Movies

8/16/2026 7:59 PM PT -- Hayden Panettiere has died at the age of 36, TMZ has learned.

Hayden Panettiere's brother, Jansen Panettiere, has died ... TMZ has learned.

A family source tells us Jansen died over the weekend in New York. His cause of death is currently unclear. Law enforcement sources tell us they got a call to a residence Sunday night around 5:30 PM. We're told there's no foul play suspected in Jansen's death.

Jansen, 5 years younger than Hayden, jumped onto the scene in the early 2000s, working on projects like "Even Stevens," "Blue's Clues," "Robots," and "Ice Age: The Meltdown." He also had a recurring role as Truman X in Nickelodeon's "The X's."

At one point, Jansen worked alongside Hayden in 2004's "Tiger Cruise" and 2005's "Racing Stripes."

He went on to star in Disney Channel original movies and made-for-TV Nickelodeon films, picking up a nomination for a Young Artist Award back in 2008 for his work on "The Last Day of Summer."

Jansen kept acting through the 2010s, working on shows like "Major Crimes" and "The Walking Dead." He also was attached to 5 more projects at the time of his death.

Jansen was only 28.

The Santa Fe County D.A. has gotta be a little embarrassed today ... dropping a key charge against Alec Baldwin that now means even if convicted he might not spend any time behind bars.

The D.A. dropped the gun enhancement charge in the case ... this after Baldwin's lawyer filed a motion excoriating prosecutors for going after the actor using a law that didn't apply.

As we reported, Baldwin has been charged with involuntary manslaughter in the death of Halyna Hutchins. The D.A. initially tacked on the gun enhancement charge -- i.e., using a gun to commit the crime. Problem is, at the time of the shooting, New Mexico law provided a gun enhancement charge could only apply if the gun was "brandished" -- meaning the gun was displayed with intent to intimidate or injure a person. That's clearly not the case with Baldwin.

For some reason, the D.A. felt Baldwin could be charged with a recent amendment to the gun enhancement law, that doesn't require brandishing. Thing is ... that law was not enacted until 7 months after the shooting.

The D.A. belatedly saw it Baldwin's way and dropped the gun enhancement.

Here's why it matters ... if the gun enhancement charge stuck and Baldwin was convicted, he'd face a minimum of 5 years in prison. Now that it's been 86'd, if Baldwin is convicted of involuntary manslaughter, he'd face up to 18 months behind bars, but the judge could give him less ... or even probation.

Hollywood's biggest names took a trip across the pond for this year's BAFTA Awards ... and some of the stars aligned at Netflix's after-party for one exciting night.

It was a who's who of celebs at the Sunday night shindig -- Jamie Foxx, Florence Pugh, Ana de Armas, Winnie Harlow, Lisa Rinna and Eddie Redmayne were just a few of the many in attendance.

Rami Malek snapped a pic with "Elvis" star Austin Butler ... who took home gold earlier in the night for Best Lead Actor -- shutting out the likes of Brendan Fraser and Colin Farrell. As we reported, Austin gave a major shout-out to the Presley family during his speech.

It was a big night at the BAFTAs ... stars like Cate Blanchett and Guillermo del Toro won in their categories, while Netflix's "All Quiet On the Western Front" clearly dominated -- taking home 7 awards, including Best Film and Edward Berger for Best Director.

"The Banshees of Inisherin" star Barry Keoghan also grabbed a W for Best Supporting Actor -- something fans of the flick have been waiting for since seeing his heartbreaking work.

Prince William and Kate Middleton also showed up to the award ceremony at the Royal Festival Hall in London ... giving the night a true dose of royalty.

It certainly looks like things are gettin' serious between Pete Davidson and Chase Sui Wonders -- 'cause the two had a sweet PDA moment on their date at the Daytona 500 ... and TMZ Sports has the pics of it!!!

The comedian and his "Bodies Bodies Bodies" costar enjoyed their Sunday at NASCAR's Super Bowl in Daytona Beach, Florida -- and they were inseparable throughout the action while mobbin' around the famous racing event.

The couple toured the Daytona International Speedway track, and then, at one point, they got up into a box -- where they just couldn't keep their hands off each other.

They strapped on red earmuffs, wrapped their arms around one another, and locked lips -- all while cars whizzed by on the track just feet away.

Of course, this ain't the first time we've seen the two kissing ... just last month, they gave each other a big smooch during a date at Universal Studios Hollywood.

So as you can see, the relationship appears to be getting pretty serious.

Outside of the two lovebirds, a bunch of other celebs showed up for the race ... Tiffany Haddish, WWE's Charlotte Flair, NFL's Ian Thomas, and country singer Dierks Bentley were all there too.

Michael Jordan, who launched the 23XI Racing team in 2020 with NASCAR driver Denny Hamlin, was also in attendance ... taking advantage of the NBA All-Star break.

James Gunn just dropped another truth bomb about how the 'Superman' fiasco came about -- and it sounds like Henry Cavill was kinda being used as a pawn ... or so it seems.

Here's the deal ... the new co-chief of DC Studios responded to fans Sunday who inquired about an IG Story he threw up over the weekend, which touched on when exactly he'd been hired to start working on new DCU flicks -- including a big priority, 'Superman: Legacy.'

In his IG Story, Gunn clarified that while one film he's in charge of has already gone into pre-production -- 'Creature Commandos' -- both that movie and his 'Superman' project had actually been getting worked on quietly behind the scenes before he and Peter Safran were officially hired, which was on Oct. 25 ... a day after Cavill said he was "back" as Supes.

He further confirmed in follow-up tweets -- noting he'd been hired to write 'Superman: Legacy' over SIX MONTHS ago and that his movie was always going to be separate from Zack Snyder's version of the character ... the same one Cavill briefly thought he was reprising.

The bottom line is this ... James is saying he already had the green light to start charting a path for a whole new Superman storyline, but it doesn't appear Cavill was aware of that.

According to him, he was told by the WBD to announce he was officially returning to the role ... even though it now seems clear Warner had no real intentions of pursuing that -- evidenced by the hiring of Gunn/Safran as co-bosses, and their decision to give HC the boot.

In other words, Cavill appears to have been getting jerked around. As for who's to blame ... well, hard to say. There've been so many changes at WB over the past 2 years -- with execs coming/going -- it's not really clear if Cavill was totally misled (and by whom). Alternatively, there might've just been a miscommunication that led to the confusion/psych-out. 🤷🏽‍♂️

All we know, Henry probably ain't gonna be working with them again after this. His next few films are all with different studios -- and we don't see a water tower in his immediate future.

Austin Butler just won another huge award in his Oscars campaign -- snagging a BAFTA across the pond ... and making sure to shout out the Presley family amid their tragedy.

The actor walked away with a statuette Sunday for Leading Actor -- obviously, for his portrayal of Elvis -- and during his acceptance speech ... AB dished out a lot of thank-yous, the last of which he saved for Elvis' immediate family, with whom he's grown close.

Watch ... Austin went down a list of names, everyone from his movement and vocal coach to his agent and publicist ... the cast and crew ... and, of course, director Baz Luhrmann.

At the end of his remarks, he eloquently said ... "Lastly, I want to thank the Presley family. I cannot thank you guys enough for your love, and for sharing with me who Elvis truly was. I hope I've made you proud. This means the world to me."

No explicit mention of Lisa Marie Presley -- who died suddenly a few weeks ago, following his Golden Globes win -- but according to Variety ... Austin did, in fact, acknowledge her passing. According to them, he's quoted as saying it's an "unimaginably tragic time," while going on to say his love was with the Presleys, and that this moment was bittersweet.

Richard Belzer -- famous for his work on 'Law & Order' and in the standup comedy world -- has died ... this according to his close comedy pals.

News about Belzer's death spread like wildfire Sunday morning, with none other than Laraine Newman -- an original 'SNL' cast member, who worked alongside Belzer from the mid-'70s through the '80s -- confirming the latest.

She wrote, "I'm so sad to hear of Richard Belzer's passing. I loved this guy so much. He was one of my first friends when I got to New York to do SNL. We used to go out to dinner every week at Sheepshead Bay for lobster. One of the funniest people ever. A master at crowd work. RIP dearest."

Comedian Marc Maron also sent his condolences, calling him an original and "one of the greats." Other tributes are pouring in from all over showbiz, although details about his passing haven't been officially released just yet.

Belzer was most known for portraying Det. John Munch on 'Law & Order: SVU', dating back to 1996. He'd starred in over 300 episodes of the fan-fave cop series ...  playing the quick-witted and razor-sharp Munch for several years. His character was written off in 2016.

His famous police character had also existed even before 'SVU' came around ... Munch had existed in another TV universe -- namely, on the classic hit 'Homicide,' where he starred opposite Ned Beatty, Daniel Baldwin and other big actors for seven straight seasons.

Prior to his stint in network TV, Belzer was a renowned comedian ... as we mentioned, he appeared on 'SNL' during its inception period -- but he also did a lot of standup and sketch comedy on his own, plus ... he hosted variety shows/specials as well.

Beyond his esteemed work with Dick Wolf and co. ... Belzer had several other acting credits under his belt. Some other famous shows he'd been on include ... "Moonlighting," "Miami Vice," "D.C. Follies," "Monsters," "The Flash," "Nurses," 'Lois & Clark,' "The X-Files," "Arrested Development," "The Wire," "30 Rock," "American Dad" and many, many more.

His film resume was impressive too ... he'd starred in "Scarface," "Fame," "Fletch Lives," "The Bonfires of the Vanities," "Species II," "Man on the Moon," "The Puppet Masters" and others.

The last we got Belzer in the street, he was shooting jokes from the hip ... talking conspiracy theories and showing off that legendary dry humor he was known for. Super nice guy.

Belzer is survived by his wife, Harlee, and his extended family. He was 78.

Judd Apatow hilariously mocked the DGA Awards Saturday night and the actors who were part of it ... it's really funny!

Apatow hosted the 75th awards ceremony, but it wasn't broadcast anywhere -- no video at all.  He groused the damn show wasn't even on the radio ...“This show is being live-streamed to the back of this room. This show is so irrelevant, it’s shocking Elon Musk hasn’t bought it yet.”

Apatow lasered in on Austin Butler, who had said he had trouble shaking the Elvis twang.  Judd warned the world ... Austin's next role could be the lead in "The Jerry Lewis Story."

And then there was Tom Cruise, who famously does his own stunts even though he's north of 60. Judd said, “Tell Tom that Thelma and Louise didn’t exactly jump over the cliff themselves. Tom, have you heard of CGI?”

But he wasn't done, suggesting Tom's stunts have the markings of a Scientology ad.

And then there's this ... “I believe our friend Aubrey Plaza is here. I can’t believe you have a worse seat than Fkboy Island. You gotta talk to your publicist.”

Judd then referenced his famous daughter ... “Sam Levinson is here tonight. He’s the writer-director-creator of Euphoria. My daughter Maude is on that show. It’s very successful. My only frustration, I kind of want her to have a baby. She said, ‘dad, I play a 16-year-old on a high school TV show.’ I’ve seen the show. I don’t think it would be that weird to have a little crack baby on that show. Your baby can play the crack baby, a two-salary situation on that show.”

Tom Sizemore had a MAJOR health scare ... and now the actor is fighting for his life in the hospital.

His manager, Charles Lago, tells TMZ ... Tom was hanging out at his L.A. home around 2 AM Saturday when he suffered a brain aneurysm and collapsed into unconsciousness.

Lago says someone found Tom and quickly called 911. EMS units responded and took him to a local hospital, where he was listed in critical condition in the intensive care unit.

At this point, Tom is in a "bad way," Lago says, and his chances for a full recovery seem uncertain.

Of course, Tom has had a litany of problems over the years with drug abuse and run-ins with the law. He has been arrested for DUI, domestic violence and possession of a controlled substance.

But, he's also been a successful actor who has appeared in some of Hollywood's most popular films, such as "Saving Private Ryan," "Black Hawk Down," "Natural Born Killers" and "Heat."

Richard Gere is recovering in Mexico this weekend after he caught a case of pneumonia -- this while vacationing with his family -- but the good news is ... he's gonna be alright.

Sources familiar with the situation tell TMZ ... the actor is down near Nuevo Vallarta this week -- where he's celebrating the 40th birthday of his wife, Alejandra Silva, with their kids. Alejandra posted a photo Thursday showing her and the kiddos walking toward a beach.

We're told that, before the trip, Richard developed a bad cough ... and it continued while he was there as well. Our sources say it got so bad, he had to check himself into a hospital ... where we're told he was diagnosed with pneumonia and treated in an overnight stay. Unclear what day he went in, but we're told it was during his vacay -- which is ongoing.

Fortunately, he was out the following day ... and we're told Richard was given antibiotics to help keep the illness at bay. For now, our sources say he seems to be doing much better.

Interestingly, Alejandra herself alluded to a sickness that apparently continued to dog Richard. In the IG post from Thursday ... she said the whole family had been ill for 3 weeks.

However, her IG Story post from Saturday seems to confirm what we're hearing about RG's condition -- namely, that he's okay. You can see her, Richard and one of their kids walking ... and she notes it's another beach day for them. Richard is seen wearing a mask.

Frankie Muniz landed quite a bit higher than just the middle in his big race car driver debut ... nearly cracking the top 10 at a semi-pro series that was all gas, no brakes.

The actor-turned-driver raced in the ARCA Menards Series Saturday at the Daytona International Speedway down in Florida -- marking his first time revving up among other professionals. It was an 80-lap journey, with around 40 drivers going round and around.

Muniz placed 11th overall when it was all said and done ... and the final lap proved to be quite dramatic, with Frankie climbing back from 12th place. Even before that, though, he was doing incredibly well ... cracking the top 10 several times throughout the course.

Frankie himself detailed the ride, saying he was ecstatic and proud of himself for being able to rank as high as he did ... pointing out that at one point, he was 24th place.

He writes, "Holy moly!!! That was the most insane thing I've ever done. Got up into the top  3 before getting turned and causing damage. Went to the back and went from 24th to 11th in the final 2 laps. I'm so grateful to my team and @hairclub and sponsors for making my dream a reality!"

During the race, Frankie was getting props from the broadcasters for avoiding what could've been a major accident ... so, yeah, he was hanging tough with the best of them out there.

FM has been racing for years now, but it wasn't until recently that he decided to pursue it full-time ... forgoing his acting career, for now, and opting for the smell of burned rubber instead.

We actually talked to him last month about his foray into a whole new industry, and he made it clear to us that he was over the moon about the opportunity, and planned to take it seriously. Considering how well he's done for his first official outing, probably even more so.

Bill Maher did it again ... he didn't just call out politicians for being increasingly hateful toward each other, he offered a solution -- do it like the movies!!!

The "Real Time" host made a compelling point ... it's only a matter of time before we see fistfights on the House floor. After all, we've seen video after video of brawls erupting in parliaments around the world, and the trajectory of Washington D.C. leads right to that doorstep.

As for evidence ... it started when Obama was interrupted during a State of the Union address.  Then look at Biden's recent address ... Republicans, especially the crazy ones, were acting like it was a football game ... booing, jeering and so on.  How long before that contempt becomes physical?

So Bill's solution -- take a page out of Hollywood. He gives enough evidence to win a trial -- stars who were paired in some of the greatest movies of all time despised each other, wouldn't even look at each other, yet when it counted they delivered and no one was the wiser.

There's no question A-lister, Brad Pitt has put in his time and earned a top spot in Hollywood. Now is YOUR chance to roll up your sleeves and see if you can work your way to finding the differences between these two shots!

The Hollywood hunk was recently snapped in NYC on the set of his most recent project "Wolves." Swagged-out from head to toe, the actor was lookin' like quite the cozy king. Your sole purpose here is to find the minor changes in the two BP shots ... you've got this!

Mark Wahlberg has closed the deal on his beautiful compound in Beverly Hills ... and while the sale came in lower than his OG asking price, he's still walking away with a fat chunk of change.

We've learned Mark's insane property sold Friday for $55 mil ... quite a markdown from his past asking price of $87.5M -- but impressive nonetheless.

As we reported, Mark listed the estate in April of last year with mega-realtor Kurt Rappaport of Westside Estate Agency and Carl Gambino of Compass ... after the actor picked up the land back in 2009 for only $8.25M.

The compound comes with a 12-bed, 20-bath mansion, plus a sweet guest house ... overall it's got 30,500 square feet of living space -- and the amenities are to die for.

The new owners are gonna live the high life with a waterfall pool, grotto, tennis, and basketball courts, and a private spa ... not to mention the movie screening room and 5K-bottle wine cellar!

As for Mark ... he's said he's headed to Vegas, where he plans on creating a new escape for him and his family.

An incredible clip of Bruce Willis has come back to light after his recent dementia diagnosis ... one where he says there's nothing in this world that can keep him down.

The video comes from his 2018 Comedy Central roast ... hilariously digging at everything that's "attacked him" over the years -- from terrorists to male pattern baldness and divorce lawyers, but nothing's stopped him because he's "Bruce f***ing Willis."

He also settled the score on whether "Die Hard" is a Christmas movie -- thank God.

It's a fantastic speech ... one his adoring fans started sharing on social media shortly after his daughter Rumer broke the news his aphasia has progressed to frontotemporal dementia ... commonly known as FTD.

As we reported, she said the diagnosis was a painful one, but called it "a relief" for the family to finally have some sort of answer ... adding "challenges with communication are just one symptom of the disease Bruce faces."

Bruce's other daughter Scout shared her feelings Thursday night after the news broke -- saying she's "emotionally tired and a bit overwhelmed," but thankful for everyone who has shown support.

Lance Gross has no problem with Idris Elba refusing to call himself a "Black actor" ... and while he isn't necessarily hopping on that train, he's definitely not down with labels.

We got LG out in L.A. Thursday and got his thoughts on the whole "Black actor" discussion ... sparked by Idris declaring he no longer wants to be described that way because he feels it puts him in a box.

Lance tells us, he totally understands Idris' point, and said his personal stance is pretty similar -- "I'm an actor first, who happens to be Black." Basically, he's not parading the term either.

He also says he makes a point to tell his team to seek out roles that aren't written just for Black folks, and that means he gets the "best of both worlds".

For Lance, it's all about doing the job well, rather than talking about his race.

Idris initially made his remarks while talking to Esquire UK ... but he's since doubled down on social media, despite drawing mixed feelings from fans.

One user fired back, "You only became as popular as you are because of BLACK AMERICANS, but instead of using your platform to speak UP for US, you promote acceptance of the status quo. I am DISGUSTED with you. Then again, Black Americans have historically been the ONLY group with BACKBONE."