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Jussie Smollett Hits Back at Harsh Reprimand on ‘Special Forces’ Season Four Premiere: ‘I Don’t Like Being Disrespected’

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There’s a reason the show is called Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test. And on Thursday night’s (Sept. 25) season four premiere of the Fox reality competition series former Empire star Jussie Smollett quickly found out why.

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In the first minutes, after the group of influencers, athletes, models, podcasters and actors are driven into the the desert in Morocco, their military manhandlers storm the bus and put black hoods over the heads, marching them into the unknown.

Placed in Team Alpha with reality TV personality Gia Giudice, former NFL long snapper Andrew East and Sister Wives cast member Kody Brown, among others, Smollett instantly drew the eye of Jason “Foxy” Fox, the former UK Special Forces soldier in charge of whipping them into shape.

“You’re on the wrong bus,” Fox told Smollett after taking off his hood. In a confessional, Smollett said, “I’m here because I’ve been through some s–t and it’s been very public. I was called a liar with everybody believing something that was not true.” Smollett calls the show a “reset” after his career went into a tailspin following four well-received years on the Fox music drama Empire.

In Jan. 2019, Smollett claimed that two men had attacked him outside his Chicago apartment building using racial and homophobic slurs and that they placed a noose around his neck. A grand jury later charged him with a class four felony for filing a false police report, charges that were later dropped, though Smollett was indicted again on similar counts in Feb. 2020. At that time he was found guilty of five of six counts of felony disorderly conduct and making four false police reports. The case drew international attention over allegations that Smollett had allegedly staged the attack and paid two bodybuilding brothers to pretend to be his assailants.

Smollett did 150 days in county jail and his professional reputation took a major hit, despite the charges being reversed by the Illinois Supreme Court in Nov. 2024. Smollett, who has hardly worked since the incident, recently appeared in the Netflix documentary The Truth About Jussie Smollett? in which he once again asserted his innocence in the case.

After being made to low crawl across a mud pit and having their faces shoved in a muddy puddle, Team Alpha were ordered to haul bags of sand up a steep hill, with Smollett stalling out halfway up, saying “I’m gonna die.” He was immediately called out by a member of the Directing Staff, who addressed him harshly by his team number.

“Sixteen, what are you doing? What is your problem?” asked veteran Navy SEAL Jovon Quarles when he spotted Smollett taking a breather. “You are all truly p–sing me off, especially you, Sixteen. Sixteen, y’all better hurry up!” he shouted.

“I’m okay with taking orders,” Smollett said in a confessional. “I just don’t like to be yelled at all up in my face… I don’t like being disrespected.” After repelling from a helicopter and settling into their barracks for the night, the show lost Vanderpump Rules star Brittany Cartwright on night one after she quit on the first day.

Among the other contestants on the show are podcaster Brianna LaPaglia, supermodel Chanel Iman, former pro soccer player Christie Pearce Rampone, singer Jessie James Decker, NFL quarterback flame-out Johnny Manziel, TikTok influencer Mark Estes and others.

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Kendrick Lamar, Clipse & Doechii Show Rap Can Shine in Every Style With 2026 Grammy Noms

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On Friday (Nov. 7), the Recording Academy unveiled the nominations for the 2026 Grammy Awards, and as always, the hip-hop world has plenty to celebrate and debate. With everyone on pins and needles, this year’s lineup delivers no shortage of storylines, surprises and standout performances from rap’s elite.

For the second consecutive year, Kendrick Lamar leads all contenders with a staggering nine nominations, courtesy of his late-2024 masterclass, GNX. After last year’s dominant run, capped by him ultimately claiming song and record of the year for “Not Like Us” at the Grammys in February, Lamar is looking to go back-to-back, with “Luther” also recognized in both categories. Joining him in the Big Four categories are fellow rap titans Tyler, The Creator and the Clipse, both of whom are nominated for album of the year. Tyler’s Chromokopia flexed his creative range and unfiltered candor, while Clipse’s unapologetic return to their trademark druglord narratives with Let God Sort Em Out sparked a wave of critical acclaim and Grammy contention.

The women of hip-hop also showed out in this year’s nominations, further proving the genre’s depth. Doechii, Cardi B, and GloRilla each earned major recognition, underscoring why rap remains in a healthy, evolving place despite outside noise. Doechii, who claimed best rap album last year, scored six more nominations on the strength of her viral smash “Anxiety” and the enduring impact of Alligator Bites Never Heal. Likewise, GloRilla’s 2024 comeback has catapulted her back to the top of the food chain, marking a powerful redemption run.

See what else Billboard has to say about this year’s hip-hop nominees below.

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From The Weeknd to Gracie Abrams, Which Snubbed Artist Should’ve Gotten a 2026 Grammy Nod? Vote!

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Numerous artists are currently flying high after scoring 2026 Grammy nominations on Friday (Nov. 7) –but there are also several major contenders who didn’t get quite as lucky.

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Despite garnering major award buzz this past year, stars such as The Weeknd, Gracie Abrams and Alex Warren didn’t get recognized in certain categories, which were unveiled Friday morning in a livestream on the Grammy website. The absence of the artist born Abel Tesfaye from the nominations list was particularly noticeable, as he had just reconciled with the academy last year and dropped Billboard 200-topping album Hurry Up Tomorrow in February. But while Kendrick Lamar, Sabrina Carpenter and Bad Bunny got honors in the album of the year category, The Weeknd did not.

Both Abrams and Warren were also excluded from the major categories, with neither “That’s So True” nor “Ordinary” getting song or record of the year consideration, even though those were two of the biggest Billboard Hot 100-charting tracks of the year. Warren at least scored a nod for best new artist, but that category was also missing several big names, including Zach Top, Megan Moroney, Ella Langley and Ravyn Lenae.

The producer of the year, non classical category will turn heads for the second year in a row as well, as Jack Antonoff — who was notably excluded from the list in 2025 — once again did not make the cut. That comes in spite of his work on two album of theyear contenders, Lamar’s GNX and Carpenter’s Man’s Best Friend, both of which spent time at No. 1 on the U.S. albums chart. Instead, Dan Auerbach, Cirkut, Dijon, Blake Mills and Sounwave will fight it out for the prize.

But while the academy’s word is final, it’s your turn to share how you feel about the outcome of the initial voting process this year. Have any strong feelings on which snubbed artist was the most deserving of recognition? We want to know.

Tell us who you think should have been nominated in a category they were shut out of by voting in the poll below.

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Pete Davidson Surprises on ‘SNL,’ Jokes About Ferry Boat He Bought With Colin Jost: Watch

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Pete Davidson returned to Saturday Night Live for a surprise appearance on Nov. 8.

The comedian and actor, who was an SNL cast member from 2014 to 2022, crashed the “Weekend Update” segment to poke fun at a recent article about a decommissioned Staten Island ferry he purchased with Colin Jost in 2022. The two had planned to transform the vessel into an upscale entertainment venue.

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The New York Times recently ran an article calling the Staten Island Ferry that I purchased with Pete Davidson a ‘money-losing fiasco.’ With more on this, is Pete Davidson,” Jost said in introducing The King of Staten Island star.

“Colin, you’re looking great as ever. [Michael] Che, starting to crack,” Davidson joked, mentioning his recent appearance at the 2025 Riyadh Comedy Festival and that he’s expecting his first child.

“So yeah, in case you’re wondering why I had to do a show in Saudi Arabia, we’re losing millions on this ferry,” he continued. “I assume that’s what the article says. I can’t spend $5 on a paywall when I got a kid on the way.”

Davidson and Jost then continued trading jokes about the 2,109-ton ferry, which they bought at a New York auction for $280,100.

“We even gave the boat a new name,” Davidson said. “We thought the Staten Island Ferry sounded too depressing, so now it’s called the Titanic 2.” Jost added, “That’s right, and it’s actually going very well. Recently, we got paid by Nike to put an ad on it for the New York City Marathon.”

Earlier on Saturday, Davidson told People that he’d “do anything” for SNL boss Lorne Michaels, saying he’d return to the show if asked.

“I had a great time hosting last time, and anytime you get that call, it’s an honor and a privilege,” the eight-season SNL vet said. “It’s always relevant, it’s a hot show. People look forward to it, and the cast is great.”

Saturday’s episode was hosted by comedian Nikki Glaser, with singer-songwriter Sombr serving as the musical guest.

Watch SNL’s “Weekend Update” segment with Davidson below, and find all the ways to stream the full episode here.

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