Catch up with Marla Gibbs, Damon Evans, and more of your favorite stars from Colby East. What happened to The Jeffersons cast? Here's what became of the '70s sitcom stars Catch up with Marla Gibbs, Damon Evans, and more of your favorite stars from Colby East. By Kelly Martinez March 13, 2026 5:00 p.m. ET Leave a Comment :maxbytes(150000):stripicc()/JeffersonsDamonEvansZaraCullyShermanHemsleyIsabelSanfordPaulBenedictFranklinCoverRoxieRokerBerlindaTolbert0304269bb42f0f10d541988be0be46503de152.jpg) The cast of 'The Jeffersons' moves on up.

Catch up with Marla Gibbs, Damon Evans, and more of your favorite stars from Colby East.

What happened to *The Jeffersons *cast? Here's what became of the '70s sitcom stars

Catch up with Marla Gibbs, Damon Evans, and more of your favorite stars from Colby East.

By Kelly Martinez

March 13, 2026 5:00 p.m. ET

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The cast of 'The Jeffersons' moves on up. Credit:

It's been over 50 years since the Jeffersons first moved into Colby East, but the iconic TV family continues to have a lasting influence on sitcoms today.

A spinoff of Norman Lear's *All in the Family*, *The Jeffersons* is about an affluent family — George (Sherman Hemsley), Louise (Isabel Sanford), and their son Lionel — who uproot their lives from Archie Bunker's neighborhood to a high-rise apartment in Manhattan.

*The Jeffersons *aired on CBS from 1975 to 1985, scooping up two Emmy Awards and 14 nominations over its 11 seasons. As one of the first shows to depict an upper middle-class Black family, the groundbreaking series paved the way for future Black sitcoms and shed light on hot-button topics like interracial relationships, class differences, and mental health.

Read on to see what the cast went on to do after *The Jeffersons* wrapped.

Isabel Sanford (Louise "Weezy" Jefferson)

Isabel Sanford in 'The Jeffersons'; Sanford in 2004 being honored with a Walk of Fame star.

CBS via Getty; Kevin Winter/Getty

Isabel Sanford played Weezy, George's wife and Lionel's mother.

Sanford first gained attention for playing the housekeeper Tillie in the Oscar-winning *Guess Who's Coming to Dinner *(1967), leading Lear to cast her in *All in the Family*. Already a stage veteran, she also landed bit parts in acclaimed films like *Lady Sings the Blues *(1972) and *The New Centurions *(1972).

She nabbed an Emmy in 1981 for her performance on *The Jeffersons*, becoming the first Black woman in history to win the Lead Actress in a Comedy Series category.

The New York native subsequently headlined her own sitcom, *Isabel Sanford's Honeymoon Hotel*, but it was canceled after just five episodes. She later reprised Weezy (alongside Hemsley's George) on two episodes of *The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air* (1995–1996) and elsewhere guest starred on *Living Single *(1993), *Hangin' with Mr. Cooper *(1994), *The Steve Harvey Show *(1996), and *The Parkers *(2001).

The actress married William Richmond in 1945, and the couple had three children before eventually separating. She died in 2004 at 86 years old.

Sherman Hemsley (George Jefferson)

Sherman Hemsley in 'The Jeffersons'; Hemsley at the 2004 TV Land Awards.

CBS via Getty; Frederick M. Brown/Getty

Sherman Hemsley starred as hot-headed patriarch George, who was first introduced as Archie and Edith Bunker's neighbor on *All in the Family*. In 1982, his performance won him an NAACP Image Award and he later scored Emmy and Golden Globe nominations.

Unlike his brash on-screen counterpart, Hemsley was known for being shy and private.

"That [playing George Jefferson] was hard for me," he said in a 2003 interview. "But he was the character. I had to do it."

Once *The Jeffersons *wrapped, the late actor continued to work his magic on sitcoms. He headlined *Amen *(1986–1991) and became a ubiquitous '90s guest star — namely *Designing Women *(1993), *Family Matters *(1994–1995)*, Martin *(1996)*, Sister, Sister* (1995–1998) — before scoring another lead role on *Goode Behavior *(1996–1997).

The Philadelphia native reprised the role of George not only on *Fresh Prince *but also an episode of *Tyler Perry's House of Payne* (2011), along with costar Marla Gibbs.

Hemsley died of complications from lung cancer in 2012. He was 74 years old. Shortly before his death, he was inducted into the Television Academy Hall of Fame.

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Mike Evans (Lionel Jefferson; seasons 1, 6-8, 11)

Mike Evans as the original Lionel Jefferson.

Mike Evans was the OG Lionel, George and Louise's son. *All in the Family *was his entry point into Hollywood, with Lionel being his first-ever role.

The actor initially left *The Jeffersons* after filming just one season of the series, and Damon Evans (no relation) subsequently took over the role of Lionel for the next three seasons. But, in classic sitcom fashion, he ended up returning for four later seasons.

Outside of *All in the Family *and *The Jeffersons*, the North Carolina native is best known for co-creating another classic Black family sitcom, *Good Times* (1974–1979), a spinoff of *Maude*. His other notable credits include *Rich Man, Poor Man *(1976) and the short-lived legal sitcom *The Practice *(1976–1977).

Evans died of throat cancer in 2006 at 57 years old. He was survived by two daughters.

Damon Evans (Lionel Jefferson; seasons 2-4)

Damon Evans as the second Lionel Jefferson; Evans in later years in a Pride Month special.

CBS via Getty; CUNY TV/YouTube

As the second actor to play Lionel, Damon Evans had to quickly learn the ropes when he took over the role in season 2.

Outside of *The Jeffersons*, he's known for starring as young Alex Haley on *Roots: The Next Generations *(1979). He's also had a bustling musical theater career, appearing in Broadway productions like *Via Galactica*, *Lost in the Stars*, and *The Me Nobody Knows*.

Roxie Roker (Helen Willis)

Roxie Roker in 'The Jeffersons'; Roker on 'The Joan Rivers Show' in 1993.

CBS via Getty; Ron Galella, Ltd./Ron Galella Collection via Getty

Roxie Roker made history with her role as Helen, Louise's best friend and George's nemesis. Roxie's marriage to Tom (Franklin Cover), a white man, marked one of the first interracial couples in television history.

The actress also had a successful stage career, winning an Obie Award and nabbing a Tony nomination in 1974 for her acclaimed lead performance in *The River Niger.* Elsewhere on television, she had a role on the original *Roots *(1977) in addition to later guest spots on *Fantasy Island *(1982), *Cagney & Lacey *(1985), *Punky Brewster* (1988), and *Murder, She Wrote *(1991).

Like her on-screen* *counterpart, Roker was in an interracial marriage, having wed news producer Sy Kravitz in 1962. The couple had a son, rock star Lenny Kravitz, before divorcing in 1985. She's also the grandmother to actress Zoë Kravitz.

Roker died of breast cancer in 1995 at 66 years old.

Franklin Cover (Thomas "Tom" Willis)

Franklin Cover in 'The Jeffersons'; Cover at the openign night party for a revival of 'A Thousand Clowns'.

CBS via Getty; Ron Galella/Ron Galella Collection via Getty

Franklin Cover shook up the neighborhood with his role as Tom, Helen's husband. They were one of the first interracial marriages portrayed on television.

Largely a TV bit player at the time, Cover was one of the husbands in the cult classic *The Stepford Wives *(1975) shortly before *The Jeffersons *began. He continued to be a familiar face on television in the years afterward, appearing on *Who's the Boss? *(1991), *In the Heat of the Night *(1991), *ER *(1994), and *Will & Grace *(1999), among others.

The Cleveland native also had a small part in Oliver Stone's *Wall Street *(1987) and found regular work on the Broadway stage.

Cover married Mary Bradford Stone in 1965, and they had two children together. He died of pneumonia in 2006 at 77 years old.

Zara Cully (Olivia "Mother" Jefferson)

Zara Cully as Mother Jefferson in 1975.

Zara Cully starred as Mother Jefferson, the original monster-in-law with a slightly sweet side (at least, for anyone *except *her daughter-in-law).

The late actress made her first appearance as Mother when she guest starred on *All in the Family*, and eventually became a regular on *The Jeffersons*.

Prior to taking on the Jefferson family name, Cully had booked a few prominent films, including William Wyler's *The Liberation of L.B. Jones *(1970) and the Blaxploitation fave *Sugar Hill *(1974). She was also known as a respected acting coach.

The Massachusetts native married James M. Brown, Jr. in 1914, and the couple had four children together.

Cully died of lung cancer in 1978 at age 86, while season 4 of *The Jeffersons *was already underway. The NAACP posthumously honored her with a special Image Award in recognition of her legacy.

Berlinda Tolbert (Jenny Willis-Jefferson)

Belinda Tolbert in 'The Jeffersons'; Tolbert at the Chiller Theater Expo in 2022.

CBS via Getty; Bobby Bank/Getty

Berlinda Tolbert played Jenny, the daughter of Helen and Tom who later marries Lionel.

"For someone who was just beginning a career at that time, what a learning environment for me to be in," the actress told *Jet* magazine in 2013. "It was that experience that really taught me what I know about television. From the producers to the writers to the crew to the actors — I worked with exciting, creative people. It colored my impressions of the industry in an extremely positive way."

She had a long succession of guest-starring roles on television both before and after her time on *The Jeffersons*, from *Sanford and Son *(1974) to Hemsley's later sitcom, *Amen *(1987). She also popped up on the big screen as Richard Pryor's wife in *Harlem Nights *(1989) and as Samuel L. Jackson's girlfriend in *Goodfellas *(1990).

In later years she appeared on *ER *(2004), *Six Feet Under *(2005), and *CSI *(2007).

Tolbert married journalist Bob Reid in 1979.

Paul Benedict (Harry Bentley)

Paul Benedict in 'The Jeffersons'; Benedict in 'A Mighty Wind'.

CBS/Courtesy Everett Collection; Netflix

Paul Benedict played Harry, the Jeffersons' British neighbor who works at the United Nations as a translator.

Outside of *The Jeffersons*, the New Mexico-born actor is fondly remembered for portraying The Number Painter on *Sesame Street*. He had a steady career on the big screen as well, including supporting roles in *Jeremiah Johnson *(1972) and *The Goodbye Girl *(1977).

He took over as the title character's butler in *Arthur 2: On the Rocks *(1988) in addition to other comedies like *The Addams Family *(1991) and Christopher Guest's *Waiting for Guffman *(1996) and *A Mighty Wind *(2003).

But it was his performance as Harry Bentley that would largely define his career.

"I can't help it if people always think of me as Mr. Bentley on *The Jeffersons*," he said in an interview with *The Hamilton Spectator*. "It certainly proves the power of television and the force of appearing in a series that continues on the air for weeks and weeks. To be perfectly honest, I don't think I ever thought of it as my finest hour."

Benedict died of a brain hemorrhage in 2008 at 70 years old.

Marla Gibbs (Florence Johnston)

Marla Gibbs in 'The Jeffersons'; Gibbs at a SAG event in 2025.

CBS via Getty; Amanda Edwards/Getty

Last, but certainly not least, Hollywood icon Marla Gibbs stole audiences' hearts as fan-favorite Florence, the Jefferson family's maid. She scored five Emmy nominations for her performance.

"I didn't know what it was. It was called *The Jeffersons*, that's all I knew," she told *The Hollywood Reporter* about her original audition. "The part they wanted me to read for, Florence the maid, reminded me of my grandmother and my aunt in Chicago. So that's how I played her. And the casting director liked it. She took me right over to the producers, and they liked it. By the time I got home, I had the job."

While *The Jeffersons *was still on the air, Gibbs starred on her own short-lived spinoff, *Checking In* (1981), but it didn't make it a full season. She later scored the lead role on NBC's *227* (1985–1990) and has remained a small-screen fixture, in roles big and small, ever since. That includes a recurring role as D.J. Hughley's mother on *The Hughleys *(1998–2002), a handful of *Grey's Anatomy *(2022–2024) episodes, and, most recently, a spot on *Chicago Med *(2026).

The actress has won a whopping eight NAACP Image Awards during her career. Her film career includes roles in *The Meteor Man *(1993), *The Brothers *(2001), and *Madea's Witness Protection *(2012),

Gibbs has reprised her *Jeffersons *character multiple times, including joining costars Hemsley, Sanford, Roker, and Cover for a theatrical reunion tour in 1993. In 2019, she made a surprise appearance on Lear and Jimmy Kimmel's *Live in Front of a Studio Audience: Norman Lear's All in the Family and The Jeffersons*.

The Chicago native married her high school sweetheart, Jordan Gibbs, in 1955. The couple had three children together before divorcing in 1973.

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What happened to The Jeffersons cast? Here’s what became of the ‘70s sitcom stars

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Mishap costs fast Shiffrin 1st-run lead in World Cup GS as Rast and Scheib stand 1-2

Mishap costs fast Shiffrin 1strun lead in World Cup GS as Rast and Scheib stand 12 Sat, March 14, 2026 at 11:02 AM UTC 0 1 / 0APTOPIX Sweden World Cup Alpine SkiingUnited States' Mikaela Shiffrin speeds down the course during a women's World Cup giant slalom, in Are, Sweden, Saturday, March 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Marco Trovati) () ÅRE, Sweden (AP) — Mikaela Shiffrin had a costly mistake near the end of what might have been the fastest run by far in the opening leg of the penultimate World Cup giant slalom of the season Saturday.

Mishap costs fast Shiffrin 1st-run lead in World Cup GS as Rast and Scheib stand 1-2

Sat, March 14, 2026 at 11:02 AM UTC

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1 / 0APTOPIX Sweden World Cup Alpine SkiingUnited States' Mikaela Shiffrin speeds down the course during a women's World Cup giant slalom, in Are, Sweden, Saturday, March 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Marco Trovati) ()

ÅRE, Sweden (AP) — Mikaela Shiffrin had a costly mistake near the end of what might have been the fastest run by far in the opening leg of the penultimate World Cup giant slalom of the season Saturday.

In an all-attacking run, the American star was more than half a second ahead of race leader Camille Rast of Switzerland at the last split time when she came off the course shortly before the finish and had to brake to make the next gate.

Shiffrin finished 2.29 seconds off the lead in 12th, as Rast and Austria's Julia Scheib stood 1-2 to continue their season-long battle for the GS title.

The mishap could help Shiffrin's main rivals for the overall title — Rast and Germany's Emma Aicher — make up ground on the American. Aicher was sixth after the opening run.

"I was just not really expecting to get like a kind of a little bit of a jump on this last roller," said Shiffrin, who started in the 300th World Cup race of her career, a day after her 31st birthday.

"My goal this run was to be really attacking, then I had more speed than I expected," she added. "For the rest of the run, that was the best run in GS skiing I had in a race this year. I'm so happy with that."

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Shiffrin holds the women's record for most career GS wins with 22 but hasn't won a race in the discipline since December 2023.

Following two crashes in a downhill and a GS in 2024, Shiffrin has been working her way back up in the discipline and got her first podium result in two years when she placed third at a race in Czechia in January.

On Saturday, Rast held a slim 0.11-second lead over Scheib, with Shiffrin's teammate Paula Moltzan 0.56 behind in third.

Alice Robinson of New Zealand had 0.60 seconds to make up in the second run and was the last racer to finish within a second of Rast's time.

Olympic GS champion Federica Brignone ended her season two weeks ago to continue rehab after the Italian returned from a broken leg just weeks before the Games.

___

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Mishap costs fast Shiffrin 1st-run lead in World Cup GS as Rast and Scheib stand 1-2

Mishap costs fast Shiffrin 1strun lead in World Cup GS as Rast and Scheib stand 12 Sat, March 14, 2026 at 11:02 AM UT...

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World Baseball Classic: Team USA sets up semifinal clash with Dominican Republic after close win over Canada

World Baseball Classic: Team USA sets up semifinal clash with Dominican Republic after close win over Canada Yahoo Sports Staff Sat, March 14, 2026 at 6:46 AM UTC 0 It will be Team USA against the Dominican Republic in the first semifinal of the 2026 World Baseball Classic after a close win by the former and a blowout win by the latter. Team USA defeated Canada 53 on Friday to move a win away from a repeat appearance in the WBC championship game. The Americans took a significant lead early and then held on as their neighbors to the north rallied.

World Baseball Classic: Team USA sets up semifinal clash with Dominican Republic after close win over Canada

Yahoo Sports Staff Sat, March 14, 2026 at 6:46 AM UTC

0

It will be Team USA against the Dominican Republic in the first semifinal of the 2026 World Baseball Classic after a close win by the former and a blowout win by the latter.

Team USA defeated Canada 5-3 on Friday to move a win away from a repeat appearance in the WBC championship game. The Americans took a significant lead early and then held on as their neighbors to the north rallied.

The Americans scored in spurts but never put away the Canadians. They took a seemingly safe 5-0 lead in the top of the sixth inning, but Canada responded with a three-run rally capped off by a Bo Naylor homer in the bottom of the frame.

Canada had a prime chance to tie the game with two runners in scoring position and no outs in the seventh inning, but Team USA's David Bednar escaped the danger with a pop-out and two strikeouts against the heart of the opposing lineup.

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It wasn't the blowout many expected after Team USA entered the game as a -800 favorite. Logan Webb, limited by a 70-pitch maximum, was good in 4 2/3 innings of work, but the middle relief corps nearly coughed up the game.

Team USA will need more in its next game, judging by how Friday's first game went. The Dominican Republic demolished Korea, ending the game in the seventh inning on an Austin Wells three-run homer that made it 10-0 and triggered the WBC's mercy rule.

Five games is a limited sample, and it might be hyperbolic to say when the team has won four of those games, but it's hard to see Team USA as the tournament's top team after its loss to Italy and its closer-than-expected wins over Mexico and Canada. The vaunted lineup has been less than dominant against every pitching staff with major leaguers (read: the ones that aren't Brazil or Great Britain), and the pitching staff has been as uneven as you might see in a typical spring training game.

That could all change in a single game, though. We'll see if that's the case starting at 8 p.m. ET Sunday in Miami (Fox Sports 1).

Follow along with Yahoo Sports for the news, updates and highlights from Friday's WBC quarterfinal matchups:

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WADA to weigh barring Trump, US officials from LA Olympics and possibly World Cup over unpaid dues

WADA to weigh barring Trump, US officials from LA Olympics and possibly World Cup over unpaid dues EDDIE PELLS Sat, March 14, 2026 at 2:22 AM UTC 1.8K FILE FIFA President Gianni Infantino presents President Donald Trump with the FIFA Peace Prize during the draw for the 2026 soccer World Cup at the Kennedy Center in Washington, Friday, Dec. 5, 2025. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough, Pool, File () The World AntiDoping Agency is considering rewriting its rules to try barring President Donald Trump and all U.S.

WADA to weigh barring Trump, US officials from LA Olympics and possibly World Cup over unpaid dues

EDDIE PELLS Sat, March 14, 2026 at 2:22 AM UTC

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FILE - FIFA President Gianni Infantino presents President Donald Trump with the FIFA Peace Prize during the draw for the 2026 soccer World Cup at the Kennedy Center in Washington, Friday, Dec. 5, 2025. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough, Pool, File_ ()

The World Anti-Doping Agency is considering rewriting its rules to try barring President Donald Trump and all U.S. government officials from attending the LA Olympics in 2028 in a move that could also have implications for the World Cup being hosted by the U.S. this summer.

The proposal, on the agenda for next Tuesday's meeting of the global drug-fighting watchdog's executive committee, is the latest maneuver to come out of a yearslong refusal of the U.S. government to pay its annual dues to WADA. The refusal is part of the American government's unanimous, bipartisan protest of the agency's handling of a case involving Chinese swimmers and other issues.

The learned of the agenda item through correspondence it obtained between WADA and European officials involved in the agency's decision-making. Two others with knowledge of the agenda confirmed the existence of the rules proposal to AP; they were not authorized to speak publicly about the agenda, which has not been released publicly.

WADA spokesman James Fitzgerald said "there is nothing new here," noting that discussions related to the issue of what to do about governments withholding funding have been ongoing since 2020 and aren't directly related to the U.S.

The proposal was, in fact, first brought up in 2024, when U.S. authorities successfully lobbied for its rejection. The U.S. has since lost its seat on the executive committee.

"In spite of WADA's increasing threats, we continue to stand firm in our demand for accountability and transparency from WADA to ensure fair competition in sport," said Sara Carter, the director of the U.S. Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP).

The rule, if passed, would figure to be mostly symbolic, given the limits an international sports federation could have on the president of a country attending an event inside his own borders.

"I have never heard of a $50-million-budget Swiss foundation being able to enforce a rule to, for example, prevent the United States president from going anywhere," said Carter's predecessor at ONDCP, Rahul Gupta, who was on the WADA executive committee two years ago and led the movement to reject the proposal. "And the next question you have to ask is: How are you going to enforce it? Are they going to post a red notice from Interpol? It's ludicrous. It's clear they have not thought this through."

In a news release after this story published, WADA said the AP story was "entirely misleading," focusing on Fitzgerald's statement to the AP that if proposals being discussed were "introduced, given that the rules would not apply retroactively, the FIFA World Cup, LA and Salt Lake City Games (in 2034) would not be covered."

Fitzgerald's only answer to three emails from AP seeking clarification on his initial response — specifically about how a rule that had not yet been adopted could or couldn't be applied retroactively on events that are scheduled for the future — was: "I'm trying to say that it would not apply retroactively so those events would not be covered. Given that and the next meeting of the Board being scheduled for November, I don't see how it could come into play for this year's World Cup."

WADA suggests it could move quickly, but impact on upcoming World Cup hazy

The next meeting of the Foundation Board, which would make the ultimate decision, isn't scheduled until November. But a WADA response last month to a question about potential timing of the rule's passage from the European authorities said: "The proposal could be implemented without undue delay. If necessary, the Foundation Board could consider the proposal by circular or within the context of an extraordinary meeting."

According to a draft of the proposal, the rule would apply to governments that have not paid dues by Jan. 31 of the year after they're billed. The U.S. hasn't paid its WADA dues since 2023. There was no mention of "retroactivity" or lack thereof in the document the executives are considering.

The proposal calls for a three-tiered set of sanctions for countries that don't pay dues. In the U.S. case, that amounts to around $3.7 million from last year, plus $3.6 million it didn't pay in 2024. Among the most extreme sanctions include "government representatives being excluded from participation in major events such as World Championships and Olympic & Paralympic Games."

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That would include Trump, Vice President J.D. Vance and members of Congress, who recently approved hundreds of millions in funding for security and other logistics for the World Cup and LA Games.

Representatives from the International Olympic Committee, FIFA and the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee did not respond to emails from AP seeking comment on how a ban on Trump and other U.S. officials might be enforced.

US has been asking WADA to undergo independent audits

WADA's budget was pegged at $57.5 million for 2025. It receives half its funding from the IOC and the other half from governments across the globe. Contributions from the governments are loosely based on the size of their athletic teams, and the U.S. has always paid one of the biggest bills.

This squabble has been festering since the first Trump administration, rooted in America's distrust of the global anti-doping system, which came under international scrutiny first for its handling of a Russian doping scandal dating to before the Sochi Games in Russia in 2014.

Then, in 2024, news came of 23 Chinese swimmers — some of them on the team that went to the Paris Olympics — who were allowed to compete despite testing positive. WADA accepted the Chinese doping regulator's theory that the athletes had been contaminated by traces of banned heart medication in a hotel kitchen.

The ONDCP and Congress under both the Trump and Biden administrations have withheld the payments to WADA.

In the most recent flare-up, the government restricted payment until WADA subjected itself to an independent audit. WADA defended its auditing practices and, at the Milan Cortina Games last month, once again called on the U.S. to pay the dues.

Now, the agency looks for more leverage in its attempts to collect.

"This initiative is aimed at better protecting WADA's funding so that it can deliver on its mission to protect clean sport," said Fitzgerald, the spokesman for WADA. "If WADA's funding is cut, it is ultimately athletes who will suffer. Indeed, athletes (including those on WADA's Executive Committee and Foundation Board) have continuously expressed their support for this initiative."

___

reporter Darlene Superville contributed from Washington.

___

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Will there be a War Machine sequel? Here's what the director has teased (and what Alan Ritchson t...

Cowriter and director Patrick Hughes has expressed interest in continuing the story. Will there be a War Machine sequel? Here's what the director has teased (and what Alan Ritchson thinks) Cowriter and director Patrick Hughes has expressed interest in continuing the story. 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. EW's editorial guidelines March 10, 2026 2:18 p.m.

Co-writer and director Patrick Hughes has expressed interest in continuing the story.

Will there be a *War Machine *sequel? Here's what the director has teased (and what Alan Ritchson thinks)

Co-writer and director Patrick Hughes has expressed interest in continuing the story.

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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Alan Ritchson as 81 in 'War Machine'. Credit:

Ben King/Netflix

- *War Machine *premiered on Netflix on March 6.

- It stars Alan Ritchson as an U.S. Army Ranger hopeful whose final test pits him against an otherworldly threat.

- The ending leaves the door open for a potential sequel.

**Warning: This article contains spoilers for *War Machine*.**

Part 1980s action flick, part sci-fi thriller, *War Machine *delivers the kind of pulse-pounding spectacle we rarely see from straight-to-streaming films.

Co-written and directed by Patrick Hughes, the film stars Alan Ritchson (*Reacher*) as a staff sergeant known only as 81 who endures an insanely grueling bootcamp to become a U.S. Army Ranger. It's an undertaking in honor of his brother (Jai Courtney), who died in his arms on the battlefield.

While his fellow soldiers start bonding and embracing the Ranger dream, 81 keeps to himself and stays focused on making it to the finish line. But the final test spirals out of control, forcing the group to battle a virtually unstoppable enemy.

*War Machine *is currently dominating the Netflix charts, and its open-ended finale hints that the story might not be over just yet. So, will there be a sequel? Here's everything we know so far.

What is *War Machine *about?

(L to R) Jack Patten as 109, James Beaufort as 23, Alan Ritchson as 81, Alex King as 44, and Blake Richardson as 15 in 'War Machine'.

Ben King/Netflix

Two years after his brother's death, Ritchson's character enlists to join the Rangers and is assigned candidate number 81. Throughout the brutal section program, he quickly proves his exceptional skill and discipline, but he refuses to connect with his fellow recruits. And, despite his prior experience as an Army leader, 81 chooses to forgo any leadership roles.

After 81 nearly drowns during an underwater drill, the regiment leaders (played by Dennis Quaid and Esai Morales) express concern that his PTSD from losing his brother might put him at risk or affect the team. They suggest he leave the program, but he refuses, determined to make it to the end.

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As the recruits push through the toughest weeks of training, the narrative occasionally cuts to TV news reports of an asteroid entering Earth's atmosphere, leaving NASA utterly perplexed. That enigmatic celestial event later plays a pivotal role in the recruits final trial.

For their last mission, the team must take out a captured classified aircraft and extract a pilot being held prisoner. But things go off the rails when they encounter a towering machine hellbent on annihilating them all.**

What happens at the end of War Machine?

Alan Ritchson as 81 and Stephan James as 7 in 'War Machine'.

Ben King/Netflix

In the epic final battle, 81 rams the machine with a bulldozer, trapping it against a rock wall. He then triggers a conveyor belt overhead to dump an avalanche of rocks onto it. With its ventilator now blocked, the machine explodes.

81 then hauls 7 (Stephan James) back to camp, only to discover that the "asteroid" has split into numerous pods. Now, the entire planet faces a full-blown invasion by machines akin to the one 81 just destroyed — and even more are on the way.

As the siege escalates, militaries around the world have mobilized under "Operation Global Shield." 81 shares crucial tactics for taking down the machines, earns his Ranger tab, and immediately jumps back into the fight.

He soon boards a helicopter to join the counterattack, and as it lifts off, a sergeant on board scans the roster of Rangers. He notices 81, who has fallen asleep after his exhausting battle.

Despite 81's heroics, the threat is far from over. Alien pods continue to ravage Earth, signaling that the machine invasion is only getting started. All the while, 81's true identity remains a mystery — no one knows his name, and the film ends without revealing it.

Will there be a *War Machine *sequel?

The alien machine in 'War Machine'.

Nothing is official yet, but both Hughes and Ritchson have expressed interest in returning for a *War Machine *sequel. Hughes told ScreenRant that he initially wrote *War Machine *as a "fully formed standalone story," but if he ever got the chance to continue it, he knows "exactly where it's going."

"It's impossible not to, as a writer, to think about," Hughes added. "I fell in love with the character of 81, and the universe of sort of everything he's going through. So look, if that call comes in, then yes, I'm ready to pull the trigger."

Ritchson echoed Hughes' excitement, claiming there are already "tons" of ideas for 81. "*War Machines* is going to be sick. The whole thing, we got a whole thing," he said.

In a separate interview with Decider, Ritchson joked that they're "ready to shoot" the sequel right now. Meanwhile, Hughes shared his vision: "For me, I wanted to tell a film that started with the micro, and ended with the macro," he said. "And I thought that was a really unique take on the genre that we were working in. Let's see what happens."

Ritchson even threw in a humorous pitch for a *War Machine *sequel, saying, "81 goes to Paris, and he stays at Le Bristol, and he gets that really lovely chicken truffle soup that they have."

Where can I watch War Machine?

Alan Ritchson as 81 and Stephan James as 7 in 'War Machine'.

Ben King/Netflix

*War Machine *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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Will Timothée Chalamet's ballet and opera comments affect his Oscar chances? All about the actor'...

Several artists and creative institutions have responded to Chalamet's recent remarks. Will Timothée Chalamet's ballet and opera comments affect his Oscar chances? All about the actor's press tour controversy Several artists and creative institutions have responded to Chalamet's recent remarks. 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.

Several artists and creative institutions have responded to Chalamet's recent remarks.

Will Timothée Chalamet's ballet and opera comments affect his Oscar chances? All about the actor's press tour controversy

Several artists and creative institutions have responded to Chalamet's recent remarks.

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.

EW's editorial guidelines

March 9, 2026 6:08 p.m. ET

Timothée Chalamet during his town hall with Matthew McConaughey on Feb. 21, 2026. Credit:

Variety/YouTube

- Timothée Chalamet sparked controversy by saying "no one cares" about ballet or opera at a February town hall with Matthew McConaughey.

- The comments resurfaced in March and drew backlash from fellow artists like Doja Cat.

- Chalamet comes from a dance family: his grandmother, mother, and sister all danced with the New York City Ballet.

Timothée Chalamet is in awards season overdrive for A24's *Marty Supreme*, which earned him Oscar nods for Best Actor and, as a producer, Best Picture. He's spent months promoting the ping-pong film in over-the-top fashion: pitching ridiculous ideas in a staged Zoom, standing atop the Las Vegas Sphere, wearing bright orange branded jumpsuits, and even hosting a town hall with his *Interstellar *costar Matthew McConaughey.

That last stunt, filmed at the University of Texas at Austin, recently went viral due to Chalamet's comments about ballet and opera — and the internet is not happy with him.

So, what exactly did he say? And how might it impact his Oscar chances? Read on as we break down the controversy.

What did Timothée Chalamet say about ballet and opera?

Timothée Chalamet and Matthew McConaughey during their town hall on Feb. 21, 2026.

Variety/YouTube

During his *Variety *and CNN town hall with McConaughey, Chalamet weighed in on the obstacles movie theaters face in modern times.

"I admire people, and I've done it myself, who go on a talk show and go, 'Hey, we gotta keep movie theaters alive. You know, we gotta keep this genre alive,'" he explained. "And another part of me feels like, if people want to see it, like *Barbie*, like *Oppenheimer*, they're going to go see it and go out of their way to be loud and proud about it."

Then came his comments about ballet and opera. "And I don't want to be working in ballet or opera, or you know, things where it's like, 'Hey, keep this thing alive,' even though it's like, no one cares about this anymore," he said, earning laughs from McConaughey and the audience.

Chalamet — whose grandmother, mother, and sister all danced with the New York City Ballet — seemed to realize how his words might land. "All respect to the ballet and opera people out there," he added, joking, "I just lost 14 cents in viewership. I just took shots for no reason."

How have people responded to Chalamet's comments about ballet and opera?

Timothée Chalamet attends A24's 'Marty Supreme' New York premiere on Dec. 16, 2025.

Dia Dipasupil/WireImage

Many ballet dancers and opera singers fired back at Chalamet. The Metropolitan Opera shared an Instagram video celebrating its crew with the caption, "This one's for you, @tchalamet… 👀."

London's Royal Ballet and Opera posted a similar clip noting, "Every night at the Royal Opera House, thousands of people gather for ballet and opera. … If you'd like to reconsider, @tchalamet, our doors are open." The Seattle Opera went a different route, offering 14% off select *Carmen *seats with the code "TIMOTHEE" and quipping in the caption, "Timmy, you're welcome to use it too."

On the March 9 broadcast of *The View*, Whoopi Goldberg, Sunny Hostin, and guest cohost Sheryl Underwood all discussed Chalamet's comments. Hostin called them "vapid" and "shallow," while Goldberg, who pointed out his family ties to ballet, said he should know better.

"Be careful, boy … Don't apologize when you've insulted. It doesn't sound right," the EGOT winner warned. "You can't say, 'Oh, this is dumb, no disrespect.' That's absolute disrespect."

Where to watch 'Marty Supreme' (and when to expect it on HBO Max)

Doja Cat calls out Timothée Chalamet amid opera and ballet controversy: 'People give a f---'

Grammy-winning artist Doja Cat also chimed in. In a March 8 TikTok video that's since been deleted, she slammed Chalamet, saying, "Opera is 400 years old. Ballet is 500 years old. Somebody named Tim-oh-tay Cha-lam-et had the nerve to say — on camera — that nobody cares about it."

The "Say So" singer went on to praise the dedication of the performers, saying, "Dancers show up at 8am, 6am. They show up and they break and they bleed, every single day. Just because they have respect for it."

"They love what they do. It doesn't matter if the industry is having a tough time at any time, which a lot of industries have a tough time… Doesn't mean people don't care about it. People care," she continued. "The dancers care, the singers care, the audience cares. There's still an audience. People give a f---. You show up in a nice outfit. You sit the f--- down and shut the f--- up. That's the usual etiquette around those things. Maybe learn something from that."

** has reached out to representatives for Chalamet for comment.

Will Chalamet's recent comments hurt his chances at the Oscars?

Timothée Chalamet as Marty Mauser in 'Marty Supreme'.

Probably not. The town hall initially took place on Feb. 21, and while Oscar voting closed on March 5, his controversial comments about ballet and opera didn't gain much traction online until the following weekend. As such, Chalamet likely avoided any immediate fallout for the incident.

He's been considered a Best Actor frontrunner for much of this awards season, but his momentum has seemingly slowed. Though Chalamet took home trophies at the Golden Globes and Critics Choice Awards, he missed some key victories that serve as a barometer for Oscars glory, namely at the Actor Awards, where Michael B. Jordan won for his dual role in *Sinners*. (The Actor Awards voting block notably shares ample crossover with Academy members.) Many outlets' Academy Award predictions, including EW's, now have Jordan in the lead.

Of course, Chalamet still has a shot at the Oscar, though some of his past comments could come back to haunt him.

What past comments could impact Chalamet's Oscar chances?

Timothée Chalamet at the 83rd Annual Golden Globes held at The Beverly Hilton on Jan. 11, 2026.

JC Olivera/Getty

Chalamet isn't shy about dreaming big. During his acceptance speech at the 2025 Actor Awards, he said he's "in the pursuit of greatness" and wants to be "one of the greats," citing Daniel Day-Lewis, Marlon Brando, Viola Davis, Michael Jordan, and Michael Phelps as inspiration.

That bold energy has carried over into his unconventional, flashy *Marty Supreme *press tour, which may have rubbed some legacy Academy members the wrong way.

In December 2025, Chalamet collaborated with anonymous rapper EsDeeKid on the track "4 Raws Remix," name-dropping *Marty Supreme *and even referencing his girlfriend, Kylie Jenner. But the line that really stands out now? "My life is an opera."

That same month, he openly claimed he's delivered "top-of-the-line performances" over the years, but *Marty Supreme *is his best work yet. "This is really some top-level s---," he said.

Despite some comments raising eyebrows, Chalamet told IndieWire it fits the *Marty Supreme *vibe. "This is in the spirit of Marty," Chalamet said when asked about the press tour. "It's a movie about the pursuit of a dream. I'm leaving it on the field. Whether it's the merch or the Zoom or the media appearances, I'm trying to get this out in the biggest way possible. In the spirit of Marty Mauser."

Even beyond the press tour, Chalamet has been open about his career choices. In a November 2025 interview with *Vogue*, Chalamet was blunt when asked if he'd ever go back to TV: "No."

The answer quickly divided fans, with some pointing back to his 2024 appearance on *This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von*.

On the podcast, Chalamet talked about his intense approach to acting and how it stacks up against TV work. "This is a little misconception about actors and acting: You can have a cushy job on a TV show — if you don't give a f--- about your work, it can be a great lifestyle," he said. "You're making, like, high-six-figures, maybe low-seven-figures. And you're just showing up."

By contrast, he said filmmaking is a grind. "If you give a f--- about what you're doing, these are long ass days. These are 14-hour days, six days a week, sometimes, three months. Look, I know people got it way harder, but I want to feel that grit."

He went on to call himself the "hardest working man," and added, given the unique lifestyle of acting, "Why do this if you're not gonna go as hard as possible?"

As expected, fans were split. Some felt Chalamet was shading TV actors, suggesting that they don't really care about their work. Considering so many Oscar winners — Viola Davis, Denzel Washington, Meryl Streep, and even McConaughey — have done incredible TV work, that kind of attitude could have definitely turned some voters off.

Meanwhile, some fans defended Chalamet, saying he was just pointing out how demanding it is when you truly commit to a role.**

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

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Sarah Jessica Parker rocked the dress in the first 'Sex and the City' movie, while Whitney Houston wore it for an album promo shoot Zendaya pays homage to Whitney Houston, Carrie Bradshaw in white floral minidress Sarah Jessica Parker rocked the dress in the first 'Sex and the City' movie, while Whitney Houston wore it for an album promo shoot By Marina Watts Marina Watts Marina Watts is a news writer for with seven years experience covering entertainment, pop culture and celebrity news. Her previous work appears in PEOPLE, Bustle and Newsweek. EW's editorial guidelines March 12, 2026 7:44 p.

Sarah Jessica Parker rocked the dress in the first 'Sex and the City' movie, while Whitney Houston wore it for an album promo shoot

Zendaya pays homage to Whitney Houston, Carrie Bradshaw in white floral minidress

Sarah Jessica Parker rocked the dress in the first 'Sex and the City' movie, while Whitney Houston wore it for an album promo shoot

By Marina Watts

Marina Watts

Marina Watts is a news writer for with seven years experience covering entertainment, pop culture and celebrity news. Her previous work appears in PEOPLE, Bustle and Newsweek.

EW's editorial guidelines

March 12, 2026 7:44 p.m. ET

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Whitney Houston in 1987, Zendaya on Thursday, and Sarah Jessica Parker in 2008 wearing the Eugene Stutzman dress. Credit:

Dirck Halstead/Getty; Monica Schipper/Getty; Craig Blankenhorn/HBO

- Zendaya channeled style icons Carrie Bradshaw and Whitney Houston at the Essence Black Women in Hollywood Awards with her dress.

- She paired the white minidress, adorned with sparkling hibiscus flowers, with a golden bracelet and white pumps.

- The actress' stylist Law Roach celebrated the piece of fashion history on Instagram.

Zendaya, Whitney Houston, and Carrie Bradshaw are the new holy trinity.

The *Euphoria* star rocked a stunning off-the-shoulder white minidress adorned with giant silver-and-gold hibiscus appliqués when she stepped out for the Essence Black Women in Hollywood Awards in Los Angeles on Thursday.

Though the dress — designed by Ohio native Eugene Stutzman (who has also worked under the name Eugene Alexander), per *ELLE* — will be a memorable one for Zendaya's anthology of stunning ensembles, it's not the first time it's been worn by a celebrity.

Zendaya in Los Angeles in March 2026.

Monica Schipper/Getty

In the opening credits of the 2008 movie *Sex and The City: The Movie*, Sarah Jessica Parker's Carrie Bradshaw wore the dress while walking the streets of New York.

Houston, meanwhile, rocked the minidress for a 1987 album promo shoot two decades earlier. An image of her in the outfit wound up on the cover of *LIFE*, commemorating the life and career of the legendary singer, who died in 2012 at 48.

Zendaya wears new gold band in first appearance since Tom Holland marriage news

When does 'Euphoria' season 3 come out? All about the time-jumping new season — and its many guest stars

Stylist Law Roach posted about the fashion moment on Instagram, sharing a video of Zendaya on the red carpet with the *Sex and the City *theme as the clip's soundtrack: "And just like that.... I found it!! @zendaya for @essence wearing on the most iconic dresses in movie history and @cartier jewelry."

"An ICONIC piece of fashion history at Essence Women in Hollywood today," Roach also posted on X.**

Whitney Houston in 1987.

Dirck Halstead/Getty

Less than two weeks before, Law Roach claimed that Zendaya had gotten married to her fiancé Tom Holland.

"The wedding has already happened," he said on the red carpet at the 2026 Actors Awards on March 1. "You missed it!"

When pressed for more information, the stylist simply said, "It's very true. Thank you so much!"

Sarah Jessica Parker in 'Sex and the City: The Movie'.

Craig Blankenhorn/HBO

Representatives for Zendaya and Holland have not responded to **'s request for comment on Roach's statement.

Zendaya previously sported an all-white look at Paris Fashion week at the Louis Vuitton show on Tuesday, March 10. While posing for photos outside of the Louvre Museum, some noticed what appeared to be a thin gold wedding band on *that *finger, while her engagement ring wasn't worn.

The gold band was also spotted on March 5 in promotional photos for *The Drama*, an upcoming wedding-centric movie Zendaya stars in with Robert Pattinson. In these pictures, however, her engagement ring is present.

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Sarah Jessica Parker rocked the dress in the first 'Sex and the City' movie, while Whitney Houston wore it for an alb...

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