Bella Murphy Reveals What Goes On in the “Roommates” Group Chat and Why She Was 'Nervous' to Make the Netfix Film (Exclusive)

Bella Murphy stars in Netflix's Roommates, marking her first major studio project without her father, Eddie Murphy

NEED TO KNOW

• Murphy bonded with her castmates on set, including Sadie Sandler, Chloe East and Jaya Harper

• She says the experience taught her to trust herself as an actor and approach auditions as growth opportunities

Bella Murphyis making her own mark in Netflix'sRoommates.

The actress, 24, stars alongsideSadie Sandler, Chloe East andLaura Dern's daughterJaya Harperin theAdam Sandler-produced movie about Devon (Sandler), a college freshman whose roommate, Celeste (East), goes from being her best friend to her sworn enemy. Murphy is Amber, a freshman who lives down the hall from Celeste and Devon and develops issues with her own roommate, Harper's Olivia.

Murphy,Eddie Murphy's youngest child with his ex-wifeNicole Mitchell, made her feature film debut in her dad'sComing 2 America(2021), followed by 2023'sFairyland. ButRoommatesmarks her first time in a major studio project — on her own.

She may have been ready to make a splash, but nerves still came into play, she says.

"When I got to set, I asked [director] Chandler [Levack], I was like, 'Is there a certain... Is she a little bit more dorky? What's the vibe?' And she was like, 'Just be yourself,' " Murphy tells PEOPLE. "And I was like, 'How do I do that? What do I do?' "

She continues, "So I was a little nervous, but it was really cool. A lot of Amber is really just me, just a lot of observing and taking things in, being like, 'That's a little strange.' And I'm kind of that friend in the group that picks up on stuff that goes over people's heads a lot, so it was really fun to be myself and to bring that into that character."

Nerves aside, Murphy had a strong group of girls to support her. Though she didn't know her costars on a personal level before she came to set, Murphy quickly found solace in her castmates. "It felt like we were all there for each other, and if someone was a little nervous about something, we were all able to talk about it," she recalls.

"I think we all supported each other a lot, and it was really cool to be able to feel comfortable to be like, 'Hey, I'm a little nervous today,' " Murphy says. "But that didn't last. That was just at the very beginning of the film, first-day jitters. I remember when I first got it, I wasn't nervous, and then I got to set, and I was like, 'Oh, my God, I'm nervous all of a sudden.' But all those nerves turned into excitement, and it was nice how we could all be there for each other."

Months later, the girls still have a group chat that remains active today — and especially around the time of the movie's premiere in April.

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"We were sharing our outfits, and stuff, and like, 'What are you going to wear? And what do you think about this outfit?' " she says.

Now, a month removed from the film's release, Murphy is looking back at the biggest lesson she's learned: to trust herself.

As a self-professed forward looker, Murphy says her main takeaway was to "trust myself more as an actor, and then just be present and have fun." She's taken that wisdom with her in her approach to auditions, admitting that she used to get nervous but now views them as "growth opportunities."

"[I think], 'Okay, what can I learn from this one? How can I get better with each one?' And they're really fun for me. I think that helps keep me excited, and being like, 'Okay, there's something to learn from this,' and not to be so rigid with things, like to have fun and to be free. So now I love them, but I used to be scared and just nervous," she says.

As for what's next in her career? Murphy won't say, for fear of sharing her manifestations. "You guys will just have to wait and see what I do," she teases.

But what shedoesshare is that she's open to everything — whether that be following in her dad's comedic footsteps or exploring new genres altogether.

"I'm a little bit interested in everything. I'm just drawn to stories that I love and make me happy, and that are things that people can connect to, and I can connect to," Murphy says. "I'll do whatever as long as it's aligned with the beautiful work that I want to continue doing."

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Roommatesis now streaming onNetflix.

Read the original article onPeople

byVaclavien Pynzarien

in

May 15, 2026

Bella Murphy Reveals What Goes On in the “Roommates” Group Chat and Why She Was 'Nervous' to Make the Netfix Film (Exclusive)

Bella Murphy stars in Netflix's Roommates , marking her first major studio project without her father, Eddie Murphy NEED TO K...

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Iran has 'no trust' in US, will negotiate only if it is serious, Araqchi says

By Saurabh Sharma and Aftab Ahmed

NEW DELHI, May 15 (Reuters) - Tehran has "no trust" in the U.S. and is interested in negotiating with Washington only if it is serious, Iranian Foreign ‌Minister Abbas Araqchi said on Friday, as talks on ending the war remained on hold.

Araqchi ‌told reporters in New Delhi that all vessels can pass through the Strait of Hormuz except those "at war" with Tehran, if ​they coordinate with Iran's navy.

But the situation around the waterway, vital to global energy and commodities markets, was "very complicated", he added, during a visit to attend a BRICS foreign ministers' meeting in India.

Iran effectively shut the strait, which normally handles about one-fifth of the world's seaborne oil and gas supply, to most shipping after ‌the U.S. and Israel began their ⁠war on Iran in February.

PAKISTANI-MEDIATED U.S.-IRAN TALKS HAVE STALLED

Washington and Tehran announced a ceasefire last month but have been struggling to thrash out a lasting peace ⁠pact. Talks mediated by Pakistan have been suspended since Iran and the U.S. each rejected the other's latest proposals last week.

Araqchi said "contradictory messages" had raised Iranian doubts about the Americans' real intentions, adding that the Pakistani mediation ​process had ​not failed but was in "difficulty".

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The United States and Israel ​have cut short two previous rounds of ‌talks with Tehran in the past 13 months by launching campaigns of air strikes on Iran.

Iran is trying to keep the latest ceasefire to give diplomacy a chance but is also prepared to go back to fighting, Araqchi said.

The issues holding up negotiations between the two sides include Iran's nuclear ambitions and its control of the Strait of Hormuz.

Hours before he spoke, U.S. President Donald Trump said his patience with ‌Iran was running out and said he had agreed in ​talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping that Tehran must reopen ​the strait.

Asked if Tehran was open to ​mediation by Beijing, Araqchi said Iran appreciated the efforts of any country that had ‌the ability to help.

"We have very good relations ​with China," he said. "We ​are strategic partners, and we know that the Chinese have good intentions. So, anything they can do to help diplomacy would be welcomed."

Araqchi added: "We hope that, with the advancement of negotiations, we ​will reach a good conclusion ‌so that the Strait of Hormuz can be completely secured and we can expedite the ​normalisation of traffic through the strait."

(Reporting by Aftab Ahmed and Saurabh Sharma, writing by ​Sakshi Dayal; Editing by YP Rajesh and Kevin Liffey)

byVaclavien Pynzarien

in

May 15, 2026

Iran has 'no trust' in US, will negotiate only if it is serious, Araqchi says

By Saurabh Sharma and Aftab Ahmed NEW DELHI, May 15 (Reuters) - Tehran has "no trust" in the U.S. and is interested in ...

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Trump says China to potentially buy 750 Boeing planes

May 15 (Reuters) - China has ‌agreed ‌to buy 200 ​Boeing planes, with a potential commitment ‌to ⁠purchase up to ⁠750 planes, U.S. ​President ​Donald ​Trump told ‌reporters on Friday.

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Trump said the planes would ‌have ​General ​Electric ​engines.

(Reporting ‌by Jarrett Renshaw, ​Susan ​Heavey, writing by ​Michelle ‌Nichols; editing ​by Doina ​Chiacu)

byVaclavien Pynzarien

in

May 15, 2026

Trump says China to potentially buy 750 Boeing planes

May 15 (Reuters) - China has ‌agreed ‌to buy 200 ​Boeing planes, with a potential commitment ‌to ⁠purchase up to ⁠750 planes, U.S. ​Pre...

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Al Roker Reveals His Daughter Leila Roker Is Married, Says He Was Asked by CDC to ‘Voluntarily Test’ on Way Home from Wedding

Leila Roker, the daughter of Al Roker and Deborah Roberts, married Sylvain Gricourt

NEED TO KNOW

• Leila and Gricourt first met seven years ago, after Leila moved to Paris to study at the American University of Paris 

• Leila, 27, and Gricourt announced their engagement in March 2025

Leila Roker, the daughter ofAl RokerandDeborah Roberts, has married Sylvain Gricourt.

TheTodayshow meteorologist, 71, broke the news himself during the Tuesday, May 12, broadcast. While discussing thehantavirus outbreak aboard the MV Hondius, Roker mentioned that he had recently returned from Europe for his daughter's wedding.

"I was coming from Europe this weekend from my daughter's wedding, and the CDC was asking people to voluntarily test," Roker said. "But they didn't say for what, so I just wonder if it was a precaution here."

Roker also mentioned that Leila and Gricourt would be tying the knot on Mother's Day weekend during a May 1 interview withSwooon.

"Our daughter, Leila, is getting married, just before Mother’s Day. That Mother’s Day weekend, actually," Roker told the outlet. “So, that’s kind of her Mother’s Day gift, I guess."

Leila, 27, and Gricourtannounced their engagement in March2025. The two met seven years prior, a year after Leila moved to Paris to study at the American University of Paris, she said in an Instagram post at the time.

“8 years ago, I moved to Paris 🇫🇷, 7 years ago I met my person and best friend 💖, and 2 days ago, that person took me on the most amazing surprise trip to Venice 🇮🇹 to ask me to spend the rest of our lives together 💍 💕💕,” Leilawrotealongside a collection of photos from the Venice restaurant where Gricourt proposed.

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Al also celebrated the engagement news last March by sharing more photos from Gricourt’s proposal. “We could not be happier, and look forward to planning for these two wonderful young folks coming together,” theTodayshow meteorologistwrote.

During a stop onLive with Kelly and Markin October, Roberts, 65, said Leila and Gricourt planned to have a small wedding in Paris before hosting a bigger ceremony in the U.S., where “we’ll blow the budget.”

“We have to do a small ceremony in France because she lives in Paris,” Roberts explained. “And so they have to do something small there, and I said, 'Let's keep it teeny tiny'— and then she wants to come home.”

Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE's free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

In May,Roberts told PEOPLEshe was “excited to go dress shopping” with Leila, and was also excited to see her daughter “so happy.”

Al and Robertsare also parents toson Nick, 23. Al also shares daughter Courtney, 37, with his late ex-wife, Alice Bell. Courtney andWesley Lagamarried in June 2021 and welcomed daughterSky Clara Lagain July 2023.

Read the original article onPeople

byVaclavien Pynzarien

in

May 14, 2026

Al Roker Reveals His Daughter Leila Roker Is Married, Says He Was Asked by CDC to ‘Voluntarily Test’ on Way Home from Wedding

Leila Roker, the daughter of Al Roker and Deborah Roberts, married Sylvain Gricourt NEED TO KNOW Leila and Gricour...

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Family movies at Cinemark are just over $1 this summer. See deal.

Gather the kiddos: It's a discounted movie summer atCinemark.

The movie theater chain is offering tickets for a low price for a limited time as part of its annual Summer Movie Clubhouse program.

"This program gives families an affordable, easy way to enjoy beloved films together and build the kind of memories that turn today’s young movie fans into lifelong moviegoers," Cinemark Chief Marketing and Content Officer Wanda Gierhart said ina press release.

Here's what we know about the program and how to purchase tickets.

From 'Jack Ryan' to 'Enola Holmes 3':15 movies to stream this summer

What is Cinemark's Summer Movie Clubhouse?

The program offers discounted ticket prices for select family-friendly movies throughout the summer. Tickets cost just under $2 each and movies are shown on Wednesday mornings (some locations offer viewings on different days).

When do tickets go on sale?

Starting on May 13, moviegoers can purchase Summer Movie Clubhouse 2026 tickets atcinemark.com, on the Cinemark app, or at participating box offices.

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Tickets cost $1.75. Taxes and fees may apply.

Which movies are included in the lineup?

The 10 family-friendly films will play on Wednesday mornings atover 285 Cinemark theatersacross the country from June 1 to Aug. 6.

"Select locations will keep the excitement going with additional screenings on Mondays and Thursdays, giving families even more chances to enjoy these captivating adventures," Cinemark said.

Movies included are:

•  "Paddington"

• "Sonic the Hedgehog"

• "KPop Demon Hunters Sing Along"

• "Shrek Forever After"

• "The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants"

• "A Minecraft Movie"

• "Dog Man"

• "How to Train Your Dragon" (live action)

• "The Bad Guys 2"

• "Gabby’s Dollhouse: The Movie"

Cinemark is offering food deals, too

Food promotions are also on the table. Cinemark is offering $1 off snack plates and $1 off any size popcorn and drink combos.

Taylor Ardrey is a news reporter for USA TODAY. You can reach her at tardrey@usatodayco.com.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Cinemark offering discount for family-friendly movies. See deal.

byVaclavien Pynzarien

in

May 14, 2026

Family movies at Cinemark are just over $1 this summer. See deal.

Gather the kiddos: It's a discounted movie summer atCinemark. The movie theater chain is offering tickets for a low price for ...

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After bombs, blackouts and bank restrictions, Gaza’s digital workers are still coding

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (AP) — As Israeli drones buzz overhead and ambulance sirens wail in the distance, Tarik Zaeem stays hunched over his laptop, working through lines of code for a Saudi valet parking app, debugging its barcode reader.

Israel Palestinians Gaza Digital Workers

On weekdays he walks through the bombed-out streets of Gaza City to a coworking space where freelancers charge devices and access stable internet. Remote work providesdesperately needed incomeand a form of escape from the impoverished and largely destroyedGaza Strip.

“When I work, I forget everything and focus on the coding. I stop thinking about my family’s basic needs,” the 44-year-old programmer said of his wife and three children, who fled to Egypt early in the war. “I stop thinking about airstrikes or searching for drinking water. When I’m on my laptop, I shut everything else out.”

Zaeem is part of a community of freelancers coding, designing and programming for clients abroad. Platforms connecting them to clients — including Freelancer.com, Upwork and Mostaql — each have thousands of Palestinians from Gaza registered.

Like others in Gaza, they have at timesstruggled to find food,waterandshelter, lost friends and relatives, andseen their homes and neighborhoods leveledby Israeli airstrikes. Many stopped working, but others kept going, designing logos for pizza parlors in Canada, building booking apps for Palestinian barber shops and creating websites for businesses in Kuwait and Turkey.

After struggling through two years of full-scale war, their work is growing steadier, even as broader recovery and reconstruction efforts remain at a standstill seven months sincea shaky ceasefiretook hold in October.

The digital sector grew up under Israel's blockade

Digital freelancing became popularmore than a decade agoin Gaza. Traditional sectors shrank after Hamas seized control of the strip in 2007, asIsrael’s intensified blockadedevastated agriculture, manufacturing and other industries.

High unemployment and a rise in connectivity — more than nine out of 10 households in Gaza had internet before the war — pushed thousands of digitally skilled college graduates to seek income abroad.

Foreign donors and NGOs took notice, investing in hackathons, incubators and coding academies. The United Nations Development Program said in 2018 that “freelancing and online jobs are considered to be among the best temporary solutions to the unemployment problem.”

Before the war, U.S.-based Mercy Corps’ Gaza Sky Geeks ran bustling coworking spaces with glass walls and a graffiti mural bearing the word “entrepreneur” in Arabic. Rand Safi, its senior program manager, said interest skyrocketed once it became clear that remote workers from Gaza could compete in the global marketplace.

Most of that vanished during the war sparked by Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack, in which Hamas-led militants killed some 1,200 people and abducted 251. Israel’s retaliatory offensive killed over 72,700 people,according to local officials, and displaced most of Gaza’s population of 2 million —often multiple times. Hundreds of thousands sought shelter in squalid tent camps, andelectricity and internet outageswere widespread.

Gaza Sky Geeks said two of its three locations were destroyed in airstrikes. Entrepreneurs, participants and instructors have been killed or lost contact. Today, it is one of the groups working to rekindle the sector, supporting operations at five independent coworking spaces where digital freelancers can return.

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“They want the vibes, and I think they want a piece of their past,” Safi said. “There is a sense among people of not wanting to be dependent on humanitarian aid. They want an income.”

Deadlines hinge on stable power and connectivity

More than 75% of Gaza’s telecommunications infrastructure was damaged during the war, andpower outagesoften made it difficult to fulfill contracts.

“When we first started, the main problem was electricity and internet access. Now that’s less of an issue because workspaces have opened across Gaza,” software engineer Sharif Naim said.

During the war, Naim founded Taqat Gaza, a coworking space powered by solar generators, giving remote workers an opportunity to work in three-hour shifts. Today, it caters to more than 500 freelancers, offering a full day of internet access and networking opportunities that Naim said were seen as equally useful.

“The focus (today) is creating a proper work environment, training and helping freelancers rebuild skills lost during the war so they can compete in the global market again,” he said.

Part of that has been aimed toward women, many of whom became breadwinners or needed to seek additional income amid the war.

Reem Alkhateeb, a mother and graphic designer, said she tries to find time to work online while managing the daily burdens of survival, including waiting in line for food and water. Prices have soared and her husband lost his job, turning her freelancing from supplemental income into the family’s financial lifeline.

“Our dreams are no longer about luxury or big ambitions. We dream about the simplest things that should already be basic human rights: having electricity, having internet access, being able to live and work normally,” she said.

Payment poses challenges

With banks often inaccessible in Gaza and platforms like PayPal unavailable to people with Palestinian addresses, freelancers have had to find alternative ways to get paid. Some route payments through relatives abroad who can receive transfers on their behalf, while others rely oncash brokerswho accept electronic transfers for steep fees.

Some initiatives have stepped in to help freelancers navigate the maze of payment challenges. After her husband and daughter were killed in 2024, Salsabil Bardawi founded “Gaza Talents” as a platform to connect Gaza freelancers to international clients and help them build careers. It has since facilitated more than $600,000 in income for workers, partnering with the Bank of Palestine and the digital wallet “PalPay.”

“A lot of people can work, all they need is a laptop, internet, electricity and clients,” she said.

___ Metz reported from Ramallah, West Bank.

byVaclavien Pynzarien

in

May 14, 2026

After bombs, blackouts and bank restrictions, Gaza’s digital workers are still coding

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (AP) — As Israeli drones buzz overhead and ambulance sirens wail in the distance, Tarik Zaeem stays hunched over ...

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Marks Construction named Small and Emerging Business of the Year

Louisiana Economic Development announced Marks Construction in Donaldsonville was among the five businesses honored at the 2026 Spotlight Louisiana Awards in Baton Rouge.

Owner Jay Marks and his family were in attendance as his company received the statewide award for Small and Emerging Business of the Year.

"Construction is about more than the things we can see," he saidin a videoshared to LED's YouTube page. "It's about the things we can feel, and about the progress and the memories we make."

Previously a strength and conditioning coach for the Tulane University football team in New Orleans, Marks said in the video he made a leap of faith to start a construction business.

As he recalled, the first years were not easy.

"But I had a praying wife, and I had a state in Louisiana that believed in me," Marks said in the video. "And we have not looked back."

As the business has grown, it has no longer been limited to taking small jobs.

"I want to establish something that my own children will be proud to operate one day because family is my why," he said. "This isn't just about projects to me. It's about legacy. And excellence - that's our standard. I always told my players, 'When we focus on the details and the fundamentals, the results will speak for themselves. And now my team approaches every job with strong discipline, clear communication and a championship mindset."

He concluded, "At Marks Construction, we're not just making homes and buildings, we are building community."

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Spotlight Louisiana Awards

The awards ceremony celebrated five companies whose innovation, leadership and investment have created opportunity throughout the state, according to an LED news release.

The Louisiana Growth Network, a division of LED, celebrates the event annually to recognize entrepreneurs and employers leading the state's economic momentum.

"As a former small business owner, I know what it takes to build something from the ground up," Gov. Jeff Landry said in the release. "The companies recognized at Spotlight Louisiana represent the hard work, innovation and determination moving Louisiana forward, and my administration is committed to making sure Louisiana small businesses are connected to the opportunities being created across our state."

Per the release, small businesses employ 54 percent of the state's workforce.

Award winners

The 2026 Spotlight Louisiana award winners were:

• Small and Emerging Business of the Year, Marks Construction, Donaldsonville

• Excellence in Entrepreneurial Leadership, Additive Innovators, New Iberia

• Innovative Company of the Year, OS BENEFiTS, New Orleans

• Source Louisiana Vendor of the Year, Parish Aggregates, Baton Rouge

• Spotlight Louisiana Business of the Year, Fire & Safety Specialists, Maurice

Parter awards recognized businesses and small businesses whose work reflected the reach of the state's small business support network, which included:

• Louisiana APEX Accelerator Government Contractor of the Year, Tunica-Biloxi Services, LLC, Marksville

• Louisiana Small Business Development Center Excellence in Business Award, Apocalypse Sports, Ponchatoula

• National Federation of Independent Business Louisiana Small Business Champion, Lott Oil Company, Natchitoches

SBA champions included:

• Entrepreneurial Success Award, Sweet Kravings Donuts, Gray

• Family-Owned Small Business of the Year, Washington Building Services, New Orleans

• Veteran Small Business Champion of the Year, Miles for Smiles LLC, Shreveport

• Women in Business Champion, Hatten & Hays Mobile Bookstore LLC, Monroe

• Rural Small Business of the Year, Summit Bike Academy, Ponchatoula

• Small Business Development Center of Excellence and Innovation Award, LSBDC at Southeastern Louisiana University, Hammond

• Small Business Person of the Year, Jordanna and Louis Coleman Sr., LC Transport Services LLC, Prairieville

Michael Tortorich is a journalist for the USA Today Network in Louisiana.

Gonzales Weekly Citizen and Donaldsonville Chief, part of the USA Today Network of Louisiana, cover Ascension Parish and the greater Baton Rouge area. Follow atfacebook.com/WeeklyCitizenandfacebook.com/DonaldsonvilleChief.

This article originally appeared on Gonzales Weekly Citizen:Donaldsonville business awarded Small and Emerging Business of Year

byVaclavien Pynzarien

in

May 13, 2026

Marks Construction named Small and Emerging Business of the Year

Louisiana Economic Development announced Marks Construction in Donaldsonville was among the five businesses honored at the 2026 Spotlig...

Read More