‘Bachelorette’ recap: Hometowns end with a crushing elimination

‘Bachelorette’ recap: Hometowns end with a crushing elimination
‘Bachelorette’ recap: Hometowns end with a crushing elimination
ABC/Craig Sjodin

It was time for hometowns on Monday’s episode of The Bachelorette, and with just four men left, Charity faced her toughest rose ceremony yet, ending with Aaron being sent home in the season’s most heartbreaking elimination.

Before meeting Aaron’s family in his hometown of Houston, Charity confessed that after getting off to a strong start, their relationship had cooled off somewhat, and she hoped the day would get their courtship “back on track.” Charity seemed to find the clarity she needed from discussions with Aaron’s family and from Aaron himself, who declared that he was falling in love with her.

Charity’s date with Joey, on the other hand, went in the opposite direction when, during her conversation with Joey’s uncle Joe in Collegeville, Pennsylvania, he expressed his concern that Joey, who has a tendency to become someone he believed people wanted him to be, wasn’t showing Charity his “true self.” That raised a red flag with the Bachelorette who, after going into the date feeling confident about their relationship, left with a little uncertainty.

Over in Cleveland, Xavier, who’d previously struck Charity as being a little uncertain of his readiness to get down on one knee, eased her doubts by confidently saying that he was falling in love with her. Meanwhile, the outpouring of love and support she received from Dotun‘s family in Fresno, California, solidified his place as a frontrunner in the competition.

Back in Los Angeles, Charity revealed to host Jesse Palmer that she was falling in love with all four men, and the hometown dates only left her more confused.

At the rose ceremony, she chose Joey over Aaron, despite her concerns over his authenticity. In an emotional goodbye, she tearfully told Aaron that she wasn’t sure she’d made the right decision.

“I’m falling in love with someone, yet and I just them home,” she said in a confessional, adding, “What if I just made the absolute wrong decision?”

Here are the men going to fantasy suites:

Dotun, 30, an integrative medicine specialist from Brooklyn, N.Y.
Joseph “Joey,” 27, a tennis pro from Lawai, Hawaii.
Xavier, 27, a biomedical scientist from Carrboro, N.C.

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‘Euphoria’ star Angus Cloud, known for his role as Fezco, dies at 25

‘Euphoria’ star Angus Cloud, known for his role as Fezco, dies at 25
‘Euphoria’ star Angus Cloud, known for his role as Fezco, dies at 25
Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic for HBO

Angus Cloud, known for his role as Fezco in the hit HBO show Euphoria, has died, his family confirmed in a statement obtained by ABC News on Monday, July 31.

“It is with the heaviest heart that we had to say goodbye to an incredible human today,” the statement reads. “As an artist, a friend, a brother and a son, Angus was special to all of us in so many ways.”

“Last week he buried his father and intensely struggled with this loss,” the statement continues. “The only comfort we have is knowing Angus is now reunited with his dad, who was his best friend. Angus was open about his battle with mental heath and we hope that his passing can be a reminder to others that they are not alone and should not fight this on their own in silence.”

Cloud was born on July 10, 1998, in Oakland, California. He attended the Oakland School for the Arts.

When he was living in Brooklyn, New York, he was scouted by Euphoria’s casting director, Jennifer Venditti. Cloud became a breakout star for his pivotal role in the first two seasons of Euphoria. Season 3 of the series has not yet begun production. 

“We are incredibly saddened to learn of the passing of Angus Cloud,” an HBO spokesperson wrote in a statement obtained by ABC News. “He was immensely talented and a beloved part of the HBO and Euphoria family. We extend our deepest condolences to his friends and family during this difficult time.”

If you are in crisis or know someone in crisis, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1- 800-273-TALK (8255) or contact the Crisis Text Line by texting HOME to 741741.

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After sex assault case acquittal, Kevin Spacey film ‘Control’ could come to theaters

After sex assault case acquittal, Kevin Spacey film ‘Control’ could come to theaters
After sex assault case acquittal, Kevin Spacey film ‘Control’ could come to theaters
Chris J Ratcliffe/Getty Images

Control, a live-action thriller in which Kevin Spacey voiced a character while his career was stalled in Hollywood, could see the light of day in theaters after the Oscar winner’s acquittal on sex assault charges.

The Hollywood Reporter notes exclusively that a distributor for the film, TriCoast Worldwide, is now looking at getting the movie into theaters in the U.S. and U.K., as opposed to just streaming platforms.

Shot in London in 2022, the movie has Spacey voicing an off-camera hostage taker: Using a hacked vehicle, he kidnaps an English politician and goes on a “rampage” throughout the city, while terrorizing her through the car’s speakers.

In a lengthy interview in the German publication ZEITmagazin in June, Spacey insisted he was “ready” for a career comeback when and if he was cleared in the U.K. case, and working on Control was a way to stay sharp. “Just because I was being benched for a while, I’m not going to stop working,” he explained. “I don’t want to get rusty. I’m ready.”

He also reportedly worked on smaller movies bound for Italian and Russian theaters, according to the article.

The former House of Cards star maintained, “I know that there are people right now who are ready to hire me the moment I am cleared of these charges in London. The second that happens, they’re ready to move forward.”

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Tim Burton, Natasha Lyonne, Conan O’Brien and more mourn the loss of Paul Reubens

Tim Burton, Natasha Lyonne, Conan O’Brien and more mourn the loss of Paul Reubens
Tim Burton, Natasha Lyonne, Conan O’Brien and more mourn the loss of Paul Reubens
Randy Holmes/ABC via Getty Images

Not long after the news broke about the death of Paul Reubens, the comedian best known for portraying his creation Pee-wee Herman on the big and small screen, celebrities took to social media to mourn his death.

Reubens died at 70 after a battle with cancer.

A “shocked and saddened” director Tim Burton posted to Instagram a picture of him and his lead on the set of their 1985 hit Pee-wee’s Big Adventure. “I’ll never forget how Paul helped me at the beginning of my career. It would not have happened without his support,” Burton added, saying he will miss the “great artist.”

Natasha Lyonne had a similar expression of gratitude: The Poker Face star was just a kid when she appeared on Pee-wee’s Playhouse. Her Instagram story reposted her tweeted throwback photos and the message, “Love you so much, Paul. One in all time. Thank you for my career & your forever friendship all these years & for teaching us what a true original is.”

Jimmy Kimmel called Reubens “a brilliant and original comedian who made kids and their parents laugh at the same time.” He added, “He never forgot a birthday and shared his genuine delight for silliness with everyone he met. My family and I will miss him.”

Comedian Dane Cook called him a “gifted performer and a nice person” who was “as great in real life as he was on screen.”

Conan O’Brien said, “No tweet can capture the magic, generosity, artistry, and devout silliness of Paul Reubens. Everyone I know received countless nonsensical memes from Paul on their birthday, and I mean EVERYONE.” Conan added, “His surreal comedy and unrelenting kindness were a gift to us all. Damn, this hurts.”

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

‘Haunted Mansion’ director Justin Simien plans to watch Donald Glover’s ‘Lando’ spinoff for Disney+ “as a fan”

‘Haunted Mansion’ director Justin Simien plans to watch Donald Glover’s ‘Lando’ spinoff for Disney+ “as a fan”
‘Haunted Mansion’ director Justin Simien plans to watch Donald Glover’s ‘Lando’ spinoff for Disney+ “as a fan”
Glover in ‘Solo: A Star Wars Story’ — Lucasfilm

Back in 2020, Haunted Mansion director Justin Simien was tapped for another Disney property, but one set in a galaxy far, far away.

Simien had been developing a Disney+ show spun from Donald Glover‘s portrayal of swaggering space smuggler Lando Calrissian as seen in 2018’s Solo: A Star Wars Story. Glover played the younger version of Billy Dee Williams‘ cape-wearing ladies’ man in the film — considered to be one of the bright spots of the underperforming movie.

After working on it for a while, Simien exited the project; it was announced July 27 that Glover, along with his brother, Stephen, will now write the streaming series for Lucasfilm.

ABC Audio asked Simien about the project, and he apparently doesn’t have any hard feelings about the new direction.

“I’m a big fan of Donald Glover,” he says. “I think one of the reasons why I was attracted to do Lando in the first place was to work with him and support him. His work has inspired me tremendously. And a version of Lando where him and his brother write it and bring it to screen is totally a version I want to see, you know?”

However, The Dear White People veteran does add that the headlines about the suddenly revitalized project caught him off guard. “Not my favorite way of finding out I wasn’t doing it,” he said with a laugh. “But also at the same time … I’m very at peace with the idea that maybe the best way to support and participate in the Lando mythology is as a fan.” (AUDIO IS ABC 1-ON-1)

With the SAG-AFTRA and WGA strikes still ongoing, it will likely be a while before the Glover brothers’ handiwork sees the light of day on Disney+.

Disney is the parent company of ABC News.

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Paul Reubens, actor best known for playing Pee-wee Herman, dead at 70

Paul Reubens, actor best known for playing Pee-wee Herman, dead at 70
Paul Reubens, actor best known for playing Pee-wee Herman, dead at 70
Mike Pont/WireImage

Paul Reubens, the actor best known for his character Pee-wee Herman, has died at 70, according to the Emmy winner’s Facebook page.

“Last night we said farewell to Paul Reubens, an iconic American actor, comedian, writer and producer whose beloved character Pee-wee Herman delighted generations of children and adults with his positivity, whimsy and belief in the importance of kindness,” the statement on Monday, July 31, began.

“Paul bravely and privately fought cancer for years with his trademark tenacity and wit,” the tribute continued, remembering him as a “gifted and prolific talent.” “He will forever live in the comedy pantheon and in our hearts as a treasured friend and man of remarkable character and generosity of spirit,” the statement continued.

Reubens’ most famous character began on the standup stage, which led to an adult-themed HBO special in 1981. The material was toned down and the character was brought to the big screen with director Tim Burton in the 1985 classic Pee-wee’s Big Adventure, which spawned a sequel, Big Top Pee-wee, in 1988. 

In the interim, Reubens’ creation starred on the small-screen in Pee-Wee’s Playhouse, an Emmy-winning children’s show that ran from 1986 to 1990.

However, Reubens’ arrest in 1991 for indecent exposure at a Florida adult movie theater led to a career downfall, with CBS cancelling reruns of the beloved show, which was supposed to run in syndication.

Over the years, Reubens appeared in many movies and TV shows, including 1992’s Batman Returns for Burton, Matilda, Mystery Men and recently, the TV series What We Do in the Shadows. He also lent his voice to A Nightmare Before Christmas. In 2016, Reubens revisited his beloved Pee-wee character for Netflix in Pee-wee’s Big Holiday.

 

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

‘Everything Everywhere’ Oscar winner Ke Huy Quan can’t help “timeslipping” Tom Hiddleston in new ‘Loki’ trailer

‘Everything Everywhere’ Oscar winner Ke Huy Quan can’t help “timeslipping” Tom Hiddleston in new ‘Loki’ trailer
‘Everything Everywhere’ Oscar winner Ke Huy Quan can’t help “timeslipping” Tom Hiddleston in new ‘Loki’ trailer
Marvel Studios

The trailer for Loki‘s second season is here.

The coming attraction to the Marvel Studios Disney+ show opens with unlikely partners Owen Wilson‘s Mobius and Tom Hiddleston‘s God of Mischief seeking counsel from a Time Variance Authority employee known as O.B., played by Oscar-winning Everything Everywhere All at Once‘s Ke Huy Quan.

At issue is Loki’s randomly staggering and jittering in and out of reality right before their eyes. “Wow. Time-slipping!” O.B. says.

“You’ve seen that?” Wilson’s character asks. “Yeah!” he replies.

“Can you fix that?” Mobius asks. “No!” Quan replies just as quickly.

One of Loki’s slips shows him a glimpse of the end of the world. “If what I saw is true, there’s nothing to stand between this world and utter destruction,” he explains in voiceover.

Only one way to find out,” Wilson drawls as Mobius. “With a little good old-fashioned legwork.”

As the pair slip through various eras in history, we see returning faces from season 1, including Sophia Di Martino‘s Sylvie. “We’re playing God,” she warns Loki. “We are gods,” he replies.

We also see season 1 veterans Gugu Mbatha-Raw reprising as Ravonna Renslayer, Wunmi Mosaku as Hunter B-15 and Jonathan Majors, playing a Kang the Conqueror variant named Victor Timely. “Make the hard choice,” he warns.

The timeline starts running out on October 6.

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

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

‘Barbie’ and ‘Oppenheimer’ give AMC Theatres its best week ever in 103-year history

‘Barbie’ and ‘Oppenheimer’ give AMC Theatres its best week ever in 103-year history
‘Barbie’ and ‘Oppenheimer’ give AMC Theatres its best week ever in 103-year history
Warner Bros. Pictures – Universal Pictures

After a colossal $300 million combined opening weekend two weeks ago, AMC Theatres says the sophomore frame of “Barbenheimer” continues to break records for the chain.

AMC now says the combination of Barbie and Oppenheimer — plus strong showings from the latest Mission: Impossible and the unlikely blockbuster The Sound of Freedom — made July 21-27 the biggest week in the company’s 103-year history.

That week also saw 65 AMC locations recording their highest box office receipts of all time.

The Barbenheimer phenomenon shows no sign of slowing down: Its second week in theaters, along with Mission, Freedom and the debut of Disney’s Haunted Mansion, made for the company’s third-busiest weekend globally since theaters reopened in 2020.

Admissions revenues this past weekend were more than double what they were July 27-30 of last year, the company also revealed.

In a statement, AMC Chairman and CEO Adam Aron commented on the “monumental success” of Barbie and Oppenheimer, which have “new records and new benchmarks being realized seemingly wherever you turn.”

He adds, “These two movies, along with the many others playing on our huge silver screens, continue to rewrite what is possible at the box office.”

Greta Gerwig‘s Barbie already has a worldwide tally of $774.5 million, making the Margot RobbieRyan Gosling film the third highest-grossing movie of the year, behind The Super Mario Bros. Movie and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.

Christopher Nolan‘s Oppenheimer has a worldwide take of $400.4 million — nearly unheard of for a three-hour historical drama. The movie starring Cillian Murphy, Emily Blunt and Robert Downey Jr. already out-earned Nolan’s previous top-grossers, Tenet and Batman Begins, which earned $365 million and $373 million, respectively.

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‘Southern Charm’ star Venita Aspen teases new season, talks summertime skincare routine

‘Southern Charm’ star Venita Aspen teases new season, talks summertime skincare routine
‘Southern Charm’ star Venita Aspen teases new season, talks summertime skincare routine
Stephanie Diani/Bravo

It’s still summer, but before long it will be fall, which means a new season of Southern Charm is around the corner and Venita Aspen, one of the stars of the show, tells ABC Audio fans are in for a bumpy ride. 

“I would tell you to put on not one, but two seatbelts,” she teases. “And that’s all I’m going to give you.” 

Although Venita remained pretty tightlipped on the upcoming ninth season of the Bravo show, she didn’t hold anything back when it came to dishing on her summertime skincare routine.

“I keep it very simple. I’m not a 20 step skincare routine, girly, like seven things or less,” she shares. 

“Step one, we cleanse with this purifying gel and then … cleanse again with this gentle cream cleanser,” the model continues. “I don’t do that all the time, but like, I typically do it the morning after wearing a lot of makeup.”

Venita adds that she likes  Clean Skin towels, which are one-use disposables, instead of a washcloth when taking care of her skin. She likes them so much they made it into her top 3 for must-have skin products. The other two? An SPF for your body and your lips. 

“Never leave the house without putting sunscreen on your lips. You can’t put the same SPF that’s on your skin, on your lips,” she explains. “So like chapstick or a lipstick with SPF game changer, like your lip is like the skin barrier is so much thinner compared to your skin. So you just have to put SPF on your lips.”

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Viola Davis delays ‘G20’ movie, backs union in Hollywood strike despite waiver

Viola Davis delays ‘G20’ movie, backs union in Hollywood strike despite waiver
Viola Davis delays ‘G20’ movie, backs union in Hollywood strike despite waiver
Brian Bowen Smith/ABC via Getty Images

Viola Davis is standing in solidarity with the writers and actors amid the current strike.

In a bold move, the Academy Award-winning actress has decided to step away from her upcoming G20 film project, despite the production receiving the SAG-AFTRA interim agreement green light.

In an official statement obtained by Entertainment Tonight, the 57-year-old EGOT winner expressed, “I love this movie, but I do not feel that it would be appropriate for this production to move forward during the strike. I appreciate that the producers on the project agree with this decision. JuVee Productions and I stand in solidarity with actors, SAG/AFTRA and the WGA.”

Davis’ decision comes after G20 secured a waiver from SAG-AFTRA Friday, July 28, thanks to its unique affiliation with non AMPTP-associated MRC and distribution by Amazon Studios.

G20 centers around the G20 Summit under a terrorist threat, with Davis portraying the American president, Taylor Sutton, facing a high-stakes battle to protect her family, fellow leaders, and the world. 

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.