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‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’ Actor Nicholas Brendon Dead at 54

Nicholas Brendon. (Getty Images/AFP)
Nicholas Brendon. (Getty Images/AFP)
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‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’ Actor Nicholas Brendon Dead at 54

Nicholas Brendon. (Getty Images/AFP)
Nicholas Brendon. (Getty Images/AFP)

US actor Nicholas Brendon, known for his role in the hit series "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," has died, his family announced Friday. He was 54.

Brendon died in his sleep of natural causes, the family said in a statement posted to social media. They did not say when or where he died.

"Most people know Nicky for his work as an actor and for the characters he brought to life over the years. In recent years Nicky has found his passion in painting and art," the family said in the post.

"Nicky loved to share his enthusiastic talent with his family, friends and fans. He was passionate, sensitive, and endlessly driven to create. Those who truly knew him understood that his art was one of the purest reflections of who he was."

Brendon played Xander Harris in "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" over seven seasons between 1997 and 2003.

The show was centered around Buffy, a teenage girl who battles vampires and other monsters while navigating life in high school.

Brendon's character was a close friend of Buffy.

The Los Angeles-born actor was also known for his appearances in shows like "Criminal Minds,Private Practice" and "Kitchen Confidential," a TV adaptation of Anthony Bourdain's memoir.

He appeared in several thriller films.

Brendon had previous health struggles. In a 2023 Instagram post, he told fans he had undergone two spinal surgeries and had a heart attack.

In their post Friday, Brendon's family asked for privacy "as we grieve his loss and celebrate the life of a man who lived with intensity, imagination, and heart."

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Entertainment

K-pop Kings BTS Rock Seoul in Comeback Concert

K-pop group BTS performs during the "BTS THE COMEBACK LIVE | ARIRANG" concert in central Seoul, South Korea, 21 March 2026. (EPA)
K-pop group BTS performs during the "BTS THE COMEBACK LIVE | ARIRANG" concert in central Seoul, South Korea, 21 March 2026. (EPA)
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K-pop Kings BTS Rock Seoul in Comeback Concert

K-pop group BTS performs during the "BTS THE COMEBACK LIVE | ARIRANG" concert in central Seoul, South Korea, 21 March 2026. (EPA)
K-pop group BTS performs during the "BTS THE COMEBACK LIVE | ARIRANG" concert in central Seoul, South Korea, 21 March 2026. (EPA)

South Korean megastars BTS reunited Saturday for their first show in nearly four years, blowing away enormous crowds in Seoul for a K-pop extravaganza livestreamed to millions more worldwide.

Widely lauded as the biggest boy band in the world, BTS went on hiatus in 2022 so the seven members could serve compulsory stints in the South Korean military.

The comeback concert by the group at the vanguard of the Korean cultural wave was staged on the doorstep of the historic Gyeongbokgung royal palace -- a fitting venue for the "Kings of K-pop".

Enormous crowds of fans -- 260,000 were predicted before -- descended on Seoul from morning onwards in colorful costumers, taking selfies and clutching BTS "ARMY" glowsticks.

Before they came on stage fans chanted "BTS! BTS!" with the main boulevard leading up to Gwanghwamun Square -- the symbolic heart of the Seoul -- ram-packed with people as far as the eye could see.

"Hi Seoul, we are back," one of the group members said.

Gwanghwamun Gate was lit in rainbow colors, as a massive stage installation featuring three circular features -- symbolizing BTS's new album -- glowed beneath towering lighting rigs.

Lee Yeon-seo, 36, a South Korean who travelled from the southern city of Jeonju, was one of those who arrived early.

"My seat is actually toward the front, near the main stage, so I'm even more excited thinking I'll get to see them up close," she told AFP.

"With the tour kicking off in April, this is the beginning of their new journey. In a way, it feels like an honor to experience it live like this, more vividly than most people."

"I'm from Australia so I came down to Korea for the culture and for the BTS concert, just to see," Gloria Moloney, 22, told AFP.

Potentially millions more across the world will tune in to see a Netflix live broadcast.

In a last-minute setback, the group's agency said Friday that BTS leader RM hurt his ankle in rehearsals and that his "participation in certain performance elements, such as choreography on stage, will be restricted."

The group was expected to perform their latest album, "ARIRANG", which was released on Friday and is billed as a reflection of the maturing boy band's Korean identity.

The album sold almost four million copies in the first day, BTS's record label said. Five million fans pre-saved it on Spotify, the most ever for a K-pop act.

"ARIRANG" takes its name from a folk song about longing and separation that is often dubbed South Korea's unofficial national anthem.

Featuring collaborations with multiple Western artists and producers, the 14 tracks on the album mix rap, heavy beats and experimentation.

"Compared to their earlier work, there's a wider range of genres, which gives it a more mature and expansive feel," impressed fan Lee Ji-young, a university professor, told AFP.

"As always, their lyrics are honest, and through a diverse range of sounds, they give a clear sense of who they are and where they stand right now."

Another fan on Reddit wasn't so impressed.

"I hope they sing some of their old stuff," they said.

Entertainment

Chuck Norris, Roundhouse-kicking Action Star, Dead at 86

(FILES) Actor Chuck Norris speaks with the media during a press conference prior to the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series AAA Texas 500 at Texas Motor Speedway on November 6, 2016 in Fort Worth, Texas. (Photo by Jerry Markland / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / AFP)
(FILES) Actor Chuck Norris speaks with the media during a press conference prior to the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series AAA Texas 500 at Texas Motor Speedway on November 6, 2016 in Fort Worth, Texas. (Photo by Jerry Markland / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / AFP)
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Chuck Norris, Roundhouse-kicking Action Star, Dead at 86

(FILES) Actor Chuck Norris speaks with the media during a press conference prior to the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series AAA Texas 500 at Texas Motor Speedway on November 6, 2016 in Fort Worth, Texas. (Photo by Jerry Markland / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / AFP)
(FILES) Actor Chuck Norris speaks with the media during a press conference prior to the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series AAA Texas 500 at Texas Motor Speedway on November 6, 2016 in Fort Worth, Texas. (Photo by Jerry Markland / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / AFP)

Chuck Norris, the US martial artist and Hollywood tough guy most famous for his role in the "Walker, Texas Ranger" television series, has died, his family said Friday. He was 86.

Norris passed away Thursday morning, the family said on Instagram, after media reports that he had been hospitalized for an undisclosed condition while on the Hawaiian island of Kauai.

"To the world, he was a martial artist, actor, and a symbol of strength," the statement read, according to AFP. "To us, he was a devoted husband, a loving father and grandfather, an incredible brother, and the heart of our family."

The family said it would like to keep the details of Norris's passing private, adding "please know that he was surrounded by his family and was at peace."

Tributes quickly began pouring in.

"All of Texas mourns the passing of Chuck Norris. He was not only a martial arts champion, action icon, and the one and only Walker, Texas Ranger," said Texas governor Greg Abbott.

"My heart and prayers are with his family. He will never be forgotten," said fellow action movie star Jean-Claude Van Damme.

Born in Ryan, Oklahoma on March 10, 1940, Carlos Ray "Chuck" Norris took up martial arts while serving in the US Air Force in South Korea.

He left the Air Force in 1962 and set up a martial arts studio in Los Angeles, finding his calling in teaching and delivering roundhouse kicks.

His acting debut came with a cameo in a 1968 Dean Martin film, "The Wrecking Crew." Four years later, his epic fight with the kung-fu superstar Bruce Lee in "The Way of The Dragon" helped turn Norris into an icon on big and small screen alike.

A slew of leading roles in karate films followed, from a US commando in "Good Guys Wear Black," an all-American riposte to a slew of Hong Kong action flicks harnessing Lee's fame, to the action horror feature "Silent Rage."

As his acting career grew, he became a legendary martial arts figure, winning six world professional middleweight karate championships from 1968 to 1974 and earning black belts in multiple disciplines.

In 1983, Norris slipped into the role of a taciturn Texas ranger waging war against an arms dealer in "Lone Wolf McQuade", which provided the template for the cult TV series "Walker, Texas Ranger."

The show ran for eight seasons and spawned countless action-man jokes and memes, one being that Chuck Norris and Superman had a fight, with the loser (Superman) forced to wear their underpants on the outside.

The success of the bearded, ass-kicking Ranger marked a stunning reversal of fortune for Norris, who grew up a shy, unathletic child, who "used to daydream about being strong... to beat up the bullies."

He had two sons from his first marriage to his high school sweetheart Dianne Holechek, which lasted 30 years, and a son and a daughter with his second wife Gena O'Kelley.

Norris also had a daughter from an affair during his first marriage.

Entertainment

'The Bachelorette' Canned after Star's Violent Video Emerges

Taylor Frankie Paul had been due to star in the 22nd season of 'The Bachelorette'. Mike Coppola / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/AFP
Taylor Frankie Paul had been due to star in the 22nd season of 'The Bachelorette'. Mike Coppola / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/AFP
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'The Bachelorette' Canned after Star's Violent Video Emerges

Taylor Frankie Paul had been due to star in the 22nd season of 'The Bachelorette'. Mike Coppola / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/AFP
Taylor Frankie Paul had been due to star in the 22nd season of 'The Bachelorette'. Mike Coppola / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/AFP

"The Bachelorette," one of America's highest profile reality TV shows, was cancelled Thursday just days before the new season was due to air, after video emerged of the show's star hurling furniture at her ex-partner, in an incident that apparently injured her daughter.

Disney-owned ABC had widely promoted the 22nd season of the show, in which 22 men compete for a relationship with a single woman, including trailing it during Sunday night's Oscars gala.

But on Thursday, the network yanked the glossy series -- whose $2 million episodes began filming last year -- over shocking footage of a domestic altercation involving "The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives" star Taylor Frankie Paul.

"In light of the newly released video just surfaced today, we have made the decision to not move forward with the new season of The Bachelorette at this time," a Disney spokesperson said in a statement to AFP.

"Our focus is on supporting the family."

The video, obtained by entertainment outlet TMZ, shows Paul lashing out at Dakota Mortensen, her partner at the time.

In the footage, apparently filmed by Mortensen on a mobile phone, Paul rains abuse on him, kicks him and gets him in a headlock.

She then begins to throw metal stools across the room at him, one of which appears to be deflected towards her young daughter.

Mortensen can be heard asking her to stop and urging her to see to her crying child, as she continues to scream abuse at him.

The incident took place in Utah in February 2023, according to police, who arrested Paul on multiple charges, including domestic violence in the presence of a minor.

While the footage is new, Paul's arrest and subsequent conviction were featured on earlier seasons of "The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives."

Questions will now likely be asked as to how much due diligence producers of "The Bachelorette" did before casting the lead to the Sunday night prime-time show, which had pricey sponsorship deals with brands including Cinnabon.

Paul, a social media influencer, went viral in 2022 after revealing that she and her then-husband had been "soft-swinging" with other Mormon couples.

The Hulu show "The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives" followed the catty fallout from the revelation among a group of Utah-based TikTok influencers, and has so far run for multiple seasons.

Paul, 31, has not commented on the matter via her social media channels but local media outlets carried a statement from one of her representatives in which the reality star says she is "very grateful for ABC's support."

"After years of silently suffering extensive mental and physical abuse as well as threats of retaliation, Taylor is finally gaining the strength to face her accuser and taking steps to ensure that she and her children are protected from any further harm."

"She is currently exploring all of her options, seeking support, and preparing to own and share her story."