Kadeem Hardison has described his former Disney Channel daughter and current Euphoria co-star Zendaya as “a boss”, following their surprise on-screen reunion. 

The pair, who starred together as father and daughter on the hit show K.C. Undercover a decade ago, have reunited for the latest season of the gritty HBO drama. 

Hardison joined the cast as Big Eddy, a character working alongside Zendaya’s Rue in a strip club managed by drug lord Alamo.

The reunion has been a long time coming for the duo, who stayed in touch after their Disney days. 

Hardison revealed to The Hollywood Reporter that it was Zendaya herself who introduced him to Euphoria creator Sam Levinson during a holiday dinner. 

He admitted that when he first watched the show at its premiere, he was “wildly uncomfortable” seeing the intense world it depicted, which was a far cry from their family-friendly beginnings. 

However, after meeting Levinson and visiting the set, he eventually landed the role of Big Eddy.

Reflecting on how much Zendaya has changed since she was a teenager, Hardison noted that while she has matured, her leadership qualities were visible even when she was 16. 

He recalled being impressed that she was an executive producer on their Disney show, and he is even more struck by how she has expanded that role into her film career. 

“She’s always been that person and she’s always been a boss,” he said, jokingly referring to the multi-award-winning actress as his “little big sister” because she is often the more mature one of the two.

The latest episode provided plenty of dramatic meat for both actors, with Hardison’s character caught in a violent drug war. 

He confessed that watching Zendaya’s performance now is a shock compared to their early work, admitting he didn’t know she had such “depth” and felt he had to work hard to keep up with her. 

For Hardison, whose career stretches back over three decades to A Different World, the experience was a full-circle moment that proved his own advice to fellow actors: as long as you stay in the game, the next big hit is always just around the corner.

Jimmy Kimmel is pressing ahead with jokes about President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump, brushing off White House pressure and calls for him to be taken off air.

On his Monday, 4 May, show, Kimmel took aim at the president’s late-night posting activity on Truth Social, singling out a photo Trump shared of his wife. 

“At 11:04, he posted this even more unbelievable picture of Melania smiling,” Kimmel said to laughter from the studio audience. 

“I don’t know the last time we saw that.” 

He also picked up on Trump’s weekend remarks at a Florida retirement community, where the president claimed Melania “hates” when he dances on stage to Y.M.C.A. by the Village People, which Trump called “the gay national anthem.” 

“Melania hates when you do things? No way!” Kimmel quipped. “What a buzzkill.”

The jokes come as Kimmel finds himself in the middle of a serious escalation with the White House. 

The dispute flared after a 23 April episode in which he described Melania as having “a glow like an expectant widow.” 

Two days later, a gunman rushed security at the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner. 

The suspected shooter, 31-year-old Cole Tomas Allen, was subsequently charged with attempting to assassinate the president.

Melania, who had attended the dinner, made a rare public statement ahead of the court appearance, directly criticising Kimmel. 

“People like Kimmel shouldn’t have the opportunity to enter our homes each evening to spread hate,” she wrote on X. 

“Enough is enough. It is time for ABC to take a stand.” 

White House communications director Steven Cheung called Kimmel a “s— human being” and said he should be fired “immediately.”

Kimmel defended the original remark, describing it as an “obvious” joke about the age gap between the president, 79, and the first lady, 56. 

He also addressed Melania directly, expressing genuine sympathy about the scare at the dinner. 

“I am sorry that you and the president and everyone in that room on Saturday went through that. I really am. Just ’cause no one got killed doesn’t mean it wasn’t traumatic and scary.”

Trump himself weighed in during a Newsmax appearance, calling Kimmel “a lowlife, whether he apologized or not” and saying he “shouldn’t be on television.” 

The president had previously threatened to “test” ABC after the network briefly suspended Kimmel in September over remarks about the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.

ABC and its parent company Disney are facing mounting pressure from the administration. 

The Federal Communications Commission last week ordered a review of ABC’s station licences, citing a probe into possible violations of federal law and FCC rules at local ABC stations.

Audrey Beth Davis, the veteran entertainment publicist who helped shape the public image of some of the most iconic shows in television history, has died at the age of 82. 

She passed away from natural causes on 1 May in Pennsylvania, surrounded by her family, friends, and those who cared for her. 

Having spent decades at the heart of the industry, Davis was a well-respected figure known for her work on legendary series like The Golden Girls and the Law & Order franchise.

Born in Brooklyn in 1943, Davis started her career in television production on the panel game show The Match Game before finding her true calling in public relations. 

After joining Stone Associates in the late 1970s, she was later recruited by Dick Lippin to join his new venture, which eventually became The Lippin Group in 1986. 

Throughout her long career, she handled the publicity for a massive range of hits, from the light-hearted charm of The Love Boat and Empty Nest to the high-stakes drama of the Law & Order spin-offs and the major CBS miniseries Scarlett.

Davis remained a fixture at The Lippin Group until her retirement in 2008, earning a reputation for her professionalism and deep understanding of the TV landscape. 

She is survived by her sisters, Rhonda and Sharon, as well as a large extended family of nieces, nephews, and great-nieces and nephews. 

Her loss is felt deeply by her former colleagues and the many friends she made throughout her years in Hollywood.

For those wishing to pay their respects, a memorial service has been scheduled for 12:00 pm on 14 May at the Edward J. Kuhn Funeral Home in West Reading, Pennsylvania. 

The family has suggested that, in lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the St. Francis Home to honour her memory. 

Her passing marks the end of an era for the many television productions that benefited from her dedicated work behind the scenes.