There’s a legal battle bubbling in the very center of the reality TV kingdom. Leah McSweeney is suing the big boss of the Real Housewives franchise — Andy Cohen himself.

The former cast member McSweeney is alleging some very serious accusations. Page Six reports that in 2024, McSweeney filed explosive claims in a suit alleging Cohen snorted cocaine with other cast — and that producers of the show even encouraged her to break her sobriety. But now, she’s come back with even more explosive claims.

The former cast member of The Real Housewives of New York City claims that Cohen took the alleged Justin Baldoni route and fired off a media blitz that was a coordinated attack against her. According to McSweeney, Cohen “requested or induced” current and former cast to publicly attack McSweeney’s character — and ensure her reputation as a liar is fully entrenched in the zeitgeist.

The filing claims that the cast were willing to take part in this supposed charade in order to advance their own careers. The filing gives specific examples, like Lisa Vanderpump appearing on The Talk and declaring she’s on Cohen’s side. The granular example was bringing forward the platform argument — which suggests McSweeney should just be grateful that she was given the opportunity to appear on screens all over America. And that all that was thanks to Andy Cohen.

There were other examples where some former cast claimed that McSweeney was simply trying to assassinate Cohen’s character. Taken by themselves, this honestly just sounds like typical Real Housewives drama. Honestly, even when they’re not on the clock — the drama still follows them. However, the filing does acknowledge this and says that all this bad-mouthing is a result of the aforementioned “requesting” or “inducing.”

The filing is meant to bolster McSweeney’s original lawsuit by framing all this media blitz as retaliation. So the new filing is not merely to add more complaints, but rather to accentuate the allegations of Cohen trying to punish McSweeney in some way. It’s worth mentioning that Bravo did stand up for Cohen and previously attempt to get the original motion dismissed. The motion was allowed to proceed after a ruling in January, and according to the new filings, that’s when the “retaliation” began.

McSweeney’s counsel wants to not only prove the retaliation claims but also double down on the claims of cocaine use. The filing states that two unnamed castmates told McSweeney that Cohen does actually use cocaine. NeNe Leakes has also called Cohen a “coke-head,” and the counsel is bringing that up to create historical precedent.

Bravo and Andy Cohen have not given any public comments about this new filing. This new filing is trying to the dots and give the court and perhaps the public too a glimpse at the inner workings of reality TV as it exists today. If true, these allegations seem to suggest that the producers of these shows push their cast beyond their limit and if they don’t follow orders, they will be dumped. And worse off, if they complain — to quote Baldoni’s PR — “they will be buried.”

Sydney Sweeney definitely found a new way to sell soap. It’s salacious, controversial, and while it might leave your body clean… your mind might be entirely another story.

Okay, quick recap for anyone who missed the prequel: once upon a time, Sydney Sweeney went public about the realities of being a movie star in the streaming era. Contracts aren’t what they used to be. Residuals? Practically Monopoly money. She revealed that the only way for up-and-coming stars to stay afloat these days is by taking on more projects — and jumping into the world of celebrity endorsements. And next thing we knew, she was doing ads for Dr. Squatch as the “Sydney Sweeney Body Wash Genie.”

The jokes came in hot. At first they were funny. Then… they got weird. In one ad, she’s lounging in a bathtub, and someone online joked that they’d buy her bath water. Then suddenly that’s all the comments became. Even GQ had to it: the internet simply cannot be normal about Sydney Sweeney.

So here we are — it’s 2025 and anything goes. And in this case, literally anything. Dr. Squatch now claims to have taken droplets from Sweeney’s bath water – her used bath water – and created a special-edition soap… each bar containing said droplets.

Luckily for the Emmy nominee, this is a limited run. She won’t be asked to supply an eternal stream of bath water. According to CNN sources, fans just couldn’t stop asking — so the team at Dr. Squatch finally said, “Let’s do it!” As you might expect, the reactions have been… mixed.

Some people were completely appalled. One on X summed it up with: “Oh God, this is foul.” Most s were asking if ‘straight men are even okay’ given their palpable enthusiasm for the product. Honestly, not much to add to that. The Anyone But You star has certainly reached some career highs — this, however, is a different kind of bold.

Oh god.. this is foul…

I’ll take 5..

— CMFK (@idonttshower) May 29, 2025

Other s were more amused by the corporate logistics. Someone, somewhere, in a boardroom, actually pitched this with a straight face. “What if…” And the rest is body wash history. It’s bizarre, yes — but undeniably effective. The campaign has done wonders for brand recognition. And maybe, just maybe, this proves Sweeney really can sell anything. Now all we need is for the product to be a classic film next.

the guy who pitched this in a meeting risked every ounce of his aura. he was either getting called a creep and fired or promoted https://t.co/B6ZcDblac1

— big content guy (@bigcontentguy) May 29, 2025

To her credit, Sweeney took the whole uproar in stride. She even posted a photo of the soap on her official Instagram. The newly single star was asked in a GQ interview whether she’s actually used it herself. Her answer? Not yet. But she did note that the product might encourage men to keep their bathrooms cleaner. A win for hygiene! Maybe the next product should be for men’s brains, too?

The entire thing is peak “too online.” One of those stories that, if you tried to explain it to someone not on social media, would sound like you’re reciting a Harry Potter spell. And yet — the soap itself? Innocent-looking enough. You could probably pick it up at a retail store without a second thought, never realizing the online chaos behind it.

Emma Heming Willis, Bruce Willis‘ wife, chose to share how traumatic it was when the Willis family initially got the news of his dementia.

Bruce Willis was diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia (FTD) in 2022 and subsequently announced his retirement from acting. When the news first came out, the entire entertainment industry expressed their empathy, and the few who had the pleasure of working with him took the opportunity to point out how he’s been such a class act throughout his career.

Emma has been open about how devastating it’s been managing the illness before. But according to the Daily Beast, she’s working on an entire book chronicling how they’ve managed the illness thus far, and it promises to be more revealing than anything that currently exists about the illness. While talking about the book at the Women’s Alzheimer’s Movement Forum in Las Vegas, Emma recalled how she felt when leaving the doctor’s office after the initial diagnosis, saying, “On the day Bruce got his diagnosis, we left the doctor’s office with a pamphlet and a hollow goodbye. No plan, no guidance, no hope, just shock.”

FTD is relatively rare compared to Alzheimer’s, but it’s a likely form of dementia for individuals at Bruce’s age. Some of the symptoms include personality shifts like anti-social behavior and movement issues. Emma has stayed by his side through all of it and occasionally shares health updates through her social media — even often celebrating the two’s anniversary.

In her book The Unexpected Journey, Emma shared that she plans on giving her readers a “roap” on how to survive the challenges of a loved one dealing with dementia. The Die Hard star’s wife shared of her book, “I wrote it for other caregivers who are desperate for answers, aching for , and wanting to be seen and wondering how they’re going to make it through.”

Luckily for Bruce, his entire family is showing in whichever way they can. It’s not just Emma — with whom he shares two children — but Demi Moore as well. Demi, who is Willis’ ex-wife, never misses an opportunity to show and celebrate Bruce throughout his challenges — come birthdays, anniversaries, or even last year when she was on the awards circuit competing for Best Actress awards for her performance in The Substance.

Emma shared that she’s most grateful for the system she’s had from her family and that she’s doing her best to remind their two children of their fun memories. It’s clear that she has now turned her focus into advocacy for the disease and wants to ensure there’s enough awareness of what FTD is and how it can affect someone’s personal health and social life.

We here at We Got This Covered wish the Willis family all the luck they can possibly get from this earth. FTD, as of this moment, has no known cure. But we’re certain all the professionals are hard at work trying to figure out a way to reverse that.

Emma will certainly be at the front lines of that too — pulling all the attention and letting us know exactly how we can help.

Britney Spears got herself in trouble with the Federal Aviation istration when the multi-platinum singer was met with authorities after landing on her chartered plane.

People reports that Spears chartered her plane from Cabo San Lucas back to LAX. Spears was reportedly back from a vacation and sparked a cigarette during the flight. The flight crew apparently asked her to put out the cigarette, and while Spears reportedly followed their orders, the crew had already alerted the authorities. And immediately the plane landed at LAX, Spears was welcomed home with a slew of authorities.

Since 2000, the FAA has banned smoking in flights. Some private jets, however, do come equipped with smoking zones, but it seems this was not that kind of plane. Britney Spears is by far not the first celebrity who has been caught not following these rules. Some years back, Lil Wayne was reportedly kicked off a chartered private plane for these same reasons. So the FAA did not give Britney Spears any serious reprimanding, and she was lucky to get off with just a warning. But it’s worth mentioning that People reports that the authorities have caught her doing such things before — the source said, “This is not her first warning. She doesn’t exactly follow the rules.”

The FAA has enough problems as is, and throwing the book at a celebrity who just did a minor infraction seems pretty low on their priority list. But if she keeps this pattern up, she might not be so lucky next time. Britney Spears has been going through a tough readjustment period post-conservatorship, with this just being the latest episode of that particular chapter of her life. Spears, of course, is going through a recent divorce from Sam Asghari, which apparently took a financial toll on her despite the ironclad prenup that she had.

Britney Spears’ life has had various episodes of her struggling with too much attention from the public eye, and it’s not a secret that that brings about a emotional strain. There have been reports that the way she deals with the emotional turmoil and isolation is with lavish vacations and other exuberant purchases. This is what made the conservatorship so complicated, because on one hand, it’s been proven to have aspects of poor treatment to the people who need it. But there’s also another side of the coin, where some people truly are not emotionally stable enough to handle the vast amounts of wealth that they’ve accumulated over the years.

Just recently, there was a case of Cher’s son spotted in the streets of LA disheveled and alone. It would be quite a spiral if Britney Spears also gets there too. But we’re getting ahead of ourselves — this, at the end of the day, is just a minor error on her part, and the fact that she immediately put it off at least suggests a sense of self-preservation. Even Spears’ own peers it that the attention that she got from the tabloids and paparazzi during her prime would have driven any of them mad, so picking on her for the slightest issue — while always en vogue — appears not to always be the right thing to do.

Britney Spears’ representatives have not responded to questions about this incident as of this moment. We wish her a peaceful life as she continues to readjust to life out here.

Brian Austin Green is back with an update about why him calling his ex toxic isn’t technically “placing blame” on her. Green argues that it’s intention that matters.

Last time Brian Austin Green shared his thoughts on his previous relationship with Vanessa Marcil, who he shares one son with, Green was explaining on his podcast how one of her main drawbacks is that she doesn’t remind him enough of his mother. Green shared that Vanessa Marcil was “the opposite of that” and that she was very toxic.

Fans online were furious at Green’s painting of his ex-wife. From Vanessa Marcil’s perspective, Green had simply not been present enough during the upbringing of their shared son. And while Brian Austin Green had his reasons, Marcil made it clear that this is something she still holds resentment about. Marcil even shared a screenshot on Instagram that showed Green wasn’t even aware of their son’s graduation.

People caught up with Green at a gala that was fundraising for the eradication of MS and had questions. People had one simple question, “Any regrets?” Brian Austin Green replied, “No, because everything that’s come recently has genuinely been for the purpose of speaking about a relationship.” Brian Austin Green went on to explain that he’s not playing the blame game. For him, it’s pretty clear that when you listen to his show in full, there’s no malicious intention. Green said:

“It’s not pointing fingers, placing blame on anyone. If she takes things that way, then there’s nothing I can do about it. It’s pretty obvious just in listening to the things that I say and what it is we do on our show, that’s not our intention. Our intention is to help people. And people go through toxic situations and tough situations and the best you can do is be open and honest about it and hopefully steer other people clear of those situations or help them get through them.”

To be fair to Brian Austin Green, this is a more measured and classy contribution to the two’s back-and-forth. Two things are almost always certain with Green: he will date a co-star and he will make controversial statements about his personal life — but lately the latter has just been dropping him into a world of mess. Brian Austin Green genuinely seems like he wants his podcast Old-ish to be a respectful yet honest retrospective about what it means to grow up and accept your mistakes. At least that’s what the tone of the show is.

When you look at how Brian Austin Green’s approach and respect for Megan Fox, it’s genuinely irable. He honestly makes it seem like he’s a heaven-sent ex. He never pretends he doesn’t care about her but he also never bashes her. In fact, he’s often the one to come to her defense publicly whenever he thinks she needs it. So clearly this is something Brian Austin Green can do, but just chooses not to with Vanessa Marcil.

Another positive was when Vanessa Marcil shared her now-deleted exchange with Brian Austin Green. The conversation at least ended in pleasantries. Celebrity relationships ending up acrimoniously can have its moment. The exposés, the funny back and forths, the grandstanding on podcasts. But once it’s been a couple of years — or decades for them — it’s time to let things go. Even if your mother is your ex’s complete opposite.

You’d hope that this will be the end of the two’s back-and-forth. And probably social media will receive this better. But a nagging feeling suggests that Vanessa Marcil might have to respond first before we come up to any happy conclusions.

Some way, somehow, The White Lotus became one of the defining shows of the decade. The anthology series somehow found a way to make fans not just invested in the characters but the actors who played them too — and it wasn’t long before Walton Goggins was linked to his onscreen love interest, Aimee Lou Wood.

The show’s run and its immediate aftermath led to one of the funniest cast dramas probably since Don’t Worry Darling. The cast were constantly following and unfollowing each other. Jason Isaacs was going on talk shows to talk about how shooting the series resembled a season of Survivor, calling the experience a “pressure cooker” where apparently alliances were formed and broken. But through all the chaos, there was one relationship that remains fans’ true north star.

During the show’s run, Walton Goggins spoke highly of Aimee Lou Wood. He told People, “We both became enmeshed in each other the way that Rick and Chelsea are, so I think the world of her.” However, soon after the show ended, the two suddenly unfollowed each other on Instagram — and to fuel even more rumors that there was a falling out behind the scenes, they even removed posts that gushed about what a pleasure it was working with each other.

But here’s the thing: Walton Goggins is married, and Isaacs also let the cat out of the bag saying there were romances on the set. Whose romance exactly? Fans assumed Goggins, of course. Goggins’ wife, Nadia Conners, has up until now been silent on the entire matter, but finally Hello Magazine caught up with her and she said: “It’s odd to see it, but it’s an indication of how much people were invested in the fictional characters. I take it as a sign that he’s become quite popular.”

Walton Goggins has been having quite a career indeed. He’s been one of those characters who never quite gets the lead role but silently builds one of the best catalogues in the business. But in 2025, he’s clearly going to hit the next level — with The White Lotus being followed up directly by Fallout and doing voice work in quite possibly the best season of Invincible.

But currently, Goggins is clearly over the Wood situation, and he’s no longer playing around with people who try to catch him with his foot in mouth. The Times UK unfortunately found themselves at the wrong end of his Southern charm and patience when they asked him about Aimee Lou Wood, only for him to sternly reply, “I’m not gonna have that conversation.” When they kept pressing, he ended the interview altogether.
So there you have it folks, it’s over. Hollywood is certainly full of onset romances and affairs, and some iconic couples even had their start in such situations. Goggins, however, is clearly past that particular moment in his life and will probably never revisit it. Unless we get a memoir at the twilight of his career like 20 years from now.

But for now, all Goggins wants to focus on is his family and career.

Justin Bieber’s personal life has been a source of speculation over the past few months — more so than usual. He’s mostly chosen to stay silent about the rumors swirling around him, but he made an exception when it came to Diddy.

When Diddy was first accused of sex trafficking, everyone in his circle came under suspicion of either knowing what was happening or being involved in some way. Some celebrities were rumored to be co-conspirators. Others were believed to be victims. A resurfaced video of a then-15-year-old Justin Bieber with Diddy raised eyebrows. Bieber looked visibly uncomfortable while Diddy made unsettling remarks about how hanging out with him was “a 15-year-old’s dream.” In hindsight, it plays differently — disturbingly so. We now know that some of Diddy’s accs were underage when he allegedly trafficked them. Hopefully they, too, will get the justice they deserve.

Meanwhile, Bieber has been navigating a much different, stripped-down phase of his public persona. He’s had ongoing tensions with the paparazzi. There are reports he’s facing financial issues. And fans suspect marital problems, fueled by his pattern of following and unfollowing Hailey Bieber on social media — a metric people obsess over these days.

Now, with Diddy’s trial finally underway and horrifying details of his abusive relationship with Cassie coming out, Bieber has broken his silence. His representatives sent an official statement to Page Six, saying: “Although Justin is not among Sean Combs’ victims, there are individuals who were genuinely harmed by him. Shifting focus away from this reality detracts from the justice these victims rightfully deserve.”

The Diddy case began with bombshells and continues to unfold. Both the prosecution and the defense are still working through their list of potential witnesses. Maybe Bieber simply wants to stay out of the crossfire and follow his lawyer’s advice. He’s not the only celebrity distancing themselves from Diddy amid the criminal proceedings. Still, whatever his reasons, it’s commendable that he emphasized keeping the spotlight on Diddy’s alleged actions and the victims’ pursuit of justice.

As for Bieber, his focus now seems to be on his long-awaited album. And it has a lot riding on it. According to TMZ, he still owes his former manager Scooter Braun $8 million. He also reportedly sold his catalogue for $200 million to get out of debt. Meaning he’ll need to produce new hits — and tour them — to stay financially secure. To be fair to Bieber, making hits has never been particularly something he struggles with. Even his critically panned songs like Yummy managed to get to the top of the charts.

But financial concerns seem minor compared to what’s at stake in the Diddy case. Fans continue to speculate about Bieber’s mental health and whether he’s spiraling. But at least, they now have clarity: he was never one of Diddy’s victims.

He’s a father now, and the pressure of raising a family under relentless public scrutiny must be immense. Hopefully, he can channel some of that experience into his music and evolve into more mature, reflective ballads.

Listen up Hollywood, The Golden Globes is not done shaking things up.

The Golden Globes is not exactly out of the doghouse, but the come-up seems like it’s on the pipeline. For the longest time, The Golden Globes has always acted as a curtain raiser for The Oscars — a little cringier, a little funnier, and definitely more tipsy. However, there was a badly kept secret underbelly to the inner workings of The Golden Globes: the committee that chose the winners was not diverse at all and, to make it worse, they were also quite corrupt.

But a lot has changed since that revelation in 2023. They got a bit more diverse in their committee and their new ownership vowed to uphold “professionalization.” It took a while before the show got back to its old form, and this year — especially with the elite Nikki Glaser hosting — it felt like they actually might have made a full comeback.

Yet it couldn’t really end there. As things stood, it was just The Oscars’ little brother. The Golden Globes has always stood for an awards night that’s a little looser than anything else on the packed awards circuit. So it was a matter of when and not if for them to make a truly wide swing at an award that doesn’t just suggest the suits and red carpet photography. And that has now fully been decided: The Golden Globes will officially add Best Podcast from 2026 onwards. So there’s a huge possibility of Joe Rogan walking that carpet one day next to all the celebrities he spends his show bashing.

According to CNN, The Golden Globes will only consider podcasts within the Top 25 Podcast list. So there’s at least some quality control. However, it’s not exactly clear how this is going to work. Are they gonna favor movie and TV podcasts like The Big Picture and The Watch? The problem with that is sometimes these shows dedicate entire episodes to reacting to awards nights such as The Golden Globes — so how would that work? And sometimes they criticize these shows and the voters — so would that water down these podcasts because they want to remain in the good graces of the voters?

And then there’s also the case of Joe Rogan and his band of fellow comedians who pride themselves in their irreverent rejection of Hollywood. Do they stand a chance? Or will this award just go to famous celebrities who are yet to win a Golden Globe and happen to have a podcast?

Cynicism has already hit X, and some fans have assumed that this is “completely a PR award.”

…..WHY? I’m sure it’s not gonna be “best podcast” and instead “best podcast done with a celebrity” because this is the golden globes after all. Completely a PR award.

— TV is My God (@TVisMyGod) May 7, 2025

I hope the committee behind The Golden Globes ends up making inspired choices. At this point, podcasting can get you a Webby Award, but nobody can deny that podcasting has since grown into mainstream culture. They even influence elections.

The Golden Globes has informed the press that in the coming weeks they’ll give more information on the eligibility of this category. Glaser is going to have a field day with this category, that’s for sure.

The Met Gala just happened this past Monday. And if there’s one thing that’s guaranteed when you stick celebrities from all over the world in one room: there will be drama. This time, the subject of said drama was unfortunately Simone Biles’ stylist, Jessica Paster.

Paster is no rookie in the fashion world. For nearly two decades, she’s worked as a fashion critic and a stylist in womenswear, crafting red carpet looks for Emily Blunt, Quinta Brunson of Abbott Elementary fame, Olivia Munn, among many other names. So when it came time for the Met Gala especially with a theme as unnecessarily complicated as Superfine: Tailoring Black Style — Paster’s phone was definitely ringing. Because the last thing these celebs want is to become the year’s laughing stock on fashion Twitter.

Making fun of the Met Gala at this point is the laziest take in the world. You’ll always find it on the internet, usually in the form of people who think “who even cares about celebrities anymore?” or “I can’t even wear this on my trip to Target” are fresh and original thoughts. Whether anyone — especially Megyn Kelly — likes it or not, the Met Gala remains a key calendar event in modern culture. Politicians beg for an invite. Rihanna casually announces pregnancies on the carpet. The Met Gala is important. And the security takes itself just as seriously.

The main hotel that houses the celebrities and their outfits — and, for this particular story, their stylists too — has long been The Carlyle Hotel. And getting in on Met Gala night is no joke. There are photographers swarming the hotel, trying to catch the celebs before they hit the carpet, and your fair share of stalkers. So The Carlyle beefs up security with the NYPD. You can’t just walk in — you need wristbands, credentials, and, as Jessica Paster just found out, possibly a recognizable face too.

Page Six reports that on Monday, when Jessica Paster tried to enter The Carlyle to put the finishing touches on Simone Biles, she was stopped cold by the overzealous security at the front door. There were so many cameras that fans around the world watched as Paster was dragged from the entrance while trying to barge through police to get inside — presumably to style Olympic champion Simone Biles.

Page Six managed to get a comment from the understandably embarrassed and startled Jessica Paster, who couldn’t get into the hotel despite her client and her wristband. Paster explained, “I listened to people. They said go through the service door and when I did, they said go back to the lobby. And all of a sudden they attacked me, they manhandled me.”

Page Six also noted that the video is now circulating in celebrity group chats. Oof. Police later told Page Six they escorted Paster to the service entrance to get her proper credentials — and finally let her in.

A firm reminder that in the world of celebrity, no matter how long you’ve been in it… you’re always just a guest. And the bouncers don’t care how many Emmys or medals your client has.

The Vatican has officially announced that the conclave to choose the next Pope after Pope Francis will begin on May 7, 2025. This important event happened sixteen days after the death of the 266th pope and was a major moment for the Catholic Church, which has around 1.4 billion followers worldwide.

As reported by NY Times and USA Today, and During the conclave, the cardinals will stay at Casa Santa Marta, a modern guesthouse built under the direction of Pope John Paul II, replacing the simpler living arrangements used in the past. This setup keeps the cardinals isolated as required while also giving them a comfortable place to stay during the process.

Once a new pope is chosen, the announcement will be made from the main balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica. This event is expected to bring thousands of believers and spectators to St. Peter’s Square. This public announcement, filled with deep tradition and meaning, will mark the end of the conclave.

The next Pope will be chosen soon

Looking at recent papal elections can give some idea of how long this conclave might last. The 2013 conclave, which led to the election of Pope Francis, took just over a day, which was relatively quick compared to some past elections.

Throughout history, conclaves have varied greatly in length, with some lasting several days and, in rare cases, even years. For example, the election of Pope Gregory X in the 13th century took a very long time because the cardinals could not agree. This delay led to several deaths among the voting cardinals before a decision was finally made, which later caused changes in the rules to make future conclaves faster.

The process of selecting the new Pope, which is full of traditions that go back hundreds of years, will take place inside the famous Sistine Chapel. The word “conclave” comes from the Latin phrase “cum clave,” meaning “with key,” and refers to the complete isolation of the cardinals who are part of the election.

This tradition was created to protect the cardinals from outside pressure, ensuring secrecy and allowing them to make a fair decision when choosing the next Pope. According to The Vatican, only cardinals who are under 80 years old can take part in the voting. Out of the 252 cardinals currently in the College of Cardinals, about 130 will be eligible to vote, with most of them having been appointed by the late Pope Francis.

The election process itself is complicated. The cardinals will meet every day inside the Sistine Chapel to vote in secret. To elect a new pope, a two-thirds majority is needed. There are expected to be multiple voting rounds, with each ballot carefully checked. The results of each vote will be shared with the outside world through the famous chimney on top of the Sistine Chapel.

If black smoke comes out, it means no agreement has been reached, and the wait continues. But if white smoke appears, it will be a historic moment, signaling that the next leader of the Catholic Church has been chosen.

The Catholic Church is mourning the death of Pope Francis and has begun the process of choosing his successor. The next Pope will be selected during a papal conclave, a private meeting of cardinals. All 252 cardinals from around the world will go to Rome, but only up to 115 of them are allowed to vote. The voting continues until one candidate receives from at least two-thirds of the cardinals.

Per ABC, the chosen candidate must agree to become Pope and pick a new papal name. The decision is announced to the public when white smoke rises from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel. Several cardinals are seen as possible candidates, each with different backgrounds and viewpoints.

The result of the conclave is uncertain. While some cardinals are seen as leading candidates, the process is secret and can be influenced by many factors. The final decision is up to the cardinals, and their choice will determine the future direction of the Catholic Church.

A new Pope will be elected among many candidates

The first big candidate is Cardinal Luis Tagle, a 67-year-old cardinal from the Philippines, who is sometimes called the “Asian Pope Francis” because he shares many of the late Pope’s progressive ideas. He has spoken out against the Church’s strict rules on homosexuality, divorce, and single motherhood.

If chosen, he would be the first Pope from Asia. On the other hand, Cardinal Fridolin Ambongo Besungu, a 65-year-old cardinal from Congo, has publicly disagreed with Pope Francis, including rejecting a decision to bless same-sex couples. If he becomes Pope, it could mean a major change in the Church’s direction.

Cardinal Pietro Parolin, a 70-year-old Italian who serves as the Vatican’s Secretary of State, is an experienced diplomat who has worked in Nigeria and Mexico. He holds moderate positions on most issues and could continue Pope Francis’s legacy. In contrast, Cardinal Wim Eijk, a 71-year-old Dutch cardinal, has more conservative views. He s traditional teachings on remarriage and has criticized Pope Francis for allowing Protestants to take part in Catholic services.

Cardinal Raymond Burke, a 76-year-old American cardinal, is another strong conservative voice. He s traditional views on divorce, remarriage, and homosexuality and wants to bring back the old Latin Mass. Cardinal Peter Erdő, a 72-year-old Hungarian cardinal, is also conservative, opposing communion for divorced and remarried Catholics. He has led the Council of Bishops Conferences of Europe and is known for his strong devotion to the Virgin Mary. However, he has made controversial statements about refugees.

Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, a 69-year-old Italian cardinal, is well-liked by Pope Francis, who appointed him as a peace negotiator in the Russia-Ukraine war. He has progressive views and s dialogue with the LGBT community. Cardinal Mario Grech, a 67-year-old cardinal from Malta, is seen as a moderate who focuses on helping marginalized groups.

Other possible candidates include Jean-Marc Aveline (French), who is known for his relaxed style and for Pope Francis’s ideas; Juan Jose Omella (Spanish), who is recognized for his pastoral care and work for social justice; Joseph Tobin (American), who has handled major scandals and shown openness to LGBT issues; and Peter Kodwo Appiah Turkson (Ghanaian), who has experience in both pastoral work and leading Vatican offices. Each candidate brings different experiences, priorities, and possible ways of handling the challenges facing the Catholic Church.

A surprising and unlikely explanation for a helicopter crash near Bird Island, South Africa, on January 19 has caught the world’s attention: a penguin caused it. The South African Civil Aviation Authority (SACAA) investigated the crash and confirmed that a penguin, carried in a weak cardboard box that wasn’t properly secured, was actually responsible.

As reported by the BBC and Telegraph, the crash happened during a helicopter flight over Bird Island, off the coast of Eastern Cape. The small four-seater Robinson R44 Raven II helicopter had a pilot and three engers on board for an aerial survey. At some point, someone decided to take a penguin back to Port Elizabeth.

It’s not entirely clear why—some reports say a specialist on the flight wanted to move the penguin. Whatever the reason, the penguin was put in a basic cardboard box with air holes and placed on a enger’s lap. This was a clear mistake, as the box wasn’t strong or secure enough for the flight. This strange accident would easily make some people wonder about aviation safety rules, whether risk assessments are done carefully enough, and the problems that can come from carrying unusual cargo.

A penguin caused a helicopter disaster

According to the SACAA report, the crash happened in a simple way. As the helicopter took off and reached about 15 meters (50 feet) in the air, the cardboard box with the penguin slipped off the enger’s lap, per NBC. The box hit the pilot’s control lever, making the helicopter suddenly roll to the right. The pilot couldn’t fix the problem in time, and the helicopter crashed about 20 meters from where it took off. The impact damaged the helicopter badly, with the main rotor blades hitting the ground.

Luckily, the crash wasn’t as bad as it could have been. No one on board—not the pilot or any of the engers—was hurt. Even the penguin was fine after the crash. This good outcome shows that the helicopter was well-built and that the pilot did his best to control it, even though he couldn’t prevent the crash.

The SACAA report is very clear about what caused the accident. It says the crash happened because the penguin wasn’t secured properly, which created a dangerous situation and broke aviation safety rules. The report criticizes the pilot for not including the penguin in his pre-flight risk assessment, meaning he didn’t think about the possible dangers of carrying it.

The report stresses how important it is to follow safety rules and carefully consider all risks before flying—including the chance that cargo might move around or not be secured. The report says the cardboard box was completely unsuitable for carrying a penguin on a helicopter.