The singer and songwriter was speaking about the end of her relationship with music producer Justin Long when she said the relationship was her second engagement to be called off.

“This is also my second engagement that I called off,” Jackson told Cooper.

Jackson said she was uncertain whether the first relationship should formally be described as an engagement, but said it was emotionally significant to her.

“The first one, I don’t know if you could count the first one,” Jackson said. “It was real to me even though we were strung out on drugs and the ring was one that he bought with my money without me knowing.”

She did not identify the former partner or provide additional details about when the first engagement occurred.

Jackson also said that, despite the circumstances, her feelings at the time were genuine. “It was still, like, the love was so real for me in that first one,” she said.

Why Jackson Ended Her Engagement to Justin Long

Jackson described her decision to end her engagement to Long as an act of self-preservation rather than a rejection of marriage itself. Asked why she ultimately called off the relationship, she said, “It was a choice that I needed to make to be happy.”

She said it took time to reach that decision and that she had previously attempted to end the relationship.

“There were times where I did try and end it,” Jackson said during the podcast interview.

Jackson and Long publicly announced their engagement in December 2024.

The couple’s engagement ended in 2025, and Jackson confirmed the breakup publicly in July of that year.

At the time, Jackson referred to photographs of herself crying as “breakup tears.”

Jackson and Long had been romantically linked for approximately two years before announcing their engagement, according to contemporaneous reporting.

Neither Jackson nor Long has publicly disclosed a detailed account of the private circumstances that led to their separation.

Sobriety and Relationship Decisions

Jackson’s comments about her first engagement came in a broader conversation about substance use, recovery, relationships and personal judgment. The podcast episode’s description says she discussed her sobriety and the relationships that have shaped her.

Jackson has previously spoken publicly about recovering from alcohol and heroin addiction.

In January 2025, she marked five years of sobriety from alcohol and heroin in a public post.

During the Call Her Daddy interview, Jackson said she was in her seventh year of recovery, indicating that she had reached approximately six years of recovery by the time of the recording.

She said she became sober in the first week of 2020 after recognizing that she could not stop using substances on her own.

Jackson has also connected her recovery to the way she understands attachment and relationships. In the interview, she described herself as having an “addictive personality” and said she could become highly attached to consuming relationships and other sources of stimulation.

Her comments do not establish that substance use was a factor in the decision to end her engagement to Long. Jackson specifically described the first engagement as occurring while she and the unnamed former partner were using drugs, but she did not make the same claim about Long.

A More Selective Approach to Love

Jackson said her experiences have changed the standards she intends to apply in future relationships.

“I’m not willing to overlook a bunch of things,” she said.

Jackson added that she could be “a little bit pickier” and that “the bar can be raised a bit because it’s historically been very low.”

She did not announce a new engagement or identify a current romantic partner during the interview.

Jackson’s discussion placed the end of her engagements within a larger account of changing priorities. She said ending the relationship with Long was necessary for her happiness, while describing her earlier engagement as emotionally real but connected to a period when both people were using drugs.

The interview did not include the identity of Jackson’s first fiancé, a precise date for that engagement or a detailed explanation of the financial circumstances surrounding the ring.

Her account therefore adds new information about her personal history without resolving those undisclosed details.

Smith made the comments during an appearance on "The New Yorker Radio Hour" on Aug. 11, discussing how Cowan influenced the album and supported its creation. The album is scheduled for release Aug. 21 through Capitol Records.

“He’s been so beautiful and encouraging through the whole process of this record,” Smith said of Cowan, according to People’s report on the interview.

Smith also described the challenge of deciding how much of the couple’s private life to disclose through the music. “It’s been the balancing act of, ‘How much do you share?’” Smith said. “Not wanting to share too much but also it’s about him and it’s a love letter to him as a record and of this time that we’re in,” they added.

A relationship threaded through the record

The album’s title refers to Cowan’s hazel-colored eyes, according to reporting by "The New York Times" and "Billboard".

The opening track, “Everlasting Love,” has a particularly direct connection to the couple’s relationship. Smith began writing the song the night before their first date with Cowan and completed it after their relationship had developed. "Billboard" likewise reported that the song was started before the couple’s first date and finished as their relationship blossomed.

Smith told "The New York Times" that the album marked the first time they had written about “requited love.” At a sold-out San Francisco performance earlier this year, Smith characterized the project as a celebration of a queer relationship.

The framing represents a new lyrical emphasis for an artist whose best-known early material frequently centered on heartbreak. Smith said writing from a place of love and happiness initially made them apprehensive.

“I thought it would be” challenging, Smith said when asked whether writing about love was difficult. Smith recalled being afraid of falling in love when they were younger, particularly after the success of their 2014 album "In the Lonely Hour" changed their life.

“I was like, I better stay miserable,” Smith said. They said that, once they were truly in love, they did not want fear to prevent them from drawing on that experience artistically. Smith described the experience as “a very deepening and enriching thing to pull from as an artist.”

Engagement confirmation

Smith confirmed their engagement to Cowan in a July interview with "The New York Times". The newspaper reported that Smith referred to Cowan as their fiancé while discussing the relationship and the album. "Billboard" separately reported the engagement confirmation and connected it to the relationship that inspired much of "Hazel Eyes".

Smith and Cowan have been together for approximately three years, according to People’s account of Smith’s July interview. The couple were first spotted together publicly in December 2022, when they posed for a photograph with former President Joe Biden and former first lady Jill Biden at the White House. They publicly confirmed their relationship by attending the Met Gala together in May 2024, according to People.

The engagement confirmation followed reports that emerged after the pair attended this year’s Met Gala. Smith’s interview provided a direct confirmation from the singer rather than relying on earlier reports.

A different approach to making music

"Hazel Eyes" is also notable for the way it was made. Smith told "The New York Times" that the album was their first record made fully on their own terms, outside the conventional structures of the music industry.

Rather than working within a system built around large teams of songwriters, polished studios and repeated A&R feedback, Smith worked with a smaller group of collaborators. Those collaborators included the indie singer-songwriter Feist, and the project includes a full gospel choir and what the newspaper described as a more handcrafted sound.

"Billboard" reported that Smith viewed the creative process as more personal and freeing than the traditional pop songwriting system. The publication also reported that the album’s songs explore lasting love, heartbreak and healing rather than presenting happiness as a single, uncomplicated emotional state.

The record follows "Gloria", released in 2023, as well as Smith’s earlier albums "Love Goes", "The Thrill of It All" and "In the Lonely Hour". "Gloria" included “Unholy,” Smith’s collaboration with Kim Petras, which reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 2022.

Smith has also spoken about the significance of making openly queer love songs while LGBTQ+ rights face political and social challenges. “For me, there’s something radical about being queer in this time, in this world and singing love songs,” Smith told "The New York Times".

“I’m not going to allow the poison that I read and that I see to affect my way of loving,” Smith said.

With "Hazel Eyes, Smith is presenting a project rooted in mutual love, a relationship milestone and a more independent creative process. The album is due Aug. 21.

Walsh made the comments in a personalized video recorded for a fan through Cameo, a platform that allows users to request messages from actors and other public figures. In the video, Walsh said he was preparing to return to Canada to film additional episodes of Heated Rivalry.

“Getting ready to go back up to Canada and shoot some more episodes… so, I think we’re doing 12 this time,” Walsh said in the clip.

The video was subsequently shared on X and circulated among fans of the series.

Walsh later paused his Cameo account. A message displayed on his profile said, “Stepping away because a video went viral that got me in trouble.”

His account reportedly indicated that personalized videos would be unavailable until August 2027.

What the 12-episode comment means

Walsh’s remark appears to have raised questions about the scale and structure of the next phase of Heated Rivalry, but the comment does not establish how the reported 12 episodes would be distributed.

The available reports do not provide official confirmation that 12 episodes have been ordered for a single season, or that two seasons are being filmed together.

Deadline reported that Walsh’s wording led fans to speculate that the second and third seasons could be filmed together, following the first season’s six-episode run.

That interpretation remains unconfirmed. The actor said only that he believed the production was making “12” episodes, and he did not explain whether the number referred to a season order, a combined production schedule or another arrangement.

Neither the reports from Variety, Entertainment Weekly nor Deadline cited a public statement from Crave, HBO Max or the series’ producers confirming Walsh’s episode-count comment.

Season two production

Heated Rivalry is based on Rachel Reid’s Game Changers series and follows the relationship between professional hockey players Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov, played by Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie, respectively.

Williams and Storrie are expected to return for the second season.

Production on the second season was scheduled to begin in August 2026, according to comments by creator Jacob Tierney and executive producer Brendan Brady during a February appearance on CBS Mornings.

Deadline reported earlier this month that filming was expected to take place in and around Toronto during the summer and fall.

The production has also asked fans who encounter filming locations to give cast and crew space while they work.

The series is targeting a spring 2027 return, although an exact release date has not been confirmed by the available sources.

New cast members

Crave announced in August that Justice Smith and Charlie Gillespie had joined the second season. Smith will play Harris Drover, while Gillespie will portray Troy Barrett.

The two actors are joining Williams and Storrie, whose characters are at the center of the first season’s story.

The new additions have increased attention around the show’s continuation, particularly as production began and fans sought information about which stories from Reid’s novels might be adapted.

However, the reports about Walsh’s Cameo video do not establish specific plot details for the upcoming episodes.

They also do not confirm that Walsh’s character, David Hollander, will appear in all of the episodes referenced in the video.

A limited disclosure, not an official announcement

The apparent leak is notable because Walsh’s statement offered a production detail at a moment when the series’ second season is entering active filming.

At the same time, the available evidence supports only a narrow conclusion: Walsh recorded a Cameo video in which he mentioned returning to Canada and referred to “12” episodes, the clip spread online, and he subsequently said that the viral video had caused trouble.

There is no verified public explanation in the cited reports identifying what specific consequence Walsh faced or whether the production formally reprimanded him.

Representatives for Walsh and the producers of Heated Rivalry had not publicly commented on the apparent disclosure in the reports published Thursday.

For now, the episode count and any possible relationship between the second season and a future third season remain unconfirmed.

“I wasn’t asking for a sip of water,” Ortega said in an Esquire interview published Aug. 11. “I would go all day without eating, drinking, whatever, because I wanted so badly to not be in the way of anybody.”

Ortega made the disclosure while answering a question about a “rookie mistake” she had made on her first set. She initially said she could not think of a mistake she had made as a child because she was “so grateful and so excited to be there” that she kept what she called her “game face” on.

She then reconsidered that answer, adding, “Maybe that was my mistake, was not actually looking after myself.”

The remarks were also reported by People and the New York Post’s Page Six, both of which described Ortega’s comments as a reflection on the pressure she placed on herself during her early career.

A pattern of self-erasure

Ortega’s account was framed as a description of her own behavior rather than an allegation that a particular production or individual instructed her to avoid food or water. The interview does not identify a specific set, production company, director or colleague connected to the experience.

Her explanation centered on gratitude, excitement and a desire to remain unobtrusive. Ortega said she wanted “so badly” not to be “in the way of anybody,” linking the decision not to request basic necessities with her effort to present herself as easy to work with.

That distinction matters because the available reporting does not establish that Ortega was denied meals, water or breaks. The verified point is that she chose not to ask for them, according to her own account.

Page Six reported that Ortega connected the behavior to her early acting career and to her determination to impress people on set. The publication also reported that she now considers neglecting her own needs a mistake.

Why the remarks drew attention

The comments quickly circulated because they describe a young performer treating ordinary physical needs as potential disruptions to a workplace. The Tab reproduced the relevant portion of Ortega’s answer and reported that she had spoken about spending entire days on set without food or water.

The account also prompted discussion about the expectations placed on child actors, although the sources reviewed for this report do not provide evidence that Ortega’s experience represents every young performer’s working conditions. No source reviewed reported that Ortega has been diagnosed with an eating disorder or another health condition related to the comments.

That absence of information is important because Ortega’s comments concerned past conduct on set, not a stated current medical diagnosis. Reporting that goes beyond what Ortega said would risk turning a brief reflection about workplace behavior into an unsupported claim about her present health.

Ortega’s career context

Ortega began acting as a child and later became internationally recognized for playing Wednesday Addams in Netflix’s “Wednesday.” The Esquire feature, titled “How I Got Here,” presents her career as a progression from child performer to one of the best-known young actors working in Hollywood.

In the interview, Ortega also discussed the uncertainty surrounding her career and her experiences working on major projects, but the eating and drinking disclosure arose specifically in response to the question about an early professional mistake. The available sources do not report that she attributed the behavior to a formal rule, a contractual requirement or a direct command from production staff.

Her retrospective conclusion was direct: being grateful to work did not mean she should have ignored her own needs. By calling that lack of self-care a possible mistake, Ortega presented the experience as something she now views critically rather than as a standard that other child actors should follow.

What is established—and what is not

The central facts are supported by Ortega’s original Esquire appearance and by multiple reports published Aug. 12: she said she did not ask for a sip of water, said she could go all day without eating or drinking, explained that she wanted not to be in anyone’s way, and acknowledged that failing to care for herself may have been a mistake.

The sources do not establish how often this happened, how long the practice continued, which productions were involved, whether anyone noticed, or whether it affected Ortega’s health. They also do not support claims that Ortega currently restricts food or fluids, has a specific medical condition, or was compelled by an employer to do so.

For now, Ortega’s own words offer a narrowly defined but revealing account of how a young performer’s desire to be professional and unobtrusive led her to overlook basic needs. Her conclusion—that not looking after herself may have been the mistake—remains the clearest assessment of the experience provided in the interview.

O’Donnell made the comments during the Aug. 11 episode of Good Hang With Amy Poehler, a podcast hosted by comedian and actor Amy Poehler.

Asked about the experience, O’Donnell characterized the scene as “horrifying” and immediately added, “I was so nervous.”

The sequence was not a depiction of the characters having sex on camera, but a postcoital scene set after the characters’ sexual encounter.

O’Donnell said the kissing itself was not difficult; what made her uncomfortable was lying in bed under the sheets and being asked to behave as though the characters had just had sex.

“I was nervous with Cynthia,” O’Donnell said, recalling the production, before explaining that creator Michael Patrick King encouraged the performers to make the scene somewhat more suggestive.

O’Donnell said she responded internally that she could not make the scene “a little bit more,” adding that she considers herself “a little immature” when it comes to portraying that kind of intimacy.

The Role on *And Just Like That…*

O’Donnell appeared in the third season of And Just Like That…, the sequel series to Sex and the City, as Mary, a nun visiting New York City.

In the season-three premiere, Mary meets Miranda Hobbes, played by Nixon, at a lesbian bar. The characters later go to Mary’s hotel room, where Mary has her first sexual experience.

Mary subsequently tells Miranda that she is a nun and that the encounter was her first time having sex.

The character’s religious identity is central to the episode’s premise, but O’Donnell’s recent comments focused on the practical and emotional awkwardness of filming the aftermath of the encounter rather than on the storyline’s religious elements.

Nixon Invited O’Donnell to Join the Series

O’Donnell said Nixon contacted her about the role after King wrote a scene involving the two performers.

According to O’Donnell’s account, Nixon asked whether she would take part in the project and explained that King had written a scene specifically involving them. O’Donnell said she agreed before reading the script.

She said that reading the script changed her understanding of what the job would involve: she discovered that the scene placed her character in bed with Nixon’s character, covered only by sheets.

“I love her,” O’Donnell said of Nixon, adding that she has “so much respect” for her.

The performers’ existing relationship was also part of O’Donnell’s earlier discussion of the role. In 2025, she told *Variety* that working with Nixon was a major attraction and joked that she did not need to act in love with her because she had been in love with Nixon for many years.

Nixon previously said that King had been trying to create a role for O’Donnell on the series for several seasons before the opportunity finally came together.

Nixon’s View of the Performance

During the podcast episode, Nixon said that O’Donnell’s character was vulnerable but that O’Donnell did not play the role solely for comedy.

Nixon described O’Donnell as funny, centered and sincere in the role, according to the episode transcript.

Earlier coverage of the casting reported that Nixon viewed O’Donnell’s performance as both humorous and emotionally affecting.

The contrast between the characters’ sexual encounter and Mary’s inexperience is part of the episode’s comic setup, while the postcoital scene requires the performers to convey intimacy after the encounter has occurred.

O’Donnell’s remarks also highlighted the difference between agreeing to a scene in general terms and discovering the specific physical and emotional requirements after reading the script.

The comments were published and reported on Aug. 11 and Aug. 12, 2026, within three weeks of this article’s date.

Neither O’Donnell nor Nixon described the scene as a conflict between them. Instead, O’Donnell’s account presented her nervousness as a reaction to the intimacy being portrayed with a close friend and to the demands of performing a postcoital moment.

The podcast discussion did not report any dispute about the production or allege misconduct connected with the filming.

O’Donnell’s comments therefore center on her own discomfort and comic self-description, while Nixon’s remarks emphasize the trust and creative relationship between the performers.

“When something like that happens in a family, it kind of levels everyone,” Kaia said, according to reports on the interview.

She said the family circumstances contributed to her identifying herself as “the easy one” and avoiding requests for help because, in her words, “it felt like too much to have two children who were needing.”

The comments appeared in Vogue’s September 2026 cover story featuring Kaia and actor Homer Gere, her co-star in the television adaptation of Bret Easton Ellis’s novel The Shards.

Praise for Presley’s openness

Kaia also discussed the contrast between her parents’ longstanding privacy and Presley’s decision to share aspects of his experience publicly.

“My parents for most of our lives were very, very private and didn’t share anything—and now we have this absolute teacher, my brother, who says, ‘I’m gonna be very human for everyone,’” she said.

Kaia added that “there’s only so much you can hide from the world” and said that trying to conceal a person’s difficulties can make that person feel ashamed.

The remarks represent a rare discussion by Kaia of Presley’s health and recovery experiences, which he has addressed more directly through social-media posts and videos.

What Presley has disclosed

Presley, the son of model Cindy Crawford and businessman Rande Gerber, has previously spoken about addiction, depression, anxiety and other mental-health concerns.

Reports on Presley’s past disclosures say he described a severe, multiyear opiate addiction and a near-fatal fentanyl overdose that left him in a coma for several days.

Those details were reported in connection with statements Presley made in 2024, when he also said he intended to enter rehabilitation for ibogaine treatment.

The available reports do not independently establish the clinical effectiveness or safety of the treatment Presley described, and no medical professional is quoted in the recent coverage evaluating his care.

In a video discussed by People and other outlets, Presley said he was taking buprenorphine, Xanax and Valium in connection with panic attacks and other mental-health symptoms.

He said the amount of benzodiazepine medication he was taking had fluctuated and expressed uncertainty about the direction of his treatment after consulting more than 15 psychiatrists.

Presley also said he had experienced significant loss and was seeking a doctor who could provide a more structured plan for tapering medication.

Family privacy and public disclosure

Kaia’s comments place Presley’s disclosures within a family that has generally avoided discussing private matters publicly.

She did not describe specific conversations with her parents about Presley’s treatment, nor did she offer a medical assessment of his current condition.

Instead, she focused on the emotional consequences for the family and on the way Presley’s public honesty had changed how she understood secrecy and shame.

The Vogue interview also included Kaia’s discussion of her own health and disordered-eating struggles, although the Presley-related remarks were presented as part of a broader conversation about family, childhood and personal vulnerability.

Neither Kaia nor Presley’s comments, as reported, provide a definitive account of every stage of his treatment or recovery.

A broader conversation about support

The siblings’ public comments illustrate how substance use and mental-health challenges can affect relatives as well as the person experiencing them.

Kaia’s account specifically describes a family dynamic in which she suppressed her own needs because she believed another child already required substantial attention.

Her remarks do not assign blame to any family member, and the reporting does not include a response from Cindy Crawford or Rande Gerber about the interview.

For people in the United States experiencing a mental-health or substance-use crisis, People’s report directs readers to call or text 988 or use 988lifeline.org for free, confidential support available around the clock.

The eighth episode, titled “Wedding Day,” became available on Netflix on Wednesday, Aug. 12, following the release of the series’ first seven episodes.

The finale showed Jowsey ending his engagement with Davidson before proceeding to the ceremony with Mozo.

Davidson was wearing a wedding dress when Jowsey told her that he had developed strong feelings for her but had begun second-guessing his decision.

“I’ve really fallen in love with you, but this past week, I started second-guessing everything,” Jowsey told Davidson, according to Netflix’s account of the finale.

Jowsey then met Mozo at the altar, where the couple exchanged vows and Mozo said, “I do.”

Entertainment Weekly reported that Jowsey became emotional as Mozo walked toward him and that he wore his late father’s glasses while reading his vows.

“Somehow you made me slow down, soften, and believe in something real,” Jowsey told Mozo in his vows. “And here you are, and you make me feel like home.”

Mozo said the experience had involved “surrendering” and letting down her guard, adding that Jowsey was “special” and “unique.”

A dating experiment built around marriage

The finale followed Jowsey’s attempt to select a spouse from a group of 20 women.

The series presented itself as a dating competition in which Jowsey’s friends helped him evaluate potential partners through dates, compatibility challenges and eliminations.

Amanda Kloots, Georgia Hassarati and Sonny Henty served as Jowsey’s advisers during the process.

Kloots also officiated the ceremony shown in the finale.

Mozo and Davidson were the last two contestants remaining after the earlier dates and eliminations.

People identified Davidson as a cocktail waitress and nurse from Las Vegas and Mozo as a 30-year-old travel photographer from Hawaii.

In an interview with People, Jowsey described choosing between the two finalists as “one of the most daunting decisions” he had faced.

He also said that both women were exceptional candidates and that he had struggled with the possibility that one of them would be heartbroken.

“It really wasn’t an easy decision at all,” Jowsey told People.

Why Jowsey chose Mozo

Jowsey said Mozo’s free-spirited personality distinguished her from the other contestants.

Netflix reported that Jowsey explained his choice by saying, “I really love Amber’s confidence and how she thinks about the world.”

The series showed Jowsey and Mozo developing a connection gradually, despite his early uncertainty about whether she liked him.

Their first one-on-one date included a conversation about the loss of a parent, a shared experience that People identified as an important point in their relationship.

During the season, Jowsey also took Mozo and Davidson to New Zealand to meet his sisters, Sara and Rose.

The sisters chose different finalists: Sara favored Mozo, while Rose favored Davidson.

Jowsey told People that he ultimately relied on his feelings for Mozo and what he described as signs connected to his late father.

What comes next

The finale confirms the ceremony shown on the program and Jowsey and Mozo’s exchange of vows, but Netflix’s post-finale coverage does not specify whether the televised marriage was legally binding.

The couple’s post-show relationship is also being held for the reunion episode, which Netflix says will air on Aug. 26.

People likewise reported that the reunion is scheduled for Aug. 26 and that *Let’s Marry Harry* is currently available to stream on Netflix.

For now, the confirmed outcome is that Jowsey selected Mozo and publicly said “I do” to her at the end of the first season.

HBO announced the casting through an official social-media post that referenced Lockhart’s fictional autobiography, Magical Me, and his self-promotional personality.

“Magical me indeed. Now, how many autographs would you like?” the announcement said before confirming that Hoult had joined season two.

The casting was first reported by Deadline and subsequently reported by Variety, TheWrap and the BBC.

Who Is Gilderoy Lockhart?

Lockhart is a celebrity wizard and author who becomes Hogwarts’ Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, the second novel in J.K. Rowling’s series.

The character is presented as vain, boastful and obsessed with fame, while claiming credit for heroic acts that he did not perform.

Lockhart was played by Kenneth Branagh in the 2002 film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.

Hoult is known for roles in About a Boy, Skins, Mad Max: Fury Road, the X-Men films, The Great and Superman.

The role follows Hoult’s appearance as Lex Luthor in Superman, adding another major franchise part to the English actor’s recent work.

Fans Respond

The immediate response from fans was mixed rather than uniformly negative.

Comments reproduced by Yahoo Entertainment included enthusiastic reactions such as “PERFECT CASTING” and a statement that “millennial Potterheads” approved of the decision.

Other commenters expressed reservations, including “This just feels odd” and “Well. This is disappointing. Money>Morals.”

The reported comments do not establish how representative those reactions are of the wider Harry Potter audience, and no reliable poll or survey measuring fan sentiment was identified in the reporting reviewed for this article.

Some online discussion also reflected disappointment among people who had expected Hoult to play a different character, particularly Lord Voldemort, before the Lockhart casting was confirmed.

Other fans argued that Hoult’s previous performances demonstrated his ability to play an egocentric or pompous character.

The available reaction therefore points to competing responses: excitement about Hoult’s suitability for the role, disappointment among some viewers about his involvement or the choice itself, and broader opposition to the new series.

Rowling Controversy and the Reboot

The reaction to Hoult’s casting is also unfolding against continuing debate over Rowling’s public views on gender and transgender rights.

Rowling has been criticised by LGBTQ+ organisations, transgender people and others who describe her statements about gender as transphobic, while she has rejected that characterisation and said she supports transgender people’s right to live free from discrimination and abuse.

The controversy has affected discussion of the HBO adaptation, which is based on Rowling’s books and has her involvement as an executive producer.

HBO chief content officer Casey Bloys previously said that Rowling’s views had not affected the project’s casting, writing or production staffing.

The issue resurfaced this week after Bel Powley, who plays Petunia Dursley in the new series, said she “strongly disagree with J.K. Rowling’s views on gender” and that transgender people deserve “safety and dignity and respect and total acceptance.”

That statement was separate from Hoult’s casting announcement, and neither HBO nor Hoult was reported by the sources reviewed as linking his appointment to the debate over Rowling’s views.

Production Timetable

The first season of HBO’s series, titled Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, is scheduled to premiere on HBO and HBO Max on December 25, 2026.

Season two has been approved and is expected to begin filming in autumn 2026.

The second season will adapt Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, meaning Hoult’s Lockhart is not expected to appear in the first season’s adaptation of the opening novel.

HBO has not announced a premiere date for season two in the sources reviewed.

For now, the casting has produced both approval and disappointment online, while the larger question for some viewers remains whether they want to engage with a franchise still connected to Rowling.

Egerton discussed the moment during an appearance on Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard released August 10, 2026. The episode’s official description identifies Egerton as the guest and lists a discussion of his work with Hardy among the conversation’s topics.

“There was a scene that never made the movie, but I was so pleased with myself,” Egerton said, according to reports on the interview. He then described a sequence in which Hardy’s character returns to a car after killing someone while Egerton’s character is waiting in the back seat.

“I grabbed his face, and I snogged him,” Egerton recalled. “And it wasn’t in the script.”

Egerton said he immediately pulled back because he did not know how Hardy would respond. Egerton added that he believed Hardy appreciated the confidence behind the improvisation, although Hardy has not been independently quoted in the available reports about the incident.

The Scene’s Context

In Legend, Hardy played both Ronald “Ronnie” Kray and Reginald “Reggie” Kray, the real-life London gangsters whose criminal activities form the basis of the film. Egerton played Teddy Smith, who is described in coverage of the film as Ronnie Kray’s lover.

The kiss did not appear in the theatrical version of Legend. Reports describe it as an unused or cut moment rather than a kiss shown in the completed film.

Egerton said the improvisation suited the purpose of his role because Teddy was positioned as a romantic counterpoint to the film’s violent, male-dominated gangster environment. He described the characters’ world as hypermasculine and said his role was intended to subvert that atmosphere.

Egerton also credited director Brian Helgeland with allowing the cast to experiment while making the film. Coverage of the interview reports that Egerton characterized Helgeland as open to actors improvising and trying alternatives to the written material.

A Revisited Performance

The disclosure comes more than a decade after Legend was made and released. The film was directed by Helgeland and centered on Hardy’s dual performance as the Kray twins.

The reported kiss is notable because Egerton’s character was explicitly connected romantically to one of Hardy’s characters, yet the moment did not survive into the final cut. The available reporting does not establish why the scene was removed, whether the footage still exists or whether the production formally recorded the kiss as a take intended for possible inclusion.

Egerton’s account frames the moment as an acting choice made within the film’s established relationship and character dynamics, rather than as a claim about either actor’s sexuality or personal life. No available report indicates that either Egerton or Hardy has identified the scene as evidence of an off-screen romantic relationship.

What Egerton Said About Hardy

Egerton said he had not seen Hardy in approximately 10 years, according to coverage of the podcast conversation. He nevertheless recalled the filming experience positively and said he was not intimidated by Hardy as a fellow actor.

The actor said he has personal insecurities and fears but does not lack confidence in his ability as a performer. That confidence, as described in the interview coverage, informed his willingness to make an unexpected choice during the scene.

The account has since been reported by entertainment and international news outlets, all of which identify the Armchair Expert episode as the source of Egerton’s comments.

As of August 12, 2026, there is no reported indication that the deleted scene will be released or restored.