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  • Joseph J. Collins, Former Top Executive at HBO and Time Warner Cable, Dies at 81

    Joseph J. Collins, the former HBO, Time Warner Cable and Comcast executive who helped reposition cable as much more than a delivery system for television, has died. He was 81.

    Collins died Thursday at his home in Weekapaug, Rhode Island, a family spokesperson told The Hollywood Reporter.

    Long before broadband became ubiquitous, Collins was among the industry leaders who realized that the networks that carried premium programming could one day power high-speed data and transform how Americans lived, worked and consumed content.

    As president of HBO from 1984-88, he helped establish the premium network as a dominant brand in entertainment. He then returned to Time Inc. subsidiary American Television and Communications, where he had risen through the ranks, as chairman and CEO.

    Next, he served as chairman and CEO of Time Warner Cable from 1989-2001, a stint that included ATC being incorporated into the company in 1992, as he oversaw a period of expansion and technological evolution that helped lay the groundwork for broadband’s explosion.

    In 2001, he became head of AOL Time Warner Interactive Video, where he pushed early efforts to merge television and internet-based services, and after his retirement was elected as an independent director on the Comcast board in 2004.

    “Joe was instrumental in building the first cable systems, upgrading them to deliver hundreds of channels, then video on demand, and finally the broadband streaming and internet apps that we all use every day now,” former Time Warner chairman and CEO Jeff Bewkes said in a statement.

    “His penetrating intelligence and matter of fact manner, coupled with his imposing physical stature, could be intimidating on first impression. But all of us who were lucky to work with Joe knew him as kind, considerate and one of the funniest dry wits around.

    “Every cable chief and network chief liked and respected Joe … and none of them get along.”

    Born on July 27, 1944, in Troy, New York, Joseph Jameson Collins graduated from Brown University in 1966 and earned his MBA from Harvard Business School in 1972. Between those degrees, he served in the U.S. Navy, reaching the rank of lieutenant and earning the Vietnam Combat Action Ribbon for his service during the Vietnam War.

    While still in graduate school, Collins wrote his thesis on the then-nascent cable industry. He joined ATC in 1972 as a marketing director in Orlando and rose steadily through the company, becoming president in 1982.

    Collins was widely credited with advancing hybrid fiber-coaxial architecture, the technical backbone that would enable high-speed cable internet across the U.S. None other than famed “Cable Cowboy” John Malone once told his team, “If I have a heart attack, call Joe Collins.”

    He played a role in shaping policy, serving twice as chairman of the National Cable Telecommunications Association and contributing to the development of the landmark Telecommunications Act of 1996.

    Collins also was a founder and a chairman of C-SPAN and a board member at TriStar Pictures and TBS, where he played a pivotal role in Turner’s 1996 merger with Time Warner. He received the cable industry’s Distinguished Vanguard Award for Leadership in 1997 and was inducted into the Cable Hall of Fame in 2001.

    In later years, Collins acquired and operated boatyards and served as chairman of Aegis Holdings, a private investment firm. An accomplished mariner, he often spent time aboard his boat along the Rhode Island coast. He lived for many years in Darien, Connecticut, and split his days between Weekapaug and Jupiter Island, Florida.

    Survivors include his wife of 54 years, Maura; his children, Maura, Elizabeth, Joseph Jr. and Kathryn; and 11 grandchildren.

    A funeral is set for 11 a.m. on April 13 at St. Pius X in Westerly, Rhode Island, with burial to follow at Riverbend Cemetery. Donations in his memory may be made to the Weekapaug Foundation for Conservation.

  • Melissa Gilbert Believes Husband Timothy Busfield Will Be Exonerated of Child Sexual Abuse Charges

    Melissa Gilbert Believes Husband Timothy Busfield Will Be Exonerated of Child Sexual Abuse Charges

    Melissa Gilbert believes her husband Timothy Busfield will be exonerated of the child sex abuse allegations he is facing.

    The actor and director has been charged with four counts of criminal sexual contact with a child on the set and is awaiting trial. He’s been accused of sexually abusing two boys on the set of the former Fox/Warner Bros. Television series The Cleaning Lady.

    “[This has been] hell. This has been the most traumatizing experience of our lives,” Gilbert said on Monday’s Good Morning America, in her first sit-down interview with co-anchor George Stephanopoulos, alongside Busfield’s civil attorney Larry Stein. “Our life as we knew it is done. We are grieving what we had. All of our plans, all of our dreams, all of our ideas, all of our projects. For Tim, it’s done. He’s canceled. Even if he’s exonerated, he will always be that guy. The last person in the world who would hurt a child.”

    She added, “And believe me, if I thought for a second that Tim Busfield hurt a child, he’d have a lot more to worry about than prison.”

    She said she has no doubts of his innocence, but hopes for an apology and an exoneration. “I know this man in my bones. No one knows him better than I do,” she said. “Our marriage has… we’ve had a lot of ups and downs. We’ve been through struggles. We’ve had our own issues to deal with, and we’ve worked through everything. He is nothing if not completely honest with me. I trust him with my children’s lives, with my grandchildren’s lives, my nieces and nephews. He is an honorable, caring, generous human being.”

    Gilbert said she chose to speak out now to address the “untruths” they have been reading about and hearing. “I am 100 percent he will be exonerated,” she said, “but I will tell you that there is a practical side to this and we have to be prepared for all scenarios.”

    Busfield has denied allegations. The charges against Busfield relate to alleged touching on two separate occasions, once in October 2022 and again in September 2023. Each count carries a minimum sentence of three years, which can’t be suspended or deferred. Busfield was released from jail after his arrest.

    Busfield’s defense has revolved around arguments that the parents of the twin boys were looking for vengeance against Busfield for recasting them in the fourth season of the Fox series after they aged out of their roles. “When they were fired, they assumed Tim was responsible for it. The truth is he was not,” said Stein on GMA. Stein was asked about a claim in the criminal complaint that Busfield and Gilbert bought the twin child actors Christmas gifts, and Stein said gifts were given to multiple children at a Christmas party. “Tim did not give the boys gifts. Melissa gave them gifts,” he said. “Every child at the Christmas party, not treating them special or different than anyone.”

    Gilbert and Busfield married in 2013. Also in her interview, Gilbert said she was, however, aware of separate allegations against her husband that were included in the child sex abuse criminal complaint to allege a pattern. The Thirtysomething and West Wing star was accused of sexual assault by two women in 1994 and 2012; charges were not brought in either case. “These allegations have been out in the ether for a very long time,” she said. “I am neither naive nor am I complicit. I talked to him about it. I asked him questions about it. I heard his side of the story, which no one has ever heard, which is the truth. And when the time is right, and that is not now, Tim will tell the truth of all of these past allegations when he needs to.”

    Busfield’s trial is tentatively set for May 2027 in New Mexico.

    ABC News reached out to the parents of the children. In a statement to ABC News, the district attorney’s office said its focus “remains on the victims.”

  • “Thank God”: Writers Guild Members React to Surprise Deal as Drag Out Fight Gets Averted

    “Thank God”: Writers Guild Members React to Surprise Deal as Drag Out Fight Gets Averted

    The vibes couldn’t be more different from 2023.

    In the wake of a surprise deal struck by the Writers Guild of America with studios and streamers and announced on Saturday, arriving earlier than many expected, WGA members expressed gratitude they weren’t about to face another down-to-the-wire negotiation or strike like they did just three years prior.

    The 2023 writers’ strike, widely supported within the union three years ago, has cast a long shadow and many writers weren’t eager to face a repeat of the labor action. “I think everyone’s very relieved,” showrunner David H. Steinberg (No Good Nick) said in an interview. “It sort of came out of the blue that all of a sudden a tentative agreement had been reached and all the writers that I talked to on social media were like, ‘thank God.’”

    “We’re obviously still waiting on the details but anything that calms the industry down is the most important thing in my book,” wrote member Geoff Roth in a message. “The whole business needs to walk back from this existential cliff we’re constantly being told about, as it’s becoming self-fulfilling.”

    The union hasn’t yet released any detailed materials describing the proposed contract language, so opinions could change once members see the fine print. So far, the WGA has only disclosed to members that the provisional agreement will span four years rather than the union’s typical three. The agreement “protects our health plan” with higher contributions and contribution caps and “builds on gains from 2023 and helps address free work challenges,” the union said.

    But what the WGA has said has been enough to get writers talking. The expansion of the contract term from three to four years represents a potentially risky move for the labor group given the rapid changes — consolidation, cost-cutting and the use of generative AI among them — currently roiling Hollywood. An extended deal means that the WGA may have to wait longer to make significant contractual changes if issues crop up in the next few years.

    Most writers who spoke with The Hollywood Reporter weren’t disturbed by the paradigm shift. “The extra year on the term is a bit of a bitter pill given the rapid pace of AI evolution but it was a necessary — and quite predictable — trade-off to save the health fund,” wrote Arrow showrunner Marc Guggenheim in a text. “This is kinda where I assumed we’d end up.” Overall, he’s pleased with what he knows about the deal so far.

    There’s also the issue of the WGA potentially having just dislodged itself from its typical negotiating schedule. The union usually bargains in the same year as performers’ union SAG-AFTRA and directors’ union the Directors Guild of America. It’s not clear whether those two unions will change their customary three-year contract lengths in their own negotiations, which could upset the usual schedule. Bargaining in the same year, the thinking goes, can boost all three unions by allowing them to align pressure campaigns and/or work stoppages.

    That concern doesn’t bother Steinberg. “I’m aware of what the issue is, that you want to be aligned with the other deals to bring pressure if you need to,” says Steinberg. But, he notes, the AMPTP had at the very least been considering asking for a five-year contract term, as THR has previously reported. Paired with the WGA’s usual three-year term, four years “seems like a great compromise,” he adds.

    The relative speed with which Saturday’s deal was struck represented another pivot for the WGA in 2026. The union is known for deploying aggressive tactics like negotiating down to the last minute of a contract’s term and/or taking a strike authorization vote to increase leverage.  

    But the WGA did not, in the end, deploy this longtime playbook. The union and the studios tidily wrapped up their tentative deal within the three weeks that constituted the WGA’s first scheduled bargaining period. (Otherwise the two sides certainly could have penciled in additional time before May 1, when the WGA’s 2023 contract officially expires.) The union never took a strike authorization vote, even to apply pressure.

    The speed of negotiations has prompted some misgivings and nerves in at least one writers’ group chat, said a source. Another source noted that their peers seemed relieved but largely cynical and checked out in this negotiation, compared with the high levels of engagement in 2023.

    Still, many members who spoke with THR argued that industry conditions in 2026 may have required a fresh approach. Writer employment has declined compared with the high-flying era of “Peak TV,” when streamers were more focused on attracting subscribers than earning a profit. And WGA leaders made no secret about the dire state of their health fund, which lost a cumulative $122 million in the fiscal years of 2023 and 2024.

    The WGA was led by chief negotiator Ellen Stutzman as well as co-chairs of the negotiating committee John August and Danielle Sanchez-Witzel and union president Michele Mulroney in talks with the studios, which were repped by the Gregory Hessinger-led Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers.

    The contraction in work “put a lot of stress on our fund because fewer writers working means decreased contributions coming into the plan,” Mulroney previously told THR.

    In 2026, in other words, the WGA was in a very different position that it was three years prior, when its leaders felt emboldened to sustain a 148-day strike in order to reshape payment in the streaming era and establish inaugural protections against generative AI. Its members, many still fatigued from the 2023 strike, don’t seem poised — at least for now — to nitpick their deal or criticize their union for not pushing hard enough.

    “The Writers Guild made it clear that the priority going into the negotiations was to shore up the pension and health funds,” says Steinberg. “So mission accomplished, I guess.”

  • Disney+ Expands Korean Esports Streaming Partnership Ahead of 2026 Asian Games

    Disney+ Expands Korean Esports Streaming Partnership Ahead of 2026 Asian Games

    Disney+ is deepening its push into live esports. The streamer said Thursday that it has expanded an existing partnership with the Korea eSports Association (KeSPA) to livestream a wider slate of major Korean and pan-Asian esports competitions for its global subscribers.

    The expanded deal begins April 24-26 with the Esports Championships Asia Jinju 2026, a three-day tournament in Jinju, South Korea, that pits national teams from South Korea, China, Japan, Vietnam, Thailand, the Philippines and Mongolia against one another across a slate of fighting and simulation titles, including Street Fighter 6, The King of Fighters XV, Tekken 8, Konami’s eFootball series, PUBG Mobile and Eternal Return. Disney+ will carry the competition live worldwide, with onscreen branding from ESPN running across the broadcast.

    The Jinju event is effectively a high-stakes warmup for the 20th Asian Games Aichi-Nagoya 2026, set for September 19 to October 4 in Japan, where esports will feature as a full medal sport for only the second time in Asian Games history. The Aichi-Nagoya program has expanded to 11 medal events across 13 titles — up from seven at Hangzhou 2022. National teams in the region have started treating these regional warm-up tournaments with the seriousness once reserved for traditional Olympic sports. 

    Disney+ will also exclusively livestream the Korean national team’s official send-off ceremony and evaluation matches ahead of the Games, as well as the 2026 LoL KeSPA Cup later this year.

    Korea remains the center of gravity for global esports. The country’s League of Legends Champions Korea (LCK) is widely regarded as one of the top professional leagues in the world, and the government-backed KeSPA is among the most established esports federations anywhere.

    Disney+ is also currently streaming round-by-round replays of the 2025 LoL KeSPA Cup, which featured 10 LCK teams facing off against star squads from Vietnam and Japan, along with two teams from the North American League Championship Series.

    The expanded KeSPA pact is part of a broader strategic push by Disney+ to lock down select live sports rights across the Asia-Pacific, following the 2025 launch of ESPN on Disney+ in Australia and New Zealand. Late last year, the company struck a multi-year deal with the NBA to bring basketball coverage to Disney+ subscribers in the Philippines for the first time. The company has also been boosting its scripted Korean slate as of late. 

    Netflix has been aggressively pursuing a similar sports and live events strategy to grow its footprint in Asia’s still-maturing streaming markets — most recently with its exclusive Japan broadcast of the 2026 World Baseball Classic, which concluded last month and smashed the company’s local viewership records.

  • Dan Levy Says He Considered a ‘Schitt’s Creek’ Sequel Series Before Catherine O’Hara’s Death

    Dan Levy knows there’s no Schitt’s Creek without Catherine O’Hara.

    During a recent interview on CBS News Sunday Morning, the Emmy-winning actor, producer and showrunner visited Goodwood — the small town in Ontario, Canada, where Schitt’s Creek was filmed — for the first time since the sitcom wrapped in 2020.

    While standing outside the store that was once called Rose Apothecary, the fictional boutique his character David Rose owned, CBS News’ Anthony Mason asked if there was any chance for a sequel series.

    “No. Not now,” Levy replied. “You can’t.”

    The Big Mistakes co-creator added that at one point, he was “thinking about” a follow-up to Schitt’s Creek. However, that was before O’Hara died on Jan. 30 at age 71 from a pulmonary embolism, with rectal cancer as the underlying cause.

    The actress played David’s mom and eccentric soap opera star, Moira Rose, on the show for six seasons.

    “It’s tough. It’s tough being back. I didn’t think that I’d have quite an emotional reaction,” Levy told Mason as he struggled to hold back tears. He added that he was thinking about “a lot of memories … a lot of memories with Catherine. It’s what you have to hold onto is the memories of it all.”

    “And an incredible clip reel,” Mason quipped in response, to which Levy echoed of O’Hara, “An incredible clip reel. Listen, for someone who was not on the internet, she knew how to meme.”

    Schitt’s Creek, created by Levy and his father, Eugene Levy, won nine Emmys throughout its run. It followed Johnny Rose (Eugene) and his family, as they went from extremely wealthy to broke overnight after being a victim of fraud. That’s when they relocate to an unsophisticated town called Schitt’s Creek, as it’s the only asset left to them, and undoubtedly culture shock ensues.

    Following O’Hara’s death, Levy shared in a tribute at the time, “What a gift to have gotten to dance in the warm glow of Catherine O’Hara’s brilliance for all those years.”

    “Having spent over fifty years collaborating with my Dad, Catherine was extended family before she ever played my family. It’s hard to imagine a world without her in it. I will cherish every funny memory I was fortunate enough to make with her,” he continued. “My heart goes out to Bo, Matthew, Luke and every member of her big, beautiful family.”

  • When and Where to Watch ‘The Real Housewives of Atlanta’ Season 17 Online

    When and Where to Watch ‘The Real Housewives of Atlanta’ Season 17 Online

    If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, The Hollywood Reporter may receive an affiliate commission.

    Sunday, April 5 is a stacked night for Housewives fans. Season 17 of The Real Housewives of Atlanta premieres at 8 p.m. PT/ET, followed directly by the second-ever Real Housewives of Rhode Island episode at 9 p.m. PT/ET. And since The Real Housewives airs on Bravo, cord-cutters can watch new episodes live on any streaming service that carries the network, including DirecTV (with a five-day free trial), Sling and Hulu + Live TV.

    Additionally, new Housewives episodes stream on-demand the following day on Peacock (meaning the season 17 premiere drops on Monday, April 6), and while the streamer doesn’t offer a free trial directly, deal seekers can enjoy free Peacock access through partner subscriptions, including DirecTV, Instacart+ and Walmart+. More on each option below.

    At a Glance: How to Watch The Real Housewives of Atlanta Season 17

    • Premiere: Sunday, April 5, 8 p.m. PT/ET (new episodes air weekly during same time slot)
    • TV channel: Bravo
    • Stream online: DirecTV, Sling and Hulu + Live TV; next day on Peacock

    Where to Watch The Real Housewives of Atlanta Season 17: Air Date and Time, Stream Online Free

    Season 17 of The Real Housewives of Atlanta premieres on Sunday, April 5, at 8 p.m. PT/ET on Bravo, which can be streamed live via DirecTV (with a five-day free trial), Sling or Hulu + Live TV. Remaining episodes will air weekly on Sundays during the same time slot.

    Additionally, new episodes will drop on Peacock the day after airing on Bravo. Not a Peacock subscriber? While the streamer itself no longer offers a free trial period, customers who sign up for one of DirecTV’s signature packages — Entertainment, Choice, Ultimate or Premier — can get two months of the Movies Extra Pack + Peacock at no cost (a $19.98 value). Plus, DirecTV offers a five-day free trial for any plan, meaning new members can stream Real Housewives (and everything else the packages have to offer) at no cost during the trial period. Simply select your preferred signature package, then opt to add “Movies Extra Pack + Peacock Premium” where it instructs you to pick your add-ons.

    Related: The Best Peacock Subscription Deals and Free Trial Hacks

    Prefer to watch it live? Learn more about each option (and their free trials and new subscriber discounts) below.

    Where to Watch 'Real Housewives of Atlanta' Season 17 Online Free Live

    DirecTV

    Five-day free trial; packages from $19.99 per month

    Bravo is included in any of DirecTV’s signature packages: Entertainment, Choice, Ultimate or Premier. Plus, DirecTV is offering a five-day free trial for its streaming service, meaning new subscribers can catch new episodes at no cost.

    Learn more about each plan option, including how to build your own channel lineup (starting at just $19.99 per month), at directv.com.

    Where to Watch 'Real Housewives of Atlanta' Season 17 Online Free Live

    Sling

    Half off first month for select plans

    Bravo is included in Sling’s Blue Plan, starting at $45.99 per month.

    For the best bang for your buck, opt for Sling’s Orange & Blue plan, which is currently half off for the first month: $33 for the first month and $65.99 monthly thereafter.

    Hulu - Live TV's logo.

    Hulu + Live TV

    Three-day free trial; packages from $89.99 per month

    Watch Bravo for free with a three-day trial to Hulu + Live TV, which comes bundled with Disney+ and ESPN+, starting at $89.99 per month.

    The Real Housewives of Atlanta Cast for Season 17

    Newcomers Pinky Cole and K. Michelle join returning cast members Phaedra Parks, Porsha Williams (star of The Traitors season four), Drew Sidora, Kelli Ferrell, Shamea Morton Mwangi and Angela Oakley. Cynthia Bailey will make her RHOA return as a friend-of.

  • Tina Fey, Jonah Hill, Candice Bergen and Melissa McCarthy Join Jack Black’s ‘SNL’ Monologue to Celebrate Him Joining the Five-Timers Club

    Jack Black is back on Saturday Night Live — and he has officially joined the Five-Timers club.

    The Super Mario Galaxy Movie star kicked off his hosting monologue by noting that it was his fifth time hosting the sketch comedy series, before he was joined by a starry lineup of guests who, too, have hosted the show (at least) five times.

    “I am so thrilled to be back hosting SNL for the fifth time. It’s a huge honor to join the Five-Timers club,” he said. “I’m a five-timer!”

    Black was first joined by his Don’t Worry, He Won’t Get Far on Foot co-star Jonah Hill, who sported a Five-Timers robe. “It is so good to see you. What have you been up to, man?” Black said, to which Hill joked, “Well, I’ve actually been working on Superbad 2!”

    The two walked through a door to the Five-Timers lounge, which prompted Hill to tell Black, “Jack, we need your help. There’s something wrong with the Five-Timers Club. You see what I mean?”

    “Yes, you’re right, it feels like there’s evil lurking around every corner,” Black said, before Tina Fey popped up. “Oh no, it’s just me! It’s just regular Tina Fey,” the 30 Rock star said.

    “I wanted to congratulate you on a historic night,” she said, before joking, “You’re officially the first Black in the Five-Timers club.” Black questioned what had become of the club, which Fey explained that “it’s seen better days.”

    “What started off as a one-off joke in a Tom Hanks monologue has been brought back so many times that it has literally been run into the ground,” Fey said. “For example, and this is true, this is my fifth Five-Timers club stint.”

    “A double five-timer — is that why you’re wearing that special jacket?” the Minecraft Movie actor asked.

    “No, this is actually my First-Timer’s jacket from SNL UK,” Fey replied, referencing her becoming the first person to host the British iteration. “I think it’s made out of Paddington,” she added, which led to Candice Bergen, who is notably the first woman to join SNL‘s Five-Timers club, joining in on the fun.

    “You know, I spent a night with Paddington back in 1700. Let’s just say we found something that he likes way more than marmalade,” Bergen said. “What? A bitch can party!”

    Behind the bar was Melissa McCarthy, who replied, “Speaking of party, does anyone know where I can just get a drink? I can’t find one. All they got is warm cans of John Mulaney’s beer.”

    “Those are non-alcoholic, right?” Fey added, to which the Bridesmaids star offered, “Not if you fill them with vodka!”

    Jack White, who served as the night’s musical guest, also appeared in Black’s monologue. Hill jokingly referred to him as “my hero, Professor Snape,” to which the Anaconda actor corrected him: “It’s five-time musical guest and my partner tonight, Jack White!”

    White himself joined a different Five-Timers club on Saturday night, with his April 4 appearance marking his fifth time as a solo SNL musical guest. “Thank you, but, unfortunately, I have to be going,” he told Black, who jokingly added, “Well, the five-time musical guests only get their parking validated for 15 minutes. So, I have to move my hearse.”

    “Enough is enough,” Black proclaimed. “It’s time to fix this place the only way I know how: With the power of rock.” He then launched into a rendition of “Seven Nation Army,” the White Stripes (which is made up of Jack and Meg White) track.

    “We’ve got Melissa, Candice Bergen, Jonah Hill and Mrs. Tina Fey, it’s my nightmare blunt rotation, and I think it’s gonna save the day,” Black sang, before being given his own Five-Timers club jacket. “And when I put this jacket on, you know, I feel like I am ready to host!”

    Saturday marked the Super Mario Galaxy Movie star’s landmark fifth time hosting the sketch comedy series. He appeared on the show one year prior, almost exactly to the date on April 5, 2025, which was his first time hosting SNL in two decades.

    In the cold open, Kenan Thompson portrayed Charles Barkley commentating on March Madness basketball, except he didn’t really comment on basketball at all.

    “Now, this might get me fired, so I’m gonna choose my words real careful right now,” he started. “Look, there’s a war going on between us and Iran. War is terrible. Innocent people are getting killed. I don’t care who started it, but we need to end it, OK?”

    Later on, Ashley Padilla joined as Pam Bondi, the former Attorney General who was fired by Trump this week. “So great to be here at the Final Four years… of this country,” she said. “I’m sorry, Charles, but I can’t let the lies you said about me go unanswered. The truth is, I was amazing at my job, and I am proud to say I made history as the first woman ever to be fired as Attorney General. I shattered that glass exit door.”

    “I miss it already, and they threw my headshot in the trash like it was the Epstein files,” Padilla’s Bondi added. “Come on, what am I gonna do?”

    The Weekend Update segment later saw Kam Patterson join as Professor Snape from the upcoming HBO Harry Potter television series to address backlash to his casting. (Paapa Essiedu, who stars as Snape in the new show, recently revealed he’s faced racist death threats for being a Black actor stepping into the role.)

    “Good evening, Mr. Jost,” he began, continuing, “Nah, I’m playing. I don’t talk like that, bro. It’s called code-switching. Codio switchio!” Colin Jost then asked Patterson’s Snape how his year at Hogwarts went, to which he replied, “Not great. We got this new kid, his name is Harry potter, and he’s racist as hell. Harry Potter, or the Proud Boy Who Lived, spent the whole year telling everybody that the school’s only Black teacher was secretly evil.”

    “I think he’s just worried because he knows someone’s trying to steal the Sorcerer’s Stone,” Jost replied.

    “So somebody stole something, and the number one suspect is Black Snape?” Patterson’s Snape said. “They didn’t even look at the white guy in the turban. So offensive.”

    “I’m really sorry that he just jumped to conclusions like that,” Jost replied. “All good. It happens all the time,” Patterson replied, continuing, “I showed up to Hogwarts, and the first day, they looked at me and said, ‘You’re the professor of the dark arts.’ I never even studied that, I majored in African Muggle Studies.”

    “The whole wizarding world is racist. There’s one other Black guy, Kingsley Shacklebolt, a name I’m guessing they got out of the Wu-Tang name generator,” Patterson’s Snape said. “Everyone’s in these dignified robes. They dressed him up like he was selling cocoa butter incense out of a barbershop.”

    “That’s, that’s kind of a cool outfit, right?” Jost asked, and he replied, “Yeah, for a Haitian cab driver. And why they got to put shackle in his name? That’s crazy, man.”

    “Alright, yes, well, for the very first time I’m starting to think that J.K. Rowling might be problematic,” Jost added.

    Bad Bunny, Amy Poehler, Sabrina Carpenter, Miles Teller, Nikki Glaser, Glen Powell, Melissa McCarthy, Josh O’Connor, Ariana Grande, Finn Wolfhard, Teyana Taylor, Alexander Skarsgard, Connor Storrie and Harry Styles have also hosted season 51 of SNL.

    Colman Domingo will lead next week’s episode, alongside Anitta.

  • Steve Kroft Reveals He “Hated” His Time at ’60 Minutes’

    Steve Kroft Reveals He “Hated” His Time at ’60 Minutes’

    Steve Kroft may have had an acclaimed 30-season career at 60 Minutes before he retired in 2019, but if he had the chance to do it again, he “probably wouldn’t.”

    Kroft joined Bill O’Reilly on the latter’s We’ll Do It Live! podcast, where he reflected on his decades at the iconic newsmagazine, a job that he confessed he “hated.”

    “60 Minutes was really appealing, and I thought, I wasn’t really sure I was ever going to get there. I didn’t really seriously think about it. When I did, there’s so many things that, first of all, the job is just 24 hours a day,” Kroft said of the grind at the prestigious program. “I mean, you may get a couple hours of bad sleep. Beepers going off, getting on jets, going here and there, the whole thing, then coming back and spending, you know, three or four days writing the script, and then going to the screenings and then getting on, starting it all over again.”

    He also recalls the competitive atmosphere and envy among fellow journalists after he got the gig.

    “I can remember when I was tapped to go to 60 Minutes, I thought this was fantastic and I expected a lot of people would just come up and say, ‘That’s really great, I’m really happy for you,’” he recalled. “And then you realize after a while that not everybody was happy that I got this job. There were other people that wanted it. And so then you’ve all of a sudden made a bunch of enemies. And that’s, it’s just, you know, it’s a snake pit.”

    Instead, Kroft said the best job he had at CBS was when he was a correspondent in the London bureau.

    “I got to see the world, that was the job I always wanted,” Kroft said.

    Still, Kroft found it “exhilarating” to do the stories he did.

    “It was exhilarating in the sense that the reason I loved the job was because of the stories that I could do, and the fact that they liked good stories,” he said.

    When Kroft retired at the age of 73, he was 60 Minutes‘ longest-tenured correspondent and had conducted some of the long-running show’s most indelible interviews. He spoke to the Clintons in 1992 when Hillary Clinton famously invoked Tammy Wynette amid claims that then-candidate Bill Clinton had had an affair with Gennifer Flowers.

    “It began awkwardly because of the delicate subject matter, but as Hillary got more involved and joined in the conversation, I knew we had a good story,” Kroft, who admitted he was nervous about the big sit-down, previously recalled to The Hollywood Reporter. “When she made the Tammy Wynette remark, I knew we were home free.”

    He also had memorable sit-downs with Woody Allen, Clint Eastwood and Barack Obama (16 in total, including one after the 2011 assassination of Osama Bin Laden) and he led significant investigations into Saddam Hussein’s hidden financial assets and insider trading in Congress. Still, he said the story that had the greatest impact on him was a 2001 report about financial firm Sandler O’Neill, which lost a third of its employees in the World Trade Center attacks.

    “In the days following the disaster, the surviving partner, Jimmy Dunne, allowed us to follow him and other managers as they planned the funerals, comforted and counseled the families, and against impossible odds, kept the company running during the worst days,” he said. “It survived and is thriving today.”

    When asked how his producers would describe him, the skilled, veteran correspondent, also a perfectionist, said, “I think if you asked them during the scripting process the answer would be unprintable. When the story is finished and screened, they would be more complimentary. I’m not easy.”

    Over the summer, Kroft briefly returned to the spotlight when he joined Jon Stewart on The Daily Show to share his thoughts on Paramount’s controversial $16 million settlement with President Trump tied to 60 Minutes‘ editing of its interview with Trump’s opponent in the 2024 presidential election, former Vice President Kamala Harris. Kroft was blunt in his assessment of the deal, calling it a “shakedown.”

    When asked about the mood at 60 Minutes in light of his likely ongoing communications with past colleagues, Kroft agreed with Stewart’s assessment that the settlement is likely “devastating to the people who work in a place that prides themselves on contextual, good journalism.”

    “I think there’s a lot of fear over there,” Kroft said. “Fear of losing their job, fear of what’s happening to the country, fear of losing the First Amendment, all of those things.”

  • Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg Say Catherine O’Hara’s Death Sent “Shock Waves” Through ‘The Studio’ Season 2: “We Are Not Ignoring It”

    Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg are opening up about how the upcoming second season of The Studio has been impacted following Catherine O’Hara’s death.

    In a Friday interview with The Times, the directors spoke about how the show will look different without O’Hara’s Patty Leigh, whom the interviewer referred to as “the anchor” of the seires. Rogen noted that they are “acknowledging” her death, with Goldberg adding that “it has been an unbelievable challenge” navigating her absence, also because her character was written into season two.

    “Obviously emotionally, dealing with the loss, but also when it comes to the show itself. We wrote it for her to be there. We had it all set and the shock waves permeate throughout the entire new season,” Goldberg said. “It’s been difficult. You worded it better than we could — she was the anchor and now the anchor is gone.”

    Rogen elaborated on the notion of O’Hara being The Studio‘s anchor, adding, “If anything we’re acknowledging the idea that we are a little anchorless. But, honestly, that is a part of life and what we all experience. And so while we try to not dwell too much on heavy themes in this show, they will be there in this second season. We are not ignoring it.”

    The Beetlejuice actress died Jan. 30 at her home in Los Angeles after a brief illness. She was 71. Following O’Hara’s death, The Studio cast, crew and producers paid tribute to their late star, with Apple TV and Lionsgate Television sharing in a joint statement, “We are all heartbroken by the loss of Catherine O’Hara.”

    O’Hara portrayed movie executive Patty Leigh in Rogen and Goldberg’s Apple TV comedy. She appeared in all 10 episodes of The Studio‘s hit first season, and notably earned herself a 2025 Emmy nomination and 2026 Golden Globe nod for best supporting actress in a comedy series.

    At the 2026 Actor Awards, O’Hara won the honor of best actress in a comedy series tied to her work in The Studio. Rogen took the stage to accept the award on her behalf.

    “I was asked to assume the honor of accepting this award on O’Hara’s behalf. I know she would have been honored to receive this award from her fellow performers who I know she respected so much,” Rogen said to the attendees. “She was such a big fan of all of yours.”

    Rogen and Goldberg paid homage to O’Hara throughout awards season. After they won the DGA Award for outstanding directorial achievement for a comedy series, both of the directors reflected on their admiration for the late actress.

    “Honestly, there’s no one we wish we could thank in person at this moment more than we would love to thank Catherine O’Hara,” Rogen said, which led the audience to erupt in applause, as Goldberg added, “We grew up in Canada, and she is and was quite literally our idol since we were children.”

    “Every day we worked very hard to make the show good enough to warrant her time and her presence. So, ultimately, we would like to thank the DGA for this, but we would mostly like to thank Catherine O’Hara for being such a wonderful person,” Rogen said at the end of their acceptance speech.

  • Dee Freeman, ‘Sistas’ and ‘Young and the Restless’ Actress, Dies at 66

    Dee Freeman, the Sistas and Young and the Restless actress, has died. She was 66.

    Freeman died Thursday following a battle with cancer, her family announced on Instagram.

    “On behalf of her family, it is with deepest sadness that we share this update with you. Dee passed away peacefully on April 2, 2026 after a brave and fearless fight with cancer,” their statement reads. “Thank you to everyone who supported Dee during her battle. It blew her away to know how many people cared about her and were pulling for her. We know Dee is up there in heaven being the force of nature she always was. Now she’s doing it with her angel wings on. Rest in peace, Dee.”

    Born in Louisiana in 1959, Freeman joined the United States Marine Corps after high school. After serving in the military, she began her career in the arts, beginning with theater and then evolving into film and television. She most recently starred in seasons nine and 10 of Tyler Perry’s Sistas, where she portrayed Valerie Barnes, the mother to KJ Smith Black’s character Andi Barnes.

    Freeman lent her acting talents to three episodes of The Young and the Restless; a 2016 episode of Shameless; and a 2021 episode of NCIS: Los Angeles, among others. She also led the satirical comedy Pretty the Series from 2010-2015.

    At the time of her death, Freeman was developing a novel adaptation of her one-woman show Poison Gun, which was inspired by the history of her family.

    “Dee wasn’t just my client — she was someone I truly respected and admired,” Desirae L. Benson, Freeman’s publicist, said in a statement. “She carried herself with a level of grace, strength, and authenticity that is rare. Even in the face of stage 4 lung cancer, she showed up with courage and dignity. Dee had a quiet power that commanded respect without ever needing to demand it. Her legacy is not just in her work, but in how she made people feel — and that will stay with us forever.”

    Freeman is survived by her children, Amber and Shane; her mother, brothers and sisters.