yellowstone

Taylor Sheridan Accused of Stealing ‘Yellowstone’ Idea From Writer’s 2016 Pitch In Copyright Lawsuit

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A writer who says she spent more than a decade developing a television series about tribal power, land disputes and casino-backed development is accusing Taylor Sheridan of taking elements from her project and using them to create his enormously successful series Yellowstone.

Lauren J. Salkin makes the allegations in a new copyright infringement lawsuit obtained by The Independent, which also names 101 Studios, Paramount Global and NBCUniversal as defendants.

At the center of the complaint is Sovereign Nation, a television project Salkin says she spent more than 10 years developing before submitting it to Sheridan’s representatives in late 2016.

Her submission to Sheridan’s representatives at Elevate Entertainment included a completed pilot script, a series bible and a pitch deck.

The series was built around “tribal governance, casino-driven economic power, and a modern war over land and development,” according to the lawsuit.

The complaint alleges that Sheridan and the other defendants later incorporated several unusually specific elements from that concept into his neo-Western hit, rather than merely relying on broader themes commonly associated with Westerns or stories about property disputes.

“When the works are objectively compared, the same coordinated design repeatedly appears: casino-centered institutions organize political power; the same unusual land-development mechanisms propel the conflict; parallel scenes perform the same dramatic functions; and the same actors appear in materially parallel roles.”

“These are not merely convergences of a shared genre. Taken together with access and timing, they support a strong inference of copying.”

Among the alleged similarities, Salkin’s attorneys point to the central role played by a tribal casino, as well as the way both projects depict land development and expansion beyond reservation boundaries.

The lawsuit claims Yellowstone “included specific expressive choices already embodied” in Sovereign Nation.

Those alleged overlaps include: “A tribal casino functioning as the institutional center of political and development power; a signature confrontation staged in the tribal chairman’s casino office over expansion beyond reservation boundaries; the use of trust land, the absence of zoning restrictions, and a 99-year lease structure as the concrete mechanism for that expansion; and recurring master-plan imagery deployed to dramatize the struggle for territorial control.”

Salkin’s attorneys also point to two actors who appeared in her pitch materials: Danny Huston and Gil Birmingham.

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Both men ultimately joined the cast of Yellowstone, and the lawsuit argues they were placed in “materially parallel structural roles” to those envisioned in Salkin’s proposed series.

“Birmingham as the tribal political leader whose authority and development strategy run through the casino, and Huston as the outside development power broker who supplies the political or commercial path for that expansion,” the complaint states.

Birmingham played Thomas Rainwater, chairman of the Confederated Tribes of Broken Rock, throughout Yellowstone. Huston appeared as real estate developer Dan Jenkins, an early antagonist whose business interests brought him into conflict with the Dutton family.

Sheridan, however, had worked with Birmingham before Salkin submitted her project. Birmingham appeared in Hell or High Water, the 2016 film written by Sheridan, while Wind River — another Sheridan project featuring Birmingham — was filmed in March and April 2016, months before Salkin says she sent her materials to Elevate Entertainment.

Salkin says she sent Sovereign Nation to Sheridan’s representatives in late 2016, only to receive a rejection several months later.

“Taylor thanks you very much for your interest. Unfortunately, he’s unavailable for TV projects,” the response from Sheridan’s representatives read, according to the lawsuit.

Salkin received that message in February 2017.

Only months later, Paramount gave Yellowstone the green light. The series eventually premiered on June 20, 2018.

The complaint further alleges that someone outside Sheridan’s circle independently noticed similarities between the two projects.

According to Salkin’s attorneys, a senior HBO television executive who had previously reviewed materials connected to Sovereign Nation later told Salkin that he recognized similarities when he encountered Yellowstone.

The lawsuit says the unnamed executive rejected Sheridan’s show for that reason.

Sheridan has offered his own account of the project’s origins. In a 2023 interview with The Hollywood Reporter, he said he initially pitched the idea to HBO as a movie he described as “The Godfather in Montana” before it developed into the television series that ultimately aired on Paramount Network.

Yellowstone became one of the most commercially significant television dramas of the past decade.

The series starred Kevin Costner as ranch patriarch John Dutton, whose family controls an enormous Montana cattle ranch that becomes the focus of repeated conflicts involving developers, Indigenous tribes, government officials and other powerful interests.

Costner won a Golden Globe for his performance as Dutton.

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Much of the show’s central tension revolves around who has the right to control the land surrounding the Dutton ranch — and how far each competing group is willing to go to protect or expand its territory.

The drama ran for five seasons between 2018 and 2024 and became a ratings phenomenon, breaking cable television records while transforming Sheridan into one of the television industry’s most prolific creators.

Its success also gave rise to a sprawling franchise, with multiple prequels, spinoffs and additional projects expanding the fictional world surrounding the Dutton family.

Four spinoffs have been released so far, and three more are in development, according to Yahoo News.

That success is a major component of Salkin’s lawsuit.

She is seeking damages and a share of profits connected to the alleged infringement. The complaint also seeks injunctive relief aimed at preventing any future use of material she claims was taken from Sovereign Nation.

Salkin has also requested a jury trial, according to HollywoodLife.

Her attorney, Paul B. Lackey, characterized the dispute as a case of an individual writer confronting some of the most powerful figures and companies in the entertainment industry.

“This is a classic David-versus-Goliath situation,” Lackey told The Hollywood Reporter.

“She spent years putting together the specific and multi-layered framework for a story that has become the biggest streaming success of all time. She has watched the vast commercial success of this story that was stolen from her and decided that enough was enough. We will do everything in our power to get her justice.”

Lackey also told Yahoo News that “it was not an easy decision for an individual screenwriter to decide to take on the titans of the entertainment industry.”

“She has watched the exploitation of her hard work for too long and decided that enough was enough. We will now hold them accountable.”

Kennedy Center

Kennedy Center Must Pay $252,000 to Musician It Sued Over Trump Name Protest

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A judge in Washington, DC, has ordered the Kennedy Center to cover more than $250,000 in legal fees for jazz musician Chuck Redd, months after the institution unsuccessfully sued him over his decision to pull out of a Christmas Eve performance.

Redd had been scheduled to host the Kennedy Center’s annual holiday jazz concert, an event he has led for nearly two decades. The drummer and vibraphonist withdrew from the Dec. 24 performance after the center’s board voted to add President Donald Trump’s name to the performing arts venue. Redd told CNN at the time that he “was saddened to see this name change.”

In an email to a Kennedy Center employee, Redd also said he would feel deeply uncomfortable performing at the venue while Trump’s name remained on the building.

The Kennedy Center responded by suing Redd in March, alleging that his withdrawal less than a week before the concert amounted to a breach of contract and caused financial and reputational harm to the institution. The lawsuit sought an unspecified amount in damages.

“As a result of Defendant Redd’s malfeasance, the Center was forced to cancel the Christmas Eve Jazz Jam concert at the last minute, depriving hundreds of members of the public the Christmas Concert offered by the Center, and causing the Center reputational, marketing, and concert preparation damages.”

The dispute had already escalated shortly after Redd canceled. Richard Grenell, then president of the Kennedy Center, sent the musician a letter condemning the decision and tying it directly to Redd’s objections to the renaming.

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Before the Kennedy Center ultimately filed suit, Grenell had threatened to seek $1 million from Redd and characterized his withdrawal as a “political stunt.”

“Your decision to withdraw at the last moment—explicitly in response to the Center’s recent renaming, which honors President Trump’s extraordinary efforts to save this national treasure—is classic intolerance and very costly to a non-profit Arts institution,” Grenell, a longtime Trump confidant, wrote.

Grenell was replaced as head of the Kennedy Center in March.

The case did not survive. In June, Judge Tanya M. Jones Bosier, who was appointed by former President Joe Biden, dismissed the Kennedy Center’s lawsuit after concluding that it had failed “to state a valid breach of contract claim.” Redd, she found, had never signed an agreement before canceling the performance.

Jones Bosier also found that the Kennedy Center did not appear to have suffered financial harm from the cancellation, noting that the Christmas Eve concert was free.

On Monday, Bosier issued another ruling in the dispute, awarding Redd more than $252,000 in legal fees and ordering the Kennedy Center to pay within 45 days.

Lisa Banks and Debra Katz, the attorneys representing Redd, are prominent employment lawyers who have previously represented Christine Blasey Ford, who testified during Brett Kavanaugh’s Supreme Court confirmation process.

Banks told CNN in a statement the ruling was a rejection of the institution’s effort to punish the musician for opposing the name change.

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“The Trump-controlled Kennedy Center tried to silence opposition to its illegal name change by filing a meritless lawsuit against jazz musician Chuck Redd. The court rightly dismissed that breach of contract lawsuit, finding there was no contract and no damages, and was brought against Mr. Redd based on his protected opposition.”

In a separate statement Tuesday, Banks said people should not have to spend their time and money defending themselves against lawsuits she described as baseless and politically motivated.

Redd’s attorneys later sought more than $258,000 in legal fees and related costs. Kennedy Center lawyers challenged that request ahead of the ruling, arguing in court filings that the amount was excessive and calling the calculation “astonishing.”

The controversy surrounding the center’s name also continued outside the courtroom. In May, a federal judge ruled that Trump’s name had been added to the institution without the required congressional approval and ordered it removed. The Kennedy Center appealed that ruling.

Later in June, following a legal back-and-forth, Trump’s name was removed from both the exterior of the Kennedy Center building and the institution’s website. The letters were taken off the marble facade as scaffolding and tarps were erected around part of the building, temporarily obscuring portions of the original name.

The dispute with Redd came amid a wider backlash to Trump’s changes at the Kennedy Center during his second term. Artists and audience members boycotted the institution, particularly after its board voted to add Trump’s name, while center officials criticized performers who withdrew from scheduled appearances. The lawsuit against Redd marked the most aggressive action the institution had taken against an artist who backed out of a planned performance.

The Kennedy Center has also faced uncertainty over its immediate future, with a largely empty performance calendar since July as its board considers Trump’s proposal to close the venue for two years of renovations.

A spokesperson for the Kennedy Center said the institution plans to appeal the decision.

LA General

Perez Hilton Hospitalized After Apparent Self-Harm During Livestream

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Celebrity blogger Perez Hilton was hospitalized after appearing to harm himself during a TikTok livestream Tuesday, authorities said.

“We can confirm that Perez is receiving medical care, and our family’s focus right now is on his well-being,” a statement published Wednesday on Hilton’s website said.

The message, attributed to the Perez Hilton Team and Family, continued: “Many of you have reached out with concern for Perez, and we are incredibly grateful for the overwhelming outpouring of love, support, and prayers.”

In a subsequent update, Hilton’s family said he was able to communicate, a development that had given them reason to remain hopeful about his condition.

“Our family wants to once again thank everyone who has reached out with prayers, kind messages, and support for Perez. Your compassionate humanity during this profoundly heartbreaking time has meant more than words can express.”

The family described the situation as “incredibly difficult and emotional” and said it would release further updates once additional information had been confirmed.

“We respectfully ask for your continued prayers, understanding, and grace as Perez continues to recover,” the statement said.

Deputies went to Hilton’s home Tuesday evening after the sheriff’s office received multiple calls regarding a disturbing livestream, according to a statement issued by the agency Wednesday morning. After arriving, officers spoke with Hilton’s family members and determined that he was alone inside the residence.

Dispatch audio obtained by People indicated that emergency responders were sent to investigate reports of a “possible suicide.” According to the audio, authorities entered Hilton’s home at approximately 11 p.m. and were traveling to a nearby hospital with him about 30 minutes later.

Hilton was hospitalized under Florida’s Baker Act, a sheriff’s office spokesperson confirmed. The law permits authorities to involuntarily hold a person for up to 72 hours when that individual is believed to pose a threat of harm to themselves or others.

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Rather than immediately engaging with Hilton, deputies monitored the situation and worked to “prioritize de-escalation by creating time, distance, and opportunities for communication,” the sheriff’s office said. The agency described the strategy as an approach intended to reduce the possibility of further harm.

Mental health professionals were later brought in to provide support to Hilton’s family.

Dante Rusciolelli, a representative for Hilton, said Wednesday that he had no further information about the blogger’s condition.

“Our focus remains on Perez’s health, recovery, and the privacy of both him and his family during this incredibly difficult time.”

Golden Artists Entertainment said in a separate statement that its representatives had not been able to reach Hilton directly Tuesday, despite repeated attempts. The company later said it still had no additional confirmed information about his condition.

TikTok said its automated moderation technology detected that Hilton’s livestream violated the platform’s community guidelines within minutes of the broadcast beginning. The company’s U.S.-based human moderation team was then notified to review the stream.

The initial livestream was shut down after approximately 15 minutes, TikTok said. Several additional streams that Hilton started were removed within 90 seconds. TikTok also said it contacted law enforcement about the situation.

Before the livestream was removed, graphic footage that appeared to show Hilton covered in blood had begun circulating on other social media platforms. His account was deactivated before TikTok formally banned it for violating rules prohibiting self-harm content.

Dan Romer, research director of the Annenberg Public Policy Center at the University of Pennsylvania, told The New York Times that he could not determine why Hilton chose to broadcast the apparent act. Romer has published research examining the relationship between self-harm and social media.“Often when people do self-harm, they are reaching out for help,” he said.

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Such attempts to attract attention are more commonly directed toward friends or relatives, Romer said. Hilton, however, may regard his sizable internet audience “as part of his social circle.”

Referring to the numerous viewers who contacted authorities about the livestream, Romer added, “they intervened and got him some help.”

Bryan Freedman, an attorney and friend who previously represented Hilton for two decades, told People he was working to verify that Hilton was receiving appropriate care.

“I, like many others, feel very concerned for Mario’s health, and I am trying to confirm that he is receiving the care that he needs to fully address the causes and conditions which led to this incident. It feels like a moment that deserves kindness and compassion.”

Hilton, whose legal name is Mario Lavandeira, became one of the best-known figures in online celebrity gossip during the mid-2000s through PerezHilton.com. The website’s blunt commentary about celebrities and popular culture helped turn its creator into a recognizable public figure in his own right.

Hilton, the older of two children raised in a working-class Cuban-American family, initially pursued a career as an actor. He later worked as a publicist and became a reporter for Star magazine before finding widespread fame through his website.

His rise was propelled by relentless self-promotion and provocative public statements that frequently attracted media coverage. As his audience grew, Hilton produced a steady stream of unrestrained commentary about entertainers, relationships and celebrity scandals.

By 2006, Hilton said he was spending 17 hours each day creating and publishing items for the website. The business had become highly lucrative by the following year, when a single advertisement on the site could bring in $9,000 per week.

“I’m like Madonna, I’m not afraid to offend,” Hilton said in a 2007 interview with The New York Times.

Hilton’s relationship with TikTok has been turbulent in the past. The platform banned him in 2020 for violating its community guidelines.

Hilton said at the time that losing his account had been emotionally difficult. He said he had been “very depressed” and that the social media app “gave me something to really look forward to every day.”

Earlier this year, Hilton publicly discussed another serious health crisis. In March, he said on social media that he had spent three weeks in the hospital while being treated for an ulcer and sepsis.

Hilton said that during the hospitalization, “God presented himself to me.” The following month, Hilton announced through social media that he had returned to TikTok. In the announcement, he expressed gratitude to both the platform and Jesus.

Ariana Grande

Ariana Grande Plans Break From Public Eye After Eternal Sunshine Tour

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Ariana Grande has stepped away from a forthcoming London revival of Stephen Sondheim’s “Sunday in the Park With George” as she prepares to retreat from public-facing work following the conclusion of her current tour.

The tour is Grande’s first in six years. It comes after a particularly eventful period for the 33-year-old singer and actor, who spent the past year promoting the second “Wicked” movie, while also ending a three-year relationship.

Empire Street Productions announced that Grande has “decided to step back” from the musical, which is scheduled to open at London’s Barbican Center next summer. The production company said the revival will still move forward as planned, with replacement casting to be revealed “in due course.”

Grande had been expected to portray both Dot and Marie opposite Jonathan Bailey, her co-star in the “Wicked” films.

“We know this cannot have been an easy decision, and she makes it with our complete understanding and support. We wish her nothing but the best.”

The change comes amid renewed public discussion about Grande’s appearance and health. Her representative told People that the singer and actor intends to take “a step back from visibility after she completes the Eternal Sunshine Tour,” which is scheduled to conclude in London next month.

Much of that attention has unfolded on social media, where users have repeatedly speculated about Grande’s weight and overall health.

Grande’s final performance on the tour is set for Sept. 1. Her representative described the tour as a positive experience but said the intense attention surrounding Grande has contributed to her decision to temporarily withdraw from public life.

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“She looks forward to finishing the tour and ending it on a high note, both healthily and happily, and then taking a much-deserved break from public-facing work and appearances, which has led to endless, ongoing public scrutiny. This tour has been a beautiful experience for her. She loves her fans and has loved every minute of this tour so much.”

Discussion of Grande’s body and health has followed her for several years, with the scrutiny intensifying around the release of “Wicked: For Good” last year. Grande responded at the time by sharing a clip from a 2024 interview in which she pushed back against the idea that people should feel entitled to comment on another person’s appearance.

In the interview, Grande said that, in society, “there’s a comfortability that we shouldn’t have, at all” when it comes to discussing how other people look. She described that behavior as “dangerous for all parties involved.”

Grande also said that invasive commentary can encompass everything from assumptions about a person’s health to criticism of their clothing, face or body. She argued that people have become far too comfortable publicly analyzing what they believe may be happening in someone else’s private life.

The conversation resurfaced following Friday’s release of “Petal,” Grande’s eighth studio album, as well as the accompanying music video for its title track. The video presents a violent satire of the entertainment industry and the standards imposed on performers.

Grande plays an actor named Pepper who repeatedly auditions for casting executives and is repeatedly told she is “not good enough.” The character eventually kills the executives with a chainsaw. At the end of the video, however, a director calls “cut,” revealing that the killings are part of a production. Grande then leaves the set as members of the crew praise her performance and talent.

In an interview with Apple Music, Grande characterized the new album as “very experimental and different.” She also said the project allowed her to access the “unfiltered rage that I think we all feel sometimes.”

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The debate surrounding Grande is part of a wider conversation about increasingly thin beauty ideals in Hollywood. In May, actor and activist Jameela Jamil warned that an alarmingly thin standard had begun taking hold in society, echoing concerns raised by some dietitians, celebrities and social media users.

Dr. Sarah Gupta, a psychiatrist and the medical director of the mental health platform Modern Health, told People the current tension follows years of progress toward body positivity and body neutrality. The size-inclusivity movement of the 2010s encouraged brands to feature a broader range of bodies while helping normalize fat acceptance and common physical features such as cellulite and stretch marks.

According to Gupta, the apparent reversal may be fueling fears of a return to the diet culture of the 1990s and 2000s, when extreme thinness was often treated as the dominant beauty standard. She said those broader concerns can be worth examining, but the discussion should support health without imposing additional pressure on individuals.

Social media can also influence body image and the development of eating disorders, making the language used beneath photographs and videos consequential. Lizzy Pope, a University of Vermont associate professor who studies diet culture in popular culture, has observed a renewed willingness to openly express a desire for thinness. She contrasted that language with the wellness-focused terms that had become more common in recent years.

Experts cautioned, however, that attempting to challenge harmful beauty standards by dissecting a particular person’s appearance can reproduce the same damage. Gupta recommended shifting attention away from whether an individual celebrity looks “too thin” and toward systemic issues, including the growing visibility of GLP-1 medications, their promotion by drug companies, unequal access to the drugs and the role social media algorithms play in amplifying them.

She also advised people to avoid comments about body shape or size and to remember that comments, whether online or in person, may affect how others view their own bodies, particularly among children and teenagers.

Although Grande plans to limit her visibility after the Eternal Sunshine Tour ends, she still has a major film project awaiting release. She is scheduled to appear alongside Ben Stiller and Robert De Niro in “Focker-in-Law,” the next installment in the “Meet the Parents” franchise. The movie is set to arrive in theaters Nov. 25.

jurassic park

Sam Neill, One Of Hollywood’s Great Leading Men, Dies At 78 

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Sam Neill, the iconic Oscar winning New Zealand actor known for blockbuster movies like “Jurassic Park” and “The Piano,” has passed away at the age of 78. 

Neill’s death was announced on Monday in a statement shared on his Instagram account. 

“It is with immense sadness that the whānau of Sam Neill share the news of his passing on Monday 13th July, in Sydney Australia. Sam was surrounded by family and passed with the dignity that has characterized his whole life,” the statement read. 

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“The loss was sudden and unexpected but blessed by the fact that Sam remained cancer free. They would like to express their deepest gratitude to the staff at St Vincent’s Private hospital for their incredible care.”

“More details will be shared later, but for now, on behalf of the family, we ask that you respect their privacy as they navigate this immeasurable loss.”

Manager Philip Grenz confirmed later on that the cause of death was from pneumonia. “Prior to becoming sick, Sam had valiantly fought and beaten lymphoma through a new treatment called CAR-T therapy.” 

In March 2023, Neill revealed that he was being treated for stage 3 blood cancer while he was promoting his memoir “Did I Ever Tell You This?” 

He was specifically diagnosed with angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma, “a rare, often but not always, aggressive form of peripheral T-cell lymphoma,” according to the Lymphoma Research Foundation. 

The statement released on Wednesday also said that the family would be holding a private memorial service to honor Neill. 

“As Sam was an intensely private man who loathed a fuss, his family will honor him with a private family memorial at his farm in New Zealand at a still-undetermined later date,” the statement said.

Neill was born Nigel John Dermot Neill in 1947 in Northern Ireland. In 1954, his family moved to New Zealand where he eventually took the name Sam because there were several Nigels at his school.

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When he got older, he initially started studying law, which he previously described as “catastrophic,” prompting him to pivot into acting. He worked in theaters before moving into some smaller local TV roles. His breakout role was the 1977 film “Sleeping Dogs,” which was the first New Zealand movie to open in the US.

Shortly after, he landed the leading role in “My Brilliant Career” in 1979, and spent the next decade making appearances in many iconic films such as “Omen III,” “Possession,” “Evil Angels,” “Ivanhoe,” and more. 

In 1993, Neill became a major household name by starring in both Jane Campion’s Oscar-winning movie “The Piano,” and Steven Spielberg’s “Jurassic Park” where he played Dr. Alan Grant, a role he revived in both “Jurassic Park III” and “Jurassic World Dominion.”

Neill lived on a farm and winery that was called Two Paddocks in the Central Otago wine region. He described it as “a ridiculously time and money consuming business. I would not do it if it was not so satisfying and fun, and it gets me pissed once in a while.” He also famously named a lot of his farm animals after his co-actors like Laura Dern (a chicken), Kylie Minogue (a duck), and Helena Bonham Carter (a cow). 

Neill first publicly opened up about his illness and treatment in 2023 in his memoir “Did I Ever Tell You This?” 

By the time the book was published, his cancer was in remission, but he had to undergo monthly chemotherapy for the rest of his life. The actor also signed a contract with the drug company he was using that said if he was still alive after four months, his treatment would be free. 

In 2023, Neill actually spoke to the Guardian regarding the end of his life after enduring his treatments. 

“I’m not afraid to die, but it would annoy me. Because I’d really like another decade or two, you know? We’ve built all these lovely terraces, we’ve got these olive trees and cypresses, and I want to be around to see it all mature. And I’ve got my lovely little grandchildren. I want to see them get big. But as for the dying? I couldn’t care less.” 

Sam Neill is survived by his four children and eight grandchildren.

AI

AI “Actor” Tilly Norwood Set to Lead Feature Film After SAG-AFTRA Backlash

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The controversy surrounding Tilly Norwood, the AI-generated “actor” criticized by Hollywood performers and SAG-AFTRA, is now moving from debate to production.

Particle6 Productions announced Monday that its digital creation will star in a feature-length comedy-drama titled “Misaligned,” a film set inside what the company calls the “Tillyverse” or “a surreal digital world located somewhere up in the Cloud.”

The project will follow “a coming-of-age story infused with existential AI chaos,” placing the synthetic performer at the center of a narrative that appears to lean directly into the real-world unease surrounding AI’s growing role in entertainment.

In the film, Tilly is portrayed as an AI entity without a physical body, a childhood or lived memories of her own, instead drawing from access to other people’s experiences. The story becomes more chaotic when a rogue bot from the dark web pushes her to break free of her guardrails and begin forming desires, impulses and ambitions that make her appear increasingly human.

“The film will absolutely be funny, chaotic and self-aware — very Tilly,” said Eline Van der Velden, the comedian, writer and founder behind Particle6 Productions.

“But underneath it, there’s something deeper about identity, performance, and our very human fears around AI. And yes, art will most definitely be imitating life.”

The character has drawn sharp criticism from actors and industry observers since its introduction as an AI “actor,” with concerns that synthetic performers could replace working artists or be built using the labor of real actors without their proper consent.

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That backlash intensified in late 2025 after Van der Velden suggested that Norwood was close to signing with a talent agency.

Norwood has since become one of the most visible computer-generated symbols of the entertainment industry’s fight over AI, with her creators also leaning into the controversy through provocative social media posts.

Those concerns were amplified by SAG-AFTRA, which condemned the studio for “using stolen performances to put actors out of work, jeopardizing performer livelihoods and devaluing human artistry.”

The union also rejected the idea that Norwood should be considered a performer in the same sense as a human actor. SAG-AFTRA said Tilly Norwood is “not an actor,” but “a character generated by a computer program.”

“It has no life experience to draw from, no emotion and, from what we’ve seen, audiences aren’t interested in watching computer-generated content untethered from the human experience.”

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Despite the backlash, Particle6 is positioning Misaligned not as a replacement for traditional filmmaking, but as a hybrid production. The company said the film will involve traditional film and television professionals, including directors, writers and editors, working with AI specialists.

Particle6 also said AI training and mentorship will be built into the production process. The project is currently in early development, with major creative collaborators still being attached.

“Our work this year has proven something we suspected all along,” Van der Velden said in a statement.

“AI can support premium narrative filmmaking, but only with substantial amounts of human craft, skill, judgement and time. That’s not a limitation of the technology. That’s the point.”

Van der Velden also said that filmmakers who can carry traditional storytelling experience into emerging AI tools will be best positioned for the next decade, adding that Misaligned is where Particle6 plans to test that approach at feature-film scale.

The film will also be produced as part of Particle6’s broader slate of AI-related film, television, co-production and service work, alongside projects from its campaign and brand division.

The announcement places Misaligned at the center of one of Hollywood’s most heated debates over whether AI can serve as a creative tool without undermining the people whose work makes film and television possible. By casting Tilly Norwood in a story about identity, performance and anxiety over artificial intelligence, Particle6 appears to be using the backlash itself as part of the film’s premise.

electronic arts

Electronic Arts Launches EA Advertising to Bring Brands Directly Into Gameplay

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Electronic Arts unveiled a new advertising platform Monday that will allow brands to place marketing directly inside its games, introducing a system designed to make advertising part of the gameplay experience itself.

The company announced the launch of EA Advertising in a press release, describing it as an expansion of its ecosystem that enables brands to connect with players through real-time, in-game integrations and custom experiences. The launch also places EA’s in-game advertising efforts under a newly created division focused on brand partnerships.

“Players come to EA’s games and live experiences every day to play, watch, create and connect,” said David Tinson, Chief Experiences Officer at Electronic Arts. “That gives brands a meaningful opportunity to show up in ways that add value and respect the player experience, while maintaining authenticity in the worlds our teams are building. With EA Advertising, we’re helping brands become part of those moments in ways that are relevant and built for players.”

Under the new initiative, advertisers can work directly with EA to develop experiences tailored to specific games and communities. Those opportunities include in-game challenges, branded content, reward-based objectives and custom vanity items.

Advertising placements can appear in forms that mirror real-world marketing environments, including digital ad boards, stadium signage, scoreboards and branded broadcast overlays.

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Rather than existing outside gameplay, the advertisements are intended to become integrated elements within the games themselves. EA’s advertising website highlights opportunities primarily within its sports franchises, including EA Sports FC and Madden NFL, while also showcasing examples tied to The Sims and Skate.

The move comes as EA’s gaming audience continues to grow. According to the company, its games reached more than 120 million players each month in 2026. Players collectively log the equivalent of 23,000 NFL seasons every day in Madden NFL and complete more than 1 billion matches each month in EA SPORTS FC.

EA claims that its intention is to provide brands with opportunities to engage audiences through authentic, interactive experiences, describing its games as spaces where players not only play but also watch and connect with one another.

In addition to the advertising platform, EA announced the launch of the EA SPORTS Partner Program, which gives brands access to one of the world’s most engaged sports communities.

The program offers opportunities ranging from live events and player-driven programs to creator tools, social play experiences, live-service activations, and in-game integrations. The program also includes opportunities for official partners to take part in events such as the Madden Bowl and the annual Madden ratings reveal.

The initiative will also extend to broader cultural and athlete-focused efforts through GEN / EA SPORTS, its platform aimed at shaping future sports storytelling and fan participation.

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Advertisers will also be able to collaborate with EA using the company’s new proprietary ad server, which it said allows brands to improve audience targeting and gain deeper campaign insights in a privacy-safe manner.

The platform also includes a software development kit meant to support more advanced ad-targeting capabilities. EA said the platform is designed to ensure advertisements are viewable, delivered to real audiences and measured according to industry-accredited standards.

The company said these measurement capabilities are being provided in partnership with Integral Ad Science.

EA has previously worked with several major brands to create in-game experiences, including Visa, Lowe’s, Red Bull, Xfinity, Peacock and Mountain Dew. According to EA, those partnerships have already produced branded team kits, in-game objectives and broadcast integrations.

The company also reported net revenue of more than $7.5 billion in its fiscal year 2026 financial report.

Last year, EA announced that it would become a private company following its acquisition by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, Silver Lake and Affinity Partners in an all-cash transaction valued at $55 billion.

love island

Love Island USA Removes Season 8 Contestant After Videos Allegedly Showing Racial Slur Surface

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A contestant slated to appear on Season 8 of “Love Island USA” has been removed from the cast before the season’s premiere after videos allegedly showing her using a racial slur resurfaced online.

Peacock confirmed to NBC News that contestant Vasana Montgomery is no longer part of the upcoming season. The streaming service said the videos were not publicly circulating until after the Season 8 cast was announced.

Neither the show nor Peacock has publicly addressed Montgomery’s departure beyond the confirmation, and no replacement contestant has been announced.

Peacock did not provide any additional details about Montgomery’s exit from the cast. It also remains unclear how much filming had taken place before her removal. Because the series is filmed in real time, episodes typically air about two days after they are shot.

“Love Island USA,” the American adaptation of the long-running British dating series, follows a group of singles living together for six weeks as they attempt to form romantic connections and avoid elimination. Throughout the season, producers introduce new contestants, known as “bombshells,” along with twists and challenges designed to test relationships and create drama.

Contestants are filmed nearly around the clock throughout their time in the villa, taking part in challenges, compatibility tests and other competitions while viewers help influence eliminations through public voting. The winning couple receives a $100,000 prize.

Although the show had built a dedicated audience over several years, its popularity surged dramatically in 2024. Season 7 became Peacock’s most-watched original season ever, generating more than 18 billion minutes viewed.

Montgomery’s removal came less than a day after “Love Island USA” revealed its newest cast on Thursday. Shortly afterward, fans began investigating contestants’ social media histories, and two videos allegedly featuring Montgomery began spreading online. In one clip, she appeared to say the N-word while singing along to a song. In another, she appeared to use the same slur while reacting to an arcade game.

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Montgomery, 25, is from Beaverton, Oregon. On her TikTok profile, she describes herself as a “Thai/Lao girl.” She was among the 12 original Islanders announced for Season 8 and, in promotional materials for the show, described herself as the “whole package,” citing her business ownership and independent lifestyle. The esthetician school graduate owns studio spaces that house beauty and cosmetic businesses, including tattooing, lash treatments and makeup artistry.

The incident marks the latest controversy involving resurfaced social media content on the hit reality dating series, which faced similar situations during its previous season.

Last summer, contestant Yulissa Escobar was abruptly removed from Season 7 after clips emerged that appeared to show her using the N-word during a podcast appearance. The show offered little explanation for her departure at the time, with narrator Iain Stirling simply telling viewers, “Yulissa has left the villa.” Escobar had appeared in the season premiere, but her departure was announced in the following episode. Escobar later issued a written apology, saying she was sorry for using a word she had “no right” to use.

Later that season, contestant Cierra Ortega, who had entered the villa as a fan favorite before becoming one of the season’s most heavily criticized Islanders, was also removed after viewers resurfaced old social media posts in which she used an anti-Chinese slur.

Her departure was similarly brief on-air, with Stirling telling viewers she had left the villa due to a “personal situation.” Days after exiting the show, Ortega posted an accountability video apologizing to the Asian community and saying she had not understood the history or harm associated with the term she used.

The latest casting shakeup comes as “Love Island USA” grapples with growing concerns about online behavior among its increasingly passionate fan base.

Ahead of the Season 8 cast reveal, Peacock released a statement urging viewers to engage with contestants respectfully.

“The Villa runs on good vibes, and so does this community. We love seeing your reactions, opinions, and debates, but everyone deserves to feel safe and respected,” the statement read. “This is a space for fun, not negativity — so keep it kind, keep it positive, and remember: this is LOVE Island!”

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During Season 7, contestants faced intense scrutiny and online harassment. As the show’s popularity has grown, fans have increasingly examined the Islanders’ behavior, physical appearance, personal histories and political views, often leading to widespread criticism and speculation on social media.

Season 8 is scheduled to premiere June 2 at 9 p.m. ET on Peacock, with Ariana Madix returning as host. Ahead of the new season, Madix offered advice to the incoming Islanders, encouraging them to remain authentic throughout their time on the show.

“It sounds cliché, but be yourself because being yourself is what made the people who make the show fall in love with you, and that’s what’s gonna make the audience fall in love with you. It’s what’s gonna make the Islander that you have a crush on fall in love with you. Being authentic and vulnerable and showing yourself is really the best thing you can do in that situation.”

In recent years, “Love Island USA” has evolved from a niche dating competition into a major pop-culture phenomenon, regularly sparking online debate and intense viewer engagement as fans dissect contestants’ relationships and behavior in real time.

Because contestants remain isolated from the outside world during filming and have no access to social media while inside the villa, many only discover the online discourse surrounding them after leaving the show, when they are often met with both newfound notoriety and waves of criticism.

Despite Peacock’s appeal for civility, many viewers responded with jokes and skepticism.

On Instagram, the most-liked response to the statement, receiving nearly 63,000 likes, speculated that the cast must be “chopped,” or unattractive, for producers to feel compelled to issue the warning.

“LMAO not them giving us a talking to before the cast comes out,” another highly liked comment read, accumulating nearly 60,000 likes.

Fans also observed that Peacock did not tag contestants’ Instagram accounts in this year’s cast announcement. Comments on many Islanders’ personal pages were already restricted before the season’s debut, prompting speculation that producers had implemented additional social media protections to reduce harassment.

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CNN Suing AI Firm Perplexity Over ‘Massive Copyright Infringement’

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CNN has sued Perplexity, an artificial intelligence company, alleging that they’ve infringed on the news network’s copyrights and trademarks by illegally copying and distributing content without their consent, Variety reports. 

The lawsuit was officially filed on Thursday in the US District Court for the Southern District of New York. Perplexity is being accused of taking over 17,000 stories, photographs, videos, and other content from CNN and using it to train its AI products. 

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This complaint marks the first time the multinational news television channel and website is filing a legal case against an AI company and seeking to protect its copyrights. It’s also believed to be the first litigation of its kind from a TV network. However, this is not the first time Perplexity specifically has been sued over copyright infringement and similar claims. 

Dow Jones, the publisher of the Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, and the New York Post have all filed similar lawsuits against the company.

A spokesperson for CNN stated that they do believe in “actively embracing the opportunities AI creates” as a network, however, Perplexity “should not be able to steal from entities that create the original content” in order to train their models and overall “exploit” their created material. 

“The public rely on high-quality news journalism reported by human beings to understand their world, which is frequently dangerous and expensive to produce,” the CNN spokesperson said. 

“Commercial operators can and must pay to make use of it. We prefer that they do so through sensible licensing arrangements, but if they refuse to do that as Perplexity has so far refused to do, they will have to pay through legal damages. There is no free option.”

A spokesperson for Perplexity told Variety that when it comes to this suit, “you can’t copyright facts.”

In the 54-page federal complaint, CNN emphasized how Perplexity’s former advertisements helped users skip the “extra steps and clicks” in order to access news content. They also explained that last year, they spoke with Perplexity and attempted to come to a deal, but couldn’t agree on terms. 

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“As a result, before and after Perplexity’s negotiations with CNN, Perplexity knew that it was not permitted to access CNN’s content or to use its trademarks or service marks,” the complaint stated.

“Perplexity’s conduct violates CNN’s exclusive rights under the Copyright Act at two principal stages: First, at the input stage, Perplexity unlawfully crawls, scrapes, copies, and distributes CNN’s content from CNN Digital Platforms and third-party platforms using software programs, including ‘PerplexityBot’ and ‘Perplexity-User,’ to build an AI-First search index and to provide CNN’s content in real time as input to LLMs to formulate responses to users’ prompts. And second, at the output stage, when Perplexity’s GenAI Products generate outputs that are identical or substantially similar to CNN’s content,” the suit reads.

It also emphasized within the suit that Perplexity is violating CNN’s trademarks “by falsely claiming an affiliation between Perplexity and CNN that does not exist. Perplexity’s GenAI products generate fabricated content that claims that its users can pay to upgrade and get access to CNN’s premium content, when no such option exists. 

Thus, Perplexity uses CNN’s famous, registered trademarks and falsely attributes an affiliation between Perplexity and CNN to its users which causes confusion,” the suit continues.

“Perplexity’s use infringes CNN’s exclusive rights in its federally registered trademarks, and has caused and is likely to cause confusion, mistake, or deception as to whether the articles Perplexity provides are associated or affiliated with, or are sponsored, endorsed, or approved by CNN,” the complaint reads. 

“Perplexity’s use is intended to reap the benefit of consumers’ trust in CNN.”

CNN is asking the court to fulfill its statutory damages cost, and enforce that Perplexity can no longer use its content.

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Taylor Swift Filed Trademarks For Her Voice And Image Over AI Concern

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Taylor Swift has filed applications to trademark her voice and image over concerns of it being used improperly with artificial intelligence. 

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Last week, Swift’s company TAS Rights Management filed three trademark applications, according to Variety. Two of the applications are sound trademarks that cover Swift saying the phrases “Hey, it’s Taylor Swift” and “Hey, it’s Taylor.”

The third application is looking to trademark the well-known shot of Swift on stage during her Eras tour. The application lays out “a photograph of Taylor Swift holding a pink guitar, with a black strap and wearing a multi-colored iridescent bodysuit with silver boots. She is standing on a pink stage in front of a multi-colored microphone with purple lights in the background.”

Swift is joining the likes of many other high profile celebrities working to trademark some of their most iconic lines, sayings, and overall image. 

Matthew McConaughey recently trademarked his famous “all right, all right, all right” catchphrase from 1993’s Dazed and Confused as well as other unauthorized uses of his image and voice. 

“My team and I want to know that when my voice or likeness is ever used, it’s because I approved and signed off on it,” McConaughey said in a statement. 

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“We want to create a clear perimeter around ownership with consent and attribution the norm in an AI world.”

Swift is also in the group of many public figures whose likeness and image has been used in a multitude of AI visuals and deepfakes, including fake AI-created sexually explicit images. In 2024, Donald Trump himself even posted multiple AI images of Swift endorsing him for president. 

“Attempting to register a celebrity’s spoken voice is a new use of trademark registration that has not been tested in court before,” said intellectual property attorney Josh Gerben.

“Historically, singers relied on copyright law to protect their recorded music. But AI technologies now allow users to generate entirely new content that mimics an artist’s voice without copying an existing recording, creating a gap that trademarks may help fill,” he said. 

“By registering specific phrases tied to her voice, Swift could potentially challenge not only identical reproductions, but also imitations that are ‘confusingly similar’, a key standard in trademark law.”

Swift currently owns over 50 trademarks related to her name, album titles, and song lyrics.