The couple shared news of their engagement on Instagram, alongside an interview conducted by Dylan’s twin Cole for V Magazine on Thursday, June 15.

“Sprouse’s to be,” Dylan captioned his post, while Barbara wrote on hers, “With the power invested in V, I am a Sprouse to be.”

In the interview for the American fashion magazine, the couple revealed that they have been engaged since September 2022 but decided to keep the news to themselves for a while.  

“We didn’t necessarily feel the need to be fully transparent with the public about that aspect of our engagement,” the former Suite Life of Zack and Cody star explained.

“What we wanted to do with Stephen and the V team is make something that was kind of tongue-in-cheek about the nature of private versus public. We’re playing with the idea of perception.”

“Also, we just want to do it on our time,” the Hungarian fashion model added. Barbara shared that she was “really annoyed” when they were asked by their PR team to “post about it” after news of their engagement had leaked earlier this year, but is “very happy” that they ended up doing it their own way. 

Engagement speculations surrounding the couple had surfaced in March after Barbara was seen wearing a diamond ring when they graced the red carpet for Dylan’s movie The Duel during the Mammoth Film Festival in California. However, the couple and their representatives had not provided any comments on the matter at the time. 

Dylan and Barbara plan to exchange vows in the bride-to-be’s home country Hungary, but no other details about the wedding have been released. 

They started dating in 2018. – Cheska Lingad/Rappler.com

Cheska Lingad is a Rappler intern.

In the talk show, host Boy Abunda mentioned that there were speculations about a split between the actress and her ex-boyfriend, who is also the father of her six-month-old son, Uno.

“Yes, Tito Boy, naghiwalay na kami ng tatay ni Uno (Uno’s father and I have broken up),” she said. “We really tried our best, like everybody else, but it didn’t work out.”

The singer added that despite the split, the two remain good friends and are co-parenting Uno. She also said that her focus at the moment is “to be a better person and to be the best mom to Uno,” though she “dreams” of getting married.

The Kapuso star also gave a tearful message for her son on camera. “Nanay (mother) will always love and support you no matter what. I love you for who you are. Keep being you, and I’m very proud of you,” she said. “I promise to sing for you.”

In June 2022, the Undeniable Star announced that she was expecting her first child. She did not reveal information regarding her then-partner and the father of the child, and continues to keep his identity private, telling 24 Oras that they both preferred it as he is a non-showbiz personality. Rita gave birth to Uno in December 2022.

Rita Daniela de Guzman Iringan, professionally known as Rita Daniela, is the first grand champion of the QTV talent show PopStar Kids. She starred alongside Ken Chan in the shows My Special Tatay, One of the Baes, and Ang Dalawang Ikaw, and hosted The Clash. – Sophia Gonzaga/Rappler.com

Sophia Gonzaga is a Rappler intern.

One of four daughters of a bricklayer and a cleaning lady in northwest England, Jackson never forgot her roots even as she made her name as one of the greatest women actors of her generation.

Her agent said she had died at her home in southeast London after a brief illness.

Raw-boned, pallid and angular, with striking, sharp eyes, she had starred on stage, television and film before quitting to take up politics with the left-of-centre Labour Party, declaring: “An actor’s life is not interesting”.

The current lawmaker for Jackson’s former seat in parliament said she was devastated to hear of her predecessor’s death.

“A formidable politician, an amazing actress and a very supportive mentor to me,” Tulip Siddiq said on Twitter.

Growing up in Birkenhead, Cheshire, Jackson left school at the age of 15 and found work in a shop before winning a place at the prestigious Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London.

She won her first Academy Award in 1971 as lead actress for her role as a headstrong artist in director Ken Russell’s film of D.H. Lawrence’s novel Women in Love.

Her second Oscar came three years later for A Touch of Class, a romantic comedy directed by Melvin Frank in which Jackson played a harried fashion designer caught up in a catastrophic love affair with an American businessman in London.

Jackson also won two Emmy awards for her portrayal of England’s Queen Elizabeth I in the BBC’s 1971 television series Elizabeth R.

Besides her serious film roles, Jackson also showed her popular, comic touch when she appeared in some of British television’s most-loved comedy shows of the day, starring as Cleopatra in a sketch with duo Eric Morecambe and Ernie Wise and appearing on The Muppet Show.

“She leaves a space in our cultural and political life that can never be filled,” Labour leader Keir Starmer said. “She played many roles, with great distinction, passion and commitment.”

Foreign Secretary James Cleverly, of the governing Conservative Party, described her as a “funny, thoughtful and principled person”.

“Moral malaise”

After more than three decades on stage and film, Jackson quit acting and took her no-nonsense, straight-talking style into politics.

She had been angered by the damage she believed was inflicted on the working classes by Margaret Thatcher, Britain’s Conservative prime minister from 1979 until 1990.

In 1992, at the age of 55, Jackson won a seat in parliament representing Labour in a constituency in north London.

“We must work for the poor, the homeless, the unemployed, the frail, the sick,” she told supporters.

In parliament, Jackson was vociferous in her condemnation of the Conservatives which she accused of instilling a “dreadful, dreadful moral malaise” in Britain.

When Labour won power in 1997, then prime minister Tony Blair appointed her as a junior minister responsible for London transport, a position she held for two years before resigning to make an unsuccessful attempt to be nominated as Labour’s candidate for London Mayor.

Though she remained in parliament, securing re-election in 2001, 2005 and 2010 and fighting for equality, she became increasingly out of step with Blair’s more centrist approach and decided in 2011 not to contest the next election.

“I will be almost 80 and by then it will be time for someone else to have a turn,” she said.

She returned to acting in 2015 and the following year won critical acclaim for playing King Lear on stage. In 2018, she played 92-year-old A in Edward Albee’s Three Tall Women on Broadway, a performance that won her a prestigious Tony Award.

In 2019, she played an elderly grandmother struggling with dementia in Elizabeth Is Missing, a television series, and was rewarded with a British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) TV Award for Best Actress.

Jackson was married from 1958 to 1976 to stage director Roy Hodges. She is survived by their son, Daniel Hodges, who was born in 1969. – Rappler.com

The alleged assaults took place between 1979 and 1992 in various locations in Nevada, including in Cosby’s backstage dressing room and his Las Vegas hotel suite, according to the lawsuit, which was filed on Wednesday, June 14 in federal court in Nevada.

The complaint arrived just weeks after the state enacted a “lookback” law eliminating a two-year window for sexual assault victims to bring civil claims, following the lead of several other states.

More than 60 women have leveled accusations stretching back decades against Cosby, who was once known as “America’s Dad” for his role in the 1980s television comedy The Cosby Show.

Now 85, Cosby was the first celebrity to be convicted in the MeToo era, when a Pennsylvania jury found him guilty in 2018 of sexually assaulting Andrea Constand, an employee at his alma mater Temple University in Philadelphia, in 2004.

He spent three years in a Pennsylvania prison before the state’s Supreme Court threw out his case in 2021, ruling that he should not have faced charges after striking a non-prosecution deal with a previous district attorney years earlier.

In a statement, Cosby’s spokesperson, Andrew Wyatt, criticized “lookback” laws and said his accusers “are not fighting for victims – but for their addiction to massive amounts of media attention and greed.”

The Nevada lawsuit accuses Cosby of drugging each victim with drinks or pills before assaulting them, a pattern that matches allegations from other women, including Constand.

Cosby faces other legal claims as well. A former Playboy model sued him this month, alleging he assaulted her in 1969. The plaintiff is taking advantage of a California law that lifted the statute of limitations on such claims.

Lili Bernard, one of the plaintiffs in Nevada, has separately sued Cosby in New Jersey for an alleged assault in 1990 under a similar law.

Last year, a California jury found that Cosby sexually assaulted teenager Judy Huth at the Playboy Mansion in 1975 and ordered him to pay her $500,000. – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – Following speculations that her relationship with basketball player Ricci Rivero has ended, Andrea Brillantes has opened up on her current emotional state, saying that her heart’s “okay.” 

During the Wednesday, June 14 interview, Brillantes was asked about the status of her heart. While the actress hasn’t directly confirmed the breakup nor mentioned Rivero’s name, she alluded that she is still grappling with the pain of heartbreak.

“Yung puso ko, tingin ko, okay naman siya (I think my heart is doing okay). It could be worse, sa mga nagaganap ngayon (with what’s happening).” Brillantes said.

She acknowledged that she had considered skipping the guesting to avoid facing the public, but expressed her belief that despite the situation she’s in, she is slowly but surely finding her way toward healing.

While Brillantes recognized that she is far from recovering, she also emphasized that she’s aware about the need for acceptance and the gradual process of moving on.

“Parang hindi pa po ako malaya, fully. Tingin ko po kasi kapag sinabing freedom, merong part din du’n ang acceptance. Kasi na-accept mo na na kailangan mong i-let go ang mga bagay-bagay. Ako po kasi, aminado ako na since ang bago-bago pa lang po talaga ng lahat, at alam mo ‘yon nagging totoo kasi sa akin lahat. Ako nagmahal ako nang totoo, hindi ko ‘yon male-let go agad-agad,” she further said. 

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(I don’t think I’m completely free yet. True freedom involves acceptance, acknowledging that there are things we must let go of. I confess that since it’s still fresh, everything feels real to me. I loved with all my heart, and it’s not something I can let go of easily.)

Brillantes also admitted her reservations about projecting an image and pretending to be “unbothered” despite her circumstance.

“Hindi ko masasabing malaya ako nang 100% kasi may mga bagay pang ayaw ko pang pakawalan at may mga bagay pa na pino-process ko pa. Kasi ganun naman Talaga. Normal lang naman na dapat ay namnamin ko ‘tong mga feeling na ‘to para makapag-heal ako ng maayos. Ayaw ko naman maging pretentious na maki-trend lang na ‘I’m unbothered’ para lang masabi na unbothered. Aminado ako na nakakaramdam ako kasi tao pa rin po ako,” she continued. 

(I can’t say that I’m free 100% because there are things that I can’t let go easily, and there are things that I need to process. Because it is what it is. It’s normal to process these feelings so I can heal properly. I don’t want to be pretentious enough to join the trend of being, “I’m unbothered,” just to say that I’m unbothered. I’m aware of what I’m feeling because I’m only human.)

Rivero had earlier hinted about the split. Though he also didn’t mention Brillantes in the statement, the athlete said that they decided to keep the decision to themselves so they “can prepare what’s left of [their] friendship.” He also asked the public to avoid dragging “other characters” by creating false accusations. 

In April 2022, Rivero asked Brillantes to be his girlfriend following a basketball game win of the UP Fighting Maroons against the FEU Tamaraws. – with additional reports from Jacob Maquiling/Rappler.com

Jacob Maquiling is a Rappler intern. 

South Korean actor Kim Seon-ho will be returning to the Philippines for a fan meeting at the Araneta Coliseum. 

“Get ready to smile ‘cause our Global BENCHsetter Kim Seon-ho is set to bring all the good vibes,” clothing brand BENCH announced on Wednesday, June 14. The actor was introduced as BENCH’s endorser in August 2022. 

Additional details, such as ticket prices, mechanics, and seat plan, have yet to be announced. 

The July fan meeting would serve as Kim’s return to the Philippines in five months following his January One, Two, Three, Smile fan meeting. 

Kim Seon-ho is best known for his roles in the series Start Up, Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha, and 100 Days, My Prince. – Rappler.com 

MANILA, Philippines – South Korean star Song Joong-ki is now a dad! 

The actor’s agency High Zium Studio announced on late Wednesday, June 14 that Song’s wife Katy Louise Saunders has given birth to their first child.

“Song Joong-ki became the father of a baby boy in Italy,” the label said. 

Song also took to his official fan cafe to deliver the news to his supporters, alongside a photo of him holding the finger of his baby. 

“Right now, I’m in Italy. Here, in my wife’s hometown of Rome, we happened to welcome our baby. It’s a healthy son…and both the baby and his mother…are in very good health,” he wrote, according to a translation by Soompi. 

He added, “I think [our son] is the most precious gift to have found its way to us, a married couple whose biggest dream all our lives was to start a happy family.”

Song then thanked his fans for their well-wishes and continued support, saying he is always grateful for their “sincere, unchanging love.”  

It was in January when Song announced that he has married Saunders, and that she is pregnant with their first child. At the time, the actor said that they have “dreamed of creating a happy family together” and that a “new life has come to [them].”

Song, 37, is best known for his roles in A Werewolf Boy, Arthdal Chronicles, Vincenzo, and Reborn Rich. He was previously married to his Descendants of the Sun co-star Song Hye-kyo. They filed for divorce in 2019 after nearly two years of marriage. – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – Pokwang filed a petition for the deportation of her ex-partner Lee O’Brian and the cancellation of his visa on Tuesday, June 13.

In an Instagram post, the actress, whose real name is Marietta Subong, shared a photo of the complaint affidavit with the text “This is it!”

In the caption she wrote “Para sa karapatan ko at ng anak ko, para sa mga kapwa ko babae at sa bayan ko (For my rights, and my child’s rights, for my fellow women, and for my country).”

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Marietta Subong (@itspokwang27)

On the same, day, her lawyer Ralph Calinisan posted a photo of him and Pokwang holding copies of the complaint affidavit.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Ralph Calinisan (@ralph_calinisan)

Pokwang and Lee, an American, first met in 2014 while working on the film Edsa Woolworth. They were togther for six years, and share a daughter, Malia, born in January 2018.

According to a report by ABS-CBN, Pokwang claimed that Lee is in the country on a tourist visa, and has no working permit. 

The petition comes months after Pokwang, in a comment to a netizen, said, “Anim na taon ko na pala siya palamunin at limang taon walang child support (He’s been mooching off me for six years, and hasn’t given child support in five years)!”

Pokwang confirmed her split from Lee in July 2022, though she initially said they separated on good terms. – Rappler.com

The actress was rushed to the hospital immediately, but was declared brain dead. Park’s family has decided to donate her organs, according to Soompi.

“Only her brain is unconscious, and her heart is still beating,” her mother said. “There must be someone who desperately needs [organs]. As her mother and father, we will be able to live comforted [by the thought that her heart] has gone to someone and is beating.”

She appeared as a minor character in the South Korean drama, Snowdrop, which starred Jung Hae-in and BLACKPINK’s Jisoo and premiered in December 2021.

Park was mostly involved in theater, with projects like Il Tenore, Siddhartha, Finding Kim Jong Wook, The Cellar, Passing Through Love, and her latest musical, The Day We Loved.

In January 2022, fellow Snowdrop cast member Kim Mi-soo also passed away, with no specified cause of death. – Rappler.com

Sajak, 76, made the announcement on Twitter, but gave no precise reason for opting to call it quits next year, saying only “the time has come.”

“I’ve decided that our 41st season, which begins in September, will be my last. It’s been a wonderful ride, and I’ll have more to say in the coming months,” he wrote.

The show will continue its run for at least three more seasons after his departure, with Sajak staying on to serve as a consultant during that period, according to Suzanne Prete, head of the game show division at Sony Pictures Television, the program’s production company.

“We’re thrilled to have him remaining close to the Wheel of Fortune family!” she said.

No mention was made about the future of Vanna White, the glamorous, ever-smiling co-host, who has made a career of rotating the letters on the show’s puzzle board for more than 40 years.

She and Sajak celebrated their 7,000th episode on the show together in May of 2019, and White briefly stepped in to substitute as host for Sajak several months later when he underwent emergency intestinal surgery.

Sajak has hosted the syndicated evening edition of Wheel of Fortune since its debut in September 1983, but his connection with the game show, created by the late TV entertainer-producer Merv Griffin, goes back further.

Wheel of Fortune originally aired as an NBC network program on daytime television in 1975, with Chuck Woolery as host. Sajak replaced him in 1981 and stayed on the daytime show until 1989, while also presiding over the syndicated nighttime version starting in 1983.

He ranks as the longest-serving host of any U.S. TV game show, surpassing the 35 years Bob Barker presided over The Price is Right on CBS or 37 years Alex Trebek starred on Jeopardy!

While The Price is Right holds the record as the longest continuously running game show on American television, Wheel of Fortune has the longest unbroken run of any syndicated US game show.

Another Merv Griffin creation, Jeopardy!, dates back to 1964 but saw a gap of several years between various syndicated and network versions of that program over the years.

Sajak left the NBC evening edition of Wheel when his own short-lived late-night talk show premiered on CBS. Meanwhile, Sajak was replaced on NBC’s Wheel by Rolf Benirschke, who was in turn succeeded by Bob Goen when the network program moved to CBS, then briefly back to NBC. – Rappler.com