Classic Rock News

Peter Cullen, a voice actor who starred as Optimus Prime in Transformers and as Eeyore in Winnie the Pooh, has died at the age of 85.

Cullen died on Wednesday at his Los Angeles home, his agent, Kevin Motley, confirmed to ABC News on Thursday.

No cause of death was given.

“Peter Cullen passed away peacefully, surrounded by his loving family — and held in the hearts of his many friends and countless fans worldwide,” the family said in a statement. “His family asks that you honor his remarkable legacy by serving your communities and leading others with compassion, integrity, and loyalty and always remember ‘be strong enough to be gentle.'”

Cullen had more than 200 acting credits over his decadeslong career. In addition to his roles in several Transformers and Winnie the Pooh movies and shows, he voiced characters in Knight Rider and Chip ‘n Dale Rescue Rangers and provided vocal effects for the 1987 film Predator, according to IMDb.

He was also the announcer on The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour in the 1970s, which gave him his break into acting.

In a 2014 interview with NPR, the Canadian-born Cullen said he first learned he had a talent for voices when he was a child, living and working on a farm.

“One of the greatest memories I have is, I had a full dairy barn where I would collect milk pails with my brother, Larry,” Cullen said. “I found one day that I made a loud noise and all the cows looked up to me. … And I walked down the center of that aisle with these cows looking at me and I said, ‘This is fantastic.’ I must have been 8 years old … and I was the king of the cows.”

Cullen said that his second favorite role after Optimus Prime was voicing an animal, gloomy donkey Eeyore, in Winnie the Pooh.

“I enjoyed doing Eeyore because he was simply charming,” Cullen told NPR. “And I get an awful lot of reactions from, especially, young kids, when I go up and just say [in Eeyore’s voice], ‘Hello. Thanks for noticing me.'”

He continued, “And to see their faces light up, that to me is one of the great joys.”

Cullen’s gift of impersonations grew from animals to humans, which he said in a 2023 interview launched him into a career in comedy, first in Canada and then in Los Angeles.

When asked for his advice for young people, Cullen said to find something that you’re good at, or something that you want to do, and stick with it.

“No matter what it is, it’s like working a muscle, the more you work it, the bigger it gets,” he said. “And, if you do something you love, that’s what I tell kids, if you find something you love to do, do it, stick with it, and you’ll never work a day in your life. You love it, it’s just a holiday.”

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Toy Story 5, the latest chapter in the classic fun-filled toy-adventure franchise, is coming to streaming next month, and Taylor Swift is dropping a surprise to celebrate the news.

The billion-dollar box office franchise’s fifth edition will hit Disney+ on Sept. 23, 2026, Good Morning America announced exclusively on Thursday morning.

The film opened in theaters in June and is still in theaters, as well as now being available for purchase on digital.

In order to celebrate the occasion, Taylor Swift, whose single “I Knew It, I Knew You” headlines the soundtrack, shared a first-look sneak peek at the animated new music video for her piano version of the song.

An earlier music video for the new song, featuring the Toy Story 5 characters, was released in June.

In an interview aired on Good Morning America earlier this summer, the Grammy-winning singer said an early screening of the film sparked the idea for the track, which was inspired by Jessie, the beloved cowgirl first introduced in 1999’s Toy Story 2.

“We’ve seen her have her heart broken. Like, we’ve watched, you know, the car pull away,” Swift said. “I get really emotional talking about this.”

The full video is available on Disney+, Spotify and Apple Music, ahead of the film’s release to streaming next month.

The Walt Disney Co. is the parent company of ABC News and Disney+.

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A federal judge in New York on Wednesday ordered Justin Baldoni and the studio behind It Ends With Us to pay Blake Lively nearly $400,000 in attorneys’ fees.

The decision comes after Lively requested a reimbursement of $7.5 million, which the judge said was “unreasonable.”

U.S. District Judge Lewis Liman instead ordered Baldoni and his production company, Wayfarer Studios, to pay Lively just over $363,000 in attorneys’ fees and $44,000 in costs.

Liman cited in his ruling a California state law designed to protect sexual harassment accusers from retaliation, but said that law only applies to Lively’s attorneys’ fees for defamation claims.

Baldoni’s attorney, Bryan Freedman, responded to the ruling on Wednesday, saying the ruling “speaks for itself.”

“Judge Liman clearly considered the ‘outrageous and unreasonable’ $8 million plus demand and, in rejecting it, awarded only 5% of the amount sought in legal fees and costs,” Freedman said in a statement. “The ruling is a significant victory for my clients and sends a clear message that, no matter how powerful you may be, the courtroom is not a place to take advantage of the law for your own personal gain.”

ABC News has reached out to a representative for Lively.

The ruling comes over one year after Liman dismissed Baldoni’s $400 million countersuit against Lively, her husband, Ryan Reynolds, the couple’s publicist, Leslie Sloane, as well as Baldoni’s defamation claim against The New York Times.

Lively and Baldoni, who starred together in It Ends With Us, have been embroiled in a legal battle since December 2024, when Lively filed a complaint against Baldoni with the California Civil Rights Department accusing him of sexual harassment on the set of the film, which he also directed.

Lively also accused Baldoni and his production company of attempting to orchestrate a smear campaign against her, allegations Baldoni and Wayfarer Studios have vehemently denied.

Baldoni’s lawsuit was ultimately dismissed by Liman in June 2025. The judge later gutted much of Lively’s case against Baldoni in April of this year, including claims she was subjected to sexual harassment on set, determining that she could continue to pursue her claims of retaliation against Baldoni’s public relations team.

Baldoni, via his Wayfarer production company, and Lively agreed to settle their ongoing dispute in May this year. Liman ruled at the time that Baldoni and Wayfarer Studios must pay Lively’s attorneys’ fees but denied Lively’s claim for punitive damages.

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Actress Busy Philipps says she’s “grateful to be alive” after undergoing surgery to remove a brain tumor.

In an exclusive interview with People, the Freaks and Geeks actress shared how the brain tumor was discovered and what the recovery process for her was like.

Philipps said that the discovery of the tumor began in June 2025 with her asking her doctor at her yearly physical about their opinion on full-body MRI screenings, which have recently become increasingly popular for detecting early-stage cancers, autoimmune disorders and more. Her doctor told her there was no need for one because he told her she was healthy.

Months later, the actress said that she got a second opinion from a doctor in her family who told her the screenings were great, saying, “Knowledge is power.”

Philipps said that her scan was scheduled in February 2026, a day after the death of her friend and former Dawson’s Creek co-star James Van Der Beek. Days later, she received the results of the scan, which revealed a lesion in her brain.

While recalling the moment that she had to get an MRI scan done, Philipps said, “My life was sort of flashing before my eyes a little bit.”

After learning the results of her scan, the actress said she got in touch with her daughter’s neurologist, Dr. Orrin Devinsky, who treats her for epilepsy. He reviewed her scan and told Philipps that the tumor had to come out. Devinsky then introduced Philipps to Dr. Golfinos, who facilitated the surgery.

When it came to telling her daughters Birdie Leigh Silverstein and Cricket Pearl Silverstein, whom she shares with ex-husband Marc Silverstein, Philipps said that she had to be “honest” with them, adding that Birdie took the news much harder and said she was “really, really scared.”

“I just kept saying to her, ‘Birdie, you’re just not in the movie where your mom dies senior year of high school, that’s just not the movie that you’re in. I promise you,'” she said.

After the surgery, Philipps said that doctors learned that the tumor was 2.8 cm by 1.8 cm and it was located on her right frontal lobe. After testing a sample of the tumor, doctors told her that it was a stage 2 glioma “caused by an IDH mutation.” According to the National Institutes of Health, gliomas are “the most common primary brain tumors of the central nervous system.”

Treatment for gliomas may vary based on tumor stage, with some patients undergoing surgery only and some patients needing to undergo additional treatment such as radiation and chemotherapy to destroy remaining cancer cells, according to the NIH. The actress said the doctors removed the tumor completely, and she isn’t undergoing any other treatment at this time. But she does have to get scans every three months for the next two years.

“It really is sort of the best case scenario of the worst case scenario, I suppose,” Philipps said.

While the surgery appeared to have gone smoothly for Philipps, it was a second procedure that she said “really threw me.”

Six weeks after the initial surgery, Philipps said she was told her that her surgical incisions needed debridement, which, according to the NIH, is the removal of dead, damaged, infected or foreign tissue from a wound to help healthy tissue heal.

Following the procedure, Philipps said doctors found two different forms of staphylococcus infection. She also said she was on a high dose of oral antibiotics for 29 days.

Philipps said that she healed after the debridement and that she hopes that others, especially women, can learn from her experience.

“First of all, there’s nothing to be afraid of in having information, it’s only empowering,” she said. “And secondly, if you feel anything, don’t let some doctor be like, there’s — ‘I don’t like it, you don’t need to do it. That’s a waste of time.’ See things through if you can.”

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Alice and Steve is coming back for more. Deadline reports Disney+ has renewed the comedy series for a second season. The show stars Jemaine Clement and Nicola Walker as the titular best friends who have a falling out after Steve (Clement) starts dating Alice’s (Walker) much younger daughter … Disney is the parent company of ABC News.

Barry Keoghan is coming back to the Top Boy universe. Netflix has announced two new series set in the world of Top Boy. One is a five-episode prequel called Jonny Boy, which brings Keoghan back as his ruthless character Jonny. The second show has the working title of Jaq. It’s centered around the character Jacqueline, to be played by Jasmine Jobson …

David Fincher’s upcoming film has a new title. The movie is now called The Further Mis-adventures of Cliff Booth. It was previously just titled Cliff Booth, named after the character Brad Pitt will be back portraying after first playing him in Quentin Tarantino’s 2019 film Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood. The new film will be available to watch on IMAX screens starting on Nov. 25. Netflix subscribers will be able to stream the film on Dec. 23 …

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The official trailer for season 5 of The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives has arrived.

In addition to the brand-new trailer, Hulu has announced that season 5 of the reality series premieres on Sept. 10. As previously announced, the fifth season of the show will consist of five episodes rather than the usual 10. The show has already been renewed for seasons 6 and 7. 

The season 5 cast includes Taylor Frankie Paul, Jen Affleck, Jessi Draper, Layla Taylor, Mayci Neeley, Mikayla Matthews, Miranda Hope and Whitney Leavitt.

“After two wild years, #MomTok is hotter than hell, but will friendships and dreams go up in flames? Taylor returns from The Bachelorette with unfinished business, an old temptation, and the pressure of life in the public eye. Whitney debuts on Broadway in New York City as tensions back home chase her. Back in Utah, the limits of loyalty are tested as fame, secrets and backlash threaten #MomTok — with every blowup making headlines,” according to the season’s official synopsis. “As the heat threatens to burn the sisterhood, have they finally flown too close to the sun? With rumors spiraling and the public demanding answers, the sisterhood starts to crack, and #MomTok must decide what — and who — it’s willing to sacrifice.”

The new season of The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives arrives months after Paul’s season as lead of The Bachelorette was pulled by ABC amid an open “domestic assault investigation” involving Paul and ex-partner Dakota Mortensen.

Season 5 marks Leavitt’s final season as a cast member on the series. She confirmed her departure in a video posted to Instagram in May.

Additionally, Hulu has announced a spinoff titled The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives: Orange County, which will star Affleck. Fans assume she will also leave the original show after season 5.

Disney is the parent company of ABC News and Hulu.

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I got a text! It says that Love Island USA has been renewed for season 9 on Peacock.

Emmy nominee Ariana Madix is set to return as the host of the popular reality dating competition series in the ninth season.

Love Island USA follows singles who go on a search for love while living in a Fijian villa. “Throughout their stay in a tropical oasis, Islanders will couple up to face brand new heart-racing challenges and bigger twists and turns than ever before,” according to an official synopsis. “Temptations rise and drama ensues as new ‘bombshells’ arrive, forcing Islanders to decide if they want to remain with their current partners or recouple with someone new.”

Love Island USA season 8 ended its run on July 12. Fan-favorite contestants Trinity Tatum and Bryce Dettloff were crowned the winners.

The season 8 Islanders are set to reunite at the Love Island USA reunion special, which will be co-hosted by Madix and Andy Cohen.

According to Peacock, the reunion special will bring together “this season’s winners, fan-favorite couples, and this year’s bombshells for an up close and personal look back at their experience in the villa.”

A trailer for the reunion was released alongside the show’s renewal announcement. It finds Islanders such as Aniya Harvey, Carl Schmidt, Melanie Moreno, Sincere Rhea, Kayda Bosse, Zach Georgiou and Kenzie Annis discussing all the shenanigans from the summer.

“You just rolled your eyes,” Annis tells Moreno in the trailer.

“Yeah,” Moreno says, before bombshell Jenn Terry says, “So messy.”

The season 8 reunion special will premiere Aug. 31 on Peacock.

Season 8 of Love Island USA has garnered 19 billion minutes of views since its premiere on June 2, according to numbers from Peacock. The show ranks as the #1 streaming title for summer 2026 to date and the #1 streaming reality title for six consecutive weeks, according to data from Nielsen.

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Miley Cyrus is remembering her honorary godmother, Dolly Parton, following the country music legend’s death at age 80.

“The feeling of losing my Aunt Dolly is beyond what feels right to share. Our most sacred moments were private and they’ll stay there behind the stage, beneath the glamour & between our hearts,” Cyrus wrote in a social media post Wednesday, alongside a photo of Parton.

“What I KNOW is Dolly would want me to feel it, write a song about it, and then continue on and be strong. I have an angel by my side. I always have. One of our last conversations was about music and metamorphosis,” Cyrus continued. “I will always love her and want to make her proud. My heart breaks for the world, her family and friends who will miss her deeply. We’re in this loss together and we will see her in all of the most beautiful things.”

Parton died on Tuesday in Nashville after a “brief battle” with cancer, according to her publicist.

Parton told ABC News’ Robin Roberts in a 2009 interview that she was asked to be Cyrus’ godmother by the singer’s father, Billy Ray Cyrus.

“I’m her honorary godmother. I’ve known her since she was a baby,” Parton said. “Her father’s a friend of mine, and when she was born, he said, ‘You just have to be her godmother,’ and I said, ‘I accept.’ We never did do a big ceremony, but I’m so proud of her, love her and she’s just like one of my own.”

Years later, Parton opened up about her bond with Miley Cyrus in the ABC News special Dolly Parton: From Rhinestones to Rock & Roll, saying she loved her “like a child.”

Parton also praised Miley Cyrus as “talented in every way” and spoke about the connection they shared when performing together.

“I know where she’s going and she knows where I’m going,” Parton said. “So out of that really comes a really magical thing sometimes.”

The two singers collaborated several times over the years, including on a cover of Miley Cyrus’ 2013 hit “Wrecking Ball” for Parton’s 2023 album, Rockstar.

After the album’s release, Miley Cyrus shared a video celebrating Parton as she drove past a billboard of her on Hollywood Boulevard.

“I love you so much Aunt Dolly, congratulations on your rock ‘n’ roll album,” Miley Cyrus said in the video. “I love you.”

The pair also reunited musically earlier this year, when Miley Cyrus joined Parton, Reba McEntire, Queen Latifah and Lainey Wilson for a new version of Parton’s “Light of a Clear Blue Morning” in celebration of Parton’s 80th birthday.

Miley Cyrus — who featured Parton on several episodes of her show Hannah Montana — has described Parton as a maternal figure in her life.

“Dolly’s been like a mother to me,” Miley Cyrus told W Magazine in 2024 while recalling a Mother’s Day message she received from Parton that read, “How much do I love you? As much as my heart can hold and as far as my arms can reach.”

More recently, in March, Miley Cyrus told Good Morning America that one of the biggest lessons she learned from Parton was “to start promoting something before it’s real.”

Billy Ray Cyrus paid tribute to Parton on his own after her death, recalling their decadeslong friendship in a post on Instagram.

Billy Ray Cyrus said Parton had recently sent him a message telling him she loved him “with her whole heart.”

“I will always love her in the same way … with my whole heart … and I always will,” he wrote.

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Rupert Grint is headed back to Hogwarts.

The actor, who portrayed Ron Weasley in all eight of the Harry Potter films, is reprising the role of the Gryffindor wizard on Broadway.

Grint is joining the cast of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child for a 17-week engagement starting on Feb. 2, 2027. His time in the role is scheduled to last through May 30, 2027.

Grint follows in the footsteps of Tom Felton, who originated Draco Malfoy in the films and has been playing the adult version of the character in the production over the last year. Felton has extended his run in the production many times.

Felton is currently expected to exit the show on Jan. 3, 2027, meaning at this time his Broadway run won’t overlap with Grint’s.

In a statement shared with Deadline, Grint said, “Ron Weasley has been a part of me since I was 11 years old and I can’t wait to meet him again in this stage of life. There is something so full-circle and so special about stepping back into Ron’s shoes now when we are both fathers; it is somehow both very familiar and completely new. And the joy of being back on Broadway, this time in a role that defined so much of my life is truly exciting.”

He continued, “The first time I saw Cursed Child onstage I was blown away and I can’t wait to set foot back on Platform 9 ¾ and pick up where I left off. I am overjoyed to join this exceptional cast and crew at the Lyric Theatre this winter.”

The play continues the Harry Potter story 19 years after the events of the book series and film franchise. It follows the children of Harry, Hermione, Ron and Draco, who now all attend Hogwarts together.

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This Christmas Eve, you can expect the gift of Emily in Paris.

Netflix has announced that the sixth and final season of the popular romance series will premiere on Dec. 24.

Lily Collins once again stars as the titular American marketing executive who moved overseas for work. Season 6 is still in production in France. The season started production in Greece back in May. Darren Star created the show, which he also executive produces and writes for.

“I wanted the final season to feel like the biggest Emily in Paris experience yet,” Star said in a press release. “We went to multiple locations this season, and Greece was somewhere we really wanted to showcase in a spectacular way. That’s part of the fantasy of Europe: you’re always within reach of another extraordinary place, another culture, another adventure. I wanted the audience to have that vicarious experience of traveling right along with Emily.”

Philippine Leroy-Beaulieu, Ashley Park, Lucas Bravo, Lucien Laviscount, Samuel Arnold, Bruno Gouery, William Abadie, Minnie Driver and Paul Forman also star in season 6 the romance series.

“Stepping into a new era of ambition and romance, Emily faces defining choices that test her ultimate loyalties,” according to an official logline for the season. “But as unexpected career conflicts and shifting relationships force her to reevaluate where her true future lies, she must make one final choice between her career, her heart, and the life she’s built in Paris.”

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