Entertainment

See Lisa Kudrow come back as Valerie Cherish in ‘The Comeback’ season 3 trailer

Lisa Kudrow as Valerie Cherish in ‘The Comeback’ season 3. (Erin Simkin/HBO)

Get ready for the comeback of The Comeback.

HBO has released the official trailer for the third and final season of the Lisa Kudrow-starring comedy series.

The new season, which comes from the show’s original creators Michael Patrick King and Kudrow, premieres to HBO and will stream on HBO Max on March 22. A new episode will debut each week leading up to the series finale on May 10.

The trailer shows off what this third and final chapter in Valerie Cherish’s (Kudrow) journey will consist of. We see her starring in and executive producing a sitcom called How’s That?!, which she loves, before she discovers the show is being written by AI.

This new trailer comes more than 20 years after the first season of the show debuted in 2005 and more than 10 years after season 2. King and Kudrow will both executive produce the season, which will include other returning series regulars Dan Bucatinsky, Laura Silverman and Damian Young.

The season 3 cast will also include Tim Bagley, Matt Cook, Jack O’Brien, Ella Stiller, John Early, Barry Shabaka Henley, Abbi Jacobson, Tony Macht, Brittany O’Grady, Zane Phillips, Julian Stern and Andrew Scott.

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Entertainment

Sarah Michelle Gellar shares tribute to Michelle Trachtenberg on anniversary of her death

Sarah Michelle Gellar and Michelle Trachtenberg arrive at the ‘Buffy The Vampire Slayer’ reunion, part of the 25th annual William S. Paley Television Festival held at the Arclight Cinemas on March 20, 2008, in Hollywood, California. (Jean-Paul Aussenard/WireImage via Getty Images)

Sarah Michelle Gellar is paying tribute to Michelle Trachtenberg one year after her death.

The actress took to Instagram on Thursday to share a carousel of photos with Trachtenberg, as well as a lengthy caption paying tribute to her Buffy the Vampire Slayer co-star.

“I’m not sure how it’s been a year. I’m one of the lucky ones who has over 30 years of memories with you. From our first day on set together, to less than a year later, when you were already taller than me,” Gellar wrote.

The actress continued, saying she first worked with Trachtenberg on All My Children and watched her “become a star” in the film Harriet the Spy.

“You were great to my kids. Countless kids bdays you attended even though I’m sure you had somewhere cooler to be,” Gellar wrote. “But most of all, when I think of you, that smile that took up your entire face and brought so much joy to others is what comes to mind.”

Gellar ended her tribute by saying she will never forget Trachtenberg.

“You may not have been with us long enough, but we will make sure everyone remembers,” Gellar wrote.

Trachtenberg was found dead in her New York City apartment on Feb. 26, 2025. She died a natural death at age 39 from complications of diabetes, according to the New York City medical examiner’s office.

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Entertainment

Chris Evans, Demi Moore and more to present at this year’s Oscars

Chris Evans attends the premiere of ‘Sacrifice’ during the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival at Princess of Wales Theatre on Sept. 6, 2025, in Toronto, Ontario. (Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images)

The latest batch of Oscars presenters has been revealed.

Javier Bardem, Chris Evans, Chase Infiniti, Demi Moore, Kumail Nanjiani and Maya Rudolph will take to the Oscars stage to present awards at this year’s ceremony, The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced Thursday.

They join the previously announced presenters Adrien Brody, Kieran Culkin, Mikey Madison and Zoe Saldaña, who all return to the awards ceremony after winning Oscars last year.

The producers for the Oscars will continue announcing the talent who will present at the show throughout the coming weeks, they announced.

Conan O’Brien will host the awards ceremony for the second time, while Raj Kapoor serves as executive producer and showrunner and Katy Mullan executive produces.

The 98th Oscars will take place on March 15 at the Dolby Theatre at Ovation Hollywood. It show will air live on ABC and will also stream live on Hulu.

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National

Hillary Clinton’s House Oversight Committee deposition in Epstein probe briefly paused after photo leaks

Former President Bill Clinton and former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton arrive prior to the inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump at the United States Capitol on January 20, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Melina Mara – Pool/Getty Images)

(CHAPPAQUA, N.Y.) — Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s closed-door deposition with the House Oversight Committee in Chappaqua, New York, was briefly paused Thursday afternoon after a photo of her from inside the room was leaked, which is against committee rules.

The photo was posted by conservative social media influencer Benny Johnson who claimed it was provided by Republican Rep. Lauren Boebert.

ABC News confirmed that the deposition has resumed.

The former first lady and former President Bill Clinton are participating in depositions as part of the committee’s probe into the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

In her opening statement Thursday before the pause, Hillary Clinton said that she had no involvement with Epstein or convicted associate Ghislaine Maxwell.

“The Committee justified its subpoena to me based on its assumption that I have information regarding the investigations into the criminal activities of Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell. Let me be as clear as I can. I do not,” Clinton said, according to a release of her opening statement.

Hillary Clinton said Thursday that she had no idea about Epstein and Maxwell’s criminal activity, saying she doesn’t “recall ever encountering Mr. Epstein.”

“I never flew on his plane or visited his island, homes or offices. I have nothing to add to that. Like every decent person, I have been horrified by what we have learned about their crimes,” she said.

Hillary Clinton went after the Republican-led committee in her opening statement, saying “you have made little effort to call the people who show up most prominently in the Epstein files. And when you did, not a single Republican Member showed up for Les Wexner’s deposition,” she states, referencing the closer-door deposition of retail billionaire Leslie Wexner earlier this month, during which the Republican members were no-shows. During his deposition, Wexner claimed he never witnessed nor had any knowledge of Epstein’s criminal activity.

Digging in even more, the former first lady attacked the probe.

“This institutional failure is designed to protect one political party and one public official, rather than to seek truth and justice for the victims and survivors, as well as the public who also want to get to the bottom of this matter,” she said, not mentioning any particular public official by name.

Republican House Oversight Chairman James Comer said the deposition with the Clintons is an opportunity to ask them questions.

“No one is accusing, at this moment, the Clintons of any wrongdoing,” Comer said Thursday morning ahead of Hillary Clinton’s testimony. “They’re going to have due process, but we have a lot of questions, and the purpose of the whole investigation is to try to understand many things about Epstein.”

Pressed on why the committee was adamant on subpoenaing Hillary Clinton, who has denied ever having any relationship with Epstein, Comer highlighted how there was a bipartisan effort to speak with the Clintons after Democrats also voted to subpoena the Clintons.

The committee first attempted to subpoena the Clintons in July of last year as Republicans demanded more information on the former president’s travels on Epstein’s private aircraft and what the committee called the “family’s past relationship” with Epstein and his convicted associate Ghislaine Maxwell, as part of their probe into Epstein.

The Clintons were subpoenaed to appear under oath in front of the committee for a deposition in January, but failed to comply, arguing the subpoenas were without legal merit. Rather, they proposed a four-hour transcribed interview instead.

David Kendall, the Clintons’ lawyer, argued that the couple has no information relevant to the committee’s investigation of the federal government’s handling of investigations into Epstein and Maxwell, and should not be required to appear for in-person testimony. Kendall contended the Clintons should be permitted to provide the limited information they have to the committee in writing.

Comer had long threatened to hold the Clintons in contempt if they failed to appear before the committee, so when they didn’t, a contempt resolution was drafted and put to a vote. The Oversight Committee passed the contempt resolution, with nine Democrats voting in favor of it, teeing it up for a full House vote.

At the last minute, before the resolution was brought for a full House vote, the Clintons agreed to sit for a deposition, postponing further consideration of a contempt vote.

Democrats on the committee said they hope this week’s testimonies from the Clintons spark Republican committee members to investigate more of Epstein’s ties to President Donald Trump and his Cabinet officials.

President Trump has repeatedly denied any knowledge of Epstein’s crimes and has said that he cut off contact with his former friend more than 20 years ago.

“We will talk to any single person, whether that is a Democrat, a Republican, how much wealth they have, how powerful the position is, we want to talk to anyone. So we’re happy to be here, and we’re glad that both Secretary Clinton and former President Clinton are willing to talk to this committee,” Rep. Robert Garcia, the committee’s top Democrat, said Thursday.

This week’s interviews with committee investigators will be video recorded and transcribed in accordance with the House’s deposition rules.

Comer said the committee is “going to release the video as soon as everyone has approved it.”

While the Clintons have agreed to speak with the committee behind closed doors, they have still pushed for public hearings as part of the committee’s probe into Epstein.

“I will not sit idly as they use me as a prop in a closed-door kangaroo court by a Republican Party running scared,” Bill Clinton wrote in a lengthy post on X. “If they want answers, let’s stop the games & do this the right way: in a public hearing, where the American people can see for themselves what this is really about.”

Hillary Clinton has echoed her husband’s sentiments while also continuing to call for the full release of the Epstein files, which they have accused the Department of Justice of selectively releasing.

“It is something that needs to be totally transparent,” Hillary Clinton said during a panel appearance at the Munich Security Conference earlier this month. “I’ve called for, many, many years, for everything to be put out there so people can not only see what is in them, but also — if appropriate — hold people accountable. We’ll see what happens.”

Neither Bill Clinton nor Hillary Clinton has been accused of wrongdoing and both deny having any knowledge of Epstein’s crimes. No Epstein survivor or associate has ever made a public allegation of wrongdoing or inappropriate behavior by the former president or his wife in connection with his prior relationship with Epstein. 

Copyright © 2026, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Entertainment

‘Sinners’ wins big on final night of NAACP Image Awards virtual show

Jack O’Connell, Omar Benson Miller, Wunmi Mosaku, Ryan Coogler, Michael B. Jordan, Hailee Steinfeld, Jayne Lawson, Miles Caton, Li Jun Li and Delroy Lindo attend the ‘Sinners’ European premiere at the Cineworld Leicester Square on April 14, 2025, in London, England. (Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images for Warner Bros. Pictures)

And the award for outstanding ensemble cast in a motion picture at the NAACP Image Awards virtual show goes to Sinners. The Ryan Coogler film was announced the winner during the third and final night of the virtual event, during which it also won outstanding stunt ensemble (television or motion picture) and outstanding cinematography in a motion picture.

Quinta Brunson won outstanding character voice-over performance (motion picture) for voicing Dr. Fuzzby in Zootopia 2, while her Abbott Elementary costar Tyler James William got outstanding directing in a comedy series for his work on “The Science Fair” episode of their show. 

Straw earned two awards via Teyana Taylor and Glynn Turman, who won outstanding supporting actress and actor in a television movie, limited-series or dramatic special, respectively.

The late Malcolm-Jamal Warner was posthumously awarded outstanding guest performance for his work on Murder in a Small Town.

The full list of winners can be found on the award show’s website. The 57th annual NAACP Image Awards air Saturday at 8 p.m. ET on BET and CBS.

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National

Hunter College professor placed on leave amid investigation into her ‘abhorrent’ Zoom remarks during public school meeting

A view of Hunter College of The City University of New York, April 10, 2017, in New York. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

(NEW YORK) — A New York City college professor has been placed on leave amid backlash over what the school called her “abhorrent remarks” during a public school district meeting.

Hunter College associate professor Allyson Friedman made the remarks during a NYC District 3 Community Education Council (CEC3) meeting earlier this month that she was virtually attending as a parent in the Manhattan district, the university confirmed.

While an unidentified eighth grade student spoke against the potential closing of her school, Friedman can be heard saying in a video of the meeting, “They’re just too dumb to know they’re in a bad school. … Apparently Martin Luther King said it. Like if you train a Black person well enough, they’ll know to use the back, you don’t have to tell them anymore.”

Friedman appeared to be referencing remarks made earlier in the meeting by District 3 interim acting superintendent Reginald Higgins, who had quoted the Black scholar Carter G. Woodson: “When you can control a man’s thinking, you do not have to send him to the back door, he will go without being told.”

During Friedman’s remarks, other attendees could be seen reacting in shock and someone interrupts her to say, “What you’re saying is absolutely hearable here, you’ve got to stop.”

riedman has apologized for her remarks, which she said were taken out of context during an accidental unmute and did not truly reflect her own views.

“During a recent online CEC3 meeting, I was trying to explain the concept of systemic racism to my child by referencing an example of an obviously racist trope,” Friedman said in a statement to ABC News. “Due to an inadvertent unmute, only part of that conversation was captured. My complete comments make clear these abhorrent views are not my own, nor were they directed at any student or group. I fully support these courageous students in their efforts to stop school closures. However, I recognize these comments caused harm and pain, while that was not my intent I do truly apologize.”

Hunter College said earlier this week that it is “reviewing the situation under the university’s applicable conduct and nondiscrimination policies.” On Wednesday, Hunter College President Nancy Cantor updated that Friedman, associate professor in the Department of Biological Sciences, has been placed on leave while the school investigates the incident.

“This painful incident unfolded at a meeting where Black History Month was being celebrated and the pernicious and enduring effects of anti-Black systemic racism were being discussed, especially with regard to the role of educational institutions in addressing them,” Cantor said in a statement. “Hunter has long embraced such a role, which requires constant vigilance to remain attentive and responsive to the ways in which we continually draw and redraw discriminatory social lines.”

ABC News has reached out to Friedman for comment on Thursday, following the update from Hunter.

CEC3 has condemned Friedman’s remarks as “racially offensive.”

“Regardless of intent, these comments were deeply harmful and wholly unacceptable,” CEC3 said in a draft statement. “That such remarks were made while a student was courageously offering public comment makes this incident even more troubling.”

New York City Public Schools Chancellor Kamar Samuels has also condemned her remarks, saying at an unrelated press briefing on Tuesday, “It was abhorrent to listen to. And our students deserve so much better.”

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National

Rare parade of planets to align in night sky, NASA says

Mount St. Helens National Monument, Washington. (David Mcnew/Getty Images)

(NEW YORK) — Stargazers will soon have an opportunity to view six planets in alignment in the night sky, according to NASA.

Mercury, Venus, Neptune, Saturn, Uranus and Jupiter will take part in a rare planetary parade on Saturday, the space agency said.

Planets are always on the move, so the viewing window will be brief. The best time to see the planets align will be just after sunset.

For the best view, astronomy guides recommend looking toward the western horizon about 30 minutes after sunset. This will give viewers the highest probability of spotting at least three planets at the same time, since Saturn, Mercury and Venus set in the west right after the sun.

The six planets will appear low in the western sky, with Mercury and Venus appearing the lowest and sinking below the horizon shortly after sunset, according to astronomers. Mercury and Venus are usually tricky to spot but will be visible on Saturday.

Saturn and Neptune will appear just above Mercury and Venus, while Jupiter and Uranus will appear a bit higher in the western sky, to the left of the others.

Viewers will need optical assistance via telescope or binoculars to see Uranus and Neptune, but the remaining four planets will be visible to the naked eye, NASA said.

Planets can sometimes appear “bunched together in the sky” because they orbit the sun in the same plane, known as the ecliptic, according to NASA. The planets will form a clear line along the ecliptic plane.

On the same day last year — Feb. 28, 2025 — seven planets were in alignment: Mars, Jupiter, Uranus, Neptune, Mercury, Saturn and Venus.

NASA says these planetary alignments happen every few years. The last one was visible from Earth in August 2025.

This year’s parade of planets is one of the first notable astronomical events taking place in 2026, according to NASA.

A total lunar blood moon eclipse will be visible from North America on March 3, especially for viewers on the West Coast. This will be the first lunar eclipse visible in the Americas since 2025.

A rare blue moon — which signifies the rare occasion of having a second full moon in the same month — will take place on May 31.

From June 8 to 9, the two brightest planets in the sky, Venus and Jupiter, will be in conjunction, appearing “only a pinky finger apart,” according to NASA.

The Perseids meteor shower, considered the best meteor shower of the year due to its swift and bright meteors, will be best seen from Aug. 12 to 13, during a darker sky courtesy of the new moon.

And the Geminids, the most reliable meteor shower of the year, will take place from Dec. 13 to 14.

A Christmas Eve supermoon — when a full moon is closest to the Earth — rounds out the most spectacular astronomical events in 2026, according to NASA.

ABC News’ Briana Alvarado contributed to this report.

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Entertainment

Megan Thee Stallion to make Broadway debut in ‘Moulin Rouge! The Musical’

Megan Thee Stallion is seen arriving to the God’s Love We Deliver Golden Heart Awards at Cathedral of St. John the Divine on Oct. 21, 2024, in New York City. (Gilbert Carrasquillo/GC Images via Getty Images)

Watch out, Broadway! Megan Thee Stallion is set to make her debut. She’s joined the cast of Moulin Rouge! The Musical, becoming the first female-identifying person to take on the role of Zidler, impresario of the Moulin Rouge nightclub.

Meg will flex her acting skills at New York City’s Al Hirschfeld Theatre for eight weeks, starting March 24 and ending May 17. The musical will end its Broadway run on July 26.

“Stepping onto the Broadway stage and joining the Moulin Rouge! The Musical team is an absolute honor,” Megan said in a statement. “I’ve always believed in pushing myself creatively and theater is definitely a new opportunity that I’m excited to embrace. Broadway demands a different level of discipline, preparation and storytelling, but I’m up for the challenge and can’t wait for the Hotties to see a new side of me.”

“Welcoming Megan Thee Stallion into the Moulin Rouge! The Musical community is a thrilling moment for us,” adds producer Carmen Pavlovic. “This historic casting is a major part of our closing celebrations: our farewell gift to Broadway audiences and one of our biggest announcements in the history of Moulin Rouge! The Musical.”

News of Meg’s Broadway debut arrives after she teased a collaboration with Juvenile on her socials. Alongside a clip of her lip-synching and dancing to her verse on a new version of Juvie’s “B.B.B.,” she wrote, “BBB ft ME @juviethegreat. when you gonna drop it.” He responded, “Friday.”

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National

Hillary Clinton’s House Oversight Committee deposition in Epstein probe paused after photo leaks

Former President Bill Clinton and former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton arrive prior to the inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump at the United States Capitol on January 20, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Melina Mara – Pool/Getty Images)

(CHAPPAQUA, N.Y.) — Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s closed-door deposition with the House Oversight Committee in Chappaqua, New York, has been paused Thursday afternoon after a photo of her from inside the room was leaked, which is against committee rules.

The photo was posted by conservative social media influencer Benny Johnson who claimed it was provided by Republican Rep. Lauren Boebert.

The former first lady and former President Bill Clinton are participating in depositions as part of the committee’s probe into the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

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National

US attorney testifies that DOJ didn’t direct him to seek criminal charges against Abrego Garcia

Kilmar Abrego Garcia (R) and his wife Jennifer Vasquez Sura (L) attend a prayer vigil before he enters a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) field office on August 25, 2025 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

(NEW YORK) — The acting U.S. attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee, testifying Thursday at a hearing on whether the government is being vindictive in pursuing a human smuggling case against Kilmar Abrego Garcia, said that no one from the White House or the Department of Justice made the decision to seek an indictment against the Salvadoran native.

The hearing comes after the federal judge overseeing the case, Waverly Crenshaw Jr., canceled the trial in the case in December and wrote in a court order that there was enough evidence to hold a hearing on the question of vindictive prosecution after the Trump administration brought Abrego Garcia back from detention in El Salvador to face charges stemming from a 2022 traffic stop. 

“Who decided to seek an indictment against Abrego Garcia” a government lawyer asked Acting U.S. Attorney Robert McGuire during Thursday’s hearing.

“I did,” McGuire testified.

McGuire said that after reviewing the body cam footage of the 2022 traffic stop, “there were things” that were similar to other human smuggling cases, including the number of individuals in the car, the lack of luggage in the vehicle, and the fact that Abrego Garcia — who was the driver — “seemed to speak on behalf of everyone else.” Abrego Garcia was not charged at that time.

“This really looked like a human smuggling case to me,” McGuire testified.

When asked about his communications with DOJ leadership, McGuire said it was normal for him to be in contact with top officials because of the high-profile immigration case involving Abrego Garcia.

In response to questions about an email from a top DOJ official to McGuire stating that the case was a “top priority,” McGuire said DOJ leadership “always” wanted to stay updated on high-profile cases.

Earlier in Thursday’s hearing, an investigator with the Department of Homeland Security said that she felt no pressure to bring charges.

Saoud stated that as she began her preliminary investigation and obtained the video of the traffic stop in the spring, “the case started getting stronger.”

When asked by a DOJ attorney whether she felt pressured by the government to move the case toward prosecution, Saoud said no.

“We’re not swayed by political attention or political posturing,” Saoud testified. 

The government is currently blocked from deporting Abrego Garcia, who was released from immigration detention in December. In a separate case last week, a federal judge ruled that Immigration and Customs Enforcement cannot re-detain him because his 90-day detention period had expired and the government lacked a viable plan for his deportation.

The Salvadoran native, who had been living in Maryland with his wife and children, was deported last March to El Salvador’s CECOT mega-prison — despite a 2019 court order barring his deportation to that country due to fear of persecution. The Trump administration claimed he was a member of the criminal gang MS-13, which he and his attorneys deny.

He was brought back to the U.S. in June to face the human smuggling charges, to which he pleaded not guilty.

After being released into the custody of his brother in Maryland pending trial, he was again detained by immigration authorities before being released in December.

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