Former Bachelorettes will welcome Taylor Frankie Paul in ‘The Bachelorette: Before the First Rose’ special event
Taylor Frankie Paul and 18 other former leads of ‘The Bachelorette’ in ‘The Bachelorette: Before the First Rose.’ (John Fleenor/ Disney)
Bachelor Nation, get ready to welcome a brand-new Bachelorette to the franchise.
ABC has announced that a special preview of Taylor Frankie Paul‘s upcoming season of The Bachelorette is coming very soon. The special, which is called The Bachelorette: Before the First Rose, will debut on ABC and Hulu immediately after the Oscars live telecast on March 15.
The new special will find 18 former Bachelorettes gathered together to look back on all of their respective journeys and offer advice to the newest leading lady, Paul.
Former Bachelorettes who will be featured on the special event are Trista Sutter, Meredith Phillips, DeAnnaPappas, Ali Fedotowsky-Manno, Ashley Hebert-Rosenbaum, Emily Maynard-Johnson, Desiree Siegfried, Andi Dorfman-Hart, Kaitlyn Bristowe, JoJo Fletcher, Rachel Lindsay, Becca Kufrin, HannahBrown-Woolard, Tayshia Adams, Katie Thurston, Rachel Recchia, Charity Lawson and Joan Vassos, who is the franchise’s first-ever Golden Bachelorette.
“Consider this our first date. Watch The Bachelorette: Before the First Rose, a special preview of Taylor’s season following the live telecast of The Oscars March 15,” the official Bachelorette account posted to Instagram on Wednesday.
The Bachelorette‘s new season premieres March 22 on ABC and streams the next day on Hulu.
John Mulaney at ‘John Mulaney Presents: Everybody’s in LA’ for the Netflix is a Joke Festival at The Sunset Gower Studios on May 10, 2024, in Los Angeles. (Adam Rose/Netflix)
The first wave of performers has been announced for this year’s Netflix is a Joke Fest.
Netflix is a Joke Fest takes place from May 4 to May 10 in Los Angeles. Tickets go on sale Friday at 10 p.m. PT.
The festival includes events such as the Night of Too Many Stars, which features some of the biggest comedians in the world as they gather for a night of stand-up, variety show and music. It will be hosted by Jon Stewart and feature Bill Burr, Conan O’Brien, Steve Carell, Ron Funches, Nikki Glaser, Tiffany Haddish, JimmyKimmel, Leanne Morgan, John Mulaney, Bob Odenkirk, Matt Rife, Adam Sandler, Sarah Silverman, AliWong and Noah Wyle.
Meanwhile, Nate Bargatze, who Netflix cites as the top-selling comedian in the world, returns to the festival for two nights to perform his next Netflix comedy special, which will be available to stream later in 2026.
Mulaney will return with his third Hollywood Bowl show, called Mister Whatever, while Marcello Hernández will participate in the largest Spanish language comedy show of all time, according to Netflix. He will be joined by one of the biggest names in Latin music, Feid.
Seth Rogen is set to host Seth Goes Greek, a night of comedy and music featuring Eric André, Glaser, StavrosHalkias, Nick Kroll, Sarah Silverman and Taylor Tomlinson.
There will also be a celebration of 40 years of Pee-wee’s Playhouse with A Tribute to Pee-wee Herman. The variety show will be hosted by PattonOswalt and feature performances from The B-52s, Danny Elfman, Fred Armisen, Patti Harrison, JulioTorres and more.
Additionally, there will be a red carpet premiere for the upcoming documentary about Martin Short called Marty, Life is Short.
Other big stars confirmed for the festival include Larry David, Pete Davidson, Ego Nwodim, Trisha Paytas and Jerry Seinfeld.
Lexi Minetree as Elle Woods in the ‘Legally Blonde’ prequel series ‘Elle.’ (Prime Video)
Omigod, you guys!
The Legally Blonde prequel series Elle is set to premiere on Prime Video on July 1. Additionally, the streaming service has ordered a second season of the show months ahead of its first season’s debut.
Season 1 of Elle follows the character Elle Woods, who was originated by Reese Witherspoon in the 2001 film, as she takes on high school.
Lexi Minetree stars as a young Elle Woods in the upcoming series. The prequel follows Elle as “we learn about the life experiences that shaped her into the iconic young woman we came to know and love,” according to Prime Video.
“Twenty-five years after the world met Elle Woods for the first time, it’s a dream come true to share the story of how she became the unstoppable force we all fell in love with,” Witherspoon said in a statement. “Discovering Lexi Minetree and watching her step into Elle’s fabulous shoes has been one of the most gratifying experiences of my career.”
Witherspoon continued, saying she believes the show’s themes “of kindness, authenticity, and believing in yourself will resonate deeply with fans of the original films and new audiences alike.”
“Working with our incredible Hello Sunshine team, Amazon and our visionary writers and directors to bring Elle’s high school journey to life has been a tremendous joy. I can’t wait to share Season One with the world and start rolling cameras on Season Two!” Witherspoon said.
Laura Kittrell created the series, which she co-showruns and executive produces with Caroline Dries. Witherspoon, Lauren Neustadter, Marc Platt and Amanda Brown also executive produce. Pitch Perfect director Jason Moore helmed the first two episodes of season 1 and also executive produces.
Also starring in season 1 are June Diane Raphael as Elle’s mother, Eva, and Tom Everett Scott as her father, Wyatt. Gabrielle Policano, Jacob Moskovitz, Chandler Kinney and Zac Looker make up the rest of the main cast.
Reactions are pouring in after director and actor Rob Reiner and his wife Michele Singer were found dead Sunday in their Los Angeles home.
The family of the late TV great Norman Lear shared their reaction.
“The Lear Family is devastated by the deaths of Rob and Michele Reiner,” the statement shared with ABC News began.
“Norman often referred to Rob as a son, and their close relationship was extraordinary, to us and the world,” the family’s statement said. “Norman would have wanted to remind us that Rob and Michele spent every breath trying to make this country a better place, and they pursued that through their art, their activism, their philanthropy, and their love for family and friends.”
“Lyn Lear had remained very close with them and said, ‘The world is unmistakably darker tonight, and we are left bereft,’” the Lear family statement added. Lyn Lear is Norman Lear’s widow.
Reiner starred as Michael “Meathead” Stivic in Lear’s hit sitcom All in the Family, which ran for nine seasons between 1971 and 1978.
In a statement to ABC News, Jamie Lee Curtis and her husband Christopher Guest, who starred in the Reiner directed rock mockumentary This Is Spinal Tap, said that they’re “numb and sad and shocked about the violent, tragic deaths of our dear friends Rob and Michelle Singer Reiner.”
“Our ONLY focus and care right now is for their children and immediate families and we will offer all support possible to help them,” they added. “There will be plenty of time later to discuss the creative lives we shared a[nd] the great political and social impact they both had on the entertainment industry, early childhood development, the fight for gay marriage and their global care for a world in crisis. We have lost great friends. Please give us time to grieve.”
Former President Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama mourned Reiner and Singer’s death in a statement shared on X.
“Michelle and I are heartbroken by the tragic passing of Rob Reiner and his beloved wife, Michele,” the Obamas said. “Rob’s achievements in film and television gave us some of our most cherished stories on screen.”
“But beneath all of the stories he produced was a deep belief in the goodness of people—and a lifelong commitment to putting that belief into action,” the Obamas continued. “Together, he and his wife lived lives defined by purpose. They will be remembered for the values they championed and the countless people they inspired. We send our deepest condolences to all who loved them.”
Fellow director and producer Ron Howard remembered Reiner as “a superlative filmmaker, a supporting colleague and at all times a dedicated citizen” in an X post.
“Our careers and lives intersected often over the decades from Rob writing the pilot script for Happy Days and then as we each shifted from acting careers into directing and producing,” Howard wrote.”He proved to be a superlative filmmaker, a supportive colleague and at all times a dedicated citizen. Rob will be missed on so many levels. My heart goes out to his family and his many close friends.”
Director Paul Feig also called Reiner his “true hero” in a post on X.
“One of my most cherished pictures,” Feig wrote next to a photo of the two of them at a San Diego Comic-Con event. “Rob was my true hero. A true visionary titan and a lovely lovely person. One never knows if it’s proper to post during something as tragic as this. But I just want the world to know what so many of us know in the industry. Rob was the best.”
John Cusack, who starred in Reiner’s 1985 film The Sure Thing, reacted to Reiner and Singer’s death in an X post, saying he was “shocked by the death of Rob Reiner -a great man.”
Actor Josh Gad called Reiner “one of the greatest directors of our time” in a tribute shared on Instagram.
“He was one of the greatest directors of our time. He was a friend. He was simply a beautiful person,” Gad wrote alongside a photo of Reiner.
“Rob Reiner and his wife Michelle were two of the most kind and caring souls you could ever imagine. He cared so much for those who had no voices,” Gad continued. “This loss is devastating. I cannot express how much this hurts. Love you Rob and Michelle. Thank you for all you gave us.”
Reiner directed films Misery and Stand By Me based on material by Stephen King,who remembered the director on X.
“I’m horrified and saddened by the death of Rob Reiner and Michele,” he wrote. “Wonderful friend, political ally, and brilliant filmmaker (including 2 of mine). Rest in peace, Rob. You always stood by me.”
Carey Elwes, who starred in Reiner’s movie The Princess Bride, shared a photo on Instagram of two directors chairs with swords from the movie, captioning the post, “No words…”
The Los Angeles Police Department is investigating the deaths of Reiner and Singer.
Reiner and Singer’s family confirmed their deaths in a statement, writing, “It is with profound sorrow that we announce the tragic passing of Michele and Rob Reiner. We are heartbroken by this sudden loss, and we ask for privacy during this unbelievably difficult time.”
The couple married in 1989 and had three children: Jake, Nick and Romy Reiner.
