Related: Meet the Women Competing for Joey Graziadei’s Heart on Bachelor Season 28
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Jess Edwards Disney/Richard Middlesworth
Jess Edwards is ready to shoot her shot with Joey Graziadei on The Bachelor season 28.
“I think Jess & Joey has a nice to it…” Jess, 24, wrote via Instagram in December 2023 after her casting was announced.
Jess will be one of the 32 women looking for love with Joey, 28, on his season, which premieres on ABC Monday, January 22. Joey, for his part, was nervous about balancing connections with multiple women — and not finding The One.
“I think when you get put in this position, your insecurities get magnified,” Joey exclusively told Us Weekly ahead of the season premiere. “I’ve had that issue my entire life where I’ve always questioned if I was going to be good enough for someone in their eyes.”
He continued, “If I finally got to the point that I thought I found my forever person and they didn’t feel the same way, [it’d be hard]. So I mean, [the emotions are] going to come out throughout the season. I talk about it plenty because I’m in a position where my emotions are heightened, and it’s a big fear of mine. And it’s something that I’ve lived with and I’ve tried to work through as much as I can.”
Keep scrolling to get to know his contestant Jess:
According to her official ABC cast bio, Jess is excited to meet Joey because she wants “to find someone that [she] can trust [her] heart with, someone who will respect [her] and someone who will do anything to cherish [their relationship.]”
Jess also mentioned that she has “always dreamed of finding her perfect fairy-tale love story.”
While Jess grew up in east Tennessee, she currently lives in San Diego, California, with her Yorkipoo, Charli.
Jess works as an executive assistant, and per her cast bio, gets to help “people who have been impacted by natural disasters.”
Jess Edwards Disney/John Fleenor
Jess studied advertising and public relations at East Tennessee State University, graduating in 2020. There, she was a proud member of sorority Alpha Delta Pi.
Jess made sure to let Us know that her personal aesthetic can be described as “country glamour” and that she’s a “sucker for a pretty view.” The most perplexing fun fact listed on her bio is that she “read her first book for fun last summer.”
Jess Edwards is ready to shoot her shot with Joey Graziadei on The Bachelor season 28. “I think Jess & Joey has a nice 💍to it…” Jess, 24, wrote via Instagram in December 2023 after her casting was announced. Jess will be one of the 32 women looking for love with Joey, 28, on his
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Jennifer Lopez is once again at the center of a media storm — but this time, it’s her first husband, Ojani Noa, turning up the heat. Following Lopez’s recent Howard Stern Show interview, in which she claimed she has “never been truly loved” by any of her exes, Noa has publicly accused the superstar of cheating and playing the victim.
In the viral Instagram post that has now spread across major outlets like TMZ and New York Post, Noa didn’t hold back.
“Stop putting us down. Stop putting me down with your victim card,” he wrote. “The problem is not us. Not me. The problem is you. You’re the one who couldn’t keep it in your pants.”
Noa and Lopez were married briefly from 1997 to 1998, before her rise to Hollywood superstardom. In his explosive statement, he accused her of being unfaithful during their marriage, claiming she prioritized fame over their relationship.
“You have been loved a few times. You’ve been married four times. And have had countless relationships in between,” Noa continued. “You decided to lie, to cheat on me. You begged me to keep the marriage intact to avoid bad press.”
Noa described himself as “faithful, honest, and loving,” saying he uprooted his life and career to support Lopez at the beginning of her entertainment journey. “I left my family, my friends, everything behind for you,” he wrote, “but once fame came calling, you left me behind.”
As of now, Jennifer Lopez has not publicly responded to Noa’s allegations. During her Howard Stern interview, the singer and actress claimed her former partners “weren’t capable” of loving her, saying, “It’s not that I’m not lovable… it’s that they’re not capable.”
Her remarks were widely interpreted as referencing all of her ex-husbands — including Marc Anthony, Cris Judd, and Ben Affleck — but it was Noa who reacted first and most forcefully. His comments have ignited widespread debate online, with many questioning whether Lopez’s honesty came at the expense of others’ reputations.
The online reaction has been intense, with social media users split between defending Lopez’s right to share her truth and blasting her for allegedly rewriting history. Meanwhile, entertainment analysts note that the controversy adds to an increasingly turbulent year for the singer, following canceled tours, underperforming films, and ongoing scrutiny over her marriage to Affleck.
This latest backlash has also reignited conversations about Lopez’s highly publicized romantic history. As tabloids and fans speculate whether more exes might respond, the situation underscores an old truth in celebrity culture — that every candid confession comes with consequences.
For now, Jennifer Lopez remains silent. But in the court of public opinion, the debate about who’s really at fault in her love story is only just beginning.
By all appearances, Hollywood is a dream factory — a place where charisma, talent, and luck collide to create stars. But behind the camera lights and red carpets lies a conversation few inside the industry speak openly about: the spiritual and moral price of ambition.
For actor Omar Gooding, the idea of “selling your soul” in Hollywood isn’t a metaphor — it’s a moral process that begins with tiny compromises. In an October 2025 interview, Gooding explained that no one in Hollywood makes a literal deal with the devil. Instead, it’s the quiet yeses, the moments when comfort overrides conviction, that mark the beginning of the trade. “They don’t say, ‘Take this or you’ll never make it,’” he said. “They just put it in front of you. You choose.”
Those choices, he argues, create a pattern. Once you show that you’ll accept something you once resisted, the industry notices. “Hollywood knows who it can get away with what,” Gooding said. “One thing always leads to another.” The phrase “selling your soul,” in this context, means losing your say — doing what you’re told rather than what you believe in.
That moral tension has long shadowed the arts. Comedians like Dave Chappelle, who famously walked away from millions to preserve his creative integrity, often serve as examples of where conviction and career collide. In resurfaced interviews, Chappelle hinted that he felt manipulated and silenced by powerful figures who sought control of his narrative, warning that “they’re trying to convince me I’m insane.”
This isn’t just about conspiracy — it’s about agency. Hollywood runs on perception. Performers are rewarded for being agreeable, moldable, entertaining. Those who question the machine or refuse the script risk exile, while those who conform are elevated — sometimes beyond what they can handle.
“We see the ‘collections’ all the time,” Gooding explained. “When the bill comes due, you can tell. They made that deal long ago.”
But the story doesn’t end in darkness. Gooding also emphasizes that in today’s entertainment landscape, artists have more control than ever. With streaming, social media, and creator‑driven platforms, performers don’t have to “play the game” to be seen. Independent creators can build their own stages, speak their own truths, and reach millions without trading authenticity for access.
Still, the temptation remains — recognition, validation, quick success. And every generation of artists must answer the same question: What are you willing to do for fame?
As Gooding put it, “You just make the best choices you can. Because once it’s gone — your name, your peace, your soul — there’s no buying it back.”
California just made a dramatic stand for human creativity, defeating the threat of AI actor clones with a sweeping new law that puts people—not algorithms—back in the Hollywood spotlight. With the stroke of Governor Gavin Newsom’s pen in October 2025, the state has sent a clear message to studios, tech companies, and the world: entertainment’s heart belongs to those who create and perform, not to digital facsimiles.
For months, the entertainment industry has been divided over the use of artificial intelligence in filmmaking. Studios, lured by promises of cost-cutting and creative flexibility, have invested in software that can mimic an actor’s face, voice, and even emotional range. But for performers, this wave of synthetic reproduction has triggered alarm—encouraged by chilling stories of deepfakes, unauthorized digital doubles, and contracts that let studios reuse a star’s likeness indefinitely, sometimes without pay or approval.
The new California law, anchored by AB 2602 and AB 1836, changes everything:
The legislation rides the momentum of the recent SAG-AFTRA strike, where real-life talent demanded control over their own digital destinies. Leaders say these protections will empower artists to negotiate fair contracts and refuse participation in projects that cross ethical lines, restoring dignity and choice in an industry threatened by silent algorithms.
Stars, unions, and advocacy groups are hailing the law as the most robust defense yet against unwanted AI replications.
As one actor put it, “This isn’t just about money—it’s about identity, legacy, and respect for real artists in a synthetic age.”
California’s move isn’t just a victory for local talent—it’s a warning shot to studios everywhere. Companies will now be forced to rethink production pipelines, consult legal counsel, and obtain proper clearance before digitally cloning anyone. Global entertainment platforms and tech developers will need to comply if they want to do business in the world’s entertainment capital.
These laws also set a template likely to ripple through other creative fields, from musicians whose voices can be synthesized to writers whose work could be mimicked by generative AI. For now, California performers finally have a powerful shield, ready to fight for the right to shape their own public image.
With its no-nonsense ban on AI actor clones, California draws a bold line, championing the work, likeness, and very humanity of its creative stars. It’s a landmark step that forces the entertainment industry to choose: respect real talent, or face real consequences. The age of the consentless digital double is over—human performers remain the true source of Hollywood magic.
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