ABC shelves Taylor Frankie Paul’s ‘Bachelorette’ season amid domestic violence allegations
Taylor Frankie Paul who was meant to be the lead of ‘The Bachelorette’ season 22. (Disney/Michael Kirchoff)
Taylor Frankie Paul’s season of The Bachelorette has been pulled three days ahead of its premiere following allegations of domestic violence against her.
In a statement shared with ABC News on Thursday, a Disney Entertainment Television spokesperson said, “In light of the newly released video just surfaced today, we have made the decision to not move forward with the new season of ‘The Bachelorette’ at this time, and our focus is on supporting the family.”
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
Rose Byrne stars in ‘If I Had Legs I’d Kick You.’ (Logan White/A24)
The 98th annual Oscars are less than a week away. Rose Byrne received her first-ever Oscar nomination for her performance in the film If I Had Legs I’d Kick You. She’s up for best actress at the ceremony, and Byrne’s nomination is the only recognition the film received this year.
Byrne spoke to ABC Audio about what it means to represent director Mary Bronstein’s film at this year’s ceremony.
“We premiered [If I Had] Legs [I’d Kick You] a year ago at Sundance. So, it’s been a year of shepherding this film. And it’s an indie film,” Byrne said, adding, “So it was a smaller budget for advertising stuff.”
Despite all of that, Byrne said the film has connected and made an impact.
“It’s been truly an extraordinary experience,” Byrne said. “I just couldn’t anticipate how people have received it. It’s been really varied. What people’s takeaway from the film is [that] it’s very interpretive and it is a real expression of feeling. And I think that’s just been a highlight to be part of something that’s very compelling, and polarizing and moving.”
All of that has been “really, really cool,” she said, but even better is that she gets to represent the film as its only nomination.
“To have this recognition, it’s really recognition for the film, because the character is the film and the film is the character,” Byrne said, before speaking on what she’s enjoyed most about this awards season.
“It’s been fun to meet people I love, meet people I admire,” Byrne said. “It’s incredible, obviously, I’m the fan.”
The Oscars will take place Sunday at the Dolby Theatre at Ovation Hollywood. The show will air live on ABC and will also stream live on Hulu.
Luigi, Yoshi, Mario and Toad in ‘The Super Mario Galaxy Movie.’ (Nintendo, Illumination)
It’s-a me, Donald Glover!
The final trailer for The Super Mario Galaxy Movie has arrived, and it shows off that Glover voices one of the most-anticipated characters to join the animated film universe — the green dinosaur Yoshi.
Other newly announced voice cast members include Luis Guzman, who plays Wart, as well as Issa Rae, who plays Honey Queen.
This final trailer for the Illumination and Nintendo film finds Bowser Jr. attacking Mario and Luigi and demanding the release of his father, Bowser.
“The Bowser name shall be feared once more,” Bowser Jr. says in the trailer.
This new film is inspired by the Super Mario Galaxy video games, which find Mario and friends in the cosmos.
The voice actors from the previous film returned to voice the roles they originated. Chris Pratt is back as Mario, Charlie Day returns to play Luigi, Anya Taylor-Joy voices Princess Peach, Jack Black voices Bowser, Keegan-Michael Key is back as Toad and Kevin Michael Richardson voices Kamek.
Additionally, Brie Larson was tapped to voice Princess Rosalina, while Benny Safdie portrays Bowser Jr.
Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic directed The Super Mario Galaxy Movie from a screenplay by Matthew Fogel.
The Super Mario Galaxy Movie arrives in theaters on April 1.
(L-R) François Arnaud and Robbie G.K. in ‘Heated Rivalry.’ (Sabrina Lantos/HBO Max)
Heated Rivalry has rapidly become a pop-culture phenomenon, taking over social media with fans buzzing about representation in the hit hockey romance series, including a real-life player who recently said it helped him come out.
The series, which was adapted from books by Rachel Reid and airs on HBO Max in the U.S., features steamy storylines and candid depictions of closeted male hockey players in lust and in love.
The lead actors Connor Storrie and Hudson Williams rapidly catapulted to stardom, as well as their co-star Robbie G.K., who plays a smoothie barista who is navigating his relationship with the hockey team’s captain.
G.K. recognized the importance of what the show’s representation has come to mean for many viewers.
“It’s almost like a bit of a haven that it creates within the storyline for people to find comfort in, and if I had known the impact and the gravity of that storyline, I definitely would have overthought things,” G.K. said in an interview that aired Friday on Good Morning America.
On Tuesday, real-life hockey player Jesse Kortuem shared a post on Facebook saying the show inspired him to reveal publicly that he is gay.
“Heated Rivalry helped me realize that visibility matters,” Kortuem told GMA. “It finally allowed me to be that voice for so many that came before me to fight for hockey and inclusion in hockey.”
Reid told GMA that she’s also heard from “quite a few heterosexual men” that it has helped improve their marriages.
As for the inspiration for the story, she said that as a lifelong hockey fan “I’ve had a lot of problems with hockey culture and this was a way for me to get a lot of those feelings out on paper.”
A second season of Heated Rivalry is on the way, along with a new book titled Unrivaled.
