Entertainment

While most Americans prepare to celebrate the country’s freedom on July 4, many Black people in the United States recognize June 19 as their independence day.

What’s widely known as Juneteenth, but also referred to as Jubilee Day or Black Independence Day, is the significant date in Black history when the last enslaved African Americans found out about their freedom. The news was delivered to Black people in Galveston, Texas, on June 19, 1865, two years after President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, which lawfully marked the end of slavery for those of the Southern Confederate states.

With Vice President Kamala Harris, the first Black woman to hold the second-highest office in the executive branch, by his side, President Joe Biden signed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act into law last year, on June 17, 2021. But the African American community had been celebrating long before Juneteenth was made a federal holiday.

Those celebrations normally include music, food, and traditions such as the singing of the national Black anthem, “Lift Every Voice and Sing.” But some stars, like Naomi Raine of the Grammy-winning gospel group Maverick City Music, plan to commemorate the holiday differently this year. Raine will open up honest conversations with her children.

“I think everybody’s kind of evolving how they’re celebrating this holiday because some of it is just coming to light for many of us,” Raine told ABC Audio. “Now, it’s more about educating my children and letting them know the roots of our nation and talking about how freedom is for everybody.”

The country’s delayed acknowledgement of what has long been an erased part of American history encourages Black people to research and educate themselves on unknown facts about their ancestry.

The 157th anniversary of Juneteenth is this Sunday, June 19.

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The Muppets of Sesame Street are saluting dads — and those who play the role — with a special send-up of the opening to Friends.

The clip starts with the familiar fountain backdrop of the beloved sitcom, with F – A – T – H – E – R – S flashed on the screen in the show’s familiar font, while Elmo, Wes and their pals sit on the set’s orange couch.

The characters, along with Wes’ dad, Elijah, Elmo’s pop, Louie, and the other dads from the children’s show all sing a new version of The Rembrandts‘ Friends theme, rewritten to showcase dads and all they do.

“When if feels like you’re being pulled from there to here/When you haven’t slept in days or weeks or months, or three and a half years,” the Muppet dads sing, “I’ll be there for you.”

There’s even a song break saluting Phoebe’s song “Smelly Cat,” with this version saying, “Smelly Trash/Smelly Trash, why do Grouches love you?”

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Jerry Seinfeld‘s love of breakfast food was literally always on display in every episode of Seinfeld, but he’s taking it a step further by making his feature film directorial debut about … Pop-Tarts.

Specifically, Seinfeld has tapped fellow stand-up comic actors Amy Schumer and Jim Gaffigan, along with Melissa McCarthy, Hugh Grant, Christian Slater and more, for the Netflix film Unfrosted: The Pop-Tart Story.

Calling it “a tale of ambition, betrayal, sugar, and menacing milkmen,” Unfrosted will also star Seinfeld himself, along with Anchorman 2‘s James Marsden; Reno 911 and Balls of Fury writer and star Thomas Lennon; The New Girl‘s Max Greenfield; former Saturday Night Live cast member Bobby Moynihan; and 30 Rock veteran Jack McBrayer.

The streamer teases, “Michigan, 1963. Kellogg’s and Post, sworn cereal rivals, race to create a pastry that will change the face of breakfast forever.”

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Comedian and Oscar-nominated actress Mo’Nique has “amicably” settled a 2017 lawsuit against Netflix, in which she claimed she was given a “low-ball” offer for a comedy special and then retaliated against when she cried foul.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, both parties agreed to drop any legal action in exchange for an undisclosed settlement.

At the time, Mo’Nique leveled claims of race and sex discrimination against the streaming service, claiming the $500,000 she was offered by the streamer paled in comparison to the multimillion deals Netflix gave Dave Chappelle, Amy Schumer and others.

For her part, Mo’Nique said at the time she couldn’t accept the deal, knowing that her name would be used as a way to tamp down the requested price tag for other Black female comics, like Tiffany Haddish and others.

“When Mo’Nique, one of the most well-known black female comedians in America, faced that anachronistic attitude, she knew it was time to challenge the status quo,” said her attorney, Michael W. Parks, in a statement at the time.

Netflix had denied the Precious Oscar nominee’s discrimination accusations.

However, The Hollywood Reporter notes a federal judge overseeing the case agreed with Mo’Nique’s assertions, calling it “plausible” that her name and her salary — had she agreed to it — could be used “in dealing with talent in the entertainment industry.”

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Most fans already think Ryan Gosling is a doll, but he literally is one come to life as Ken in the upcoming Warner Bros. Barbie movie.

The studio has teased a first image of the actor in the role — complete with bleach blond hair; hiked down denims revealing ‘Ken’ on his undies; an open, sleeveless denim vest showing off his eight pack; and a skin tone matching his plastic alter ego.

Margot Robbie stars as the titular blonde bombshell in the film, which was co-written and directed by Oscar nominated Little Women writer/director Greta Gerwig.

The romantic comedy also stars SNL vet Kate McKinnon, tick, tick…BOOM!‘s Alexandra Shipp, Superstore‘s America Ferrera, Shang-Chi‘s Simu Liu, Will Ferrell and And Just Like That… actor Hari Nef.

Barbie is set to roll into theaters in her Dream Car on July 21, 2023.

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(SPOILERS) On Wednesday, the penultimate episode of Obi-Wan Kenobi dropped on Disney+.

And as many fans had hoped since news broke Hayden Christensen was returning to the Star Wars fold after the prequels, “Part V” shows the actor in flashbacks as Anakin Skywalker — before he turned to the Dark Side and became Darth Vader.

Christensen was almost at a loss for words to ABC Audio about his return. “It’s been incredible,” the actor enthuses. “I can’t sort of tell you how meaningful it is to me.”

He adds, “You know, the fans have just been very supportive, and they’re the reason why I get to come back and play in this world again. And I can’t thank them enough.”

The new episode explores the bond between Skywalker and Kenobi as student and master, in a sequence that takes place before the events of Episode II – Attack of the Clones.

The two became battle brothers as the galaxy erupted in the Clone Wars, which were explored in detail in the Emmy-winning animated series that shares the conflict’s name.

For Christensen, the series became a great way to research the character for the flashbacks in Kenobi.

“It was really interesting to get to see these other storylines and these characters at a different time in their lives…You know, it all helps in terms of just understanding the character then and re familiarizing myself as much as I could.”

Obi-Wan Kenobi of course also allowed Christensen to step back into Darth Vader’s menacing black armor for the first time since the closing moments of Episode III – Revenge of the Sith.

As then, it drew a crowd on set.

“Vader definitely gets a response from people,” the actor says with a laugh. (AUDIO IS ABC 1-ON-1)

Disney is the parent company of ABC News.

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Love, Victor‘s third and final season debuts today, June 15, on Hulu and Disney+, and fans will finally get the answer they’ve been not-so-patiently waiting for since season 2 ended on a doozy of a cliffhanger.

We left off with Victor torn between two guys – his ex and first love, Benji, and new potential love interest Rahim. In the season 2 finale, he presumably makes his decision, running to one of their houses and ringing the bell. But who’s on the other side of the door? The show’s stars say they can’t wait for fans to finally find out.

“It will be nice not to have to hold the secret in anymore,” George Sear, who plays Benji, tells ABC Audio.

“Yeah, yeah, for sure,” Michael Cimino, who plays Victor, agrees. “I think that’s, like, the best part about it is it’s no longer our secret to keep.”

The two say they had no idea fan reaction to the love triangle would be so passionate, but it just goes to show the effect the show has had in just three seasons.

“I think just the impact that the show has had, and hopefully the lasting impact that it will have, is something that … I was really proud to be a part of,” Sear says.

For Cimino, he’s taking away a major life lesson from playing Victor. “I keep saying this, but it’s to be brave,” he says. “Victor embracing who he is … like, it just resonates with me.”

Season 3 of Love, Victor — also starring Isabella Ferreira, Anthony Turpel, Bebe Wood and Rachel Hilson — is out now.

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Only a few months to go before Harry Styles‘ new movie, My Policeman, arrives in theaters, and to hype fans further, Amazon released the first teaser trailer on Wednesday.

The teaser flips through some of the more emotional moments of the upcoming drama, which features Harry as a closeted officer named Tom. The R-rated film also stars The Crown’s Emma Corrin as a schoolteacher named Marion and The Last Kingdom’s David Dawson as a museum curator named Patrick.  

The teaser shows a conversation between Patrick and Tom, as the latter describes how a painting of the ocean makes him feel. “I can sense the waves.  You know how strong they are, like swimming in rough surf.  You feel they could crush you or take you under,” he describes. “You just have to let it take hold of you.”

The movie is about a forbidden love between Tom and Patrick, as the movie is set in 1950s England when homosexuality was prohibited. While Tom marries Marion in an attempt to fit into society, Patrick suffers the consequences when he is outed.

My Policeman is based on the book of the same name. After it debuts in theaters on October 21, it will be available to stream on Amazon Prime Video on November 4.

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In a continuing interview with Today‘s Savannah Guthrie, Amber Heard insisted the controversial op-ed at the center of Johnny Depp‘s defamation lawsuit against her “wasn’t about him.”

Guthrie pressed Heard on several elements of her testimony, which ultimately led a jury to side with Depp, awarding him $10 million dollars in compensatory damages and $5 million in punitive damages.

“Life had seemingly moved on and you decide to write an op-ed, why did you do that?” Guthrie asked the Aquaman actress.

Heard insisted the “op-ed wasn’t about my relationship with Johnny,” to which Guthrie wondered, “But it alluded to him. Is that mistakable?”

Heard said instead, the column, titled, “I spoke up against sexual violence — and faced our culture’s wrath. That has to change,” was “about was me lending my voice to a bigger cultural conversation that we were having at the time.”

Guthrie responded that the 2018 article was at the “height” of the Me Too movement. “Legions of powerful men being cancelled. Losing their jobs. Did you want that to happen to Johnny Depp?” she asked.

“Of course not. It wasn’t about him,” the actress replied.

Heard also denied tipping off TMZ that she’d filed a restraining order against Depp — something she seemingly accidentally admitted in testimony.

The interview, which will continue on NBC’s Dateline on Friday, June 17, will also see Heard address her failure to donate her divorce settlement as she had pledged and insisting of Depp, “I love him. I love him with all my heart.”

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A conversation centering on Brad Pitt‘s cashmere brand, featured on Gwyneth Paltrow‘s Goop website, also reveals the two exes are still good friends.

With Father’s Day coming up on Sunday, the conversation turned to the special bond Brad shared with Gwyneth’s dad, the late director Bruce Paltrow.

“I’ll never forget when we were engaged and he came to me one day, his eyes full of tears, and he said, ‘You know, I never really realized what they mean when they say you’re gaining a son. Like, I’m gaining a son,” the 49-year-old actress recalls, before asking, “What impact did he have on you? Why did you love him, even though we didn’t get married, unfortunately?”

“Yeah, right,” Pitt, 58, answered, laughing. “Oh man, everything works out, doesn’t it?”

“Yes, it does,” Paltrow replies before joking, “I finally found the Brad I was supposed to marry. It just took me 20 years.”

“And it’s lovely to have you as a friend now,” says Pitt, adding, “And I do love you.”

“I love you so much,” Gwyneth replies.

Paltrow and Pitt began dating in 1994, after meeting on the set of the movie Seven, in which they played a married couple. The pair got engaged in 1996 but never tied the knot, calling it quits in 1997.

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