Author: Christina Schoellkopf

January 18, 2016 9:05pm PT by Christina Schoellkopf

Ben Higgins on ‘The Bachelor’  ABC

At the rose ceremony, F-bombs are dropped, contestants sob and one of the season’s most controversial contestants quits the show entirely.

[Warning: This story contains spoilers from Season 20 of ABC’s The Bachelor.]

The bottom line: Ben Higgins’ season of The Bachelor has officially turned into a catfight and Jubilee is the new one-to-watch.

The war veteran from Fort Lauderdale, Fla., hit her breaking point in the latest episode — and it led to tears, F-bombs and another girl quitting the show during the final rose ceremony.

But before getting to the most jaw-dropping scene of the season (so far), here are a few highlights from some of the sweeter moments this week.

Bachelor fans fell more in love with Lauren B, the lucky winner this week for a one-on-one date with Ben. The two exchanged adorable kisses in a private plane ride (Even though, let’s be honest, their first kiss of the date was so awkward when they missed each other’s lips!) Ben and the flight attendant later shared a special moment in a hot tub that was plopped literally in the middle of nowhere (It’s easier if you don’t ask questions) and finished off the night dancing to a private concert with Lucy Angel.

There were solid cameos from sport superstars! On the group date, Ben had the women compete for his heart in a soccer game at the iconic Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. The ladies paired off and were coached by none other than FIFA Women’s World Cup champions Alex Morgan and Kelley O’ Hara. The winning team scored an after-party with Ben for some coveted alone time.

Ben then chose Jubilee for his second one-on-one date. Whether you love to hate her or hate to love her, you have to admit that it was pretty powerful to hear her open up about her incredibly challenging past in Haiti, where she lost every member of her bloodline.

Now, for the chaos.

Emotions reached an all-time high of the season during the infamous rose ceremony. Ben made a tragic announcement that two close family friends, who he referred to as “pillars in [his] community,” died in a plane crash the night before. (The news was especially unsettling since Ben chose a private plane and helicopter ride as his two one-on-one dates this week.)

To help comfort Ben after hearing the news, Jubilee decided to pull her crush aside for a private massage. Within minutes, the other women started spying on the two of them and did not hold back their rage. (And this was serious rage. Did you catch Becca’s face coming unglued?) Despite already having her own rose from a successful group date, Bachelor veteran Amber aggressively led a girl-fight pack against the newly discovered masseuse. As Amber started stomping her heels over to Jubilee and calling her out, “Jubs” ditched the women altogether and headed upstairs to cry it out, but not before screaming, “Leave me the f— alone!” Ben proved yet again that he is every hopeless romantic’s hero: he came to the rescue to console Jubilee after she started hysterically crying.

Amber’s attack completely backfired when Ben asserted, “What I like about Jubilee is that she doesn’t walk on eggshells. I want her to make jokes and feel comfortable.” He turned to “Jubs” and added, “If you need to talk to me, come find me.” (Wow! Is Jubilee the new frontrunner?)

Believe it or not, that was far from the peak of the drama that night.

In a shocking twist, Lace (Yes, “50 Shades of Crazy” Lace) actually made a very respectful move. Right before Ben started handing out roses to the lucky women staying for another week, Lace pulled him outside for a chat. Would she comment again about acting crazy? Would she complain about Ben’s lack of eye contact? No, she actually decided to quit the show.

“I have a lot to work on myself. I just feel like going home might be easier,” Lace told Ben with teary eyes. “You can’t love somebody else until you truly love yourself and I don’t know if I truly love myself yet. I think it’s better that I go.”

The women who also said goodbye to Ben this week were Jami and Shushanna.

Now, just because Olivia cruised through another rose ceremony doesn’t mean she left unscathed. The Bachelor contestants did not refrain from talking behind the Texan’s back. Right at the start of the show, Lauren B. disclosed a crazy inside scoop about Olivia’s shopping bug. Apparently, Olivia spent a whooping $40,000 on clothes for the show. The side comments and insults got even worse as the episode progressed, peaking when the women on the group date made fun of her toes, breasts and bad breath.

But Olivia dug her own hole at the rose ceremony. Right after Ben shared that he was feeling really down on himself with the tragic news, she pulled him aside. Instead of asking how he was feeling or showing any bit of empathy, she vented about her … cankles. (Show some respect, girl.)

Do you think Olivia will make it past next week? Are you on Jubilee’s side or do you think she deserved to get called out? Did Lace make the right call leaving the show? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

January 11, 2016 8:24pm PT by Christina Schoellkopf

 YouTube screengrab

As death threats are made, kissing begins and drama heats up, one contestant chooses to voluntarily leave the show.

[Warning: This story contains spoilers from season twenty of ABC’s The Bachelor.]

Let us cut to the action with this week’s surprise celebrity cameo. In the latest episode of The Bachelor, Ride Along 2 co-stars Kevin Hart and Ice Cube could not resist crashing The Bachelor party this week. The comedians made their debut on the ABC reality show at the group mansion, right before Ben snatched the adorable Caila away for the first one-on-one date of the season.

On this “ultimate ride along” throughout L.A., the budding lovebirds were trying to develop their destined bond—the two are both software salesmen—but the comedians initially killed their vibe. Ben Higgins and Caila were snuggling up in a hot tub at a tacky spa store (of all places), when Kevin Hart joined in for a … skinny dip! He flashed them both on his way out of the tub and gave them a first date memory they will never forget. Luckily, the night ended on a high note when Ben stole his date for some much-needed alone time, ending with a private Amos Lee concert, a slow dance and a late-night kiss. 

Now to back it up, the episode began with a sexy start: a quick (but amazing) shot of Ben shirtless. The small town heartthrob was getting ready for the first group date, in which he took ten women back to high school, where they competed in academic and physical games to win some precious alone time.

Though the group date began with the women acting friendly and sipping champagne in the limo, the tides quickly turned and the claws came out. Jubilee gave Lace a death threat (okay, she was kidding … but still), Jackie was deemed to be “not great with her mouth,” and Becca and JoJo got major side eyes when they absolutely failed at locating Indiana on a map. Come on, ladies. In the end, Mandi the dentist (who—let us not forget—dared to give Ben a teeth cleaning on the first day she met him) won the grand prize of some one-on-one time. 

That night, Ben revealed he has a thing for women with names starting with “J.” He kissed Jennifer, Jubilee and JoJo back to back, with the latter receiving the group date rose. 

Naturally, this enraged Lace. For those who need to be caught up, the best way to describe her is through Caila’s own words: she is “50 Shades of Crazy.” After night one, where Lace admittedly “got a little too drunk” and “a little too emotional,” the real estate agent kicked the crazy up a notch. Throughout the show, she made eyebrow raising remarks like “these bitches can suck it” and claims to have been “almost eye-f–king Ben.” But her most concerning commentary hands down goes to her admitting that there are different sides to her and that she was disappointed that “the person I didn’t want to be came out.” (Are we dealing with multiple personalities?) 

For group date number two, Ben decided to literally prove if there was chemistry with each woman. Scientists ran tests to conclude who had the best natural connection with her newfound crush. Olivia came out on top (bragging to everyone who crossed her path) and Samantha had the lowest numerical match (Sorry, girl). Olivia proves to be the true threat so far, after receiving the group date rose that night—after also winning the first impression rose last week. 

At the rose ceremony, Olivia stole even more alone time, Lace brought her typical whining and drama to the party (surprise, surprise) and Amber complained about getting no alone time even though she’s been far from aggressive about it. 

Now, the moment you have all been waiting for: who went home. This week had a surprising turn when LB chose not to accept her rose (Crazy, right?). Ultimately, Ben sent home Jackie, Samantha and Mandi. 

Did you scream when Ben gave a rose to Lace? Is Olivia being too aggressive? Do you respect LB’s decision to leave the show? Let us know in the comments below. 

Kevin Hart ABC

Christina Schoellkopf

THRnews@thr.com

October 31, 2015 9:00am PT by Christina Schoellkopf

Jill Marie Jones on ‘Ash vs. Evil Dead’  Frank Ockenfels/Starz

“I think hopefully women and girls will see Amanda and see something inside of them that they can relate to,” Jill Marie Jones tells THR about her character on the Starz series.

Diehard fans of the Evil Dead franchise have been anxiously awaiting Bruce Campbell’s return to the role he first made famous more than 30 years ago. On Halloween night, Ash vs. Evil Dead, the sequel to the horror trilogy, is set to premiere on Starz. While Campbell and the blood might take the spotlight, one actress on the show is calling on viewers to pay especially close attention to the women on camera. 

“All the three female main characters on the show are pretty badass. They can hold their own,” Jill Marie Jones, who plays the Michigan State Trooper Amanda Fisher, tells The Hollywood Reporter. “I’m delighted about seeing these strong female roles and not that the woman is waiting for the guy to save her, but that she can take it on, all on her own, and get the job done.”

Read more Starz Renews ‘Ash vs. Evil Dead’ Ahead of Premiere

Jones, who went through strenuous MMA training for this role, is grateful to be a part of show creator Sam Raimi’s vision. She affirms that Hollywood is still slow to portray women in this positive light. 

“I’m just so appreciative of you know being able to play in this sandbox because you don’t really often see women roles like that,” Jones says. “So, it’s truly great.”

Jones credits part of Hollywood’s gender issue to members of the industry failing to recognize the wide variety of roles that women can play. She challenges casting directors and show creators to trust that women can take the lead.

“Just ’cause you haven’t seen it, doesn’t mean that person’s not capable,” says Jones, who pointed out that her character breaks down female stereotypes. She added about filming the action-packed show: “Oh, I felt like I was at Disneyland. I felt like a 13-year-old boy. I get to do stunts. I get to shoot guns. I get to be around blood. This should be a camp for young boys.”

When it comes to her character, Jones hopes she will help demonstrate the kind of force women can have in front of the camera. 

“I think when push comes to shove, I get the job done, I don’t like the word no, I try to fight through a no to try to get a yes. Amanda’s that way. Amanda hates the word no. I think hopefully women and girls will see Amanda and see something inside of them that they can relate to.”

Ash vs. Evil Dead premieres Oct. 31 on Starz.

Ash vs. Evil Dead

Christina Schoellkopf

THRnews@thr.com