Abbott Elementary and Everybody Hates Chris actor Tyler James Williams is speaking out about a health battle that he's kept private for years. In a new interview with PEOPLE, the actor revealed that he struggled with a chronic illness that remained unknown to him for many years. Now, he's looking to raise awareness about his condition as part of AbbVie's Beyond a Gut Feeling campaign.“I spent a portion of my life and career in wild amounts of discomfort and pain, only to find out that had I had a more in-depth conversation with a gastroenterologist, a lot of that could have either been treated more directly or avoided,” he told the publication. “So I don’t want anybody who’s in the position that I was in previously to have to go through the same things.” He first began experiencing severe symptoms at 19 years old, and believes he exhibited signs of the disease throughout childhood. But it wasn't until he was 22 years old that he finally put a name to his suffering: Crohn's Disease, a type of Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD).“I've experienced some of the milder symptoms of the disease, but then also some of the very extremes as well,” he said. “But so much of that was due to the neglect of not treating the disease ahead of time.”Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD), according to the Mayo Clinic, is an umbrella term for a group of disease that include Ulcerative Colitis and Crohn's Disease. They cause "swelling and inflammation of the tissues in the digestive tract," sometimes accompanied by sores (ulcers) in the lining of the intestine and rectum. Symptoms include "belly pain, diarrhea, rectal bleeding, extreme tiredness and weight loss." While it can be mild and is rarely fatal, some people can face serious illness and disability from the disease.Williams explained to PEOPLE that he began going in and out of the hospital soon after his diagnosis."On one of my first hospitalizations, I went in and I was waiting for the doctor to give me some kind of big, really scary diagnosis,” Williams said. “He mentioned Crohn's disease and I didn't know what that was. So although it was explained to me, there was a certain level of seriousness I just didn't take to it. I thought I could just work through it until ultimately I ended up in such an acute position of pain because the disease was kind of running wild.”Williams ultimately needed to have multiple surgeries related to the disease. Surgeries for Crohn's can involve removing a portion of the digestive tract that's become damaged and reconnecting healthy portions, according to the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation. Other surgeries can help drain abscesses, remove fistulas, and more.“I needed to have three surgeries over the course of three months and was hospitalized on both the east and west coast for the better part of a year,” he said. He had begun to feel things would never change, something that took a toll on his mental health in addition to his body."There's a unique type of depression that comes with, ‘I'm the only one going through this.’ I think that was, from a mental health point of view, one of the lowest places I've ever been,” he said. “A combination of feeling very alone in something and then also the mental toll that comes with dealing with a physical disease. I was in a really dark place for a while feeling like there was no way to get over this hump or to ever feel better.”After making serious lifestyle changes to emphasize eating well, working out, and maintaining a healthy metabolism, Williams says he's in a much better place.“I think I've become very in tune with my body and listening to what my body is saying,” he said. “So I’m on medication and doing well. I've been in what we refer to as remission for at least the last year and a half, if not two years. My gastroenterologists are really happy with where I'm at.“It took a while to get here though. There was a long time I didn't think I could get to this place where I felt what other people feel, what I describe as normal," he continued. "And it's a beautiful place to be now.”

Casandra "Cassie" Ventura Fine, who testified against her ex-boyfriend Sean "Diddy Combs during his landmark federal sex-crimes trial, is speaking out against the music mogul's potential release from prison ahead of his sentencing hearing.In a letter to U.S. District Court Judge Arun Subramanian filed Tuesday, Sept. 30, Ventura Fine opened up about the psychological toll of her decadelong relationship with the disgraced rapper, as well as shared her concerns about Combs' custody status."I still have nightmares and flashbacks on a regular, everyday basis, and continue to require psychological care to cope with my past," Ventura Fine wrote, according to court documents obtained by USA TODAY. "My worries that Sean Combs or his associates will come after me and my family is my reality."Ventura Fine revealed that she's maintained a low profile since Combs' trial, which concluded in July and saw the Grammy-winning rapper receive a split verdict, convicted on two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution but acquitted on the more serious charges of racketeering and sex trafficking. The one-time R&B star added that she and her family have also moved out of the New York area as a safety precaution."I am so scared that if he walks free, his first actions will be swift retribution toward me and others who spoke up about his abuse at trial," Ventura Fine continued. "As much progress as I have made in recovering from his abuse, I remain very much afraid of what he is capable of and the malice he undoubtedly harbors toward me for having the bravery to tell the truth."Who is Cassie? What to know about singer at the center of Diddy's sex-crimes trialVentura Fine, who met Combs when she was 19 as an aspiring singer, testified during Combs' monthslong federal trial, peeling back the curtain on years of alleged physical and sexual abuse, which included participating in several of Combs' reported "freak-off" sex parties. Her bombshell testimonycame nearly two years after Ventura Fine filed a civil lawsuit against Combs in November 2023, which the pair resolved in 24 hours with a $20 million settlement.Combs, who is expected to be sentenced on Friday, Oct. 3, remains in custody at Brooklyn's Metropolitan Detention Center after repeated attempts at bail, all of which have been denied.Ventura Fine's statements against Combs come after several of Combs' loved ones and associates, including City Girls rapper Yung Miami and producer Dallas Austin, wrote letters of support to Subramanian requesting "leniency" for the hip-hop mogul's sentence.Cassie Ventura takes the stand: Biggest moments from her Diddy trial testimonyCassie talks suicidal thoughts, healing journey after Diddy abuseIn her Sept. 30 letter to Judge Subramanian, Ventura Fine rehashed the repeated abuse she allegedly suffered at the hands of Combs, which included performing numerous sex acts with male sex workers, harrowing physical violence and substance abuse."While the defense attorneys at trial suggested that my time with Combs was akin to a 'great modern love story,' nothing could be further from the truth," Ventura Fine wrote. "Nothing about this story is great, modern, or loving — this was a horrific decade of my life stained by abuse, violence, forced sex and degradation."The "Me & U" songstress said the mental health impact of Combs' purported abuse drove her to thoughts of suicide, adding that she was able to navigate the distress thanks to "my family’s intervention and urging that I seek professional care." Ventura Fine is married to personal trainer Alex Fine; the couple share three children."I have been to rehab and have taken part in dozens of types of therapy modalities to confront, compartmentalize and cope with the horrific memories of sexual and emotional abuse I endured for nearly 10 years," Ventura Fine concluded. "While what he did to me is always present, I am slowly learning how to live my life free of the fear and horrors I endured, and in doing so am fully devoted to my husband and my children."Cassie claims Diddy is not 'a changed man' after trialWhile Ventura Fine has hope for her future, she can't say the same about her ex, Combs."His defense attorneys claim he is a changed man, and he wants to mentor abusers. I know firsthand what real mentorship means, and this disgusts me; he is not being truthful," Ventura Fine wrote in her letter to Subramanian."I know that who he was to me — the manipulator, the aggressor, the abuser, the trafficker — is who he is as a human," she continued. "He has no interest in changing or becoming better. He will always be the same cruel, power-hungry, manipulative man that he is."Ventura Fine also criticized Combs' about-face in acknowledging his physical abuse after the leak of surveillance footage showing him attacking Ventura Fine at a Los Angeles-area hotel in 2016. Combs issued a video apology on social media after the footage was released by CNN in May 2024."When I came out with my allegations in my civil case, he flatly denied them again and again," Ventura Fine said. "It was only after actual video footage corroborated the exact words in my civil complaint that he issued an insincere apology on the internet. Thanks to the footage and my testimony, this is also something he will forever be associated with."Cassie asks judge to consider Diddy's history of 'abuse and control' ahead of sentencingFor Ventura Fine, the pursuit of justice has come at a cost."For four days in May, while nine months pregnant with my son, I testified in front of a packed courtroom about the most traumatic and horrifying chapter in my life," Ventura Fine wrote in her Sept. 30 letter. "I testified that from age 19, Sean Combs used violence, threats, substances and control over my career to trap me in over a decade of abuse."She added: "Reliving in detail the events and truths described throughout the trial and this letter causes me tremendous emotional pain. I am trying with all that I am to move on."Ventura Fine's testimony during Combs' trial was often highly emotional, with the singer breaking down in tears as she recalled the trauma she said she suffered in her relationship with the Bad Boy Records founder. As Subramanian contemplates Combs' sentencing, Ventura Fine asked the New York judge to consider "the many lives that Sean Combs has upended with his abuse and control.""For over a decade, Sean Combs made me feel powerless and unimportant, but my experience was real, horrific and deserves to be considered," Ventura Fine concluded. "While the jury did not seem to understand or believe that I engaged in freak offs because of the force and coercion the defendant used against me, I know that is the truth, and his sentence should reflect the reality of the evidence and my lived experience as a victim."

Go on and take a bow, Rihanna.The singer has given birth, welcoming her and longtime partner A$AP Rocky‘s third child.“Rocki Irish Mayers Sept 13 2025,” the “Diamonds” hitmaker wrote on InstagramWednesday alongside a photo of herself holding their baby girl. News broke in May that the couple were expanding their family after previously welcoming son RZA and son Riot in 2022 and 2023, respectively.Rihanna, 37, debuted her baby bump while walking in New York City ahead of this year’s Met Gala.She stunned on the red carpet in a deconstructed Marc Jacobs suit — and left fans questioning whether she had twins on the way when she seemingly said she “brought the kids” to the event.“As in multiple?” one social media user asked at the time, while another predicted, “We’re never getting an another album.”The following month, Rocky made headlines for appearing to hint at the sex of baby No. 3 after back-to-back boys.When an “Entertainment Tonight” reporter asked whether the rapper was expecting “the girl [he’s] been waiting for,” Rocky replied, “It is, man. It is.”The songwriter, who was at the “Smurfs” premiere, immediately held up a Smurfette doll and clarified, “Right here. You know what I’m saying? Right here.”The journalist teased, “You know what I’m asking.”Rocky, in return, simply laughed and ended the playful interview.At the same event, Rihanna also joked about being pregnant with a “Smurfette” — only to add that she could also be carrying a “Papa Smurf.”She quipped, “Who knows!”As for the little one’s name, Rihanna confirmed, “It’s always going to be an R name. That’s the one thing me and Rocky don’t fight over.”The couple have been an item since 2020 when their relationship took a romantic turn after years of friendship.

Dame Dash is being asked to show his receipts. He is accused of hiding his money through his wife’s business to avoid paying out a legal settlement.As perComplex, Dame Dash is being instructed to make good on his debts, but his collectors are having a difficult time getting him to pay. Filmmaker Josh Webber says that the former Cake-A-Holic is using his network of business entities to hide his money. Webber had previously won a defamation judgement against Dash for $800,000 over the Dear Frank movie. Since 2022, he has been trying to collect on the payment with no luck. In June, a judge forced the Roc-A-Fella Records founder to give up some of his assets to satisfy the debt.Since then Dame Dash has forked over two films and some other projects to make good on some of the monies owed. On Monday (Aug. 18), Josh Webber filed a document alleging Dash has been renaming his companies, specifically LLC Records. The filing refers to moves as “noncompliance” and “willful deceptiveness.” Webber’s claim might not be too far of a reach, as Dame Dash has confirmed that he has very little under his name. “I run my family office. I don’t own it. My family owns it,” he said in an interview with The Art Of Dialogue. “I don’t have too much in my name. So the things that are in my name are things that I don’t even know that exist, that don’t make money. They’re from years ago.”

Vivian Ayers Allen, acclaimed poet and playwright and mother of Phylicia Rashad and Debbie Allen, has died at the age of 102.Vivian Ayers Allen, celebrated poet, playwright, and mother of Phylicia Rashad and Debbie Allen, has passed away at 102.On Aug. 20, Allen shared the sad news on Instagram, posting a heartfelt tribute to her late mother that featured a video montage of family photos set to Stevie Wonder’s “Golden Lady.”“Mommie, you have transformed into that cosmic bird Hawk that lives and breathes Freedom,” Allen wrote. “We will follow your trail of golden dust and continue to climb higher. We promise “to be true, be beautiful, be Free.”The celebrated choreographer and founder of the Debbie Allen Dance Academy signed off the post with her name, her siblings’ names, and other family members. She also gave a shoutout to “all the Turks in our family,” a nod to the affectionate nickname “MaTurk” that her family used for Ayers.Ayers lived a life devoted to scholarship, arts, and culture, passions she eagerly shared with her four children. A graduate of the Brainerd Institute, she became the founding director of the Brainerd Institute Heritage after Phylicia Rashad purchased the 12-acre property where the institute once stood in 1999. Ayers’ distinctive poetry style earned her a Pulitzer Prize nomination, a place in Langston Hughes’ 1964 collection New Negro Poets, USA, and praise at NASA’s Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, where enlarged renderings of her 1952 poem “Hawk” are displayed.While residing in Texas, Ayers became the first African American faculty member at Rice University, and later moved to Mexico, where she studied Greek literature, Mayan culture, and Mesoamerican math and astronomy. In the 1980s, after relocating to New York, Ayers founded the ADEPT New American Museum of the Southwest in Mount Vernon, where she organized community arts projects and highlighted Black and Indigenous artists.Her collaborations included a performance with Jimmie Durham and Muhammad Ali in Durham’s My Land. Over her lifetime, Ayers received honors from the National Council of Negro Women, the Jack and Jill of America Foundation, and was awarded a Medal of Honor by Winthrop University in 2008.In 2023, Ayers celebrated her 100th birthday with a party at the Brainerd Institute, where Phylicia Rashad read Hawk, accompanied by the Claflin University Choir. Another celebration at the Rhimes Performing Arts Center in Los Angeles featured readings and performances by an A-list lineup, including Angela Bassett, Jesse Williams, Alexis Floyd, Cory Henry, and her daughter Debbie Allen. Ayers’ passing comes just weeks after she celebrated her 102nd birthday with her family, who organized a special jazz concert in her honor.

Dr. Danielle Spencer, an actor who gained fame through the 1970s hit sitcom What’s Happening!!, has passed away, according to a social media post. While we await official word from the family of Dr. Danielle Spencer, we’ll share what we’ve learned so far.Via the Instagram account of What’s Happening!! co-star Haywood Nelson, the news was delivered that Danielle Spencer passed away on Monday (August 11) after battling a health issue.Dr. Dee, our brilliant, loving, positive, pragmatic warrior, without fail, has finally found her release from the clutches of this world and a body. We celebrate Danielle Spencer and her contributions as we regret to inform her departure and transition from a long battle with cancer.We have lost a daughter, sister, family member, “What’s Happening” cast member, veterinarian animal rights proponent and healer, and cancer heroine. Our Shero. Danielle is loved. She will be missed in this form and forever embracedDr. Spencer was born on June 24, 1965, according to her Wikipedia page, and played the role of Dee Thomas on What’s Happening!! from 1976 until 1979. She would return to the role of Thomas in the spinoff series, What’s Happening Now!!Spencer attended the University of California-Davis in 1983 to study medicine, according to her IMDB biography. She was inspired to enter that field of study after her stepfather passed away in an automobile accident. She discontinued her studies to appear in What’s Happening Now!! and later entered the Tuskegee University Veterinary School in Alabama.Although Spencer would act sparingly in the 1980s through the early 2000s, she shifted careers and became a veterinarian and granted interviews at certain intervals.Dr. Danielle Spencer was 60.

Shannon Sharpe’s time at ESPN has ended before it really began.Media reporter Andrew Marchand reported for The Athletic on Wednesday that ESPN has cut ties with Sharpe. This news comes less than two weeks after Sharpe settled his lawsuit with Gabriella Zuniga, a woman who accused him of sexual misconduct.Sharpe and Zuniga were in a tumultuous consensual sexual relationship after first meeting at a gym. She had sued him in April seeking $50 million over his alleged mistreatment of her. The lawsuit led to great embarrassment and negative attention for Sharpe, who announced on April 24 that he was stepping away from ESPN. Sharpe had said at the time that he would be back on ESPN in the future, but that is not happening.There were questions about whether or not Sharpe would return to his work at ESPN, but now we know the answer to that question. The former NFL tight end does have two podcasts he still runs — “Nightcap” with former NFL receiver Chad Johnson, and “Club Shay Shay.” According to Marchand, Sharpe’s distribution deal with The Volume for the two shows is ending in August. That led to speculation that Sharpe could sign a $100 million deal for his shows, though the loss of the ESPN job and the lawsuit may harm his negotiations.Sharpe was on ESPN for about a year and a half following his departure from FS1 show “Undisputed,” which he co-hosted with Skip Bayless.

WWE icon Hulk Hogan has died at the age of 71.The news was first reported by TMZ on Thursday, July 24. WWE confirmed the news."WWE is saddened to learn WWE Hall of Famer Hulk Hogan has passed away," the company said in a statement. "One of pop culture’s most recognizable figures, Hogan helped WWE achieve global recognition in the 1980s. WWE extends its condolences to Hogan’s family, friends, and fans."The Clearwater Police Department in Florida said in a statement it responded to a medical call at a residence on Clearwater Beach at 9:51 a.m. for a reported cardiac arrest. Fire and police personnel responded to the scene, and he was treated at the scene before he was taken to Morton Plant Hospital, where he was pronounced deceased.The death of Hogan, whose legal name is Terry Bollea, comes days after rumors circulated on social media about his health. Hogan's close friend Jimmy Hart said on July 22 he was "doing phenomenal."Hogan was influential in the rise of wrestling worldwide and was WWE's first major star. After a brief stint in WWE in the late 1970s, he re-joined the company in 1983 after Vince McMahon took ownership of the business. Then, "Hulkamania" ran wild as he soon became the most popular star in the company, and arguably all of wrestling. His All-American persona along with his hero-like abilities made fans cheer for him, and he was one of the first wrestlers to have a larger-than-life feel. His entrance song "Real American" became one of the first known wrestling songs.Hogan's popularity extended outside of wrestling, with him appearing on TV shows and movies. As WWE's became the dominant wrestling company, Hogan's stardom only grew. He headlined the first nine editions of WrestleMania, with his most iconic moment coming at WrestleMania 3 in 1987. Defending the World Heavyweight Championship against longtime rival Andre the Giant, Hogan picked him up and delivered "the bodyslam heard around the world" before he hit his iconic running leg drop finisher to defeat him in one of the most memorable wrestling matches of all-time.Hogan made waves outside of WWE when he helped catapult World Championship Wrestling (WCW) to popularity, eventually competing with WWE. There, he was part of the famed New World Order that was among the greatest factions in wrestling history.After WWE acquired WCW, Hogan returned to WWE and adopted the "Hollywood" Hogan persona as a heel, which included a famous showdown with The Rock at WrestleMania 18 in 2002. Hogan later had stints in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling, but returned to WWE on several occasions. Despite all the accomplishments in wrestling, Hogan was involved in several scandals in and out of the ring. He testified in the United States v. McMahon lawsuit in 1994 where he admitted he took steroids, but McMahon never distributed them. In 2015, he was caught on tape making racial comments that severely tarnished his popularity and legacy. WWE distanced itself from Hogan in the fallout, and but he eventually returned to making appearances with the company in 2018.He made his last appearance for WWE in January at the Netflix debut of Monday Night Raw in Inglewood, California.He was a six-time WWE Champion and was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame twice, once in 2005 and in 2020 as part of the New World Order.

Brittany Renner Addresses “Large Lady” Jackie Christie Following ‘Basketball Wives’ Blow UpJackie Christie and her daughter, Chantel, have always had a complicated relationship, but on the latest episode of Basketball WivesLA, things went from heated to explosive. What started as a build-up of tension between mother and daughter quickly spiraled into a physical altercation that left fans stunned and security stepping in.On the latest episode, which aired Monday night (July 21), Chantel — who officially joined the cast full-time this season — attempted for what felt like the umpteenth time to have a real conversation with her mother about their past issues. But once again, the talk went nowhere fast. Chantel’s aggressive, no-nonsense delivery clashed with Jackie’s passive-deflective tone, turning what could’ve been a breakthrough into yet another blow-up. It all started when Chantel declared she “wouldn’t be moving forward with” Jackie in her life and stormed off from their sit-down, only to double back with a string of insults towards her mom. As Jackie calmly tried to guide her daughter to exit her room, Chantel, clearly frustrated, wasn’t having it and physically pushed her mother into a closet — turning a heated argument into a shocking physical altercation.Jackie — clearly operating from old-school parenting playbook — lunged at her daughter with a closed fist, causing Chantel to stumble back. “Chantie, I will knock you out… I will knock you out,” Jackie shouted as security rushed in to separate them. A stunned Chantel fired back, calling her mother a “dumb b**h”* and threatening to call her father, Jackie’s husband Doug Christie, to tell him exactly what just went down.While the physical altercation was shocking, for longtime fans of the show, it wasn’t entirely out of the blue. Jackie and Chantel have had a rocky dynamic for years, and the emotional baggage between them has always been a part of their storyline. Chantel has previously accused Jackie of being controlling and emotionally unavailable, especially when it comes to how she handles her children.She’s also publicly expressed frustration over what she sees as favoritism, particularly in how Jackie has treated her versus her older sister, Takari. Takari, Jackie’s daughter from a previous relationship, has gone on record in past seasons about feeling like she was treated differently because of her darker skin tone. That conversation about colorism has loomed in the Christie family, and Chantel has often been stuck in the middle trying to navigate it all.Now that Chantel is on Basketball WivesLA as a full-time cast member, the cameras have zoomed in on the emotional wounds between her and her mother, playing out for the world to see. Fellow cast members such as Brittany Renner, Ming Lee, Evelyn Lozada and others have sided with Chantel after hearing more about her stance against her mother.After the fight aired, the internet also had a lot to say. Fans were divided, with some siding with Jackie, arguing that no matter how intense things get, you never lay hands on your mother. One viewer wrote, “I don’t care what your mom do. You never put your hands on your mom or disrespect her. The best thing you can do is walk away, but she didn’t. She is the problem.”Others pointed out the generational trauma at play, acknowledging that while both women have valid feelings, therapy is long overdue. One fan tweeted, “I could never talk to my mama like Chantel does Jackie. I would’ve been knocked into next week fr.” Another viewer added, “After watching I’ve seen Jackie try and talk to her multiple times and every time Chantel gets super aggressive and won’t get to the point without throwing a jab or two. Then Jackie dismisses the convo and deflects. They both need therapy. However, pushing your mom and not thinking she gonna two-piece you is crazy.”Their physical blow-up wasn’t just about a single argument — it was clearly about years of built-up resentment, tension, and emotional baggage that finally boiled over. As of publication, neither Jackie Christie, Doug or Chantel have addressed the fight publicly, but the preview for the upcoming episode seems to dive deep into what happened that day.Basketball Wives LA airs every Monday night at 8 P.M. ET on VH1.

Malcolm-Jamal Warner, the actor best known for portraying the charismatic Theodore “Theo” Huxtable on the groundbreaking sitcom The Cosby Show, has died at the age of 54. According to reports first published by TMZ and later confirmed by PEOPLE, Warner drowned while swimming on vacation with his family in Costa Rica. No additional details have been made public at this time. His representatives have not yet issued a statement.Warner rose to fame in the 1980s and 90s as the youngest Huxtable son on The Cosby Show, a role that earned him critical acclaim and widespread affection from fans across generations. Although he had acting credits prior to the NBC hit series, his nearly 200-episode tenure as Theo solidified his place in television history.In a 2023 interview with PEOPLE, Warner expressed pride in his work on the show, despite the controversy that later engulfed his on-screen father, Bill Cosby. “Regardless of how some people may feel about the show now,” he said, “I’m still proud of the legacy and having been a part of such an iconic show that had such a profound impact on — first and foremost, Black culture — but also American culture.”Following his time on The Cosby Show, Warner built a varied and successful career across film and television. He appeared in action thrillers like Drop Zone, dramas such as Restaurant, and adventure films like Fool’s Gold. His television roles spanned genres and generations, including guest appearances and recurring parts in acclaimed series like American Horror Story, Key and Peele, Major Crimes, and Suits.Warner’s most recent long-running television role was as Dr. AJ Austin on The Resident, where he appeared in nearly 100 episodes. His portrayal of the driven and complex cardiothoracic surgeon brought new acclaim and introduced him to a new audience of fans.Throughout his career, Warner remained a strong advocate for Black excellence in entertainment and beyond. His performances often centered on nuanced, intelligent, and relatable portrayals of Black men, a legacy that continues to influence actors and creators today.Warner’s death marks a significant loss not only to those who knew him personally, but also to millions who grew up watching his work and felt seen through his characters.He is survived by his family, friends, colleagues, and a powerful legacy that endures through decades of storytelling, laughter, and inspiration.