The daily gossip: Melanie Lynskey takes on body-shamers after The Last of Us debut, Britney Spears' loved ones reportedly planned an intervention, and more

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Melanie Lynskey.
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1. Melanie Lynskey takes on body-shamers after 'The Last of Us' debut

When you're lost in the darkness surrounded by bad tweets, look for the light. Melanie Lynskey is hitting back against a body-shaming comment criticizing her casting in HBO's The Last of Us. The actress recently debuted in the post-apocalyptic drama as the leader of a revolutionary group that has overthrown the government in Kansas City. But America's Next Top Model winner Adrianne Curry criticized the casting on Twitter, claiming Lynskey's "body says life of luxury … not post apocolyptic [sic] warlord." Lynskey shot back that her character is "supposed to be SMART, ma'am" and doesn't "need to be muscly" because "that's what henchmen are for." Others have claimed they couldn't take Lynskey seriously as a fearsome leader because of her voice. But she noted she was excited that her casting suggests a "future in which people start listening to the person with the best ideas," not simply the "coolest or the toughest person." Even better, it's also a world where Twitter no longer exists.

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Brendan Morrow

Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.