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Release date, Aidan’s return revealed
Sarah Jessica Parker talks grief, Kim Cattrall cameo in ‘And Just Like That…’
From overcoming grief to a Kim Cattrall cameo, Sarah Jessica Parker tells USA TODAY what fans can expect in season 2 of ‘And Just Like That…’.
Entertain This!, USA TODAY
If you couldn’t help but wonder when “And Just Like That…” would be coming back, then you’re in luck. The “Sex and the City” spinoff has announced its long-anticipated Season 3 premiere date.
The new season will start releasing episodes in May, a few months shy of two years after the Season 2 finale dropped. In this iteration, the ladies — Carrie (Sarah Jessica Parker), Miranda Hobbes (Cynthia Nixon), Charlotte York-Goldenblatt (Kristin Davis), Seema Patel (Sarita Choudhury) and Lisa Todd Wexley (Nicole Ari Parker) — will be spending summer in the city.
According to the season trailer, released Tuesday, Carrie will move on from her heavy memoir and try her hand at writing fiction. Meanwhile, Aidan (John Corbett), who’d wanted to spend more time with his teenage sons and asked for a five-year moratorium with Carrie, is still in the picture.
“It’s complicated with Aidan, but I’m trying to figure it out,” Carrie says as the show teases a possible new romantic interest.
Speaking at Warner Bros. Discovery’s 2024 upfront presentation last May, Parker said New York City “continues to be a banquet of opportunities,” and the third season is “a time to evolve and commit more to being the relevant person she wants to be.”
She added, “Aidan plays a somewhat significant part of that.”
Parker also dispensed some advice to Carrie: “Don’t have an affair with Big, don’t lose Aidan’s dog and get a financial planner.”
When does ‘And Just Like That…’ Season 3 come out?
“And Just Like That” Season 3 premieres Thursday, May 29, at 9 p.m. EDT/6 p.m. PDT.
New episodes will release Thursdays. The 12-episode season will air its finale on Aug. 14.
Contributing: Gary Levin, USA TODAY
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Betty Boop gets the 'Barbie' treatment in new Broadway showMusic
Betty Boop gets the ‘Barbie’ treatment in new Broadway showMusic
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See actor’s gray hair in new movie ‘Day Drinker’
Johnny Depp is King Louis XV in French film ‘Jeanne du Barry’
Accomplished if controversial actor Johnny Depp was last seen in court in a lawsuit against his ex-wife, now he’s back in the movie “Jeanne du Barry.”
Johnny Depp is looking unrecognizable as he mounts a comeback after his yearslong court battles with ex-wife Amber Heard derailed his Hollywood career.
Lionsgate shared a photo Monday of Depp in the upcoming movie “Day Drinker,” and the actor, known for his flowing dark hair that fans often associate with his “Pirates of the Caribbean” character Jack Sparrow, has transformed. Depp, 61, looks grizzly in a grown-out graying beard and his hair pulled back into a bun.
Variety first shared the news. The film, directed by Marc Webb of “500 Days of Summer” fame, has started production.
The film will feature frequent collaborators Depp and Penélope Cruz, who have worked together on a trio of films. including “Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides.” Madelyn Cline, a breakout actress in Netflix’s “Outer Banks,” also stars.
“Day Drinker” follows a private-yacht bartender (Cline) who meets a mysterious guest (Depp), but the pair soon become connected with a “criminal figure” played by Cruz.
Last year, Depp dipped his toes back into movie-making. In “Jeanne du Barry,” he played 18th-century monarch France’s King Louis XV in the French-language film, which premiered at the annual Cannes film festival.
Johnny Depp, Amber Heard trial exposed shocking claims of abuse
The return followed an unflattering spotlight for the former industry titan, which was ignited by his 2022 defamation case against his ex-wife, actress and model Heard. Though a civil jury ultimately awarded Depp $10 million and Heard $2 million, the trial exposed shocking claims of mutual physical and emotional abuse.
He also made a return to directing last January for the independent film “Modi,” his first notable re-emergence to the film world in the last few years.
Depp’s career, initially turbocharged by his ’80s TV series “21 Jump Street,” has led to three best actor Oscar nominations (no wins) and an iconic role in the “Pirates” franchise.
Contributing: Taijuan Moorman, Marco della Cava
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Judas Priest drummer Les Binks dead at 73
Les Binks, the drummer responsible for Judas Priest’s beats in the late-‘70s, has died at 73.
A funeral notice for Binks lists his passing at a London hospital, with some reports adding his death occurred March 15.
The band announced Binks’ death in an Instagram post Tuesday, stating, “We are deeply saddened about the passing of Les and send our love to his family, friends and fans. The acclaimed drumming he provided was first class – demonstrating his unique techniques, flair, style and precision. Thank you, Les – your acclaim will live on …”
Binks joined the British heavy metal band in 1977 after drumming with Eric Burdon and the Animals and War and made his first appearance on Judas Priest’s major label debut, “Sin After Sin,” that same year, playing on the bonus track, “Race with the Devil.”
The sticksman’s resume also included stints with Deep Purple bassist Roger Glover, as well as the pop band Fancy, before his Judas Priest association.
Born James Leslie Binks in Northern Ireland Aug. 8, 1951, Binks’ two-year membership in the Rob Halford-fronted outfit included the band’s tour supporting “Sin After Sin,” which marked Judas Priest’s first outing in America.
But it was Binks’ double bass drum assault that earned his acclaim in the Judas Priest canon. The 1978 albums “Stained Class” and “Killing Machine” (released as “Hell Bent for Leather” in the U.S.) as well as the 1979 live album “Unleashed in the East,” spotlighted Binks’ signature speedy playing, which featured prominently on the band’s first hit in the U.K., “Take on the World.”
The drum patterns from that song lived on in future generations, with both The Human League utilizing them during their 1980 tour and the indie rock band Spoon interpolating the patterns in their 2021 song, “Wild.”
Binks also co-wrote “Beyond the Realms of Death” from the “Stained Class” album.
But two years after joining Judas Priest, Binks departed just before the tour behind “Hell Bent for Leather.”
In a 2017 interview on a fan site for Judas Priest guitarist K.K. Downing, Binks cited management refusing to pay him for contributions on “Unleashed in the East” that “led to my decision to leave the band. I just didn’t see the point in continuing to work with a band whose manager (Mike Dolan) didn’t want me to receive any payment for that live album. A completely ludicrous scenario … But that’s what happens if a band allows someone like that to manage them. They lose members. So exit drummer number four.”
Binks stayed active in his post-Priest years, joining British hard rock band Lionheart and the short-lived Tytan in the early ‘80s and since 2017 played Judas Priest songs in the band Les Binks’ Priesthood.
Despite a somewhat acrimonious parting with Judas Priest, Binks joined his former mates at the 2022 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony and played three songs with the band. It was the first time he shared a stage with them in 43 years.
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Rapper Tay-K found guilty in murder trial for 2017 fatal shooting
The deadly shooting happened outside of a Chick-Fil-A location in San Antonio, Texas in April 2017.
Father, daughter killed in car wash shooting
Family members identified the victims of a car wash shooting as North Texas rapper G$ Lil Ronnie and his 5-year-old daughter, who just celebrated her birthday.
A Texas jury convicted rapper Tay-K of murder in connection to the killing of a man in 2017, according to Bexar County court records
The rapper, real name Taymor McIntyre, was found guilty on April 14 on a lesser charge of murder and faces five to 99 years or life in prison with the possibility of parole, according to county records. The 24-year-old was acquitted of capital murder, which would not have given him the option for parole.
McIntyre’s conviction stems from the 2017 killing of 23-year-old photographer Mark Anthony Saldivar, which occurred while he was wanted in connection to the 2016 murder of 21-year-old Ethan Walker, the San Antonio Express-News, KSAT, and Rolling Stone reported. The rapper was sentenced to 55 years in prison for charges related to Walker’s death, which occurred during a robbery at a Mansfield, Texas home.
Saldivar’s murder happened outside of a San Antonio Chick-fil-A as McIntyre and his associates were in a vehicle with the photographer, who was eventually shot and killed following a physical altercation, KSAT and the San Antonio Express-News reported. The group picked Saldivar up for a photo shoot and robbed him, according to the outlets.
The photographer’s deceased body was found at the Chick-fil-A location near North Star Mall in San Antonio in April 2017. In court, McIntyre’s defense team said that the rapper “is not guilty of capital murder, murder or manslaughter,” KSAT reported.
Court footage shared by KSAT showed that the jury’s decision was unanimous. The outlet reported that the court moved into the punishment phase shortly afterward and will continue on April 15 in the afternoon.
USA TODAY reached out to McIntyre’s attorneys on April 15 but has not received a response.
Tay-K convicted in 2019 for deadly home invasion
Ethan Walker was fatally shot in his Mansfield, Texas, home during a home invasion in 2016. McIntyre was accused of organizing the crime and recruiting the man who shot and killed Walker. He was also sentenced to 30 years in prison for one count of aggravated robbery and 13 years each for two other counts of aggravated robbery.
After Walker’s death, McIntyre was thrust into the spotlight at age 17 when released his hit song, “The Race,” which he recorded while evading authorities. The song exploded online due to McIntyre being on the run after he fled house arrest in 2017 before Walker’s case went to trial.
The video for “The Race” currently has more than 250 million views on YouTube. The single, which was used as evidence and played in his 2019 conviction, reached number 44 on the Billboard charts and ultimately platinum status.
In McIntyre’s most recent Instagram post in March 2023, the rapper shared a letter of reflection to his fans.
“Now that I’m older, I know how important focusing on leading by example is. I love my fans, and I don’t want anyone to think I’m promoting or really recommending violence,” the letter stated. “That’s why I really dedicate a lot of my time in here to using the success of my music to have a positive impact on other young artists even if it’s something small like taking a phone call or writing a letter to keep them inspired, regardless of my situation the movement is Eternal.”
Contributing: Cydney Henderson, USA TODAY
Taylor Ardrey is a news reporter for USA TODAY. You can reach her at [email protected].
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With ‘The Perfect Divorce.’ Jeneva Rose ties up (some) loose ends
Bestselling author Jeneva Rose didn’t expect she’d ever be able to publish a sequel to “The Perfect Marriage.” But like any good thriller writer, she left a few clues unanswered.
“The Perfect Marriage” follows a seemingly copacetic couple, Sarah and Adam Morgan, whose lives turn upside down when Adam is accused of murdering his mistress and top-dog attorney Sarah decides to represent him. “The Perfect Divorce” (Blackstone Publishing, out now) adds even more twists to the murder mystery that’s sold over one million copies and has been acquired for a film adaptation.
Rose wrote “The Perfect Marriage,” published in 2020, on weekends and evenings as a passion project outside of her full-time job. Now that she’s got a fanbase of hungry readers, several other thrillers under her belt and three (that’s right – three) books coming out in 2025, Rose says the pressure is on. Stepping back into the world of Sarah for the first time in years, she didn’t want to let her readers down. But as early reviews for the book poured in, her anxieties eased.
“People are saying it’s better than ‘The Perfect Marriage,’ I’m a little offended by that,” Rose says, laughing.
‘The Perfect Divorce’ picks up after ‘The Perfect Marriage’ twist ending
The investigation into Kelly Summers’ murder in “The Perfect Marriage” hinged on three sets of DNA evidence. Two are explained away, but that third set of DNA is revealed without much additional explanation.
Until now.
“The Perfect Divorce” is set 11 years after the events of the first book. Sarah has moved on, opening a nonprofit organization and starting a family with her new husband, Bob. But history has a way of repeating itself, and Sarah is determined to learn from her past relationship. So when she discovers Bob had a one-night stand, she swiftly files for divorce. But then the woman Bob slept with goes missing and new revelations in the decade-old Summers case send Sarah and Bob back into the interrogation room.
That third DNA component is what drove Rose to pick up Sarah Morgan’s story again. She didn’t want to write a sequel just to write a sequel – she needed a catalyst to reopen the case, so to speak.
“What more do readers need to learn about her? It needs to be as twisty and jaw-dropping as ‘The Perfect Marriage’ because it’s a thriller and that’s what readers expect these days – you need to make their jaws drop,” Rose says.
Once she had that, she spent a day with the Appleton Police Department in Wisconsin on a ride-along and taking tours of the forensics department. She spent so much time with them that she named two characters – Lieutenant Nagel and Chief Deputy Olson – after the police officers she met. And then she got into the nitty gritty – asking them what they would need, hypothetically, to reopen a case like the one in “The Perfect Marriage.”
The result is several interwoven cat-and-mouse games as the cases and bodies pile up in “The Perfect Divorce.” The book is also a departure from Rose’s style in “The Perfect Marriage,” told from Sarah and Adam’s alternating perspectives. Now, readers get inside the heads of Bob, former deputy Marcus Hudson and other new characters. Rose said writing Bob’s perspective was a favorite because he played such a major role from the sidelines in “The Perfect Marriage.”
More to come for ‘The Perfect Marriage’ series
Readers will also find a few extra easter eggs in the novel’s endpages and author acknowledgements, where Rose has become notorious for dropping hints about future work.
“I’m not done with (Sarah),” she says. “There’s so much for her as a character and her growth.”
A future book, she hints, could focus on Sarah’s relationship with her daughter as she ages. In the first book, readers find out the truth about Sarah’s murky (and deadly) relationship with her mom. How could that play out in this generation?
“What happens when she has a daughter that’s a teenager and can no longer be a child that everything is hidden from?” Rose says. “What happens when that daughter finds out everything that their mother has done in order to protect them?”
Clare Mulroy is USA TODAY’s Books Reporter, where she covers buzzy releases, chats with authors and dives into the culture of reading. Find her on Instagram, subscribe to our weekly Books newsletter or tell her what you’re reading at [email protected].
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Kelsea Ballerini takes a tumble on stageEntertainment
Kelsea Ballerini takes a tumble on stageEntertainment
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See how 'Harry Potter' TV series cast compares to the film actorsTV
See how ‘Harry Potter’ TV series cast compares to the film actorsTV
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Emily Ratajkowski joins Olivia Munn in slamming Blue Origin flight
Watch zero gravity inside Blue Origin space flight with Katy Perry
Katy Perry, Gayle King and four other women experienced zero gravity as they reached the edge of space on Blue Origin.
If celebrity space travel is the news of the day, so is celebrity criticism of celebrity space travel.
In a TikTok posted Monday, model and actress Emily Ratajkowski spoke out against a mission that same morning that sent stars like Gayle King and Katy Perry into space.
“That space mission this morning? That’s end times (expletive),” she told followers. “This is beyond parody.”
Perry and King joined journalist Lauren Sánchez and three others Monday for a brief flight to space in a capsule built by Blue Origin, the intergalactic exploration company founded by Sánchez’s billionaire fiancé Jeff Bezos.
The mission, the first for an all-female space crew since 1963, was marketed as a feminist landmark − a chance to see mothers and female storytellers launch toward the heavens. Critics, however, lambasted it as a ploy to promote Blue Origin’s pricey tickets to space and called out the contradiction of touting environmental concern despite contributing to pollution.
“Saying that you care about Mother Earth and it’s about Mother Earth, and you’re going up in a spaceship that is built and paid for by a company that’s singlehandedly destroying the planet,” Ratajkowski continued. Bezos, who is set to wed Sánchez later this year, is also the founder and chief executive of Amazon.
Both Sánchez and Perry said their 11-minute jaunt to space had made them more appreciative of earthly existence.
“Look at the state of the world and think about how many resources went into putting these women into space for what?” Ratajkowski said. “I’m disgusted. Literally, I’m disgusted.”
She wasn’t the only star to voice dissent. In a post to her Instagram stories Monday, actress Olivia Wilde reposted a meme of Perry kissing the ground after leaving the capsule and wrote, “Billion dollar bought some good memes I guess.”
Ratajkowski and Wilde’s criticisms follow similar comments from Olivia Munn, who said during an appearance on “Today” earlier this month that the whole mission seemed “gluttonous.”
“I’m just saying this. I know this is probably not the cool thing to say, but there are so many other things that are so important in the world right now,” she said.
“It’s so much money to go to space,” Munn added, later pointing out that all the rocket fuel can’t be good for the planet. “There’s a lot of people who can’t even afford eggs … I think it’s a bit gluttonous.”