Harry kisses Ben on SNL, Dolly shares health update, US-Iran negotiations

Harry Styles kisses Ben Marshall on SNL

Harry Styles returned to Saturday Night Live with an iconic monologue that addressed public scrutiny over his image through humor.

Reflecting on his previous appearances and his whirlwind tours in 2019 and 2023, the pop superstar didn’t hold back. “Back then, people seemed to pay a lot of attention to the clothes I was wearing, something called queerbaiting,” he said.

“Some people accused me of it, but did it ever occur to you that maybe you don’t know everything about me, Dad?” Styles quipped.

He then joked about romance and attraction: “Sometimes kissing can be great. You know, if you’re really good at it and you’re a good person.”

Several female cast members made playful advances, but when Ben Marshall approached, Styles leaned in for a full kiss. “Or if you have a tight little bum!”

“Now that’s queerbaiting!” he joked while winking playfully at the camera.

Wendi McClendon-Covey clarifies her absence from ‘Bridesmaids’ reunion

The 2026 Oscars brought a joyful Bridesmaids reunion to the red carpet, with Kristen Wiig, Melissa McCarthy, Maya Rudolph, Ellie Kemper, and Rose Byrne all posing together. However, one key cast member was missing: Wendi McLendon-Covey.

The 56-year-old comedian and actress explained her absence in a candid Instagram post late Sunday. Sharing a selfie of her head wrapped in bandages, she revealed she had just undergone a neck lift.

“In response to some of the DMs I’m getting: I had a neck lift last week because I’m tired of looking like a melting candle,” McLendon-Covey wrote. “So I had to skip the Academy Awards. No drama. Everything is fine. 😘”

Dolly Parton shares health update in first public appearance

Country music icon Dolly Parton made her first public appearance of 2026 by delivering a heartfelt keynote speech at the opening of her theme park, “Dollywood,” where she shared updates about her health and personal life.

“I’ve not been touring, as you know. I’ve had a few little health issues, and we’re taking good care of them,” Parton told the audience, reflecting on the challenges she has faced since the death of her husband, Carl Dean, last March. The couple had been married for 58 years.

“I just kind of got worn down and worn out, grieving over Carl and a lot of other little things going on,” she admitted. Parton emphasized that she’s been working to rebuild herself spiritually, emotionally, and physically, adding reassuringly, “But, all is good. It didn’t slow me down.”

Following Dean’s passing, the singer had previously paused work on new music to focus on her grief, but she revealed she has since been channeling her energy into creativity. “I’ve just been doing a lot of writing, a lot of thinking, a lot of praying and a lot of getting ready for a lot of new stuff coming up for the rest of this whole year,” Parton said.

“So, be ready for me. I ain’t done, I ain’t near done,” she asserted.

Donald Trump holds off on negotiations with Iran

President Donald Trump asserted that he is not ready to strike a deal to end the conflict with Iran, despite the country’s stated willingness to negotiate.

Speaking to reporters, Trump emphasized that any agreement would need to meet his standards.

“Iran wants to make a deal, and I don’t want to make it because the terms aren’t good enough yet,” he said. “Any terms will have to be very solid.”

When pressed for specifics about what those terms might include, Trump declined to provide details. “I don’t want to say that to you,” he responded. However, he indicated that a key component would involve Iran committing to completely abandon any nuclear ambitions.

ICYMI:

• Timothée Chalamet’s Marty Supreme went home empty-handed after losing all of its nominations at the Academy Awards.

• During the Academy Awards, Barbra Streisand paid tribute to Robert Redford, praising his legacy on and off screen as she said, “Bob had real backbone on and off the screen. He spoke up to defend freedom of the press, protect the environment and encouraged new voices at his Sundance Institute, some of whom are up for Oscars tonight, which is so great. He was thoughtful and bold. I called him an intellectual cowboy who blazed his own trail, and won the Academy Award for best director, and I miss him now more than ever, even though he loved teasing me.”

• Motaz Malhees, who stars in The Voice of Hind Rajab—a nominee for Best International Film—was unable to attend the Academy Awards because he is currently banned from entering the United States due to his Palestinian citizenship.

— Bea Bertuldo

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