Explains

Five Guys CEO Jerry Murrell would much rather give workers a big bonus than take a bullet.

He doled out $1.5M in bonuses to his employees after a birthday burger BOGO deal completely backfired ... and seemed to crack a Luigi Mangione joke in the process.

In a phone call with Fortune, he quipped ... "I didn’t want anybody shooting me in the back or anything."

When the promotion launched last month -- in celebration of Five Guys' 40th birthday -- stores were so mobbed, they ran out of food ... which stressed out crews and pissed off customers.

Murrell mused they "really screwed it up," saying ... "We had no idea that we were going to get that kind of response."

He joked he almost used the money to spoil his wife with "a new fur coat," adding ... "I spent it on [the bonus] instead. She still looks at me like I’m stupid."

But jokes aside, he said the decision to give back to his employees was "worth it," noting ... "They worked so hard. They were so overwhelmed."

Jarvis Butts has reportedly died in prison ... just two weeks after being sentenced for killing 13-year-old Na'Ziyah Harris.

According to Fox 2 Detroit, the Michigan Department of Corrections says Butts died on Thursday at Charles Egeler Reception and Guidance Center … and his death is being investigated as a suicide. Officials say the staff took “life-saving measures” that were ultimately unsuccessful.

On March 12, Butts pleaded guilty to Na’Ziyah’s murder and was sentenced to 35 to 60 years behind bars -- seen in the video above. During sentencing, the judge said … “Mr. Butts, you’re going to have many years to sit and dwell on your horrible actions.”

Paapa Essiedu says he's gotten an onslaught of racially charged death threats since getting cast as Snape in the upcoming 'Harry Potter' series.

He recalled to The Times of London, "I’ve been told, 'Quit or I’ll murder you.'" He added ... "The reality is that if I look at Instagram I will see somebody saying, 'I’m going to come to your house and kill you.'"

Paapa remarked that he's "pretty sure" he's "not going to be murdered" ... before nervously joking that his comment might "age badly."

A Barcelona woman has decided to undergo euthanasia to end her life at just 25 years old. Noelia Castillo Ramos gave her final interview to Antena 3's "Y Ahora Sonsoles" before her procedure -- which is scheduled for Thursday -- explaining why she's opting for medically assisted suicide.

According to Marca, Noelia had tried to die by suicide in the past ... jumping from a fifth-floor building after an alleged sexual assault. The attempt left her paraplegic and in chronic pain, the outlet reports.

Marca writes that, while Noelia's mother doesn't agree, she will remain by her side ... a sentiment her father reportedly doesn't share.

DreamWorks dropped the first trailer for its upcoming animated feature "Forgotten Island" on Wednesday ... and it looks like viewers are in for a fast-paced, colorful, emotional roller coaster.

The film stars H.E.R. -- AKA Gabi Wilson -- and Liza Soberano as childhood besties Jo and Raissa, who are all grown up and about to separate for school.

On their last night together, they fall through a magical portal that dumps them on the Forgotten Island, where they start losing memories of their friendship ... and each other.

It’s a bad day to be Mark Zuckerberg ... Meta was just hit with a couple of huge verdicts and ordered to pay big after being found liable in two different lawsuits this week.

Tuesday, a New Mexico jury found Meta liable for failing to protect kids from sexual predators … and the company was ordered to pony up $375M in damages. Then on Wednesday, an L.A. jury found both Meta and YouTube liable in a separate social media addiction trial, finding the companies designed their platforms to be addictive to young users.

New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez sued Meta back in 2023, claiming Facebook and Instagram created a “breeding ground” for predators. A Meta spokesperson said the company will be appealing the decision because they “respectfully” disagree with the ruling, CNN reports.

Robert Pattinson is sounding off on the age-old "Twilight" debate. For about two decades, fans of the books and the movie adaptations have been divided between Team Edward and Team Jacob ... and now Edward himself is weighing in.

In a video posted Wednesday, RP and Zendaya were chatting with Canal+ to plug their new movie, "The Drama," when the interviewer asked the classic question ... Jacob or Edward?

Zendaya didn't hesitate, declaring ... "I'm Team Edward all day. Let's go." Robert jokingly scoffed at the question, exclaiming ... "No one's Team Jacob!"

Matt and Abby Howard have some good news after going through a terrible tragedy. On Tuesday, the influencers announced they're expecting ... just six months after experiencing a pregnancy loss.

The couple shared some sweet snaps on Instagram showing off the sonograms of "baby #4" while their sons Griffin and August run around the yard.

They wrote in the caption they're "grateful beyond measure" to be expecting again after such a tough time.

Back in September, the pair posted that they lost their unborn baby girl at 17 weeks, due to a "genetic condition."

Stephen Colbert's late-night TV show may be coming to an end this year, but he's still booked and busy ... and his newest project is gonna be a huge deal to 'Lord of the Rings' fans.

On Tuesday, the talk show host announced -- in a video with 'LOTR' filmmaker Peter Jackson -- he'll be writing and developing the script for a new spin-off movie ... and he's "pretty happy" about it.

Stephen said the project will tell the story of a section of chapters from "The Fellowship of the Ring" -- specifically Chapters 3 through 8 -- that were omitted from the 2001 film.

Dearest gentle readers ... for the first time, "Bridgerton" is making a same-gender love story the focal point of the show, and fans can expect "big-time yearning."

On Tuesday, Netflix dropped a teaser for the series' fifth season ... revealing the upcoming installment will follow the unfolding love story between Hannah Dodd's Francesca Bridgerton and Masali Baduza's Michaela Stirling.

In the "Bridgerton" book series, Masali's character is instead a man named Michael ... but showrunner Jess Brownell made the gender-swap call, a Netflix rep tells Out.

Hannah, Masali and Jess sat down for an interview with Netflix's Tudum to discuss their excitement about -- and the importance of -- making queer romance a focal point of the hit show.

Miley Cyrus loves teasing her true friends. During the "Hannah Montana 20th Anniversary Special" premiere in Los Angeles Monday, the singer chatted with fans in the theater ... and called Alex Cooper "creepy" ... but it's all in good fun.

A source close to the situation tells TMZ  …  Miley was trying to be funny and is a fan of Alex’s and vice versa.

MC ribbed the podcast host -- who interviewed the Disney alum in the special -- for being a "superfan," saying ... "She's also my neighbor, which is also creepy. She got money, and then she moved next door to me."

Miley joked that Alex was the only host available to tape the special, quipping ... "I was like, 'Yeah, it's weird.'"

Maui is back in -- live -- action!

On Monday, the first trailer dropped for the "Moana" live-action remake, including the first look at Dwayne Johnson reprising his role as the beloved demigod ... this time, in the flesh.

Dwayne stars alongside Catherine Laga’aia -- who plays Moana -- as her shapeshifting companion as they set out to restore the heart of Te Fiti.

The visuals in the trailer are stunning ... take a look. You're welcome!

Chuck Norris has died, but his legacy lives through the memes he loved so much. He even had a few favorites of his own.

In a 2023 blog post, he wrote about the viral internet jokes -- affectionately called "Chuck Norris facts" -- saying he was "flattered and truly humbled" to have been turned into a "somewhat mythical superhero" through them.

Investigators say the death of American college student James "Jimmy" Gracey -- who went missing for days in Spain -- was most likely a tragic accident.

On Friday, Mossos d’Esquadra police told the New York Post ... "Everything points to it being an accidental death."

Jimmy's body was found in a Barcelona marina Thursday and was identified hours later.

In a statement Friday, police said ... "The relevant arrangements have been made with the victim's relatives, who are in Barcelona."

The University of Alabama student disappeared while leaving Shôko -- a popular nightclub nearby -- around 3 AM Tuesday ... and never returned to his Airbnb.

According to DailyMail, a witness told cops they spotted the Illinois native "walking towards a rocky outcrop" the night he went missing.

Gracey was 20 years old.

Iconic actor and martial artist Chuck Norris has died, and heartfelt messages from celebs and actors alike have been flooding social media.

Costars Dolph Lundgren and Sylvester Stallone weren't the only ones to weigh in ... Chuck touched the hearts of big names beyond Hollywood.

Rapper Freddie Gibbs, NFL alum Chad Ochocinco, and even Texas Governor Greg Abbott have sounded off on social media to pay their respects to the late legend.

TMZ broke the story ... Chuck was hospitalized either Wednesday or Thursday ... and it seemed sudden, because a source who had spoken with Chuck on Wednesday said he had very recently been in good health and spirits.

The legend was 86.

RIP

A Florida man named Peter -- or Palm Beach Pete, as he calls himself -- is setting the record straight ... he is not Jeffrey Epstein.

Pete went viral after he was filmed driving in his convertible on I-95 because he bears such a strong resemblance to Epstein.

Pete spoke about the social media whirlwind on Thursday's episode of the "Nicky Gordo Show," saying ... "I'm minding my own business driving down to a place in town. And the next thing you know, hundreds of millions of views."