Category: 5. Entertainment

Key Facts

Chief Critics

Shapiro, in a video posted to his YouTube channel, accused the cast and crew of making an “attempt to separate Superman off from America,” alleging Gunn likened the character to an “illegal immigrant.” Shapiro said Superman is an “immigrant who assimilates to American values” and compared him unfavorably to Zohran Mamdani, the Democratic nominee for New York City mayor, whom he accused of having a “deep hatred” for the United States, citing a years-old tweet Mamdani posted giving the middle finger to a statue of Christopher Columbus. Pool, in his YouTube video, said: “The issue is not, ‘Superman is an immigrant.’ The issue is illegal immigration,” but questioned whether Superman, who was sent to Earth as a baby, would’ve been entitled to birthright citizenship.

How Has The “superman” Cast And Crew Responded To Backlash?

They’ve largely brushed it off, with Gunn telling Variety at a premiere event Monday he is “not here to judge people,” adding he thinks “this is a movie about kindness and I think that’s something everyone can relate to.” Actor Nathon Fillion, who plays Green Lantern in the movie, dismissed criticism, saying to Variety, “Somebody needs a hug. It’s just a movie, guys.” David Corenswet, who plays Superman, did not address the backlash, but echoed Gunn’s sentiment at the film’s world premiere Monday. “Be kind to each other, step up to the plate. See what responsibilities you can shoulder, who you can take care of, who you can look out for,” he said.

Is Superman Really An Immigrant?

Some fans and scholars have long considered Superman’s story to be a possible metaphor for immigration, in part because of the background of its creators. Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, who penned the first Superman comic in 1938, were children of Jewish immigrants from Europe who arrived in the United States in the early 20th century. Superman was originally named Kal-El upon birth, which appears to be inspired by Hebrew, as the suffix “El” means “of God,” and some have loosely translated his name to mean “voice of God.” As the planet suffered from war and a lack of resources, Superman’s parents sent him in a small spaceship to Earth, which has drawn comparisons to the story of Moses, who was placed in a basket and sent down the Nile to save him from being killed. In a 1987 book celebrating the character’s 50th anniversary, “Superman At Fifty,” the book’s co-author and editor Gary Engle argues in an essay the character exemplifies the “value of the immigrant in American culture.” He writes the character’s shape-shifting between Superman and his alter-ego, Clark Kent, “addresses in dramatic terms the theme of cultural assimilation.” Frank Miller, a comic book artist who has written books on many superheroes, including Superman, told the Washington Post in 2019 he wanted to “portray Superman as the ultimate immigrant” in his comic series, “Superman: Year One.” Miller said Superman is “so much part of the American Dream” because he “travels like Moses from outer space, and he goes up and down and falls in love with the right things about America because they are new to him.”

Tangent

“Superman” is looking to continue a strong summer run of blockbusters, following a string of successes like “Jurassic World Rebirth” and “F1.” Deadline reported in June “Superman” is on track to gross between $90 million and $120 million at the domestic box office in its opening weekend, likely a bigger opening than Marvel’s “Captain America: Brave New World,” which grossed $88.8 million in its opening weekend in February. Last weekend, “Jurassic World Rebirth” opened to $92 million in the United States, one weekend after “F1” posted $57 million in its opening weekend. Between May and June, the box office was led by “Lilo & Stitch,” which was the top-grossing movie for four weekends in a row, and “How To Train Your Dragon.” The domestic box office has totaled $4.1 billion in ticket sales between Jan. 1 and June 29, according to data shared with Forbes by Comscore, a 15.5% increase from the same dates in 2024.

What Are Critics Saying About “superman?”

The review embargo has not yet been lifted for “Superman,” but some critics have shared initial reactions to the film following the premiere, which appear largely positive. Joseph Deckelmeier, a critic for Screenrant, said the cast and crew “bottled that classic #Superman magic in this film.” Germain Lussier, a senior entertainment reporter for Gizmodo, said the film “soars,” stating the film is a “non-stop joyride” with “spectacle to spare, unbridled optimism, and a goofy unpredictability that ties everything together.”

Further Reading

‘Superman’ First Reactions Say Film ‘Soars’ as a ‘Thrilling Start’ to James Gunn’s DC Universe; David Corenswet Is ‘Exceptional’ Sharing ‘Off the Charts’ Chemistry With Rachel Brosnahan (Variety)

In ‘Superman: Year One,’ Frank Miller and John Romita Jr. reimagine the hero as a Navy SEAL and the ‘ultimate immigrant’ (The Washington Post)

A lawsuit filed against Megan Thee Stallion by her former cameraman, Emilio Garcia, will proceed after a federal judge ruled that Garcia’s claims of sexual harassment and a hostile work environment are sufficient to continue litigation.

The lawsuit, filed in April 2024, alleges that Megan engaged in inappropriate behavior, including sexual misconduct and fat-shaming, during their professional relationship from 2018 to 2023. Garcia claims the situation escalated during a 2022 business trip to Ibiza, Spain, when he was allegedly trapped in a vehicle while Megan had sex with another woman in front of him.

The lawsuit contends that this incident made Garcia, who is gay, feel uncomfortable and triggered, contributing to a hostile work environment. Garcia’s legal team argues that this experience, coupled with subsequent fat-shaming comments and threats from Megan, created an unprofessional and intolerable atmosphere. Garcia further alleges that when he complained about the treatment, he faced retaliation, including reduced hours, pay cuts, and ultimately being fired.

Judge Gregory H. Woods determined that Garcia had plausibly claimed that the sexual encounter in the SUV was connected to his sexual orientation, allowing that aspect of the case to move forward. “This is not an unreasonable inference to draw,” Woods wrote, noting that Garcia’s account of the encounter made a plausible case of discrimination. However, the judge dismissed Garcia’s retaliation claims for lack of evidence at this stage.

Megan’s legal team has strongly denied the allegations, calling them false and suggesting that Garcia is attempting to extort money. “This is an employment claim for money, with no sexual harassment claim filed and with salacious accusations to attempt to embarrass her,” Megan’s attorney, Alex Spiro, said.

Despite the partial dismissal of the case, Garcia’s attorney, Ron Zambrano, remains optimistic about the proceedings. He stated that his team has gathered sufficient evidence through depositions to support their claims, and they are prepared to continue the fight in court. The case is set to proceed, and both parties will have the opportunity to present their arguments in the coming months.

The new play about the late fashion designer will be the first production at The Mansion at Hudson Yards, a new venue in midtown Manhattan, starting in August.

Bridgerton star Luke Newton is set to star in the title role of House of McQueen off Broadway, a new play about fashion designer Lee Alexander McQueen. Performances begin August 18 ahead of a September 9 opening, in time with New York Fashion Week.

In addition to starring as Colin Bridgerton in the Netflix series adapted from Julia Quinn’s novels, Newton is a veteran of the London stage, having appeared in the musical The Book of Mormon and Neil LaBute’s play The Shape of Things there.

Written by Darrah Cloud and directed by Sam Helfrich, House of McQueen takes audiences through McQueen’s life and key relationships, beginning with his early years and showing how he built the globally renowned Alexander McQueen fashion house, up to his death in 2010. The production will feature a “highly produced landscape complete with floor-to-ceiling LED panels designed to shift environments on stage,” according to the official summary.

Gary James McQueen, nephew of the late designer, serves as creative director. House of McQueen is the first production at the new midtown Manhattan venue The Mansion at Hudson Yards.

Check back for information on House of McQueen tickets on New York Theatre Guide.

Photo credit: Luke Newton. (Photo by YellowBellyPhoto)

Cardi B, who wonders “Am I the Drama?” on her upcoming album, now faces a different question from curious fans: Did she split with Stefon Diggs?

The Grammy-winning “Bodak Yellow” rapper sparked breakup chatter this week after eagle-eyed followers noticed she had taken down photos featuring NFL star Diggs from her Instagram page. Cardi B, 32, and Diggs, 31, hard-launched their relationship during the NBA Playoffs in May and made things Instagram official in June.

Representatives for Cardi B and Diggs did not immediately respond to The Times on Tuesday.

In June, Cardi B flaunted her relationship with the New England Patriots wide receiver, sharing very intimate photos from a steamy boating trip in a since-removed Instagram carousel. “Chapter 5 ……Hello Chapter six,” Cardi B captioned the collection of photos, which is no longer publicly visible on her profile.

Cardi B and Diggs first sparked dating rumors in February, when TMZ published video of the pair arriving at a Miami hotel during Valentine’s Day weekend. In April, they were spotted together again partying it up at a Manhattan nightclub. Photos of the rapper dancing on the athlete’s lap spread online and even got a thumbs-up from the musician’s estranged husband, Migos rapper Offset.

Cardi B reportedly filed to divorce Offset in 2024. Since then, their relationship has been far from friendly as the pair — who share three young children — continue to spar on social media.

While Cardi B’s Instagram does not currently feature any photos of Diggs, it’s worth noting that they still follow each other on the app. Cardi B and Offset, on the other hand, are no longer Instagram mutuals.

Speculation about the status of Cardi B’s romantic life surfaced as she arrived at Paris Fashion Week sans Diggs. She appeared at the Schiaparelli showcase at Petit Palais wearing a body-hugging gown with a dramatic neckline and fringe. A live crow was perched on the “W.A.P.” artist‘s right hand, evoking imagery from her forthcoming album.

Cardi B revealed in late June that her long-anticipated sophomore album, “Am I the Drama?,” is set to drop Sept. 19, seven years after her debut, “Invasion of Privacy.” Her social media announcement included a look at the theatrical album cover: She wears an abstract red body suit and matching fishnet stockings, grabbing one heel as a dark bird rests on her shoe and more of them swarm around her.

Before the announcement, Cardi B reflected in a teaser on “seven years of love, life and loss” and trading in grace for hell.

“I learned power’s not given. It’s taken,” the Bronx native says in the video. “I’m shedding feathers and no more tears. I’m not back. I’m beyond.”

Key Facts

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For decades, scores of paintings by 20th-century masters shared shelf space with family photos, books, and knickknacks in the Cambridge home of Arthur and Marny Solomon. Works by Claude Monet, Edgar Degas, and Paul Cézanne hung on their walls. And in a carriage house turned gallery in the backyard, more contemporary works by abstractionists such as Kenneth Noland, Jules Olitzky, and Larry Poons shone.

Now, those works are on display for the public to enjoy in Harvard Art Museums’ exhibition “The Solomon Collection: Dürer to Degas and Beyond.”

“We are deeply grateful to Arthur and Marny Solomon for their careful stewardship of these artworks over many years, and for their generous impulse to share them with the Harvard Art Museums, a place in the community that was always near and dear to their hearts,” said Micha Winkler Thomas, deputy director of the Harvard Art Museums.

The Solomons were both lifelong art collectors with intricate ties to Harvard. Arthur was a professor of biophysics at Harvard Medical School, while Marny worked throughout her life as a teaching fellow for various Harvard professors after earning her A.B. in art history from Radcliffe in 1958. In 1985, after collecting both individually and as a couple for decades, the Solomons promised their collection to the Art Museums. It wasn’t until after Marny’s death in 2020 that the acquisition was made final. Arthur had passed away in 2005.

From the beginning

Arthur K. Solomon was born in 1912 in Pittsburgh into a tight-knit and wealthy Jewish family. His childhood, according to Marina Kliger, the Rousseau Curatorial Fellow in European Art and one of the curators of the Solomon exhibition, was filled with art and aesthetics. The Solomons’ crowd, including influential department storeowner Edgar J. Kaufmann, were “cultural leaders in Pittsburgh.”

Kaufmann’s son, Edgar Kaufmann Jr., would later become curator of industrial design at the Museum of Modern Art, while another neighborhood boy, A. James Speyer, would become curator of 20th-century art at the Art Institute of Chicago.

Arthur, on the other hand, would go on to study chemistry at Princeton. But he still held onto his more artistic interests, taking New York-based photographer and modern art promoter Alfred Stieglitz as a mentor. Stieglitz introduced Arthur to the New York art scene and the popular realist paintings of American artists at the time.

In 1934, Arthur came to Harvard to pursue his Ph.D. in chemistry. While there, he made the first two purchases in his collection — watercolors by American artists Edward Hopper and Charles E. Burchfield that he had first seen with Stieglitz.

Harvard helped his collection grow when he audited courses in the fine arts department. One of those was the famous “Museum Work and Museum Problems” seminar that met at both the Harvard Art Museums and in Professor Paul Sachs’ home. According to Kliger, Sachs arranged student visits to the homes of distinguished collectors in New York and Philadelphia.

“I think that was probably the most important part of my becoming a collector — seeing these great collections,” Arthur was recorded saying in a series of interviews by the Oral History Committee of Harvard Medical School.

His art collection grew throughout the ’30s, when he went to Cambridge, England, for postdoctoral work and was introduced to German art dealer Justin Thannhauser. Through Thannhauser, Arthur collected works by Van Gogh, Degas, and Cezanne.

In the 1950s and ’60s he made most of his acquisitions through the New York and London-based dealer Julius Weitzner. Arthur then took a brief hiatus from collecting after the death of his first wife, Jean, in 1963.

That was until he met Marny — a collector in her own right.

The earliest documentation of Marny collecting was in July 1962, 10 years before her marriage to Arthur. According to Kliger, it’s documented that Marny brought two works to the Department of Conservation at Harvard’s Fogg Museum: a drawing of an unspecified subject by 17th-century Italian painter Pietro Francesco Mola and a print by 17th-century Italian printmaker Stefano della Bella.

Marny was close friends with Marjorie “Jerry” Cohn — curator emerita and former acting director of the Harvard Art Museums. They met in the early 1960s, when Cohn was a conservation assistant at the Fogg. Marny would send works directly from dealers to Cohn at the museum, where she would mat and frame them. Cohn also served as a confidant on Marny’s subsequent acquisitions.

Marny mostly collected prints. When she met Arthur, however, the two began collecting a new form of art.

“When they met in the late 1960s both were already serious collectors. Arthur focused on 19th- and early 20th-century European art, while Marny was a dedicated print collector,” Kliger said. “After they married in December 1972, the Solomons experienced what they would come to describe as a ‘contemporary awakening.’”

One of their first joint purchases was in 1974, when they bought a 10-ton, 10-foot-long steel sculpture by Michael Steiner called “Betonica.”

“The Solomons installed their new acquisition in their spacious yard at 27 Craigie St., where the sculpture weathered years of New England winters and became part of the Solomons’ lives.” Kliger said

Their other purchases were displayed in their 19th-century Italianate revival home. In the early 1980s, the Solomons began running out of showing space and converted the historic carriage house on the property into a two-story art gallery.

Kliger calls the collection “three collections in one.” Between the two individual collections, and the Solomons’ joint purchases, more than 260 of their prints, paintings, and sculptures were donated to the Harvard Art Museums.

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Many of the works will be on display through Aug. 17. The galleries are free every day, and open Tuesday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

There’s a new trending nail motif in town—and it’s just on the dot for summer (pun intended). Meet the polka dot manicure, recently spotted on celebrities like Dua Lipa, Hailey Bieber, and more.

For keen observers, the evidence of an imminent polka dot resurgence was visible in the fall/winter collections. From Isabel Marant to Fendi and Conner Ives, the ’80s print was spotted across dresses, bags, and even veils. Then the stars got involved. Singers Raye and Dua Lipa were sporting the sweetest polka-dot dresses by spring, while Katie Holmes stepped out in navy and white polka dot heels.

Now, polka dots are popping up in the beauty sphere by way of our manicures. Celebrities such as Sabrina Carpenter and Addison Rae have been decorating their nails with dots in recent weeks.

Los Angeles-based pop star Lydia Night has also joined in on the fun, donning a contrasting polka dot set to attend Ascot. “I usually go for plain manicures because I play guitar. These nails are cute, funky, and classic—the perfect way to jazz things up,” she tells Vogue.

WASHINGTON — Filmmaker Peter Jackson owns one of the largest private collections of bones of an extinct New Zealand bird called the moa. His fascination with the flightless ostrich-like bird has led to an unusual partnership with a biotech company known for its grand and controversial plans to bring back lost species.

On Tuesday, Colossal Biosciences announced an effort to genetically engineer living birds to resemble the extinct South Island giant moa – which once stood 12 feet (3.6 meters) tall – with $15 million in funding from Jackson and his partner Fran Walsh. The collaboration also includes the New Zealand-based Ngāi Tahu Research Centre.

“The movies are my day job, and the moa are my fun thing I do,” said Jackson. “Every New Zealand schoolchild has a fascination with the moa.”

Outside scientists say the idea of bringing back extinct species onto the modern landscape is likely impossible, although it may be feasible to tweak the genes of living animals to have similar physical traits. Scientists have mixed feelings on whether that will be helpful, and some worry that focusing on lost creatures could distract from protecting species that still exist.

The moa had roamed New Zealand for 4,000 years until they became extinct around 600 years ago, mainly because of overhunting. A large skeleton brought to England in the 19th century, now on display at the Yorkshire Museum, prompted international interest in the long-necked bird.

Unlike Colossal’s work with dire wolves, the moa project is in very early stages. It started with a phone call about two years ago after Jackson heard about the company’s efforts to “de-extinct” – or create genetically similar animals to – species like the woolly mammoth and the dire wolf.

Then Jackson put Colossal in touch with experts he’d met through his own moa bone-collecting. At that point, he’d amassed between 300 and 400 bones, he said.

In New Zealand, it’s legal to buy and sell moa bones found on private lands, but not on public conservation areas – nor to export them.

The first stage of the moa project will be to identify well-preserved bones from which it may be possible to extract DNA, said Colossal’s chief scientist Beth Shapiro.

Those DNA sequences will be compared to genomes of living bird species, including the ground-dwelling tinamou and emu, “to figure out what it is that made the moa unique compared to other birds,” she said.

Colossal used a similar process of comparing ancient DNA of extinct dire wolves to determine the genetic differences with gray wolves. Then scientists took blood cells from a living gray wolf and used CRISPR to genetically modify them in 20 different sites. Pups with long white hair and muscular jaws were born late last year.

Working with birds presents different challenges, said Shapiro.

Unlike mammals, bird embryos develop inside eggs, so the process of transferring an embryo to a surrogate will not look like mammalian IVF.

“There’s lots of different scientific hurdles that need to be overcome with any species that we pick as a candidate for de-extinction,” said Shapiro. “We are in the very early stages.”

If the Colossal team succeeds in creating a tall bird with huge feet and thick pointed claws resembling the moa, there’s also the pressing question of where to put it, said Duke University ecologist Stuart Pimm, who is not involved in the project.

“Can you put a species back into the wild once you’ve exterminated it there?” he said. “I think it’s exceedingly unlikely that they could do this in any meaningful way.”

“This will be an extremely dangerous animal,” Pimm added.

The direction of the project will be shaped by Māori scholars at the University of Canterbury’s Ngāi Tahu Research Centre. Ngāi Tahu archaeologist Kyle Davis, an expert in moa bones, said the work has “really reinvigorated the interest in examining our own traditions and mythology.”

At one of the archaeological sites that Jackson and Davis visited to study moa remains, called Pyramid Valley, there are also antique rock art done by Māori people – some depicting moa before their extinction.

Paul Scofield, a project adviser and senior curator of natural history at the Canterbury Museum in Christchurch, New Zealand, said he first met the “Lord of the Rings” director when he went to his house to help him identity which of the nine known species of moa the various bones represented.

“He doesn’t just collect some moa bones – he has a comprehensive collection,” said Scofield.

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The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Educational Media Group and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

The summer season is officially here and thriving—and model Kendall Jenner has wasted no time heading out on a lavish vacation. This month, Jenner (and sister Kylie Jenner) headed to Saint-Tropez in France for a little R&R. Earlier this week, the siblings were spotted living their best lives, swimming in the ocean in their chic little day dresses. Today, however, Kendall was spotted doing a little shopping at the Chloé store with some friends, and her choice of a bright red minidress brought back one of the biggest trends of summer 2023: Tomato girl summer.

A few seasons back, tomato-themed looks was all of the rage on the runways and with celebrities. The aesthetic revolved around wearing shades of tomato red and earthy greens and browns; you could say it was all about dressing as though you were growing on a tomato vine in some chic, well-manicured garden. Today, in Saint-Tropez, Jenner revived the look yet again, pairing a red shift dress with red flip-flops. (Someone loves a monochromatic moment.)

Jenner on vacation in Italy in 2022.

Photo: Getty Images

Kate Middleton is taking it one day at a time. The Princess of Wales is relishing in her favorite activities to slowly ease her back into royal duties after she announced she’s in remission from cancer.

Kate Middleton has been immersing herself in her beloved hobbies of photography, cooking, and music to help pass time and the recovery process. “Princess Catherine has been recuperating behind the scenes,” royal expert Neil Sean told Fox News. “This includes a return to ballet with her daughter Princess Charlotte, a massive return to daily nature walks, as well as [keeping up with] her photography hobby.”

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“An excellent source told me she is living in the moment and has no time for drama… or difficult family members,” the royal expert claimed. “She attended Trooping of the Colour and the Order of the Garter but felt it was too much to attend Royal Ascot. She felt exhausted. This is normal… regarding her return after cancer.”

Related: William & Kate Finally Confirm New Family Member After Reports of Their ‘4th Child’

Kate was diagnosed with an unidentified form of cancer early last year, and has since announced that she’s in remission as of January 2025. She has slowly reentered her public duties.

An insider told the Daily Mail in June 2025 that Kate went “to hell and back” with her cancer diagnosis, and is still a “work in progress” amid her recovery. The experience has given her a lot of “mental clarity” around her priorities as a member of the British royal family. She announced her last-minute absence from the Royal Ascot as it was the third royal duty she had to attend that week.

“You put on a sort of brave face, stoicism through treatment,” she recalled about her cancer journey while visiting Colchester Hospital in Essex on July 1. “Treatment’s done, then it’s like, ‘I can crack on, get back to normal,’ but actually, the phase afterwards is really, really difficult.”

“You’re not necessarily under the clinical team any longer, but you’re not able to function normally at home as you perhaps once used to,” she added. “And actually, someone to help talk you through that, show you and guide you through that sort of phase that comes after treatment, I think is really valuable.”

Music was also a healing factor for Kate, and she shares her talent with her family. “One thing that she also does every single day, which she describes as the best therapy known to her, is her return to playing the piano,” Sean added. He also elaborated that William enjoys the music and she gets “at least one hour a day lost in the beauty of [the piano], playing everything from Kate Bush to Mendelssohn.”

Cooking not only serves as a way to nourish her family’s bellies, but it’s also a “therapeutic act” for her. “Catherine’s other passion has been returning her home cooking, particularly her chutney and her specialty honey from her beehive,” the source elaborated to Sean. “You lose yourself in the art of cooking, and it’s something you can share with the children, family and friends while talking about all manner of things with zero pressure.”

Royal experts have praised Kate’s ability to balance family life, self-care, and her royal duties. It has “rendered her as ever more vital, as well as a highly respected member of the royal family,” Hilary Fordwich told the outlet. “She embodies qualities admired by the British public… [And she has] a quiet resilience that’s essential to the monarchy’s future.”

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