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  • Billy Ray Cyrus and Elizabeth Hurley tease romance with Easter post

    Billy Ray Cyrus and Elizabeth Hurley tease romance with Easter post

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    An outdoor egg hunt, Sunday church service and… hard-launching a relationship? Elizabeth Hurley is celebrating Easter with a little romance.

    The actress, 59, took to Instagram to mark the springtime holiday with an idyllic outdoor photo — and Hurley wasn’t alone.

    Standing next to Hurley was country singer-songwriter Billy Ray Cyrus. The 63-year-old musician, wearing a denim shirt with striped pants and a bunny ears headband, planted a kiss on Hurley’s cheek as she cheerily posed in a blue flannel shirt and matching jeans.

    Hurley did not share any details on the pair’s relationship status in the joint post. “Happy Easter ♥️,” Hurley wrote.

    USA TODAY has reached out to representatives for Hurley and Cyrus for comment.

    The romantic post comes eight months after Cyrus finalized his contentious divorce with ex-wife Firerose in August 2024. The former couple, who were married for seven months, accused each other of spousal abuse in the months leading up to their divorce settlement. Firerose (real name: Johanna Rosie Hodges) told Page Six in a June 2024 interview that Cyrus was verbally abusive.

    “He would rage at me, shout at me at the top of his lungs. He would terrify me,” Firerose said at the time. “It was illogical and insane and terrifying.”

    Meanwhile, Cyrus alleged in a court filing that same month that Firerose was physically, emotionally and verbally abusive throughout the course of their relationship, adding that their brief marriage was “induced by fraud.”

    Cyrus was previously married to manager and producer Tish Cyrus from 1993 until April 2022 when the couple filed for divorce, citing irreconcilable differences. Cyrus and Tish have five children together: Brandi Cyrus, 37, Trace Cyrus, 36, Miley Cyrus, 32, Braison Cyrus, 30, and Noah Cyrus, 25. Billy Ray adopted Brandi and Trace, who are Tish’s children from a previous relationship.

    Hurley was married to Indian businessman Arun Nayar from 2007-2011. She also had long-term relationships with English actor Hugh Grant and Australian cricketer Shane Warne. The actress has a son, 23-year-old actor and filmmaker Damian Hurley, whom she shares with late businessman Steve Bing.

    Contributing: Taijuan Moorman, USA TODAY

  • When does the next episode come out?

    When does the next episode come out?


    ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ is available to stream on Hulu.

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    Editor’s note: This post contains spoilers about Season 6 of “The Handmaid’s Tale.”

    As the final season of “The Handmaid’s Tale” reaches its midpoint with Episode 5 dropping next week, tensions are on the rise as June (Elisabeth Moss), husband Luke (O-T Fagbenle), and best friend Moira (Samira Wiley) clash over plans to take down Gilead.

    After escaping from no man’s land where they got trapped, Luke and Moira are all pumped to destroy Gilead. However, June is critical of their plans, and this causes a huge blowout between them. However, June and Luke eventually make up and agree to fight together as a family. Back in New Bethlehem, Commander Lawrence (Bradley Whitford) is sworn in as a High Commander as Rita (Amanda Brugel), a former Martha, arrives back in town. Serena (Yvonne Strahovski), meanwhile, shares a moment after an evening of light flirting with Commander Wharton (Josh Charles), Rose’s father.

    According to Hulu, June will fight to take down Gilead with Luke and Moira joining the resistance in the final season of the Emmy-winning drama series. Serena, meanwhile, “tries to reform Gilead while Commander Lawrence and Aunt Lydia (Ann Dowd) reckon with what they have wrought, and Nick (Max Minghella) faces challenging tests of character.”

    “This final chapter of June’s journey highlights the importance of hope, courage, solidarity, and resilience in the pursuit of justice and freedom,” the season’s synopsis says.

    Adapted from Canadian author Margaret Atwood’s 1985 novel of the same name, “The Handmaid’s Tale” is about “the story of life in the dystopia of Gilead, a totalitarian society in what was formerly the United States,” according to the series synopsis.

    June/Offred, one of the few fertile women in the oppressive Republic of Gilead, known as Handmaids, “struggles to survive as a reproductive surrogate for a powerful Commander and his resentful wife.”

    Here’s what to know about Season 6 of “The Handmaid’s Tale,” including full episode schedule and cast.

    We’ve got room on the couch! Sign up for USA TODAY’s Watch Party newsletter for more recaps of your favorite shows.

    When do new episodes of ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ come out?

    New episodes of “The Handmaid’s Tale” Season 6 drop every Tuesday on Hulu at midnight ET / 9 p.m. PT (previous day).

    ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’: Stream on Hulu | Watch on Sling

    Need a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle

    ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ Season 6 episode schedule

    The final season of “The Handmaid’s Tale” will have 10 episodes. Here’s what the upcoming schedule looks like:

    • Episode 5 “Janine”: April 22
    • Episode 6 “Surprise”: April 29
    • Episode 7 “Shattered”: May 6
    • Episode 8 “Exodus”: May 13
    • Episode 9 “Execution”: May 20
    • Episode 10 “The Handmaid’s Tale”: May 27

    The first four episodes of Season 6 are already available to stream on Hulu.

    How to watch ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ Season 6

    “The Handmaid’s Tale” is available to stream on Hulu.

    Hulu offers membership options ranging from $7.99 a month to $17.99 a month for normal streaming services, and $75.99 a month to $89.99 a month for plans with streaming and live television. New users can also sign up for a free trial.

    Watch every season of The Handmaid’s Tale on Hulu

    ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ Season 6 cast

    Cast members for “The Handmaid’s Tale” Season 6, as per Hulu, include:

    • Elisabeth Moss as June Osborne / Offred
    • Yvonne Strahovski as Serena Joy Waterford
    • Bradley Whitford as Commander Joseph Lawrence
    • Max Minghella as Commander Nick Blaine
    • Ann Dowd as Aunt Lydia Clements
    • O-T Fagbenle as Luke Bankole
    • Samira Wiley as Moira Strand
    • Madeline Brewer as Janine Lindo / Ofwarren / Ofdaniel / Ofhoward
    • Amanda Brugel as Rita Blue
    • Ever Carradine as Naomi Putnam
    • Sam Jaeger as Mark Tuello
    • Josh Charles as High Commander Wharton

    Watch ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ Season 6 trailer

    We occasionally recommend interesting products and services. If you make a purchase by clicking one of the links, we may earn an affiliate fee. USA TODAY Network newsrooms operate independently, and this doesn’t influence our coverage.

    Saman Shafiq is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at [email protected] and follow her on X and Instagram @saman_shafiq7.

  • Prince Harry, Meghan Markle foundation cuts ties to Muslim group

    Prince Harry, Meghan Markle foundation cuts ties to Muslim group

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    Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan’s charitable Archewell Foundation has cut off funding to a Milwaukee-based Muslim women’s organization because of its leader’s views on the Israel-Hamas War.

    An article published April 11 by the news outlet NewsNation seemingly prompted Archewell to halt its funding of the Milwaukee Muslim Women’s Coalition. A NewsNation reporter asked the foundation about the coalition’s executive director Janan Najeeb’s opinion piece in the Wisconsin Muslim Journal − an outlet run by Najeeb’s group − which included the contentious phrase, “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free.”

    Representatives for Archewell did not respond to the USA TODAY Network’s requests for comment.

    An online fundraiser for the women’s coalition reproduced a letter from the Archewell Foundation, which the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, part of the USA TODAY Network, independently verified.

    “We have recently been notified of an online opinion piece you wrote that goes against the values of The Archewell Foundation,” the letter told Najeeb. “We have zero tolerance for hateful words, actions, or propaganda.”

    After NewsNation called attention to Najeeb’s views, Archewell Foundation staff told her on April 9 that the Muslim Women’s Coalition was being removed from its funding network, and it would not award the coalition additional grants.

    According to tax filings, the Archewell Foundation awarded the Muslim Women’s Coalition a $27,960 grant in 2023 to operate a support group and sewing circle for Afghan evacuee women in Milwaukee. The group planned to meet weekly to complete sewing projects and take part in “restorative” conversations that address the women’s trauma.

    The foundation gave the coalition another grant of a similar amount in 2024, Najeeb said.

    The funding cuts come as Harry and Meghan face scrutiny as media reports surfaced that Harry recently resigned from the charity he co-founded in honor of his late mother Princess Diana. Earlier this year, the two philanthropists were pictured visiting with victims of the Los Angeles wildfires in Meghan’s hometown.

    Palestinian activist speaks out after Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan’s charity halts funding

    For her part, Najeeb views the funding cut as part of a broader trend of organizations distancing themselves from pro-Palestinian views for fear of retribution.

    “It’s unfortunate that a funder like the Archewell decided to cave in so quickly,” she told the Journal Sentinel. “This is not unusual. This is in line with what’s happening around the country.” In a letter to foundation executives, Najeeb rejected the characterization of her opinion piece as hateful or antisemitic.

    “If your foundation stipulates that grant recipients must sit idly by as a genocide is broadcast live on their television screens, then we too regret to inform you that our values do not align,” Najeeb said in her response. “In choosing PR over principle, you betray the communities you claim to uplift.”

    And she posited that the executives’ issues were actually with another opinion piece she wrote for the Journal Sentinel last May, in which she argued that student protesters “know truth about Israel’s genocide in Gaza.” That piece does not mention the phrase “from the river to the sea,” a slogan which many Jews consider antisemitic.

    Harry and Meghan have fully re-entered public life this year with As Ever, Netflix show

    The fundraising debacle coincides with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s return to public life five years after stepping back as British working royals in January 2020.

    After she started dating Harry, Meghan shut down her popular lifestyle blog “The Tig” in April 2017, but the duchess hard-launched her new Netflix lifestyle show “With Love” and the brand As Ever this year.

    The first As Ever drop sold out in less than an hour and one product (the $28 limited-edition wildflower honey with honeycomb) sold out in less than five minutes. The featured products in the company’s first collection included $12 herbal tea in three flavors: hibiscus, peppermint and lemon ginger.

    In a recent profile for The New York Times published April 2 in conjunction with the official launch of As Ever, Meghan defended her decision to start her lifestyle brand and star in a new companion Netflix show.

    In the piece, she explained that the brand gives her flexibility as mom to her two children with Harry: Prince Archie, 5, and Princess Lilibet, 3.

    “I need to work, and I love to work,” Meghan told NYT, adding that the brand “is a way I can connect my home life and my work.” 

    Harry is set to take the reins of a second program that will bring viewers behind-the-scenes of the world of professional polo, a sport played by Harry for years, at the U.S. Open Polo Championship in Wellington, Florida.

  • Bowen Yang reacts to Aimee Lou Wood criticism of ‘White Lotus’ joke

    Bowen Yang reacts to Aimee Lou Wood criticism of ‘White Lotus’ joke

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    Bowen Yang says a recent “Saturday Night Live” sketch that poked fun at Aimee Lou Wood is an example of how parody can go too far.

    In an interview with Extra, the comedian, 34, weighed in after Wood slammed a “White Lotus” spoof on “SNL” that included a joke about the gap between her teeth. The actress described the sketch as “mean and unfunny.”

    “However she reacted to that sketch is completely valid,” Yang told Extra. “With parody, you kind of forget the human, emotional cost” that humor takes on the subject.

    The “Wicked” star added that “everyone at ‘SNL’ ” is a fan of Wood, noting the situation is a reminder “that parody can go (too) far sometimes and that we as comedians can take account for that, instead of banging our foot and saying that we should be allowed to say whatever we want.”

    The “SNL” sketch, which aired April 12, imagined Season 3 of “The White Lotus” starring President Donald Trump and his allies. Host Jon Hamm played Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who said he wanted to remove fluoride from drinking water and asked, “What would that do to people’s teeth?” The show then cut to Sarah Sherman, who wore fake teeth to play Wood’s “White Lotus” character, Chelsea.

    In a series of Instagram posts, Wood, 31, said she thought the sketch was “mean and unfunny” and wrote, “I am not thin skinned. I actually love being taken the piss out of when it’s clever and in good spirits. But the joke was about fluoride. I have big gap teeth not bad teeth. I don’t mind caricature – I understand that’s what SNL is. But the rest of the skit was punching up and I/Chelsea was the only one punched down on.”

    In other posts on Instagram, Wood said there “must be a cleverer, more nuanced, less cheap way” to make fun of her and criticized the accent Sherman used in the sketch. “At least get the accent right seriously,” she wrote. “I respect accuracy even if it’s mean.”

    But Wood, who previously told GQ she was unhappy with the amount of attention that has been paid to her teeth, clarified that she was “not hating on” Sherman and was just “hating on the concept.” She later revealed that Sherman sent her a “beautiful” bouquet of flowers.

    Wood also said in a previous Instagram post that she “had apologies from ‘SNL,’ ” though she didn’t provide details. Yang told Extra that Wood seems to have “spoken to people at the show” about the sketch.

    “SNL” has not returned for a new episode since the controversial sketch aired. The show will be back on May 3 with host Quinta Brunson.

  • Aimee Lou Wood slams 'SNL' sketch mocking her appearanceTV

    Aimee Lou Wood slams 'SNL' sketch mocking her appearanceTV

    Aimee Lou Wood slams ‘SNL’ sketch mocking her appearanceTV

  • King Charles, Queen Camilla celebrate Easter. Who else was there?

    King Charles, Queen Camilla celebrate Easter. Who else was there?

    LONDON − Britain’s King Charles and Queen Camilla briefly greeted onlookers after an Easter service at St. George’s Chapel in Windsor, an important fixture in the calendar of the monarch, who is supreme governor of the Church of England.

    Charles and Camilla, who was wearing a pale blue hat and dress, were joined by Princess Anne, Prince Andrew, Prince Edward and other family members at the 15th-century chapel on the grounds of Windsor Castle.

    Andrew’s attendance was notable after he was absent from the royals’ Christmas service amid scrutiny of his links with an alleged Chinese spy. The scandal-plagued prince was accompanied by his ex-wife Sarah, Duchess of York, and his daughters Princess Eugenie and Princess Beatrice.

    The king’s oldest son and heir Prince William and his wife, Princess Kate, were absent. They are spending Easter with their children in Norfolk.

    Camilla, who was handed a posy of flowers by a young girl, wished “Happy Easter” to members of the crowd after the Easter Matins service.

    On Thursday, the king used his annual Easter message to reflect on war, human suffering and the heroism of those who risk their lives to help others.

    In 2024, the Easter service was Charles’ first appearance at a public event following the announcement that he had been diagnosed with an undisclosed form of cancer the previous month.

    Kate was also treated for an unspecified cancer last year. She said in January she was relieved in be in remission.

    Contributing: Kim Willis, USA TODAY

  • The Who drummer Zak Starkey rehired by band days after firing

    The Who drummer Zak Starkey rehired by band days after firing

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    The Who is reinstating the band’s longtime drummer just days after booting him from the role.

    Guitarist Pete Townshend announced in an April 19 statement on The Who’s website that drummer Zak Starkey, son of Ringo Starr, is no longer “being asked to step down” from the band.

    “There have been some communication issues, personal and private on all sides, that needed to be dealt with, and these have been aired happily,” he said. “Roger (Daltrey) and I would like Zak to tighten up his latest evolved drumming style to accommodate our non-orchestral line up and he has readily agreed.”

    Last week, a representative for the band told multiple outlets, including Rolling Stone and The Guardian, that The Who “made a collective decision to part ways with” Starkey after a round of shows at London’s Royal Albert Hall. “They have nothing but admiration for him and wish him the very best for his future.”

    In his own statement to Rolling Stone, Starkey, who joined The Who in 1996, expressed surprise at his firing and indicated it was sparked by his performance during a March show at the Royal Albert Hall. According to Metro, Daltrey expressed frustration on stage during the show, saying he was having difficulty hearing because “all I’ve got is drums going boom, boom, boom. I can’t sing to that. I’m sorry, guys.”

    In his statement, Starkey wrote, “In January, I suffered a serious medical emergency with blood clots in my right bass drum calf. This is now completely healed and does not affect my drumming or running. After playing those songs with the band for so many decades, I’m surprised and saddened anyone would have an issue with my performance that night, but what can you do?”

    He added, “Twenty-nine years at any job is a good old run, and I wish them the best.”

    On Saturday, Townshend said the Royal Albert Hall shows “were a little tricky for me,” in part because of his recent knee replacement. But he also blamed Starkey, 59, for making some “mistakes” on stage.

    “Maybe we didn’t put enough time into sound checks,” Townshend said. “The sound in the center of the stage is always the most difficult to work with. Roger did nothing wrong but fiddle with his in-ear monitors. Zak made a few mistakes and he has apologized. Albeit with a rubber duck drummer.”

    Townshend added that the situation surrounding Starkey’s firing “blew up very quickly and got too much oxygen,” and the band will “move forward now with optimism and fire in our bellies.” He also apologized for “not crushing” a rumor that drummer Scott Devours would replace Starkey.

    On Instagram, Starkey said he is “grateful to be a part of the who family” and thanked Townshend and Daltrey for reinstating him. He previously seemed to apologize to Daltrey for his performance in an April 17 Instagram post, writing, “Sorry Rog, I dropped a few beats … I’ll pick em up next time if I can.”

  • Ed Sheeran’s Coachella set, a surprise addition, wows the crowd

    Ed Sheeran’s Coachella set, a surprise addition, wows the crowd

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    INDIO, Calif. − Ed Sheeran made his Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival debut on Saturday, and the crowd couldn’t wait for his moment.

    Sheeran was announced as a surprise lineup artist when the festival set times were released two weeks ago. During Weekend 1, Weezer played during the same slot time on April 12.

    Though he was scheduled to play early in the day (3 p.m. PT), that didn’t stop tired fans from trekking to the Mojave tent. The crowd was so eagerly awaiting his performance that festivalgoers were packed into the venue 20 minutes before the start of his set.

    Seeing how many people showed up, it’s bewildering that the Brit has never played at the festival. The enthusiastic response to his set, during which he impressed the audience with how he built up songs with a looping track by himself, will hopefully earn him a return ticket to the fest. Sheeran showed authenticity, wore his heart on his sleeve, and displayed sheer talent during his hour-long show, reminding us that he’s the real deal.

    Sheeran was recently named one of Time’s 100 most influential people of 2025 for his “supernatural ability to connect” through his songs, voices, and words, according to Chris Hemsworth. That was on full display from the start when he started playing “Castle on the Hill” and got the crowd going crazy right away. The bass vibrated so starkly during the song that it felt like an earthquake, but it was just the magnitude of Sheeran’s star power.

    While most performers have backup singers, a backing track, or a live band with them, Sheeran was on his own during his set, using his vocals, a keyboard, a guitar, and a looping station to create the beat of each song. It was impressive to see him create each part, from the bass to the background vocals, and know exactly when each section needed to come in. As each song slowly built up, it got people hyped up, making the lead-up to the chorus so much sweeter.

    As he highlighted several of his hits, including “Don’t,” “Thinking Out Loud,” “Photograph” and “Perfect,” among others, the beauty of Sheeran’s music got to shine, not just through his often romantic and sentimental lyrics, but also by hearing the crowd join in and show their love for him. Listening to thousands of fans sing the lyrics, “When you said you looked a mess, I whispered underneath my breath/ But you heard it, ‘Darling, you look perfect tonight,’ ” is enough to bring almost anyone to tears.

    He even expressed his gratitude to the crowd several times throughout the set, including reflecting on the 15th anniversary of “The A Team.” He shared that he wrote the song when he was 18 and played it in various pubs around London, hoping that someone would notice him and eventually leading him to sign a recording contract. He thought it would be his only opportunity to play music, so he lived it up to his fullest, but sure enough, the world couldn’t get enough of him.

    Now, 15 years later, the singer, who has won four Grammy Awards, looked like he was still in disbelief to be playing at Coachella. If anything, the crowd was in disbelief that they got a front-row seat to a bona fide hit set.

    While the lovers in the crowd had plenty of cute moments to sing and sway, Sheeran also knows how to get people jumping around and getting into the groove, like when he mashed together “Don’t” with “No Diggity” by Blackstreet and Dr. Dre in a very seamless transition.

    Sheeran has a busy few months ahead of him, from a summer full of shows to his upcoming album “Play.” He played his newest single, “Azizam,” a Persian-inspired song that means “my dear,” and got everyone dancing like they were at an elaborate, joyous wedding (much like the song’s music video depicts). Though he messed up his first attempt at the looping station (it was his first time playing the song at a proper show, he said), it only made his performance more charming.

    If anyone asks me for suggestions for future Coachella performers, I say to bring Sheeran back anytime and put him on an even bigger stage.

  • New episode release date, time, schedule

    New episode release date, time, schedule

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    Editor’s note: This post contains spoilers about Season 2 of “The Last of Us.”

    “The Last of Us” Season 2 if off to a killer start and even Bella Ramsey wishes her character Ellie had another season of feeling joy.

    “I wish we had another season of being, like, happy,” Ramsey told USA TODAY during a joint interview with co-star Pedro Pascal, who plays her surrogate father Joel.

    “I want to reverse everything,” Pascal added. “I want to take it all back. Go back to Season 1 and just stroll through the apocalypse. Together.”

    HBO’s Emmy-winning zombie sci-fi drama, which debuted in 2023, depicts a world where the mind-controlling parasitic fungi Cordyceps have taken over the human race and reshaped society at large.

    The first episode of Season 2 threw fans five years ahead of the first season’s events. The episode shows Joel and Ellie’s somewhat normal lives while living in the safe haven of Jackson, Wyoming. Yet the two clearly have unresolved tension, as Ellie still holds resentment for Joel’s actions last season and for lying to her face.

    USA TODAY’s Kelly Lawler gave the season ★★½ out of four, writing: “It’s gory and gorgeous, viciously violent and vividly brought to life. It is the prestigious, mature series fans loved in Season 1. But it also feels like something is missing this time around.”

    “It’s hard not to finish the seven-episode season without feeling somewhat dissatisfied, an itching in the back of your mind that something is missing,” she adds. “The new season saves big reveals and explanations for potential future installments at the expense of what fans are watching now. By the finale, which ends with a major cliffhanger, you’re left wanting more, but not necessarily more new episodes; you’ll wish the episodes you just watched had more meat on their bones.”

    Here’s what to know about Season 2 of “The Last of Us,” including full episode schedule, cast and how to watch.

    When does the next episode of the ‘The Last of Us’ Season 2 come out? Release date, time

    The next episode of “The Last of Us” Season 2 will drop on Easter Sunday, i.e. April 20, at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT on HBO and its streaming service Max.

    New episodes will release every Sunday, with the season finale dropping on Sunday, May 25.

    We’ve got room on the couch! Sign up for USA TODAY’s Watch Party newsletter for more recaps of your favorite shows.

    ‘The Last of Us’ Season 2 episode schedule

    Season 2 of “The Last of Us” premiered on April 13 and will have 7 episodes. Here’s what the upcoming schedule looks like:

    • Episode 2: Sunday, April 20
    • Episode 3: Sunday, April 27
    • Episode 4: Sunday, May 4
    • Episode 5: Sunday, May 11
    • Episode 6: Sunday, May 18
    • Episode 7 (season finale): Sunday, May 25

    How to watch ‘The Last of Us’

    New episodes of “The Last of Us” will air on HBO and be available to stream weekly on Sundays at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT on Max. Season 1 of the series is also available to stream on Max.

    Max subscription plans begin at $9.99 a month with ads while ad-free subscriptions cost $16.99 a month.

    The highest tier, which is $20.99 a month, includes the ability to stream on four devices and offers 4K Ultra HD video quality and 100 downloads. HBO also offers bundles with Hulu and Disney+.

    Watch ‘The Last of Us’ Season 2 with Sling + Max

    What is ‘The Last of Us’ Season 2 about?

    According to HBO’s logline, Season 2 takes place five years later and shows Joel and Ellie “drawn into conflict with each other and a world even more dangerous and unpredictable than the one they left behind.”

    Need a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle

    ‘The Last of Us’ Season 2 cast

    Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey return to reprise their leading roles as Joel and Ellie in “The Last of Us” Season 2. The remaining Season 2 cast also includes the following:

    • Gabriel Luna as Tommy Miller
    • Rutina Wesley as Maria Miller
    • Catherine O’Hara as Gail
    • Kaitlyn Dever as Abby Anderson
    • Isabela Merced as Dina
    • Young Mazino as Jesse
    • Ezra Benedict Agbonkhese as Benjamin
    • Tati Gabrielle as Nora
    • Ariela Barer as Mel
    • Spencer Lord as Owen
    • Danny Ramirez
    • Jeffrey Wright

    Watch the ‘The Last of Us’ Season 2 trailer

    Will there be a ‘The Last of Us’ Season 3?

    Yes. Ahead of Season 2’s premiere, HBO announced “The Last of Us” would be returning for a third season.

    However, it is unclear if Season 3 will be the show’s final season. Deadline reported that Druckmann and Mazin said they were previously contemplating making up to four seasons.

    We occasionally recommend interesting products and services. If you make a purchase by clicking one of the links, we may earn an affiliate fee. USA TODAY Network newsrooms operate independently, and this doesn’t influence our coverage.

    Saman Shafiq is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at [email protected] and follow her on X and Instagram @saman_shafiq7.

  • Diddy party life was a cultural moment: Inside the White Parties

    Diddy party life was a cultural moment: Inside the White Parties

    Once upon a time, Sean “Diddy” Combs was on top of the world.

    The date was July 4, 2004, and the occasion was the rapper-turned-entrepreneur’s seventh annual White Party, an ultra-exclusive affair held in the Hamptons at his posh Long Island, New York, mansion.

    A who’s who of A-listers, from Aretha Franklin and Justin Bieber to Paris Hilton and Kim Kardashian, appeared bedecked only in white, eager to be star players in the summer’s zeitgeist-defining spectacle.

    Some guests arrived with Combs, who, fresh off his triumphant Broadway turn in “A Raisin in the Sun,” flew in by helicopter. “This is like being with the president,” Phylicia Rashad, who co-starred with Combs in “Raisin,” told a New York Times reporter covering the bash.

    In fact, after conquering hip-hop with his Bad Boy label and fashion with his Sean John brand, Combs was focusing on politics. His self-proclaimed “date” to the party, which was co-hosted by Jay-Z and promoted by Sony, was a bona fide copy of the Declaration of Independence, borrowed from producer Norman Lear.

    “No one would ever expect a young Black man to be coming to a party with the Declaration of Independence, but I got it and it’s coming with me,” Combs said. “And I promise not to spill champagne on it.”

    Despite all the hit records generated by his rapping and producing skills, Combs was never shy about wanting more than music world fame. His street-wise clothing label, founded in 1998, quickly catapulted him to another level of wealth and celebrity.

    A big bash to celebrate that newfound status was required, and the White Party was born. The festivities, which started on Labor Day in 1998, would continue for 11 years in places such as New York, Los Angeles and even the south of France.

    “This wasn’t about having a party for a party’s sake, but rather to embellish who he was in the culture,” writer Mark Anthony Neal explains in “The Fall of Diddy,” a documentary series that chronicles the mogul’s rise and fall. The parties spoke to “a new Black money,” adds Neal, “a different kind of cachet.”

    Combs – aka Puff Daddy, Puffy, P. Diddy, Diddy, PD, Love – knew exactly the sort of show-stopping fête he had in mind. He was asked by a reporter from London’s The Independent if he’d ever read “The Great Gatsby,” F. Scott Fitzgerald’s classic novel about privilege and decadence on Long Island. His response was immediate, “Have I read ‘The Great Gatsby’? I am the Great Gatsby.”

    Now, as Combs is about to go to trial for federal charges related to sex trafficking, racketeering and transportation to engage in prostitution, these parties are being examined through a new lens.

    Celebrities who once flaunted their presence at these exclusive invites are now distancing themselves as lawsuits pile up related to “freak offs,” smaller parties where women say they were drugged and made to have sex with multiple partners. While most accounts suggest White Parties were free of such criminal activities, other plaintiffs contend their abuse did happen at these elite gatherings of stars.

    Since Diddy’s September arrest last year, the floodgates have opened on civil suits against the mogul, whose eight-figure fortune is said to be dwindling as a result of legal bills. Combs faces more than 60 sexual-assault suits from victims as young as 10 and incidents as recent as 2024.

    When contacted about the allegations and their connections to White Parties, lawyers for Combs did not offer a response.

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    The controversial legacy of Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs. Here’s what we know

    Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs faces federal sex crime charges. Here’s what we know about his controversial legacy.

    From Leo (DiCaprio) to Michael (Jackson), the stars flocked to Diddy’s White Parties

    Combs threw lots of parties – it seemed no occasion was too small.

    Diddy’s birthday, Nov. 4, was de rigueur. And there were countless after-parties: the Grammys, the MTV Video Music Awards, the CFDA Fashion Awards. Sometimes philanthropy played a role, whether it was to raise voting awareness or helping underprivileged kids.

    But at the White Parties, the emphasis was decidedly on the kind of excess that sent everyone from tabloid paparazzi to mainline magazines scrambling for coverage.

    They were the place to be. The champagne – preferably Cristal or Veuve Clicquot – flowed, and the gourmet food was presented with flair and then some. On one occasion, sushi was served on the nude torso of a woman. At some parties, people ended up in the pool, often losing items of clothing. At another, go-go dancers appeared to shoot fire from between their legs.

    Photos and videos from the period show famous revelers clearly giddy with their own hipness.

    There’s Leonardo DiCaprio, lounging as Diddy holds a champagne bottle aloft. Rocker Tommy Lee donned a white hat for the occasion, while Mariah Carey strapped on sky-high white stilettos.

    In one candid shot, the talk show host Regis Philbin beams, while in another Howard Stern mingles with Diddy and his late ex, Kim Porter, and some of their kids (the couple shared Christian, now 27, and twins D’Lila Star and Jesse James, now 18, as well as her son Quincy, now 33, with singer Al B. Sure; Combs is also father to Justin, 31, Chance, 18, and Love, 2).

    Combs had said that his command to wear only white – once a guest was invited in barefoot after being told to ditch his red sneakers – was to put everyone on a level playing field, a bit like a school dress code. But there was more to it than that.

    “Don’t forget that Black people in the Hamptons wasn’t a common thing,” says filmmaker Yoruba Richen, co-director with Emma Schwartz of “The Fall of Diddy” series.

    “He wanted to show he was breaking in mainstream culture, not just with Black hip-hop culture in Harlem. And it worked,” she says. “It was a smart marketing thing, and at the same time it was a cultural touchstone.”

    The high-profile guest list of those who attended Combs’ White Parties was impressive, among them Mary J. Blige, Jimmy Iovine, one-time Combs girlfriend Jennifer Lopez, Martha Stewart, Tara Reid, Lil’ Kim, Tyrese Gibson, Rev. Run, Kim and Khloé Kardashian, DJ Cassidy, Shawn Wayans, Demi Moore and Jonah Hill.

    Even Michael Jackson slipped in almost unnoticed, until he quietly sidled up to Combs and in a whisper asked where he could find Beyoncé, Combs recalled during a late-night TV interview.

    For one young White Party guest, the event marked an entrée into the world of entertainment star-makers

    Being invited to a White Party was the ultimate stamp of success, says rapper and record producer Jay Blaze, 37. “If you went to a Diddy party, you’d made it,” he says, adding that his family and friends saw the invitation as a mark of high status at the time.

    Those invites opened doors for Blaze in the industry and with Diddy’s family, including adopted son Quincy Brown. Blaze says after that 2009 invitation, he was “bragging about that party for weeks. I was ecstatic, I told my whole family. … This was my in” to music’s inner circles.

    Blaze, who was in his 20s at the time, also attended subsequent celebrations orchestrated by Diddy. He recalls being surrounded by famous faces, from model Amber Rose to singer Mariah Carey. The atmosphere was “kind of like a circus,” he says, with people on stilts and wearing body paint, and even celebrity offspring playing amid the madness.

    “It was just a fun, over-the-top atmosphere,” he says.

    Those glittering events some decades in the past may well haunt Combs, who remains in custody at Brooklyn’s Metropolitan Detention Center as he awaits his May 5 court date.

    Throughout his hard-charging 55 years, Combs, raised by a widowed mother in New York, was no stranger to legal entanglements, whether related to stampede deaths at a party he organized in 1991 or a nightclub shooting in 1999.

    Yet somehow, through a combination of good luck and extreme wealth – Diddy became a billionaire in 2022 on the strength of his Cîroc vodka partnership – he managed to avoid the consequences of accusations that included sexual assault.

    Until 2023. That’s when singer Cassie Ventura, whom Combs dated from 2007 to 2018, filed a lawsuit alleging rape and a decade-long “cycle of abuse, violence and sex trafficking.”

    While that suit was settled, a year later, attorneys with the U.S. Southern District of New York filed their own charges and last fall arrested Combs in a Manhattan hotel lobby. If convicted, Combs could face between 15 years to life in prison.

    Sean Combs’ career mixed outrageous financial and cultural success with frequent accusations of violence

    It is difficult to square Combs’ triumphant early years with the predator described in the indictment, which alleges Combs struck, punched and threw objects at women and used threats to keep them quiet. He and his associates are also depicted as the organizers of “freak offs” and “Wild King Nights,” gatherings where women were often drugged during sex with multiple partners.

    Combs’ legal troubles are a far cry from the days when he was held up as an aspirational model of Black success, never more so than in the years 1998 to 2009, when his White Parties reigned supreme.

    “He was considered an incredible curator, and that’s what he was doing at those White Parties. Those parties are part of how he came to be Diddy,” says Richen, whose documentary features many interviews with women and men who say they were abused by Combs. They told the director they felt free to speak now only because Diddy was behind bars.

    Combs’ skill at drumming up an audience preceded these extravagant star-studded nights. While a student for two years at Howard University in Washington, D.C., Combs went from part-time drug dealer to party organizer. When he dropped out to work for Uptown Records in New York, he combined an ear for slick rhymes over innovative beats and samples with a skill for creating a happening.

    One such effort went tragically wrong in 1991, when a basketball game he promoted at the City College of New York featuring hip-hop all-stars oversold. Doors were locked. A stampede ensued. The resulting crush left nine people dead.

    No criminal charges were filed (though the victims’ families eventually settled civil suits against organizers), and Combs forged ahead.

    Fired by Uptown founder Andre Harrell, Combs started his own label, Bad Boy Records, after convincing music legend Clive Davis to back him. His big hitmaker was Christopher Wallace, better known as The Notorious B.I.G. or Biggie Smalls, whose chart toppers included “Hypnotize” and “Mo Money, Mo Problems.”

    Big hits were followed by an even larger blow, the death of Combs’ friend and star, Notorious B.I.G.

    Combs and Bad Boy were helping define the hip-hop sound of the late ’90s. But that success soon was muddied by an emerging feud between his East Coast rap faction and a West Coast sound epitomized by N.W.A. and other stars from Los Angeles’ dominant label, Death Row, co-founded by Suge Knight and future billionaire Dr. Dre.

    The rivalry soon turned deadly. Notorious B.I.G. was shot to death in 1997 while visiting Los Angeles, months after the shooting death of West Coast rap rival Tupac Shakur. The incident devastated Combs, who from that grief created one of his biggest hits, “I’ll Be Missing You,” a hip-hop twist on The Police classic, “Every Breath You Take.”

    “The Fall of Diddy” co-director Schwartz says that as Combs’ music world fame and cultural influence grew, so did his drug use and often his violent rages, according to those close to Combs.

    Nevertheless, Combs’ annual White Parties continued to cast him as the ultimate host and taste-maker. As to whether these events featured illicit behavior, Schwartz says, “many of the people we spoke with (for the documentary) said (that ‘freak offs’) were small events with a handful of people. It’s not where celebrities went.”

    But some lawsuits contend the White Parties did play host to questionable behavior. For example, one John Doe alleges that when he was 16, Combs assaulted him at the inaugural 1998 White Party, forcing him to drop his pants and expose himself.

    Leslie Cockrell alleges in her suit that, in 1999, Combs and another man assaulted her at his summer party in the Hamptons. In her case, as with many others, the assault happened after the alleged victim reported nearly passing out from allegedly having something put in her drink.

    And a Jane Doe alleges in her suit that she drank a drugged drink at that 2004 Hamptons gathering – which was billed as the Summer White Party at the Play Station 2 Estate – and later awoke with “throbbing pains in her vaginal and anal areas.”

    In response to that 2004 suit, Combs’ team issued an oft-repeated statement of denial: “As his legal team has said before, Mr. Combs has full confidence in the facts and the integrity of the judicial process. In court, the truth will prevail: that Mr. Combs never sexually assaulted or trafficked anyone ‒ man or woman, adult or minor.”

    Although countless celebrities vied for White Party invitations, today most decline to talk about them

    Where Diddy’s White Parties once were invitations to crow about, these days, it seems few are willing to reminisce.

    Despite the “important distinction” between the White Parties and the sex-filled gatherings allegedly featuring sex toys and gallons of baby oil, Schwartz says many of those approached for her documentary did not want to speak on camera “because any association with any party of his you might have attended felt like (a self-incriminating) indictment.”

    USA TODAY reached out to more than a dozen people who reports indicate had either attended or helped plan some of the White Parties, and all either failed to respond or, in two instances, offered off the record comments that distanced themselves from Combs.

    The final Diddy White Party in 2009 went out with a bang, but one guest was disturbed by what he saw

    Blaze’s disappointing 2009 White Party experience would prove to be the end of Diddy’s hosting reign.

    Held at a private residence in Beverly Hills and co-hosted by Combs and Kutcher, the gathering was meant to raise awareness for Malaria No More. Not that a sober cause kept things in check.

    Kutcher kept things loose by hopping on a swing that dangled above an aquamarine pool, bad-boy cool in slatted white sunglasses. Chris Brown danced to Michael Jackson’s “Thriller,” while producer Brett Ratner and Khloé Kardashian posed with spoonfuls of Starbucks caramel macchiato-flavored ice cream.

    On hand were large bottles of obligatory champagne as well as smaller ones of Combs’ signature scents, I am King and Unforgivable Woman.

    Ever the brand and collaboration pitchman, Combs made sure that his guests enjoyed free fare from Dylan’s Candy Bar, Havaianas footwear, Lia Sophia jewelry and Lab Series skin care products.

    And to ensure the focus always stayed on him no matter whose wares were on display, servers made the rounds with silver trays bearing silver cups filled with Cîroc vodka-infused drinks called, what else, “The Diddy.”

    Rapper Blaze, then 22, brought his video camera to capture the festivities. In it, he sounds incredulous that he’s there, his camera whirling with dizzying speed around the compound. “Oh yeah!” he shouts over the rap music. “We in the building!”

    But a closer look at that bash reveals cracks in the glossy facade.

    Looking back, Blaze recalls scenes of women, many scantily clad, being grabbed by male guests and not being allowed to change into dry clothes after being in the pool. He describes the women as looking “fearful,” and when he approached some of them, they said, “Just trying to get through the day.”

    Calling Diddy a “diabolical genius,” Blaze describes the sharp contrast between the savvy businessman who had created parties where he could also cross promote brands that fueled his billionaire status, and a man who kept close tabs on anyone he had ever done a favor for in case that could be used to his advantage.

    “On one hand, he’s promoting Cirôc and it’s a promotional party with all of his business partners there, and you would see those projects with business partners in the coming months,” he says. “At the same time, (there’s) this mistreatment of women,” and a feeling of, “‘I’m the king and you guys are the peasants.’”

    He says that at one point, at a later date, Diddy invited him to a party where “freaky-ish things would be going down,” and he would have to be fine with that to be granted access. Blaze understood that to mean doing drugs and having sex, he says.

    Blaze declined the invitation, and for a while even backed away from the industry he had long sought to be a part of. “I looked up to this man,” says Blaze. “And afterwards, I thought he was a creep.”

    For Combs, throwing the Hamptons’ biggest bash emphasized his social power

    Combs’ precipitous fall from grace is perhaps equalled only by his improbably rapid rise from bullied child to billionaire mogul.

    Nearly three decades ago, an ascendant Combs reflected on how unlikely it was that a Black kid who lost his father to a drug deal gone bad had gotten the keys to the pop culture kingdom along with all the spoils that go with that lofty perch.

    Sitting in his Long Island mansion the night after his first White Party, he told a New York Times reporter that he often said to his friend and fellow rap impresario, Russell Simmons, “‘What are you doing out there (in the Hamptons) with all those white folks?’ Then I realized it doesn’t matter out here whether you’re Black or white.”

    What matters, Combs understood, is if you have the social juice. And now he most definitely had it.

    Earlier that day, he’d invited some 75 famous friends to his home, which he’d decorated completely in white. Furniture, floor, linens, the works. Even home décor doyenne Martha Stewart was impressed, noting that her host looked “very handsome in white.”

    The reporter was able to watch Combs operate at this seminal event, a media invite that quickly vanished as the spotlight grew larger and the security tightened.

    The newspaper described an attentive host. But its report included an ironic detail considering his current woes: “Mr. Combs, a man of few words, moved through the crowd as he usually does: tightly focused, without a drink or a smoke in hand, declining even to acknowledge flirtatious overtures from women drawn to him.”

    And that, as they say, was then.