Venture down your grocery store’s condiment aisle and you’ll find countless barbecue sauces, but one U.S. favorite had a surprisingly competitive start.
Mashed – Fast Food, Celebrity Chefs, Grocery, Reviews
Category: Entertainment
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As we previously reported, Aubrey Plaza is pregnant with her first child.
The news comes just over one year since Plaza’s husband, writer and director, Jeff Baena, died by suicide.
And because this is 2026, and no one is capable of being normal about anything, some folks are criticizing Aubrey about the timing.
“Aubrey Plaza’s husband Jeff Baena died in January,” wrote one user on X (formerly Twitter).
“Aubrey Plaza’s husband Jeff Baena died in January. She is now expecting her child from another man in April. So she must’ve gotten pregnant in July. She didn’t even wait 6 months before getting a new partner and getting pregnant by him,” this person continued, adding:
“This is what modern relationships are like. Before, women used to wait a lifetime for their husbands. She should’ve at least waited a few years. This is what modern relationships are like.
“Before, women used to wait a lifetime for their husbands. She should’ve at least waited a few years.
As is so often the case with hot social media takes, this post gets some very important facts wrong.
For starters, Baena died in January of 2025, so Aubrey didn’t become pregnant until more than a year after his death.
On top of that, the couple had been separated for several months when he died.
Fortunately, Aubrey seems to be more focused on the joyous time in her life than on the social media haters who are trying to bring her down.
Appearing on the latest episode of the wildly popular “Smartless” podcast, Aubrey spoke about her pregnancy for the first time.
“Well, there’s a baby inside of me. No, I said there is a baby inside of me right now,” she said (via Page Six), adding:
“Today was a big day. I went to the doctor’s today, and my dog also went to the doctor’s. And both of us — my dog’s getting a scan right now. I got a scan earlier. I’m not kidding.
“She had to get an ultrasound on her stomach. And then I got an ultrasound on my stomach, and there is a baby in there.”
Asked if she was “excited” about being an expectant mom, Aubrey replied:
“I am. Yeah. I’ve always wanted, I’ve always wanted, I’ve always wanted to see what that’s all about, you know?
“It just seems so interesting, that whole thing,” she added.
Aubrey is pregnant by fellow actor Christopher Abbott, with whom she’s worked on several projects, including the film Black Bear.
“It was a beautiful surprise after an emotional year,” a source told People magazine about the news. “They feel very blessed.”
Aubrey Plaza Breaks Silence on Pregnancy, Continues to Take Flak About Husband’s … was originally published on The Hollywood Gossip.
The Hollywood Gossip
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Savannah Guthrie and Hoda Kotb are finally sharing a screen again.
This is their first time as co-hosts since Hoda left the show.
It’s been well over a year.
And it is their first time appearing together on The Today Show in any capacity since their tearful interview.
Reunited!
On Monday, April 13, Savannah and Hoda had their Today reunion.
This was their first time co-hosting in over a year.
“Hi, everybody, good morning and welcome to ‘Today.’ Nice to have you with us on a Monday morning,” Savannah told the audience.
She turned to Hoda, placing a hand on her arm.
Savannah then gushed: “I’m so glad to have you here, Hoda!”
“I’m so happy sitting next to you in this chair again,” Hoda expressed.
Savannah agreed: “Yeah, it’s good. It’s just like the old times!”
This is a temporary reunion. Craig Melvin, who became a Today co-host after Hoda left the series, is only temporarily out.
Savannah explained that Hoda is filling in while her usual co-host enjoys a “well-deserved vacation with his family this week.”
Craig has been doing so much in recent months. He recently spent weeks with Hoda by his side as she sat in for Savannah, who was understandably taking time off amidst the search for her mother, Nancy.
‘It’s just like the old times!’
This is the first time that Hoda and Savannah have shared the desk as co-hosts since January 10, 2025.
Prior to that, they had been co-hosts starting in 2018.
Though Hoda left the show to pursue other projects, she has returned to help while Savannah deals with her family crisis.
We can’t really say that the mystery and grief of Nancy being a missing person is “over.”
But, sometimes, returning to work — taking your mind off of the pain for minutes at a time — is the best thing for someone who’s in a crisis.
On April 6, Savannah returned to her chair.
She quipped that it was “good to be home.”
It was back in March, during a heart-wrenching interview that Hoda conducted, that she shared her plans to return to the Today desk.
If Savannah and her family had gotten to have a sense of closure, then figuring out the “right” time to come back would have been easier.
But there has been no answer. No one seems to know where Nancy’s remains might be found. And Savannah knows that she cannot simply wait for answers that may never come.
What happened to Nancy?
This is an unfortunate time to be kidnapped or the victim of certain other crimes, as the federal agencies normally involved in resolving these situations are under serious mismanagement at the moment.
That said, we do not know if competent FBI leadership would have made a difference in this case.
Nancy Guthrie was kidnapped over a weekend. This may mean that the unknown suspect works a 9-to-5 weekday job, and that no one noticed their absence.
Given Nancy’s age and health, many believe that she may have died very soon after her abduction, either due to an injury or from lack of her medication.
But we don’t actually know. Her killer is out there, probably living a daily routine and not telling a soul. Maybe we’ll have answers one day. We hope that it will bring a sense of peace to Savannah and her family.
Savannah Guthrie & Hoda Kotb Reunite on ‘The Today Show’ was originally published on The Hollywood Gossip.
The Hollywood Gossip
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Another alum of My 600-lb Life has passed away.
Dolly Martinez was only 30.
She was even younger when she appeared on Season 10 of the TLC reality series.
What happened? Here’s what her family has shared. …
It was her own sibling who broke the tragic news
Her sister, Lindsey, shared the sad news on a Saturday, April 11 Facebook post.
“It is with a heavy heart that I share the passing of my beautiful sister, Dolly,” her mournful post began.
“Dolly had the brightest personality,” Lindsey praised.
She elaborated: “She could light up any room with her laughter, her kindness, and her loving spirit.”
Lindsey affirmed: “She had a way of making everyone feel special, and her warmth will stay with us forever.”
“While our hearts are broken here,” Lindsey continued, “I find comfort in knowing she is now reunited with our dad in heaven.”
She added: “I can only imagine the joy of that reunion.”
Lindsey wrote: “Rest peacefully, Dolly. You will always be loved, always be missed, and never forgotten.”
She concluded her tribute to her dearly departed sister by asking loved ones to contact her or her wife and not others, as some people require peace and quiet as they mourn.
(We have, for obvious reasons, not chosen to republish private phone numbers here.)
What was her cause of death?
We do not yet know what Dolly’s official cause of death was.
She was only 30 years old.
When Dolly appeared on Season 10 of TLC’s controversial series, My 600-lb Life, she weighed 593 pounds.
Different people carry weight in different ways. In her case, being this size meant that she relied upon supplemental oxygen.
She also required assistance with daily tasks.
While on the show, Dolly discussed how food provided her with emotional support that she was unable to derive elsewhere.
This began in early childhood. Her father’s addiction led to her parents’ divorce, and as she spent more time on her own, she sought comfort from food.
Most people can relate to the joy that food brings. Balancing that with making safe and healthy choices for ourselves is a balance to which many relate.
According to her mother’s statements on My 600-lb Life, Dolly experienced stigma as a child, which led to her turning to food. This became an ingrained behavior and a self-perpetuating cycle.
Over the course of Season 10, Dolly lost about 40 pounds, but never received approval for the weight loss surgery that she sought.
Some are quick to blame the TLC series, but …
My 600-lb Life is a controversial series.
(The best that one can honestly say about it is that it’s better than The Biggest Loser, which many cite as a true reality TV atrocity.)
Some of the alums have sued. Some surviving family members have also sued.
Taking a group of vulnerable people who are in need of help and turning their struggles into entertainment is always going to be off-putting to many. Especially because many believe that the rapid weight loss that people undergo puts added strain on their health.
For now, though, we have no idea whether Dolly’s death was related to her previous weight or to any degree of weight loss. Our hearts go out to her loved ones at this time.
Dolly Martinez Cause of Death: ‘My 600-lb Life’ Star Dies at 30 was originally published on The Hollywood Gossip.
The Hollywood Gossip
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Donald Trump has been on a rampage lately.
No one is safe from the president’s wrath these days, as he unleashes his fury on everyone from Tucker Carlson to Pope Leo XIV.
Yes, even the pope is catching strays at the moment, with Trump blasting the Chicago native as “weak” and “terrible” on foreign policy.
“Pope Leo is WEAK on Crime, and terrible for Foreign Policy,” Trump wrote, adding:
“He talks about “fear” of the Trump Administration, but doesn’t mention the FEAR that the Catholic Church, and all other Christian Organizations, had during COVID when they were arresting priests, ministers, and everybody else, for holding Church Services, even when going outside, and being ten and even twenty feet apart. I like his brother Louis much better than I like him, because Louis is all MAGA.
“He gets it, and Leo doesn’t!”
The post came during a very strange 24-hour period, during which Trump also posted a photo of himself as Jesus Christ.
“I don’t want a Pope who criticizes the President of the United States because I’m doing exactly what I was elected, IN A LANDSLIDE, to do, setting Record Low Numbers in Crime, and creating the Greatest Stock Market in History,” Trump ranted on, adding:
“Leo should be thankful because, as everyone knows, he was a shocking surprise. He wasn’t on any list to be Pope, and was only put there by the Church because he was an American, and they thought that would be the best way to deal with President Donald J. Trump.
“If I wasn’t in the White House, Leo wouldn’t be in the Vatican.”
For obvious reasons, many social media users — including supporters of Trump’s — were shocked by Sunday’s posts.
And Pope Leo was quick to respond to the White House’s provocation.
“To put my message on the same plane as what the president has attempted to do here, I think is not understanding what the message of the Gospel is,” Leo told The Associated Press aboard the papal plane over the weekend.
“And I’m sorry to hear that but I will continue on what I believe is the mission of the church in the world today.”
Trump has yet to respond to the Pope’s rebuttal or to the backlash against his bizarre Jesus photo.
We will have further updates on this developing story as new information becomes available.
Donald Trump Potrays Self as Jesus Christ, Blasts ‘Weak’ Pope Leo In Shocking … was originally published on The Hollywood Gossip.
The Hollywood Gossip
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In early March, Britney Spears’ DUI arrest was a wake-up call for her.
Amidst a frenzy of media coverage, she’s doing something very smart for herself.
Britney has checked into rehab.
That’s a brave choice for anyone — but especially for someone who was, for so many years, controlled and medicated against her will.
Rehab sounds like a great reset
On Sunday, April 12, a representative for Britney confirmed to Page Six that the beloved singer has voluntarily checked herself into a treatment facility.
Celebrity Intelligence with Dan Wakeford was the first to report that she was seeking treatment.
She is in rehab for substance abuse following her March 4 DUI charge.
We do not know what the duration of her stay at the facility will be.
But everyone feels very encouraged that Britney is doing the right thing for herself.
In the weeks following Britney’s DUI arrest, she has received a lot of support.
Her young adult sons, Sean Preston and Jayden James, have supported their mom, spending time with her.
Britney herself reportedly saw the event as a wake-up call — and felt deeply embarrassed.
Obviously, anyone would feel humiliated if they spent the night in jail on a charge like this.
But Britney knows that she has millions of eyes on her. That magnifies just about everything, including feelings of shame.
Over a dozen years under a conservatorship makes things harder, even now
Some have asked — as we so often ask when it comes to wealthy celebrities and driving-related infractions — why someone with that level of money is driving themselves at all.
Britney, however, is an exception.
For most of her adult life, Britney was under strict control. Her diet was regulated, her vacations had to be approved, and she was unable to drive her own cars.
It’s true that Britney driving has led to her arrest. And that sucks!
But, though we hope that she will hire a driver in the future (just to be safe), we can understand why she wanted to be behind the wheel by herself after so many years of being forced to be a passenger princess.
Relatedly, Britney attending rehab is a huge step — and probably a very scary decision for her to make.
For years, she could not make her own medical choices. This included being medicated and institutionalized against her will.
With years and years of medical trauma, the idea of “rehab” probably sounds like another gilded cage in Britney’s mind.
The good news is that wealthy celebrities checking themselves into rehab is very different from a conservator doing so on their behalf.
We’re so happy for Britney. It’s good that she recognized that she needed treatment and is taking this step to improve her life.
Her next court date is in May
Some have cynically suggested that Britney is only checking herself into a treatment facility in preparation for her court date.
Britney is due to appear before the judge on May 4 — yes, Star Wars day — over her DUI charge.
It is possible that her legal team advised her to take this step as a calculated move to show that she’s getting help.
But, if so … then she’s still getting help. And that’s great.
Unlike most celebrities her age, Britney was locked down for most of her adult life. This means that she’s playing catch-up on living as an adult. We’re glad that no one’s been harmed along the way.
Britney Spears Checks Into Rehab Weeks After DUI Arrest was originally published on The Hollywood Gossip.
The Hollywood Gossip
Whether you’re a British ex-pat or simply appreciate the food from across the pond, you’re going to want to seek out this tiny pie shop in PA.
Mashed – Fast Food, Celebrity Chefs, Grocery, Reviews
Britney Spears is focusing on her health.
One month after the “Circus” singer was arrested for driving under the influence in California, the 44-year-old has voluntarily checked herself into a…
E! Online (US) – Top Stories
Plenty of past presidents had favorite alcoholic beverages, but Abraham Lincoln preferred to abstain, and his reasoning was surprisingly simple.
Mashed – Fast Food, Celebrity Chefs, Grocery, Reviews
Whenever strawberry season arrives, you might see unfamiliar varieties in stores. Find out the differences before you choose between red and white strawberries.
Mashed – Fast Food, Celebrity Chefs, Grocery, Reviews