Entertainment

In a stunning turn of events, a New Mexico judge dismissed Alec Baldwin‘s Rust case on Friday. The dismissal came on day three of Baldwin’s involuntary manslaughter trial in connection with the deadly on-set shooting.

The judge granted the defense’s motion to dismiss the case, in which they claimed that live ammunition related the investigation, which came into the hands of local law enforcement, was “concealed” from them.

Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer said the state’s discovery violation — the late disclosure of a supplemental report on the ammunition evidence — “injected needless delay into the proceedings,” approached “bad faith” and was “highly prejudicial to the defendant.”

“There is no way for the court to right this wrong,” Sommer said in granting the motion to dismiss with prejudice, meaning Baldwin cannot be tried again on the charge.

Baldwin reacted emotionally as the judge explained her ruling.

The decision followed a day-long motion hearing at the trial over the death of Rust cinematographer Halyna Hutchins. She was fatally shot by Baldwin on the Santa Fe set of the western in October 2021 when his revolver fired a live round.

The court discussed the defense’s motion in the absence of the jury. In an unexpected move, the special prosecutor on the case, Kari Morrissey, also called herself to testify on the matter.

During cross-examination of Morrissey, it was revealed that the other prosecutor in the case, Erlinda Ocampo Johnson, resigned from the case on Friday. Morrissey said it was because Johnson “didn’t agree with the decision to have a public hearing.”

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Alec Baldwin‘s manslaughter trial took a surprising turn on Friday as the jury was dismissed for the day while the court discusses a motion filed by the defense.

Baldwin’s legal team claims live ammunition that came into the hands of local law enforcement officials related to the investigation into the deadly on-set Rust shooting was “concealed” from them.

In an expedited motion filed late Thursday, the defense argued the case should be dismissed over the handling of the ammunition evidence. During court on Friday, the state argued the evidence has no exculpatory value and is not relevant to Baldwin’s case.

The matter was initially raised during court on Thursday, the second day of the actor’s involuntary manslaughter trial over the death of Rust cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, who was fatally shot by Baldwin on the Santa Fe set of the Western in October 2021 when his revolver discharged a live round.

Defense attorney Alex Spiro asked state’s witness Marissa Poppell, a crime scene technician with the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office who collected evidence in the case, about a “good Samaritan” who handed over ammunition to the Sheriff’s Office in March — at the conclusion of Rust armorer Hannah Gutierrez‘s trial. 

That ammunition had reportedly ended up with Seth Kenney, who supplied the film with firearms, blanks and inert dummy rounds that are supposed to be used for closeups.

Gutierrez was convicted of involuntary manslaughter in Hutchins’ death, with prosecutors arguing the armorer was the source of the live bullet that killed her and saying Gutierrez failed to follow safety protocols meant to protect the crew while handling the firearms.

Defense attorney Luke Nikas charged that the evidence was “concealed,” adding prosecutor Kari Morrissey “does not get to determine what has evidentiary value and what doesn’t.”

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Billy Boyd and Dominic Monaghan had a chance to reunite with their fellow Lord of the Rings fellowship member Ian McKellen thanks to their new food travelogue series, Billy and Dom Eat the World.

A filmed spin-off of a segment of their now-defunct Friendship Onion podcast, the show has Boyd and Monaghan spanning the world for good eats — and Deadline reports the first episode landed them at the door to a London pub called The Grapes.

The establishment is owned by McKellen, who of course played Gandalf to Boyd and Monaghan’s respective Hobbits Pippin and Merry in Peter Jackson‘s epic Tolkien trilogy.

“It happened we were looking at London pub culture and it just so happens Ian McKellen has a pub,” Boyd told the trade. “He told us why he ended up in that part of London, and what pubs mean to Britain.”

Boyd offered, “We felt food is a great in to finding out about people and communities. [Producer Daniel Sharp] loved the idea and very quickly we started making it.”

Monaghan noted, “One of our favorite ways to get to know a city is to check out a local restaurant. Myself, Billy, Elijah Wood and Sean Astin go to conventions very often, and one of the things we do over these weekends is pick a restaurant, and go and eat.”

It is yet to be known which platform will carry the six-episode show, which spans from Texas to the Thames and, according to a preview, has the longtime friends working in a high-end kitchen, toiling in a food truck, making beer and eating all over the world.

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ABC Audio has confirmed that the paused production on the third season of HBO’s Emmy-winning drama Euphoria has finally been given the green light.

A rep for the network said Friday that the delayed season 3 would start shooting in January, with Zendaya, Colman Domingo and the rest of the principal cast returning. 

A “thrilled” Francesca Orsi, the network’s head of drama series and films, added, “We could not be happier with our creative partnership with Sam [Levinson] and this incredible cast. We look forward to bringing this new season of Euphoria to life for the fans.”

Back in March, HBO suddenly announced it was pausing production of the show and that its cast, which also includes Sydney Sweeney, Jacob Elordi and Storm Reid, was temporarily released from their commitments to the drama. 

At the time, HBO said the network and show creator Levinson “remain committed to making an exceptional third season,” but were “allowing our in-demand cast to pursue other opportunities.”

Speculation had been bubbling as to whether or not the show would ever return, considering the increase in star power of the cast, including a pair of Emmys for Zendaya for the drama, as well as her big-screen hits like Dune: Part Two; a recent Oscar nomination for Domingo; and Sweeney’s turn as a star and producer of the blockbuster Anyone but You. 

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To promote its new The Batman spin-off series The Penguin starring Colin Farrell, Max is taking over San Diego. 

Timed with San Diego Comic Con later in July, the streaming service has announced it’s bringing Gotham City to “America’s Finest City.”

The Penguin will begin its takeover July 25 with the opening of a recreation of Gotham’s famed Iceberg Lounge, famously run on the big — and now small — screen by the Penguin himself. 

Starting Friday, fans who are over 21 can win a chance to attend an after-party in the lounge at this website. According to the streamer, “This multi-room experience offers complimentary drinks, live DJ sets, exclusive giveaways including a Jefferson’s Bourbon tasting, and photo opportunities including Oz’s iconic purple Maserati — giving partygoers an unprecedented glimpse into Gotham’s criminal underworld.”

You can even get a chance to get to the inner sanctum, the 44 Below club, via a special password. 

Further, Max will be deploying a Gotham Ice Truck in front of the San Diego Convention Center, where visitors can get free Slush Puppies to beat the heat.

Max will also be partnering with local San Diego businesses like Gaslamp Pizza, Prohibition 1920 and more for “bespoke giveaways.”

Naturally, The Penguin will have a presence inside the con as well, with a Hall H panel with the cast and executive producers. 

Pia Barlow, the executive vice president of HBO and Max’s Originals Marketing division, said “fans will have the chance to engross themselves in the underground world of Oz Cobbs’s Gotham, picking up where we left off in Matt Reeves‘ The Batman, as we look to generate excitement for the series premiering this September.”

Check out @TheBatman’s social channels starting July 21 for more details. 

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While the first season wraps up on July 24, the case isn’t closed on Apple TV+’s adaptation of Presumed Innocent. 

The Jake Gyllenhaal/Ruth Negga-starring series will return for a second season, ABC Audio has confirmed, but it will center on an all-new case. 

The adaptation of the Scott Turow book of the same name that was previously made into a 1990 hit starring Harrison Ford has Gyllenhaal succeeding him in the lead role of Rusty Sabich, an attorney and family man accused of brutally murdering his mistress, a crime he swears he didn’t commit.

It’s not yet known if Sabich will be back for season 2, but Gyllenhaal will be — as executive producer — along with David E. Kelley, J.J. Abrams, Rachel Rusch Rich, Dustin Thomason and Matt Tinker, and co-executive producer Turow.

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Appearing on The Kelly Clarkson Show to talk about her new comedy, Fly Me to the Moon, Scarlett Johansson got real about a recurring Saturday Night Live segment featuring her Weekend Update co-host husband Colin Jost.

Safe to say, ScarJo isn’t a fan of the annual joke-swap with Jost’s co-anchor Michael Che, for which both anchors have to perform, blind, a joke the other has written for them.

Kelly, for the record, says she “loves” that segment.

Clarkson asked Scarlett about it, demonstrating with a clip in which an embarrassed Jost reads Che’s quip: “ChatGPT has released a new voice assistant feature inspired by Scarlett Johansson’s AI character in Her. Which I’ve never bothered to watch, because without that body, what’s the point of listening?”

For her part, Scarlett called the segment “brutal” and “painful,” noting the one Kelly showed was actually “tame” compared to others.

“I actually don’t remember that segment,” she said, miming how she covered her face and screamed when her face appeared over Jost’s shoulder.

“I fully blacked out,” she continues.

“I feel like every year it gets worse,” Scarlett says, adding sarcastically, “And they do it at Christmas, so it’s like a little gift to each other.”

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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:

Big Brother (CBS)
It’s not summer without Julie Chen Moonves welcoming you to Big Brother. The long-running reality competition series returns for season 26 on July 17, and CBS has revealed that this year the theme is artificial intelligence. The producers are calling it BB AI, and the house and the game twists seem to follow that concept. “BB AI is taking over the House and the theme will deliver the most unpredictable season for Houseguests,” an official press release reads.

The Real Housewives of Orange County (Bravo)
Alexis Bellino is in love and she’s not hiding it. On the season 18 premiere, The Real Housewives of Orange County star revealed details about the love triangle she’s found herself in with John Janssen and his ex-girlfriend Shannon Storms Beador. “I don’t know Shannon, [I’m] not friends with Shannon and unfortunately, your heart wants what it wants and here we are. Take us or leave us,” Bellino shared in a People exclusive clip from the show.

Too Hot to Handle (Netflix)
The trailer for season 6 of Too Hot to Handle dropped on Wednesday, and it promises surprises for the group of singles this time around. A new prize, different twists and a brand-new sidekick called BAD LANA await the contestants when the season premieres on Netflix on July 19.

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As part of the global press tour for Deadpool & Wolverine, Ryan Reynolds shouted out Peggy, his canine co-star in the film.

But his wife, Blake Lively, saw something different in Ryan’s cuddling of the pooch, whose unlikely path to being a movie star as Deadpool variant Dogpool began with the scruffy one being named “the ugliest dog in Britain,” as Ryan explained onstage.

“We’re not telling her that, because she is a 10 in our hearts,” he said to laughs, adding the “truly amazing” dog “went through more training than Hugh Jackman in the gym.” 

However, Reynolds’ exchange was apparently too cute for Blake to resist.

With an alarm emoji, Lively noted on Instagram, “SOS: He’s trying to get me pregnant again.”

She added, “Put the dog that you find adorable in spite of societal k9 expectations away and take off the damn teal suit.”

Blake and Reynolds have four daughters together, including James, 9, Inez, 7, and Betty, 4. The name of their fourth daughter, born in 2023, has not been revealed.

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Marvel Studios has dropped an action-packed teaser for Captain America: Brave New World, the first standalone film with Anthony Mackie‘s Sam Wilson as the star-spangled hero. 

As reported, Harrison Ford joins the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross, succeeding the late William Hurt. The Hulk-hunting general has become the president of the United States.

Despite their disagreements in the past, Ross wants to make Wilson’s Captain America a military asset again.

“And if we disagree on how to manage a situation, then what happens?” Wilson asks. “Work with me, Sam,” Ross ignores him.

“We’ll show the world a better way forward,” he later says ominously.

And those “situations” come fast: The teaser shows Giancarlo Esposito — a late addition to the cast, rumored to be playing mercenary George Washington Bridge — stalks the streets with an assault rifle. 

Isaiah Bradley (Carl Lumbly), last seen in The Falcon and The Winter Soldier as a Black G.I. who was turned into a super-soldier decades prior, attempts to assassinate Ross.

“Sir, your inner circle has been compromised,” Sam warns the president. 

A returning character from 2008’s The Incredible Hulk, Tim Blake Nelson‘s villainous Samuel Sterns, warns, “Global power is shifting. You’re just a pawn.”

With footage of Sam fighting off heavily armed enemies, Ross growls, “You may be Captain America, but you’re not Steve Rogers.”

“You’re right, I’m not,” Sam replies. 

Sam later dogfights with fighter jets, joined in the sky by his successor to the Falcon mantle, Joaquin Torres (Danny Ramirez).

But the teaser ends with a roar, literally: Red Hulk, who in the comics is Ross’ furious alter-ego, is glimpsed flinging Cap’s shield into the ground. 

Captain America: Brave New World opens Feb. 14, 2025.

Marvel Studios is owned by ABC News’ parent company, Disney.

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