Something is unsettling about seeing a big event fall apart live. That’s pretty much what happened on Monday Night Raw on October 26. At the start of the show, WWE General Manager Adam Pearce told the crowd that Stephanie Vaquer wouldn’t be competing that night. No reason given. No graphic of harm. It was a quiet announcement that changed everything fans thought would happen. Vaquer would be facing Becky Lynch in a No. 1 Contender’s match for the Women’s World Championship. The match had been building for weeks. Instead, Lynch challenged Liv Morgan directly for the title. The match ended…
Author: Michael Martinez
There’s something quietly sad about a dad who can’t speak up for his kid. When the first episode of Netflix’s three-part documentary The One About Matthew Perry aired on October 27, most people looked through the credits to see familiar faces, like Friends cast members, old co-stars, and childhood friends. A name that wasn’t there was what many people saw instead: Matthew’s father, John Bennett Perry, is an actor who is 85 years old and whose health has apparently gotten so bad that he couldn’t even take part in a tribute to his late son. Matthew’s paternal half-sister Mia Perry…
Some actors become so emotionally invested in a role that it feels nearly impossible to separate them from the character. One of those individuals is Jess Walton. Since taking on the role of Jill Abbott on The Young and the Restless in 1987, Walton has given viewers a character so complex and stubbornly human that, for devoted fans, witnessing Jill’s suffering is like witnessing a real person go through a terrible ordeal. This could be the reason for Jill’s recent health decline on the show. It goes beyond a simple plot twist in a soap opera. It has additional significance…
The way Justine Lupe discusses her body has an almost subdued radical quality. There isn’t a striking before and after. There was no well-crafted statement regarding “health journeys.” Just a woman who worried about her appearance on camera throughout her twenties, became pregnant, watched herself change week by week in front of a crew, and emerged from the experience genuinely, not in a performative way, declaring that she loved it. Before any discussion about Justine Lupe and weight loss makes any sense, you need to understand this. Lupe is most recognized for stealing scenes in Nobody Wants. During the first…
Stanley Tucci has a certain quality that gives people the impression that they truly know him. Perhaps it’s the reverent way he speaks about food that makes you want to start cooking right away. Perhaps it’s the way he effortlessly switches between comedic sidekicks, villains, and subtly devastating dramatic roles. Whatever the case, there was more widespread concern than shock when it was revealed in September 2021 that he had been secretly fighting throat cancer since 2017. People were concerned. Furthermore, the complete picture of what he went through and is still going through is more nuanced than most headlines…
A man who decides that going on stage and making people laugh about his incurable neurological illness is the most sensible course of action after learning of it has something subtly remarkable about him. Paul Mayhew-Archer essentially did that. After receiving a Parkinson’s disease diagnosis in 2011, the co-writer of The Vicar of Dibley, one of the most endearing and enduring British sitcoms ever produced, did not withdraw or remain silent. It was a different kind of performance in its own right. Paul Mayhew-Archer’s illness was not immediately apparent. He initially became aware of a tremor and a slight abnormality…
Women who used to have a certain appearance are subject to a specific type of cruelty. More than most, Jade Thirlwall is aware of this. The pop star, who was born in South Shields, spent years in Little Mix, one of the most popular girl groups in British history, under such harsh scrutiny that, amazingly, she survived. The criticism hasn’t stopped now that she’s a solo artist creating something wholly original. Simply put, the targets have changed. People are discussing her weight these days. When it comes to how that feels, Thirlwall has been refreshingly, almost uncomfortably, honest. “I have…
Lucy Pargeter has an almost disarming quality. The Emmerdale actress just went about her motherhood in a world where celebrity weight loss is packaged and marketed like a product launch, complete with branded gym attire, suspiciously timed magazine covers, and meticulously staged before-and-after photos. Even so, the weight was removed. Lucy told the Sunday Mirror that she hadn’t deliberately tried to reduce her baby weight after giving birth to twin girls Missy and Betsy in April 2017 after a protracted and challenging IVF process. How did she do it? Chasing after three kids. That’s all. Carrying one baby on each…