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The New York Comedy Festival brought together four leading industry figures for the Business of Comedy panel, moderated by Variety TV reporter Ethan Shanfeld. Comedian Jeff Ross, festival founder Caroline Hirsch, talent executive Louis Faranda, and Emily in Paris producer Lily Burns discuss the most pressing issues facing the funny business, from the decline of traditional Hollywood gatekeepers to the controversy surrounding Saudi Arabia’s Riyadh Comedy Festival. Read an edited transcript from the panel below. Who are the best distributors for comedy? Ross: Tom Brady’s Roast garnered 2.5 billion minutes of viewing time, making it the highest-rated special ever on…

What you need to know Ashley Tisdale has announced that she is changing her name professionally after 11 years of marriage to husband Christopher French. The 40-year-old actress revealed her decision in a TikTok video on Monday, November 17, saying, “I felt it was time for people to get to know me,” she explained in the social media clip. Ashley Tisdale French is entering a new era! The High School Musical alum, 40, announced in a TikTok video posted on Monday, Nov. 17 that she would change her social media handle to Ashley Tisdale French and would use her marital…

Dwayne Johnson will be honored at the 8th Annual American Black Film Festival Honors in February. ‘Smashing Machines’ star receives Entertainment Icon Award. The 2026 ABFF Honors, presented by Nice Crowd, will be held on February 16th at the SLS Hotel in Beverly Hills. “Dwayne Johnson is the very definition of an entertainment icon,” said Jeff and Nicole Friday, Co-CEOs and Presidents of Nice Crowds. “From his pioneering career in sports entertainment to his extraordinary success in film and television, he has become one of the most influential and beloved figures in world culture. His journey embodies perseverance, integrity and…

Little House on the Prairie star Melissa Gilbert has joined the chorus of industry insiders appalled by Megyn Kelly’s recent comments about Jeffrey Epstein. Kelly claimed on the Nov. 12 episode of her eponymous radio show, SiriusXM, that Epstein was a “barely legal type.” She said Epstein “liked girls as young as 15” and “wasn’t interested in girls as young as 8.” “He liked the type of very young teenagers who looked younger than they actually were, but still looked legit in the eyes of passersby,” Kelly said. “There’s a difference between being 15 years old and 5 years old,…

Julio Fernández, the pioneering founder of the Barcelona studio Filmax and co-designer of the Fantastic Factory, which reinvigorated the production of the Spanish auteur genre, died on November 17 in Miami. He was 78 years old. Born in A Fonsagrada, in the province of Lugo, in rural Galicia, Fernández was typical of the region who migrated in search of greater opportunities in Spain’s rapidly building cities. However, few people were targeting Fernandes’ ambitions and main chances. If genre and animation are an ongoing concern in today’s international markets, Fernandes expected this to continue 30 years ago. In 1987, Fernandez acquired…

Nexstar Media Group, seeking to clear a $6.2 billion contract with rival TV station group Tegna, formally filed an application with the FCC on Tuesday that includes a request for an exemption from the station’s 39% ownership cap on local TV stations. Nexstar is the largest owner of local television stations in the United States, with 201 owned or affiliated stations in 116 markets. The partnership with Tegna, which has 64 stations in 51 markets, will give the combined company 265 stations and expand Nexstar’s reach to 54.5% of U.S. TV homes, exceeding the FCC’s ownership limit of 39%. Meanwhile,…

What you need to know The Duchess of Cambridge stepped into central London on November 18 to give her first speech since her cancer diagnosis in March 2024. The Duchess of Cambridge attended a high-profile summit bringing together top companies, business leaders and social innovators to discuss her mission to help children in their first year of life. The Princess of Wales urges businesses to recognize the needs of parents and carers of children under five, highlighting how investing in early years benefits both families and society as a whole. Duchess Kate is taking the next step in her mission…

Sarah Paulson’s character joked about Sean “Diddy” Combs’ obsession with baby oil and his infamous “freak off” on Hulu’s “All’s Fair.” On Tuesday’s episode of the new legal drama, lawyer Carrington Lane, played by Paulson, meets with his client Chase Munroe (played by Matthew Noschka), who is divorcing Alura Grant, played by Kim Kardashian. “Sorry, I have to be real here. What’s going on with your hair? Your fucking greasy helmet,” Paulson’s character joked. Sarah Paulson’s character joked about Sean “Diddy” Combs’ obsession with baby oil and his infamous “freak off” on Hulu’s “All’s Fair.” ©Hulu/Courtesy of Everett Collection On…

Holiday gifting can be stressful but a great coffee table book is the rare crowd-pleaser — equal parts decor, conversation starter and pop-culture deep dive. This year’s standout releases span film, music, Broadway and beyond, offering glossy behind-the-scenes worlds for every kind of fan. From Spike Lee’s creative archive to Kubrick’s meticulous vaults, Tina Turner’s most iconic portraits to a Swiftian saga told in full color, these oversized tomes deliver the kind of storytelling worth sinking into. Shop the best coffee table photo books for every kind of pop-culture lover below: Dune Part Two: The Photography This brand new “Dune”…

For Phil Rosenthal, there’s only one thing he loves more than food. It’s family. So he combined the two worlds with Max & Helen’s, a new diner that opened Tuesday with his daughter Lily Rosenthal. The TV writer and foodie, who works with celebrity chef Nancy Silverton and his new son-in-law Mason Royal, spends a lot of time on Larchmont Boulevard in Los Angeles. And he has had a lease at 127 N. Larchmont for nearly 22 years. “Years ago was the right time. It just takes years. It’s not easy in this city. There’s a lot of bureaucracy,” Phil…