Heated Rivalry, adapted from Rachel Reid's Game Changer book series, centers on the forbidden romance between two rival hockey players, portrayed by Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie. The series premiered on Crave in Canada and HBO Max in the U.S., accelerated to capitalize on holiday viewership after generating significant buzz. Its unapologetic depiction of gay romance and explicit intimacy drew widespread acclaim, surprising even Tierney, who recounted how networks initially hesitated due to the show's sincere approach to same-sex relationships and sex scenes.

Tierney, known for his work on Letterkenny and Shoresy, wrote and directed all six episodes of the first season, earning praise for faithfully capturing the source material's steamy dynamics. The show's success has positioned it as a landmark in queer sports storytelling, resonating with LGBTQ+ audiences for its authentic portrayal of transgender and gay individuals navigating high-stakes professional environments, though specific transgender characters are not central in season 1 coverage. Community responses on LGBTQ+ media outlets highlight the series' role in normalizing same-sex relationships in traditionally masculine sports like hockey.

This development comes alongside Tierney's announcement of a new project, Alexander, a Netflix period drama about Alexander the Great and his tutor Aristotle, based on Annabel Lyon's novel The Golden Mean. Tierney will write, direct, and executive-produce the series, which explores themes of forbidden love, palace intrigue, and empire-building, with executive producers Brendan Brady, Jason Bateman, and Michael Costigan of Aggregate Films also attached. Tierney expressed enthusiasm, stating, "I fell in love with Annabel Lyon’s book The Golden Mean years ago and have been dreaming of telling this story ever since. Brendan and I couldn’t be more excited to be partnering with Aggregate and Netflix to bring this insanely compelling world to life."

For Heated Rivalry fans, particularly in the LGBTQ+ community, the season 2 timeline offers anticipation amid the wait. The first season's tidal wave of interest transformed it into an international sensation, with U.S. streaming rights fueling its popularity. Tierney's dual commitments underscore his rising profile in queer-inclusive storytelling, bridging contemporary sports romance with historical epics involving complex male bonds often interpreted through an LGBTQ+ lens.

No official community statements from major LGBTQ+ organizations like GLAAD were found directly addressing the season 2 announcement, but coverage in outlets like Out.com reflects positive reception among queer media for Tierney's body of work. The project's continuation affirms ongoing demand for narratives centering gay men in sports, contributing to broader representation in television. As production ramps up, further details on casting and plot are expected from Crave and HBO Max.

Production on 'Elio' faced significant turmoil, marked by executive interventions and tonal shifts influenced by backlash to prior Pixar projects like the 2023 'Lightyear' same-sex kiss and a transgender storyline cut from the 'Win or Lose' series. Early test screenings alarmed executives when no audience members indicated they would pay to see the film in theaters, prompting a major rewrite even after much animation was completed. Pixar leadership, including Docter, directed the team to "masculinize" Elio, removing queer suggestive elements to make the character less personal and more broadly palatable.

Molina exited the project following discussions with Docter, a move insiders described as pivotal, with crew members reportedly crying upon his announcement as the title character drew from his own childhood. Directors Madeline Sharafian and Domee Shi stepped in to helm the revised version, which retained the core sci-fi premise of Elio, a boy beamed to an alien "Communiverse" mistaken for Earth's ambassador amid an intergalactic crisis. The voice cast includes Yonas Kibreab as Elio, alongside Zoe Saldaña, Remy Edgerly, Young Dylan, Matthias Schweighöfer, Brandon Moon, Brad Garrett, and Jameela Jamil; the screenplay was by Julia Cho, Mark Hammer, and Mike Jones.

Docter articulated the studio's rationale in the interview, emphasizing sensitivity to parental concerns: "We’re making a movie, not hundreds of millions of dollars of therapy," he said, noting some parents prefer not to navigate unprepared discussions on complex topics like LGBTQ+ identities with young children. This stance echoes broader industry caution post-conservative boycotts of Disney content featuring queer representation, though Docter framed it as balancing artistic intent with audience expectations.

The final 'Elio' premiered in theaters on June 22, 2025, earning mixed reviews and a dismal $20.8 million domestic opening, Pixar's worst ever, against a reported $150 million budget—though insiders claimed costs neared $300 million, resulting in over $100 million in losses for Disney. Critics noted the universe's visual appeal but lamented a lack of emotional depth, with one review stating it took "the easier route... rather than sending you to a place where it could be truly deeply felt."

LGBTQ+ advocates and former Pixar staff expressed disappointment, with a ex-employee telling The Hollywood Reporter in 2025 that the theatrical Elio was "far worse than Adrian’s best version," questioning if retaining Molina's vision would have avoided financial losses. The changes fueled backlash amid Disney's pattern of scaling back transgender and queer content, raising concerns in the community about authentic representation for LGBTQ+ youth in family animation. No official statements from LGBTQ+ organizations like GLAAD were immediately available in coverage, but the revelations underscore ongoing tensions in Hollywood over inclusive storytelling.

Villanelle – from Killing Eve

Villanelle is the whole wicked package. She’s flamboyant, chaotic, and sensual. She’s also a literal assassin — but childlike in her antics. Her queer obsession blurred the hero-villain line until you didn’t care which side she was on.


 
Lestat de Lioncourt – from Interview with the Vampire

Lestat is a vile creature for sure, making a child immortal, stunting her physical appearance for decades. He’s manipulative, toxic and tragic. If author Anne Rice did anything in creating this character, it was to make him despicable but desirable all at once.



Pam Swynford De Beaufort – from True Blood

With all her deadpan deliveries, this unapologetic lesbian character isn’t trying to impress anyone with her callousness. And as she says in one episode of “True Blood” her mad face and her happy face are the same. Evil in designer clothing never hurt so good. She also said something else that made us chuckle; a pun born in Pride, “Let bygones be bygones, and bi girls be bi girls.”



Mystique

The ability to shape-shift might be the dream superpower of any gay person. So thank goodness the Marvel Universe did it and named her Mystique, a queer X-Men character whose villainy was born out of survival. She’s cool, relentless and powerful much like the community she represents.



Agatha Harkness – Agatha All Along  

Not many villains have an intimate relationship with death herself. Unless your name is Agatha Harkness, then it’s a match made in…well, someplace.  Agatha’s story is a tragic one which led her into the dark arts. But Agatha isn’t just evil; she’s fun. She’s got that gay man comeback wit which is deadlier than any spell. She’s got personality and style that makes rooting for her a little easier even when you know you shouldn’t.



Ursula – from The Little Mermaid

This sea witch from “The Little Mermaid” isn’t openly gay, Disney wouldn’t dare. But Ursula, coded or not, has become a cult (and camp) favorite. That might be because she was inspired by none other than Divine, the punk drag queen from Baltimore who went on to become filmmaker John Waters’ movie muse; Ursula turned villainy into queer spectacle. No notes.



Negasonic Teenage Warhead – from Deadpool

Not a villain per se, but Negasonic’s snarky anti-hero vibe and openly lesbian identity in Deadpool makes her one of the franchise’s most subversive standouts. She’s also got quite a fanbase. Cosplayers and pop culture enthusiasts have made her a legend.

After Oprah Winfrey stole the show in the opening stretch of the nine-day week, Naomi Watts and Kai Schreiber were at Balenciaga. Rooney Mara, Diane Kruger, Alexa Chung, Elizabeth Olsen and Yseult turned up at Givenchy.

Sarah Paulson and Tracee Ellis Ross watched Celine. Chappell Roan was at Vivienne Westwood and then at McQueen, where Myha’la and Sophie Thatcher were also there. Chanel was still to come Monday, and Louis Vuitton capping the season Tuesday.

But this week was about more than the front row.

Paris Fashion Week ’s biggest houses are in reset mode, and the designers leading them are trying to answer the same hard question: How do you dress people when the world feels dark, loud and unstable?

Three trends stood out

First came clothes built to shield: high collars, wrapped coats and strong tailoring.

Then came the silhouette: a sharper line, as designers moved away from years of oversized dressing and back toward shape.

The third trend was glamour that looked less polished. Hair was messier, makeup was smudged, clothes felt rougher and the mood was darker. Luxury no longer looked sealed off from real life.

Armor for anxious times

Balenciaga led the first trend.

In his second show, Pierpaolo Piccioli built the collection around darkness and the search for light, working with “Euphoria” creator Sam Levinson on a set tied to the series’ return.

The mood pushed the collection toward unease.

On the runway, that became balloon bombers, cocoon backs, portrait collars and face-framing necklines that made the body look guarded.

Even the softer draped dresses kept that mood: these were clothes for a hard world.

Givenchy pursued a similar path and made it more personal. Sarah Burton’s third show felt like the one where her point of view clicked.

She was not proposing one ideal woman, but many women and many ways of being strong, with exact tailoring, strong coats, peplum hips, velvet, shearling and evening looks grounded in real life.

Burton's collection was about how women put themselves back together in the world they are living in. That idea gave the clothes force. They were polished, but but still connected to it.

Junya Watanabe pushed the idea furthest, turning gloves, motorcycle gear and emergency blankets into couture-like forms.

McQueen did the same, with Seán McGirr talking about paranoia, perfection and the strain of always being seen. His slashed leather trousers, low-slung minis and chainmail-like textures suggested exposure, but also defense.

The new sharpness

The second big trend was silhouette.

After years of volume, slouch and oversized ease, Paris is moving back toward the body.

Celine made that shift most clearly. Michael Rider’s third outing felt like a designer settling into his idea.

He wanted clothes for living in. His coats and suits sat closer to the torso. His trousers kicked out in cropped flares. His menswear came in long, narrow overcoats that looked crisp rather than inflated.

Rider also suggested that the long dominance of oversized dressing may be breaking.

His version of sharpness was not stiff or nostalgic. It had ease, but it also had character.

Classic clothes came back with a little edge: smaller details, stranger proportions, a more exact line.

That made Celine a clear mood-setter.

Paris runways were after presence, just no longer through sheer size.

You could see that shift elsewhere, too. Burton relaxed the strict hourglass she established earlier at Givenchy, but she did not give up shape.

Piccioli used collars and cocoon backs to frame the figure rather than bury it. McQueen’s low-rise minis and neat boots pointed the same way.

The season’s line was stronger, cleaner and closer to the body. After years of volume, Paris was asking for something more exposed. Stand up. Be seen. Take shape.

Beauty with the cracks left in

The third trend was less polished glamour.

Designers still wanted beauty, but they wanted friction too.

At Westwood, Andreas Kronthaler staged grief, eroticism and disorder at once, speaking openly about loss while insisting on pleasure and play. On the runway, that became rough seams, smudged lipstick, lingerie codes, odd hats and an unfinished bride. It looked messy, sad, sexy and alive.

That appetite for imperfection ran through the week.

Rider evoked the messier inner lives beneath beautiful clothes.

Piccioli used shadow to keep darkness close.

Burton filled Givenchy with distinct female characters instead of one polished ideal.

Paris repeatedly rejected sterile luxury. Taken together, the strongest shows suggested a week less interested in escape than in resilience. The best designers were not trying to make the world disappear.

They were trying to arm women for it.

Hilton is donating $350,000 to kick-start the Back in Business Recovery Fund, with a goal to raise at least $1 million by the end of March.

“Women-owned businesses are really the heart of so many of these communities,” Hilton told The Associated Press. “I want to be able to lift up and support them, shine a light on them and really make a difference in their lives.”

The new initiative will be a partnership between Hilton's social impact organization 11:11 Media Impact and GoFundMe.org, which is the philanthropic arm of the fundraising platform GoFundMe and will contribute $100,000 to the fund’s launch.

Hilton and those organizations deployed over $1 million in cash grants to 50 women-owned small businesses after the LA fires, which destroyed her own Malibu home.

Losing the home where she was raising her young children has been “very emotional,” Hilton said, and spurred her to think of other mothers who'd lost not just houses but income to support their families.

The grants of up to $25,000 went to owners of child care centers, bakeries, bookshops, dance studios and salons damaged by the Eaton fire, which devastated the community of Altadena. The money helped cover rent, payroll, replacing equipment and rebuilding.

One year later, 90% of the grantee businesses are still operating, according to the Pasadena Women's Business Center, which also received a grant to provide technical assistance and mentorship to impacted enterprises.

Grant helped floral designer

The grantees included Renata Ortega, who ran her floral design company Orla Floral Studio from a converted garage next to the Altadena home she shared with her husband and three dogs.

Ortega was unsure how she would keep her business going after flames destroyed her house and studio space, including all her floral and event equipment.

“Nothing prepares you for that amount of loss,” she told The Associated Press. “I didn’t think I was going to be able to get back on my feet because it took me years to be able to come up with the inventory I had.”

She worried for the staff she employed and the flower market vendors who depended on her purchases, too.

The grant helped Ortega pay the deposit on a studio space and purchase a badly needed floral cooler. Orla Floral is now “booked and busy,” she said. She was able to keep her staff and is hoping to hire another employee soon.

She credits much of her recent growth to the grant. “It directly went into getting us back into business, but actually back and better than ever,” she said.

The support also gave Ortega a motivational boost as she faced rebuilding her home and livelihood simultaneously.

“You have to keep going and you have keep pushing and fighting forward,” Ortega told herself, “because if somebody like Paris Hilton notices your story and thinks you’re important, then you have to believe in yourself and also think that you’re important.”

Paris Hilton wanted to think bigger

Hilton supported grantees as a customer, too, proudly donning a catsuit from the apparel shop Crop It Like It’s Hot at the Coachella music festival and hiring food vendors like Carmela Ice Cream and Hot Shrimp Mami for her own parties.

Those relationships inspired her to think “think bigger” about a national initiative, Hilton said. So did her lived experiences as a woman, mother and entrepreneur.

“For so much of my career, I’ve been underestimated,” said Hilton, a great grandchild of the hotel magnate Conrad N. Hilton. “I’ve worked very hard to show people that there’s much more to me.”

While there are 14.5 million women-owned businesses in the U.S., a 39% share according to Wells Fargo, women, and especially minority women receive disproportionately less investment than men through venture capital and loan financing.

“They are the most undercapitalized and underresourced, and particularly if primary caregiving responsibilities are falling on them too, sometimes that leads to increased recovery burden,” said Rebecca Grone, director of 11:11 Media Impact.

Like the LA program, the Back in Business Recovery Fund will distribute unrestricted grants, partnering with some of the 150 local women’s business centers spread across the U.S.

Collaborating with the centers will help identify impacted women quickly and opens up access not just to cash, but to a community of business owners facing similar challenges, said Amanda Brown Lierman, executive director of GoFundMe.org. “It’s really key to the success.”

Decisions on when to activate the fund will also be informed by reaching out to the women business centers to assess impacts, Brown Lierman said.

While the money will go to owners themselves, the impact is aimed toward the whole community, said Grone. Saving businesses can protect jobs and tax revenue, but it can also preserve the soul of communities, drawing displaced residents back home.

“You don't want to come back if the community isn't thriving, so as folks are rebuilding their homes, the things that are familiar and make a community feel like home are equally as crucial,” she said.

A YouTube series called “ Back in Business ” was also released Monday, highlighting some of the LA business owners. “I hope it really inspires others to want to donate and give back,” Hilton said.

Several of the LA grantees including Ortega will join Hilton Monday afternoon to ring the New York Stock Exchange closing bell, marking International Women's Day, which was Mar. 8.

It will be one of her proudest moments, Hilton said, “showing the power of women when they come together.”

“This past year, we have learned that Pride events are not to be taken for granted - even in a safe haven like New York City,” said NYC Pride Executive Director Im Lynde. “In 2026, we are intentionally curating events that not only bring our community together in joy and celebration, but also in the fight for equality - for all of us.”‍

FREE NYC PRIDE EVENTS INCLUDE:

Pride March  – Sunday, June 28, 2026. 12:00 p.m. Starting line: 26th St & 5th Ave. Dispersal: 15th St & 7th Ave.
The iconic NYC Pride March – which began as an annual demonstration honoring the 1969 Stonewall Riots – has grown into an important symbol of LGBTQIA+ resilience, unity and activism on the world stage. Join millions of spectators, our community and allies, marching contingents, Grand Marshals, local partners and more in the birthplace of the modern Pride movement as we march in solidarity and celebration. 
‍
If you can’t join us in person, tune in to the NYC Pride March Broadcast on WABC-7 and ABC.com for up-close looks at floats and marching contingents, exclusive live performances, and intimate interviews with our city’s queer trailblazers.

PrideFest  – Sunday, June 28, 2026. 11:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. 4th Avenue from 14th St to 8th St/Astor Place.
NYC’s queer community, families, community leaders, small businesses and nonprofits, and top-tier talent from around the world come together at PrideFest, the largest LGBTQIA+ street festival in the U.S. Visitors can:

• discover queer writers and stories at BookFest


• connect with small businesses and local non-profits at CommunityFest


• enjoy family-friendly activities at FamilyFest


• sample an eclectic mix of local bites and flavors at FoodFest


• see iconic artists perform in the spotlight at StageFest


• access queer-affirming support at WellnessFest



• Youth Pride  – Saturday, June 27, 2026. 11:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. South Street Seaport/Pier 16.

Youth Pride, a block party-style celebration of LGBTQIA+ youth and their families and allies, provides an affirming space for empowerment, education and community-building. Attendees can expect carnival games and attractions, live performances, and free food and snacks, as well as the opportunity to connect with local trans- and gender-affirming resource providers.

The event kicks off with community partners and activists coming together for a rally to demand stronger local protections for trans youth.

Entry is free with an RSVP, which can be done via  Eventbrite .‍



TICKETED NYC PRIDE EVENTS INCLUDE:



“Road to Pride” Bar Crawl Series  – Saturdays March 28, May 9 and June 6, 2026
Meet new people, explore LGBTQIA+ hotspots, and build excitement ahead of Pride Month with NYC Pride’s bar crawl series, “Road to Pride”. This year kicks off on Saturday, March 28 with a  Y2K-themed crawl  through  Hell’s Kitchen , followed by a  disco-themed crawl  in  Williamsburg  on May 9 and a  Pride anthem crawl  in the  West Village on June 6. Ticket sales and 10% of drink purchases at each stop help us continue hosting events that serve and celebrate our LGBTQIA+ community. 2:00 - 5:00 p.m. $15 plus tax per crawl or $35 plus tax for the “Road to Pride Passport” ticket, including entry and raffle tickets for all three crawls.

It’s Giving Brunch: Drag Brunch Fundraiser  – Saturday, June 20, 2026
NYC Pride’s marquee fundraiser, “It’s Giving Brunch”, is back for another round of mimosas, drag excellence, and paying it forward. Top NYC talent headline this fabulous drag brunch at Stella 34 in Macy’s Herald Square, featuring a silent auction and raffle prizes that directly support NYC Pride’s work. Seating 1: 11:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. Seating 2: 2:00 - 4:00 p.m. Stella 34 Trattoria at Macy’s Herald Square. Starting at $50.

Grandstand Experience at the Pride March  – Sunday, June 28, 2026
Experience the world-renowned NYC Pride March like never before at the Grandstand. This premium, ticketed experience offers an unmatched Pride March viewing spot with comfortable stadium-style seating, alongside a slew of VIP amenities including private restrooms, complimentary food and beverages, live entertainment and more. For the first time this year, attendees have an opportunity to join the Grandstand’s audience pit, offering front-row seats to the spectacle and live performances of the WABC-7 live broadcast. 10:30 a.m. -6:00 p.m. General William Jenkins Worth Monument. $53-235.

Additional events can be found at  nycpride.org/events . 

NYC Pride’s events are made possible through the support of community members and allies. To sustain our mission and continue creating safe spaces that serve and celebrate our community, we encourage you to join the movement at  nycpride.org/donate . For volunteer opportunities and other ways to get involved, visit  nycpride.org/support .

Also among the streaming offerings worth your time this week, as selected by The Associated Press’ entertainment journalists: The Academy Awards streaming on Hulu, Nicole Kidman bringing crime writer Patricia Cornwell’s famed forensic pathologist character Kay Scarpetta to life in a new series and Kim Gordon's third solo album, “Play Me.”

New movies to stream from March 9-15

— After collecting $1.85 billion in box office, the Disney animated smash hit “Zootopia 2” comes to Disney+ on Wednesday. The film, a sequel to 2016’s “Zootopia,” follows the continuing adventures of rabbit police officer Judy Hopps (Ginnifer Goodwin) and her partner fox Nick Wilde (Jason Bateman). In their new case, the arrival of a mysterious viper (Key Huy Quan) leads to new revelations about the animal metropolis. In my review, I called it “a more timid and tame movie that leans largely on the (still winning) duo of Hopps and Wilde.”

— For the first time, the Oscars will be streamed. In addition to the live broadcast on ABC beginning at 7 p.m. EDT Sunday, March 15, the 97th Academy Awards will be streamed on Hulu. The show will be available to all subscribers, and not require a cable subscription. (The Oscars are moving to YouTube, but not until 2029.) That also means this week is your last chance to catch up on the nominees, most of which are streaming. That includes: “Sinners,” “One Battle After Another,” “Weapons” and “If I Had Legs I’d Kick You” on HBO Max; “Frankenstein,” “Train Dreams,” “KPop Demon Hunters” and “Blue Moon” on Netflix; “Bugonia,” “Hamnet” and “Song Sung Blue” on Peacock; “F1” on Apple TV+; and “The Secret Agent” and “It Was Just an Accident” on Hulu.

— AP Film Writer Jake Coyle

New music to stream on March 13

— On Friday, Kim Gordon — a revolutionary force in the alternative rock band Sonic Youth, the ’80s New York no wave scene and the space between art and noise — will release her third solo album, “Play Me,” as The Associated Press exclusively announced back in January. It follows the Grammy nominated “The Collective,” her beat-heavy 2024 album that surprised and delighted audiences with its oddball trap blasts. “Play Me” shares in that spirit. It’s full of propulsive production and confrontational songs that possess a keen ability to process and reflect the world. Start with the castigation of convenience culture and passive listening on its title track. Stay for “Subcon,” an examination of the world’s growing billionaire class and their fascination with space colonialization in a period of economic insecurity.

— To call them veterans almost feels like too slight a word. Giants of the American heavy metal Lamb of God will release their tenth studio album, “Into Oblivion” on Friday. The title is a reflection of how frontman Randy Blythe sees the current state of the affairs — an appropriate launchpad for 10-tracks of ferocity.

— AP Music Writer Maria Sherman

New series to stream from March 9-15

— “Sesame Street” drops four new episodes Monday on Netflix. The legacy preschool show found a new home on the streamer ahead of its current 56th season.

— Netflix’s live-action adventure series “One Piece” returns for its second season on Tuesday. It’s based on a massively popular Japanese manga series by Eiichiro Oda. The show follows a young man named Monkey D. Luffy whose dream in life is to be a pirate. In Season One, Luffy recruited his fellow pirates called the Straw Hats. In Season Two, Luffy and his crew set out to find treasure in a dangerous stretch of water called the Grand Line. There are eight episodes in “One Piece: Into the Grand Line.”

— Nicole Kidman brings crime writer Patricia Cornwell’s famed forensic pathologist character Kay Scarpetta to life in a new series out Wednesday. The story unfolds over two timelines: Scarpetta as a younger woman played by Rosy McEwen and in present day, played by Kidman. Jamie Lee Curtis, Bobby Cannavale, Simon Baker, Ariana DeBose, Jake Cannavale and Hunter Parrish also star.

— Taylor Sheridan’s neo-Western family drama “The Madison” debuts on Paramount+ on Saturday, March 14. At its center is the Clyburn family of New York, led by matriarch Stacy Clyburn ( Michelle Pfeiffer ) who moves her family to Montana after a tragedy. Kurt Russell, Patrick J. Adams, Matthew Fox and Beau Garrett also have roles. A second season has already filmed.

— Alicia Rancilio

New video games to play from March 9-15

— When you want to hunt monsters, there’s Monster Hunter. When you want to team up with monsters, there’s Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection, the new chapter in Capcom’s spinoff series. Once you join forces with a beast, you can fly around on it and fight other creatures — though you might want to think twice before tackling the “Calamitous Elder Dragons.” The story itself revolves around two warring kingdoms on the verge of apocalypse, and the gameplay is the kind of turn-based combat you’d expect in a classic role-playing adventure. Take flight Friday, March 13, on PlayStation 5, Xbox X/S, Switch 2 or PC.

— Lou Kesten

The plaintiff identifies herself only as Jane Doe in the lawsuit filed Wednesday in Los Angeles Superior Court. An attorney for Griffin called the suit “absurd” and “meritless.”

In “The Tell,” published a year ago, Griffin writes that undergoing therapy using the psychedelic drug MDMA uncovered previously buried childhood memories of being sexually abused by a teacher at her middle school in Amarillo, Texas, in the 1980s.

“I knew that these memories were real,” Griffin writes in the book. “My body knew what had happened to me.”

The memoir was an Oprah’s Book Club selection and was also touted by Reese Witherspoon and Gwyneth Paltrow.

In the lawsuit, the plaintiff says the descriptions match her own sexual assaults by a different teacher at a school dance and in a school bathroom. The lawsuit says Griffin had reason to know about the abuse.

“'The Tell' constitutes neither a genuine nor harmless memoir,” the lawsuit says, alleging Griffin engaged in intrusion, invasion of privacy, publication of private facts, negligence and infliction of emotional distress. It seeks damages to be determined at trial.

The lawsuit also names Griffin's publishers and a ghostwriter as defendants.

The New York Times published a story in September raising questions about the book. It included people who expressed doubts about the reliability of the memories. The story also pointed out financial ties between Griffin and the prominent people who helped promote the book.

The plaintiff first learned of the existence of the memoir when the Times reached out to her during its reporting.

“She immediately recognized that the character of Claudia appeared to be based on herself,” the lawsuit says. “She further recognized that a number of stories attributed to the memories of Defendant GRIFFIN that supposedly resurfaced during MDMA therapy were actually her own real life past experiences.”

Griffin's attorney, Thomas A. Clare, said in an email: “We look forward to exposing these meritless claims in court, as well as the deeply flawed New York Times reporting that is at the center of it.”

“Just like the New York Times manufactured a false narrative about Amy Griffin and ‘The Tell,’ it also engineered the premise for this absurd lawsuit,” Clare said. “After two New York Times reporters instigated this whole situation by bringing the book to her attention, the Plaintiff made her own choice to publicize her narrative to a global audience.” He added, “For its part, the Times took full advantage, publicizing this inaccurate narrative despite receiving many red-flag warnings.”

Danielle Rhoades Ha, a Times spokeswoman, said in response, “We’re confident in the accuracy of our reporting.”

The lawsuit says that when the plaintiff was assaulted at the school dance, she was wearing a dress she had borrowed from Griffin. The lawsuit says the abuse would have been apparent to some people at the dance because of how she left and how she returned. It also says the dress was returned to Griffin with bodily fluids from the assault. The plaintiff also said she asked Jesus for forgiveness for the assault at a church youth group meeting that Griffin attended.

The lawsuit says she met with Griffin for the first time in decades at a California coffee shop in 2019, a meeting that is recounted in the book. But the woman said she did not discuss her sexual assaults during the meeting.

The plaintiff says she did describe the abuse in detail to a talent agent who called her later about her life story. According to the lawsuit, the agent told the plaintiff he learned about her and her stories through an unidentified third party. The lawsuit says the agent stopped contact when she began asking him too many probing questions about him, and that details from the conversations “found their way into ‘The Tell.’ ”

After adding another $42 million from international showings, the film celebrated an $88 million global launch in total, the biggest for an original animated film since “Coco” came out in 2017.

But it wasn’t all good news for big studio fare at the multiplex: Maggie Gyllenhaal’s R-rated reimagining of the Bride of Frankenstein story is flailing. A Warner Bros. release, “The Bride!” starring Jessie Buckley and Christian Bale, debuted to an estimated $7.3 million from 3,304 domestic locations. It cost around $80 million to produce, not including marketing and promotion expenses.

The two movies were hardly competing with one another for viewers — one being a PG-rated family pic, the other an audacious, R-rated, genre-blending ride. “Hoppers” arrived to a slew of good reviews, while critical responses to “The Bride!” were mixed to negative and its audience scores weren’t much better.

“Hoppers” win was much needed for Disney and Pixar following last year’s “Elio,” which was Pixar's worst opening ever. The studio’s only major successes lately have been sequels and franchises, while “Hoppers” is a win for original fare. It also opened higher than 2023’s “Elemental,” which eventually went on to become a sleeper hit (“Elio” did not).

“Hoppers” had a reported $150 million production budget and opened in 4,000 locations. Directed by Daniel Chong, the movie is about a 19-year-old environmentalist who infiltrates the animal world in the body of a beaver. It features the voices of Piper Curda, Bobby Moynihan, Jon Hamm and Kathy Najimy.

“Hoppers” got a 94% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, 75% “definitely recommend” from PostTrak polling and an A CinemaScore, suggesting it should have a long and profitable run in theaters.

“This is a fantastic original film from the incredible team at Pixar, and it’s wonderful to see audiences coming out with their friends and families to enjoy it together,” said Alan Bergman, co-chairman of Disney Entertainment, in a statement. He also congratulated the filmmaking team on “a tremendous launch.”

“The Bride!” had a bit of a bumpy path to theaters, with edits being made after reportedly poor test screenings. Its release date was pushed back from September, possibly to give it some space versus Guillermo del Toro’s “Frankenstein,” which played in theaters last fall before hitting Netflix.

Men made up a slight majority of the audience for “The Bride!” at 53%. The movie currently carries a “rotten” 59% on Rotten Tomatoes and a lackluster C+ CinemaScore. Only 43% of that audience said they would “definitely recommend.”

And it doesn’t seem like international audiences will be much help: It made only $6.3 million outside of the U.S. and Canada, bringing its global debut to $13.6 million.

“Unfortunately, we came in light,” said Jeffrey Goldstein, who oversees domestic distribution for Warner Bros., in a text message. “We have a tailored approach to our slate, investing strategically in talent, IP and original storytelling. It spans genres and budget levels and allows us to back bold, distinctive filmmakers … and sometimes things just don’t work out.”

Warner Bros.' other recent release, “Wuthering Heights,” meanwhile, has surpassed $213 million globally. And next week, the studio, which is staring down new ownership under Paramount, is expected to sweep the Oscars between “One Battle After Another” and “Sinners.”

“We’re coming off an incredible run of nine No. 1 openings in a row, and in an increasingly ‘risk-averse’ business like ours, we believe the business is better served with studios taking bold swings on originals like this one,” Goldstein said. “Even the 1927 Yankees had 44 losses that season.”

Paramount’s “Scream 7” landed in second place in its second weekend with $17.3 million, down a whopping 73% and bringing its domestic total to $93.4 million and its global total to $149.5 million. Sony's “GOAT” came in fourth place with $6.6 million while “Wuthering Heights” rounded out the top five with $3.8 million.

“When there’s this many holdovers in the top 10, it says we haven’t had enough horsepower in the newcomers to really get things moving,” said Paul Dergarabedian, Comscore’s head of marketplace trends.

But he anticipates that will change when the Ryan Gosling-led sci-fi adventure “Project Hail Mary” hits theaters on March 20.

Top 10 movies by domestic box office

With final domestic figures being released Monday, this list factors in the estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Comscore:

1. “Hoppers,” $46 million.

2. “Scream 7,” $17.3 million.

3. “The Bride!” $7.3 million.

4. “GOAT,” $6.6 million.

5. “Wuthering Heights,” $3.8 million.

6. “Crime 101,” $2.1 million.

7. “Send Help,” $1.6 million.

8. “I Can Only Imagine 2,” $1.5 million.

9. “EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert,” $1.5 million.

10. “Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba Infinity Castlee,” $1.3 million.