Matthew Lillard Says Quentin Tarantino Jibes Felt Like A ‘Punch In The Mouth’

Posted on 24/02/2026 by Boris Clair

Matthew Lillard has admitted he had a profound reaction to the support he received after Quentin Tarantino’s recent disparaging comments about him.

Late last year, during an interview on The Bret Easton Ellis Podcast, Tarantino said he didn’t “care for” Lillard, as well as taking shots at fellow actors Paul Dano and Owen Wilson.

Talking to People magazine, the Scream actor joked that the outpouring of love he received in the wake of the controversial interview made him feel like he was going to his own funeral.

“It felt like I had died and was in heaven watching everyone send out their RIP tweets,” he explained, adding that the likes of George Clooney and Superman director James Gunn had “been really generous” by sticking up for him and “telling me how much they loved me and liked my work”.

“I mean, it was really nice being a part of your own wake, sort of sitting there living through all the nice things people say after you die,” the Scooby-Doo star quipped.

He admitted that Tarantino’s remarks were especially painful because he had previously been a big fan of the Pulp Fiction director, and would “love” to work with him in the future.

“I think he’s a lovely filmmaker, and to just sort of get punched in the mouth was kind of a bummer,” he admitted.

Lillard first addressed Tarantino’s comments in December during an appearance at GalaxyCon in Ohio.

Reflecting on what had been said, Lillard admitted his feelings had been hurt, and that it “fucking [sucked]” that the One Upon A Time In Hollywood director had aired his negative views.

“You wouldn’t say that to Tom Cruise. You wouldn’t say that to somebody who’s a top-line actor in Hollywood,” he said.

While Paul Dano never commented publicly on Tarantino calling him the “weakest fucking actor in SAG,” he did admit the many comments defending him were “nice”.

“I was also incredibly grateful that the world spoke up for me so I didn’t have to,” Dano told Variety earlier this year.

BBC Confirms Second Racist Slur Was Edited Out Of Its Baftas Coverage

Posted on 24/02/2026 by Boris Clair

The BBC has confirmed that a second racist slur was edited out of Sunday night’s Baftas broadcast, after the corporation has faced widespread backlash over its coverage of this year’s event.

In the last two days, the BBC has come under fire over the decision to include an uncensored slur in this year’s Baftas broadcast, which aired on a two-hour time delay.

Early on in the ceremony, Tourette’s campaigner John Davidson shouted the N-word after experiencing an involuntary tic while Sinners actor Michael B Jordan and Delroy Lindo were presenting an award.

This backlash was then exacerbated by the news that an acceptance speech by filmmaker Akinola Davies Jr had been edited to remove a message of solidarity with Palestine from the broadcast.

Eventually, on Monday afternoon, the BBC issued an apology, and confirmed that the use of the N-word was being removed from the version of the Baftas streaming on its iPlayer service.

Tourette's advocate John Davidson at the 2026 Baftas — Tourette’s advocate John Davidson at the 2026 Baftas

The following afternoon, BBC News reported that a second slur had been successfully removed from the broadcast ahead of time, which a BBC spokesperson confirmed to be the case in an internal memo shared with HuffPost UK.

This memo, sent by the BBC’s chief content officer Kate Phillips, reads: “I’m so sorry that a racial slur was not edited out of our broadcast. We understand how distressing this was.

“Award attendees were pre-warned about the possibility of involuntary verbal tics associated with Tourette Syndrome at the start of the show, and Alan Cumming addressed it during the broadcast. Of course, this doesn’t lessen the impact and upset.

“The edit team removed another racial slur from the broadcast. This one was aired in error and we would never have knowingly allowed this to be broadcast. We take full responsibility for what happened. When I was made aware it was audible on iPlayer, I asked for it to be taken down.”

A BBC rep also reiterated to HuffPost UK: “Some viewers may have heard strong and offensive language during the BAFTA Film Awards. This arose from involuntary verbal tics associated with Tourette syndrome, and as explained during the ceremony it was not intentional.

“We apologise that this was not edited out prior to broadcast and it has been removed from BBC iPlayer.”

Michael B Jordan and Delroy Lindo on stage at the 2026 Baftas

BBC News has claimed that the reason producers did not edit out the original slur was because they were working from a truck, and therefore missed the moment when it happened in the room, though this remains unconfirmed by Bafta and the broadcaster itself.

Meanwhile, after Delroy Lindo expressed his disappointment at the way Bafta handled the incident, a spokesperson issued a lengthy apology taking “full responsibility” for what transpired.

John also released a statement of his own, saying: “I am, and always have been, deeply mortified if anyone considers my involuntary tics to be intentional or to carry any meaning.”

Wonder Man Introduces Viewers To Box Breathing – And Therapists Can’t Get Enough

Posted on 17/02/2026 by Boris Clair

Marvel’s latest hit TV show follows the story of Simon Williams (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II), an aspiring actor struggling in the entertainment industry who’s desperate to star in a major remake of his favourite childhood superhero film, Wonder Man.

Simon meets fellow actor Trevor Slattery (Sir Ben Kingsley), and the pair strike up a friendship as they attempt to bag themselves life-changing roles in the new film.

The pair get into a few scrapes throughout the series, and we see Simon struggling with anxiety, his racing thoughts and emotions getting the better of him.

In one scene, Trevor teaches Simon about the art of “box breathing” to regulate himself, which the actor then continues to utilise throughout the series.

While it’s not a new technique, viewers who weren’t previously familiar with this breathing exercise have now adopted it in their own lives, with positive results – especially when they’re feeling anxious.

What is box breathing?

As the exercise involves holding your breath, Medical News Today notes that people with high blood pressure or who are pregnant should consult a doctor before trying it.

To give it a go, draw a box in your mind – or in the air in front of you with your finger:

Breathe in for four seconds, while drawing along one side.
Hold your breath for four seconds, while drawing along the next.
Breathe out for four seconds, while drawing along the third side.
Leave your lungs empty while you draw along the fourth side.

Mental health pros are big fans of this breathing technique.

Counselling Directory member Donna Morgan tells HuffPost UK: “Box breathing is one of the simplest and most effective tools I use in my work as an anxiety therapist.

“I smile when clients mention they first saw it on Wonder Man, because popular culture sometimes introduces people to techniques that are genuinely powerful.”

Breathing properly (that is, utilising your lung’s full capacity) has many benefits –it can reduce stress and anxiety levels, slow heart rate, lower blood pressure, and sharpen focus.

Morgan explains that box breathing is effective because it creates balance and predictability, “which is incredibly reassuring for an anxious nervous system”.

“What makes it so effective is not just that it distracts the mind, but that it directly influences physiology. Slow, controlled breathing stimulates the vagus nerve and supports the parasympathetic nervous system, which is responsible for rest and repair,” she shares.

Counselling Directory member Sabah Moran agrees it’s an effective strategy to help regulate stress hormones and activate the parasympathetic nervous system, taking our body back to its ‘rest’ state.

When we are anxious, our fight or flight response is activated leaving us with those classic symptoms: raised heart rate, shallow breathing, sweaty palms and that nauseating feeling in the pit of your stomach.

“The controlling of the breath both in and out, allows the levels of oxygen and carbon dioxide to be back in balance. Adrenaline and cortisol can leave the system,” Moran adds.

Donna Morgan noted that when we consciously slow the breath and create even counts, “we send a clear message to the brain that we are safe”.

“We have the power to do this. Over time, clients learn that they can influence their own state rather than feeling hijacked by it,” she added.

Love box breathing? Try the ‘5,4,3,2,1 method’

In addition to box breathing, both therapists love grounding techniques such as the 5,4,3,2,1 method, which is designed to bring someone out of anxious thinking and back into the present moment by using the senses.

It works like this:

5. Name five things you can see.
4. Notice four things you can feel or touch.
3. Identify three things you can hear.
2. Notice two things you can smell.
1. Name one thing you can taste or one thing you appreciate.

Explaining why it works, Morgan says: “When someone is anxious, the amygdala is activated and the brain is scanning for threat.”

This method redirects attention to neutral sensory data, however. “That shift reduces cognitive spiralling and signals safety to the nervous system. It also engages the prefrontal cortex which supports rational thinking and emotional regulation,” she adds.

“Like box breathing it is simple. We may not be superheroes on screen, but we all have the capacity to influence our own mind and calm our nervous system when we understand how it works.”

Clearly, Trevor is onto something…

All eight episodes of Wonder Man are available to watch on Disney+ now.

Johnny Flynn Addresses JK Rowling Controversy After Taking On Harry Potter Role

Posted on 17/02/2026 by Boris Clair

Harry Potter newcomer Johnny Flynn is addressing the backlash surrounding JK Rowling after he accepted a role in the latest adaptation of her novels.

Johnny is set to play Lucius Malfoy in HBO’s new Harry Potter TV show, which will dedicate one season to each of Rowling’s books.

Since the project was announced, several cast members have received backlash for accepting roles in the series due to the author’s involvement as an executive producer, as she has become a polarising figure in recent years due to her commentary on issues relating to transgender people.

This has included – but is not limited to – deliberately and repeatedly misgendering transgender public figures, and donating tens of thousands of pounds to the campaign group which raised the initial legal challenge that led to the UK Supreme Court’s 2025 ruling that the legal definition of a woman should include only those who were assigned female at birth.

During a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Johnny was asked about the new Harry Potter series and raised the issue of Rowling himself.

“Obviously, there’s quite a lot of stuff around Jo Rowling,” he began. “I suppose that’s been quite interesting to navigate, the conversations there – but all important conversations to have.

“The people working on this are really, really great and create a really special atmosphere, [like] Francesca [Gardiner] the showrunner, and Mark Mylod and various directors. There’s such care.”

He pointed out that his character is “hardly in book one”, meaning his appearances in season one are limited, although he insisted the show has “such a welcoming environment” on set.

Among the prolific names already cast in the Harry Potter series are John Lithgow as Albus Dumbledore, Nick Frost as Rubeus Hagrid and Paapa Essiedu as Severus Snape.

Shortly after John’s casting was announced, the two-time Oscar nominee admitted he was “absolutely not” expecting the backlash he received for accepting the role of Dumbledore, pondering: “I wonder how JK Rowling has absorbed it. I suppose at a certain point I’ll meet her and I’m curious to talk to her.”

More recently, the Conclave star told The Hollywood Reporter of the controversy: “I take the subject and the issue extremely seriously.

“JK Rowling has created this amazing canon for young people, young kids’ literature that has jumped into the consciousness of society. Young and old people love Harry Potter and the Harry Potter stories. It’s so much about acceptance. It’s about good versus evil. It’s about kindness versus cruelty. It’s deeply felt.”

He added that, because of this, he found Rowling expressing “such views” on transgender people both “ironic and somewhat inexplicable”.

Meanwhile, after ruffling feathers with his own casting, Nick Frost insisted last year that his and Rowling’s views on the trans community are markedly different.

“She’s allowed her opinion and I’m allowed mine,” he insisted. “They just don’t align in any way, shape or form.”

James Van Der Beek Roles: 7 TV Shows And Films To Stream Now

Posted on 12/02/2026 by Boris Clair

Following James Van Der Beek’s death at the age of 48, many of his fans are reflecting on his legacy of iconic TV shows and films

Although to most of us, James will be best remembered for playing Dawson Leery in the iconic Dawson’s Creek, the actor had a varied body of work on both the big and small screen .

To celebrate the star’s life, we’ve rounded up some of his most notable movie and TV performances that are available to stream now…

Dawson’s Creek

Undoubtedly one of the most iconic shows of the 1990s, Dawson’s Creek starred James in the lead role of Dawson Leery, following the character and his close-knit friendship group as they navigated young adulthood.

The show was a revolutionary depiction of teenage life, and set the template for many similar shows that came after in the years that followed, paving the way for so many of those iconic 90s and 2000s shows we all know and love.

Dawson’s Creek turned James into a global heartthrob, and also helped launch the careers of Michelle Williams, Joshua Jackson and Katie Holmes.

Running for 122 episodes between 1998 and 2003, the show often lands on the best shows of all time, including on Entertainment Weekly’s New TV Classics list back in 2007.

All six seasons of Dawson’s Creek are now streaming on ITVX

One Tree Hill

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In 2008, James had a four-episode arc in One Tree Hill, a TV show that was frequently compared to Dawson’s Creek throughout its run.

The teen drama was set in the fictional town of Tree Hill, North Carolina, and initially followed the lives of two basketball-loving, loathario half-brothers, played by Chad Michael Murray and James Lafferty.

James played Adam Reece, an eccentric film director hired to direct an ill-fated adaptation of Lucas’ novel.

The late performer was credited as a Special Guest Star for his work on One Tree Hill, and was the only non-recurring actor to achieve this during the show’s nine seasons.

All nine seasons of One Tree Hill are now streaming on ITVX

The Rules Of Attraction

James played the lead in the 2002 film adaptation of Brett Easton Ellis’ black comedy novella.

A spin-off of American Psycho, the movie followed three New Hampshire college students who become entangled in a love triangle.

James played Sean, Patrick Bateman’s younger brother, a drug dealer who becomes obsessed with Shannyn Sossaman’s character, yet is unaware he has caught the eye of her bisexual ex, played by Ian Somerhalder.

The film was met with a mixed critical reception, but it saw James finally shake the “boy next door” image that had stuck with him since Dawson’s Creek.

Stream The Rules Of Attraction on the BFI Player

How I Met Your Mother

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James also had a guest role in How I Met Your Mother, appearing in three episodes between 2008 and 2013 as Robin’s first boyfriend, Simon.

He made his first appearance in season three of comedy, even appearing in Robin’s “music video” for her song Sandcastles In The Sand.

In seasons eight and nine, James continued to make minor appearances, including in an in-show documentary about Robin’s teen pop career and later in a flashback sequence.

All nine seasons How I Met Your Mother are streaming on Disney+

Don’t Trust The B– In Apartment 23

In Don’t Trust the B– in Apartment 23, James played a parody version of himself in all 26 episodes.

The sitcom followed a party girl, played by Krysten Ritter, who acts outrageously to try to scare roommates away until she forms an unlikely friendship with her latest cohabitant.

In the show, James hilariously sent up his public persona and the industry in general, playing a desperate out-of-work version of himself, which often saw him mock his supposed failure to reach the success of Dawson’s Creek elsewhere in his career.

The sitcom premiered in 2012 and was cut short after just two seasons, but during its short lifespan earned a cult following.

Both seasons of Don’t Trust the B– In Apartment 23 are available to stream on Disney+

Pose

James played Matt Bromley in the first season of Ryan Murphy’s trailblazing ballroom series Pose.

Matt was the hedonistic co-worker of Evan Peters’ character at the Trump Organisation, who eventually decides to out his colleague’s extramarital affairs after becoming jealous of his success.

Although James’ character was predominantly involved in a subplot, his “engaging performance” was still praised by reviewers, who declared that he helped make “these scenes of ’80s excess a worthy distraction”.

All three seasons of Pose are now streaming on Disney+

Overcompensating

Overcompensating marked James’ final TV appearance before his death in February 2026.

In a moment the LA Times described as “passing the torch” of sorts, James made a brief appearance as a middle-aged former frat boy, who realises that his supposed “glory days” are behind him, and warns Adam Di Marco’s high school senior to “to enjoy the day”.

James’ final public appearance before his death was at the Overcompensating season one premiere in May last year.

Watch season one of Overcompensating on Amazon Prime Video now.

Super Bowl Halftime Show 2026: Before Bad Bunny’s Performance, 18 Most Shocking Moments

Posted on 08/02/2026 by Boris Clair

You really know you’ve made it as an A-list music star when the NFL invites you to perform during the Super Bowl Halftime Show.

In the past few years alone, massive names as varied as The Weeknd, Jennifer Lopez, Usher, Kendrick Lamar and, of course, Rihanna have all wowed with their performances – but there have been a fair few shocking moments along the way.

This year, the honour falls to music superstar Bad Bunny, fresh from his Album Of The Year win at the 2026 Grammys, and the world is sure to be watching to see what he pulls out of the bag on one of the world’s most-watched music events.

Indeed, as history has proved time and time again, the Super Bowl Halftime Show hasn’t always been just about the music – with plenty of shocking and headline-grabbing moments taking place at the annual sports event.

As we get ready for what could easily become one of the year’s biggest nights in music, here are 18 more of the biggest Super Bowl shockers from years gone by…

18. Blackout Bowl (2013)

This shocking moment didn’t come during Beyoncé’s Halftime Show but shortly after it, with the football game that followed (snooze…) having to suspend play for a full 34 minutes due to a power outage.

Evidently, the power of the Queen Bey is so strong, it can even plunge an entire stadium into darkness. Bow down, bitches indeed.

Watch the full performance here.

17. Usher Bowl (2024)

Usher’s jam-packed set included powerful vocals, surprise A-list guests and impressive choreo.

Looking back, though, we think this impromptu shirtless moment is probably what we think of most when we reflect on the Burn singer’s Super Bowl appearance…

Watch the full performance here.

16. #LeftShark Bowl (2015)

She’s not always the first person you think of when it comes to great live performers, but Katy Perry proved a massive point when she really brought it at the Super Bowl.

Over the course of her Halftime Show, Katy entered atop a giant lion, floated through the air while singing Firework, introduced Missy Elliott and convincingly rocked out to I Kissed A Girl with Lenny Kravitz.

And yet… the next day all anyone seemed to want to talk about was the “Left Shark” incident, when one of her dancers lost their way in the middle of a routine, while dressed as a shark.

It’s a pity, really, because Katy’s was one of the most impressive and elaborate Super Bowl shows of the 2010s.

But also… what was that shark doing?!

Watch the full performance here.

15. Madonna Bowl (2012)

There were plenty of shockers during Madonna’s Super Bowl show (one of which we’ll get to a bit later on in this list).

Her entrance? Iconic. Her guest performers? Alarming. Her choreo? Near perfect, even if she did trip just a little bit while shuffling with LMFAO.

Luckily, this would be the last time Madonna ever had to worry about a slip-up on live television. Apart from this, of course. Oh, and this.

Watch the full performance here.

14. Hip-Hop Bowl (2022)

If nothing else, the 2022 Halftime Show will be remembered for the epic level of stars that took part, with singer Mary J Blige and rappers Kendrick Lamar, Eminem and 50 Cent among those sharing the stage in a celebration of hip-hop music throughout the years.

There were some big headline-grabbing moments, too – not least when 50 Cent recreated his upside down entrance from his In Da Club music video, and Eminem made a show of solidarity by taking the knee in the middle of the performance.

Watch the full performance here.

13. Boss Bowl (1996)

Diana Ross’ Super Bowl performance was jam-packed with hits, dating back from the music legend’s days in the Supremes right through to her solo success.

Arguably the most iconic moment of the lot came right at the end, though, when she left the field in a helicopter. There’s travelling in style, and then there’s this…

Watch the full performance here.

12. Prince Bowl (2007)

Nobody would question that Prince is one of the greatest live performers in pop history, but he really cemented this at the 2007 Super Bowl. As well as covering tracks by Queen, Foo Fighters and Bob Dylan, he effortlessly performed his own songs Let’s Go Crazy and Baby I’m A Star.

He closed the show with a version of his signature hit, Purple Rain, made all the more significant by the literal downpour that accompanied it – the real shocker being that Prince still managed to retain his cool throughout. What a man.

Watch the full performance here.

11. Disney Bowl (1991)

If you want to talk about shockers, just wait.

Before it was so commonplace for huge musicians to perform at the Halftime Show, organisers used to think a little more outside the box. That’s why in 1991, they handed over the reins to the Walt Disney Company.

Disney’s show is not one that’s looked back on particularly fondly, with a wave of local child performers sharing the stage with the company’s iconic characters (as well as New Kids On The Block, for some reason), while also somehow shoehorning in a tribute to those fighting in the Gulf war, and a message from then-president George Bush.

Fortunately for everyone involved, this was also the year Whitney Houston blew everyone away with her rendition of the National Anthem, which is what most of us remember about the Super Bowl that year.

Watch the full performance here.

10. Gaga Bowl (2017)

Known for making a statement in some way or another whenever she performs live, we were curious to see how Lady Gaga would kick things off when given the massive platform of the Super Bowl Halftime Show.

And really, what better way is there to make an entrance than a pre-recorded patriotic tune sung from the top of a stadium, before leaping off it to perform your hits on the field below?

Watch the full performance here.

9. Timberlake Bowl (2018)

After a great run of successive mega-stars performing at the Super Bowl , beginning with Madonna and ending with Lady Gaga, the stakes were high when it was announced that Justin Timberlake would be taking the stage for the first time since 2004.

Regrettably, his performance didn’t quite live up to expectations, with many criticising his unusual fashion choices, as well as the decision not to invite Janet Jackson to perform with him following their ill-fated performance more than a decade earlier (more on that later, unsurprisingly).

Watch the full performance here.

8. Diva Bowl (2020)

In 2020, the NFL lined up two legendary artists to share top billing with Jennifer Lopez and Shakira teaming up for the Halftime Show.

The pair’s performance was packed full of memorable moments, with Shakira showing off her famous belly-dancing skills, crowd-surfing and paid homage to both her Colombian and Lebanese heritage.

Meanwhile, J-Lo sneaked in a cameo appearance from her teenager Emme, and turned her hit Let’s Get Loud into a unifying (and surprisingly effective) protest anthem.

However, some more conservative critics took issue with the star when she showed off some of the pole-dancing skills she’d honed while making the film Hustlers. There’s clearly just no pleasing some people…

Watch the full performance here.

7. Weeknd Bowl (2021)

Given that The Weeknd’s Halftime Show performance came pretty much slap-bang in the middle of the pandemic, there was a big question mark over exactly how he would be able to pull it all off.

True to form, he managed just fine.

Embodying the “lounge lizard” character that he took on while promoting his After Hours album, the singer put an unusually eerie spin on the Super Bowl Halftime Show, at one point getting lost in a creepy maze before heading out onto the pitch, where he was met by an army of identically-dressed backing dancers in facial bandages.

Watch the full performance here.

6. Kendrick Bowl (2025)

Kendrick Lamar during a memorable moment in his 2025 Super Bowl routine

It’s tough to know quite where to start with Kendrick Lamar’s performance from 2025.

One of the best showman of his generation, it says something that above all of that, what we best remember Kendrick holding court at the centre of it all.

Watch the full performance here.

5. Rihanna Bowl (2023)

Rihanna performing at the Super Bowl in 2023

Having been away from the stage for a number of years, the world was waiting with baited breath for Rihanna’s Super Bowl performance, which she’d previously teased would include a mysterious surprise guest.

What no one could have anticipated, though, was that Rih was talking about her unborn child, not least because she’d welcomed her son RZA only a few months earlier.

Reports claimed that the chart-topping star even managed to conceal her pregnancy from almost everyone involved in putting the performance together – which made it almost using the Super Bowl Halftime Performance as her way of announcing to the world she had another baby on the way all the more surprising.

She has since welcomed a second son, Riot, with her partner, fellow musician A$AP Rocky.

Watch the full performance here.

4. Reunion Bowl (2013)

It had been one of the worst kept secrets in music, but we still did a little squeal when the other two members of Destiny’s Child popped up during Beyoncé’s Super Bowl performance (and what a pop up it was, we could happily watch Michelle Williams finding her feet after shooting up from the floor for a good two hours without getting bored).

The trio whizzed through Bootylicious and Independent Women before joining Beyoncé for Single Ladies, complete with the video’s original choreo.

Watch the full performance here.

3. Middle Finger Bowl (2012)

Madonna was the main event during the 2012 Halftime Show, but it was M.I.A. who wound up generating the most headlines.

Upon finding out that her pre-recorded vocals would be cutting out the word “shit” as she appeared during Give Me All Your Luvin’, the British rapper decided to take matters into her own hands, or rather fingers, by flipping off the camera at the end of her part of the performance.

Although the incident only lasted a split second, it had big repercussions for M.I.A., who wound up facing a lawsuit for millions of dollars from the NFL over the unplanned incident.

Watch the full performance here.

2. Formation Bowl (2016)

Beyoncé had already begun addressing social issues, specifically feminism, on her self-titled album at the end of 2013, but she cranked things up a good few notches when she kicked off the Lemonade era.

This stage of her career began with a guest spot during Coldplay’s Super Bowl show, where her first ever live performance of Formation wound up creating a buzz thanks to its allusions to Malcolm X, the Black Panthers and the Black Lives Matter movement.

Beyoncé’s fans lapped it up, and her empowering Super Bowl performance built anticipation for when Lemonade arrived a few months later, following similar themes.

Watch the full performance here.

1. Hey Jude Bowl (2005)

Just kidding…

1. Janet Jackson Bowl (2004)

“Play at the Super Bowl,” they told Janet Jackson. “Invite Justin Timberlake along,” they told Janet Jackson. “This will give your career a massive boost,” they told Janet Jackson.

The story goes that Justin went to tear off the front of Janet’s outfit at the end of their performance, but also wound up ripping her lace bra too, exposing her breast, which was covered by a nipple shield.

Although the so-called “wardrobe malfunction” didn’t even last a full second, it had the power to bring Janet’s career to a temporary halt, and while she’s certainly enjoyed success since, we can’t help but wonder how far the talented and unique star could have gone had this scandal not defined her for so many years.

In more recent years, Janet and Justin’s Super Bowl performance has been used as an example of gender double standards in the entertainment industry.

Janet had her performance at the 2004 Grammys – which took place just seven days after the Super Bowl – unceremoniously dropped in the fallout. Justin, meanwhile, not only performed during the show but took home Album Of The Year, even cracking a joke about the Super Bowl during his acceptance speech.

In early 2018, Justin disclosed that he and Janet were on good terms despite the scandal, but sadly those “good terms” didn’t extend to an invitation to join him on stage, which is unfortunate, because that would certainly have livened up what was ultimately a fairly poorly-received performance.

Three years later, Justin publicly apologised to both Janet and his ex-girlfriend Britney Spears, stating (in a since-deleted Instagram post): “I care for and respect these women and I know I failed”.

He added: “The industry is flawed. It sets men, especially white men, up for success. It’s designed this way. As a man in a privileged position I have to be vocal about this. Because of my ignorance, I didn’t recognise it for all that it was while it was happening in my own life but I do not want to ever benefit from others being pulled down again.”

Watch the full performance here.

Bridgerton Stars Make Very Unsexy Admission About Filming That Steamy Staircase Scene

Posted on 03/02/2026 by Boris Clair

Across the last four seasons, Bridgerton has become famous for not holding back when it comes to its many sex scenes.

While last season featured that infamous carriage scene between Penelope and Colin, the most recent chapter in the Netflix period drama saw Benedict and Sophie getting steamy in the stairwell.

So, what was it like filming the scene?

Well, according to cast member Luke Thompson, it was actually pretty rough because he and co-star Yerin Ha kept falling ill.

“What we actually did is we both got ill,” he admitted to E! News.

Benedict and Sophie's most romantic moment played out in a cliffhanger scene that took place on a staircase — Benedict and Sophie’s most romantic moment played out in a cliffhanger scene that took place on a staircase

Meanwhile, Yerin, who plays Sophie, explained how sex scenes may look fun to viewers but are challenging to make, especially when under the weather.

The Australian actor also admitted that the staircase hookup scene had to be moved back in the schedule due to her and Luke’s illness.

“We were very mentally a little bit weak, a little bit nervous, my immune system was down,” Yerin added.

Luckily, their intimacy coordinator, Lizzie Talbot, made shooting the memorable moment a “quite seamless” process.

“When you have trust with a great scene partner like Luke, it always just comes together quite naturally,” Yerin told People.

She added: “It’s funny, because those Bridgerton steamy, sex scenes – or whatever you want to call them – they don’t feel like they’re there just for the sake of it. They’re actually an extension of the storytelling, and it is quite poetic and they’re there for an actual purpose.”

Luke Thompson and Yerin Ha in another key moment from Bridgerton's fourth season — Luke Thompson and Yerin Ha in another key moment from Bridgerton’s fourth season

This season focuses on the class divide between Sophie, who works as a maid, and the aristocratic Benedict, which is how the symbolic location for the sex scene came to be.

“It is upstairs, downstairs, and they meet in the middle, and it’s like, what does that represent? And what story are we trying to say in that moment exactly?” Yerin added.

Part one of Bridgerton season four is now streaming on Netflix. Part two premieres on 26 February.