The Depth of the Villa Bromance

Bryce Alakai clarified that his connection with Zach Georgiou was a "bromance" that, while intense, was "blown out of proportion" by some interpretations . The friendship, which featured moments of cuddling, emotional conversations, and a viral "girth check," led some viewers to speculate about a romantic element between the two men .

Alakai recounted that their close bond began on the very first night in the villa, a challenging period for many Islanders . He explained that the unique, isolated environment of the Love Island villa, without phones or outside entertainment, fostered rapid trust and deep friendships among contestants . Alakai likened the camaraderie to that found in a sports locker room, where men engage in "crazy things" to elicit reactions from each other . He specifically recalled sharing a bed with Georgiou during the "Paradise Cove" twist, which further cemented their closeness and shared humor .

Addressing Homophobic Reactions

A significant part of the post-show discussion, as highlighted by Alakai, was the "homophobia in the response" from some viewers . He emphasized that many men can relate to the playful and close interactions seen among friends or sports teammates .

Trinity Tatum, Alakai’s partner, also spoke out against what she perceived as a double standard within the fandom . Tatum pointed out that "nobody said anything about the women-on-women kissing," yet the closeness between Bryce and Zach garnered significant, often negative, attention . She expressed that seeing men comfortable enough to joke around and be close while still being committed to their female partners should be viewed as "a breath of fresh air" . Initially, Tatum admitted she playfully felt like Zach was "taking my man," but ultimately found their friendship "so cute" and beneficial to the overall group dynamic, especially given her own close friendship with Zach's partner, Kayda Bosse .

Broader Context and Reality TV's Portrayal of Queerness

The discussion around Bryce and Zach's connection mirrors broader conversations about the representation of queer relationships on reality television. Love Island, particularly its USA iteration, primarily operates within a heterosexual coupling format . Frankie Grande, a gay alumnus of Big Brother, previously commented on the "bromance" between Zach and Bryce, drawing parallels to his own "showmance" with Zach Rance on Big Brother 16 . Grande expressed concern about the potential negative impact of public perception on the mental health of reality TV contestants when their relationships are intensely scrutinized, particularly in a way that implies or questions their sexual orientation without their explicit statements . He also voiced hope that if such connections were to be further explored or revealed, the individuals involved would not resort to homophobic sentiments .

While Love Island USA Season 8 concluded with Alakai and Tatum as the winning couple, the ongoing conversation surrounding Alakai and Georgiou's friendship underscores the evolving landscape of how platonic male intimacy is perceived and discussed in popular culture, particularly within the often hyper-sexualized context of reality dating shows .

“Third week in to weight training again,” Bautista wrote in the caption. “Two more months to get to where I need to be. Like ridin’ a bike!”

The approximately 40-second Instagram reel shows the actor displaying his muscular build and tattoos while continuing the training process required for the role.

Bautista’s post arrived shortly after Prime Video confirmed that he would take over as Kratos, the central character in the God of War television project.

A Change in the Lead Role

Bautista replaced actor Ryan Hurst, who had originally been cast as Kratos. Hurst reportedly suffered a torn biceps while performing a stunt during production.

According to reports, the injury required surgery and a recovery period that would have delayed the production schedule. Amazon MGM Studios and Sony Pictures Television therefore recast the role rather than wait for Hurst’s return.

IGN reported that Hurst’s recovery timeline was considered too long for the production, while Variety reported that restarting with Hurst could have pushed filming into 2027.

The casting change means scenes filmed with Hurst will need to be reshot with Bautista. Variety also reported that the series received a two-season order, with the seasons planned to film back-to-back.

The Physical Demands of Kratos

Kratos is the protagonist of the most recent God of War games, which shifted the character’s setting from ancient Greece to the Norse world. The television series is expected to draw on the two latest games and follow Kratos as he raises his son, Atreus, while confronting gods from the Norse pantheon.

The story described by Prime Video centers on Kratos and Atreus as they travel to spread the ashes of Faye, Atreus’s mother and Kratos’s wife. The journey is also framed as an attempt by Kratos to teach his son how to become a better god while Atreus challenges his father to become a better human being.

Bautista is a former professional wrestler and mixed martial artist who has played physically imposing characters in major film franchises. His previous roles include Drax the Destroyer in Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy and Avengers films.

His casting consequently connects the role with the muscular screen image he developed through professional wrestling and action-oriented film work. However, Bautista’s own caption makes clear that the physical preparation shown in the video is still underway rather than complete.

Production and Public Reaction

The training video drew attention because Bautista’s casting had prompted online discussion about how closely his current physique matched the appearance associated with Kratos. Gizmodo described the video as a direct response to criticism of Bautista’s body and reported that the actor used the post to demonstrate his current build.

That discussion has focused on the expectations placed on performers portraying established video-game characters, particularly characters whose visual identities are closely associated with strength and combat. The available reports document the online conversation and Bautista’s response, but they do not establish a final target weight, measurement or completed physical transformation.

Bautista’s post indicates that he expects to continue weight training for approximately two additional months. It does not provide a detailed workout plan, diet, body-weight goal or medical information about the preparation.

The project’s production circumstances add urgency to that timeline. With Hurst’s previously filmed material requiring replacement and the production seeking to continue its planned schedule, Bautista is preparing for the role while the series undergoes a significant recast.

What the Video Confirms — and What It Does Not

The footage confirms that Bautista has resumed weight training for the Kratos role and that he expects the process to continue for at least two more months.

It does not confirm when filming with Bautista will begin, the final appearance of Kratos in the series, or whether the actor will match the character’s exact video-game design. Those details have not been specified in the reports reviewed for this article.

For now, the clearest update is Bautista’s own: three weeks into training, he says he has two more months to reach the condition he wants for the role.

The film, directed by Simon Stone, dramatizes the final chapter of Charleson’s career, centring on his preparation for and performance as Hamlet at the National Theatre in London.

The recent attention follows an interview with Scott published by The Hollywood Reporter on August 31 and the British Film Institute’s announcement on September 1 of the 2026 London Film Festival’s Screen Talks programme, which will include Scott discussing his work, including Elsinore.

Charleson’s Hamlet

Charleson was a Scottish actor known internationally for playing Eric Liddell in the 1981 film Chariots of Fire.

He was also a gay actor working during the AIDS pandemic, a period when public discussion of HIV and AIDS was frequently shaped by stigma and discrimination.

In the film’s central story, Charleson prepares to play Hamlet while seriously ill with AIDS, confronting the physical demands of the role as his health deteriorates.

The National Theatre performance became Charleson’s final stage role, and he died in January 1990 at the age of 40 from AIDS-related illness.

The title Elsinore refers to the Danish setting of Shakespeare’s *Hamlet*, while the film itself focuses on the real-life circumstances surrounding Charleson’s late-career performance.

Scott’s approach to the role

Scott is an openly gay actor who plays Charleson, an openly gay actor whose sexuality and illness form part of the historical context of the story.

Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, Scott said Charleson’s decision to perform Hamlet while facing a terminal illness remained “completely mind-blowing” to him.

Scott also connected Hamlet’s famous question—“to be or not to be”—with Charleson’s circumstances, while distinguishing the character’s existential dilemma from the actor’s real-life medical condition.

The production marks Scott’s first credited producing role, in addition to his lead performance.

Olivia Colman co-stars as Charleson’s doctor, and the ensemble also includes Billie Piper, Johnny Flynn, Luke Thompson, Joe Locke, Juliet Stevenson and Peter Mullan.

The screenplay was written by Stephen Beresford, whose previous work includes Pride, and Stone directs the project.

Festival premiere and release plans

Elsinore will open the 70th BFI London Film Festival on October 7, 2026, with its European premiere at the Southbank Centre’s Royal Festival Hall.

The festival will run from October 7 through October 18 and will present a programme of 251 titles from 88 countries.

The BFI said cast members are expected to attend the opening-night event, although the available announcement does not specify which members will appear.

Scott is also scheduled to take part in a BFI Screen Talk examining his career and his performance as Charleson in Elsinore.

The film is scheduled to receive its North American release in select United States theatres on November 20, 2026, through Focus Features.

STUDIOCANAL is scheduled to release the film in UK cinemas on January 29, 2027.

The film is also set to appear at the 2026 Toronto International Film Festival, where Scott is scheduled to participate in an on-stage conversation about his career and the new film.

A story shaped by queer history

The project places a gay actor at the centre of a major historical drama without separating his professional achievements from the conditions under which he worked.

Charleson’s story is situated in the history of the AIDS crisis, when many people living with HIV or AIDS faced widespread fear, misinformation and social prejudice.

By focusing on Charleson’s work on Hamlet, Elsinore links a canonical theatrical role with the lived experience of a gay performer whose illness was not publicly known to everyone around him at the time.

The film’s release arrives as contemporary audiences continue to reassess the contributions of LGBTQ+ artists whose careers unfolded during the AIDS crisis.

Its festival rollout will therefore give audiences in Toronto and London an early opportunity to encounter Scott’s interpretation of Charleson before the film reaches cinemas more widely.

Page discussed his employment prospects during an appearance on On Film…With Kevin McCarthy, a film interview podcast hosted by journalist Kevin McCarthy.

McCarthy suggested that Page might be receiving numerous offers after The Odyssey’s success, but Page rejected that assumption. “No, Kevin, I’m not,” Page said, according to published accounts of the interview.

Page said he would like to continue working, adding, “I’d really love to do ideally good work. That’s what I’d love to do.”

He also said that getting cast is “a little tricky” for him at present and described the reasons as “pretty obvious,” without identifying a specific casting decision, studio, producer or project as responsible.

Page’s Explanation

Page connected the difficulty to a change in how he is perceived by the entertainment industry. “I was seen in a certain way before, and it’s different now,” he said, according to coverage of the interview.

Page came out as transgender in December 2020 and has since continued working as an actor, writer and producer.

In the podcast discussion, Page suggested that he might need to take a more proactive approach to developing professional relationships and creating projects rather than waiting for conventional casting offers. “Maybe there is something to reaching out to people and then trying to create connections and projects that way,” he said.

Page also joked that his Canadian background might be affecting his prospects, saying, “I get some pushback for being Canadian. I don’t know what it’s about.”

The interview accounts do not establish whether Page’s lack of offers is the result of discrimination, ordinary fluctuations in film production, the timing of the interview, his choice of roles or other factors.

The Odyssey Role

Page plays Sinon in The Odyssey, Nolan’s adaptation of Homer’s ancient Greek epic.

The film also reunites Page with Nolan, who directed him in the 2010 science-fiction thriller Inception.

Nolan previously praised the decision to work with Page again, saying that Page brought something “really special” to the role and that the character helped represent the consequences of war.

The film’s release drew online criticism from some people opposed to Page’s casting, while other public figures defended the actor and the production.

Page’s appearance in The Odyssey marks his return to a major studio film after his role in Flatliners, which was released in 2017.

A Continuing Career

Although Page said he has not received new offers, he expressed gratitude for his career and for being invited back to work with Nolan.

Page’s comments concern his current work situation, not an announcement that he is leaving acting.

He said he feels more comfortable performing now than during some earlier projects and believes he may be capable of doing some of his best work at this point in his life.

Page has not publicly named a specific upcoming film or television role in connection with the interview.

The remarks therefore document Page’s account of his current lack of offers, but they do not provide evidence that he will remain without work or that a particular future project has been ruled out.

For now, Page’s most recent reported major screen role is Sinon in The Odyssey, while his next acting project remains publicly unannounced.

Shomo discussed the experience in an interview with The Break Down with Nath & Johnny, released on August 27, 2026. The conversation came after several months of public attention surrounding his appearance, Beartooth’s music and his May announcement that he is gay.

“I mean, a lot of the day I’d be in a really, really bad place,” Shomo said while describing the period surrounding his coming out and the public reaction to it. He said he had been trying to live and perform with greater freedom, including choosing how he dressed, sang and presented himself.

“I’m going to just do what I wanna do,” Shomo said in the interview. “I’m gonna wear what I wanna wear. I’m gonna sing how I wanna sing. I’m gonna look how I wanna look and just enjoy being an artist that’s allowed to do that, and that has the freedom to do that.”

He said that freedom was met with “a lot of opposition” and “really, just a lot of homophobia,” adding that some people were not comfortable with the way he was presenting himself or with his creative choices.

The controversy began before his coming out

The backlash described by Shomo followed the February release of Beartooth’s single “Free” and its accompanying music video. The video presented him in a more flamboyant style, including makeup and fashion choices that differed from the image associated with some of the band’s earlier work.

The response included criticism of the song’s sound and mockery of Shomo’s appearance. Some of the online comments were explicitly homophobic, according to reporting by NME, USA TODAY and other music publications.

Shomo subsequently removed his personal Instagram account after the reaction to “Free,” although early reports noted that he did not publicly give a definitive explanation for the deletion. In a later interview, however, he linked the broader period to the pressure and hostility he was experiencing while his personal life and creative direction were under public scrutiny.

The controversy also drew attention after Chris Fronzak, frontman of the band Attila, posted a joke about Shomo’s appearance on X, formerly known as Twitter. Fronzak later deleted the post and apologized.

Coming out and continued scrutiny

Shomo publicly came out as gay in an Instagram statement on May 23, 2026, describing himself as “a proudly gay man.” In that statement, he addressed speculation about his personal life and connected the announcement to a period of significant personal change.

The announcement followed months of public discussion about Shomo’s changing appearance and Beartooth’s evolving musical direction. Reporting has also connected the period to the end of Shomo’s marriage to Fleur Shomo, whom he had married in 2012.

Shomo told The Break Down with Nath & Johnny that coming out did not end the hostility. “It didn’t really change as we kept releasing more songs, and the very vocal opposition continued and still continues,” he said. He added, “And me coming out didn’t help that, and just being honest with people about who I am and what’s been going on.”

The singer characterized the experience as “sad,” according to a report summarizing the interview. He also said he temporarily withdrew from the internet because he was going through an especially difficult period.

Music as a response

The discussion took place as Beartooth promoted The Surface? No—rather, the band’s album Pure Ecstasy, which was released on August 28, 2026, through Fearless Records.

Shomo has said that the new music reflects a more open and liberated approach to his identity and creativity. In the interview, he described learning to feel more comfortable in his own skin and finding the strength to pursue joy rather than continuing to conceal parts of himself.

The album’s release places the backlash within a broader artistic transition for Beartooth, whose “Free” video and recent public presentation represented a visible departure from expectations some fans had formed around the band. Shomo’s account indicates that the criticism was not limited to musical disagreement but included attacks directed at his perceived gender expression and sexual orientation.

Shomo said he is taking “baby steps” while continuing to process the experience and write future material. He also indicated that he still has personal experiences to work through.

The late-August interview is the most detailed recent account from Shomo about the backlash connected to his coming out and his changing artistic image. His comments make clear that the hostility began before his public announcement and continued afterward, while his public work has increasingly centered on self-expression and personal honesty.

The couple’s ceremony took place at The Joinery in Chicago, where they were joined by 125 friends and family members.

The date and location were also listed on the couple’s wedding website, which identifies the event as the wedding of Cordero Zuckerman and Alexander Montgomery in Chicago on August 29, 2026.

The wedding marked a major personal milestone for Denali, who has built a public career across drag performance, television and figure skating.

A Nearly Decade-Long Relationship

People reported that Zuckerman and Montgomery celebrated nearly a decade together at the wedding.

The couple met in 2017 at Berlin Nightclub, a Chicago venue associated with the city’s queer nightlife and performance communities.

Their relationship had already been publicly documented before the wedding announcement. In November 2023, Denali announced an engagement to Alexander in a social-media post describing the couple’s relationship as having begun six years earlier, after Alexander asked Denali to dance at Berlin.

The couple’s wedding therefore returned to the Chicago setting where their relationship began, according to PinkNews.

Family and Drag Community Gathered

The guest list included members of Denali’s Drag Race community, including Shea Couleé, Kandy Muse, Laila McQueen, Utica Queen, Willow Pill and Kahmora Hall.

PinkNews also identified Couleé, Muse, Pill and Hall among the Drag Race performers who attended the wedding.

The ceremony included contributions from members of the couple’s family and chosen community. Denali’s 90-year-old grandmother served as the flower girl, while drag performer Aunty Chan officiated the ceremony, according to People.

The roles reflected the couple’s decision to incorporate both family and drag-world relationships into the celebration.

Two Wedding Looks

Denali wore two looks during the wedding celebrations, according to PinkNews.

The outlet reported that the couple walked down the aisle to “Pulsaki At Night” by Andrew Bird, which it identified as their favorite folk song.

People described the ceremony as an intimate celebration honoring the couple’s history in Chicago and the community they have built together.

The available reports do not provide a complete account of the wedding’s schedule, reception or other vendors.

Denali’s Career in Drag and Skating

Denali became widely known after competing on the 13th season of RuPaul’s Drag Race.

The performer is also a professional figure skater and choreographer.

U.S. Figure Skating previously profiled Zuckerman’s transition between skating and drag, reporting that the performer adopted the name Denali after considering the identity and its connection to North America’s highest peak.

Denali later returned to the franchise for the 10th season of *RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars*, according to a 2025 profile by Latinitas Magazine.

The performer’s television profile has been closely connected to a broader career involving skating, choreography and live performance.

Why the Announcement Matters

Denali’s marriage is the latest publicly reported milestone in the performer’s long-running relationship with Montgomery.

The ceremony also brought together relatives, friends and LGBTQ+ performers from the Drag Race community in a celebration rooted in Chicago, where the couple first met.

The reporting identifies Montgomery as Denali’s husband and describes the couple as having married in an intimate ceremony at The Joinery.

The wedding was held less than two weeks before this article’s publication date, making it the most recent documented news event concerning Denali as of September 2, 2026.

Across five decades, Menudo transformed to meet the current cultural moment. When its members turned 16, most were replaced, making way for newer, junior performers to match its perpetually youthful and increasingly global audience. It worked. And across their run, the group featured over 40 performers.

So, how was the reunion lineup determined? That decision was made by businessperson Paul Tarnopol, who acquired the Menudo brand name and selected the seven who will hit the road later this year: Rene Farrait (who was in the band from 1979-1982), Roy Rossello (1983-1986), Raymond Acevedo (1985-1988), Sergio Gonzales (1986-1990), Ralphy Rodriguez (1987), Ruben Gomez (1987-1990) and Robert Avellanet (1988-1991).

The tour kicks off on Oct. 10 at Los Angeles' YouTube Theater before hitting Chicago's Rosemont Theatre on Oct. 17, New York's United Palace on Nov. 7, Mexico City's Metropolitan Theatre on Nov. 28 and Hollywood, Florida's Hard Rock Live on Dec. 4. It will conclude at San Juan, Puerto Rico's Coca-Cola Music Hall on Dec. 12.

During an interview in Miami, the band told The Associated Press they didn't want to spoil the setlist, but assured that “There's going be motorcycles in the production, for sure,” in reference to their 1981 single “Súbete A Mi Moto.”

“It’s going to be hits,” Avellanet jumped in.

Below, the septet discussed rehearsals, choreography, Puerto Rico and how Menudo has continued to resonate across generations.

Remarks have been edited for clarity and brevity.

AP: This lineup spans generations of Menudo. It's like a new band.

ACEVEDO: It's been quite an exciting time to be able to come together again after all these years, even though some of us have been together on stage on other projects. … But, for example, I’ve never been on stage with René and it’s an honor. He is like, you now, one of the OGs. … We have a lot of chemistry.

AP: How have rehearsals gone? Are you relearning old choreography?

AVELLANET: We’re rehearsing a lot. A lot. It’s been like three weeks so far, a lot of muscle ache, you know, we are recovering still. No, it’s coming out super, super great. I've learned stuff that I didn’t learn in Menudo, that I didn’t sing … but it’s fine. We’re all professionals and we’ve done it before.

AP: And what about the songs — do you have to adjust them for your matured voices?

RODRIGUEZ: Some of the songs, especially the earlier songs, the voices were a lot higher and maybe you go down like three steps, or something like that. But then there are other songs throughout the generations where we’re only going, like, one step down. So, it’s actually not that different, which is kind of cool. But either way, whether it’s the older ones or the middle ones or the newer ones, there’s still that freshness. There’s still that Menudo magic because it’s us who’s singing it. And because we still have that child, that inner child in us that’s coming out while we’re singing.

ACEVEDO: We’re not going to name names of songs because it’s a surprise, but it’s super cool to be able to do that. And it just takes you in this journey. … It’s going to be very visual as well. And it’s going bring back all that nostalgic feeling, definitely.

GOMEZ: It’s a visual time, you know, traveling through time.

AP: The last Menudo album was in 1996, 30 years ago. Are you working on new music?

GONZALES: We’re concentrating on the anniversary. But who knows what could happen in the future?

ACEVEDO: We are just, like, full force. So, who knows what’s gonna happen after? Go to these shows and you tell us.

AP: Fifty years on, and Menudo is still viewed as the biggest Latino boy band of all time. What is it about this group that people continue to love and connect with?

GOMEZ: I think it’s the music. … The formula of the songs, in conjunction with the dancing, the music really speaks for itself. When you hear a Menudo song, before the song ends, you already know the lyrics. And that’s a real song. And they were just written by incredible writers. They were from Spain. Carlos Villa, Alejandro Monroy. They were the ones who actually created that whole sound and the songs. I think the songs are what keeps it going.

ACEVEDO: The songs and then the visual obviously. Menudo, the dances, in sync with the music — and you know, the time Menudo came out, there was just there was nothing like it.

AP: Menudo is also hitting the road at a time where people all over the world are thinking about, looking toward and celebrating Puerto Rico — especially musically. Is there something special about bringing this group back now?

ACEVEDO: Historically, yes, we are in a great moment to be part of this Menudo 50 anniversary because it’s like you said, Latin music has evolved to the point where it’s super international now. And in the States, in the majority of places, you’re hearing Latino music. And we’re proud. We’re proud to be pioneers in this whole thing — especially from Puerto Rico, and all our artist friends from Puerto Rico that have been successful, like Ricky (Martin,) now Bad Bunny and all that stuff. We’re super proud of all that. And to do it again at this level, it’s just a blessing.

The Grammy-winning artist described the comments as a disclaimer she did not want to make before discussing cocaine use directly. “I have struggled with cocaine,” Doja Cat said, adding that she believed the period could have been about eight years earlier.

She then emphasized that the cocaine use was in the past, saying, “I’m well past that, so thank God.” TMZ likewise reported that Doja Cat characterized the cocaine struggle as occurring approximately eight years ago and said she was now “well past that.”

The videos do not establish that Doja Cat currently uses cocaine or alcohol. Her remarks instead focused on earlier experiences and on what she said she had learned from them.

Alcohol and cannabis

In a separate TikTok video posted the same day, Doja Cat discussed alcohol and cannabis. She said she had never considered herself an alcoholic, but acknowledged that drinking had nevertheless caused difficulties.

“I was never an alcoholic, but I definitely had problems,” she said. Doja Cat also said that, apart from marijuana, she had not experienced what she described as a serious problem with drugs, while identifying alcohol as a substance that had caused problems for her.

Her comments should not be interpreted as a clinical diagnosis or as a substitute for a professional assessment of substance use. The language reported by the outlets reflects Doja Cat’s own description of her experiences, including her decision not to describe herself as an alcoholic.

Doja Cat warned viewers against combining alcohol and cocaine. “It’s not good to pair these two things together,” she said, before encouraging people to remain creative and care for themselves.

Mental health and social media

The singer connected her alcohol use to negative thoughts and to seeking validation online. “Using the internet as a means of validation to the negative thoughts in my head, which were then brought on by drinking alcohol,” she said.

She also said that undiagnosed or inadequately addressed mental illness combined with social media represented an “extreme issue” that she believed many people did not understand. TMZ reported that the videos addressed the relationship between mental-health concerns, online culture and the energy directed at critics.

Doja Cat further criticized the internet as a place where people project their views onto others and advised viewers not to give online trolls and bullies too much of their attention. Her remarks placed the discussion of substance use within a broader reflection on self-image, public scrutiny and the pressures of communicating through social platforms.

Self-hate and earlier comments

The TikTok discussion also included Doja Cat’s response to allegations that she had struggled with self-hatred. She said she had verbalized self-hatred when she was 16 and believed those feelings had begun when she was approximately 8 years old.

E! News reported that she associated the beginning of those feelings with moving to a predominantly white neighborhood. That account was presented as Doja Cat’s personal explanation and does not independently verify the causes or clinical meaning of her childhood experiences.

The artist said she wanted to address the subject publicly because she believed people rarely talk openly about such experiences. “Being public about this sort of thing is very important because a lot of people don’t talk about this,” she said.

E! News also reported that Doja Cat had discussed an “agonizing” experience with borderline personality disorder in March 2026. The August videos, however, did not provide a new clinical evaluation, treatment record or independent medical confirmation concerning her mental health or substance use.

What the videos establish

The verified disclosures are that Doja Cat described a past struggle with cocaine, placed it roughly eight years earlier, said she was now “well past that,” and acknowledged problems with alcohol. She also discussed marijuana, mental health, negative self-talk and the use of social media for validation.

The available reporting does not say that she entered a named treatment program, identify a sobriety date or confirm that she has received a particular diagnosis related to substance use. It also does not document current cocaine use.

In its report, Billboard included information from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration directing people experiencing mental-health or substance-use concerns to confidential treatment referrals and support. The agency’s national helpline is 1-800-662-HELP, according to Billboard’s published information.

Meriwether, the creator of New Girl and co-creator of Dying for Sex, said she was “really at the beginning of the process of thinking about it.”

Her comments indicate that the project has advanced to screenplay development but is not yet at the stage of publicly confirmed casting, production dates or a formal release schedule.

Universal Pictures has not announced an official release date or disclosed who will portray Spears.

The studio also has not publicly released details about the screenplay’s structure, the portion of Spears’ life that will receive the greatest emphasis or the full creative team beyond the principal names already attached.

Meriwether’s Approach

In the interviews, Meriwether described revisiting Spears’ music and the period in which the singer became one of the most recognizable pop artists in the world.

Meriwether said she and Spears are the same age and that listening to Spears’ music brings her immediately back to the era in which those songs were released.

She also said she had read The Woman in Me and listened multiple times to the audiobook edition narrated by Michelle Williams.

The screenwriter has discussed listening to Spears’ music as part of her preparation, while declining to provide substantive details about the film’s eventual narrative or soundtrack.

Meriwether told Vanity Fair that Spears’ experience was distinctive because it unfolded amid intense public attention and changing forms of media.

She characterized that period as “almost a perfect storm of attention and new forms of media.”

Those remarks describe Meriwether’s perspective on the historical context of Spears’ public life; they do not establish the film’s final themes, plot or tone.

Source Material

The planned film is based on Spears’ memoir The Woman in Me, which was published in October 2023.

The memoir recounts Spears’ rise to fame, her personal relationships, her experiences in the entertainment industry and the 14-year conservatorship that controlled major aspects of her personal and financial affairs.

Universal announced in August 2024 that it had acquired the film rights to the book following a competitive bidding process.

The studio identified Jon M. Chu as director and Marc Platt as producer when the project was announced.

Chu is known for directing Crazy Rich Asians, In the Heights and the Wicked films, while Platt produced Wicked and other major film projects.

Spears said in a social-media post at the time of the announcement that she had been working on a project with Platt.

A New Screenwriter Joins

Universal’s appointment of Meriwether as screenwriter was reported in July 2026.

Variety reported that Meriwether would write the screenplay for Universal’s film, with Chu directing and Platt producing.

Deadline reported that Chu had previously worked on a draft and that Meriwether was being brought in to adapt Spears’ memoir for the feature.

Meriwether’s August interviews provide the clearest recent public update on the film’s progress: the screenplay is being developed, but the project has not entered a publicly announced production phase.

What Has Not Been Announced

No official casting has been announced for Spears or for other roles in the film.

No official release date has been announced.

Universal has not publicly confirmed whether Spears will appear onscreen, record new material for the project or participate in any other production role beyond her connection to the memoir’s adaptation.

Reports claiming a specific actor has been selected, that filming is scheduled for a particular year or that the movie will focus on a specific relationship or period should therefore be treated as unconfirmed unless Universal, Spears, Chu, Platt or Meriwether formally announces those details.

For now, the confirmed development is limited to the film’s source material, studio, director, producer and screenwriter, with Meriwether continuing the early work of shaping The Woman in Me for the screen.