Movie Stars

Melissa Gilbert is sounding the alarm after the recent deaths of Hayden Panettiere, Daveigh Chase and Michelle Trachtenberg ... saying Hollywood has to do far more to protect child actors once the cameras stop rolling.

The “Little House on the Prairie” alum shared an emotional essay Saturday, saying the losses hit close to home because she sees herself in the women -- all former child performers navigating the harsh realities of growing up in the spotlight.

Hayden passed away on August 16 at the age of 36, while Chase -- best known for “The Ring” and “Lilo & Stitch” died in June at 35, and the 'Buffy' and “Gossip Girl” star Trachtenberg died at 39 in 2025.

Are Jason Statham's looks over the years transporting some major eye-candy?!

Here is a 35-year-old version of the Hollywood hunk at "The Transporter" World Premiere back in 2002 (left). Playing Frank Martin propelled Jason to international stardom and secured him future roles like "The Italian Job" and "Crank" (left).

And, more than two decades later, this zaddy can still GET IT -- the hot dad of two spruced up for the premiere of his latest movie "Mutiny" 🔥 (right).

We know his baby mama, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, is down for some Statham, but the question here is: Good Genes or Good Docs?!

Hayden Panettiere's mom says she gave the cops a little push to investigate her daughter's death ... which included her instantly placing blame on Brian Hickerson.

Lesley Vogel opened up about her daughter's death during an interview with The Daily Mail -- published Saturday -- in which she revealed she spoke with an officer at the scene of Hayden's death to inquire whether there would be further investigation.

Lesley says the officer specifically asked about Brian ... to which she says she replied, "I think he's culpable."

Hayden Panettiere's mom says she's glad her late daughter's estate will likely go to Kaya -- Hayden's 11-year-old daughter ... adding she's truly "exceptional."

Lesley Vogel sat down for a wide-ranging interview with The Daily Mail, published Saturday ... in which she touched on what may happen to the assets Hayden left behind.

While Lesley doesn't seem to know any specific details regarding Hayden's estate, she says -- because it seems Hayden didn't have a will -- California law dictates the entirety of the estate goes to Kaya.

Sydney Sweeney is charging through a fun 2026 without a care in the world ... and with a Wonder Woman costume that accentuated every curve.

The actress shared a series of photos and videos in a post Saturday she captioned "Camp '26" ... showing scenes from throughout her busy year with friends and her beau, Scooter Braun.

Two parts of the post really stick out ... one quite literally -- because Sydney's chest is basically busting out of her Wonder Woman top in one snap. Scooter posed beside her in a very realistic Superman costume.

Actor Michael Wright, best known for his roles in "Sugar Hill" and "The Five Heartbeats," has died in California, according to his family.

His family issued a statement to TMZ ... saying that Wright died Wednesday in Los Angeles after he suffered heart failure coupled with complications of a rare degenerative neurological disease called Marchiafava-Bignami.

Born in NYC in 1956, Wright spent his life devoted to acting, with breakthrough roles in the 1979 movie, "The Wanderers," and the 1983 Robert Altman film, "Streamers." Wright also played Victor Duncan in the 1987 comedy flick, "The Principal," with Jim Belushi and Louis Gossett Jr.

Hayden Panettiere's boyfriend Brian Hickerson gave her Narcan after he and his brother Zach Hickerson found her unconscious the day she died ... at least according to Zach ... and that's huge on many levels.

Zach tells TMZ ... "Brian gave her Narcan."

The admission is telling ... Hayden and Brian traveled to South Carolina the day before she died, so it seems they either traveled with Narcan or bought some in South Carolina shortly after arriving. Whatever the case, it suggests Hayden and/or Brian were really struggling with substance abuse.

Zach says he went to their Greenville Airbnb after not hearing from them, knocked, woke Brian up from a nap, and then the brothers discovered an unconscious Hayden ... with Zach calling 911 as Brian gave her Narcan, a medication administered nasally to reverse the effects of an opioid overdose.

In a statement to TMZ on Friday, Zach says ... "There are a lot of assumptions, speculations and accusations currently swirling. The truth will come out as the authorities complete and release additional details from the investigation. And that is important because the people who loved and adored Hayden deserve the truth."

Brian Hickerson got called on the carpet in an L.A. courtroom for being "quite high" during a recent TMZ interview, and that was enough for the judge to deny his attempt to clear his record.

Hickerson had filed a motion to expunge his 2020 domestic violence case -- where he beat girlfriend Hayden Panettiere -- and a judge took up the motion August 13th -- three days before Hayden's death. Hickerson and his lawyer were no-shows, but the D.A. had plenty to say.

For starters, the prosecutor noted he was arrested a year ago while high at a restaurant in West Hollywood. PEOPLE was first to report on the TMZ interview being used against Brian Hickerson in Court.

Hayden Panettiere's boyfriend, Brian Hickerson, was arrested twice last year in Los Angeles ... prosecutors revealed in open court during a hearing days before her death.

Here's the deal ... last month, Brian filed a petition to expunge his domestic violence arrest from his record. In 2021, he pled no contest to two felony counts of corporal injury to a spouse/cohabitant and was sentenced to 45 days in jail and 4 years of probation, and he had to fulfill other requirements as well.

Brian petitioned the court, claiming he'd met his obligations under the law ... and he wanted the felonies taken off his record ... a motion prosecutors opposed.

During a court hearing last Thursday -- which neither Hickerson nor his attorney attended -- PEOPLE reports prosecutors strongly opposed expunging the record ... citing Brian's alleged drug use and two different arrests that took place last year in Los Angeles.

Chris Hansen was turned away from a screening of the new movie that's all about him ... and while he says he didn't want to "sign away" his rights, he actually refused to sign a standard NDA.

Here's the deal ... the TV host went on Fox News to complain about getting turned away from a private screening of "Primetime" -- the new movie starring Robert Pattinson as him -- claiming he showed up ready to watch the flick ... only to be asked to sign a "very restrictive agreement."

Chris says, "The lawyers at A24 wanted me to sign away my rights to my name, image, and brand, essentially, as well as any potential legal rights that would come out of the movie. I couldn't sign that, so they didn't show me the film. I went all the way over there."

However, a studio source tells TMZ ... Chris' version of events are BS -- because he was simply given the standard NDA that everyone else was asked to sign to avoid spoilers. At no time was he asked to sign away his name, image or brand. And since he didn't want to play ball ... he didn't get to watch. Simple as that.

Hayden Panettiere's ex-fiancé Wladimir Klitschko is celebrating her life on what would have been her 37th birthday.

Wladimir, who is the father of Hayden's only child, Kaya, took to Instagram to memorialize Hayden alongside a throwback photo of Hayden grinning at the camera.

He penned ... "Instead of celebrating the way we had planned, today we celebrate her life, her spirit, and the love she brought into this world."

Kendall Jenner and Jacob Elordi are taking their relationship across the pond ... enjoying a date night in London, but stopping short of taking their relationship to the next level.

The two stars were spotted holding hands in England on Thursday night ... with Kendall looking like a lovely London fog in a form-fitting gray dress.

Jacob wore a stylish, dark blue pinstripe suit as he and Kendall walked around the city ... sunglasses on to protect themselves from the paparazzi's flashes.

Hayden Panettiere's boyfriend was slurring his words in some bizarre videos he posted to social media months before the actress died with him in the room.

We've obtained videos Brian Hickerson previously shared to his Instagram story from May and June of this year ... including one in which he imitated a woman -- one whom he wouldn't name -- telling him he sounded drunk.

He then goes through the process of posting a song to social media ... after seemingly acknowledging and disregarding copyright laws.

Gwyneth Paltrow is clapping back at critics of her alleged "off-the-record" dinner invite for OpenAI CEO Sam Altman ... she's trolling, but she's not denying it.

Here's the deal ... in a recent newsletter from Puck, Matthew Belloni writes that Gwyneth is planning to host the billionaire at her Hamptons home for an "off-the-record al fresco dinner."

Belloni also shared a graphic of the alleged invite ... and Gwyneth's been getting a bit of heat on social media for it.

Gayle King says Hayden Panettiere wasn't at the top of her game when Gayle interviewed her a few months before her tragic death ... but she says it was clear Hayden was trying to get better.

We got the newscaster in New York City on Friday morning ... and our photog asked her if there were signs Hayden wasn't doing well back in May, when they had their last conversation.

Gayle, who laid into Hayden's mom earlier this week for her statement after her daughter died, says there weren't "signs" of anything wrong with Hayden ... but she admits the actress was "clearly still wobbly" and still working things out -- which is why Gayle's heart sank when she heard the news of Hayden's death.

Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie's youngest child, Vivienne Jolie-Pitt, is one step closer to dropping her father's famous last name ... making legal moves to become Vivienne Jolie.

According to new legal docs, obtained by TMZ, Vivienne has completed one of California's required hurdles for a legal name change ... publishing notice of her petition in the Los Angeles Daily Journal once a week for four consecutive weeks and calling for anyone opposing the change to submit a written opposition before the final hearing.

Vivienne ran the notice from July 24 to August 14 ... she's requesting to change her name from Vivienne Marcheline Jolie-Pitt to Vivienne Marcheline Jolie.

Next up is Vivienne's November 2 hearing, where a judge can approve the request if no one objects.