Darrell Sheets, the larger‑than‑life bidder known as “The Gambler” on A&E’s long‑running reality series Storage Wars, was found dead at his home in Lake Havasu City, Arizona, on April 22, 2026. Lake Havasu City police said officers responded at about 2 a.m. and located a 67‑year‑old male who had suffered what appeared to be a self‑inflicted gunshot wound; the case remains under active investigation and the body was turned over to the Mohave County Medical Examiner. Sheets, a fan favourite who appeared across 15 seasons (more than 160 episodes) and who later ran an antiques shop in Arizona, had publicly battled health problems in recent years. A&E said it was “saddened” by his death. Several former co‑stars, including René Nezhoda and Brandi Passante, have publicly mourned him and urged people to seek help. Nezhoda has alleged Sheets had been subject to sustained online harassment; police say cyberbullying claims are part of the ongoing inquiry. Media outlets have also revisited Sheets’s on‑screen legacy and his role in popularising storage‑auction culture.

Netflix on April 23 released Stranger Things: Tales From '85, a 10-episode animated spinoff set between seasons two and three of the flagship series. Executive-produced by creators Matt and Ross Duffer and developed by showrunner Eric Robles, the series is produced by Flying Bark and features a newly recast voice ensemble for the core child characters. It introduces Nikki (Odessa A'zion) and her substitute-teacher mother (Janeane Garofalo) and includes guest voices such as Robert Englund and Lou Diamond Phillips. The show adopts a kid-friendly, Saturday-morning cartoon tone, leans into 1980s nostalgia and centers on a serialized mystery involving new Upside Down–related plantlike creatures. Critical reaction on release was mixed: several reviewers praised its return to the franchise's earlier, youthful spirit and strong voice performances, while others called it unambitious, repetitive and potentially disruptive to canon. CNET noted all episodes are available on demand and reminded readers of Netflix's recent subscription-price tiers. The series is the first of several promised Stranger Things extensions and is positioned to keep the IP active without the original live-action cast.

A former executive at Beast Industries, the media company founded by YouTuber Jimmy “MrBeast” Donaldson, filed a federal lawsuit on April 22, 2026, in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina. Plaintiff Lorrayne Mavromatis, hired in 2022 as head of Instagram and later promoted, alleges years of sexual harassment by senior leaders, gender discrimination and retaliation after she complained and took maternity leave. The complaint names two production entities, MrBeastYouTube LLC and GameChanger 24/7 LLC, and cites incidents including unwanted comments about her appearance, one-on-one meetings at an executive’s home, being asked to join work calls while in labor, demotion after raising complaints in 2023, and termination weeks after returning from leave. Her suit alleges violations of the Family and Medical Leave Act, wrongful termination and intentional infliction of emotional distress and seeks unspecified damages and other relief. Beast Industries has strongly denied the claims, saying the complaint contains “deliberate misrepresentations” and that it has documentation to refute the allegations. The filing spotlights questions about workplace culture at a high-profile creator-led company headquartered in Greenville, North Carolina.

Kylie Jenner has been named in a lawsuit filed April 17, 2026, by a former live-in housekeeper, Angelica Hernandez Vasquez, who says she endured months of racial, national-origin and religious harassment while working at the reality star’s Hidden Hills, California, home. Vasquez, who says she is Salvadoran and Catholic, alleges she was repeatedly belittled, excluded from the housekeeping team, assigned the hardest tasks, mocked about her accent and immigration status, and subjected to intimidation including an incident where a supervisor allegedly threw hangers at her feet. She also claims defendants failed to pay wages on time, withheld overtime and meal-and-rest premiums, and did not reimburse business expenses. Vasquez says the mistreatment caused anxiety and symptoms consistent with post-traumatic stress disorder; she took medical leave in July 2025 and resigned in August 2025. The suit names Kylie Jenner, Tri Star Services LLC and La Maison/Maison Family Services LLC, plus unnamed individuals, and seeks unpaid wages, damages and punitive relief. Jenner’s representatives have not publicly commented.

Maggie Gyllenhaal has been named president of the international competition jury for the upcoming Venice International Film Festival, which runs Sept. 2-12, 2026. The board of La Biennale di Venezia appointed the U.S. actor, director, writer and producer on the recommendation of festival director Alberto Barbera. Gyllenhaal, whose directorial debut The Lost Daughter won Venice’s Best Screenplay prize in 2021, recently wrote and directed The Bride! (2026) and returns to the Lido as an established auteur. As jury president she will lead the panel that awards the Golden Lion for best film and other main prizes; the remaining jurors will be announced closer to the festival. Barbera praised Gyllenhaal’s “intellectual and visceral” cinematic perspective and her consistent artistic trajectory. Venice organizers highlighted her career across film and television — including award-nominated performances and series work — as qualifying experience to head a jury that has recently been led by prominent filmmakers and actors.