MCU legend demands industry action after 2025 Oscar winner brutally beaten by Israeli settlers

One minute you’re making your acceptance speech, the next you’ve been beaten, kidnapped and tortured.

It’s horrifying to admit, but the barbaric and homicidal treatment of Palestinians by Israel has been a fixture of the news for long it’s almost background noise. Sure, you feel sad when you read about the IDF bombing a hospital, children being executed in the street by Israeli snipers, or the ongoing war crime of preventing aid reaching starving people, but you can only feel so much despair.

But, sometimes, a story cuts through all that. Last night the shocking news emerged that Oscar-winning filmmaker Hamden Ballal, whose film No Other Land won the Best Documentary Feature Film earlier this month, had been attacked by Israeli settlers and has now disappeared.

The story emerged via No Other Land’s co-director Yuval Abraham, who posted the following disturbing message:

No Other Land is about settlers illegally stealing homes and land from Palestinians in the occupied West Bank, with one of the film’s other directors Basel Adra believing the attack is retaliation for the Oscar win: “Palestinians in the village have been under physical attack by settlers almost daily. The settlers’ violence is increasing here. Maybe it’s a revenge for the movie and the Oscar.”

The ambulance that collected Ballal was stopped and invaded by IDF soldiers and he was apparently transported to a police station, where he was tortured:

Despite everything, you might feel optimistic that the entertainment industry would step up and demand action, or at least answers! After all, just weeks ago Ballal was awarded the highest honor in documentary filmmaking by a jury of industry titans. But, so far, there’s been surprisingly little support for him – save for one man with a proud history of sticking his head about the parapet.

MCU legend Mark Ruffalo, Bruce Banner himself, took to Instagram to say that “this is an attack on our beloved art from [sic] of film making” and that “every film maker and academy member should be acting together in protest”:

Sigh, sometimes we wish he actually was the Hulk… Perhaps it’s unfair that this single incident, which is ultimately a drop of water in the vast ocean of fanatical genocide inflicted upon the Palestinian people, should rouse such feelings. Hamden Ballal is after all one man, and since Israel broke the ceasefire they’ve killed 400 men, women, and children with their indiscriminate bombing of Gaza.

However, something is particularly stomach-churning about a man beginning the month making an Oscars acceptance speech and ending it being brutally attacked and tortured as the world looks away. We can only pray that Ballal is still alive and that he’s freed soon.

Amazon’s new James Bond movie will be produced by Amy Pascal and David Heyman

Charles Pulliam-Moore is a reporter focusing on film, TV, and pop culture. Before The Verge, he wrote about comic books, labor, race, and more at io9 and Gizmodo for almost five years.

Though it took Amazon MGM quite a while to wrest the James Bond franchise away from longtime producers Barbara Broccoli Michael G. Wilson, the studio has already found the duo’s replacements.

Today, Amazon MGM announced that it has tapped veteran producers Amy Pascal and David Heyman to produce a new untitled Bond feature. Pascal, best known for her work on Sony’s Spider-Man cinematic franchise and other Bond films including Casino Royale, Quantum of Solace, and Skyfall, will produce the new Amazon project through Pascal Pictures. Heyman, who produced all eight of Warner Bros.’ live-action Harry Potter films and is currently working on HBO / Max’s reimagined series, is attached to the project through Heyday films.

In a statement about their new gigs, Pascal and Heyman said that it was an honor to take stewardship of the Bond IP after Broccoli and Wilson. “We are humbled to follow in the footsteps of Barbara Broccoli and Michael Wilson who made so many extraordinary films and honored and excited to keep the spirit of Bond very much alive as he embarks on his next adventure,” they said.

Amazon MGM’s head of film Courtenay Valenti noted Pascal and Heyman’s past success leading massive film franchises, and insisted that the studio is “approaching every creative decision with James Bond… with the greatest sense of responsibility.”

Valenti’s statement reads a little ominous given how reluctant Broccoli and Wilson reportedly were about letting Amazon fully take over the Bond franchise after MGM’s acquisition back in 2021. But with the old guard bowing out, this new development was inevitable, and now all there is to do is wait and see just what Pascal and Heyman decide to do with the series.

Ben Affleck breaks silence on his divorce from Jennifer Lopez

Ben Affleck has opened up about his divorce from Jennifer Lopez for the first time.

Affleck spoke about the divorce in an interview with GQ published on March 25, when he was talking about how he presents himself to the public.

“My life is actually pretty drama-free,” Affleck said. “And so even if I have the same events that people have — I’m sure in your mind you’re thinking, Oh, well, you just got divorced. That’s not drama-free.

“And I understand that instinct, but all of this is pretty adult, and for all the sensational stuff that gets written, if somebody sat down and talked to me about it, and I said, ‘Well, this is really the experience,’ their eyes would glaze over with boredom,” he continued.

The interviewer said he was thinking about Lopez’s documentary, “The Greatest Love Story Never Told,” in which the premise was about the idea that Lopez and Affleck are private people but have public dimensions, and that Lopez was going to put more of herself and Affleck out there in the documentary.

Affleck’s response to the assertion was captured on camera, which the interviewer noted.

“Part of it was, ‘Okay, if I’m going to participate in this, I want to try to do it in an honest way and in a way that’s interesting.’ Because I thought it was an interesting examination,” Affleck told GQ.

“Like I mentioned to you before, there are a lot of people who I think have handled celebrity more adeptly and more adroitly than I have, Jennifer among them,” he continued. “My temperament is to be a little bit more reserved and private than hers.”

Affleck said that he and his ex-wife didn’t always have the same attitude toward fame.

“And so I thought, Oh, this is interesting because how do you reconcile that? Because exactly what you said is true. I love and support this person. I believe in them. They’re great. I want people to see that,” he said.

Affleck referenced a line he said in the documentary: “You don’t marry a ship captain and then say, ‘Well, I don’t like going out in the water.’”

“You’ve got to own what you knew going into any relationship,” he said. “And I think it’s important to say that wasn’t the cause of some major fracture. It’s not like you can watch that documentary and go, ‘Oh, now I understand the issues that these two had.’”

Affleck and the interviewer met again a few days later, and Affleck brought up his comments about Lopez again when asked how he felt about their previous conversation.

“Well, on the one hand there’s the first feeling, which is like, well, I hope I was clear about, when you asked me about Jen and the documentary and I talked about that and my sort of personal life a little bit, which I don’t mind doing as long as my actual feelings and intentions and beliefs are communicated, which I hope I was clear that really this is somebody I have a lot of respect for,” he said.

“And I get wanting to divine or explore the kind of differences in perspective that we have in terms of how a person feels comfortable approaching the line between public and private life,” he continued. “But I really hope that whatever you use doesn’t suggest that I have any negativity or judgment or anything regarding that. I have nothing but respect.”

Affleck said there can be a tendency to look at a breakup and want to identify “root causes.”

“But honestly, like I said, the truth is much more quotidian than probably people would believe or would be interesting,” he said.

The interviewer asked to clarify that there wasn’t one major thing that led to their breakup, which Affleck confirmed.

“Yeah, there’s no scandal, no soap opera, no intrigue,” he said. “The truth is, when you talk to somebody, ‘Hey, what happened?’ Well, there is no: ‘This is what happened.’ It’s just a story about people trying to figure out their lives and relationships in ways that we all sort of normally do.

“And as you get older, this is true for me, I assume it’s true for most people, there is no ‘So-and-so did this’ or ‘This was the big event.’ It’s really, it sounds more like a couple’s therapy session, which — you would tune out of someone else’s couple’s therapy after a while,” he added. “For one thing, you start going, ‘Okay, clearly this person has got these issues. Clearly they have these issues.’ And the reason I don’t want to share that is just sort of embarrassing. It feels vulnerable.”

Lopez, 55, filed for divorce from Affleck, 52, in August 2024, two years after they married. Lopez cited irreconcilable differences as the reason for their split, according to court documents obtained by TODAY.com.

Lopez addressed the divorce in an October 2024 Interview magazine piece, saying she was “excited” to be single again.

“I’m not looking for anybody,” she noted, saying that the summer of 2024 was a lesson in learning she had to be “good on (her) own.”

Lopez and Affleck first met and got engaged in 2002, but broke up in 2004, before reconnecting in 2021 after multiple engagements and marriages to other people. The pair finalized their divorce in January 2025.

Diddy scores major legal victory in producer’s sexual assault lawsuit

Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs recently notched a victory in one of the many lawsuits recently filed against him.

In a sexual assault lawsuit filed against him by the music producer Rodney ‘Lil Rod’ Jones, a judge dismissed the majority of claims made against the embattled 55-year-old music mogul.

According to court documents obtained by TMZ, the judge threw out five of nine claims Jones had levied against Diddy — who recently made the head-scratching decision to collaborate with Kanye West.

Among them were RICO claims, as well as allegations of emotional distress and brach of contract.

Diddy has vehemently denied all allegations made in all recent lawsuits filed against him, and he has also denied all federal charges filed against him last year.

‘Lil Rod is nothing more than a liar who filed a $30 billion lawsuit shamelessly looking for an undeserved payday,’ attorney Shawn Holley previously claimed to the publication.

Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs recently notched a victory in a sexual assault lawsuit filed against him by the music producer Rodney ‘Lil Rod’ Jones; seen in 2022 in LA

According to court documents obtained by TMZ, the judge threw out five of nine claims Jones had levied against Diddy; pictured in a court sketch released March 14 from his federal trial

One of Jones claims was also against the I’ll Be Missing You rapper’s company, Combs Global.

He had accused the company of violating the Trafficking Victims Protection Act, but the judge also dismissed that claim.

Although Jones’ lawsuit against Diddy is still alive, it appears to be on unsure footing after the judge also castigated the producer’s attorney.

Read MoreEXCLUSIVE The humiliating consequences Diddy faces after his prison phone call with Kanye

His lawyer, Tyrone A. Blackburn, was called out in court for allegedly submitting legal filings that were not up to snuff.

Among the judge’s criticisms was that Blackburn allegedly acted as if Diddy wasn’t guaranteed a presumption of innocence in an ongoing federal case in which he was hit with charges for sex trafficking, racketeering and other offenses.

However, the judge seems to have given Blackburn the benefit of the doubt by suggesting he simply didn’t understand that the defendant was presumed to be innocent unless found guilty.

Back in February 2024, Jones sued Diddy for alleged groping and a possible drug-induced rape, with the suit being filed just weeks before two of Combs’ homes were raided by federal agents amid a sex trafficking probe

But in April of last year, Combs’ legal team sought to throw Jones’ credibility into question by unearthing the accuser’s own past interactions with the criminal justice system.

Among them were RICO claims, as well as allegations of emotional distress and brach of contract.

The judge also castigated Jones’ attorney for allegedly shoddy filings. Jones (pictured) filed suit in February. In his lawsuit, Jones claims he was subjected to a year of grooming and abuse

Combs’ attorneys pointed out that Jones was convicted of a reckless homicide in 2003, and that he has faced multiple assault charges that were later dismissed.

Jones’ lawyer Tyrone Blackburn sprang to his client’s defense, responding to the assault claims by reminding Page Six that ‘a charge is not a conviction.’

He then explained the homicide by saying Jones accidentally ‘totaled’ a car while driving, tragically killing his cousin and ‘best friend,’ who was seated beside him.

Court documents obtained by Page Six indicated that Jones faced a misdemeanor sexual assault charge in 2006, followed by domestic assault charges in 2009 and 2014, but that in all cases the charges were ultimately dismissed.

Confronted with the information about the assault cases, Blackburn retorted: ‘I am sure you know that a charge is not a conviction.’

With regard to the conviction that did occur, Blackburn said: ‘Mr. Jones’ July 2003 reckless homicide occurred when he was 17 years old.’

Jones’ attorney continued: ‘He was driving a vehicle with his cousin in the passenger seat. The police pulled him over, but he was afraid and drove off. It was pretty typical behavior for a young black boy in Chicago when pulled over by the police. As a result, he totaled the vehicle, and his cousin, who was his best friend, died.’

Blackburn asserted that Jones pled guilty, being without ‘adequate legal representation,’ and added that his client ‘has to live with the guilt of the death of his best friend and family member for the rest of his life.’

Combs was sued November 16 by his ex-girlfriend, the singer Cassie, who accused him of rape and physical abuse before the case was settled out of court

In the lawsuit he filed against Combs in February, Jones claimed he was ordered to recruit prostitutes and have sex with them for the star’s pleasure, and has hundreds of hours of video documenting Combs’s ‘serious illegal activity’.

Jones had named some of the industry’s biggest names as co-defendants in the $30 million suit, claiming record boss Ethiopia Habtemariam dismissed Combs’s groping as ‘friendly horseplay’, and his way of ‘showing that he likes you’.

‘His reckless name-dropping about events that are pure fiction and simply did not happen is nothing more than a transparent attempt to garner headlines,’ Diddy’s attorney Holley claimed.

‘We have overwhelming, indisputable proof that his claims are complete lies. Our attempts to share this proof with Mr Jones’ attorney, Tyrone Blackburn, have been ignored, as Mr Blackburn refuses to return our calls.’

Combs recruited Jones in August 2022 to produce some of the songs on the R&B album ‘The Love Album: Off the Grid’ which was nominated for a Grammy after its release in September 2023.

‘Mr Jones agreed, and his life has been detrimentally impacted ever since,’ the lawsuit claims.

For more than a year he endured ‘constant unsolicited and unauthorized groping and touching of his anus’, at Combs’ homes in Florida, Los Angeles and New York, as well as on a rented yacht in the US Virgin Islands, Jones asserted.

Combs introduced him to Cuba Gooding Jr on the yacht where the actor allegedly began ‘touching, groping, and fondling Mr Jones’s legs, his upper inner thighs near his groin, the small of his back near his buttocks and his shoulders’.

Diddy has denied gang-raping a 17-year-old girl in his Manhattan recording studio in 2003 while claiming a photograph of her sitting in his lap (pictured) ‘isn’t accurate’

Within an hour of December’s lawsuit being filed, Combs emphatically denied all accusations against him in a tweet that has already been viewed by hundreds of thousands of people

The star received the key to New York City alongside sons Quincy Brown and Justin Combs in Times Square in September last year

Jones’s suit was filed at the US District Court for the Southern District of New York three weeks after Jones launched a Gofundme appeal asking for money to sue the rapper for unpaid royalties

He claims he was also sexually assaulted by a female cousin of Combs’s girlfriend Yung Miami and forced to watch a video of record producer Stevie J having sex with another man.

Jones was required to work in Combs’ bathroom where the star would shower naked behind a glass screen, according to the lawsuit.

The producer alleges Combs boasted of having shot people and threatened to inflict bodily harm if Jones did not comply with his demands.

He says the ‘forceful and demanding’ star privately admitted involvement in a 1999 nightclub shooting that saw him acquitted of gun possession and bribery charges.

‘Mr Combs consistently made it clear that he has immense power in the music industry and with law enforcement,’ the lawsuit claims.

Jones claims that underage girls and sex workers were guests at the star’s house parties and that he saw the star drug their drinks.

He also claims he was ordered to go to Miami to trawl bars and nightspots to recruit sex workers, and says he himself was drugged in February last year before he woke up naked, dizzy and confused in bed with Combs and two sex workers.

The suit was filed at the US District Court for the Southern District of New York three weeks after Jones launched a Gofundme appeal asking for money to sue the rapper for unpaid royalties.

Garcelle Beauvais Exits ‘The Real Housewives Of Beverly Hills’ After 5 Seasons: “Andy Cohen Says I Can Come Back Anytime”

The actress, producer, and reality TV personality made the news official, sharing a statement on social media.

“I’ve decided to leave Beverly Hills. It’s been a wild ride. I mean, some amazing things have happened, and some hard things have also happened, but it’s been a ride,” Beauvais said in an Instagram video.

Beauvais cites that one of the reasons she is leaving is her family, adding, “My boys, [it’s] their last year of high school is next year, and I want to be a part of that. And Jade is starting a new career [as a model], and I want to be a part of that too.”

Another reason Beauvais said she was leaving was due to projects she’s developing as a producer and actor.

“I can’t tell you anything right now, but you’ll know soon,” she added.

RELATED: Bravo’s ‘The Real Housewives’: Every Single Cast Photo In Franchise History

Beauvais thanked the producers of RHOBH, Andy Cohen, Bravo and NBC Universal, adding, “Andy Cohen says I can come back anytime, the door will always be open, so you never know I might pop back in some time.”

“To the fans, I want to say, thank you so much. You guys have cheered me on, supported me and sometimes even fought for me or on my behalf, it means a lot, and I hope you guys will continue on this journey with me. It’s not goodbye, it’s See you later,” she ended.

RELATED: ‘The Real Housewives Of Beverly Hills’ Season 14 Cast Photos, Trailer

Beauvais joined RHOBH in Season 10, making history as the first African American housewife in the cast. Throughout her journey on the show, she showcased her relationship with her sons and her career milestones as a producer and actor.

Watch Garcelle’s complete statement in the video below.

Kenny Chesney, June Carter Cash, Tony Brown Announced as Country Music Hall of Fame’s 2025 Inductees

The new trio of inductees were revealed during a morning news conference hosted by Vince Gill, who shared personal connections with all three of the incoming honorees.

“I had a really big dream that not a lot of people saw coming,” said Chesney, stepping to the mic in the hall’s famous rotunda. “My dream started on the shoulders of the dreams of George Jones,” he said, and on the shoulders of Alabama, Conway Twitty and Doc Watson, he added — noting that “I spent a whole summer trying to figure out how to play ‘Deep River Blues’ on guitar.” Chesney said that it was “amazing to know you’re going into the Hall of Fame with three fellow east Tennesseans,” citing his regional neighbors Chet Atkins, Dolly Parton and songwriter Dean Dillon.

“I had a big dream, and I’m still pushing that dream as far as I can… I just wanted to spread as much love and positive energy as I could,” Chesney said. “Standing up here, I know it’s not a dream, it’s real, but it’s so surreal.”

Chesney is set to to be inducted in the modern performer category, being a relative newcomer compared to many of the hall’s inductees; as Gill noted, he made his first record in 1994 and had his first No. 1 hit in 1997.

Reading from a script, Gill took slight issue when the text had him refer to Chesney as “the first country music artist to play the Sphere in Las Vegas,” referencing the star’s upcoming residency. “I was giving him some tips on how to play there not too long ago,” Gill wryly noted — being a member now of the Eagles, whose residency at Sphere has some dates still to go. “He can claim that. We’ll see.”

But, said Gill, “I’ve known this kid the whole time, and there’s not a better guy in the world.”

The late June Carter Cash is the other performer to go in this year — in the not-as-modern division — and was represented at the press conference by her children Carlene Carter and John Carter Cash.

“My mom was a force of nature,” said Carlene. “Anything that’s good about me is because of that woman. My mama was the shit, y’all.”

Noting that “WIll the Circle Be Unbroken” is the theme song of the hall, John Cartner Cash said, “There’s one person that sang that song more than anyone else in her lifetime, or anyone else’s lifetime for that matter, and that was my mother. She carried the torch for country music history with her throughout her lifetime. Millions of people know Carter Family songs because of my mother not being willing to stop singing the songs of her family.” He added, “She was full of love. ‘Anchored in love’ was one of her life mottos… She did not know a stranger.”

Brown’s appointment was first up in the announcements, as the producer, musician and executive came up as this year’s inductee in the rotating non-performer category.

“I’ve had a lot of big things happen in my life and my career. This is the biggest,” said Brown. “I’ve always wanted to be in the Hall of Fame. I never ever, imagined I would be…. This is better than money. This is about making an impact. When it comes down to it, that’s why we all get into this business, to make an impact. This means more than anything could ever mean to me.”

Gill spoke about how Brown helped get him signed to his first RCA contract. “On a personal note, Tony and I have known each other for 44 years, and I don’t have a better friend,” Gill said. “He’s the one that talked me singlehandedly into recording ‘go rest high on that mountain.’Go Rest High on That Mountain’” (which Gill just sang on the “Opry 100” telecast last week). “I was not gonna record it, it was too personal… he couldn’t have been more right.”

Gill also noted that he was in a band with Brown, the Cherry Bombs, back in the day. That little-known but all-star group was the least illustrious of a string of accomplishments cited by Gill in his introduction. Brown went from being in the Oak Ridge Boys’ backing band to being pianist in Elvis Presley’s TCB Band, Gill noted, then went on to Emmylou Harris’ Hot Band before becoming a producer and label exec. Among the artists he signed or worked closely with at RCA and then MCA Nashville were Wynonna Judd, Rodney Crowell, Patty Loveless, Steve Earle and Lyle Lovett, affecting country during the mainstream boom years of the ’90s as well as being “a pioneering force in what would become known as Americana.” Brown has previously received the Icon award from the Academy of Country Music.

‘I Was Too Gay to Play the Part’: Nathan Lane Believes Homophobia Cost Him a Role in Space Jam

Actor Nathan Lane was passed over for a role in the 1996 movie Space Jam, a decision he feels was likely due to homophobia. However, it’s not the “role that got away” for Lane, as he says he actually felt relieved that he didn’t have to do the film.

Lane addressed his near-casting in Space Jam during a new interview with Vanity Fair. He was asked about how much homophobia might have impacted his career during that era, and that had the actor remembering the situation with Space Jam. As Lane explained, he was in consideration to play Stan Podolak, Michael Jordan’s assistant, who was ultimately played by Wayne Knight. Lane also said he’d been told that the film’s director, Joe Pytka, thought he was “too gay” for the role.

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“I don’t know what goes on behind closed doors, but I can’t help but think that [homophobia] played a part [in limiting movie roles],” he said. “I was told it did impact a movie that I didn’t really care about: Space Jam. I was up for the part that the guy from Seinfeld wound up playing.”

He continued, “I was up for that part. Apparently the director saw me hosting the Tony Awards and thought that suggested I was too gay to play the part. So thank God, I didn’t have to do Space Jam. [Laughs] But I don’t know. I’ll never know what people say. Homophobia is alive and well still.”

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“Before I die, it would be lovely to get to play a juicy, serious supporting role in some film,” Lane continued. “That’s why I’m very grateful to Ryan Murphy. He let me play Dominick Dunne [in Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story] and F. Lee Bailey [in The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story]. I mean, things are great. [Laughs] I don’t want it to seem like I don’t have a really terrific, enviable career.”

Robin Williams Helped Protect Nathan Lane During That Era

At the time of Space Jam’s release, Lane was not out publicly. The actor came out in 1999, and in 2015, he married his longtime partner of 18 years, Devlin Elliott. Before he was ready to come out, Lane expressed to Robin Williams, his co-star from 1996’s The Birdcage, that he was concerned about being prodded about his orientation during an interview with Oprah Winfrey to promote the film. As expected, Winfrey broached the subject, but Williams swooped in to steer the conversation away quickly so as not to put Lane on the spot.

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“I had expressed my fears beforehand to the late, great Robin Williams, who kindly said to me, ‘Don’t worry, Nathan. You don’t have to discuss it if you’re not ready.’ And he went on to protect me whenever he could, throughout the awkward moments,” Lane said last year, via People. “[Oprah] was like, ‘How come you’re so good at that girlie stuff? Are you worried about being typecast?’ And then Robin sort of swoops in and diverts Oprah, goes off on a tangent and protects me because he was a saint.”

Space Jam is streaming on Netflix, while Nathan Lane’s new show, Mid-Century Modern, will premiere on Hulu on March 28, 2025.

Source: Vanity Fair

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Space Jam

PG

Adventure

Comedy

Animation

Release Date November 15, 1996

Runtime 88 Minutes

Director Joe Pytka

Writers Herschel Weingrod, Timothy Harris, Steve Rudnick, Leo Benvenuti

Cast

See All

Charles Barkley

Bob Bergen

Dee Bradley Baker

Michael Jordan

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Ben Affleck breaks silence on Jennifer Lopez divorce

Jennifer Lopez filed to divorce Ben Affleck on the two-year anniversary of their Georgia wedding ceremony. Their romance dates back to 2002.

The “Accountant 2” star, 52, broke his silence about his divorce from Jennifer Lopez in an interview with GQ published Tuesday. He said he has “nothing but respect” for the “Jenny from the Block” singer and stressed that there was no single, dramatic event that ended their marriage.

“There’s no scandal, no soap opera, no intrigue,” he told the outlet. “The truth is, when you talk to somebody, ‘Hey, what happened?’ Well, there is no: ‘This is what happened.’ It’s just a story about people trying to figure out their lives and relationships in ways that we all sort of normally do. And as you get older, this is true for me, I assume it’s true for most people, there is no ‘So-and-so did this’ or ‘This was the big event.’”

He continued, “It’s really, it sounds more like a couple’s therapy session, which — you would tune out of someone else’s couple’s therapy after a while. For one thing, you start going, ‘Okay, clearly this person has got these issues. Clearly they have these issues.’ And the reason I don’t want to share that is just sort of embarrassing. It feels vulnerable.”

But Affleck said that while there is “a tendency to look at breakups and want to identify root causes or something,” the truth of his split from Lopez “is much more quotidian than probably people would believe or would be interesting.”

The Oscar winner also reflected on his participation in Lopez’s 2024 documentary “The Greatest Love Story Never Told,” which was released in conjunction with her album “This Is Me… Now.” In the film, Affleck expressed reservations about letting the public in on their relationship, saying in one scene, “It’s the greatest love story never told, and if you’re making a record about it, that seems kind of like telling it.”

Speaking to GQ, Affleck acknowledged that “my temperament is to be a little bit more reserved and private” than Lopez. At the same time, he emphasized that this isn’t what led to their split.

“I think it’s important to say that wasn’t the cause of some major fracture,” he said. “It’s not like you can watch that documentary and go, ‘Oh, now I understand the issues that these two had.’”

Affleck and Lopez met working on the romantic comedy “Gigli” and got engaged in 2002, but they called off the wedding in 2003, citing excessive media attention. They both went on to tie the knot with and split from other people, with Lopez marrying Marc Anthony in 2004 and Affleck marrying Jennifer Garner in 2005. Lopez also got engaged to Alex Rodriguez in 2019, but they did not marry.

Almost two decades after their split, Affleck and Lopez rekindled their relationship in 2021 and tied the knot the following year. But in 2024, the “Jenny from the Block” singer filed for divorce from Affleck in Los Angeles Superior Court on their second wedding anniversary. The date of separation was listed as April 26, and the divorce was finalized this January.

In May, Lopez canceled her summer North American tour, saying she would be taking time “to be with her children, family and close friends.” She said at the time she was “completely heartsick and devastated” but would not “do this if I didn’t feel that it was absolutely necessary.”

In a conversation with Nikki Glaser for Interview Magazine in October, Lopez opened up about feeling like her whole “world exploded.”

“When your whole house blows up, you’re standing there in the rubble going, ‘How do I not ever let that happen again?’” she said. “And then you start examining it little by little saying, ‘Okay, I did this, this was my part in it, this was what I should have seen early on, this is what I didn’t look at.’ Those things are what really are the lessons.”

But Lopez continued that she is “capable of joy and happiness all by myself,” adding, “Being in a relationship doesn’t define me. I can’t be looking for happiness in other people. I have to have happiness within myself. I used to say I’m a happy person, but was still looking for something for somebody else to fill, and it’s just like, ‘No, I’m actually good.’”

Affleck reflected on dating in a red carpet interview with USA TODAY earlier this month while discussing his role in “The Accountant 2.”

“Relationships are complex and fraught and full of a kind of coded language that we use, and they’re hard for everyone to figure out,” he said. “And that’s why I think this movie touches on some really universal, accessible things that I find really moving, funny, beautiful, and I hope audiences do, too.”

Next ‘James Bond’ Film Enlists ‘Spider-Man’ and ‘Harry Potter’ Producers in Major Shake-Up

UPDATE: Amazon MGM Studios has confirmed that Amy Pascal (Spider-Man, Challengers) and David Heyman (Paddington, Harry Potter) are set to produce the James Bond franchise after the departure of Barbara Broccoli and Michael Wilson. They will be in charge of creating the next 007 film, which currently does not have a release date or cast. Check out their joint statement below:

“James Bond is one of the most iconic characters in the history of cinema. We are humbled to follow in the footsteps of Barbara Broccoli and Michael Wilson who made so many extraordinary films and honored and excited to keep the spirit of Bond very much alive as he embarks on his next adventure.”

The original article, as follows:

The James Bond franchise could be homing in on its new creative team with reports suggesting that Amazon have already engaged with two high-profile producers with a long history of working with big IPs to usher in the new era of Bond.

According to Puck, former Harry Potter producer David Heyman, and Amy Pascal, who worked on Tom Holland’s Spider-Man trilogy have been approached to take the creative helm of the franchise, and unless something goes terribly wrong, Amazon execs are said to be set on making this dream team the next keepers of the Bond flame.

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As well as producing several Harry Potter movies, Heyman was part of the production team on Barbie and Wonka, while Pascal was previously involved in Daniel Craig’s Bond movies, making her an easy choice to step into the breach left by the long-term team of Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson.

How the ‘James Bond’ Franchise Will Move Forward

The news that long-term Bond gatekeepers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson were stepping away from the franchise after decades of ensuring that James Bond retained certain qualities and traits was not met with the most enthusiastic reception. Fans were outraged at the mighty Amazon machine coming in to bulldozer their way through the franchise, turn it into a “woke” mess, and water it down to the consistency of dishwater. However, according to some insiders, the worry over massive changes to the character may be unfounded. One source previously said:

“There have been so many erroneous rumors about the future of Bond. Amazon is committed to keeping the spirit of Bond alive and that means he has to be British or from the Commonwealth – and he has to be male.”

The James Bond franchise has never quite been in the same state of flux as it is right now, and most of the focus online is about who will be the next person to take over the role of James Bond. While the likes of Kraven the Hunter star Aaron Taylor-Johnson, The Gentlemen’s Theo James, and former Superman Henry Cavill remain the favorites, one James Bond expert and superfan Graham Rye previoulsy suggested that there should be someone a little less well known taking over the license to kill.

Rye, who is the editor behind 007 Magazine, threw his weight behind a little-known Scottish actor and star of Miss Scarlet and Zack Snyder’s Rebel Moon, Stuart Martin , as the only actor who can successfully take over the character and retain a lot of the qualities that many fans believe are essential to the success of the franchise’s new iteration. Rye previously said:

“There’s only one actor out there at the moment that can do justice to this. He’s Scottish and his name is Stuart Martin.”

Martin has seen his chances rise rapidly recently, with Rye even going on to liken the actor, and his potential as James Bond, to that of the beloved original, saying he could play 007 “very much in the vein of Sean Connery.” However, there is currently no way ot knowing who will actually be stepping into the role of Bond until the announcement is made. With this latest development, perhaps that has just moved one step closer.

Source: Puck

James Bond

Summary

James Bond, code name 007, is a fictional character created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short story collections. There have been six other authors who wrote authorised Bond novels or novelizations after Fleming’s death in 1964: Kingsley Amis, Christopher Wood, John Gardner, Raymond Benson, Sebastian Faulks and Jeffery Deaver; a new novel, written by William Boyd, is planned for release in 2013. Additionally, Charlie Higson wrote a series on a young James Bond and Kate Westbrook wrote three novels based on the diaries of a recurring series character, Moneypenny. The fictional British Secret Service agent has also been adapted for television, radio, comic strip and video game formats as well as being used in the longest running and the second-highest grossing film franchise to date, which started in 1962 with Dr. No, starring Sean Connery as Bond. As of 2012, there have been twenty two films in the Eon Productions series, with a twenty third, Skyfall, due for release on 26 October 2012. The film will star Daniel Craig in his third portrayal of Bond: he is the sixth actor to play Bond in the Eon series. There have also been two independent productions of Bond films, Casino Royale, a 1967 spoof, and Never Say Never Again, a 1983 remake of an earlier Eon-produced film, Thunderball. The films are renowned for a number of features, including the musical accompaniment, with the theme songs to the films having picked up Academy Award nominations on several occasions. Other important elements which run through most of the films include Bond’s cars, his guns and the gadgets he is supplied with by Q Branch.

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Nathan Lane Was Told ‘I Was Too Gay’ for ‘Space Jam’ Role of Michael Jordan’s Assistant; But Lane Was Relieved: ‘Thank God I Didn’t Have to Do It’

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Nathan Lane said in an interview with Vanity Fair that he lost out on a role in 1996’s “Space Jam” and was told it was because he was just “too gay.” While Lane said he never knows “what goes on behind closed doors,” he “can’t help but think” that homophobia “played a part” in shaping the roles he could or couldn’t do. He cited “Space Jam” as an example.

“I was told [being gay did] impact a movie that I didn’t really care about: ‘Space Jam.’ I was up for the part that the guy from Seinfeld wound up playing,” Lane said of being up for the role of Michael Jordan’s publicist and assistant Stan, ultimately played by Wayne Knight in the movie. “I was up for that part. Apparently the director saw me hosting the Tony Awards and thought that suggested I was too gay to play the part. So thank God, I didn’t have to do ‘Space Jam.’”

“But I don’t know. I’ll never know what people say,” Lane added. “Homophobia is alive and well still. Before I die, it would be lovely to get to play a juicy, serious supporting role in some film. That’s why I’m very grateful to Ryan Murphy. He let me play Dominic Dunne and F. Lee Bailey. I mean, things are great. I don’t want it to seem like I don’t have a really terrific, enviable career.”

Lane thought his profile in Hollywood would be raised significantly after the success off 1996’s “The Birdcage,” directed by Mike Nichols and co-starring Rob Williams. The comedy was a box office hit with $185 million worldwide.

“I thought perhaps because of the success of that, it’d lead to other films, but then it didn’t,” Lane said. “It really didn’t. I said to my agent, ‘I thought more would happen after “The Birdcage.”‘ He said, ‘Maybe if you weren’t so open about your lifestyle, it would have.’ And was an old queen telling me this. So I left him. Mike Nichols sent me to CAA. But no, there weren’t a lot of opportunities.”

Lane revealed on “Sunday Today” in 2023 that Williams protected him from coming out as gay against his will on national television during their press tour for “The Birdcage.” The two star in the film as a gay couple trying to marry off their son to a conservative couple’s daughter. Lane was nervous about doing an interview on “The Oprah Winfrey Show” as “The Birdcage” was one of his first major film roles, and he did not want to come out publicly as gay at the time.

“I was not prepared at all for that,” Lane said about openly discussing his sexuality at the time. “And I certainly wasn’t ready to go from table-to-table and tell them all I was gay. I just wanted to talk about finally [getting] a big part in a movie, and I didn’t want to make it about my sexuality… I don’t think Oprah was trying to out me, but I said to Robin beforehand, ‘I’m not prepared. I’m so scared of going out there and talking to Oprah. I’m not prepared to discuss that I’m gay on national television. I’m not ready.’ He said, ‘Oh, it’s alright, don’t worry about — we don’t have to talk about it. We won’t talk about it.’”

Winfrey did end up asking questions that left the door open for Lane to come out. “She was like, ‘How come you’re so good at that girlie stuff? Are you worried about being typecast?’” the actor remembered. Then Williams “sort of swoops in and diverts Oprah, goes off on a tangent and protects me because he was a saint.” Lane called Williams a “beautiful, sensitive soul.”