The man accused of trying to kill author Salman Rushdie is found guilty of attempted murder

A New Jersey man was convicted Friday of attempted murder for stabbing author Salman Rushdie multiple times on a New York lecture stage in 2022.

A jury also found Hadi Matar, 27, guilty of assault for wounding a man who was on stage with Rushdie at the time. The verdicts were delivered after less than two hours of deliberations following a trial in Chautauqua County Court.

Matar ran onto the stage at the Chautauqua Institution where Rushdie was about to speak on Aug. 12, 2022, and stabbed him more than a dozen times before a live audience. The attack left the 77-year-old prizewinning novelist blind in one eye.

Rushdie was the key witness during seven days of testimony, describing in graphic detail his life-threatening injuries and long and painful recovery.

The judge set sentencing for April 23. Matar could receive up to 25 years in prison.

District Attorney Jason Schmidt played a slow-motion video of the attack for the jury Friday during his closing argument, pointing out the assailant as he emerged from the audience, walked up a staircase to the stage and broke into a run toward Rushdie.

“I want you to look at the unprovoked nature of this attack,” Schmidt said. “I want you to look at the targeted nature of the attack. There were a lot of people around that day but there was only one person who was targeted.”

Assistant public defender Andrew Brautigan told the jury that prosecutors have not proved that Matar intended to kill Rushdie. The distinction is important for an attempted-murder conviction.

“You will agree something bad happened to Mr. Rushdie, but you don’t know what Mr. Matar’s conscious objective was,” Brautigan said. “The testimony you have heard doesn’t establish anything more than a chaotic noisy outburst that occurred that injured Mr. Rushdie.”

Matar had with him knives, not a gun or bomb, his attorneys have said previously. And in response to testimony that the injuries were life-threatening, they have noted that Rushdie’s heart and lungs were uninjured.

Schmidt said while it’s not possible to read Matar’s mind, “it’s foreseeable that if you’re going to stab someone 10 or 15 times about the face and neck, it’s going to result in a fatality.”

Rushdie, 77, was the key witness during testimony that began last week. The Booker Prize-winning author told jurors he thought he was dying when a masked stranger ran onto the stage and stabbed and slashed at him until being tackled by bystanders. Rushdie showed jurors his now-blinded right eye, usually hidden behind a darkened eyeglass lens.

Schmidt reminded jurors about the testimony of a trauma surgeon, who said Rushdie’s injuries would have been fatal without quick treatment.

He also slowed down video showing Matar approaching the seated Rushdie from behind and reaching around him to stab at his torso with a knife. Rushdie raises his arms and rises from his seat, walking and stumbling for a few steps with Matar hanging on, swinging and stabbing until they both fall and are surrounded by onlookers who rush in to separate them.

Rushdie is seen flailing on the ground, waving a hand covered in bright red blood. Schmidt freezes on a frame showing Rushdie, his face also bloodied, as he’s surrounded by people.

“We’ve shown you intent,” Schmidt said.

The recordings also picked up the gasps and screams from audience members who had been seated to hear Rushdie speak with City of Asylum Pittsburgh founder Henry Reese about keeping writers safe. Reese suffered a gash to his forehead, leading to the assault charge against Matar.

From the witness stand, institution staff and others who were present on the day of the attack pointed to Matar as the assailant.

Stabbed and slashed more than a dozen times in the head, throat, torso, thigh and hand, Rushdie spent 17 days at a Pennsylvania hospital and more than three weeks at a New York City rehabilitation center. He detailed his long and painful recovery in his 2024 memoir, “Knife.”

Throughout the trial, Matar often took notes with a pen and sometimes laughed or smiled with his defense team during breaks in testimony. His lawyers declined to call any witnesses of their own and Matar did not testify in his defense.

Public Defender Nathaniel Barone said Matar likely would have faced a lesser charge of assault were it not for Rushdie’s celebrity.

“We think that it became an attempted murder because of the notoriety of the alleged victim in the case,” Barone told reporters after testimony concluded Thursday. “That’s been it from the very beginning. It’s been nothing more, nothing less. And it’s for publicity purposes. It’s for self-interest purposes.”

A separate federal indictment alleges that Matar, of Fairview, New Jersey, was motivated to attack Rushdie by a 2006 speech in which the leader of the militant group Hezbollah endorsed a decades-old fatwa, or edict, calling for Rushdie’s death. Iranian leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini issued the fatwa in 1989 after publication of the novel “The Satanic Verses,” which some Muslims consider blasphemous.

Rushdie spent years in hiding. But after Iran announced that it would not enforce the decree, he had traveled freely over the past quarter century.

A trial on the federal terrorism-related charges will be scheduled in U.S. District Court in Buffalo.

Voletta Wallace, Notorious B.I.G.’s mother and keeper of his legacy, dies at 78

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Voletta Wallace, the dedicated mother of the late great rapper The Notorious B.I.G., died Friday morning at 78.

Monroe County Coroner Thomas Yanac confirmed her death Friday to The Associated Press, saying she died at her home in Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania, after a stint on hospice care. She died of natural causes.

A representative for the estate of The Notorious B.I.G. did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The Notorious B.I.G., one of the rap’s greatest performers, was shot to death at age 24 in Los Angeles in 1997. The case remains unsolved.

Wallace was a dedicated keeper of the legacy of her son, born Christopher Wallace. When he first emerged on the scene as one of rap’s most distinctive talents with songs that expertly detailed street life in Brooklyn, she labeled his music “noise.”

Since his death, his gift took on a new meaning for her. She told AP in 2017, 20 years after his death, “I remembered my son said, ‘Don’t listen to my music.’ And I never listened to his music. I heard it on the radio and it sounded good, because it was clean. But I said, ‘You know what, I have to. I have to listen to that music.’ And that’s what I did.”

“I cried so much that day just listening to the music. I remember I sat, I stood. I rested my head on the stereo and I just cried like a baby. And that was therapy for me. And I said, ‘Oh my God — that was a talented young man to put those words together.’ He had a beautiful voice. I love his voice,” she continued.

In 2021, Wallace worked as an executive producer on the Netflix documentary “Biggie: I Got a Story to Tell,” and told AP about her role in the public eye.

“They never knew me. The public never knew me. I was thrust into this environment, I should say, after he passed away, because I’m a very private person. Extremely private,” she said. “What he was doing out there, maybe I should have known. But honestly, I didn’t. And to this day, there are people who are saying, ‘Oh, she knew. (whispers) But I never knew.”

Notorious B.I.G.’s 1994 debut album for Bad Boy Records, “Ready to Die,” has sold over 6 million units as of 2018, according to the Recording Industry Association of America, and included the hits “Big Poppa” and “Juicy.”

His sophomore album, “Life After Death,” released two weeks after his death, sold more than 11 million units. It launched multiple hits, including the timeless No. 1 hits “Mo Money Mo Problems” and “Hypnotize.”

Voletta Wallace’s death was first reported by celebrity website TMZ. ___

Associated Press journalist Gary Gerard Hamilton contributed to this report.

Jurors begin deliberating in the trial of a man charged with stabbing Salman Rushdie

MAYVILLE, N.Y. (AP) — Jurors began deliberating Friday in the trial of a New Jersey man charged with stabbing and trying to kill Salman Rushdie on a New York lecture stage.

The jury got the case after lawyers delivered closing arguments to wrap up seven days of testimony in Chautauqua County Court.

Hadi Matar, 27, faces up to 25 years in prison if he’s found guilty on charges of attempted murder and assault.

District Attorney Jason Schmidt played a slow-motion video of the attack for the jury Friday, pointing out the assailant as he emerged from the audience, walked up a staircase to the stage and broke into a run toward Rushdie.

READ MORE: Author Salman Rushdie’s attacker charged with supporting militant group Hezbollah

“I want you to look at the unprovoked nature of this attack,” Schmidt said. “I want you to look at the targeted nature of the attack. There were a lot of people around that day but there was only one person who was targeted.”

Assistant public defender Andrew Brautigan told the jury that prosecutors have not proved that Matar intended to kill Rushdie. The distinction is important for an attempted-murder conviction.

“You will agree something bad happened to Mr. Rushdie, but you don’t know what Mr. Matar’s conscious objective was,” Brautigan said. “The testimony you have heard doesn’t establish anything more than a chaotic noisy outburst that occurred that injured Mr. Rushdie.”

Matar had with him knives, not a gun or bomb, his attorneys have said previously. And in response to testimony that the injuries were life-threatening, they have noted that Rushdie’s heart and lungs were uninjured.

Schmidt said while it’s not possible to read Matar’s mind, “it’s foreseeable that if you’re going to stab someone 10 or 15 times about the face and neck, it’s going to result in a fatality.”

Rushdie, 77, was the key witness during testimony that began last week. The Booker Prize-winning author told jurors he thought he was dying when a masked stranger ran onto the stage and stabbed and slashed at him until being tackled by bystanders. Rushdie showed jurors his now-blinded right eye, usually hidden behind a darkened eyeglass lens.

READ MORE: Salman Rushdie reflects on attack that changed his life in new memoir ‘Knife’

Schmidt reminded jurors about the testimony of a trauma surgeon, who said Rushdie’s injuries would have been fatal without quick treatment.

He also slowed down video showing Matar approaching the seated Rushdie from behind and reaching around him to stab at his torso with a knife. Rushdie raises his arms and rises from his seat, walking and stumbling for a few steps with Matar hanging on, swinging and stabbing until they both fall and are surrounded by onlookers who rush in to separate them.

Rushdie is seen flailing on the ground, waving a hand covered in bright red blood. Schmidt freezes on a frame showing Rushdie, his face also bloodied, as he’s surrounded by people.

“We’ve shown you intent,” Schmidt said.

The recordings also picked up the gasps and screams from audience members who had been seated to hear Rushdie speak with City of Asylum Pittsburgh founder Henry Reese about keeping writers safe. Reese suffered a gash to his forehead, leading to the assault charge against Matar.

From the witness stand, institution staff and others who were present on the day of the attack pointed to Matar as the assailant.

Stabbed and slashed more than a dozen times in the head, throat, torso, thigh and hand, Rushdie spent 17 days at a Pennsylvania hospital and more than three weeks at a New York City rehabilitation center. He detailed his long and painful recovery in his 2024 memoir, “Knife.”

Throughout the trial, Matar often took notes with a pen and sometimes laughed or smiled with his defense team during breaks in testimony. His lawyers declined to call any witnesses of their own and Matar did not testify in his defense.

Public Defender Nathaniel Barone said Matar likely would have faced a lesser charge of assault were it not for Rushdie’s celebrity.

READ MORE: Hundreds of authors, including Salman Rushdie, Cheryl Strayed endorse anti-censorship initiative

“We think that it became an attempted murder because of the notoriety of the alleged victim in the case,” Barone told reporters after testimony concluded Thursday. “That’s been it from the very beginning. It’s been nothing more, nothing less. And it’s for publicity purposes. It’s for self-interest purposes.”

A separate federal indictment alleges that Matar, of Fairview, New Jersey, was motivated to attack Rushdie by a 2006 speech in which the leader of the militant group Hezbollah endorsed a decades-old fatwa, or edict, calling for Rushdie’s death. Iranian leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini issued the fatwa in 1989 after publication of the novel “The Satanic Verses,” which some Muslims consider blasphemous.

Rushdie spent years in hiding. But after Iran announced that it would not enforce the decree, he had traveled freely over the past quarter century.

A trial on the federal terrorism-related charges will be scheduled in U.S. District Court in Buffalo.

Neighbours cancelled by Amazon after 40 years and 9,000 episodes

Australian soap Neighbours has been cancelled for a second time, after Amazon pulled the plug on the TV show.

The final episode of the 40-year-old series will air in Dec 2025 after production company Fremantle Media failed to secure a renewed deal with the streaming giant.

The soap follows the lives of residents in Erinsborough, a fictional suburb of Melbourne. It was first broadcast in Australia in 1985 and launched on BBC One a year later. There have been more than 9,000 episodes.

The show was credited with helping to launch the careers of Kylie Minogue, Jason Donovan, and Margot Robbie.

Hollywood actors to have made appearances in the soap include Liam and Chris Hemsworth, and Russell Crowe – while Holly Valance, Delta Goodrem and Natalie Imbruglia have gone on to have chart success as singers.

In 2022, the show was cancelled by Channel 5 after it failed to secure new funding.

A few months after what was meant to be its final episode, the series was revived by streaming site Amazon Freevee and Fremantle.

Executive producer Jason Herbison said: “Audiences all around the world have loved and embraced Neighbours for four decades and we are very proud of the huge success over the last two years including often appearing as one of the Top 10 titles in the UK and the show’s first ever Daytime Emmy nomination for Outstanding Daytime Series in 2024.

“As this chapter closes, we appreciate and thank Amazon MGM Studios for all that they have done for Neighbours – bringing this iconic and much-loved series to new audiences globally.

“We value how much the fans love Neighbours and we believe there are more stories of the residents of Ramsay Street to tell in the future.”

Neighbours is available on Amazon Freevee in the UK and the US. It is also available in Australia on 10 Peach and streaming service 10 Play.

Channel 10 said on X: “They’ve been our neighbours for almost 40 years, we’re so sad to be saying goodbye. We’d like to thank everyone who has contributed to this remarkable Australian story over the years.”

New episodes will continue to air on Amazon Prime Video and Australia’s Channel 10 four times a week until the end of 2025.

Deadwood and Karate Kid star dies as director John Carpenter pays tribute – Daily Star

Veteran Deadwood star Peter Jason has sadly passed away at the grand age of 80. The beloved actor, famed for his role as Con Stapleton, has left fans and peers alike in mourning after a sad week for the acting industry.

A versatile talent, Jason boasted over 270 acting credits across a glittering career that spanned film and television aplenty. This heart-wrenching news follows a huge week in the movie world which saw a major film actor speak about his tragic loss at the BAFTAs.

Filmmaker John Carpenter took to social media to pay homage, penning a heartfelt message about the late star: “Peter Jason, one of the great character actors in cinema, has died,” he shared. “His first movie was Howard Hawks’ RIO LOBO. He was a dear friend, and I’ll miss him terribly.”

Jason had made regular appearances in a host of Carpenter and Walter Hill’s projects such as Prince of Darkness, They Live, Body Bags, In the Mouth of Madness, Village of the Damned, Escape from L.A., and Ghosts of Mars. His credits also include The Karate Kid, Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, Congo, and Mortal Kombat.

His acting journey began back in 1967 with the TV film A Bell for Adano, based on John Hersey’s 1944 novel where he played an unnamed duty officer. Jason’s last credited act was in the short film A Tale of 2 Fathers by Douglas Spain, reports the Mirror.

Before this final bow, Peter was in We Are Gathered Here Today, filmed remotely via video calls due to the COVID-19 situation. Born in the heart of Hollywood, California, on July 22, 1944, Jason was raised in the beautiful surrounds of Balboa Peninsula in Newport Beach.

After completing his studies, he enrolled at Orange Coast College and studied drama at Carnegie Mellon University. During his time there, he began his stage career.

His early television roles included appearances in episodes of The F.B.I., Cimarron Strip, Judd for the Defense and Here Come the Brides in the late 1960s. Throughout his extensive career, Peter also performed in plays and TV adverts.

He showcased his singing talents in musical stage productions such as The Music Man, Stop the World, I Want to Get Off and Threepenny Opera. The actor also lent his voice to Sergeant Dornan in the popular video game Fallout 2.

Peter made his film debut in Howard Hawks’ final film, Rio Lobo, in 1970. His numerous TV guest appearances included One Day at a Time, Starksy and Hutch, The Incredible Hulk, Cagney and Lacey, Remington Steele, The Golden Girls, Knots Landing, Roseanne, Coach, Arrested Development and NCIS.

Tributes have been flooding in for Peter, including from friend Matt Anser who said: “I am heartbroken. My dear friend and my father’s best friend, Peter Jason, passed away today. What a loss He was truly one of the sweetest people on the planet. My heart goes out to his wife and daughter. Peter, I hope you and my dad are up there laughing your a***s off.”

Diddy Defense In Disarray As Top Lawyer Quits Ahead Of Sex Trafficking Trial; Feds Accuse Sean Combs Of Trying To “Relitigate” With Delay Tactics

EXCLUSIVE: Two months before the start of a sex trafficking trial that could see the much accused Sean “Diddy” Combs behind bars for the rest of his life, one of the ‘I’ll Be Missing You’ rapper’s top lawyers wants out of the case.

The request today by Anthony Ricco to Judge Arun Subramanian partially pulls the veil back on a defense team that is consumed with in-fighting and lacks focus, I’m told. “It’s become a real sh*tshow, they’re desperate to not go to trial,” a well-positioned attorney told Deadline of the Marc Agnifilo, and Teny Geragos-led Combs criminal trial defense. “Look at the filings, they’re throwing everything at the wall and praying something sticks.”

Ricco’s move Friday for permission for “withdrawal” from Diddy’s multi-claims case is thin on details and admittedly unorthodox in the way it is being conducted due to that what the lawyer cites as “protections afforded by the attorney/client privilege. However, making a point of saying he is exiting “respectfully but regrettably,” the New York-base Ricco adds: “Although I have provided Sean Combs with the high level of legal representation expected by the court, under no circumstances can I continue to effectively serve as counsel for Sean Combs, consistent with the ABA Standards for Criminal Justice.”

The Bad Boy Records founder has been incarcerated at Brooklyn’s Metropolitan Detention Center since his September 16 arrest. Ricco joined the pricey Marc Agnifilo, and Teny Geragos-led Combs defense team on September 22. Repeatedly failing to get released on $50 million bail, Combs is set to go to trial on racketeering, sex trafficking, and transportation to engage in prostitution charges starting May 5.

Spreading the wealth so to speak, Combs sued NBCUniversal on February 12 for $100 million over what the rapper terms an “outrageous set of fresh lies and conspiracy theories” stemming from Peacock’s Diddy: Making of a Bad Boy documentary.

Just this week, mere days after a civil case accusing Combs and Jay-Z of raping a 13-year-old in 2000 was dropped by the now middle-aged Jane Doe, Combs’ defense accused the turbulent U.S. Attorney’s office of going after their client with “racist” laws because he is a powerful black man, and he is being prosecuted for conduct that regularly goes unpunished.” The once-Damian Williams run SDNY had no comment on the claim, and has not filed a response yet.

“They should be all over the prosecution and the indictment right now, instead (they’re) losing Ricco and claiming racism,” an insider says. “Not a good look, if you ask me. Not a strategy.”

Representatives for Combs did not respond to request for comment on the state of the defense team and Ricco’s reasons for leaving. Anthony Ricco also did not respond when contacted by Deadline. If they do, this post will be updated.

However, according to a source close to the matter, there is “no truth” to claims of disarray among the defense team despite Ricco’s departure. In fact, the source says Ricco leaving “does not impact Mr. Combs’s legal team, which remains intact and fully engaged.” They add that “nothing has changed,” citing Agnifilo, and Geragos running things.

Ricco’s desire to be cut loose from the Combs case still has to be approved by Judge Subramanian – which technically makes the lawyer still a member of the defense until that request is granted.

Perhaps telling of the state of affairs of Combs’ legal team, Friday also say the now Matthew Podolsky-led SDNY push back on a motion by the defense to have all the victims and more in the three claim indictment identified as just a sideshow to try to delay the trial.

“Most relevant to the instant request, on February 1, 2025, the Government provided the defendant with a 16-page Enterprise Letter, outlining in detail the racketeering activity and related conduct that the Government currently expects to prove at trial in connection with the charged racketeering conspiracy offense,” exclaims a two-page letter this morning from Donald Trump Department of Justice appointed Acting U.S. Attorney Podolsky to Judge Subramanian.

The Enterprise Letter described these acts in detail, including their approximate dates and the people involved — noting, for example, their titles at the defendant’s company or providing other identifying features,” Podolsky’s missive adds “In short, these additional disclosures undermine any claim by the defendant that he is not aware of the ‘nature of the charge pending against him;’ or is unable to adequately prepare for trial.”

“Instead, the defendant’s renewed request for a bill of particulars is merely an attempt to relitigate the pretrial schedule to get even earlier disclosure of victim and witness information. But his assertion that such information would be useful is no basis to grant his request.”

As well as the criminal case, Combs is fighting dozens and dozens of civil lawsuits claiming assaults, abuse and retaliation from individuals who say they were raped and attacked, some drugged at his so-called “freak off” parties. The overwhelming majority of those case are represented by lawyer Tony Buzbee. The Houston attorney was also the main man for the Jane Doe who said that Combs, Jay-Z and an unnamed female “Celebrity B” repeatedly raped her at the 2000 MTV VMAs. As noted, the plaintiffs pulled the plug on that case on Valentine’s Day.

James Bond Was a Family Business to the Broccolis. Will He Be More Than Just IP to Jeff Bezos?

When Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson ceded all creative control of James Bond to Amazon MGM Studios, eras ended.

Half-siblings Broccoli and Wilson had extraordinary control over the Bond franchise, personally steering the films after they inherited the company EON Productions from Broccoli’s father and Wilson’s stepfather, Albert R. “Cubby” Broccoli in 1995. More than any director, they were the arbiters of “what is a James Bond film,” navigating Bond’s post-Cold War reinvention with Pierce Brosnan in the ’90s and selecting Daniel Craig as his replacement in 2005.

Reports in Deadline on February 20 say that Amazon bought out the pair for $1 billion (cue Dr. No: “One billion dollars, Mr. Bond! You were wondering what it costs?”) — but that the vibe in Broccoli and Wilson’s orbit is “of a death in the family.”

Not long ago, a Bond fan might expect a 007 film to feature a Jeff Bezos-style villain. He shares a bald pate with Blofeld, as well as his own personal rocket fleet. Now, he holds the keys to Bond and aside from the possibility that Josh O’Connor, star of Amazon MGM Studios’ best film to date, “Challengers,” could don Bond’s tux, fan reaction — including this one — is mixed.

“R.I.P. James Bond Franchise 1962-2025” was social media’s meme du jour. Yes, there’s the possibility of more Bond projects than ever. But at what cost?

Disney not only exhausted the creative possibilities of Marvel and “Star Wars,” it also exhausted the fans. It’s hard not to think that Bond has sold out to Spectre, another IP to be mined by covetousness worthy of Auric Goldfinger.

For Broccoli and Wilson, Bond was more than IP; it was a legacy. With Bond as a family business, their relationship to the world’s most famous spy was personal.

There are many ways that Amazon MGM Studios could shape where the movies go from here; some are genuinely exciting. But above all, this means:

Maybe the only family-run movie franchise, depending on how you define them. Father-son producing team Alexander and Ilya Salkind steered the Christopher Reeve “Superman” movies, but only over a few years. Before the sale of Lucasfilm in 2012, George Lucas had a personal say on most matters related to the “Star Wars” franchise.

However, it’s hard to compare the level of control the Broccoli family had over 25 films. Wilson had cameos in every EON Productions Bond movie since 1977. Fans may especially remember him as the corrupt police superintendent that Giancarlo Giannini’s Mathis has arrested in “Casino Royale,” but his first was in 1964’s “Goldfinger” as a soldier.

Broccoli was a teenager when she first worked on Bond as an uncredited assistant in the PR department for 1977’s “The Spy Who Loved Me.” For “Moonraker” and “Octopussy,” she was an assistant director (still uncredited). Finally in 1985 she was a full “additional assistant director” on “A View to a Kill” (Roger Moore’s last 007 film, and highly underrated). She was associate producer on Timothy Dalton’s two 007 films, “The Living Daylights” and “Licence to Kill” (note the British spelling). When her father retired following that 1989 film, she became a Bond producer with 1995’s “GoldenEye.”

Wilson and the Broccolis formed close friendships with the actors who played Bond. There’s a legendary, maybe apocryphal, story that Sean Connery met Daniel Craig around 2005 at the EON offices at Pinewood Studios, when Connery returned for a haircut. The title for 2021’s “No Time to Die” was also the title of one of Albert Broccoli’s early producing efforts, the 1958 war film “No Time to Die.” That was written by Richard Maibaum and directed by Terence Young, who became the first Bond writer and director in 1962 with “Dr. No.” Those personal touches carried beyond Bond: Broccoli produced Daniel Craig’s “Othello” and “Macbeth” productions on Broadway.

There are many credited Bond directors, but when I wrote an open letter suggesting that Pierce Brosnan return for a one-off “older Bond” adventure opposite a returning Michelle Yeoh, I addressed it to Broccoli as the franchise auteur. Another way to look at it: Irving Kirshner and Maibaum were the credited directors on “The Empire Strikes Back” and “Return of the Jedi,” but we still knew it was Lucas.

On Broccoli and Wilson’s watch, each Bond film was a bespoke product of a family business. It’s possible (likely) that this limited the potential for new takes on Bond. Now, with Amazon MGM Studios in control, that could mean:

Bond is (in)famous for its resistance to outside-the-box visions. When EON Productions turned down Steven Spielberg to direct a Bond movie in the late ’70s, he made “Raiders of the Lost Ark” (at Lucas’ urging) instead. Quentin Tarantino wanted to make “Casino Royale” as a 1960s period piece that aligned with the aesthetic of the original Connery films; Broccoli and Wilson rejected the idea. “Spectre” and “Skyfall” director Sam Mendes was outspoken about his lack of creative control, saying the producers want “controllable directors.” We know whatever Danny Boyle pitched was shot down as well.

Could a period version of Bond happen now? Possibly. Something totally different that we’ve never seen before? Entirely likely. Could Christopher Nolan finally live his childhood dream of directing a Bond movie? As much as he drew inspiration for the opening of “The Dark Knight Rises” from the pre-credits scene in “Licence to Kill,” he’s the kind of auteur who would probably have bristled under Broccoli and Wilson’s vision.

There is an unfortunate flipside, though:

That’s been the fear since Amazon acquired MGM in 2020. We’ve already seen one example with Amazon’s poorly received 2023 reality competition series, “007: Road to a Million,” hosted by “Succession” star Brian Cox. Brilliant UK TV professional Aaron McGahon imagined Broccoli and Wilson presenting a Marvel Studios-style overload of spinoffs: “The Moneypenny Mysteries,” “Felix Leiter,” “Universal Exports” (presumably focusing solely on the employees of Bond’s “cover company”), and, of course, “J.W. Pepper.” I might even watch some of these. (Not “J.W. Pepper.”)

Broccoli and Wilson’s family business centered on quality over quantity above all other considerations — even at the risk of narrowing ideas of what a Bond film could be (and that approach didn’t prevent a bunch of stinkers). However, almost every Bond movie feels like it’s made by a human being. Even the Venetian pigeon that gives a double-take in “Moonraker” is the kind of oddball, possibly godawful nonsense that could never be crowdsourced. Today, Jeff Bezos asked his followers who they’d like to see as the next Bond. Creative choices by anonymous social media users — so far, not a path to artistic triumph.

Like Disney and Marvel before it, will Amazon strip-mine every aspect of Bond IP? A five-year or more wait between movies is ultimately far more desirable than five spinoffs in a year. Even Marvel, the studio that defined the “more is more” ethos has backtracked, most recently pausing three shows in development. Bond thrived under Broccoli and Wilson’s “less is more” approach. As to whether that will be abandoned — well, if there’s a thread through every James Bond movie, it’s the power of greed.

‘Leaving Neverland’ sequel will follow Michael Jackson accusers’ journey to trial

USA TODAY has reached out to Channel 4 and representatives for Reed.

“The third and final film will cover the trial, scheduled for late 2026, thus completing the Leaving Neverland trilogy. If their cases are successful, the potential positive impact on the United States’ entertainment industry will be huge,” Sphere Abacus’ description of the film states. “Music and movie companies will no longer be able to shrug off responsibility when one of their stars sexually abuses a minor in their care.”

Channel 4 co-produced the 2019 “Leaving Neverland,” released by HBO in the U.S. and Channel 4 in the U.K.

Since the two-part doc’s release, Robson and Safechuck, describing themselves as survivors of childhood abuse, have hosted a podcast called “From Trauma to Triumph.

The venture speaks with “survivors, trauma specialists and advocates” and aims “to inspire the brave steps to starting, or continuing, the healing journey.” Robson, an Emmy-winning choreographer who worked with the likes of Britney Spears and NSYNC, is now a “life mentor,” songwriter/producer and dance teacher, according to his social media.

In a previous statement to USA TODAY, shared as “Leaving Neverland” premiered in 2019, Jackson’s estate denounced the project, saying it “isn’t a documentary, it is the kind of tabloid character assassination Michael Jackson endured in life, and now in death. The film takes uncorroborated allegations that supposedly happened 20 years ago and treats them as fact.”

An upcoming biopic of the King of Pop, starring nephew Jaafar Jackson and directed by Antoine Fuqua, is due for release later this year. The project is backed by Michael Jackson’s estate.

Wade Robson, James Safechuck’s lawsuits revived by appeals court, set to go to trial

In 2023, a California appeals court revived lawsuits against MJJ Productions and MJJ Ventures from Robson, originally filed in May 2013, and Safechuck, which was filed in May 2014. Both leveled the following allegations: intentional infliction of emotional distress; negligence; negligent supervision; negligent retention/hiring; negligent failure to warn, train or educate; and breach of fiduciary duty.

Both suits had been tossed out of lower courts due to the state’s statute of limitations, as well as a judge who cast doubt on the defendant’s culpability, before the three-judge appeals court panel ruled in August 2023 that the men could go forward with their claims that Jackson’s companies had a duty to protect them from their alleged abuse.

Safechuck’s lawsuit alleges that after meeting the singer on the set of a Pepsi commercial when he was 10 years old, Jackson abused him hundreds of times between 1988 and 1992. The lawsuit claims that “the thinly-veiled, covert second purpose of (Jackson’s) businesses was to operate as a child sexual abuse operation, specifically designed to locate, attract, lure and seduce child sexual abuse victims.” Robson’s lawsuit alleges his abuse began in 1990 and lasted around seven years.

In February 2024, a Los Angeles Superior Court judge granted the men’s request to consolidate their suits into one case, which received no objection from the defendants, according to a court filing obtained by USA TODAY.

A trial start date of Nov. 23, 2026, has been proposed, per a Jan. 14 filing reviewed by USA TODAY.

Michael Jackson faced child molestation charges, but was never convicted

Lawyers for the Jackson estate, the popstar’s family members and administrators of his estate, which owns Jackson’s companies, have for years denied the allegations against him by Robson and Safechuck, whom they have repeatedly labeled liars. The estate also sued HBO for $100 million over “Leaving Neverland,” citing a decades-old anti-arbitration clause, and the case was reportedly sent to private arbitration in 2020.

Allegations against Jackson — who died in 2009 at age 50 — began surfacing publicly in the 1990s. In 2003, Jackson was arrested and charged on child molestation charges in Santa Barbara County, but he was acquitted in 2005. During the trial, Robson testified in favor of Jackson and denied being molested by him; in “Leaving Neverland,” he alleged Jackson had leveraged his relationship with Robson and persuaded him to lie.

In 1993, the Los Angeles Times reported the police were interviewing several minors affiliated with Jackson about possible sexual abuse, based on a 13-year-old boy’s claims. Jackson was never criminally charged in that case; The New York Times reported in 1994 that this was because the “primary alleged victim” declined to testify. The Times noted the boy and his family settled the civil suit they had filed against Jackson the prior year.

Martin Short Got More Than Laughs at ‘SNL’ 50th Anniversary Special: He Has COVID

Martin Short Got More Than Laughs at ‘SNL’ 50th Anniversary Special: He Has COVID

Craig Rosen

February 21, 2025 at 6:43 AM

Steve Martin announced on Instagram that he and Martin Short have had to postpone a pair of sold-out live dates because the latter star has COVID, which he apparently caught at the Saturday Night Live 50th anniversary special on Feb. 16 from SNL alum Maya Rudolph.

“Maya had Covid. Marty has Covid. I wonder why? The SNL 50th Covid curse is real,” Martin posted on Instagram on Thursday, Feb. 20, alongside a photo of his Only Murders in the Building co-star kissing Rudolph backstage at the SNL studio.

“Unfortunately, we have to reschedule our sold out Durham and Knoxville dates to 10/17 Knoxville and 10/18 Durham. So sorry for the inconvenience. I think we’ll be funnier then, anyway,” Martin added.

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The comedy legends were scheduled to take the stage at the Durham Performing Arts Center on Saturday, Feb. 22, and the Knoxville Civic Auditorium on Sunday, Feb. 23. The shows have been rescheduled with the Knoxville date now set for Oct. 17 with the Durham show rescheduled for Oct. 18.

Short’s illness comes after Colin Jost joked during the “Weekend Update” segment on the special that cramming so many veteran stars into the 30 Rock studio might not have been the wisest move.

“Health experts are facing increased pressure this winter in the face of outbreaks of COVID, the flu, RSV and nanovirus, which they’re calling a quad-demic,” Jost quipped. “So we did the smart thing and packed every beloved entertainer over 60 into one tiny space.”

Martin, who has hosted SNL 16 times, opened Sunday’s 50th anniversary special with a monologue, during which he poked fun at his longtime friend, Short.

“Ladies and gentleman, the only Canadian who wasn’t in Schitt’s Creek,” Martin said of Short during Sunday’s show. He then asked his friend if he had a passport. When Short replied no, a pair of SNL cast members dressed as ICE agents appeared on stage and dragged Short away.

“Marty and I have been working together so long that we can actually finish each other’s careers,” Martin joked during the show.

SNL50: The Anniversary Special is available for streaming on Peacock.

‘Ugly Betty’ alum Eric Mabius arrested on suspicion of battery in Florida bar brawl

Actor Eric Mabius, who starred in the hit ABC series “Ugly Betty” and several Hallmark movies, was arrested early Thursday morning in Florida’s Nassau County.

The “Resident Evil” and “Welcome to the Dollhouse” actor, 53, was booked on two misdemeanor charges: battery and resisting a law enforcement officer without violence, according to the Nassau County Sheriff’s Office database. Representatives for Mabius did not immediately respond to The Times’ request for comment Thursday.

Mabius was one of two people arrested after a brawl that broke out in a bar in Yulee, about 25 miles north of Jacksonville, according to an arrest report obtained by The Times.

The incident as outlined in the report involves allegations of pushing, spitting, disrespect and drunkenness.

A deputy said he observed two “extremely intoxicated people” — a woman and a man. The drunk woman was “continuously being disrespectful,” allegedly spat on people and was asked to leave multiple times by patrons and a bartender, according to the report.

The inebriated woman was confronted by a second woman, who told her to leave, the deputy said. Then the drunk woman allegedly shoved the second woman as well as Mabius — who is accused of knocking both of the women down.

The deputy said the second woman accused Mabius of getting on top of her and “pulling her hair, ripping a handful of her hair from her scalp.”

Mabius, along with the inebriated woman, were removed from the bar by law enforcement, the report said.

Outside the bar, Mabius “became more belligerent” and did not follow a “simple command” to sit on a bench, the deputy said. The deputy also said the actor tried to get up and “walk behind” him while law enforcement attempted to finish the investigation of the incident. Multiple deputies had to escort Mabius back on the bench, and he was arrested on suspicion of resisting arrest without violence. According to the report, the woman whose hair was pulled did not want to press charges against anyone.

Mabius, who rose to prominence in the mid-1990s, portrayed heartthrob and fashion magazine editor Daniel Meade in ABC’s “Ugly Betty,” which starred America Ferrera in the title role. He also appeared in TV series “The L Word,” “Chicago Fire” and several installments of Hallmark’s “Signed, Sealed, Delivered” TV movie franchise.