Pop Culture Roundup: Karamo Brown and a Sinners Victory Took Over Our Timeline This Week
By Elizabeth Paige Richardson | January 23, 2026 | Celebrity & Culture
Sinners behind the scenes. Credit: Eli Joshua Adé, Warner Bros. Studios
Whether you get your news from People magazine spreads, podcasts, or scrolling through Instagram, there’s a lot to keep up with in the celebrity sphere. From dating drama to new drops from artists that have lit up social media all week, we’ve kept up with all the online chatter. We’ve handpicked the most gossip-worthy celebrity stories that will get the group chat talking nonstop this weekend.
For the week of Jan 18 to 24:
The Drama: Karamo Brown accuses his Queer Eye castmates of bullying in the most public way possible
Anything can happen on live TV, and Karamo Brown made the ultimate surprise move by not showing up to a live interview on CBS Mornings with his fellow Queer Eye castmates, instead leaving a public statement claiming that he preaches protecting “mental health/peace from people or a world who seek to destroy it.” It was a somewhat awkward moment as his costars had to respond on the fly to Gayle King’s questions.
To his credit, Jonathan Van Ness said he was “proud” of Karamo’s actions and claimed that they should meet him “where he’s at,” but the two sides have unfollowed each other on social media.
Commenters have questioned why Brown pulled the surprise move to protect his peace in the most public way possible instead of privately addressing the issue or giving his costars prior warning. Others are left wondering how, in a show that focuses on inclusivity and accepting others the way they are, bullying could be a core part of the Fab Five’s dynamic. Only time will tell if this will stain the legacy of the newest (and final) season of Queer Eye.
The Spotlight: Ryan Coogler’s Sinners gets 16 Oscar nominations and love from fans
After this month’s disappointing Golden Globe “haul” for Sinners (a mere 2 awards), it’s impossible to overstate the pure excitement over Sinner’s record-breaking 16 nominations in the 2026 Academy Awards. Fans are manifesting for Delroy Lindo and Wunmi Mosaku to walk across that stage and give acceptance speeches for Best Supporting Actor and Best Supporting Actress, respectively.
Another historic moment is the film’s cinematographer, Autumn Durald Arkapaw, becoming the first woman of color to be nominated for Best Cinematography in history. While we can have the familiar conversation of what took so long, fans have used the moment to spotlight how director Ryan Coogler has the talent to recognize other talented people that the industry overlooks. He should add that to his already impressive resume.
We’re crossing our fingers and upvoting the “Sinners sweep prayer circle” online to make sure Sinners gets all the praise it so rightfully deserves.
What got fans heated: Michelle Obama says the media works against ambitious women
@callherdaddy Her platforms > her pumps
Michelle Obama’s “when they go low, we go high” attitude might have risen above the headlines that dogged the Obamas’ historic stay in the White House, but that doesn’t mean all of the mud-slinging went unnoticed. Her recent appearance on the Call Her Daddy podcast to promote her latest book proves that all the targeted hate on her looks is something that riles up her supporters to this day.
Obama touched on the mental pressures that all ambitious women have to face when they dare to make waves, everything down to making sure our shoes are clean and our posture is perfect. The sit-down sparked up a conversation about how often the media turns to misogyny—and, even more sinister, misogynoir—to tear successful women down. Black women online are pointing to the feeling that the media turns up their cruelty towards women who hold power in the world; Obama’s long and impressive list of achievements is more than enough proof of that.
Obama used the sentiment to double down on her previous refusal to consider a presidential run, saying that “there are men out there that were not gonna vote for a woman. Let’s just be real about it, and let’s put that on the table.”
No matter where we go from here, there’s one lesson we can all take away from Michelle Obama: keep that head up high, ladies.
