Entertainment

15 Best Shampoos and Conditioners for Thinning Hair on August 2, 2023 at 7:39 pm Us Weekly

Published

3 years ago

August 2, 2023

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Anyone who has experienced thinning hair knows how frustrating it can be. If you’ve noticed that you’ve been losing more hair than usual, one of the first steps you can take is to swap out your shampoo and conditioner for high-performance, targeted products made with proven ingredients. We’ve reviewed some of the most talked about products on the market, and have created the ultimate guide to the best shampoos and conditioners for thinning hair.

What Causes Thinning Hair?

Unfortunately, there’s no single answer to this question. Hair thinning is multifactorial, and any thinning that you’re experiencing may be caused by factors like stress, diet, illnesses, hormonal fluctuations, or something else entirely.

While pinpointing the exact root cause of your thinning hair may be a tricky task, there is one thing we are certain of, using well-developed formulas can help restore hair health so that you are better equipped to get hair thinning under control. They’ll nourish the follicles to encourage the growth of healthy, strong hair, and will also fortify current strands to minimize the risk of thinning, split ends and breakage.

The Best Ingredients for Thinning Hair

There are a few different types of ingredients that you’ll want to look out for when picking the right hair care products for your thinning hair. First, you’ll want to seek out strengthening and nourishing ingredients that fortify the strands and follicles. These types of ingredients ensure the strands are less prone to breakage, split ends and hair fall, and also support the follicles so that they are better able to grow new healthy hairs. Some top ingredients to keep an eye out for include biotin, keratin, amino acids, plant proteins, nutrient-dense oils (such as jojoba, avocado and argan oils) and zinc.

You may also want to look for ingredients that stimulate the follicles to promote new growth. Caffeine, rosemary and peppermint oil are all great options.

Ingredients that block dihydrotestosterone (also known as DHT) are also particularly ideal. While not responsible for all forms of thinning hair, this hormone is commonly a cause for hair loss. Two particularly great ingredients for defending against the effects of DHT include saw palmetto and pumpkin seed oil.

Last but not least, we also suggest looking for formulas that are rich in antioxidants. Antioxidants defend the hair against harmful free radicals from aggressors like pollution and UV rays. These free radicals can damage the strands and scalp and contribute to thinning. Ginseng, vitamin E, aloe and green tea extract are all excellent antioxidant-powered options.

The Best Shampoos and Conditioners for Thinning Hair

If you’re ready to finally put an end to excess hair shedding, here are our recommendations for the best shampoos and conditioners for thinning hair.

1. Blu Atlas Shampoo and Conditioner

Blu Atlas

The shampoo and conditioner from premium grooming company Blu Atlas are packed with nutrient-dense ingredients that revive the follicles and strands to stop thinning in its tracks and promote strong, resilient hair. We are also impressed by the top-quality, clean formulas, which are vegan, cruelty-free and formulated without sulfates, parabens, phthalates or synthetic fragrances.

The star of the Blu Atlas Shampoo is vegan biotin, which fortifies the strands and defends them against harmful aggressors so that they are less prone to breakage, split ends and fallout. The biotin also replenishes hydration levels, ensuring the hair is left feeling soft and smooth. It works alongside saw palmetto, which is one of the most effective ingredients for blocking the hair loss effects of DHT. Antioxidant and vitamin-rich aloe barbadensis leaf juice also nourishes and moisturizes, while jojoba protein heals damaged strands. Gentle, coconut-derived surfactants also thoroughly cleanse without aggravating the scalp and follicles or stripping away natural moisture.

The accompanying conditioner is made with some of our favorite nutrient-rich oils for strengthening, moisturizing and smoothing the hair, including avocado and argan oils. It also contains barley protein to promote the growth of resilient hair and strengthen existing strands. White tea extract supports scalp health (which is key for healthy hair growth) by providing antioxidant, antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties.

2. Virtue Flourish Shampoo and Conditioner for Thinning Hair

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These hair care products from Virtue are formulated with some of the best ingredients for promoting growth and fortifying the strands. They also reduce flakiness and calm irritation in the scalp for optimal hair health – which is crucial for creating a hospitable environment for new hair growth. The brand gets bonus points for these clean formulas, which are vegan, cruelty-free and made without sulfates, parabens or phthalates.

The Virtue Flourish Shampoo is formulated with gentle surfactants that clean the hair shafts and clear away debris around the follicles to allow for healthy growth. Alpha and gamma keratin proteins reinforce hair strength and boost elasticity and flexibility to reduce thinning and breakage. These proteins work alongside biomimetic signal peptides that nourish and soothe the scalp, as well as rice-based humectants, which lightly hydrate the hair while smoothing down the shaft. Sodium hyaluronate and red algae extract also work in tandem to create a moisture barrier around the strands to boost thickness.

The accompanying Virtue Flourish Conditioner is also made with biomimetic signal peptides and alpha and gamma keratin proteins to ensure the strands and scalp are getting the maximum support from these powerful ingredients. It is also made with a probiotic ferment that reduces irritation and supports oxygen consumption of the cells to boost growth, as well as cyperus plant rool oil, which enhances the hair’s softness and shine.

3. Briogeo Destined For Density Peptide Shampoo and Conditioner for Thicker, Fuller Hair

Amazon

With a name like Destined for Density, you know these products will help you achieve your fullest hair yet. Both of these formulas are designed to stimulate circulation at the scalp to encourage growth while strengthening and thickening strands for denser, more voluminous hair. They’re vegan and cruelty-free, and made without sulfates, parabens or phthalates.

The Briogeo Destined For Density Peptide Shampoo is crafted with an energy complex, which features CoQ10, caffeine and green coffee oil. These ingredients stimulate and nourish the follicles, encouraging the growth of healthy and strong hair to counteract thinning. They’re joined by copper peptides that further reduce thinning by promoting a healthy hair life cycle, as well as biotin, which fortifies the strands and boosts elasticity while supporting overall follicle health. Antimicrobial zinc chloride cleanses and enhances scalp health, while vitamin E provides antioxidant protection to defend the hair against damaging free radicals.

The Briogeo Destined For Density Peptide Conditioner is also made with these powerful ingredients to encourage thicker, denser hair. It also contains lightweight conditioners that moisturize and detangle the hair without weighing it down. The result is touchably soft, easy to manage hair that looks fuller and more voluminous.

4. Vegamour GRO Revitalizing Shampoo and Conditioner

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Vegamour has quickly become a leader in the world of hair growth products, so it was no surprise that the company’s shampoo and conditioner are seriously impressive. These clean, vegan and cruelty-free formulas are infused with clinically proven active ingredients that support growth and nourish the strands while promoting shinier, fuller hair. The company even promises visible results in as little as three months.

The sulfate-free Vegamour GRO Revitalizing Shampoo is powered by red clover and mung bean, which have been shown to defend the hair against some of the key causes of hair loss. The citrus-scented formula also contains the company’s proprietary vegan keratin, which creates a silk-like barrier around the strands to smooth and enhance shine, as well as biotin to strengthen the strands and follicles.

Additionally, marula oil, baobab oil and murumuru butter work in tandem to hydrate and nourish the strands while protecting them against damage from free radicals. In order to clear away pore-blocking residue that may hinder hair growth, the formula uses mild surfactants that gently cleanse without stripping away natural moisture.

The GRO Revitalizing Conditioner is also powered by the same active ingredients to stimulate the follicles and boost strand resilience. It has an ultra-rich texture that penetrates deep into the strands, leaving the hair feeling silky and soft after washing.

5. Avalon Organics Biotin B-Complex Thickening Therapy Shampoo and Conditioner

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If you’re looking for budget-friendly hair care products that will help you reverse thinning hair, we recommend checking out the Biotin B-Complex Thickening Therapy Shampoo and Conditioner from Avalon Organics. These formulas are crafted with some of the most effective ingredients for strengthening and thickening existing strands, and nourishing the follicles to encourage new growth and minimize hair loss. They’re also vegan and cruelty-free, and made without sulfates, phthalates or synthetic fragrances.

Both of these formulas are made with biotin to strengthen the strands and follicles to prevent breakage and thinning. Biotin also helps improve hydration levels in the hair. It works alongside saw palmetto extract, which calms the scalp and blocks the hair loss causing effects of DHT to create a healthy environment for new growth.

Additionally, both formulas contain quinoa protein to promote fullness and stronger hair. A blend of nutrient-dense jojoba, argan and sunflower seed oils nourishes the hair and follicles while adding weightless moisture. Vitamin E provides antioxidant benefits, while aloe further soothes scalp irritation while adding additional moisture to the strands and scalp.

The sulfate-free shampoo is made with mild surfactants that effectively cleanse without causing irritation or dryness. Meanwhile, the conditioner is made with additional ingredients that soften and smooth for beautiful, easily managed hair.

6. Viviscal Thickening Shampoo and Strengthening Conditioner

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This duo of hair care products from Viviscal work together to promote denser, thicker hair while stimulating the follicles to encourage growth. These budget-friendly formulas are packed with high-performance ingredients, and are made without harsh sulfates or parabens.

Both the Thickening Shampoo and Strengthening Conditioner are made with marine-derived collagen, which strengthens the hair roots to minimize hair loss. It also penetrates deep into the hair shafts to fortify and minimize breakage and split ends. It’s joined by biotin and keratin, both of which further nourish and reinforce the strands and follicles for maximum strength and resilience. Additionally, seaweed nourishes the strands and scalp with hair-loving nutrients.

The shampoo is made with gentle surfactants that effectively cleanses away buildup. The conditioner has a lightweight texture, and is able to effectively smooth and add moisture to the strands without weighing the hair down.

What we also love about these products is the scent. Both the shampoo and conditioner are made with the company’s signature fragrance, a fresh, flower-forward scent with notes of greens and ocean breeze.

7. Bumble and Bumble Full Potential Hair Preserving Shampoo and Conditioner

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Bumble and Bumble has long been considered one of the top hair care brands on the market, and these expertly made products do not disappoint. These products invigorate the follicles and reduce breakage for denser, healthier hair that is less prone to fallout. They are also cruelty-free, and made without parabens or phthalates.

The exfoliating Full Potential Hair Preserving Shampoo is made with the company’s Hair Preserve Blend to keep the strands and follicles strong and healthy. It removes buildup that can clog the pores, helping to create an ideal environment for growth. It contains caffeine and rosemary extract, both of which are known to stimulate the follicles to encourage the growth of new hair. It also contains soothing centella asiatica extract, as well as panthenol, which plumps the strands with moisture to boost softness and thickness.

The Full Potential Hair Preserving Conditioner is also made with rosemary, caffeine and centella asiatica extract to support follicle health. It also contains vitamin E, which provides antioxidant benefits to effectively defend the hair against harmful free radicals. Hydrolyzed wheat protein also moisturizes and smooths, promoting soft and silky strands.

8. BondiBoost HG Shampoo and Conditioner for Thinning Hair

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These formulas from Australia-based BondiBoost are specifically made to tackle the needs of those with thinning and aging hair. Powerful active ingredients nourish the follicles and encourage growth while defending the hair against aggressors that can cause damage. Both formulas are vegan and cruelty-free, and formulated without parabens, sulfates, phthalates or synthetic fragrances.

Both the shampoo and conditioner are made with peppermint and rosemary essential oils. These oils stimulate scalp circulation to boost hair growth. They work alongside horsetail extract, which strengthens and rejuvenates the strands, as well as saw palmetto extract, which combats thinning by blocking the effects of DHT. The formulas also contain additional nourishing and moisturizing ingredients that support both scalp and strand health, including aloe leaf juice, sunflower seed oil, macadamia seed oil and hydrolyzed quinoa.

In addition to these ingredients, the HG Shampoo is made with olive fruit and sea buckthorn oils, both of which further nurture thinning strands while sealing in moisture. It also has a sulfate-free cleansing power that effectively gets rid of buildup that can clog the follicles and inhibit growth. The HG Conditioner is also made with nutrient-dense jojoba seed oil, as well as panthenol, which plumps the strands with moisture for a thicker appearance and softer feel.

9. Pura D’Or Original Gold Label Anti Hair-Thinning Biotin Shampoo and Deep Moisturizing Biotin Conditioner

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These products from Pura D’Or have long been regarded as some of the best solutions for those dealing with hair thinning or loss. The clinically tested formulas have been proven to reduce thinning while boosting strength, volume and shine. They’re vegan and cruelty-free, and made without parabens or harsh sulfates.

The Original Gold Label Anti Hair-Thinning Biotin Shampoo features a blend of 17 active ingredients, extracts and nutrients that deeply nourish the hair and follicles. This blend includes biotin to support follicle health and fortify the strands so that they are more resilient against breakage. Anti-inflammatory nettle leaf extract also reduces inflammation and defends against DHT while nurturing the strands and follicles with vitamins, minerals and antioxidants for optimal health. Nutrient-dense pumpkin seed oil moisturizes and thickens hair, while black cumin seed oil smooths and adds shine while helping to repair damaged hair.

The Deep Moisturizing Biotin Conditioner is equally as impressive. It also contains pumpkin seed oil, as well as rosemary oil to stimulate the follicles and encourage growth. Argan, sunflower, avocado and olive oils seal moisture into the strands and boost shine and softness while nourishing the hair with nutrients, while vitamin E defends against damaging free radicals.

10. R+CO Dallas Biotin Thickening Shampoo and Conditioner

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R+Co is known for developing high-performance formulas, and the company’s Dallas line is the perfect match for anyone dealing with thinning. These formulas thicken and add volume and bounce to the hair, and at the same time nourish the strands and follicles to minimize shed and encourage growth. Both are vegan and cruelty-free and made without parabens or sulfates.

The Dallas Biotin Thickening Shampoo and Conditioner are both made with pro-vitamin B5 (AKA panthenol), which boosts moisture levels in the hair and adds shine. Biotin further improves hydration while strengthening the strands and nourishing the follicles.

The formulas also contain saw palmetto extract, which encourages growth by inhibiting the effect of DHT on the follicles. Coconut oil also helps soften the strands and reduce breakage and split ends, while vitamin and mineral-rich loquat fruit extract nourishes the hair.

Beyond the excellent ingredients, we can’t get enough of the scent of these products. They feature an inviting, citrusy fragrance, with notes of tangerine, pineapple, lavender, cardamom, bamboo and woods.

11. Mielle Rosemary Mint Strengthening Shampoo and Conditioner

Amazon

Let’s go over another top-quality budget-friendly recommendation: the Rosemary Mint Strengthening Shampoo and Conditioner from Mielle. These nutrient-dense formulas strengthen the strands and support the follicles to promote long, full and healthy hair. They are also both cruelty-free and made without parabens or sulfates.

As it says in the name, both of these formulas are powered by rosemary and peppermint essential oils, which stimulate circulation at the scalp. This in turn delivers nutrients to the follicles, helping to promote the growth of strong, healthy hair. The rosemary also has antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and antifungal properties, and works to ensure the scalp is as healthy as possible and best able to support new growth. Both formulas also feature biotin to fortify the strands and follicles, as well as coconut oil to nourish and moisturize.

In addition to these ingredients, the Rosemary Mint Strengthening Shampoo also contains moisturizing and nurturing honey and babassu seed oil. It also features horsetail grass extract to rejuvenate the strands. The accompanying conditioner is made with avocado oil and shea butter, both of which deeply moisturize and soften the hair while nourishing the scalp and strands with much-needed nutrients.

12. Paul Mitchell Tea Tree Scalp Care Anti-Thinning Shampoo and Conditioner

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Paul Mitchell’s tea tree oil-infused formulas have always been a hit. For those with thinning hair, we particularly recommend the company’s Tea Tree Scalp Care Anti-Thinning Shampoo and Conditioner. These products partner powerful tea tree oil with other ingredients that dramatically improve scalp health while nourishing the follicles and strands to minimize loss and maximize strength.

These formulas are powered by an exclusive botanical blend of five active ingredients that work together to slow down thinning. It includes pea peptides, which stimulate follicles to encourage growth and prevent loss while smoothing and thickening the strands. Clover flower extract further defends against hair loss, while antioxidant-rich kakadu plum, turmeric and ginseng protect against damaging free radicals while supporting follicle health and boosting circulation.

The shampoo and conditioner also contain rosemary leaf extract to maximize hair growth potential. Of course, as it says in the name, they are also powered by tea tree leaf oil, an antimicrobial, antibacterial and anti-inflammatory ingredient that promotes scalp health and creates an ideal environment for hair growth.

Both of these products also have an incredibly uplifting and refreshing scent, with notes of basil, lemon, fir, vanilla, patchouli and amber. They’re also made without sulfates or parabens.

13. Superzero Thinning/Aging Hair Shampoo and Conditioner Bars

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If you’ve ever been curious about trying shampoo and conditioner bars, we have the perfect recommendation for you. Superzero is leading the hair care bars industry, and has developed highly-effective formulas that are specifically made to address thinning and aging hair. These bars are vegan and cruelty-free, and made without sulfates.

The Superzero bars are both crafted with rosemary oil, caffeine and peppermint oil, which all work in tandem to promote circulation and bring nutrients to the follicles to encourage growth. They also contain panthenol and shea butter, which seal moisture into the hair and plump for thicker strands.

The Thinning/Aging Hair Shampoo Bar is also made with biomimetic peptides that enhance hair color and protect the strands against UV exposure. Avocado oil also nourishes while deeply moisturizing the strands, leaving them soft and silky.

In order to maximize its conditioning power, the Thinning/Aging Hair Conditioner Bar contains moisturizing cocoa seed butter. It is also infused with hemisqualane to increase moisture levels and smooth down frizz.

14. Amika 3D Volume and Thickening Shampoo and Conditioner

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These products from Amika plump and nourish the hair from root to tip, helping to promote serious volume and optimal hair health. These clean, vegan and cruelty-free formulas (which are free of sulfates, parabens or phthalates) also weightlessly moisturize the strands while boosting shine and manageability.

Both the shampoo and conditioner are infused with a hair growth complex that is powered by larch wood and green tea extracts. It’s designed to stimulate growth for denser hair. The formulas also contain sea buckthorn oil, which is a rich source of fatty acids. The oil hydrates the hair and scalp while enhancing elasticity for strands that are less prone to breakage.

Additionally, these formulas contain hydrolyzed rice and vegetable proteins. The proteins lightly moisturize while boosting thickness and shine. Saw palmetto and nettle leaf extracts also minimize inflammation in the scalp while protecting against hair loss, while nutrient-dense avocado oil nourishes and moisturizes. Green tea leaf extract adds an extra antioxidant punch, ensuring the hair is protected against the harmful effects of free radicals.

15. Biolage Advanced Full Density Thickening Shampoo and Conditioner

Amazon

Biolage’s Full Density Thickening Shampoo and Conditioner are both made to build the hair’s resiliency while boosting volume, helping you achieve thicker, stronger hair that is less prone to thinning in the long-run. When used together, the products have been shown to boost fullness and promote healthier-feeling strands after just one use.

These vegan, cruelty-free and paraben-free formulas are infused with biotin to strengthen and increase hair density, minimizing the risk of breakage, split ends and fallout. They are also powered by zinc PCA, an antibacterial ingredient that rebalances sebum production and purifies the scalp. This leads to hair that feels fresher, and also creates a better environment for healthy hair growth. The zinc PCA also blocks the effects of DHT on the follicles, reducing the risk of hair loss.

In addition to these ingredients, the Full Density Thickening Conditioner is infused with additional moisturizers that boost the hair’s hydration levels. The result is hair that is not only thicker and more voluminous, but softer, silkier and shinier.

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Branded content. Us Weekly has affiliate partnerships so we may receive compensation for some links to products and services. Anyone who has experienced thinning hair knows how frustrating it can be. If you’ve noticed that you’ve been losing more hair than usual, one of the first steps you can take is to swap out your

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Entertainment

When “Professional” Means Silent

Published

2 days ago

February 25, 2026

Bolanle Media Staff

Michael B. Jordan and Delroy Lindo did not walk onto the BAFTA stage expecting to become a case study in how the industry mishandles racism in real time. They were there to present, hit their marks, and do what award shows have always asked of Black talent: bring charisma, sell the moment, keep the night moving.

Instead, while they stood under the lights, a man in the audience shouted the N‑word. The word carried across the theater and through the broadcast. The cameras kept rolling. The teleprompter kept scrolling. And the two men at the center of it did what they’ve been trained their entire careers to do: they kept going.

The incident was shocking, but the pattern around it was familiar.

The Apologies That Came After the Credits

In the days that followed, BAFTA released a public apology. The organization said it took responsibility for putting its guests “in a very difficult situation,” acknowledged that the word used carries deep trauma, and apologized to Michael B. Jordan and Delroy Lindo. It also praised them for their “dignity and professionalism” in continuing to present.

The man who shouted the slur, a Tourette syndrome campaigner, explained that his outbursts are involuntary and expressed remorse for the pain his tic caused. That context about disability matters. Any honest conversation has to hold space for the reality that not every harmful word is spoken with intent.

But context doesn’t erase impact. For people watching at home—and especially for the men on that stage—the sequence was still the same: a slur detonated in the room, the show continued as if nothing happened, and the institutional response arrived later, in carefully crafted language.

Delroy Lindo summed up the experience by saying he and Jordan “did what we had to do,” and added that he wished someone from the organization had spoken with them directly afterward. That gap between polished statements and real‑time care is exactly where trust breaks down.

Who Is “Professionalism” Really Protecting?

Strip away the PR and a hard truth emerges: almost all of the pressure fell on the people who were harmed, not the people in charge.

On stage, “professionalism” meant Jordan and Lindo were expected to stay composed so the room wouldn’t be uncomfortable. Off stage, “professionalism” meant the institution focused on managing optics after the fact instead of disrupting the show in the moment.

That raises a question the industry rarely wants to confront:

When we call for professionalism, whose comfort are we protecting?

For Black artists, professionalism has too often meant:

Take the hit and keep your face neutral.
Don’t make it awkward for the audience or the brand.
Don’t risk being labeled “difficult,” no matter how blatant the disrespect.

It’s easy to admire that composure. It’s harder to admit that the system routinely demands it from the very people absorbing the harm.

If It Can Happen There, It Can Happen Anywhere

This didn’t happen in a chaotic open mic or an unsupervised live stream. It happened at one of the most carefully produced film ceremonies in the world—an event with run‑of‑show documents, stage managers, and communication channels in everyone’s ears.

If an incident like this can unfold there without a pause, it can unfold anywhere:

At a regional festival Q&A when an audience member crosses a line.
At a comedy show when someone heckles with a “joke” that’s really just a slur.
At a film panel where the only Black creator on stage gets a loaded question and is expected to smile through it.

The honest question for anyone who runs events isn’t “How could BAFTA let this happen?” It’s “What would we actually do if it happened in our room?”

Would your moderator know they have explicit permission to stop everything?
Would your team know who goes to the stage, who speaks to the audience, and who stays with the person targeted?
Or would you also be scrambling to get the language right in a statement tomorrow?

Redefining Professionalism in 2026

If this moment is going to mean anything, the definition of professionalism has to change.

Professionalism cannot just be “don’t lose your cool on stage.” It has to include the courage and structure to protect the people on that stage when something goes wrong.

A better standard looks like this:

Pause the show when serious harm happens. A clean program is not more important than a person’s dignity.
Acknowledge it in the room. Name what happened in clear terms instead of pretending it didn’t occur and quietly editing it later.
Center the person targeted. Check on them, give them options, and let their comfort—not the schedule—drive the next move.
Plan the response before you need it. Build safety and harassment protocols into your festival, awards show, or live event so no one is improvising under pressure.

Sometimes the most professional thing you can do is allow a little discomfort in the room. It signals that human beings matter more than the illusion of seamlessness.

The Standard Going Forward

Michael B. Jordan and Delroy Lindo did what they have always been rewarded for doing: they protected the show. They shouldn’t have had to.

True respect for their craft and humanity would have looked like a room that moved to protect them instead—stopping the script, resetting the energy, and making it clear that the problem wasn’t their reaction, but the harm they’d just absorbed.

No performer should be asked to choose between their dignity and their career. So if you work anywhere in this industry—onstage or behind the scenes—this incident quietly handed you a new baseline:

Call it out.
Pause the show.
Back the person who was harmed.

That’s what professionalism should mean in 2026.

Entertainment

These Movies Aren’t “True Crime for Fun”

Published

5 days ago

February 22, 2026

Bolanle Media Staff

When scandals and cover‑ups dominate the timeline, it’s tempting to process them the same way we process everything else online: as content.

A headline becomes a meme, a victim becomes a character, and a years‑long story of abuse or corruption gets flattened into a 30‑second clip. In that kind of environment, it matters what we choose to watch—and how we watch it.

Some films lean into shock and spectacle. Others slow us down, asking us to sit with the systems that make these stories possible in the first place.

This article is about that second group.

Below are three films that are difficult, necessary, and deeply relevant when we’re surrounded by conversations about power, silence, and who actually gets held accountable. They’re not “true crime for fun.” They are stories about people who push back: journalists digging through archives, lawyers refusing to look away, and insiders who decide that telling the truth matters more than staying comfortable.

Why movies about accountability matter right now

There’s a difference between consuming tragedy and engaging with it.

Scroll culture trains us to treat everything as a quick hit: outrage, reaction, move on. But systemic abuse and corruption don’t work on a 24‑hour cycle. They live in sealed files, non‑disclosure agreements, money, and relationships that make it easier to protect those in power than the people they harm. Films that focus on accountability rather than spectacle can do three important things:

Slow our attention down long enough to see how cover‑ups are built—through policies, reputations, and quiet decisions, not just villains and heroes.
Give us a closer look at the people trying to break those systems open: reporters, lawyers, whistleblowers, survivors, and community members.
Help us recognize the patterns so that when a new scandal breaks, we have more than vibes and rumors to work with—we see mechanisms, not just headlines.

With that frame in mind, here are three films that are worth revisiting or discovering for the first time.

Spotlight: following the paper trail

Spotlight follows a small investigative team at a Boston newspaper as they uncover decades of child abuse inside the Catholic Church and the institutional effort to conceal it. It’s not flashy. There are no chase scenes, no “big twist.” The tension comes from phone calls that aren’t returned, doors that stay closed, and documents that may or may not exist. That’s the point.

The power of Spotlight is in its realism. The journalists don’t “win” through a single heroic act; they win through months of stubborn, often boring work—checking names, cross‑referencing records, going back to survivors who have every reason not to trust them. The film shows how systems protect themselves: not only through powerful leaders, but through a culture of looking away, minimizing harm, or deciding that “now isn’t the right time” to publish the truth.

Watching it in the context of any modern scandal is a reminder that revelations don’t come out of nowhere. Someone has to decide that the story is worth their career, their sleep, their peace. Someone has to keep calling.

Dark Waters: the cost of not looking away

In Dark Waters, a corporate defense lawyer discovers that a chemical company has been poisoning a community for years. The more he learns, the less plausible it becomes to stay on the side he’s paid to protect. What starts as a single client and a stack of records becomes a decades‑long fight against a corporation with far more money, influence, and time than he has.

The film is heavy—not because of graphic imagery, but because of the slow realization that this could happen anywhere. It shows how corporate harm doesn’t usually look like one dramatic event; it looks like small decisions, tolerated over time, because changing course would be expensive or embarrassing. Internal memos, risk calculations, and legal strategies become characters in their own right.

What makes Dark Waters important in this moment is the way it illustrates complicity. Very few people in the film set out to be “villains.” Many are simply doing their jobs, protecting their company, or choosing the convenient version of the truth. The story forces us to ask uncomfortable questions about where we draw our own lines—and what it costs to cross them.

Michael Clayton: inside the clean‑up machine

If Spotlight looks at journalism and Dark Waters at corporate litigation, Michael Clayton focuses on the people whose job is to make problems disappear. The title character is a “fixer” at a prestigious law firm: he isn’t in court, and his name isn’t on the building, but he is the person they call when a client’s mess threatens to become public.

The film peels back the layers of how reputations are maintained. We see how language is used to soften reality—harm becomes “exposure,” victims become “plaintiffs,” and the goal is not necessarily to find the truth but to manage it. When Clayton begins to understand the scale of what his client has done, he faces a question at the core of a lot of modern scandals: what happens when someone inside the machine decides not to play their part anymore?

Michael Clayton is especially resonant when conversations online focus on “who knew” and “who helped.” It reminds us that entire careers and infrastructures exist to protect power and to make sure certain stories never catch fire in the first place.

How to watch these films with care

Because these movies deal with abuse, corruption, and betrayal, they can be emotionally heavy—especially for people who have personal experience with similar harms. A few ways to approach them thoughtfully:

Check in with yourself before you press play. It’s okay to wait until you’re in a better headspace.
Watch with someone you trust, or plan a debrief after. These aren’t background‑noise films; they merit conversation.
Remember that survivors’ experiences are not plot devices. If a conversation about the movie starts turning into speculation or jokes about real people, you have permission to pull it back or step away.

The goal isn’t to turn real‑world pain into “content you can feel good about watching.” It’s to understand the systems around that pain more clearly and to keep our empathy intact.

Sharing watchlists online can feel trivial, but small choices add up. When we recommend movies that take harm seriously, we’re nudging the culture in a different direction than the endless churn of sensational docuseries and clips built around shock value.

A thoughtful share says:

I’m paying attention to the structures behind the headlines, not just the gossip.
I’m interested in stories that center accountability, not just spectacle.
I want our conversations to honor victims and the people fighting for the truth.

If you decide to post about these films, you don’t have to mention any specific scandal or case at all. You can simply say: “If you’re thinking a lot about power, silence, and cover‑ups right now, these are worth your time.” That alone can open up more grounded, respectful conversations than another round of speculation and rumor.

In a feed full of noise, choosing to highlight stories of persistence, investigation, and courage is its own quiet statement.

Business

How Epstein’s Cash Shaped Artists, Agencies, and Algorithms

Published

2 weeks ago

February 16, 2026

Bolanle Media Staff

Jeffrey Epstein’s money did more than buy private jets and legal leverage. It flowed into the same ecosystem that decides which artists get pushed to the front, which research gets labeled “cutting edge,” and which stories about race and power are treated as respectable debate instead of hate speech. That doesn’t mean he sat in a control room programming playlists. It means his worldview seeped into institutions that already shape what we hear, see, and believe.

The Gatekeepers and Their Stains

The fallout around Casey Wasserman is a vivid example of how this works. Wasserman built a powerhouse talent and marketing agency that controls a major slice of sports, entertainment, and the global touring business. When the Epstein files revealed friendly, flirtatious exchanges between Wasserman and Ghislaine Maxwell, and documented his ties to Epstein’s circle, artists and staff began to question whose money and relationships were quietly underwriting their careers.

That doesn’t prove Epstein “created” any particular star. But it shows that a man deeply entangled with Epstein was sitting at a choke point: deciding which artists get representation, which tours get resources, which festivals and campaigns happen. In an industry built on access and favor, proximity to someone like Epstein is not just gossip; it signals which values are tolerated at the top.

When a gatekeeper with that history sits between artists and the public, “the industry” stops being an abstract machine and starts looking like a web of human choices — choices that, for years, were made in rooms where Epstein’s name wasn’t considered a disqualifier.

Funding Brains, Not Just Brands

Epstein’s interest in culture didn’t end with celebrity selfies. He was obsessed with the science of brains, intelligence, and behavior — and that’s where his money begins to overlap with how audiences are modeled and, eventually, how algorithms are trained.

He cultivated relationships with scientists at elite universities and funded research into genomics, cognition, and brain development. In one high‑profile case, a UCLA professor specializing in music and the brain corresponded with Epstein for years and accepted funding for an institute focused on how music affects neural circuits. On its face, that looks like straightforward philanthropy. Put it next to his email trail and a different pattern appears.

Epstein’s correspondence shows him pushing eugenics and “race science” again and again — arguing that genetic differences explain test score gaps between Black and white people, promoting the idea of editing human beings under the euphemism of “genetic altruism,” and surrounding himself with thinkers who entertained those frames. One researcher in his orbit described Black children as biologically better suited to running and hunting than to abstract thinking.

So you have a financier who is:

Funding brain and behavior research.
Deeply invested in ranking human groups by intelligence.
Embedded in networks that shape both scientific agendas and cultural production.

None of that proves a specific piece of music research turned into a specific Spotify recommendation. But it does show how his ideology was given time, money, and legitimacy in the very spaces that define what counts as serious knowledge about human minds.

How Ideas Leak Into Algorithms

There is another layer that is easier to see: what enters the knowledge base that machines learn from.

Fringe researchers recently misused a large U.S. study of children’s genetics and brain development to publish papers claiming racial hierarchies in IQ and tying Black people’s economic outcomes to supposed genetic deficits. Those papers then showed up as sources in answers from large AI systems when users asked about race and intelligence. Even after mainstream scientists criticized the work, it had already entered both the academic record and the training data of systems that help generate and rank content.

Epstein did not write those specific papers, but he funded the kind of people and projects that keep race‑IQ discourse alive inside elite spaces. Once that thinking is in the mix, recommendation engines and search systems don’t have to be explicitly racist to reproduce it. They simply mirror what’s in their training data and what has been treated as “serious” research.

Zoomed out, the pipeline looks less like a neat conspiracy and more like an ecosystem:

Wealthy men fund “edgy” work on genes, brains, and behavior.
Some of that work revives old racist ideas with new data and jargon.
Those studies get scraped, indexed, and sometimes amplified by AI systems.
The same platforms host and boost music, video, and news — making decisions shaped by engagement patterns built on biased narratives.

The algorithm deciding what you see next is standing downstream from all of this.

The Celebrity as Smoke Screen

Epstein’s contact lists are full of directors, actors, musicians, authors, and public intellectuals. Many now insist they had no idea what he was doing. Some probably didn’t; others clearly chose not to ask. From Epstein’s perspective, the value of those relationships is obvious.

Being seen in orbit around beloved artists and cultural figures created a reputational firewall. If the public repeatedly saw him photographed with geniuses, Oscar winners, and hit‑makers, their brains filed him under “eccentric patron” rather than “dangerous predator.”

That softens the landing for his ideas, too. Race science sounds less toxic when it’s discussed over dinner at a university‑backed salon or exchanged in emails with a famous thinker.

The more oxygen is spent on the celebrity angle — who flew on which plane, who sat at which dinner — the less attention is left for what may matter more in the long run: the way his money and ideology were welcomed by institutions that shape culture and knowledge.

Ghislaine Maxwell seen alongside Jeffrey Epstein in newly-released Epstein files from the DOJ. (DOJ)

What to Love, Who to Fear

The point is not to claim that Jeffrey Epstein was secretly programming your TikTok feed or hand‑picking your favorite rapper. The deeper question is what happens when a man with his worldview is allowed to invest in the people and institutions that decide:

Which artists are “marketable.”
Which scientific questions are “important.”
Which studies are “serious” enough to train our machines on.
Which faces and stories are framed as aspirational — and which as dangerous.

If your media diet feels saturated with certain kinds of Black representation — hyper‑visible in music and sports, under‑represented in positions of uncontested authority — while “objective” science quietly debates Black intelligence, that’s not random drift. It’s the outcome of centuries of narrative work that men like Epstein bought into and helped sustain.

No one can draw a straight, provable line from his bank account to a specific song or recommendation. But the lines he did draw — to elite agencies, to brain and music research, to race‑obsessed science networks — are enough to show this: his money was not only paying for crimes in private. It was also buying him a seat at the tables where culture and knowledge are made, where the stories about who to love and who to fear get quietly agreed upon.

Bill Clinton and English musician Mick Jagger in newly-released Epstein files from the DOJ. (DOJ)

A Challenge to Filmmakers and Creatives

For anyone making culture inside this system, that’s the uncomfortable part: this isn’t just a story about “them.” It’s also a story about you.

Filmmakers, showrunners, musicians, actors, and writers all sit at points where money, narrative, and visibility intersect. You rarely control where the capital ultimately comes from, but you do control what you validate, what you reproduce, and what you challenge.

Questions worth carrying into every room:

Whose gaze are you serving when you pitch, cast, and cut?
Which Black characters are being centered — and are they full humans or familiar stereotypes made safe for gatekeepers?
When someone says a project is “too political,” “too niche,” or “bad for the algorithm,” whose comfort is really being protected?
Are you treating “the industry” as a neutral force, or as a set of human choices you can push against?

If wealth like Epstein’s can quietly seep into agencies, labs, and institutions that decide what gets made and amplified, then the stories you choose to tell — and refuse to tell — become one of the few levers of resistance inside that machine. You may not control every funding source, but you can decide whether your work reinforces a world where Black people are data points and aesthetics, or one where they are subjects, authors, and owners.

The industry will always have its “gatekeepers.” The open question is whether creatives accept that role as fixed, or start behaving like counter‑programmers: naming the patterns, refusing easy archetypes, and building alternative pathways, platforms, and partnerships wherever possible. In a landscape where money has long been used to decide what to love and who to fear, your choices about whose stories get light are not just artistic decisions. They are acts of power.