Taylor Swift, Kylie Kelce and Haim sisters dine in downtown New Orleans before Super Bowl

Taylor Swift was spotted dining at a popular downtown New Orleans restaurant Saturday night, along with some family and friends, according to People Magazine.

The pop star was photographed heading into Gianna, an Italian restaurant on Magazine Street in the Warehouse District, one day before her boyfriend Travis Kelce and the Kansas City Chiefs will take on the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LIX.

Musicians Danielle and Alana Haim were seen arriving at the restaurant with Swift.

Kelce’s sister-in-law, Kylie Kelce, was also spotted inside.

Gianna has been a popular spot for celebrities this week. Martha Stewart sipped on espresso martinis with a few friends at the same Italian restaurant on Friday night. “Top Chef” star and chef Carla Hall was also there.

Swift and Kelce dined at Lilette, a popular French restaurant on Magazine Street, on Friday night. They were joined by Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes and his wife Brittany.

Swift will be at the Caesars Superdome tonight for the Super Bowl, likely with a celebrity posse in tow.

Read more about where celebrities are dining while in New Orleans for the Super Bowl here.

Kendrick Lamar’s Super Bowl LIX setlist: Possible songs for halftime

NEW ORLEANS, Louisiana – It’s that time of year again, sports and Sunday evening party fans, when much of the United States and pockets of folks around the world tune in to Big American Television for “The Big Game.”

Or more precisely, folks will watch the Kansas City Chiefs bore non-KC fans with their eventual Hall of Fame tight end, the best quarterback in the game, and their maddening combo platter of smart football, apparent favoritism from The Football Gawds, and, some would say, the NFL referees. They’ll attempt to beat the Philadelphia Eagles (again) and go for the three-peat, a feat never accomplished in the Super Bowl era.

Also, Taylor Swift will likely be in the Caesars Superdome wearing red and sitting next to another famous person.

You and yours can join the mass sportsball festivities by turning your preferred content-watching device to your local FOX affiliate (FOX 8, here in Cleveland) at 6:30 p.m. Sunday. The biggest game is also streaming on Fubo (free trial), DirecTV Stream (free trial) or Sling (promotional offers).

Sure, there’s a game and a trophy and whatnot. But for many casual watchers, the day-long network-dominating preview shows, stories and analysis — even the first half of the game — are all just a sportsball-themed preamble to the halftime show, where the magic truly happens. Across its LIX years of making sports fans remember how Roman numerals work (that’s 59, btw), the halftime show has grown in stature and importance. The early days of college marching bands, the much-too-chipper “Up With People,” and trotting out stars like Carol Channing and Mickey Rooney in the ’60s, ’70s, and much of the ’80s are long over.

Now, the halftime show is where big-name stars punctuate their “Big Name Star” status for free. The NFL pays in exposure, not cash. It’s become a prestige booking for artists, a big-deal reveal for the league and yet another reason for people to argue on the internet.

For 2025, the NFL has chosen Kendrick Lamar, the critically beloved, Pulitzer Prize-winning emcee who just won Grammys for (deep breath) Song of the Year, Record of the Year, Best Rap Song, Best Rap Performance and Best Music Video for the viral, Drake-beef-ending single “Not Like Us.” That song and the lopsided rap feud it ended were a pop culture phenomenon, sending the Canadian rap star into hiding at his attorney’s office. Drake initially sued Universal Music Group for manipulating the song’s online virality and causing him “economic harm.” Also, Lamar calls him a pedophile in the song, but apparently, that claim wasn’t worth suing over. Drake has since withdrawn the suit.

But “Not Like Us” and the other Drake diss tracks aren’t on Lamar’s surprise-released, critically acclaimed album “GNX.” Plus, he’s already announced his upcoming “Grand National Tour” featuring SZA, who will officially guest-perform during his halftime show. Sorry, Cleveland fans, there’s no local tour date on the schedule.

Naturally, not everyone’s happy. Many New Orleanians believe fellow native Lil Wayne should’ve been the hometown halftime star. Others simply “don’t get” the praise for Lamar, including a colleague who said the rapper’s high-pitched voice and intense delivery make him sound like a “very angry baby.”

So how will the artist formerly known as K.Dot spend his 13 minutes on one of the world’s biggest literal and figurative stages? Who knows? Predicting Lamar’s moves and moods is tough. But we’re guessing he’ll follow the mass-medley format of recent Super Bowl performances while putting his own spin on it. Our bet? He enters the Superdome in a pimped-out Buick Grand National Regal, the namesake and cover model of “GNX.” Lamar bought a classic model inspired by his ex-gangbanger father, who drove one before moving the family to California for a fresh start.

Here’s what we do know: Lamar recently spoke about curating his setlist during the official “Apple Music Super Bowl LIX Halftime Show Press Conference.”

He said, “You gotta smack that (stuff) down to 13 minutes and it’s kind of wild and it’s interesting because it lets you know where you’re at, and your perspective on how you think about your catalog of music.

“For me, I love being present. I love being present man, it’s my favorite. It’s very hard for me to live in the past, very hard. I respect the past wholeheartedly, but being in the now and being just locked into how I feel and the energy I have now, that’s the L.A. energy for me, and that’s something that I want to carry over to New Orleans and for the world to see.”

Later, when asked what fans could expect from his Super Bowl set, besides tourmate SZA, he responded:

“Storytelling. I think I’ve always been very open about storytelling through all my catalog and my history of music, and I’ve always had a passion about bringing that on whatever stage I’m on. Whether it’s a world tour or whether it’s 500 people at Key Club. I’ve always had a form of that,” Lamar said, adding that he likes to “make people listen but also see and think a little.”

Those glimpses into his mindset a few days before the big event suggest he’ll lean toward more recent material and craft a concept to tie the whole performance together. With that in mind, here are some reasonably educated guesses as to what Lamar, SZA, and whoever else shows up (Travis Scott? Dr. Dre? Maybe even Wheezy?) might cram into those vaunted 13 minutes.

“luther” – A smooth, easy-to-digest rap ballad with SZA, featuring samples of Luther Vandross and Cheryl Lynn’s respective versions of Marvin Gaye’s “If This World Were Mine.” Additionally, the official Luther Vandross X account teased a “special treat” for Sunday, making this one a near-lock.

“30 for 30” – This equally smooth relationship song rides a sample from “I Call Your Name” by Mansfield, Ohio’s own Switch. It was the lead single from SZA’s “SOS Deluxe: LANA,” the expanded edition of her triple-platinum, Grammy-winning sophomore album.

“All The Stars” – They might as well round out the SZA collabos with this Oscar-nominated tune from “Black Panther.

“Humble” – If he’s going to go back, he might as well go back to his first solo a chart-topping, seven times platinum-selling, triple Grammy-winning hit from his Pulitzer Prize-winning album 2017 album “Damn.” Sure, there are many naughty words in the braggadocious track, but we’re sure Lamar and the network censors have figured out that issue.

“DNA” – Another banger from “Damn,” with its deeeep trap kick drums, hooky choruses and Lamar’s smooth flow, the song is assured to get the on-the-field fans bouncing.

“Loyalty” – Surprise cameos are a near-requirement for a buzz-worthy halftime show. Lamar bringing out the seldomly seen Rihanna, the star of Super Bowl LVII’s halftime show, for this catchy, slow-burning, head-nodder would surely inspire a chainsaw-choir level of buzz.

“Squabble Up” – Bringing us back to the present, this very L.A.-centric track with its throwback Roland 808 electro and a G-Funk groove, sampling Debbie Deb’s 1984 B-boy classic “When I Hear Music” would be a great way to start.

“Not Like Us” – Imagine being one of the most popular rap stars of the past 15 years and an avid sports fan, only to have your career brought to a screeching halt by a series of brutal diss tracks. One of these tracks (this one) alleges you and your crew are “certified” pedophiles, groomers and sex traffickers. Now, picture that song topping the Billboard Hot 100 and Global 200 charts, soundtracking political rallies and sporting events and winning several Grammys. Then, imagine watching that same song being performed by your rival live on the biggest stage in front of 83,000 people, plus a billion or so viewers worldwide. They scream-chant the tune’s signature line, “Ain’t you tired? Tryna strike a chord and it’s probably A-minor,” just as fans did when Lamar accepted the Grammy. Hey, Drake, just try to enjoy the game, dude.

“TVOff” – Another single off of “GNX” that uncoincidentally has a similar opening beat to “Not Like Us.” The tune mashes two distinct beats and rap flows and features fellow L.A. rapper Lefty Gunplay. He might not be the most exciting surprise guest, but Lamar likes to shout out his fellow Angelinos, so it could happen.

“Forbidden Fruit” – This 2013 tune from Carolina emcee J. Cole features Lamar and is a long shot to make the setlist. Plus, Cole, who publicly apologized for his diss track, “7 Minute Drill” and quickly bowed out of the rap feud early on, probably wouldn’t want to add fuel to any possible social media fires. But it would be a helluva surprise and cause quite a ruckus in the rap world if Cole joined Lamar on the Super Bowl stage.

“Goosebumps” – This simmering melodic collaboration with Travis Scott was a certified 16X platinum hit, so bringing him out to perform a verse or two would certainly raise the energy level in the big room.

“America Has a Problem” – This remixed tune from Beyoncé’s “Renaissance” is an uptempo club track, and anytime Beyoncé steps on a stage, the Bey Hive loses its collective mind. Additionally, the duo of award-winning stars teaming up just a few days after their dual massive Grammy wins would be quite a visual statement and a very public victory lap for both artists.

“America Has A Problem” – This remixed tune from Beyoncé’s “Renaissance” is an uptempo club track, and anytime Beyoncé steps on a stage the Bey Hive loses its collective mind. Additionally, the duo of award-winning stars teaming up just a few days after their dual massive Grammy wins would be quite a visual statement and a very public victory lap for both artists.

David Lynch’s cause of death revealed after his passing at age 78

The legendary filmmaker passed away Jan. 16 at age 78 from cardiac arrest due to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, according to TMZ, who obtained Lynch’s death certificate from the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health.

Dehydration was also listed as a significant contributor to Lynch’s death.

The Post has reached out to Lynch’s rep for comment.

Lynch’s family announced his death on social media last month.

“It is with deep regret that we, his family, announce the passing of the man and the artist, David Lynch,” the family’s Facebook statement read. “We would appreciate some privacy at this time.”

“There’s a big hole in the world now that he’s no longer with us. But, as he would say, ‘Keep your eye on the donut and not on the hole,’” the statement added. “It’s a beautiful day with golden sunshine and blue skies all the way.”

It was reported the week before Lynch’s death that he evacuated his LA home near Laurel Canyon Boulevard due to the deadly wildfires. His producer Sabrina Sutherland confirmed that he was safe.

The late star — famous for co-creating the series “Twin Peaks” and directing films like “Dune,” “Blue Velvet” and “Mulholland Drive” — was diagnosed with emphysema, a chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, back in 2020.

In Nov. 2024, Lynch told People that he needed supplemental oxygen to do much of anything.

“What you sow is what you reap,” said Lynch. “You’re literally playing with fire. It can bite you. I took a chance, and I got bit.”

The Oscar nominee, who started smoking at age 8 but quit in 2022, told Sight and Sound magazine last year that he was homebound because “it would be very bad for me to get sick, even with a cold.”

After his death, Lynch was honored on social media by many stars including Kyle MacLachlan, who starred in “Dune,” “Blue Velvet” and “Twin Peaks.”

“Forty-two years ago, for reasons beyond my comprehension, David Lynch plucked me out of obscurity to star in his first and last big budget movie,” MacLachlan, 65, wrote on Instagram.

“Our friendship blossomed on Blue Velvet and then Twin Peaks and I always found him to be the most authentically alive person I’d ever met,” the actor continued.

MacLachlan added, “While the world has lost a remarkable artist, I’ve lost a dear friend who imagined a future for me and allowed me to travel in worlds I could never have conceived on my own.”

Naomi Watts, who starred in “Mulholland Drive,” remembered Lynch in an Instagram tribute of her own.

“My heart is broken. My Buddy Dave… The world will not be the same without him,” wrote Watts, 56.

The actress said she was “lucky” to have known Lynch and praised his “exquisite storytelling, which elevated cinema and inspired generations of filmmakers across the globe.”

Ex-Hollyoaks actor ‘grieving’ after death of mother and her husband in France

Former Hollyoaks actor Callum Kerr is “grieving the tragic loss” of his mother and her partner after the British couple were found dead in their home in south-west France.

The bodies of Dawn and Andrew Searle were reportedly discovered on Thursday by a neighbour at their home in the village of Les Pesquies, south of Villefranche-de-Rouergue.

The cause of death of the couple in their 60s is currently unknown but a helicopter, drone, criminal investigation technicians and a forensic doctor have been dispatched to the home, according to French outlets.

The mayor of Villefranche-de-Rouergue, Jean-Sebastien Orcibal, reportedly told French television that the deaths were “clearly a homicide”.

A representative of Scottish-born actor Kerr told the PA news agency: “At this time, Callum Kerr, Amanda Kerr, Tom Searle and Ella Searle are grieving the tragic loss of their mother and father, Dawn and Andrew Searle.

“We kindly request that their privacy be respected during this difficult period.

“We will provide updates as appropriate.”

Kerr is known for his role as Pc George Kiss in Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks, as well as appearing in Netflix’s Virgin River and drama Flowers In The Attic: The Origin.

He has also released a number of country songs, including a new single this week titled Cold Beer Cold.

In 2023, Kerr donned a tartan kilt as he walked his mother down the aisle for her wedding to Mr Searle.

Alongside a photo of them walking arm-in-arm posted to Instagram, he wrote: “Not many people can say they walked their own mother down the aisle. What a pleasure! I love you mum.

“Congrats to Dawn and Andy on their wonderful wedding day and here’s to a tremendous life together for the happy couple.”

A spokesperson for the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office said: “We are supporting the family of a British couple who died in France and are liaising with the local authorities.”

David Schwimmer Calls on Elon Musk To Ban Kanye West From X

Friends alum David Schwimmer took to Instagram on Saturday to implore Elon Musk to suspend Kanye West’s X account following several days’ worth of racist, antisemitic, and conspiratorial posts from the musician on the platform.

Schwimmer shared a photo of West with the text “I’m a Nazi” superimposed on top, quoting one of West’s own posts, with the caption, “We can’t stop a deranged bigot from spewing hate filled, ignorant bile… but we CAN stop giving him a megaphone, Mr. Musk.”

In his post, Schwimmer explained that “sick hate speech” like West’s results in “REAL LIFE violence against Jews.” The three-time Emmy nominee condemned the lack of “OUTRAGE to remove and ban West from all social media at this point,” as such inaction means West still has a number of global platforms where he can publish hate speech at will. Schwimmer ended his post with a simple message: “Silence is complicity.”

West, who now goes by the name Ye, has been posting offensive material to X for days following his red carpet stunt at the Grammys, including racist and ableist slurs, antisemitic conspiracy theories, proclamations such as “I love Hitler” and “I’m a Nazi,” calls to free Sean “Diddy” Combs from jail, and even threats to crash the Super Bowl with his wife, Bianca Censori.

Many of his tweets have been deleted, and more than a dozen have had their visibility limited by X, but Musk has yet to step in and actually suspend West’s account. Under Musk, the site’s policies around how many violations are required before an account is suspended have become unclear; Musk famously reinstated Donald Trump’s account in November 2022 — nearly two years after it had been suspended following the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol.

There is precedent for West’s account being suspended; the artist was previously banned from X from December 2022 to July 2023 after he shared an image of a swastika and made several posts similar to his most recent rants.

Unfortunately for Schwimmer, however, the chances of Musk taking issue with the content of West’s posts enough to actually suspend his account once more seem small. Trump’s “First Buddy” has relaxed moderation guidelines on the platform since West’s previous suspension — and Musk himself appealed to white supremacists around the country when he performed what most except for his most loyal followers considered to be a Nazi salute while speaking at a MAGA rally last month.

Broadcaster Piers Morgan took to X to share similar sentiments to Schwimmer, quoting a West tweet that reads, “B***hes deserve to get slapped sometimes” and asking Musk how much more “violence-inducing stuff” he was going to allow West to post before intervening.

It remains to be seen whether Musk will take any action against West.

Denzel Washington bit his tongue ‘almost half-off’, says it’s ‘affecting my speech’

During the ‘Gladiator II’ premiere, Denzel Washington experienced an awkward encounter with King Charles III.

Denzel Washington is struggling with his speech after suffering a gruesome injury.

During a Saturday appearance on The New York Times’ “The Interview” podcast, the 70-year-old actor revealed that he is recovering after he severely damaged a crucial body organ.

“I bit my tongue almost half-off a few months ago,” Washington said.

“It’s affecting my speech,” he continued. “It forces me to slow down. I have to use it.”

Washington explained that his health issue has led to complications as he prepares for his titular role in the upcoming Broadway revival of William Shakespeare’s iconic play “Othello,” which also stars Jake Gyllenhaal.

DENZEL WASHINGTON ‘SCREAMED’ AT DIDDY DURING AN ALL-NIGHT PARTY IN 2003 BEFORE ‘STORMING OUT’: REPORT

“I have a line: ‘Whither will you that I go to answer this your charge?’ It’s hard because my tongue is swollen,” the Academy Award winner said. “It has affected everything.”

Washington did not provide details as to how he injured his tongue or what medical attention he received to treat the wound.

However, the “Gladiator: 2” star shared that he was leaning on his faith to overcome his challenges in the wake of the incident.

“That’s why you pray every day,” he explained. “I’m like, ‘OK, Lord, I’m here, I think this is what you wanted me to do.’ Now I’m not sure why, but one can say coincidence and serendipity and all those things.”

On Dec. 21, Washington, who is the son of a preacher, was baptized by Bishop James Pullings Jr. at the Kelly Temple in New York City. During his appearance on the podcast, the actor shared that he is taking courses to obtain his minister’s license.

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While reflecting on whether his work as an actor helps people, Washington explained that he is only seeking validation from a higher power.

“It has affected everything.”

— Denzel Washington

“At this point, everything I’m doing is through the lens of what God thinks, not what they think,” he said. “I don’t know what they think,” he said.

“You go down that hole, you’ll never come out of that,” Washington added. “When people say, ‘What do you want people to get from this movie?’ or ‘What do you want them to get from this play?’ I always say, ‘It depends upon what they bring to it.’ There’s some interesting themes [in ‘Othello’] of jealousy and envy and pain and death.”

“And Kenny [Leon], the brilliant director, he’s putting it in what he calls the near future. So all of those things — jealousy, envy — it takes on a whole new thing with the information age.”

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Washington also expressed his belief that Gyllenhaal would be “brilliant’ in the role of Othello’s nemesis Iago.

“I’m not worried about that, because I don’t like to learn the lines too soon,” he added. “I was telling a young actor who asked, ‘Why don’t you like to learn them too soon?’ I said: ‘Because then I’m the voice I’m listening to delivering the cues to myself.”

“I want to hear it from you, and that’s going to affect how I say what I say.’ For me, that works.”

“Othello” will premiere at New York City’s Ethel Barrymore Theatre on March 25 and will run through June 8.

How Blake Lively REALLY feels about Taylor Swift’s Super Bowl ‘snub’

Blake Lively is content with laying low after pal Taylor Swift left her off her 2025 Super Bowl squad guest list ahead of Sunday’s big game, DailyMail.com can exclusively reveal.

The pair’s 10-year bond has come under scrutiny in recent weeks after Swift was dragged into Lively’s ugly legal war with It Ends With Us co-star/director Justin Baldoni.

Baldoni claimed in his bombshell $400 million defamation lawsuit that Lively leveraged Swift’s name as a way to exert control over the 2024 film — even going as far as to refer to her powerful BFF as her ‘dragon’ in an alleged text exchange.

A source told DailyMail.com exclusively on Friday that Lively, 37, never intended on going to Super Bowl LIX because she doesn’t want her drama to ‘overshadow’ Swift and boyfriend Travis Kelce’s ‘big night.’

‘Taylor is not shading Blake or is she trying to teach her a lesson. It isn’t like that. Even if Taylor did invite Blake, Blake would not come,’ the insider dished.

‘She would never want to make Taylor’s big night – where she is going to see the love of her life play in another Super Bowl – about her. Blake would not want to overshadow Taylor ever.’

Blake Lively is content with laying low after pal Taylor Swift left her off her 2025 Super Bowl squad guest list ahead of Sunday’s big game, DailyMail.com can exclusively reveal; the pair seen at last year’s Super Bowl

DailyMail.com has reached out representatives for Blake Lively and Taylor Swift for comment.

As for Lively’s next steps, the actress may soon be forced to return to the public eye to promote her new film Another Simple Favor, a source close to the production revealed to DailyMail.com exclusively on Friday.

Read MoreEXCLUSIVE Blake Lively NOT on Taylor Swift’s Super Bowl guestlist amid drama

The Amazon Prime Video film is a sequel to Lively’s A Simple Favor (2018) and sees the return of her co-star Anna Kendrick and director Paul Feig. It’s set to premiere in May 2025.

‘Blake may have to do promotional work for another Simple Favor due to contractual obligations unless they decide that it is best for her not to,’ the insider explained.

Lively is currently hunkered down at her and husband Ryan Reynolds’ NYC abode with their four children but knows she can’t hide ‘forever,’ the production source claimed.

‘Other than that, she is staying close to home because she doesn’t want to deal with the added stress. She is focused on her family and her kids right now.

‘She knows she cannot stay in hiding forever.’

The latest Lively update comes hours after DailyMail.com confirmed that the mother-of-four will not be accompanying Swift to watch Kelce face off against the Philadelphia Eagles at Sunday’s Super Bowl.

A source told DailyMail.com exclusively: ‘Blake is not attending the Super Bowl with her. Blake has not left the house since this started practically. Taylor wants nothing to do with this trial and court case.’

Last year, Lively was among Swift’s crew that cheered on the Kansas City Chiefs from a jam-packed VIP suite at Allegiant Stadium.

The elite group included Kelce’s parents, Donna and Ed Kelce, his brother Jason Kelce, as well as her pals Ashley Avignone, Lana Del Rey, Ice Spice, Miles Teller, and Keleigh Teller.

A source told DailyMail.com exclusively on Friday that Lively, 37, never intended on going to Super Bowl LIX because she doesn’t want her drama to ‘overshadow’ Swift and boyfriend Travis Kelce ‘s ‘big night’; Lively seen in August 2024

‘Taylor is not shading Blake or is she trying to teach her a lesson. It isn’t like that. Even if Taylor did invite Blake, Blake would not come,’ the insider dished; Taylor and Blake seen in 2023

Additionally, her mother and father, Andrea Swift and Scott Swift, and brother Austin were present as the Chiefs successfully defended their Super Bowl title for a second-straight season.

Although Lively joined Swift for two other Chiefs games in the past, she did not tag along to any during the 2024-2025 season.

Since going public with her romance with Kelce in late 2023, the So High School hitmaker has attended dozens of games and is set to fly out to New Orleans to see her man compete for an unprecedented third straight Super Bowl win.

The claim comes amid reports that the 14-time Grammy winner ‘feels used’ by the Gossip Girl star, 37, after becoming embroiled in the explosive legal feud between Lively, 37, and Baldoni, 41.

Baldoni has claimed Lively namedropped Swift to intimidate him at a meeting with her husband Ryan Reynolds about edits she had made to a rooftop scene in their film, It Ends with Us.

In his $400 million lawsuit, filed last month, Baldoni alleged Swift showed up and made him feel like he ‘needed to comply with Blake’s direction for the script’.

Lively compared herself to Game of Thrones character Khaleesi in a series of text messages to Baldoni in which she referred to Reynolds, 48, and her best friend as her ‘dragons’.

On Thursday, it was claimed Swift ‘resents’ Lively for ‘calling her one of her dragons and leveraging her name’, with a source claiming to TMZ that she was blindsided over the meeting with Baldoni.

The source claimed Swift came to Lively’s apartment when she was told by the actress and had ‘no idea’ that Baldoni would be there.

The source said Baldoni was about to leave after the two hour meeting when Swift walked in and was introduced to him for the ‘first and only time.’

Swift told Baldoni how excited she was to see the movie ‘because he was her friend’s boss’ according to the source.

The superstar pals have been close for a decade

They also claim Swift believes Lively ‘timed’ her meeting with Baldoni so she would arrive before he left.

Swift was also said to be ‘baffled’ by Lively calling her a ‘dragon’ adding: ‘It’s weird to say that about a friend.’

It was further claimed by the source that Swift has learned Lively has been ‘inappropriately leveraging her name for a long time, like telling a young actress that Taylor ‘cast her,’ which simply did not happen.’

DailyMail.com has contacted representatives for Taylor Swift, Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni for comment.

Also on Thursday, numerous sources insisted to Us Weekly that Swift had ‘no involvement’ in the making of It Ends With Us.

‘Taylor has always been Blake’s friend, but Taylor doesn’t have any involvement in the case. She wasn’t part of the movie,’ one insider claimed.

‘Taylor was not a producer on the film and had no creative involvement.’

Another source pointed out that Swift was on her Eras Tour while the film was shooting in 2023 and 2024.

‘Taylor never even saw the film or a single scene from it until the movie was in theaters. She is not relevant to the case,’ they added.

As for Lively’s next steps, the actress may soon be forced to return to the public eye to promote her new film Another Simple Favor, a source close to the production revealed to DailyMail.com exclusively on Friday; Lively seen in August 2024

The Amazon Prime Video film is a sequel to Lively’s A Simple Favor (2018) and sees the return of her co-star Anna Kendrick and director Paul Feig. It’s set to premiere in May 2025

Lively is currently hunkered down at her and husband Ryan Reynolds’ NYC abode with their four children but knows she can’t hide ‘forever,’ a production source claimed to DailyMail.com

A different source told the outlet that dragging Swift into Lively and Baldoni’s legal battle is ‘unnecessary.’

‘While she and Blake are friends, this case is now a legal matter for the courts to resolve. Dragging Taylor into it is unnecessary and misrepresents what really happened,’ they said.

This comes after insiders claimed Swift tried to help her close friend Lively ‘tone down’ her ‘ballsy’ nature years before the actress’ legal roller coaster with Baldoni.

The Gossip Girl alum is currently locked in a bitter battle with her It Ends With Us co-star whom she accused of sexual harassment and launching a smear campaign against her in a bombshell lawsuit last year.

Baldoni now countersuing both Lively and her husband Reynolds for $400 million, and shocked the world when he dragged Swift into the explosive legal feud.

The messy spat between Lively and Baldoni has seen her past behavior come under scrutiny as the public casts judgement with each new update.

Insiders claim Swift had tried to advise her pal about going ‘full throttle’ in the years before the saga.

‘Taylor Swift admires that Blake Lively is a ballsy chick who speaks her mind, swears like a trooper and refuses to be controlled by anyone,’ a source told DailyMail.com.

‘That’s the real reason they bonded and became firm friends when they first met 10 years ago.’

They continued: ‘Taylor saw her doppelgänger in Blake. The main difference between them is that Taylor is more subtle. Blake has always gone full throttle about everything. She never holds back and that’s what has caused the tide to turn on her.

‘Taylor has tried to help tone Blake down in the past, but she now knows it’s never going to happen.’

The latest Lively update comes hours after DailyMail.com confirmed that the mother-of-four will not be accompanying Swift to watch Travis Kelce face off against the Philadelphia Eagles at Sunday’s Super Bowl; Swift and Kelce seen in January 2025

Swift’s elite Super Bowl group included Kelce’s parents, Donna and Ed Kelce, his brother Jason Kelce, as well as her pals Ashley Avignone, Lana Del Rey, Ice Spice, Miles Teller and Keleigh Teller

They finished: ‘Right now, while they’re still close, there’s a slight shift because of the It Ends With Us drama. Taylor doesn’t like the fact that she’s been dragged into it.’

The idea of Swift pulling back came as a shock to fans of the pair who have been friends for a decade, celebrating milestones together, with Swift even name dropping Lively’s children in her music.

In fact, the singer’s music became a part of the legal back and forth after Baldoni claimed in the lawsuit Lively leveraged her friendship with the Grammy-winner to get her way behind the scenes.

According to Baldoni’s lawsuit, Lively threatened to withhold approval of the film trailer if she did not get extra time working on a cut of the movie with her own personal editor.

He claimed in the suit that the actress threatened to ‘change her mind’ about reaching out to Swift to secure the use of her hit 2020 track My Tears Ricochet.

The track, which is from Taylor’s folklore album, was eventually used in the trailer but Baldoni alleged that Lively tried to use her friendship with the singer to make sure her demands were met.

An alleged text exchange with a Sony executive read: ‘Blake is calling Taylor to approve the song. She of course just reached out saying she is asking for time with [REDACTED] her editor. We know it was conditional on signing contract – but asking if you will reconsider – so [REDACTED] can release this trailer and Blake does not change her me re calling Taylor Swift.’

Baldoni noted that they agreed to her demands in order to move forward as planned. The exchange allegedly took place in May 2024.

Swift appeared to rally around Lively when rumor of a troubling rift between the actress and Baldoni first started bubbling by August.

She was pictured arriving at Swift’s Rhode Island property, taking solace at the $17 million, eight bedroom estate alongside her husband Reynolds, to escape the frenzy.

At the time Lively was being called out for her ‘tone deaf’ marketing, apparently dismissing interview questions about domestic violence – a major theme in the movie – in favour of telling people to grab their ‘florals’ and head to the cinema.

The singer’s music became a part of the legal back and forth after Baldoni claimed Lively leveraged her friendship with the Grammy-winner to get her own way behind the scenes; Baldoni and Lively seen filming It Ends with Us last year

Lively and Swift were last pictured together in October on a double date with Deadpool actor Reynolds and Swift’s boyfriend Travis Kelce in Manhattan, two months before accusing Baldoni of sexual harassment

Baldoni claimed Lively threatened to ‘change her mind’ about reaching out to Swift to secure the use of her hit 2020 track My Tears Ricochet

Others accused her of using the attention to plug her alcohol brand Betty Booze.

Resurfaced interviews showing the actress being ‘rude’ to reporters also went viral on social media.

Lively and Swift were last pictured together in October on a double date with Deadpool actor Reynolds and Swift’s boyfriend Travis Kelce in Manhattan.

The outing came two months before she filed a complaint with the California Civil Rights Department in which she accused Baldoni of sexual harassment and creating a toxic environment on the set of It Ends with Us.

At the same time, the New York Times released a story based on her legal filing that accused him of orchestrating a smear campaign against her.

Swift was then pulled into the roller coaster saga when Baldoni fired back with a stinging counter suit against Lively and Reynolds in which he accused the Hollywood couple of conspiring to trash his reputation.

It Ends with Us was a box-office hit, earning $351 million worldwide despite a $25 million budget.

Based on the best-selling novel by Colleen Hoover, no update has been made about an adaptation of the sequel book, It Starts with Us.

Baldoni, Lively and the NYT have all denied the claims levelled against them.

David Schwimmer Calls on Elon Musk To Ban Kanye West From X

Friends alum David Schwimmer took to Instagram on Saturday to implore Elon Musk to suspend Kanye West’s X account following several days’ worth of racist, antisemitic, and conspiratorial posts from the musician on the platform.

Schwimmer shared a photo of West with the text “I’m a Nazi” superimposed on top, quoting one of West’s own posts, with the caption, “We can’t stop a deranged bigot from spewing hate filled, ignorant bile… but we CAN stop giving him a megaphone, Mr. Musk.”

In his post, Schwimmer explained that “sick hate speech” like West’s results in “REAL LIFE violence against Jews.” The three-time Emmy nominee condemned the lack of “OUTRAGE to remove and ban West from all social media at this point,” as such inaction means West still has a number of global platforms where he can publish hate speech at will. Schwimmer ended his post with a simple message: “Silence is complicity.”

West, who now goes by the name Ye, has been posting offensive material to X for days following his red carpet stunt at the Grammys, including racist and ableist slurs, antisemitic conspiracy theories, proclamations such as “I love Hitler” and “I’m a Nazi,” calls to free Sean “Diddy” Combs from jail, and even threats to crash the Super Bowl with his wife, Bianca Censori.

Many of his tweets have been deleted, and more than a dozen have had their visibility limited by X, but Musk has yet to step in and actually suspend West’s account. Under Musk, the site’s policies around how many violations are required before an account is suspended have become unclear; Musk famously reinstated Donald Trump’s account in November 2022 — nearly two years after it had been suspended following the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol.

There is precedent for West’s account being suspended; the artist was previously banned from X from December 2022 to July 2023 after he shared an image of a swastika and made several posts similar to his most recent rants.

Unfortunately for Schwimmer, however, the chances of Musk taking issue with the content of West’s posts enough to actually suspend his account once more seem small. Trump’s “First Buddy” has relaxed moderation guidelines on the platform since West’s previous suspension — and Musk himself appealed to white supremacists around the country when he performed what most except for his most loyal followers considered to be a Nazi salute while speaking at a MAGA rally last month.

Broadcaster Piers Morgan took to X to share similar sentiments to Schwimmer, quoting a West tweet that reads, “B***hes deserve to get slapped sometimes” and asking Musk how much more “violence-inducing stuff” he was going to allow West to post before intervening.

It remains to be seen whether Musk will take any action against West.

Who will represent the UK at Eurovision? Act ‘confirmed’ by BBC Radio 1 hosts

The UK’s artist for the Eurovision Song Contest 2025 appears to have been announced this week despite the BBC choosing not to comment yet.

BBC Radio 1 hosts Nat O’Leary and Vicky Hawkesworth announced the UK act for Eurovision 2025 during their show on Friday, February 7.

Rumours that have circulated about the act being a girl band appear to be correct – here’s what we know.

According to the radio presenters, Remember Monday, a country girl band, will represent the country in the international singing competition with their song still to be revealed.

On Friday’s edition of Group Chat With Nat And Vicky, the presenters said that it isn’t the first time the girl band has been involved in a singing competition.

Announcing the news, Nat and Vicky said: “Now we have to talk a little about Eurovision because we’ve gone a different route this year.

“So this year they’re going for a country theme and country is having its moment, still, which I’m really glad to see, we saw Beyonce win album of the year at the Grammys for Cowboy Carter and now this girl band, which are called Remember Monday, are going to be representing us at Eurovision this year.

“So we’ve got Lauren Byrne, Holly-Anne Hull, and Charlotte Steel, and they’ve already been on TV, they’ve been on The Voice in 2019, so they know what they’re doing, they’ve got us this year.”

Despite the radio presenters ‘confirming’ the news, the BBC told Newsquest it would not be commenting on the announcement.

Instead, the broadcaster said “any announcements regarding Eurovision will be made in due course.”

The act and song representing the UK will be publicly announced by the BBC before the European Broadcasting Union (EBU)’s deadline in March 2025, the BBC has said.

The country group have toured the UK and US including stopping at the C2C: Country to Country British music festival, The Long Road festival in Leicestershire, Highways Festival at the Royal Albert Hall, CMA Fest in Nashville, Tennessee and opening for Billy Joel’s 2023 BST Hyde Park show.

Last year, Eurovision was hosted in Malmo, Sweden and the winner was Nemo Mettler from Switzerland.

Tearfully accepting the trophy on stage, Nemo said: “I want to say thank you so much – I hope this contest can live up to its promise and continue to stand for peace and dignity for every person in this world.”

In 2024, UK entrant Olly Alexander didn’t finish dead last with dance-pop track Dizzy but did receive “nul points” from the audience vote.

It was the first time that a British entry performed in the semi-final of the competition and gave the UK a chance to showcase its song twice.

The year before that, pop singer Mae Muller represented the UK and scored 24 points with her track I Wrote A Song when she performed at Liverpool’s M&S Bank Arena.

In 2022, Sam Ryder’s Eurovision stint representing the UK saw the singer finish as runner-up in Turin, Italy.

His Eurovision success also helped him achieve a UK number one album, two UK number two singles and Brit and Emmy Award nominations.

Recommended reading:

The Grand Final of the Eurovision Song Contest 2025 will take place at St Jakobshalle arena in Basel, Switzerland on Saturday, May 17.

The semi-finals take place on Tuesday, May 13 and Thursday, May 15.

Both will be broadcast live on BBC One and BBC iPlayer as well as BBC Radio 2 and BBC Sounds.

‘Emilia Pérez’ Director Jacques Audiard, ‘Wicked’ and ‘A Complete Unknown,’ Among AARP Movies for Grownups Winners

Seal is a Literal Seal in Taika Waititi’s Mountain Dew Super Bowl Commercial 3 hours ago

AARP has announced the winners of its 2025 Movies For Grownups Awards. Honoring films “made by and for grownups,” categories at the Movies For Grownups Awards include best intergenerational film (“Thelma”) and best time capsule (“A Complete Unknown”).

“A Complete Unknown” led with two wins, best time capsule and best picture/best movie for grownups, while “Emilia Pérez” director Jacques Audiard took home best director. See the full list of nominees and winners below:

Jacques Audiard (“Emilia Pérez”)

Jay Cocks and James Mangold (“A Complete Unknown”)

Winnie Holzman and Dana Fox (“Wicked”) – Winner

Peter Straughan (“Conclave”)

Denis Villeneuve and Jon Spaihts (“Dune: Part Two”)