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Earlier this month, Michelle Young made history as The Bachelorette.

At the same time, executives in charge of this franchise went ahead and did the exact opposite.

Young, as you likely know by now, became the first series lead to select four people of color as her finalists, as suitors Brandon, Rodney, Joe and Nayte all went on quasi hometown dates with Michelle last week.

And then as soon as this special episode concluded?

ABC aired a promo for The Bachelor, officially confirming Clayton Echard as the Season 26 anchor.

Echard, of course, did NOT advance to the hometown date portion of Young's season.

Over the years, at almost every turn, producers had either chosen a runner-up or maybe a second runner-up from the previous Bachelorette or Bachelor season to serve as the next franchise star.

Why did the show therefore break from tradition in the case of Clayton Echard?

The answer isn't really a mystery, according to members of the Bachelor Diversity Campaign, a collective of fans who want to see the show step up its commitment to diversity.

"It’s a tired choice for a tired audience that is craving and demanding more," this coalition said late last week to Yahoo Entertainment.

"We have seen this show before, quite literally over 20 times.

The group made a point of adding that this beef wasn't related to Echard directly.

Continued the statement:

"This is not a knock to Clayton, who seems like a nice guy from our very limited introduction to him.

"But frustration that producers ignored more visible, impactful and diverse contenders from this season and last in order to show us the same tired formula."

Back in 2020, this same group started a Change.org petition to push for the first-ever Black Bachelor.

They said at the time it was "unacceptable" that every single lead to that point had been white, calling in their petition for a number of changes to "combat racism" in the show's future.

Shortly afterward, Matt James landed the role of The Bachelor.

He, of course, selected Rachael Kirkconnell as his winner -- only to then learn she had a history of racially-insensitive social media posts.

James dumped Kirkconnell in response (although the two have since gotten back together) and Chris Harrison was forced out as host due to the terrible way he handled this scandal.

It was a mess.

And it's hard not to think the controversy did play a role in producers wanting to make a "safe" choice for Season 26 with Echard.

"The criticism of choosing Clayton as the next Bachelor has nothing to do with Clayton himself. It can't be personal actually, because viewers don't know him," added the Bachelor Diversity Campaign.

"He was not a primary contender on the show and we weren't given a chance to learn his story.

"So the fact that he was chosen as the Bachelor over BIPOC contestants who went further in the process, and therefore had more screen time and audience exposure, highlights once again that ABC makes the show it wants to.

"The question really is, why does ABC continue to want to make a show with a white lead when there are multiple Black contestants they had to pass by to do so?"

ABC doesn't need to cast a Black Bachelor every season, of course.

But, as cited above, it's impossible here to not notice that higher-ups ignored their "own established pattern" of selecting series leads, the group said to Yahoo.

"Breaking their own loosely-created rules to make exceptions for white contestants at the exclusion of BIPOC contestants only highlights how far we haven't come," reads the message.

Concludes the Bachelor Diversity Campaign:

This choice of a lead, who the audience barely got to know over the course of the season, continues to perpetuate the idea that to be a white lead on the show you simply need to be likable and look stereotypical of what is supposedly 'attractive' to the audience demographics;

Whereas, to be a BIPOC lead you need to be full of qualifications and highly regarded, someone who won’t make mistakes.

Neither anyone associated with Warner Bros. nor ABC has yet commented on this line of criticism.

Last week, Tristan Thompson was accused of cheating on Khloe Kardashian again.

This time, instead of salacious photos or a too-close-to-home scandal or a social media reveal, the accusation is part of a paternity case.

Reports say that Khloe isn't sure what to think, but has a very good reason for not confronting the alleged new baby mama.

Publicly, Khloe has only one thing to say.

Tristan Thompson is currently facing off against a child support lawsuit.

Maralee Nichols allegedly welcomed his third child last week.

Based upon the possible time of conception, it sounds like Tristan was back with Khloe.

Khloe has become increasingly private and even withdrawn in recent years.

Oh, she still flaunts her incredible revenge body in ads for her clothing brand, and she still engages on Twitter.

But despite her family's empire being built upon access and exposure, Khloe has set more and more boundaries on what she is willing to share.

That does not mean that she does not have her own way of making noncommittal comments on current events.

Time after Time, Khloe has come up with wildly unsubtle ways of telling people what's on her mind without making a formal statement.

This is no exception.

“I just don’t have time for negative energy, and even when I do, I still don’t,” Khloe shared on her Instagram Stories.

That was a re-share from an Instagram account called Girl Unfiltered.

Khloe posted this on December 2 -- the same day on which Maralee gave birth.

Khloe shared another quote.

This one read: “You are currently living at least one of the prayers you used to pray.”

It sounds as if she is focusing upon things for which she feels gratitude in this moment when she could easily dwell upon grim thoughts.

Meanwhile, an inside source spoke to Hollywood Life about what Khloe is thinking off of Instagram.

“Khloe is tired of Tristan getting into situations that embarrass her and the family,” the insider explained.

We often take a skeptical view of unconfirmed reports, but we certainly believe that Khloe is feeling some fatigue at this familiar drama.

31-year-old Maralee has taken Tristan to court, asking for child support.

Tristan has already admitted that he had sex with Maralee in Houston back in March.

He is, however, asking for a paternity test.

“[Khloe] wants to get to the bottom of it all," the source continued.

"And," the insider added, Khloe "wants to give him the benefit of the doubt."

The source pointed out the obvious: "But here we are with yet another instance where Tristan is in the news for all the wrong reasons."

“Khloe doesn’t know if she should be sad, happy, or indifferent right now," the insider noted.

"She hopes that it all isn’t true," the source shared, "and time will tell."

The insider reported: "But in the time being, she isn’t going to jump to conclusions until she has all available info."

“Khloe wants to speak to Maralee ASAP," a second source said.

"And," the insider revealed, "she is planning to reach out to her."

"But," the source explained, "not until Maralee has time to heal from childbirth."

"She doesn’t want to confront her in any way,” the insider emphasized.

“Khloe wants to speak to her woman to woman, mother to mother,” the source characterized.

For now, the insider says, Khloe “doesn’t know what to believe.”

Tristan already had three major cheating scandals ... so why is there doubt this time?

“Khloe doesn’t know what to believe," the source explained.

The explanation continued: "because Tristan is telling her that it was a one-night stand, and she is hearing that it was an affair."

“Tristan is saying this woman just wants his money," the insider shared.

"And," the source continued, "on the flip side of it, this woman may have just given birth to True’s sibling."

"At the end of the day, she and Tristan are not together because she cannot trust him," the insider pointed out. "This would just be the icing on the cake.”

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With news/rumors that Vincent D’onofrio is set to reprise his role as Kingpin in Disney+’s Hawkeye and Krysten Ritter is set to reprise her role as Jessica Jones in She-Hulk, people have been wondering about the OG Netflix/Marvel superhero: Daredevil. Well, during an interview with CinemaBlend, Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige revealed that Charlie Cox is still seen as the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Daredevil.

“If you were to see Daredevil in upcoming things, Charlie Cox, yes, would be the actor playing Daredevil,” Feige said. “Where we see that, how we see that, when we see that, remains to be seen.”

As someone who frequently laments the fact that we have been robbed of a Peter Parker/Matt Murdock friendship, I am super excited about this news. Despite the Netflix/Marvel shows having infamously poor second seasons across the board, it was something creative and interesting to focus on crime-fighting from a more adult, grounded perspective—building shows that were not just meant to be consumed by the most general audience. It is something I’ve really come to appreciate. (Well, except Iron Fist. I am glad we are dragging that even harder post-Shang Chi.)

Matt Murdock has a place in the MCU that fits organically. One of the first times I remember seeing him in cartoons is when he was Peter Parker’s lawyer on a multi-episode storyline on Spider-Man: The Animated Series. Considering Peter is going to be in a lot of legal trouble in the upcoming Spider-Man: No Way Home, a lot of people felt it would be the perfect time to bring that character back.

Disney’s acquisition of Fox has allowed for new creative opportunities with a lot of characters. In many ways, it makes me wish that Feige would realize that while DC has an audience with its more adult-centric television shows, Marvel can have the same. Yes, the Disney brand is for children overall, but the reality is that comic books have a large audience, and it is okay to create content that leans more towards an 18+ side.

Deadpool proved that for movies a long time ago, and since we can have all these characters together, I think it is time for Marvel to expand the range of its audience—especially since we are getting Blade.

Blade, Deadpool, and Daredevil in a hard R-rated MCU film? That would do so ridiculously well that they’d be fools not to explore the option.

Regardless, I’m happy that Charlie Cox and others are recognized for the big part they have played in the Marvel universe. Those shows meant a lot to people, and just because they weren’t part of Feige’s original vision does not mean they should be thrown away wholesale.

I look forward to Matt Murdock making his way into the MCU. I hope he can bring Elektra back with him and that they can finally do justice to that character, instead of what they’ve been doing.

(via IGN, image: Netflix)

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The post Charlie Cox Will Be Marvel’s Daredevil Again, According to Kevin Feige, and We Couldn’t Be Happier first appeared on The Mary Sue.

Tom Holland is a great Spider-Man because of his history with dance and gymnastics. So, when news broke that Sony’s Amy Pascal wanted Holland for her Fred Astaire biopic, I thought it was a perfect choice. And now Holland has confirmed the casting! That’s right, we’re going to have a Fred Astaire movie with Holland as the dancer himself!

According to Variety, the film is in the very early stages of development, but it is something that Pascal has talked about previously, excited to have Holland attached to the project. And it is frankly good casting, because making a movie about someone like Fred Astaire means getting someone you know can dance. It isn’t a role you can teach someone to dance for, and Holland has proven time and time again that he’s up to it.

Not only does Holland break the internet with videos like his performance of “Umbrella” on Lip Sync Battle or in videos with Zendaya, but he was also one of the Billy Elliots in Billy Elliot the Musical on the West End!

Talking with AP, Holland confirmed the casting but said he hasn’t gotten the full script yet.“The script came in a week ago,” Holland said. “I haven’t read it yet; they haven’t given it to me.” And, apparently, Amy Pascal has gotten the script and was so excited to talk to Holland about it that they chatted while he was … in the bath? “She FaceTimed me earlier. I was in the bath,” Holland recalled. “And we had a lovely FaceTime, but I will be playing Fred Astaire.”

To make the other Billy Elliot fans happy, Holland isn’t the only former boy who wanted to dance heading into Astaire’s shoes. Jamie Bell, who originated the role in the 2000 film, is going to be playing Astaire in a film opposite Margaret Qualley’s Ginger Rogers. So it really is electricity for those of us who loved the movie and musical. (Get it? Like the song that Elton John wrote for Billy Elliot the Musical? Anyway …)

And sure, I think that Holland would also make a great Gene Kelly, but that’s a conversation for a different day. The thing about Fred Astaire is that we could watch him dance for hours on end, just flawlessly moving about the floor, and there is clearly something that magnetic about Holland as a performer, as well. So, bringing his energy to a man like Fred Astaire works.

There’s no news yet on how far into Astaire’s life the movie will go, but it is an exciting adventure for Holland outside of his role as Peter Parker/Spider-Man in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It’s not another franchise or a movie with his Marvel directors (like Cherry or Uncharted), but it is a great step in his career, and hopefully the film has an amazing script to give Holland and Fred Astaire the film they both deserve.

(image: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)

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The post Tom Holland Will Dance on as Fred Astaire in New Biopic for Sony first appeared on The Mary Sue.

For several months now, we've been documenting how miserable most of the Sister Wives appear to be on one of TLC's most successful reality shows.

Meri Brown posts omininous memes and messages all the time, for example, and Christine Brown flat-out left spiritual husband Kody last month.

But at least they're full-grown adults. At least they sort of signed up for this arrangement when entered into a plural marriage.

The same cannot be said for Ysabel Brown, however.

On Sunday night, the teenager was faced withh the prospect not only of having to fly across the country to get back surgery...

... but to fly across the country to get back surgery without the company and comfort of her dad by her side.

As a refresher, Ysabel and her mother, Christine, touched down in New Jersey way back in September 2020 (yes, this episode was filmed THAT long ago )and the forrmer underwent a successful procedure for her ongoing scolosis.

Kody did not attend.

At one point on the latest Sister Wives episode, Ysabel talks to her father about his planned absence, which he blames on COVID-19 and his need to remain healthy for the sake of the family.

Ysabel is obviousy all for taking medical precautions, but says on the installment that Kody's priorities sure seem "screwed up."

After telling his daughter that he’s not going with her, he awkwardly asks if she’s going “to become a bitter old housewife because your Daddy didn’t do this for you?”

What a weird and sexist thing to say, wouldn't you agree?

“I won’t be bitter,” Ysabel replies. “I won’t hold it against you.”

However, in a subsequent confessional, the poor young woman grows emotional, raising major questions about her dad.

“I need him to be there, but why isn’t he coming?” Ysabel cries on air.

“I don’t know, why wouldn’t he be there? Why wouldn’t he just drop everything for me? I think his priorities are a little screwed up.”

Kody tried to explain that if he went to the surgey, well... then he'd have to quarantine... and then he'd be away from his many kids and spouses for weeks.

“The amount of time, because of COVID and quarantining and stuff like that I would have to be away from the rest of the family, and because of the risk of exposure to COVID-19,” he said on the episode.

“What we’ve been trying to do is make it so I can see the entire family this entire time.

To her credit, Ysabel tries to be understanding.

“He has a lot of kids to think about. I know I’m not the only kid he has to make sure is safe during this pandemic. It sucks that he can’t be there," she said.

Ysabel later tells the cameras that she thinks Kody’s fear of catching COVID-19 is taking over his life.

“He’s letting fear control him,” she said.

“How long are you going to stop your life for? How long are you just going to put everything on hold?”

As you might also recall, it appeared last year that Kody couldn't afford to pay for his daughter's surgery, either.

In June 2020, Christine Brown posted on her LuLaroe Facebook page that she needed to raise a lot of cash in order to make a down payment on her daughter’s procedure.

“I can’t go into tons of information, but one of my daughters needs a surgery and I need $50,000 for a down payment for the surgery, and you guys are making it happen,” Christine wrote at the time.

She added back then:

“$50,000 for a down [payment] was so daunting, so I decided to just work hard. Just work really, really, really hard and we’re like halfway there…

"I can’t thank you enough for all your purchases and you helping my family, and my daughter. I can’t say [which one] is getting the surgery!”

Now we know, of course.

And now we know something else as well: Her dad totally sucks.

As Josh Duggar's child pornography trial enters its second week, the eyes of the world are once again focused on a federal courthouse in Fayetteville, Arkansas.

The jury in Josh's trial is expected to hear closing arguments and reach a verdict within the next two to three days.

The stakes couldn't be much higher, as Josh is facing 20 years behind bars if convicted.

And his acquittal, the prosecution claims, would amount to nothing less than turning a predator loose to claim more victims.

Interestingly, as reporters from all over the country descend upon the courthouse, few members of Josh's massive family have bothered to attend the trial.

In fact, it's been said that the Duggars are ignoring the trial.

But that's not true of all of them, of course.

Several members of the Counting On clan, most notably Josh's wife, Anna, his sister Joy-Anna, and his brothers-in-law Austin Forsyth and Derick Dillard have been in almost-daily attendance at the courthouse.

And then there are those who have been watching every development from a safe distance and subtly letting their feelings be known.

Amy Duggar, as you're likely aware, has long had a reputation as the most rebellious member of the extended Duggar clan.

In the months since Josh was arrested on child pornography charges, Anna has mostly held off on directly commenting on the situation.

But she's found ways to express her rage and disgust with her predatory cousin without ever mentioning Josh by name.

Last week, for example, Amy vowed that "vengeance" would be served and that guilty parties would soon receive "the ultimate sentence."

Amy followed that up with an even more strongly-worded demand for justice.

"Hmm think about it we put dogs asleep for good if they just bite a child..." she tweeted over the weekend.

Not surprisingly, Amy's followers knew exactly what she was talking about, and they were quick to echo her sentiments.

"You're not wrong," one person replied, according to The Sun.

"Thank you for being you and never being quiet. Jill [Duggar, Josh's sister] and all the victims need your voice and strength," another wrote.

"Agreed. Childhood is sacred," a third chimed in.

Amy doubled down in her sentiments with a video that was briefly posted to her Instagram Story, in which she claimed that the Duggar family "hates" that she has been "speaking the truth" amid the family's latest scandal.

The mother of one then stated that she is "never going to stop speaking the truth," adding that she refuses to stop "calling that out."

"God gave me a platform, and somehow He knew that I was going to have this platform," she told her followers.

Obviously, Amy is still addressing the subject of Josh's trial obliquely, but that might change once a verdict is rendered later this week.

Amy might feel, wisely, that as a public figure, it's best for her to hold off on giving her opinion regarding the events that have taken place in court until after the matter is decided.

Still, she's not leaving any doubt with regard to how she feels about Josh and the allegations against him.

Even Amy's mother has echoed her belief that Josh "needs" to go to prison.

Thankfully, reports from the courtroom seem to indicate that the trial is not going in Josh's favor.

But considering how much clout Jim Bob holds in that corner of Arkansas, nothing would surprise us.

We'll have further updates on this developing story as more information becomes available.