For those unaware, Bluey is a children’s animated TV show that began in October 2018 and very quickly became one of the most popular kids series on Earth. And there’s a good reason why: it’s one of the most spectacularly written TV shows currently on the air, including ones made for adults. Episodes are around 11 minutes in length. They don’t pander to children and refuse to insult their intelligence. Episodes often deal with weighty themes but handle them in a way that both kids and adults can find entertaining. Anyway, Bluey is actually pretty good.

To honor Bluey’s spectacular worldwide success, the Australian Mint was planning to release these limited-edition Australian one-dollar coins (the equivalent of around $0.65 US) but then around 63,000 of them were stolen from a warehouse on July 12, 2024. In response, the New South Wales police launched a special investigation unit called Strike Force Bandit, cutely named after the father character in Bluey, to find the coins printed with pictures of the characters from the show.

Now, Strike Force Bandit has made three arrests. First was a 44-year-old named Steven Nielsen, who was an employee at the warehouse from where the coins were stolen, then an accomplice named Nassar Kanj. That led them to a 27-year-old woman named Christina Vale, who allegedly acted as the getaway driver in the cartoon coin heist. She was arrested the same day the coins were recovered. All three have since been charged for their thefts.

The coins are technically worth one Australian dollar. But their limited-edition status bumps up these “Bluey Dollarbucks,” as they are officially called, in the eyes of collectors, who’ll often buy them online for up to 10 times their face value.

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“You can’t do Wayans shit without the Wayans,” said Marlon Wayans in a recent podcast appearance, discussing Harvey Weinstein’s role in “stealing” the franchise from the brothers. “You can try, but eventually, you’re gonna lose a lot of money because what we do is special. We have 200 years of comedy between me, Shawn and Keenan, Damon, Kim. We have a lot of years of excellence of what we do. You can’t just put anybody on them.”

In a statement announcing the new movie, Marlon, Shawn, and Keenen Wayans said, “We couldn’t be more excited to be a part of the new Scary Movie and work with each other again. This is a franchise we created more than 20 years ago. We remember people laughing in the aisles and hope to see that happen again.”

They added that they’re looking forward to working with Jonathan Glickman, the new CEO of Miramax, along with his team “at the new Miramax to bring these laughs to theaters, where they belong.” The reboot will begin filming in 2025. 

“We are thrilled to reunite Scary Movie with the Wayans brothers, the brilliant creators behind the beloved franchise,” added Glickman. “The timing is perfect to bring back the series to the big screen, and we’re lucky to have Keenen, Marlon, and Shawn’s unique comedic vision bringing it to audiences around the world.”

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Wade seemingly acknowledged as much during his speech, telling the crowd, “That’s crazy. I can’t believe that. Who is that guy?”

Additionally, in a video posted to X, Wade could be seen shaking his head in disbelief while looking at the unrecognizable statue.

The internet was equally confounded by the statue. One person wrote that it “looks like Mr. Clean pissed off because you spilled some shit.”

Other users found the statue to look more like Kelsey Grammer or Laurence Fishburne than Wade.

More people on social media weren’t shy about their discontent with Wade’s supposed honor.

One person wrote that the statue “counts as Dwyane Wade not getting his statue.” Another suggested that the Head “should’ve had a contest where they showed this picture to 1,000 fans — and anyone who guesses it’s Dwyane Wade gets to keep the statue.”

While the statue may make some think that Wade is disliked by the Heat, he’s actually one of the best athletes to ever play for the team.

Wade, a shooting guard, played the majority of his 16-year career with the Heat, winning three NBA championships with the team.

After brief stints with the Chicago Bulls and Cleveland Cavaliers, Wade returned to the Heat in 2018 to play his final NBA season.

“I know it’s bigger than me,” Wade said of cementing his legacy with the statue. “I’m here right now, we’re present right now, but I know this moment goes way beyond just now and way beyond the years that I will exist in life.”

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Even the most prepared clones, though, didn’t stand a chance when the star himself made an unscheduled appearance.

The actor walked through the massive crowd and posed for pics with competitors before heading out so the contest could get underway

VICE’s Jackson Garrett threw his hat in the ring for the competition, which was hosted by YouTuber Anthony Po. Tragically, Garrett underwent two hours of makeup and donned a wig only to be booed off stage.

After his time competing, Garrett chatted with some people present, one of whom had an ulterior motive for attending.

“Hinge isn’t working, so I have to do something,” one woman told VICE of the cards she was handing out to try and score a date with a Chalamet lookalike.

The event wasn’t without drama. Per AP, police arrived on the scene and fined organizers $500 for holding an “unpermitted costume contest.” One person was arrested during the festivities, according to the outlet.

The group soon moved to a new location and the competition was able to get underway, per the outlet.

Eventually, Miles Mitchell, a 21-year-old Staten Island resident, was named the lucky winner. He dressed as Chalamet’s Wonka character for the contest and buttered up the crowd by tossing candy out of a briefcase.

“I’m in disbelief right now,” Mitchell told VICE after his big win, for which he was awarded a $50 check and a huge trophy.

The post Timothée Chalamet Crashed His Own Lookalike Contest appeared first on VICE.

And if you’re trying to watch sports, it’s even worse. You might need four different services just to follow a single team through one season, since broadcasting rights are carved up between networks like vultures fighting over carrion.

But maybe there’s about to be a new new way of doing things: The Dallas Mavericks recently announced that they’ll be creating their own platform, called MavsTV. 

For a monthly fee of $14.99 or a season-long price of $124.99, Mavs fans can access this new streaming option for the full NBA season, which is starting up tonight. 

“We have been waiting for this moment for a long time,” said Dallas Mavericks CEO Cynt Marshall in a release. “We are thrilled to offer multiple options for our fans who deserve seamless, enjoyable viewing experiences.”

Technically, teams or regions having their own broadcast network isn’t anything new. The Yankees Entertainment and Sports Network (YES) launched in 2002 as the first team-owned regional sports network in baseball, though it’s now majority-owned by Sinclair Broadcasting after several ownership changes, including a period under Fox Sports.

There’s a lot of confusion around this move from Texas residents, but basically, the games will still air locally on WFAA and KFAA. This new platform is for those who don’t get those channels or don’t use the antenna option. 

MavsTV will also operate off of the NBA App, which makes me wonder if other teams will follow suit. 

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“At 17:04 a call came into the 911 system at 107 for a person who had fallen into an interior patio of this hotel in Palermo,” Alberto Crescenti, the head of the medical services system in Argentina, told La Nacion. “At 17:11 the ambulance arrived, but when the team arrived, this man had injuries incompatible with life.”

Crescenti noted that Payne had “very serious injuries as a result of the fall he suffered.” The three-story fall was approximately a 46-foot drop.

“The team could do absolutely nothing,” he said. “There was no resuscitation because it was confirmed that he had died. The whole body had very serious injuries.”

Clarin obtained the preliminary results of Payne’s autopsy. The report revealed that the singer’s death was caused by “multiple traumas” as well as “internal and external bleeding.”

Inside the Moments Before Liam Payne’s Death

After news of Payne’s death broke on Oct. 16, multiple outlets obtained the 911 call that preceded the tragedy.

Per the outlets, an employee at CasaSur Palermo Hotel called emergency services to report a guest who was “overloaded with drugs and alcohol.”

“When he is conscious, he is breaking the whole room. And, well, we need you to send us someone please. We need you to send us someone urgently because, well, we don’t know if the guest’s life is at risk,” the employee said. “He is in a room that has a balcony. And well, we’re a bit afraid that he does something that could put his life at risk.”

Liam Payne’s Family Speaks Out

The day after Payne died at 31, his family spoke out in a statement, which was obtained by multiple outlets.

“We are heartbroken. Liam will forever live in our hearts and we’ll remember him for his kind, funny and brave soul,” his family said. “We are supporting each other the best we can as a family and ask for privacy and space at this awful time.”

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“When I wrote it, I had no idea what I was doing,” Bogart said. “The whole second verse of that song is ’80s song titles strung together as sentences because I thought it would be super clever.”

Indeed, the verse in question starts with Rihanna singing, “Take on me a-ha.” That first three words of that line are the title of a 1985 song, while the final word is the name of the band who performed the track, A-ha.

Later, she sings “I could just die up in your arms tonight.” That line references Counting Crows’ 1986 track “(I Just) Died in Your Arms.”

Next, Rihanna sings the line “I melt with you,” which is the title of Modern English’s 1982 song.

“You got me head over heels” comes next on the Rihanna track, which references Tears for Fears’ 1985 track of the same name.

Rihanna goes on to sing, “Boy, you keep me hanging on.” That particular line is borrowed from Kim Wilde’s “You Keep Me Hangin’ On,” which was released in 1986.

The verse ends with Rihanna singing, “The way you make me feel.” That’s a ’80s reference too. Michael Jackson released “The Way You Make Me Feel” in 1987.

All the tracks he alluded to in the song, Bogart said, are “No. 1 songs from the 80s.” When the host expressed awe and surprise at the reveal, Bogart admitted that “no one” knew his writing secret until now.

“SOS” appeared on Rihanna’s second album, A Girl Like Me. Bogart co-wrote the track with J. R. Rotem. Ed Cobb also nabbed a writing credit for the song, as he penned “Tainted Love,” which “SOS” sampled. “SOS,” which was certified triple platinum, topped the Billboard chart for three weeks, marking Rihanna’s first No. 1 single.

The post Rihanna’s ‘SOS’ Lyrics Are Full of 1980s Easter Eggs, Songwriter Reveals appeared first on VICE.

Nick was sitting behind a piano when he clocked the red spot on his body.

View on X

He responded by jumping up and making the time out signal with his hands, before booking it off of the stage. He proceeded to run through the barricaded crowd to get out of sight.

View on X

Kevin Jonas and Joe Jonas eventually followed behind their brother, as did the group’s band, departing the stage for several minutes.

“We can confirm that the Jonas Brothers’ performance had to be interrupted for several minutes due to the use of a prohibited laser pointer by the person,” an arena spokesperson told Variety. “The organizing service responded to this fact. After a few minutes, the band continued their performance.”

Nick has yet to speak out about the incident.

Artist safety during shows has become a major issue as of late. Unhinged audiences have made headlines for throwing things onto the stage during shows. Bebe Rexha sustained a black eye during one such incident. Harry Styles, Kelsea Ballerini, Adele, and more artists have also had similar scares.

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Peacock’s new investigative docuseries Anatomy of Lies sheds light on Finch’s dramatic, traumatizing dishonesty and deception. For years, Finch pretended to have cancer, faking puke breaks while on the set of Grey’s Anatomy and even going as far as shaving her head. 

Perhaps she wanted in on the medical drama she so often wrote about?

This was just one in a string of lies, which also included losing a friend to a shooting and being a sexual assault survivor. Often, the writer used her wife’s experiences as her own, weaving traumas into her storyline like it was a TV show in and of itself.

On the same day of the Anatomy of Lies release, however, Finch took to Instagram to share a public apology, taking accountability for the pain and suffering she caused those around her. I mean, her own wife—who welcomed Finch into her and her children’s lives—believed she was gravely ill.

“I’ve given no one any reason to believe a word I say. I lied about so much; things so many people have been devastated by in real life,” she wrote. “‘I’m sorry’ feels like the smallest words compared to what I’ve done, yet they are the truest.”

“The truth is, I married a woman with whom I fell deeply, truly in love,” Finch continued. “The biggest mistake of my life (alongside lying about cancer in the first place) was saying ‘yes’ to Jennifer’s proposal before I was honest with her.”

While she says she’s been in therapy to address her concerning behavior, she insists that there’s “no excuse, no justification” for her actions. 

“Nothing will ever make my lies to anyone okay,” she wrote. “Nothing erases the trauma I caused.”

It’s clear that Finch has her own demons. To feel the need to lie and scam those closest to her—and the rest of the world—points to a much larger issue. I’m just glad she’s getting the help she needs, mostly so she doesn’t cause any more unnecessary pain to those around her.

The post The ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ Writer Who Faked Cancer IRL Even Lied to Her Wife appeared first on VICE.

The ill-fated follow-up has made just north of $51 million domestically and $113 million internationally so far. The movie cost $200 million to make. Promoting it, meanwhile, left Warner Bros. with a $100 million bill, per Variety.

The outlet further noted that, in order to break even, the film would’ve needed to earn $450 million since ticket sales are split between theater owners and studios.

That is not a figure Joker: Folie à Deux is expected to reach. Far from it, in fact, as the outlet reported it’s only expected to reach $215 million globally during its run.

Insiders and executives told the outlet that they project the musical sequel to lose between $125 million and $200 million.

The Hollywood Reporter said that following Joker: Folie à Deux‘s sub-par opening weekend, it suffered the worst box office decline in history for a comic book movie and one of the biggest among any film.

The studio didn’t take kindly to the reports, telling Variety, “Any estimates suggested by anonymous ‘insiders’ or ‘rival executives’ are grossly wrong and continues a trend where rumor is reported as fact. The film continues to play in theatrical release, included with this week’s opening in China, and will continue to earn revenue throughout its home viewing and ancillary run.”

This is all noteworthy given how blockbuster Joker was back in 2019. Five years ago, that Oscar-winning film raked in more than $1 billion globally during its run.

The post Lady Gaga and Joaquin Phoenix’s ‘Joker: Folie à Deux’ Is on Track to Lose Up to $200 Million appeared first on VICE.