The first witness in the Danny Masterson trial broke down in tears onWednesday as she told jurors that the actor had raped her in April 2003.

The woman, who prefers to be identified as Jane Doe #1, testified that sheremembered waking up in Masterson’s bed, with him on top of her andpenetrating her. She said she tried to shove him away with a pillow, but hegrabbed her wrists with one hand and grabbed her throat with the other.

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“I just couldn’t breathe,” she said, crying and daubing her face with atissue. “He squeezed really, really hard.” She added that she felt “that I wasgoing to die.”

“I can’t do this,” she said, a moment later, shaking her head. “I can’t dothis.”

The court took a recess. Jane Doe #1 returned to the stand after the break andcontinued to testify.

Masterson is on trial for three counts of forcible rape that could send him toprison for 45 years to life. The trial began on Tuesday with heated conflictover how much the witnesses will be allowed to delve into issues relating tothe Church of Scientology.

Masterson and all three of the accusers in the case were Scientologists at thetime of the incidents. Judge Charlaine Olmedo has allowed limited discussionof the church to show the relationships between witnesses and theirmotivation.

But she has also tried to exclude testimony that would be, in legal terms,“more prejudicial than probative.” She drew the line on Tuesday when Jane Doe#1 testified that Scientology warns its members against “fraternizing with theenemy” — meaning non-Scientologists — and that the goal of Scientology is to“clear the world.”

Before testimony resumed Wednesday morning, Olmedo advised Deputy DistrictAttorney Reinhold Mueller to keep a tight rein on such testimony.

“This is a rape case,” the judge said. “Go to the incidents.”

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Jane Doe #1 tested on Tuesday about her initial sexual encounter withMasterson in September 2002, in which she alleged that he anally penetratedher against her will.

On Wednesday, she testified that after that incident, she was sent to speakwith a church ethics officer and was “forced to make peace” with Masterson.She also said she was required to complete a few weeks of “ethics programs,”and was given to understand that she was responsible for the encounter.

“My understanding, my entire life, was that you can never be a victim,” shetestified. “Nothing ever happens to you that you didn’t cause. No matter whatcondition you find yourself in life, no matter how horrible, you areresponsible. You created that.”

She went on to testify about the subsequent sexual incident from April 2003.She told the jury that she went to Masterson’s house, he gave her something todrink and then threw her into the jacuzzi. She said she began to feel like shewould throw up, and she had trouble seeing.

She said Masterson volunteered to take her to a bathroom upstairs and put hisfingers down her throat to get her to throw up. She said she resisted — saying“no” — but that Masterson picked her up and brought her up the stairs.

She said she vomited in the bathroom, and Masterson then dragged her into theshower and turned the water on. At some point, she realized Masterson was infront of her, soaping her breasts with his hands. She said she took a swing athim, but she felt weak and the punch did not land with much force.

Then, she said, Masterson picked her up and put her on the bed, where shepassed out. When she awoke, she testified that Masterson was on top of her,with his full weight, penetrating her.

In the subsequent struggle, she said Masterson reached into a drawer in anightstand and pulled out a gun. She said he held it up and said, “Shut thefuck up.”

“What did you feel?” Mueller asked.

“Fear,” she answered.

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The evenings darken, fog floats through the streets and people duck into theircollars on their way to movie theater or home cinema. With the horror in theair leading up to Halloween, many people feel like horrifying. There’s alreadya new movie in the Halloween franchise (The last one! Now for real!) and therest of the month there will be a lot of horror to follow. It is, asGeneration Z’ers say on social media: spooky season.

As almost always during this period, news reports appear about a horrorproduction that is so intense that visitors pass out or leave the room puking.

This year has Terrific 2 the honour, an American slasher film about ademonic clown, called Art the Clown, who causes massacres on Halloween. Googlethe title and the articles pile up. The observation: because of the brutalchopping and sawing in the film, the ambulances should be ready to receivevisitors at the exit. Well, such stories are mostly smart PR, free advertisingfor movies that usually don’t have the biggest marketing budgets. It helpedthe horror classic The Exorcist fifty years ago. ‘They wait hours to beshocked’ headlined the New York Times above a piece in which reporter JudyKlemesrud stands in a cinema queue and examines why the film is such asensation.

After the performance she was surprised that almost everyone came outpositively. The public had a lot of fun with the spinning head of thepossessed Linda Blair. It’s not much different with the latest killer clown.I’m curious why exactly Terrific 2 has floated to the top. Still, I’llalmost certainly skip it once it reaches the Netherlands (there is no releasedate for the Netherlands at the moment). According to American reviewers, thefainting factor is not that bad, but you have to have something with spicy’gore’ to enjoy it. No one will ever mistake me for a horror hero, so it endsthere.

Nevertheless, thanks to Wikipedia, curiosity can still be nurtured a bit. Thatway you can still talk a little bit if necessary. And quite a lot of people dothat: journalist Rob Harvilla, also too afraid of cinematic misery, has evenmade reviews of Wikipedia pages about horror films.

Fine for pulp, but there are still artistically high-quality films that youreally want to experience. The internet offers help there too. Reviews canalready help. However, if you want even more certainty, you can go to the siteof slate to go. Popular films that contain horror elements are analyzedthere through all kinds of tables.

You can see how a particular movie scores on such factors as ‘spookiness’ and’gore’. That last category goes from Singin ‘ in the Rain (no horrificthings) to saw (lots of horrible things). So this summer I could see that_nope_ the latest film by modern master Jordan Peele, would not be too bad.

You give up the element of surprise a bit, but in this way you enter the rooma little more relaxed as a fearful hare.

TVGuga Baul, Rik Verheye, Bart Peeters, Warre Borgmans, Joris Brys and MalikMohammed. These are the six BVs who will go completely naked during a stripact for the 3-part One-series ‘Kom op tegen Kanker, everything in the battle’.The two initiators Niels Destadsbader and Dieter Coppens will also be strippedof their clothes.

Niels and Dieter lead the project. They came into close contact with cancerthrough their fathers, who both developed prostate cancer. The duo wentlooking for fellow BVs to undress for a good cause. The format of the programhas already run abroad. For example, in England there was ‘The Real FullMonty’ and in the Netherlands ‘For One Night Only: completely naked’.

With the high-profile challenge of these eight daredevils, ‘Stand up againstCancer, everything in the fight’ aims to break the taboo surrounding malecancers, more specifically prostate and testicular cancer. ‘If the sixcourageous colleagues and we dare to take off their clothes for the whole ofFlanders, then shouldn’t every Flemish man dare to talk about the subject withhis doctor?’, hosts Niels Destadsbader and Dieter Coppens make clear.

BV’s participating in ‘Everything in the fight’, program in which they learnto strip for charity © VRT

The Flemish search for well-known male comic strip talent went in fits andstarts, but nevertheless went well. After all, from tomorrow eight famous menwill undress. Niels, Dieter, Warre, Guga, Malik, Bart, Joris and Rik gocompletely naked during a strip act in the Kursaal Oostende on October 26, asthe culmination of a dance training. Of course they don’t just do that or tostunt, but because they have a mission. They show not only their bodies, butabove all their commitment to finally openly discuss cancer in men. They doeverything they can for that.

The eight men are trained and assisted by the internationally acclaimedchoreographer Roy Julen. Julen (worked with Diana Ross and Stromae, amongothers, and for ‘So You Think You Can Dance). He takes the eight men under hiswing and wants to prepare them in three months to become seductive dancers ina stylish but daring strip act. Roy constantly challenges his aspiringstrippers to improve their dancing skills while also overcoming their shame.He absolutely wants to make sure they throw all eight hundred percent fortheir final act. The difficult road to the act and the result can be seen onOne from tomorrow, Thursday.

Tickets for the final recordings are still available at vrtmax.be/doemee

Guga Baul (36)

Guga Baul © Gregory Van Gansen / Photonews

• Actor, comedian and impersonator

• Known for ‘Against the Stars’ and as Ice King in ‘The Masked Singer’

• Participate for a good cause

Rick Verheye (35)

Rik Verheye © Photo News

• Known from ‘Callboys’ and ‘Uncles’.

• Participate for a good cause

Bart Peeters (62)

Bart Peeters © Filip Vanden Berghe

• Singer, presenter, actor

• Known for ‘Eurosong’, ‘Thank you for the music’ and ‘The Voice of Flanders’

• Brother-in-law Warre Borgmans got prostate cancer years ago

Warre Borgmans (66)

Warre Borgmans © Kristof Ghyselinck

• Known from ‘Windkracht 10’, ‘The Round’ and ‘Zone city’.

• Got prostate cancer years ago

Joris Brys (33)

Joris Brys © RV

• Sports and radio journalist

• Works for Play4 and Studio Brussel

• Succeeded radio voice Christophe Lambrecht when he unexpectedly died in 2019.

Malik Mohammed (29)

Malik Mohammed © Kristof Ghyselinck

• Won ‘So You Think You Can Dance’ in 2015.

• Knows friends who have faced cancer

Niels Destadsbader (34)

Niels Destadsbader © Tessa Kraan

• Singer, presenter, actor

• Known for ‘The Masked Singer’ and hits like ‘De Wereld Draait Voor Jou’.

His father was diagnosed with prostate cancer

Dieter Coppens (44)

Dieter Coppens © © VRT – Thomas Geuens

• Known from ‘Down the Road’

His father was diagnosed with prostate cancer

Anna Faris opened up about upsetting events she allegedly experienced on theset of My Super Ex Girlfriend in the latest episode of her podcast,Unqualified , during which she and guest Lena Dunham discussed theirexperiences working in Hollywood.

During the episode, Faris, 45, revealed that the acclaimed comedy directorIvan Reitman, who died in February at the age of 75, created a “reign ofterror” on the set of the 2006 film. That includes claims that he yelled ather and sexually harassed her in front of the crew.

“Can I speak ill of the dead?” Faris posed. “One of my hardest filmexperiences was with Ivan Reitman. I mean, the idea of ​​attempting to make acomedy under this, like, reign of terror. He was a yeller. He would bring downsomebody every day … and my first day, it was me.”

Ivan Reitman, left, and Anna Faris pictured in 2014 at an event in Las Vegas.(Photo: Charley Gallay/Getty Images for CinemaCon)

Reitman was known for directing legendary comedies like meatballs ,Ghostbusters, Twins, and Junior. He also produced a string of hitsincluding Animal House, Space Jam and Private Parts.

Faris said that on her first day of shooting My Super Ex Girlfriend, she hadto film a fight sequence with co-star Uma Thurman in which she had to wear ared wig. However, right before she was to arrive on set, the hair and makeupperson accidentally knocked “a big jar of wig glue” all over Faris’ costume,causing her to show up late.

“I was, like, 20 to 25 minutes late on my very first [day],” she explained. “Iwas terrified, truly, that my first day, Ivan thinks that I’m some kind ofdiva that’s not coming out of my trailer.”

“I’m, like, in the middle of the street that’s all lit, you know, it’s a nightshoot. And Ivan is just taking me down,” Faris explained. “He was like,’Annie!’ He’d always called me Annie. He’s like, “You can’t play like thataround here. Like, this is not like…” And I was like, “Don’t do it. Don’t cry.No crying. ‘ I felt angry and hurt and humiliated and defensive.”

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“Eventually, I said, ‘Did no one tell you what happened?'” she continued. “Andat that point, he kind of just shut up and then he, like, went behind thecamera. But then later, he slapped my ass, too. That was a weird moment.”

Anna Faris in 2017. (Photo: REUTERS/Mario Anzuoni)

While reflecting on the experience, Faris told Dunham her strategy at the timewas to not speak out, because she was afraid of potential backlash.

“It was like, ‘I’m going to lay low and play it safe. I am taking zero risk inthis movie,'” she remembers thinking.

“I don’t think you’re the first person who’s reported that,” Dunham told herof Reitman’s alleged abuse. “And I’m so sorry you had that experience. And didno one step in and say, ‘No?'”

“No. It was, like, 2006,” responds Faris, citing that the event happenedbefore the #MeToo movement.

“Sometimes, like with that incident, I think that I’m still of the generationand of the mentality of, like, how to calibrate that element. Like, on onehand, it wasn’t anything. Whatever. My ass is fine ,” she explained. “On theother hand, it was like, I did have, like, 30 people around me, I think,expecting me to do something. And I didn’t.”

the mom star previously spoke about the experience in a 2017 episode of herpodcast, but without naming Reitman directly.

“I was doing a scene where I was on a ladder and I was supposed to be takingbooks off a shelf and he slapped my ass in front of the crew so hard. And allI could do was giggle,” she said at the time. “I remember looking around and Iremember seeing the crew members being like, ‘Wait, what are you going to doabout that? That seemed weird.’ And that’s how I dismissed it.”

Faris continued, “I was like, ‘Well, this isn’t a thing. Like, it’s not thatbig of a deal. Buck up, Faris. Like, just giggle.’ But it made me feel small.He wouldn’t have done that to the lead male.”

The actress also claimed that the director in question, now known to beReitman, told her agent she was hired because of her “great legs” and not heracting ability.

“I remember that same director telling my agent, who told me, that I had greatlegs and that was one of the reasons that I got hired,” she said in 2017. “Andlisten, that’s a fucking great compliment. I like my legs. But that sort ofinformed my whole experience with that whole project. I don’t think the malelead got hired because he had great legs. Therefore I felt like I’m hiredbecause of these elements — not because of [talent].”

In mourning drama narcosis there are some hard scenes in which strugglingwidow Merel bluntly pushes her young children away from her. When directorMartijn de Jong saw during the casting for his film how actress Thekla Reutenturned down an emotional request from her film son, he knew that his leadactress was sitting in front of him. “You saw that she rejected her child, butalso that there was a bubbling volcano under it, love that held her characterback.”

Director Elbert van Strien cast Reuten as the lead actress for hisphilosophical horror film marionette (2020) for adding “human warmth” to itslead character who is “essentially a” control freak is.”

Triple Golden Calf winner Thekla Reuten (47) has a penchant for strong,independent women with a scratch on their soul, she said in an interview – shecan give these kinds of characters a remarkable layering. Although she ensuresthat she is not only associated with traumatized, hard aunts and heavy dramaby taking on very different roles. That’s how she played two years ago_marionette_ a psychiatrist who loses his grip on reality, but in the sameyear also a maladjusted, adolescent teacher in a comedy series tessa and acartoon character-like villain in the hit series Warrior Nun on Netflix.

Oscar nominations

Early on in her acting career, Reuten starred in films that were nominated forthe Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film, Everyone famous! (2000) and TheTwins (2002). She may be able to add a third title to this soon: _narcosis_is the Dutch Oscar entry.

How does Reuten win her very diverse roles? The basis is her acting talent,but in addition, the actress is a huge perfectionist and she preparesmeticulously for castings and recordings, say Dutch directors who have workedwith her. Van Strien: „For marionette she wanted to discuss in detail allthe meanings and subtext of her role and the story.” According to thedirector, her analytical approach does not lead to Reuten getting “too much inher head”. She can act better ‘in the moment’, so she knows when to use whichemotions to make characters believable.

Reuten also did research outside the script to develop Merel’s character, saysMartijn de Jong. In narcosis her lover disappears after a professional dive,his body is never found. “Thekla did their own research to understand therisks involved in diving. In addition, she spent endless amounts of time withthe clothing designer, for example looking for boots that ‘matched’ hercharacter. Or she went to stay in the house she had renovated with her husbandin the movie. She really wanted to feel ‘the history’ of her character withthe place where it takes place.”

Sporadically, Reuten’s perfectionism also works against her, De Jong explains.For example, if the children with whom the actress had to play were upsidedown on the couch because they themselves were not in the picture. “Theklafound something like this difficult, for her the correct setting and actorswho provide good counterplay are important to get ‘in the moment’.”

Also read: the review of Narcosis (●●●●)

Understated game

From early in her career, Reuten has played small and large roles in manyinternational projects, such as opposite George Clooney in thriller TheAmerican (2010) and starred in Red Sparrow (2018) with Jennifer Lawrence.__ __She has also been cast in German and Italian films and series and iscurrently in a project of the Russo brothers, known for superhero films forMarvel.

How does the actress realize those international ambitions? “There are manygood actors around, but it’s about getting you on the lists of castingdirectors,” explains Van Strien. „Since the Oscar nomination for _The Twins_in 2004, Thekla has both a US and UK agent who have access to majorinternational productions.” In addition, she speaks fluent languages ​​such asEnglish, Italian or German and is difficult to pin down in terms of age andbackground, so she can be used for many purposes. Reuten’s father, a Dutchpriest from Heerlen, got to know her mother, the daughter of Catholic Italianswho had emigrated from Tuscany, in Amsterdam.

According to Menno Meyjes, who directed Reuten in The dinner (2013) and the_Reunion_ (2015), in which she plays women who are more dangerous than theyappear at first sight, the actress has a ‘starquality’ factor. “She pulls thecamera towards her; you keep looking at her.” What helps is that, according toMeyjes, Reuten dares to play modestly. “That is only possible if you havetalent and that talent has been continuously rewarded. As a result, self-confidence grows and you know as an actor: it will be fine. That is differentfrom players who constantly think: ‘Now I have to make it happen’.”

In conversations about narcosis the actress also talks with remarkablesobriety and self-assurance about her character’s psychic abilities; Merel canvisit the dead. De Jong: “Irrespective of whether this is really possible ornot, Thekla has found that clairsentience can help people after a death, soshe did not want it to be portrayed as laughing. This may be partly due to itsItalian roots, in southern European countries mysticism is an easier part oflife and death.”

Van Strien also noticed that Reuten’s religious roots were an advantage in histhriller in which the supernatural plays a major role. “Because of theCatholicism in her life, she had a lot of connection to the deeper,existential questions her character struggles with.”

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10 Spooky Real-Life Locations From 10 Real Spooky Movies

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The exterior of the Neibolt House from It. (Photo: Warner Bros./New Line)

Some of the most iconic settings from Hollywood horror classics do not belongto the movie set but to the real world. They are structures. They arelandmarks. They may even be somebody’s home (so, be ever mindful of yourmanners). Here’s a look at our favorite Halloween sights — which you canliterally see for yourself.

The abandoned house from ** it ** Toronto

For the 2017 big-screen blockbuster, Hollywood converted this historic105-year-old Canadian mansion, known as the Cranfield House, into Pennywise’sinfamous 29 Neibolt St. spook house. While a run-down facade was built for theexteriors, the Cranfield was used for interiors. Formerly a home for unwedmothers, the currently unoccupied house (and soon-to-be condo) in Toronto’sRiverdale neighborhood does a lot of movie work these days, to the annoyanceof some neighbors.

the ** Conjuring house ** Currie, NC

In Rhode Island, where the reputedly haunted farmhouse that saw its story toldin the 2013 hit movie is located, the owners of the Conjuring house are verymuch over The Conjuring. In North Carolina, where the welcome mat seems tobe always out for Hollywood, Pender County’s tourism site gives you theaddress to the 4,840-square-foot single-family home in Currie that stood infor the original possessed house: 405 Canetuck Road.

The abandoned pavilion from ** Carnival of Souls ** Magna, Utah

Should you find yourself on the southern shores of Utah’s Great Salt Lake, besure to swing through the township of Magna (population: 26,505) and up to theconcert venue known as the Great Saltair. If you’re a cult movie buff, thenyou’ll think you recognize the pavilion’s Moorish spires from the bleak 1962black-and-white film, but you’ll be wrong. The Saltair featured in that movieburned down in 1970; the current structure (the third version of the formeramusement park site, actually) was erected in 1981. In any case, you’ll bestanding where movie ghouls stood, so… Score!

The Bates Motel and ** Psycho house** Universal City, Calif.

Yes, these are exterior facades, and yes, they’re located on the UniversalStudios backlot, and yes, they’ve been nipped and tucked and moved around thelot, but they’re included here because they’re still the real deal . They werebuilt for Alfred Hitchcock’s original Psycho movie and used in sequelsthereafter (though not in the recent Bates Motel series), and they’reaccessible to the public nearly every day via the Universal Studios Hollywoodtram tour.

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the ** Exorcist house ** Washington, DC

The brick house on Prospect Street in the capital’s stately Georgetownneighborhood has been called a tourist mecca. In another lifetime, it servedas the exterior of poor, possessed Regan MacNeil’s home from 1973’s TheExorcist. according to USA Today the black fence that now surrounds theproperty was erected to keep the movie-curious public at a distance.

Michael Myers ‘s Halloween **house ** South Pasadena, Calif.

In Halloween lore, the franchise slasher hails from Haddonfield, Ill. Inreal life, Haddonfield doesn’t exist, and filmmaker John Carpenter shot hisoriginal 1978 movie on a shoestring budget in the Los Angeles area, mainlySouth Pasadena. The key landmark is the Myers family abode, located back inthe day on Meridian Avenue and now, after being saved from the wrecking balland relocated down the road, on Mission Street. Formally known as the CenturyHouse, the structure is a local historic landmark and a business office.

The hotel from ** The Shining ** Government Camp, Ore.

In Stanley Kubrick’s 1980 adaptation of the Stephen King horror classic, JackNicholson’s writer character lost his mind at Colorado’s creepy OverlookHotel. You might lose your mind too, at the awesome sight of the PacificNorthwest’s 55,000-square-foot Timberline Lodge, which appeared in exteriorshots as the Overlook. If you want the hotel that inspired King’s tale, thenyou’ll want to book a room at the Stanley Hotel in Estes Park, Colo.

the Blair Witch Project village Burkittsville, Md.

It’s long been reported that the townsfolk of Burkittsville were not pleasedwhen the original Blair Witch Project name-checked their humble home andmade it a tourist destination — even though “very little” was filmed there. Ifyou visit the village, about an hour’s drive east of Baltimore, then pleasemind your manners and seek out a “Welcome” sign — that’s a rare piece ofBurkittsville that was actually in Blair Witch. We’re afraid the signs don’tlook like they did in the 1999 movie. The original ones were, sight, stolen.

the ** Paranormal Activity house ** San Diego, Calif.

The only thing supernatural about Oren Peli’s former four-bedroom, two-and-a-half-bath house with a “tidy, tidy front yard” in San Diego’s RanchoPeñasquitos neighborhood is the abundance of good fortune it brought thefilmmaker, who shot his 2009 breakout blockbuster here.

The apartment building from ** Rosemary ‘s Baby **New York City

This imposing 19th-century co-op at Central Park West and 72nd Street inManhattan’s Upper West Side is the famous Dakota. It was already notable forits exclusivity and its tenants, including Hollywood legend Lauren Bacall,when it played the Bramford (in exterior shots) in the 1968 demonic hit. In1980, the Dakota’s legend took a sad real-life turn: John Lennon, who lived inthe building with his wife, Yoko Ono, was shot to death at the 72nd Street

The decision is made. After multiple tests and years of rumors, Netflix hasannounced that it will be actively tackling password sharing by 2023. Thefirst step has already been taken.

The dreaded news was shared during the company’s latest quarterly earningsrelease.

Netflix is ​​doing well again

Speaking of which, the streaming service is already doing a lot better. Aftera few mediocre quarters, resulting in major layoffs and blows on the stockmarket, the numbers now look a lot rosier.

Netflix gained 104,000 paid subscribers last quarter. In comparison: in thesame period last year there were 73,000. A stark contrast from early thisyear, when the company announced it had lost subscribers for the first time ina decade.

From tests to official

Anyway, back to sharing passwords. This year, Netflix started a striking testin Argentina and Guatemala, among others. Users who tried to stream a movie orseries in a different location than the main owner of the subscription inquestion were told that they had to pay for a ‘sub account’ themselves.

The streaming service has tested various approaches, but now the message isofficially clear: password sharing will be definitively addressed in 2023.Netflix launched the first step in that direction last week.

First step for new accounts

It is now possible to use a special Profile Transfer- tool to export yourpersonal recommendations, watch history, watchlist and saved games to a newaccount. It should be clear that this will create the infrastructure to enableaccount-sharing users to move to their own paid account as smoothly aspossible.

Add to that the cheaper subscription with advertising that will be launched inNovember, and you get a clear overall picture.

Sharing accounts in 2023

The foundation for 2023 is being laid: ‘Hey, we see that you are sharing anaccount, that is not the intention. With this button you can easily transferyour viewing history to a new account. Don’t worry, that’s extra cheap thanksto our new subscription!’

The exact timing and operation of the measures has not yet been announced. Wewill undoubtedly hear more about this in early 2023. To be continued!

Rock hard numbers

Meanwhile, Netflix brags about its position in the streaming landscape: “It’shard to build a large and profitable streaming business – our best guess isthat all our competitors are losing money on streaming, with total annualdirect operating losses just this. years that could be well over ten billiondollars, compared to our five to six billion dollars in annual profit.”

Matthew Perry is lucky to be alive.

the friends star, 53, details his struggles with opioid and alcoholaddiction in his new memoir, Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing,_which comes out Nov. 1. Hey spoke to _people magazine about his revelations,including that he was given a “2 percent chance to live” just four years agowhen was on life support.

In 2018, Perry, then 49, spent months in the hospital recovering from surgeryfrom what his publicist said was a gastrointestinal perforation. However, hisbook details how he was actually in the fight of his life after his colonburst from opioid abuse. He was in a coma for two weeks and on life support.In total, he spent five months in the hospital recovering and had to use acolostomy bag for nine months.

“The doctors told my family that I had a 2 percent chance to live,” Perry toldthe outlet. “I was put on a thing called an ECMO machine, which does all thebreathing for your heart and your lungs. And that’s called a Hail Mary. No onesurvives that.”

He did, adding another alarming statistic, “There were five people put on anECMO machine that night and the other four died and I survived. So the bigquestion is why? Why was I the one? There has to be some kind of reason .” Andthat has prompted the star, best known for playing lovable Chandler Bing totell his story.

A former child star, he joined the cast of friends at age 24 when hisalcohol addiction was starting. By the time he was 34 — around the time theshow was ending — “I was really entrenched in a lot of trouble.” At one point,he was taking 55 Vicodin a day and was down to 128 pounds.

“I didn’t know how to stop,” he admitted. “If the police came over to my houseand said, ‘If you drink tonight, we’re going to take you to jail,’ I’d startpacking. I couldn’t stop because the disease and the addiction is progressive.So it gets worse and worse as you grow older.” He added that there were somesober points during friends including the entirety of Season 9, whichresulted in an Emmy nomination for Best Actor.

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Matthew Perry puts it all out there about his drug and alcohol abuse in hisnew memoir. (Photo: REUTERS/Carlo Allegri)

He said his castmates — Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, MattLeBlanc and David Schwimmer — were protective of him as he struggled.

“It’s like penguins. Penguins, in nature, when one is sick, or when one isvery injured, the other penguins surround it and prop it up,” he said. “Theywalk around it until that penguin can walk on its own. That’s kind of what thecast did for me.”

Friends: The Reunion aired on HBO Max in 2021 bringing Perry back togetherwith his castmates Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, DavidSchwimmer and Matt LeBlanc. He said his co-stars propped him up when hestruggled with addiction while shooting the original show, which ran from 1994to 2004. (Photo: Terence Patrick/HBO Max)

Perry said he did 15 stints in rehab over the years and had 14 surgeries onhis stomach. He won’t publicly share how long he’s been sober, as it’schanged, but he counts it each day.

He says the scars across his stomach from the surgeries are “a lot ofreminders to stay sober. All I have to do is look down.” And having to use acolostomy for nine months is also a deterrent.

“My therapist said, ‘The next time you think about taking Oxycontin, justthink about having a colostomy bag for the rest of your life,'” Perryrecalled. “And a little window opened and I crawled through it and I no longerwant Oxycontin anymore.”

Perry said he’s an “extremely grateful guy. I’m grateful to be alive, that’sfor sure” and his book is “filled with hope — because here I am.” He felt OKwriting about it now because he’s “pretty safely sober and away from theactive disease of alcoholism and addiction.” However, the nitty gritty of itall will likely shock his long-time fans.

“I think they’ll be surprised at how bad it got at certain times and how closeto dying I came,” he said. “I say in the book that if I did die, it wouldshock people, but it wouldn’t surprise anybody. And that’s a very scary thingto be living with. So my hope is that people will relate to it, and know thatthis disease attacks everybody. It doesn’t matter if you’re successful or notsuccessful, the disease doesn’t care.”

Meghan Markle opened up about her return to Hollywood, revealing in a newinterview she never thought she’d be back after leaving suits in 2018 to gomarry Prince Harry.

“I didn’t think I’d ever be in the entertainment industry again,” Markleexplained to variety.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex announced they would be stepping down as seniormembers of the royal family in Jan. 2020. Although they eventually landed inMontecito, Calif., about two hours north of Los Angeles, the couple quicklyjumped into the entertainment business. Their company Archewell inkedmultimillion dollar deals with Netflix — where they will create both scriptedand non-scripted show — and Spotify, where Markle just launched her buzzypodcast Archetypes. But the kind of content they want to create may come asa surprise.

“So much of how my husband and I see things is through our love story. I thinkthat’s what people around the world connected to, especially with our wedding.People love love,” Markle shared. “I’m not excluded in that sentiment. And ourdefinition of love is really expansive: Partner love, self-love, the love ofcommunity and family. We use that as the baseline of the kind of shows anddocumentaries we want out there .”

Markle said she and Prince Harry want to “do something fun.”

“It doesn’t always have to be so serious. Like a good rom-com. Don’t we missthem? I miss them so much. I’ve probably watched When Harry Met Sally amillion times. And all the Julia Roberts rom-coms. We need to see thoseagain,” she declared.

There is one genre they likely won’t touch, though.

“I don’t think you’ll ever see us doing a horror film,” Markle said. the_suits_ alum was equally as defiant when asked if she would ever go back toacting.

“No. I’m done,” Markle replied. “I guess never say never, but my intention isto absolutely not.”

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Meghan Markle opens up about her next chapter after leaving the monarchy.(Photo: Getty Images)

Prince Harry and Markle are parents to two young children — Archie Harrison,3, and Lilibet Diana, 1. The activist said she would be supportive if her kidseventually wanted to go into show business.

“I would say, ‘Great!’ When you become a parent, you genuinely want your kidsto find the things that bring them complete joy. she said. “But I want them tobe able to carve out their own path. If it’s the entertainment industry,great. And also, good luck. There are so many people that will talk about whatopened the door for my children. But it still takes talent and a lot of grit.We’re creating multidimensional, interesting, kind, creative people. That’swho our kids are.”

It’s only a matter of time before Markle is portrayed on-screen — in somethingother than a Lifetime movie. The former actress was asked if it’s “odd” toknow someone will likely play her in the future. ( Cough … like on Netflix’s_The Crown_.)

“I haven’t given that much thought, to be honest. It’s all weird. You have tocompartmentalize. Anyone talking about me or casting an actor to play me, thatwill be a caricature of me that has been created for a business that makespeople a lot of money. Once you can separate that out, it’s much easier to go:’OK. That actually has nothing to do with me.’ It genuinely doesn’t. It’s ahard lesson to come to grips with,” Markle replied.

As for the advice she’d give the actor, Markle said she hopes the person “shefinds the softness and the playfulness and the laughter. The silliness. I justhope she finds the dimensions. Also, she can call me!”

Markle noted how the entertainment industry “has shifted quite a bit since Iwas a part of it,” but there’s one part that’s remained the same — and it hassomething very much in common with the monarchy.

“Going through the process you did with the monarchy and then becoming aprivate citizen again, are those institutions similar?” variety asked.

“Every business has a model. I worked for NBCUniversal and the USA Network,and that was all part of a very large organization,” Markle recalled, notinghow vice chairman Bonnie Hammer was her “mentor.”

“For me, it was always about being able to find your North Star within thatmodel. Find someone who believes in you. As complex as any organization mightbe, there is always some thing in it that I think is positive,” Marklecontinued . “It’s important to focus on that. Some industries are verydifferent, and yet, business models for a lot of things — they have a bottomline. That bottom line needs to be held, I suppose.”

Jada Pinkett Smith invited a special guest host for Wednesday’s Red TableTalk about “toxic forgiveness”: Will Smith’s first wife, Sheree Zampino.

Jada and Sheree talked on the Facebook Watch show — featuring guest JanaKramer discussing ex Mike Caussin’s cheating scandal — about developing a”sisterhood” as the current and past Mrs. Will Smiths. They admitted theirrelationship was “messy” at first, as Jada started seeing Will on the heels ofSheree’s 1995 divorce filing, and both women had “fiery” personalities. Today,they’re a tight-knit blended family, with Jada admitting she loves seeingSheree’s post-divorce bond with Will, and revealing that the exes “take trips”together when she’s not there — which she knows will start “rumors.”

“I was in the picture too soon,” admitted Jada, who married the Fresh Princeof Bel Air star two years after his divorce. “I was,” she said, noting she”apologized” to Sheree, who was married to Will for three years and is themother of 29-year-old Trey Smith, for that.

“We have developed a really nice sisterhood. but it hasn’t been easy,” Jadacontinued. “Trying to have a blended family and not really have a blueprintfor that, we really had to figure it out along the way. For me, it really wasabout maturity [and] not understanding the maritime dynamic.”

Jada said the “biggest misconception” she had was she thought when the divorcepapers were signed, Will’s relationship with “Ree” was done. But,”Oh, guesswhat, it ain’t ever done” when there is a child in the picture. “This woman isa part of this family. [I was] not only taking on Trey, but Sheree is comingalong too.” Looking back, I definitely would have taken a beat as far asputting myself in the dynamic of you guys [and] let you two flesh out whateveryou need to figure out. I didn’t understand it.”

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Jada said she imagined it “definitely took some forgiveness” on Sheree’s part”because I can remember some times that I really crossed the line.” Once waswhen it was brought to Jada’s attention that Trey misbehaved on a playdate andshe confronted Sheree when she dropped Trey off at their house.

Jada and Sheree last Christmas:

Sheree, who has appeared on Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, recalleddismissing Jada’s input, saying, “‘Go get his daddy, please. Why are youtalking about what happens at my house over here?'” She said because Jadawasn’t yet a mother — having Jaden, 24, and Willow, 21, a few years later —she didn’t understand that dynamic. “It was out of line, but you didn’t meanany harm. You were like, ‘Listen, we gotta get [Trey] right.'”

Jada also recalled Sheree coming to the new house she and Will shared andmarching into their bedroom to look at it, pushing the boundary of what Jadawas comfortable with.

“I couldn’t say nothing,” Jada recalled. It was as if Sheree was saying, “‘Youneed to know who queen bee is around here, okay?'” For her part, Sheree didn’tremember, but called it “shameful.”

Jada said the “intertwining … got messy” saying much of it was because “wewere both really fiery.”

But Sheree said at the end of the day Jada exceeded her expectations, saying,”Coming into this, doing the blended thing, my only requirement was that youtreated my son well. You did that. Your heart was always right toward him,wanting the best for him.”

Jada talked about how they were able to “have difficult conversations” and”own up” when they made mistakes. They would pass a journal back and forth atcustody handovers if there was something they didn’t feel able to discussface-to-face.

(Screenshot: Red Table Talk)

“My philosophy always was: How can I love Trey and not love the most importantperson in his life — [who] is his mother. You can’t, and I knew that,” saidJada, who added the situation made her “learn it wasn’t always about me” andmade her “reach for a [higher] level of emotional maturity.”

Sheree said she’s “committed to loving” Jada, saying, “You’re family to me.”And she thanked her for her “patience” and giving her the “grace to evolve…Cause if somebody walked into my master bedroom…”

Jada’s mom Adrienne Banfield Norris added with a laugh “… we gonna havewords.”

Guest Kramer joined the panel, sharing new details about finding out her excheated on her with more than 13 women. During that conversation, Kramer askedSheree if she was ever resentful that Jada got a more evolved version of Willafter he worked through the hurt of divorce. (Will has said his divorce fromSheree was “the worst thing in my adult life.”)

“What I think is when our union ends, huh should be better cause of me,”Sheree replied. “So it might hurt to see [someone] with the better version,but he shouldn’t be worse … Now in this stage of life, I think I left toosoon,” as she as Will were both young and married just three years. “That wasa part of me trying to protect myself. “Let me sever this now and go.” If Iwas in a different time, I would never leave that soon. You’d work at it.”Though she added of Kramer’s situation, “Cheating is a whole other thing … Idon’t have the grace for a liar.”

Sheree also talked about how she and Will “are better as co-parents than wewere as husband and wife. We came together to have Trey, it took the two of usto make him, but then we shifted.”

Jada offered that Sheree and Will “really enjoy each other.”

When Kramer asked if it that gets under Jada’s skin, she answered, “Never.They take trips, I’m not there. They do their thing…”

Sheree said Jada needed to explain that so it didn’t turn into a salaciousheadline.

“Not together romantically, but like if he’s going on a book tour and his momis going and his sister,” Sheree joins as well, Jada said. “It’s fun for me towatch them enjoy them. It takes time, though.”

Jada added with a laugh, “We’re not having trouble everyone. Let’s just makethat very clear cause you know that will be the next rumor.”

Jada revealed that Sheree joins Will on trips when she ‘s not there but addedthere is no scandal:

Later, Jada also spoke about the public having “a lot of fun imagining” whatgoes on in a famous couple’s life. “They love it. They love putting all thepieces together and what parts you’ve told and what parts he’s told … Theylove sitting there and chitchatting about … and they have no idea,specifically when it comes to intimate relationships,” which she said are”complex and complicated.”

Jada and Will’s union has been both of those things. For years they wereplagued with rumors they were in an open marriage. In 2020, Jada admitted shehad a romantic “entanglement” with singer August Alsina when she and Will wereseparated nearly five years earlier. Will said in 2021 that both he and Jadahave, with mutual agreement, engaged in sexual relationships outside of theirmarriage.

It was recently announced that, following Will’s book, Jada will be writingher own memoir. It will include details on her “complicated” marriage.