Danielle Deadwyler (Till, The Piano Lesson) has joined Steve Carell, Charly Clive, and Phil Dunster as a lead in HBO‘s untitled comedy series from Bill Lawrence, Matt Tarses, and Warner Bros. TV.
The single-camera comedy is set on a college campus, centering on an author’s (Carell) complicated relationship with his daughter (Clive).
Deadwyler will play the head of the English Department at the liberal arts college, a professor of poetry
and a published writer who has instant rapport with Carell’s character.
The first of 10 half-hour episodes was written by Lawrence and Tarses. Lawrence, Jeff Ingold and Liza Katzer of Doozer Productions executive produce alongside Tarses and Carell. The series is produced by Doozer in association with Warner Bros. Television, where Lawrence’s Doozer banner and Tarses are under overall deals.
Source: Deadline
The Jennifer Hudson Show has been renewed for a fourth season. Warner Bros. Television Group announced the news on Wednesday (Feb. 19), revealing that the Emmy-nominated syndicated daytime talker will be back for the 2025-2026 season on Fox Television stations.
“It is an unbelievable privilege to spend your days being able to engage with inspiring people from all walks of life; to hear their stories and connect on shared experiences; and to hopefully leave audiences a little more joyful than when they arrived,” said EGOT-winner Hudson in a statement. “This show is a testament to what happens when you do what you love, and when you do it alongside an unstoppable team who creates magic in new ways every single day. I’m so excited to take this adventure to new heights in season 4!”
To date, the series has earned a number of industry honors, including two NAACP Awards — Outstanding Talk Show Series (2024) and Outstanding Talk Show Host (2023) — as well as the Excellence in Media Award at the 2024 GLAAD Media Awards, where it also took home the Outstanding Variety or Talk Show Episode prize. Hudson also won the 2024 National Association of Broadcaster’s TV Chairman’s awards in 2024 for the series that has racked up 10 Daytime Emmy nominations since its debut in September 2022.
“Audiences and our great television station partners agreed – JHud is must-have television. We believe in great programming, and Warner Bros. Television Group always delivers for our business and fans,” David Decker, president of content sales at Warner Bros. Discovery said in a statement.
Lauren Bincoe, SVP of current programming at Telepictures added, “Jennifer Hudson’s extraordinary talent and ability to connect with people have made The Jennifer Hudson Show a standout in daytime. This season, the show has seen incredible growth, creating moments that resonate beyond the screen – like the viral sensation Spirit Tunnel being a powerful example. Jennifer embodies the show’s Choose Joy message in every episode, and as we head into season 4, we’re grateful for the continued support of our station partners and proud to build on this momentum with Jennifer and our award-winning production team.”
Guests this season have included former First Lady Michelle Obama, Usher, Angela Bassett, Keke Palmer, Gwen Stefani, Cynthia Erivo, Kelly Rowland, Jimmy Kimmel, Smokey Robinson and Keith Urban, among others. Upcoming guests include: Kevin Hart, BLACKPINK’S Jennie, Maroon 5’s Adam Levine, Tina Knowles, Regina Hall, and Big Sean, among others.
Hudson celebrated the the news by doing one of her show’s signature celebratory spirit tunnel walks with her staff, who sang about the good news and the good vibes they keep spreading.
Watch Hudson announce the renewal below.
In this episode of Box Seats, we discuss all of the things that we witnessed during the 2025 NBA All-Star Game, and all of the complaints that have come up from the execution of the game!
We also are talking about the performances and the rest of the weekend!
Finally we touch on the NFL and some of the news that has leaked out about the moves of some of the players for the upcoming season!
This episode features comedians Thomas Ward, Rodney Perry, Daniel Dugar, and Maurice Smith! Watch the latest episode above!
Rapper A$AP Rocky was found not guilty Tuesday of firing a handgun at a former friend on a Hollywood street in 2021.
“Thank y’all for saving my life,” he told jurors as they left the Los Angeles courtroom. They cleared him of two felony counts of assault with a semiautomatic firearm.
The 36-year-old hip-hop star, fashion mogul, and burgeoning actor — whose legal name is Rakim Mayers — risked more than 24 years in prison if he had been convicted.
On the eve of trial, he turned down a prosecution offer of just six months in jail, along with probation and other conditions, if he would plead guilty to one count.
Insisting on his innocence, and with two young toddler sons at home along with his longtime partner Rihanna, the 36-year-old Rocky decided to gamble that a jury would feel the same. It paid off. The jurors felt at least that there was reasonable doubt of his guilt.
When the verdict was read, Rihanna cried and hugged the defense lawyers. She attended the trial sporadically and brought the couple’s two sons — 2-year-old RZA Athelston Mayers and 1-year-old Riot Rose Mayers — for some of the closing arguments.
The verdict came at the height of Rocky’s fame, if not the pinnacle of his music career. The three-time Grammy nominee has a banner year in the works, and can now look to it without the threat of prison hanging over him. He is scheduled to headline the Rolling Loud music festival in March; he is one of the celebrity co-chairs of fashion’s biggest night, the Met Gala, in May; and he stars with Denzel Washington in director Spike Lee’s film “Highest 2 Lowest,” set for release in early summer.
Prosecutors and their witnesses said that he was beefing with a former friend, A$AP Relli, with whom he had been in a crew who called themselves the A$AP Mob since high school. They said the two men met up in Hollywood on Nov. 6, 2021, and after a scuffle Rocky pulled the gun and fired twice at Relli, who said one of the shots grazed his knuckle but was not seriously hurt.
Rocky’s lawyer Joe Tacopina said in his closing argument that Relli is “an angry pathological liar” who “committed perjury again and again and again and again.”
Rocky’s lawyers and witnesses they called said Rocky had shot a prop gun that only fires blanks, which he had been carrying for security since taking it from a music video set months earlier. They said he fired it as a warning because Relli was attacking another member of their crew.
The jurors were told that despite three years passing since the incident, no one mentioned the phony gun to authorities until the day jury selection began at the trial.
They were also instructed that if they found that Rocky reasonably believed that he or one of the two friends with him that night were in imminent danger of injury, and that he used reasonable force, they could find the defendant not guilty.
It wasn’t immediately clear whether they reached the verdict because they believed he was in fact carrying a prop gun or that he acted in self-defense. They did not have to agree on their reasoning or explain it outside of the jury room. They just had to reach the same conclusion.
Rocky opted not to testify in his own defense.
In his closing argument, Deputy District Attorney John Lewin urged the jurors not to be influenced by the celebrity or family aspects of the case, and suggested Rihanna bringing the kids to closing arguments was an attempt to manipulate the jury.
“You are not allowed to consider how this might affect Rihanna and his kids,” the prosecutor said. “We are all responsible for our own actions in the world.”
Source: The Hollywood Reporter
Former Vice President Kamala Harris will be honored with the Chairman’s Award at the NAACP Image Awards.
Harris will accept the prestigious honor, in her first TV appearance since leaving office, during the 56th Image Awards ceremony on Feb. 22, airing live from the Pasadena Civic Auditorium at 8:00 p.m. ET/PT on BET and CBS.
The Chairman’s Award honors individuals who “excel in public service and leverage their unique platforms to ignite and drive meaningful change.” The Oakland-born Harris served as California Attorney General and U.S. Senator before making history as the first woman, Black American and South Asian American to serve as U.S. vice president (with President Joe Biden). Then in 2024, Harris ran another historic campaign as the first Black and South Asian woman to be nominated by a major party for president.
“Vice President Kamala Harris is more than a leader – she is a force of change, driven by an unwavering passion to shape a brighter, more equitable future. It is with great honor that we present her with the Chairman’s Award at this year’s NAACP Image Awards, celebrating her relentless dedication to justice, equality, and the betterment of our society,” said Leon W. Russell, chair of the NAACP National Board of Directors. “Her legacy is built on courage, compassion, and a profound commitment to uplifting those who need it most. Her tireless advocacy for the most vulnerable among us has made her a beacon of hope and progress.”
Past Chairman’s Award honorees include Amanda Gorman, Samuel L. Jackson, the late U.S. Congressman John Lewis, Ruby Dee, Danny Glover, Rev. James Lawson, Tyler Perry, then-Senator Barack Obama, Congressman Bennie G. Thompson, Congresswoman Maxine Waters, and former Surgeon General Regina Benjamin.
Scott Mills, president and CEO of BET Media Group, said Harris is deserving of the award for “both her historic accomplishments and her incredible legacy of service to America and our community” and described it as a “privilege” to honor her alongside the NAACP. “Her unwavering commitment to justice, equity, and progress has inspired millions, and her journey is a powerful testament to that which can be achieved through resilience, strength, and brilliance,” Mills concluded.
Added NAACP president and CEO Derrick Johnson: “Vice President Harris embodies the power, grace, and unyielding courage that Black women have long brought to the heart of the United States. With bold determination, Vice President Harris fights for justice, amplifies the voices of the marginalized, and stands as a beacon of hope. She embodies the resilience and brilliance of Black women, uplifting their legacy as the driving force behind change in this country. VP Harris reminds us all that when Black women lead, the entire nation rises.”
Other special honorees at this year’s Image Awards include trailblazing comedian Dave Chappelle, who will be awarded NAACP President’s Award, while the Wayans family — namely Keenen Ivory Wayans, Damon Wayans Sr., Marlon Wayans, Shawn Wayans, Kim Wayans, and Damon Wayans Jr. — will be inducted into the NAACP Image Awards Hall of Fame.
This year, the broadcast will be extended by 30 minutes to two and a half hours, with the ceremony also used to drive support for the Altadena, Pacific Palisades and Pasadena communities affected by the recent wildfires. BET Media Group, NAACP, Johnson Shapiro Slewett & Kole, and WME partnered with L.A. County and collaborated with local community organizations, including Community Aid Dena, Altadena Heritage and WalkGood LA, to launch the Altadena Community Preservation Fund, which is aimed at protecting homeowners from displacement and preserving the community’s cultural heritage.
Source: Variety
“SNL” revived its beloved “Black Jeopardy” sketch for its 50th anniversary, except this time with Eddie Murphy playing Tracy Morgan.
In the sketch, Kenan Thompson returned as the host of “Black Jeopardy,” introducing the sketch by saying “Welcome to ‘Black Jeopardy,’ the only ‘Jeopardy’ where every single viewer fully understood Kendrick’s halftime performance,” referencing Kendrick Lamar’s halftime show at last week’s Super Bowl.
Leslie Jones also returned as Shanice alongside Morgan, who played a man named Darius, and Murphy, who played “Tracy Morgan.”
“Darius, Tracy, y’all seem like you might be related,” Thompson said, though Murphy’s Morgan immediately rejected the idea, saying “Well, James Earl Jones is my biological father. James Earl Jones impregnated my mother on the set of ‘Claudine.’ You know what? We might be related.”
Still, Morgan, said, “I don’t see it.”
The fan-favorite sketch also brought back Tom Hanks, who reprised his role as Doug from the 2016 episode he hosted.
Hanks returned to “Black Jeopardy” wearing the same red “Make America Great Again” hat, which is equally as relevant now as when the sketch aired in 2016. Chris Rock also made an appearance.
The game’s categories included “Look Here,” “This Joker Talkin’ Bout,” “Leave Bronny Alone,” “Mannnn…” “White People” and “Live From New York.” After starting easy with the correct reaction for what to when an 11-year-old is asking for something while you’re on the phone, Thompson stumped the contestants when he a question from the “Live From New York” category, which read, “this legendary late night show created some of comedy biggest stars.”
Despite Thompson giving some hints to the right answer — including “as kids, you probably stayed up late on Saturday to watch” — the contestants couldn’t crack the code, with Jones guessing “Soul Train” while the others threw out “Showtime at the Apollo” featuring Sandman Sims.
Source: The Wrap
It was a Bay Area showcase at the NBA All-Star Game. DJ Cassidy’s Pass The Mic Live! delivered a tribute to the Bay with a West Coast-themed 2025 NBA All-Star Game Halftime Show on Sunday night inside San Francisco’s Chase Center.
Repping The Town, DJ Cassidy served as the orchestrator when inviting E-40 to kick things off with his “Tell Me When to Go.” The Warriors superfan tagged in his Bay Area partner Too Short to take the party to another level with his “Blow the Whistle” anthem.
Saweetie drew the biggest pop of the night from the crowd as she dazzled alongside the Golden Warriors dancers for a seamless transition into her top 20 Billboard Hot 100 smash “Tap In.”
Draped in a sparking Warriors-themed tracksuit, she performed “Best Friend” sans Doja Cat, but made sure to flip some lyrics to fit The Bay Area theme. “Is that my bestie in The Bay,” Saweetie cheekily raps.
Oakland’s own En Vogue saved the best for last as they stormed out of the tunnel like a starting lineup to perform their “My Lovin’” hit. The Warriors dance team showed off their suave choreography while The Bay Area ensemble reunited at midcourt to bring the celebratory set to a close.
Kevin Hart served as the first-ever official All-Star emcee and Raphael Saadiq welcomed the players to the court with a soulful introduction performance to set the tone for the night alongside a classical 14-piece live band.
The NBA innovated its All-Star Game format with three All-Star teams facing off in a bracket-style tournament with the Rising Stars winners.
Inside The NBA hosts Shaquille O’Neal, Kenny “The Jet” Smith and Charles Barkley each helmed a team as Shaq’s OGs — led by hometown hero and Golden State Warriors superstar Steph Curry — throttled Chuck’s Global Stars in the final match-up of the 74th NBA All-Star Game by a score of 41-25 to take home the title. The OGs were paced by Jayson Tatum’s 15 points while Curry poured in 12 points including a half-court shot.
Source: Billboard
Find more highlights of the Halftime Show below.
In case you missed it, here is a video compilation of social media influencers and comedians Kai Cenat and Druski’s best moments during the 2025 All-Star Weekend, including the Kia All-Star Celebrity Game.
Watch the video above!
In this new interview with comedian Pierre Edwards (probably most known for Def Jam’s How To Be A Player, B.A.P.S., and 2001: A Space Travesty) who you may already know is a comedian, actor, writer, director, and now a podcaster.
We got a chance to talk with Pierre about the state of comedy today, his thoughts on how social media is affecting stand-up, and what he thinks about the future of technology in the comedy industry. Plus Pierre talks about the latest news of The Wayans family being inducted into the NAACP Image Awards Hall Of Fame, and more!
Check out the interview below;
“Euphoria” officially started production on Season 3 this week, with a few new fresh faces.
Grammy-winning artist Rosalía, Super Bowl champ Marshawn Lynch and “A Different World” star Kadeem Hardison have joined the cast of the hit high school drama, HBO announced on X. Other new cast members include Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Toby Wallace, Darrell Britt-Gibson, Priscilla Delgado, James Landry Hébert and Anna Van Patten.
Most of the main cast is returning, including Zendaya, Sydney Sweeney, Hunter Schafer, Jacob Elordi, Eric Dane, Alexa Demie and Maude Apatow. Martha Kelly and Chloe Cherry have both been upped to series regulars. Colman Domingo is also returning as a guest star.
Nika King, Austin Abrams and Algee Smith are missing from HBO’s list of returning cast members as well as Storm Reid, who said in November that her character, Rue’s sister Gia, would not be featured in upcoming episodes. Barbie Ferreira, who played Kat, exited the series in August 2022.
The long-delayed, eight-episode third season of “Euphoria” will take place years after the events of Season 2, taking the characters out of high school.
Source: Variety