Hollywood Week: Paramount, AGs Settle, Judge Pauses Final Ruling, Dolly Parton Estate, Hayden Panettiere, Presley Gerber
- Details
- Category: Haute This Issue
- Published on Saturday, 26 September 2026 10:00
- Written by Janet Walker
A deal announced this week in the Paramount Skydance Warner Bros Discovery antitrust lawsuit brought on by 12 state attorney generals and led by California Attorney General Rob Bonta, clears the way for the $111 billion merger to close.
Paramount, AG Settle Mega Merger Antitrust
For nearly one year, there has been a growing concern over the contested merger of Paramount-Skydance and Warner Bros Discovery, which combines two of the oldest Hollywood studios and catapults Paramount CEO David Ellison, the son of Oracle founder Larry Ellison, who ranks number eight among the world's wealthiest men, to one of the most powerful men in media.
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As the antitrust issues appeared to be at the core of the litigation, the AG's remained adamant they would not settle, and the merger would not ever happen. Throughout the months leading up to a proposed court date, and judicial decisions which favored the states, Ellison began announcing his intention to relocate Paramount-Skydance to more favorable states.
The loss would be catastrophic to an already hemorrhaging California film industry. While source have indicated Newsom did not interfere, many others, in positions to provide high altitude insight, indicated both Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and California governor Gavin Newsom urged Bonta to find common ground.
In a statement, Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) praised Bonta for reaching a settlement rather than "spending years fighting in court and putting thousands of California jobs at risk." A person familiar with the situation who was not authorized to speak on the matter said Newsom played a crucial role in getting the two sides to come to an agreement," reported The Washington Post.
While the antitrust issues, which were at the core of the lawsuits have apparently been settled, other questions remain.
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Judge Pauses Final Approval
U.S. District Judge Araceli Martínez-Olguín, has pressed pause on Paramount-Skydance Warner Bros Discovery settlement and has asked the parties to submit additional information by September 28, 2026. A ruling would be expected sometime after.
The judge, who explained that even as the State's Attorney General's have reached an agreement, many others, including New Jersey Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) have remaining concerns. Booker, who leads the Senate Judiciary Committee, submitted the questions and concerns to the judge.
"Warner Bros. Discovery Chief Executive David Zaslav had told staff earlier this week that he expected the deal to close no later than early October. [. . . ] After the proposed settlement was announced, Paramount Chief Executive David Ellison said the combined company would remain in L.A.," The Los Angeles Times reported.
Hollywood Week: Remembering Dolly Parton, Queen of Country Dies, Awards, Humanitarian
Dolly Parton Estate in Chaos
The estate of Dolly Parton is in chaos, as family members scramble to pick over the remains of the late award winning, singer, actress, and businesswoman, $450 million estate determined to take what they believe is due them.
Parton's nephew, Bryan Seaver, who announced her death in a video taped message, had served as the head of security, was removed and immediately began harassing Parton's manager and members of the She Lives Corporation, a company Parton retained to manage her affairs after her death. Her manager, Danny Nozell, requested a restraining order and it was granted.
"Mr. Seaver began his campaign of threats, intimidation, and coercion a few weeks prior to Ms. Parton's passing…. In writing, he vowed to 'destroy the entire brand' and also told her entertainment attorney: "I'm not an entertainment person. I'm a killer,'" reads one of the filings, which were obtained by PEOPLE," People Magazine reported.
Parton's desire for her contribution to the state of Tennessee and to a people often overlooked, resulted in many business endeavors including Dollywood, an amusement park animal refuge near her birth place in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. The state of Parton's business endeavors continue to move ahead, including the September 29, opening of the Song Teller Hotel and Life of Many Colors Museum in Nashville.
In addition to these newly opening businesses, her portfolio includes Dolly Parton Resorts, Dolly's Tennessean Travel Stops, Solly's Splash Country, and a selection of Consumer Goods, Foods and Lifestyle brands, in addition to several music publishing companies and a film and television production company. In addition, her personal estate includes properties in California, Tennessee and other locations, liquid assets, stocks, investments, automobiles, and her intellectual property assets.
Parton, whose will has not been revealed had no immediate heirs and may have ended the care for her family with her death. As she supported them throughout her life, like many others who have earned a sizeable estate throughout their lives, she ended that support in her death.
The late Jackie Kennedy Onassis, explained in her will "I have made no provision in this my will for my sister, Lee B Radziwill, for whom I have great affection, because I have already done so during my lifetime."
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Hayden Panettiere Cause of Death
Hayden Panettiere, who died August 16, 2026, has a lethal combination of illegal substances in her system which caused the award winning television star's death.
The toxicology report listed a combination of anti-depressants and anti-anxiety drugs, as well as fentanyl, which caused her cardiac arrest. Her death was ruled accidental.
"Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that can be used legally as an analgesic and anesthetic while 4-ANPP is a chemical compound used in the illegal manufacture of fentanyl. Alprazolam is a prescription benzodiazepine medication, known by the brand name Xanax, that treats anxiety and panic disorders, while methocarbamol, often prescribed as Roxabin, is a muscle relaxant. Quetiapine is an atypical antipsychotic medication, known by the brand name Seroquel, that acts as a mood stabilizer," People Magazine reported.
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Presley Gerber, Son of Supermodel Cindy Crawford, Dies
Presley Walker Gerber, son of Supermodel Cindy Crawford and businessman Rande Gerber, died this week from an apparent overdose. He was 27.
Gerber, a former model in his own right, was discovered early last Sunday morning, unresponsive at a Santa Monica rehabilitation facility where he had entered voluntarily. Gerber was very vocal about his own personal struggles with mental health and knew himself well enough to explain how the imbalance in his life began to destroy him.
"In his youth, Mr. Gerber was an avid athlete who devoted significant time — sometimes as much as 10 hours a day during middle school, he said — to water sports, including swimming, surfing and water polo. "I can tell you right now, the strongest addiction I ever had was surfing and being in the ocean," he once said," The New York Times reported.
As his modeling career continued to grow, he became more successful, which meant traveling regularly to locations. During his Mental Health Mondays Instagram reels, he explained the relationship between physical activity and mental health, and when he began to model and "the pressures of life" encroached the time available for physical activity lessened and his mental health suffered.
Gerber seemed to be his own man, even as a teenager, explaining that he began working at a local Smoothie shop beginning at 14. He completed high school online, even before the pandemic, as he began modeling. Even though he was quite successful having walked in runway shows for many designers including Dolce & Gabbana and Moschino, and in ad campaigns for Calvin Klein and Tommy Hilfiger and in 2022 became the face of Celine's Eau de Californie.
In the week since his passing, a police investigation has been launched into his death. Limited information is available on Resolutions Living facility, and its owners, "psychologist Reza Nabavi and his wife, clinical psychologist Maryam Akbar."
"Gerber had entered the Resolutions Living facility in Santa Monica the night before his death, police said. It's unclear whether he was already an outpatient receiving medical care at Resolutions Therapeutic Services or entirely new to the couple's programs. [. . .] Santa Monica Police say there is no indication of foul play at this time, but they are also investigating Gerber's demise and how he obtained the narcotics or prescriptions that led to his death," The Los Angeles Times reported.
Gerber's cause of death was listed as "deferred," meaning the cause behind his sudden death will not be official until after the toxicology reports are completed. His remains were released to his family who chose to have him cremated.
Gerber is survived by his parents, Cindy Crawford and Rande Gerber, and his sister, Kaia.
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Janet Walker is the publisher, founder, and sole owner of Haute-Lifestyle.com. A graduate of New York University, she has been covering international news through the Beltway Insider, a weekly review of the nation's top stories, for more than a decade. A general beat writer/reporter and entertainment/film critic, she is also an accomplished news/investigative news/crime reporter and submitted for Pulitzer Prize consideration "Cops Conspire to Deep Six Sex Assaults" in the Breaking News Category and was persuaded to withdraw the submission. Ms. Walker has completed five award-winning screenplays "The Six Sides of Truth," "The Assassins of Fifth Avenue," "The Wednesday Killer," "The Manhattan Project," and the sci-fi thriller "Project 13: The Last Day." She has also published "Unholy Alliances: A True Crime Story," a non-fiction narrative, "Days, Times, Seasons, and Events: A Collection of Poetry & Prose," and "Songs of Freedom: A Collection of Biblical Teachings," which can be purchased here. She is a member of the Authors Guild, the Los Angeles Press Club, the National Writers Union, and a member of the International Federation of Journalists.
