Tag: HollywoodReporter

Jon Bardin has a new title to match his expanding purview at Story Syndicate.

The executive has been promoted to president of documentary and unscripted at the Liz Garbus and Dan Cogan-founded company, Story Syndicate announced on Tuesday. Bardin has been with the production company, a powerhouse in the documentary scene, since its founding in 2019 and previously served as head of documentary and unscripted.

Bardin’s new role recognizes the additional responsibilities he’s taken on as he directs the company’s expansion into more recurring nonfiction shows like its series Solo Traveling with Tracee Ellis Ross, whose second season premiered in July on The Roku Channel. Bardin also supervises the company’s equity fund, launched in 2025 to finance documentary films and series with commercial potential.

In his new role, Bardin will continue to report to Cogan, the company’s CEO. Bardin’s leadership team includes head of production and operations Tommy Coriale, vp of development Lianna Schwartzman, head of postproduction Casey Currier, head of business affairs Brendan Waterhouse and chief financial officer Celia Winchester.

“Jon was one of our first hires at Story Syndicate seven years ago, and his role has grown every year since. His brilliance, judgment, taste, great rapport with both filmmakers and platforms, and incredibly strong work ethic have all contributed enormously to our success,” Cogan and Garbus said in a statement. “Bottom line: we love working with Jon, and this new title recognizes the central role he plays in our nonfiction work.”

A Harvard graduate with a PhD in neuroscience from Weill Cornell Medical College, Bardin co-founded the nonprofit production company The Public Good Projects and worked as a vp of documentaries and specials at The Discovery Channel prior to joining Story Syndicate.

While at the production company, Bardin has produced Fauci, Mayor Pete, Sally, Last Take: Rust and the Story of Halyna, Titan: The OceanGate Disaster and Maternal Instinct. He also served as executive producer on major projects like Britney vs Spears, Harry & Meghan and Gone Girls: The Long Island Serial Killer.

“I am privileged to wake up every morning and go to work at Story Syndicate, and I’m deeply grateful to Dan and Liz for their mentorship — and for their trust in me as I step into this new role,” Bardin said in a statement. “There’s so much still to come, and I can’t wait to keep producing groundbreaking work in partnership with the incredible Story Syndicate team and the best filmmakers in the business.”

Phyllida Law, the Scottish actress of stage and screen and the mother of actresses Emma and Sophie Thompson, has died. She was 94.

Her death was announced by her manager, Jacky Leggo, who said in a statement that she “died supremely peacefully at home, surrounded by all her family.”

Law appeared with Emma in films including Peter’s Friends (1992), Much Ado About Nothing (1993) — both directed by then-son-in-law Kenneth Branagh — and Junior (1994), and they portrayed mother and daughter in The Winter Guest (1997), directed by Alan Rickman.

She acted alongside younger daughter Sophie in Jane Austen’s Emma (1996), starring Gwyneth Paltrow, and they would work together on TV series including Poirot, Midsomer Murders, Timeshift and Doc Martin.

Without her kids, she landed in features including The Time Machine (2002), Miss Potter (2006), Albert Nobbs (2011) and A Little Chaos (2014) and recurred as the aunt of Stephen Fry’s lawyer on the 2007-09 ITV series Kingdom.

She received an OBE from Queen Elizabeth II for her services to drama and charitable causes in 2014.

The daughter of a newspaperman, Phyllida Ann Law was born in Glasgow on May 8, 1932. She was accepted into the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School, intending to train as a stage designer before deciding that she wanted to act.

She appeared in Bristol Old Vic productions, married fellow actor Eric Thompson in 1957 and started showing up on television on programs including ITV Play of the Week, Dr. Finlay’s Casebook and Dixon of Dock Green.

She joined the original 1967 production of Peter Nichols’ A Day in the Death of Joe Egg when it made its way to the West End and in 1971 worked alongside Alec Guinness in John Mortimer’s A Voyage Round My Father.

She later appeared in plays including Alan Bennett’s Habeas Corpus, Somerset Maugham’s For Services Rendered (for the National Theatre) and J.B. Priestley’s When We Are Married and played Jacqueline in the musical version of La Cage Aux Folles.

Law was married to Thompson until his death from a heart attack at age 53 in 1982, when Emma was 21 and Sophie was 18.

“We know mum so much better because we spent so much time together, we started going on holidays and traveling together, and we all live on the same street, within three doors of each other,” Emma said in 1997. “We’re far closer-knit because of [her dad’s] death in our lives.

“Also, we’re three actresses who always had to earn our own living, we’ve never been supported by anyone. My mum always worked, I always worked when I was married, and my sister works. So that’s created quite a strong kind of triumvirate.  It’s a little alarming, actually.”

Survivors also include her grandchildren, Gaia (an actress), Tindyebwa, Ernie and Walter.

What did you expect when Rosie O’Donnell was announced as making her talk show return by substituting for Jimmy Kimmel as a guest host on ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live?

You probably expected O’Donnell, after leaving Donald Trump’s America for Ireland in 2025 ago in search of “a more peaceful life,” to come out swinging at the president. You probably expected O’Donnell to come across like how conservatives paint her — angry and strident, going full blast at Trump’s second-term corruption allegations and policy blunders.

What viewers got instead (video below) during the first night of O’Donnell’s weeklong stint, was so much better and more interesting, a monologue that said a lot about her and even more about what’s lacking in typical late-night discourse.

First, O’Donnell showed she hasn’t slipped at all since her days hosting her 1990s-era talk show, The Rosie O’Donnell Show. The 64-year-old radiated confidence and charm.

O’Donnell nodded to Trump at the start of her 15-minute opener, calling him “Mango Mussolini” and saying, “If you thought that the president hated Jimmy Kimmel Live! when it was hosted by Jimmy Kimmel, buckle up people!” Media writers covering the monologue predictably seized on those scraps for their headlines.

But the rest was almost entirely focused on O’Donnell’s fish-out-of-water experiences as an American settling into her new life in Ireland with her 13-year-old child. She told anecdotes about Ireland’s drinking culture, cab drivers, being a famous person abroad and, especially, her attempt to romance a kindly pharmacist.

The criticism has been made many times that current late-night shows, including NBC’s Saturday Night Live, are Trump-obsessed. They also tend to be obsessed with the media, Hollywood and breaking news, because that’s the world late-night hosts and writers know — and that’s what everyday conversations can sound like when you work in Los Angeles or New York.

Whereas O’Donnell’s monologue was refreshing fare because it was about living a normal-ish life and interacting with everyday people. She also, by and large, seemed rather happy — again, not a word that Trump supporters would typically associate with O’Donnell (or, for that matter, that Kimmel viewers would likely associate with Kimmel). The move abroad, it seems, has been good for O’Donnell, just as her friends have told reporters over the last couple of years.

At the end of the monologue, O’Donnell predicted Trump was going to be angry because she didn’t talk about him and perhaps so. She’ll surely have more to say about the president over the next few shows, giving Kimmel’s audience the latest red meat. But if the best revenge really is living well, then O’Donnell seems to have already gotten hers.

Chef and TV personality Eitan Bernath has signed with CAA for representation.

The culinary talent, backed by over 10 million social media followers at the intersection of food and culture, is looking to build on his TV profile as the principal culinary contributor on The Drew Barrymore Show since season one, while also having appearances on the Live With Kelly and Mark morning show.

Bernath is a cookbook author with Eitan Eats the World: New Comfort Classics to Cook Right Now, published by Random House, and is a contributor to The Washington Post, Food & Wine, Saveur and Delish.

Bernath first became known as the youngest contestant on both Food Network’s Chopped, where he appeared as an 11-year-old, and on Guy’s Grocery Games.  He has since amassed 2.5 million TikTok followers for his popular video cooking tutorials.

Bernath has also collaborated with other culinary talents and celebrities like Bill Gates, World Central Kitchen’s José Andres, Marcus Samuelsson, Eva Longoria and Geoffrey Zakarian. And he has done brand partnerships with Four Seasons, PayPal, Walmart, KitchenAid and All-Clad. 

And, as the founder & CEO of Eitan Productions, Bernath’s premium experiential business centers on intimate chef-led dinners, tastings and brand activations. He has produced tailored events for brand partners like Wonderful Pistachios, FIJI Water, Landmark Vineyards and City Harvest to bring executives, media, digital creators, philanthropists and tastemakers together around hospitality, product launches and charitable events.

Bernath’s own philanthropy includes support for the United Nations World Food Program and he is on the Food Council of City Harvest and World Central Kitchen.

Madonna is the top nominee heading into the 2026 MTV VMAs, the network announced on Tuesday, with the pop icon earning 11 nominations overall this year, including for artist of the year, video of the year, song of the year for her Sabrina Carpenter collaboration “Bring Your Love” and video of the year for “Confessions II – The Film.”

Taylor Swift, the most-awarded act in VMAs history, came in second this year with nine nominations, including for artist of the year and video of the year with “The Fate of Ophelia.” Ariana Grande and Carpenter are tied for third with seven each. Both earned artist and video of the year nods as well; Grande’s “hate that i made you love me” is up for video of the year, as is Carpenter’s “Tears.”

The last two acts for this year’s video of the year race are Bruno Mars for “I Just Might,” and Gener8ion for “STORM starring Yung Lean.” Mars, who has five nominations overall, is also up for artist of the year, with Morgan Wallen rounding out the nominees in the category.

Madonna’s VMAs feat is the latest in a resurgent year for the superstar, whose Confessions II debuted atop the Billboard 200 chart last month. The album has been widely regarded as her best since 2005’s original Confessions on a Dance Floor.

For song of the year, along with “Bring Your Love,” the rest of the nominees are BTS’s “Swim,” Ella Langley’s “Choosin’ Texas,” K-Pop Demon Hunters‘ smash “Golden,” Olivia Dean’s “Man I Need,” PinkPantheress and Zara Larsson’s “Stateside” remix and Raye’s “Where is My Husband!”

This year’s best new artist race features Bella Kay, Malcom Todd, CORTIS, Sienna Spiro, Myles Smith, Stella Lefty and Magnus Ferrell.

This year’s show, which will once again air on CBS and simulcast on MTV, will also feature the best dance category for the first time in seven years.

The VMAs are set to air live from Los Angeles on Sept. 27, marking the first time the show will have taken place in L.A. since 2017. Fans are able to vote on the categories from now through Sept. 25 at 6 p.m. ET.

A complete list of this year’s nominees follows.

VIDEO OF THE YEAR

Ariana Grande – “hate that i made you love me” – Republic Records
Bruno Mars – “I Just Might” – Atlantic Records
GENER8ION – “STORM starring Yung Lean” – Iconoclast Music
Madonna – “Confessions II – The Film” – Warner Records
Sabrina Carpenter – “Tears”- Island
Taylor Swift – “The Fate of Ophelia” – Republic Records

ARTIST OF THE YEAR

Ariana Grande – Republic Records
Bruno Mars – Atlantic Records
Madonna – Warner Records
Morgan Wallen – Big Loud/Mercury Records
Sabrina Carpenter – Island
Taylor Swift – Republic Records

SONG OF THE YEAR

BTS – “Swim” – BIGHIT MUSIC
Ella Langley – “Choosin’ Texas” – Columbia Records
HUNTR/X: EJAE, Audrey Nuna, REI AMI – “Golden” – Republic Records/Visva Records
Madonna & Sabrina Carpenter – “Bring Your Love” – Warner Records
Olivia Dean – “Man I Need” – Island
PinkPantheress – “Stateside + Zara Larsson” – Warner Records UK/Atlantic Records
RAYE – “WHERE IS MY HUSBAND!” – Human Re Sources

BEST NEW ARTIST, presented by The General Insurance®

Bella Kay – Atlantic Records
CORTIS – BIGHIT MUSIC
Magnus Ferrell -Visva Records/Republic Records
Malcolm Todd – Columbia Records
Myles Smith – RCA Records
Sienna Spiro – Capitol Records
Stella Lefty – Sandlot/Atlantic Outpost

BEST COLLABORATION

Clipse, Kendrick Lamar, Pusha T, Malice – “Chains & Whips” – Roc Nation Distribution
French Montana x Max B – “Ever Since U Left Me” – Coke Boys Records
Madonna & Sabrina Carpenter – “Bring Your Love” – Warner Records
PinkPantheress – “Stateside + Zara Larsson” – Warner Records UK/Atlantic Records
Shakira & Burna Boy – “Dai Dai” – Sony Music US Latin
Teyana Taylor & Lucky Daye – “Hard Part” – Def Jam Recordings

BEST POP

Ariana Grande – “hate that i made you love me” – Republic Records
Charli xcx – “SS26” – Atlantic Records
LISA – “Dream feat. Kentaro Sakaguchi” – Lloud Co./RCA Records
Olivia Rodrigo – “drop dead” – Geffen Records
Sabrina Carpenter – “House Tour” – Island
Tate McRae – “Nobody’s Girl” – RCA Records
Taylor Swift – “The Fate of Ophelia” – Republic Records

BEST HIP-HOP

Cardi B ft. Kehlani – “Safe” – Atlantic Records
Don Toliver – “E85” – Cactus Jack/ Atlantic Records
Drake – “Janice STFU” – OVO/Republic Records
Megan Thee Stallion – “LOVER GIRL” – Hot Girl Productions
Travis Scott – “DUMBO” – Cactus Jack/Epic Records
Tyler, The Creator – “SUGAR ON MY TONGUE” – Columbia Records

BEST R&B

Bruno Mars – “I Just Might” – Atlantic Records
Chris Brown – “It Depends/Obvious” – RCA Records
Dave & Tems – “Raindance” – Neighbourhood Recordings/Capitol Records
Justin Bieber – “YUKON” – Def Jam Recordings
Kehlani – “Folded” – Atlantic Records
Mariah the Scientist & Kali Uchis – “Is It a Crime” – Epic Records

BEST ALTERNATIVE

Geese – “Taxes” – Partisan Records/Play It Again Sam
mgk & Fred Durst – “FIX UR FACE” – EST 19XX LLC/Interscope Records
Noah Kahan – “The Great Divide” – Mercury Records
Olivia Rodrigo – “the cure” – Geffen Records
SOMBR – “Homewrecker” – SMB Music/Warner Records
Tame Impala – “Dracula” – Columbia Records
twenty one pilots – “Drag Path” – Fueled By Ramen

BEST DANCE, presented by BACARDÍ® Rum

Bebe Rexha & Faithless – “New Religion” – Bebe Rexha Music LLC/EMPIRE
Harry Styles – “Aperture” – Columbia Records
Lady Gaga & Doechii – “RUNWAY” – Lil Monsters/Top Dawg Entertainment/Interscope Records/Capitol Records
Madonna – “Confessions II – The Film” – Warner Records
PinkPantheress – “Stateside + Zara Larsson” – Warner Records UK/Atlantic Records
Slayyyter – “DANCE…” – RECORDS/Columbia Records
ate McRae – “Nobody’s Girl” – RCA Records

BEST LATIN

Anitta with Shakira – “Choka Choka” – Republic Records/UMLE
Bad Bunny – “NUEVAYoL” – Rimas Entertainment
Fuerza Regida – “TU SANCHO” – Rancho Humilde/Street Mob Records/Sony Music US Latin
KAROL G – “Papasito” – Bichota Records/Interscope Records
Rosalía ft. Yahritza Y Su Esencia – “La Perla” – Columbia Records
Ryan Castro, Kapo & GANGSTA – “LA VILLA” – AWOO Corp./ Sony Music US Latin
Shakira & Burna Boy – “Dai Dai” – Sony Music US Latin

BEST K-POP

BLACKPINK – “JUMP” – YG Entertainment
BTS – “SWIM” – BIGHIT MUSIC
CORTIS – “REDRED” – BIGHIT MUSIC
KATSEYE – “PINKY UP” – HYBE x Geffen Records
LE SSERAFIM (feat. j-hope of BTS) – “SPAGHETTI” – SOURCE MUSIC
LISA – “Dream feat. Kentaro Sakaguchi” – Lloud Co./ RCA Records

BEST COUNTRY 

Ella Langley – “Choosin’ Texas” – Columbia Records
Kacey Musgraves – “Dry Spell” – Lost Highway/Interscope Records
Lainey Wilson – “Somewhere Over Laredo” – Broken Bow Records
Luke Combs – “Back in the Saddle” – Columbia Nashville
Shaboozey – “Cowgirl” – American Dogwood/EMPIRE
Stella Lefty – “Boston” – Sandlot/Atlantic Outpost 
Tucker Wetmore – “Brunette” – Back Blocks Music/Mercury Records

BEST DIRECTION

Ariana Grande – “hate that i made you love me” – Republic Records
Bruno Mars – “I Just Might” – Atlantic Records
GENER8ION – “STORM starring Yung Lean” – Iconoclast Music
Madonna – “Confessions II – The Film” – Warner Records
Sabrina Carpenter – “House Tour” – Island
Taylor Swift – “Opalite” – Republic Records

BEST ART DIRECTION

Charli xcx – “SS26” – Atlantic Records
Lady Gaga & Doechii – “RUNWAY” – Lil Monsters/Top Dawg Entertainment/Interscope Records/Capitol Records
Madonna – “Confessions II – The Film” – Warner Records
PinkPantheress – “Stateside + Zara Larsson” – Warner Records UK/Atlantic Records
SOMBR – “My Body Isn’t Ready” – SMB Music/Warner Records
Taylor Swift – “The Fate of Ophelia” – Republic Records

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY

A$AP Rocky – “PUNK ROCKY” – A$AP Worldwide/RCA Records
Ariana Grande – “hate that i made you love me” – Republic Records
LISA – “Dream feat. Kentaro Sakaguchi” – Lloud Co./ RCA Records
Madonna – “Confessions II – The Film” – Warner Records
Shaboozey – “Cowgirl” – American Dogwood/EMPIRE
Taylor Swift – “The Fate of Ophelia” – Republic Records

BEST EDITING

Ariana Grande – “hate that i made you love me” – Republic Records
Bruno Mars – “I Just Might” – Atlantic Records
LISA – “Dream feat. Kentaro Sakaguchi” – Lloud Co./ RCA Records
Madonna – “Confessions II – The Film” – Warner Records
Sabrina Carpenter – “House Tour” – Island
Taylor Swift – “The Fate of Ophelia” – Republic Records

BEST CHOREOGRAPHY

GENER8ION – “STORM starring Yung Lean” – Iconoclast Music
Harry Styles – “Dance No More” – Columbia Records
KATSEYE – “PINKY UP” – HYBE x Geffen Records
Madonna – “Confessions II – The Film” – Warner Records
Tate McRae – “Nobody’s Girl” – RCA Records
Taylor Swift – “The Fate of Ophelia” – Republic Records

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS

Ariana Grande – “hate that i made you love me” – Republic Records
JISOO X ZAYN – “Eyes Closed” – Warner Records
Madonna – “Confessions II – The Film” – Warner Records
PinkPantheress – “Stateside + Zara Larsson” – Warner Records UK/Atlantic Records
RAYE ft. Hans Zimmer – “Click Clack Symphony.” – Human Re Sources
Taylor Swift – “The Fate of Ophelia” – Republic Records

Former creative collaborators continue to react to the sudden death of Hayden Panettiere at 36, with Tim Fywell (Happy Valley, The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency), the British director of the 2005 Disney movie Ice Princess, on Tuesday paying tribute to her.

“It was really upsetting to hear yesterday of the death of Hayden Panettiere at the age of 36,” the director shared in a statement received by The Hollywood Reporter. “I worked with her 21 years ago when she played Kim Cattrall’s daughter in the Disney movie Ice Princess, which I directed. I remember a brave, sparky, dedicated young actress who lit up the set in rehearsals and then the screen with her vibrant talent.”

The movie, also featuring Joan Cusack, of course, starred Panettiere opposite Michelle Trachtenberg, who died last year at age 39. Video compilations of Trachtenberg and Panettiere’s characters, Casey Carlyle and Gen Harwood, respectively, started circulating on social media on Monday, with fans noting the film’s comforting feel of nostalgia amid the tragic deaths of its stars.

Ice Princess follows Casey (Trachtenberg), a brainy high school student, who gives up her path to Harvard to pursue her dream of becoming a professional figure skater. Panettiere plays Casey’s main rival-turned-supportive ally.

In his statement following Panettiere’s death, Fywell lauded the young duo. “Michelle Trachtenberg, Hayden’s co-star in the movie, and she were an amazing pair. Two very different personalities,” he emphasized. “Michelle – kooky, fun, with an infectious laugh and her brilliant sad-funny comic timing. Hayden – plucky and determined and perfectionist, spending hours practicing her skating and utterly focused on getting every acting take spot-on and truthful. Which she did.”

Concluded Fywell: “In what was often a tough and technically complicated shoot, and my first Hollywood movie, they were delightful to work with and great to have around. I remember them both with huge affection, how they were 20-odd years ago, at that relatively uncomplicated time of their lives, two shining talents, gone far too soon.”

Have you ever felt the urge to help change the world – as an entrepreneur? If so, a new 10-episode documentary series following social entrepreneurs who are tackling “today’s most pressing challenges” may be for you.

How to Change the World, a production of World Within Studios, in partnership with Religion of Sports, that is executive produced by Mark Cuban, Geralyn Dreyfous and Gotham Chopra, will premiere on YouTube on Sept. 10.

It explores entrepreneurs’ work and their “innovation, determination and community-driven solutions. “Each episode follows the emotional arc of a real founder, from a small brick-and-mortar beverage startup to a Lakota-founded green energy company,” the creators say. “The scale of growth varies by story – but not the measure of success. Community impact is the measuring stick throughout every narrative.”

Business voices featured in the show include Cuban, former Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz, NYU Stern professor and podcast host Scott Galloway, Acumen founder Jacqueline Novogratz and Our Place co-founder Shiza Shahid. Other faces sharing their insight in the series include Free Solo climber and Alex Honnold, Humans of New York author Brandon Stanton, former White House chef Sam Kass and former U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan.

World Within founder and CEO Rostam Zafari and co-founder Dylan Mulick, who co-created the series, are also among the executive producers, along with Victor Buhler, executive vp of unscripted at Religion of Sports.

“There’s a mythology about entrepreneurship: grow fast, sell for as much as possible and walk away without looking back,” a synopsis for the show says. “How to Change the World follows a different kind of founder, one whose success is measured by what a business gives back rather than what its founder takes home. The series sheds light inside the lives of entrepreneurs finding new ways to expand clean energy, strengthen local economies, improve food systems and create opportunities for the communities they serve. Through cinematic storytelling and firsthand access, the series highlights the people behind the ideas and the perseverance required to turn those ideas into lasting, global impact.”

Individual episodes are directed by Mulick, Oliver Riley-Smith and Nicholas Mihm. The series is produced by Jason Bowers and Jacob Mosler, World Within’s COO, with Radhika Womack co-producing. World Within is a nonprofit working at what it calls “the intersection of impact investing and storytelling.” Among the projects the firm has been involved with are Makayla’s Voice: A Letter to the World, which won the best documentary short award at the Tribeca Film Festival and The Voice of Hind Rajab.

“The traditional entrepreneur story rewards scale and personal payout, often without asking what the true cost is on people and communities,” Zafari said. “How To Change The World follows founders who measure success differently: by what their businesses give back to the communities they are built in, not by what they can walk away with. This is the version of business worth telling stories about.”

And Mulick emphasized: “We are following individuals who are sacrificing personal gain to solve huge problems, some of which may never be solved, against extraordinary headwinds. By blending investigative journalism with a premium, stylized cinematic aesthetic, we are presenting these narratives not as passive interest pieces, but as dynamic blueprints for systemic change.”

Buhler highlighted that “we typically tell stories of athletes who have overcome incredible odds to become great. On this series, we’re proud to work with the World Within team to profile social entrepreneurs who have overcome incredible odds also. These entrepreneurs all have a clear mission: to create sustainable companies that provide real solutions to today’s most pressing issues.”

Cuban shared why he just had to support the series: “I don’t back a project unless the people behind it are doing the work, not just talking about it. Rostam and Dylan built something different: a series that skips the crash-and-burn stories and instead follows entrepreneurs who are actually solving problems and building something that lasts in their communities. World Within isn’t just filming that work. They’re funding it. That’s the kind of entrepreneurship I want more people to see.”

Watch a trailer for How to Change the World right here.

Wladimir Klitschko has spoken out following news of the death of actress Hayden Panettiere, his former partner and mother to their daughter, Kaya.

“Our family is going through a time of profound shock and grief,” the former boxing world champion posted on Instagram early Tuesday, adding to reactions from around the world. “Our family is going through a time of profound shock and grief.”

Klitschko said the news of Hayden’s sudden death at 36 “saddens me deeply. She left this world far too soon. Hayden was, although no longer my partner, an important part of my life and the mother of our daughter, Kaya.”

Panettiere and Klitschko met in 2009 and became a couple. They initially split in 2011, but later reconciled and got engaged in 2013. Their daughter, Kaya, was born in December 2014. When Kaya was 3, Klitschko asked Panettiere to sign papers granting him sole custody. Panettiere and Klitschko never married. Their engagement was called off and they separated for good in 2018.

Klitschko on Tuesday posted a photo of himself with Panettiere holding their young daughter Kaya, with the girl’s face obscured.

“She built an incredible career through immense talent, while also facing the darker sides of a very demanding industry,” Klitschko wrote. “Nothing will erase the times we shared or the place she had in our lives. To our daughter Kaya, I will always speak of her mother with respect and make sure she remembers the person she was.”

Panettiere, a Golden Globe-nominated actress known for her roles on shows such as Heroes and Nashville, died on Sunday. She was 36. A child actor who had been in the spotlight most of her life, Panettiere struggled with alcohol and drug addiction, and with postpartum depression after Kaya’s birth, as outlined in her raw and candid memoir, This Is Me: A Reckoning, published in May.

The coroner’s office overseeing her autopsy released a statement on Monday indicating that there were no signs of trauma found on her body.

“I extend my deepest condolences to Hayden’s parents, her friends, and her fans, who are also grieving today. Young and talented people like Hayden should not leave this world so soon,” Klitschko wrote in his statement, asking the public to ” please respect our family’s feelings and privacy during this incredibly difficult time. For now, this is all I wish to say. Thank you to everyone who is supporting my family and expressing their sincere condolences. Rest easy, Hayden. May you find eternal peace.”

The BBC has unveiled the casting of the leads for drama series The Ministry of Time from A24 as filming begins in and around London. It will star Aoife Hinds (Dune: Prophecy, Normal People) as Sophy and Billy Howle (The Perfect Couple, Under the Banner of Heaven) as Commander Graham Gore. 

The Ministry of Time is based on Kaliane Bradley’s bestselling debut novel of the same name, adapted by Alice Birch (Normal People, The End We Start From, Dead Ringers), with Aneil Karia (Hamlet, The Gold, Surge) serving as the lead director.

The six-part series will be produced by A24 (Beef, Such Brave Girls, Dreaming Whilst Black) for BBC iPlayer and BBC One. Amediateka, Bell Media’s Crave, Binge Australia and ZDF are set to co-produce the series.

The Ministry of Time of the novel is “a newly established government department gathering ‘expats’ from across history in an experiment to test the viability of time-travel,” reads a synopsis. “Our heroine Sophy achieves a hard-fought promotion in the civil service, only to learn that her role is to help a time traveller acclimatize to the modern world as part of a top-secret Ministry program. Commander Graham Gore is a Victorian polar explorer and one of several ‘expats’ from history who are now part of the Ministry’s extraordinary experiment. The professional friendship between Sophy and Graham develops into an intense forbidden romance that reveals the transporting power of love across centuries, just as the sinister nature of the Ministry’s true intentions increasingly puts them in danger.”  

Said The Ministry of Time author Bradley: “This is very exciting, and I’m looking forward to seeing how it all comes together. If I could travel back in time six years to tell past me what was going to happen with that polar explorer she’d just started writing about, I think she would have done some very Victorian swooning.”

Lindsay Salt, director of BBC Drama, called The Ministry of Time “a truly distinctive, genre-defying series with a beautiful central relationship, and we are thrilled to have Aoife and Billy leading the cast.” She added: “Kaliane Bradley has created two complex, compelling characters at the heart of this brilliant story, which has been beautifully adapted by Alice Birch. We can’t wait for BBC viewers to join us on this epic adventure.”

The Ministry of Time was commissioned by Salt and is executive produced by A24, Birch, Aneil Karia and Jo McClellan for the BBC. Frances du Pille (The Sixth Commandment, What It Feels Like for a Girl) is the producer. The series will be distributed internationally by A24.