Omari Hardwick joins cast of action-thriller ‘Empire City’
Omari Hardwick attends the Los Angeles special screening of ‘Xeno’ at The Culver Theater on September 16, 2025, in Culver City, California. (Photo by Robin L Marshall/Getty Images)
You may know him as James “Ghost” St. Patrick in the Starz series Power, but in the upcoming action-thriller Empire City, Omari Hardwick will take on the role of Hawkins.
Hawkins will serve as the antagonist to Gerard Butler‘s Rhett, a firefighter “who, alongside his squad and his NYPD wife Dani (Hayley Atwell), must fight and navigate his way through the building to rescue captives trapped inside,” according to Deadline.
Mel Jarnson will star as Hawkins’ right-hand operative, Leda; Tre Hale, Michael Beach, Dominic Bogart, Stephen Murphy and Jack DiFalco will play members of Rhett’s squad.
The film, directed by Michael Matthews, is currently in production in Melbourne, Australia.
Omari is also set to star in Star Trek: Section 31, premiering Jan. 24 onParamount+; Prime Video’s Muhammad Ali series The Greatest; and the Bosch prequel series Start Of Watch for MGM+.
Timothy Busfield looks on before a hearing in the Second District Judicial Court at the Bernalillo County Courthouse, Jan. 20, 2026, in Albuquerque, New Mexico. (Sam Wasson/Getty Images)
A grand jury has indicted actor Timothy Busfield on child sex abuse contact charges after his January arrest in New Mexico, according to officials.
Busfield is facing multiple counts of criminal sexual contact of a child, according to Bernalillo County District Attorney Sam Bregman.
“District Attorney Sam Bregman emphasized that protecting children remains a top priority for his office. The Bernalillo County District Attorney’s Office remains committed to doing everything possible to protect children and ensure justice for victims,” the District Attorney’s Office said in a statement Friday.
The West Wing actor was arrested in January and ordered released by a judge.
The charges against Busfield stem from accusations that he inappropriately touched a child actor on the set of the TV show The Cleaning Lady, which was filmed in Albuquerque, according to a criminal complaint.
The actor has not entered a plea but denied the allegations when interviewed by investigators, according to the criminal complaint.
An attorney for Busfield said the indictment was “not unexpected,” in a statement to ABC News.
“As the saying goes, a grand jury will indict a ham sandwich. What is deeply concerning is that the District Attorney is choosing to proceed on a case that is fundamentally unsound and cannot be proven at trial. The detention hearing exposed fatal weaknesses in the State’s evidence — gaps that no amount of charging decisions can cure,” Larry Stein, an attorney for Busfield, said in a statement after the indictment Friday.
He added, “This prosecution appears driven by something other than the facts or the law. Mr. Busfield will fight these charges at every stage and looks forward to testing the State’s case in open court — where evidence matters — not behind closed doors.”
Busfield turned himself in to authorities in January and was being held with no bond. After an hourslong detention hearing, Judge David Murphy ordered his release on his own recognizance pending trial, citing his lack of criminal history, compliance with the court order for his arrest and the evidence in the case so far.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
Taylor Frankie Paul stars as the lead of ‘The Bachelorette’ season 22. (Disney/Michael Kirchoff)
Taylor Frankie Paul has opened the book of more men.
ABC has announced the 22 contestants who will compete for The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives star’s heart on season 22 of The Bachelorette.
Among the men competing are a cowboy, an ocean lifeguard, a former pro baseball player and a physical therapist.
“I’m not a by the book kind of girl, but I’m ready to start my next more-men chapter,” Paul said in a promo for the upcoming season released on Sunday. “This journey is a page turner.”
The Bachelorette premieres March 22 on ABC and streams the next day on Hulu.
A special preview of the upcoming season, called The Bachelorette: Before the First Rose, will debut on ABC and Hulu immediately after the Oscars live telecast on March 15.
Here’s a look at the 22 men Paul will meet on her journey to find love:
Aaron, 32, a product manager from Vineyard, Utah Brad, 29, a cowboy/entrepreneur from Newport Beach, California Brandon, 28, a loan officer from Spearfish, South Dakota Casey, 30, a mechanical engineer from Nashville, Tennessee Christopher, 35, a business owner from Vacaville, California Clayton, 36, a singer/songwriter from Nashville, Tennessee Conrad, 32, a startup founder from Santa Monica, California Doug, 28, an ocean lifeguard from San Diego, California Johnnie, 30, a former pro baseball player from Massapequa, New York Josh, 28, a sales manager from Provo, Utah Kevin, 32, a physical therapist from Miami, Florida Lew, 32, an insurance tech founder from Salt Lake City, Utah Malik, 30, a tech executive from Brooklyn, New York Marcus, 28, a creative director from Elmont, New York Matt, 43, a real estate broker from Carmel, Indiana Michael Baba, 36, a chiropractic healer from San Diego, California Mike T., 36, a brand protection manager from Lavallette, New Jersey Richard, 35, a photographer from Charleston, South Carolina Rod, 35, an entrepreneur from Austin, Texas Ronn, 28, an account executive from San Francisco, California Shane, 28, a private wealth planner from Atlanta, Georgia Trenten, 35, a pro athlete from San Juan Capistrano, California
Disney is the parent company of ABC, ABC News and Hulu.
Honoree/actor Aldis Hodge attends the ‘Cross’ and Award Presentation press junket during day 2 of the 14th SCAD TVfest at Four Seasons Hotel Atlanta on February 5, 2026, in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Paras Griffin/Getty Images)
Aldis Hodge’s Cross has been renewed for a third season.
The Prime Video series, created by Ben Watkins and based on characters created by James Patterson, is comprised of eight episodes, continuing the story of Hodge’s detective, Alex Cross, and his pursuit of serial killers.
“From the beginning, Cross has captivated audiences with its layered characters, pulse-pounding suspense, and emotionally grounded storytelling,” Peter Friedlander, head of global television at Amazon MGM Studios, said in a statement. “Aldis has delivered a definitive portrayal of Alex Cross, anchoring the series with depth, intelligence, and heart. We’re thrilled to continue this journey with Ben, our collaborators at Paramount Television Studios, and the rest of the incredible cast to bring even more of James Patterson’s iconic world to our global Prime Video audience.”
The show’s second season, which also stars Matthew Lillard, Jeanine Mason and Wes Chatham, is available to stream on Prime Video.
