Hasta La Gadget!

Lynn Nottage’s play “Sweat” has been heralded as the “The First Theatrical Landmark of the Trump Era.”

It tells the story of a tight group of working-class people in Reading, Pennsylvania, who ― in the face of layoffs, impending poverty, and the threat of incarceration and drug abuse ― come to terms with their collapsing reality. While the characters relay their experiences in a setting that takes place years before President Donald Trump took office, the play slyly answers a question on the minds of many American voters: How did we get here?

(Here, of course, being the “Trump era” of note.)

In an interview with The Huffington Post, Nottage announced that she is currently working on a companion piece to her groundbreaking production. “I have another play that’s in conversation with ‘Sweat,’” Nottage explained, when asked about her plans now that “Sweat” is running smoothly after its Broadway debut earlier this month. 

According to Playbill, the new play is currently titled “Floyd” and will be a comedy. (”Sweat” is a drama, though it has moments of comedic relief.) Nottage did not provide any further details regarding her companion piece, but she did supply us with a few more future credits to her name.

“I have some other projects,” she told HuffPost. “I’m doing an adaptation of ‘Black Orpheus,’ the movie, for the stage with director George Wolf; an adaption of ‘The Secret Life of Bees’ with Duncan Sheik and Susan Birkenhead; and I’ve recently finished an adaptation of my play ‘Intimate Apparel’ as an opera with composer Ricky Ian Gordon.”

When pressed on the upcoming companion piece, and how the experience of making “Sweat” influenced Nottage’s practice, she added:

It’s made me think much more expansively about why and how I make art and where I want to make it. And the impact that it can have. I don’t have all the answers to those questions, but certainly, being in Reading has challenged me to think about what it is I want to do and why I do it.

Nottage’s play, set in 2000 and 2008, has been widely celebrated as an illuminating piece of contemporary art.

“The immediacy of it is almost freakish,” MSNBC anchor Chris Hayes told Variety. “I’m not sure how [Nottage] managed it. Not only is it great as drama, in that it’s incredibly well-crafted with well-drawn characters, but it’s also one of the most sophisticated political texts I’ve encountered in a long while.”

Read more about “Sweat” here.

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Spice Girl Mel B, aka Melanie Brown, has been granted a restraining order against her estranged husband, Stephen Belafonte, who she says physically and emotionally abused her for years, according to TMZ.

The “America’s Got Talent” judge filed for divorce from Belafonte in March after 10 years of marriage. According to TMZ, a judge granted Brown her request for a restraining order requiring Belafonte to stay away from her, as well as their daughter, Madison, and Brown’s two other daughters from previous relationships. 

Brown’s horrific allegations against Belafonte are numerous and date back to the beginning of their marriage. In her declaration, she claims that while getting ready at home for the “Dancing with the Stars” finale in November 2007, her husband began choking her and slammed her down onto the hardwood floor. She says she began to see a pattern emerge; whenever she achieved any kind of success he would “beat me down to let me know he was in charge.”

She also details two incidents in 2012, in which Belafonte allegedly beat her. The 41-year-old recalls that in July, her estranged husband, who is a producer and director, flew into a jealous rage when he thought she was flirting with Usher, and alleges that Belafonte punched her with a closed fist in the face and split her lip. A month later, she claims he punched her again and pushed her down on the carpet, which gave her “rug burn” on her face. Brown alleges that Belafonte forced her to tweet that she had injured herself running in heels. 

Other allegations against Belafonte include impregnating their children’s nanny and then demanding she get an abortion. Brown also claims that Belafonte forced her to participate in threesomes with “random women,” which she says he secretly recorded and has often threatened to release. 

Additionally, the singer claims that Belafonte keeps a gun at home, which he is prohibited from possessing due to a 2003 domestic violence conviction with his then-girlfriend Nicole Contreras. According to TMZ, Belafonte’s home was searched on Friday by the Department of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives after his own brother claimed he had a gun, but ATF agents left empty handed. 

For his part, Belafonte is denying the allegations and told The Mirror’s cameraman he’s “shocked.”

“I think someone’s trying to set me up to look like a bad guy,” he said. 

But this isn’t the first time Belafonte denied these kind of allegations. In December 2014, Twitter lit up with concern from “X Factor” fans discussing the mysterious marks that appeared all over Brown’s body. The marks coincided with Brown’s three-day hospitalization for alleged stomach pains. At the time, Belafonte responded to the chatter on Twitter: 

Weeks later, Brown did speak out about the rumors, writing on Instagram, “This is for my fans havin problems with my Twitter will be back soon! I’m very good was very polly [sic] but much better now and for the record my hubby never would lay a hand on me sorry took so long but any response fuels rumors.”

Need help? In the U.S., call 1-800-799-SAFE (7233) for the
<span style="font-weight:
400;”>National Domestic Violence Hotline
.

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At least nine companies have pulled advertising from Fox News’ “The O’Reilly Factor” amid revelations that several women have accused host Bill O’Reilly of sexual harassment. 

Following an explosive New York Times report that O’Reilly and Fox News had paid around $13 million in settlements addressing complaints brought by five of the conservative host’s previous female colleagues, several advertisers moved to remove their commercials from the hit show. Among them are several automakers, including Mercedes-Benz and Hyundai.

“The allegations are disturbing and, given the importance of women in every aspect of our business, we don’t feel this is a good environment in which to advertise our products right now,” Mercedes-Benz spokeswoman Donna Boland told CNN, which first reported the company’s decision to pull advertising on Monday. 

Hyundai announced its decision late Monday night.

“As a company we seek to partner with companies and programming that share our values of inclusion and diversity,” a Hyundai spokesman said. 

Emily Steel, an author of the Times’ investigation, reported Hyundai’s full statement on Twitter.

BuzzFeed News reached out to about 50 companies that advertise on “The O’Reilly Factor” and confirmed Tuesday that automaker BMW, Sanofi Consumer Healthcare and marketing company Constant Contact had pulled commercials.

Drugmaker GlaxoSmithKline also told BuzzFeed that it has temporarily pulled advertising. 

“We are continually reviewing our advertising to ensure it is conducted in a responsible manner aligned with our values,” a GSK spokesperson told BuzzFeed.

Insurance company Allstate, the men’s clothing line Untuckit and pet food company Ainsworth Pet Nutrition all confirmed Tuesday that they are withdrawing commercials from the show, NBC News reported. 

“Inclusivity and support for women are important Allstate values,” Allstate spokesman Justin Herndon told the network. “We are concerned about the issues surrounding the program and we have suspended our advertising.” 

This is a developing story. Check back for updates. 

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It’s been almost 10 years since Heath Ledger died of an accidental overdose, but the world has not forgotten him. 

The late actor is the subject of a new documentary, soon to be released by Spike, titled “I Am Heath Ledger.” The trailer for the film, which includes interviews with his friends, family and fellow Hollywood stars, was released on Tuesday ― and it’s got us reaching for the tissues.

“Heath was the most alive human,” says singer-songwriter Ben Harper. “If it wasn’t on the edge, it didn’t interest him.” 

The almost 3-minute spot features plenty of intimate footage of Ledger ― and his signature smile ― along with clips from some of his most famous movies, including “Brokeback Mountain” and “Lords of Dogtown.” 

You can watch the whole trailer above.

“I Am Heath Ledger” premieres on April 23 at the Tribeca Film Festival, with limited release starting May 3. It will also air on May 17 on Spike. 

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DARPA’s experimental Vertical Takeoff and Landing (VTOL) aircraft, the XV-24A LightningStrike, cleared another developmental hurdle by completing its subscale flight tests in early March, according to its manufacturer, Aurora Flight Sciences.