Believe: ‘Ted Lasso’ Finally Renewed for Season 4 at Apple TV+

Daniel Radcliffe Joins Tracy Morgan in NBC Comedy From ’30 Rock’ Alums

AFC Richmond is headed back to the pitch, and their coach is coming with them.

After more than a year of speculation, Apple TV+ has ordered a fourth season of its Emmy-winning comedy Ted Lasso. The pickup comes after co-creator and star Jason Sudeikis closed a deal to reprise his role as the title character, the manager of the fictional AFC Richmond soccer club in London.

“Ted Lasso has been nothing short of a juggernaut, inspiring a passionate fanbase all over the world, and delivering endless joy and laughter, all while spreading kindness, compassion and unwavering belief,” Matt Cherniss, head of programming for Apple TV+, said in a statement. “Everyone at Apple is thrilled to be continuing our collaboration with Jason and the brilliant creative minds behind this show.”

Speculation about a possible fourth season has been ongoing since season three concluded in May 2023. The show’s creative team has said a decision would hinge largely on Sudeikis committing to continue. Co-creator and executive producer Bill Lawrence told The Hollywood Reporter at the Writers Guild of America Awards in Feburary, “You will find that anybody involved with Ted Lasso will say the same thing: Our fearless leader Jason Sudeikis will talk about that when he’s ready. I’m sure he’s somewhere right now at SNL[‘s 50th anniversary show] answering the same question.”

Details on season four are slight at the moment. THR reported in August 2024 that Warner Bros. TV, which produces Ted Lasso, had picked up options for actors Hannah Waddingham (Richmond owner Rebecca Welton), Brett Goldstein (player-turned-assistant coach Roy Kent) and Jeremy Swift (Richmond’s football director Leslie Higgins) in anticipation of a possible fourth season. Apple TV+ is not confirming any casting beyond that of Sudeikis, but sources tell THR that Juno Temple is in negotiations to reprise her role as Keeley Jones, and Brendan Hunt — also a co-creator and executive producer — is close to signing on to play Coach Beard again. Additionally, Jack Burditt (Nobody Wants This, 30 Rock) is joining the series as an executive producer as part of a new overall deal with Apple TV+

Sudeikis offered some hint at the theme of the coming season in a statement, saying, “As we all continue to live in a world where so many factors have conditioned us to look before we leap, in season four, the folks at AFC Richmond learn to LEAP BEFORE THEY LOOK, discovering that wherever they land, it’s exactly where they’re meant to be.”

Season three of Ted Lasso ended with Ted choosing to return to the United States and be closer to his son (Gus Turner) and ex-wife (Andrea Anders), hinting at a reconciliation between them, while other members of the Richmond team were moving into new phases of their lives. Season three is Apple TV+’s most watched show to date and finished 2023 as the No. 1 original streaming series in the United States, according to Nielsen.

The season three cast also featured Phil Dunster, Nick Mohammed, Toheeb Jimoh, Kola Bokinni, Cristo Fernández, Billy Harris, Stephen Manas and Annette Badland, among others.

“If ever there was a show the world needed more of right now, it would be Ted Lasso,” said Channing Dungey, chairman and CEO of Warner Bros. TV and WBD U.S. Networks. “We — along with countless fans around the globe — have been rooting for another season, and it is an incredible feeling to be able to say, ‘Yes, it’s happening!’ We thank our partners at Apple and can’t wait for Jason and the entire Ted Lasso dream team to step back onto the pitch and deliver another season of this phenomenal series.”

Sudeikis, Lawrence, Joe Kelly and Hunt developed Ted Lasso, based on a character Sudeikis played in a series of ads for NBC Sports promoting the company’s English Premier League coverage. They will executive produce season four along with Burditt, Jane Becker, Jamie Lee, Bill Wrubel, writers Goldstein and Leanne Bowen, and Jeff Ingold and Liza Katzer of Lawrence’s Doozer Productions.

Sara Walker and Phoebe Walsh are writers and producers on season four. Sasha Garron co-produces. Writer Julia Lindon and story editor Dylan Marron are also on staff. Warner Bros. TV produces in association with Doozer and Universal TV.

‘The Electric State’ Is What You Get When You Turn Movies Into Content

There’s art, there’s entertainment — and then there’s “content,” the catch-all term that refers to the endless supply of stuff that is pumped out in the name of numbers and inventory. Art enlightens. Entertainment provides escapism. Content is simply there, clogging up the arteries of streaming services and clickbait sites, offering up buffets of empty calories and almost instant amnesia. It’s not interested in exploring the human experience, passing on public-service information, delighting, distracting, making you laugh, cry, or pump your fist in the air. It exists only to be consumed, forgotten, and give an algorithm one more nano-morsel of data in order to serve you more of the same.

The Electric State is exactly what you get when you turn movies into content, and while Anthony and Joe Russo’s dystopian sci-fi trash heap shouldn’t be forced to suffer for all of the sins of an industry in crisis, it does exemplify what’s now become a regrettable subgenre: the Netflix faux blockbuster. Other streamers have them too (looking at you, Amazon and Apple), but the pioneering service colonized this space first and set the template. The idea is to hire movie stars, back up a brink’s truck of money, throw in the usual generic ingredients — explosions, quips, and either glamorous, globetrotting locations or stylized digital environments — and leave no cultural footprint whatsoever. (Remember Red Notice, The Gray Man, and The Adam Project? We don’t either, and we had to go to IMDb to recall each title.) Because these big-tent projects rarely get any theatrical release of note, viewers are also deprived of one of the primary pleasures of these types of movies, which is enjoying a larger-than-life, thrills-spills-chills experience with a crowd.

To be fair, however, The Electric State would be an endurance test regardless of the screen’s size, the number of fellow audience members present or how much popcorn you had on hand. It’s a bad movie, full stop. Which is a pity, because the pedigree looks great on paper. Say what you will about the Russo brothers and the Marvel Entertainment Industrial Complex, but the gents understood the MCU assignment; it couldn’t have been easy to keep all those plates spinning and tie up all the loose plot threads in Avengers: Endgame (2019), yet they managed to pull it off with honors. The screenwriters for that film, Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely, are on board here as well. The lead, Millie Bobby Brown, was the best thing about both the Enola Holmes franchise and the dragon-friendly Damsel (2024). And the source material is a graphic novel by Swedish artist Simon Stålenhag, in which the aftermath of a war between sentient machines and man is rendered in haunting, striking full-page panels.

No one expected the Russos to make a faithful translation of Stålenhag’s book, which would have resulted in arthouse melancholia with a gajillion-dollar price tag. But we don’t think anyone was asking for something as clumsy or cut-rate as this, either. Set in an alternate 1990s in which robots — invented by Walt Disney in the 1930s, and quickly adopted as corporate mascots — rebel against their flesh-and-blood overlords, the story drops us into a world in which Homo sapiens once again reign supreme. Despite having an automaton Mr. Peanut (voiced by Woody Harrelson) as their MLK, the retro-looking ‘bots have been defeated, courtesy of something called a “neurocaster” — i.e., a sort of remote-control drone device invented by a tech billionaire (Stanley Tucci). Machines have now been exiled to a place called the Exclusion Zone, which resembles a Palm Springs scrapyard. Humans are content to live endless virtual realities, rarely engaging in the outside world. It’s presented as an ironic, bitter victory. Don’t just sit in front of screens or binge on endless digital content, people! This PSA has been brought to you by [checks notes] Netflix.

Our tour guide for this near-apocalyptic wasteland is Michelle (Brown), a young woman who lost her parents and genius younger brother, Christopher (Woody Norman), in a car accident years ago. Out of the blue, she’s visited by a robot, who tells her that sibling is actually alive. She needs to go to the off-limits Exclusion Zone, however, to find him. Michelle and her new friend stow away in the back of a semi-truck owned by a smuggler named Keats (Chris Pratt, in autopilot mode). He was an ex-soldier who fought in the robot wars and became disillusioned by what he saw. Now, Keats hawks black-market goods with his mecha-sidekick Herman (voiced by Anthony Mackie), who suffers from Insufferable Wisecracking Comic Relief Syndrome. He takes pity on Michelle and the quartet manage to sneak into the no-man’s land south of the border, in search of a scientist (Ke Huy Quan) who knows Christopher’s exact location. Meanwhile, a zealous robot hunter (Giancarlo Esposito) is hot on their trail.

From here, The Electric State sticks to the same predictable script of a million other similar quest movies. Things go boom, and bang, and pow. Vintage music cues are designed to either evoke nostalgia, meta-commentary, or some flavorless combination of both. (“I don’t want to die to Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch!” wails Keats, as “Good Vibrations” plays over the soundtrack for no real reason other than to set up a joke about Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch.) Action sequences are the pixelized equivalent of talkin’ loud and sayin’ nothing. Famous faces and voices — Holly Hunter, Brian Cox, Jenny Slate, Colman Domingo, Jason Alexander, Alan Tudyk, Hank Azaria, Patti Harrison — come and go. Even the fun of seeing giant old-timey robots, who appear to have been designed by a metalworker in Portland, Oregon, with a curly mustache, on a rampage wears off quickly.

The movies started off as a disposable novelty, playing to undiscerning audiences in nickelodeons who were more taken by the technical wizardry of making pictures move than by what was happening in those pictures. The Electric State feels like it was made for those viewers. It just happened to be 115 years too late. At its best, this attempt to turn a thought-provoking, critically acclaimed graphic novel into what passes for a summer-movie extravaganza these days is merely fodder for a “Because you watched I, Robot …” algorithm-generated list of suggested viewing. At worst, it feels like you’re getting 10,000 volts of electricity applied directly to your groin. The one good thing about content, however? You’ll instantly forget everything about this, other than the fact that those two hours of your life are gone forever.

Oasis team up with Peaky Blinders creator to make film of reunion tour

The creator of the Peaky Blinders is helping to make a film documenting Oasis’ long-awaited 2025 reunion tour.

Steven Knight is set to oversee and produce the documentary, while it will be directed by Dylan Southern and Will Lovelace.

While he is best known for creating the hit Cillian Murphy crime drama, Steven also is the man behind Taboo, All the Light We Cannot See and A Thousand Blows, and scored an Oscar nomination for writing 2002’s Dirty Pretty Things.

Dylan and Will have had much experience with music documentaries, having previously directed the 2009 reunion tour of Oasis’ arch-rivals Blur, in No Distance Left to Run.

They also helmed 2012 documentary-concert film hybrid Shut Up and Play the Hits following LCD Soundsystem and 2022’s Meet Me in the Bathroom, and have made music videos for the likes of Arctic Monkeys, Franz Ferdinand and Björk.

Oasis gave no further details about what fans can expect from the film, but it is thought it will include personal footage of the Gallagher brothers as well as the concerts, in the style of Dylan and Will’s previous projects.

The creator of the Peaky Blinders is helping to make a film documenting Oasis’ long-awaited 2025 reunion tour (Liam Gallagher and Noel Gallagher pictured)

Steven Knight is set to oversee and produce the documentary, while it will be directed by Dylan Southern and Will Lovelace (pictured in December)

It is being made via Magna Studios – the production company behind Lewis Capaldi’s emotional all-access film How I’m Feeling Now and the acclaimed musical docudrama 20,000 Days on Earth, depicting a fictitious 24-hour period in the life of Nick Cave.

The exciting news from the band comes only a day after Liam hit out at people supposedly leaking the lineup of the upcoming tour.

The outspoken singer, 52, lashed out on social media on Wednesday morning over an article in NME where ‘sources working closely with the band and tour’ unveiled the full roster for the shows.

The four names who will reportedly accompany Liam and his brother Noel on the road later this year include Andy Bell on bass, Gem Archer and Paul ‘Bonehead’ Arthurs on guitar and Joey Waronker on drums.

While the news will be welcomed by thousands of eagerly awaiting fans across the globe, for Liam it seemed to be a cause for alarm.

After reading the article, he wrote on X that while he was not ‘bothered’ about the lineup reveal, he was ‘concerned’ about the source the magazine claimed to have spoken with.

He urged NME to ‘tell me who your source pots are’ and offered an ‘exclusive interview’ in exchange, adding ‘you can have it all but how much do you want it’ – an iconic line from Oasis’ Supersonic.

Liam went on to reveal what the ‘real’ lineup would be – Tony McCarroll on drums, Alan White on bass, Zak Starkey as lead guitarist and Chris Sharrock on keys.

Dylan and Will have had much experience with music documentaries, having previously directed the 2009 reunion tour of Oasis’ arch-rivals Blur, in No Distance Left to Run (Graham Coxon, Alex James, Damon Albarn and Dave Rowntree of Blur pictured at premiere in 2010)

They also helmed 2012 documentary-concert film hybrid Shut Up and Play the Hits following LCD Soundsystem (Will, LCD Soundsystem’s James Murphy and Dylan pictured in 2012)

Oasis gave no further details about what fans can expect from the film, but it is thought it will include personal footage of the Gallagher brothers as well as the concerts, in the style of Dylan and Will’s previous projects

But the announcement was seemingly another jibe, as many die hard fans of the band will know, all of those that he named were former Oasis drummers – some of whom did not part on good terms with the brothers.

Tony was the band’s first drummer and debuted on their 1994 album Definitely Maybe. He also performed on singles Whatever and Some Might Say.

He announced his departure in 1995 following an argument with Noel, who had become increasingly critical of his drumming.

Tony went on to try and sue Oasis £18m but settled out of court in March 1999, agreeing to give up future royalties.

While Alan was with the band from 1995 to 2004 after being recommended following Tony’s departure in 1995.

His debut performance was on BBC Top Of The Pops for a rendition of the number one single Some Might Say. He was fired in 2004 for reasons that remain unclear.

After coming in as Alan’s replacement, Zak performed with the band until 2004, when the son of Beatles drummer Ringo Starr reportedly fell out with Noel – possibly due to his ongoing commitments with The Who.

Those supposedly hitting the road with Liam and Noel later this year, according to NME, seemingly have a much better working relationship with the pair.

The exciting news from the band comes only a day after Liam hit out at people supposedly leaking the lineup of the upcoming tour (pictured in August)

The outspoken singer, 52, lashed out on social media on Wednesday over an article in NME where ‘sources working closely with the band and tour’ unveiled the full roster for the shows

After joining Oasis in 1999, Gem Archer has achieved the impressive feat of remaining close to both Gallagher brothers.

He began his musical career in the early 1980s with bands such as The Edge and The Contenders and later on he was a member of Heavy Stereo.

During his time with Oasis, Gem played lead guitar on acoustic tracks and also got involved in songwriting.

Following the brand’s break-up, he joined Liam, Chris Sharrock and Andy Bell in Beady Eye. He has also gigged with Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds.

Bonehead, an original Oasis member, also has the distinction of having remained friends with both the Gallaghers.

The guitarist has been credited in some quarters with helping to repair the brothers’ relationship alongside Liam’s fiancée Debbie Gwyther.

Andy was rumoured to have a frosty relationship with Noel, but the pair have seemingly remained close since in 2023 his band Ride supported High Flying Birds.

He joined Oasis in 1999 as their bassist following the departures of Bonehead and Guigsy. He wrote several songs, including Turn Up the Sun and Keep the Dream Alive, and continued working with the band until its breakup.

The four names who will reportedly accompany Liam and his brother Noel on the road later this year include Andy Bell on bass, Gem Archer and Paul ‘Bonehead’ Arthurs on guitar and Joey Waronker on drums (Gem, Andy and Liam pictured )

Joey Waronker is tipped to join the Gallagher brothers on tour (pictured performing in the US in 2001)

Bonehead, an original Oasis member, been credited in some quarters with helping to repair the brothers’ relationship alongside Liam’s fiancée Debbie Gwyther (picturd in 2019)

While many may take NME’s lineup prediction with a pinch of salt, the magazine has a track record of breaking scoops about Oasis’ upcoming tour.

NME revealed the tour dates and locations for the US leg of the tour, claiming they would play Toronto, Chicago, New Jersey, Boston, LA, and Mexico City.

The band then announced the actual dates just days later, firming up much of what NME had reported.

The new dates included Toronto on August 24, Chicago on August 28, New Jersey on August 31, Los Angeles on September 6 and Mexico City on September 12.

The Oasis Live 25 tour kicks off on 4 July at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium before playing sell-out gigs at Manchester’s Heaton Park, Wembley Stadium in London, and Edinburgh’s Murrayfield stadium.

The pair will then embark on a global tour taking in shows in Japan, Argentina, the United States and Brazil.

Oasis split moments before their gig in Paris in August 2009 when an almighty bust up which had been brewing for months ended in them trading blows and Liam wielding Noel’s guitar ‘like an axe’ backstage (pictured in 2008)

Oasis split moments before their gig in Paris in August 2009 when an almighty bust up which had been brewing for months ended in them trading blows and Liam wielding Noel’s guitar ‘like an axe’ backstage.

They didn’t speak for years afterwards until very recently, when, with both brothers hit by a string of expensive divorces and with mediocre solo careers, very large sums of money were offered to them for a reunion tour.

Experts today estimate they will bank £5 million a show for 30 shows worldwide, meaning the pair will earn £150 million between them – £75 million each just from the ticket profits.

They are also predicted to earn ‘tens of millions’ from merchandising, sponsorship deals, and renewed interest in their music.

Golden Globes Keeps Their Queen: Nikki Glaser Returns as Host

Hollywood’s favorite new awards show darling is coming back for an encore. In a move that feels both refreshing and remarkably sensible, Nikki Glaser has been tapped to return as host of the 2026 Golden Globes — proving that sometimes Tinseltown actually knows when to leave well enough alone.

The announcement dropped yesterday from Dick Clark Productions, and honestly? It’s about time an awards show stopped playing musical chairs with its hosting gig. Glaser made waves this year as the ceremony’s first solo female host, delivering the kind of sharp-tongued performance that had celebrities nervously checking their designer labels. Her now-iconic “Ozempic’s biggest night” zinger didn’t just trend on social media — it became the kind of water-cooler moment that award shows desperately need these days.

Let’s be real: hosting these things is a nightmare. One wrong joke and suddenly you’re being roasted harder than the nominees. But Glaser? She danced through that minefield in stilettos, somehow managing to throw shade without causing third-degree burns.

“Hosting the Golden Globes this year was without a doubt the most fun I’ve ever had in my career,” Glaser shared in a statement that practically sparkled with her trademark wit. Never one to miss a chance at self-deprecating humor, she couldn’t help adding: “I can’t wait to do it again, and this time in front of the team from The White Lotus who will finally recognize my talent and cast me in Season Four as a Scandinavian Pilates instructor with a shadowy past.”

The numbers tell an interesting story — though perhaps not the one you’d expect. While viewership dipped a tiny 2% to 9.3 million viewers, that’s practically a triumph in today’s landscape where award show ratings typically nosedive faster than crypto prices in 2022.

Globes President Helen Hoehne seemed downright giddy about the whole thing, praising Glaser’s “refreshing spark and fearless wit.” Between us? She’s not wrong. The comedian brought exactly what these stuffy ceremonies need: someone who can poke fun at Hollywood’s circus while still being part of the show.

The 83rd Golden Globes will return to CBS and Paramount+ next year, fresh off a ceremony that saw “The Brutalist” and “Emilia Pérez” taking home the big film prizes, while “Shogun” and “Hacks” dominated television. But let’s be honest — it was Glaser’s hosting that stole the show, reminding everyone that sometimes the best supporting role is the one keeping the whole circus running.

That’s really Brad Pitt driving 180 mph in the ‘F1’ trailer. Here’s how he prepared to be a race driver and what to expect from the movie.

Pitt spent months training; that’s really him driving at 180 mph on actual F1 race tracks.

The motorsport’s drama on and off the track has inspired a new movie, simply titled “F1,” which will hit theaters this summer. It’s directed by “Top Gun: Maverick” filmmaker Joseph Kosinski and stars Brad Pitt and Damson Idris as teammates on a fictional 11th team on the grid, known as APXGP.

Whether you’re an F1 fan or a cinephile looking for a summer popcorn movie, Kosinski guarantees that the movie will appeal to a wide audience.

“If you don’t know anything about Formula 1, I think you’re going to like this movie and you might come out wanting to watch some races or maybe even go to a race,” he said at a global virtual trailer launch event attended by Business Insider on Tuesday. “You don’t need to know anything going in. We’ll teach you everything you need to enjoy this story.”

Here’s everything to know about “F1,” from the training the actors underwent to portray race drivers to the real-life F1 stars who may pop up in the film.

Pitt and Idris star as Sonny Hayes and Joshua Pearce, respectively. The plot is set in motion by Sonny, a washed-up former driver, joining F1 alongside his rookie APXGP teammate Joshua.

Trailers released so far have teased tension between the two drivers, with Sonny being called a “prick” and a “gambling junkie who missed his shot” while Joshua’s inexperience leads to frustration.

The film also stars Javier Bardem as Ruben, the owner of APXGP who pairs Sonny and Joshua together because he sees potential, and Kerry Condon as Kate, the team’s technical director who appears to be romantically involved with Sonny.

Lewis Hamilton, one of the most successful F1 drivers of all time, is credited as a producer on the movie and worked alongside the cast and crew to ensure that technical aspects remained true to the motorsport.

“As someone who’s dedicated his whole life to this sport, I’m so, so honored to have worked alongside this team of actors and filmmakers,” Hamilton said at a global virtual trailer launch event. “This has been such a thrill for me. And I genuinely promise this film delivers on every level.”

During the event, Kosinski said that he got hooked on F1 after watching Netflix’s docuseries “Drive to Survive.”

“I found that it’s an incredibly unique sport in that your teammate is also your, in many ways, your greatest competition,” he said. “And for me, that makes for a great drama.”

The director said that he reached out to Hamilton so he could give real insights into F1, from a technical standpoint and narratively, since the driver has been both a rookie and a veteran in his career.

Hamilton also introduced Kosinski to Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 team principal Toto Wolff, who suggested ways to capture the action.

The two actors really are behind the wheel of those fast cars in “F1.”

Kosinski said they bought real F2 cars and worked with Mercedes AMG and their engineers to build real race cars that could properly hold their camera equipment.

“Every time you see Brad or Damson driving this movie, they’re driving on their own in one of these real race cars on a real F1 track,” he said.

“Watching Brad drive around speeds over 180 miles an hour was really impressive to see because it’s not something you can just learn overnight,” Hamilton said.

Filming for “F1” took place during actual Grand Prix weekends in 2023 and 2024, and the crowds that appear in the stands during movie scenes are real fans who were in attendance. The crew had access to the tracks in Great Britain, Las Vegas, Mexico City, and Abu Dhabi, which is where the film ends.

“F1” was also made in collaboration with Formula 1 and the 10 real teams and their drivers. That means that real drivers will appear in the film, though it’s unclear how involved they’ll be in the plot and whether they’ll have speaking lines.

The trailers released so far have shown brief glimpses of F1 drivers like Max Verstappen and Carlos Sainz. Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and Mercedes’ George Russell were also seen filming a scene on the podium at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix in December, where Pitt’s character celebrated a victory with a champagne shower.

Kosinski described the process of filming during race weekends as a “traveling circus,” trying to squeeze production into small windows of time when they were free to use the track between practice, qualifying, and races.

“We’d get these 10 or 15-minute slots where we’d have to have Brad and Damson ready in the cars, warmed up with hot tyres ready to go, and as soon as practice ended, they would pull out onto the track,” he said.

“It was like a live stage play, but in front of hundreds of thousands of people shooting at 180 miles an hour,” Kosinski added. “So it was an adrenaline rush every weekend, but what we captured is something you can’t fake, you can’t stage.”

Specific details about Pitt and Idris’ training routines are unknown, but if the actors prepped like real F1 drivers, they likely did reflex and strength training, in addition to learning the ins and outs of the cars.

Kosinski said that Pitt turned out to be a “naturally gifted driver,” making the process even easier.

“When you see Brad driving, that’s not acting,” he added. “He’s really concentrating on keeping that car on the track and out of the wall during all those scenes. So that’s something that you just can’t fake.”

The movie will be released this summer, during the same weekend as the Austrian Grand Prix.

Fashion Police | Donatella Versace steps down creative director of the Milan fashion house, in a shakeup by US owner

Versace will be replaced by Dario Vitale, who most recently was design director at the Miu Miu brand owned by the Prada Group. His appointment is effective on April 1.

Donatella Versace has been replaced as creative director of the Italian luxury fashion house founded by her late brother Gianni Versace, assuming the new role of chief brand ambassador, Versace’s U.S. owner Capri Holdings announced on Thursday.

Versace will be replaced by Dario Vitale, who most recently was design director at the Miu Miu brand owned by the Prada Group. His appointment is effective on April 1.

Versace, 69, welcomed Vitale, emphasizing in a statement that “championing the next generation of designers has always been important to me,” while Vitale, 41, thanked Versace for “her trust in me.”

Donatella’s legacy

Versace was thrust into the role of creative director in 1997 after her brother’s murder in Miami, at first tentatively and then with a boldness that led to some big runway and red carpet moments. They included a healing and celebratory tribute to Gianni Versace on the 20th anniversary of his death, featuring supermodels that he helped create alongside a new generation of celebrity model, and Jennifer Lopez in an even skimpier version of the jungle dress that nearly broke the internet at the 2000 Grammys, reprised on the Spring-Summer 2020 runway.

Versace acknowledged the difficulty of her transition as she took from her brother, known for his sexy silhouettes and purposely loud prints and of the Versace Medusa and Greca motifs. Under Donatella, Versace became synonymous with the power woman she herself projected, despite periods of self-doubt.

“I asked why I took so long to find my way,” she told reporters ahead of the anniversary show. “The first few years I wasn’t sure of myself. I made mistakes. But you learn from your mistakes.”

Sale rumors

The creative shift comes amid speculation that the Prada Group is in talks to buy Versace from Capri Holdings, which paid 2 billion euros (currently $2.2 billion) for the fashion house in 2018. The U.S. group also owns Michael Kors and Jimmy Choo.

Miuccia Prada acknowledged interest in the brand on the sidelines of Milan Fashion Week last month, while Versace made no comment at what was to be her last runway show. Versace symbolically wore a vintage jacket that Gianni made for her in 1992, inspired by the powerful Miss S&M collection.

Capri Holding’s statement made no mention of any plans to sell Versace, but the arrival of a designer from Miu Miu is only likely to fuel speculation of a possible deal.

Versace tributes

Versace received an outpouring of love and support on social media posts marking the shift from younger designers she has championed, including Roberto Cavalli creative director Fausto Puglisi and former Valentino designer Pierpaolo Piccoli, along with tens of thousands of fashion fans.

“I hope I’ve made you proud so far,” Versace wrote in an Instagram post celebrating her and her brother’s major moments in Versace’s nearly 50 years.

They included photos of Gianni and Donatella together, and major Versace celebrity moments featuring Lady Diana, Naomi Campbell, Elton John, Adele, Taylor Swift, Gigi Hadid, Lady Gaga, Madonna, Jane Fonda and many more.

Looking ahead

Versace CEO John D. Idol said in a statement that the creative shift was “part of a thoughtful succession plan for Versace.” He called Vitale “a strong leader,” and expressed confidence that “his talent and vision will be instrumental to Versace’s future growth.”

As chief brand ambassador, Versace “will continue to champion the Versace brand and its values,” Idol said.

Versace represented 20% of Capri Holdings 2024 revenue of 5.2 billion euros. Capri recently laid out strategic plans to rebalance the Versace portfolio to return the brand to its more daring roots, increase sales of accessories and win back entry-level consumers put off by a post-pandemic focus on higher net-worth clients.

During the presentation, Idol acknowledged that Versace had recently struggled in menswear “where the historical … customer was used to us being very, very loud. And we’ve gone much quieter.”

Champion of younger designers

Versace said she was “thrilled” that Vitale would join Versace and that she was “excited” to see the brand her brother founded in 1978 “through new eyes.”

“It has been the greatest honor of my life to carry on my brother Gianni’s legacy. He was the true genius, but I hope to have some of his spirit and tenacity,” she said in a statement. “In my new role as chief brand ambassador, I will remain Versace’s most passionate supporter. Versace is in my DNA and always in my heart.”

Doug Kiker dead: ‘Singing Garbage Man’ from ‘American Idol’ was 32

“He had the biggest smile and knew how to make you laugh,” the singer’s sister said.

Doug Kiker, the Alabama native dubbed the “Singing Garbage Man” during his audition for season 18 of American Idol, has died at age 32.

Kiker’s sisters, Angela Evans and Donna Kiker Carrillos-Ramirez, confirmed his passing in separate Facebook posts on Wednesday. Kiker’s ex-fiancée, Valerie Cook, stated that Kiker died on Monday. TMZ reported. An official cause of death is not yet known.

Entertainment Weekly has reached out to a rep for American Idol.

“It is with a heavy heart that we have to announce the passing of my brother Douglas Kiker,” Evans shared on Facebook. “He was sooo loved and will be missed by so many! Your singing with the Angel’s now Bubba. Please pray for our family as we go [through] this very difficult time.”

In her Facebook post, Kiker Carrillos-Ramirez shared a photo of her brother from his Idol audition and a photo in which she posed with him, writing, “We lost an amazing person today. He had the biggest smile and knew how to make you laugh. I know I didn’t raise him but I never stopped loving him. My parents did an amazing job with him. Douglas Kiker you will forever be missed. Fly high. Say hey to grandma.”

A GoFundMe has been set up to help cover Kiker’s funeral expenses. “It is with heavy hearts that we have to say goodbye to one of the most sincere souls and most hilarious person of all. Douglas, a beloved son, brother, father and friend,” Kiker Carrillos-Ramirez, who organized the fundraiser, wrote on the page. “Thank you for your love, support, and generosity during this incredibly difficult time. We greatly appreciate each and everyone of y’all.”

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Kiker stole hearts when he auditioned before Idol judges Katy Perry, Lionel Richie, and Luke Bryan on the season 18 premiere in 2020. The Mobile, Ala., garbage collector sang a resonant version of Rascal Flatts’ “Bless the Broken Road,” which caused Perry to well up with tears. “That was not garbage. It was greatness,” she said before the judges unanimously awarded him a golden ticket to the Hollywood audition stage.

Though Kiker didn’t advance beyond the Hollywood week round, his audition proved so popular with viewers that Idol brought him back to the finale for a virtual encore (the season 18 finale was taped during the pandemic) of “Bless the Broken Road,” this time accompanied by Rascal Flatts themselves.

A year later, Kiker was arrested on a charge of domestic violence in the third degree.

After Idol, Kiker teased a movie being made about him and performed at venues local to his native Mobile. In one of his last posts to Instagram, dated April 21, 2022, Kiker expressed gratitude to “all the people that have shown your love and support,” and informed fans, “I may have been down but don’t ever count me out I refuse to give up on all the people rooting for the dreamers of the world.”

Kiker is survived by two children he shared with Cook.

Ex of homeless En Vogue star Dawn Robinson claims he tried to save her

By JACQUELINE LINDENBERG and CASSIE CARPENTER FOR DAILYMAIL.COM

The ex-husband of homeless star Dawn Robinson claims to have offered a regular job to the singer before she fell on hard times, and the offer still stands.

Andre ‘Dre’ Allen, 49, revealed that he once offered the former En Vogue member a position in hospitality with Hilton Brands – and followed up with the opportunity while talking to TMZ Hip Hop in an article published on Thursday.

Earlier this week on Tuesday, Robinson uploaded a video on YouTube to heartbreakingly share that has been living in her car since 2022.

Allen claimed to the outlet that he previously loaned money to pals in the industry – with some dying due to poverty – and expressed that he wants to prevent that from happening to his ex-wife.

The former IV Xample member said that he felt Dawn became ‘disillusioned’ by the entertainment industry – rather than her claims that family members and an ex-manager had resulted in her current financial situation.

Andre – who was married to the singer from 2003 until their divorce was finalized in 2010 – said that she could work in hospitality while also balancing work in the music industry.

Ex-husband Andre ‘Dre’ Allen of homeless star Dawn Robinson claims to have offered a regular job to the singer before she fell on hard times, and the offer still stands; former couple seen in 2004 in Hollywood

The job would also offer Robinson both free medical insurance and paid-time-off, and he told TMZ her personality would be a great match for sales.

Allen also stated that the music industry would never pay Dawn ‘what she’s worth’ as he continued to encourage the songstress to consider the job offer.

Andre is a Grammy award-winning artist and is one of the founding members of the L.A.-based R&B group IV Xample – which was active from 1992 through 1998.

However, now that he has stepped away from the music industry, he is making more money than ever.

The music artist has also since moved on and is engaged to a new fiancée, per TMZ, and has also found God.

Allen stated he helped make Robinson’s brief reunion with En Vogue in 2019 happen, but expressed that taking a step away from the music industry was the best decision not only for himself but his finances as well.

His job offer to Robinson comes just days after she uploaded a clip to YouTube to shockingly reveal to fans that she has been living in her car for around three years.

Weeks earlier, En Vogue announced that they would be embarking on a lucrative European tour, even gushing about bringing back a different member to the group, calling her their ‘sister.’

Earlier this week on Tuesday, Robinson uploaded a video on YouTube to heartbreakingly share that has been living in her car since 2022

Andre ‘Dre’ Allen revealed that he once offered the former En Vogue member a position in hospitality with Hilton Brands – and followed up with the opportunity while talking to TMZ Hip Hop in an article published on Thursday; seen in 2009 in West Hollywood

But Dawn, who first quit the band in 1997, has a much less glamorous reality which she explained to fans.

‘If you guys were with me, what in 2020, I did like 105K interviews and in the interim I was living with my parents in [Las] Vegas and that was wonderful until it wasn’t,’ she stated.

Read More Iconic 90s girl band member reveals she’s been living in her car for three years

‘I love my mom [Barbara Alexander] but she became very angry and [she was taking] a lot of her anger out on me.

‘I was her target all the time and I was like, “I can’t deal with this.” Like, I respect her too much. I didn’t understand it I still don’t, It hurt me.’

The eight-time Grammy nominee’s manager offered her to stay at his $1,700/month apartment in Los Angeles, but there was ‘not enough room’ for her since they both owned dogs (her 16-year-old dog Max has since passed away).

‘So it turned into, “Okay, I’m going to put you in a hotel for the night.” And that one night turned into eight months [at $3K/month]. Oh my God, you guys I was like, “No, this is unacceptable,”‘ Dawn scoffed.

By 2022, Robinson researched ‘car life’ culture and decided to give it a shot: ‘I felt free. I felt like I was on a camping trip. It just felt like it was the right thing to do.’

The Connecticut-born belter spent her first night in her car in Malibu – most likely the Paradise Cove Mobile Home Park – which she called ‘scary.’

‘But then as I got to know what to do in my car and how to do it, like, how to cover my windows and you don’t talk to certain people,’ Dawn noted.

Allen claimed to the outlet that he previously loaned money to pals in the industry – with some dying due to poverty – and expressed that he wants to prevent that from happening to his ex-wife; seen in 2009

The Connecticut-born belter spent her first night in her car in Malibu – most likely the Paradise Cove Mobile Home Park – which she called ‘scary’; seen far left with former En Vogue members Cindy Herron, Maxine Jones and Terry Ellis in 1990

‘You’re careful of telling people that you’re alone, as a woman especially, and I’m a celebrity [so] I don’t just divulge that to people.’

Robinson immediately enjoyed ‘the sense of freedom’ that she felt: ‘I felt like I was on a camping trip. I just felt like it was the right thing to do. I didn’t regret it. You know, a lot of celebrities have lived in their cars.’

Indeed, there’s a long list of celebrities who fell on hard times over the years including Hilary Swank, Jewel, Steve Harvey, Kelly Clarkson, Sam Worthington, Drew Carey, Suze Orman, and Tyler Perry.

But don’t pity the lyric soprano as living in her car was a choice she needed to make to ‘go through this fire’ and she has her brother Evin, assistant Niecy, and ‘forever mother-in-law’ to lean on.

‘You may have heard of something called the dark night of the soul,’ Dawn explained.

‘That’s when you go through like a period of isolation, a period of separating yourself from family and friends, and I’m definitely I’m in the trenches of this right now. [But] I wouldn’t trade my experiences and what I’ve gone through for the world.’

Proving she still has her sense of humor, Robinson laughed: ‘Just so you guys know, I have a gym membership and I shower there. I’m a Funky Diva but I’m not funky!’

The Free Your Mind hitmaker has been proudly filming her journey for a future documentary and envisions her eventual resurgence.

‘I mean society tends to look down on people for living off-grid when I tell you off grid is exactly what a lot of people are going to start doing,’ said Dawn, urging her fans to do something ‘scary.

The Free Your Mind hitmaker has been proudly filming her journey for a future documentary and envisions her eventual resurgence; seen in 2019 in Santa Monica

‘Would I have an apartment right now if I had a choice? I would. I’m not going to lie, but am I glad that I did this. Absolutely proud of what I’ve accomplished out here.’

Robinson auditioned for En Vogue in 1989 and reportedly first quit in 1997 over contract disputes before returning for stints with the group in 2005 and 2008-2011.

Robinson reportedly first quit En Vogue in 1997 over contract disputes before returning for stints with the group in 2005 and 2008-2011 and 2019.

‘When Dawn left the group, it derailed their momentum,’ producer Thomas McElroy told Wax Poetics last November.

‘It changed the dynamic of the group. It affected their relationship with the record company, and how much confidence they had in the group. And I said it often: they are En Vogue. Yes, we built and we conceptualized it, but they are their own brand now.

Robinson reportedly first quit En Vogue in 1997 over contract disputes before returning for stints with the group in 2005 and 2008-2011 and 2019; seen second to left with Terry Ellis, Maxine Jones and Cindy Herron in 1991

‘When Dawn left the group, it derailed their momentum,’ producer Thomas McElroy told Wax Poetics last November; seen in 2001

‘The legacy is in place, but there was so much that was unfulfilled that I felt could have happened. Even to this day, I feel bad that all the girls aren’t together, reaping the benefits of their legacy.’

Founding member Cindy Herron-Braggs added: ‘Dawn has just decided she doesn’t want to work with us again.’

On February 16, En Vogue brought back founding member Maxine Jones – who quit in 2001 to focus on motherhood – to perform with them at the 74th NBA All-Star Game alongside Rhona Bennett (who joined in 2004), Terry Ellis, and Cindy.

The ladies are booked and busy with their next gig happening March 28 at the Thunder Valley Casino Resort in Lincoln, CA.

Founding girl group member reveals she’s been living in her car

A shocking admission from a founding member of the popular ’90s R&B girl group En Vogue.

In a new post online titled “Your New Life is Scary,” Dawn Robinson revealed she’s been living in her car for almost three years.

“I said it. Oh, my God, it’s out. I’ve been living in my car. Oh, my gosh,” she said after saying it out loud and letting out a loud scream.

She explained that in 2020 she was living with her parents in Las Vegas.

“That was wonderful until it wasn’t,” she said. “I love my mom, but she became very angry, and a lot of her anger she was taking out on me. And I was her target all the time, and I was like, ‘I can’t deal with this. Like I respect her too much.’ I didn’t understand it. I still don’t. And it hurt me, so I was just trying to figure it out, but I couldn’t.”

From there she was living in her car for about a month, until her former manager who was based in Los Angeles convinced her to move there. He said she could stay with him, but when she arrived he didn’t have enough space for her. He then paid for her to stay in a hotel, which was initially just for a night but ended up being the case for eight months.

She looked into staying at an apartment instead as that would be cheaper for her manager, but he didn’t agree to anything she saw. She wasn’t sure if he could continue to pay for her hotel stay as he was paying his own rent at the same time.

‘He was paying about $1,700 a month and my hotel was over $3,000. Way too much and no. I’m not doing this!” she exclaimed. “I was always stressed every week because he would pay for the hotel weekly and so, every week I’d be like ‘Omg my God are you okay? Can you afford it?’ he’d be like ‘No I can’t, but I’m getting it together.’”

Not sure what to do, she decided to take up “car life” following a conversation with her assistant.

“I told my assistant one day, ‘I have been researching car life. There’s a whole community of people that live in their cars, and a whole community of people that live in their RVs, and a whole community of people that live in vans, van life, car life, RV life, and I loved what I was seeing,” she said. “I just thought, ‘Wow, these people. I could do that, I could do this, I think. And I ended up in my car, and it’s been, like I said, three years.”

She left the hotel on March 9, 2022 and headed to Malibu.

She said she “felt free” and that it was like being on a “camping trip.”

“That first night was scary, but then, as I got to know what to do in my car and how to do it, like, how to cover my windows and, you know, you don’t talk to certain people. You’re careful of telling people that you’re alone, as a woman especially, and I’m a celebrity,” Robinson said. “I don’t just divulge that to people. If you don’t know who I am, I’m not telling you that part.”

During this chapter, she doesn’t want people to feel sorry for her.

“This is not like, ‘Oh, my God! Poor Dawn, she’s living in her car, and it’s terrible. Oh, woe is me.’ It’s not that. It’s not. Like I said, I’m learning about who I am. I’m learning myself as a person, as a woman,” she continued. “If you would have said to me while I was En Vogue, ‘You’re going to be living in your car one day,’ I’d be like, ‘Huh? No, I’m always going to have an apartment. I can’t live in my car. How can I do that?’ We say that we can’t do certain things until we know we’re capable.”

Formed in Oakland, California in 1989, with Robinson alongside Terry Ellis, Cindy Herron and Maxine Jones. En Vogue became popular with hits “Hold On,” “Don’t Let Go,” “Free Your Mind” and more. They went on to sell 20 million records.

Robinson left the group in 1997 and Jones left in 2001.They duo returned to the group for their 20th anniversary in 2009 and left again right after.

En Vogue recently performed at the 2025 NBA All-Star game in San Francisco but without Robinson. Jones rejoined the group for the show.

“Sometimes in life, we end up in situations that we weren’t expecting,” she wrote in the caption of the YouTube video. “There’s something we need to learn or teach but we’re too afraid to push ourselves out of our comfort zones to do it so the universe does it for us! During this growth period, we either learn to trust ourselves or give in to fear and fail. I took a risk and jumped head first into car life and WOW, what a crazy, fun, sometimes scary ride it’s been lol! For me, failure is NOT an option. Being vulnerable sucks.”

Sleek spy thriller ‘Black Bag’ crackles

If you’re hosting a dinner for half a dozen British intelligence agents with the aim of ferreting out a mole, what should you cook?

For George Woodhouse (Michael Fassbender), who’s preparing for four colleagues, plus himself and his wife, Kathryn St. Jean (Cate Blanchett), who, like him, is a high-level operative, it’s chana masala with a few drops of truth serum.

“Will there be any mess to clean up?” Kathryn asks her husband as they’re getting ready.

“With any luck,” he responds.

So goes much of the crackling patter of “Black Bag,” Steven Soderbergh’s delicious marital drama cloaked as a sleek spy thriller. Lean and taut, the 93-minute “Black Bag” is more a sizzling amuse-bouche than full-course meal, but it’s simmered to perfection.

George and Kathryn, as fellow agents at London’s National Cyber Security Centre, don’t seemingly have what you might call a traditional marriage. Each has their own secret ops, leaving large swaths of their lives off limits to the other. When George asks where Kathryn is flying off to on Wednesday, she shrugs with a smile, “Black bag.”

In the movie’s opening scene – a slinky tracking shot that trails George into and out of a nightclub – an agent named Meacham (Gustaf Skarsgard) gives him the assignment to track down the mole, with the added wrinkle that Kathryn can’t be dismissed as a possible suspect. A cyber-worm device called Severus that’s capable of hacking into nuclear facilities has gone missing. The fate of the world, as it so often is, is said to be at stake.

But, really, the state of George and Kathryn’s marriage is what interests us. Extreme though their situation is, their union is one that, like any couple, is built on trust and devotion, even if their professional lives demand the inverse. When George, lying on top of Kathryn tells her he’d do anything for her, she coos, “Would you kill?” It’s a fair-enough test to the bounds of wedded bliss, sure, but her second question matters even more. “Would you lie?”

Over that dinner – a scintillating set piece around a darkened dinner table inside their London town house – we can quickly gather just how much the truth means to George. He’s renown for his powers with a polygraph. As a youngster, he even brought down his own father, uncovering his affair. “I don’t like liars,” George says through clenched teeth.

They’re joined by Colonel James Stokes (Regé-Jean Page); the in-house psychologist Dr. Zoe Vaughan (Naomie Harris); the carousing spy Freddie Smalls (Tom Burke); and the newest NCSC recruit, cyber specialist Clarissa (Marisa Abela). Both are paired off in clandestine relationships that quickly emerge, among other secrets. More than state secrets, infidelity dominates the conversation.

Fassbender’s spook is an agent of precision. He wears gleaming black-framed glasses. When only a few drops of sauce land on his cuff, he immediately withdraws to change his shirt. Hard as it would seem, Fassbender has found a character almost as dispassionate and monotone as his methodical assassin in David Fincher’s “The Killer.”

This time, though, he’s not a loner. Blanchett’s Kathryn is kept more at a remove from us. She’s mysterious and aloof – a femme fatale, maybe, we’re led to wonder. An “aroma of hostility” accompanies her, Zoe tells her in a psych evaluation. Is she the mole?

This is an insular film, taking place mainly in crisply composed interiors, aside from the lake George occasionally fishes for bass in. There, in a fitting encapsulation of a movie full of smooth surfaces with currents twisting underneath, the camera gently rests on the water’s surface.

“Black Bag” follows a run of agilely directed thrillers by Soderbergh made with screenwriter David Koepp ( “Presence,” “Kimi”). They are both at the height of their almost-too-easy powers; the script, especially, is peppered with delectable dialogue. Their movie adopts the air of menace and suspicion of a John Le Carré novel, yet hinges on the sturdiness of its married couple, like a super spy version of Nick and Nora from “The Thin Man” or a more cerebral “Mr. & Mrs. Smith.”

All of the supporting players – while they make up a fine ensemble – are ultimately playthings in their game of love. In a casting coup, a former James Bond – Pierce Brosnan – drops in late in the film as Arthur Stheiglitz, the head of NCSC. In his handful of scenes, Brosnan is rageful and ferocious, chomping into both Ikizukuri (prepared live fish) and the scenery.

His presence both enlivens a movie already humming with the uber-cool chemistry of Blanchett and Fassbender while transforming “Black Bag” into a twisty rejoinder to that notoriously skirt-chasing spy. Here, Mr. Bond, is how sexy monogamy can be.

While directing a satellite to peer down upon his wife on some unknown mission in Europe, George explains their mystifying dynamic to Clarissa: “I watch her, and she watches me. If she gets into trouble, I will do everything in my power to extricate her.”

In her response, Clarissa speaks for everyone: “That’s so hot.”

“Black Bag,” a Focus Features release is rated R by the Motion Picture Association for language including some sexual references, and some violence. Running time: 93 minutes. Three and a half stars out of four.