Pulse Entertainment

‘STRANGER THINGS' SEASON FOUR BREAKS NETFLIX VIEWERSHIP RECORDS: Deadline reports that Volume One of the fourth season of Stranger Things brought audiences back to Netflix. The streaming platform had its biggest premiere weekend ever with 286.79 million hours viewed, beating out the second season of Bridgerton with 193 million.

‘STAR WARS' STANDS UP FOR MOSES INGRAM: According to The Hollywood Reporter, the official social media account for Star Wars posted a statement in support of Moses Ingram, who recently shared that she's received a number of racist messages online since starring in Obi-Wan Kenobi. The message on the Star Wars account reads, "There are more than 20 million sentient species in the Star Wars galaxy, don't choose to be a racist. We are proud to welcome Moses Ingram to the Star Wars family and excited for Reva's story to unfold. If anyone intends to make her feel in any way unwelcome, we have only one thing to say: we resist."

WATCH THE TEASER TRAILER FOR LIVE-ACTION ‘PINOCCHIO:' Entertainment Weekly reports that the teaser trailer for Disney+'s live-action remake of Pinocchio was released on Tuesday (May 31st). See Tom Hanks as Geppetto and Cynthia Erivo as the Blue Fairy.

RACHEL ZEGLER TO STAR IN ‘HUNGER GAMES' PREQUEL: Today reports that West Side Story actress Rachel Zegler will star in the Hunger Games prequel The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. Zegler will play the character Lucy Gray Baird.

Just two days after lawyers delivered closing arguments in Johnny Depp's $50 million defamation trial against his ex-wife, Amber Heard, the Pirates of the Caribbean actor made a surprise appearance at a Jeff Beck concert in England.

Depp joined Beck onstage on Sunday (May 29th) to perform their 2020 rendition of John Lennon's "Isolation." Together Depp and Beck also performed covers of Marvin Gaye's "What's Going On" and Jimi Hendrix's "Little Wing."

Beck lists Depp as his "unexpected co-conspirator" on his website. The musician also writes that the pair have "been working on music together for a while now."

The jury in Depp's defamation trial will resume deliberations on Tuesday (May 31st), following the Memorial Day holiday.

Kim Kardashian and Pete Davidson are now twinning, as they both recently dyed their hair platinum blonde. The SKIMS founder posted videos of the couple with their matching hairstyles to her Instagram Stories Sunday night (May 29th), showing them sharing a smooch as well.

Kardashian recently went blonde in honor of Marilyn Monroe, whose dress she wore to the 2022 Met Gala. Davidson followed suit shortly after his final episode of Saturday Night Live.

In the videos, Kardashian is using a filter that gives her little devil horns, while Davidson sticks out his tongue. Then the couple showcases a little PDA with a kiss. Some are comparing them to Kourtney Kardashian and Travis Barker.

Norm Macdonald's final comedy special, Nothing Special, is now streaming on Netflix. The Saturday Night Live comedian passed away in September of 2021, after a private nine-year battle with leukemia.

Netflix writes in the opening credits for Nothing Special, "We are honored to bring you Norm Macdonald's last special, followed by reactions and commentary from a few of his special friends." David Letterman, Dave Chappelle, Molly Shannon, Conan O'Brien, Adam Sandler and David Spade all pay tribute to the late comedian.

Filmed during the pandemic, Macdonald makes jokes Zoom-style, as he faces the screen in a baseball cap, wearing headphones, and talking into a mic.

"Norm was working hard preparing material for his Netflix special — until COVID shut things down. In the summer of 2020, he was scheduled to undergo a procedure and as he put it, ‘didn't want to leave anything on the table in case things went south,'" a title card reads.

Sandler commented on Macdonald's material, saying, "It looked like he just wanted to get everything out." He added that it features a more "gentle Norm."

On the latest episode of HBO Max's ballroom competition series Legendary, Insecure actress Issa Rae wowed the crowd with her tribute to late Aaliyah. Keeping with the "Whorror House" theme, Rae wore a costume emulating Aaliyah's character in the 2002 film The Queen of the Damned.

Aaliyah played the first vampire, Queen Akasha, in the film based on the Anne Rice novel of the same name. Tragically, the R&B singer died in a plane crash on August 25th, 2001, just months before the movie was released.

In May of 2001, Aaliyah told Entertainment Tonight, "I had a lot of fun doing Queen of the Damned. I was very excited to be part of a vampire film, because I've been a lover of vampires since I was very young. And not only was this a vampire film — it was Anne Rice."

Fans knew exactly who Rae was honoring when she came out in the replica ensemble, including the signature crown. Many took to Twitter to share appreciation for the remembrance.

Orange is the New Black star Laverne Cox celebrated her 50th birthday in style. Cox posted a video of herself posing in a Fendace bikini to Instagram on Sunday (May 29th) with the caption, "50...This what it look like Happy birthday to me #TransIsBeautiful #ProtectTransKids #Fendace."

Cox made a runway out a pool deck as she strutted her stuff alongside 50 Cent's "In Da Club," with a sheer coverall flowing behind her. On Monday (May 30th), she posted another video where she emerges from the pool, thanking fans for the birthday wishes.

"Thank you for all the birthday messages and well wishes. I'm truly humbled and overwhelmed by all the outpourings of love. Back at cha!!! #TransIsBeautiful #BirthdayGirl #Love #Fendace," she wrote.

MARGARET QUALLEY AND JACK ANTONOFF ARE ENGAGED: People reports that Maid actress Margaret Qualley and singer-songwriter Jack Antonoff have gotten engaged. Many were speculating about the couple's engagement when Qualley showed up at the Cannes Film Festival to promote The Stars at Noon last week wearing a diamond ring.

SOFIA RICHIE AND ELLIOT GRAINGE SHARE A GLIMPSE OF THEIR ENGAGEMENT PARTY: Page Six reports that Sofia Richie and Elliot Grainge held their engagement party on Sunday (May 29th). Richie shared photos of the party to Instagram on Monday (May 30th), captioning the post, "Obsessed w you @elliot."

JUSTIN HARTLEY ISN'T ‘PAYING ATTENTION' TO EX-WIFE CHRISHELL STAUSE: A source told Entertainment Tonight recently that This is Us actor Justin Hartley is "happy to have moved on and put that chapter of his life behind him," when it comes to his relationship with ex-wife Chrishell Stause. Stause and Hartley began dating in 2013 and were married in 2017, before divorcing in 2019.

MICHELLE YOUNG DENIES RUMORS THAT SHE ENDED HER ENGAGEMENT WITH NAYTE OLUKOYA: E! News reports that former Bachelorette Michelle Young is fed up with the rumors. Taking to her Instagram Stories on Monday (May 30th), she shared that she and Nayte Olukoya are still engaged. "There is a video circulating of me on a rooftop this weekend and I'm not wearing my engagement ring. And what I will have to say is to the person who is paying close enough attention to catch that moment, you also had to be paying close enough attention to see one of my friends briefly remove my engagement ring to try it on and then place it back on my finger," she said. Young added, "Just a friendly reminder that Nayte and I, we are human beings—not a zoo exhibit."

NETFLIX CEO BACKS DAVE CHAPPELLE AND RICKY GERVAIS: TMZ reports that Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos is standing in support of Dave Chappelle and Ricky Gervais, despite the backlash they've received for transphobia on both comedians' Netflix comedy specials. Sarandos told The New York Times recently, "I think it's very important to the American culture generally to have free expression. We're programming for a lot of diverse people who have different opinions and different tastes and different styles ... We want something for everybody but everything's not going to be for everybody."

LESLIE MANN AND TIM ROBBINS LEAVE ‘THE POWER:' According to Deadline, Leslie Mann and Tim Robbins have both left the Amazon Studios' thriller The Power. Both roles will be recast, and their scenes will be reshot.

SEE FIRST LOOK AT BRADLEY COOPER AS LEONARD BERNSTEIN: Entertainment Tonight reports that first-look photos of Bradley Cooper on the set of the Netflix biopic Maestro were released on Monday (May 30th). Cooper is set to play older and younger versions of conductor Leonard Bernstein in the film.

ALYCIA DEBNAM-CAREY EXITS ‘FEAR OF THE WALKING DEAD:' According to The Hollywood Reporter, Alycia Debnam-Carey is leaving Fear of the Walking Dead after seven seasons. Debnam-Carey has played Alicia Clark on the series since it debuted in 2015 as a prequel to The Walking Dead.

On Friday (May 27th), Matthew McConaughey traveled to his hometown of Uvalde, Texas, to pay his respects for the 19 children and two teachers who were killed during the Robb Elementary School shooting last week. McConaughey was born in Uvalde, and his mother worked as a teacher at a school approximately a mile away from Robb Elementary.

The Dazed and Confused actor visited the Uvalde Civic Center alongside U.S. Representative Tony Gonzales. Together they met with families of the victims, and Gonzales shared photos of the visit to Twitter on Friday (May 27th). In a follow-up post, he wrote, "Thank you Matthew for helping to heal our community. Your visit brought so many smiling faces to Uvalde. See you soon my friend."

McConaughey shared a moving post about the shooting earlier in the week. "This is an epidemic we can control, and whichever side of the aisle we may stand on, we all know we can do better. We must do better. Action must be taken so that no parent has to experience what the parents in Uvalde and the others before them have endured," he wrote.

Kaley Cuoco opened up about how she met her new beau, Tom Pelphrey, in an interview with USA Today published on Friday (May 27th).

"We have the same manager (Andrea Pett-Joseph), and we were set up by (her), which is so Hollywood," she said. "She's like, ‘Oh my God, I think you guys are perfect for each other.'"

Apparently their manager was right, since Cuoco now refers to the Ozark actor as "the love of my life."

The Flight Attendant actress met Pelphrey at the Ozark premiere in April. "I heard his voice, and I turned around, and it was like my life was over, or just starting. It hit me. It was love at first sight. We were immediately connected. I do feel like I've known him my whole life, but I wasn't ready for him," she said.

The pair, who went Instagram official earlier this month, are "ready to build a life together," according to Cuoco.

Tom Cruise has a lot to celebrate this Memorial Day. The Risky Business actor had his best domestic box office opening ever with Top Gun: Maverick. The film brought in an impressive $151 million.

CEO of IMAX Rich Gelfond said, "If you thought movies were dead, go see Top Gun: Maverick and then let me know what you think. This film heralds the return of the summer blockbuster, and is a catalyst that will accelerate demand for moviegoing like an F-18 breaking the sound barrier."

Box Office Numbers From Friday, May 27th through Monday, May 30th:

1. Top Gun: Maverick, $151 million
2. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, $21.1 million
3. The Bob's Burgers Movie, $15 million
4. Downton Abbey: A New Era, $7.5 million
5. The Bad Guys, $6.1 million
6. Everything Everywhere All at Once, $3.189 million
7. Sonic the Hedgehog 2, $3.12 million
8. The Lost City, $2.3 million
9. Men, $1.53 million
10. F3: Fun and Frustration, $1.2 million

BECCA KUFRIN PROPOSES TO THOMAS JACOBS: According to Page Six, former Bachelorette star Becca Kufrin proposed to Thomas Jacobs after the pair were dating for less than a year. Kufrin posted to Instagram on Sunday (May 29th), "In the ultimate plot twist…HE SAID YES! We've been keeping this secret just between us and close family & friends for a while but we're so excited to shout it from the rooftops! I finally found my chauffeur for life and the one who makes my heart smile every single day. I can't wait to do it all with you Tommy, thanks for making me the happiest gal alive. I love you to the moon & back." Kufrin and Jacobs met on the seventh season of Bachelor in Paradise.

SHANNA MOAKLER AUCTIONS OFF ENGAGEMENT RING FROM TRAVIS BARKER: Following Travis Barker and Kourtney Kardashian's most recent wedding in Italy, Entertainment Tonight reports that Barker's ex-wife, Shanna Moakler, is now auctioning off the ring he proposed to her with at Disneyland in 2003. Moakler is selling the ring via the website Worthy. The auction ends on Tuesday (May 31st), and the highest bid is currently at $70,252.

SHAUNIE O'NEAL MARRIES KEION HENDERSON: People reports that Basketball Wives star Shaunie O'Neal and Pastor Keion Henderson got married on Saturday (May 28th) at the Aurora Anguilla Resort and Golf Club. O'Neal told the publication, "I just lost my dad in February. So, I really struggled with how I was going to get down the aisle. Losing my dad in the midst of planning this wedding was a lot, so my sons handed me off." O'Neal and Henderson dated for two years before announcing their engagement in November of last year. The newlyweds chose Anguilla for their destination wedding after they "immediately fell in love with it" on a previous trip.

Ray Liotta has passed away at the age of 67. The Goodfellas actor died in his sleep while filming Dangerous Waters in the Dominican Republic. According to TMZ, no foul play is suspected.

Liotta made a name for himself after starring in Field of Dreams in 1989 and Martin Scorsese's Goodfellas in 1990. His career had been flourishing in recent years as well, as he held roles in The Many Saints of Newark, Marriage Story, and No Sudden Move.

"Yeah, I'm not complaining. But I worked for it. I had to live through a period where things were down instead of up. I've definitely had an up-and-down career. But I'm extremely persistent and competitive where I just wanted to get to a certain place again," he told The New York Post in October of 2021

Liotta is survived by his 23-year-old daughter, Karsen, and his fiancée, Jacy Nittolo.

Many stars took to social media to honor the late actor on Thursday (May 26th), including Jennifer Lopez, Lorraine Bracco, and Alessandro Nivola.

House of Cards actor Kevin Spacey has been charged with four counts of sexual assault against three different men in the U.K. The news broke on Thursday (May 26th) as he was testifying in court in New York on a different case.

The Crown Prosecution Service said Spacey "has also been charged with causing a person to engage in penetrative sexual activity without consent."

Spacey was the artistic director for London's Old Vic Theatre between 2004 and 2015. The alleged incidents took place in London between 2005 and 2008, and in western England in 2013. The men Spacey allegedly assaulted are now in their 30s and 40s.

In 2017, Rent actor Anthony Rapp accused the American Beauty star of assaulting him during a party when Rapp was just 14 years old—allegations that Spacey denies.

Spacey testified in Rapp's civil lawsuit against him on Thursday (May 26th) at a New York City courthouse. Rapp's lawyers briefly mentioned the British charges during the hearing.

Amber Heard testified on Thursday (May 26th) as a rebuttal witness for her defense in Johnny Depp's defamation trial. The Aquaman actress said she "just wants Johnny to leave me alone."

Heard called the trial "agonizing" and humiliating. "I am harassed, humiliated, threatened every single day — even just walking into this courtroom and sitting here in front of the world, having the worst parts of my life things I've lived through used to humiliate me," she said.

Heard continued, "People want to kill me and they tell me so every day. People want to put my baby in the microwave. They tell me that. Johnny threatened, promised me if I ever left him, he'd make me think of him every single day that I lived."

Heard fought back tears as she talked about the death threats she's received since the trial began. "I received hundreds of death threats regularly, if not daily, since this trial started — people mocking my testimony about being assaulted ... I hope no one has to go through something like this. I just want Johnny to leave me alone. I've said that for years now."

Closing arguments will be heard on Friday (May 27th), and jurors will begin deliberating on Tuesday (May 31st).

On Thursday (May 26th), Meghan Markle made a surprise visit to Uvalde, Texas, to pay her respects for the 19 children and two teachers who were killed during the Robb Elementary School shooting on Tuesday (May 24th).

The Duchess of Essex was spotted in casual clothes and a baseball cap, as she lay a bouquet of white flowers down at the memorial outside of the Uvalde County Courthouse.

Markle, who is a mother to two children, walked around looking at the memorials for the victims. She knelt next to the cross for Uziyah Garcia, who was 10 years old, and hung her head.

A spokesperson for Markle said she wanted to visit the community and offer condolences in person as they go through "unimaginable grief."

In an interview with People released on Thursday (May 26th), Jeff Bridges opened up about narrowly surviving COVID-19. The Big Lebowski actor's immune system had been weakened after receiving chemotherapy for non-Hodgkin lymphoma when he caught the disease.

Bridges described his medical experience as "a bizarre dream." While doing exercises at home one morning, he felt something unusual in his stomach. "I had a 12-by-9-in. tumor in my body. Like a child in my body. It didn't hurt or anything," he said.

Chemotherapy was an effective treatment for the tumor. "They got a cocktail that worked, and oh man it worked fast. That thing just imploded," he said.

But in January of 2021, things took a turn for the worse when he got COVID. "I had no defenses. That's what chemo does — it strips you of all your immune system. I had nothing to fight it. COVID made my cancer look like nothing," he said.

Bridges continued, "I was pretty close to dying. The doctors kept telling me, 'Jeff, you've got to fight. You're not fighting.' I was in surrender mode. I was ready to go. I was dancing with my mortality."

Luckily, after receiving convalescent plasma, Bridges' health rebounded. Now, he's happy to be working on his upcoming show, The Old Man.

JENNIFER ANISTON JOKES ABOUT DIVORCE WITH BRAD PITT ON FINAL EPISODE OF ‘THE ELLEN DEGENERES SHOW:' Jennifer Aniston was Ellen DeGeneres' first guest on her eponymous talk show when it first aired in 2003, and on Thursday (May 26th), she was DeGeneres' first guest on her final episode. During the interview, Aniston made a joke about the end of her relationship with Brad Pitt. "Well, I got a divorce and went into therapy. And then I did a move called The Break-Up. I just kind of leaned into the end," she said.

NIECY NASH OPENS UP ABOUT LOSING HER BROTHER IN A SCHOOL SHOOTING: On Wednesday (May 25th), Claws actress Niecy Nash took to Instagram to share that she lost her brother in a school shooting. "I'm so sad… my brother was killed on his high school campus. It hits different cuz school is a place you should feel safe. I don't wish it on anyone," she wrote over a selfie. "My God #ThisIsAmerica," Nash captioned the post, adding three broken hearts.

JAMES LAFFERTY AND ALEXANDRA PARK ARE MARRIED: Page Six reports that One Tree Hill actor James Lafferty and The Royals actress Alexandra Park got married in Hawaii recently, nearly two years after the pair first got engaged. Hatty Preston confirmed the news on Thursday (May 26th), posting a slideshow to Instagram. "Our Parky got Lafferty'd. And these are the official wedding photos by Mario Testino," she wrote.

ELSA PATAKY GOT COMPETITIVE WITH HUSBAND CHRIS HEMSWORTH ON THE SET OF ‘INTERCEPTOR:' Elsa Pataky told People recently that she got a little testy with her husband, Chris Hemsworth, when he offered tips for her fight scenes on the movie Interceptor. "He knows exactly how to throw a punch. We're very competitive. I was like 'Okay, I know what I'm doing.' But in this case, he knows more," she said.

NETFLIX ADDS VIOLENCE WARNING TO THE FOURTH SEASON OF ‘STRANGER THINGS:' According to Variety, Netflix added a warning card to Stranger Things 4, following the shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, on Tuesday (May 24th). The warning card reads, "We filmed this season of ‘Stranger Things' a year ago. But given the recent tragic shooting at a school in Texas, viewers may find the opening scene of episode 1 distressing. We are deeply saddened by this unspeakable violence, and our hearts go out to every family mourning a loved one."

QUINTA BRUNSON REJECTS CALLS FOR A SCHOOL SHOOTING EPISODE ON ‘ABBOTT ELEMENTARY:' Entertainment Tonight reports that Abbott Elementary creator Quinta Brunson isn't at all interested in doing a school shooting episode, as some people have suggested following the tragedy in Texas. "wild how many people have asked for a school shooting episode of the show I write. people are that deeply removed from demanding more from the politicians they've elected and are instead demanding ‘entertainment.' I can't ask ‘are yall ok' anymore because the answer is ‘no,'" she wrote on Twitter. "I don't want to sound mean, but I want people to understand the flaw in asking for something like this. we're not okay. this country is rotting our brains. im sad about it," she said.

‘GREY'S ANATOMY' ‘JAPRIL' SPINOFF IS POSSIBLE: According to People, Grey's Anatomy stars Jesse Williams and Sarah Drew are interested in a "Japril" spinoff. Drew said she and Williams have talked "at length" about the prospect. "I think it would be a really interesting and fun story to tell. Jesse and I obviously love working together, and we have a really tremendous partnership, so I wouldn't discount that as a possibility," she said.

JODIE FOSTER TO STAR IN SEASON FOUR OF ‘TRUE DETECTIVE:' Deadline reports that Nell actress Jodie Foster is set to play Detective Liz Danvers in the fourth iteration of HBO's True Detective, titled Night Country. Foster will also be an executive producer on the series.

Although the Ellen DeGeneres Show is still airing, the host filmed the last episode in late April, marking the end of her 19-year-run.

DeGeneres told The Hollywood Reporter in an interview that was published Wednesday (May 25th) that she got choked up filming her final episodes.

She said, "There was a time a couple months out where I was crying every day. I was really emotional, even though it was my choice, and it's the right choice. I knew it was time to end this chapter and to do something different, but still it was really emotional."

The host added that there will be a lot to miss, saying, "I'm going to miss the audience and the close proximity of that kind of love and energy that I felt every day. Of course I'll miss laughing every single day with all of the people who became my family. And I'll miss meeting all kinds of interesting people, which I got to do every day. I guess what I'm saying is I'll miss just about everything."

The final episode of the Ellen DeGeneres Show is set to air on Thursday (May 26th).

Johnny Depp called Amber Heard's accusations of sexual and physical abuse "insane" as he returned to the witness stand on Wednesday (May 25th).

When asked about his reaction to his ex-wife's testimony earlier in the trial, the Pirates of the Caribbean star said it was "Ridiculous, humiliating, ludicrous, painful, savage, unbelievably brutal, cruel, and all false."

Earlier in the day, his ex-girlfriend, Kate Moss took the stand to refute Heard's allegations that Depp had pushed her down the stairs when they were dating in the 90s. According to the model, she slipped while they were vacationing in Jamacia, and Depp came to her rescue.

Moss told jurors, "We were leaving the room and Johnny left the room before I did, and there had been a rainstorm. And as I left the room, I slipped down the stairs and I hurt my back. And I screamed because I was in — I didn't know what happened to me — and I was in pain, and he came running back to help me and carried me to my room and got me medical attention."

Closing arguments are scheduled for Friday, May 27th.

Multiple sources report that Josh Duggar was sentenced on Wednesday (May 25th) to 151 months in prison for receiving and possessing child porn.

The sentence, which is between 12 and 13 years, is less than the 20-year maximum he faced.

The former 19 Kids and Counting star was accused of downloading child porn files onto a computer at his now-shuttered used car dealership over the course of three days in May 2019.

Kim Kardashian is coming under fire for appearing in a Beyond Meat ad where she doesn't even taste the food.

In a video that made its debut on the brand's Instagram Tuesday (May 24th), the reality star said, "I believe so much in the mission of Beyond Meat that I've stepped in to help with my greatest asset – my taste."

She then held up a plant-based meatball and squeezed a lime over a Beyond Meat taco, but Twitter users called her out for never taking a bite before calling the food, "delicious."

One Twitter user wrote, "You didn't actually show her consuming the product…Did she actually eat it," while another wrote, "I aint buying it cause you aint really eating it."