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Stephen Amell’s Ups and Downs Through the Years on September 26, 2023 at 4:50 pm Us Weekly

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Stephen Amell Mediapunch/Shutterstock

Stephen Amell hasn’t always made positive headlines throughout this rise to stardom.

Amell came to prominence while playing Oliver Queen on The CW superhero series Arrow from 2012 to 2020. Off camera, Amell has frequently offered glimpses of his growing family with wife Cassandra Jean.

As his career took off, Amell found himself in in hot water more than once over the years. He raised eyebrows in 2020 for continuing to promote his podcast amid the Black Lives Matter movement. Three years later, Amell defended his remarks about the SAG-AFTRA strike after voicing frustrations over not being able to promote his show Heels amid the labor dispute.

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“I understand the strike on an intellectual level — striking is not the only form of negotiating. If there is a positive thing to take away from this — and I’m searching for the positives right now — because the past day or so has not been the most fun. If there is a positive here, I would like to think that in some shape or form I can encourage people to get back to the table and negotiate,” he told TMZ in August 2023. “One of the silver linings that [has] come out of this is [that] I’m going to get the opportunity later today to speak with SAG leadership to show them how much I support them and want to stand with them.”

Related: Stars Join the SAG-AFTRA Picket Lines

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The biggest names in Hollywood are showing their support for the ongoing SAG-AFTRA strike by joining their fellow union members on the picket lines. In July, the labor union — which represents more than 160,000 TV and film actors — voted to go on strike after the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) […]

Amell concluded: “I love my coworkers, I love my wife, and I love my kids very much. That doesn’t mean that I always agree with the choices that they make. But I will never, ever leave them in a time of need and I won’t do that to my union.”

Scroll through the gallery below to revisit Amell’s ups and downs through the years:

Breaking Into the Industry

Amell got his start in Hollywood in 2004 by booking a two-episode arc on Queer as Folk. Following a guest star role on ReGenesis, Amell won a Gemini Award in 2007 and was later nominated for Rent-a-Goalie. He continued to find success on The Vampire Diaries, Hung, 90210, New Girl and Private Practice.

John Salangsang/Shutterstock

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Finding The One

Amell was married to his first wife, Carolyn Lawrence, from 2007 to 2010. He later moved on with Jean, whom he wed in 2012. The couple welcomed daughter Maverick in 2013 and son Bowen in 2022.

Joining The CW’s Superhero Universe

In 2012, Amell was cast as Oliver Queen in The CW’s Arrow, a TV series based on the DC Comics superhero of the same name. Amell continued to appear in the network’s various spinoffs including The Flash, Legends of Tomorrow, Batwoman and Supergirl.

On the big screen, Amell appeared in the 2016 film Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows. He also scored roles in American Ninja Warrior and Mi Madre, My Father.

Berlanti Tv/Dc Prods/Kobal/Shutterstock

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Spreading Awareness

Since 2014, Amell has hosted fundraising campaigns for charities including F—k Cancer, Paws and Stripes, Stand For The Silent and children’s hospice Emily’s House.

Social Media Controversy

Amell took a break from social media in September 2015 after sharing a controversial tweet about Muslim student Ahmed Mohamed. (The then-14-year-old student was arrested for bringing a homemade clock to school, which was presumed to be a bomb.)

“Stereotyping Texas isn’t any better than stereotyping Ahmed. Just so we’re clear,” Amell initially tweeted about the situation.

He didn’t delete the post but later clarified his point via Facebook Live, saying, “Didn’t mean to offend anyone today. Wasn’t trying to equate things that are very, very different. Was simply trying to say that two wrongs don’t make a right. I think I did offend people. I think the best thing to do in these scenarios is to go away for a little bit. So be well, I’ll be back, that’s it.”

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Related: Stephen Amell and Wife Cassandra Jean Amell’s Ups and Downs

Being a superhero takes its toll. Stephen Amell and wife Cassandra Jean Amell have been together for a decade, but a lengthy relationship — especially under the glare of the spotlight brought on by celebrity — comes with its fair share of highs and lows. The couple met in 2011 after the Arrow alum’s 2010 […]

A Professional Segue Into Wrestling

Amell turned his interest in professional wrestling into an opportunity when he campaigned for a guest appearance on WWE’s weekly Raw program in 2015. He took part in several matches — including a team win for the Ring of Honor in 2017. Amell’s last appearance in the ring was in 2019 for All Elite Wrestling’s Revolution.

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Dealing With Personal Problems

During a January 2020 appearance on Michael Rosenbaum’s podcast “Inside of You,” Amell suffered a panic attack mid-interview.

“I’m mentally exhausted. I’ve cried twice today. My wife forced me to go to the doctor today because she was worried that something was actually wrong with me,” he said on the episode. “I just need a f—king break. I want to be a dad, I want to be a husband and I don’t even really want to talk to my friends that much. I just need a break.”

He later took to Twitter to offer more details on the health scare, writing that same month, “I did Rosey’s podcast after Arrow ended. We had to cut it short because I had a full on panic attack. It wasn’t pretty. I came back a few weeks ago to chat about it. I was in a really bad spot and I’m happy to report that I’m doing much better. Listen please :)”

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Addressing Allegations of Racism

Amell stirred up controversy in June 2020 when he decided to keep hosting his podcast “How’d You Do It?” amid the Black Lives Matter protests.

“Full disclosure: Grant Gustin was supposed to be the guest this morning,” Amell said in a video shared via Twitter. “He very politely and calmly texted me yesterday and said that with everything going on in Los Angeles that maybe this wasn’t the appropriate time to spend 45 minutes talking about how he became such a giant, lovable television star.”

Amell was subsequently called out by comic book writer Tee Franklin for his “racist ass ways” on social media. “You totally nailed me,” he responded via Twitter. “Hope that makes you feel better. I just followed you… so if you need something or you want to help me better understand, hit me up and we can chat!”

Saying Goodbye to Oliver Queen

Following eight seasons on The CW, Amell confirmed that Arrow would be coming to an end. The hit series aired its final episode in 2020. Amell, for his part, reprised the role of Oliver Queen during The Flash‘s final season three years later.

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Amell branched out in his professional life with a lead role on Starz’s Heels alongside Alexander Ludwig. Stephen also collaborated with cousin Robbie Amell in various films in the Code 8 franchise.

Related: A Guide to All of The CW’s Superheroes: From ‘Arrow’ to ‘Gotham Knights’

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Creating their own superhero universe. From Arrow to The Flash to Gotham Knights, The CW is known for its prolific selection of shows based on various DC comics. The network originally kicked off its superhero content by introducing Arrow in 2012. Stephen Amell was cast in the role of Oliver Queen — who went on […]

Sebastien Nogier/EPA/Shutterstock

Making a Scene

In June 2022, Stephen was escorted off a plane from Austin to Los Angeles following a disagreement with his wife. He offered an explanation shortly after the news made headlines.

“My wife and I got into an argument Monday afternoon on a Delta flight from Austin to LA. I was asked to lower my voice and I did. Approximately 10 minutes later I was asked to leave the flight,” he wrote via Twitter at the time. “And I did so immediately. I was not forcibly removed.”

Two months later, Stephen elaborated about what led to the incident.

“I had too many drinks in a public place, and I got on a plane,” he explained on the “Inside of You with Michael Rosenbaum” podcast in August 2022. “I was pissed off about something else that had nothing to do with Cass, my wife, and I picked a fight. Just I picked a fight because I wanted to be loud and upset.”

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Stephen added: “My wife said one thing the entire time,” Stephen recalled. “‘If you don’t lower your voice, they’re going to ask you to get off the plane.’ I referred to it as an argument between my wife and I. It was not an argument. This is 100 percent my fault. I feel like I went the better part of 10 years without being an a–hole in public. I was an a–hole in public. [Cassandra] was frankly even more pissed when I said ‘argument’ as opposed to ‘pick a fight.’”

Legal Battle

Stephen and Jean filed a lawsuit in September 2022 requesting that a Los Angeles court shut down an animal rescue group next to their home. In the filing, Stephen and Jean claimed their neighbors were running a “large illegal animal kennel operation” on residential plots of land without a permit.

Two months later, the pair lost their legal battle and addressed claims they were visibly angry in the courtroom over the decision.

“I didn’t so much as open my mouth in that courtroom or make eye contact with the defendants,” he said in a text message to Page Six, alleging that the opposition was trying to “smear” him. “If there were a shred of truth to this I wouldn’t be sending this text.”

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Starz

Questioning the SAG-AFTRA Strike

Stephen made headlines in July 2023 when he publicly opposed the actors union’s decision to strike following a labor dispute with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers.

“I feel like I’m insulated in Hollywood, because that’s where I live … [but] I feel like a lot of people in this room aren’t aware of the strike,” he told fans at GalaxyCon. “I support my union, I do. And I stand with them. I do not support striking. I don’t. I think that it is a reductive negotiating tactic. I find the entire thing incredibly frustrating. I think that the thinking as it pertains to shows like [Heels], the show that I’m on that premiered last night, I think it’s myopic.”

Amid the backlash, Stephen attempted to walk back his statement about the strike, writing via Instagram that same month, “As I said from the jump, I want to ensure that my thoughts and intentions are not misconstrued. This situation reminds of the proverb, ‘the road to hell is paved with good intentions,’ which apparently, after reading a limited amount of the commentary, is a place many of you would like me to visit. However, at least for the foreseeable future, I choose to stand with my union. When you see me on a picket line please don’t whip any hard fruit.”

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Stephen’s longtime friends showrunner Carina MacKenzie and actress Aisha Tyler revealed that his reaction to the BLM movement fractured their friend group.

“I wanted to believe people I love could listen and evolve — this is a repeat of that so clearly there was no listening and no evolving … well, fool me twice,” MacKenzie, who was the original creator of Roswell, New Mexico, wrote via Twitter following Amell’s comments about the WGA and SAG strikes. “People change. *I* changed. Values shifted in different directions. That’s the last I’ll speak of him.”

Tyler, for her part, replied, “Word.”

After expressing his frustration about not being able to promote Heels during the SAG strike, Amell’s Starz show got canceled in September 2023 after two seasons.

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Stephen Amell hasn’t always made positive headlines throughout this rise to stardom. Amell came to prominence while playing Oliver Queen on The CW superhero series Arrow from 2012 to 2020. Off camera, Amell has frequently offered glimpses of his growing family with wife Cassandra Jean. As his career took off, Amell found himself in in 

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DJ Shinski Brings AfriqueFest To Life

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AfriqueFest: Pan-African Musical Experience — World Cup Edition is set to take over Noto Houston on Sunday, June 28, bringing together East, South, and West African sounds in one immersive celebration of music, culture, and connection. Presented by Experience Noir and Bolanle Media, the event is designed as a cinematic night for the culture, blending global energy with Houston nightlife in a way that feels elevated, intentional, and deeply rooted in African creativity.

Spotlight on DJ Shinski

At the heart of this year’s experience is DJ Shinski. Born and raised in Nairobi, Kenya and now based in Houston, DJ Shinski has built an international name off high-energy sets that move effortlessly across Afrobeats, Amapiano, hip‑hop, dancehall, reggae, and electronic sounds.

He has also become Africa’s most‑subscribed DJ on YouTube, crossing the 2‑million‑subscriber mark and turning his mixes into a global destination for music lovers.

DJ Shinski’s style is precise but unpredictable: one moment it’s classic Afrobeats, the next it’s East African anthems, then a run of throwback hip‑hop or R&B that still feels fresh. That ability to read a room and connect multiple worlds in a single set is exactly why AfriqueFest is building so much of the night’s energy around him.

At AfriqueFest, DJ Shinski helps drive the Safari Grooves segment, representing East and Central Africa from 4 PM to 6 PM. Expect a journey that moves from Nairobi to Dar es Salaam, Kampala, Addis, and beyond, all filtered through his signature “vibes on vibes” approach behind the decks.

DJ Tunez and the rest of the night

Supporting that energy, DJ Tunez leads the Gold Coast Beats chapter from 8 PM to 10 PM, bringing his own Nigerian‑American Afrobeats pedigree to the stage. Together with the Diamond Rhythms segment (South) and a curated roster of DJs, the night stretches across the continent in three distinct musical chapters, all connected by a single dance floor.

Hosted by @chris_gone_crazy, @kingdrewwskyy, @roselynomaka, and @samsnewleaf, AfriqueFest is positioned as more than a party—it’s a celebration of sound, style, and Pan‑African identity in Houston, with DJ Shinski anchoring the experience from the moment doors open.

Brought to you by Bolanle Media & Experience Noir

Brought to you by Bolanle Media and Experience Noir, this World Cup edition of AfriqueFest is crafted as a night where global DJs, storytellers, and music lovers collide and create a shared cultural memory. With DJ Shinski front and center—and DJ Tunez helping close the night—guests can expect a show that reflects both the future of African nightlife and the power of the diaspora to create unforgettable live moments.

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If you want to experience DJ Shinski live at AfriqueFest, now is the time to lock in your spot. Purchase your tickets now at AfriqueFest.com and get ready for a night of music, movement, and culture at Noto Houston.

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STREAMING PREMIERE · JUNE 13, 2026

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Laughter Meets Inspiration: Our Ladies Show Lands on The Roku Channel

A bold new sketch comedy series for women premieres June 13 across the U.S., U.K., and Canada — arriving on the back of a festival-winning run that has critics and audiences already paying attention.

It isn’t every day a brand-new comedy arrives already wearing a row of trophies. Our Ladies Show does. The seven-episode inspirational sketch comedy series — created, written by, and starring Christin Jezak — begins streaming on The Roku Channel on Friday, June 13, 2026, available free to viewers in the United States, United Kingdom, and Canada.

Produced in partnership with global media services leader Encompass Digital Media, the series sets out to do something rare in today’s streaming landscape: make women laugh out loud and leave them lifted. In a media moment crowded with noise and cynicism, Our Ladies Show is a deliberate counterweight — comedy with a conscience, built for women of every age and background.

A Show Built Around Real Life — and Real Laughs

Each of the seven episodes opens with a monologue from one of the cast members introducing the theme, then rolls into three or more sketches that hit the subject from every comedic angle. The series tackles the things women actually carry: holding grudges, comparison, beauty, patience, gift giving, the importance of community, and dealing with anxiety.

The comedy comes from a place of warmth rather than mockery — a “laugh at ourselves” spirit that runs through a gallery of unforgettable characters: a nosey neighbor, an overwhelmed mom, relentlessly optimistic flight attendants, beauty pageant winners past their prime, and a crew of unruly campers with a counselor who simply cannot hold it together.

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Then the show does something most sketch series don’t. In the final segment of every episode, the cast gathers in a living-room setting and invites the audience in — sharing real inspiration drawn from the theme, the sketches, and their own personal stories. It’s the moment the laughter turns into something that stays with you.

The Women Behind the Show

Our Ladies Show brings together three performers with serious range:

  • Christin Jezak — creator, writer, and star (Miracle at Manchester, Raising Hope, Jimmy Kimmel Live!)
  • Hillary Hawkins — (Primal, Nick Jr.’s Play Along, Gullah Gullah Island)
  • Sarah Hernandez — (Nefarious, Unplanned, House of Payne)

“In a world with so much division and depression, I hope women of all ages and backgrounds will watch this show, laugh, be reminded of how beautiful, unique, and loved they are, and remember how much we need each other.”— Christin Jezak, Creator & Star

Already a Festival Favorite

The series’ recurring long-form sketch, Neighborhood Watch, didn’t arrive quietly. Originally released as a web series and revamped for Our Ladies Show with new footage, sound, and music, it has been sweeping the festival circuit:

  • 🏆 Best Webseries — 2026 New Media Film Festival (Los Angeles)
  • 🏆 Best Web/TV Series — Paris Film Awards
  • 🏆 Best Web Series — Dallas Movie Awards
  • 🏅 Additional wins at the London Movie Awards, Florence Film Awards, and Hollywood Gold Awards
  • 🎬 Official Selection — 2026 Harvard Divinity School Film Fest
  • ⭐ Finalist — Houston Comedy Film Festival
  • 📣 Three nominations — 2025 Content Christian Media Conference, including Best Actress in a TV and Web Series nods for both Christin Jezak and Sarah Hernandez

Where and When to Watch

Our Ladies Show premieres Friday, June 13, 2026, streaming on The Roku Channel — the home of premium and free entertainment — in the U.S., U.K., and Canada. All seven episodes deliver the series’ signature blend of sharp sketch comedy and genuine encouragement.

Click Here To Get Tickets

Watch the trailer now on your platform of choice:

For more information, visit www.ourladiesshow.com and follow @ourladiesshow on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok.


About Christin Jezak

Christin Jezak has worked for over 15 years in the entertainment industry. She created and stars in Our Ladies Show and the award-winning web series Neighborhood Watch. She produced the EWTN TV program For the Sake of the Gospel and the all-women web series Ladies Keepin’ It Real, played Dr. Sam in Miracle at Manchester (starring Dean Cain, Daniel Roebuck, and Eddie McClintock), and voices Agnes in the podcast Confessions of a Catholic Single. She held a lead role in a short film for NTT Data directed by Academy Award–winning cinematographer Janusz Kamiński, has co-starred on Raising Hope, and appeared in Jimmy Kimmel sketches and a Grubhub Super Bowl commercial.

About The Roku Channel

Roku pioneered streaming on TV and is the #1 TV streaming platform in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico by hours streamed (Hypothesis Group, Dec. 2025). The Roku Channel is the home of premium and free entertainment, alongside Roku’s Howdy and Frndly TV services. Roku is headquartered in San Jose, California.

About Encompass Digital Media

Encompass Digital Media is a global managed services company — technology-driven, software-defined, and people-powered. Trusted by world-leading broadcasters, networks, sports rights-holders, and OTT platforms, it processes over 25,000 hours of content daily, serves 850 channels to 84 countries, distributes over 243,000 live events annually, and reaches 400 million radio listeners weekly worldwide. Learn more at www.encompass.tv.

Media & Interview Requests: To interview creator Christin Jezak or the cast, contact Christin at cjezak@p2ptheatre.com.

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What Filmmakers Should Actually Steal From Euphoria

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Most of the talk about Euphoria asks one question: was it realistic? That’s the wrong question if you make films. The better one is simpler. How did Sam Levinson get an audience to feel addiction from the inside? And what did it cost him to end the show the way he did?

Strip away the noise and Euphoria is a clinic in three choices: point of view, style, and the ending. Here’s what’s worth taking — and what isn’t.

1. Put the Camera Inside the Character

Most shows about drugs watch from across the room. Euphoria doesn’t. When Rue is high, the camera is high too. Walls breathe. Floors tilt. Time skips. You’re not watching her — you’re stuck inside her head.

That’s the lesson: point of view is a decision you make with the camera and the cut, not a mood you add later in color. Levinson builds it into the lens, the blocking, and the edit.

So before you shoot a scene through a character’s eyes, ask one thing on set: whose eyes is this lens standing in for? Then make every cut respect that.

2. Your Style Has to Mean Something

The glitter. The slow push-ins. The impossible club lighting. Euphoria‘s look got copied everywhere. That’s the trap.

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The style worked because it carried weight. The beauty wasn’t decoration — it was the lie addiction tells you, the reason the next high looks worth it. The camera made self-destruction gorgeous on purpose.

The copies missed that. A thousand music videos took the look and left the meaning behind, and you can feel how hollow they are. So here’s the test: if your signature style could be swapped onto any other project and still “work,” it’s not a style. It’s a filter. Every choice should have a reason behind it.

3. The Ending Tells the Audience What It All Meant

When Euphoria ended for good in Season 3, Levinson killed Rue — an accidental, fentanyl-laced overdose. He called it “the honest ending,” saying he wanted to tell a true story about addiction and grief in a time when one mistake can be the last one. Reportedly, that wasn’t the original plan; the death of Angus Cloud, who played Fezco, changed the script.

Forget whether you agree with the choice. Study how it works. An ending is the last instruction you give your audience about how to read everything before it.

By ending on consequence instead of recovery, Levinson reframed seven years of beautiful chaos as a story about cost — not a celebration of it.

It’s also the show’s most debatable move, and that’s worth noticing too. A show that spent years making pain look beautiful had to fight to make that pain land as loss. Did it earn the ending, or enjoy the wreckage too long to stick it? Smart filmmakers will disagree — and that argument is exactly what a good ending is supposed to start.

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What Not to Take

The neon grief is the most copied part. It’s also the least useful. Take the surface — the colors, the slow-mo, the trauma-as-texture — and you get the costume without the body.

The real craft is underneath. Commit your camera to a real point of view. Make every stylistic choice earn its place. Treat your ending as the point of the whole thing. Do that, and your work won’t look like Euphoria. It’ll do what Euphoria did.


This piece touches on addiction and substance use. If you or someone you know is struggling, support is available through the SAMHSA National Helpline at 1-800-662-4357.

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