How the Monroe area excelled during the LHSAA softball championships

How the Monroe area excelled during the LHSAA softball championships Treasure Washington, Monroe NewsStarMon, May 4, 2026 at 9:14 PM UTC 0 The 202526 LHSAA softball postseason culminated Sunday with three Monroearea teams winning state championships. Here's how Sterlington, Oak Grove and Quitman came away with titles and how six more local LHSAA semifinalists fared at the North Frasch Softball Complex in Sulphur. LHSAA baseball: Why West Monroe's Wade Simoneaux is retiring from coaching How Sterlington came away with a second championship in three seasons The Division III nonselect No.

How the Monroe area excelled during the LHSAA softball championships

Treasure Washington, Monroe News-StarMon, May 4, 2026 at 9:14 PM UTC

0

The 2025-26 LHSAA softball postseason culminated Sunday with three Monroe-area teams winning state championships.

Here's how Sterlington, Oak Grove and Quitman came away with titles and how six more local LHSAA semifinalists fared at the North Frasch Softball Complex in Sulphur.

LHSAA baseball: Why West Monroe's Wade Simoneaux is retiring from coaching

How Sterlington came away with a second championship in three seasons

The Division III nonselect No. 5 Lady Panthers took a 2-0 first-inning lead in the championship against No. 2 Kaplan, but the Lady Pirates immediately countered and led 4-2 after the second inning. It was critical for Sterlington to keep things close against Kaplan and continue fighting back.

After three straight scoreless innings, Sterlington broke through again in the sixth with Neely Kilpatrick's three-run homer. On a 1-0 count, the freshman lifted the ball to center field, and the Lady Panthers didn't look back as they defeated the Lady Pirates 5-4.

"We talked about moving up closer to the plate and looking for the outside pitch, because (Kaplan pitcher Lexi Greene) had been throwing that to a lot of our girls," Sterlington coach Jeff Tannehill said. "(Kilpatrick) hit a long home run. Just her being coachable and having a good eye for the ball, she did a really good job of executing the plan."

Division III nonselect champion Sterlington.

Multiple freshmen have stood out for Sterlington this spring, including Ansley Johnson, who pitched a four-hit shutout in the semifinals against No. 1 Jena, and Bea Cerda, who recorded a hit in five of the Lady Panthers' final six games. Three of Sterlington's players, Jaleeyah Alford, Sullivan Cannon and Tori Kelley, will graduate this spring and have all greatly impacted the program.

Tannehill said it doesn't get better defensively than Alford (an LSU-Alexandria signee) at third base. She has been a major contributor in both girls basketball and softball at Sterlington, from leading the Lady Panthers to back-to-back LHSAA semifinal appearances in Hammond to driving in the only run of the game against Jena with a double.

"The state of Sterlington athletics is honestly not something that comes around every day," Cannon said earlier in the season. "These coaches and the staff and (Sterlington football coach Lee) Doty being the (athletics director) overall, it's a great community. Everyone supports everyone. I couldn't ask for a better administration behind us.

"It's unbelievable to have football win and basketball make it far. (Girls basketball's Caroline Oliphant is) a great coach; (boys basketball coach Paul) Glynn is also a great coach. Baseball has also done its job, just like softball, and I couldn't ask for these great coaches. It's a great experience (over) my last four years."

What it means for Oak Grove to win its first title since 2019

Less than a week after Oak Grove's loss to Westlake in the LHSAA girls basketball semifinals, the D-IV nonselect No. 2 Lady Tigers softball team won their season opener 5-4 against D-III select No. 4 D'Arbonne Woods Charter. Oak Grove then lost its next four games of the season, two of which came against eventual LHSAA champions.

The losses helped the Lady Tigers get to where they are now. They know what strong pitching looks like, especially in this spring's championship against reigning runner-up and No. 1 LaSalle. Sophomore Landry Long wasn't just one of the area's top aces but also one of its best leadoff hitters.

Oak Grove ended LaSalle's bid in winning back-to-back titles (which would have been a first in program history) with an 8-0 victory. Sophomore Kinley Cox, who missed time throughout the season, struck out 10 in the circle and went 3-for-4 with a double. Junior and LSU women's basketball commit Caroline Bradley, who smashed 13 home runs in her first year on varsity, went 4-for-5 with two doubles.

Division IV nonselect champion Oak Grove.

"It started off a little rough," Oak Grove coach Lacey Hill said regarding the championship season. "We weren't really seeing the ball well, weren't hitting it well. Then about halfway through (the season) we kind of figured some things out. That's all I asked them to do."

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Sports at Oak Grove are thriving as baseball won LHSAA championships from 2021-25. The Lady Tigers aim on winning back-to-back titles next spring, a feat that was previously accomplished in 2018-19. The program will return much of its team as Ellie Ray is the lone player graduating.

"We've got great kids and great coaches for all sports that we have," Hill said. "Once they see other teams win, they're like, 'Hey, I want to do that.' Just being from where we are, a small town, people work around here. The kids are also instilled to work, and they put that into their athletics. It just shows at Oak Grove."

Quitman continues to ascend as one of Louisiana's top programs

The Lady Wolverines' first four LHSAA championship appearances ended with a loss to Anacoco in 2012, close defeats to Florien in 2014 and 2015 and a one-run loss to Converse in 2023. Quitman bounced back by winning state over the next three seasons.

It won its latest championship against Class B No. 4 Anacoco 7-5 as sophomore Brenna Lamkin and senior Maggie Guyotte had strong outings in the circle and sophomore Hallie Kate Pullig knocked in her sixth extra base hit of the postseason. Among the team's biggest contributors is sophomore Briley Bowers, who smacked two doubles in the championship.

For Quitman coach Justin Dodson, winning state once is an amazing feat. To win it three times in a row is a greater accomplishment.

Class B champion Quitman.

"Every year, they get stronger and better," Dodson said. "We play tougher competition to where the playoffs aren't so bad. This year, the girls just stepped up whenever I needed them to. My pitchers, if one of them was down, the other one stepped up. At the plate, we hit the ball hard. Sometimes my big hitters that normally hit would be off, and the bottom half of the lineup would have to bounce out."

The lone player the No. 2 Lady Wolverines graduate is one of the LHSAA's best softball players. Guyotte (a Louisiana Tech signee) holds state records in hits (305) and RBIs (275) and has 74 career home runs. One of her biggest moments this postseason was recording a three-inning save with five strikeouts in the semifinals against Hicks. Dodson said that was the biggest moment Guyotte ever had in the circle for Quitman.

Guyotte's last moment in a Lady Wolverine uniform was recording the final out to seal her team's third-straight title.

"I'm going to miss her leadership," Dodson said. "She wants to practice every day and wants to get after it. That can be contagious for the other kids. She'll be right down the road (at La. Tech), but she'll come back and see us."

More Monroe-area teams shined in Sulphur

Two more local teams were LHSAA runners-up in D-IV select No. 14 St. Frederick and Class C No. 2 Claiborne Christian.

Despite losing to No. 1 Riverside Academy 11-1, the Lady Warriors appeared in their first championship since 2000 and took down three top-six seeds this postseason to make the finals. The back-to-back runners-up Lady Crusaders, who fell to No. 1 Northside Christian 10-4 in the finals and last won state in 2023, look to continue building their program.

D-I nonselect No. 3 West Monroe and Woods' seasons ended in the semifinals against No. 10 Live Oak (4-2) and six-time reigning champion and No. 1 Calvary Baptist (12-2), respectively.

The Lady Rebels soared under first-year coach and 1999 West Monroe graduate Brian West. The team won its previous 12 contests heading into Sulphur, three of which came against state champions. While the Lady Wolves have not won a championship, this was the third time over four seasons they appeared in the semifinals. Woods were LHSAA runners-up in 2023 and 2025.

This article originally appeared on Monroe News-Star: LHSAA softball | Three teams from Monroe area won state championships

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How the Monroe area excelled during the LHSAA softball championships

How the Monroe area excelled during the LHSAA softball championships Treasure Washington, Monroe NewsStarMon, May 4, 2026 at 9:1...

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Sadly, the actor's new collection is not called Chandle Michael Murray. Chad Michael Murray continues Today tradition by gifting hosts a bunch of his new candles Sadly, the actor's new collection is not called Chandle Michael Murray. By Emlyn Travis :maxbytes(150000):stripicc()/EmlynTravisauthorphotocba6765b433b4f93b9398d18053153b1.jpg) Emlyn Travis Emlyn Travis is a news writer at . She has been working at EW since 2022. Her work has previously appeared on MTV News, Teen Vogue, and NME. EW's editorial guidelines May 4, 2026 3:03 p.m.

Sadly, the actor's new collection is not called Chandle Michael Murray.

Chad Michael Murray continues Today tradition by gifting hosts a bunch of his new candles

Sadly, the actor's new collection is not called Chandle Michael Murray.

By Emlyn Travis

Emlyn Travis

Emlyn Travis is a news writer at **. She has been working at EW since 2022. Her work has previously appeared on MTV News, Teen Vogue, and NME.

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May 4, 2026 3:03 p.m. ET

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Chad Michael Murray on 'Today'. Credit:

- Chad Michael Murray is continuing his tradition of exchanging gifts with the *Today* hosts.

- The *One Tree Hill* alum surprised the anchors with products from his new candle line, Coast to Coast by Chad Michael Murray, on Monday.

- "Scents are memories, right? They can transport you," he said.

The *Today* coanchors were all alight on Monday’s episode when Chad Michael Murray presented them with an extra special, scented gift.

The *Sullivan’s Crossing** *star surprised the hosts with new his new candle collection, Coast to Coast by Chad Michael Murray, as part of their long-running tradition of giving each other presents whenever he visits the daytime talk show.

“So the first time I came, I brought some sexy calendars. Maybe not so sexy. You remember the calendars?” Murray teased, referring to the shirtless schedule released in support of his 2024 Netflix holiday film,* The Merry Gentlemen*. “And then I came in and you guys gave me a jersey, which I still have.”

Murray in London last year.

Jeff Spicer/Getty

He continued, “So this time, I thought… you guys would be the first people to receive this — and I don't know where it is, but — I've got my own line of candles coming.”

Al Roker, Craig Melvin, and Dylan Dreyer were then presented with their own individual candles, which they all began to smell and remark upon. Taking a shot at Melvin, Murray jokingly added, “I hear that you're in the candle business, so now we got a little bit of a thing going here.”

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Chad Michael Murray weighs in on Scott Patterson's departure from 'Sullivan's Crossing'

Melvin started his own candle company, Melvin Made, last year, with proceeds from each sale going toward helping families fight cancer.

On the show, Murray explained that the candle has a sweet connection to his series *Sullivan’s Crossing*.

“This is ‘California Summer,’ a little wink and a nod to California Jones,” he said, referring to his character on the CW show. “Each lid’ll be different because it's an homage to something. I chop a lot of wood* Sullivan's Crossing*, so I thought that was a little funny wink and a nod.”

***Get your daily dose of entertainment news, celebrity updates, and what to watch with our ******EW Dispatch newsletter******.***

He continued, “Scents are memories, right? They can transport you. So when I get off of a plane in Wilmington, North Carolina, the smell of azaleas makes me go right back to *One Tree Hill** *playing on the river court, and this right here reminds me of the summers in Nova Scotia shooting* Sullivan's Crossing.”*

While Roker and Dreyer expressed their excitement over the candles, Melvin and Murray quickly found themselves waxing on about… well, wax. “Oh, you’re a soy wax guy, huh?” Melvin asked. “One hundred percent soy, or do you use a blend?”

Murray confirmed that the candle is made of soy before Roker stepped in and reminded the pair that they were very much still on live television.

“Well, why don't you guys talk wick a little bit later?” he asked as the hosts laughed.

Watch Murray bring a little bit of light (literally) to the Today show in the clip above.

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Chad Michael Murray continues Today tradition by gifting hosts a bunch of his new candles

Sadly, the actor's new collection is not called Chandle Michael Murray . Chad Michael Murray continues Today tradition by gif...

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Bears HC Ben Johnson explains why he had to have rookie Zavion Thomas

Bears HC Ben Johnson explains why he had to have rookie Zavion Thomas Alyssa Barbieri, Bears WireMon, May 4, 2026 at 9:13 PM UTC 0 The Chicago Bears made some surprising moves on Day 2 of the 2026 NFL Draft, when they went alloffense with their three selections. But one of the biggest surprises was the selection of LSU wide receiver Zavion Thomas in the third round. There were some draft analysts who had Thomas pegged as a seventhround pick, and Chicago landed him late on Day 2. But when you look at Thomas, it's not hard to see what might've intrigued head coach Ben Johnson.

Bears HC Ben Johnson explains why he had to have rookie Zavion Thomas

Alyssa Barbieri, Bears WireMon, May 4, 2026 at 9:13 PM UTC

0

The Chicago Bears made some surprising moves on Day 2 of the 2026 NFL Draft, when they went all-offense with their three selections. But one of the biggest surprises was the selection of LSU wide receiver Zavion Thomas in the third round.

There were some draft analysts who had Thomas pegged as a seventh-round pick, and Chicago landed him late on Day 2. But when you look at Thomas, it's not hard to see what might've intrigued head coach Ben Johnson. Thomas has impressive speed and playmaking ability, as well as special teams versatility, which should make him a weapon all over the field. But don't take it from me. Listen to why Johnson just had to have Thomas on his team.

"He has a unique skillset, just in terms of him being a 4.2 (40-yard dash) guy," Johnson said. "Those guys don't grow on trees. It's easy to look at because that flashes up and everyone sees it, but yet, when you turn on the tape, it's more than just being able to run deep routes. The versatility that he showed both at Mississippi State and at LSU, from the backfield, whether it's running routes or getting hand-offs.

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"Then, the returning aspect of it. I think it all adds up. (Wide Receivers) Coach (Antwaan) Randle El, myself, (Offensive Coordinator) Press Taylor, we all have a vision of how this guy could really help us. As I talked about, it's a compliment to what Rome does best, what Luther does best, Kalif (Raymond) does best. He's a guy that we really feel like can play a key component in what we want to do this year."

Thomas joins a young receivers room headlined by Rome Odunze and Luther Burden III, as well as free-agent addition Kalif Raymond. With Raymond only under contract for one year, it's possible that Johnson is looking to develop Thomas as his potential replacement both in the passing game and as a return specialist.

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This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Bears HC Ben Johnson explains why he had to have rookie Zavion Thomas

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Bears HC Ben Johnson explains why he had to have rookie Zavion Thomas

Bears HC Ben Johnson explains why he had to have rookie Zavion Thomas Alyssa Barbieri, Bears WireMon, May 4, 2026 at 9:13 PM UTC...

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Vampire Diaries star Ian Somerhalder reveals why he was jealous of Chris Wood's Kai By Samantha Highfill :maxbytes(150000):stripicc()/SamanthaHighfillauthorphoto0917254112e875604542d49744a27de908d183.jpg) Samantha Highfill Samantha Highfill is an executive editor at , where she's worked for more than 12 years covering television. EW's editorial guidelines August 20, 2021 9:00 a.m. ET The Vampire Diaries creators have talked a lot about the importance of a great villain for the series, and in its later seasons, there was one villain that stood out among the rest: Kai Parker (Chris Wood).

Vampire Diaries star Ian Somerhalder reveals why he was jealous of Chris Wood's Kai

By Samantha Highfill

Samantha Highfill

Samantha Highfill is an executive editor at **, where she's worked for more than 12 years covering television.

EW's editorial guidelines

August 20, 2021 9:00 a.m. ET

The* Vampire Diaries* creators have talked a lot about the importance of a great villain for the series, and in its later seasons, there was one villain that stood out among the rest: Kai Parker (Chris Wood). Introduced in season 6, the sociopathic siphoner quickly became a favorite in the *TVD* fandom, and for Ian Somerhalder, whose Damon Salvatore was the series' first villain, Kai marked a significant shift for the show.

In episode 6 of *EW's Binge: The Vampire Diaries*, Somerhalder recalls his hesitation about Damon becoming a good — or at least better — guy in the show's third season. "I was so upset about the trajectory of Damon," Somerhalder says. "So much so that at one point I was sitting across from [executive producer] Julie [Plec] in her office in Atlanta almost in tears so angry about this."

Plec, along with her co-creator Kevin Williamson, explained that Damon couldn't be what they called a "one trick pony," that he was going to be the villain at times and the hero at others. But that's precisely why Somerhalder says he was jealous of what Chris Wood got to do as Kai in season 6. "That's why I was always so in love with what Chris Wood was doing on screen, because up until that moment, there was never a character in the show, other than Stefan in the Ripper age, that actually had the ability to not be so serious, to do horrific things but do it with a smile," Somerhalder says.

As far as Wood's inspiration for Kai, Wood, who's also on the podcast, says, "We talked about Ted Bundy if he was really funny. It was the worst person in the world who's also like maybe a good hang if you can get him to shut up for a second. That was sort of what I was always going for."

For more listen to the full podcast episode, featuring Somerhalder, Wood and executive producer Julie Plec, below:

**To listen, subscribe to *EW's Binge: The Vampire Diaries* feed via Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. You can also subscribe to EW's YouTube page to catch all the video interviews, and stay tuned to EW.com.**

**Related content:**

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- Sci-Fi & Fantasy Shows

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Vampire Diaries star Ian Somerhalder reveals why he was jealous of Chris Wood's Kai

Vampire Diaries star Ian Somerhalder reveals why he was jealous of Chris Wood's Kai By Samantha Highfill :maxbytes(150000):s...

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Also, Julie Plec reveals why Bamon never happened. Vampire Diaries boss reveals the real reason they killed Katherine in season 5 Also, Julie Plec reveals why Bamon never happened. By Samantha Highfill :maxbytes(150000):stripicc()/SamanthaHighfillauthorphoto0917254112e875604542d49744a27de908d183.jpg) Samantha Highfill Samantha Highfill is an executive editor at , where she's worked for more than 12 years covering television. EW's editorial guidelines August 18, 2021 9:00 a.m. ET Katherine Pierce was a staple of the Vampire Diaries universe.

Also, Julie Plec reveals why Bamon never happened.

Vampire Diaries boss reveals the real reason they killed Katherine in season 5

Also, Julie Plec reveals why Bamon never happened.

By Samantha Highfill

Samantha Highfill

Samantha Highfill is an executive editor at **, where she's worked for more than 12 years covering television.

EW's editorial guidelines

August 18, 2021 9:00 a.m. ET

Katherine Pierce was a staple of the *Vampire Diaries* universe. But at one point in the series, the writers had to fight to tell more of her story.

"We had to negotiate for the right to let Nina [Dobrev] play Katherine again because the season 2 Katherine [story] had really taken everything out of her and the network was being very protective," executive producer Julie Plec says about the show's fifth season during episode 5 of *EW's Binge: The Vampire Diaries*. "[The network] and studio were being very protective and they were like, 'You can't do that anymore, you can't have Katherine.'"

On an earlier episode of the podcast, Dobrev spoke about how exhausted she was at the end of season 2, the first season in which she played both Elena and Katherine in the present day. So when it came time to make Katherine human and even introduce a third Petrova doppelgänger, the writers had to get creative. "We had to basically beg the network to let us even write story for Katherine," Plec says, noting that "the triplegänger made the whole thing worth it."

Nina Dobrev as Katherine Pierce on 'The Vampire Diaries'. Tina Rowden/The CW

Fans will remember that season 5 featured Katherine taking over Elena's body, which meant that for a good chunk of the season, Dobrev only had one character to play. And then, eventually, Katherine met her demise, a decision that also came about following those negotiations. "I literally think we had to say we'll kill her in order to get permission to use her," Plec recalls.

Additionally, during the podcast, Plec discusses the choice to have Bonnie (Kat Graham) and Damon (Ian Somerhalder) be the two characters who "die" together at the end of season 5, which led to a discussion about Bamon, the popular ship. "Bonnie and Damon had a thing in the books we had sort of always said, 'We don't buy a romantic connection between Bonnie and Damon because Damon's just done too many terrible things and Bonnie just has more integrity than that,'" Plec says. "But we wanted to service that relationship in the canon a little bit."

For more about season 5—and the series overall—listen to the full episode below:

**To listen, subscribe to *EW's Binge: The Vampire Diaries* feed via Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. You can also subscribe to EW's YouTube page to catch all the video interviews and stay tuned to EW.com.**

**Related content:**

- *Vampire Diaries* bosses on the 'controversial' sire bond and the role Pedro Pascal auditioned for

- *Vampire Diaries* boss Julie Plec explains why Klaroline could never happen today

- *Vampire Diaries* star Paul Wesley on Stelena's season 2 split: I was 'dealing with my own stuff' on screen

- *Vampire Diaries* creators talk season 1 Katherine twist, the fan response that left them 'aghast'

- Sci-Fi & Fantasy Shows

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Vampire Diaries boss reveals the real reason they killed Katherine in season 5

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The Scottish star said he, Ian McKellen, Rebecca Romijn, James Marsden, and more have stayed friends after being &34;so traumatized&34; by the mutant film. Alan Cumming says he and his X2 costars are 'bonded in trauma' from experience shooting film The Scottish star said he, Ian McKellen, Rebecca Romijn, James Marsden, and more have stayed friends after being &34;so traumatized&34; by the mutant film. By Ryan Coleman :maxbytes(150000):stripicc()/RyanColemanauthorphoto0081ce8f0254478080f35972c433877b.

The Scottish star said he, Ian McKellen, Rebecca Romijn, James Marsden, and more have stayed friends after being "so traumatized" by the mutant film.

Alan Cumming says he and his X2 costars are 'bonded in trauma' from experience shooting film

The Scottish star said he, Ian McKellen, Rebecca Romijn, James Marsden, and more have stayed friends after being "so traumatized" by the mutant film.

By Ryan Coleman

Ryan Coleman

Ryan Coleman is a news writer for with previous work in MUBI Notebook, Slant, and the LA Review of Books.

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Halle Berry and Alan Cumming in 'X2'. Credit:

Moviestore/Shutterstock

- Alan Cumming says he's "bonded in trauma" with his *X2: X-Men United *costars.

- The *Traitors *host said he and costars like Ian McKellen, James Marsden, and Rebecca Romijn were "so traumatized" by the experience that they've stayed friends.

- Several members of the *X2 *cast are set to reunite on the upcoming *Avengers: Doomsday*.

Alan Cumming is keeping it real regarding his *X-Men** *past.

The Scottish star recently opened up about the "trauma" he and his *X2: X-Men United** *castmates endured while shooting the super-mutant sequel, which premiered in 2003.

"It's one of those films where I think we all were so traumatized we were bonded in trauma, so we stayed in touch," Cumming noted while speaking with PEOPLE at the TriBeCa ball at the New York Academy of Art on April 20.

Alan Cumming in 'X-Men 2' as Nightcrawler.

Moviestore/Shutterstock

Cumming and several of his *X-Men *franchise alums will soon appear in *Avengers: Doomsday*, the first new *Avengers *entry in the Marvel Cinematic Universe since 2019's blockbuster *Avengers: Endgame*.

"The ones that I did reunite with, I've seen them since," he shared. "I also didn't reunite with that many because we did it all sort of separately; it was a bit of a modern way of doing things."

Cumming then called out the specific actors from *X2*'s expansive ensemble that he's stayed close with.

"I'm very chummy with Ian [McKellen], I've seen Rebecca [Romijn] over the years. Patrick [Stewart], I've seen quite a lot. Jimmy [Marsden], I've seen a lot of them actually," he shared.

'Avengers: Doomsday' trailer reveals first look at Robert Downey Jr.'s supervillain

BAFTAs host Alan Cumming apologizes for Tourette syndrome advocate shouting 'strong language' during ceremony

The sequel to 2000's franchise kickstarter *X-Men*, *X2 *reunited Romijn, McKellen, Stewart, Hugh Jackman, Halle Berry, and Famke Janssen, and introduced Cumming's Nightcrawler.

Cumming and others associated with the film have previously spoken about trauma the cast endured on the set of the multimillion dollar production helmed by the disgraced Bryan Singer.

***Get your daily dose of entertainment news, celebrity updates, and what to watch with our ******EW Dispatch newsletter******.***

Singer was sued in 2017 for allegedly raping a 17-year-old boy in 2003. Singer denied the allegations and settled the case in 2019. But he was hit with more allegations of sexual misconduct with underage boys that year, which he also denied.

Reports began to emerge of the extraordinary difficulty the cast of the early *X-Men *films had with their director, including one 2020 allegation that the cast of *X2 *threatened to quit en masse if Singer didn't improve on-set conditions.

Berry even named names in a February interview with **, proudly recalling the day she "got to tell Bryan Singer just where to go and how to get there."

- Superhero Movies

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Alan Cumming says he and his X2 costars are 'bonded in trauma' from experience shooting film

The Scottish star said he, Ian McKellen, Rebecca Romijn, James Marsden, and more have stayed friends after being &34;so traumatized...

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Blunt tells EW that one of their lines gave her &34;goosies&34; on set, and Tucci called Nigel's decision a &34;bold move&34; for the character. Emily Blunt, Stanley Tucci react to their characters' major twists in Devil Wears Prada 2 Blunt tells EW that one of their lines gave her &34;goosies&34; on set, and Tucci called Nigel's decision a &34;bold move&34; for the character. :maxbytes(150000):stripicc()/JoeyNolfiBiophotof93a23298bdd47ba9c13f53815fc469b.jpg) Joey Nolfi Joey Nolfi is a senior writer at .

Blunt tells EW that one of their lines gave her "goosies" on set, and Tucci called Nigel's decision a "bold move" for the character.

Emily Blunt, Stanley Tucci react to their characters' major twists in Devil Wears Prada 2

Blunt tells EW that one of their lines gave her "goosies" on set, and Tucci called Nigel's decision a "bold move" for the character.

Joey Nolfi

Joey Nolfi is a senior writer at *. *Since 2016, his work at EW includes RuPaul's Drag Race video interviews, Oscars predictions, and more.

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Emily Blunt and Stanley Tucci in 'The Devil Wears Prada 2'. Credit:

Macall Polay/20th Century Studios (2)

- Stanley Tucci and Emily Blunt react to big twists involving Nigel and Emily in *The Devil Wears Prada 2*.

- The actors and real-life family members tell EW how they feel about big sequel shifts for their characters.

- "She needed to be taken down a peg or two," Blunt says of her snooty character.

**This article contains spoilers for *****The Devil Wears Prada 2******.***

You probably won't catch Emily Blunt's character in *The Devil Wears Prada 2 *at a hideous skirt convention, but her behavior in the highly anticipated sequel is ghastly all on its own.

In a joint interview with **, Blunt and fellow returning star Stanley Tucci react to Emily ultimately blindsiding Andy (Anne Hathaway) and Miranda (Meryl Streep) — while Nigel (Tucci) balances things out in a moving twist that virtually knocked Blunt right off her heels.

"I think Emily is someone willing to claw over someone's back to steal anything," Blunt says of her character, who secretly plots to have her billionaire boyfriend, Benji (Justin Theroux), buy *Runway* to oust Miranda and install herself as its new leader.

Emily Blunt returns as Emily Charlton in 'The Devil Wears Prada 2'.

20th Century Studios

Blunt says Emily is "on a quest for success at her own undoing." The fan-favorite character is reintroduced 20 years after her departure from *Runway*, having climbed the couture ladder to become the head of Dior's United States division.

"I think she's always been someone who defines herself by her job, which is a slippery slope. I love her. I *have* to love her, playing her. I see her more as desperate than cruel," Blunt explains. "You kind of want to see Emily get her comeuppance, but what I appreciated about the film is it does deal with resolution, forgiveness, and some tentative step forward, that they all might've learned something along the way. She needed to be taken down a peg or two."

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Blunt's words recall a scene that, after the dust settles from Andy and Miranda's scheme to buy *Runway* out from under Emily, sees her sit for an afternoon lunch with Andy, where they begin an earnest friendship for the first time in two decades.

And then there's Nigel, who, since the events of the first film, has long harbored a soft spot for Andy. His feelings are even more apparent in the sequel, in which Elias Clarke Publications' head, Irv Ravitz (Tibor Feldman), hires Andy — now a renowned journalist — to return to boost her former workplace's credibility in the media.

In the film's last scene, however, it's revealed that Nigel actually orchestrated Andy's return: "Forever my girl," he says, cradling her just before the movie ends.

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"That line might be one of my favorites," Blunt admits, telling her brother-in-law (Tucci married Blunt's sister, Felicity, in 2012) that the line gave her "goosies" on set.

"I think he's been aware of what she's been doing for the past 20 years, making significant inroads to the world of journalism — but *real* journalism. He knows very well that *Runway* is on quicksand, and it needs help," Tucci explains of Nigel's actions. "He always loved and admired her, and it just made sense. It's a bold move, but I love the way it's addressed in the script. I think it's beautifully done, and it's so simple. You don't expect it at all."

*The Devil Wears Prada 2* is now playing in theaters nationwide.

- Comedy Movies

Original Article on Source

Source: "EW Comedy"

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Source: Comedy

Published: May 3, 2026 at 09:38AM on Source: MORNING MAG

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May 03, 2026

Emily Blunt, Stanley Tucci react to their characters' major twists in Devil Wears Prada 2

Blunt tells EW that one of their lines gave her &34;goosies&34; on set, and Tucci called Nigel's decision a &34;bold m...

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