The royal epic will end its reign earlier than expected with creator Peter Morgan saying it was the "perfect time and place to stop."
Royal watchers hoping The Crown might be extended to include Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's "Megxit" or the fallout from Prince Andrew's relationship with Jeffrey Epstein are set to be disappointed.
Netflix's hit drama series about the British royal family will end with season five, creator and showrunner Peter Morgan has revealed, with Imelda Staunton confirmed as taking the golden baton from Olivia Colman as Queen Elizabeth for the final season.
"At the outset I had imagined The Crown running for six seasons but now that we have begun work on the stories for season five it has become clear to me that this is the perfect time and place to stop," said Morgan. "I’m grateful to Netflix and Sony for supporting me in this decision."
Morgan added that was "absolutely thrilled" that Staunton — a British stage and screen icon with a career spanning four decades, five Olivier awards, a BAFTA award and an Oscar nomination (for 2004's Vera Drake) — would be "taking The Crown into the 21st Century."
“I have loved watching The Crown from the very start," said Staunton, recently seen in the Downton Abbey movie alongside her husband Jim Carter (who plays Mr. Carson).
"As an actor it was a joy to see how both Claire Foy and Olivia Colman brought something special and unique to Peter Morgan’s scripts. I am genuinely honoured to be joining such an exceptional creative team and to be taking The Crown to its conclusion."
Produced for Netflix by the Sony-owned Brit banner Left Bank Pictures, The Crown became one of the SVOD giants most defining prestige dramas when it first aired in 2016, while coming to underline the company's commitment to big-budget production spend in the U.K., where it now has a major presence.
Among its sizeable haul of honors across the first two seasons are back-to-back SAG awards for Foy, a SAG award for John Lithgow, who played Winston Churchill, Golden Globe wins (best television series – drama, and best actress – television series drama for Foy), plus a total of 26 Primetime Emmy noms.
Season three – which arrived on Netflix in December – has already won Colman (who took over from Foy as Queen Elizabeth) a Golden Globe, while the show itself was awarded the SAG award for outstanding performance by an ensemble in a drama series.
"The first three seasons of The Crown defined an era, and I know the upcoming fourth season will build further on that success," said Netflix vp, original content, Cindy Holland.
"It’s a stunning example of award-winning entertainment, created in the U.K. and loved by millions of fans around the world. I fully support Peter Morgan’s creative decision and am excited to see how he, Imelda Staunton and the cast and crew of Season 5, bring this landmark series to a fitting and spectacular end."
In the documentary out Friday, Swift goes after Blackburn's record as she gets emotional discussing with her parents and team about wanting to voice her opinion in the 2018 midterm elections, adding that she regrets not speaking out against Donald Trump during the 2016 election.
Swift, who had been reluctant to voice her political opinions in the past, broke her silence on politics during the 2018 midterms and endorsed Blackburn's rival for Senate, Democrat Phil Bredesen, and another Democrat running in Tennessee in an Instagram post. In the post's caption, Swift had said Blackburn's voting record "appalls and terrifies me."
Blackburn, a conservative lawmaker closely tied to the President, ended up winning her 2018 race by about 11 points, becoming the first female senator to represent her state.
Later in the documentary, Swift is shown reacting to Blackburn's election victory, saying she "can't believe it."
"She gets to be the first female senator in Tennessee, and she's Trump in a wig," Swift says. "She represents no female interests. She won by being a female applying to the kind of female males want us to be in a horrendous 1950s world."
The pop singer criticizes also Blackburn for her 2013 vote against the reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act and stance against same-sex marriage.
"It's really basic human rights, and it's right and wrong at this point, and I can't see another commercial and see her disguising these policies behind the words 'Tennessee Christian values,'" Swift says, getting emotional. "Those aren't Tennessee Christian values. I live in Tennessee. I am Christian. That's not what we stand for."
After Swift went public with her endorsement of Bredesen, Blackburn told Fox News at the time, "Of course I support women and I want violence to end against women."
It seems the Republican senator doesn't want bad blood between her and Swift, according to a statement provided to CNN.
"Taylor is an exceptionally gifted artist and songwriter, and Nashville is fortunate to be the center of her creative universe," Blackburn said in the statement, first reported by Variety. "While there are policy issues on which we may always disagree, we do agree on the need to throw the entertainment community's collective influence behind legislation protecting songwriters, musicians, and artists from censorship, copyright theft, and profiteering."
She pointed to her and Democratic Rep. Jerry Nadler's legislation, the Ask Musicians for Music Act, or AM-FM Act, that seeks to have radio services "pay fair market value" for the music they use.
Swift has been a vocal about concerns around the rights of singers and songwriters to profit from their own music.
"I welcome any further opportunities to work with Tennessee's and the nation's creative communities to protect intellectual property and ensure appropriate compensation for their creations. On that note, I wish Taylor the best — she's earned it," Blackburn added.
Joe Alwyn shows up in Taylor Swift's new Netflix documentary Miss Americana.
In one especially cute moment, Taylor is seen mouthing "I love you," presumably to Joe.
Taylor Swift's new Netflix documentary Miss Americana has ARRIVED, and for those of you wondering if we'd finally get an inside look at her relationship with Joe Alwyn, the answer is yes.
There are two major Joe moments in the doc—in one, Taylor sings him "Call It What You Want," and as he sings along in the background we see her mouth "I love you." Truly, I'll give you a moment, because it's a lot of cute vibes to handle.
And then in another scene we actually see the man himself when Taylor runs off stage after a Reputation tour performance and basically leaps into Joe's arms:
Taylor also talked a bit about her personal life without mentioning Joe by name, saying she's not ready to start a family (or at least she wasn't when this doc was filmed): “There’s part of me that feels like I’m 57 years old, but there’s part of me that’s definitely not ready to have kids and definitely not ready for all that grown up stuff. I kind of don’t really have the luxury of figuring stuff out, though, because my life is planned two years ahead of time. Literally, in two months, they’ll come at me with dates for the next tour.”
She also spoke about life before Joe, saying “I didn’t have a partner that I climbed [that mountain] with that I could high five. I didn’t have anyone I could talk to that could relate to it. I had my mom, but I just wondered….shouldn’t there be someone I could call right now?”
After starting to date Joe amid a ton of public drama, she said they “decided together” to keep their relationship private: “Even though it was [a] really horrible [time], I was happy. But I wasn’t happy in the way I was trained to be happy. It was happiness without anyone else’s input. We were just…happy.”
Just gonna be a huge nerd and end things with a đ.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle reportedly had a way out of the royal family before they tied the knot. When they were engaged, Queen Elizabeth allegedly pushed for a longer transition period for Meghan that would have kept her out of the royal spotlight. But Meghan and Harry turned down the offer and became working members of the monarchy shortly after their $25 million wedding.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle | Aaron Chown – WPA Pool/Getty Images
Meghan Markle gives up acting for Prince Harry
Before she met Prince Harry, Meghan had a promising career in Hollywood. The future Duchess of Sussex had made a name for herself in the popular legal drama, Suits, and seemed poised for a successful career in the entertainment industry.
That all changed when she started dating Harry. When he proposed
to Meghan, she decided to give up acting altogether and become a full-time
royal.
After the couple tied the knot in 2018, Meghan took on a full
schedule as a senior member of the royal family. But the scrutiny Meghan and Prince
Harry faced over the past two years proved too difficult for them to handle.
At the beginning of 2020, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex
announced that they were stepping away from their royal duties in favor of a
quieter life. They plan on splitting their time between the UK and Canada and
will no longer accept public funding.
Queen Elizabeth announces royal split
In the days following the stunning announcement, Prince Harry met with other senior royals about leaving The Firm. This includes several meetings with Queen Elizabeth, Prince Charles, and Prince William at Her Majesty’s estate in Sandringham.
Following the intense discussions, Queen Elizabeth released a
statement confirming that Harry and Meghan will be leaving the royal family to
lead a more private life. The transition is likely to be finalized sometime
this spring.
“I recognize the challenges they have experienced as a
result of intense scrutiny over the last two years and support their wish for a
more independent life,” Queen Elizabeth shared.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are currently living on Vancouver Island and are reportedly looking to purchase a second home somewhere in Canada. They are also expected to pay back the money that was used to renovate their house, Frogmore Cottage.
While the couple’s departure shocked royal watchers around the
world, inside sources claim that they were offered a way out of the royal
spotlight days before their lavish wedding.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle offered freedom
Before Meghan and Harry tied the knot, Queen Elizabeth reportedly
approached them with an offer that would make her transition into the royal
family a lot smoother. According to The
Sun, Queen Elizabeth wanted Meghan to take on a lesser role in the
family that would allow her to continue acting.
“From the early days, the Queen really wanted to agree a
smooth transition for Meghan,” a source claims. “The offer would have
allowed her to carry on her career but she was happy to stop acting to become a
working member of the royal family.”
At the time of her wedding, Meghan discussed leaving her acting
career behind and said that she was excited to begin a new chapter in her life.
She also stated that she had put everything she had in her career and felt like
it was a good time to step away.
Fast forward two years and palace officials are reportedly
frustrated by Megxit because they believe it could have been prevented if
Meghan and Prince Harry had accepted Queen Elizabeth’s offer.
They are also disappointed because it seems like Meghan and Harry
were pressured into quitting, which could not be further from the truth. The
royal family has not confirmed the rumors about Queen Elizabeth’s offer.
Was Meghan Markle planning Megxit this whole time?
Apart from Her Majesty’s alleged offer, there are rumors that
suggest Meghan had been planning an early exit from the royal family since day
one.
Once Meghan and Prince Harry exchanged vows, it was presumed that
she would be living permanently in the UK. But prior to moving her things from
Canada, Meghan put a bunch of her clothing in a storage unit in Toronto.
A few weeks ago, Meghan had the clothes shipped from the storage facility to her temporary home on Vancouver Island.
The move has sparked a lot of speculation that Meghan never
intended to remain in the UK for the rest of her life and always had plans to
return to Canada. After all, why else would she keep some of her personal items
in Canada if she didn’t plan on returning?
Meghan Markle has not commented on the rumors surrounding her
exit. Prince Harry has spoken out and said that he felt he “had no other choice.”
Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex are in the midst of a very public transition from being at the forefront of the modern monarchy to retired royals who no longer act on behalf of the queen. It all started on January 8th, when the couple made a statement on their Instagram account, revealing that they intended to “step back” from the historic family and begin, among other things, to earn their own independent income.
While members of the public have mixed feelings about it, it is the royal family itself that has been dealing with the lion’s share of the upheaval. Specifically, Prince Harry’s father, Prince Charles, who is next in line to the throne, has been reported to be struggling with the move in a serious way.
For several years, Prince Harry has had a strained relationship with his older brother, Prince William. While it’s not crystal clear when the feud started, it seems to have been prior to the royal wedding, when Prince William reportedly cautioned his brother against moving into marriage so quickly.
From then on, there was always a feeling of tension between the two, with Prince Harry very determined to strike out on his own, forging a separate identity.
Still, with the news that Prince Harry and Meghan will be stepping back from royal duties, a tentative truce has reportedly formed between Prince Harry and Prince William. According to reports, the two have had a series of private conversations that have worked to repair their bond and end the bad blood.
In the months to come, it seems likely that the two will not be spending a lot of time with each other, but for royal fans, it is reassuring to know that the two brothers have managed to become friends once more.
Is Prince Charles angry with Prince Harry?
Even though Prince William might be at peace with Prince Harry’s decision, Prince Charles reportedly is not. According to a recent Page Six report, Prince Charles is firmly at odds with his youngest son and that Prince Harry’s announcement left him “floored.”
Furthermore, the story claims that Prince Harry’s relationship with Prince Charles — as well as his stepmother Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall — is “complicated.” Prince Charles is reportedly saddened over the whole ordeal.
What’s next for the relationship between Prince Harry and Prince Charles?
Prince Charles and Prince Harry | Chris Jackson/Getty Images
It’s hard to predict what the future holds for Prince Harry and his father, at this point in time. Negotiations between Prince Harry and the palace are ongoing, but it has been determined that in the near future, Meghan and Prince Harry will begin to divide their time between the United Kingdom and Canada. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex will also lose the right to use their royal titles in an official capacity.
In addition, Prince Harry and Meghan will lose their ability to receive taxpayer funding in any capacity, leaving the doors open for sponsorship deals, corporate contracts, and other moneymaking opportunities. While this is clearly in line with what they want, it could potentially cause strained relations between the couple and their royal relatives.
Traditionally, the royal family keeps its distance from the media and doesn’t involve themselves in television or film projects. However, it seems as though that is exactly the type of work that Prince Harry and Meghan have in mind.
For now, a royal source told the Sun last week: “It’s fair to say that the past week has brought William and Harry back together but the relationship with Charles and Camilla is far more complicated and complex. There remains a real lack of trust there and it’s going to take some time to resolve.”
Hopefully, in the future, Prince Harry and his father will be able to forge the same type of understanding that the two royal brothers have reached. As Prince Charles gets older, he will undoubtedly like to surround himself with all of his family and friends — including his renegade youngest son.
Ciara is already the proud mom to two kids: Sienna Princess Wilson, whom she welcomed with Wilson in 2017, and Future Zahir Wilburn, whom she welcomed with her ex Future in 2014.
The celebrity opened up about how motherhood has impacted her as an artist during an interview for Vogue Arabia's February 2019 issue.
"Being a mother of two made me feel even more confident, inspired, and fearless," she said at the time.
She also talked about how becoming a mom has changed her perspective during a 2015 interview with E! News at the American Music Awards.
"I love being a mom," she said at the time. "It really comes first before everything now. Everything has just happened in perfect timing for me with my son. I felt like I needed to have him in reference to how he's grounding me and putting things into perspective for me. It just kind of makes me not care so much about things. Like, I don't sweat the small stuff anymore and I give that credit to my son."
Before Jennifer Lopez was a Super Bowl LIV halftime headliner, she was performing as a Fly Girl during the "In Living Color" halftime show. The sketch comedy show upstaged the 1992 Super Bowl halftime performance and forever changed the game. The Fox series' cast members, the network's former president, NFL insiders and a couple of Olympic gold medalists discuss the culture-shifting moment.
Washington led Buffalo 17-0 at the half of Super Bowl XXVI in Minneapolis. Those tuned in to the CBS broadcast hoped the action would heat up during the "Winter Magic" spectacular. Instead, they got a monotonic introduction from then-NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue and cheesy snowflake graphics.
Olympic figure skaters Dorothy Hamill and Brian Boitano skated atop oversized plastic snowflakes in the middle of the field. Women costumed as snowflakes paraded beside them. Gloria Estefan, known as a trailblazer of the sizzling Miami music scene, performed a winterized rendition of "Live for Loving You" and "Get on Your Feet."
Just a click of a remote away, "In Living Color," which aired on Sundays, dangled its organic connection to youth culture and hip-hop in front of Super Bowl halftime viewers. And they took the bait. The Keenen Ivory Wayans-created series that ran for five seasons, from 1990 until 1994, captured nearly 28.9 million live viewers (including many who weren't previously watching the big game), according to Nielsen. The counterprogramming snagged about 11.7% of the 79.5 million average viewers of CBS' Super Bowl.
Competition often inspires innovation. For 1993, the NFL hired Michael Jackson as the halftime performer. The Super Bowl TV audience rose to 133.4 million viewers. CBS lost the television rights for the '93 game. NBC televised the new halftime spectacular format.
If it weren't for "In Living Color" nudging the NFL to get a tad more creative, we probably wouldn't have had Janet Jackson's wardrobe malfunction or watched Lady Gaga make a high-flying entrance to halftime. We'd perhaps still have high school marching bands and the occasional miscast musical performer.
Everyone quoted is identified by the title they held during Super Bowl XXVI or during their tenure on the Fox series, unless otherwise noted.
HALFTIME WASN'T ALWAYS SPECTACULAR
Jim Steeg, senior vice president, special events, for the NFL and creator of the halftime spectacular: From, like, 1976 through '86, many of the halftime shows were done by Up with People [a traveling troupe of clean-cut kids who sang and danced] or by Disney [now ESPN's parent company]. Once we got past '86, we decided that we needed to go out and find other producers or production companies to put it together. Get something different and fresh. We talked to maybe 15 different producers; [even] Dick Clark came in.
Super Bowl XXVI, we had Gloria Estefan and Brian Boitano and things like that. But [the theme] wasn't driven by the talent. It was more about a spectacle or spectacular. We were trying to figure out how you could celebrate the North and its elements. With the Olympics around the corner, it worked. And Dorothy Hamill and Boitano were big names. [By the 1992 Olympics, Hamill and Boitano had retired. He would, however, make a comeback in 1994 at the Games in Lillehammer, Norway.] But we couldn't bring in ice. We brought in [a plastic surface]. So they could skate on it.
Lesley Visser, CBS Sports correspondent who hosted the presentation of the Lombardi trophy to Washington: They must have done skating because we were in Minnesota. We were heading out to the 1992 Olympics in Albertville, France, the next month. Skating is always the No. 1 sport in the [Winter] Olympics. It made sense. I guess Gloria Estefan, who's beloved -- they just wanted a singer present.
Dorothy Hamill, figure skater and halftime performer: Brian and I were on a little slab of plastic "ice." I had people that were actually at the Super Bowl that didn't know. They didn't see Brian or me on the ice because there was so much going on. I'm sure they were watching Gloria and all that. They said, "You were at the Super Bowl? You were on halftime?" I fell on my rear end, so just as well they didn't see it.
Brian Boitano, figure skater and halftime performer: It's a running a joke for my friends. They are always like, "This certainly isn't 'Winter Magic.'" I was very excited to be at the Super Bowl. Dorothy and I came in the night before and practiced on the plastic ice. I was scared to death because I'd never skated on plastic before. And it was elevated off the stadium floor. If I fell off, it would have been very, very embarrassing.
Hamill: [The halftime producers] gave us a piece of music, and I think I had, like, 30 seconds or 40 seconds. Maybe Brian had 40 seconds to perform. We were about a hundred feet away from one another. There were marching bands, cameras and everything in between us. So when we were performing simultaneously -- which wasn't a lot, just like a turn and a glide -- I couldn't see him. We couldn't really match each other.
Steeg: We were in Minnesota. This isn't Miami, New Orleans or Los Angeles. We had to embrace the winter theme. Ironically, here you have Gloria Estefan, the first lady of Miami, as part of the show. [Estefan returned as a Super Bowl halftime performer in 1999 alongside Stevie Wonder. Radio City Music Hall produced the segment; the game was in Miami.]
Boitano: We practiced with Gloria. I had met her before that. You're on a circuit several years after the Olympics. And she was hot then, so I did a lot of events with her. And didn't she wear a tutu during halftime?
Steeg: Let's also remember, most performers, even if we had some tangential discussion with them about it, they'd say: "I'm not going to do the halftime show. That's not for me. I can't see myself involved with it."
Members of the 1980 U.S. men's hockey team, which defeated the Soviet Union in a stunning semifinal upset and went on to win Olympic gold, were a part of the 1992 halftime show as well.
WHEN EVERYONE TOOK A BATHROOM BREAK
Keenen Ivory Wayans, "In Living Color" creator: There was an ad exec at Frito-Lay, and he's the one who came up with the idea of counterprogramming against the Super Bowl. [Frito-Lay sponsored the "In Living Color" halftime show.] We brainstormed and decided that we'd do it as a live version of the show. We wanted to put up a [countdown] clock on the screen so that people would know when to go back to the game. I was very confident that we would steal the show. It was such a perfect opportunity because halftime was when everybody went to pee.
Jamie Kellner, president of Fox: I give a lot of credit to the marketing department at Pepsi. They posed the idea to me, and it fit perfectly with our brand and theirs. Roger Enrico was the [CEO of Pepsi], and we met on a plane in Dallas to figure out the logistics and how we could all feel safe with a live broadcast that did not have a firm start or end time. [Frito-Lay, which sponsored the "In Living Color" special in 1992, is an American subsidiary of PepsiCo.]
Tommy Davidson, "In Living Color" cast member: Keenen said, "Man, I've got a great idea, you guys." We all talked as friends. Then he said, "What would you guys think if we did this Super Bowl halftime special?" We jumped in the air and said, "We'll beat the ratings!" About a month later, he came back to us and said, "We got the show." You would've thought that he told us that we were in the Super Bowl. Jamie [Foxx], all of us, we went crazy because we knew we were going to beat them.
David Alan Grier, cast member: It was prime for a takeover. Real simple. We were just going to do our show during halftime. And they started running ads all over Fox, wherever they could -- "Be sure to tune in to 'In Living Color.'" We had a very young audience, very urban, but everybody loved it. And I was filming "Boomerang" at the time. I remember Eddie [Murphy, who was the lead actor of the 1992 film] and Reginald Hudlin, the director of "Boomerang," they all knew how big this would be. Everyone, including the studio, allowed me to fly back to film the special. I flew back that morning to get there in time for the live broadcast.
Steeg: We all knew about it. And Fox, at that point in time, was probably a distant fourth to the big networks. And I watched "In Living Color"; we knew about the programming. But people had tried to ambush [halftime] in some way, shape or form. But it hadn't taken. This became a different thing.
Davidson: Keenen says, "All right, Jamie, you're doing this. Jim [Carrey], I pick you to do this. David, I got you doing this." Then he said, "Tommy, I got you hosting because you can handle live." I was like, "Oh my god! I thought you ain't like me!" And I'm like Michael Jordan. All you got to do is give me a ball!
Grier: We had our soundstage, where we always shot the show. And next door to the soundstage was another stage; that's where the live Super Bowl party was going on. That morning when I got into the car [in L.A., after departing New York, where "Boomerang" was filmed, and before heading to the set at the Fox Television Center], the hotel staff was waiting. The doorman and everybody was like, "Yo, man, we're going to watch you. And y'all better get down."
T'Keyah Crystal KeymĂĄh, cast member: The creative chaos was normal at "In Living Color," so going live, we just rolled with it. For most of us, it was our first series. It was my introduction to television. I thought everybody knew their censors by name.
THE SKETCHES THAT STOLE THE SHOW
In the opening skit of the "In Living Color" Super Bowl show, Keenen and his brother (and fellow actor) Damon Wayans pulled former Bills running back Thurman Thomas' fictional wallet out of a locker and discussed the limits of his gold credit card. In real life, the future Hall of Famer was on the field. The special also featured a "Men on Football" skit, an offshoot of the show's "Men on" franchise. Damon and Grier played culture critics in the sketch. Often the jokes were off-color, and they would likely be deemed inappropriate for network television today.
Keenen Ivory Wayans: We knew we'd have football fans, and they may not have seen the show. We decided to combine making fun of football and using the characters from the show. There was a lot of improvisation, and it was scary because I didn't know who was going to say what. That's how we did the show. And I didn't want to compromise that.
Davidson: Keenen later turns to me and says, "Hey, Tommy, can you do Sugar Ray [Leonard]?" And I didn't even care if I really couldn't do a Sugar Ray impression. I said, "Yeah." I went home that night and just kept watching him. I watched Sugar Ray videos 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. I had him nailed by rehearsals. And Jim was Jim. He just did his thing. [Davidson played Sugar Ray interviewing guests during the live taping.]
Kelly Coffield Park, cast member: Jim would just say extreme s--- all the time; everybody did. And it was like, was that on-air? Yeah, it was. Instead of saying, "Now you can go back to watching the game," he'd be extreme. [Carrey referenced the countdown clock that directed fans to go back to watching the Super Bowl after halftime by saying: "You won't miss any of the senseless brutality".] And did he have a huge agenda behind that? He was probably just being ridiculous.
Keenen Ivory Wayans: I mean, the censors had that kill switch. And it looks like we pulled it off. If they missed something, it was on purpose. They wanted the hype. They wanted the controversy. It was good publicity.
Kellner: Keenen and his team wrote a very funny episode that pushed the edge about as far as it could go and not get us in trouble. I sat in the control room with the head of standards and practices for Fox to ride the edit button in case an ad-lib crossed the line. The plan was I would tap his shoulder if I wanted an edit. We both started laughing and missed two edits.
Park: I still get positive feedback on the skits. Damon and David were always pushing the limits with "Men on." They were two straight men playing two gay men, so that wouldn't fly now. At least not in such a stereotypical context.
Marlon Wayans, cast member: I remember watching from the dorms at Howard [University]; this was before I joined the cast. I was just the brother to everyone on "In Living Color" back then. My brother Damon and [David] had a Carl Lewis joke in the special that was just so out there. They improvised it. I was just like, "Man, Carl Lewis is coming. He is going to come looking for you. And you can't run from him." But we always handled things with kid gloves. We weren't trying to be dark.
Shawn Wayans, cast member and onstage DJ: There was a whole party going on in between live sketches. That's what "In Living Color" was -- every rapper and actor was there all the time. The halftime special was different because it was live. And we had R&B group Color Me Badd perform before closing out the show. They sang, "I Wanna Sex You Up."
Keenen Ivory Wayans: Our greenroom was like that all the time. Whenever we taped a show, people just came, so we just decided to kind of share the backstage with the public.
Davidson: It was unbelievable because everybody was coming to the tapings of "In Living Color" anyway. Denzel [Washington], Bruce Willis and more. Every week it was an all-star lineup. After we finished taping every show, people stayed. Tupac, everybody.
Grier: After the special's live sketches finished on the soundstage, we pulled back the sliding door, and the party was going on. Everyone was there -- [Blair Underwood, Leonardo DiCaprio] and the late great Sam Kinison.
THE ROCK THAT HIT GOLIATH BETWEEN THE EYES
Keenen Ivory Wayans: As confident as we were, we knew that we could've played ourselves. We were going up against ... it was David and Goliath, and if that rock hadn't hit right between the eyes, we would've been done.
Steeg: I think the hay was in the barn, right? Yeah, it was a concern. And we [at the NFL] said, "This isn't going to ever happen again." We went on the aggressive and selected Radio City to [produce] the halftime show the next year in Pasadena. Don Garber, who's now the commissioner of the MLS, was working with NFL Properties then.
And Don and I said, "We gotta do something about this." I don't remember if the commissioner ever said, "What are you going to do? What's going to take place?" We literally, within the next month, sat down and came up with ideas. We had identified who we wanted to go after by March. And we met with Michael Jackson's agent.
Visser: "In Living Color" was so brilliant. Come on. How about when they did the Homeboy Shopping Network skit. So, yep, Michael Jackson. I think that CBS knew that the sands were shifting.
Steeg: We knew we were going to have to increase the budget. Double at least. We were going to have to get a sponsor to help to underwrite it. These days when you think of $1 million ... [the cost of the production and added expenses of Jackson's performance. Additionally, the NFL donated $100,000 to the singer's Heal the World Foundation]. Pepsi signed on as a sponsor. That sponsor had to be acceptable to Michael Jackson's camp. They paid for probably 50% of our increase. ["In Living Color" did not have a halftime special in 1993.]
Keenen Ivory Wayans: The NFL didn't acknowledge this for years. They really just huddled up and said, "Let's get Michael Jackson, and let's make sure this never happens again." They just kept getting big names, like Prince [2007] and Madonna [2012].
Marlon Wayans: To this day, "In Living Color" had the best halftime show. I love Michael Jackson. And Justin Timberlake [2004 and 2017] is a friend of mine. But you could put all of them onstage and it wouldn't be like the halftime "In Living Color" s--- because it was nothing like going from the excitement of the game to those laughs. The laughs were everything.
Grier: The thing about "In Living Color" was, it captured the zeitgeist of that cultural moment. It took the fashion, music, comedy all rolled into one. And I don't even remember who won the Super Bowl that year [Washington defeated Buffalo 37-24].
Kellner: It was a great day for Fox.
Keenen Ivory Wayans: This little ragtag crew did something that changed a huge event. We made history.
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9:39 PM PT -- Law enforcement sources tell us they've recovered 2 guns and Offset and 3 others have been taken to the station for further questioning. No official arrests have been made.
Offset has been detained by cops after a report of a person with a gun at an L.A. shopping center.
Law enforcement sources tell TMZ a call came in just before 8 PM of a person with a gun inside the parking structure at The Grove shopping center. We're told the person who had the weapon allegedly fled the scene, and Offset and members of his entourage have been detained.
It is NOT clear if Offset or anyone he was with actually had a weapon, and police are currently investigating the situation.
In video -- obtained by TMZ -- Offset can be seen in a yellow hoodie asking officers why he's been cuffed ... the officer pushes the Migos rapper up against a wall.
We are told Offset is currently being held near the security station of The Grove.
In this week’s issue of PEOPLE, the Total Bella stars, both 36, reveal they’re both expecting — and they’re due only a week and a half apart.
“Wait, twins being pregnant at the same time?” Brie says. “People are going to think that’s a joke. We both are shocked. People are going to think we planned it, but you can’t really plan pregnancy!”
“[It was] a total surprise,” Nikki adds. “It took even me a good week to come to terms with like, ‘Oh my gosh, I’m pregnant.’ I’m not ready for it.”
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Nikki and Brie Bella | James White
Brie, who shares 2-year-old daughter Birdie with husband and pro wrestler Daniel Bryan, was “shocked” to learn she’d conceived shortly after she decided she was “meant to have one child.”
“My husband and I were trying for seven or eight months, but then I felt in my heart it was a sign from God, like, ‘You guys are good with one,’ so we stopped trying,” says Brie. “When we were in France meeting Artem’s family, I felt a little off. I was irritated and uncomfortable in my body. When we got home, I took a test two days before Thanksgiving, and when I saw the positive sign, I was like, ‘Oh, s—!’ “
“I was in yoga, and I kept getting this feeling that you need to take a pregnancy test, but I wasn’t even late yet,” says Nikki, who got engaged during a romantic trip to France in November. “And so I’m like, ‘Why do I keep having this feeling? Am I getting twin vibes from her? Because she just told me she’s pregnant?’ “
“I didn’t tell Artem at this point,” Nikki adds. “I just want to do this by myself. When I came back in, and it said pregnant, I had to sit down for a second.”
Nikki Bella and Artem Chigvintsev | Matt Winkelmeyer/KCASports2019/Getty Images for Nickelodeon
Because they share everything, from birthdays to WWE titles, the Bellas say they’re experiencing the same symptoms too.
“We have definitely felt better in our lives,” says Brie. “It’s actually crazy because we both have the same symptoms. So we’ve been super nauseous.”
“I feel like I literally have a hangover every day and it’s crazy because I’m not going out and partying,” adds Nikki. “I’m not hitting up my usual happy hours. There’s no wine in my life. It’s like having a hangover. I think what’s been the hardest part on me is feeling this hangover every day.”
She continues “My eating habits have changed. I thought that, ‘Okay, I’m gonna stay healthy. I’m going to be good.’ But when it kicks in, this feeling, you only want french fries and ketchup. Vegetables sound disgusting. Anything healthy, honestly, sounds disgusting.”
But despite the “hangovers,” both Brie and Nikki are grateful for how things turned out.
“Even though I feel really sick, like, can’t believe I’m going to be a mom soon,” says Nikki. “I’m going to have this person to take care of for the rest of their life and help them do the right things and just show them the way of the world. That’s amazing!”
“It’s something I’ve dreamed of my whole life,” adds Nikki, who was previously engaged to wrestler-actor John Cena (they called it quits in July 2018).
“So when I thought it was going to be taken, for me, it was really difficult. I was just like, gosh, I can’t imagine life without being a mom and experiencing the miracle of life and raising a child. I’m just so family-oriented that I couldn’t imagine not having that family life.”
Total Bellas returns this spring on E!.
For more from Nikki and Brie Bella, pick up the latest issue of PEOPLE, on newsstands Friday.
Part of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s plan to leave the royal family is becoming financially independent from the crown. But in the weeks following their shocking exit, there was a lot of doubt about how the Duke and Duchess of Sussex would fund their lavish endeavors. Turns out, the couple will make a staggering amount of money if they agree to tell their side of the story to the public.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle | Chris Jackson/Chris Jackson/Getty Images
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle could make millions on a speaking
tour
Although Harry is sixth in line to the throne, he and Meghan are
currently among the most popular members of the royal family. Their Instagram
account, for example, already has more followers than Prince William and Kate
Middleton, and it was only launched in 2019.
Given their popularity, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle could earn hundreds of thousands of dollars to speak at events. According to TMZ, a company called GDA Speakers says that Harry and Meghan would command the same amount of money as their celebrity clients, which includes the likes of Nicole Kidman and Diane Keaton.
If that holds true, the Sussexes could make anywhere in the range
of $200,000 to $300,000 each for a given speaking gig.
Multiple that by however many gigs they could land in a year and
the pair could easily fund their various endeavors. And speaking is only the
tip of the iceberg when it comes to their earning potential.
Will Harry and Meghan write a tell-all?
Another major source of income could come in the form of a tell-all memoir. Now that they are no longer senior members of the royal family, Harry and Meghan could easily write a book about their experiences with Queen Elizabeth, Prince Charles, William, and Kate.
If they did decide to write a tell-all, a publisher could easily
offer them an $8 million advance, which would only be a starting point.
From there, Prince Harry and Meghan would likely make money from
how many copies the publisher sold, which would boost their earnings even
higher.
The only problem with this plan is that it would require Harry to
throw his family under the bus and reveal their dirtiest secrets. Harry and
Meghan may have stepped down as senior members of the royal family, but we
aren’t sure they are at that point just yet.
How will Prince Harry and Meghan Markle make money?
BBC royal correspondent Jonny Dymond said royals were usually excluded from doing paid work, but by setting aside their titles Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have gained more freedom.
“Of course, once you lose the title then you are no longer
royal and special, and it may be that your brand is much less attractive to
potential partners,” he said.
Public relations consultant Mark Borkowski said even without their titles, the couple are “powerful A-listers in their own right, so they’re going to attract a lot of attention.”
There have been rumors of a sit-down interview with everyone from Ellen Degeneres to Oprah, but the palace denied the claims, calling them “categorically untrue.”
They former royals could also go the way of Barack and Michelle Obama and sign a deal with Netflix to produce original content for hundreds of millions of dollars.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle plan to split their time between the UK and North America – and their global reach could open up a wealth of opportunities.
"[It was] a total surprise," Nikki tells People. "It took even me a good week to come to terms with like, 'Oh my gosh, I'm pregnant.' I'm not ready for it."
"Wait, twins being pregnant at the same time?" Brie shares with the outlet. "People are going to think that's a joke. We both are shocked. People are going to think we planned it, but you can't really plan pregnancy!"
The baby news also comes just weeks after Nikki and Dancing With the Stars pro Artem announced their engagement. In early January, Nikki took to Instagram to share the engagement news with her fans.
"Excited for 2020 and the next decade with you @theartemc. I said yes in France in November!" Nikki wrote. "We have been trying to keep it a secret but really wanted to share our excitement for the New Year!"
Along with the announcement, Nikki, 36, and Artem, 37, both shared a photo of the gorgeous engagement ring.
"You are the best thing that has ever happened to me," Artem wrote to Nikki. "So excited for what's to come I love you more than anything and thank you for saying Yes."
Nikki and Artem first became friends during season 25 of Dancing With the Stars in 2017. They later reconnected as pals following Nikki's 2018 split from John Cena. Then, in Jan. 2019, a source told E! News that Nikki and Artem had updated their relationship status.
Instagram
As for Brie, 36, and Bryan, 38, they'll be celebrating six years of marriage later this year. The superstar couple tied the knot in April 2014 surrounded by friends and family. In late 2019, Brie opened up about her fertility struggles in an interview with Health.
"We were trying for eight months, and I couldn't get pregnant. I was stressed, and it wasn't happening," Brie shared. "There were a couple times that I was so late and was sure I was pregnant. Then I would get my period and bleed really badly. I think the universe was telling me something—like, it's not a great time to have another baby."
"To be honest, I'd get these sweats thinking about how to travel with two. I hear going from one to two changes things big-time. Bryan travels all the time," Brie continued. "We were talking about it, and think it would be amazing to see Birdie as a big sister. I just have to think about my career—and does it fit in now, or do I need to wait until my husband is home more?"
Instagram
When Nikki was asked if about babies, she told the outlet she "definitely" wants to be a mom one day, but noted it's all about timing.
"I'm in this unfortunate situation where I'm 36 and everyone is reminding me, 'Your eggs, your eggs!' So I'm freezing my eggs," Nikki shared. "I also found out I have PCOS—it kills your fertility. I'm getting brown spots all over my face, acne, weight fluctuations, and hair loss. I actually just found out and was devastated. You research it, and there is no cure."
"I just pray I have some fertile eggs left and that I can still be a mom," Nikki added. "So yes, I do feel like being a mom is in my future. I am just not sure how soon."
We're sending our love to Nikki and Brie and their growing families! And Total Bellas fans will be able to see the exact moment the sisters found out about their pregnancies on the new season of the E! series, premiering this spring.
