The casting was announced on Aug. 7, with the new actors joining returning stars Connor Storrie and Hudson Williams, who play professional hockey players Ilya Rozanov and Shane Hollander.

Crave said Smith will portray Harris, the Ottawa Centaurs’ social media manager, while Gillespie will play Troy, a hockey player who joins the team.

The second season is scheduled to premiere in spring 2027, and production had begun by the time of the announcement.

The season is based on Role Model, the fifth book in Rachel Reid’s Game Changers series.

Smith Addresses Fans

Following the announcement, Smith addressed the reaction in an Instagram Story.

“I am moved by the support and love I’m getting from fans in my DMs, fans who have welcomed me with open arms and who already feel a responsibility to protect me,” Smith wrote, according to Deadline.

He then referred directly to the character he will play, writing: “I am honored to play a character that you all care about deeply and I promise that I will take good care of him if you give me the chance.”

Smith ended the message by saying he was “beyond excited for the experience.”

The post came after online criticism directed at the casting announcement, including comments focused on whether Smith’s appearance corresponded with some readers’ interpretation of Harris.

Why Fans Debated the Casting

In Role Model, Harris is described as stocky and as having a soft belly, while the character also refers to himself as “pudgy.”

Those descriptions led some readers to imagine Harris as having a larger build than Smith.

The criticism was framed by those fans as a concern about body representation and fidelity to the source material rather than as a judgment of Smith’s acting ability.

The debate also included reactions to Gillespie’s casting as Troy, with some discussion about whether the actors’ physical appearances matched readers’ expectations of the characters.

Other fans expressed support for Smith and Gillespie and interest in seeing the actors interpret the couple on screen.

Reid and Producers Defend the Decision

Reid appeared to respond to the criticism through an Instagram Story after the casting news was published.

“Thinking about all the people last summer who told me the casting for Ilya and Shane was wrong and bad…,” Reid wrote, according to Just Jared.

The message referred to earlier doubts about the casting of Storrie and Williams as Ilya and Shane in the first season.

Show creator Jacob Tierney and executive producer Brendan Brady also defended the selection of Smith and Gillespie in a statement reported by Just Jared.

“From the start of the casting process, we knew we were looking for actors who could create something truly special together and bring that same depth and heart to the screen,” Tierney and Brady said.

“Justice and Charlie do exactly that,” they added.

The producers said the actors connected with the vulnerability and resilience at the center of Harris and Troy’s stories and demonstrated an instinctive understanding of the characters.

The Story Ahead

According to Variety, the television series’ version of Troy is a hockey player who is traded to Ottawa after breaking with a former friend and teammate in Toronto who is accused of sexual assault.

Harris, meanwhile, works for the Ottawa team and becomes determined to draw Troy out of his shell.

The characters’ relationship is the central romance of Role Model, the novel that provides the season’s primary source material.

The casting response therefore reflects two distinct expectations among fans: anticipation for a new queer romance within the series and concern about how closely the adaptation will follow readers’ established images of the characters.

Smith’s statement did not address the body-representation criticism in detail, but it did acknowledge the intensity of fans’ attachment to Harris and ask viewers to give him an opportunity in the role.

Season 2 is expected to bring Smith and Gillespie into the show’s established ensemble alongside Storrie and Williams when the series returns in spring 2027.

“Why is allowed to say ‘Israel should be wiped off the face of the earth’ and I get abuse for defending my Jewish friends?” George wrote while tagging the singer.

The allegation was not accompanied by a recording, interview, transcript or link to a primary source showing Lipa making the remark.

When an X user asked George for his source, he shared screenshots featuring photographs of Lipa with text overlaid claiming that she had said, “As long as Israel continues to exist on Earth there will be no peace.”

A second screenshot described the claim as something that was “circulating widely,” but did not identify a verifiable interview, publication or original speaker.

What the Evidence Shows

Recent coverage by The PinkNews, PrimeTimer and the Greek news organization in.gr found no credible evidence that Lipa made the alleged statements.

PrimeTimer reported that searches of available interviews, videos and other sources did not substantiate the attribution to Lipa.

The screenshots George supplied therefore show only that the claim was posted online; they do not establish that Lipa made the words attributed to her.

Lipa has publicly supported Palestinian rights, including expressing support for a free Palestine, but that position is distinct from the statement attributed to her by George.

The available reporting does not establish that Lipa has called for Israel’s destruction or said that peace is impossible while Israel exists.

The Wider Dispute

George’s post came amid backlash over his song “We Will Dance Again,” which was released online on July 26.

The reggae song includes the lyrics, “You say genocide / I say war,” followed by lines defending military action after an attack and accusing critics of wanting to kill “every last one of us.”

George said on Threads on July 28 that the song had been created using artificial intelligence and described it as “AI for good.”

The song also criticizes musicians who support Palestine, including Lipa, and accuses them of having “selective memory” and being influenced by internet propaganda.

George’s release prompted professional consequences, including his withdrawal from a London production of *Jesus Christ Superstar*.

He had been scheduled to play King Herod at the London Palladium from Aug. 3 through Aug. 15.

His manager, Paul Kemsley, announced that George would no longer appear in the production, saying the controversy could take attention away from the show.

George subsequently said that he was devastated by the loss of innocent lives in both Israel and Palestine and called for peace.

Why the Attribution Matters

The disputed wording is more extreme than Lipa’s documented public advocacy for Palestinian rights.

Presenting an unsupported quotation as a person’s own words can materially change how that person’s political views are understood and can expose them to abuse or harassment.

The reporting reviewed for this article found no evidence that Lipa made the quoted statement, and no official response from Lipa to George’s latest allegation was reported in those accounts.

The most supportable conclusion is that George circulated an unverified claim about Lipa rather than documented evidence of a statement by her.

The Grammy-winning duo emerged from Atlanta's thriving club scene before breaking through with their 1989 self-titled major label debut, powered by classics like "Closer to Fine" and "Kid Fears." The album launched a remarkable run that included six consecutive Gold and Platinum-certified releases and established their signature blend of rich harmonies, thoughtful songwriting, and social consciousness.

Their influence extends well beyond music. Longtime activists, Saliers and Ray have championed causes including LGBTQ+ equality, racial justice, immigration reform, Native American rights, and education. Their commitment to advocacy has become as much a part of their legacy as their songs.

Perhaps most remarkable is the connection they continue to share with audiences. More than concerts, Indigo Girls performances feel like communal sing-alongs, bringing people together through music, compassion, and shared experience. In a world often defined by division, their songs remain a source of connection, comfort, and hope, proving that their message is as relevant today as it was when they first took the stage.

As Indigo Girls continue to bring people together through music, activism, and storytelling, Emily Saliers and Amy Ray joined us to reflect on their latest tour, their evolving creative process, and the unique connection they share with audiences around the world.

EDGE: What can fans expect from this tour? 

Emily: Right now, Lucy Wainwright Roche is singing harmonies with us, and Lyrics Born is playing violin. Jeff Fielder is also with us, playing a variety of stringed instruments, as well as keyboard and bass. Jeff plays in Amy’s country band, the Amy Ray Band. Lyrics has been playing with us for many years, and Lucy recently joined to sing harmonies—and she also performs one of her own songs during the set. The show is a mix of songs spanning our entire catalog, from our first Epic album all the way through to our most recent release, Look Long, with plenty in between. We like to mix things up with both electric and acoustic arrangements. Amy typically performs a song from her country band or an original piece, and sometimes I do as well. So overall, it’s a bit of a musical mishmash. 

EDGE: With a busy summer schedule, are there certain songs that feel especially suited to summer shows? 

Amy: To me, when everyone’s outside together, it feels right to play songs that people can all sing along to. It’s just fun—like one big group sing-along. That really feels like a summer vibe to me. I mean, it works anytime, but especially in the summer when people are hanging out with their picnics or just relaxing—it’s all about feel-good songs. We still pull from every record, so there’s a range of themes, but I especially like leaning into the songs that make people want to dance around and just have a good time. 

The series was created by Megan Park and developed with Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage, the producers associated with The O.C. and Gossip Girl.

The drama follows Annie Jacobson, a high-achieving teenager from New York who travels to a Canadian island after inheriting property from a grandfather she never knew.

Annie’s arrival brings her into contact with family secrets, new friendships and romantic relationships while she spends the summer on the island.

Queer Characters at the Center of the Conversation

The show’s lesbian and queer storylines quickly became a focus of online discussion following the premiere.

PinkNews reported that viewers reacted enthusiastically to the series’ sapphic scenes and its inclusion of lesbian characters.

The publication also reported that fans praised the show for combining queer representation with an engaging storyline rather than presenting LGBTQ+ identity as the sole source of conflict.

DIVA described the series as a new favorite among sapphic viewers and reported that social-media users had begun making fan edits soon after the episodes became available.

The series includes Ramona, a queer young woman from the island, played by Amélie Hoeferle.

DIVA reported that Ramona’s queerness is integrated into the character’s life and relationships without becoming the show’s only narrative concern.

That approach has helped distinguish Sterling Point in a crowded teen-drama market, where queer characters have often been required to carry stories centered on discrimination, family rejection or personal crisis.

A Softer Alternative to Darker YA Drama

Mainstream critics have also identified the series’ tone as one of its defining characteristics.

The Guardian characterized Sterling Point as escapist television built around warmth, humor and a compelling mystery rather than the darker mood associated with some recent young-adult dramas.

Time described the series as a refreshing throwback teen drama, pointing to its combination of summer romance, family secrets and emotional coming-of-age storytelling.

The Los Angeles Times similarly described the show as a sunlit drama set in Canada’s Muskoka Lakes, with a focus on conversation, identity and first love.

The setting provides a contrast between Annie’s urban upbringing and the island community where she begins investigating her family history.

The show’s central mystery is therefore linked to questions of belonging, adoption, family identity and the process of understanding where a person comes from.

Representation Without a Single Defining Trauma

The response to Sterling Point reflects a continuing interest in queer teen characters whose stories include romance, friendship, humor and ordinary emotional uncertainty.

The coverage does not establish audience figures, streaming rankings or an official second-season renewal for the series.

What it does document is an immediate fan response, including public expressions of support for the show and hopes that Prime Video will continue the story.

That response arrived alongside generally positive critical attention to the series’ performances, setting and emotional tone.

For sapphic viewers, the show’s appeal lies in its placement of queer young women within a broader ensemble story about first love, family and self-discovery.

The series is currently available on Prime Video, with its complete eight-episode first season streaming as of August 10.

And then, a cut. The documentary, which follows the Blink-182 drummer from 2017 to 2026, is a celebration of Barker's life before and after the life-altering accident, a central event in a career full of them. The film began as a mirror of his memoir, 2015's “Can I Say: Living Large, Cheating Death, and Drums, Drums, Drums,” but became something else entirely after a producer suggested it end with the image of Barker, then still unable to fly due to post-traumatic stress disorder, walking toward a plane.

Ending on that note, “where this thing still has power over me,” didn’t sit well with him. Instead, he boards a plane at the end, but the documentary’s final images are a slide show of family photos, including his wife Kourtney Kardashian and kids.

“I almost died,” he says. It “could be helpful to share my life.”

An elastic artist

Barker's resume is long, and a two-and-a-half-hour documentary can only cover so much of it. The film hits most of the big notes, quickly establishing Barker as a rebellious kid with a supernatural drumming ability from age 4, when he got his first kit, to now, at 50.

And that's with many projects in-between: From the SoCal punks Feeble, which he joined while working as a trash collector, to his stint in the ska band The Aquabats and multiplatinum, pop-punk legends Blink-182 — the band that skyrocketed Barker into superstardom.

Also covered? His love of skateboarding and car culture, his clothing brands, side-projects Box Car Racer and +44, turntable duo TRV$DJAM, various experiments and collaborations in hip-hop (Bun B, Lil Wayne ) and beyond.

But it all began with drumming, and hilariously enough, Animal from “The Muppets” — his first drumming hero — until he discovered cross-genre greats like jazz legends Buddy Rich, Dennis Chambers and Elvin Jones as well as Mötley Crüe’s Tommy Lee.

“Where drumming got really serious for me was after my mom passed, so it was therapy,” he says, reflecting on his childhood. “It’s like my life. It’s like oxygen to me.”

It's also a kind of sport. Barker has long been a dedicated, athletic percussionist, and he likens it to a boxer's meditative state. “It’s like when you see a fighter and he just goes for broke the first round. There’s sometimes where I just feel like that,” he says. “Something just takes over my body.”

Many events in life threatened that euphoria, but none quite as physically as the plane crash. “I was in a burn center for six months on morphine and I had 30 surgeries,” he recounts. “Seventy percent of my body was burned.” At one point, he didn't only fear if he would be able to drum again — even walking was a question mark.

Lessons from tragedy

Even before the crash, Barker's life — as marked with musical triumphs as it has been — offered lessons in resiliency.

“Whether it was my mom passing away or my plane crash, I learned — and through watching friends of mine and just living life — I’ve seen traumatic experiences either destroy someone or define them,” he says. “Every loss I had, or every everything I took to the chin, it made me stronger. At the time, I can’t realize it, right? I can't like really wrap my head around it. But ... that’s why I went so hard and I was so determined to play music and so determined to succeed. Plan B was only making Plan A work. You know? There was no Plan B.”

The same tenacity can be applied to his sobriety and dedication to flying again — a journey emboldened by his family. “I fly all the time now and I feel turbulence and I can’t even tell you what’s going on in my head. And I just look over and my wife’s perfectly OK,” he says. “My son loves airplanes and plays with airplanes and it’s so innocent. It’s so beautiful.”

“They’ve been my greatest joy,” he says of his children, who grow up on screen across the film's near-decade of filming.

As someone who has lost a lot and thought about what it would be like to lose even more, when it comes to the topic of legacy, Barker has a simple dream. “I think I’d want to be remembered for my music and my drumming and being a great father, husband, and son and brother,” he says.

As for the doc? “Maybe my story helps somebody,” he pauses. “I don’t love how everything happened. I don’t like the losses that happened. But I like how hard I had to work. I like that I wasn’t born with a silver spoon in my mouth. I liked that I had to navigate and find my way. And the journey was awesome.”

Kenworthy, 34, announced the engagement on Instagram on August 5 by sharing photographs of the proposal and joking in the caption, “He said he’d think about it!”

The images show Kenworthy down on one knee while proposing to Rigby at a cliffside location overlooking the water.

The couple separately confirmed the engagement in an interview with PEOPLE, which reported that the proposal occurred on Tuesday, August 4, during their trip to the Spanish island of Mallorca.

A planned surprise in Mallorca

Kenworthy told PEOPLE that he had been planning the proposal for approximately one month with assistance from Luxury Travel Spain.

Rigby believed that the couple was taking a day trip, but Kenworthy had organized a more elaborate outing that included a private boat ride, a hike and a picnic.

The proposal took place on or near Torre de ses Illetes, a small island off the coast of Mallorca, according to reports describing the couple’s account and the photographs from the day.

After Rigby accepted, friends joined the couple on a chartered boat to celebrate the engagement.

Rigby told PEOPLE, “To say I was shocked was an understatement.”

The couple chose matching Cartier 1895 bands, with Kenworthy’s ring in gold and Rigby’s in platinum.

Their relationship

Kenworthy and Rigby made their relationship public on Instagram in August 2024, when they shared photographs from a trip to New York City.

The couple has since posted glimpses of their relationship and travels on social media.

Rigby is described in coverage as an Australian finance executive and fashion-industry professional.

According to PEOPLE and HuffPost, the pair first met nearly a decade ago in Sydney, Australia, before reconnecting in 2024 at a mutual friend’s birthday celebration in Guadalajara, Mexico.

Their renewed connection developed into a long-distance relationship, with the couple later moving in together in New York, according to HuffPost’s account of the interview.

Kenworthy’s sporting career and public profile

Kenworthy is a four-time Olympic freestyle skier and won a silver medal in slopestyle at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi.

He has also worked as an actor and has been publicly associated with LGBTQ+ representation in elite sport.

Kenworthy publicly came out as gay in 2015.

At the 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang, Kenworthy and figure skater Adam Rippon were among the most prominent openly gay American men competing at a Winter Games.

Recent coverage also reported that Rigby supported Kenworthy during his return to Olympic competition at the 2026 Milan Olympics.

A personal milestone

The engagement follows a European trip during which Kenworthy and Rigby attended Pride events in Berlin and Amsterdam, according to HuffPost’s report on their interview.

Kenworthy told PEOPLE that Mallorca had already been planned as the relaxing final stop of the journey and that it became the setting for the proposal.

The announcement was met with public congratulations from fans and people in the couple’s social-media communities.

Neither Kenworthy nor Rigby has publicly announced a wedding date.

According to TikTok, the livestream was detected within minutes of beginning and referred to the company’s U.S. content-moderation team. The platform said the broadcast remained live for approximately 15 minutes, disputing reports that it had continued for about 30 minutes.

TikTok has not publicly provided a detailed technical explanation of the error. Vanity Fair reported that TikTok later characterized the problem as an error message encountered by a moderator while attempting to remove the livestream.

The incident has renewed scrutiny of the relationship between automated detection tools and human review on large social-media platforms. TikTok’s statement indicates that its automated system identified the content, but that the subsequent human-moderation step did not result in an immediate takedown.

What Happened During the Broadcast

The livestream took place Tuesday night and showed Hilton in apparent distress while holding a knife and appearing to harm himself. The video was subsequently removed from TikTok.

The Miami-Dade Police Department confirmed that Hilton was safely recovered from his Miami-area home and transported by Miami-Dade Fire Rescue to a local hospital for medical attention. The New York Times also reported that authorities confirmed Hilton had been hospitalized after the livestream.

Viewers who saw the broadcast immediately contacted emergency services, flooding local dispatch centers with calls while simultaneously reporting the content through TikTok's internal tools. While TikTok maintains that it eventually reached out to law enforcement as well, public dispatch logs indicate that the initial emergency response was entirely triggered by these frantic viewer reports.

Sources close to the family stated that Hilton is currently receiving medical care and that the family's sole focus remains on his immediate well-being [forbes.com]. On Aug. 9, reports citing these close sources described his condition as serious but stable, noting that he suffered significant blood loss and would require surgery for his injuries.

TikTok’s Subsequent Actions

TikTok said Hilton continued broadcasting through several additional livestreams after the initial video. The company said those later streams were removed within 90 seconds.

The platform banned Hilton’s TikTok account for violating its Community Guidelines. TikTok’s policies prohibit content that shows, promotes or provides instructions for suicide or self-harm, as well as graphic or disturbing material.

TikTok’s account of the timeline differs from some viewer reports, which claimed that the broadcast or related material remained available for longer than 15 minutes. The company has maintained that the principal livestream itself lasted about 15 minutes and that separate subsequent broadcasts were taken down more quickly.

Questions About Content Moderation

The episode illustrates the limits of a system that relies on both automated detection and human intervention. TikTok said its automated tools recognized the livestream within minutes, but the content remained online while the moderation process failed to complete the removal.

The company’s public description leaves unanswered how long the moderator encountered the error, whether the failure affected other enforcement tools and what safeguards were used after the initial takedown attempt failed. TikTok had not publicly released a fuller post-incident account as of Aug. 10, 2026.

The company’s response also highlights the distinction between detecting prohibited content and removing it. TikTok said the automated system flagged the stream, but the delay occurred during the human-moderation stage rather than because the content went entirely undetected.

For viewers who encounter content showing a person in immediate danger, emergency services remain the appropriate avenue for urgent assistance. News organizations have avoided reproducing the livestream because of its graphic and potentially harmful nature.

As of Aug. 10, the confirmed facts are that Hilton was hospitalized, TikTok’s automated system flagged the livestream within minutes, a moderator error delayed its removal, the broadcast lasted about 15 minutes according to TikTok, and the account was later banned.

The announcement was made on August 7, placing it within the past three weeks. The event is scheduled to include live entertainment, drag performances, comedians, advocates and opportunities for community engagement. Organizers said the event will bring together artists, fans, creative workers and advocates to support queer visibility and collective action.

A fundraiser built around community support

According to The Midwest Princess Project’s official event page, “The Super Graphic Spectacular” is intended to mark one year of the organization’s work. The page describes the event as a Los Angeles-based charity fundraiser combining live performances, charitable efforts, community engagement and a special performance by Roan. It states that all net proceeds will support the next phase of the organization’s work.

The project’s stated focus is providing care, connection and access to resources for transgender youth and LGBTQ+ communities. The nonprofit’s website identifies its work as a vehicle for directing financial support toward organizations serving LGBTQ+ people, rather than presenting the fundraiser solely as a conventional concert.

Billboard reported that the event’s programming will feature Roan as a headlining performer alongside drag performers, advocates and comedians. The publication also reported that the fundraiser is expected to raise money for the Midwest Princess Project’s continuing initiatives supporting transgender youth and LGBTQ+ communities.

The event reflects a model increasingly visible in music: an artist using a concert audience not only to raise money but also to connect attendees with organizations and information. NME reported that Los Angeles organizations supporting transgender people and LGBTQ+ communities will be present to share resources and information with attendees.

A growing philanthropic effort

The Midwest Princess Project was established by Roan in 2025. At the time of its launch, the organization said it would provide support and resources for transgender youth and LGBTQ+ communities by directing funds to local organizations.

The project began with more than $400,000 raised through Roan’s “Visions of Damsels & Other Dangerous Things” pop-up shows, according to reporting published after the nonprofit’s launch. The initiative identified organizations including the Ali Forney Center, The LGBT Center in New York, the Trans Wellness Center, TransLatin@ Coalition, The GLO Center and The Center Project as early beneficiaries.

The organization now reports that it has raised more than $800,000 and supported more than 60 organizations during its first year. Those figures are claims made by the project and were also reported by The Washington Times in its coverage of the new Los Angeles fundraiser.

The reported growth from the project’s initial fundraising total to more than $800,000 indicates that Roan’s fundraising activity has continued beyond the original pop-up series. However, the publicly available event materials do not provide a complete itemized accounting of all donations, administrative expenses or individual grants.

Ticket access and event details

Fans interested in attending were asked to preregister through the event’s Fair AXS ticketing process. Variety reported that preregistration opened on August 7 and was scheduled to close on August 11 at 8:59 p.m. Pacific Time. Ticket purchasing was scheduled to occur in waves between August 18 and August 20.

The event page lists The Shrine in Los Angeles as the venue for both performances. The public announcement does not identify the full lineup of guest artists, drag performers, comedians or advocacy organizations.

The fundraiser is scheduled for October, but its stated beneficiaries connect it to an ongoing need for affirming services and community infrastructure. The announcement specifically identifies transgender youth and LGBTQ+ communities as the populations the project seeks to support.

Roan’s advocacy has also included mental-health issues affecting music professionals. Earlier in 2026, coverage linked her public call for stronger health support for artists with the launch of Backline’s B-LINE, a 24-hour crisis and mental-health support service for music-industry professionals and their families.

Backline says B-LINE can be reached by calling 1-855-BLINE99 or texting 254-639. The service is separate from The Midwest Princess Project’s transgender-youth fundraiser, but together the initiatives show two distinct areas of Roan’s public advocacy: support for LGBTQ+ communities and attention to mental-health access within the music industry.

For “The Super Graphic Spectacular,” the immediate focus is charitable support and visibility. By placing transgender youth and LGBTQ+ communities at the center of a large-scale live event, Roan and The Midwest Princess Project are directing the attention generated by her music career toward organizations and resources intended to serve those communities.

The October event will provide a further public test of the project’s fundraising model: using ticketed performances, entertainment and in-person resource-sharing to generate financial support and community connection. The nonprofit has not yet published a complete guest list or detailed breakdown of how proceeds from the new event will be distributed.

I AM THE PRIZE, the provocative new short from award-winning writer-director Sai Karan Talwar, has recently screened at both the Frameline Film Festival and Raindance Film Festival as part of its 2026 festival run.

Starring Russell Tovey, the drama follows Anthony Selvon, a charismatic self-help guru whose carefully crafted public image begins to crack when revelations about his private life emerge during a high-profile lecture tour. Through his downfall, the film explores modern masculinity, the allure of self-help culture, and the personal cost of living behind a manufactured persona.

"Anthony's journey serves as a metaphor for the ethical questions surrounding influential self-help figures, an industry that's bigger than ever and rarely explored on screen," says Talwar.

A BAFTA Connect member and BBC Writers' Access Group alumnus, Talwar previously directed the BAFTA- and BIFA-qualified short GHANIMAH, which screened at more than 60 festivals worldwide. His most recent film, WHAT MEN DO FOR LOVE, was Oscar-longlisted in 2026.

“Very proud to tackle this problematic man in what appears to now be an epidemic in male culture” - Russell Tovey
Beneath the film's provocative premise lies a deeper interrogation of power, performance, and modern masculinity. We caught up with Talwar to discuss bringing Anthony Selvon's story to the screen.