Kellie Pickler Makes ‘American Idol’ Return After Husband’s Death by …

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It has been more than three years since the tragic death by suicide of Kyle Jacobs.

Now, Kellie Pickler has staged her return to the show that made her famous.

She not only appeared on American Idol, but sang a powerful duet.

Check it out below:

In her ‘American Idol’ comeback, Kellie Pickler performed a duet in May 2026. (Image Credit: ABC)

It was an ‘A Broken Wing’ duet!

On Monday, May 4, Pickler returned to American Idol a little over three months after her late husband’s death.

She took the stage alongside Hannah Harper.

Harper is in the Top 5 of this season. (Pickler finished in sixth place way back in Season 5.)

Together, the two performed a duet of Martina McBride’s “A Broken Wing.”

This was for the 20th reunion for the Season 5 cast.

“I’m an antique Idol dustin’ off,” Pickler joked on stage.

She thanked Harper for the duet.

“Being able to share the stage with you has been such a blessing,” she gushed.

In addition to her return to American Idol, this was Pickler’s first public performance in years.

The last time was a 2024 Patsy Cline tribute.

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They delighted the judges

Judge Lionel Richie was not part of the singing competition series back in 2006.

But he praised Pickler and Harper.

“All I can say is, the perfect voice blend and complement,” he raved.

Richie continued: “The two of you make one dynamic performance. Incredible.”

All of the judges seemed impressed by the duet.

Pickler has, understandably, been avoiding the limelight since her husband’s death in February 2023.

She and Jacobs married in 2011.

From 2015 to 2017, they even shared a reality TV series on CMT, I Love Kellie Pickler.

Following his passing, she has been largely inactive on social media.

Each appearance will be a reminder, for her and others, of what she’s lost. We hope that, in time, these public appearances grow easier.

Kellie Pickler Makes ‘American Idol’ Return After Husband’s Death by … was originally published on The Hollywood Gossip.

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Kash Patel Blames Sheriff For Failed Nancy Guthrie Investigation

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Now that Nancy Guthrie has been missing for more than three months, the hope that she might eventually be found alive is greatly diminished.

And embattled FBI director Kash Patel has taken a lot of criticism for the fact that Nancy remains missing.

But he says it’s not his fault. In fact, Patel is now going scorched-earth on local law enforcement, blasting the Pima County Sheriff’s Department over how the high-profile case has been handled.

Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director Kash Patel speaks alongside Acting U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche during a news conference at the at the Robert F. Kennedy Department of Justice building on April 21, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

During a fiery interview on Sean Hannity’s podcast, Patel took direct aim at the department leading the investigation, making it clear he believes serious mistakes have been made along the way.

According to Patel, the handling of evidence has been a major sticking point — especially when it comes to DNA.

Patel griped that the DNA evidence was shipped to a private lab in Florida instead of to Quantico, which he calls “the best lab in the world.”

“We would have analyzed it within days,” he said.

That tension isn’t exactly coming out of nowhere.

As previously reported, the investigation into the disappearance of Guthrie — the 84-year-old mother of Today show anchor Savannah Guthrie — has been plagued by questions about how key evidence has been handled.

Authorities have been working the case since February, after signs pointed to a possible abduction from Nancy’s Arizona home.

At the center of the controversy is the handling of crucial forensic evidence and the question whether those decisions slowed things down.

Patel clearly thinks it did.

In fact, his comments suggest the FBI has been ready and waiting to take a more active role, only to be held up by local decisions.

Meanwhile, the sheriff’s department has maintained that it’s been cooperating and making strategic choices about how to process evidence.

But Patel’s latest remarks signal that whatever coordination exists behind the scenes, it’s far from smooth.

And with no suspect identified and no resolution in sight, the stakes couldn’t be higher. Pima Country Sheriff Chris Nanos has yet to publicly respond to Patel’s allegations.

We will have further updates on this developing story as new information becomes available.

Kash Patel Blames Sheriff For Failed Nancy Guthrie Investigation was originally published on The Hollywood Gossip.

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So Who ‘Won’ the Blake Lively-Justin Baldoni Legal Battle?

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After months of very public wrangling, Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni unexpectedly reached a settlement on Monday.

The news came as a shock to those who had been watching this saga closely since it began on the set of It Ends With Us back in 2024.

It was widely believed that Lively and Baldoni held such contempt for one another that a settlement had become impossible.

Blake Lively attends the “Another Simple Favour” photocall at the Corinthia Hotel on April 15, 2025 in London, England. (Photo by Gareth Cattermole/Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images)

Many even theorized that the combatants would delight in destroying each other’s reputations in a messy trial.

But as we braced for a legal battle that would make Johnny Depp vs. Amber Heard look like a walk in the park, Baldoni and Lively called an unexpected truce.

And the terms of the settlement are unlikely to satisfy observers who had been enjoying the explosive nature of this Hollywood drama.

Neither Lively nor Baldoni received any money in the settlement, news that’s likely to come as a disappointment to anyone who was hoping for a clear “winner” in this conflict.

There was a time — not all that long ago — when Blake’s victory seemed a forgone conclusion.

Justin Baldoni attends the “It Ends With Us” New York Premiere at AMC Lincoln Square Theater on August 06, 2024 in New York City. (Photo by Cindy Ord/Getty Images)

In November of 2025, a judge dismissed Baldoni’s countersuits against Lively and the New York Times.

Lively’s initial sexual harassment suit against Baldoni remained active, and it looked as though his legal team had reason to be frightened.

But then, in a stunning turn of events, a judge dismissed Blake’s sexual harassment claims and tossed 10 of her 13 claims overall.

She still had grounds to pursue her remaining claims, but that development likely factored into Lively’s decision to accept a settlement.

Spectators of this drama won’t even get to enjoy a few parting shots from the combatants, as Lively and Baldoni ended their feud with a conciliatory joint statement:

“The end product — the movie It Ends With Us — is a source of pride to all of us who worked to bring it to life,” attorneys for Baldoni and Lively said in a joint statement Monday.

“Raising awareness, and making a meaningful impact in the lives of domestic violence survivors — and all survivors — is a goal that we stand behind.”

The lawyers added that Baldoni would like to “acknowledge the process presented challenges and recognize concerns raised by Ms. Lively deserved to be heard.”

“We remain firmly committed to workplaces free of improprieties and unproductive environments. It is our sincere hope that this brings closure and allows all involved to move forward constructively and in peace, including a respectful environment,” the statement continued.

As many have noted, Justin “acknowledged” Blake’s “concerns” but did not apologize for any actions.

So yeah, this is about as anti-climactic an outcome as anyone could have predicted. And while the question of who won this war will likely be debated for years, it seems clear that there’s no real victor, and both parties will likely continue to feel the effects of reputational damage.

So Who ‘Won’ the Blake Lively-Justin Baldoni Legal Battle? was originally published on The Hollywood Gossip.

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Rihanna Quashes Beyonce Feud Rumors: ‘Are You Kidding?’

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While some famous fashion icons boycotted the 2026 Met Gala, not everyone stayed out of it.

Rihanna was there.

She shared her afterparty plans and, in the process, addressed a longrunning rumor.

Do she and Beyonce have a secret feud? If so, is it over?

Rihanna attends the 2026 Met Gala celebrating “Costume Art” at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 04, 2026. (Photo Credit: Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for The Met Museum/Vogue)

‘Are you kidding?’

On Monday, May 4, Rihanna of course attended the Met Gala.

With ASAP Rocky by her side, she was absolutely stunning.

Some may have jokingly compared her look to a black hole or to the Ghost of Christmas Future from A Muppet’s Christmas Carol, but none can deny that she looked glorious.

Enshrouded in sparkling glamour, the singer and fashion mogul also took the time to address an old rumor.

Does she have some sort of beef with Beyonce?

Rihanna says she’s going to Beyoncé’s #METGala after party:

“There’s only one after party.” pic.twitter.com/BtDB38zYRH

— BEYONCÉ LEGION (@BeyLegion) May 5, 2026

“We’re going to Beyonce and Jay-Z’s afterparty,” the beloved singer told reporters at the Met Gala.

“Are you kidding?” she continued.

It really sounds as if she is dismissing the idea of attending any other gathering following the gala.

“There’s only one afterparty,” Rihanna added with a laugh.

Well, that sure sounds definitive.

Rihanna and ASAP Rocky shutting down the #Metgala carpet

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— SinnamonS (@sinnamonscouture.bsky.social) May 4, 2026 at 9:25 PM

Was there ever a feud?

For many years, rumors were insistent that Rihanna and Beyonce had an unspoken feud.

In 2005, there was a nasty rumor — later admitted to be false by the one who created it — claiming that Rihanna was boning Jay-Z in order to come out with a hit record.

It wasn’t true, but some wondered if the damage had been done.

In 2016, Beyonce released “Formation,” a single, a short time after Rihanna released ANTI, an album.

Was this sign of an unspoken feud that had lasted over a decade?

Rihanna is on the way and then you kids can go to bed. #MetGala.

[image or embed]

— SinnamonS (@sinnamonscouture.bsky.social) May 4, 2026 at 8:55 PM

In April 2016, Rihanna addressed the feud rumor in a Vogue interview.

“Here’s the deal,” she said at the time. “They just get so excited to feast on something that’s negative.”

She continued: “Something that’s competitive. Something that’s, you know, a rivalry.”

Rihanna clarified: “And that’s just not what I wake up to. Because I can only do me. And nobody else is going to be able to do that.”

The thing about Rihanna is that, if she doesn’t like someone, it really feels like she’d just come right out and say it.

If there was a feud at some point, presumably both superstars have grown enough since then to leave it in the past.

Rihanna Quashes Beyonce Feud Rumors: ‘Are You Kidding?’ was originally published on The Hollywood Gossip.

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Stefon Diggs Had Sexual Relationship With Chef He Allegedly Assaulted: Report

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Things are getting very real, and very messy, for Stefon Diggs.

The embattled NFL star is now officially on trial, with explosive testimony already emerging in court.

As we previously reported, Diggs was charged with felony assault and strangulation in December of last year.

Stefon Diggs attends the Balenciaga Womenswear Fall/Winter 2024-2025 show as part of Paris Fashion Week on March 03, 2024 in Paris, France. (Photo by Marc Piasecki/Getty Images for Balenciaga)

The free agent wide receiver has pleaded not guilty to the charges, which stem from an alleged incident involving his former private chef, Jamila Adams.

Diggs is in court this week for the start of his trial, and from the jump, both sides have made it clear that they are telling completely different stories.

Prosecutors allege a violent confrontation inside Diggs’ home — one that the accuser herself described in chilling detail.

In her first day of testimony, Adams alleged that she and Diggs had a sexual relationship before he hired her to work as his chef.

She then detailed the alleged assault, testifying that Diggs went on the attack after she demanded $29,000 in unpaid wages.

Adams told police that “smacked her across the face” and “tried to choke her using the crook of his elbow around her neck,” leaving her struggling to breathe.

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“I’ve known Stefon Diggs for over four and a half years,” Adams said on the stand.

“It started out as friends and then became sexual and we would meet up and hang out and we decided February 2025 I would start working for him,” she continued, adding:

“I wanted him to get healthy and eat better.”

Adams said the relationship began to deteriorate in November 2025, when a social media message got back to Diggs with the claim that Adams was “telling his personal business about women he was sleeping with.”

Diggs’ legal team isn’t just pushing back — they’re flat-out rejecting the entire premise of the case.

“The assault that the Commonwealth described in their opening statement never happened. It did not happen,” defense attorney Andrew Kettlewell told the court in opening statements.

He doubled down on that stance, reminding jurors: “Just like any other person in this country, rich or poor, Mr. Diggs sits here an innocent man.”

The defense has also emphasized what it claims is a glaring lack of evidence: no witnesses, no medical records, and no photos or video to support the allegations.

At the center of it all is a dispute that reportedly stemmed from money. Adams claims that Diggs failed to pay the accuser for her work, while his attorneys claim she’s trying to shake him down for millions.

Diggs, once one of the league’s most dynamic wide receivers, is currently a free agent after his release by the New England Patriots earlier this year. Now, his future in the NFL may depend less on his performance on the field and more on what a jury decides in a courtroom.

We will have further updates on this developing story as new information becomes available.

Stefon Diggs Had Sexual Relationship With Chef He Allegedly Assaulted: Report was originally published on The Hollywood Gossip.

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2026 Met Gala: Who’s Boycotting, Who’s Definitely Attending, & …

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The Met Gala is fashion’s biggest night. It’s also a charitable event.

This year is a little different, with calls to boycott the event.

Zendaya is one of the most beloved figures of the annual gala.

She’s skipping it. So is Meryl Streep. Who else is skipping, and why?

Zendaya attends the 2025 Met Gala Celebrating “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style” at Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 05, 2025. (Photo Credit: Savion Washington/Getty Images)

‘Boycott The Bezos Met Ball’

A group, accurately named Everyone Hates Elon, has been running a public campaign to discourage people from attending this year’s gala.

Usually, groups that strive towards a better world promote charities.

But this year’s gala has Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez Bezos as co-hairs.

Amazon is also lead sponsor of the event.

With that in mind, let’s take a look at the big names who are attending, who’s skipping, and more.

🚨 Introducing tonight’s #MetGala, chaired by Jeff Bezos – taking a brief pause from bullying his workers, backing Trump and powering ICE's deportation machine. But sure, enjoy the dresses x

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— Everyone Hates Elon (@everyonehateselon.bsky.social) May 4, 2026 at 11:37 AM

An interesting piece by The Hollywood Reporter takes a look at who’s not coming, and why.

“Zendaya, after seven straight years as Met Ball star, is sitting this one out. Is it a political boycott?” THR asks.

“Or is she simply feeling a little overexposed, with four movies out in 2026?” the article continues.

Zendaya has skipped the gala before, even though she has been stealing the show at the annual event since her debut as a younger actress.

“Lady Gaga’s name has also yet to appear on any confirmed list,” THR adds.

What about Meryl?

Famously, Meryl Streep has never attended the gala. It’s not her vibe.

“Amy Odell — who wrote the book on Anna Wintour, literally — and many social media talking heads believe Streep is flatly opposed to Bezos’ involvement,” THR dishes.

But the report adds: “Since she’s never actually set foot in the place, hard to say.”

It sounds like John Krasinski won’t be attending, even though he was slated to wear clothes from an LA brand. (Seth Meyers will be repping it instead.)

Emily Blunt is slated to appear in an exclusive Tom Ford, who will be appearing in person to attend. (Yes, he sold his brand.)

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Some people will be attending and you can already guess what they’re wearing.

“Kidman is contracted to Chanel, Kravitz to Saint Laurent, Anne Hathaway to Prada,” The Hollywood Reporter lists.

“And with Vaccarello as one of the hosts,” THR predicts, “expect more Saint Laurent on the red carpet than at any Met Ball in recent memory.”

Meanwhile, Mayor Zohran Mamdani and his wife were reportedly invited, but will not be attending. He praised the Met itself, but explained that he’s working on, you know, his job.

Every New York mayor since 2002 has attended the gala at least once during their term. But many have pointed out that this is the right call for Mayor Mamdani.

2026 Met Gala: Who’s Boycotting, Who’s Definitely Attending, & … was originally published on The Hollywood Gossip.

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Sydney Sweeney’s Fentanyl Orgy Scene Draws Criticism: Did ‘Euphoria’ …

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Euphoria has been pushing the envelope since its very first episode.

And now, in the show’s third and final season, Sam Levinson and his writers are understandably eager to raise the bar.

But certain scenes this season — many involving Sydney Sweeney’s Cassie character — have drawn criticism for going “too far.”

Sydney Sweeney is having quite a memorable season on ‘Euphoria.’ (HBO/YouTube)

First, we saw Sydney-as-Cassie wearing a diaper and dressed up as a dog while creating content for the character’s OnlyFans page.

Those scenes led some to suggest that Levinson might be a little too fond of humiliating Sweeney on camera, but we’re not here to unpack his psychological baggage.

Instead, we’re discussing another over-the-top Cassie scene, this one taking place toward the end of last night’s episode.

Obviously, spoilers lie ahead, so if you haven’t watched Euphoria Season 3 Episode 4, titled “Kitty Likes to Dance,” then you may not want to read any further.

Having left Nate amid his ongoing financial turmoil, Cassie continued to pursue OnlyFans fame.

Under the tutelage of PR guru Maddie, she wound up at a party hosted by Brandon, a mega-influencer with more than 20 million followers.

Of course, you don’t gain reflected fame simply by attending the party, so Cassie maneuvered her way into a drug-fueled threesome with Brandon.

At one point, he insists on testing their cocaine, for fear it might have been laced with Fentanyl.

The other woman in the threeway reassures him, at which point, Cassie snorts some of the blow and briefly pretends to suffer an overdose.

That type of humor seems like a good way to ruin an orgy, but Brandon is still on board, so he hoovers up some of the powder from Sydney’s va-jay-jay area.

And naturally, Maddy and Cassie find a way to make photos from the illicit scene go viral.

Threesomes, overdose humor, people being photographed mid-threesome without their consent — we suppose it’s not hard to see why the scene ruffled some feathers.

But Euphoria is attempting more than mere shock value here … at least we think it is.

The show seems to be offering commentary on the amoral depravity of the influencer era — a time when the only way for a newcomer to get noticed is to go to extremes.

“What is wrong with you people? You’re looking for drugs, you’re selling your body on your porn site, and you’re like some internet pimp?” remarks a shocked Lexi (Maud Apatow) at one point in the episode.

Arguably the moral center of the show, Lexi’s horror at the behavior demonstrated by her friend and her sisters is meant to mirror the audience’s reaction.

And her stance wouldn’t resonate so strongly unless Levinson and company had thoroughly shocked us first.

Oh and nothing drums up ratings and publicity quite like a Sydney Sweeney sex scene.

Sydney Sweeney’s Fentanyl Orgy Scene Draws Criticism: Did ‘Euphoria’ … was originally published on The Hollywood Gossip.

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