Netflix’s “Love is Blind” is casting for their seventh season here in Boston and invited New Englanders to apply.

The U.S. reality television series is a social experiment where single women and men speak to one another through a wall and attempt to fall in love before meeting face-to-face.

The team is looking for “brave, open-minded” single people who are ready for a committed relationship, according to the show’s producer, Kinetic Content, in an Instagram post.   

The post linked out to a casting application that asks more than 60 questions. It requests the usual information, like name, where contestants are from and occupation, but it also includes more esoteric questions.

For example, it asks applicants to briefly describe their dating history, their current dating life and any deal-breakers they may have when it comes to relationships. Applicants are required to upload photos of themselves and a 15-second video sharing why they want to find love on the show.

“Love Is Blind” season seven will air sometime between September and October.  

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Underwood, who rose to fame after she won the singing competition show in 2005, will return 20 years later as a judge for the upcoming season, set to premiere in spring 2025. She’s the first “American Idol” alum to become a judge.

In an emotional video announcing Underwood’s new hosting gig, she said “I’m proud of everything that I was able to accomplish on the show, and I’m so proud of everything that I’ve accomplished since.”

The country singer, who is the most decorated artist in CMT Music Awards’ history with 25 wins, made waves with her rendition of Bonnie Raitt’s “I Can’t Make You Love Me” at her audition, and she quickly became a fan-favorite.

Underwood has also won eight Grammy Awards and consistently tops the charts with her albums and singles. She will be joining Luke Bryan and Lionel Richie, who each have seven seasons of judging experience under their belts, for the franchise’s 23rd season.

“This upcoming season marks 20 years since Carrie won America’s hearts on ‘Idol’ and launched her successful multi-Grammy Award-winning career. As a former Idol and dynamic musical force, she brings a remarkably unique perspective to one of the most popular shows on television,” said Craig Erwich, president of Disney Television Group, in a release from ABC. “This is a full-circle moment both for the show and audiences at home who have been tuning in for over two decades. Welcome home, Carrie.”

Longtime host Ryan Seacrest, who has been with the show since it premiered, will also return. Seacrest is also taking over Pat Sajak’s role as the host of “Wheel of Fortune” this fall.

Auditions for the new season will kick off Aug. 12 with the “Idol Across America” nationwide search for talent and will end in September. The season is set to premiere in the spring and will be available to watch on ABC and Hulu.

“American Idol” premiered in 2002 on Fox and was a hit for the network, but it was canceled in 2016. After two years off the air, the show was revived by ABC and has aired there for seven seasons. Perry was the first of the revival judges to leave the judges’ post.

A representative for Underwood did not immediately return requests for comment.

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Police said they responded to a medical emergency shortly after 3 p.m. Saturday. Oxley was found unresponsive and pronounced dead at the scene.

Authorities are still determining a cause of death, police said.

Oxley was on the fifth season of “16 and Pregnant,” which aired in 2014. It followed her pregnancy and the birth of Oxley’s son, Drake.

Officials urged people with information to contact Henrico County police.

Olivia Diaz is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.

“I think about it every day, all the time. I think if I pushed it aside, that would be such a dishonor to me in who I am because being Asian American, that’s me,” the 26-year-old aspiring physician assistant tells The Associated Press.

A Vietnamese American woman reigning over Bachelor Nation marks a significant moment for the reality TV dating behemoth. Historically, fewer roses on “The Bachelor” and “The Bachelorette” have gone to contestants of color. The roses that were handed out often came with plenty of thorns, including racist social media commentary.

Tran’s season doesn’t debut on ABC until Monday, but it’s already received some criticism for having few suitors of Asian descent. Still, Tran — who made it to the final six in the last “Bachelor” season starring Joey Graziadei — is embracing her unconventional search for love as an opportunity to share her bicultural upbringing.

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“My mom and I speak a lot of Vietnamese together. And I can’t wait for people to see that. That’s not something that people have seen before,” Tran says.

“The Bachelor” has been a mixed bag when it comes to showcasing Asian cultures. In 2019, “Bachelor” lead Colton Underwood went on a group date over Singaporean street food. The mostly white contestants made gagging noises and Colton, who is also white, made a toast “to weird food.” The outing drew some backlash and even a Washington Post column.

Tran, whose season has already completed filming, assures that the show has handled her Vietnamese identity respectfully.

“There is a small scene in the beginning in my intro package where I talk to my family about leaving as a bachelorette and there they cooked a big, big Vietnamese meal,” Tran says. “I hope … I’m exposing people to something that’s different than them. And so that can incite change and that can incite acceptance into people.”

Non-white contestants and leads, including Black trailblazers Rachel Lindsay and Matt James, have historically been met with hostility from the majority-white Bachelor Nation audience. Longtime host Chris Harrison left the franchise in 2021, under fire over his handling of a racism controversy in an interview with Lindsay. Rachel Nance, who is Filipino and Black and outlasted Tran on Graziadei’s season, tearfully recounted in March getting “hundreds” of DMs and comments using racial slurs for both Black and Asian people. (Some viewers were disappointed that host Jesse Palmer did not call it racism but instead asked viewers to temper their “strong opinions.”)

Tran hasn’t been immune to the same treatment. She gets racist comments “every day” on Instagram and TikTok, she says. Her approach is to simply ignore it, though it isn’t easy.

“Social media is like this platform for all these people just come at me all at once and it’s a new feeling. It’s overwhelming. And unfortunately, that’s the world that we live in right now,” Tran says. “I hope that people are more open-minded and that they open their hearts up to this truly.”

Tran’s star turn has definitely piqued the interest of Asian Americans who don’t typically watch “Bachelor” programming, however. One is Vi Luong, 27, a Vietnamese American social media influencer/content creator who has only watched “The Golden Bachelor.” She’s never been interested in the younger incarnations.

“I’d say 90% of my friends are Asian and yeah, they’re kind of like in my boat where they’ve never really cared until now,” says Luong, who is based in Irvine, California. “The bad rhetoric I was seeing was like, ‘Oh, she’s a diversity hire.’ Maybe but, like, I don’t think that’s a bad thing. … Tapping into a whole different demographic — I think it’s a smart choice.”

Luong has already received invites to watch parties happening within the Asian American and Pacific Islander community. Luong, whose boyfriend is white, wants to see how Tran and the show handle interracial dating and any culture clashes. She’s also looking forward to how Tran’s mother handles the boyfriend meet-and-greets.

“This is where I’m like, ‘Oh, this might get really interesting,’” Luong says. “If there’s something you have to know about Vietnamese people, is we are very, very blunt people, very direct people, especially our parents’ generation.”

The star herself says her mother has only watched Vietnamese reality TV shows. Tran isn’t sure how her parent will react to whatever makes it to air — but her mother wasn’t shy during filming, which Tran thinks will make for good TV.

“There are some concerns and things that she brought up because of our Vietnamese culture. So that’s something that I’m excited for people to learn about,” Tran says. “She really was just trying to wrap her head around it all.”

Only a few of the 25 men vying for her affections appear to be of Asian descent, and only one is Vietnamese American. The franchise’s dearth of Asian men has been an ongoing gripe: The “Bachelor” universe, which debuted in 2002, didn’t have an Asian contestant until the 2016 season of “The Bachelorette.” Jonathan, a half-Scottish and half-Chinese technical sales rep, entered in a kilt and was primarily remembered for a crude punchline implying that his Asian side wasn’t as manly.

In response to the lack of Asian men, Asian American production company Wong Fu Productions made two parody “Bachelorette” skits in 2017 and 2018. Collectively, the YouTube videos, one of which features a pre-“Shang Chi” Simu Liu, have amassed more than 9 million views.

Philip Wang, co-founder and video director, plans to check out Tran’s journey. He called her casting “a net positive move” but hopes the series avoids any stereotypical tropes.

“Ultimately the bachelor/ette shows are very white leaning/adjacent so it’s an uphill battle to shift that branding/audience…if it’s even worth it,” Wang wrote in an email.

In a wide-ranging interview last month with the Los Angeles Times, the showrunners who took over from creator Mike Fleiss last year addressed the franchise’s troubling history with race. They acknowledged falling short in responding to concerns of the few non-white leads and online bullying, and acknowledged Tran should have had more Asian suitors.

As for if any of those suitors put a ring on it, Tran will not confirm.

“I can tell you that I’m happy with the way things ended,” she says with a smile.

Besides romance, Tran also feels that she found her voice on “The Bachelor” franchise. She has been candid about wanting to break a streak of toxic relationships. She hopes viewers will see an Asian American woman unafraid to advocate for what she knows she deserves.

“Throughout this journey I really learned to stand up for myself because if you don’t, nobody else will,” Tran says. “I hope that women will see that and will resonate with that and will understand that it’s okay to have a voice and in fact, that makes you stronger in who you are.”

The reality television world has lost one of its own.

Nick Mavar — who found fame on the long-running Discovery Channel show “Deadliest Catch” — has died, according to Alaskan authorities. He was 59.

The former deckhand of the FV Northwestern passed away following an undisclosed medical emergency on June 13, Chief Jeffrey Elbie of the Bristol Bay Borough Police Department told E! News.

As of June 14, Elbie said the investigation remains open. A cause of death has not been disclosed.

E! News has reached out to the Discovery Channel, as well as Mavar’s family for comment.

From 2005 to 2021, Mavar appeared on 98 episodes of “Deadliest Catch,” a reality series following fisherman navigating the brutal conditions of the Bering Sea during crab season. During that time, he worked aboard the Northwestern commercial fishing vessel alongside Captain Sig Hansen, maintaining the ship’s mechanical equipment.

He ultimately left the show after health issues related to his appendix, which was documented on a June 2021 episode of the series.

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Mavar’s passing comes nearly four years after the “Deadliest Catch” crew lost Nick McGlashan, a deckhand on FV Cape Caution and a deck boss on FV Summer Bay.

McGlashan passed away in December 2020 at the age of 33. In a statement to E! News at the time of his death, Discovery sent their condolences to his family, sharing, “Nick came from a long line of crabbers and was known for his great depth of knowledge. He also had a sharp sense of humor even in the most difficult conditions.”

The network added, “He will be deeply missed by all those who knew him.”

The hit Peacock reality competition series will soon return for another season and fans now know the 21 famous faces who will battle to be the last “Faithful” or “Traitor” standing. 

On June 5, host Alan Cumming revealed exclusively on TODAY the names of the Season Three contestants while he sat next to a blazing fire presumably in the Scottish castle where the show is filmed. 

“The new season of ‘The Traitors’ cast is unlocked at last,” he said mischievously before unfolding a parchment similar to the ones the contestants receive.

So which celebrities were tapped for the upcoming season? Well, a few “Survivor” legends, some fan-favorite “Real Housewives” stars, a British royal and one of Britney Spears’ exes made the cut. 

The full cast of “The Traitors” Season Three is…

• Rob Mariano — “Survivor”
• Dorinda Medley — “The Real Housewives of New York City”
• Chrishell Stause —“Selling Sunset”
• Britney Haynes —“Big Brother”
• Danielle Reyes —“Big Brother”
• Bob the Drag Queen —“RuPaul’s Drag Race”
• Wells Adams —“The Bachelorette” and “Bachelor in Paradise”
• Chanel Ayan —“The Real Housewives of Dubai”
• Gabby Windey —“The Bachelorette”
• Dylan Efron —“Down to Earth with Zac Efron”
• Tony Vlachos—“Survivor”
• Jeremy Collins —“Survivor”
• Dolores Catania —“The Real Housewives of New Jersey”
• Robyn Dixon —“The Real Housewives of Potomac”
• Bob Harper —“The Biggest Loser”
• Ciara Miller —“Summer House”
• Lord Ivar Mountbatten — British royal
• Carolyn Wiger —“Survivor”
• Sam Asghari — Model and actor 
• Tom Sandoval —“Vanderpump Rules”
• Nikki Garcia — Former professional Wrestler 

“Well there you have it, dearies,” Cumming said. “This is sure to be the most treacherous season yet.” 

Of the 21 cast members, at least three of them will be chosen by Cumming to be a “Traitor” while the rest of the contestants will be “Faithfuls.” Fans will find out the identity of the Traitors in the season premiere. 

On the reality game show — which has versions in the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and more countries around the world — the Faithfuls and the Traitors compete together in missions to earn money for the group prize fund. In between missions, the Faithfuls try to determine the identity of the Traitors and vote to banish them at the Round Table. Meanwhile, the Traitors meet in secret at a turret every night to discuss which Faithful to “murder” and eliminate from the game. Every player is hoping to make it to the end and collect the cash prize. 

Since launching in the U.S., “The Traitors” has become a phenomenon and constantly trended on social media platforms during its second season. 

While Season Two was airing in February, Variety reported that Peacock renewed “The Traitors” for Season Three. The streamer has not announced when new episodes will arrive. 

In Season One, “Survivor” alum Cirie Fields successfully deceived the other contestants while playing alongside fellow celebrities and a group of reality television fans. She left the show as the sole winner of $250,000.

Last season, fans watched Traitors Dan Gheesling (“Big Brother”), Parvati Shallow (“Survivor”) and Phaedra Parks (“The Real Housewives of Atlanta”) fail to outlast the Faithfuls. “The Challenge” stars Chris “CT” Tamburello and Trishelle Cannatella were crowned the winners and split $208,100. 

(Disclosure: Peacock is owned by NBCUniversal, TODAY’s parent company.)

This story first appeared on TODAY.com. More from TODAY:

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A federal jury found Thomas Manzo of Franklin Lakes guilty of conspiracy, falsifying and concealing documents, and committing a violent crime in aid of racketeering activity. The ex-husband of “Real Housewives” cast member Dina Manzo faces up to 46 years in prison when he’s sentenced Oct. 15.

Federal prosecutors have said Thomas Manzo, 59, hired John Perna — whom they described as a soldier in the Lucchese Crime Family — to commit the July 2015 attack. Perna’s wedding reception was held the following month at a restaurant in Paterson partly owned by Manzo, prosecutors said.

Perna pleaded guilty in December 2020 to committing a violent crime in aid of racketeering activity and received a 2 1/2-year sentence. He was freed last August. Dina Manzo’s boyfriend is now her husband.

Netflix’s “Love is Blind” is casting for their seventh season here in Boston and invited New Englanders to apply.

The U.S. reality television series is a social experiment where single women and men speak to one another through a wall and attempt to fall in love before meeting face-to-face.

The team is looking for “brave, open-minded” single people who are ready for a committed relationship, according to the show’s producer, Kinetic Content, in an Instagram post.   

The post linked out to a casting application that asks more than 60 questions. It requests the usual information, like name, where contestants are from and occupation, but it also includes more esoteric questions.

For example, it asks applicants to briefly describe their dating history, their current dating life and any deal-breakers they may have when it comes to relationships. Applicants are required to upload photos of themselves and a 15-second video sharing why they want to find love on the show.

“Love Is Blind” season seven will air sometime between September and October.  

More reality TV news

Reality TV Jul 6

As ‘Bachelor' race issues linger, Jenn Tran, its 1st Asian American lead, is ready for her moment

Celebrity News Jun 21

Julie Chrisley to be resentenced after appeals court throws out 7-year punishment

This story uses functionality that may not work in our app. Click here to open the story in your web browser.

Life is about to get simple again.

More than two decades after taking reality TV by storm on “The Simple Life,” Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie are reuniting for a new Peacock reality series.

“New Era,” Hilton and Richie wrote in a joint Instagram post with Peacock May 13. “Same Besties. Coming soon to Peacock.”

Hilton and Richie can be heard singing — referencing a popular gag from their mid-aughts show — through a static television in the accompanying video. As for what to expect from the series? Well, fans will be sliving to find out.

In the 17 years since “The Simple Life” ended in 2007, the pair have reached major milestones in their lives. Richie, who shares Harlow, 16, and Sparrow, 14, with husband Joel Madden, has gone on to start her House of Harlow fashion brand and act in projects like “Great News” and the new “Don’t Tell Mom the Babysitter’s Dead.”

Paris Hilton Through the Years

Hilton, meanwhile, launched a successful career as a DJ as well as several reality shows and recently expanded her family, welcoming son Phoenix, 16 months, and London, 7 months, with husband Carter Reum. As such, the friends may be swapping out the odd jobs from the original show for a concept that focuses on their new eras as multiple outlets have reported.

The exciting confirmation comes after weeks of rumors that Hilton, 43, and Richie, 42, would be reviving their reality roots. In fact, Hilton and Richie fueled speculation late last week, when both women shared a collage of photos from the early aughts.

Under the May 9 photo, Hilton and Richie referred to their nicknames for each other, writing, “From Day 1: Sill and Bill.”

And over the years, the duo have shared their fondness for the show, with them recently marking 20 years since “The Simple Life’s” debut.

“Happy 20th anniversary to show that started it all, The Simple Life!” Paris wrote in a December Instagram post. “Filming this series with @NicoleRichie was one of the most special, hilarious and iconic times in my life. I’m so lucky to have these amazing memories!!”

As for Richie, she once again showcased their iconic singing voices alongside a sweet message to her longtime friend.

“20 years ago, not only did we become television stars — we became song writers,” Richie wrote in a December post. “Happy Anniversary Sill.”

Netflix’s “Love is Blind” is casting for their seventh season here in Boston and invited New Englanders to apply.

The U.S. reality television series is a social experiment where single women and men speak to one another through a wall and attempt to fall in love before meeting face-to-face.

The team is looking for “brave, open-minded” single people who are ready for a committed relationship, according to the show’s producer, Kinetic Content, in an Instagram post.   

The post linked out to a casting application that asks more than 60 questions. It requests the usual information, like name, where contestants are from and occupation, but it also includes more esoteric questions.

For example, it asks applicants to briefly describe their dating history, their current dating life and any deal-breakers they may have when it comes to relationships. Applicants are required to upload photos of themselves and a 15-second video sharing why they want to find love on the show.

“Love Is Blind” season seven will air sometime between September and October.  

More reality TV news

Reality TV Jul 6

As ‘Bachelor' race issues linger, Jenn Tran, its 1st Asian American lead, is ready for her moment

Celebrity News Jun 21

Julie Chrisley to be resentenced after appeals court throws out 7-year punishment

This story uses functionality that may not work in our app. Click here to open the story in your web browser.

You can be bored, flipping through channels and the next thing you know you’re yelling the price of beans at the TV because you want to see a contestant win a new car.

If you’ve ever thought about appearing on the show, or simply wondered about the best strategies to win big, Justin L. Bergner has you covered.

Bergner is the author of “Solving The Price Is Right,” a book he describes as a “reference manual for regular viewers” offering tips on how to win every game in the show.

An investment analyst by trade, Bergner specialized in game theory at Yale University and has been a lifelong fan of the TV show.

With over 50 consecutive seasons on the air, the show’s timeless appeal comes down to a “stimulating combination of knowledge, strategy and luck” that’s the “hallmark” of any well-designed game, he says.

To write the book, he analyzed hundreds of episodes from seasons 47 and 48 to identify the best winning strategies based on the math behind the show. Here are five basic strategies that can help you win.

1. When to stop spinning the big wheel in the Showcase Showdown

Even the most casual viewers will recognize the Showcase Showdown’s colorful oversized wheel paneled with various denominations of $1 or less. Three contestants spin the wheel up to two times, aiming to be the closest to $1 without going over.

The trick to winning is knowing when to stop spinning the wheel. Based on the results of thousands of simulated trials, Bergner says that the first spinner is better off spinning again if his first spin is $0.65 or less, otherwise you should stop spinning.

If you’re the second spinner, you should spin again at $0.50 or less. If you hit $0.55 as the second spinner, the odds of winning are slightly better if you don’t do another spin. If you’re the third spinner, you simply spin to beat or tie the higher total from the previous spinners.

These rules are based on the probabilities of a given wheel spin, and will minimize your risk that a spin will go over $1, says Bergner.

2. Where to drop the Plinko chip, exactly

With the cash game Plinko, contestants can win tens of thousands of dollars by dropping chips down a large, peg-filled board into landing areas that are worth either $0, $100, $500, $1,000 or $10,000.

Getting a chip to land in the middle area worth $10,000 isn’t easy, as the probability of landing there is only 14.1%, based on Bergner’s observations. However, by placing the chip directly in the center row the odds of landing in the $10,000 landing area are roughly 23% — the best of all placements.

Bergner recommends carefully placing the chip into the row, rather than letting it drop from the top of the board, as the added velocity lessens your chances of winning $10,000.

3. Avoid underbidding if you’re one of the first three contestants on Contestants’ Row

In Contestants’ Row, four contestants bid on the price of merchandise to get closest to the actual retail price without going over. Whoever wins gets to move on and play other pricing games that typically offer larger prizes.

The odds of winning improve with the order of bidding, with the first bidder winning only 18% of the time, compared with the last bidder who wins 41% of the time. The last bidder has a significant advantage in that they control whether they get the highest bid.

However, underbidding by the first three contestants is “egregious,” according to Bergner.

That’s because those bidders’ “first reaction is to think that they cannot win if they go over, rather than to think that they have little chance of winning if they do not risk going over,” he says. Plus, for the first three bidders, the next bidder can always “clip” your bid by $1, which maximizes their chances of being closest to the actual retail price without exceeding the total.

The result of this underbidding bias is that the last bidder wins 64% of the time when they had the highest bid, says Bergner. 

As a rule of thumb, the first three bidders should increase their planned bids by about 10% on average to counteract the underbidding bias, especially for pricier items over $1,000.

It’s also important to remember that people tend to recall sales prices for merchandise, not the actual retail prices, Bergner says. Sales prices are usually much lower than the retail prices used on the show.

4. Do one of these two things if you’re the last bidder on Contestants’ Row

As indicated above, if you’re the last bidder on Contestants’ Row, you’re doing better already. You have a 41% chance of winning — roughly double that of each other contestant.

Since you already have the advantage as the last bidder, Bergner recommends either “clipping” previous bids by at least $1 or bidding just $1 if you think the previous bids are too high. He says that you can do either option “100% of the time.”

5. Bid on the first showcase in the Showcase Showdown

At the end of the show, two contestants face off in the Showcase Showdown. The contestant with the higher dollar value of winnings has the option of bidding on the first showcase or passing it and bidding on the second showcase. Whoever bids closest to their showcase value without going over wins his showcase.

Curiously, bidding on the first showcase results in better outcomes — both win rate and average showcase earnings — regardless of whether the showcase was lower priced or higher priced.

Bergner thinks there is a “grass is greener” phenomenon with the second showcase, as the bidder with the highest winnings passed on the first showcase 66% of the time. This can lead to overcompensation for skipping the first showcase even though both are priced roughly the same on average. 

If you are the first bidder, stick with the bidding on the first showcase. Otherwise, try to correct for the anxiety associated with bidding second, and bid with a greater margin of safety, says Bergner.

Want to make extra money outside of your day job? Sign up for CNBC’s new online course How to Earn Passive Income Online to learn about common passive income streams, tips to get started and real-life success stories.

Plus, sign up for CNBC Make It’s newsletter to get tips and tricks for success at work, with money and in life.

Netflix’s “Love is Blind” is casting for their seventh season here in Boston and invited New Englanders to apply.

The U.S. reality television series is a social experiment where single women and men speak to one another through a wall and attempt to fall in love before meeting face-to-face.

The team is looking for “brave, open-minded” single people who are ready for a committed relationship, according to the show’s producer, Kinetic Content, in an Instagram post.   

The post linked out to a casting application that asks more than 60 questions. It requests the usual information, like name, where contestants are from and occupation, but it also includes more esoteric questions.

For example, it asks applicants to briefly describe their dating history, their current dating life and any deal-breakers they may have when it comes to relationships. Applicants are required to upload photos of themselves and a 15-second video sharing why they want to find love on the show.

“Love Is Blind” season seven will air sometime between September and October.  

More reality TV news

Reality TV Jul 6

As ‘Bachelor' race issues linger, Jenn Tran, its 1st Asian American lead, is ready for her moment

Celebrity News Jun 21

Julie Chrisley to be resentenced after appeals court throws out 7-year punishment

This story uses functionality that may not work in our app. Click here to open the story in your web browser.

Conjoined twins Abby Hensel and Brittany Hensel would, respectfully, like you to sit back down.

After Abby Hensel’s recent marriage to Josh Bowling brought them back into the spotlight, the 34-year-old sisters had an epic response for their critics. “This is a message to all the haters out here,” read a March 29 TikTok video, which featured pictures of the duo alongside Abby Hensel’s husband. “If you don’t like what I do but watch everything I’m doing, you’re still a fan.”

Mic drop. And, as they captioned the clip, “#Forever.”

To Abby and Brittany Hensel — who are anatomically joined from the belly button down — social media is nothing but noise. After all, as they previously shared on TikTok, “The internet is extra LOUD today. We have always been around. #abbyandbrittanyhensel #happy #love #lovestory #marriage.”

They’re not wrong. They skyrocketed to superstardom back in 1996 when they sat down for an interview on “The Oprah Winfrey Show.” From there, they moved on to 2006’s “Joined for Life: Abby & Brittany Turn 16,” 2007’s “Extraordinary People: The Twins Who Share a Body” and a 2012 TLC reality series “Abby & Brittany.”

2024 Celebrity Weddings

“We are totally different people,” Brittany Hensel, who controls their left limbs, has explained. “We usually bargain with each other like, ‘If you do this, I’ll do that.’ Or we take turns.”

And they wouldn’t change a thing. After all, it’s the only way of life they know. While they have their own hearts, brains, lungs, stomachs and kidneys, they do share other organs like a liver and bladder.

“We never wish we were separated,” they both once said. “Because then we wouldn’t get to do the things we can do — play softball, meet new people, run.”

This story uses functionality that may not work in our app. Click here to open the story in your web browser.

Netflix’s “Love is Blind” is casting for their seventh season here in Boston and invited New Englanders to apply.

The U.S. reality television series is a social experiment where single women and men speak to one another through a wall and attempt to fall in love before meeting face-to-face.

The team is looking for “brave, open-minded” single people who are ready for a committed relationship, according to the show’s producer, Kinetic Content, in an Instagram post.   

The post linked out to a casting application that asks more than 60 questions. It requests the usual information, like name, where contestants are from and occupation, but it also includes more esoteric questions.

For example, it asks applicants to briefly describe their dating history, their current dating life and any deal-breakers they may have when it comes to relationships. Applicants are required to upload photos of themselves and a 15-second video sharing why they want to find love on the show.

“Love Is Blind” season seven will air sometime between September and October.  

More reality TV news

Reality TV Jul 6

As ‘Bachelor' race issues linger, Jenn Tran, its 1st Asian American lead, is ready for her moment

Celebrity News Jun 21

Julie Chrisley to be resentenced after appeals court throws out 7-year punishment

This story uses functionality that may not work in our app. Click here to open the story in your web browser.

Now the sisters have reached a major life milestone: Abby is married.

The Hensels later starred in the feel-good TLC reality series “Abby and Brittany,” which showed them driving, traveling to Europe and even riding a moped. When the show ended after one season, Abby and Brittany had just graduated from college with degrees in education.

A lot has happened in the last decade. Abby, 34, is now married. According to public records, Abby, a teacher, and Josh Bowling, a nurse and United States Army veteran, tied the knot in 2021. The sisters also shared photos of the wedding on social media. The couple live in Minnesota, where the Hensels were born and raised.

The sisters are both teaching fifth grade in Minnesota.

According to pictures and videos on Bowling’s Facebook page, the family enjoys nature hikes, ice cream and and snow tubing. TODAY.com reached out to Abby for comment but did not get an immediate response.

Abby and Brittany are dicephalus conjoined twins, and share a bloodstream and all organs below the waist. Abby controls their right arm and leg, Brittany controls the left.

When Abby and Brittany were born in 1990, their parents, Patty and Mike Hensel, decided against separation surgery, deeming it too risky. At the time, doctors said there was little chance that both would survive the operation.

“How could you pick between the two?” Mike said, during a 2001 interview with Time magazine.

Only about one in every 200,000 live births result in conjoined twins. Approximately 70% of conjoined twins are female, and most are stillborn, according to Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.

In the 2003 documentary “Joined for Life,” Patty Hensel said that her daughters were interested in having children one day.

“That is probably something that could work because those organs do work for them,” Patty shared.

“Yeah, we’re going to be moms,” Brittany said. “We haven’t thought about how being moms is going to work yet. But we’re just 16 — we don’t need to think about that right now.”

This story first appeared on TODAY.com. More from TODAY:

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Brittany and Abby Hensel aren’t going anywhere.

Amid news of Abby Hensel’s marriage to Josh Bowling, the conjoined twins—whose inspiring journey has been told in numerous documentaries—let others know that they’ll never be silenced. In fact, as the 34-year-old sisters pointed out, their story is one that stands the test of time.

“The internet is extra LOUD today,” the Hensels captioned a March 28 TikTok video showing various ancient sculptures of conjoined twins. “We have always been around.”

The Hensels first gained national attention in 1996, when they appeared on “The Oprah Winfrey Show” to share how they navigate life through their unique dynamic. Though they each can sleep, eat and talk separately, Brittany Hensel—who is anatomically joined to her sibling from the belly button down—operate one body, resulting in the siblings needing to be highly in sync with one another.

Their case was also explored in the 2007’s “Extraordinary People: The Twins Who Share a Body.” As discussed in the doc, Brittany Hensel controls the left limbs while Abby Hensel controls the right. They also each have their own heart, brain, set of lungs, stomach and kidney, but share other organs such as the liver and the bladder.

“We are totally different people,” Brittany Hensel noted. “We usually bargain with each other like, ‘If you do this, I’ll do that.’ Or we take turns.”

After starring in their 2012 TLC reality series “Abby & Brittany,” the Minnesota natives retreated from the public spotlight to focus on their transition to adulthood. In recent years, the pair chose not to publicly discuss certain details of their lives, including Abby Hensel’s 2021 wedding to her husband Bowling, though they recently shared images of them all together on TikTok. 

As Brittany previously shared in their 2006’s “Joined for Life: Abby & Brittany Turn 16,” “The whole world doesn’t need to know who we’re dating or what we’re gonna do and everything.”

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Netflix’s “Love is Blind” is casting for their seventh season here in Boston and invited New Englanders to apply.

The U.S. reality television series is a social experiment where single women and men speak to one another through a wall and attempt to fall in love before meeting face-to-face.

The team is looking for “brave, open-minded” single people who are ready for a committed relationship, according to the show’s producer, Kinetic Content, in an Instagram post.   

The post linked out to a casting application that asks more than 60 questions. It requests the usual information, like name, where contestants are from and occupation, but it also includes more esoteric questions.

For example, it asks applicants to briefly describe their dating history, their current dating life and any deal-breakers they may have when it comes to relationships. Applicants are required to upload photos of themselves and a 15-second video sharing why they want to find love on the show.

“Love Is Blind” season seven will air sometime between September and October.  

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This story uses functionality that may not work in our app. Click here to open the story in your web browser.

According to Los Angeles Police Department public information officer Jeff Lee, officers responded to their Hollywood Hills home on March 19 at 2 p.m.

Lee said Dumontet allegedly threw a bag with a glass bottle inside of it at Quinn but missed and the bag hit a child at the home.

Lee did not specify if the child injured was Dumontet and Quinn’s 2-year-old son, Christian Georges Dumontet.

Police arrested Dumontet at the scene for assault with a deadly weapon. In photos, Dumontet is wearing a white robe and no shoes.

According to Los Angeles inmate records, Dumontet is currently being held on $30,000 bail.

Quinn left “Selling Sunset” after the Netflix reality show’s fifth season. Before her departure, both she and her husband were featured in the series, including their 2019 wedding.

Quinn departed the show after facing accusations from fellow Oppenheim Group colleague Emma Hernan that Quinn had tried to bribe a client to work with her instead of Hernan. Quinn has denied the accusation.

Quinn did not immediately respond to TODAY.com’s March 20 request for comment.

It was not immediately clear if Dumontet had secured legal representation and could not be reached for comment.

Who is Christian Dumontet?

Dumontet is a former software engineer for Cisco, according to his LinkedIn page.

In 2007, he and two others founded the Boston-based company Foodler, which was an online food ordering service.

Grubhub bought Foodler in 2017, according to a Boston Globe story at the time.

Quinn and Dumontet launched RealOpen, a brokerage that allows people to buy real estate using crypto, in April 2022. Both are listed on the company’s website as founders, with Dumontet as CEO and Quinn as CMO.

This story first appeared on TODAY.com. More from TODAY:

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Netflix’s “Love is Blind” is casting for their seventh season here in Boston and invited New Englanders to apply.

The U.S. reality television series is a social experiment where single women and men speak to one another through a wall and attempt to fall in love before meeting face-to-face.

The team is looking for “brave, open-minded” single people who are ready for a committed relationship, according to the show’s producer, Kinetic Content, in an Instagram post.   

The post linked out to a casting application that asks more than 60 questions. It requests the usual information, like name, where contestants are from and occupation, but it also includes more esoteric questions.

For example, it asks applicants to briefly describe their dating history, their current dating life and any deal-breakers they may have when it comes to relationships. Applicants are required to upload photos of themselves and a 15-second video sharing why they want to find love on the show.

“Love Is Blind” season seven will air sometime between September and October.  

More reality TV news

Reality TV Jul 6

As ‘Bachelor' race issues linger, Jenn Tran, its 1st Asian American lead, is ready for her moment

Celebrity News Jun 21

Julie Chrisley to be resentenced after appeals court throws out 7-year punishment

This story uses functionality that may not work in our app. Click here to open the story in your web browser.

Netflix’s “Love is Blind” is casting for their seventh season here in Boston and invited New Englanders to apply.

The U.S. reality television series is a social experiment where single women and men speak to one another through a wall and attempt to fall in love before meeting face-to-face.

The team is looking for “brave, open-minded” single people who are ready for a committed relationship, according to the show’s producer, Kinetic Content, in an Instagram post.   

The post linked out to a casting application that asks more than 60 questions. It requests the usual information, like name, where contestants are from and occupation, but it also includes more esoteric questions.

For example, it asks applicants to briefly describe their dating history, their current dating life and any deal-breakers they may have when it comes to relationships. Applicants are required to upload photos of themselves and a 15-second video sharing why they want to find love on the show.

“Love Is Blind” season seven will air sometime between September and October.  

More reality TV news

Reality TV Jul 6

As ‘Bachelor' race issues linger, Jenn Tran, its 1st Asian American lead, is ready for her moment

Celebrity News Jun 21

Julie Chrisley to be resentenced after appeals court throws out 7-year punishment

This story uses functionality that may not work in our app. Click here to open the story in your web browser.

Netflix’s “Love is Blind” is casting for their seventh season here in Boston and invited New Englanders to apply.

The U.S. reality television series is a social experiment where single women and men speak to one another through a wall and attempt to fall in love before meeting face-to-face.

The team is looking for “brave, open-minded” single people who are ready for a committed relationship, according to the show’s producer, Kinetic Content, in an Instagram post.   

The post linked out to a casting application that asks more than 60 questions. It requests the usual information, like name, where contestants are from and occupation, but it also includes more esoteric questions.

For example, it asks applicants to briefly describe their dating history, their current dating life and any deal-breakers they may have when it comes to relationships. Applicants are required to upload photos of themselves and a 15-second video sharing why they want to find love on the show.

“Love Is Blind” season seven will air sometime between September and October.  

More reality TV news

Reality TV Jul 6

As ‘Bachelor' race issues linger, Jenn Tran, its 1st Asian American lead, is ready for her moment

Celebrity News Jun 21

Julie Chrisley to be resentenced after appeals court throws out 7-year punishment

This story uses functionality that may not work in our app. Click here to open the story in your web browser.

Netflix’s “Love is Blind” is casting for their seventh season here in Boston and invited New Englanders to apply.

The U.S. reality television series is a social experiment where single women and men speak to one another through a wall and attempt to fall in love before meeting face-to-face.

The team is looking for “brave, open-minded” single people who are ready for a committed relationship, according to the show’s producer, Kinetic Content, in an Instagram post.   

The post linked out to a casting application that asks more than 60 questions. It requests the usual information, like name, where contestants are from and occupation, but it also includes more esoteric questions.

For example, it asks applicants to briefly describe their dating history, their current dating life and any deal-breakers they may have when it comes to relationships. Applicants are required to upload photos of themselves and a 15-second video sharing why they want to find love on the show.

“Love Is Blind” season seven will air sometime between September and October.  

More reality TV news

Reality TV Jul 6

As ‘Bachelor' race issues linger, Jenn Tran, its 1st Asian American lead, is ready for her moment

Celebrity News Jun 21

Julie Chrisley to be resentenced after appeals court throws out 7-year punishment

This story uses functionality that may not work in our app. Click here to open the story in your web browser.

“The Golden Bachelor” couple tied the knot during the live televised ceremony “The Golden Wedding” on Jan. 4.

In her vows, Nist praised him as the “most wonderful, kind, sensitive” person. 

“We laugh until we cry. We face many challenges, including a near-death experience on the California freeway,” she shared. “I promise to be your calm in the storm… but most of all to have fun for the rest of the days we have left on this earth.”

Turner then gave his vows to his bride, saying, “I know I’ve found a full partner to share all of life’s experiences that are thrown at us.”

“I promise that if you’re my partner in life, I will make you the happiest woman on earth,” the 72-year-old continued. “I promise to choose you every day as the one I love and never take your heart for granted. I promise to shout the ‘I love yous’ by day and whisper them softly at night.” 

The theme for the big day, as Nist previously shared with E! News, was a “beautiful, gorgeous garden look” and featured flowers in pale pinks, cream and white as well as touches of gold as a nod to their journey. In addition to taking Bachelor Nation fans along for the ride, the couple included their “Golden Bachelor” family and had Susan Noles, who also appeared on Gerry’s season, officiate. 

More Bachelor Nation stars—including Kaitlyn Bristowe, Tayshia Adams, Michelle Young, Raven Gates, Wells Adams and Trista Sutter—played part in the day by attending the wedding.

For the rest of the wedding roles, Turner and Nist turned to their actual families and had their children and grandchildren take on duties—including her grandson Henry serving as ring bearer.

“It’s a lot of people,” the financial service professional previously told E! News about their loved ones taking part in the nuptials. “We want everybody involved because we love family.”

The wedding comes a little more than a month after fans watched Turner, 72, and Nist, 70, get engaged on the first-ever season of “The Golden Bachelor.” The show followed the retired restaurateur’s search for a second chance at love six years after the death of his high school sweetheart Toni.

Experience with grief was one of the many things Turner and Nist—whose husband Billy passed away in 2014—bonded over during their blossoming romance. And as the reality stars prepared to say “I do” this time around, they reflected on how tying the knot now felt different from when they each wed in 1972. 

“The first thing that comes to mind is how important honesty is with each other,” Turner told E!. “When you’re younger…you have a lot of priorities about children and earning a living and all those things. With us now, all we have to do is, if we feel like we’re in a rough patch, look at each other, be honest and start talking—have the communication.” 

Nist agreed. “It’s such a different set of priorities,” she said. “Gerry’s right. We know that we have to enjoy life. We don’t know how much time we have left, and we want to enjoy every single second. So, it’s all about that—enjoying life.”

Netflix’s “Love is Blind” is casting for their seventh season here in Boston and invited New Englanders to apply.

The U.S. reality television series is a social experiment where single women and men speak to one another through a wall and attempt to fall in love before meeting face-to-face.

The team is looking for “brave, open-minded” single people who are ready for a committed relationship, according to the show’s producer, Kinetic Content, in an Instagram post.   

The post linked out to a casting application that asks more than 60 questions. It requests the usual information, like name, where contestants are from and occupation, but it also includes more esoteric questions.

For example, it asks applicants to briefly describe their dating history, their current dating life and any deal-breakers they may have when it comes to relationships. Applicants are required to upload photos of themselves and a 15-second video sharing why they want to find love on the show.

“Love Is Blind” season seven will air sometime between September and October.  

More reality TV news

Reality TV Jul 6

As ‘Bachelor' race issues linger, Jenn Tran, its 1st Asian American lead, is ready for her moment

Celebrity News Jun 21

Julie Chrisley to be resentenced after appeals court throws out 7-year punishment

This story uses functionality that may not work in our app. Click here to open the story in your web browser.

Netflix’s “Love is Blind” is casting for their seventh season here in Boston and invited New Englanders to apply.

The U.S. reality television series is a social experiment where single women and men speak to one another through a wall and attempt to fall in love before meeting face-to-face.

The team is looking for “brave, open-minded” single people who are ready for a committed relationship, according to the show’s producer, Kinetic Content, in an Instagram post.   

The post linked out to a casting application that asks more than 60 questions. It requests the usual information, like name, where contestants are from and occupation, but it also includes more esoteric questions.

For example, it asks applicants to briefly describe their dating history, their current dating life and any deal-breakers they may have when it comes to relationships. Applicants are required to upload photos of themselves and a 15-second video sharing why they want to find love on the show.

“Love Is Blind” season seven will air sometime between September and October.  

More reality TV news

Reality TV Jul 6

As ‘Bachelor' race issues linger, Jenn Tran, its 1st Asian American lead, is ready for her moment

Celebrity News Jun 21

Julie Chrisley to be resentenced after appeals court throws out 7-year punishment

This story uses functionality that may not work in our app. Click here to open the story in your web browser.

But on Wednesday, when the competition debuted its first five episodes, the show was met with initial enthusiasm online from many viewers. Some online likened it to other popular competition shows, like the long-running CBS series “Survivor.” Others started posting about how they are already rooting for or against specific players.

While critics have pointed out an irony in the way the reality show capitalizes off of a series rooted in anti-capitalist commentary, some — including viewers, competitors and the show’s creators — just see it as a form of genuine entertainment. 

“I wasn’t there to just go sit in the corner and hope to win the $4 million,” said Bryton Constantin, 23, known as Player No. 432 on the show, who dropped out of his last semester of college in Clemson, South Carolina, to participate in the games. “I wanted to go have fun. I wanted to enjoy the full experience.” 

The competition replicates elements of “Squid Game” as closely as possible, from its giant robot “Red Light, Green Light” doll to its winding pastel stairwells. The games themselves, filmed in the United Kingdom, also remain largely the same. The 456 players vying for the chance to win $4.56 million come from around the world, although they all speak English. They span various ages and occupations, including a scuba instructor and a retired newspaper editor.

The biggest difference is that players in the competition show don’t face death.

Read the full story on NBCNews.com.

Kailyn Lowry isn’t looking to put a ring on it anytime soon.

The “Teen Mom 2” star shared where she stands on the idea of an engagement to boyfriend Elijah Scott.

“He’s been pushing for it,” Lowry told People in an interview published Nov. 6. “But I’ve already kind of done marriage once and I f—– it up royally. So I’m a little hesitant.”

Right now, the 31-year-old’s priority is motherhood, as she noted that the couple “jumped right into parenthood together.” She and Scott are expecting twins after privately welcoming son Rio last year. Lowry is also mom to Isaac, 13, with ex Jo Rivera, and Lincoln, 9, with ex Javi Marroquin, as well as Lux, 6, and Creed, 3, with ex Chris Lopez.

“I kind of would like to have something to look forward to in the future instead of doing everything all at once,” the MTV star explained. “I think we have time. If we’re meant to be together, then we don’t need to rush into it tomorrow.”

2023 Celebrity Babies

As for how the journey of parenthood is treating the first-time dad? As Lowry put it, it was “second nature” for Scott.

The construction worker has also been plowing ahead as a supportive partner.

“It’s been good. It’s been very different from my other partners and my kids’ other dads,” she confessed. “He pours concrete, he gets down and dirty at work. But he’s also just a real family man. He’s very, very much connected with his own family, with our family, and so he’s been a really good partner to me, and I feel like it’s a really good match.”

Although Lowry doesn’t have a lot of time to herself as a soon-to-be mom of seven, she wouldn’t have it any other way.

“My time will come,” she shared. “At some point, I’ll have time for myself. But right now, I really love being a mom and I love podcasting. And so, my me-time is getting ready to go to football games, basketball games and occasionally getting my nails done. And I’m good with that right now.”

Shannon Beador is addressing her recent past.

After she was sentenced on Nov. 2 to three years probation and 40 hours of community service following her Sept. 17 arrest for driving under the influence, the “Real Housewives of Orange County” star addressed how she’s personally dealt with the incident in the weeks following.

“I’ve spent the last month, which I really had that amount of time, focusing on myself,” Beador told E! News’ Keltie Knight at BravoCon on Nov. 4. “I went to a behavioral wellness place with an alcohol component in it and I’m eliminating and have eliminated a lot of the toxic and unhealthy things in my life, so I’m really looking forward to moving on and I’m excited about it.”

She added of the wellness center, “I was offered, actually, multiple free stays at alcohol rehabs, but I chose a behavioral one because I want to figure out what’s going on in my head so I make good choices from now on.”

The 59-year-old also spoke to her headspace at the time of the incident.

BravoCon 2023: See Every Star

“I never drink and drive,” she added. “I’m the Uber girl. But you know there were a lot of unhealthy things going on in my life and I did drink more alcohol.”

Following her sentencing — where Beador pleaded no contest to Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol and driving when she had a blood-alcohol level of .08 or above — her attorney Michael L. Fell confirmed to E! News that she will be required to complete a nine-month alcohol program in addition her probation and community service.

“The Orange County District Attorney’s Office argued that Shannon should be sentenced to jail and be convicted of DUI and a hit-and-run,” Fell told E! News at the time. “But after receiving legal arguments from both sides, the judge denied the prosecutor’s request and dismissed the hit-and-run.”

Beador also shared a personal statement with E! News following her sentencing, saying, “I am grateful that no one else was injured besides me in this incident. I have learned so much from my terrible mistake that night and realize that driving any distance while impaired is too far.”

Netflix’s “Love is Blind” is casting for their seventh season here in Boston and invited New Englanders to apply.

The U.S. reality television series is a social experiment where single women and men speak to one another through a wall and attempt to fall in love before meeting face-to-face.

The team is looking for “brave, open-minded” single people who are ready for a committed relationship, according to the show’s producer, Kinetic Content, in an Instagram post.   

The post linked out to a casting application that asks more than 60 questions. It requests the usual information, like name, where contestants are from and occupation, but it also includes more esoteric questions.

For example, it asks applicants to briefly describe their dating history, their current dating life and any deal-breakers they may have when it comes to relationships. Applicants are required to upload photos of themselves and a 15-second video sharing why they want to find love on the show.

“Love Is Blind” season seven will air sometime between September and October.  

More reality TV news

Reality TV Jul 6

As ‘Bachelor' race issues linger, Jenn Tran, its 1st Asian American lead, is ready for her moment

Celebrity News Jun 21

Julie Chrisley to be resentenced after appeals court throws out 7-year punishment

This story uses functionality that may not work in our app. Click here to open the story in your web browser.

Netflix’s “Love is Blind” is casting for their seventh season here in Boston and invited New Englanders to apply.

The U.S. reality television series is a social experiment where single women and men speak to one another through a wall and attempt to fall in love before meeting face-to-face.

The team is looking for “brave, open-minded” single people who are ready for a committed relationship, according to the show’s producer, Kinetic Content, in an Instagram post.   

The post linked out to a casting application that asks more than 60 questions. It requests the usual information, like name, where contestants are from and occupation, but it also includes more esoteric questions.

For example, it asks applicants to briefly describe their dating history, their current dating life and any deal-breakers they may have when it comes to relationships. Applicants are required to upload photos of themselves and a 15-second video sharing why they want to find love on the show.

“Love Is Blind” season seven will air sometime between September and October.  

More reality TV news

Reality TV Jul 6

As ‘Bachelor' race issues linger, Jenn Tran, its 1st Asian American lead, is ready for her moment

Celebrity News Jun 21

Julie Chrisley to be resentenced after appeals court throws out 7-year punishment

This story uses functionality that may not work in our app. Click here to open the story in your web browser.

Clayton Echard is facing a paternity lawsuit.

The “Bachelor” star is being asked to take a paternity test by a 33-year-old podcaster from Scottsdale, Arizona, though he denies they had sexual intercourse, according to court documents obtained by The Sun and Page Six.

The woman, who chose to keep her identity anonymous, filed the lawsuit on Aug. 1, alleging that she is pregnant with twins after engaging in “sexual activity” with Echard on May 20. The twins, the woman said, are due in February 2024.

The woman said that she “hadn’t been with anyone since March of 2022” and that Echard, 30, broke things off the morning after their alleged night together, per the docs obtained by The Sun. She said she sent Echard copies of her pregnancy results, alleging that he didn’t believe her and said they only had oral sex.

Her court filing also includes screenshots of alleged texts from the reality star, including the messages, “I don’t believe you for a second,” “I legitimately hate you right now,” “You have lost your mind and I hope YOU think about how terrible this is that you would subject me to this” and “My personal hell would be having to have you be a part of my life,” per Page Six.

Bachelor Nation’s Still-Rosy Romances

She stated in her lawsuit that she “offered more than 50 times in writing” for Echard to take a paternity test. They allegedly scheduled an appointment for Aug. 23, which she said she paid a $725 deposit for, but that she said it was cancelled due to Echard’s “unwillingness to participate.”

In his Aug. 21 response, which was obtained by The Sun and Page Six, Echard requested a “court-ordered paternity test” that be paid for by the woman. He said the case was “groundless and lacking in merit” because they “never had sexual intercourse,” according to the court documents.

Echard also adamantly denied the woman’s claims in a statement to The Sun.

“My response is in the court documents,” he said, referencing his Aug. 21 petition. “I’m not giving it the time of day because it’s baseless. We did not have sexual intercourse.”

The test is scheduled for Sept. 26. Echard and the woman will return to court Sept. 28 for an an early resolution conference, according to The Sun.

Echard first appeared on “The Bachelorette” in 2021 for Michelle Young‘s season. He then went on to star in season 26 of “The Bachelor,” which saw Susie Evans turn him down after a messy finale. Evans and Echard rekindled their romance after the show but broke up in September 2022.

E! News has reached out to Echard for comment and has not heard back.

“I really felt almost a calling to write it because I felt like people were still being led astray or harmed by the teachings that (my family) had promoted,” she tells TODAY.com in a phone interview.

After news broke that she was writing a book called “Counting the Cost,” Jill Duggar Dillard says her father, Jim Bob Duggar, responded by sending a message to the family.

“My dad texted the entire family group text (since we’re still in the group thread) and he was just saying, ‘This is so sad’ and basically threatening that if anybody speaks out against him or my mom that they would be cut out of the inheritance,” she says.

The 32-year-old says that her father also suggested that his children “owe our lives” to Bill Gothard, the founder of the Institute in Basic Life Principles (IBLP, a controversial, far-right Christian organization), because he encouraged the Duggars to have so many children.

Gothard resigned from the IBLP board of directors amid allegations he had sexually harassed and molested women who worked for the organization.

The Duggars’ statement on ‘Counting the Cost’

TODAY.com contacted Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar for comment about their daughter’s book but did not get a response. The couple did share the following statement with People.

“We love all of our children very much. As with any family, few things are more painful than conflicts or problems among those you love. We’ve aimed to deal honorably with our children, our finances, and our other endeavors. While imperfect, it is our intent and desire to live a life that honors Christ. We do not believe the best way to resolve conflicts, facilitate forgiveness and reconciliation, or to communicate through difficulties is through the media or in a public forum so we will not comment. As the future unfolds, we will continue to love our family, pray for them, and enjoy every moment gifted to us to be parents and grandparents,” they wrote.

Celebrity News Jun 2, 2023

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Jill Duggar Dillard on ’19 Kids and Counting’

Jill Duggar Dillard grew up as one of Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar’s 19 children and starred in the conservative Christian family’s TLC series “19 Kids and Counting” and “Counting On.”

The “19 Kids” series was cancelled after allegations came to light that Jill’s older brother, Josh, had molested girls, including his own sisters. Josh later admitted to the allegations. Years later, in a separate case, he was convicted of possessing child sexual assault images and is currently serving time in federal prison.

Over the past several years, Jill and Derick Dillard have been vocal about their strained relationship with the Duggars. These days, she describes the status of their relationship as “complicated.”

“We just had to draw some pretty strict boundaries and just put things in a healthier place. There just hasn’t been a whole lot of change. And again, we don’t expect people to change. So while I love my parents and I respect them and honor them, I just have to prioritize our family unit and do what’s best and healthy for Derek and I and our kids,” she says.

Jill Duggar Dillard notes that she does see her mother while celebrating birthdays and some holidays, and says Michelle Duggar was “super helpful” after Jill Duggar Dillard welcomed her third child in 2022.

Jill Duggar Dillard’s relationship with father

When it comes to her relationship with her father, however, Jill Duggar Dillard has set a few more boundaries.

“My relationship with my dad got pretty toxic to the point where we had to cut off individual contact with him… It got to the point where Derick was there to step in and kind of say, ‘Hey, don’t reach out to my wife individually or else I’ll have to file a protective order,’ just because it was so hard for me to handle,” she says.

Derick Dillard pipes in to support his wife at this point and offers more details.

“(Jim Bob) knew that Jill was, not in a bad way, but very emotional, very tender hearted. So he would play to that. And I’d asked, ‘Please don’t contact her on her own, one-on-one.’ And then he had done that again. That’s when I basically said, ‘Hey, if you can’t abide by this boundary, because we’re trying to do better setting boundaries, then I’ll have to file a protective order,” he says.

Possible reconciliation for the Duggar family?

Despite the challenges she’s faced with her family, Jill Duggar Dillard still hopes to reconcile with them one day. But “real change” would need to occur first, she says, and she’s not ready to settle for “blanket apologies.”

“I think actual change would have to take place in some relationships. We really do hope for reconciliation, but also with some of my siblings and these relationships, I also realized that sometimes there’s a need for space and time,” she says. “And while we realize that life is short, we’re also not going to be intimidated by that and pressured to have a false sense of healing.”

The Dillards say that attending therapy together helped them learn more about setting healthy boundaries, and Jill Duggar Dillard says she wants to take time to “allow things to heal correctly.”

“We do love our family ultimately, and I would love for my kids to have their grandparents involved more in their lives, but we also want to make sure that it’s a healthy relationship,” she says.

This story first appeared on TODAY.com. More from TODAY:

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Netflix’s “Love is Blind” is casting for their seventh season here in Boston and invited New Englanders to apply.

The U.S. reality television series is a social experiment where single women and men speak to one another through a wall and attempt to fall in love before meeting face-to-face.

The team is looking for “brave, open-minded” single people who are ready for a committed relationship, according to the show’s producer, Kinetic Content, in an Instagram post.   

The post linked out to a casting application that asks more than 60 questions. It requests the usual information, like name, where contestants are from and occupation, but it also includes more esoteric questions.

For example, it asks applicants to briefly describe their dating history, their current dating life and any deal-breakers they may have when it comes to relationships. Applicants are required to upload photos of themselves and a 15-second video sharing why they want to find love on the show.

“Love Is Blind” season seven will air sometime between September and October.  

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The “Chrisley Knows Best” stars had been sentenced to a combined 19 years of prison after being found guilty of federal fraud charges and hiding their wealth from tax authorities.

The couple reported to their respective prisons in January, with Todd Chrisley serving 12 years at Federal Prison Camp Pensacola in Florida, while Julie Chrisley reported to the Federal Medical Center (FMC) Lexington in Kentucky for her seven-year sentence.

However, on Sept. 8, it was confirmed by the Federal Bureau of Prisons that Todd Chrisley will be released on Jan. 22, 2033, two years less than his original sentence.

As for Julie Chrisley, her sentence was reduced by 14 months and will now be released on Oct. 19. 2028.

Since they reported to prison, their children — Savannah and Chase Chrisley — have kept people updated on their “nightmare” conditions.

Here’s everything to know about Todd and Julie Chrisley’s legal case.

March 2017: Todd Chrisley is investigated in Georgia

According to Atlanta area television station WSB-TV, the family patriarch was under state investigation after it was exposed that he failed to pay Georgia income taxes for years.

August 2019: Todd and Julie Chrisley are indicted

The reality stars were indicted by a federal grand jury in Atlanta for 12 counts of wire fraud, conspiracy to commit bank fraud and conspiracy to defraud the United States, according to a copy obtained by NBC News.

The family accountant, Peter Tarantino, was also charged in Georgia’s Northern District.

At the time, Todd Chrisley maintained his innocence, stating in a lengthy statement that they had done nothing wrong.

“We have nothing to hide and have done nothing to be ashamed of,” he wrote in part on Instagram. “Not only do we know we’ve done nothing wrong, but we’ve got a ton of hard evidence and a bunch of corroborating witnesses that proves it.”

October 2019: Georgia tax case against the couple is settled

The couple settled their Georgia state tax-evasion charge, agreeing to pay $147,944.75 to settle the case with the Georgia Department of Revenue and got a refund of more than $66,000 for the tax years from 2013 to 2016, NBC affiliate WXIA of Atlanta reported at the time.

However, the couple still faced the 12-count federal indictment.

At the time, their reps told NBC News that while they have been accused of evading nearly $2 million in taxes between 2008 and 2016, they actually overpaid the state in four of those years.

“Julie and I knew all along that we had done nothing wrong and that when the facts all came out, we would be fine,” Todd Chrisley said in a statement released by their representatives. “We’re just glad that the Department of Revenue was willing to keep an open mind and look at all the evidence.”

June 2022: Todd and Julie Chrisley are convicted on federal fraud charges

After starting their trial in May, on June 7, 2022, Todd and Julie Chrisley were found guilty of wire fraud, conspiracy to commit bank fraud and conspiracy to defraud the United States.

According to NBC News, investigators accused the spouses of submitting false documents to request bank loans and using a production company to hide income from the IRS.

November 2022: Todd and Julie Chrisley are sentenced to prison

On Nov. 21, 2022, Todd Chrisley was sentenced to 12 years in prison, while Julie Chrisley was sentenced to seven years, according to the U.S. attorney’s office.

Tarantino, their accountant, was also found guilty of tax fraud for filing false corporate tax returns on their behalf. Julie Chrisley was additionally found guilty of wire fraud and obstruction of justice.

At the time, lawyers for the Chrisleys said that neither of the two “purposely sought to inflict the harm upon the banks” and Todd Chrisley intended to repay the bank loans.

Additionally,  Julie Chrisley’s lawyers said she had a minimal role in the conspiracy and asked to instead get probation, restitution and community service, the Associated Press reported at the time.

The couple’s attorney stated at the time that they would plan on appealing.

In a Nov. 29 episode of the “Unlocked with Savannah Chrisley” podcast, Julie Chrisley said she never “intentionally tried to do anything” wrong.

“I’ve never gone out here and hurt a soul,” she told her daughter. “I have never gone out here and intentionally tried to do anything that I wasn’t supposed to do and look where I’m standing right now.”

January 2023: Todd and Julie Chrisley report to prison

On Jan. 17, 2023, the pair reported to their respective prisons. Todd Chrisley began serving his 12 years at Federal Prison Camp Pensacola in Florida, while Julie Chrisley reported to the Federal Medical Center (FMC) Lexington in Kentucky to serve her seven-year sentence.

A few weeks later, Savannah Chrisley shared how her parents were spending their time while incarcerated. During a Jan. 31 episode of her “Unlocked” podcast, she said her father was focusing on his religion, working in the chapel and communicating with him via email.

She said her mother was playing cards and also going to church. “My mom, she’s made friends. She’s keeping busy. She’s going to church,” she explained. “She’s working. She’s playing some spades.

July 2023: Chase Chrisley says the prison environment is a ‘nightmare’

Months after Savannah Chrisley said her parents aren’t able to speak to one another, her brother, Chase Chrisley, recalled visiting his parents and seeing them living in “inhumane conditions.”

“It’s a nightmare,” he said on the July 25 episode of “Unlocked with Savannah Chrisley.” “Now they both have no air conditioning. They are both in states where it gets to be 100+ degrees and there’s no air conditioning.”

Savannah Chrisley added that at her mom’s prison she “has rattlesnakes just casually slithering on the floor in front of her.” Her brother clarified that they weren’t rattlesnakes but they “were poisonous snakes.”

“So she just had snakes literally right there where her bed is,” Savannah Chrisley continued, with Chase Chrisley adding, “And then the way they think to apprehend the snake is to mace it.”

This story first appeared on TODAY.com. More from TODAY:

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Guevara was a contestant on “La casa de los famosos México” (“The Celebrity House Mexico”), the Mexican adaptation of “Celebrity Big Brother” produced by TelevisaUnivision.

“I can’t believe it, my God!” Guevara, 29, said moments after she was crowned winner of the show’s inaugural season in Mexico.

Guevara, who won over fans and supporters with her captivating personality, was selected as the show’s winner with 18.2 million fan votes, beating out Peruvian TV host Nicola Porcella, Mexican entrepreneur and influencer Alfonso “Poncho” de Nigris and Mexican actor and politician Sergio “El Tata” Mayer.

Guevara and 13 other celebrities spent 10 weeks living in a house where they were pitted against one another in teams. Participants were voted out weekly by viewers after a series of challenges.

Guevara, who is from León, Guanajuato, is a popular figure in the LGBTQ community, with nearly 6 million Instagram followers.

Read the full story on NBCNews.com here.

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Netflix’s “Love is Blind” is casting for their seventh season here in Boston and invited New Englanders to apply.

The U.S. reality television series is a social experiment where single women and men speak to one another through a wall and attempt to fall in love before meeting face-to-face.

The team is looking for “brave, open-minded” single people who are ready for a committed relationship, according to the show’s producer, Kinetic Content, in an Instagram post.   

The post linked out to a casting application that asks more than 60 questions. It requests the usual information, like name, where contestants are from and occupation, but it also includes more esoteric questions.

For example, it asks applicants to briefly describe their dating history, their current dating life and any deal-breakers they may have when it comes to relationships. Applicants are required to upload photos of themselves and a 15-second video sharing why they want to find love on the show.

“Love Is Blind” season seven will air sometime between September and October.  

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This story uses functionality that may not work in our app. Click here to open the story in your web browser.

It was the betrayal heard around the world.

Earlier this year, when Bravo’s “Vanderpump Rules” star Tom Sandoval cheated on his long-time girlfriend Ariana Madix with their co-star and real-life friend, Raquel Leviss, it reverberated from social media to front-page news.

Madix summed up the cheating scandal, dubbed “Scandoval,” well, stepping out days later on her way to tape the highly anticipated “Vanderpump Rules” reunion in a yellow hoodie and matching sweatpants from the clothing brand Boys Lie.

Tori Robinson and Leah O’Malley, best friends and co-founders of Los Angeles-based Boys Lie, said the paparazzi photo caused an immediate spike in sales of the brand’s “1-800-BOYS-LIE” sweatshirt and sweatpants.

“It blew up in a way we had never seen before,” Robinson said.

Robinson and O’Malley started the business in 2018, but it wasn’t until they began making clothing with their simple catch phrase, “boys lie” — and celebrities started wearing it — that their brand got off the ground.

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More recently, Tori Spelling wore a Boys Lie T-shirt in her first outing after news of her divorce from Dean McDermott broke after 17 years of marriage. Once again, the catchy logo caused a stir.

“Our brand is a way to represent your emotions without having to say anything at all,” O’Malley said.

Their marketing strategy involves gifting the clothes to celebrities and social media influencers at no cost. In return, Robinson and O’Malley hope the celebrities and influencers will post photos in the apparel on their own on feeds. This, alone, helps drives sales.

A business born on Instagram

“We strictly gift out with the hope that a celebrity will wear it,” Robinson said, then they circulate the photos online. So far, it has worked. Last year, the pair made $8 million in revenue by selling both wholesale and direct to consumer and are on track to hit between $9 million and $10 million in 2023, according to the company.

TikTok and Instagram have quickly become the easiest and cheapest way to launch a business.

As e-commerce platforms, they are highly effective, too. Most people, particularly millennials and Gen Zers, have spent money they weren’t originally planning to on products they saw in their social media feeds, several studies show.

What’s next for Boys Lie

Now the duo is working on their next “drop” and have a podcast by the same name. Boys Lie has become “more of a lifestyle,” Robinson said.

O’Malley likens them to “big sisters” for their customers who often write in to share their own relationship horror stories.

“Anyone can go through heartbreak,” she said. “We’ve become a voice to vent.”

Disclosure: CNBC’s parent company, NBCUniversal, owns Bravo.

Subscribe to CNBC on YouTube.

Netflix’s “Love is Blind” is casting for their seventh season here in Boston and invited New Englanders to apply.

The U.S. reality television series is a social experiment where single women and men speak to one another through a wall and attempt to fall in love before meeting face-to-face.

The team is looking for “brave, open-minded” single people who are ready for a committed relationship, according to the show’s producer, Kinetic Content, in an Instagram post.   

The post linked out to a casting application that asks more than 60 questions. It requests the usual information, like name, where contestants are from and occupation, but it also includes more esoteric questions.

For example, it asks applicants to briefly describe their dating history, their current dating life and any deal-breakers they may have when it comes to relationships. Applicants are required to upload photos of themselves and a 15-second video sharing why they want to find love on the show.

“Love Is Blind” season seven will air sometime between September and October.  

More reality TV news

Reality TV Jul 6

As ‘Bachelor' race issues linger, Jenn Tran, its 1st Asian American lead, is ready for her moment

Celebrity News Jun 21

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This story uses functionality that may not work in our app. Click here to open the story in your web browser.

The leading man for The Golden Bachelor, the newest addition to the Bachelor franchise, has been confirmed as Gerry Turner. Unlike The Bachelor and Bachelor in Paradise, which focus on men and women in their 20s and 30s, this series will follow the 71-year-old as he meets women who are looking for love in this later stage of life. Some contestants may have been divorced, widowed or never married. And though the identities of those vying for Gerry’s heart have yet to be revealed, here is everything we know about the leading man.

“I’m Gerry. I’m 71-years-young,” he said in an interview with Good Morning America on July 17. “I’m from Indiana and I’m going to be the first golden bachelor, because it’s never too late to fall in love again.”

The retired restauranteur was married to his high school sweetheart Toni, with whom he shares two daughters, Angie and Jenny, and later two granddaughters, Charlee and Payton, for 43 years until Toni’s passing in 2017. Turner lives on a lake in Indiana, and, per ABC, when he’s not filming TV shows, he enjoys getting outside on a four-wheeler, hosting barbecues and playing pickleball. And while he said his new reality is “still sinking in,” when it comes to setting the example for dating in one’s 70s, Turner is up for the challenge.

“I think my thoughts always go to the way I’ve done things,” he continued. “Don’t give up. There’s always possibilities.”

The Bachelorette Stars: Where Are They Now?

And as he looks for love the second time around, he reflected on what he thinks his late wife would make of his newest endeavor.

“I have her picture on a dresser in my closet,” Turner shared of his late wife. “And every morning I give her the nod, ‘So what do you think about this?’ For a while I was having a hard time figuring out if she would be okay.”

He continued, “But we always told each other when one of us goes we want the other to be happy. She’s up there rooting, she’s saying, ‘Yeah Gerry, do this.'”

And as Turner revealed, it was his adult daughters who prompted his journey to finding love again as they were the ones who signed him up. He said he felt like there was “nothing to lose.” So, what is he looking for in a partner?

“I’d love it if I found a partner who was high-energy,” he revealed. “Someone that maybe plays pickleball, someone that maybe plays golf.”

And whether there may be a wedding in addition to roses in Turner’s future? He answered, “I wouldn’t discount it.”

The Golden Bachelor will premiere on ABC this fall.

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Bravo revealed season 10 winner Kristen Kish will replace Padma Lakshmi as the new host of the cooking competition for season 21. But while she’s returning to the show in a new position, Kish is joined by some longtime veterans: head judge Tom Colicchio and perennial judge Gail Simmons.

“Top Chef is where I started my journey—first as a competing chef, then a guest judge and now as host I have the honor of helping to continue to build this brand,” Kish said in a press release July 11. “I’m thrilled to sit alongside Gail and Tom as we get to know new incredible chefs and see what they cook up. It feels like coming home.”

Ryan Flynn, Senior Vice President of Current Production, NBCUniversal Television and Streaming released his own statement, writing, “Kristen Kish represents everything that makes Top Chef incredibly special.”

Top Chef Winners: Where Are They Now?

Noting the 39-year-old’s experience, Flynn added, “She’s an acclaimed chef and her experience as a cheftestant, winner and judge, alongside her culinary curiosity, makes Kristen the perfect host for the next chapter of Top Chef as we take on a new region of the country we haven’t explored.”

And as “Top Chef” fans will remember, Kish has no shortage of kitchen credibility, having attended Le Cordon Bleu in Chicago. And ahead of her tenure on the cooking competition in 2012, she served as Chef de Cuisine at a Relais & Chateaux property. In the years since her first stint on the Bravo series, she’s released her first cookbook, “Kristen Kish Cooking: Recipes and Techniques” as well as opened her first restaurant, Arlo Grey in Austin, Texas.

The news of Kish’s role comes a month after Lakshmi announced she was leaving “Top Chef” after 20 seasons and 17 years.

“After much soul searching, I have made the difficult decision to leave Top Chef,” she wrote in a June 2 statement posted to her social media pages. “Having completed a glorious 20th season as host and exec producer, I am extremely proud to have been a part of building such a successful show and of the impact it has had in the worlds of television and food.”

Netflix’s “Love is Blind” is casting for their seventh season here in Boston and invited New Englanders to apply.

The U.S. reality television series is a social experiment where single women and men speak to one another through a wall and attempt to fall in love before meeting face-to-face.

The team is looking for “brave, open-minded” single people who are ready for a committed relationship, according to the show’s producer, Kinetic Content, in an Instagram post.   

The post linked out to a casting application that asks more than 60 questions. It requests the usual information, like name, where contestants are from and occupation, but it also includes more esoteric questions.

For example, it asks applicants to briefly describe their dating history, their current dating life and any deal-breakers they may have when it comes to relationships. Applicants are required to upload photos of themselves and a 15-second video sharing why they want to find love on the show.

“Love Is Blind” season seven will air sometime between September and October.  

More reality TV news

Reality TV Jul 6

As ‘Bachelor' race issues linger, Jenn Tran, its 1st Asian American lead, is ready for her moment

Celebrity News Jun 21

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This story uses functionality that may not work in our app. Click here to open the story in your web browser.

“The Real Housewives of Atlanta” alum filed papers July 7 to dismiss their divorce case, according to Georgia court documents obtained by E! News. Meanwhile, the former NFL star’s attorney, Marlys A. Bergstrom, told E! News that “the parties are dismissing their divorce action and attempting a reconciliation.”

The news comes days after the former “Don’t Be Tardy” star, 45, and the athlete, 37, were photographed walking to church together with their four younger kids — Kroy Biermann Jr., 12, Kash Biermann, 10, and 9-year-old twins Kaia Biermann and Kane Biermann.

The pair both filed for divorce May 8, stating that their 11-year marriage is “irretrievably broken.” In her petition, Zolciak sought primary physical and joint legal custody of their minor children. However, in his filing, Biermann asked for sole physical and legal custody of the kids.

Most Expensive Celeb Divorces

Their divorce proceedings turned messier a week later when Zolciak filed a motion requesting that her ex undergo drug testing, alleging that she has seen her husband “smoking marijuana, and she has serious concerns for the safety and well-being” of their children, according to court documents. E! News reached out to Biermann’s attorney for comment at the time and did not hear back.

But despite the growing acrimony, the pair’s elder daughters Brielle Biermann, 26, and Ariana Biermann, 21, honored their dad on Father’s Day last month. “Happy Father’s Day,” Ariana wrote on her Instagram Story, along with a photo of herself and Brielle hugging Kroy. “I love you.”

In her own IG tribute, Brielle shared a photo of herself and the athlete hugging, writing, “Happy Father’s Day!”

On the June 18 holiday, Biermann shared a pic of himself with his and Zolciak’s four youngest kids biking together. “I hope ALL of the Fathers out there had as good a day as I had!!” he captioned the photo. “Stay strong, it is a VITAL role to fill!”

Amid the 45-year-old’s divorce from former husband and Atlanta Falcons player Kroy Biermann, 37, the reality television star has dropped her soon-to-be ex-husband’s last name from her Instagram handle, sharing a new post featuring some “RHOA” stars.

On June 9, Zolciak posted two Instagram photos of herself posing with “RHOA” alums Lisa Wu, Shereé Whitfield and DeShawn Snow, adding the caption “See you soon.”

She added a film camera emoji, while tagging Bravo TV and including the hashtag #RHOA.

The mother of six had previously stepped away from being a full-time member of the “Real Housewives” series in Season 5, and then again in Season 10, following a brief appearance as a friend of the show.

Zolciak’s post comes a little over a month after her husband filed for divorce after 12 years of marriage, according to a petition obtained by TODAY.com.

The former couple met in May 2010 while she was attending a Dancing with Atlanta Stars charity event. Fans were able to see their relationship develop first-hand on “RHOA” and continue on in their own show, “Don’t Be Tardy,” which followed their marriage and personal lives for eight seasons.

Zolciak and Biermann share children Kroy “KJ” Jagger, Kash Kade, Kaia Rose and Kane Ren, all of whom are in the care of Biermann, according to court documents. He is reportedly seeking sole custody.

Andy Cohen shared his thoughts on the split during a May episode of his SiriusXM program “Andy Cohen Live,” saying he was “very surprised” by the announcement.

“That was not the news I ever expected to get. They seemed so much in love and just together. I mean, they were a couple that — yeah, I thought they were in it for the long haul,” Cohen said, adding at the time that he reached out to Zolciak to let her know he was thinking of her.

“Texted a little bit with Kim yesterday, sent my condolences because it’s a sad thing,” Cohen said. “They have kids and that was just a couple that seemed very much in love.”

Bravo is part of NBCUniversal, TODAY’s parent company.

This story first appeared on TODAY.com. More from TODAY:

• Andy Cohen gives his ‘surprised’ take on the Kim Zolciak-Kroy Biermann split
• ‘Real Housewives’ star Kim Zolciak’s husband Kroy Biermann files for divorce
• ‘Real Housewives of New York City’ is returning this summer with an all-new cast

This story uses functionality that may not work in our app. Click here to open the story in your web browser.

“Love Is Blind” is being accused of turning a blind eye to its contestants.

Season two alums Danielle Ruhl and Nick Thompson were among several stars from the dating show who claimed they were deprived of food, water, sleep and mental health assistance during filming. In an April 19 Insider report, cast members said they suffered physical and psychological breakdowns as a result of the alleged neglect, with one unnamed contestant describing their on-set experience as “emotional warfare.”

In response to the article, Kinetic Content—the production company behind the Netflix series—said in a statement to E! News, “The wellbeing of our participants is of paramount importance to Kinetic. We have rigorous protocols in place to care for each person before, during, and after filming.”

E! News has reached out to Netflix for comment but hasn’t heard back.

In the Insider report, contestants also claimed they were required to film up to 20-hours a day, during which they were frequently provided alcohol but rarely saw sunlight and had little time to sleep.

All the “Love Is Blind” Relationships That Happened Off-Camera

“The sleep deprivation was real,” season one’s Danielle Drouin told the publication. “I feel like they do it on purpose because they’re trying to break you. They want you on your edge.”

Meanwhile, Ruhl recalled how she fainted during the show’s pod period—when contestants would be secluded in individual capsule rooms as they mingled only through speakers—because she said she hadn’t eaten, slept or had enough water that day. After a COVID-19 test taken at the behest of a crew member came back negative, Ruhl claimed she was rushed in front of the camera for a confessional rather than be sent for further medical attention.

“That was it,” she said. “I had to go right back into it.”

Ruhl also alleged that producers ignored her pleas for mental health help when she suffered a panic attack while filming with then-fiancé Thompson in Mexico.

“I kept telling them, ‘I don’t trust myself,'” she said. “‘I’ve tried committing suicide before. I’m having suicidal thoughts. I don’t think I can continue in this.'”

Thompson, who tied the knot with Ruhl at the end of their season, told Insider that he received little assistance from producers when their marriage began falling apart off-camera.

“I literally begged for help, and I didn’t get it,” he said. “Like, I want to fix my marriage that you’ve thrust us into for profit. And it was nothing.”

Ruhl ended up filing for divorce in August 2022 after one year of marriage. Thompson claimed the only communication he got from producers at the time was a phone call assuring him that he wouldn’t be sued, even though his contract forbade him from seeking a divorce until the final episode of his season aired.

“It was brutal,” he said of the breakup’s aftermath. “That’s when I started to crumble mentally.”

As for Ruhl, she’s still reeling from her appearance on “Love Is Blind” and has attended trauma therapy to process what happened.

“I don’t think that I’ve felt myself since before filming,” she shared. “I’m trying to re-find who I am because it f–ked with me so much.”

If you or someone you know needs help, please contact the National Suicide Prevention hotline at 988, or reach out to the Crisis Text Line by texting ‘Home’ to 741741, anytime.

Netflix’s “Love is Blind” is casting for their seventh season here in Boston and invited New Englanders to apply.

The U.S. reality television series is a social experiment where single women and men speak to one another through a wall and attempt to fall in love before meeting face-to-face.

The team is looking for “brave, open-minded” single people who are ready for a committed relationship, according to the show’s producer, Kinetic Content, in an Instagram post.   

The post linked out to a casting application that asks more than 60 questions. It requests the usual information, like name, where contestants are from and occupation, but it also includes more esoteric questions.

For example, it asks applicants to briefly describe their dating history, their current dating life and any deal-breakers they may have when it comes to relationships. Applicants are required to upload photos of themselves and a 15-second video sharing why they want to find love on the show.

“Love Is Blind” season seven will air sometime between September and October.  

More reality TV news

Reality TV Jul 6

As ‘Bachelor' race issues linger, Jenn Tran, its 1st Asian American lead, is ready for her moment

Celebrity News Jun 21

Julie Chrisley to be resentenced after appeals court throws out 7-year punishment

This story uses functionality that may not work in our app. Click here to open the story in your web browser.