndication, produced at NBC’s 30 Rockefeller Plaza, until its last show in September 1996.

He is survived by his wife, Thomas, to whom he had been married for 44 years.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

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Robert De Niro turned 81 on August 17, and he’s diving headfirst into it. Well, almost.

The legendary actor’s eldest daughter Drena posted a Happy Birthday message complete with video of the Oscar winner diving off a boat into the water. Although he started off headfirst, he didn’t quite stick the landing, making a huge splash.

“He’s so crazy!” she admonished him for the stunt from the deck above him, laughing, adding, “Oh my God, are you all right?”

“I’m OK,” the Wading Bull said after he surfaced, and began treading water.

“Happy 81st Bday to my Dad and #1 ride or die .. Love you with all my [heart]” she captioned the post, adding, “#BobbyD forever.”

“Happy Birthday to the king of the jungle,” she wrote alongside a photo of her in a white dress perched up in her father’s arms.

Another photograph on Drena De Niro’s Instagram Story shows her and her father arm-in-arm in formal attire. “Happy Birthday to my favorite Fella,” the text on the photo read.

Other throwback photos showed Robert with Leandro De Niro Rodriguez, Drea’s 19-year-old son, who died of an accidental drug overdose in July of 2023.

The Taxi Driver actor is a father of seven. He shares daughter Drena, who was adopted by Robert De Niro while he was married to his now ex-wife Diahnne Abbott, and son Raphael with Abbott.

In 1995, Robert De Niro welcomed twin sons, Julian and Aaron, with his former girlfriend, model and actress Toukie Smith. His children with ex-wife Grace Hightower include son Elliot and daughter Helen Grace. Robert De Niro welcomed daughter Gia with his girlfriend Tiffany Chen in April 2023.

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Variety reports Bridgerton has tapped Halo‘s Yerin Ha to play the love interest of Luke Thompson‘s Benedict Bridgerton in the Netflix show’s fourth season. The upcoming season, according to the streaming service, “turns its focus to bohemian second son Benedict. Despite his elder and younger brothers both being happily married, Benedict is loath to settle down — until he meets a captivating Lady in Silver at his mother’s masquerade ball” …
 

Apple TV+ has renewed the sci-fi thriller Dark Matter for a second season. The series, based on the blockbuster book by New York Times bestselling author Blake Crouch, follows a physicist, professor and family man — played by Joel Edgerton — who’s abducted into an alternate version of his life while walking home on the streets of Chicago, per the streaming service. That leads him on a harrowing journey to get back to his true family and save them from an unbeatable foe: himself. Jennifer Connelly, Alice Braga, Jimmi Simpson, Dayo Okeniyi and Oakes Fegley also star …

My Lady Jane‘s reign on Prime Video has come to an end after just one season, according to Deadline. The series, “a radical retelling of English royal history,” stars Emily Bader as Lady Jane Grey and Edward Bluemel as her love interest Lord Guildford Dudley. Despite earning great reviews, the series struggled in the ratings …

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Alien: Romulus, the latest film in the Alien franchise, topped the domestic box office, earning an estimated $41.5 million. That marks the second-best opening weekend for a film in the series, behind Prometheus.

Overseas, Alien: Romulus earned an estimated $66.7 million, for a global total of $108.2 million.

Disney/Marvel’s Deadpool & Wolverine dropped to second place, delivering an estimated $29 million, raising its four-week North American tally to $45.8 million.

The film added an estimated $32.9 million overseas, for a worldwide total of $1.14 billion, surpassing Joker as the highest-grossing R-rated movie in history.

It Ends with Us took third place with an estimated $24 million at the domestic box office and $33.1 million internationally, for a global total of more than $180 million after two weeks.

Fourth place went to Twisters, which scooped up an estimated $9.8 million, bringing its five-week North American gross to $238.4 million and $333.4 million worldwide.

Rounding out the top five was the 15th anniversary rerelease of the stop-motion animated feature Coraline, delivering an estimated $8.37 million. The film grossed a total of $126.9 million in its initial release.

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Channing Tatum has shown off his dance moves throughout his career, from the Step Up movies to of course the Magic Mike trilogy, and even briefly in the hit Free Guy.

So, one TikTok user wistfully posed the thirsty question: Why didn’t we get to watch him represent the USA in Olympics breakdancing?

Entertainment Weekly relayed the viral question to the former stripper, drawing an extended laugh during an interview for his latest movie, Blink Twice. 

His co-star Naomi Ackie was also there, and she definitely saw the potential of Tatum gyrating for the gold. “OHH!” she exclaimed. “That’s a good point!”

Tatum allowed, “That would be sick,” adding the caveat, “I’m not very good at breakdancing.” 

He called the TikToker’s faith in him “very sweet,” adding that if he ever were to be asked to serve his country at the Olympics, “I would just do a lot of stripper moves.”

Hey, Chan – can’t be any worse than Australia’s Raygun, and would arguably be easier on the eyes.

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Moviegoers were apparently ready to be scared: Alien: Romulus reportedly pulled in a solid $6.5 million from Thursday evening sneak peek showings alone.

Deadline reports that puts it in the respectable neighborhood of the sneak preview starts of summer hits A Quiet Place: Day One and Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes.

The latest film in the franchise that began with Ridley Scott‘s 1979 classic Alien was directed by Fede Álvarez, and currently has an 81% from critics and an 88% from audience members who’ve had a chance to see it early. 

Scott produced the new entry from 20th Century Studios.

The movie’s cast includes Cailee Spaeny, Isabela Merced, Spike Fearn, Archie Renaux and newcomer Aileen Wu.

20th Century Studios is a division of ABC News’ parent company, Disney.

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Kevin Smith and Jason Mewes, known to fans by their aliases Jay and Silent Bob, make a cameo in the forthcoming episodes of That ’90s Show. 

OK, technically they’re called Sonny and Bunch on the show, but it’s close enough for any Mallrats fans. 

The third chapter of the second season drops on Aug. 27, a new trailer announced.

Smith, in costume as the normally mute character he’s played since his 1994 black-and-white breakout movie Clerks, evidently rams his car into the home of Red and Kitty Forman, played again respectively by Kurtwood Smith and Debra Jo Rupp. 

It’s not evident, but knowing the pair, weed was likely to blame. That said, Silent Bob (oh wait, “Sonny”) actually speaks after the mishap: “My bad,” he smiles. 

The new season takes place in 1996, when Leia (Callie Haverda) visits her grandparents for her annual vacation in the summer of 1996.

Seth Green is also shown in the sneak peek, reprising from That ’70s Show as Mitch, who has always had a thing for Laura Prepon‘s Donna. “I’m not seeing Eric, is he dead?” he asks her hopefully of Topher Grace‘s character. “We’re still happily married,” she replies. 

“Took you a while to answer,” he counters, even though it didn’t. 

This season also introduces Kira Kosarin as Betsy Kelso, the previously unseen daughter from a fling between That ’70s Show vet Ashton Kutcher‘s Michael Kelso and Shannon Elizabeth‘s Brooke. Kelso’s son with wife Jackie (Mila Kunis), Mace Coronel‘s Jay, was already a cast member.  

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Have no fear, your reality roundup is here! Here’s a look at what happened in the world of reality television this week:

Love Island USA (Peacock)
Kaylor Martin has given an update on where she stands with Aaron Evans. The cast of Love Island USA season 6 have reunited in New York City to film the upcoming reunion special. While entering the studio to film it on Wednesday, Kaylor gave an update about her relationship status with the British deckhand. “Aaron and I are not OK,” she told cameras gathered outside. “We are done, we are not together.”

Speaking of the Love Island reunion, which airs Aug. 19 on Peacock, islander Caine Bacon was apparently dumped from the special, despite flying out to New York City with the intent of being featured on the show. When a fan reached out on TikTok to ask him if the reunion had been canceled, Caine replied, “It isn’t I mean I’ve been cancelled from it lol.”

Love Island Games (Peacock)
And, if you’re still in need of more Love Island USA content, you’re in luck. Its spin-off series Love Island Games has been renewed for season 2 on Peacock.

Dancing with the Stars (ABC)
Familiar faces will be heading back to the ballroom when season 33 of Dancing With the Stars premieres on Sep. 17. Judges Carrie Ann Inaba, Bruno Tonioli and Derek Hough are all set to return to the panel, with last year’s co-hosts Julianne Hough and Alfonso Ribeiro also back for the new season.

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Fashion is at the center of Emily in Paris, and a new partnership between Netflix and Google will let fans shop for looks worn by Lily Collins‘ character and her equally stylish amis as they binge.

A shoppable Pause Ad feature will let you scan an image on your screen using Google Lens, and with the visual search tool, you’ll be shown how to snatch up similar looks for yourself. 

Part of the collab will be Emily-specific commercials for viewers with ad-supported Netflix plans “that organically tie Emily in Paris with Google Shopping, highlighting Emily Cooper’s photo ingenuity that fans know and love.”

If that’s not enough immersion, Netflix also announced a video game called Netflix Stories: Emily in Paris.

“Just like Emily, you’ll make the move from the US to Paris after accepting a dream job,” the ad copy teases. “Emily, Mindy, Alfie, and Gabriel will help you explore the city and find yourself in the process. Will you take every opportunity to land your dream job, and follow your heart?”

Bonne chance.

The first half of Emily in Paris‘ fourth season is now streaming.

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HBO and its streaming service Max are making sure fans get a chance to catch the kickoff of the Colin Farrell spin-off series The Penguin. 

The network announced that not only will the show debut on HBO on Sept. 19 at 9 p.m. ET, it will also re-run the premiere multiple times over that weekend, including Sept. 22 at 9 p.m. ET. 

Fans can also catch up with the show on Max, naturally, but Sundays at 9 p.m. ET will be reserved for the debuts of all subsequent episodes of the eight-installment series on HBO and Max. Episode 2 debuts on Sept. 29. 

As reported, Oscar winner Farrell reprises his acclaimed role from The Batman, Oz Cobb aka The Penguin, and the show centers on his rise to power in Gotham City after the events of Matt Reeves‘ blockbuster. 

The series cast also includes Cristin Milioti as criminal heiress Sofia Falcone; Rhenzy Feliz as Victor Aguilar; and veteran character actor Clancy Brown as crime boss Salvatore Maroni.

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