The Fanatics Flag Football Classic served as a showcase for NFL players ahead of flag football's inclusion as an official sport in the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. Burrow's performance, including the pick-six and the pants-pulling incident, has sparked discussions about the competitiveness of NFL athletes against more experienced flag football specialists like those on the USA Flag Football team. Video footage of the pants incident quickly spread online, with clips shared on platforms like YouTube, amplifying the moment's visibility.

The pants-pulling moment, described across reports as an accidental occurrence during a flag pull—a standard defensive play in flag football—has been framed as embarrassing but not malicious. Burrow quickly recovered and continued play, but the clip's virality underscores the high visibility of athletes in promotional events. This event highlights the transition challenges for NFL players eyeing Olympic opportunities, as the USA team's dominance suggests specialized training advantages.

Looking ahead, the Fanatics Flag Football Classic positions itself as a key platform for Olympic hopefuls, with Burrow's participation drawing significant attention despite the mishaps. As flag football gains prominence, events like this may encourage broader athlete involvement, potentially benefiting LGBTQ+ competitors through safer, team-based formats. No further incidents or updates were reported immediately following the game.

Roach, a celebrity stylist known for working with high-profile clients, told Addams on the runway, "It just didn't make any f**king sense and I hated it. I hate it like I hate my father, and I really hate my father." Addams described these remarks as "nasty words" rather than constructive criticism, stating, "There are ways to be polite and give actual critiques that help you grow and learn, and there are ways of just saying nasty words for the sake of clickbait, and that is what Law Roach did."

In post-elimination interviews, Addams contrasted Roach's style with that of regular judges RuPaul and Michelle Visage, noting Visage "always button it up with something that is helpful and it's gonna help you grow as a character and as an artist." She accused Roach of prioritizing "clickbait and rage bait" for internet engagement, adding, "Law Roach just speaks in terms of clickbait and rage bait. He just wants engagement on the internet, and you can tell that he is just chasing that clout in the way he just got done styling the Bezoses." Addams further expressed, "I'm not a fan of his judging, I'm not a fan of his work, I'm not a fan of his morals or his ethics. Anybody who's going to go out and dress the Bezos family and then also say that they're here for the queer community, it's like, are you here? Or are you here for a paycheck?"

The makeover challenge required queens to pair with non-contestants—specifically gay cowboys—to create drag looks emphasizing family resemblance, with rules specifying "sisters, not twins." Visage critiqued the lack of family connection in Addams' punk-preppy pairing, but Addams defended it as an "on-the-nose" concept reflecting diverse family dynamics, such as a gothic sibling and a preppy one at the same private school. RuPaul had similarly questioned the concept during walkthroughs, saying, "I don’t get it, and if you have to explain it, then it doesn’t make sense."

Despite the judges' feedback, Addams emphasized supporting her partner, who was nervous about drag for the first time. She said she encouraged Colton backstage, telling him not to heed the negativity because "he felt confident and he felt good, and that’s what drag is about." Addams highlighted the positive experience of working with gay cowboys, calling it "so cool getting to see that side of the gay spectrum," including unique passions like goat dressing. "Everybody has their own passions, and getting to hear them talk so strongly about it — it was really cool," she added.

Addams lip-synced against Nini Coco to Ariana Grande's "We Can't Be Friends" but was eliminated. She did not claim the elimination was unfair, stating, "I wouldn't say that I was unfairly sent home," and praised Nini's performance. Addams also dismissed fellow contestants' complaints about her past rule-bending, asserting, "This is RuPaul’s Drag Race. And if RuPaul felt that I had bent the rules, then I would’ve gone home — and I didn’t go home."

RuPaul's Drag Race Season 18 airs Fridays at 8 p.m. on MTV, continuing to spotlight transgender people, gay men, and diverse queer artists through its challenges and runway presentations. The backlash against Roach underscores ongoing debates in the drag community about judging styles, constructive feedback, and authenticity in queer media, with Addams' comments amplifying calls for critiques that uplift rather than demean participants exploring femininity and confidence in drag.

In a recent interview cited by multiple outlets, Essiedu recounted the severity of the harassment, stating, “I’ve been told, ‘Quit or I’ll murder you.’” He described checking social media platforms like Instagram, where he encounters messages such as, “I’m going to come to your house and kill you.” Essiedu emphasized the emotional toll, noting, “I’d be lying if I said it doesn’t affect me emotionally,” while comparing his situation to others who face greater risks in their professions.

The threats emerged after Warner Bros. Television announced Essiedu's casting in the serialized adaptation, which plans to span a decade and revisit the seven Harry Potter books. Essiedu, who will succeed the late Alan Rickman in the role of the morally complex potions master, acknowledged the life-changing commitment, saying, “I’ll be 45 by the time I finish and I know my life is going to change in a big way, but I have to just surrender to that.” A fan of the original novels during his childhood, Essiedu views the books as a source of escapism and now sees the harassment as motivation to deliver an authentic performance.

Support from the Harry Potter community has been notable. Last year, original series star Jason Isaacs, who played Lucius Malfoy, publicly condemned the "racist" abuse directed at Essiedu over his casting. Isaacs' statement underscored broader industry solidarity against online vitriol targeting actors of color in iconic roles. Essiedu has expressed gratitude for backing from the production team, which has encouraged him to persist.

Essiedu also addressed intersections with LGBTQ+ issues, reaffirming his public stance on transgender rights. He was one of over 400 signatories to a petition calling on the UK entertainment industry to protect transgender artists' rights, ensuring they can work with dignity free from intimidation. "My points of view are mine and will continue to be so," Essiedu stated. "I signed that letter because I believe that artists in the transgender community have a right to be treated with dignity and should be able to work without being intimidated. I’d sign that letter again today." This position comes amid scrutiny of the franchise, given J.K. Rowling's past comments on gender identity, though Essiedu focused on his personal convictions and production support.

The series, set to premiere next year, aims to emphasize themes of "love triumphing over hate" and acceptance, aligning with Essiedu's hopes to inspire young viewers who see themselves represented in the wizarding world. Despite the abuse, Essiedu remains resolute, stating that it fuels his dedication to the role. His experience sheds light on the persistent racism faced by Black actors in fantasy adaptations, echoing similar backlash against diverse casting in other franchises.

LGBTQ+ advocacy groups have not yet issued formal responses to Essiedu's latest comments, but his petition involvement highlights ongoing efforts to foster inclusive environments in entertainment. Essiedu's story underscores the resilience required of performers navigating public scrutiny while championing marginalized communities, including transgender people.

The seven-year CBA, which will begin this season and run through 2032, represents a landmark labor deal for the WNBA and its players.

“This transformational CBA delivers consequential economic progress and expanded benefits that support players on and off the court,” the union said in a statement. "It builds a stronger foundation for today’s players, the next generation, and those who helped build the WNBA. It affirms the strength of our union and the power of our collective voice.

"Now it is time to get back to the game and the fans we love, competing at the highest level, and showing exactly what this league can be.”

Once the WNBA Board of Governors approves the CBA it will become official. Then there will be a sprint to the start of the regular season on May 8.

First up is an expansion draft for the two new teams — Toronto and Portland. Rules regarding who the current teams will be able to protect and how the draft will work are still being figured out. The draft is expected to take place right around the Final Four.

Next up would be free agency. More than 80% of the league are free agents this year as players had signed deals that were going to expire last year. There are only two veteran players that aren’t under rookie contracts who are signed for this season.

The college draft is scheduled for April 13 in New York.

Teams are expected to start training camp on April 19 and will have little time to get prepared for the regular season.

On Friday, the Swedish cult popstar will release her first new album in eight years. “Sexistential,” a clear portmanteau of “sex” and “existential” — no crises here, but the clarity that comes after. It is nine-tracks of shimmering synths (“Dopamine,” “Really Real”) ascendant choruses (“Into the Sun”) and rebellious pop songs that double as emotional life rafts (“Sucker for Love”).

According to the album's press materials, this, her ninth album, arrives at the end of a long-term relationship. Heartbreak emerges only in true Robyn fascination — via elated electronic programming — even in its most subtle moment. And that track, “Light Up,” is imbued with playful laser sounds and intergalactic charm. In whole, “Sexistential” is a bright collection of sensual tunes about freedom, single motherhood, love and lust — often in the same breath.

For “Sexistential,” Robyn reenlisted longtime collaborator Klas Åhlund. She also worked with the pop mastermind Max Martin, their first collaboration since 2010's “Time Machine,” on the phone-sex anthem “Talk To Me” and the album's retro-futuristic closer “Into the Sun.” Both amplify her well-established skillsets.

There are a few revisitations, too: A vaporwave version of her 2002 track “Blow My Mind” from “Don't Stop the Music,” and “Sucker for Love,” a fists-up defense of romance originally co-written with Norwegian electronic duo Röyksopp for their 2014 joint EP, “Do It Again.” They don't feel dated, perhaps the effortless effect of Robyn's position as a prescient pop force; she is a clear progenitor for the modern star (Charli xcx, anyone?)

Or maybe there's a simpler explanation, as Robyn puts it in “Blow My Mind”: “And hey, here’s the part,” she sings. “I’m still having fun.”

For the casual listener, Robyn is best-known as the force behind 2010's “Dancing on My Own,” a seismic electropop song both of its time and one that easily eclipses it, a dance floor classic written from the perspective of a self-destructive protagonist out at the club to catch their ex with another woman. It sounds euphoric. It's absolutely lonely. And exhilarating.

It's a good thing that music echoes here. There's no “Dancing on My Own” in this collection — how could there be, perfection doesn't come that often — but there is propulsion. For now, the sad disco has been shifted slightly to the side to make room for a different kind of libido. And as Robyn makes it clear here: It's cool to be concupiscent.

___

“Sexistential” by Robyn

Four stars out of five.

On repeat: “Dopamine,” “Sexistential”

Skip it: “It Don't Mean A Thing”

For fans of: Charli xcx (sorry), latex, revelation by strobe light

Also among the streaming offerings worth your time this week, as selected by The Associated Press’ entertainment journalists: the Oscar-winning Norwegian family drama “Sentimental Value,” James Marsden as a hit man in “Mike & Nick & Nick & Alice” and the San Francisco Giants host the New York Yankees on Netflix’s first MLB broadcast.

New movies to stream from March 23-29

— In “Mike & Nick & Nick & Alice” (Friday, March 27 on Disney+), James Marsden plays a hitman named Mike who’s hired by a time traveler named Nick (Vince Vaughn). Nick wants to prevent the biggest mistake of his life by killing his past self. Writer-director BenDavid Grabinski’s film, recently premiered at the SXSW film festival.

— Following its win at the Academy Awards, Joachim Trier’s Norwegian family drama “Sentimental Value” has its streaming debut Monday on Hulu. Nominated for nine Oscars, including best picture, it won for best international film. In it, Renate Reinsve and Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas play sisters who reconnect with their filmmaker father (Stellan Skarsgård), who’s making an autobiographical film starring an American actor (Elle Fanning). In her review, AP Film Writer Lindsey Bahr wrote that the film’s focus “may be small and limited — one Norwegian family struggling to connect and communicate — and yet its emotional scope is downright cosmic.”

— Daniel Day-Lewis came out of retirement to star in his first film since 2017’s “Phantom Thread” in “Anemone” (Saturday, March 28 on Netflix), a family drama directed by his son, Ronan Day-Lewis. In it, Day-Lewis plays a hermit in the North England woods who’s visited by an old friend (Sean Bean) sent to bring him back to his son. In her review, AP’s Jocelyn Noveck called it “bleak, somber, absorbing but also sometimes frustratingly opaque.”

— AP Film Writer Jake Coyle

New music to stream from March 23-29

— The Red Hot Chili Peppers’ eccentric bassist Flea will release his debut album on Friday. And in a true shock to those who don’t know him, it’s a trumpet-forward jazz record. You read that correctly. Long before the rocker made a name for himself in a band known for songs about California, he was a huge jazz fan, a musical world he explores on the record titled “Honora.” Come for the name, stay for his inventive improvisations and star-studded collaborations, which include Radiohead’s Thom Yorke and the always introspective Nick Cave.

— A lot has happened to singer/songwriter Charlie Puth in the time since his last album, “Charlie,” was released in 2022. He got married. He’s expecting his first child. He performed at the Super Bowl. Taylor Swift gave him a shoutout on her album “The Tortured Poets Department.” And now, he’s embracing it all on a new record, the playful “Whatever’s Clever!” Expect fun pop songs about life and its many transformative moments. That, and some Kenny G.

— Swedish pop savant Robyn has returned with “Sexistential,” her first album in eight years. It is nine-tracks of shimmering synths (“Dopamine,” “Really Real”) ascendant choruses (“Into the Sun”) and rebellious pop songs that double as emotional life rafts (“Sucker for Love.”) The songs are all about freedom, single motherhood, love and lust — often in the same breath. It’s a lascivious collection for the dancefloor: exactly what most pop stars hope to achieve, many fail, and Robyn makes look effortless.

— AP Music Writer Maria Sherman

New series to stream from March 23-29

— “Hannah Montana” made Miley Cyrus a star and a new special streaming Tuesday on Disney+ celebrates 20 years since the show’s premiere. Filmed in front of a live audience, the “Hannah Montana 20th Anniversary Special” will feature music, archival footage and an interview with Cyrus, hosted by podcast host Alex Cooper.

— Grab your peanuts and Cracker Jack because Netflix’s first MLB broadcast is opening-night on Wednesday. The San Francisco Giants will host the New York Yankees. Former Giants outfielder Barry Bonds has joined the commentary team for the streamer.

— A bride-to-be starts to get a bad feeling about her impending nuptials. Is it cold feet or intuition? “Something Very Bad is Going to Happen” stars Camila Morrone (“Daisy Jones & The Six”) and Adam DiMarco (“The White Lotus”) star in the new creepy limited-series debuting Thursday on Netflix.

— Alicia Rancilio

New video games to play from March 23-29

— In 2015’s Life Is Strange, a young woman named Max rewound time to save her childhood friend Chloe’s life. The series has bounced around since between different lead characters with different supernatural gifts, but Max and Chloe are back in Life Is Strange: Reunion. Max is now a teacher whose university has been destroyed by an inferno — and when she turns back the clock this time, Chloe shows up. Does she have mysterious powers of her own? Can they save the school and their relationship? If you’re craving an emotional, metaphysical mystery, you can check in Thursday on PlayStation 5, Xbox X/S or PC.

— Lou Kesten

That's the scene that begins “BTS: The Return,” a new Netflix documentary from director Bao Nguyen (“The Stringer,” “The Greatest Night in Pop”), produced by This Machine (“Martha,” “Karol G”) and HYBE, the South Korean entertainment company behind BTS and countless other international acts.

The mostly-Korean language film offers an intimate look at BTS' journey to their latest album, “ARIRANG,” released Friday. It also follows the seven member group — RM, Jin, Jimin, V, Suga, Jung Kook and j-hope — as they learned to reacclimate to their life in the fast lane, together again.

Here are key takeaways from the documentary film, which premieres on Netflix on Friday, March 27.

South Korea's mandatory military service comes up fast

As BTS fans are well aware, “ARIRANG” is the band’s first full-length release since all seven members completed South Korea’s mandatory military service. In South Korea, all able-bodied men aged 18-28 are required by law to perform 18-21 months of military service under a conscription system meant to deter aggression from North Korea.

In their documentary, mention of BTS' service emerges right away. In the first minute, while the band films their live video on the beach, RM mentions that he “learned to hustle” in the military. Then it cuts to footage of the guys getting their heads shaved and wearing their uniforms — and quickly thereafter, rejoining the band. In reality, they were separated for a number of years. Before announcing their comeback in June, all seven members hadn't been seen broadcasting live together since September 2022.

The road to ‘ARIRANG’ was swift

Shortly after returning from their mandatory service, the band decamped to Los Angeles during the summer of 2025 to begin work on “ARIRANG,” their 14-track, fifth studio album and first in nearly four years.

They lived in the same house together. It was tight quarters, and a tight turnaround: In the film, Jin says he joined the band in Los Angeles the day after completing his 2025 solo tour. For that reason, he missed some of the early writing and recording.

The journey was also bumpy. As RM mentions in the movie, a long lifespan for a K-pop group is not guaranteed.

Fans of the genre might be familiar with what is referred to as the “seven-year curse,” where a group disbands, or loses members, or contracts expires, and they fall apart. That has not been the case for BTS, still widely regarded one of the most popular bands on the planet. The question then, for them, became: Where does their sound go from here?

“We're doing a lot of experiments, trying to find out, like, what makes us special,” RM said. “What makes us BTS?”

They also felt the pressure to deliver a good album, and fast. “We've been out for too long,” said Jimin in one dinner scene. “Now that we're finally out of the military, we don't want to extend this break.”

Los Angeles was a creative hub

Working in and around Hollywood was a source of creativity for the band. The documentary shows clips of the guys in the studio working with some recognizable producers like Diplo and the South Korean songwriter Pdogg.

It also shows the band struggling to land a lead single and their in-studio dynamics: Suga playing guitar, serious and studious, V comforting an anxious Jin, so on and so forth.

Then they returned to South Korea to finish and mix the album.

The album really started to connect when they had a story

Boyoung Lee, executive creative director at Big Hit Music, told the band that in 1896, a group of Koreans arrived in the U.S. for an education, where they met music producer and ethnologist Alice C. Fletcher. Together, they recorded the first-ever Korean-language song in the U.S.: “Arirang,” the traditional Korean folk song that dates back to the 1400s and that inspired BTS' album title.

It also meant that the album was a true celebration of South Korea and BTS' efforts to bring their country and culture to the world. In one scene, Suga mentions changes needed to the song “Normal,” which he felt originally featured too much English and not enough Korean. “For this album, authenticity matters,” RM agreed.

Preparing for their comeback was daunting

Some members expressed reservations about how they may be received — what did their fans want from them, after so much time apart? And in an industry that demands reinvention? So, they worked as hard as they could, and in surprising ways: In one scene, V throws a baseball in a parking lot — seemingly to blow off steam. Days later he's throwing a pitch at Los Angeles' Dodgers Stadium. It's clear he was practicing as to not disappoint their fans.

Even when the band is relaxing at night together at their shared home in Los Angeles — enjoying pork belly, soju and beer — they are still shown talking about their music, what could've been done differently in the studio, what they might want to try in the future. It's a 24/7 process.

“I wonder if we've done a good job here,” Jung Kook asks aloud.

They were unsure about ‘Swim’ as the first ‘ARIRANG’ single

Some members of the band thought the song “Swim” might be too low in energy to serve as their lead single. But they also weren't sure about “Dynamite” back in 2020, which became a huge international smash. It was their first all-English-language single and it debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 — a first for an all-South Korean musical act.

Suga appeared to be an early believer in “Swim.” “‘Oh, they can come back with a song like this?’ I think it'll be cool,” he told his band mates, fantasizing about fan reaction.

“It's a cool, mature song for us,” RM agreed. “It's time we give off a grown-up vibe.”

Appearing more adult — and writing songs that mirror where they are in their lives — was a priority.

“We've all gotten older in general,” said Suga. “We tried to express more about being an adult.”

Jorginho Frello, a player for Flamengo widely known as Jorginho, said that his wife and the child were staying at the same hotel in Sao Paulo as the singer, who is in the country for the Lollapalooza Brazil music festival, when the controversy occurred.

“During breakfast, the artist walked past their table. My daughter, like any child, recognized her, got excited and just wanted to make sure it was really her,” Jorginho said, in a lengthy text posted on Instagram in Portuguese and English on Saturday. The girl is the daughter of Catherine Harding, Jorginho's wife, and British actor Jude Law.

“She didn’t say anything, didn’t ask for anything,” Jorginho said, adding that a security guard then came over to his family’s table and spoke “in an extremely aggressive manner to both my wife and my daughter.”

Jorginho said that Roan did not deserve her fans' affection.

Roan addressed the incident on Sunday, also on Instagram. The singer said that the security guard was not her personal security and that she didn’t see a woman and a child.

“It’s unfair for security to just assume someone doesn’t have good intentions,” Roan said. “I do not hate people who are fans of my music. I do no hate children.”

Rio’s new mayor Eduardo Cavaliere weighed in on the controversy late on Saturday, saying that while he was mayor Roan would never perform on Copacabana Beach as Madonna and Lady Gaga have, and as Shakira will do in May.

“I doubt that Shakira would do that!” he said, adding that Jorginho’s daughter would be a guest of honor at the Colombian superstar’s upcoming free concert on Rio's sprawling sands. Cavaliere replaced former Rio Mayor Eduardo Paes on Friday.

Roan, who is openly queer and taps into drag culture, was the sassy toast of the pop world in 2024 with tracks that include “Good Luck, Babe!” “Red Wine Supernova” and “Hot To Go!” from her 2023 album “The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess.”

Roan nudged aside Sabrina Carpenter to win the Grammy for best new artist last February.

After the lengthy texts, Jorginho posted a story of his daughter's excited reaction upon arriving at Carpenter's show at Lollapalooza. “Everything is well with the girls, and thanks for the messages,” he said.

The mystery of his identity has long been part of the value of his art, which for decades and across continents defied authority from public walls and self-shredded on the auction block. Now, Banksy’s apparent unmasking by the Reuters news agency has generated talk about whether the works themselves retain their cultural and financial value.

It also raises the question: Why pop the red balloon of his mystique in the first place? Many Banksy fans mourned the loss of the mystery and lashed out at the news outlet. One said it was like being told without warning that Santa Claus doesn’t exist.

“I feel like they are telling me how a magic trick is done,” said Thomas Evans, a Denver-based artist on Instagram. “Sometimes I just want to enjoy the magic trick.”

But some art experts say the murals and the message will survive Banksy’s naming because his appeal wasn't driven solely by his anonymity. He and his works — mischievous and also dark — stand as witnesses to injustice, oppression and inequality around the world, from the artist's native England to walled-off Bethlehem and war-ravaged Ukraine. Subtract his anonymity, they say, and the work still inspires reflection and discussion.

“People buy his works because they absolutely love it,” said Acoris Andipa, director of the Andipa gallery in London. “The main feedback that I get is that they really, frankly, don’t care if they know who he is.”

Naming the ghost — and the backlash — is engagement, too

Banksy, long thought to have been born Robin Gunningham around 1972, grew out of a tradition of street artists who viewed the undercover act of posting their art in public as a subversive form of expression. The postindustrial landscape of his native Bristol was his canvas and gallery. The walls of London, New York and elsewhere gave him a global stage just before the rise of social media.

Banksy's apparent identity has been an open secret among protective fellow artists, and long been easy to find online for those who wanted to know. The Daily Mail reported in 2008 “compelling evidence suggesting" that was the artist's birth name. It has been published by other news outlets, including by The Associated Press in 2016, as part of their coverage of the detective work.

Reuters reported last week that after The Daily Mail's story, Banksy changed his legal name to David Jones — the second most-popular name in Britain. It's also the given name of another rock star, the late David Bowie, whose Ziggy Stardust avatar inspired a 2012 Banksy painting of Queen Elizabeth II.

Bansky's lawyer didn't respond to a request for comment, and the artist's spokeswoman declined to participate in this story.

Reuters pieced together that a David Jones traveled to Ukraine with a well-known associate of Banksy's in late 2022 — just before the artist's work began appearing on buildings that had been bombed by Russia. Banksy later confirmed that he'd created seven murals in the war zone, including one of a child flipping over a grown man who is wearing a black belt. Russian President Vladimir Putin practices judo.

There's evidence that even some in the establishment he was protesting have accepted Banksy. They didn't arrest him, for example, after the Royal Courts of Justice removed a Banksy stencil depicting a judge in a traditional wig and gown beating an unarmed protester with a gavel. Some street artists groused that they might be arrested for creating such graffiti — but when it's a Banksy, it's art.

Robin Gunningham wasn't always so elusive

On Sept. 17, 2000, a Robin Gunningham was arrested for defacing a Marc Jacobs billboard atop a building on Hudson Street in New York.

In a handwritten signed confession, he described the work on the night in question: “I had been out drinking at a nightclub with friends when I decided to make a humorous adjustment to a billboard on top of the property,” he wrote in court records unearthed by Reuters and confirmed by the AP. “I painted eyeshadow a new mouth and a speach(sic) bubble” on the photo of a male model. He was charged with a misdemeanor.

The artist doesn't need an alleged naming to make news. He created multiple works just in London in 2025, and grabbed headlines elsewhere for having his art sold or auctioned for millions. But Banksy has courted a public image centered around morality, justice and guerrilla tactics — he's often likened to Robin Hood or Batman.

“Banksy woz ere,” he wrote with his animal murals at the London Zoo, which were removed in 2024.

Still, along with the sadness, there's ample speculation in the art world and on social media that the artist himself orchestrated this round of naming. He didn't deny the Reuters story.

That “would be very much in line with his practice of stunts and satire,” observed Madeleine White, the senior sales and acquisitions consultant at London's Hang-Up Gallery, “As they say, ‘all publicity is good publicity.’”

She noted, however, that the backlash is directed at the media — not the artist, or the potency of his work. Reuters says it opted to publish some, but not all, of the information its reporters uncovered about Banksy's identity, because he is a public figure, whatever his name — and he's had an outsized influence on public events and discourse. What's more, much of his work has been done on other people's property.

Banksy's star power is about far more than anonymity

Named or not, Banksy's stardom lives, art experts say.

It endures in the wonder of his ability to erect new art under the noses of authorities well into the age of closed-circuit television and social media. It appeals because his spectacle and wit draw people in and the settings — the hulk of bombed buildings, for example, or Israel's towering wall at the border of the West Bank — invite them to reflect. Now, fans are on the lookout for how and whether he'll respond to the news of Robin Gunningham and David Jones.

Joe Syer, a Banksy expert and founder of MyArtBroker, said that the artist has always responded to world events. “And that’s where the real relevance, and value, sits.”

“If anything, Banksy’s anonymity has functioned less as a celebrity device and more as a way to keep the work universally accessible, detached from personality, ego, or biography,” he said in an email. “It allows the work to sit in public space, politically and culturally, without being anchored to an individual in the way the mainstream press often frames it.”

Christopher Banks, founder of the New York-based Objects of Affection Collection, reads Banksy's naming “not as a biographical event, but as a structural stress test” of the artist's system of managing his absence.

“Banksy's best works carry their meaning without the author. He was there,” Banks wrote, citing the artist's murals in Ukraine and his solidarity with the war's victims.

"The name matters less than the presence. The presence was always what the work was about.”