Entertainment
Laurie Hernandez Says Her 2016 'Final Five' Olympic Teammates Are Ready for Her '& Juliet' Broadway Debut
Best friends forever! Laurie Hernandez made her Broadway debut in & Juliet at the Sondheim Theatre in New York City on March 17, and don’t be surprised if her 2016 “Final Five” Olympic teammates are in the audience.
The two-time Olympic medalist joined the show’s musical ensemble in the featured dance role of Charmion for performances through June 14, 2026, and Madison Kocian, Simone Biles, and Aly Raisman can’t wait to grab a seat.
“The moment my Broadway debut was announced, Maddie, Simone, and Aly texted our group chat to see when they could come,” Hernandez told ET.
“We haven’t landed on dates yet, but there’s been a lot of support there. It’s felt really nice.”
From the gym to the stage, some things never change, including the athlete’s pre-show mindset.
“Growing up, I had a lot of performance anxiety, so early on I had to learn so many different tools to cope with that and understand the way my brain works,” she shared.
“I gained a toolbox, so whenever I was nervous or feeling like the pressure was on, I knew what tools to turn to, and I’m using those same things for my Broadway debut.”
That routine still includes a little pre-show hype.
“When I was competing, before any competition, I’d always sit with my teammates and blast music,” she dished. “That’s what we do backstage at the theater too, so the process is actually kind of similar.”
Luckily, the author has a whole new team behind her this time.
“Everyone has been celebrating the fact that it’s my Broadway debut, and even if they’ve been in two, three, or four shows before this, their excitement about getting to do this every night is contagious,” Hernandez revealed.
“Once I have that support and energy from my peers, I’m ready to try anything I’ve never done before. … I love new environments and trying new things when I know there’s a support system there to catch me if I take a left turn.”
Of course, not everything translates from her Olympic life.
“As a gymnast, I had 11 years to train for something that was essentially only a couple minutes long,” she explained. “For & Juliet, I’ve had about three weeks to train for something that is 2.5 hours long, so I’m trying to figure out how I know when I’m ready.”
As Hernandez finds her rhythm, she’s taking care of her body.
“I’ve been using a travel-size Theragun muscle massager and that’s been changing my life,” she revealed. “It’s small enough to slip into my purse, so I’ve been able to use it to warm up and cool down. It’s literally been saving my muscles. That, and a really good moisturizer, since I’m sweating a lot more than I have in a long time.”
From there, the season 23 Dancing With the Stars winner feels ready to take the stage.
“At the end of the day, I’m so excited to get out there and keep the energy moving. … I think it’s going to be a lot of fun connecting with audiences every single night,” she spilled.
Created by David West Read, & Juliet imagines what would happen if Juliet hadn’t ended it all over Romeo and instead got a second chance at life and love on her own terms. The story comes to life through a playlist of pop songs by Max Martin, including “Since U Been Gone,” “Roar,” “I Want It That Way,” “Confident,” and more. The production is direction by Luke Sheppard, with choreography by Jennifer Weber.
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Entertainment
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Entertainment
Maddies Secret trailer reveals John Early as youve never seen him before
Comedian John Early makes his feature directorial debut with Maddie’s Secret, an offbeat homage to melodrama that he wrote and headlines as its eponymous heroine.
As an aspiring food influencer, Maddie Ralph (Early) is passionate about her cuisine. And at first glance, she’s got a picture-perfect life: a loving husband (Eric Rahill), a devoted best friend (Kate Berlant), and a job at a culinary content studio called Gourmaybe. But as the title suggests, there’s a side to Maddie she can’t stomach sharing with her loved ones. And this secret could kill her.
Out of the movie’s premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival last fall, I cheered Maddie’s Secret, writing in my review for Mashable, “The film is silly and strange, but even amid campy bits, sincere. So, you’ll laugh at its parody elements, but may well be genuinely moved by Early’s commitment to this strange and splendid film.”
I also said “John Early is a better ingénue than Sydney Sweeney,” comparing Maddie’s Secret to another earnest (but less entertaining) TIFF offering, Christy. And I stand by it.
Maddie’s Secret opens in theaters in New York on June 19, and in Los Angeles on June 26.
Entertainment
Pride is almost here! Check out the best dating apps for LGBTQ women.
We know Pride is all year round, but there is something special about the month of June. We’re not there quite yet, but if you want a main squeeze for all the parades and parties, you gotta start looking now. How about on a dating app?
As a lesbian, you probably know all about them. Lesbian Americans (along with bisexual and gay Americans) are far more likely to have ever used dating apps than straight Americans: 51 percent to 28 percent, according to the Pew Research Center.
There are a few reasons why LGBTQ people might turn to online dating more quickly than straight folks. For one, you might live in an area without a thriving LGBTQ community, and in-person dating may be hard. If you don’t know other lesbians to begin with, how can you meet more IRL to date? (Sometimes, lesbian spaces can also be co-opted by The Straights.) Unfortunately, in-person dating may also be less safe, depending on where you live.
Hookup apps for everyone
AdultFriendFinder
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readers’ pick for casual connections
Tinder
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top pick for finding hookups
Hinge
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popular choice for regular meetups
Thankfully, we live in a time where we can find people like us with a few swipes. Lesbians are welcome on major dating apps, and there are also niche ones specifically for lesbians and other queer women and people. But which one to choose?
How to find the best dating apps for lesbians
Niche lesbian dating apps aren’t your only option for finding love.
Credit: Stacey Zhu / Mashable
In Mashable’s recommendations below, you’ll find both general dating apps and apps specifically for queer people. As the former appeals to the general population, you’ll find more users in these spaces. The caveat, however, is that when you swipe on other women, you might find those coupled with men who are looking for another woman to have a threesome with (aka unicorn hunters). No judgment here, but that’s probably not what you’re looking for. Then again, people of all types are on dating apps like Tinder and Hinge. You never know who you may come across.
Then there are apps specifically for the community, like HER and Lex. If you yearn for a smaller dating scene, head for these apps. While there’s no “Grindr for lesbians” — we go into why in the FAQ section — these apps are more so like stepping into your neighborhood lesbian bar than an app like Bumble.
You can also try multiple dating apps, as each one below has a free version. You can filter by the gender you identify with and are looking for, and sometimes, as with OkCupid, there are many options to choose from.
Diving into the dating pool isn’t easy, but the water’s fine. Check out our guide below for the full rundown of our recommendations and dating app reviews.
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Maddies Secret trailer reveals John Early as youve never seen him before
