Alexandra Daddario Supports Leah Sava Jeffries Amid Backlash For Playing Annabeth Chase in 'Percy Jackson' Disney+ Series

Todd Spangler NY Digital EditorApple on Monday took the wraps off iOS 16, its next major smartphone operating system release, detailing a slew of new features and enhancements.The upcoming iOS 16 — which will be generally released this fall for iPhone 8 models and later — includes a new privacy tool: Safety Check, which Apple said is designed for users “whose personal safety is at risk from domestic or intimate partner violence” and can instantly disable information-sharing access to specific users.Safety Check includes an “emergency reset” command that lets users immediately sign out of iCloud on all their other devices, as well as reset privacy permissions and limit messaging to just the device in their physical possession. In addition to providing new tools to people in imminent danger, Safety Check also is designed to let users manage which people and apps they’ve given access to.

Selome Hailu Jabari Banks is leaning into the comparisons to Will Smith.The 23-year-old stars as Will in Peacock’s “Bel-Air,” which reimagines Smith’s famed ’90s sitcom “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” as a drama, but he began modeling his career goals after Smith’s long before the project’s conception.“It’s cosmic. I don’t know how to explain it,” he says of the uncanny similarities among his story, Smith’s and the fictionalized Will’s. For example, there’s the last name Banks, which he shares with Will’s aunt, uncle and cousins in the show, as well as their shared Philadelphia upbringing.There’s also the breadth of both Banks’ and Smith’s artistry.

Brian Steinberg Senior TV EditorThe TV upfront market doesn’t appear to compute for Microsoft.The technology giant has been telling TV networks and media buyers that it intends to bypass TV’s annual haggle for commercial inventory, according to four executives familiar with recent discussions. The company behind such products and services as Windows, LinkedIn, the Halo video games and Surface tablets instead favors taking its chances in what is known as TV’s “scatter” market, the purchase of ad time bought closer to run date.Microsoft seems to feel that it needs to be cautious in trying to sell consumers expensive hardware and other tech goods at a time when the stock market is churning, according to two of these executives, and when people may be fretting about loosening their purse strings.

Zack Sharf “Stranger Things 4” is going to end with the biggest bang the Netflix series has ever seen. Speaking to Empire magazine, series creators Matt and Ross Duffer revealed the upcoming season finale will include more VFX shots than all of the show’s third season combined. It’s worth noting the “Stranger Things 4” finale is super-sized and clocks in with a runtime that’s two and a half hours long.“The final episode has more FX shots than the entirety of Season 3,” Matt Duffer said.“There’s an hour-long chunk in the final episode that just doesn’t stop,” added Ross.

Parents at first sight! Amani Aliyya gave birth on Friday, June 3, to her and Woody Randall’s first baby, Us Weekly confirms.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterFox has formally set its 2022 fall schedule, with the long-gestating country music drama “Monarch” set to make its debut.Fox’s announcements comes two weeks after the broadcaster’s upfront presentation on May 16, whereas other broadcasters announced their schedule the day of their presentation. However, with this announcement Fox is also announcing its fall premiere dates, which other networks have yet to do.The full schedule can be seen below.“Monarch,” which stars Susan Sarandon and Trace Adkins, was originally meant to debut back on January 30 after the NFC Championship game. Fox moved the show to fall approximately two and half weeks before the originally scheduled launch date.

Sasha Urban editorIn a tight primary election for Los Angeles mayor, the two frontrunners — Congresswoman Karen Bass and billionaire developer Rick Caruso — have seen their support split down the middle among major Hollywood players. Tuesday’s election could lead to a November runoff if none of the candidates garner more than 50% of the votes needed to conclusively win the election.Over the last few months, celebrities and executives from all corners of the entertainment and tech industries have voiced their support for Bass and Caruso. Early on, actor and Goop CEO Gwyneth Paltrow threw her support behind Caruso, while pop star Ariana Grande has endorsed Bass on Instagram to her 315 million followers.

George Clooney and his wife, Amal Clooney, are kicking off their summer in style! On Monday, the power couple was spotted exiting a private plane in the south of France with their pals, Rande Gerber and Cindy Crawford. Per usual, Amal looked stunning in a bright pink dress that she paired with a brown belt, matching sandals and big sunglasses. As for George, he kept it casual with a black collared shirt, jeans, purple-shaded sunglasses and a backpack.Cindy and Rande also looked ready for a vacation, with the supermodel sporting army green slacks, a flowy off-white blouse, several bracelets and sandals.

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Time to rejoice? Kristin Cavallari isn’t fazed by estranged husband Jay Cutler’s recent remarks about how he celebrated their divorce settlement.

Selome Hailu Brett Goldstein, who serves as a writer on “Ted Lasso” and stars as Roy Kent, has said that the show’s third season is being written as its last.“We are writing it like that,” he told Sunday Times when asked if Season 3 would be the end. “It was planned as three. Spoiler alert — everyone dies.”Goldstein’s comments are consistent with what other members of the “Ted Lasso” crew have said in the past.

French Open or French kiss? Demi Moore was spotted locking lips with Swiss restaurateur Daniel Humm at the French Open on Sunday. The pair was cuddled up in the stands watching the men's singles match between Rafael Nadal and Casper Ruud held at Stade Roland Garros in Paris, France. Nadal came out on top, winning 3-0. The  actress and the Eleven Madison Park owner were seen laughing, kissing and embracing throughout the match.

Ouch. Prince Harry and Prince William barely acknowledged each other at the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee. The brothers reunited after Harry returned to England for the 70th anniversary of their grandmother’s service.

 franchise that racism will never be tolerated. On Tuesday, the writer published a blog post condemning the racist backlash against Leah Sava Jeffries, the 12-year-old actress cast to play Annabeth Chase in the upcoming Disney+ series, . «If you have a problem with this casting, however, take it up with me. You have no one else to blame,» the author wrote. «We should be able to agree that bullying and harassing a child online is inexcusably wrong.

Just days after Leah Sava Jeffries' casting as Annabeth Chase in Disney Plus' Percy Jackson TV series, Alexandra Daddario is showing her support after several hateful comments surfaced online.Daddario, 36, originally played Annabeth Chase in the 2010 movie Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief and 2013's Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters.Some fans were upset that 12-year-old Jeffries was cast since she is a Black actress and does not 'match' the character, since she was written as white in the original books by Rick Riordan, but both Daddario and Riordan came to her defense on Tuesday. Support:Just days after Leah Sava Jeffries' casting as Annabeth Chase in Disney Plus' Percy Jackson TV series, Alexandra Daddario is showing her support after several hateful comments surfaced online Upset:Some fans were upset that 12-year-old Jeffries was cast since she is a Black actress and does not 'match' the character, since she was written as white in the original books by Rick Riordan, but both Daddario and Riordan came to her defense on TuesdayDaddario took to Twitter on Tuesday with a simple and supportive message for the young actress: 'Leah Jeffries is going to be an incredible Annabeth!!!'Jeffries was announced as Annabeth Chase on Thursday alongside 16-year-oldAryan Simhadri as Grover, weeks after Walker Scobell (The Adam Project) was announced as the new Percy Jackson.

Actress Alexandra Daddario has chimed in on the backlash against Leah Jeffries casting as Annabeth Chase in the upcoming Disney+ show Percy Jackson and the Olympians. Daddario previously played Annabeth Chase in two Percy Jackson films The Lightning Thief and Sea of Monsters. 

Last week, Disney+ announced its lead cast for “Percy Jackson and the Olympians”, the upcoming series based on Rick Riordan’s popular “Percy Jackson” book series.

Percy Jackson author Rick Riordan put 'racist' trolls on blast in a scathing statement following the online harassment of 12-year-old Leah Jeffries, a Black actress, who was recently cast in the TV adaptation of the fantasy series.In a post shared to his website Tuesday, Riordan slammed a subset of fans upset that the role of Annabeth, which is 'described as white in the books,' will be played by a young Black girl. 'Friends, that is racism,' he wrote.The 57-year-old expressed his sadness that he even had to defend the casting and said in no uncertain terms that the role went to the best actress for the part, adding: 'We should be able to agree that bullying and harassing a child online is inexcusably wrong.' 'That is racism':Percy Jackson author Rick Riordan put 'racist' trolls on blast in a scathing statement following the online harassment of 12-year-old Leah Jeffries, a Black actress, who was recently cast in the TV adaptation of the fantasy series (Riordan, left; Jeffries, right)'This post is specifically for those who have a problem with the casting of Leah Jeffries as Annabeth Chase,' Riordan penned.Last weekDisney+ rounded out the cast of the upcoming series, Percy Jackson and the Olympians, announcing Leah Jeffries and Aryan Simhadri as Annabeth and Grover.

Rick Riordan, author of the popular YA adventure novel series Percy Jackson and the Olympians, is speaking out amid backlash in casting one of his characters in Disney+’s upcoming series adaptation.

Zack Sharf “Percy Jackson” author Rick Riordan published a blog post May 10 condemning the racist backlash against Leah Jeffries, the young actor who is set to play Annabeth Chase in the upcoming Disney+ series “Percy Jackson and the Olympians.” Variety exclusively reported Jeffries’ casting on May 5. The actor will star in the show opposite Walker Scobell as Percy and Aryan Simhadri as Grover. Some “Percy Jackson” fans have expressed outrage online over Jeffries playing Annabeth because the Black actor does not match the skin color of the character as originally written in Riordan’s novels.“This post is specifically for those who have a problem with the casting of Leah Jeffries as Annabeth Chase,” Riordan writes.

Disney Plus has rounded out the cast of its upcoming series Percy Jackson and the Olympians.Leah Sava Jeffries and Aryan Simhadri have been added in the roles of Annabeth and Grover, Variety reported.The Disney Plus series will be based on author Rick Riordan's fantasy novel series, with production getting under way this summer. Full cast: Leah Sava Jeffries (left) and Aryan Simhadri (right) have been cast in the series Percy Jackson and the Olympians (starring Walker Scobell - center)The two child actors joinWalker Scobell as he takes on the titular role of Percy,a 12-year-old boy who is just starting to come to grips with the superhuman powers he possesses.The book series written by Rick Riordan was picked up by the streaming platform back in January.