On “Changes,” the lead single from his fourth album, “Whatever's Clever!,” he ponders those shifts: “There’s been some changes in our life, oh / I can feel the distance,” he sings. “Space and time, has made everything different.” An eight-member choir backs him up in the song's latter half, joining Puth's keys and a steady drum. These layers, while plenty, aren't heavy. Puth keeps the track buoyant.

That light, playful energy is felt across much of the album releasing Friday (“Beat Yourself Up,” “Washed Up”). Puth and his co-producer BloodPop pull from a Mary Poppins bag of musical tricks — a choir! an orchestra! Kenny G! — to create complex tracks with influences that range from yacht rock to jazz and R&B, diverting from Puth's previous pop. Consider the wonky “Until It Happens To You,” which combines the orchestra and choir for a song about embracing the best of times while anticipating the worst, with a bubbly spoken introduction and interlude by Jeff Goldblum.

Musically, the outcome is fun, largely because Puth, with his perfect pitch and Berklee College of Music training, has only leaned further into his “Professor Puth” persona, giving listeners the tools to break down those layers themselves through explanatory TikToks and talk show appearances. But Puth and BloodPop play it safe lyrically throughout the album, often relying on generic platitudes. (“You know everybody cries,” Puth sings on “Cry.” “Cry, cry, cry.”)

And yet, painting in broad strokes has worked before for Puth, and there are moments — when he pushes a simple idea a bit further — where it does here, too: “Love in Exile,” featuring and written with Michael McDonald and Kenny Loggins, is catchy and quotable. “Sideways,” featuring verses and harmonies by Coco Jones, recalls Puth's early collaborative hits like Wiz Khalifa's “See You Again” and “We Don't Talk Anymore” with Selena Gomez, with their affecting but not overly complicated lyrics.

The album ends with “I Used To Be Cringe,” another meditation on transformation. Puth lists the compromises he made to fit into the industry (“I used to lie and say I was taller / And throw words around like ‘baller’”). But the acoustic guitar-set ballad feels incomplete, its introspection never quite too deep.

If the album is seen as a sort of scrapbook assembled ahead of his next chapter, then flipping back to the first page reveals Puth knows growth comes with those dreams being rewritten: “Sometimes the wind blows in different new directions,” he sings on “Changes.” Where that takes him, we'll have to see. For now, Puth is embracing his influences and flexing what he's learned. And that makes for a good time.

___

“Whatever's Clever!” by Charlie Puth

Three stars out of five.

On repeat: “Sideways (Feat. Coco Jones),” “Changes”

Skip it: “Don't Meet Your Heroes,” “I Used to Be Cringe”

For fans of: Yacht rock, layered melodies, unexpected choirs

The crowd in O2 Arena was applauding the Olympic champions before the start of their unrivaled dance to music by Madonna, and they delighted the spectators from the opening twizzle sequence to a rotational lift at the end.

Fournier Beaudry and Cizeron hugged after seeing their personal-best score of 92.74 points, which was better than the 90.18 they received for their rhythm dance at the Milan-Cortina Olympics.

“It′s our first world championships together so we really wanted to have fun and we really enjoyed the crowd,” Fournier Beaudry said. “They were exchanging energy with us and it just reminds us why we do it, we wouldn′t be there without them. It′s just a very very nice moment for us.”

Olympic bronze medalists Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier of Canada were a distant second with 86.45 heading to Saturday′s free dance.

Britain′s Lilah Fear and Lewis Gibson, third at last year's worlds, were third again with 85.09.

U.S. pair Emilea Zingas and Vadym Kolesnik, fifth at the Olympics, were lying fourth, and teammates Christina Carreira and Anthony Ponomarenko were seventh.

At the Olympics, Fournier Beaudry and Cizeron narrowly beat U.S. stars Madison Chock and Evan Bates to the gold in a result that sparked a furore over judging.

Chock and Bates decided not to pursue a fourth straight ice dance world championship, joining Olympic teammate Alysa Liu in withdrawing from the worlds, a common decision for skaters who compete at the Winter Games.

Cizeron said the skaters were not under as much pressure in Prague as they were in Milan, which helped their performance.

“What′s really fun of this championships is that, I think I can speak for everyone, we feel it′s more like a show and we're little bit less stressed maybe than at the Olympics," he said. “That extra magic from the crowd allows us to perform to our best.”

The French couple was created this season when Fournier Beaudry, who previously skated for Canada, was left without a partner after Nikolaj Sorensen faced allegations of sexual maltreatment. Fournier Beaudry teamed with multiple world champion Cizeron, who retired after winning the 2022 Olympics with Gabriella Papadakis.

Later Friday at the worlds, the retiring Kaori Sakamoto of Japan goes after her fourth individual title in her farewell free skate.

The exhibition traces a century of art and innovation at the couture house, charting the way founder Elsa Schiaparelli worked with leading artists in Paris in the 1930s to current creative director Daniel Roseberry, who continues to capture global attention by dressing stars like Margot Robbie in sculptural designs.

“'Schiaparelli: Fashion Becomes Art' will celebrate one of the most ingenious and daring designers in fashion history," museum director Tristram Hunt said Wednesday.

Highlights among the 400 objects on show include Dalí’s famous Lobster Telephone, from 1938, displayed along with the “Lobster Dress," a white silk gown embellished with a red lobster that Schiaparelli created with the surrealist artist. The dress was famously worn by Wallis Simpson, the American socialite whom King Edward VIII abdicated to marry.

Another collaboration with Dalí is the “Skeleton dress,” a black dress with 3D quilting resembling the contours of human bones.

“You cannot imagine how shocking this would have been in 1938 when it was first shown. It is a kind of punk look,” Rosalind McKever, one of the show's curators, told The Associated Press.

Also on show is an evening coat with pink silk roses created by Schiaparelli and French artist Jean Cocteau, who died in 1963.

Coco Chanel, one of Schiaparelli's contemporaries, famously described her as “that Italian artist who’s making clothes,” McKever said. “But Schiaparelli would have taken that as a compliment because she was so integrated in this artistic community,” she said. “She even said, ‘For me, dress designing is not a profession, but an art.’”

Schiaparelli opened her first Paris business in 1927, designing practical daywear like trouser suits, an unusual choice for women at the time, as well as more imaginative and whimsical items such as shoes with leopard fur.

She went on to design clothes and costumes for famous fans like Mae West and Marlene Dietrich, who favored the designer's sharply tailored trouser suits.

While the designer retired in the 1950s and died in 1973, current designer Roseberry has taken on the mantle and brought Schiaparelli's creative legacy and haute couture drama to a modern audience.

One of the most eye-catching displays is a red jewel-encrusted dress worn by Grande to last year's Oscars for a medley performance from “Wicked." The sumptuous ball gown features a ruby slipper protruding from the back of the dress in tribute to “The Wizard of Oz.”

There are also sparkling cabinets filled with jewelry, buttons and perfume bottles, each created like a work of art.

The exhibition opens on Saturday and runs until Nov. 8.

Hoda Kotb said after her emotional interview with her former co-host aired that Guthrie will return April 6. Guthrie said it’s hard to imagine returning to a place of joy and lightness. While she doesn’t know if she can do it or if she will belong anymore, Guthrie said she wants to try.

“I can’t come back and try to be something that I’m not. But I can’t not come back, because it’s my family,” Guthrie said. “I think it’s part of my purpose right now. I want to smile and when I do, it will be real and my joy will be my protest. My joy will be my answer. And being there is joyful and when it’s not, I’ll say so.”

Nancy Guthrie was reported missing on Feb. 1. Authorities believe she was kidnapped, abducted or otherwise taken against her will. The FBI released surveillance videos of a masked man who was outside Guthrie’s front door in Tucson on the night she vanished. The Guthrie family has offered a $1 million reward for information leading to the recovery of their mother.

In another part of the interview with Kotb that aired Thursday, Guthrie shared that she and her siblings knew that their mother's disappearance wasn’t a case of a person wandering off, given the pain she was living with and knowing that doors at her home were propped open, blood was found on the front doorstep and a camera had been yanked off. She said they knew something was very wrong and her brother knew immediately that their mother had been kidnapped for ransom.

The longtime “Today” show co-anchor said they don’t know that their mother was taken because of her, but acknowledged that it would make sense and that was “too much to bear.” While she said some of the purported ransom notes were fake, Guthrie said she believed the two that she and her siblings responded to were real.

In the portion of the interview that aired Friday, Savannah Guthrie appealed again for information, saying her family needs answers and someone has the power to help.

“How can someone vanish without a trace?” Guthrie asked in the interview. “How? Someone knows something. Even if that something is someone’s been acting strange for the last seven or eight weeks. Even if it’s just that. Somebody knows. And maybe somebody’s afraid and I understand that, but our hearts are in agony. We can’t breathe. We can’t live. We can’t go on. We can’t be in peace. We can’t go forward. We have to know what happened to her.”

Akiva Schaffer, known for his work with The Lonely Island comedy trio, is set to direct the film. Schaffer recently helmed the "The Naked Gun" reboot and previously directed Disney's Emmy-winning hybrid film "Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers". He will rework the original script by Michael Montemayor alongside writing duo Gregor & Mand. This creative team brings a comedic bent to the project, potentially reimagining the stepsisters' dynamic in a fresh, live-action context.

The news arrives amid Disney's aggressive push into live-action spin-offs and sequels from its animated catalog. Just one week prior, the studio revealed plans for a live-action "Lilo & Stitch" sequel slated for theaters in 2028. Developments around "Moana" and "Tangled" live-action projects have also surfaced recently, signaling Disney's intent to create new franchises from established IPs. "Stepsisters" is expected to follow a similar timeline, though no release date has been confirmed.

While primary details stem from Deadline's reporting, coverage has quickly spread across entertainment outlets, confirming the core elements of the announcement. MovieWeb highlighted the unusual premise of centering the "abusive" stepsisters, noting Disney's move to give these peripheral characters their own narrative arc. The DisInsider emphasized Schaffer's involvement as a reassuring factor for fans skeptical of the concept.

No official comments from Disney executives or the creative team were available in initial reports, but the project's alignment with recent announcements underscores a pattern in the studio's strategy. Regarding LGBTQ+ perspectives, searches across major outlets and LGBTQ+ media such as GLAAD, PinkNews, and The Advocate yielded no specific community responses or analyses tied to this announcement as of March 26, 2026. Disney's track record includes inclusive storytelling in recent live-action projects, such as diverse casting in "The Little Mermaid" and "Mufasa: The Lion King", but "Stepsisters" details remain too preliminary for confirmed implications.

The original 1950 animated "Cinderella" film, directed by Wilfred Jackson, Hamilton Luske, and Clyde Geronimi, introduced Anastasia and Drizella as comic foils to the protagonist, with their mother Lady Tremaine as the primary villain. A live-action spin-off could delve into their backstories, motivations, or redemption arcs, though plot specifics are undisclosed. Schaffer's comedy expertise suggests a humorous tone, potentially subverting traditional fairy tale tropes.

Industry observers note Disney's live-action remakes have grossed billions globally, with "The Lion King" alone earning over $1.6 billion. This spinoff could tap into that proven formula while testing audience appetite for villain-centric stories. Casting rumors and further production updates are anticipated soon, given the rapid pace of Disney's announcement cycle.

As Disney continues to mine its vault for content, "Stepsisters" represents an innovative pivot, potentially broadening the "Cinderella" universe for modern audiences. Cross-referenced reports affirm the project's legitimacy, with no conflicting details emerging.

Draper recounted learning about the divorce filing through TMZ while in Los Angeles, expressing shock that Ngatikaura acted unilaterally. "So I actually found out that he filed through TMZ... We had made an agreement to do it together and he blindsided me and filed because he wanted the headline first," she said. She emphasized their prior agreement to inform their children together first, including Ngatikaura's 13-year-old daughter from a previous relationship, before any public announcement.

Among her most serious claims, Draper alleged that Ngatikaura used escorts while in Texas for summer sales work, prior to filming Mormon Wives. She stated that a woman from an escort service contacted her with proof, including screenshots linked to Ngatikaura's phone number: "She sent me so much proof… And she sent the screenshots and it's his phone number. She wouldn't have known his phone number."

Draper further accused Ngatikaura of funding sex parties and orgies, possibly with her money, based on rumors confirmed through her sister and other reports. "I have to believe they are orgies, like sex parties. I dunno what other kind parties you would pay for," she remarked, noting she had not confronted him directly. These revelations come amid the couple's high-profile split, which has drawn attention within the MomTok online community of influencer mothers.

The Mormon Wives cast, including Draper and Ngatikaura, gained prominence through their portrayal of life within and navigating away from strict religious expectations, often touching on themes of personal autonomy and relationships. While the allegations do not directly involve LGBTQ+ identities, they highlight broader discussions on marital infidelity and non-monogamous activities in public-facing relationships, which can intersect with conversations in LGBTQ+ communities about consensual non-monogamy and relationship transparency. No specific LGBTQ+ community responses to this event were documented in available coverage at the time of reporting.

Draper also addressed ongoing MomTok dynamics, responding to recent headlines involving Taylor and Dakota, and shared her vision for the group's future. The 80-minute episode has since amassed significant views, fueling online discussions about reality TV stars' personal lives. Ngatikaura has not publicly responded to the claims as of March 26, 2026.

This story underscores the intense scrutiny faced by reality television personalities, particularly those from conservative backgrounds transitioning to more open narratives. Draper's appearance on Call Her Daddy, a podcast known for candid discussions on relationships and sexuality, amplifies these personal disclosures to a wide audience.

Jamie Lee Curtis, the 67-year-old Oscar winner for 'Everything Everywhere All at Once' and star of the 'Halloween' franchise, will portray Jessica Fletcher, the sharp-witted mystery novelist and amateur detective originally played by the late Angela Lansbury.

The original 'Murder, She Wrote' series aired for 12 seasons on CBS from 1984 to 1996, following Fletcher's adventures solving crimes in the fictional town of Cabot Cove, Maine, and spawned several TV movies.

Jason Moore, whose directing credits include the 'Pitch Perfect' musical comedies and 'Shotgun Wedding,' is attached to direct the feature.

Curtis confirmed her involvement in the project during a summer 2025 interview with Entertainment Tonight, though details on the plot or additional cast remain undisclosed across reports.

The announcement comes amid a wave of reboots and adaptations in Hollywood, with the film set to compete during the 2027 holiday season against Sony's animated feature 'Buds' on the same date and other tentpoles like 'Avengers: Secret Wars' and 'The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum' earlier in December.

While the project has generated buzz for blending Curtis's action-horror pedigree with the cozy mystery genre of the original series, no specific LGBTQ+ perspectives or community responses have been documented in initial coverage from major outlets.

Angela Lansbury, who earned multiple Emmy and Golden Globe nominations for her role as Fletcher, passed away in 2022, leaving fans nostalgic for the character's return.

Curtis, a vocal ally to LGBTQ+ causes through her public support for transgender rights and participation in pride events, brings her established advocacy to the role, though no on-the-record statements tie her involvement directly to community impacts at this stage.

The cozy mystery format of 'Murder, She Wrote' has long appealed to diverse audiences, including LGBTQ+ viewers who appreciate its clever plotting and strong female lead, but reboot details do not yet specify inclusive casting or story elements.

Industry observers note the project's potential to draw multigenerational crowds, given Curtis's broad appeal and the series' enduring popularity in syndication.

As development continues, further announcements on scriptwriters, co-stars, and production timeline are anticipated, with Universal positioning the film as a festive whodunit.

The reunion took place in London, where John described the gathering as a "brilliant birthday surprise" in a social media post shared on Instagram. John, who turned 79, posted a photo of the two smiling together at the lunch table, captioning it to express his joy at seeing his "Rocketman" once again.

Egerton, known for his Oscar-nominated performance as the openly gay singer-songwriter in Rocketman, responded warmly to the post, underscoring their close relationship forged during the film's production. The biopic, directed by Dexter Fletcher, offered an unflinching portrayal of John's life, including his struggles with addiction, his coming out as a gay man in 1976, and his marriage to David Furnish in 2005 after civil partnership in 2005. This authentic depiction earned praise from LGBTQ+ advocates for humanizing the experiences of gay men in the public eye.

John, a longstanding ally and icon for transgender people and the broader LGBTQ+ community, has used his platform to support initiatives like the Elton John AIDS Foundation, which has raised billions for HIV prevention and treatment globally. The surprise lunch, arranged discreetly for the birthday, reflects the personal bonds that extend beyond the screen, with John noting in his post how meaningful it was to reunite with Egerton amid his ongoing farewell tour and recent biographical projects.

Within LGBTQ+ circles, the event sparked positive reactions on social media, with fans celebrating the duo's friendship as a symbol of acceptance and artistic collaboration. Rocketman's success, grossing over $195 million worldwide, helped normalize queer narratives in mainstream cinema, contributing to greater visibility for gay and bisexual men. Egerton, who is straight but immersed himself in John's story, has spoken in interviews about the role's impact on his understanding of LGBTQ+ histories.

The birthday milestone comes as John, married to film producer David Furnish since 2014, continues to influence music and philanthropy. Their shared photo, showing relaxed camaraderie over lunch, went viral quickly, amassing thousands of likes and comments from fans worldwide. Community responses highlighted the reunion's heartwarming nature, with many noting how such moments affirm the lasting alliances formed through storytelling about LGBTQ+ lives.

This event, occurring just one day prior to reports on March 26, underscores John's enduring cultural presence at 79, blending personal celebration with his legacy as a gay trailblazer in music. No further details on the lunch's menu or additional attendees were disclosed, maintaining the intimate tone of the surprise. The story, confirmed across entertainment outlets, celebrates a friendship rooted in one of cinema's most pivotal queer biopics.

That original case settled last year, incorporating an NDA that twigs' attorney Mathew Rosengart now claims violates California's STAND Act, a law prohibiting NDAs that restrict survivors from disclosing sexual abuse, assault, or battery. Months after the settlement, LaBeouf's legal team issued an arbitration demand against twigs, alleging she breached the NDA by stating in an interview that she did not feel safe with him; the arbitration was later dismissed. The new complaint argues the NDA unlawfully bars twigs from discussing her experiences of sexual abuse, assault, and battery by LaBeouf.

Rosengart stated in the filing: "twigs files this action to right a wrong, and also on behalf of other women who are the victims of sexual and domestic violence who do not have the resources to speak out and defend themselves from predators." He added: "In so doing, she seeks to ensure that survivors of sexual misconduct are not bullied or silenced like she was." The lawsuit emphasizes that it seeks no monetary damages, focusing instead on "justice and law, not money," and requests a judicial declaration that the NDA provisions are illegal and unenforceable.

LaBeouf's representatives responded by arguing the NDA is lawful because the STAND Act's protections apply only to "sexual assault," not "sexual battery," a distinction the complaint calls "preposterous" and legally erroneous, noting that "assault is a precondition of battery." The filing further contends that LaBeouf has discussed twigs' trauma publicly without restriction, while attempting to prohibit her from doing the same, creating an ongoing controversy.

This development revives details from the 2020 lawsuit, where twigs described a "living nightmare" marked by isolation, verbal abuse, jealousy, and physical violence, including a Valentine's Day 2019 incident where LaBeouf allegedly choked her and threatened to crash his car. A housekeeper witnessed LaBeouf lifting twigs off the ground as she tried to leave, and former partner Karolyn Pho corroborated a pattern of abuse in a supporting declaration. LaBeouf previously told The New York Times he accepted accountability for some actions but disputed others.

While FKA twigs identifies as part of the queer community and has been a vocal advocate for LGBTQ+ artists in music, no specific LGBTQ+ organizations have issued on-the-record statements about this filing as of February 26, 2026. The case highlights broader implications for survivors, particularly in entertainment where NDAs have historically silenced victims of abuse, potentially affecting transgender people and others in LGBTQ+ communities facing similar barriers to speaking out. Advocacy groups like RAINN emphasize resources for sexual abuse survivors, noting the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-4673.

The lawsuit arrives amid twigs' ongoing career, including recent efforts to address cease-and-desist letters from another act over her name, underscoring her determination to control her narrative. Legal experts view the STAND Act challenge as a test case for how California courts interpret NDA restrictions in abuse settlements, with potential ripple effects for high-profile survivors. Neither party has commented further publicly since the filing.