Tom Hardy has released his debut rap album under the name Frankie Pulitzer, teaming up with hip-hop collective Czarface for Czarface Meets Frankie Pulitzer.

The 15-track album was released on 28 August and includes collaborations with Busta Rhymes, Method Man and EL-P. It also marks the latest chapter in a musical interest Hardy has pursued since his teenage years.

Hardy began recording rap music in the 1990s with producer Edward Tracy. Some of their early recordings later appeared online, giving fans an insight into a side of Hardy’s creative life that had remained largely separate from his acting career.

His association with Czarface began years before the album’s release. Hardy collaborated with the group in 2021 and later appeared on “Knull & Void”, a track connected to Venom: The Last Dance. The partnership eventually developed into a full album.

Hardy’s acting career is also referenced throughout the project. On “Raw Forever”, which features Busta Rhymes, he draws on several films and comic-book characters, including his own work in the Marvel universe.

He also returns to one of his most recognisable roles on “Grim-Visaged War”. The track features Hardy using the voice he created for Bane in Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight Rises. He combines the character’s distinctive delivery with lines from Shakespeare’s Richard III.

 

The album does not shy away from Hardy’s sense of humour. “Mad Technology”, featuring Method Man, includes a crude reference to actor Kathy Bates alongside references to Stephen King’s Misery.

Czarface’s involvement gives the project a clear connection to underground hip-hop. The group, formed by rapper-producer 7L, rapper Esoteric and Wu-Tang Clan member Inspectah Deck, is known for its comic-book references and densely written tracks. That approach fits naturally with Hardy’s own interest in film, comics and character-driven storytelling.

For Hardy, however, music is not a new experiment. His early recordings predate the fame that came with films including Inception, The Dark Knight Rises, Mad Max: Fury Road and the Venom franchise.

The release of Czarface Meets Frankie Pulitzer simply puts a much larger audience in front of a part of Hardy’s creative life that has existed for years. This time, he is not appearing as a film character. He is releasing music under his own rap alias.

Dolly Parton, the country music singer, songwriter and actress has died at the age of 80. She passed away on Tuesday, August 25, in Nashville following a brief battle with cancer, according to her representatives. The news was announced through a video posted on her official Instagram page by her nephew, Bryan Seaver, on behalf of the Parton family.

In the family’s official obituary, Parton was remembered as “A rhinestone life that shone bright enough for the world to see, Dolly will forever stand as an inspiration not only through her timeless music and prolific songwriting, but also her wit, warmth, and kindness that made us all feel like family. Dolly Parton’s legacy is one of love, compassion, and resilience. With a seven-decade career, she inspired multiple generations of artists and fans with her music and an unwavering commitment to making the world a better place. Her songs will continue to resonate with people of all ages, and her philanthropic work will have a lasting impact.”

Born on January 19, 1946, in Pittman Center, Tennessee, Parton was the fourth of 12 children. She grew up in a poor family and began singing in church and playing guitar before writing her own songs. She first sang on local radio at age 13, and issued her first single, “Puppy Love,” on the Louisiana label Goldband.

After graduating from high school in 1964, Parton moved to Nashville where she played in clubs and wrote songs for other artists before landing a major break when country singer Porter Wagoner invited her to join The Porter Wagoner Show.

Parton established herself as a solo artist with songs including “Joshua,” “Coat of Many Colors” and “Jolene.” She later wrote “I Will Always Love You” as a farewell to Wagoner after deciding to leave their partnership. The song became an even bigger hit when Whitney Houston recorded it for The Bodyguard in 1992.

By the late 1970s, Parton was looking beyond country music and “Here You Come Again” became her first major crossover hit, reaching No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 and earning her first Grammy in 1978.

She began her movie career in 1980, when she made her acting debut in 9 to 5 alongside Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin. The theme song for the movie became her first No. 1 single on the Hot 100 and earned her two Grammys. She also starred in The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, Rhinestone and Steel Magnolias. She later returned to television and film, including the 2020 Netflix movie Dolly Parton’s Christmas on the Square, which won the Emmy for Outstanding Television Movie.

Across her career, Parton received 11 Grammy Awards from 55 nominations, as well as an honorary Academy Award, a Primetime Emmy Award, and numerous country music honors. She was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1999 and the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2022.

Beyond music and acting, she became involved with the Tennessee theme park in 1986. She later founded the Dollywood Foundation in 1988, through which she launched the Imagination Library in 1995. The program sends free books to children from birth until age five and has expanded across several countries.

Parton is known for her charitable work and in 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, she donated $1 million to Vanderbilt University Medical Center to support COVID-19 vaccine development, including work that contributed to Moderna’s vaccine.

In May 30, 1966, Dolly got married to Carl Thomas Dean. The couple remained married for nearly 59 years before Dean died in March 2025. Parton announced his death via Instagram writing “Carl and I spent many wonderful years together. Words can’t do justice to the love we shared for over 60 years.”

Parton’s life and career were turned into A True Original Musical, which had a trial run in Nashville in 2025 and is scheduled to begin Broadway previews in December 2026. The production is set to open on January 19, 2027, what would have been Parton’s 81st birthday.

She is survived by her music, films and philanthropic work which will remain a major part of her legacy.

Tom Clare and Molly Smith are preparing to celebrate their marriage with family and friends in Mallorca, following an intimate wedding ceremony in the UK.

The couple, who found love on the first series of Love Island: All Stars in 2024, legally married on 22 July 2026 in a private UK ceremony. Smith shared a photograph of the newlyweds on social media alongside the words “Just married”, while another post showed their wedding rings.

The ceremony was followed by plans for a larger celebration in Mallorca, where around 70 relatives and close friends are expected to join them.

Their relationship began after both had already appeared on Love Island. Smith first appeared on the sixth series in 2020, while Clare was a contestant on the ninth series in 2023.

The pair were reunited on Love Island: All Stars, where their relationship developed during the series. They went on to win the show, taking home the £50,000 prize.

Their relationship continued after leaving the villa, with the couple moving in together and sharing updates about their life with fans. They have also worked together on their NearlyWeds With Molly and Tom podcast, where they have discussed their relationship and wedding plans.

Clare proposed to Smith in Dubai in September 2025. He arranged a beach proposal with candles, white roses and a walkway made from rose petals before getting down on one knee.

Smith later showed off her oval-cut diamond engagement ring as the couple announced their engagement on social media.

Wedding preparations became a regular topic on their podcast, with the couple revealing that they changed wedding planners twice before finding one they were happy with.

For their larger celebration, Clare and Smith chose Mallorca and invited around 70 guests. The couple have spoken about wanting the event to reflect their personalities, with fairy lights and personal touches planned for the historic venue.

They have also decided to recreate the exchange of wedding rings during the Mallorca ceremony. Despite already being legally married, Clare explained that they wanted to experience that part of the wedding together with their guests.

Several of their former Love Island co-stars are expected to attend. Clare’s close friend Casey O’Gorman is set to be his best man, while Josh Ritchie, Sophie Piper and Mitch Taylor are also expected to join the celebrations.

The couple’s two-stage wedding comes more than two years after their relationship began on Love Island: All Stars. What started as a romance in the villa has continued away from the programme, with the pair now building a life together and preparing for another important milestone.

The Mallorca celebration will give Clare and Smith the opportunity to mark their marriage surrounded by family, friends and several of the people they met through Love Island.