Kate Hudson’s Louis Vuitton Dress Hangs by Only 2 Strings at SBIFF

Kate Hudson's Louis Vuitton Dress Hangs by Only 2 Strings at SBIFFRealityTeaEvolve EditorsFebruary 17, 2026 at 12:28 AM 0 Photo Credit: JB Lacroix/WireImage via Getty Images When it comes to taking an unexpected red carpet risk, Kate Hudson always goes above and beyond to prove that these can actually pay off in a big way. This is exactly what she did at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival. The "Song Sung Blue" actress chose to step out in a striking Louis Vuitton gown that looked incomparable on her.

- - Kate Hudson's Louis Vuitton Dress Hangs by Only 2 Strings at SBIFFRealityTeaEvolve EditorsFebruary 17, 2026 at 12:28 AM

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Photo Credit: JB Lacroix/WireImage via Getty Images

When it comes to taking an unexpected red carpet risk, Kate Hudson always goes above and beyond to prove that these can actually pay off in a big way. This is exactly what she did at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival. The "Song Sung Blue" actress chose to step out in a striking Louis Vuitton gown that looked incomparable on her. The unique gravity-defying dress was clearly held together by just two delicate strings, making it look hotter than ever. It clearly turned a simple silhouette into a major fashion moment, blending bold design with effortless confidence.

Kate Hudson's SBIFF Louis Vuitton dress is totally hanging by two strings

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Kate Hudson always knows how to make her mark, and with her latest look, she made sure that all eyes stayed locked on her from the moment she arrived. After all, the Louis Vuitton dress was a total work of modern art. The champagne-pink gown had a relaxed silhouette with sleek straps and a scooped neckline. The slip-like silhouette of the dress also added a vintage touch to the overall feel of the look. Even the layered gold beaded detailing across the bodice and skirt accentuated the look. The skirt also elegantly moved with Hudson. She completed the look with matching heels.

In terms of accessories, the actress made the wise decision to go with delicate droplet earrings with a matching gasp-worthy ring on her finger. These choices elevated her outfit with a touch of shimmer and shine without actually taking over. They allowed the gorgeous look to take the much-deserved spotlight. Even her blonde locks were thoughtfully styled into a lightly wavy hairstyle, with a middle parting. This framed her beyond-gorgeous face, adding to the look.

Hudson's makeup started with a light foundation base, which helped her show off her natural beauty. However, she did add a touch of bronzer on the sides, enhancing her features. She also added a dash of color to her cheeks with some pink blush and a touch of highlighter. For her eyes, she went with some pink eyeshadow with well-shaped eyebrows, mascara-laden lashes. She completed the look with a pink lip shade that worked well for her complexion.

Originally written by Mahek Walia on theFashionSpot.

The post Kate Hudson's Louis Vuitton Dress Hangs by Only 2 Strings at SBIFF appeared first on Reality Tea.

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Kate Hudson’s Louis Vuitton Dress Hangs by Only 2 Strings at SBIFF

Kate Hudson's Louis Vuitton Dress Hangs by Only 2 Strings at SBIFFRealityTeaEvolve EditorsFebruary 17, 2026 at 12:...

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Trial of Seven: A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms team goes behind the storm of swords and that trag...

Cast and creatives break down the making of this ensemble battle sequence and its bloody aftermath. Trial of Seven: A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms team goes behind the storm of swords and that tragic death Cast and creatives break down the making of this ensemble battle sequence and its bloody aftermath. By Nick Romano :maxbytes(150000):stripicc()/NicholasRomanoauthorphotoadc9b60763e34711935cbf7b3d768d24.jpg) Nick Romano is a senior editor at with 15 years of journalism experience covering entertainment. His work previously appeared in Vanity Fair, Vulture, IGN, and more.

Cast and creatives break down the making of this ensemble battle sequence and its bloody aftermath.

Trial of Seven: A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms team goes behind the storm of swords and that tragic death

Cast and creatives break down the making of this ensemble battle sequence and its bloody aftermath.

By Nick Romano

Nick Romano is a senior editor at ** with 15 years of journalism experience covering entertainment. His work previously appeared in *Vanity Fair*, Vulture, IGN, and more.

EW's editorial guidelines

February 15, 2026 10:42 p.m. ET

The Trial of Seven begins on 'A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms'. Credit:

Steffan Hill/HBO

**This article contains spoilers from *A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms* episode 5, "In the Name of the Mother."**

The Trial of Seven is about to commence — a clash of mud, blood, and iron before a roaring crowd to determine the fate of the aspiring knight that dared to defend a lowly stage performer from a rampaging Targaryen prince.

On one side of the Belfast set of *A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms*, Peter Claffey lines up as Ser Duncan the Tall with the champions defending his good name: Ser Lyonel "Laughing Storm" Baratheon (Daniel Ings), newly knighted Raymun Fossoway (Shaun Thomas), Ser Humfrey Beesbury (Danny Collins), Ser Humfrey Hardyng (Ross Anderson), and a last-minute Hail Mary, Prince Baelor "Breakspear" Targaryen (Bertie Carvel).

On the other side is Dunk's accuser and chief tormenter, Prince Aerion Targaryen (Finn Bennett), flanked by the procession of his drunkard brother, Daeron (Henry Ashton); father Maekar (Sam Spruell); rotten apple Ser Steffon Fossoway (Edward Ashley); and three members of the Kingsguard, Ser Donnel of Duskendale (Bill Ward), Ser Roland Crakehall (Wade Briggs), and Ser Willem Wylde (not credited on the show; episodic director Owen Harris mentions a stunt performer plays Willem instead of an actor since there wasn't a prominent story arc involving that character).

Peter Claffey as Dunk on 'A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms'.

Steffan Hill/HBO

It's only the second time in the history of Westeros that a Trial of Seven has been used to settle a score. Both squadrons stare each other down on horseback, in full armor and weaponry — looking like bonafide badasses of the *Game of Thrones* universe. And then…the wasps descend.

It's Bennett's chief memory from filming the show's first true battle sequence in episode 5. "We had these fruit baskets that were part of set dressing that, I guess, we didn't replace. So we just had loads of rotting fruit around the set, and it seemed like every wasp in Belfast City traveled to our little patch," the actor tells **. "I just remember wasps flying around everywhere. And the fake blood is made with a sugary syrup."

Ira Parker, the co-creator and showrunner behind *A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms*, confirms these pests were a genuine issue when filming this big set piece. "Not only on set, but in post[-production] too, when we had to f---ing remove them from people swatting at them," he says. "They're just buzzing around everybody's head. If only they had been bees, I would've said that could have been Humfrey *Bees*bury's contribution to this fight."

Dexter Sol Ansell as Prince Aegon "Egg" on 'A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms'.

Steffan Hill/HBO

It wasn't just the wasps. Diving deep into the making of the much-hyped Trial of Seven on *A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms* — including the bloody finish that claimed the life of one important character — key members of the cast and crew recall all the moving parts that went into the medieval mayhem.

"You got all that cool smoke, which makes it look badass. That thing is loud!" Ings says. "We had all these dialogue scenes where there's like a 'MAAAAA' going on underneath."

"You could imagine all those actors, all those stunt men, the props team. It was absolute carnage," Thomas adds. "Yeah, it was crazy. Really was."**

The one thing that's "gonna displease some people"

Peter Claffey as Dunk on 'A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms'.

Steffan Hill/HBO

It's true to the character of Dunk that our hero spends the first chunk of this battle passed out.

He charges into the fray, ready to test his might against the best of them, only to get knocked off the side of his horse with a blow to the head. Parker and the team decided "very early on," he says, to begin the Trial of Seven with a flashback to Dunk's life in Fleabottom and the tragedy around the death of his childhood friend.

"I hate that I've had to do a flashback at this point when everybody just wants the battle, but we had to," the showrunner says. "But I do think it stands on its own, and I do think it's fun to see Dunk like that. I do think it adds a lot to the story, and it adds to the ending of episode 5 as well … But, yeah, it's gonna displease some people."

That's what he said about some of the bolder choices for the TV adaptation of George R. R. Martin's first Dunk and Egg novella, "The Hedge Knight," including the opening bowel-evacuating sequence of the premiere episode. But fans have widely praised Parker's vision and adherence to the source material.

Returning to the Dunk knockout bit, Harris agrees it's "very authentically Dunk...In that moment, you sort of build the legend of Dunk, but at the same time, you also build the tension because everyone's thinking, 'What's happened to Dunk?'"

"It is chaotic, and we embraced that early on"

Dunk (Peter Claffey) fights Prince Aerion (Finn Bennett) on 'A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms'.

Steffan Hill/HBO

Underneath a tent on the Belfast set was a large white board filled with cue cards, collectively breaking down beat by beat the entire Trial of Seven. It provided some much needed method to the madness.

"When you're out there and you're shooting it, mud is drying up on you because it happens to not be raining for the first time ever in Belfast and you have to get the fire hoses on it," Parker remembers. "Plus, the wind changes and all of a sudden your mist coming in from one way is now blowing completely out, so you gotta go shift that all around. Plus you got stunt guys covered in fake sugar blood, which is attracting all the wasps. And meanwhile, you're trying to get in there and get everything you had planned. It is chaotic, and we embraced that pretty early on."

The way the team shot the Trial of Seven was aligned with the overall ethos of season 1. The same reason why Parker never told any of the story from the perspective of a royal (with the exception of one Egg moment while he's posing as a street kid), this is Dunk's story. "Although it's a battle of seven, the battle that's important to us is the one that Dunk's fighting," Harris remarks.

The shots oscillate between "helmet cam," their phrase for the camera peering out from within Dunk's helmet; Dunk wobbling through the battlefield as violence swirls around him; and the final one-on-one sword fight with Prince Aerion in the midst of it all.

Prince Aerion rides into the Trial of Seven on 'A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms'.

Steffan Hill/HBO

"It just does something very interesting in terms of the claustrophobia of being under attack, being someone who is at the receiving end of someone that's trying to kill him," Harris continues. "And once you go inside that helm, as well as the sound effects, the breathing, the points of the increased heartbeat, you feel like you're right in there with him."

Ings describes the sequence as "a very well-oiled machine" with the cast serving as "a tiny little cog that gets fitted into that." As he notes, "It is a lot about trying to pick the moments where you can really get the character across...There are people here in this seven-on-seven who are s----ing themselves and terrified about what's to come. Whereas for Lionel, this is the juice. This is what he waits for. This is his '50-year storm' — to casually drop in a *Point Break* reference."

The actors give a lot of credit to their stunt doubles, but none more than Bennett. He says of his stuntman, Zach Roberts, "When I put that mask on, I couldn't see anything out of it; the eye holes are tiny. He's doing all of that blind. It was just filming it in sections, and then towards the end of the battle, that is actually me stumbling back into one of the shields there and he's hitting me with the shield. We just rehearsed it a lot. Yeah, it was great. It was taxing, but I enjoyed it."**

For Ings, those scenes where they're idling as a group, trying to look cool, were chaos in their own way. "We're of course on horseback trying to get seven horses to stand and line up perfectly in a circle and all look badass while you're doing it," he recalls. "Someone's just like going backwards and one horse wants to come and try and chew on someone else's reins. I remember that was pretty tricky."

The breaking of Baelor "Breakspear"

Prince Baelor Targaryen (Bertie Carvel) on 'A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms'.

Steffan Hill/HBO

Over the course of press for *A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms*, which primarily took place in January, Carvel fielded multiple questions about the parallels between Prince Baelor Targaryen and Sean Bean's Lord of Winterfell, Ned Stark. While the actor didn't look to other *Game of Thrones* characters for references, he feels the analogy holds strong.

Both hold justice and honor in high regard, and now both died in the pursuit of doing what's right.

"I suppose the difference is that there's something about the way that the Stark family defines itself and its story around the kind of steadfast, stoic, responsive, moral responsibility," Carvel muses. "'Winter is coming.' Whereas the Targaryens have different words. But there's a correspondence there."

Parker doesn't necessarily buy into the comparison, despite his love for the character of Ned.

"I would say Ned Stark was a little bit more naive than somebody like Baelor Targaryen was," he says. "It's not that Baelor doesn't understand what could happen to him. In my mind, he's doing this because it's always been said about him that he is this person, from the time that he was the hammer and the anvil."

Dunk (Peter Claffey) kneels before Prince Baelor (Bertie Carvel) in the aftermath of the Trial of Seven.

Steffan Hill/HBO

"The hammer and the anvil" refers to the strategy Baelor (the hammer) and Maekar (the anvil) once used to win the largest battle of the First Blackfyre Rebellion, an earlier Targaryen-versus-Targaryen conflict in Westeros.

"At so young in his life, he became this war hero, this savior of the kingdom and the realm," Parker continues. "Because of his nature, everybody's telling him how honorable he is and how he's gonna make the greatest king that Westeros has ever had since the Conqueror. And then finally a moment comes for him to actually put up when his honor is tested in truth. Virtue untested is no virtue at all."

Reading these scripts for *A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms* made Carvel realize how "thirsty" he was for a story about heroism. "It really made me cheer inwardly when I read it and wanted to make people feel the same thing when they see it," he says. Leading up to the Trial of Seven, the character asks Dunk multiple times, "How good a knight are you?" Baelor then "must ask the same question of himself when push comes to shove," Carvel adds.

In the end, Baelor succumbs to an injury to the back of the head he sustained from his own brother. Now the promised successor to the Iron Throne is dead, changing the course of Westeros history as Maekar becomes next in line. Teasing the finale episode, Spruell says they intentionally played with Maekar's intentions.

Sam Spruell as Prince Maekar Targaryen on 'A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms'.

Steffan Hill/HBO

***Get your daily dose of entertainment news, celebrity updates, and what to watch with our EW Dispatch newsletter.***

"We did slightly different versions of culpability, I guess; whether it was accident or whether he meant to kill his brother," he explains. "I think that was really exciting for me to experiment with and to discuss with not only Ira, but Sarah [Adina Smith, director of episode 6]. There is that kind of deep, deep desire to be number one in Maekar that might be realized by the death of his brother. So all the guilt or all the sadness or all the grief he feels is kind of bracketed by this realization that this means he's next in line to the throne."

In Parker's eyes, Baelor's decision to enter the Trial of Seven and risk his own life says more about what's needed to make the world of Westeros (and perhaps our own) a little bit better.

"He doesn't make it out of this, but Dunk does," the showrunner concludes. "As Dunk says in the next episode, 'Maybe someday the realm will need my foot even more than a prince's life.'"

He points to a scene from *Game of Thrones*, in which Jack Gleeson's Joffrey Baratheon flips through the Book of Brothers, a dusty tome on famous knights. "As we see, Ser Duncan has four pages in that white book one day, you know?" Parker adds. "So he wasn't completely wrong with what [Baelor's] sacrifice was gonna be worth."**

- Sci-Fi & Fantasy Shows

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Trial of Seven: A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms team goes behind the storm of swords and that trag...

Cast and creatives break down the making of this ensemble battle sequence and its bloody aftermath. Trial of Seven : A Knight...

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Logan Paul’s Pikachu Illustrator Pokémon card sells for record $16.5M at auction

Logan Paul's Pikachu Illustrator Pokémon card sells for record $16.5M at auction February 16, 2026 at 10:01 PM 0 FILE Logan Paul poses for a photo at the Tempo by Hilton Times Square on March 26, 2025, in New York. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP, file) (Evan Agostini/Invision/AP) NEW YORK (AP) — Logan Paul has set a new world's record — for the auction price of a trading card. The wrestling and social media star's rare Pickachu Illustrator Pokémon card, a "Holy Grail" for collectors, sold for $16.5 million Monday at Goldin Auctions after 41 days of bidding.

- - Logan Paul's Pikachu Illustrator Pokémon card sells for record $16.5M at auction

February 16, 2026 at 10:01 PM

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FILE - Logan Paul poses for a photo at the Tempo by Hilton Times Square on March 26, 2025, in New York. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP, file) (Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)

NEW YORK (AP) — Logan Paul has set a new world's record — for the auction price of a trading card.

The wrestling and social media star's rare Pickachu Illustrator Pokémon card, a "Holy Grail" for collectors, sold for $16.5 million Monday at Goldin Auctions after 41 days of bidding. Paul had purchased the card in 2021 for $5.275 million, a Guinness record at the time for a Pokémon card. He had added a diamond necklace and custom case and wore the card at WrestleMania 38 in 2022.

Guinness World Records adjudicator Sarah Casson was on hand Monday for the auction's closure, which was livestreamed on YouTube, and confirmed the price was a record not just for a Pokémon card, but for any trading card sold at auction.

"Oh my gosh, this is crazy," said Paul, who placed the card around the neck of winning bidder A.J. Scaramucci, a venture capitalist and son of former White House communications director Anthony Scaramucci.

The card was designed by Atsuko Nishida for a 1998 contest. Only a few dozen are believed to exist, and Paul's card is believed the only with a quality rating of 10.

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Source: "AOL Entertainment"

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Logan Paul’s Pikachu Illustrator Pokémon card sells for record $16.5M at auction

Logan Paul's Pikachu Illustrator Pokémon card sells for record $16.5M at auction February 16, 2026 at 10:01 PM 0 ...

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She also explains why she will be factchecking everything this time around. Tiffany Ervin reveals her plan to manipulate Q's ego on Survivor 50 She also explains why she will be factchecking everything this time around. By Dalton Ross :maxbytes(150000):stripicc()/DaltonRossauthorphoto2e15b12006e2438a99fb06db6d682421.jpg) Dalton Ross is a writer and editor with over 25 years experience covering TV and the entertainment industry. Survivor is kind of his thing. EW's editorial guidelines February 16, 2026 9:15 a.m. ET Leave a Comment They were the closest of allies… until they weren't.

She also explains why she will be fact-checking everything this time around.

Tiffany Ervin reveals her plan to manipulate Q's ego on Survivor 50

She also explains why she will be fact-checking everything this time around.

By Dalton Ross

Dalton Ross is a writer and editor with over 25 years experience covering TV and the entertainment industry. *Survivor* is kind of his thing.

EW's editorial guidelines

February 16, 2026 9:15 a.m. ET

Leave a Comment

They were the closest of allies… until they weren't.

Tiffany Ervin and Q Burdette worked closely together at the start of *Survivor 46* to somehow survive being stuck on one Yanu, of the worst tribes ever. But an alliance forged out of shared perseverance was shattered at the merge when Q moved against Tiffany and told others about her immunity idol.

That led to a big blow up back at camp and an even *bigger* blow up at Tribal Council. In the end, the friction and drama got both players voted out of the game. And now they're back. So how will Tiffany handle Q if they end up on the same beach at some point on *Survivor 50* (premiering Feb. 25 on CBS)? We asked the 35-year-old Tiffany exact that when we sat down in Fiji just days before filming began, and she got into her Q strategy as well as what else she needs to improve upon during her second outing, including "fact-checking everything."

Tiffany Nicole Ervin of 'Survivor 50'.

Robert Voets/CBS

**: Tell me why you're going to win *Survivor 50*, Tiffany.**

**TIFFANY ERVIN:** I'm going to win *Survivor 50* because I've spent the last two years thinking about everything I did wrong and how I could come back and make it right.

**Give everyone the update what have you've been up to since you last played *Survivor.***

Since I last played *Survivor*, I've left the East Coast. I now live in L.A. I'm an East Coast girl at heart forever, but L.A.'s not been bad. It has been treating me well. The weather's nice. I'm still working on art. I've been producing videos for different media companies since I've been out there freelancing. I've been having a pretty good time.

**Why come back and do this again? **

Well, the money. That's the obvious answer, but I'm also here because the level of transformation that I feel like I went through after playing *Survivor* the first time, I feel like it can only double or have amazing ripple effects in my life if I do it again. I learned to trust myself a little bit more. I learned to lean on my own opinions versus relying on the opinions of others about what I should do, how I feel about myself. And more than anything, I kind of just want to prove to myself that I can do it again.

Tiffany Ervin on 'Survivor 50'.

Robert Voets/CBS

**How do you think the other contestants see you as a player?**

That's a question I've been asking myself for quite some time. I don't really know how they see me, but if I had to guess, I would assume that they probably think that I'm a pretty smart player, pretty good strategically, if they watched my season.

But I think that they probably also think that I'm easy to read. They would more than likely think that I'm a person who's going to say what's on my mind 90 percent of the time. So I don't think there's a lot of confusion around how I navigate the game. I don't know how many people see me as a threat. I didn't win a lot of challenges when I was out there last time, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. I'm hoping I'm underestimated. I'm actually banking on it.

**What's your biggest weakness as a player?**

I think my biggest weakness as a player, at least the last time I played, was not trusting my own intuition and leaning on others, sharing too much information and not double checking my sources. I looked back when I watched my season, and there are so many moments where I was fed information and I didn't question it. If I had questioned it or gone to the source three or four times throughout my season, I think things would've ended a lot differently for me. Now I'm fact-checking everything. I don't care. You don't want me to tell this person that they said my name? I'm asking anyway. I don't care.

**Is it surreal being out here with some of these people?**

It's absolutely surreal realizing that I'm about to be playing with the people that I've been watching since I started watching *Survivor*. It's so crazy to think about. I've been watching Ozzy and Cirie for years, and now to think I'm about to be competing against them, I am still trying to wrap my mind around it.

**Tell me who the people you're really excited to work with.**

I'm really excited to work with Christian and I'm really excited to work with Mike White.

On the beach for 'Survivor 50': An exclusive, all-access first look at the biggest season ever

'Survivor 50' cast members vote snubbed players onto the island (exclusive)

**Why Christian and Mike White?**

Well, Mike White, I'm more excited to just kind of kiki with him. He's funny. I feel like our personalities would gel really well and I think he would just be really fun to play with. Christian, I would love to pick his brain watching how his mind works mathematically. That's not a place where I'm super strong, but I think that it would be very interesting to work with him. I feel like I could learn a lot from him. I would love to work with Cirie. She's Cirie! I don't even know how else to say it. I'm a little weary of Ozzy.

Tiffany Nicole Ervin of 'Survivor 50'.

Robert Voets/CBS

Ozzy has this larger-than-life reputation when it comes to *Survivor* for being this crazy challenge beast. And obviously that's going to be one of his strengths out here, assuming that he plays the way he played previously. But his social game, I'm weary because Ozzy just seems like a person who could kind of flip flop and go back and forth and change his mind a lot. And he also seems like a person who might want to stick with old-school players and not really be open to working with new-school players. He has something to prove.

**That old-school versus new-school thing happened on *Winners at War*. Do you think that's going to happen again?**

*Winners at War* is kind of all I have to go on right now. There hasn't been a returning season since fricking 2016, so I do think that naturally that's going to happen. And I think that if people want it to change, they're going to have to actually put in the work to bridge the gap between old-school and new-school.

Tiffany Ervin of 'Survivor 50'.

**Let's talk about your season. There's three of you out here. Does that help you or hurt you in this game?**

Well, considering the people that I'm out here with, it does not help me. It hurts me tremendously. These aren't people that I was super strong allies with during my season. One of was my number one ally and then turned on me. So that is something that has been hanging over my head. And then Charlie, I thought we were cool, and then he wrote my name down, so it hurts because we're going to be perceived as a trio, but then at the same time, these aren't people that I even really am sure I'm going to work with out here.

**How much pre-gaming did you do with other players? Everyone knows it happens.**

If I'm being totally honest, the only person I spoke to pre-game was Q. I did not exchange words with anybody before coming out here other than Q. But that's because Q and I are actually real-life friends. So crazy to think about. We're like arch nemeses on TV, but we're real friends. We FaceTime all the time. I'll be on FaceTime with his son. I know his wife.

We're cool, but I cannot depend on that because the first time we played the game, we were so cool and he turned into a ticking time bomb. So I'm not putting any faith in the fact that just because we're friends in real life, it's going to translate out here.

7:23 The Cast of 'Survivor 50' Reveals Who They Want to Vote Out First

**You know what a chaotic element he is, and chaotic elements are very dangerous. So how do you want to handle him the second time around?**

My plan to handle Q is to take the opposite approach of what I did last time. I think the reason Q and I have so much friction when it comes to competition is because we're alike in a lot of ways. We have a lot of alpha energy, both of us.

But I think this time, even though it goes against every fiber in my being, I'm going to seemingly take the backseat and allow Q to believe that he's driving the car. I think that the best tool that I have at my disposal out here is Q's ego, and if I learn how to manipulate that to my will, then I can do whatever I want.

**Wait, does Q have an ego?**

Oh, please. Q's ego is big enough to fly us all home. Please!

**What about Charlie? What's your relationship been off the island?**

Honestly, Charlie and I are cool too. I don't have really any bad blood with anybody from my season. I told myself as soon as I got back to Ponderosa, I was leaving everything out there on the island. Charlie and I are cool. We text every now and again. No beef. We don't talk as often as Q and I do, but we're cool too. But that doesn't mean it's going to translate out here. Charlie's a very shrewd player. He's smart, he's sneaky, and I thought he had my back last time and there wasn't even an inkling that he didn't. So I'm putting in less faith in Charlie than I am in Q.

**What about these two 49 people? You all haven't even seen their season.**

I think the best approach to unknown is to go in head first. You got to figure out who they are, what makes them tick, what are they driven by? Are they good allies? Are there things that they do? Do they have quirks that you could kind of pin on them to make other people or dislike them? At the end of it, you got to get to know who they are before you make any assumptions because the easy thing is to be like, "Let's just get the new people out we don't know." But at the end of the day, they could be valuable tools to my game.

***Want to be kept up with all things Survivor? Dig deep and sign up for 's free Survivor Weekly newsletter to have all the latest news, interviews, and commentary sent right to your inbox. ***

**Other *Survivor 50 *deep dive player interviews:*****• Survivor 50* star Ozzy Lusth opens up about hitting 'rock bottom of my life'**• *Survivor 50* star Aubry Bracco opens up about the 'freedom when you fall from grace' **• Colby Donaldson reacts to playing *Survivor* for the first time without Jerri**• Angelina Keeley refused to do *Survivor 50* unless they gave her a jacket**• *Survivor 50*'s Coach goes deep on evolving from an 'arrogant ass' into the… Tide Walker?** • *Survivor 50* star Jenna Lewis-Dougherty is 'here to f--- you over in every way, shape, or form'** • Cirie Fields says winning *The Traitors *does not take sting out of *Survivor* loses** • Mike White on how he is handling *Survivor 50 *castmastes angling for *White Lotus* cameos** • Chrissy Hofbeck opens up about controversial season 35 finish and being bashed by previous cast** • Rick Devens explains why he is a lunatic that wants to play with other lunatics** • Stephenie LaGrossa Kendrick wants to prove that 'mom really is a badass'** • Christian Hubicki wanted to tell Survivor 50 pre-gamers to 'f--- off'** • Genevieve Mushaluk on why watching *Survivor 50* will be more terrifying than playing it** • Dee Valladares welcomes being one of *Survivor 50*'s biggest threats: 'I want them to come for me'** • Q Burdette reveals ridiculous things he did to prep for *Survivor 50*** • Kamilla Karthigesu feared she would be cut from *Survivor 50* for pregaming** • Emily Flippen says 'If I win *Survivor*, something crazy has happened'** • Jonathan Young shares the *Survivor* lessons Boston Rob gave him before season 50**

- Survivor Fandom

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Tiffany Ervin reveals her plan to manipulate Q's ego on Survivor 50

She also explains why she will be factchecking everything this time around. Tiffany Ervin reveals her plan to manipulate ...

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The scandals and backstage betrayals of &34;America's Next Top Model&34; are explored in a new Netflix documentary. Where is Dani Evans now? Why the ANTM winner felt 'thrown to the wolves' after the show The scandals and backstage betrayals of &34;America's Next Top Model&34; are explored in a new Netflix documentary. By Allison DeGrushe :maxbytes(150000):stripicc()/allisondegrusheEWbiophotoe5f8e89253c84b7085a43c502a3051a4.jpg) Allison DeGrushe Allison DeGrushe is a timely SEO writer at . She has been working at since 2025. Her work has previously appeared on Distractify.

The scandals and backstage betrayals of "America's Next Top Model" are explored in a new Netflix documentary.

Where is Dani Evans now? Why the ANTM winner felt 'thrown to the wolves' after the show

The scandals and backstage betrayals of "America's Next Top Model" are explored in a new Netflix documentary.

By Allison DeGrushe

Allison DeGrushe

Allison DeGrushe is a timely SEO writer at **. She has been working at * *since 2025. Her work has previously appeared on Distractify.

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Dani Evans in 'Reality Check: Inside America's Next Top Model' docuseries. Credit:

- Dani Evans won cycle 6 of *America's Next Top Model*.

- On Netflix's new *ANTM* docuseries, the model addresses Tyra Banks pressuring her to close the gap in her teeth.

- Leaving the modeling industry, she says, was "the best decision of my life."

*America's Next Top Model*, created and hosted by Tyra Banks, promised a behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to make it in the modeling world.

More than two decades since its 2003 premiere, the reality competition is back in the spotlight with the release of Netflix's three-part *Reality Check: Inside America's Next Top Model*, a documentary series that* *takes a critical look at the franchise's numerous scandals, controversial moments, and backstage betrayals.

A major focus of the docuseries concerns the treatment of its contestants. Cycle 6 winner Dani Evans, for example, faced pressure to undergo dental surgery during the competition. When she refused, it nearly jeopardized her shot at the title.

Evans is at the forefront of *Reality Check*. Read on to see how she looks back at her time on *ANTM* and what she's been up to in the years since.

Who is Dani Evans?

Dani Evans (center) and the remaining cycle 6 contestants on 'America's Next Top Model'.

Bill Inoshita/CBS Photo Archive via Getty

Born and raised in Little Rock, Ark., Evans set her sights set on a modeling career in New York after graduating high school. But getting there felt like a long shot.

As she later shared with *BODE Magazine*, it was her brother who encouraged her to audition for *ANTM*. At the time, Evans "did it as a means to get out of Little Rock," adding, "[I remember] so much time had passed since I submitted the audition tape that I forgot about it. I thought I was being prank-called so I kept hanging up in the producer's face. After the third call, I realized it was pretty legit."

Once she made it onto the sixth season (or "cycle," as the show calls them), Evans proved she could deliver in front of the camera. Week after week, her photos and skills impressed the judges — but the critiques kept coming.

Throughout the competition, judges pushed her to refine certain aspects of her appearance. On the Netflix docuseries, Evans reflects on this pressure, including being urged by Banks to make a change to her smile.

What was the tooth-gap controversy?

Dani Evans has a gap in her teeth fixed on 'America's Next Top Model'.

Evans' tooth-gap saga unfolds in episode 8 of cycle 6, and it remains one of the show's most talked-about moments to this day.

In the episode, Banks tells Evans and fellow contestant Joanie Dodds that the judges feel their teeth need cosmetic work. Dodds agrees to the procedure, but Evans does not. The judges want the gap in between her front teeth closed, but Evans repeatedly tells the dentist she doesn't want to lose it.

Later, Evans faced criticism from the judging panel for her decision. "Do you really think you can have a CoverGirl contract with a gap in your mouth?" asks Banks. "It's not marketable."**

On *Reality Check*, Evans recalls feeling like she was given an ultimatum: close the gap or go home. Eventually, she compromises, allowing the dentist to partially close the gap.

"It's my life, and it was toyed with… consciously," she says in the doc. "And me saying no, and them going against that, it's invasive."

'ANTM' returning for cycle 25, Tyra Banks says: 'My work is not done'

'ANTM' winner compares Tyra Banks show to 'modeling Holocaust' in online tirade

Banks addressed the backlash in the docuseries, noting that she "apologized for the issue with Dani and what happened." Still, she notes that the issue was "between a rock and a hard place for me."

She says, "There were agents that would tell me she will not work with those teeth, it's just not going to happen. That's what they told me. And again, I could've just been quiet and let them handle it, but hindsight is 20/20 for all of us. It just so happens that a lot of the things that are 20/20 for me happened in front of the world."

"Bull f---ing s—," Evans replies in her own interview. "Me getting my gap closed is not opening any doors for me. You knew what you were doing for the show. You were making it good for TV, at my expense."

* *has reached out to a representative for Banks for comment.

After the scene resurfaced in 2020, Evans responded to criticism in a since-deleted Instagram video by saying it "carries weight and clearly affected a lot of young girls in America after watching it."

"I want to address all of those young girls," she said. "I want to speak to you right now. You're beautiful. And I'm not talking about a physical feature. It doesn't matter if you have a gap, stacked teeth, straight teeth, it matters not. … I want to remind you of your worth. You're a masterpiece, you're so loved, you're adored, and you're beautiful."

Where is Dani Evans now?

Tyra Banks and Dani Evans on 'Reality Check: Inside America's Next Top Model' docuseries.

After taking home the crown in 2006, Evans (per BODE) returned to Little Rock to keep her win under wraps. Once the season aired, though, she officially moved to New York City to chase her modeling dreams. Her win came with a contract with Ford Models, a spread and cover in *Elle*, and a $100,000 deal with CoverGirl.

Evans enjoyed ample print and runway work, but not without struggle. On *Reality Check*, she recalls feeling thrown "to the wolves" after *ANTM, *describing a "cold" reception at her agency and months without going on castings. She also claims to have heard that she was treated differently because she came from reality TV.

"That was a hard, hard pill to swallow," she says. "My experiences mirrored that. I remember my first show season I didn't book any shows. What I was told was that nobody wanted to book me for their shows because I was viewed as this reality star."

Later, she reveals that she eventually "dissolved" her contract and walked away from the industry, calling it "the best decision of my life."

In 2013, she published a book, *The Skinny on Getting In: An Inside Peek Into the Fashion World for the Aspiring Model,* and a few years later she founded a unisex hat line called Monrowe.

"I often say Monrowe is my love child," Evans told *Ghidotti*. "I eventually want to expand into other niche home items, but most importantly I want Monrowe to just reflect me as an individual, what I feel like my authentic code is and what I love."**

Where can I watch Reality Check: Inside America's Next Top Model?

*Reality Check: Inside America's Next Top Model* is now streaming on Netflix.

***Get your daily dose of entertainment news, celebrity updates, and what to watch with our EW Dispatch newsletter*.******

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Where is Dani Evans now? Why the ANTM winner felt 'thrown to the wolves' after the show

The scandals and backstage betrayals of &34;America's Next Top Model&34; are explored in a new Netflix documentary...

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Why Kathie Lee Gifford is thankful Hoda Kotb went against her wishes on day husband Frank Gifford...

The former NFL pro died on Kotb's birthday in 2015. Why Kathie Lee Gifford is thankful Hoda Kotb went against her wishes on day husband Frank Gifford died The former NFL pro died on Kotb's birthday in 2015. By Daysia Tolentino :maxbytes(150000):stripicc()/DaysiaTolentinoauthorphotob1c9bf2343cf4cf7b77759eeb9f69e8d.jpg) Daysia Tolentino Daysia Tolentino is a writer at . She has written for since 2025. Her work has appeared in NBC News, Vulture, GQ, and InStyle. EW's editorial guidelines February 16, 2026 9:30 a.m.

The former NFL pro died on Kotb's birthday in 2015.

Why Kathie Lee Gifford is thankful Hoda Kotb went against her wishes on day husband Frank Gifford died

The former NFL pro died on Kotb's birthday in 2015.

By Daysia Tolentino

Daysia Tolentino

Daysia Tolentino is a writer at *. *She has written for * *since 2025. Her work has appeared in NBC News, Vulture, GQ, and InStyle.

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Kathie Lee and Frank Gifford in November 2012; Hoda Kotb in September 2025. Credit:

Bruce Glikas/FilmMagic; Taylor Hill/Getty

Former *Today *cohosts Kathie Lee Gifford and Hoda Kotb recently reunited to reminisce on the highs and lows of their longtime friendship.

Gifford recalled a particularly bittersweet moment following the death of her husband, Frank Gifford. The former NFL pro died on Kotb's birthday in 2015. Not wanting to spoil her friend's day, Kathie Lee had called Kotb to inform her about Frank's passing, but urged her not to come over.

"I wanted you to know before you got off a plane from New Orleans and saw that on social media or something," Gifford said on a recent episode of Kotb's podcast *Making Space. *"And I said, 'I don't even want to tell her, because she's gonna come here.' She's gonna say, 'I've got to go be with her. I've got to go hug her. I won't stay long.' I could just hear your process. You pulled a Hoda that day."**

Frank and Kathie Lee Gifford pose after their wedding celebration on Oct. 18, 1986.

Ron Galella, Ltd./Ron Galella Collection via Gett

Kotb said she was shocked when she heard the news, having seen the couple shortly before Frank's death. Ignoring her friend's wishes, the podcast host left the airport and went straight to Kathie Lee's home.

"I remember walking into your backyard and I saw the back of you," Kotb said. "And I just was standing there ... and you turned around and you go, 'I'm glad you came.'"**

Kathie Lee detailed the painful moment she found her late husband's body, although she said his face looked as if "he saw Jesus and Jesus took his breath away."

Hoda Kotb and Kathie Lee Gifford hosting the fourth hour of 'Today' in 2017.

Nathan Congleton/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty

***Get your daily dose of entertainment news, celebrity updates, and what to watch with our EW Dispatch newsletter*.**

Kotb said Kathie Lee's tribute to Frank on*Today* the following week was one of the most powerful moments during their run as cohosts.

"I don't know that there was anything that we did on our entire show that was more impactful than that day," Kotb said. "That day touched people who were going through incredible tragedy."**

In 2019, Kathie Lee Gifford left *Today* after hosting the fourth hour with Kotb for over a decade. Kotb exited the show last year in order to have more time to take care of her daughter Hope, who has type 1 diabetes.

Check out the full episode of *Making Space *with Kathie Lee Gifford below.**

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Love Is Blind creator reveals exact day contestants get engaged in the pods — despite the editing...

Creator Chris Coelen tells EW that participants are encouraged to propose on a specific day. Love Is Blind creator reveals exact day contestants get engaged in the pods — despite the editing (exclusive) Creator Chris Coelen tells EW that participants are encouraged to propose on a specific day. By Sydney Bucksbaum :maxbytes(150000):stripicc()/headshotb5dc24df8d5d43d1a16c9ce0e0383119.jpg) Sydney Bucksbaum Sydney Bucksbaum is a staff writer at . She has been working at EW since 2019 and is a published author.

Creator Chris Coelen tells EW that participants are encouraged to propose on a specific day.

Love Is Blind creator reveals exact day contestants get engaged in the pods — despite the editing (exclusive)

Creator Chris Coelen tells EW that participants are encouraged to propose on a specific day.

By Sydney Bucksbaum

Sydney Bucksbaum

Sydney Bucksbaum is a staff writer at **. She has been working at EW since 2019 and is a published author. Her work has previously appeared in *TV Guide Magazine*, E! News/E! Online, *The Hollywood Reporter*, Mashable, Bustle, IGN, DCComics.com, Inverse, *The Daily Northwestern*, and more.

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Jessica Barrett. Credit:

Courtesy of Netflix

**This article contains spoilers about *Love Is Blind* season 10, episodes 1-6.**

No, there was not a couple who got engaged on the first day in the pods on *Love Is Blind* season 10.

In the first batch of episodes released last week, it appeared as if Vic popped the question to Christine extremely early — by the end of the first episode, they were already engaged. But that's all thanks to a little Hollywood editing magic.

*Love Is Blind* creator Chris Coelen exclusively tells * *that all seven engagements this season (as well as the unseen eighth engagement) took place on the same day near the end of the pod portion of filming.

"It's 10 days in the pods," Coelen tells EW. "They all happen on day nine. Day 10, we do the reveals."

Brittany Wicker on 'Love Is Blind' season 10.

Courtesy of Netflix

That explains why you almost always see the women dressed more formally during their proposals in the pods, as if they're expecting the men to pop the question during that date. Essentially, they are, because they know day nine is when engagements happen.

But according to the creator, there isn't a rule that all engagements *have* to happen on the same day. It's more of a suggestion so the contestants can get the full experience of dating in the pods.

"In terms of how the scheduling works, the trickiest part is day one — there's 10 pods and depending on the season — I think in this season we had 16 people on each side — and so obviously not everybody can be in a pod at one time," Coelen explains. "It's this matrix of dates that have to be scheduled, and it's a little bit like speed dating in that typically we will keep a certain group of people in the pods and they'll have a series of four or five dates that rotate through, and then they take a break. And then we have another group of people come in and they have a series of four or five dates and go take a break."

Vic and Christine on 'Love Is Blind' season 10.

On that first day in the pods, everyone goes on a date with everyone of the opposite gender. Then, the contestants start narrowing down their pool of dates for the next day.

"They tell us by writing down on paper who they most want to date and who they least want to date, and who they want to continue to see," Coelen says. "The people that are mutually interested in one another based on what they tell us, what they write down on their papers at the end of the day, those are the people that see each other. It is really dictated by them from that point forward."

'Love Is Blind' creator reveals what happened after contestant went to the hospital (exclusive)

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Coelen adds that "they are allowed to do anything that they want to do in those dates" as long as it doesn't involve seeing or touching or each other.

"They can talk about anything they want. They can say anything they want," the creator explains. "There's no rules about any of that. They can propose on day one if they want to. But we really want them to succeed, and we always encourage them to go through the full process of the time in the pods and really explore everything that they have the opportunity to explore, and get to know the people that they're dating in ways that are very deep and meaningful."

***Get your daily dose of entertainment news, celebrity updates, and what to watch with our EW Dispatch newsletter***.

Coelen continues, "And whether those people decide to get engaged or not, we encourage them not to propose until day nine, because day 10, we do the reveals. Day nine, we encourage them to do the engagements. Again, they can do it earlier, but I think it would be slightly self-sabotaging for the participants to do it before, because they don't get the benefit of really knowing to the extent that they do on day nine that they want to get engaged."

So despite what the editing shows, all of the season 10 couples got engaged on the same day. Now the question becomes, will they all get married on the same day, or will some of them not even make it down the aisle?

*Love Is Blind* season 10 releases episodes 7-9 on Wednesday, Feb. 18, with episodes 10-11 the following week on Feb. 25, and the finale on March 4 on Netflix.

- Reality Dating & Relationship Shows

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Published: February 16, 2026 at 10:57AM on Source: PRIME TIME

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Love Is Blind creator reveals exact day contestants get engaged in the pods — despite the editing...

Creator Chris Coelen tells EW that participants are encouraged to propose on a specific day. Love Is Blind creator reveals...

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