The protest unfolded on the steps of the Kennedy Center, drawing high-profile figures including actress Jane Fonda, folk singer Joan Baez, musician Maggie Rogers, actor Sam Waterston, and former CNN anchor Jim Acosta. Organized under the banner of Artists United for Our Freedoms by the Committee for the First Amendment, the rally kicked off a weekend of nationwide actions. Speakers and performers condemned Trump's cultural agenda, including mass firings at the Kennedy Center and its planned two-year closure for renovations, set to begin on July 4, 2026.

Jane Fonda addressed the crowd, stating, “The center has been effectively silenced after artists refused to bow to ideological demands and the racist erasure of history.” She criticized the closure as a cover for deeper changes, noting that Trump had suggested renovations might require taking the building "down to the studs." Fonda also highlighted layoffs announced that day to Kennedy Center employees in attendance, first reported by The Washington Post.

Joan Baez, reflecting on her history of activism, shared, “I considered turning in my Kennedy Center Honor, but realized that would be admitting defeat.” Baez, a recipient of the Kennedy Center Honors, joined the call to protect free expression in the arts.

Billy Porter, an openly gay Black man whose career includes Emmy, Grammy, and Tony Awards, specifically tied the Kennedy Center developments to broader impacts on marginalized artists. In interviews following the event, Porter described witnessing a critical moment for creative freedom and explained his participation as essential for artists and the public. He has long advocated for transgender people and other LGBTQ+ communities, using his platform to challenge systemic barriers in entertainment.

The rally occurred amid controversy over Trump's February announcement on Truth Social to rename and renovate the venue as the "Trump-Kennedy Center," closing it for at least two years. Critics argue these moves, including staffing reductions, reorient programming away from diverse voices toward ideological alignment. The White House responded via spokesperson Davis Ingle, stating, “President Trump is in the process of making the Trump-Kennedy Center the finest performing arts facility in the world for all Americans to enjoy. No one cares what Jane Fonda has to say. Her awful acting has traumatized people enough.”

This Kennedy Center event served as a precursor to massive "No Kings" demonstrations on Saturday, March 28, 2026, estimated by organizers to involve over eight million participants across all 50 states in more than 3,300 rallies. The protests addressed multiple grievances, including immigration policies, the escalating war with Iran, economic issues, and executive overreach. At the Kennedy Center, speakers framed arts funding cuts as part of a pattern affecting cultural institutions, journalism, and education.

Fonda warned that pressures on the arts could align with efforts to control public information, linking it to Federal Communications Commission actions. FCC Chairman Brendan Carr had recently cautioned broadcasters about license risks for reporting deemed "fake news" on the Iran conflict. Rally participants also cited administration pressure on networks, including attempts to remove late-night shows hosted by Jimmy Kimmel and Stephen Colbert as conditions for media mergers.

For LGBTQ+ artists like Porter, the stakes feel personal. Porter has spoken out on how Trump's policies exacerbate challenges for queer and Black creators, with work opportunities diminishing amid cultural shifts. The Kennedy Center, a venue that has honored LGBTQ+ icons and hosted diverse programming, represents a flashpoint. Porter's involvement underscores ongoing advocacy for inclusive spaces where transgender people, gay artists, and others can thrive without ideological interference.

In a post-rally appearance, Porter reflected on the energy at the protest, emphasizing its importance for public awareness of these issues. Coverage on platforms like NBC highlighted "Trump cultural changes spark backlash," with Porter as a central voice.

Established in 1971, the Kennedy Center has been a hub for performing arts, presenting thousands of events annually and awarding Honors to luminaries across genres. Its potential reorientation under Trump has ignited fears of diminished support for experimental and diverse works. Baez's near-relinquishment of her Honor illustrates the depth of concern among past recipients.

The protest lineup, including musicians like Maggie Rogers and Crys Matthews, authors Ann Patchett and Bess Kalb, and actor Sam Waterston, amplified calls for First Amendment protections. This coalition of Vietnam-era activists and contemporary figures bridged generational activism.

White House dismissal of critics like Fonda highlights partisan divides, but the scale of subsequent protests suggests widespread resonance. For LGBTQ+ communities, events like this rally reinforce the intersection of cultural policy with identity rights, as queer artists navigate funding and programming changes. Porter's warnings point to a precarious landscape for inclusive storytelling.

As renovations loom, the arts community watches closely. Porter's participation, rooted in his lived experience as a gay Black artist, elevates the discourse on preserving spaces for all voices, including those of transgender people and other LGBTQ+ individuals.

The decision underscores broader industry challenges, where Hollywood grapples with an "identity crisis" amid demands for diverse content versus commercial caution around explicit LGBTQ+ narratives. Tierney's pivot to Canada allowed the series to retain its uncompromised vision, featuring intense romantic and sexual dynamics between the lead characters, portrayed by actors who attended the 2026 GLAAD Media Awards with the creator. Presley Ann/Getty Images for GLAAD captured Tierney with the cast at the event, a moment that symbolized the project's triumph despite U.S. resistance.

Jacob Tierney has built a reputation in Canadian television for bold, character-driven stories that often explore complex relationships. "Heated Rivalry," adapted from a queer romance novel, follows two elite hockey players whose fierce rivalry on the ice evolves into a secret, consuming love affair marked by steamy encounters and emotional depth. The series promises to blend the high-octane world of professional hockey—a sport steeped in hyper-masculine culture—with unapologetic depictions of gay intimacy, challenging stereotypes within both sports and entertainment.

Tierney's frustration with U.S. feedback was not isolated; it reflects a pattern where queer projects face pressure to sanitize content for broader appeal. He described the U.S. platform's notes as emblematic of Hollywood's aversion to "gay sex," opting instead for Canada's more progressive production landscape. Canadian outlets quickly stepped in, providing the resources and creative freedom Tierney needed, resulting in a show that has garnered buzz for its authenticity.

The Canadian film industry has increasingly positioned itself as a haven for projects rejected by U.S. studios wary of bold queer narratives. Producers in Toronto and Vancouver offered Tierney full support, allowing "Heated Rivalry" to film without alterations to its core romantic and sexual elements. This move aligns with Canada's reputation for inclusive media policies, where government incentives and a culturally receptive audience enable stories centered on transgender people, gay men, and other LGBTQ+ identities to thrive without compromise.

At the 2026 GLAAD Media Awards, "Heated Rivalry" received recognition, with Tierney and his cast posing for photos that circulated widely in LGBTQ+ media. The event, hosted by GLAAD , spotlighted the series as a victory for unfiltered queer storytelling. GLAAD's annual awards celebrate media that advances acceptance of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer people, and "Heated Rivalry"'s inclusion affirmed its impact.

"Heated Rivalry" arrives at a pivotal moment for queer visibility in sports media, where hockey's traditionally macho image contrasts sharply with the series' tender yet erotic portrayal of gay athletes. By centering person-first narratives—focusing on the men's journeys as hockey players and lovers—the show avoids reductive tropes, offering transgender and LGBTQ+ audiences relatable heroes.

Tierney's experience highlights systemic barriers: U.S. executives' reluctance to greenlight explicit gay content perpetuates a cycle where LGBTQ+ stories are either sidelined or softened. In contrast, Canada's embrace demonstrates how international collaboration can amplify marginalized voices. Industry observers note that such cross-border productions are on the rise, with queer creators finding fertile ground beyond Hollywood.

The series' cast, though not detailed in initial reports, embodies diverse LGBTQ+ representation, with actors bringing nuance to roles that demand both physical intensity and emotional vulnerability. Early screenings have praised the hockey sequences for their realism, achieved through collaboration with Canadian sports consultants, blending adrenaline with romance seamlessly.

Hollywood's "aversion to gay sex," as Tierney put it, stems from risk-averse decision-making amid streaming wars, where executives prioritize mass appeal over niche authenticity. Yet successes like "Heartstopper" and "Young Royals" prove audiences crave genuine queer stories. "Heated Rivalry" positions Canada as a leader, potentially drawing more U.S. talent northward.

GLAAD's endorsement at the 2026 awards signals strong support from advocacy groups dedicated to fair media portrayal of LGBTQ+ people. As the series gears up for release, it promises to spark conversations on masculinity, desire, and inclusion in sports entertainment. Tierney's bold choice ensures "Heated Rivalry" remains a testament to creative freedom, offering transgender people, gay men, and the wider LGBTQ+ community a narrative that honors their lived experiences without dilution.

The Phil Lord and Chris Miller sci-fi adventure, starring Ryan Gosling, dipped only 32% after notching the best non-franchise opening weekend since 2023’s “Oppenheimer.” Amazon MGM’s yet, “Project Hail Mary” has grossed $300.8 million worldwide in two weeks.

“Project Hail Mary,” which cost nearly $200 million to produce, didn’t face any significant new competition and kept premium format screens largely to itself. Potentially the weekend's most watched movie, the KPop documentary “BTS: The Return,” went straight to streaming on Netflix.

But “Project Hail Mary” is on an enviable trajectory. Its second weekend hold was even better than that of “Oppenheimer,” which collected $46.7 million in its follow-up frame.

Meanwhile, the weekend’s top new release, “They Will Kill You,” debuted with a disappointing $5 million for Warner Bros. The gory R-rated horror film stars Zazie Beetz as a woman who applies to be a maid at an apartment complex where she’s to become a sacrificial offering.

While the result was far from catastrophic for a movie with a modest $20 million budget, it did suggest that theaters may have become oversaturated in horror. David A. Gross, who runs the movie consulting firm FranchiseRe, noted that there has been a new horror film released every weekend for the last 14 weekends.

That included last week’s “Ready or Not 2: Here I Come” ($16.3 million domestically so far) and a second horror-comedy that also debuted this weekend. IFC’s “Forbidden Fruits,” about a coven of witches who work at a Texas mall, debuted with $1.2 million in sales.

Despite the glut, Gross is forecasting horror films will account for about $2.1 billion in North American ticket revenue in 2026, down from $2.75 million last year. While horror remains popular with audiences and relatively cheap to produce, the genre may be approaching overkill.

Meanwhile, family movies continue to thrive. The Pixar original “Hoppers” remained in second place with $12.2 million in its fourth weekend. The Walt Disney Co. release has accumulated $297.6 million globally.

Next weekend, though, it will face stiff competition in Universal Pictures’ “The Super Mario Galaxy Movie.” It’s expected to have the biggest opening of 2026.

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. “Project Hail Mary,” $54.5 million.

2. “Hoppers,” $12.2 million.

3. “They Will Kill You,” $5 million.

4. “Dhurandhar The Revenge,” $4.8 million.

5. “Reminders of Him,” $4.7 million.

6. “Ready or Not 2: Here I Come,” $4 million.

7. “Scream 7,” $2.6 million.

8. “GOAT,” $2.2 million.

9. “Undertone,” $1.7 million.

10. “Forbidden Fruits,” $1.2 million.

Springsteen has long positioned himself as a vocal opponent of Trump-era policies. He has dedicated songs to victims of federal immigration enforcement actions and publicly spoken out against the former president. This history resurfaced prominently with the tour announcement, leading to online campaigns urging fans to skip tickets. Social media posts from MAGA-aligned accounts accused Springsteen of alienating his base by prioritizing politics over music.

The White House responded directly to Springsteen's remarks, calling him a "loser" in an official statement. This retort came as Springsteen framed the tour as politically charged, emphasizing themes of unity and resistance amid ongoing national divisions. Tour dates span major US cities, with tickets going on sale imminently, but early sales data suggests softened demand in conservative regions.

LGBTQ+ advocates have noted Springsteen's alignment with their causes, recalling his 2016 cancellation of a North Carolina concert in protest of the state's HB2 bill, which discriminated against transgender people by mandating bathroom use based on birth certificate sex. That action, which Springsteen described as standing against "bad laws," earned praise from transgender people and allies for using his platform to affirm LGBTQ+ rights. Current backlash amplifies divisions, with some LGBTQ+ fans expressing support for Springsteen on platforms like Instagram, viewing the tour as a bulwark against policies perceived as harmful to queer communities.

Community responses from LGBTQ+ organizations underscore the broader implications. GLAAD highlighted Springsteen's track record of allyship, including performances benefiting LGBTQ+ youth programs. Transgender advocates pointed to Springsteen's immigration critiques as intersecting with protections for LGBTQ+ migrants fleeing persecution. No major LGBTQ+ groups have issued formal statements on the tour yet, but online forums show transgender people and others celebrating his stance amid rising political rhetoric.

Ticket sales reports indicate losses in red states, with resale platforms showing unsold inventory for opening nights. Springsteen's team has not commented on boycotts, focusing promotional efforts on themes of resilience. The event underscores deepening cultural rifts in the US music scene, where artists' politics increasingly influence fan loyalty. Progressive outlets frame it as principled resistance, while conservative commentators decry it as elitism.

As the tour launch approaches, observers watch for further White House or Trump campaign responses. Springsteen's fanbase, historically diverse, now grapples with polarization, with LGBTQ+ supporters rallying online under hashtags like #BossForAll. This episode reflects ongoing tensions post-2024 election cycles, where celebrity activism draws both applause and ire.

The memories from that formative 1985 summer in Oregon were flooding back and they were having fun being together again. As Feldman told The Associated Press in a group Zoom with Wheaton and O'Connell, he was “very grateful to be back with my bros.”

“We’ve stayed in touch loosely through the years and we’ve gotten together here and there,” Feldman said. “But there’s never been a time that the three of us just hung out … it was like a high school reunion, but only for three people that really got it.”

Remembering Rob Reiner

It was just the start of a multi-city tour that had been long in the works. Then the Reiner news broke, and they knew they had each other.

“My first thought was, ‘I am so glad that I have a place to land with my grief,'” Wheaton said. “There’s not a lot of other people in the world who really know what this feels like.”

For better or worse, in some ways they’d been here before with their co-star River Phoenix, who died in 1993. At a 25th anniversary screening, they remembered Reiner saying to no one in particular that it “feels like there should be a chair here for River.”

And in that spirit, O’Connell, Feldman and Wheaton started figuring out what they could do to honor and remember the filmmaker who not only changed their lives but who gave them an experience they’ve all been chasing ever since.

“We know how much Rob loved ‘Stand by Me.’ We know what it meant to him,” Wheaton said. “It never occurred to me to just shelve it all. I thought, well, now we really have to get out there.”

Wheaton and O'Connell were also among those who stood on the Oscars stage for the Reiner tribute. Feldman was not there, because he was not invited, he said on social media. The show's representatives did not respond to the AP's request for comment.

But the trio will continue on together. The tour still has a handful of stops left, in Anaheim, California; Seattle; Portland, Oregon; Indianapolis and Chicago. And for broader audiences, a 4K restoration of the film is coming back to select theaters in the U.S. and Canada for one week starting Friday.

The movie that almost never was

People like to say that Hollywood doesn’t make movies like “Stand by Me” anymore, but, in 1985, they weren’t exactly clamoring to make it either. Yes, it was based on a Stephen King novella, but it was also a small hangout movie with no stars. Just four 12-year-old boys on a quest to find a dead body.

Though Reiner had hits under his belt as a filmmaker, everyone passed. And even he had modest expectations for its reach: As Reiner told his screenwriters, according to a New York Times article in 1986, “There’s no way this picture is going to do business, because no one who went to ‘Rambo’ will go to see our film.”

Somewhat ironically, O’Connell told the AP, “Rambo: First Blood Part II” was the movie he saw the night before he boarded the plane to Oregon to film “Stand by Me” and that, “as an 11-year-old, I thought it was the greatest film I had seen in my life.”

“Stand by Me” was definitely not “Rambo.” And the only reason it did get made was Norman Lear, who saved it after his company’s new owner, Coca-Cola, refused to put up the money. Lear funded it himself, to the tune of “$8 million and change,” as he told the Times in 1986. It would end up earning over $52 million in its initial run in the late summer of 1986.

The film tapped into something universal about youthful friendships, lazy summer days, bullies, dark home lives and adventure. Perhaps most importantly, the boys were relatable and true, their friendship forged through off-screen games that Reiner played with them.

“Rob took the time to really reach us and help us make authentic emotional connections to what our characters were experiencing,” Wheaton said. “We were kids. I don’t think I’ve even turned 13 yet. River hasn’t turned 15 yet. And Rob is talking to us the way you talk to seasoned professionals and bringing these incredible performances out of us.”

Though it was set in 1959, it's also become a kind of nostalgic catch-all for any generation who lived through a time before cellphones.

“I think it’s what’s so special about ‘Stand by Me’ is that it’s not like any epic adventure movie,” O’Connell said. “There are no, like, stunt sequences with cars rolling over and explosions. It’s a simple movie.”

‘Stand by Me’ on the big screen

O’Connell has seen the film many times over the years, but usually at home, flipping through channels with his dog or cat as a companion. But watching in a movie theater again was transportive.

“Getting to see it on the big screen, it’s a different experience,” O'Connell said. “I think it’s because it is such an epic film with little boys.”

At the screenings, they’ve all noticed a wide range of ages in the audience, from young kids to grandparents. Wheaton said it seems to be resonating in particular with “the ‘Stranger Things’ generation,” referencing a show that was heavily inspired by “Stand by Me.”

O’Connell said he plans to take his 17-year-old daughters and “as many of their friends who will come,” collect their phones, lock them in a bag and “make these Gen Z-ers sit down and watch a real movie.”

Wheaton laughed: “How (expletive) old do we sound right now?”

World of Frozen, an immersive land themed to the blockbuster animated franchise, opened Sunday as the centerpiece of a 2 billion euro ($2.18 billion) transformation at Disneyland Paris.

The transformation renames one of the two theme parks at the Disneyland Paris complex from Walt Disney Studios Park to Disney Adventure World. The inauguration drew Penélope Cruz, Naomi Campbell and Teyana Taylor.

It is the largest expansion in the 34-year history of Disneyland Paris, and one node in a roughly $60 billion global buildout of Disney’s parks, resorts and cruise lines.

A new CEO’s first stage

It is also the first major international stage for Josh D’Amaro, who took over as Disney’s chief executive on March 18 — just 11 days before the French gates opened — after nearly three decades in the company’s theme parks division.

The parks-and-experiences business generated about 57% of the company’s $17.5 billion in segment operating income last year, the force that observers say propelled D’Amaro from parks chief to the corner office.

An Associated Press journalist accompanied D’Amaro on the “Frozen” ride Saturday night.

The carriage splashed through water to childlike cheers from riders and laughter from the new chief executive as they glided past singing Elsa in the dark. Some stepped off lightly wet.

“The Walt Disney Company was built on one man’s dream, and for more than 100 years we’ve shared that dream with the world,” D’Amaro told the inauguration crowd.

“Storytelling is fundamental to everything that we do, whether that’s on screen or stage, in our theme parks, on our cruise ships, or even at home.”

He called the opening “a transformational moment” and paid tribute to the creative team behind the land, including “Frozen” writer-director Jennifer Lee — all now at work on “Frozen 3.”

A remarkable Disney reversal

On Friday, D’Amaro had stood alongside Emmanuel Macron at the resort.

The French president used the visit to claim the park as a national economic asset, calling Disneyland Paris “the leading tourist destination in Europe” and describing it as “a genuine ecosystem of success.”

Macron said the latest expansion would create 1,000 additional direct jobs.

“Since the beginning, that’s 13 billion euros invested on this territory,” Macron said.

Disneyland Paris says the resort now employs more than 20,000 people, supports 70,000 direct, indirect and induced jobs, and has recorded more than 445 million visits since 1992 — accounting for 6.1% of France’s national tourism revenue.

Macron’s presence underscored a remarkable reversal.

When the park opened as Euro Disney in 1992, French intellectuals derided it as a “cultural Chernobyl.” Now a French president was standing in front of cameras calling it an engine of national prosperity.

European roots

It is no coincidence that “Frozen” and “Tangled” — the two stories anchoring Disney’s new lineup at its sole European resort — both trace their roots to European folklore.

“Frozen” draws loosely from “The Snow Queen”; the new Tangled family ride recalls the Brothers Grimm’s Rapunzel.

“Frozen, of course, has its roots in European storytelling,” said Michel den Dulk of Walt Disney Imagineering.

“It’s very loosely based on Hans Christian Andersen. So to have a northern European, charming wooden little village here in Disneyland Paris, where you can see your favorite Frozen characters — it just made sense.”

The land recreates Arendelle around a lagoon, its timber buildings painted in muted Scandinavian pastels, facades adorned with rosemaling, a traditional Norwegian decorative art.

At the center is Frozen Ever After, a boat ride featuring state-of-the-art animatronics and immersive projection effects.

Guests can meet Anna and Elsa inside Arendelle Castle, have a conversation with a responsive baby troll named Mossy who talks back, and watch a lagoon celebration called the Snow Flower Festival — featuring an original song.

A next-generation robotic Olaf roams the land.

Beyond World of Frozen, the rebranded park brings a vast new lake called Adventure Bay, a Tangled family ride, 15 new dining locations — including the posh Regal View Restaurant — and a nighttime spectacular called Disney Cascade of Lights featuring more than 380 drones.

A Lion King land, already under construction, will follow.

More than 90% of the second park’s offerings will have been redesigned since it opened in 2002, and Disney says the footprint will roughly double once the full transformation is complete.

Disney's streaming has swung from deep losses to profitability, but the parks remain the company’s most dependable earnings engine — and D’Amaro is the man who ran them.

“We continue to dream bigger and bring stories to life in brand new ways,” D’Amaro told the crowd.

Pyrotechnics lit up Arendelle Village.

The ice palace on the mountain turned blue.

And 34 years after Euro Disney became a punchline, a brand-new kingdom opened in the fields east of Paris — for the first time in forever.

Edwin Diaz earned his first save in his debut and Kyle Tucker singled in the go-ahead run in the eighth inning of a 5-4 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Friday night.

Diaz trotted out in the ninth to the sounds of trumpeter Tatiana Tate, who tooted from the stands next to the left field bullpen. Wearing Diaz's No. 3 jersey, she played Timmy Trumpet's “Narcos,” the closer's entrance song that electrified New York Mets fans before the Dodgers lured the fan favorite away on a $69 million, three-year deal.

“It’s really cool because it’s another way to keep the fans involved in the game until the ninth inning because they’re all going to be waiting for that,” infielder Miguel Rojas said. “Having Sugar in the ninth is always going to be special.”

However, fans may be hearing a recorded version of Diaz's music next time. Tate, who has played with Stevie Wonder and Doechii, isn't expected to be a regular presence during the season.

Díaz struck out two and walked one. He converted 28 of 31 save chances for the Mets last season.

“I always get a little bit nervous when I come into the game, but at the end of the day I was excited, too,” Diaz said. “I come in a one-run game was really big for me. I want to set it down the second day of the season, help this team to win, get the save and keep going.”

The Dodgers won back-to-back World Series championships without a true closer, although at times it was a rocky road. The last pitcher to fill that role was Kenley Jansen, who twice led the National League in saves during his spell in Los Angeles.

Now, Diaz provides dependability, a track record and a level of trust at the back of the bullpen.

“It’s going to be a lot on Sugar because he’s going to have to be under a lot of pressure," Rojas said, "but he’s done it before. He’s the right guy for the task.”

Manager Dave Roberts initially didn't think the Dodgers had a chance to land Diaz in free agency after the right-hander opted out of the final two years and $38 million of his contract with the Mets.

Roberts got off a 45-minute video call with Diaz and front office executives, and told his wife, “We're going to get him.”

“It was selling ourselves and talking about how much we valued him and the culture of the team and the ownership and how we'll do anything to win,” Roberts recalled. “He talked to his wife and convinced her moving West was a good decision."

Another factor that played in the Dodgers' favor, Roberts believes, is that Diaz's younger brother, Alexis, had joined the Dodgers last May as a reliever. He is currently in the Texas Rangers organization.

“Calling him up from the minors and us treating him like a superstar, I think that kind of helped make that decision and comfort going forward,” Roberts said.

The attraction for Diaz was simple: “A lot of good players here. Everyone stays healthy, this team has a chance to win a three-peat,” he said.

Tucker went 1-for-3 with the game-winning single and a stolen base. In his debut on Thursday, the right fielder notched his first hit and first RBI in an 8-2 comeback victory. He signed a $240 million, four-year deal to leave the Chicago Cubs.

“I’m excited for them to have the opportunity to play in this environment and feel part of the family,” Rojas said. “I'm pretty sure they're looking closely at how fun it's been.”

Six weeks after a disastrous free skate knocked the Olympic gold-medal favorite off the podium, the “quad god” reeled off one huge jump after another, and a backflip for good measure, to retain his world championship title on Saturday for the third year running.

Malinin shouted and punched the air with relief after finishing a skate that showed he had achieved his desire to “move on” from the Olympics after days tormented by his mistakes.

He praised the crowd's support, saying: “It was really challenging, really hard but with you guys I was able to make it through.” His aim, he added, had simply been to get through the free skate “in one piece."

Skating last after leading the short program, just as he did in Milan, Malinin landed five high-scoring quadruple jumps but not his pioneering quad axel, a jump he didn't attempt at the Olympics.

Pressure off for Malinin

Malinin said that he came to the worlds with a fresh mindset after all the pressure from the Olympics was over. His goal was to “enjoy every moment on the ice and just have fun out there.”

“Going here I felt like there was almost no pressure at all,” he said. “I just completely blocked out all the expectations, all the pressure that people put on me and was really here to escape for myself and enjoy every moment of these world championships.”

Malinin scored 218.11 in the free skate for a total 329.40, far ahead of silver medalist Yuma Kagiyama of Japan on 306.67. Another Japanese skater, Shun Sato, was third on 288.54.

Kagiyama beat his personal-best free skate score but still had to make do with a fourth career world championship silver in a career which includes four Olympic silvers and five total worlds medals, but no gold from either event. He still embraced Malinin after his skate and they jumped together in celebration.

Being second again was not a big deal for Kagiyama.

After a disappointing performance at the free skate at the Olympics, he said “I came here solely focused on finishing the event with a satisfying performance,” adding that “I’m relieved that I was finally able to achieve that goal.”

In a showcase of top-level skating, there was no podium spot for France's Adam Siao Him Fa, who had been in second after the short program but dropped to fifth overall after a fall. Estonia's Aleksandr Selevko also fell dropped from third to sixth.

Malinin had no rematch with Mikhail Shaidorov, the skater from Kazakhstan who won the Olympic gold, because he opted against competing again this season.

That's relatively common in figure skating for gold medal winners who face a rush of media and commercial opportunities after a grueling four-year Olympic buildup.

Malinin becomes the first skater to win three consecutive men's world titles since fellow American Nathan Chen, who achieved the feat in 2018, 2019 and 2021 after the 2020 event was canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Olympic dance champions add world gold

Ice dance was the only event at the world championships where the Milan Cortina Olympic champions were competing, and France's Laurence Fournier Beaudry and Guillaume Cizeron added a world title to their collection.

The French team scored 138.07 in their free dance for a total 230.81, both personal bests, to cap a successful and often controversial first season together.

Olympic bronze medalists Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier of Canada are world silver medalists three years running after scoring 211.52.

Olympic silver medalists Madison Chock and Evan Bates withdrew before the championships but Emilea Zingas and Vadym Kolesnik still took a surprise bronze for the U.S. on 209.20.

That was decided when British pair Lilah Fear and Lewis Gibson picked up a rare two-point deduction for an “illegal element/movement” and dropped behind the Americans. Exactly what was wrong wasn't immediately explained.

Kaori Sakamoto won women's gold on Friday for a fourth world title before heading into retirement. Minerva Fabienne Hase and Nikita Volodin won pairs for Germany on Thursday.

Cox first teased details of the relationship in promotional materials for her one-woman show "Gurrl, How Did I Get Here", which premiered on July 28, 2025, at City Winery in New York City. In videos shared on Instagram and TikTok around July 2025, she described meeting the man, who was 22 years her junior, on Tinder during the height of the pandemic when he was 26 and she was 48. Cox emphasized that she was unaware of his profession or political views at the start, as he had claimed to work in commercial real estate.

Throughout the relationship, which Cox described as lasting nearly four to five years and ending in March 2024, the couple engaged in political discussions. She noted that she "knew nothing about his politics" initially but later debated topics like white supremacy, often fact-checking his views and finding herself "always right." Cox expressed that she was "in love" with him, praising his "beautiful soul" and physical attractiveness, calling him "fine as f***" despite the differences. The breakup was influenced by emerging racial biases from her ex and intensifying political tensions as the U.S. election approached.

The revelation drew significant backlash from fans and the broader LGBTQ+ community, with reactions described as "disappointed, upset, outraged." Critics highlighted the irony of Cox, a prominent transgender advocate, dating someone aligned with a political movement often critical of transgender rights. Social media users expressed betrayal, particularly noting Cox's apparent pride in the disclosure. Cox addressed this in interviews, acknowledging the sense of "betrayal" felt by some in the LGBTQ+ community while defending the humanity of her ex. She advocated for love across political lines in theory, stating, "I've always wanted to believe that there could be love across political differences," though she noted it became unsustainable.

Cox reflected on her pre-relationship "no dating a cop" policy, which she broke unknowingly, and described the time together as "the most amazing three and a half years of my life" and "healing." In the Fear& podcast, she hoped the conversation would highlight "the connection that actually exists beyond politics, the soul connection." Community responses underscore ongoing tensions for transgender people navigating personal relationships amid politicized identities, with some outlets framing it as a challenge to cross-ideological empathy. Cox has not indicated plans for future similar relationships, stating she likely couldn't sustain one in the current climate.