<figure><img src=”https://s3.amazonaws.com/syndication.abcaudio.com/files/2025-10-20/M_Musicnotesgraphic_0.jpg” alt=””></figure><p>In case you missed it, <strong>Selena Gomez</strong> and <strong>Benny Blanco</strong> made their red carpet debut as a married couple Saturday at the fifth annual Academy Museum Gala in Los Angeles. According to <a href=”https://www.eonline.com/news/1424015/selena-gomez-benny-blanco-academy-museum-gala-red-carpet?cmpid=rss-syndicate-genericrss-us-top_stories” target=”_blank” rel=”noopener noreferrer”>E! Online</a>, Selena <a href=”https://akns-images.eonline.com/eol_images/Entire_Site/20251020/b10cef0a-0a59-4797-8a03-f45fe89ba09f_1760964364.jpg?fit=around%7C634:1024&output-quality=90&crop=634:1024;center,top” target=”_blank” rel=”noopener noreferrer”>wore</a> a custom Giorgio Armani Privé gown with crystal embellishments; Benny wore a black velvet suit with a blue shirt and black loafers.</p><p><strong>Billie Eilish</strong>’s brother, <strong>FINNEAS</strong>, is <a href=”https://www.instagram.com/p/DPAL650Eu7r/?img_index=1″ target=”_blank” rel=”noopener noreferrer”>engaged</a> to his longtime girlfriend <strong>Claudia Sulewski</strong>, and he says he’d be thrilled if she decided she wanted to sing at his wedding. Speaking to <em>Entertainment Tonight</em>, he <a href=”https://www.etonline.com/media/videos/finneas-spills-on-wedding-planning-and-if-sister-billie-eilish-will-sing-on-his-big” target=”_blank” rel=”noopener noreferrer”>said</a> of Billie’s role on his big day, “I want her lift to be low, but I would be very honored if she were interested in singing a lil’ somethin’ … whatever she would like to do, I’d like.”</p><p>After <strong>Taylor Swift</strong> donated $100,000 to <strong>Lilah</strong>, a 2-year-old girl with an aggressive form of brain cancer, Swifties followed suit. <a href=”https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/music/2025/10/20/swifties-rally-toddler-girl-cancer-taylor-swift-donation/86796985007/” target=”_blank” rel=”noopener noreferrer”><em>USA Today</em></a> reports that in the 48 hours after Taylor’s donation became public, Swifties flooded Lilah’s GoFundMe page <a href=”https://www.gofundme.com/f/stand-by-lilah-in-her-cancer-fight” target=”_blank” rel=”noopener noreferrer”>with donations</a>, many in increments of $13, Taylor’s favorite number. Lilah’s mom <a href=”https://www.tiktok.com/@standwithlilah/video/7563073115748683022?embed_source=121374463%2C121468991%2C121439635%2C121749182%2C121433650%2C121404359%2C121497414%2C121477481%2C121351166%2C121811500%2C121896267%2C121860360%2C121487028%2C121679410%2C121331973%2C120811592%2C120810756%2C121885509%3Bnull%3Bembed_masking&refer=embed&referer_url=www.usatoday.com%2F&referer_video_id=7563073115748683022″ target=”_blank” rel=”noopener noreferrer”>posted a TikTok</a> thanking the fans. “It’s not even just the money. It’s the amount of people that have seen our story … that have donated to a random stranger. … Just following along with our story is enough.”</p><p> </p><p>Copyright © 2025, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.</p>
Music
Cardi B speaks up about cuts to food assistance programs
<figure><img src=”https://s3.amazonaws.com/syndication.abcaudio.com/files/2025-10-20/Getty_CardiB_102025.png” alt=””><figcaption>Cardi B performs during the 2025 Global Citizen Festival at Central Park's Great Lawn on September 27, 2025, in New York City (Photo by Taylor Hill/Getty Images)</figcaption></figure><p><strong>Cardi B</strong> is speaking up about funding cuts to the <a href=”https://www.fns.usda.gov/snap/supplemental-nutrition-assistance-program” target=”_blank” rel=”noopener noreferrer”>Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program</a>, formerly known as the Food Stamp Program, that are part of President <strong>Donald Trump</strong>’s <a href=”https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/1/text” target=”_blank” rel=”noopener noreferrer”>Big Beautiful Bill</a>. </p><p>In <a href=”https://x.com/BardisMedia/status/1979673614153847175″ target=”_blank” rel=”noopener noreferrer”>a Spaces session</a> Saturday, she spoke about how those cuts will impact low-income families ahead of the holiday season.</p><p>“People are complaining that they have taken away food stamps. Mind you, Thanksgiving is next month. No turkey for some of y’all, very interesting,” Cardi said. “And I find this so funny, because these are the type of things that I was trying to warn y’all that’s gonna happen in the Trump administration, but y’all didn’t care. All y’all cared about is that I called him ‘Shrump.’”</p><p>She also spoke about price increases for “every god*** thing.”</p><p>“You all consider me rich, right? I’m a millionaire,” she said. “The taxes of living has become high for every godd*** thing, everything has become high. Everything been rising up, from the prices of f***** Fashion Nova and Shein to Chanel and all of that s***, because the tariffs are so f****** expensive.”</p><p>The president’s<strong> </strong>One Big Beautiful Bill Act cuts nearly $187 billion from SNAP funding over the next 10 years, according to <a href=”https://www.congress.gov/crs-product/R48552″ target=”_blank” rel=”noopener noreferrer”>Congress.gov</a>. With the government currently shut down, people who rely on the SNAP program could be affected.</p><p class=”p1″><strong>Ronald Ward</strong>, acting associate administrator of SNAP, said in a letter to health officials obtained by ABC News that the program, which millions of low-income Americans rely on, “has funding available for benefits and operations through the month of October.”</p><p class=”EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy “>He added, “If the current lapse in appropriations continues, there will be insufficient funds to pay full November SNAP benefits for approximately 42 million individuals across the Nation.”</p><p>Copyright © 2025, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.</p>
Music notes: Selena Gomez, Billie Eilish & more
<figure><img src=”https://s3.amazonaws.com/syndication.abcaudio.com/files/2025-10-20/M_Musicnotesgraphic.jpg” alt=””></figure><p>In case you missed it, <strong>Selena Gomez</strong> and <strong>Benny Blanco</strong> made their red carpet debut as a married couple Saturday at the fifth annual Academy Museum Gala in Los Angeles. According to <a href=”https://www.eonline.com/news/1424015/selena-gomez-benny-blanco-academy-museum-gala-red-carpet?cmpid=rss-syndicate-genericrss-us-top_stories” target=”_blank” rel=”noopener noreferrer”>E! Online</a>, Selena <a href=”https://akns-images.eonline.com/eol_images/Entire_Site/20251020/b10cef0a-0a59-4797-8a03-f45fe89ba09f_1760964364.jpg?fit=around%7C634:1024&output-quality=90&crop=634:1024;center,top” target=”_blank” rel=”noopener noreferrer”>wore</a> a custom Giorgio Armani Privé gown with crystal embellishments; Benny wore a black velvet suit with a blue shirt and black loafers.</p><p><strong>Billie Eilish</strong>’s brother, <strong>FINNEAS</strong>, is <a href=”https://www.instagram.com/p/DPAL650Eu7r/?img_index=1″ target=”_blank” rel=”noopener noreferrer”>engaged</a> to his longtime girlfriend <strong>Claudia Sulewski</strong>, and he says he’d be thrilled if she decided she wanted to sing at his wedding. Speaking to <em>Entertainment Tonight</em>, he <a href=”https://www.etonline.com/media/videos/finneas-spills-on-wedding-planning-and-if-sister-billie-eilish-will-sing-on-his-big” target=”_blank” rel=”noopener noreferrer”>said</a> of Billie’s role on his big day, “I want her lift to be low, but I would be very honored if she were interested in singing a lil’ somethin’ … whatever she would like to do, I’d like.”</p><p>After <strong>Taylor Swift</strong> donated $100,000 to <strong>Lilah</strong>, a 2-year-old girl with an aggressive form of brain cancer, Swifties followed suit. <a href=”https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/music/2025/10/20/swifties-rally-toddler-girl-cancer-taylor-swift-donation/86796985007/” target=”_blank” rel=”noopener noreferrer”><em>USA Today</em></a> reports that in the 48 hours after Taylor’s donation became public, Swifties flooded Lilah’s GoFundMe page <a href=”https://www.gofundme.com/f/stand-by-lilah-in-her-cancer-fight” target=”_blank” rel=”noopener noreferrer”>with donations</a>, many in increments of $13, Taylor’s favorite number. Lilah’s mom <a href=”https://www.tiktok.com/@standwithlilah/video/7563073115748683022?embed_source=121374463%2C121468991%2C121439635%2C121749182%2C121433650%2C121404359%2C121497414%2C121477481%2C121351166%2C121811500%2C121896267%2C121860360%2C121487028%2C121679410%2C121331973%2C120811592%2C120810756%2C121885509%3Bnull%3Bembed_masking&refer=embed&referer_url=www.usatoday.com%2F&referer_video_id=7563073115748683022″ target=”_blank” rel=”noopener noreferrer”>posted a TikTok</a> thanking the fans. “It’s not even just the money. It’s the amount of people that have seen our story … that have donated to a random stranger. … Just following along with our story is enough.”</p><p><strong>KATSEYE</strong> has <a href=”https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/jollibee-and-katseye-keep-the-joy-coming-with-new-merch-dropping-today-october-20-and-a-concert-tickets-sweepstakes-starting-october-23-302589058.html” target=”_blank” rel=”noopener noreferrer”>teamed up</a> with Jollibee, the Korean fried chicken franchise, for a new merch collection that’s available now at Complex.com. It includes a “Chickenjoy 100% Garly” tee and hoodie, as well as a “Shared Dream” corduroy bomber jacket. The <a href=”https://www.jollibeefoods.com/katseye” target=”_blank” rel=”nofollow noopener noreferrer”>Jollibee x KATSEYE Beautiful Chaos Tour Ticket Giveaway Sweepstakes</a> will launch Thursday, giving fans a chance to win tickets to one of the girl group’s upcoming concerts in one of nine select cities.</p><p> </p><p>Copyright © 2025, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.</p>
Taylor Swift’s still #1 with ‘The Fate of Ophelia,’ but loses grip on top 12
<figure><img src=”https://s3.amazonaws.com/syndication.abcaudio.com/files/2025-10-20/M_TaylorSwiftTLOASbackcover_081525.jpg” alt=””><figcaption>Taylor Swift, 'The Life of a Showgirl' back cover image (Mert Alas & Marcus Piggot)</figcaption></figure><p>When<strong> Taylor Swift</strong>’s album<em> The Life of a Showgirl</em> first came out, <a href=”https://www.billboard.com/lists/taylor-swift-hot-100-fate-of-ophelia-number-one/the-fate-of-ophelia-streams-airplay/” target=”_blank” rel=”noopener noreferrer”>all 12 songs</a> from the album took over the top 12 spots of the <em>Billboard</em> Hot 100, marking the first time all the songs from one album had appeared on the chart from the top down, uninterrupted.</p><p>Now in its second week, Taylor is still dominating most of the chart, but her songs have fallen off a bit. Her song “The Fate of Ophelia” is still #1, where it debuted last week, but 10 of the other songs have shifted down a few places. Here’s where they currently stand:</p><p>#1, “The Fate of Ophelia” <br>#2, “Opalite” <br>#5, “Elizabeth Taylor”<br>#6, “Father Figure” <br>#7, “Wi$h Li$t” <br>#8, “Wood”<br>#9, “The Life of a Showgirl” feat. Sabrina Carpenter<br>#10, “Actually Romantic”<br>#11, “Cancelled!” <br>#12, “Eldest Daughter” <br>#13, “Ruin the Friendship” <br>#14, “Honey” </p><p>The songs that broke up Taylor’s streak? The <em>KPop Demon Hunters</em> smash “Golden,” which goes back “up, up, up” to #3, and <strong>Alex Warren</strong>’s “Ordinary,” which rebounds to #4. Coincidentally, both “The Fate of Ophelia” and “Ordinary” were parodied as part of the latest “<a href=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C_6_ymTaxN4″ target=”_blank” rel=”noopener noreferrer”>Domingo</a>” sketch on <em>Saturday Night Live</em>.</p><p> </p><p>Copyright © 2025, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.</p>
Never-before-seen Tom Petty performance released for his 75th birthday
<figure><img src=”https://s3.amazonaws.com/syndication.abcaudio.com/files/2025-10-20/Getty_tomPetty_102025.png” alt=””><figcaption>Musician Tom Petty performs at the Bridgestone halftime show during Super Bowl XLII between the New York Giants and the New England Patriots on February 3, 2008 at the University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)</figcaption></figure><p class=”p1″><span class=”s1″>The late <strong>Tom Petty</strong> would have turned 75 on Monday, and to mark the occasion, the singer’s estate has released a never-before-seen clip from the Petty archives.</span></p><p class=”p1″><span class=”s1″>The </span><a href=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hJyrtODeiTs” target=”_blank” rel=”noopener noreferrer”><span class=”s1″>video</span></a><span class=”s1″> features footage of Petty performing the </span><em><span class=”s1″>Wildflowers</span></em><span class=”s1″> track “Don’t Fade On Me” from rehearsals for Petty’s Dogs with Wings tour.</span></p><p class=”p1″><span class=”s1″>Also in honor of Petty’s birthday, a limited-edition numbered print of the artwork for Petty’s 2009 box set, </span><em><span class=”s1″>The Live Anthology,</span></em><span class=”s1″> has just been released. Only 1,000 copies are now available at the </span><a href=”https://store.tompetty.com/products/live-anthology-poster” target=”_blank” rel=”noopener noreferrer”><span class=”s1″>Tom Petty Store</span></a><span class=”s1″>, with proceeds going to the Tom Petty Endowment for Guitars and Innovation at University of Florida College of the Arts in Petty’s hometown of Gainesville.</span> </p><div class=”raw-html-embed”><iframe width=”640″ height=”360″ src=”https://www.youtube.com/embed/hJyrtODeiTs” title=”Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers – Don’t Fade On Me (Official Dogs With Wings Rehearsal Video)” frameborder=”0″ allow=”accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share” referrerpolicy=”strict-origin-when-cross-origin” allowfullscreen></iframe>
</div><p>Copyright © 2025, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.</p>
</div><p>Copyright © 2025, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.</p>
Nashville notes: Craig Campbell’s 2nd Grindstone Cowboy + Stapleton’s SF stop
<figure><img src=”https://s3.amazonaws.com/syndication.abcaudio.com/files/2025-10-20/Nashville_Notes%281%29.jpg” alt=””></figure><p><span><strong>Chris Stapleton</strong> will play San Francisco’s Bill Graham Civic Auditorium Feb. 7, 2026, with <strong>Sierra Ferrell</strong>. Tickets go on sale Friday.</span><span class=”Apple-converted-space”> </span></p><p><span><strong>Craig Campbell</strong> will open a second location of his Grindstone Cowboy coffee shop Nov. 8 in Shelbyville, Tennessee. Grand opening festivities start at 7 a.m. CT and will culminate with a 7 p.m. CT concert by Craig. The first location opened in Eagleville, Tennessee, in 2022.</span></p><p><span>Newcomer <strong>Jenna Paulette</strong> adds<strong> Jake Worthington</strong> to a new duet version of </span><a href=”https://youtu.be/ZjarnOsNrXY?si=W6_FyFTMUOZOR1Ru”><span>”Chasin’ Whiskey,”</span></a><span> a track that originally appeared on her 2024 </span><em><span>Horseback</span></em><span> album.</span><span class=”Apple-converted-space”> </span></p><div class=”raw-html-embed”><iframe width=”640″ height=”360″ src=”https://www.youtube.com/embed/ZjarnOsNrXY?si=W6_FyFTMUOZOR1Ru” title=”YouTube video player” frameborder=”0″ allow=”accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share” referrerpolicy=”strict-origin-when-cross-origin” allowfullscreen></iframe></div><p>Copyright © 2025, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.</p>
Bruce Springsteen on facing his darkest moments in new film ‘Deliver Me From Nowhere’
<figure><img src=”https://s3.amazonaws.com/syndication.abcaudio.com/files/2025-10-20/Getty_BruceSpringsteen_102025.jpg” alt=””><figcaption>Bruce Springsteen attends the UK Premiere of 20th Century Studios' "Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere" during the 69th BFI London Film Festival on October 15, 2025 in London, England. (Tim P. Whitby/Getty Images for T)</figcaption></figure><p class=”p1″><span class=”s1″>Songwriting, <strong>Bruce Springsteen</strong> says in </span><em><span class=”s1 s2″>Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere</span></em><span class=”s1″>, is “a funny thing, it’s about searching for something … something that’s going to give your life a little bit of meaning.”</span></p><p class=”p1″><span class=”s1″>That search — both artistic and deeply personal — is at the heart of the new film that dives into the rock legend’s battle with depression during the making of his 1982 album, </span><em><span class=”s1″>Nebraska</span></em><span class=”s1″>.</span></p><p class=”p1″><span class=”s1″>In an interview with ABC News’ <strong>George Stephanopoulos</strong> on </span><em><span class=”s1 s2″>Good Morning America</span></em><span class=”s1″> that aired on Monday, Springsteen reflected on revisiting some of the most painful chapters of his life.</span></p><p class=”p1″><span class=”s1″>“They tend to be the most interesting moments of your life,” Springsteen said. “At the end of the day, you know, when you’re making your way through some sort of crucible, hopefully to come out the other side with some knowledge gained, some greater sense of self, and a story to tell.”</span></p><p class=”p1″><span class=”s1″>Directed by <strong>Scott Cooper</strong>, the film explores how the quiet, stripped-down </span><em><span class=”s1″>Nebraska</span></em><span class=”s1″> sessions became a lifeline for the artist.</span></p><p class=”p1″>“Scott did an incredible job of transposing the fundamental nature of the album into film,” Springsteen said.</p><p class=”p1″><span class=”s1″>When Stephanopoulos asked if he saw the movie as a story of what Cooper called “a neglected soul repairing himself through music,” Springsteen didn’t hesitate.</span></p><p class=”p1″><span class=”s1″>“Music was the first way that I really medicated my anxieties and my depression,” he said.</span></p><p class=”p1″><span class=”s1″>“I really knew what to do with those three hours onstage. It was the other 21 that were killing me, you know?” he added with a laugh.</span></p><p class=”p1″><span class=”s1″>Stephanopoulos then asked if, during those darkest moments, he ever believed he’d “merge whole.”</span></p><p class=”p1″><span class=”s1″>“No,” Springsteen replied. “In the middle of it, there’s a lot of confusion, chaos and unsureness, you know? I think that I was very surprised when I had my initial whatever you’d like to call it, breakdown, anxiety attacks. I had, up to that point, been quite successful in using my musical meds and keeping myself relatively steady.”</span></p><p class=”p1″><span class=”s1″>“So it was very shocking to run into it where suddenly those things stopped working,” he said.</span></p><p class=”p1″><span class=”s1″>Portraying the music icon is </span><em><span class=”s1″>The Bear</span></em><span class=”s1″> star </span><span class=”s1 s2″><strong>Jeremy Allen White</strong></span><span class=”s1″>, alongside </span><em><span class=”s1″>Succession</span></em><span class=”s1″> actor <strong>Jeremy Strong</strong> as longtime manager <strong>Jon Landau</strong>.</span></p><p class=”p1″><span class=”s1″>“They’re such big shoes to fill, and I just wasn’t sure,” White said of playing Springsteen. “I don’t play guitar, I don’t sing. I said, ‘Are you sure you don’t wanna find a guy that can kinda do some of these things, you know?’”</span></p><p class=”p1″><span class=”s1″>Despite his hesitation, Springsteen said White was his first choice.</span></p><p class=”p1″><span class=”s1″>“There was something about the way Jeremy carried himself,” Springsteen said. “He was the first guy that I thought of.”</span></p><p>Copyright © 2025, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.</p>
Ashley Cooke has an ‘ace’ up her sleeve
<figure><img src=”https://s3.amazonaws.com/syndication.abcaudio.com/files/2025-10-20/M_AshleyCookeAce.jpg” alt=””><figcaption>(Big Loud/Back Blocks Music)</figcaption></figure><p><span>You can just call <strong>Ashley Cooke</strong> </span><em><span>ace</span></em><span>, which also happens to be the name of her new album.</span><span class=”Apple-converted-space”> </span></p><p><em><span>“</span></em><span>Growing up, my dad gave me this nickname: Ace,” she explains. “I’m not sure if it was his love of blackjack or because it’s kind of my initials, but nonetheless, it just stuck. It makes me think of the person that I am, truly, to my core, behind closed doors.”</span></p><p><span>Her previous album, </span><em><span>shot in the dark</span></em><span>, came out in July 2023 and featured her breakthrough #1, “your place.”</span><span class=”Apple-converted-space”> </span></p><p><span>”It’s been about two and a half years since my debut record was released,” she reflects. “So many incredible, bucket-list things filled the days after with the best people I could ever imagine getting to share them with.”</span></p><p><span>Still, there were plenty of challenges that came along with Ashley’s success.</span></p><p><span>”Life has a funny way of spitting rain when you think it’s gonna be a sunny day,” she says. “I swear, one thing hit after another. I lost some of the most important people in my life, and health issues in my family piled up left and right. Love came, and love went.”</span></p><p><span>”This music is derived from those real situations,” she continues. “It’s brutal honesty. It’s a story in chronological order. And it’s a collection of songs welcoming you to the next chapter.”</span></p><p><span>The nine-track album, which features five unreleased songs, will arrive Nov. 14.</span></p><p><span>Here’s the complete track listing for Ashley Cooke’s </span><em><span>ace</span></em><span>:</span><br><span>”gettin’ old”</span><br><span>”baby blues”</span><br><span>”the f word”</span><br><span>”talk about”</span><br><span>”the hell you are”</span><br><span>”swear words”</span><br><span>”excuses”</span><br><span>”tin foil hat”</span><br><span>”(my worst fear)”</span></p><p>Copyright © 2025, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.</p>
Echo & The Bunnymen announce 2026 North American tour
<figure><img src=”https://s3.amazonaws.com/syndication.abcaudio.com/files/2025-10-20/G_echo_102025.jpg” alt=””><figcaption>Ian McCulloch of Echo and The Bunnymen performs on stage at Alexandra Palace Park on July 20, 2024 in London, England. (Gus Stewart/Redferns)</figcaption></figure><p><strong>Echo & The Bunnymen</strong> have announced a North American headlining tour for 2026.</p><p>The More Songs to Learn & Sing tour, which takes its name from the 1985 Echo best-of compilation, launches May 10 in Vancouver and concludes June 19 in Minneapolis.</p><p>”Don’t miss your chance to be part of something special,” “The Killing Moon” outfit <a href=”https://www.facebook.com/thebunnymen/posts/pfbid0FVuzq1NB52aE6r9jabvxj6FDptTzchWesBxoaEv99vM94PXcvqmz8xf3tpnWzieYl” target=”_blank” rel=”noopener noreferrer”>teases</a>. </p><p>Presales begin Tuesday at 10 a.m. local time, and tickets go on sale to the general public on Friday at 10 a.m. local time.</p><p>For the full list of dates and all ticket info, visit <a href=”https://www.bunnymen.com/” target=”_blank” rel=”noopener noreferrer”>Bunnymen.com</a>.</p><p>Copyright © 2025, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.</p>
Nia Long says portraying Katherine Jackson in ‘Michael’ was ‘opportunity of a lifetime’
<figure><img src=”https://s3.amazonaws.com/syndication.abcaudio.com/files/2025-10-20/Getty_NiaLong_102025.png” alt=””><figcaption>Nia Long attends the New York City Ballet 2025 Spring Gala at Lincoln Center on May 08, 2025 in New York City. (Photo by Theo Wargo/Getty Images)</figcaption></figure><p class=”p1″><strong>Nia Long</strong> has experience as a mother, but she’s never raised a superstar. That temporarily changes on screen, where she’s set to portray <strong>Katherine Jackson</strong> in the upcoming biopic <em>Michael</em>.</p><p class=”p2″>“I know what it is to be a mother,” she says in an interview <a href=”https://people.com/nia-long-michael-jackson-strong-mom-katherine-biopic-exclusive-11831659″ target=”_blank” rel=”noopener noreferrer”>with <em>People</em></a>. “But I don’t know what it is to raise a superstar.”</p><p class=”p2″>She describes Katherine’s story as one “rooted in grace,” and says that it seems the matriarch of the Jackson family has a “strong and kind” spirit.</p><p class=”p2″>Though she has not seen the film or met Katherine in person, Nia hopes Katherine enjoys the movie, which she describes as “an opportunity of a lifetime — and not <em>kind of </em>a dream come true, a dream come true.”</p><p class=”p1″>“All of these wonderful things are happening at once, and … I haven’t wrapped my head around everything yet,” she <span class=”s1″>tells </span><em><span class=”s1″>People</span></em>. “I know I’ve worked really hard for everything, but it hasn’t landed yet. It still feels not real. … I’m feeling really, really blessed right now.”</p><p class=”p1”><em>Michael</em>, which stars<em> </em>MJ’s nephew and <strong>Jermaine Jackson</strong>’s son <strong>Jafaar Jackson</strong> as the King of Pop, arrives in theaters on April 24, 2026.</p><p>Copyright © 2025, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.</p>