Actress Q’orianka Kilcher filed suit in May 2026 in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California accusing director James Cameron, The Walt Disney Company, Lightstorm Entertainment and multiple visual‑effects vendors of using her facial features without consent to create Neytiri in the Avatar films. Kilcher alleges a published 2005 promotional photo of her at age 14 from Terrence Malick’s The New World was traced into early concept sketches, sculpted maquettes and high‑resolution digital models that were distributed across the production pipeline and used on screens, posters and merchandise. The complaint says Kilcher only learned of the extent of the use after a 2024 interview in which Cameron identified her as a source and recalls receiving a framed sketch and a note from him in 2010 describing her as an “early inspiration.” The filing seeks compensatory and punitive damages, disgorgement of profits, injunctive relief and corrective public disclosure, and asserts causes of action including right‑of‑publicity claims and violations of California’s anti‑deepfake statute.

Sonny Rollins, the towering tenor saxophonist known as the "Saxophone Colossus," died on May 25, 2026 at his home in Woodstock, New York, his family and publicist said. He was 95. Rollins recorded more than 60 albums across a seven-decade career, pioneering hard bop and stretching jazz improvisation in landmark records such as Saxophone Colossus and The Bridge; his calypso-inflected "St. Thomas" became a standard. A prodigy of the postwar New York scene, he played with Thelonious Monk, Miles Davis and others, and later contributed to non-jazz projects including the Rolling Stones' 1981 album Tattoo You. Rollins endured struggles with addiction early in his career but later embraced rigorous practice, long sabbaticals (famously refining his sound on the Williamsburg Bridge) and yoga. He won multiple Grammys, a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, a National Medal of Arts and Kennedy Center honors. Pulmonary fibrosis forced him into retirement in the 2010s; no specific cause of death was given. Surviving relatives include a nephew and nieces; his longtime wife and manager, Lucille Rollins, predeceased him in 2004.

British reality star Katie Price has said her husband Lee Andrews, a Dubai-based businessman, has been missing since May 13 after failing to join her on a planned UK TV appearance. In the days that followed Andrews reportedly sent messages and a short video claiming he had been bundled into a van, hooded and detained at a so-called ‘black site’. Accounts have been contradictory: Andrews’ father told UK media his son was ‘under arrest’ in Dubai, while Dubai authorities have not publicly confirmed any detention. Price has published messages she says came from Andrews, later acknowledging he told her he had been arrested while using a secret third phone. Friends and former partners have accused Andrews of fabricating aspects of his life, including alleged fraud and fake social media images. Family members filed a missing persons report at the British Embassy in Abu Dhabi and the UK Foreign Office said it is supporting the family and liaising with local authorities. Online activity linked to Andrews’ phones and Instagram has prompted fresh public scrutiny and speculation over whether the disappearance is genuine, staged or the result of legal action in the UAE.

Queen Latifah returned to the American Music Awards on May 25, 2026, taking solo hosting duties at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas more than three decades after co‑hosting the show in 1995. The 56‑year‑old opened the ceremony with a career‑spanning monologue that paid tribute to veterans and reflected on her trajectory from rap pioneer to film star. Latifah arrived on the red carpet with partner Eboni Nichols and their six‑year‑old son, Rebel. The live, fan‑voted show featured a star‑studded lineup including Billy Idol, Karol G, Darius Rucker with Hootie & the Blowfish, The Pussycat Dolls with Busta Rhymes, Keith Urban, Maluma, Sombr and others, while Taylor Swift led nominations with eight. Ahead of the broadcast Latifah discussed new music plans for 2026, celebrated an upcoming Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Early Influence induction and signaled continued high‑profile projects, including joining The Voice as a coach.

Taylor Swift did not attend the American Music Awards held May 25 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas despite leading this year’s nominations with eight nods. The 36-year-old pop star was up for major prizes including Artist of the Year, Best Female Pop Artist, and Album of the Year and Best Pop Album for her 2025 release The Life of a Showgirl. Her single "Fate of Ophelia" received nominations for Best Pop Song, Song of the Year and Best Music Video, while "Elizabeth Taylor" was listed in the new Song of the Summer category. People and other outlets reported Swift was in New York with fiancé Travis Kelce, and Kelce was not expected to attend the ceremony either. Swift enters the night as the most-awarded artist in AMA history with 40 career wins and could still add to her total even while absent. The decision to skip the live show follows a busy stretch of releases, tours and public appearances, and comes ahead of her June 11 Songwriters Hall of Fame induction.

Actor Leo Woodall has been confirmed as part of the cast of The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum, calling the role a "boyhood dream" in interviews around the May 2026 New York premiere of his film Tuner. Warner Bros. first announced his casting at CinemaCon in April. Woodall, 29, will play Halvard, a new Dúnedain character created for the film. Andy Serkis will direct and reprise his role as Gollum, with Elijah Wood and Ian McKellen also returning. Jamie Dornan has been cast as Aragorn (Strider), replacing Viggo Mortensen from the original trilogy, and Kate Winslet will play Marigold. The project is produced by Peter Jackson, Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens, draws on material in Tolkien’s appendices, and is set between The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings trilogies. Filming is scheduled to take place in New Zealand in 2026 and the film is slated for theatrical release on Dec. 17, 2027. Separately, Stephen Colbert is developing another Middle-earth film that is expected to follow this release.