Christina Applegate has revealed she’s been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis.
The 49-year-old actress revealed the recent diagnosis in a pair Twitter posts early Tuesday.
“Hi friends. A few months ago I was diagnosed with MS,” Applegate wrote. “It’s been a strange journey. But I have been so supported by people that I know who also have this condition. It’s been a tough road. But as we all know, the road keeps going. Unless some a****** blocks it.”
She continued, “As one of my friends that has MS said ‘we wake up and take the indicated action’. And that’s what I do. So now I ask for privacy. As I go through this thing. Thank you xo.”
The Mayo Clinic describes MS as “a potentially disabling disease of the brain and spinal cord.” There is no cure, but there are treatments that can manage symptoms.
(NEW YORK) — Norwegian Cruise Line can now require guests sailing out of Florida to show proof of COVID-19 vaccination, a federal judge ruled after the line sued the Sunshine State over its vaccine passport ban.
“We want to do everything we can to keep COVID off our ships,” Norwegian CEO Frank Del Rio said in an interview on Good Morning America Tuesday. “It’s the best thing to do, the safest way to travel.”
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said cruise lines would face a $5,000 fine per passenger if they defied the state’s law that prohibits companies from requiring customers and employees to provide documentation of COVID-19 vaccination status.
U.S. District Judge Kathleen Williams said Sunday that Norwegian would “suffer significant financial and reputational harms” if it was forced to abide by Florida’s law.
DeSantis’ office responded in a statement to the ruling, saying, “A prohibition on vaccine passports does not even implicate, let alone violate, anyone’s speech rights, and it furthers the substantial, local interest of preventing discrimination among customers based on private health information.”
Florida will now move to appeal the judge’s ruling. Del Rio called the response “disappointing.”
“Here’s a state that depends on tourism and apparently it’s not in their best interests to keep not only our residents safe but our visitors safe so it is very disappointing,” Del Rio said.
Norwegian’s win means it can set sail from Florida on Sunday with a fully vaccinated ship.
Norwegian is requiring all guests and crew to be fully vaccinated at least two weeks prior to departure. Each passenger will also be tested prior to boarding. Unlike other cruise lines that have made exceptions for children, Norwegian is not allowing any unvaccinated child under the age of 12 to board.
Richard Stieff, a travel agent and cruise enthusiast, praised the decision.
“The cruise lines have to do whatever they can to make sure we’re safe and they can’t go through another episode like they did last year when we had ships stuck out at sea with people with COVID on them,” he told ABC News.
Del Rio previously threatened to move the company’s ships out of Florida if it was not allowed to mandate vaccinations by guests.
“At the end of the day, cruise ships have motors, propellers and rudders, and God forbid we can’t operate in the state of Florida for whatever reason, then there are other states that we do operate from, and we can operate from the Caribbean for a ship that otherwise would have gone to Florida,” Del Rio said during an earnings call in May.
Other major cruise lines like Royal Caribbean, Celebrity and Carnival told ABC News they are still trying to figure out how the Norwegian ruling affects them.
Last week, some lines announced they will now require pre-boarding testing and masks to be worn in certain indoor areas — even for vaccinated guests.
“We have seen a number of ships report some isolated cases of COVID,” Colleen McDaniel, the editor-in-chief of the website Cruise Critic, told ABC News. “And what we’ve seen is these have been mostly among vaccinated passengers, and certainly the delta variant seems to be having an effect on that.”
Despite at least 95% of guests and crew being vaccinated, Carnival Vista, which departed out of Galveston, Texas, reported a “small number of positive cases” last week — prompting the cruise line to change its policy.
Masks will now be required for sailings Aug. 7 through Oct. 31.
“These new requirements are being implemented to protect our guests and crew while on board, and to continue to provide confidence to our homeports and destinations that we are doing our part to support their efforts to protect public health and safety,” Carnival Cruise Line President Christine Duffy said in a statement. “We expect these requirements will be temporary and appreciate the cooperation of our guests.”
Holland America and Princess Cruises, which are both owned by Carnival Corporation, announced the same new cruising requirements.
(NEW YORK) — The United States is facing a COVID-19 surge this summer as the more contagious delta variant spreads.
More than 617,000 Americans have died from COVID-19 and over 4.2 million people have died worldwide, according to real-time data compiled by the Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins University.
Just 58.7% of Americans ages 12 and up are fully vaccinated against COVID-19, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Here’s how the news is developing Tuesday. All times Eastern:
Aug 10, 8:59 am
Dallas, Austin school districts to require masks
The Dallas Independent School District, the second largest in Texas, said it’s temporarily requiring face masks for all students, staff and visitors as of Tuesday.
It’s not clear how long the mask mandate will last.
In the Austin Independent School District, students, staff and visitors must wear face masks beginning Wednesday.
This comes after Texas Gov. Greg Abbott imposed a ban on mask mandates.
In Houston, Texas’ biggest school district, the board of education will vote this week on a proposed mask requirement, according to ABC Dallas affiliate WFAA.
Aug 10, 8:29 am
Pediatrician warns parents and governors: Don’t ‘underestimate’ the virus
Dr. Richard Besser, president and CEO of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and former acting director of the CDC, said parents should not get to choose if their kids wear masks in school.
“Allowing it to be an issue of personal choice is fine if it only affected your child, but it doesn’t. It affects everyone around your child as well,” Besser told “Good Morning America” Tuesday.
“There’s a lot we don’t know about this virus,” Besser said. “I urge parents, I urge schools, I urge governors, not to underestimate what we’re dealing with.”
Aug 09, 7:27 pm
No ICU beds available at top Mississippi hospitals: Official
Mississippi’s top health official warned Monday that the state’s top-level hospitals have no ICU beds left, and things are going to get worse.
Mississippi State Health Officer Dr. Thomas Dobbs cited the latest stats on the growing number of COVID-19 cases, stating there were 6,912 new cases and 28 deaths recorded.
“Keep in mind – this will translate into around 500 new hospitalization in coming days, and we have ZERO ICU beds at Level 1-3 hospitals, and we have
Aug 09, 7:06 pm
Abbott seeks out of state health care personnel to help Texas
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott announced several measures Monday to curb the state’s growing COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations.
Health care personnel from other states will be coming to Texas to assist the Texas Department of State Health Services with their recent wave of cases, Abbott said.
The governor sent a letter to the Texas Hospital Association urging them to suspend elective surgeries.
He also announced the health department will open more antibody fusion centers and vaccine sites for residents.
Aug 09, 5:38 pm
Arkansas hospitalizations reach record high, 8 ICU beds left
Arkansas saw its highest number of people hospitalized with the coronavirus since the pandemic began, according to state health data.
The number of hospitalizations rose by 103, its biggest one-day increase, to 1,376, which is five hospitalizations higher than the previous record set in January, the state health data showed.
Gov. Asa Hutchinson tweeted that only eight ICU beds remained in the entire state. He encouraged more people to get a vaccine.
As of Monday, 49.3% of eligible residents in Arkansas have received one vaccine shot, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Aug 09, 4:43 pm
Washington governor issues vaccine mandate for state employees
Washington Gov. Jay Inslee announced Monday that he has ordered that all state employees must be vaccinated or face termination.
Inslee cited increased hospitalizations and cases throughout the state, which have mostly affected the unvaccinated, as the factor for his executive order.
“We do so to protect our vulnerable communities, to prevent further calamity to our state and to be further on the path to recovery,” he said at a news conference.
The deadline for the vaccine mandate is Oct. 18. Inslee’s executive order does provide medical and religious exemptions.
As of Aug. 2, 69.6% of Washingtonians 12 and older have received at least one dose of a vaccine, according to the state’s health department.
“We need more people to roll up their sleeves,” Inslee said.
(NEW YORK) — The United States is facing a COVID-19 surge this summer as the more contagious delta variant spreads.
More than 617,000 Americans have died from COVID-19 and over 4.2 million people have died worldwide, according to real-time data compiled by the Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins University.
Just 58.7% of Americans ages 12 and up are fully vaccinated against COVID-19, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Here’s how the news is developing Tuesday. All times Eastern:
Aug 10, 8:59 am
Dallas, Austin school districts to require masks
The Dallas Independent School District, the second largest in Texas, said it’s temporarily requiring face masks for all students, staff and visitors as of Tuesday.
It’s not clear how long the mask mandate will last.
In the Austin Independent School District, students, staff and visitors must wear face masks beginning Wednesday.
This comes after Texas Gov. Greg Abbott imposed a ban on mask mandates.
In Houston, Texas’ biggest school district, the board of education will vote this week on a proposed mask requirement, according to ABC Dallas affiliate WFAA.
Aug 10, 8:29 am
Pediatrician warns parents and governors: Don’t ‘underestimate’ the virus
Dr. Richard Besser, president and CEO of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and former acting director of the CDC, said parents should not get to choose if their kids wear masks in school.
“Allowing it to be an issue of personal choice is fine if it only affected your child, but it doesn’t. It affects everyone around your child as well,” Besser told “Good Morning America” Tuesday.
“There’s a lot we don’t know about this virus,” Besser said. “I urge parents, I urge schools, I urge governors, not to underestimate what we’re dealing with.”
Aug 09, 7:27 pm
No ICU beds available at top Mississippi hospitals: Official
Mississippi’s top health official warned Monday that the state’s top-level hospitals have no ICU beds left, and things are going to get worse.
Mississippi State Health Officer Dr. Thomas Dobbs cited the latest stats on the growing number of COVID-19 cases, stating there were 6,912 new cases and 28 deaths recorded.
“Keep in mind – this will translate into around 500 new hospitalization in coming days, and we have ZERO ICU beds at Level 1-3 hospitals, and we have
Aug 09, 7:06 pm
Abbott seeks out of state health care personnel to help Texas
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott announced several measures Monday to curb the state’s growing COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations.
Health care personnel from other states will be coming to Texas to assist the Texas Department of State Health Services with their recent wave of cases, Abbott said.
The governor sent a letter to the Texas Hospital Association urging them to suspend elective surgeries.
He also announced the health department will open more antibody fusion centers and vaccine sites for residents.
Aug 09, 5:38 pm
Arkansas hospitalizations reach record high, 8 ICU beds left
Arkansas saw its highest number of people hospitalized with the coronavirus since the pandemic began, according to state health data.
The number of hospitalizations rose by 103, its biggest one-day increase, to 1,376, which is five hospitalizations higher than the previous record set in January, the state health data showed.
Gov. Asa Hutchinson tweeted that only eight ICU beds remained in the entire state. He encouraged more people to get a vaccine.
As of Monday, 49.3% of eligible residents in Arkansas have received one vaccine shot, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Aug 09, 4:43 pm
Washington governor issues vaccine mandate for state employees
Washington Gov. Jay Inslee announced Monday that he has ordered that all state employees must be vaccinated or face termination.
Inslee cited increased hospitalizations and cases throughout the state, which have mostly affected the unvaccinated, as the factor for his executive order.
“We do so to protect our vulnerable communities, to prevent further calamity to our state and to be further on the path to recovery,” he said at a news conference.
The deadline for the vaccine mandate is Oct. 18. Inslee’s executive order does provide medical and religious exemptions.
As of Aug. 2, 69.6% of Washingtonians 12 and older have received at least one dose of a vaccine, according to the state’s health department.
“We need more people to roll up their sleeves,” Inslee said.
(NEW YORK) — Dominion Voting Systems on Tuesday morning filed three $1.6 billion defamation lawsuits against two pro-Trump media networks and an outspoken Trump ally, the latest in a string of suits from the company against those it says pushed false accusations that the company helped rig the 2020 election.
The complaints were filed against Newsmax and One America News Network, as well as against former Overstock CEO Patrick Byrne, who is an outspoken supporter of the former president.
Newsmax and OAN “helped create and cultivate an alternate reality where up is down, pigs have wings, and Dominion engaged in a colossal fraud to steal the presidency from Donald Trump by rigging the vote,” Dominion wrote in each of its complaints against the two networks.
Specifically, Dominion alleges that two networks “manufactured, endorsed, repeated, and broadcast a series of verifiably false yet devastating lies about Dominion.” OAN, they allege, was motivated by a “quest for profits and viewers” in competition with leading conservative network Fox News. They say both outlets helped spread these lies by promoting other figures such as Byrne, who they say “pushed lies” in collaboration with “other Trump-connected individuals.
“Byrne continues to stick to his manufactured, inherently improbable, profitable, and demonstrable lies,” the complaint against him says.
The complaints include dozens of statements by the networks and Byrne repeating conspiracy theories about the company, and claiming “evidence” to back them up.
A Newsmax spokesperson said in a statement, “While Newsmax has not reviewed the Dominion filing, in its coverage of the 2020 Presidential elections, Newsmax simply reported on allegations made by well-known public figures, including the President, his advisors and members of Congress — Dominion’s action today is a clear attempt to squelch such reporting and undermine a free press.”
Earlier this year, however, Newsmax retracted some its reporting surrounding the 2020 election as part of a settlement after it was sued by a Dominion employee last year. Referring to allegations that Dominion had schemed to rig the election in favor of President Joe Biden, the network reported that it “subsequently found no evidence that such allegations were true.”
OAN and Byrne did not immediately respond to ABC News’ request for comment.
Dominion’s latest complaints were filed in Delaware by the Denver-based voting company, which became the subject of false far-reaching conspiracy theories fueled largely by right-wing figures close to then-President Donald Trump as part of efforts to overturn the results of the election
Dominion has in recent months filed similar billion-dollar defamation suits against other Trump allies for what the company said was their role in pushing the false allegations, including Rudy Giuliani, Trump’s personal attorney; Sidney Powell, a member of the Trump’s legal team who was later removed; and Mike Lindell, the Trump-aligned pillow magnate.
All of those parties have denied the allegations against them and have asked a judge to dismiss the lawsuits. Those motions are still pending.
The litigation comes amid a wave of renewed scrutiny of the 2020 election results, as Democrats in Congress have ramped up their investigation into the storming of the Capitol on Jan. 6 by Trump supporters who believed the election was tainted by fraud, while Republicans in some states have renewed calls for additional audits of the 2020 returns.
After pushing baseless allegations of election fraud, Byrne was one of the key figures who helped fund a partisan audit of the 2020 election in Arizona’s Maricopa County, ABC News has previously reported.
Byrne, who previously said he’d been funding his own team of “hackers and cybersleuths and other people with odd skills” to search for voter fraud, has so far raised over $1.5 million to support the audit, according to the website created by his new nonprofit organization, The America Project. The former CEO also claims to have donated at least $500,000 of his own money to fund the audit.
(WASHINGTON) — Fresh off one of the most expensive presidential elections in modern American history, wealthy donors from both sides of the aisle are already back pumping big checks into supporting Donald Trump and Joe Biden’s political efforts.
Campaign disclosure reports filed last week showed Team Trump’s aggressive post-White House fundraising efforts raising more than $50 million over the past six months, with more than $100 million on hand heading into the second half of the year. Trump’s post-election fundraising operation has mainly focused on small-dollar online contributions through his newly formed political action committee, Save America, and his presidential campaign committee-turned PAC, Make America Great Again PAC — both of which are limited by federal campaign regulations to contributions of $5,000 per person.
In comparison, Team Biden — which hasn’t been soliciting donations as aggressively or extensively as Trump’s multi-entity fundraising team and instead has mainly been raising money through his presidential campaign committee — reported bringing in $10 million in the first six months of the year, with $4.7 million on hand. Much of Biden’s campaign committee’s fundraising — limited by federal regulations to contributions of $2,800 per person — has also focused on small online donations.
As a result, contributions from wealthy donors who want to show bigger support are coming through outside entities like super PACs, which can solicit an unlimited amount of money from a single donor — unlike a presidential campaign or a regular PAC.
A newly formed pro-Trump super PAC, led by former Trump campaign manager Corey Lewandowski, took in more than $3 million in the two months since it started accepting donations, its first financial disclosure report shows.
The super PAC, called Make America Great Again Action (MAGA Action), received donations ranging from $5,000 to $1 million from three dozen donors between May 10 and June 30, after reportedly hosting a fundraising dinner at Trump’s golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey, with a price tag of $250,000 per person.
The $1 million donation came from Nevada-based businessman Don Ahern, who had fundraised for Trump during Trump’s 2020 presidential campaign. Waste management tycoon Anthony Lomangino, who had previously given big checks to Trump’s various fundraising committees during Trump’s presidency, also gave $500,000 to the super PAC.
Former Georgia Sen. Kelly Loeffler, who was unseated by Democratic challenger Raphael Warnock last November, also wrote a $250,000 check to the super PAC, while MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell, who has continued to push false claims of a rigged election, also gave $100,000 to the group.
The MAGA Action committee is reportedly going to serve as the main pro-Trump super PAC in his post-White House era, a role that another super PAC, America First Action, had played during his time in office. America First donated an additional $1.8 million in monetary and in-kind contributions to MAGA Action during the first half of this year, according to its disclosure report.
MAGA Action has already begun supporting pro-Trump political efforts, spending more than $417,000 to support coal industry lobbyist Mike Carey in a GOP special election primary in Ohio’s House race. Carey, who was endorsed by Trump, won the primary last week.
Biden’s big-dollar supporters are already in action as well, writing five-figure and six-figure checks to super PACs that have been supporting his campaign and political efforts, according to disclosures.
Unite the Country, a super PAC formed last year with the main purpose of supporting Biden during the 2020 presidential election, brought in just over $1 million from a handful of big and small donors in the first half of this year.
Major labor unions were among Unite the Country’s biggest donors, with the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers PAC contributing $500,000, the Amalgamated Transit Union’s super PAC giving $250,000, and the ironworker union’s PAC contributing $100,000.
Wayfair CEO Niraj Shah also contributed $95,000, while several attorneys made five-figure donations.
The American Bridge 21st Century PAC, another major Democratic super PAC that backed Biden during the 2020 election and is also involved in numerous other pro-Democratic political efforts, reported taking in nearly $9 million already this year. Among the big checks the organization received was $2 million from Lone Pine Capital partner Stephen Mandel and $1 million from Sequoia Capital partner Michael Moritz, disclosure filings show.
Unite the Country and American Bridge have yet to report any 2021 expenditures supporting specific candidates, but they have reported other advertising, fundraising and consulting expenditures.
(NEW YORK) — At least 150 million Americans are at risk for severe weather as a triple threat of extreme events stretches across the country.
While there are more than 100 fires burning throughout the United States — including the Dixie Fire, which has become the 2nd largest in California history — other severe weather is also on its way.
A tornado outbreak hit the Midwest with more storms headed to the area, record temperatures are possible in both the Northeast and Northwest, and a tropical system is likely to become Tropical Storm Fred later Tuesday.
Tornadoes in the Midwest
After a tornado outbreak on Monday in the Midwest, several more rounds of severe weather are expected in that region through at least Thursday.
There were 16 reported tornadoes in the Midwest, with 14 of them happening in Illinois alone.
The severe weather will pick up again Tuesday from Kansas to Michigan, including parts of already hard-hit Illinois and Wisconsin. While brief tornadoes will be possible, widespread damaging winds are the main concern.
Summer heat waves
The severe weather is being fueled in part by extreme heat. A heat wave is already developing across the Mississippi River valley with temperatures that will feel like over 100 degrees Fahrenheit from Texas to Illinois. The heat index may reach over 105 degrees in cities like Little Rock, Arkansas, and Memphis, Tennessee.
Record high temperatures will be challenged in both the Northwest and Northeast later this week.
In the Northwest, temperatures will exceed 100 degrees Fahrenheit in parts of Oregon, Idaho and Northern California. Portland, Oregon, could see temperatures top 107 degrees by Thursday
In the Northeast, temperatures are soaring into the 90s from Washington, D.C., to Boston. Of particular concern will be parts of New Jersey, where the heat index may reach 110 degrees on Thursday.
Tropical system in Caribbean
A tropical system is brewing in the Atlantic and is currently affecting the Caribbean; the current forecast shows that it could begin affecting Florida as soon as this weekend.
This system will likely become Tropical Storm Fred sometime Tuesday. Tropical storm alerts have been issued for parts of the Caribbean, including Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
The system will likely weaken a little bit over the Dominican Republic, and while it’s too early to determine the magnitude and location of exact impacts, ABC News’ forecast models in the last 24 hours have seemed to indicate that a restrengthening tropical system may head toward Florida by the end of this week.
This system could continue to be a nuisance — particularly to the southeast U.S. — through early next week.
(NEW YORK) — If impeachment proceedings against embattled New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo were to take place, the process would likely begin in early September, according to a tentative hearing schedule set by state lawmakers.
The New York State Assembly Judiciary Committee said it will hold hearings through the remainder of the month to review evidence against Cuomo, as well as hear expert testimony surrounding sexual harassment and the standards for impeachment.
“These sessions will conclude with the potential for a vote on articles of impeachment if necessary and appropriate,” the committee’s chairman, Charles Lavine, said Monday.
A report released by State Attorney General Letitia James last week found that Cuomo sexually harassed multiple women, including current and former state employees. In at least one instance, the investigation determined that the governor sought to retaliate against a woman who leveled accusations against him.
Cuomo has denied all allegations of sexual misconduct or harassment.
Lavine said Cuomo has until Friday to submit exculpatory evidence which he promised the committee would consider.
“The governor has clearly lost the confidence of the majority members,” Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie said Monday, reiterating what he said last week in the wake of the state attorney general’s report being released.
“Our goal is to bring the matter to a close with all haste,” Heastie added.
The impeachment investigation includes the sexual harassment allegations and allegations the governor inappropriately used state resources to write a book, as well as further concerns raised surrounding COVID-19 and nursing homes and accusations that Cuomo provided preferential access to COVID-19 testing to friends and relatives, according to Lavine.
“Just on the nursing home question alone there are a half million pages of documentation,” Lavine said in noting the volume of evidence.
On Aug. 16 and Aug. 23, outside counsel is set to update investigative findings and the Judiciary Committee members will review the evidence in a secure environment. After Aug. 23, public hearings for expert testimony on sexual assault and harassment and on the impeachment process itself are set to take place. The committee will then issue a recommendation on whether the Assembly should approve articles of impeachment.
If the governor resigns beforehand, Lavine conceded “impeachment would be moot” but said there is a procedure to establish a prohibition on Cuomo that prevents him from holding elective office in the state.
Earlier Monday, Lavine called the findings of the state attorney general’s report “deeply disturbing” as he ushered the committee into executive session to discuss next steps in the impeachment investigation.
“We commend the attorney general on her work and her agreement to provide relevant materials to this committee,” Lavine said. “The findings, the content, of the report are deeply disturbing.”
If impeachment proceedings are initiated, it would mark the first impeachment of a New York governor in more than a century.
Between the new Woodstock ’99 documentary and their recent performance at Lollapalooza, Limp Bizkit and “Break Stuff” have been in the news lately, certainly more than anyone could’ve predicted for the year 2021. Except for K.Flay, apparently.
The “Blood in the Cut” rocker, born Kristine Flaherty, released her take on “Break Stuff” for a ’90s-themed covers EP late last year, along with versions of Green Day‘s “Brain Stew” and The Offspring‘s “Self Esteem.” As Flaherty tells ABC Audio, she didn’t cover “Break Stuff” for any nostalgic reasons — in fact, she wasn’t even listening to Limp Bizkit during the glory days of nu metal.
“People are coming into that music at this point with baggage,” Flaherty says. “For me, I wasn’t, really. I was coming in with more fresh eyes, but certainly with an awareness of the history and the context.”
Instead, Flaherty felt a kinship with “Break Stuff’s” immortal opening line, which felt especially relevant amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
“At the beginning of COVID, every morning I was, like, ‘Yeah, it’s just one of those days. You don’t wanna wake up, everything is f***ed, and everybody sucks,'” she laughs. “And I thought, ‘God, I’ve never felt that before in my life, why do I feel that way?’ And it’s because I’m really depressed.”
That moment of self-reflection then led her to explore a nominally surface-level lyric with more empathy.
“If I feel depressed and these lyrics are relatable, I wonder how Fred Durst felt when he was writing the song?” she recalls thinking. “Deeply, not like, ‘I’m wearing a hat and khakis and I’m screaming!’ But, like, actually, inside of his heart, how did he feel?”
Along with the covers EP, K.Flay also released a new, original EP called Inside Voices in June.
The singer/actress, who hasn’t had a starring role in a TV series since her Disney Channel days on Wizards of Waverly Place, told reporters at the Television Critics Association Summer 2021 Press Tour that she felt way more in control this time around.
“I signed my life away to Disney at a very young age. So, I didn’t know exactly what I was doing,” she said.
“What I’d say is the level of sophistication of the material is first the reason why I wanted to do this [show],” she added, noting the differences between making a show as a kid versus an adult.
“…I was a kid [on Wizards of Waverly Place]; I didn’t know what I was doing. I was just riding around on set,” she noted. “And now I just — I feel like a sponge and I soak up all the wisdom that I can.”
Selena said another big draw was being cast as her actual age: She turned 29 last month. She stars as Mabel in the murder-mystery series opposite comedy legends Steve Martin and Martin Short, who she says became like her “two crazy uncles” in real life.
“How they lead a set is so commendable,” she said of the two. “They are so humble and they are kind and they are there till the very end and they are just really…they’ve set such an example for me.”
