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Selma Blair announces she is "truly relapse free" from MS symptoms.

Actress Selma Blair has claimed a major victory in her battle with multiple sclerosis. The Legally Blonde star, 55, who was diagnosed with the neurological disorder that effects the nervous system in 2018, shared in a new interview with PEOPLE that she has been "truly relapse-free" from her multiple sclerosis (MS) symptoms. She told the publication, "I've been feeling great for about a year."

Blair struggled for years to pinpoint what had been causing her ailments due to on and off MS symptoms. "It's like relapse remitting, so it can relapse and it can remit, and so as a kid you'd get something checked and then you'd go back [and] it's not quite there, but you're left with the shadow of it," she shared with PEOPLE in April 2025. When she finally received an MS diagnosis, Blair was "thrilled." She told the publication, “I finally just felt seen."

Her MS symptoms previously required her to use a cane for support. In May 2023, she posed for Vogue UK with her cane, telling the publication that it was "an extension of me." Instead of her cane being a source of shame, she chose to also use it to advocate for others who used them. "So many younger people have started publicly embracing their sticks more. I do think representation matters. If I can help remove stigma or over-curiosity in a crowd for someone else, then that's great."

selma blair, ms, celebrity, gif, famous, healthEmmy Awards GIF by EmmysGiphy

Blair also got a service dog named Scout to help with her mobility. Blair referred to Scout as a "tremendous gift" in another interview with PEOPLE in May 2022. She added, "He's with me all the time. If I fall into a big [muscle] spasm or have some trouble moving and need to recalibrate, he can get between my legs, help me get up, and balance me. It's given me a lot of independence."

Now, nearly seven years later, her health has vastly improved. "I always try and feel my best, but now that I actually have stamina and energy and getting out and going out isn't so scary," she recently told PEOPLE.

selma blair, cane, ms. multiple sclerosis, health, celebrityPeoples Choice Awards GIF by NBCGiphy

With her MS symptoms at bay, Blair added that her focus can now turn back to her career--something that has been on the backburner as her health took precedence. "You're just tired all the time. I spent so much of my life so tired from being unwell that I think I just was trying to get through the day," she shared.

Now that she is feeling better, Blair plans to get back into acting and "would like to write now a young adult book." And without her daily battles with MS symptoms, she has also started to think more about the future. "It's funny, I haven't spent enough time having dreams. And now it's like, what are my dreams?" she said.

Selma blair, actress, MS, health, wellnessseason 1 celebration GIF by PortlandiaGiphy

Although Blair's MS symptoms have subsided, she added that she will continue to speak up about those still struggling with chronic health problems. "I still am advocating for people with chronic illness and getting better, and what that looks like when you haven't made your wishes. How do we give ourselves a new life force?" she shared.

Remember Brendan Fraser? 10 years ago, he was one of Hollywood's biggest stars. Then, he suddenly disappeared.


If you were a kid in the late '90s and early '00s, chances are you saw a Brendan Fraser movie. The comedy and action star catapulted to fame behind blockbusters like "The Mummy" franchise, "George of the Jungle," "Looney Tunes: Back in Action," and the Oscar-winning film "Crash."

But after 2008, he largely disappeared from major starring roles. His absence wasn't due to drugs, a sex-scandal, or illness — despite memes and even reported articles speculating about his career arc, with many blaming it on poor career choices.


Fraser revealed in a recent interview that an incident of sexual harassment led him to withdraw from his high-profile lifestyle.

Lately, the actor has gradually returned to more high-profile roles, and in an interview with GQ, he explained that the real reason he stepped back from the spotlight was because of being physically groped by Philip Berk, a former president of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association.

In his own book, Berk admitted to "pinching" Fraser in the buttocks after an event, but Fraser says the incident was much worse. "His left hand reaches around, grabs my ass cheek, and one of his fingers touches me in the taint. And he starts moving it around."

"I felt ill. I felt like a little kid," he told GQ. "I felt like there was a ball in my throat. I thought I was going to cry."

He said it's time to speak out, and other male victims of harassment are supporting him.

Berk has called the allegation a "total fabrication" but acknowledges he sent Fraser an apology letter after the incident when the actor complained to the HFPA. Fraser said he tried to bury his feelings about the incident, but he was moved into action after seeing actresses and actors speaking up at this year's Golden Globes.

“Am I still frightened? Absolutely. Do I feel like I need to say something? Absolutely. Have I wanted to many, many times? Absolutely. Have I stopped myself? Absolutely."

Despite his reservations, people seem to believe, and be genuinely moved by, Fraser's claim. Once the target of jokes, Fraser has become a catalyst for moving praise across social media.

 
 

He's also earned some public support from actor Terry Crews, who has publicly discussed experiencing a similar incident years ago.

"Brendan is amazingly courageous in telling this," Crews wrote on Twitter. "His assault experience is extremely similar to mine — ending with the assailant explaining away his actions. One man's 'horseplay' is another man's humiliation."

 

Victims of sexual harassment and assault often face deep shame and fear in speaking out. Speaking out takes courage.

Speaking out after experiencing harassment or assault can be an incredible challenge, often full of personal and professional risk. Though the majority of assaults are against women, men face their own similar challenges in overcoming shame, doubt, and repercussions for coming forward and speaking out. When men like Fraser and Crews speak out, they help clear the path for other men to come forward with their own stories.


This story originally appeared on 08.06.19

Joy

Doberman's blissful reaction while getting pampered at bathtime goes viral

This "scary" dog's next-level beauty routine proves there's nothing scary about him at all.

Representative Image from Canva

May this adorable video show that Doberman's don't deserve their bad reputation.

Let’s face it, Hollywood has given Doberman’s a bad reputation. So often they are depicted as the canine henchman to the evil villain, that many people assume that’s their temperament in real life.

But the truth is: like just about every dog on the planet, Dobermans are sweet, loyal and affectionate canine companions. And, much like Pit Bulls, they are not nearly as inherently aggressive as pop culture makes them out to be—especially when properly trained.

I mean, just take a look at Atlas. This goodest of good bois recently went viral on TikTok while getting a nice, relaxing bathtime session. He proved that not only are Doberman’s capable of extreme levels of chill, they can have a deep felt appreciation for some good old fashioned pampering.


The clip, which was posted by @thegoodhype, a sibling group that rescues and fosters kill-list dogs, shows Atlas getting the star treatment, and loving every second of it.

Though many dogs flee at the mere mention of a b-a-t-h, Atlas is on doggie Cloud 9 as he’s sprayed, scrubbed, lathered, and massaged. He even got a rose quartz roller treatment and coconut oil teeth brushing before settling into a nap. Hope he leaves a good Yelp review!

Watch below. Be sure to have the sound on for some top notch pup-ified ASMR.

 
 @thegoodhype Do you think Atlas enjoyed it? 🧼🐾💙#doberman #dogsoftiktok #dogbath #doggrooming #asmr ♬ original sound - Goodlin Siblings 
 
 

@thegoodhype joked that this was all part of her “scary foster dog’s bath routine,” implying that she posted the sweet video as a bit of counter-programming. Cause there is certainly nothing scary about Atlas.

And the really cool part is: the video actually did change some perceptions. One viewer wrote, “idk why but I’ve always been scared of Doberman dogs. But this really helps. Thanks for posting!”

Another added, “Never seen a Doberman in real life but I am convinced they’re just like this when they're not trained to be security dogs.”

Others simply marveled at Atlas’s next-level beauty regime.

“This dog has better skincare than me. Lol,” one person wrote.

And while it’s rare for a dog to love baths as much as Atlas does, there are things you can do to make the process more enjoyable for everyone involved.

One website suggests opting for indoor baths for a sense of familiarity, and giving the tub something to make it less slippery. It also recommends giving your bathing pup a toy or puzzle to distract them from their anxiety. Plus, you can follow in @thegoodhype’s footsteps by using a handheld shower head to avoid spraying on your dog’s face. Plus, stick to lukewarm water temperature.

The key to bath time success, at least according to multiple online resources, is doing your best to make bathtime a fun treat, rather than a punishment. Which is clearly what this foster dog mom did.

Joy

This viral TED Talk about being a 'real man' still holds up today

It's still a struggle to go from not being "man enough" to knowing that you are enough.

Warner Bros Pictures/Youtube, TED/Youtube

You are KENough

If you haven't heard actor Justin Baldoni's name, you at least probably recognize him.

Best known for his role as Rafael on "Jane the Virgin," Baldoni is the epitome of Hollywood's "tall, dark, and handsome" stereotype. He is every bad boy with a sinister past. Every womanizing billionaire. Every domineering playboy.


In a talk at TEDWomen 2017, Baldoni joked about the string of characters he's been typecast as (most of them appear shirtless a good majority of the time).

"Most of the men I play ooze machismo, charisma, and power," he said. "And when I look in the mirror, that's just not how I see myself."

Baldoni came to realize that it wasn't just on-screen that he was pretending. In his everyday life, he found himself trying to conform to society's masculine ideal as well, and it all felt like a lie.

"I've been pretending to be strong when I felt weak. Confident when I felt insecure. And tough when really I was hurting," he explained.

The past few years have been a journey for Baldoni, who has set out to redefine for himself what "being a man" is really all about. In his TED Talk, he shared three major realizations he had along the way.

1. "Real men" make themselves vulnerable — not just with women, but with other men too.

Baldoni's early attempts at being more open about his emotions publicly on social media went great — until he realized almost all of his followers were women. Opening up to his fellow men was another challenge altogether.

"If it's about work or sports or politics or women, [men] have no problem sharing our opinions," he observed. "But if it's about our insecurities, our struggles, our fear of failure, it's almost like we become paralyzed."

He recalled recently wanting to talk to his guy friends about a serious issue in his life and needing almost the entirety of a three-day guys trip to work up the courage to do it. Once he did, however, he found many of his buddies were eager to share with him, too.

"My display of vulnerability can, in some cases, give other men permission to do the same," he realized.

(If only there were a TEDMen Baldoni could have given this talk at.)

2. "Real men" hold other men, and themselves, accountable.

As he began to engage more with other men, Baldoni started to become even more aware of toxic male behavior around him. It was everywhere.

He recalls an Instagram comment someone left on a photo of him and his wife. The random male commenter called the photo "gay shit."

So Baldoni decided to message him.

"I said, very politely, 'I'm just curious, because I'm on an exploration of masculinity, and I wanted to know why my love for my wife qualified as gay shit,'" he remembered.

To his surprise, the man responded thoughtfully about how his own displays of affection had been mocked as a child, and he apologized for lashing out.

"Secretly he was waiting for permission to express himself," Baldoni said. "And all he needed was another man holding him accountable and creating a safe place for him to feel. The transformation was instant."

3. "Real men" embrace the good aspects of traditional masculinity — with a twist.

Not everything traditionally associated with manliness is bad. Strength, bravery, and confidence are great things to aspire to (regardless of one's gender). But Baldoni urges men to think deeply about what those qualities really mean in practice and whether, perhaps, there's not a different way to think about spending their energy trying to achieve them.

"Are you brave enough ... to be vulnerable?" he asked. "Are you strong enough to be sensitive? ... Are you confident enough to listen to the women in your life? ... Will you be man enough to stand up to other men when you hear 'locker room talk'?"

Near the end of his talk, Baldoni acknowledges an important point: As bad as the "performance of masculinity" is for men, these rigid gender roles can be far worse for women.

He bemoaned that there wasn't even enough time to get into issues like the gender pay gap, division of household labor, and violence against women — all issues created and upheld by the toxic male behavior Baldoni's fighting against.

"The deeper we get into this, the uglier it gets," he said.

He challenged the men watching and listening to demand better of themselves and those around them.

"If we want to be part of the solution, words are no longer enough," Baldoni said.

This article originally appeared on 12.08.17