Cruz Beckham’s girlfriend Jackie Apostel has spoken about her surprise career move, which could intensify a rivalry with his estranged brother Brooklyn’s wife Nicola Peltz. 

Jackie, 29, who has been in relationship with David and Victoria’s son Cruz, 20, for two years, is a music producer and has also written songs for artists. 

She has now confessed plans to write a movie, particularly a musical. 

Nicola, 30, is an actress and has worked in several films and the FX show Bates Motel.

Speaking in an Instagram video, Jackie explained: ‘I really want to write a musical and I’ve wanted to write a musical for a really long time. I know it sounds lame and I know a lot of musicals are s**t but mine will not be.

‘And I’ve always loved musicals. I want to write. you know something as timeless and iconic as Grease or something you know Disney Pixar vibes.

‘I would love that as well. I’m a huge fan of like Rio. The music is just unbelievable. In a dream world. ‘I think 2026 is the year you make things happen and you expect the unexpected.’

It comes after Mel B’s daughter, Phoenix Brown, spoke about her career plans and a possible collaboration with fellow Spice Baby Cruz Beckham in a new interview

The attorney who was representing Nick Reiner, accused of killing his parents, filmmaker Rob Reiner and his wife, photographer Michele Singer Reiner, unexpectedly withdrew from the case during what was supposed to be Nick Reiner’s arraignment Wednesday, but made a bold declaration afterward: “Take this to the bank. Pursuant to the law in California, Nick Reiner is not guilty of murder. Print that! Print that!”

Nick Reiner, 32, is charged with two counts of first-degree murder with special circumstances, accused of stabbing his parents to death on Dec. 14 in their home in the upscale Brentwood neighborhood of Los Angeles. The L.A. County medical examiner said the Rob and Michele Reiner died from “multiple sharp force injuries.”  

Nick Reiner was supposed to enter a plea on Wednesday, but that arraignment was postponed when his defense attorney, Alan Jackson, told the court, “We feel that we have no choice at this juncture, but to withdraw as counsel.”

The judge did not allow cameras to show Nick Reiner in court, but he stood shackled, head shaved and wearing a brown jumpsuit.

Jackson, who famously won an acquittal in the murder trial of Karen Read and represented disgraced film mogul Harvey Weinstein, did not explain his decision to withdraw from the case. Outside the courthouse, he told CBS News it was one of the most painful decisions he’s ever made as a lawyer.

Jackson said he was forced to withdraw due to “circumstances beyond our control, but more importantly, circumstances beyond Nick’s control,” which “have dictated that, sadly, it’s impossible for us to continue our representation.” He added that he was “legally and ethically prohibited from explaining the reasons why.”  

The L.A. County Public Defender’s Office will take over for Jackson and his co-counsel. Deputy Public Defender Kimberly Greene will represent Nick Reiner, who will remain in custody until the new hearing date. He is being held without bail and his arraignment has been rescheduled to Feb. 23.

L.A. County District Attorney Nathan Hochman said after the hearing that he was “fully confident” Nick Reiner would be found guilty of the charges against him. 

If convicted, Nick Reiner could face a maximum sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole, and the district attorney’s office has indicated it may also seek the death penalty, but no final decision has yet been made.

Jennette McCurdy is speaking out with new detail about a troubling relationship she had as a teenager with a much older man, one she now calls “creepy” and emotionally draining. 

The former iCarly star, 33, opened up during a recent episode of the Call Her Daddy podcast, linking the experience to themes in her upcoming debut novel Half His Age, which is due to be published on January 20.

McCurdy said she was around 18 when she first got into the relationship with a man in his 30s whom she met through work during her time on the Nickelodeon set. 

She described how he would show her films and music he assumed she’d enjoy, even though she didn’t, and how she pretended to like them to please him. 

The dynamic wasn’t just mismatched in age, it also carried a sense of power imbalance, with the man already in a long-term relationship and living with his girlfriend. 

“It was just exhausting,” McCurdy recalled, reflecting on the way she felt caught in a cycle that was difficult to break. 

In conversation, she highlighted how uncomfortable some encounters became, including moments when he showed up intoxicated and pushed for intimacy that conflicted with her own beliefs and upbringing, which emphasised waiting until marriage. 

Looking back, she said the whole situation now feels “creepy.”

The relationship took place during a difficult period in McCurdy’s life, shortly before her mother’s death in 2013, adding emotional strain to an already confusing situation. 

Although the romance eventually tapered off, McCurdy later revisited the experience while writing her novel, finding that it stirred up unresolved anger she hadn’t fully processed until putting it into words.

McCurdy has been candid about her past in previous work as well, including her bestselling memoir I’m Glad My Mom Died, where she first mentioned the age-gap relationship. 

Her newest project is expected to dig even deeper into how desire, power and vulnerability intersected in that and other experiences from her youth.

By sharing these reflections, McCurdy hopes to spark broader conversations about unhealthy relationships, power dynamics and the emotional journey of coming to terms with one’s history. 

As her novel’s release nears, audiences can expect more insight into how she has transformed difficult personal experiences into creative expression.