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Marlo Thomas Recalls Matt LeBlanc’s Sweet Gesture to Her on ‘Friends’ Set on September 16, 2023 at 1:00 pm Us Weekly

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Marlo Thomas was only in three episodes of Friends, but one star left a lasting impression.

Matt LeBlanc, who played Joey Tribiani, was scripted to kiss the Emmy winner in one episode of the NBC comedy — but he wasn’t about to smooch the iconic actress without getting her consent.

“When I played Rachel’s mom on Friends, Matt LeBlanc was [supposed] to kiss me,” Thomas, 85, exclusively reveals in Us Weekly‘s 25 Things You Don’t Know About Me feature. “Before the scene, Matt shyly asked my permission to really lay one on me. So cute!”

If only all the men in her life were so polite. Thomas — whose latest collaboration with Williams Sonoma is available now — also revealed her most mortifying moment was when her dad, late comic Danny Thomas, told a personal anecdote about her on national television.

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Related: ‘Friends’ Cast: Where Are They Now?

On September 22, 1994, TV audiences got six new pals with the cast of the hit NBC series Friends. Now, decades later, we’ve watched Jennifer Aniston (Rachel Green), Courteney Cox (Monica Geller), Lisa Kudrow (Phoebe Buffay), Matt LeBlanc (Joey Tribbiani), Matthew Perry (Chandler Bing) and David Schwimmer (Ross Geller) take on numerous other roles through the years. The friend group went from aimless 20-somethings to grown-ups with […]

“The most embarrassing moment of my childhood was when my father described my training bra on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson,” Thomas tells Us.

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Scroll down for more things fans might not know about Thomas:

1. When I played Rachel’s mom on Friends, Matt LeBlanc was [supposed] to kiss me. Before the scene, Matt shyly asked my permission to really lay one on me. So cute!

2. I don’t own a microwave. Anything that makes a baked potato in 5 minutes will kill you.

3. I never think of death until I watch cable and see all the ways I can die.

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4. I first met my husband [Phil Donahue] as a guest on his talk show. We flirted like mad.

5. As a kid, we all traveled to stay with my dad at whatever hotel where he was headlining. I was 18 before I realized every hotel room didn’t have a piano in it.

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Related: Most Surprising Celeb Cameos on TV Shows

While many TV shows have made household names out of their star players, occasionally showrunners have been able to corral some of Hollywood’s biggest names to drop in for a surprising cameo during a complete episode or a single scene. Perhaps one of the most polarizing cameos belonged to Ed Sheeran on HBO’s Game of […]

6. If you point me in the right direction, I can actually pilot a yacht.

7. I turned down Rosemary’s Baby. Thought it was going to be some shlocky horror movie.

8. When I was growing up, we always had at least two comedians at our dinner table.

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9. My earliest acting roles were a Hawaiian, an Arab terrorist and a Chinese mail-order bride — until I became the girl next door.

10. If it’s chocolate, I’ll eat it.

11. As a little girl, I was constantly furious that the princesses in my storybooks were all blondes.

12. When I’m touring with a play, my post-performance dinner is always straight from the hotel minibar: Snickers and an Amstel Light.

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13. My godmother was Loretta Young.

14. The most embarrassing moment of my childhood was when my father described my training bra on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson.

15.If I had to do it all over again, I’d be a stand-up comedian.

16. I graduated college as an English teacher but thought better of it, for the kids’ sake.

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17. I’m not sure what 6 o’clock means to you. To me, it means champagne.

18. When I moved in with Phil and his sons, they had their names on their jockey shorts. It was the first time I was with a man who had “Dad” on his underwear.

19. My 70-year-old grandmother played the drums in a beer garden in Pasadena.

20. I’m the fastest reader of anyone I know. And if the book is good, I’m a Nascar driver.

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21. I binged the second season of White Lotus in one day.

Related: Costars Reunited!

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Nothing like a little reunion! Stars from both TV and film are constantly reuniting in Hollywood, whether it be on a red carpet or for a new project. Check out stars — from shows and movies like That ’70s Show, Saved by the Bell and Full House — that have come together years after they took their last bows together

22. As a Beverly Hills kid, we lived down the street from Elizabeth Taylor and watched her drive off in her bridal gown to her first of eight weddings.

23. My father loved my college boyfriend so much that he gave him a pickup truck — after we broke up.

24. I have a mental block on where apostrophes are supposed to go on S-words.

25. If I was stranded on a desert island with one other person, [it’d be] Jerry Seinfeld. I just want to laugh.

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Marlo Thomas was only in three episodes of Friends, but one star left a lasting impression. Matt LeBlanc, who played Joey Tribiani, was scripted to kiss the Emmy winner in one episode of the NBC comedy — but he wasn’t about to smooch the iconic actress without getting her consent. “When I played Rachel’s mom 

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What We Can Learn Inside 50 Cent’s Explosive Diddy Documentary: 5 Reasons You Should Watch

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50 Cent’s new Netflix docuseries about Sean “Diddy” Combs is more than a headline-grabbing exposé; it is a meticulous breakdown of how power, celebrity, and silence can collide in the entertainment industry.

Across its episodes, the series traces Diddy’s rise, the allegations that followed him for years, and the shocking footage and testimonies now forcing a wider cultural reckoning.

For viewers, it offers not just drama, but lessons about media literacy, accountability, and how society treats survivors when a superstar is involved.

Rapper 50 Cent pictured in Tup Tup Palace night club with owners James Jukes and Matt LoveDough, Newcastle, UK, 7th November 2015

1. It Chronicles Diddy’s Rise and Fall – And How Power Warps Reality

The docuseries follows Combs from hitmaker and business icon to a figure facing serious criminal conviction and public disgrace, mapping out decades of influence, branding, and behind-the-scenes behavior. Watching that arc shows how money, fame, and industry relationships can shield someone from scrutiny and delay accountability, even as disturbing accusations accumulate.

Rapper 50 Cent pictured in Tup Tup Palace night club with owners James Jukes and Matt LoveDough, Newcastle, UK, 7th November 2015

2. Never-Before-Seen Footage Shows How Narratives Are Managed

Exclusive footage of Diddy in private settings and in the tense days around his legal troubles reveals how carefully celebrity narratives are shaped, even in crisis.

Viewers can learn to question polished statements and recognize that what looks spontaneous in public is often the result of strategy, damage control, and legal calculation.

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3. Survivors’ Stories Highlight Patterns of Abuse and Silence

Interviews with alleged victims, former staff, and industry insiders describe patterns of control, fear, and emotional or physical harm that were long whispered about but rarely aired in this detail. Their stories underline how difficult it is to speak out against a powerful figure, teaching viewers why many survivors delay disclosure and why consistent patterns across multiple accounts matter.

4. 50 Cent’s Approach Shows Storytelling as a Tool for Accountability

As executive producer, 50 Cent uses his reputation and platform to push a project that leans into uncomfortable truths rather than protecting industry relationships. The series demonstrates how documentary storytelling can challenge established power structures, elevate marginalized voices, and pressure institutions to respond when traditional systems have failed.

5. The Cultural Backlash Reveals How Society Handles Celebrity Accountability

Reactions to the doc—ranging from people calling it necessary and brave to others dismissing it as a vendetta or smear campaign—expose how emotionally invested audiences can be in defending or condemning a famous figure. Watching that debate unfold helps viewers see how fandom, nostalgia, and bias influence who is believed, and why conversations about “cancel culture” often mask deeper questions about justice and who is considered too powerful to fall.

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South Park’s Christmas Episode Delivers the Antichrist

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A new Christmas-themed episode of South Park is scheduled to air with a central plot in which Satan is depicted as preparing for the birth of an Antichrist figure. The premise extends a season-long narrative arc that has involved Satan, Donald Trump, and apocalyptic rhetoric, positioning this holiday episode as a culmination of those storylines rather than a stand‑alone concept.

Episode premise and season context

According to published synopses and entertainment coverage, the episode frames the Antichrist as part of a fictional storyline that blends religious symbolism with commentary on politics, media, and cultural fear. This follows earlier Season 28 episodes that introduced ideas about Trump fathering an Antichrist child and tech billionaire Peter Thiel obsessing over prophecy and end‑times narratives. The Christmas setting is presented as a contrast to the darker themes, reflecting the series’ pattern of pairing holiday imagery with controversial subject matter.

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Public and political reactions

Coverage notes that some figures connected to Donald Trump’s political orbit have criticized the season’s portrayal of Trump and his allies, describing the show as relying on shock tactics rather than substantive critique. Commentators highlight that these objections are directed more at the depiction of real political figures and the show’s tone than at the specific theology of the Antichrist storyline.

At the time of reporting, there have not been widely reported, detailed statements from major religious leaders focused solely on this Christmas episode, though religion-focused criticism of South Park in general has a long history.

Media and cultural commentary

Entertainment outlets such as The Hollywood Reporter, Entertainment Weekly, Forbes, Slate, and USA Today describe the Antichrist arc as part of South Park’s ongoing use of Trump-era and tech-world politics as material for satire.

These reports emphasize that the show’s treatment of the Antichrist, Satan, and prophecy is designed as exaggerated commentary rather than doctrinal argument, while also acknowledging that many viewers may see the storyline as offensive or excessive.

Viewer guidance and content advisory

South Park is rated TV‑MA and is intended for adult audiences due to strong language, explicit themes, and frequent use of religious and political satire. Viewers who are sensitive to depictions of Satan, the Antichrist, or parodies involving real political figures may find this episode particularly objectionable, while others may view it as consistent with the show’s long‑running approach to controversial topics. As with previous episodes, individual responses are likely to vary widely, and the episode is best understood as part of an ongoing satirical series rather than a factual or theological statement.

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Sydney Sweeney Finally Confronts the Plastic Surgery Rumors

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Sydney Sweeney has decided she is finished watching strangers on the internet treat her face like a forensic project. After years of side‑by‑side screenshots, “then vs now” TikToks, and long comment threads wondering what work she has supposedly had done, the actor is now addressing the plastic surgery rumors directly—and using them to say something larger about how women are looked at in Hollywood and online.

Sweeney at the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival red carpet premiere of Christy

Growing Up on Camera vs. “Before and After” Culture

Sweeney points out that people are often mistaking normal changes for procedures: she grew up on camera, her roles now come with big‑budget glam teams, and her body has shifted as she has trained, aged, and worked nonstop. Yet every new red‑carpet photo gets folded into a narrative that assumes surgeons, not time, are responsible. Rather than walking through a checklist of what is “real,” she emphasizes how bizarre it is that internet detectives comb through pores, noses, and jawlines as if they are owed an explanation for every contour of a woman’s face.

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The Real Problem Isn’t Her Face

By speaking up, Sweeney is redirecting the conversation away from her features and toward the culture that obsesses over them.

She argues that the real issue isn’t whether an actress has had work done, but why audiences feel so entitled to dissect her body as public property in the first place.

For her, the constant speculation is less about curiosity and more about control—another way to tell women what they should look like and punish them when they do not fit. In calling out that dynamic, Sweeney isn’t just defending herself; she is forcing fans and followers to ask why tearing apart someone else’s appearance has become such a popular form of entertainment.


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