"The Talk of the Town"
Actor and comedian Russell Brand has been charged with one count of rape, one count of oral rape, two counts of sexual assault and one count of indecent assault, the Metropolitan Police in London announced.
The charges relate to four separate women. The alleged crimes span from 1999 to 2004 or 2005, authorities said.
Brand, 50, is due in court in London on May 2.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
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Wicked costume designer Paul Tazewell is reflecting on his historic Oscar win.
Tazewell, who became the first Black man to win an Oscar for costume design on Sunday night, took to Instagram on Monday and shared how the recognition has been his “North Star.”
“Winning the Oscar for Wicked is the highest point of my life,” he captioned the post. “It is my privilege to be the first Black Man to receive an Academy Award for Outstanding Costumes.”
He continued, “I have evolved into that inspiring figure that I had been longing to emulate as a developing designer. I receive this beautiful recognition with immense pride and I dedicate it to everyone who has the dream to fly.”
During his acceptance speech, Tazewell acknowledged how he is the first Black man to win an Oscar for best costume design.
Upon mentioning that, many in the audience rose to their feet and gave him a round of applause, including Colman Domingo, Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande and Rachel Zegler.
In the Oscars press room, Tazewell spoke about the significance of his win and what it will mean for those who want to follow his path.
“This is the pinnacle of my career,” he said. “I’ve been designing costumes for over 35 years. Much has been on Broadway and now into film. And the whole way through, there was never a Black male designer that I saw that I could follow, that I could see as inspiration. To realize that that’s actually me, it becomes a Wizard of Oz moment.”
He continued, “You know, it’s like there’s no place like home. So to come back to the inspiration being inside of me is really remarkable.”
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Robert De Niro and Jenna Ortega are set to act together in the upcoming film Shutout.
The duo will star in the film that director David O. Russell will helm, Variety reports. Shutout will be based on a screenplay written by Alejandro Adams.
The film follows a pool hustler named Jake Kejeune, who will be played by De Niro.
“Having lived and lost by the roll of a ball in smoky backroom halls, Jake encounters Mia (Ortega), a young prodigy whose raw, electrifying talent reignites a fire he thought long extinguished,” according to the official synopsis.
Jake senses a rare opportunity to shape a legend in the craft, so he takes Mia under his wing in the high-stakes world of pool.
The film will be produced by Russell, as well as Joe Roth and Judd Kirschenbaum of RK Films.
“We’re delighted to be collaborating with the acclaimed director David O. Russell and the legendary Robert De Niro, and especially excited to see Jenna step into the spotlight alongside these two cinematic icons,” Kirschenbaum said. “It’s a rare and thrilling opportunity to support such a high-caliber team coming together to tell a compelling story — a lineup so precise, it feels like the perfect break.”
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The sequel to Practical Magic will officially be enchanting movie theatergoers next year, Warner Bros. Pictures announced Tuesday.
The studio shared a video announcement of the highly anticipated upcoming film on Instagram, which featured a witchy incantation by Nicole Kidman‘s and Sandra Bullock‘s respective characters from the original film, Gillian Owens and Sally Owens.
“Tooth of wolf and morning dew,” Kidman begins.
“Something old and something new,” Bullock continues.
“Let the spell begin to mix,” they say together. “Sept. 18, 2026.”
According to the caption of the post, both actresses are set to return for the sequel, simply titled Practical Magic 2.
Details for the upcoming film have not yet been released.
Practical Magic first charmed audiences in 1998. It followed Gillian Owens and Sally Owens, two witch sisters born into a magical family and raised by their aunts in a small town, according to a synopsis.
When Gillian’s (Kidman) boyfriend dies unexpectedly, the sisters “give themselves a crash course in hard magic” and try to “resurrect him,” the synopsis states.
The film was based on the 1995 Alice Hoffman novel of the same name.
News about a sequel was announced in June 2024. At the time, Warner Bros. shared a series of clips from the film on social media to confirm that Practical Magic 2 was in the works.
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