Jason Collins, the first out gay player in NBA history, told ESPN that he has stage 4 glioblastoma—an aggressive form of brain cancer, according to Gay City News. Collins’ news came just months after his family and the NBA said he had a brain tumor. Collins, appeared to be thriving earlier this year when he stood on the court at the Barclays Center for Nets’ Pride Night, flew around the country to facilitate queer youth inclusion clinics and married his longtime partner, Brunson Green. Collins, 47, is now in treatment in Singapore, where he is receiving targeted chemotherapy.
The documentary Billy Preston: That’s The Way God Planned It is getting a theatrical release via Abramorama, White Horse Pictures and Homegrown Pictures, Deadline noted. Directed by out gay Emmy winner Paris Barclay, the film—which overcame a legal challenge on the eve of its 2024 debut—tells the story of legendary keyboardist and Grammy winner Preston who played with The Beatles, Rolling Stones, Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin, Barbra Streisand, Little Richard and many others but also had his own hits (“Nothing From Nothing”). Preston had a challenging personal story, including childhood abuse, addiction, legal entanglements and demons he battled regarding his sexuality.
Netflix has canceled the gay-themed military dramedy Boots after just one season, TVLine confirmed after Deadline initially reported it. Miles Heizer starred as Cameron, a closeted gay teen from New Orleans who enlists in the U.S. Marines in 1990, before the days of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” Liam Oh co-starred as Ray, Cameron’s friend who enlists along with him, with Max Parker as drill instructor Sgt. Sullivan.
Them released a list of its most anticipated queer-themed movies of 2026. Among others, they include Kristen Stewart’s adaptation of queer writer Lidia Yuknavitch’s 2011 memoir The Chronology of Water; The Moment, which stars Charli XCX; Pillion, a gay BDSM film with Alexander Skarsgård and Henry Melling; Mother Mary, with Anne Hathaway, Michaela Coel, Hunter Schafer, Kaia Gerber and FKA twigs; and Heartstopper: Forever, which finds Nick (Kit Connor) and Charlie (Joe Locke) dealing with long distance when Nick goes away to college.
In a similar vein, Out revealed its list of the 13 best queer albums of 2025. They include Lambrini Girls’ Who Let the Dogs Out; Lady Gaga’s Mayhem (with the singles “Disease” and “Abracadabra”); Rosalia’s LUX; Tyler, the Creator’s Don’t Tap the Glass; Maren Morris’ Dreamsicle; and Rico Nasty’s Lethal, among others.
To celebrate its continued impact and influence, George Michael Entertainment and Sony Music have announced that on Feb. 20, 2026, multiple limited-edition Faith vinyl variants will be available on Red + Black Marble vinyl and Picture Disc as well as 1LP and 2LP black vinyl plus audio Blu-Ray, a press release noted. Written, arranged, produced and performed almost entirely by George Michael, Faith catapulted the then-24-year-old artist to global superstardom and a record-breaking run of four U.S. No. 1 singles, including “Faith,” “Father Figure,” “One More Try” and “Monkey.”
Anthony Geary—an eight-time Daytime Emmy winner for playing Luke Spencer on the long-running soap opera General Hospital—died due to complications from a medical procedure at age 78, per Variety. Geary’s husband, Claudio Gama, confirmed the news to TV Insider, saying, “It was a shock for me and our families and our friends. For more than 30 years, Tony has been my friend, my companion, my husband.” For his role on the soap, Geary was nominated for 17 Daytime Emmys, winning a record-breaking eight times.
Queer actor Wenne Alton Davis—who appeared in TV shows and films including The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, The Normal Heart and Rescue Me—was killed in a traffic accident in New York City, per Out. “I can only describe Wenne Davis as a bright light,” the actor’s agent, Jamie Harris of Clear Talent Group, said in a statement to The Advocate. “She had a huge love for New York, for acting, and, most of all, for her family and her circle of friends (which was also huge). She was someone for whom friendliness and kindness were not what she did but more who she was as a person.
Canadian streamer Crave okayed a second season of the LGBTQ+ ice-hockey drama Heated Rivalry, with HBO Max again boarding for rights in the U.S. and Australia, Deadline noted. In addition, HBO Max is reportedly striking deals with program distributor Sphere Abacus for more territories. Heated Rivalry—about a pair of top professional hockey players who secretly develop a romantic relationship that lasts years—established itself as a flagship show for Crave, and it has been widely praised. Based on Rachel Reid best-selling book series Game Changers, the six-episode, one-hour romantic drama tells the story of rival hockey players Shane Hollander (played by Hudson Williams) and Ilya Rozanov (Connor Storrie).
And on a related note, Brock McGillis—who, in 2016, became professional hockey’s first out gay player—thinks Heated Rivalry is entertaining, but not particularly empowering, EW noted. “Nobody’s like, ‘Oh, yeah. This came out and now I’m ready [to come out].’ It’s not happening,” he told the British LGBTQ+ news site PinkNews. “It’s probably more likely to have an adverse effect on a player coming out. And I hate to be negative because I really enjoy the show. But I also don’t believe that many hockey bros are going to watch it. And I don’t think, if they are watching it, they’re talking about it positively.”
Wicked co-stars Ariana Grande and Jonathan Bailey are planning to reunite in a revival of Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine’s Pulitzer Prize-winning musical Sunday in the Park With George, Deadline noted. The production will be directed by multiple Tony Award and Olivier Award winner Marianne Elliott in London in 2027. Mandy Patinkin and Bernadette Peters played the original roles of George and Dot, respectively, at the Booth Theatre on Broadway.
Global singer, songwriter, actor and philanthropist Josh Groban announced a North American tour with special guest Jennifer Hudson, per a press release. Kicking off June 2 at Place Bell in Montreal, the run will bring the pair to major markets across the U.S. and Canada, with highlights including Toronto on June 4, TD Garden in Boston on June 6, Madison Square Garden in New York City on June 12, Bridgestone Arena in Nashville on June 16 and Chicagoland’s Allstate Arena on June 27. In support of arts education nationwide, one dollar from every ticket sold will be donated to Groban’s Find Your Light Foundation.
Anderson Cooper signed a new contract and will be staying at CNN, People confirmed. His contract renewal comes amid a continually evolving broadcast news landscape, as CNN in particular shifts its focus to a broader digital audience. Cooper has been at CNN since 2001 and is approaching his 25th anniversary at the network; he began hosting Anderson Cooper 360 in 2003.
The producers of Cathedral City LGBT+ Days announced that pop artist and American Idol runner-up David Archuleta will headline the event’s 10th anniversary, taking place March 3–9, 2026, according to a press release. With the theme “CommUNITY Strong,” this festival plans to honor the resilience, diversity and strength of the LGBTQ+ community in the Coachella Valley and beyond. Archuleta will be on the main stage on March 7; other planned events include the Cat City Drag Race competition, Pride Drone show, marketplace, and the closing party at Agua Caliente Casino with Devin & Ned.
Rosie O’Donnell has hit out again at President Trump—this time, comparing him to Adolf Hitler, The Irish Star noted. O’Donnell (who lives in Ireland) had enjoyed a night out at a poetry event, praising a recent article about her in The Washington Post in which she discussed her lack of restraint in posting about her favorite topic: “the orange menace.” She stated, ”I just think if there was social media during World War 2, there would have been a lot of posts about Hitler, too. Someone is trying to actively destroy the country. Anyway, there you go—I did it again. ”
Nicki Minaj is once again courting backlash for aligning with the Trump administration’s anti-trans agenda—this time, for engaging in a (mostly one-sided) feud with California Gov. Gavin Newsom over trans kids, per Them. On a podcast, Newsom said, “I want to see trans kids. … There’s no governor that’s done more pro-trans legislation than I have.” On X, Minaj posted, “Imagine being the guy running on wanting to see trans kids. Haha. Not even a trans ADULT would run on that. Normal adults wake up & think they want to see HEALTHY, SAFE, HAPPY kids. Not Gav. The Gav Nots. GavOUT. Send in the next guy, I’m bored.” Minaj’s apparent beef with Newsom happened shortly after she shared X posts praising Vice President JD Vance.