Firstman wrote and directed the film and plays its central character, a queer nightlife figure whose life has become increasingly disconnected from the future he may want.

The child, portrayed by Reggie Absolom, is described in the film’s official synopsis as a son whom the promoter never knew he had.

The trailer presents the story as a collision between the protagonist’s established social world and the responsibilities of caring for a child, while positioning the relationship between father and son as the film’s emotional center.

A24 plans to release Club Kid in theaters on November 6. Deadline reported that the film will begin with a limited theatrical release, while IndieWire reported that a broader rollout is planned to follow.

Firstman’s Feature Debut

Club Kid marks Firstman’s first feature as a writer-director and leading actor.

The film follows Firstman’s increasing visibility across acting and comedy, including appearances in Miracle Workers, Ms. Marvel, Dave, English Teacher, Hacks and I Love LA.

He also starred in Rotting in the Sun, a 2023 comedy that premiered at the Sundance Film Festival.

The ensemble cast includes Cara Delevingne, Diego Calva, Kirby Howell-Baptiste, Colleen Camp, Vicki Pepperdine, Nigil Whyte, Eldar Isgandarov, Saturn Risin9, Miss Benny and Alaska Riley.

Variety also identified Delevingne, Calva, Howell-Baptiste and Absolom among the film’s principal cast.

Absolom’s previous screen work includes appearances in Apple TV+’s Silo, as well as Testament and The Other Bennet Sister.

Cannes Premiere and A24 Deal

Before the trailer’s release, Club Kid premiered at the 2026 Cannes Film Festival in May.

Deadline reported that the film received a seven-minute standing ovation following its Cannes premiere.

The Cannes response reportedly led to a bidding contest among distributors, with A24 acquiring the film for $17 million, according to Variety.

Variety reported that A24, Netflix, Searchlight Pictures, Focus Features and Mubi were among the companies competing for the film.

The reported acquisition places Club Kid among A24’s upcoming theatrical releases and gives the film a commercial path beyond the festival circuit.

A Queer Story About Responsibility

Variety described the protagonist as a queer party promoter who has outgrown his place in the nightlife scene.

The film’s premise does not treat queer identity as a problem to be solved; instead, it places a queer adult’s nightlife, relationships and evolving sense of responsibility at the center of a family story.

In a statement reported by Variety, Firstman said that ensuring the queer cast would be fully supported during the promotional tour was important to him.

“In every one of my buyer meetings was vital to me that this cast gets brought out in full to promote the film – flown out, put up, glam paid for, all of it,” Firstman said.

The film’s emotional premise is therefore grounded in an unexpected form of adulthood: a person known for excess and spontaneity must respond to the arrival of a child and consider what kind of life he wants to lead.

Firstman on the Film’s Inspiration

Speaking with Deadline at Cannes, Firstman said the project began partly after he spent more time around his friends’ children.

He said the initial idea treated the relationship between an adult and a child as a comic premise, but that the story changed as he wrote it.

Firstman told Deadline that a breakup, his connection to Berlin’s party scene and his own experiences with drug use influenced the film’s exploration of a life at a crossroads.

He said the writing process continued to reveal new elements of the film and of his own relationship to its subject.

Critics have responded positively to the film’s shift from nightlife comedy toward a more emotionally serious story.

Deadline critic Damon Wise called the film “an unlikely but still beautifully human story” and praised Firstman’s move into a more serious tone.

Variety critic Guy Lodge described Club Kid as a “sweet, surprisingly old-fashioned heartwarmer.”

With its trailer now public, Club Kid is set to move from its Cannes launch into the fall theatrical calendar, beginning with its November 6 release.

The pop superstar has been nominated in every decade of her musical career. She has 19 competitive MTV VMA wins and in 1986 became the first solo female artist to receive the Video Vanguard Award.

She is up for 11 awards at this year's ceremony, including video, artist and song of the year as well as best collaboration, dance, direction, art direction, cinematography, editing, choreography and visual effects.

If she were to sweep, she'd tie Beyoncé and Taylor Swift for the title of most-awarded musician in VMA history. They have 30 each. (Eminem is the male artist with the most VMAs, with 15.)

Speaking of Swift: She follows Madonna with the second-most nominations, with nine. If she takes home even one award, she will become the most-awarded artist in VMA history.

Swift is up for video and artist of the year as well as best pop, direction, art direction, cinematography, editing, choreography and visual effects.

Madonna and Swift are followed by Ariana Grande and Sabrina Carpenter with seven nods to their name as well as Bruno Mars, PinkPantheress and Zara Larsson with five. Blackpink's LISA has four and Shakira, Tate McRae, GENER8ION and Yung Lean are tied for three.

Rounding out the artist of the year category nominees are Grande, Mars, Carpenter and Morgan Wallen, in addition to Madonna and Swift.

The top prize of the night, video of the year, sees Swift's “The Fate of Ophelia” compete against Madonna’s “Confessions II — The Film,” Grande’s “Hate That I Made You Love Me,” Mars' “I Just Might,” Carpenter’s “Tear” and GENER8ION’s “Storm” starring Yung Lean.

The two-hour show will broadcast live on CBS on Sunday, Sept. 27, at 7:30 p.m. Eastern and 4:30 p.m. Pacific, from the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. It will also simulcast on MTV and be available to stream on Paramount+ in the U.S.

The show will become available to stream globally the next day on Paramount+ and MTV.

CBS is home to a number of award shows, including the Tony Awards and the American Music Awards. It has aired the Grammys since 1973, though that show will head to ABC in 2027.

This year’s Video Music Awards features 26 first-time nominees, which include GENER8ION and Yung Lean (with their aforementioned three nods, for their “Storm” collaboration) and the K-pop boy band CORTIS and viral “Boston” singer Stella Lefty with two each. Other notable first-time nominees include Don Toliver, Kali Uchis, Noah Kahan, Olivia Dean, Tucker Wetmore and Sienna Spiro.

The best dance category has returned for the first time in seven years. Nominees include McRae's “Nobody’s Girl,” Bebe Rexha and Faithless' “New Religion,” Harry Styles' “Aperture,” Lady Gaga and Doechii's “Runway,” Madonna's “Confessions II — The Film,” PinkPantheress' “Stateside” with Larsson and Slayyyter's “Dance …”

Fan voting began online Tuesday across 13 categories and ends Sept. 25 at 6 p.m. Eastern and 3 p.m. Pacific.

Voting in the best new artist category will remain active during the show.

Ahmed made the comments as the couple discussed their engagement and wedding plans in recent television appearances and interviews.

The couple became engaged in Albania, where Ahmed proposed to Blackman after they had been together for about two years.

Their proposal was featured in an episode of TOWIE broadcast on 17 August, bringing the couple’s relationship and forthcoming marriage into the programme’s current storyline.

“I would save them a place”

Speaking to The Mirror, Ahmed said he wanted his family to be present, while acknowledging that their attendance was uncertain.

“Call me delusional, I would love to have my family there and I would save them a place at the wedding,” he said.

“Whether they’ll attend or not, I don’t know,” Ahmed added, saying that an invitation would nevertheless be sent to his mother.

Female First reported the same remarks after Ahmed and Blackman appeared on ITV’s This Morning, where Ahmed described their plans as a large Bollywood and Essex wedding planned for the summer of 2027.

The reports said the wedding is expected to combine Bollywood and English traditions and may be shown through TOWIE.

Family estrangement

Ahmed has said that he was made to leave his family home at the age of 18 after coming out as gay.

He has described the family relationship as fractured and said they have remained estranged since he came out.

Ahmed said the absence of his family from major moments in his life was painful because he had not expected them to be missing from those occasions.

“It’s so hard for me that my relationship with my family isn’t there, which breaks my heart so much,” he said.

Ahmed also said he continued to love his family despite the estrangement and their alleged rejection of his sexuality and faith.

“I love them. I still do, regardless of what’s happened,” he said.

Ahmed said that his family did not accept him “for being Muslim and being gay,” while adding that he could not simply switch off his love for them.

The Sun previously reported that Ahmed’s parents had not accepted his sexuality and that he had not returned to the family home since coming out.

The Mirror reported in June that Ahmed said his mother had contacted him after several years and called him an “embarrassment” following his engagement to a man.

That earlier report said the message added to Ahmed’s concern that his family might not attend the wedding.

Ahmed and Blackman’s plans

Ahmed and Blackman are both associated with TOWIE, the ITV reality series set in Essex.

Ahmed joined TOWIE in 2022, while Blackman joined the programme in 2023.

Blackman previously appeared on the programme in a relationship with fellow cast member Harry Derbidge, and the relationship’s breakdown was shown on the series before Blackman and Ahmed became a couple.

The couple have said their wedding will celebrate both grooms’ heritage through a large Bollywood-inspired production with English elements.

Female First reported that Blackman’s son, Daice, could have a role in the ceremony, although the couple’s final arrangements have not been confirmed.

The Sun reported that the wedding is expected to be filmed for TOWIE, but the precise date and final broadcast arrangements have not been announced.

A continuing family question

Ahmed’s decision to invite his family means the guest list remains open despite the estrangement and the hurt he has described.

He has not said that his family accepted his sexuality, reconciled with him, or confirmed that they will attend the wedding.

Instead, Ahmed’s public position is that he wants to leave the decision with them while still offering them a place at a major milestone in his life.

The couple’s engagement and wedding planning are expected to remain part of TOWIE’s coverage as the programme follows their relationship and preparations for the ceremony.

The affected branches are in Hantsport, Kentville, Lawrencetown, Port Williams and Middleton, communities served by the Annapolis Valley Regional Library in western Nova Scotia.

The library said Reid’s gift is one of the most significant private donations in its history.

“This is an incredibly generous gift, and we are profoundly grateful to Rachel for choosing to invest in libraries, the Annapolis Valley, and the people our libraries serve,” Julia Merritt, the library’s chief executive officer, said in a news release reported by CBC News.

The library said the donation would help it continue creating opportunities for people across the region to read, learn and connect, while details about how the money will be implemented are finalized.

Why the branches were threatened

The five branches had originally been scheduled to close on July 20 because of what the library described as a significant funding shortfall.

In July, the Annapolis Valley Regional Library board voted to use $80,000 from its reserves to keep the branches operating until September 30.

The board had requested $351,000 in additional funding from municipalities to keep the five locations open through the end of the 2026–27 fiscal year. About one-third of that request had been committed, leaving a shortfall of more than $200,000.

The board operates 11 libraries in the Annapolis Valley.

The library’s website says it provides free public library service in West Hants, Kings and Annapolis counties, and has served the region since 1949.

CTV News Atlantic reported that the proposed closures were expected to eliminate nine full-time-equivalent positions.

The regional library’s funding pressure is part of a broader debate about public-library financing in Nova Scotia. The Council of Regional Librarians told CTV News Atlantic that the province’s regional libraries faced an estimated funding gap of $12.78 million.

Reid’s connection to libraries

Reid told CBC News that libraries were an essential service and should be properly funded.

“I had to do it because I don’t know what the point is of being a successful author in Nova Scotia if you’re not going to use it for good,” Reid said in the interview.

Reid said she grew up in Bedford, Nova Scotia, and frequently used the local library, borrowing as many books as she was allowed to take out at one time.

She said those books helped inspire her to become an author and that she began reading romance novels at the library in adulthood.

Reid also described libraries as meeting places and community spaces where she took her children and met other parents.

“I don’t think I’d be an author without my local library,” she told CBC News.

Reid’s fiction has also brought LGBTQ+ relationships and characters into mainstream hockey romance. CBC News previously described *Heated Rivalry* as a story about a Canadian hockey player and a Russian rival whose relationship develops while they compete in the National Hockey League.

Long-term funding remains unresolved

The donation provides immediate support, but the Annapolis Valley Regional Library said it does not eliminate the need for reliable public funding.

In its statement, the library emphasized the need for increased stable annual funding and strong municipal and provincial partnerships to sustain services over the long term.

Reid similarly said private donations cannot replace government policy or public funding, while adding that she wanted to help because she was able to do so.

The library said it remained committed to working with government so communities across the region could continue to access strong public libraries.

The library also said Reid would participate in a special ticketed public event next month focused on libraries, reading and community, with further information expected later this week.

For now, the $300,000 contribution gives the regional system additional resources as it works to preserve services in the five communities and address the structural funding issue identified by its board.

The appearance marked O’Donnell’s return to a television hosting desk after decades away from the format.

O’Donnell previously hosted The Rosie O’Donnell Show from 1996 through 2002 and was also a co-host of The View.

She opened the program by telling viewers, “They said you can’t come home again, but here I am!”

O’Donnell then connected her arrival to Trump’s well-publicized criticism of Kimmel’s late-night program, telling the audience, “And if you thought the president hated ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!’ when it was hosted by Jimmy Kimmel, buckle up, people!”

Variety reported that O’Donnell entered wearing a bright pink, flower-adorned suit and was greeted by extended applause and chants of “RO-SIE! RO-SIE!”

References to Trump Without Saying His Name

Although Trump was the central target of several jokes, O’Donnell did not say his name during the monologue, according to USA Today and The Washington Post.

Instead, she referred to Trump as “Mango Mussolini” while discussing her move to Ireland.

“I’ve been living in Ireland for the past two years because of Mango Mussolini,” O’Donnell said, according to USA Today.

She said she read Project 2025 and decided, “Gotta get myself out of here,” before choosing Ireland, which she joked was a country where people are “driven to drink regardless of who’s running their country.”

Project 2025 is a conservative policy blueprint that became a prominent subject of political debate during the 2024 U.S. presidential campaign.

O’Donnell also contrasted the political climate of the 1990s with the present day, saying that although the earlier period included war, climate change and presidential scandals, “today, everything is so chill.”

A Direct Message to the White House

During the monologue, O’Donnell described telling her child not to reveal that the family was moving to Ireland.

She said the child instead told classmates, “I’m being forced to move to another country because the president of the United States hates my mother. But in all fairness, I believe my mother hates him more.”

O’Donnell then looked toward the camera, waved and said, “Hi, I know you’re watching!”

She closed the monologue with another reference to Trump, joking that he was “in the White House crying because I haven’t mentioned him.”

The Washington Post characterized the performance as a return in which O’Donnell mocked Trump but barely mentioned him, emphasizing that she avoided using his name.

A Longstanding Public Conflict

O’Donnell and Trump have publicly clashed for roughly two decades, with the dispute beginning before Trump entered presidential politics.

Variety traced the conflict to 2006, when O’Donnell criticized Trump during her time on The View after he allowed a beauty-pageant winner to retain her title despite controversy surrounding her conduct.

The disagreement continued after Trump became president and O’Donnell remained a vocal critic of his administration and political agenda.

Trump’s conflict with Kimmel has also been a recurring feature of late-night political coverage, making O’Donnell’s selection as guest host especially pointed.

Kimmel had previously presented O’Donnell’s guest-hosting role as “a special treat” for Trump, describing her as one of the president’s “all-time favorites.”

The Week Ahead

O’Donnell is scheduled to continue as guest host throughout the week of August 17.

The announced guests include Jean Smart, Richard Gadd, Charlie Day, Janelle James, Megan Mullally, Nick Offerman and Shawn Hatosy.

Kimmel is scheduled to return to Jimmy Kimmel Live! on September 8.

O’Donnell’s first night therefore combined a conventional talk-show comeback with an unusually direct political message, even though Trump’s name was absent from the monologue itself.

“She’s a good role model for me because now she’s not apologizing for who she is,” Menzel told PEOPLE.

“I feel like I’m getting much better into owning my power and finding that,” she added. “So she’s always been a shining example.”

Menzel made the remarks while discussing her return as the voice of Elsa in Frozen 3, the third feature film in Disney’s animated series.

The actor and singer said she feels able to “emulate” Elsa as she prepares to perform the role for a third time.

Menzel’s comments place the upcoming film within a longer character arc for Elsa, whose story began with fear and concealment before moving toward greater self-knowledge and control.

The D23 Preview

Menzel spoke to PEOPLE on Aug. 14 at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California, where she appeared with Frozen costars Kristen Bell and Josh Gad during D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event.

Disney used the event to present a first look at Frozen 3 and preview new music and story elements from the film.

Menzel and Bell performed a new version of “Frozen Heart,” while Gad introduced a new Olaf-centered song titled “Ooooh, Samantha.”

The presentation indicated that the story will involve Anna’s wedding to Kristoff and a romantic storyline for Olaf.

Bell confirmed at the event that Anna will marry Kristoff, her longtime partner in the series.

Gad said Olaf will fall in love with a snowwoman named Samantha and performed a song about the character’s new infatuation.

The first-look footage also teased a new female antagonist, although the character’s identity and voice actor were not disclosed in the available reports.

A More Dangerous Journey

Menzel described the new adventure as taking Anna and Elsa away from their familiar home in Arendelle.

“We will find ourselves far from Arendelle in a frozen land more wild and dangerous than anything else that has ever been created,” Menzel said during the D23 presentation.

The reported footage showed a threatening mystery figure and suggested that the sisters’ next journey will expand the world beyond the settings established in the first two films.

Neither Menzel nor Bell identified the new villain during the presentation.

Menzel will return as Elsa, Bell will reprise Anna, Jonathan Groff will return as Kristoff and Gad will again voice Olaf.

Disney has scheduled Frozen 3 for theatrical release on Nov. 24, 2027.

Elsa’s Continuing Arc

In the original Frozen, Elsa struggles to hide her ability to create and manipulate snow and ice, while Anna searches for her after Elsa leaves the kingdom and unintentionally brings about an unending winter.

The first film ultimately presents Elsa’s acceptance of herself and her powers as central to resolving the crisis facing Arendelle.

The 2019 sequel, Frozen II, expanded the mythology by exploring the origins of Elsa’s powers.

Menzel’s latest comments connect that fictional progression with her own changing relationship to confidence and public expectations.

Her statement does not describe Elsa as a political figure or explicitly identify the character with any particular LGBTQ+ identity.

Instead, Menzel framed Elsa’s significance in personal terms, emphasizing the character’s refusal to apologize for her identity and her growing ability to claim her power.

That distinction is consistent with the information released about *Frozen 3*, which focuses on a new journey for the sisters, Anna’s marriage, Olaf’s romance and an undisclosed threat rather than revealing a specific new identity or relationship for Elsa.

What Has Been Confirmed

The D23 presentation confirmed that the central voice cast will return for the third installment.

It also confirmed that Disney is developing the film for cinemas in late 2027, with the specific release date reported as Nov. 24.

The film’s full plot, the identity of its antagonist and the complete list of songs have not been disclosed in the cited reports.

For now, Menzel’s clearest description of Elsa concerns the character’s emotional position: Elsa is no longer apologizing for who she is, and that self-possession is something Menzel says she is learning to embody herself.

The actor said the relationship was later discovered by a boyfriend, who ended their relationship after learning about it.

The comments appeared in an interview with The Sunday Times published in August, as Anderson promoted *Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma*, a horror film directed by Jane Schoenbrun.

Anderson’s account was reported by multiple outlets after the interview’s publication, including Page Six, PinkNews and Yahoo News.

What Anderson said about identity

According to the reports, Anderson said she did not think of herself as LGBTQ+ or gay during that period because she had also had relationships with boys.

Her comments describe a personal experience without assigning a label to her current identity. The reports likewise do not state that Anderson has publicly adopted a specific sexual-orientation label in connection with the latest interview.

The language Anderson used places the emphasis on secrecy and the reaction of people around her rather than on a claim that a same-sex relationship determined her identity. PinkNews reported that she said she had not possessed the language as a younger person to understand or describe her sexuality in the way people might today.

That distinction is important when reporting on a public figure’s earlier relationships: a person’s relationships, self-description and sexual orientation are related but not interchangeable facts. Anderson’s own account, as reported, does not provide grounds for assigning her an identity she has not claimed.

A disclosure with earlier precedent

The recent comments echo Anderson’s earlier public discussion of relationships with women. In a 2012 interview with *Out*, she said she had been in a relationship with a girl for a long time during high school.

At the time, Anderson also said that most of her relationships had been with men and that she had not identified as “100 per cent” gay.

The 2012 coverage described Anderson’s comments as a discussion of sexual fluidity and personal choice, rather than an announcement that she was adopting a particular label.

The newer interview adds details about the atmosphere surrounding the high-school relationship, including Anderson’s description of it as something she and the other girl felt compelled to conceal.

Connection to *Camp Miasma*

The disclosure came during a period in which Anderson has been discussing queer desire and teenage sexual exploration in connection with *Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma*. The film stars Hannah Einbinder as Kris, a filmmaker involved in reviving a horror franchise, and Anderson as Billy Presley, a former star of the original film.

The Los Angeles Times reported that Anderson connected the film’s themes with her own experiences as a teenager, saying she had been with women during “a couple of moments” in her teen years.

In that interview, Anderson said she had not previously spoken much about those experiences and recalled feeling alone and different from other students at her high school.

The Los Angeles Times account did not identify the partner or provide the details later reported from The Sunday Times interview.

The film opened in limited release in the United States on Aug. 7, according to the Los Angeles Times.

The New York Times described Anderson’s casting as connected to her standing as a queer cultural figure, while its review characterized the film as engaging with LGBTQ+ representation in horror.

Why the wording matters

Anderson’s description of the relationship reflects the social environment she experienced as a teenager, when she believed the relationship would not be accepted and therefore kept it private.

The available reports do not establish that Anderson is describing a universally representative experience for LGBTQ+ young people, nor do they provide evidence about the private circumstances of the other person involved.

For that reason, the relationship is best reported as Anderson described it: a significant teenage same-sex relationship that she and her partner kept hidden, followed by a boyfriend’s decision to end their relationship after discovering it.

The disclosure also illustrates how Anderson’s public comments have developed over time: she first acknowledged a long relationship with a girl in high school in 2012, and has now spoken more directly about the secrecy and isolation surrounding that period.

In a statement provided to ABC News, a Netflix spokesperson said the company stands behind the series and intends to “vigorously defend” it in court.

“Tyra Banks was given the opportunity to speak openly about her experience and the creators fairly presented her perspective alongside those of every other participant shown in this documentary,” the spokesperson said.

Netflix added that directors Daniel Sivan and Mor Loushy are “respected documentarians” who thoroughly interviewed people connected to America’s Next Top Model.

The filings were submitted after Banks sued Netflix, the documentary’s directors and production companies in June, alleging that the finished series falsely represented her conduct and responsibilities as the creator and host of America’s Next Top Model.

The Dispute Over Editing

Banks’ lawsuit centers on the way the docuseries edited her interview. She said she participated in an interview lasting approximately three and a half hours, but that only about 16 minutes of the interview appeared in the series.

According to the complaint, producers removed context in which Banks accepted responsibility for some decisions associated with the show’s controversial history.

Banks alleges that the editing used “selective editing, deliberate omission, and surgical manipulation” to create what she describes as a false and defamatory narrative.

Her complaint specifically disputes the impression that she knowingly permitted a contestant to be sexually assaulted, used the contestant’s trauma to increase the program’s ratings and later could not remember the incident.

The allegation relates to Cycle 2 contestant Shandi Sullivan, whose experience during the show’s production is discussed in the docuseries. Banks objects to a sequence in which she is asked whether she remembers Sullivan’s story and responds, “um,” before the picture cuts to black.

Banks argues that the sequence creates a “devastating and deliberate” implication that she could not remember the incident.

Netflix’s Legal Argument

Netflix’s motion describes Banks’ claims as objections to “ordinary editorial decisions.” The company argues that documentary filmmakers decide whom to interview, which questions to ask, which answers to include, how to arrange differing accounts and what material to leave out.

The filing says Banks agreed that the filmmakers would control those decisions when she participated in the interview.

Netflix says Banks signed an agreement granting the filmmakers permission to edit her interview and acknowledging that she had no right to review or approve the completed documentary.

The company also argues that the agreement released claims arising from the documentary, including claims for defamation and false light.

Netflix’s position is that Banks is dissatisfied with how much of her interview was used, the way the material was edited and the manner in which her perspective was presented, but that such dissatisfaction does not establish defamation.

What Banks Is Seeking

Banks is seeking unspecified damages and a jury trial, according to reporting based on the federal complaint.

The lawsuit names Netflix, Sivan, Loushy and EverWonder Studio among the defendants.

The complaint also includes claims involving false light, defamation by implication, breach of contract and alleged false endorsement connected to the docuseries’ soundtrack.

Banks alleges that the series damaged her professional opportunities, income and emotional well-being.

The lawsuit followed the release of *Reality Check*, which examines the legacy of *America’s Next Top Model* through interviews with former contestants, producers and Banks.

Next Steps in Court

Netflix and the other defendants are asking the court to reject Banks’ claims before the case proceeds to a full trial.

Deadline reported that Netflix’s motion seeks an October 30 hearing in Los Angeles Superior Court.

The court has not yet ruled on Netflix’s motions, and the lawsuit remains pending.

The dispute therefore remains focused on two competing accounts of the documentary process: Banks says the editing transformed her interview into a misleading portrayal, while Netflix says the series accurately presented her perspective and that editorial choices are protected rather than defamatory.

The actor discussed the episode in a Rolling Stone video interview focused on 10 songs that have been important throughout his life. The interview was reported by Entertainment Weekly on Aug. 15 and by People on Aug. 17.

“What a cool, groovy little tune,” McConaughey said of Jackson’s 1993 hit. He then added: “It’s also the reason I quit smoking weed.”

McConaughey’s explanation was not that the song itself was unpleasant; rather, he associated it with an experience in which marijuana became so powerful that he lost track of the event he was supposed to attend.

A missed birthday celebration

McConaughey recalled that the incident took place when he was on his way to his own birthday party. According to his account, the celebration was being held at a club that had been taken over for the occasion, and he planned to drive himself there.

Before entering the venue, a friend gave him a joint that was described as unusually strong. McConaughey said he smoked it while sitting in his car and quickly realized that it did not feel like the marijuana he had used previously.

He began listening to “That’s the Way Love Goes” repeatedly. McConaughey said he played the song 24 times in a row and remained in the car instead of going into the party.

By the time he finally left the vehicle and went inside, the party had ended and the guests had gone. “I listened to Janet Jackson’s ‘That’s the Way Love Goes’ 24 times in a row,” he said, according to Entertainment Weekly’s account.

“And when I finally got out of the car to go into my birthday party, no one was in there, ’cause it was over,” McConaughey said.

His description of stronger cannabis

McConaughey placed the experience “right around the time weed started turning hydroponic.” He contrasted what he described as earlier marijuana use—smoking, laughing and getting the munchies—with what he experienced as a more potent form of cannabis.

In the interview, he said the stronger marijuana made the “subplots” of the experience feel unmanageable and caused people to “implode.” Those comments describe McConaughey’s personal recollection rather than a medical assessment of cannabis potency or its effects.

The actor’s account does not identify the exact date of the birthday party or establish how long he had been using marijuana before the incident. It does establish that he viewed the episode as a turning point in his own behavior.

“Love the song, didn’t love the weed”

McConaughey emphasized that his decision was directed at marijuana, not Jackson’s music. “Love the song, didn’t love the weed,” he said.

He also clarified that he still enjoys the track. “Still like the tune, though,” he said.

The anecdote has drawn renewed attention because it combines a familiar pop song with an unusually specific personal memory: a birthday party missed while the future Oscar-winning actor remained in a car listening to the same song on repeat.

Music in McConaughey’s acting process

The Rolling Stone interview also connected McConaughey’s relationship with music to his work as an actor. Entertainment Weekly reported that he makes playlists based on what he thinks a character would listen to.

McConaughey said he learned that approach while working with director Richard Linklater on “Dazed & Confused,” when Linklater gave cast members a cassette representing what their characters might hear. He described music as a way to establish a character’s rhythm and atmosphere without explicitly instructing the performer how to behave.

The actor is also associated with a new film, “The Rivals of Amziah King,” in which he plays a musician and beekeeper. In that context, his discussion of songs served both as a reflection on his personal history and as an explanation of how music informs his performances.

For McConaughey, “That’s the Way Love Goes” remains a song he appreciates, even though one particularly intense listening session helped bring his marijuana use to an end.