Celebrities – Winnipeg Free Press

FILE - Dr. Phil McGraw, left, and his son, Jordan McGraw, arrive at the premiere of 'The Simpsons Movie' in Los Angeles, July 24, 2007. (AP Photo/Matt Sayles, File)

A TV show about the NYPD is now a legal drama starring the city and Dr. Phil’s son

Michael R. Sisak, The Associated Press 5 minute read Updated: Yesterday at 9:05 PM CST

NEW YORK (AP) — A reality TV series meant to spotlight the New York Police Department has spawned a real-life legal drama involving the city and the show’s producer, Jordan McGraw — the son of TV’s “Dr. Phil” McGraw.

The city sued the younger McGraw and his production company this week for breach of contract and obtained a court order that blocks them, at least temporarily, from selling or disseminating any footage from the unfinished and unaired show, tentatively titled “Behind the Badge.”

"Dr. Phil" McGraw— a clinical psychologist turned TV personality — hosted the series, interviewing officials and showing up to crime scenes. Episodes were slated to air on his MeritTV cable and streaming channels, where he'd previously done segments featuring the police department.

On Thursday, McGraw’s lawyers filed to move the case from New York state court to federal court.

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Stars and the public say a final goodbye to fashion icon Valentino at a Rome funeral

Giada Zampano, The Associated Press 2 minute read Preview

Stars and the public say a final goodbye to fashion icon Valentino at a Rome funeral

Giada Zampano, The Associated Press 2 minute read Updated: 8:20 AM CST

ROME (AP) — Global fashion celebrities joined the public on Friday morning to say goodbye to iconic designer Valentino at his funeral service in Rome, at the central Basilica di Santa Maria degli Angeli e dei Martiri.

After a two-day public viewing on Wednesday and Thursday at the Valentino foundation’s headquarters in the Italian capital, the funeral marked the final tribute to the internationally acclaimed designer.

Top fashion names, including designers Tom Ford and Donatella Versace, along with longtime Vogue magazine powerhouse Anna Wintour, attended the funeral service, as did Hollywood stars like Anne Hathaway.

Fans and admirers gathered outside the church, some dressed in red or carrying red accessories in a last homage to the designer’s signature shade of color.

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Updated: 8:20 AM CST

Donatella Versace, right, and Pierpaolo Piccioli arrive at the lying in state of fashion designer Valentino Garavani at the Valentino Garavani e Giancarlo Giammetti Foundation headquarters in central Rome, Thursday, Jan. 22 2026. (Mauro Scrobogna/LaPresse via AP)

Oscar nominations snubs and surprises: Paul Mescal and Ariana Grande among biggest oversights

Lindsey Bahr, The Associated Press 6 minute read Preview

Oscar nominations snubs and surprises: Paul Mescal and Ariana Grande among biggest oversights

Lindsey Bahr, The Associated Press 6 minute read Updated: Yesterday at 5:37 PM CST

After such a strong year for movies, the brutal limitations of Oscar nominations were bound to have some big omissions. But there were several genuine shockers Thursday morning, including widely expected nominees like Ariana Grande and Paul Mescal missing out on nods in their respective acting categories. In some cases, that meant room for long overdue recognition, as with Delroy Lindo, who earned his first nomination for “Sinners.”

Here are the biggest snubs and surprises:

SNUB: Ariana Grande and “Wicked: For Good”

“Wicked” got a staggering 10 nominations last year, and yet its much darker sequel, “Wicked: For Good,” ended up with zero. That’s possibly because the film wasn’t as well received as the first by critics — but most still thought that Grande would snag another supporting nomination for her effervescent Glinda. It also means that Cynthia Erivo was left out of best actress, though she wasn’t on many prediction lists this time around, and that it was roundly rejected for both crafts and — with two new, original options — song (yet somehow Diane Warren still managed to get through again).

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Updated: Yesterday at 5:37 PM CST

This image released by Universal Pictures shows Ariana Grande in a scene from

Blake Lively and Taylor Swift’s texts exposed in lawsuit against Justin Baldoni

Safiyah Riddle, Sarah Brumfield And Rebecca Boone, The Associated Press 6 minute read Preview

Blake Lively and Taylor Swift’s texts exposed in lawsuit against Justin Baldoni

Safiyah Riddle, Sarah Brumfield And Rebecca Boone, The Associated Press 6 minute read Updated: Yesterday at 3:47 PM CST

A trove of text messages and emails sent by Blake Lively, including exchanges with her longtime friend Taylor Swift, have been made public by actor-director Justin Baldoni 's lawyers as they prepare for trial.

Lively sued Baldoni and his hired crisis communications expert alleging harassment and a coordinated campaign to attack her reputation after she complained about his treatment of her while filming the 2024 romantic drama “It Ends With Us.”

The documents were unsealed ahead of Thursday's arguments before a federal judge in New York City about whether to end their acrimonious yearlong litigation, which has threatened to suck in other actors, musicians and celebrities and raised questions about the levers of power, influence and gender dynamics in Hollywood.

Baldoni and his Wayfarer Studios production company countersued Lively and her husband, “Deadpool” actor Ryan Reynolds, accusing them of defamation and extortion. Judge Lewis J. Liman dismissed that suit last June. Liman did not indicate Thursday when he would rule on Lively's case.

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Updated: Yesterday at 3:47 PM CST

FILE - Taylor Swift, center, watches the teams before the NFL Super Bowl 58 football game between the San Francisco 49ers and the Kansas City Chiefs with Ice Spice, left, and Blake Lively, right, Feb. 11, 2024, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis, File

‘Heated Rivalry’ stars Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie to be torchbearers for Winter Olympics

The Associated Press 2 minute read Preview

‘Heated Rivalry’ stars Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie to be torchbearers for Winter Olympics

The Associated Press 2 minute read Updated: Yesterday at 5:29 PM CST

MILAN (AP) — The actors co-starring in the hit hockey romance TV series “Heated Rivalry” are set to be among the torchbearers carrying the Olympic flame on the way to the Opening Ceremony for the Milan Cortina Games.

The organizing committee announced Thursday that Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie will take part in the torch relay. The Opening Ceremony is scheduled for Feb. 6.

The series based off “Game Changers” books has captivated viewers with the fictional story of a Canadian and a Russian hockey player sustaining a decade-long secret relationship.

The first season became the the No. 1 series on HBO Max. Originally developed for the Canadian streaming service Crave, the show scored a distribution deal with HBO and has already been renewed for a second season, and it will broadcast in Italy beginning next month.

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Updated: Yesterday at 5:29 PM CST

This image released by Crave shows Hudson Williams, left, and Connor Storrie in a scene from

Elizabeth Hurley describes ‘monstrous’ privacy invasion by Daily Mail in British media hacking case

Brian Melley, The Associated Press 3 minute read Preview

Elizabeth Hurley describes ‘monstrous’ privacy invasion by Daily Mail in British media hacking case

Brian Melley, The Associated Press 3 minute read Updated: Yesterday at 1:23 PM CST

LONDON (AP) — Elizabeth Hurley accused the publisher of the Daily Mail on Thursday of tapping her phones, putting microphones outside her windows and stealing her medical records among “other monstrous, staggering things” during testimony in a celebrity-studded privacy invasion lawsuit.

“The best way I can describe it is like there is someone peeping into your life and into your home,” the model and actor said. It “makes me feel as if my private life had been violated by violent intruders — that there had been sinister thieves in my home all along and that I had been living with them completely unaware.”

Hurley was the second witness to testify in the lawsuit that includes co-claimants Prince Harry and Elton John, and four others who allege that Associated Newspapers Ltd. hired private investigators to unlawfully snoop on them over two decades.

Harry showed up to show his support for Hurley’s testimony the day after he choked up in the witness box as he spoke of the emotional toll his battle against the British media had taken on him and his family.

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Updated: Yesterday at 1:23 PM CST

Elizabeth Hurley, right, leaves the Royal Courts of Justice on day four of the trial over allegations of unlawful information gathering brought against Associated Newspapers Limited, Thursday, Jan. 22, 2026, in London. (Jordan Pettitt/PA via AP)

Inside Super Bowl week’s concerts, parties and celebrity scene heading into big game

Jonathan Landrum Jr., The Associated Press 5 minute read Preview

Inside Super Bowl week’s concerts, parties and celebrity scene heading into big game

Jonathan Landrum Jr., The Associated Press 5 minute read Yesterday at 2:22 PM CST

Super Bowl week will unfold across several days in the Bay Area, with the game itself serving as the final act in a tightly coordinated mix of sports, music, media and celebrity appearances.

From league-run press events to invitation-only gatherings in San Francisco, the jam-packed week draws athletes, entertainers and executives together in the days leading up the league's championship game. Early programming sets the stage for nights headlined by figures such as Shaquille O’Neal and Dave Chappelle along with a variety of performances spread out through San Francisco by Kehlani, Post Malone and Calvin Harris.

High-profile stops like the Sports Illustrated celebration — tied to Tight End University collaborators Travis Kelce and George Kittle — help define the celebrity-driven stretch of the week before fan-focused experiences take over on game day.

For first-timers and returning visitors alike, Super Bowl week moves quickly.

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Yesterday at 2:22 PM CST

This combination of photos show Post Malone performing at the 57th Annual CMA Awards in Nashville, Tenn., on Nov. 8, 2023, left, and Kehlani performing at All Points East festival in London on Aug. 18, 2023. (AP Photo)

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Indiana’s CFP victory over Miami averages 33.9 million viewers, most-watched game in 11 years

The Associated Press 2 minute read Preview

Indiana’s CFP victory over Miami averages 33.9 million viewers, most-watched game in 11 years

The Associated Press 2 minute read Updated: Yesterday at 7:39 PM CST

BRISTOL, Conn. (AP) — Top-seeded Indiana's victory over Miami in the College Football Playoff national championship game on Monday night was the most watched college football game in 11 years.

The Hoosiers' 27-21 victory over the 10th seeded Hurricanes for their first football national title averaged 30.1 million viewers, according to Nielsen. It also is the second-most watched CFP title game and cable telecast on record. Ohio State's win over Oregon in January 2015, still has the record at 33.9 million.

According to ESPN, it was the most-viewed, non-NFL sports telecast since Game 7 of the 2016 World Series between the Chicago Cubs and Cleveland. It is the fourth-most watched college football game in the last 30 years and the eighth-most watched ESPN production since the network started in 1979.

“Monday night’s record-setting National Championship game was the exclamation point on the most exciting College Football Playoff to date – and a fitting final chapter for ESPN’s highly successful 2025-26 college football season,” ESPN chairman Jimmy Pitaro told The Associated Press. “We are grateful to our CFP partners for their collaboration as this preeminent sports event continues to reach new audiences and fan bases each year.”

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Updated: Yesterday at 7:39 PM CST

Indiana holds the trophy after their win against Miami in the College Football Playoff national championship game, Monday, Jan. 19, 2026, in Miami Gardens, Fla. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

‘The Secret Agent’ earns 4 Oscar nominations, boosting Brazilian cinema

Eléonore Hughes, The Associated Press 5 minute read Preview

‘The Secret Agent’ earns 4 Oscar nominations, boosting Brazilian cinema

Eléonore Hughes, The Associated Press 5 minute read Updated: Yesterday at 7:44 PM CST

RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — Brazilians celebrated the nomination of “The Secret Agent” film to four Oscar categories on Thursday, which many said confirmed the rise of Brazilian cinema and its universal appeal.

“The Secret Agent” — nominated for best picture, best actor, best international film and achievement in casting — now shares Brazil's record for nominations, alongside the famed 2002 film “City of God” set in a favela in Rio de Janeiro.

“The Secret Agent” follows a widowed father — played by Wagner Moura — who becomes a target of Brazil’s military dictatorship in the 1970s simply because he stands up to a business owner with ties to the regime.

Director Kleber Mendonça Filho said that more than one million spectators have seen the film, in a video posted on social media Thursday following the nominations.

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Updated: Yesterday at 7:44 PM CST

A billboard promoting the Oscar-nominated film The Secret Agent is displayed outside a movie theater in Sao Paulo, Thursday, Jan. 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Andre Penner)

From ESPN to Netflix: Elle Duncan’s next big adventure starts with ‘Skyscraper Live’

Joe Reedy, The Associated Press 5 minute read Preview

From ESPN to Netflix: Elle Duncan’s next big adventure starts with ‘Skyscraper Live’

Joe Reedy, The Associated Press 5 minute read Updated: Yesterday at 4:57 PM CST

Most people can relate to Elle Duncan's decision to join Netflix.

After nearly 10 years at ESPN, Duncan was looking for a new challenge that would show off her versatility as a broadcaster while also trying to find more of a work-life balance.

Duncan believes that will happen by joining the streaming giant. She makes her Netflix debut on Friday night, hosting Skyscraper Live. The two-hour event, which begins at 8 p.m. Eastern, features free solo climber Alex Honnold attempt to scale Taipei 101, the tallest building in Taiwan, without ropes.

“It was everything I had been asking in the universe to help me be a well-rounded broadcaster and to help me be a well-rounded person. I think I’m going to be able to do both of those things here,” Duncan said before leaving for Taiwan.

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Updated: Yesterday at 4:57 PM CST

FILE - Elle Duncan speaks on stage at the ESPY Awards at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, July 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill, File)

Could a president deploy wartime law against the Beatles? Trump administration says “Yes”

Nicholas Riccardi, The Associated Press 4 minute read Preview

Could a president deploy wartime law against the Beatles? Trump administration says “Yes”

Nicholas Riccardi, The Associated Press 4 minute read Yesterday at 2:39 PM CST

A federal judge hearing arguments Thursday over President Donald Trump’s use of an 18th-century wartime law to deport Venezuelan gang members had a question: Could a president use the same law against a “British invasion” that was corrupting young minds?

Jennifer Walker Elrod, chief judge of the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans, said her query — a reference to the moral panic in the 1960s over the arrival of the Beatles and other British bands — was “fanciful,” but a government attorney responded that the president did have that power and courts could not stop him.

“These sort of questions of foreign affairs and the security of the nation are specifically political issues,” said Drew Ensign, an assistant attorney general who was arguing the administration’s case before the full 5th Circuit Court of Appeals.

Ensign said it would be up to Congress to check the president in that scenario.

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Yesterday at 2:39 PM CST

Venezuelans deported from the United States deplane at Simon Bolivar International Airport in Maiquetia, Venezuela, Monday, Jan. 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix)

Ryan Coogler, Leonardo DiCaprio, Rose Byrne, Ejae and more react to Oscar nominations

Maria Sherman, Lindsey Bahr, Jocelyn Noveck, Leslie Ambriz, Jonathan Landrum Jr. And Hilary Fox, The Associated Press 13 minute read Preview

Ryan Coogler, Leonardo DiCaprio, Rose Byrne, Ejae and more react to Oscar nominations

Maria Sherman, Lindsey Bahr, Jocelyn Noveck, Leslie Ambriz, Jonathan Landrum Jr. And Hilary Fox, The Associated Press 13 minute read Updated: Yesterday at 4:03 PM CST

Director Ryan Coogler spoke about writing his blues-infused vampire film “Sinners,” nominated for a record 16 Oscars, for his late uncle, whom he imagined celebrating the occasion with some blues music.

Rose Byrne, who learned of her best actress nomination in the middle of the night in Australia, talked about the intensive work of fine-tuning her turbulent character during a five-week rehearsal process.

Leonardo DiCaprio hailed the deep communal experience of people sitting in a theater together, immersing themselves in a movie.

And Amy Madigan said her little dog was looking up at her, seemingly asking: “Why are we up so early?”

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Updated: Yesterday at 4:03 PM CST

Ryan Coogler attends the National Board of Review Awards gala at Cipriani 42nd Street on Tuesday, Jan. 13, 2026, in New York. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)

DiCaprio to AP on Oscar nomination: ‘It’s about trying to be in films that are memorable’

Lindsey Bahr, The Associated Press 5 minute read Preview

DiCaprio to AP on Oscar nomination: ‘It’s about trying to be in films that are memorable’

Lindsey Bahr, The Associated Press 5 minute read Updated: Yesterday at 3:41 PM CST

Leonardo DiCaprio picked up his sixth lead actor Oscar nomination Thursday morning for carrying the American masterpiece “One Battle After Another” as the overwhelmed single dad and flustered revolutionary Bob Ferguson.

Ten years after he won best actor for “The Revenant,” it’s a statistic that puts him in a rarefied group that includes Daniel Day-Lewis. Including his supporting nomination for “What’s Eating Gilbert Grape,” he’s now among a group of only eight actors, male or female, to have achieved that milestone. Overall, he has eight nominations to his name, including a best picture credit for “The Wolf of Wall Street.”

But for DiCaprio, a consummate director’s actor who spoke to The Associated Press by phone Thursday morning, the most important thing isn’t even necessarily the accolades but being part of a film that’s as timeless as “One Battle After Another.”

“I love what I do,” DiCaprio said in a phone interview. “At the end of the day it’s about trying to be in films that are memorable. This is a great addition to have your peers sort of recognize it.”

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Updated: Yesterday at 3:41 PM CST

Leonardo DiCaprio arrives at the 83rd Golden Globes on Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026, at the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, Calif. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP)

Harry Styles announces 2026 global tour: See the dates

Maria Sherman, The Associated Press 2 minute read Preview

Harry Styles announces 2026 global tour: See the dates

Maria Sherman, The Associated Press 2 minute read Yesterday at 12:02 PM CST

NEW YORK (AP) — Harry Styles is getting back out on the road. The English musician announced his “Together, Together" tour on Thursday. It's a 50-date run made up of residencies in Europe, the U.K., Brazil, Mexico, the U.S. and Australia.

Styles' tour launches May 16 with six nights in Amsterdam, followed by six nights in London, two in São Paulo, two in Mexico City, 30 at New York City's Madison Square Garden, two in Melbourne and two in Sydney, where it will conclude in December.

Openers include Robyn, Shania Twain, Jorja Smith, Jamie xx, Fousheé, and more.

There are a few pre-sale opportunities. The general sale for São Paulo begins Wednesday and the Mexico City sale begins Jan. 29.

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Yesterday at 12:02 PM CST

FILE - Harry Styles appears in the press room at the 65th annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles on Feb. 5, 2023. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

Federal government asked court to set aside Ottawa’s shutdown order for TikTok Canada

Anja Karadeglija, The Canadian Press 3 minute read Preview

Federal government asked court to set aside Ottawa’s shutdown order for TikTok Canada

Anja Karadeglija, The Canadian Press 3 minute read Updated: 12:54 AM CST

OTTAWA - The federal government asked for a court ruling to set aside the government's 2024 decision ordering TikTok to shut down its Canadian operations due to national security concerns.

On Monday, the government filed a letter with the Federal Court saying it had reached an agreement with TikTok to set aside the wind-down order and launch another national security review. The government's letter said Ottawa and TikTok had agreed to jointly seek an order from the court.

On Wednesday, a Federal Court judge issued that order. The decision means the social media company can keep its offices here running while the industry minister conducts the new review.

The Liberal government ordered TikTok to close its offices in Canada in 2024, but stopped short of banning the app for users. TikTok challenged the order in court.

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Updated: 12:54 AM CST

A user edits a social media video on the TikTok app on Monday, Jan. 20, 2025, in Bucyrus, Ohio. (AP Photo/Joshua A. Bickel)

Ruth E. Carter makes Oscar history again with costume designer nomination for ‘Sinners’

Jonathan Landrum Jr., The Associated Press 3 minute read Preview

Ruth E. Carter makes Oscar history again with costume designer nomination for ‘Sinners’

Jonathan Landrum Jr., The Associated Press 3 minute read Updated: Yesterday at 10:11 PM CST

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Ruth E. Carter has made history once more.

With her Oscar nomination for “Sinners,” Carter has become the most-nominated Black woman in Academy Awards history across any category, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences confirmed Thursday. The trailblazing costume designer was recognized for her work on Ryan Coogler’s blues-steeped vampire epic, set in the Jim Crow-era Mississippi Delta.

“It’s ... pride, gratitude, responsibility,” Carter told The Associated Press. She previously won Oscars for “Black Panther” in 2018 and “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” in 2023, becoming the first Black woman to win two Academy Awards.

Carter is now a five-time nominee, surpassing Oscar-winning actor Viola Davis. She is tied with longtime collaborator Spike Lee and Morgan Freeman for the third-most nominations among Black creatives, behind the late Quincy Jones and Denzel Washington.

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Updated: Yesterday at 10:11 PM CST

January 23, 2026

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