Queen Latifah returned to the American Music Awards on May 25, 2026, solo-hosting the ceremony at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas more than three decades after co-hosting the show in 1995. The 56-year-old music and film star said she was “nervous” but excited and pledged to bring warmth and energy to performers and fans. Latifah attended the show with partner Eboni Nichols and their six-year-old son Rebel. The program featured a wide-ranging lineup — including The Pussycat Dolls with Busta Rhymes, Billy Idol, Keith Urban, Karol G, Sombr, Teddy Swims and others — while Taylor Swift led nominations with eight. Broadcasters Dick Clark Productions and CBS streamed the AMAs live on Paramount+; Latifah noted she may release new music in 2026 and has other high-profile projects, including a forthcoming Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Early Influence induction and a role as a coach on The Voice.

A surprise hour-long appearance by Stephen Colbert on Monroe, Michigan public-access show Only in Monroe — staged the day after his final Late Show broadcast — went viral and briefly triggered copyright takedown notices from CBS/parent Paramount. The episode, which featured guests including Jack White, Jeff Daniels, Steve Buscemi and a filmed cameo from Eminem, was financed and produced by CBS Studios and posted to Colbert’s new YouTube channel in collaboration with Monroe Community Media and The Late Show’s channel. Several other YouTube uploads had already attracted large audiences, prompting CBS to issue routine copyright notices to unauthorized reuploads. After widespread online backlash and reporting, CBS said it would “waive further enforcement” of takedowns for the episode pending review. The program concluded with the hosts dismantling and burning the makeshift set — a stunt reportedly cleared by Eminem — and drew attention amid continuing debate over Colbert’s July 2025 Late Show cancellation and broader questions about corporate control of content and platform distribution.

HBO’s Euphoria eliminated one of its central figures in the penultimate episode of season three, “Rain or Shine,” which aired May 24, 2026. Jacob Elordi’s Nate Jacobs — abducted by loan shark Naz over a reported $1 million debt — was buried alive in a coffin with a breathing tube; a rattlesnake slithered down the vent and fatally bit him before rescuers unearthed his body. Cassie (Sydney Sweeney) and Maddy (Alexa Demie) helped procure Alamo (Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje), who killed Naz during a rescue attempt, only to find Nate already dead. Creator Sam Levinson told Esquire he planned Nate’s exit to deliver “justice or karma” while making it “horrific and anxiety-inducing.” Production used live rattlesnakes for exterior shots, though Elordi said the snake inside the coffin was a boa constrictor fitted with a fake rattle; he described filming the sequence as “bittersweet” and called the on-screen death “a cool way to go.” Elordi is not credited in the upcoming season finale, which is set to air May 31. The episode’s shock staging and moral framing have produced intense audience reaction and critical debate.

A UK anti-ageism analysis published this week found that the 100 highest-grossing films in the UK between 2023 and 2025 were more likely to feature a lead actor called “Chris” or a talking animal than a female lead aged over 60. Researchers working with the Centre for Ageing Better’s Age Without Limits campaign and the University of West London reviewed box-office charts and found six top films led by a man named Chris (half of those featuring Chris Pratt) compared with five that starred a woman over 60. The study also found talking animals were four times as likely as older women to headline a top-grossing movie. Named examples of older-woman-led films in the top 100 include Allelujah, My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3, Book Club: The Next Chapter, The Substance and Freakier Friday; Chris-led titles included the Super Mario Bros and Guardians franchises, Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves and Transformers One. A separate public poll of 4,000 people showed one in three believe there are too few films led by women over 60, with higher concern among women.

Venezuela Fury, the 16-year-old daughter of heavyweight boxer Tyson Fury and wife Paris, married boyfriend Noah Price in a private ceremony on May 16 at the Royal Chapel of St John on the Isle of Man. The couple — described in media reports as in their late teens (Noah reported as 18–19) — flew to Marbella for a honeymoon reportedly paid for by Venezuela’s parents, with outlets citing a £30,000 trip and further gifts including a reported £5 million and a traditional gypsy caravan. Footage of the wedding is expected to feature on the family’s Netflix series. While in Spain the couple posted videos and livestreams defending the marriage against critics who labelled Venezuela a “child bride”; Noah was seen asking followers for gifts during a TikTok live viewed by tens of thousands. On their return to the UK, tabloid photos showed Venezuela wearing socks stained with blood after the flight. The couple plan to move into a static home near the groom’s family in the East Riding of Yorkshire. Media coverage has focused on the age of the bride, family gifts, social media monetisation and cultural traditions cited by the family.