Actor Ioan Gruffudd secured a Los Angeles court victory after Judge Michael Convey renewed a domestic violence restraining order against his ex-wife, actress Alice Evans, for five years. The order — originally issued in 2022 for three years — bars Evans from contacting or coming within 100 feet of Gruffudd and his family and runs until at least 2031. During a week-long trial, the judge concluded Evans had mounted a "concerted, focused, intentional and caustic campaign of denigration" against Gruffudd and his wife, Bianca Wallace, citing multiple violations of the prior order and online posts that included threats and attempts to harm his career. Witnesses testified about alleged schemes including encouraging fans to send dog excrement and public disclosures causing distress. Evans admitted to posting negative comments and expressed remorse, but the judge questioned the sincerity of her apology. The dispute is entwined with an ongoing custody and support battle over their two daughters; both parents have made conflicting claims about contact and harm to the children.

Filmmakers unveiled the trailer for As Deep as the Grave at CinemaCon in Las Vegas on April 15, 2026, featuring an AI-generated likeness of the late actor Val Kilmer. Kilmer, who died in 2025, had been cast as Father Fintan but was unable to shoot due to illness; the production says it recreated his performance with the cooperation and approval of his children and estate. Writer-director Coerte Voorhees and producer John Voorhees told audiences they followed Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists guidelines and emphasized “consent, compensation and collaboration.” The historical drama, about archaeologists Ann and Earl Morris, stars Abigail Lawrie, Tom Felton and Abigail Breslin; the filmmakers said Kilmer appears for more than an hour in the finished film and that the production is seeking distribution with no confirmed release date. The trailer — which includes Kilmer at various ages and a final AI-generated closeup — has reignited debate over generative AI in film, with coverage noting the ethical, legal and industry ramifications of digitally resurrecting performers.

Khloé Kardashian on April 15 publicly rebutted ex-husband Lamar Odom’s public comments about her role in his Netflix documentary, Untold: The Death & Life of Lamar Odom. Speaking on her Khloé in Wonder Land podcast, Kardashian said she agreed to appear “as a favor,” was not paid for her participation and now feels “played” after Odom disputed several of her on-camera assertions during his press tour. The film, released March 31, revisits Odom’s 2015 near-fatal overdose and recovery; Odom has since attributed his survival to God, questioned whether Kardashian helped save him and suggested he married her partly for fame. Kardashian said she only consented after months of consideration and at Netflix’s insistence that the project could not be finished without her; she described her interview as guided by a producer and called rehashing the episode traumatic. She also condemned Odom’s prior purchase of a sex doll resembling her as “sociopathic.” Representatives for Odom and Netflix did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Warner Bros. confirmed on April 14, 2026 at CinemaCon that Bradley Cooper will write, direct, produce and star alongside Margot Robbie in an untitled Ocean’s Eleven prequel set at the 1962 Monaco Grand Prix. Robbie, producing through her LuckyChap banner, said the film will follow the parents of franchise protagonist Danny Ocean and depict an ‘‘epic heist’’ during the famous race. Carrie Solomon is attached as a screenwriter. Cooper signed on after directors Jay Roach and Lee Isaac Chung left the project; the studio says those departures were amicable. The film is slated for a June 25, 2027 theatrical release and is expected to begin production in 2026. Warner Bros. also previewed a separate sequel led by George Clooney that would reunite much of the original cast for an Ocean’s 14 film currently being planned for production.

Comedian Dave Chappelle told NPR’s Newsmakers in mid-April 2026 that he resents members of the Republican Party for “weaponizing” jokes about transgender people that have featured in his stand-up. On the April 15 interview he said Republicans had “run on transgender jokes” and turned material he described as comedic observation into a harsher political tool. Chappelle recounted a 2023 Capitol Hill encounter in which Rep. Lauren Boebert posted a selfie with him and Rep. Anna Paulina Luna captioned, “Just three people who understand that there’s only two genders,” a move he said politicized his image; he said he later “lit her up” onstage. Chappelle defended his intent, saying his bits were not “malicious or even harmful,” and blamed media “rage-baiting” for some backlash. The interview reiterated controversies dating to his Netflix specials (Sticks & Stones, The Closer, The Dreamer) and later performances, which prompted protests, employee walkouts at Netflix and some venue cancellations. He also touched on differing reception abroad, including at the 2025 Riyadh Comedy Festival, and the broader debate over comedy, platforming and political appropriation of celebrity speech.

Warner Bros. unveiled the principal cast for The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum at CinemaCon in Las Vegas on April 14-15, 2026. Andy Serkis will direct and reprise his motion-capture role as Gollum/Sméagol. Jamie Dornan has been cast as Strider (the young Aragorn), replacing Viggo Mortensen, while Leo Woodall joins as Halvard and Kate Winslet appears as a new character, Marigol. Veterans Ian McKellen and Elijah Wood will return as Gandalf and Frodo respectively, and Lee Pace is set to reprise Thranduil. Peter Jackson is among the producers, with screenwriters Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens credited on the script alongside Phoebe Gittins and Arty Papageorgiou. Filming is due to begin in New Zealand in May, and the film is scheduled for theatrical release on December 17, 2027. The announcement sparked mixed fan reaction online, reflecting both excitement for returning cast members and debate over recasting Aragorn.