Category Entertainment News

His death Sunday was confirmed by his wife Luciana Duvall.

“Yesterday we said goodbye to my beloved husband, cherished friend, and one of the greatest actors of our time. Bob passed away peacefully at home,” she wrote.

Blunt-talking, prolific and glitz-averse, Duvall won an Oscar for best actor and was nominated six other times. Over his six decades-long career, he shone in both lead and supporting roles, and eventually became a director.

“To the world, he was an Academy Award-winning actor, a director, a storyteller. To me, he was simply everything,” Luciana Duvall said. “His passion for his craft was matched only by his deep love for characters, a great meal, and holding court.”

Duvall won his Academy Award in 1983 for playing a washed-up country singer in “Tender Mercies.”

READ ALSO: Trump Announces 100% Tariff Threat On Movies Made Outside US

But his most memorable characters also included the soft-spoken, loyal mob consigliere Tom Hagen in the first two installments of “The Godfather” and the maniacal Lieutenant Colonel William Kilgore in Francis Ford Coppola’s 1979 Vietnam War epic “Apocalypse Now.”

The latter, which earned Duvall an Oscar nomination and made him a bona fide star after years playing lesser roles, sees him utter what is now one of cinema’s most famous lines.

“I love the smell of napalm in the morning,” his war-loving character — bare chested, cocky and sporting a big black cowboy hat — muses as low-flying US warplanes bomb a beachfront tree line where he wants to go surfing.

That character was originally created to be even more over the top — his name was at first supposed to be Colonel Carnage — but Duvall had it toned down, demonstrating his meticulous approach to acting.

“I did my homework,” Duvall told veteran talk show host Larry King in 2015. “I did my research.”

Duvall was sort of a late bloomer in Hollywood — he was already 31 when he delivered his breakout performance as the mysterious recluse Boo Radley in the 1962 film adaptation of Harper Lee’s novel “To Kill a Mockingbird.”

He would go on to play myriad roles — a bullying corporate executive in “Network” (1976), a Marine officer who treats his family like soldiers in “The Great Santini” (1979), and then his star turn in “Tender Mercies.”

Duvall often said his favorite role, however, was one he played in a 1989 TV mini-series — the grizzled, wise-cracking Texas Ranger-turned-cowboy Augustus McCrae in “Lonesome Dove,” based on the novel by Larry McMurtry.

Austrian prosecutors have filed terror charges against a 21-year-old over a plot to attack a Taylor Swift concert in Vienna, they said on Monday, which had led the US megastar’s shows in 2024 in the Alpine nation to be scrapped.

Three dates in Swift’s record-breaking “Eras” tour were cancelled in the summer of 2024 after authorities warned of the plot.

The main suspect, who has been in detention since his arrest in August 2024, is facing terror offenses and other charges, prosecutors said.

The Austrian is accused of having been a member of a terror organisation from May 2023 “by planning and preparing a terrorist attack on the concert of singer Taylor Swift,” they said in a statement.

By sharing IS propaganda through various messaging services and other offenses, he participated and “openly aligned himself” with IS, they added.

READ ALSO: Taylor Swift Breaks Down In Eras Documentary Over Southport Attack

Planning the attack on the concert, he allegedly tried to get weapons and worked on making a shrapnel bomb “specific to IS attacks” and received instructions from other IS members on handling explosives, according to prosecutors.

He is also alleged to have been involved in other attack plans abroad, including in Dubai and Istanbul, though those attacks never materialised.

If found guilty, he faces up to 20 years in prison.

Last year, a Berlin court convicted a Syrian teenager of contributing to the plot to attack the Swift concert.

The 16-year-old was given an 18-month suspended sentence.

The plot was thwarted with the help of US intelligence.

Period drama “Train Dreams” took home the Spirit Awards win for best feature on Sunday, as both it and “The Secret Agent” gathered momentum ahead of the Academy Awards.

“The Secret Agent” notched best international film as its team hopes to win in the same category at the Oscars next month.

The annual Film Independent Spirit Awards ceremony only celebrates movies made for less than $30 million.

“Train Dreams,” director Clint Bentley’s adaptation of the Denis Johnson novella, follows a railroad worker and the transformation of the American Northwest across the 20th century.

The film won three of its four categories, also grabbing wins for best director and best cinematography. The movie’s lead, Joel Edgerton, however, did not take home best actor, which went to Rose Byrne for “If I Had Legs I’d Kick You.”

“Train Dreams” producer Teddy Schwarzman told AFP the film “is a singular journey, but it hopefully helps bring people together to understand all that life entails: love, friendship, loss, grief, healing and hope.”

“Train Dreams” will compete for best picture at the Oscars, among other honours.

After “The Secret Agent” nabbed best international film, director Kleber Mendonca Filho hailed the win as one that hopefully “gives more visibility to Brazilian cinema.”

The film follows a former academic pursued by hitmen amid the political turmoil of Brazil under military rule.

It prevailed Sunday over contenders including rave-themed road trip movie “Sirat,” which will compete alongside “The Secret Agent” for best international feature film at the Oscars, capping Hollywood’s awards season.

“The Secret Agent” will also be up for best picture, best actor and best casting.

Brazil’s “I’m Still Here” won best international feature at the Oscars last year.

Other Spirit winners on Sunday included “Lurker,” for best first screenplay and best first feature film.

“Sorry, Honey” nabbed best screenplay and “The Perfect Neighbor” scored best documentary.

Nigerian singer Joeboy has said the Afrobeats genre is experiencing what he described as a “purge,” noting that the sound is moving away from what he termed “gimmicking “and returning to its essence.

The singer made the remarks midway through his performance at his sold-out Valentine’s Day concert in Lagos, where he told fans that the genre is shifting back to “real music.”

“Afrobeats right now is going through a purge. We are getting back to the times where real music is going to stay – no more gimmicking and all of that.

“I can feel it already, and I am happy that we are getting back to those zones where the music speaks. I thank God for that.”

“Afrobeats is going through a purge” — Joeboy speaks at his special Couples-only Valentine event ️ pic.twitter.com/MO95KN7WxX

Afrobeats, Through The Years 

The global rise of Afrobeats traces its lineage to the ‘Afrobeat’ movement pioneered by Fela Kuti, whose politically charged fusion of jazz and highlife laid the cultural foundation for today’s modern pop sound.

Over the years, the genre has evolved into a global export championed by acts such as D’banj, Timaya, Wizkid, Davido and Tiwa Savage.

READ ALSO: If Davido, Wizkid, Others Collaborated More, Afrobeats Would Be Bigger Today — Asa Asika

A newer generation, including Tems, Burna Boy, Rema, Asake and Ayra Starr has further expanded its reach under the “Afrobeats to the World” movement, earning international recognition and major award wins.

Despite its growth, debates persist over whether Afrobeats commands the same global dominance as genres such as pop, rap or Latin music, as well as concerns about limited collaborations among leading Nigerian stars.

At the start of the 2020s, Afrobeats saw significant experimentation, with many artistes blending the sound with South Africa’s amapiano as well as American hip-hop and R&B.

For example, stars like Davido and Wizkid have sampled the amapiano genre on some of their hit tracks.

While the fusion helped expand the genre’s global reach, some critics argued that excessive cross-genre influences diluted its original identity.

By 2024, however, several Nigerian artistes began steering back towards a more traditional Afrobeats sound, reducing the heavy amapiano influence that had dominated previous releases.

Grammys, African Sounds

The global conversation around African music began more when the Recording Academy introduced the ‘Best African Music Performance’ category to recognise the influence and sound.

It was further amplified at the 2026 Grammy Awards, where South African pop star Tyla won the Best African Music Performance prize with her song Push 2 Start.

The track, taken from her self-titled debut album Tyla, blends amapiano with pop, Afrobeats and R&B influences and has gained traction globally through streaming platforms and social media. Tems, however, won the 2025 edition.

Meanwhile, this year’s category saw top Nigerian acts dominate with several hits sound. Stars like Burna Boy, Davido, Wizkid, Ayra Starr and Omah Lay were listed on the category.

The ceremony also honoured Fela Kuti posthumously with a Lifetime Achievement Award, which was widely celebrated.

In November 2025, veteran Nigerian rapper Ruggedman suggested the “Afrobeats” label itself could eventually fade, even as he acknowledged the strong global position of Nigerian music.

Nigerian actor and singer, Gabriel Afolayan, has said his decision to pursue acting was driven by an inner calling rather than the weight of his family’s legacy.

The 40-year-old movie star made the remarks during an interview on Channels Television’s Sunrise on Saturday, where he spoke on growing up in a renowned entertainment dynasty, his creative philosophy, and the evolution of his career.

Asked what it feels like to come from a celebrated acting family, Afolayan admitted that the legacy comes with pressure.

“It’s a big weight to… because one thing is the legacy. Then another thing is what spice do you have as a person? And it calls for a whole lot of heavy talks around, because they already know what your dad had done.

“So what about you? Who are you? We are, we’re all out proving ourselves almost all the time, making sure the legacy is still very intact. And also let people know that, okay, we’re from this family, but also this is our own calling as well,” he said.

READ ALSO: ‘I’m Doing This For Posterity’, Says Kunle Afolayan As He Unveils KAP Film Village

He noted that constantly trying to separate oneself from a famous name can be unnecessary.

“For me, I think it’s a common talk, but then again, you can’t rule out your legacy.
There’s nothing anybody can do about that. No matter how astute you are with your craft and all that, people still would have to tag you to that legacy, whether you like it or yes.

“But as time goes by for you as a person, I think your own personal dream will start revealing itself over time based on what you get to do with whatever you’ve been given. And as time goes by, people will be able to say, okay, we know him also, even though he’s part of this legacy. I think that would happen over time. So you can’t put up an argument all the time and defend yourself that ‘I’m different.’ People will know if you’re different,” the actor said.



The Afolayan family from Kwara State is a celebrated Nigerian entertainment dynasty, regarded as Nollywood royalty. Their legacy spans acting, directing, and film production across multiple generations.

The patriarch, Adeyemi Josiah Afolayan (Ade Love, 1940–1996), was a pioneer of modern Nigerian theatre and cinema, known for films like Taxi Driver and Kadara.

His children have continued his legacy, including filmmaker Kunle Afolayan, actor and singer Gabriel Afolayan, actor-director Aremu Afolayan, actress-filmmaker Moji Afolayan, and veteran actress Toyin Afolayan (Lola Idije).

In November 2024, the family mourned the passing of their mother, Mama Omoladun Ayanladun Afolayan, at age 81. At her wake, Kunle and Aremu Afolayan publicly reconciled, ending a long-standing feud and reaffirming family unity.

‘Inner Feeling’

Asked why he chose acting, Afolayan explained that the profession chose him from the onset and described acting as an inner feeling of a calling more than a career.

“Yes. I’ll put it that way. Because being inspired is one thing. Having your own inner core is another thing. And that, because we’re just, I think we’re just six in this business. And we have a whole bunch of other kids that are into something totally different. It could have been the same with them as well, if, truly, you know, that’s the case.

“I think this is just what the few of us that are into this business I think this is just what we also want to do. Whether our father was into it or not. Because I grew up strictly feeling that this is exactly what I wanted, even without having anything to do with or seeing my dad or seeing any other person. I think it was just inner.

“It was within for me. And we saw a lot of films while growing up. And there’s a way all these things get to inspire your own intuition as well. So, for me, I’ll say for a fact that it’s also what I would love to do. Trust me. If it’s in another life, we probably won’t know what to do until we are in that particular life. So this life that we are in right now, for me, I think this is more of a calling than a job,” he stated.

Working With Kunle Afolayan

The actor also opened up about his professional and personal relationship with his brother, filmmaker Kunle Afolayan, revealing how their shared upbringing shaped their work in Nollywood.

Reflecting on their childhood, he recalled how early experiences watching films together created a lasting bond:

“I can remember when we were much younger; he’s going to put me on his shoulder… we go and watch films together. So we’ve already had that filmic bond while growing up. And also, it translated pretty much well,” he said.

This foundation of shared experiences, he said, made working together on large-scale projects, such as the Anikulapo series, a natural and rewarding process.

“We love quality stuff, fundamentally. And we love ourselves, even though when we argue, it’s for a certain course that’s going to set things right. So it was pretty easy to work with him. I think we got that niche from our dad, always wanting to do things right.”

‘Anikulapo’

Afolayan also spoke about collaborating with his family, particularly on the Anikulapo project, the scale and demands of the production.

“For a big-scale project like Anikulapo, you can’t be any better. The project itself calls for exactly what it gets at the moment, building set from scratch, having professional cinematographers, good technical people on grading, costumes, art design… everything has to be grand,” he said.

READ ALSO: We Need Grants From Govt To Help Movie Industry – Kunle Afolayan

Explaining the transition from film to series, he said, “Because it’s a series now, it needs to extend, that’s the fundamental… you can’t journey through a singular plot. The protagonists are always going to evolve. It’s not solely rested on a particular character.

“The stuff itself is called Anikulapo. Anikulapo is a title, it’s not a name. The next Anikulapo might be a pretty much younger person. The protagonists are going to evolve. So it’s not going to be solely rested on a particular character.

“Like, I said, it’s a title, Anikulapo, meaning the one with death in his pouch. Anybody who is able to bring people back to life or return from the dead can be Anikulapo. So it keeps going,” he said.

According to him, the series carries strong moral and societal lessons.

Nollywood Standards

Addressing the state of the Nigerian film industry, the 40-year-old actor pointed to funding as a key challenge.

“The standard is here. The only thing now is the personality around those standards. Sometimes you can have a very good script, but because of budget, the expression, the storytelling will turn another way around.… People create good things, great stuff, good stories. But when it comes to execution, everything is still about the budget input,” he said.

READ ALSO: YouTube Is The Future Of Nollywood, But Piracy Remains A Threat — Afolayan

For Afolayan, the foundation of his craft remains the story itself.

Nigerian music star Davido has withdrawn his legal action seeking joint custody of his daughter, Imade Adeleke, following a hearing at the Lagos State High Court.

The case, which had been ongoing since 2024, came up for hearing on 13 February 2026.

Proceedings became tense during cross-examination when issues surrounding child safety were raised, including references to the 2022 death of Davido’s son, Ifeanyi Adeleke, whom he had with Chioma Rowland.

Following the exchange, the session was paused. When it resumed, the court reportedly asked the singer to apologise for his reaction, which he declined.

Shortly afterwards, he opted to discontinue the suit.

1. I never asked for full custody … I asked for joint custody
2. Nobody won , nobody lost but Imade … so I don’t know why some pple r celebrating.. there’s nothing to celebrate.
3 . I’ve decided to drop the case because when I was spanking that lawyer in the court room all ..…

Davido publicly confirmed the decision in an X post shared on Friday, stating:

“I never asked for full custody; I asked for joint custody. Nobody won, nobody lost, but Imade, so I don’t know why some people are celebrating… there’s nothing to celebrate.

“I’ve decided to drop the case because when I was spanking that lawyer in the courtroom…she would get so frustrated because normally I finished school…I was finishing her…until she brought out her last card! My Deceased Son! That’s a No No! Lowest blow! My daughter will grow up knowing I fought for her. Let’s move on, One love!”

In another message, he wrote, “You’re constantly bringing up the death of my child at any point you can to just remind us of this tragedy that haunts us every day of our lives. Imade will grow up to see I fought for her. As for now, you can have her. P.S she won’t be a child forever… enjoy Imade Aurora Adeleke! Your father loves you!”

He maintained that the case was intended to formalise joint custody and ensure structured access, not to take the child away from her mother.

Backstory

Davido filed the suit in April 2024 seeking joint custody and unrestricted access to Imade.

The move followed years of co-parenting disagreements with her mother, Sophia Momodu, who opposed the request and argued that she remained the primary caregiver.

READ ALSO: Paternity Claims Unnecessary, DNA Tests Show Anu Not Davido’s Daughter – Adeleke

The matter had gone through multiple hearings and attempts at settlement without resolution before the February 2026 development.

With the withdrawal, the legal proceedings have effectively ended for now, leaving existing informal arrangements in place.

Davido said his priority is to “move on”, adding that his daughter would know he sought to remain actively involved in her life.