After nearly two decades apart, the Wayans brothers are resurrecting the Scary Movie franchise, and they’re not coming alone. Anna Faris and Regina Hall will return as Cindy and Brenda, bringing back the iconic duo for the first time since 2013.
A Double Reunion
Marlon, Shawn, and Keenen Ivory Wayans, who created the original parody series in 2000, are teaming up once again to co-write the script with longtime collaborator Rick Alvarez. The upcoming film marks their first joint Scary Movie project in 18 years. Keenen, who directed the first two installments, will serve as producer.
The reunion also extends to Faris and Hall, who became fan favorites for their outrageous antics in the first four films. In a joint statement, the actresses said, “We can’t wait to bring Brenda and Cindy back to life and be reunited with our great friends Keenen, Shawn and Marlon—three men we’d literally die for (in Brenda’s case, again).”
Michael Tiddes, best known for directing A Haunted House, Naked and Sextuplets, will helm the project. Tiddes started his career as an assistant on White Chicksand has maintained a close working relationship with the Wayans ever since.
Miramax, under its first-look deal with Paramount, is producing, with Jonathan Glickman, Alexandra Loewy, and Thomas Zadra as executive producers. Production is slated to begin in October, targeting a June 12, 2026, worldwide theatrical release.
A Genre Ready for Roast
The timing couldn’t be more fitting. Horror has dominated the box office in recent years, and the franchise’s trademark blend of slapstick and satire could be a welcome antidote to the current wave of grim slashers and supernatural thrillers. As Marlon Wayans put it last fall, “After nearly 20 years, the Wayans brothers are finally going to give the fans what they’ve been asking for … a return to the Scary Movie franchise!”
A Billion-Dollar Legacy
The Scary Movie films have grossed nearly $900 million worldwide. The original 2000 release broke records as one of the highest-grossing R-rated horror comedies of its time, opening with $42.5 million. While later sequels varied in critical reception, the first two, created under the Wayans’ guidance, remain cult favorites.
Regina Hall, Anna Faris and Carmen Electra during “Scary Movie 4” New York Premiere – Inside Arrivals at Loews Lincoln Square in New York City, New York, United States. Photo: Dimitrios Kambouris/WireImage
For Faris, the decision to return was clear. In a 2024 interview, she said she’d only reprise her role if Hall joined her. “We would make each other giggle all day long,” Faris said. “Regina Hall would be my answer. And money. But mostly all Regina!”
With the original creative team back in place, the Scary Movie franchise seems ready to scream, and laugh, its way back into theaters.
In his newest visual project, The Queer Garden of Eden, artist and visionary Barry Brandon returns to the beginning, not just of creation, but of narrative control. Reclaiming one of the most iconic stories in Judeo-Christian tradition, Brandon reimagines the Garden of Eden as a queer, QT/BIPOC sanctuary, a dreamlike place where pleasure, truth, and divinity converge.
This stunning photoshoot and accompanying film mark the first installment of Brandon’s bold “Holey Week” series, a queer reinterpretation of canonical spiritual stories that centers those historically excluded from them. And in Eden, Brandon isn’t just tweaking the myth—he’s rewriting it from the roots up.
The Queer Garden of Eden. Photo: Carol Audrey @caroleaudrey_ and Sabina Bacevich @kazkamatai
“If the beginning itself is flawed,” Brandon tells Gayety, “then everything after becomes a reaction to that. I wanted to go back to the origin story and say, what if the ‘fall’ wasn’t a fall at all? What if it was a rise? What if the fruit was knowledge, and knowledge was liberation?”
A New Genesis, Born from Divine Defiance
The Queer Garden of Eden expands on themes Brandon explored in his earlier work Divine Defiance, which challenged systems that silence queer voices. While that piece was about resistance, Eden is about transformation.
“This project came from a very personal place,” Brandon shares. “It was about reclaiming stories that have been used to shame us, to tell us that our existence is something to hide or ‘heal.’”
In Brandon’s retelling, Eve isn’t punished for seeking knowledge, she’s honored for it. The truth flows not from God to man, but from a queer, feminine lineage: from Satan to the serpents (cast as AFAB women), to Eve (portrayed by a transgender woman), to Adam, and finally to queer men.
“It just made sense,” he explains. “Women as the first truth-tellers? Of course. A trans woman being open enough to receive that truth and follow her intuition? That’s divinity. The truth had to come from the girlz.”
Building a Visual Language of Liberation
The film’s aesthetic is rich, surreal, and steeped in spiritual iconography, yet unmistakably queer. Apples, cherries, pomegranates, and live snakes (yes, real ones) appear throughout the set as symbols of forbidden knowledge. But here, that knowledge is no longer dangerous—it’s sacred.
“I wanted it to feel like stepping into a dream you vaguely remember having,” Brandon says. “Surreal, yes, but deeply familiar. A soul memory.”
Biblical and religious art were reference points, but Brandon intentionally queered these elements, reshaping them into something both reverent and revolutionary. “We twisted them, softened them, made them ours,” he says.
The Queer Garden of Eden. Photo: Carol Audrey @caroleaudrey_ and Sabina Bacevich @kazkamatai
Every casting choice and visual decision was intentional, from who played which roles to how bodies were positioned. The goal wasn’t just aesthetic beauty, but to create a visual language that declared: This space is holy because we are here.
From Collective Energy to Cinematic Dream
For Brandon, creating the ethereal tone of The Queer Garden of Eden began long before cameras rolled. “It started with energy,” he says. “We had deep conversations about what Eden meant to us, not just the myth, but the feeling of it. Safety. Expansion. Play.”
Every performer brought their full self to the project. Brandon wanted presence, not performance. “I wanted the camera to capture embodiment, not acting,” he explains. “The dreamlike quality came from trusting the moment and letting it breathe.”
As with much of his work, Eden introduces individual characters through a shared narrative. “It’s individuality within togetherness,” he says. “That’s always been part of my visual language.”
Holey Week: Queer Divinity Unleashed
The Queer Garden of Eden is the first chapter in Brandon’s “Holey Week” series, his own subversive, spiritual remix of Christianity’s Holy Week.
“Holey Week is about reclaiming the sacred gaps—where religion tried to cut us out, we now insert ourselves back in,” Brandon explains. “It’s about the sacred holes in our stories, our identities, our bodies. Where there were wounds, we make altars.”
Each piece in the series reclaims a different part of the queer spiritual journey, and Eden lays the foundation for a radical re-envisioning of what divinity can look like. “This is just the beginning,” Brandon says. “We are rewriting everything.”
From Repression to Reclamation
Brandon’s own upbringing in a religious environment deeply informed his need to reclaim spiritual space. “When you grow up queer and religious, you learn that parts of you are wrong before you even know what they are,” he says. “I spent a long time trying to find peace with a version of spirituality that excluded me.”
The Queer Garden of Eden. Photo: Carol Audrey @caroleaudrey_ and Sabina Bacevich @kazkamatai
That journey ultimately led him not to compromise, but to create a new form of spiritual wholeness. “I realized, I don’t need their peace. I need my own.”
Reimagining Eden wasn’t just a creative act, it was healing. “It was about saying: we exist. We have always existed. And if there is a divine story, queerness was there from the beginning.”
Sacred Bodies, Divine Truth
At the heart of The Queer Garden of Eden is a reclamation of QT/BIPOC bodies in a sacred context, images still rarely seen in mainstream visual narratives.
“QT/BIPOC bodies have so often been painted as sinful, hypersexual, dangerous—or erased entirely,” Brandon says. “To center them not as supporting characters but as divine protagonists is an act of rebellion, and of love.”
He hopes the work acts as a mirror for those who’ve never seen themselves reflected in sacred stories. “I want people to look at this and feel seen. Not just tolerated – central. Not just surviving – divine.”
Sensuality as Sacred Wisdom
Brandon rejects the binary between sensuality and spirituality, calling it a false division used to control marginalized bodies.
“Our bodies are not the opposite of our spirits—they are the entry point to them,” he says. “To feel pleasure, to explore your identity, to choose your truth—these are sacred acts.”
In Eden, the sensual is spiritual. “That’s what has always scared institutions,” he adds. “Free people cannot be controlled.”
Responses, Resistance, and Revolution
The work has sparked deep emotional responses, and some resistance. “I’ve had people cry, write to me about how it helped them rethink their childhood faith,” Brandon says. “And yes, I’ve had pushback too.”
But that tension, he says, is part of the process. “Reclamation will always come with resistance. My job isn’t to appease. It’s to provoke. To expand. To invite.”
“Honestly, if everyone agreed with what I was doing, I’d probably be doing it wrong.”
A Garden to Belong In
Looking ahead, Brandon hopes The Queer Garden of Eden finds its way to the queer youth who need it most—particularly QT/BIPOC audiences still searching for sacred reflections of themselves.
“My hope is that this feels like a homecoming,” he says. “That younger queer humans can see themselves not just surviving, but glowing. Ruling. Being divine.”
Netflix’s upcoming series Boots, a heartfelt and irreverent coming-of-age drama set against the rigid backdrop of the U.S. Marine Corps in 1990, is finally marching toward its premiere. The show, inspired by Greg Cope White’s memoir The Pink Marine, stars 13 Reasons Why alum Miles Heizer as a closeted teen navigating boot camp and self-acceptance. After a yearlong delay due to the 2023 Hollywood strikes, Boots will debut on Oct. 9, delivering a fresh, queer lens on a period and institution where being openly gay could end your career, or worse.
Originally titled The Corps, the series marks a significant milestone as the final television project from trailblazing producer Norman Lear, who died in December 2023 at the age of 101. Lear’s legacy as a champion of progressive storytelling continues in Boots, which unapologetically centers queer identity, friendship, masculinity, and resilience during a time when “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” wasn’t even official policy, it was just the unspoken law.
Miles Heizer in ‘Boots’ Photo: Netflix
A Delayed but Powerful March Forward
Greenlit in May 2023, Boots began filming that summer but was quickly sidelined after just one week due to the dual WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes that halted most of Hollywood. Production finally resumed in March 2024 and wrapped by August, just three months ahead of the 2024 presidential election. While Netflix has not disclosed reasons for the extended delay in its release, the cultural landscape surrounding LGBTQ+ military representation has evolved rapidly, even within the past year, potentially amplifying the show’s resonance in today’s political climate.
(L-R) Cedrick Cooper and Ana Ayora in ‘Boots’ Photo: Netflix
A Marine Corps Boot Camp Like No Other
At the heart of Boots is Cameron Cope, played by Heizer, a soft-spoken, closeted 18-year-old looking for purpose in a world that doesn’t yet allow him to be himself. Pushed by his mother and his own confusion, Cameron enlists in the U.S. Marine Corps alongside his straight best friend Ray McAffey (played by Liam Oh). Together, they join a ragtag group of diverse recruits from all walks of life, each with something to prove, something to hide, or both.
(L-R) Joy Osmanski and Vera Farmiga in ‘Boots’ Photo: Netflix
Set in 1990, before LGBTQ+ individuals could legally serve in the military, the series paints a vivid portrait of life on the inside, where masculinity is rigidly enforced, fear is constant, and camaraderie is the only way through. In this high-stakes environment, Cameron must decide whether to hide who he is or take the enormous risk of living out loud.
The show balances tension with comedy and vulnerability, evoking comparisons to Band of Brothers crossed with Sex Education. But Boots carves its own path, offering a rare window into the queer military experience without erasing its harsh realities.
Vera Farmiga in ‘Boots’ Photo: Netflix
From Memoir to Screen
The show draws heavily from Greg Cope White’s memoir The Pink Marine, which chronicled his own experience as a gay teenager entering Marine boot camp in the Reagan-Bush era. The adaptation maintains the emotional weight of White’s story while updating it with the stylized flair of a Netflix original, complete with ensemble storytelling, sharp dialogue, and deeply personal stakes.
While the story is fictionalized for television, its roots in lived queer history lend Boots an emotional authenticity. “It’s not just about being gay in the military,” a Netflix spokesperson said in a press release. “It’s about identity, friendship, fear, and the choice to be brave in the face of overwhelming pressure to conform.”
Joining Heizer and Oh in the ensemble cast are Max Parker, Vera Farmiga, Cedrick Cooper, Ana Ayora, Angus O’Brien, Dominic Goodman, Kieron Moore, Nicholas Logan, Rico Paris and Blake Burt. Farmiga, known for Bates Motel and The Conjuring, brings gravitas to the series in a key supporting role.
The showrunner, Jennifer Cecil, brings a strong track record in character-driven drama (Private Practice, Hell on Wheels), while creator Andy Parker co-leads as co-showrunner and executive producer. Norman Lear and his longtime producing partner Brent Miller executive produced through Act III Productions. The project also boasts direction from Peter Hoar (notably behind It’s a Sin and The Last of Us’ poignant queer episode “Long, Long Time”), who helms the pilot.
Norman Lear’s final television credit gives Boots added cultural weight. Known for pioneering social commentary in sitcoms like All in the Family, One Day at a Time, and The Jeffersons, Lear spent his career pushing the boundaries of what television could say, and who it could represent.
With Boots, Lear’s lifelong commitment to inclusive storytelling comes full circle. The show doesn’t just feature a gay protagonist; it treats queerness with depth, humor, and humanity. In a media landscape still catching up with authentic LGBTQ+ military stories, Boots is a rare and necessary addition.
As the U.S. continues to grapple with the rights of LGBTQ+ people in the military, and in society more broadly, Boots lands at a particularly potent moment. Its October premiere coincides with LGBTQ+ History Month and comes just weeks before what could be a pivotal presidential election. It’s a show that not only entertains but challenges viewers to reflect on how far we’ve come—and how much further we have to go.
Watch the First March
Boots premieres globally on Netflix on Oct. 9. Whether you’re a fan of queer coming-of-age stories, military dramas, or just damn good television, this one promises to make an impact.
Matt Armato and Beau Ciolino, the New Orleans-based couple behind the popular home lifestyle brand Probably This, have announced the end of their romantic relationship after 12 years together.
The news came in the form of a candid TikTok that felt like watching a window into something private. The moment the video begins, Beau takes a seat while Matt immediately blurts, “Well, we broke up,” his tone low and his expression heavy. The pain on his face is hard to miss, and his clipped delivery hints that he’s still deep in processing mode.
Beau follows with a heartfelt statement: “It’s been a privilege doing 12 years together as partners and for 10 years sharing that online with everyone. I think that there is so much love between us and really loving someone knows when to change the format of the relationship, and we’ve decided to just be best friends.”
Matt’s reaction shows more resistance. “This is like the dumbest video I think I can imagine. This belongs in my journal, not out there, but I want you to know I’m single,” he says, adding the last part with a half-joking, “wink-wink” energy, a flicker of levity in an otherwise raw moment.
Beau reassures viewers they’re “doing okay” and even vacationed together recently. He adds, “If I need you to build something for me, I’m probably still going to call you.” Matt fires back, “You’re going to pay me,” with a sass that catches Beau off guard and sparks an awkward giggle.
Matt closes on a note of bittersweet gratitude: “I’m going to take a second to lick my wounds. I’m really grateful to have had you in my life. I’m proud of what we’ve done and I’m proud of what we’re doing right now.” Beau offers a fist bump, which Matt reluctantly accepts.
Matt and Beau’s partnership began in college at Loyola University, where a chance meeting at an internship info table led to teaching English together in Vietnam just months later. What started as an adventurous relationship turned into a professional powerhouse when they launched Probably This in 2014.
The blog became a hub for approachable DIYs, home design inspiration, and recipes, often framed against the colorful backdrop of their New Orleans life. Their different working styles balanced each other: Beau’s creative spontaneity met Matt’s detail-oriented approach, resulting in projects that resonated with their growing audience.
They went on to publish a book and expand their brand into a full-time endeavor, earning a loyal following on TikTok, Instagram, and beyond.
Now, the future of Probably This as a brand remains to be seen, but their announcement makes clear that while the romance has ended, the friendship, and possibly their creative collaborations, will continue.
For longtime fans, the breakup video is a stark reminder that even the most picture-perfect partnerships face change, and sometimes the most loving choice is to redefine the relationship entirely.
For years, Khalid built a career as one of the streaming era’s most reliable hitmakers, churning out soulful, introspective anthems like “Young Dumb & Broke” and “Better,” while keeping his personal life close to the chest. But now, the 26-year-old singer-songwriter is done hiding, and his bold new single “In Plain Sight” marks the beginning of an unapologetically honest chapter.
The track, which previews his upcoming album After the Sun Goes Down, out Oct. 10 via Right Hand Music Group/RCA Records, channels throwback New Jack Swing and early 2000s pop with a pulsing house beat. Its accompanying video is just as audacious: strobe lights, glass walls, sensual choreography, and a confident Khalid dancing, literally and metaphorically, out of the closet.
“Yes, it was a glass closet,” Khalid cheekily confirmed on social media, responding to a fan’s observation.
But behind the bravado is a story of pain, betrayal, and ultimately, empowerment.
Earlier this year, Khalid was on his way to the studio when his life was upended. In a viral post, singer Hugo Almonte publicly outed him, sharing a private photo and intimate details of their past relationship. At the time, Khalid had never explicitly addressed his sexuality, choosing ambiguity in his lyrics and keeping his identity private. “I blended in and life felt calm,” he told GQ in a recent interview.
Suddenly thrust into the spotlight, Khalid responded with clarity and pride: “I got outted and the world still continues to turn,” he tweeted. “Let’s get this straight (lmao) I am not ashamed of my sexuality! In reality it ain’t nobody’s business! But I am okay with me 🖤 love y’all.”
What followed was something he didn’t expect: an outpouring of support. “People who looked like me, that were supporting me, that were around my age, that were older, that were parents, that were children,” he said. “The support that you get by completely being yourself outweighs the negativity that you perceive from being yourself.”
Reinvigorated, he returned to the studio with renewed purpose and a clear vision. Working alongside a powerhouse lineup, including Julia Michaels, Tove Lo, Ryan Tedder and Ilya, Khalid began crafting a record unlike anything he’s done before.
“It was like a floodgate,” he said. “You go years with a drought and then it’s just an instant rush of creativity and inspiration and drive.”
Now, half a year removed from the fallout, Khalid is ready to share his most personal work to date. After the Sun Goes Down is lush, emotionally raw, and, by his own description, “a little horny.” A far cry from the moody introspection of “Location” or “Talk,” the new material finds Khalid exploring sensuality, confidence, and queer joy with unfiltered honesty.
“I’m singing in a different pocket of my soul because there’s no fear in my heart,” he said. “I’m just like, ‘I’m here. I’m alive.’ It comes from me embracing my sexuality. Being ambiguous is one thing and can be respected, but being bold… that’s something else.”
“In Plain Sight” is the first taste of this evolution. With lines like “What’s the tea about him?” Khalid boldly drops the gender-neutral pronouns of the past in favor of clarity, attitude, and swagger. “I like to refer to myself as a one-man boy band,” he joked.
Stylistically, the single nods to the likes of early ‘90s R&B and TRL-era pop, with Khalid citing Toni Braxton’s “He Wasn’t Man Enough” as a creative north star. “She’s reclaiming herself in that song,” he explained. “There’s nothing more powerful than choosing yourself. When I choose myself, it bleeds out into the writing, the self-respect, the self-worth.”
That spirit of reclamation pulses throughout his upcoming album, a project that seeks to move Khalid from the melancholic ballads of the bedroom to the pulsing energy of the dancefloor. On it, he’s not asking for acceptance, he’s celebrating it.
“This chapter is about taking my power back, living in my truth, and being able to express myself freely,” Khalid said in a press statement. “I’m excited for my fans to experience this new era with me, not just musically, but personally.”
With After the Sun Goes Down, Khalid isn’t just stepping into a new sound, he’s stepping fully into himself.
The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City season six trailer is packed with yacht trips, heated confrontations and a moment that stops the drama cold: Mary Cosby opening up about her son’s recovery after rehab.
The emotional scene comes as the Bravo series teases its most unpredictable season yet, premiering Sept. 16.
Mary Cosby’s Heartfelt Update
In one of the trailer’s quieter moments, Cosby speaks to Whitney Rose about her son, Robert Cosby Jr., who recently completed rehab for drug addiction.
“He’s doing as well as he can be doing,” Cosby says, her voice breaking. “Some days he’s good, some days he’s not.”
The pastor’s candid admission offers a rare glimpse into her private life, revealing the ups and downs of supporting a loved one through recovery. While most of the preview thrives on conflict, her vulnerability cuts through the noise.
Storm Clouds Over Lisa Barlow’s Marriage
Elsewhere, Lisa Barlow faces her own struggles. In the trailer’s opening moments, she tells husband John, “I feel like we’re on different pages.” During a psychic reading, she’s asked, “Why do you feel like you’re just rebuilding trust?” Her tearful response: “I don’t know.”
That uncertainty quickly becomes the talk of the group, with castmates whispering about secret loans and mystery men. Bronwyn Newport confronts Barlow directly, leading to a tense exchange that ends with personal jabs and financial shade.
Relationship Strain Spreads
Barlow isn’t the only one under pressure. Newport has an awkward conversation with husband Todd Bradley about feeling misunderstood, while Britani Bateman drops a bombshell about hearing rumors of a mistress.
In a private chat with Cosby, Newport admits, “What if I’m wrong and I’m gonna look like a fool and he humiliates me?”
Champagne, Conflict and the High Seas
Not everything in the preview is heavy. The women head on a Below Deck-style getaway aboard a luxury yacht, hosted by Below Deck Down Under’s Captain Jason Chambers. “We’re gonna get you nice and wet, and in the water,” Chambers jokes as the group boards.
Still, the fun is fleeting. The season promises more explosive confrontations, unfiltered shade and unexpected alliances, alongside moments of real-life vulnerability.
Kevin Aviance is not here to blend in. The drag legend, dance chart dominator, and nightlife icon is back with “Bloodline,” a ballroom-charged celebration of family, history, and self-expression. It’s just the beginning of his bold new era.
If you’ve stepped foot on a dance floor in the past three decades, you’ve probably felt Aviance’s presence. He’s the voice behind club staples like “Din Da Da,” “Alive,” and the underground classic “Cunty.” His blend of house, electronic, and soul has kept him at the forefront of music and fashion for decades.
Kevin Aviance releases ‘Bloodlines’ / Photo:Thomas Evans Photography
Then came a career-defining moment in 2022, when Beyoncé tapped him for “PureHoney” on her Grammy-winning Renaissance album. Now Aviance is stepping forward with HIPPOPATAMUS!, his first full-length project in years, dropping October 10. The lead single “Beautiful” set the tone during Pride Month, but “Bloodline,” out August 15, raises the stakes. Produced by DJ Gomi and Cherie Lily, the track pulses with runway energy and pays homage to the late Grandfather Hector Xtravaganza, one of ballroom’s most influential figures.
Kevin Aviance – Bloodline
“‘Bloodline’ is more than a song to me,” Aviance says. “It’s a piece of my heart and history. It celebrates the chosen family and legacy that have shaped who I am. With every beat, I want people to feel connected, empowered, and free to express their true selves.”
DJ Gomi calls the process “a journey of passion and respect,” adding that they set out to create something that “moves bodies and honors the spirit of the ballroom.”
To celebrate the release, Kevin Aviance is giving Gayety readers early access to download the “Bloodline” tracks for free. Click here to claim your exclusive download and bring the ballroom straight to your playlist.
Following “Bloodline,” fans can expect the third single “Pulled” on September 9, which Aviance hints will be another high-energy club essential.
With HIPPOPATAMUS! on the horizon, he’s ready to keep the party going, and make sure everyone’s invited to the floor.
Nothing beats a good pop duo moment, and Troye Sivan just served one up. In his latest Instagram photo dump, the opening shot is a gem from 2015 showing a young Troye alongside Chappell Roan. Before “Rush,”“My My My!,”“Pink Pony Club,” or “The Subway.” Just two rising stars with no idea of the pop royalty status ahead of them.
What makes the interaction more iconic is the fact that Troye confessed to finding the photo by doing a “weekly google of ‘troye sivan and chappell roan.'” Imagine being able to search yourself with another celebrity name and find random pictures from your past.
“FYI I found that pic online doing my weekly google of ‘troye sivan and chappell roan’, not my crop!!!!!”
This comment came after the “Angel Baby” singer faced criticism for how the photo was cropped. But don’t worry, people online have also tracked down the full photo, which does feature Connor Franta.
The concept of not knowing that this girl would turn into one of the biggest pop stars today… pic.twitter.com/5bVZctC6nH
The photo also appears to be shared initially by Chappell on Twitter after a breakfast with the two YouTubers.
Fans have also dug up tweets from Troye showing his support for Chappell, then going by her name, Kaleigh Rose, since 2014. He even gave her a shoutout and dropped a link to her track “Die Young.”
i've had 16 year old girl on repeat for 2 months. you HAVE to listen to this, guys – go send some love. https://t.co/TwZnI2HnYo
— subway (by chappell roan) ☆ (@subwaymademecry) April 21, 2024
Chappell Roan is having one of those unstoppable pop star summers. Her latest single, “The Subway”, not only became her highest-charting U.S. hit, debuting at No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100, but also snagged the No. 1 spot in the U.K.
Los Angeles (Pasadena) – Brookside at the Rose Bowl, Oct 10–11
The tour also includes a wonderful initiative: she’ll donate $1 from each ticket to local transgender youth charities in each city.
Troye Sivan, meanwhile, is leaning into spontaneity. Earlier this month, he popped up unannounced during Role Model’s set at Outside Lands, sending fans into a frenzy. Before that, he was wrapping up the high-energy Sweat Tour with Charli XCX, ending with a headline set at Primavera Sound that doubled as his 30th birthday celebration. He’s also bringing his lifestyle brand, Tsu Lange Yor, into the world this month with a chic pop-up at Nordstrom’s Americana in Glendale, open through the end of August.
Both artists are thriving in totally different ways—Roan’s ruling the charts, Troye’s owning the stage—and it’s safe to say pop culture is eating it up.
Antoni Porowski might just be adding a little romance realness—and the internet is collectively clutching its pearls.
Just days after wrapping production on the final season of Queer Eye, the 41-year-old food and wine expert swapped his Fab Five for the sun-soaked shores of Ibiza and Formentera, and let’s just say… he didn’t travel solo it looks like.
By his side? NYC-based fitness yogi, model, and certified thirst trap Zacharias Niedzwiecki. Yes, girl. A man with abs and alignment.
Antoni and his new potential man. Photo: @zacharias
From Queer Eye to Queer Vacation Goals
While Ibiza is all high-energy clubs and sunrise raves, Formentera is its chill, bohemian cousin—the ideal place to get cozy, catch a tan, and maybe spoon someone special on a yacht at sunset. Which is exactly what Antoni and Zacharias did.
Photos from their Mediterranean escape showed the pair twinning in black swim trunks, chain necklaces, backwards caps, matching facial scruff, and—of course—jaw-dropping abs. Are they a couple? Bros being bros? Gay soulmates on a seaside sabbatical? Either way, everyone is watching this sun-drenched situationship very closely.
One now-iconic photo shared by Zacharias shows the two cuddled up on a boat as the sun dips into the sea. Antoni, the gentle giant big spoon, wraps Zach in a protective embrace, while the latter nuzzles into Antoni’s pecs like it’s his new permanent address.
Antoni and his new potential man. Photo: Photo: @zacharias
Antoni and his new potential man. Photo: Photo: @zacharias
Reader, we gasped.
Aspen Adventures & Instagram Emojis
If you thought this yacht moment was a one-off, think again. The pair also took a mountain getaway to Aspen earlier this summer—and brought the intimacy with them. Zacharias posted a photo set that included not one but two shirtless bear hugs with Antoni.
“Aspen checklist: mountain time, bear hugs, hiking, cold plunges, repeat,” he captioned the post.
Antoni’s response? The face massage and “heart on fire” emoji combo. Sir, what are you trying to tell us?! 👀
Naturally, the comments exploded: “Are y’all dating??” “Wait…is this your boyfriend?” “Sorry to ask but…ARE YOU DATING???”
No answers yet, but silence is deafening, besties.
The Quiet Soft Launch?
Though neither Antoni nor Zacharias have confirmed the nature of their relationship, the receipts are stacking up like a gay romance novel in slow motion.
Their Instagram posts have featured sneak peeks of each other from multiple European vacations—including a luxurious cruise aboard the Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection. Zacharias even dropped a cheek kiss from Antoni in a photo carousel on June 30, hiding it at the end like a little Easter egg for the gays.
And Antoni’s own cruise video? Blink and you’ll miss a clip of Zach doing yoga next to him. Stealthy. Tender. Kind of romantic. We see you.
A New Chapter After Heartbreak?
It’s been nearly two years since Antoni ended his engagement with longtime partner Kevin Harrington. The split came during wedding planning in 2023, with both parties acknowledging they were headed down different paths.
Could Zacharias be part of Antoni’s new journey? Possibly. If this is a romance, it looks slow-burn, low-key, and very cuddly.
But even if it’s just a beachy bromance, we love to see two queer men embrace softness, intimacy, and affection with zero shame. Normalize shirtless bear hugs between friends, and normalize your friend kissing your cheek on a yacht if he’s hot and you’re hot and the vibes are right.
Until we get a red carpet moment or a boyfriend soft launch that’s not hidden in the last slide of a carousel, we’ll be over here refreshing Instagram, sipping spritzes, and dreaming of Formentera.
With Netflix’sFit for TV: The Reality of The Biggest Loser pulling back the curtain on one of America’s most controversial reality shows, Bob Harper—the show’s longest-standing trainer—is speaking out. And while the new documentary includes heavy criticism and emotional reckonings from former contestants, Harper is crystal clear on where he stands: he’s not here for the trolls.
“I really do believe we helped a lot of people,” Harper tells The Guardian in a new interview. “The trolls that are out there just want to attack in any way they can.”
Harper, now approaching 60 and living a more zen life as a yoga instructor in New York City, seems mostly unbothered by the online backlash. But that doesn’t mean he hasn’t noticed it. Since The Biggest Loser first aired in 2004, it’s been both a cultural phenomenon and a lightning rod for criticism—from promoting unhealthy weight loss goals to fat-shaming. Much of that ire is now being reignited thanks to Fit for TV, where former contestants like Joelle Gwynn are brutally candid. (“Fuck you, Bob Harper,” Gwynn says in the documentary, referencing a moment when Harper yelled at her on set.)
Harper, however, has long since developed a thick skin. “I’ve learned to not take things personally,” he says, smiling from his stylish Manhattan apartment as his dog Ralph (yes, named after Ralph Lauren) scampers behind him.
Not Here for the Hate
The criticisms being resurfaced range from disturbing contestant experiences—vomiting, dehydration, restricted calories—to allegations that the show fueled national fatphobia. When told about a study that showed an increase in anti-fat bias among people who watched the show, Harper calls it “stupid.”
“We’re always going to have people who want to pick everything apart,” he says. “Especially when it comes to weight loss, people have really strong opinions. But honestly, a lot of it is just people looking for something to be mad about.”
He’s adamant that The Biggest Loser was not about shaming anyone, and says that while he can’t speak for the network or producers, he personally never intended to mock or mistreat anyone. “That’s something I would never do and have never done,” Harper insists.
Complicated Legacy
Still, there’s no denying the impact the show had—not just on the contestants, but on the culture at large. At its peak, the show drew over 10 million viewers and had dozens of international versions. But behind the scenes, things were far from glamorous. Harper admits to being physically and emotionally drained from the production schedule, even developing shingles from the stress and eating contestant challenge snacks just to get by.
Though the show’s messaging often equated thinness with success, Harper now claims to see things differently. “Healthy bodies come in many shapes and many sizes,” he says, though in the next breath adds, “Well, fat is bad. Let’s not kid anybody.” It’s a statement that underscores how complicated his relationship with body image and health truly is.
Harper also calls out the absurdity of the way producers shaped the show’s visual narrative. From manipulating camera angles to make contestants appear larger, to dolled-up “after” reveals alongside ghostly “before” images, the show’s aesthetic relied on extremes. “It was TV,” he says flatly. “They wanted drama.”
Still Proud, Still Standing
Despite the firestorm of criticism, Harper says he remains proud of the show and the transformations that did stick. He fondly recalls season 11 winner Olivia Ward, who later named her child after him. “She’s still a friend. She’s flying in for my birthday party next week,” he says with a grin. “And her sister Hannah looks great too.”
When asked if he thinks a show like The Biggest Loser could exist today, Harper doesn’t flinch. “I don’t see why not,” he says, though he admits it would “have to be completely different.” But in his view, the culture hasn’t changed much. “We’re just as obsessed with weight loss as we’ve ever been,” he notes, pointing to the explosion of weight-loss drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy.
And while he doesn’t outright endorse pharmaceuticals, Harper takes a live-and-let-live stance: “If that’s what you need to get started, I’m for anything that gets you on the path you want to be on.”
A New Era, Same Harper
Now living in what he calls his “retirement era,” Harper is content teaching hot yoga and enjoying the slower pace of post-TV life. He’s single—having split from his fiancé in 2019—but still open to love. “So if you know anyone…” he jokes.
As Fit for TV continues to spark debate and stir old wounds, Harper seems resolutely at peace with his role in The Biggest Loser. He’s taken responsibility for a few regrettable moments (like telling a contestant it was “good” that she vomited), but draws a firm line at being portrayed as the villain. “We were all adults,” he says.
Trolls may scream louder than ever, but Bob Harper isn’t listening. “I know what the show meant to me,” he says. “And I have nothing but good memories.”
