Spike Lee Reveals What He Thinks His Legacy Will Be After He Dies (Exclusive)

Brianna Bryson/WireImage

NEED TO KNOW

• Spike Lee revealed what he wants his legacy to be after his death in an exclusive interview with PEOPLE

• Lee is a prolific filmmaker and a longtime professor of film studies and directing at NYU Tisch School of the Arts

• Some of his most iconic projects include She's Gotta Have It, School Daze, Do the Right Thing, Mo' Better Blues, Jungle Fever, Malcolm X and Da 5 Bloods

Spike Leeknows how he wants to be remembered.

Speaking with PEOPLE exclusively at the Critics Choice Association's 8th Celebration of Black Cinema & Television, theAcademy Award winner, 68, revealed what he thinks his legacy will be after his death.

"It's two things: it's the films, and also I'm a teacher," Lee, alongtime professorof film studies and directing at NYU Tisch School of the Arts, said.

Erica Denhoff/Icon Sportswire via Getty

"So my students … a lot of them have gone and made careers in it," theDo the Right ThingandBlacKkKlansmandirector continued.

"I've been teaching 31 years. But not all those years were tenured. That came around recently. So they can't fire me. NYU can't fire me," Lee added.

At the Critics Choice ceremony, theMalcolm Xfilmmaker was presented with the Career Achievement Award for "his extraordinary body of work that has made an indelible mark on popular culture over the last four decades, including most recently A24 and Apple Original Films'Highest 2 Lowest."

The Critics Choice Association detailed his career successes in a statement, writing, "Lee has explored race, politics, and African American life in such iconic films asShe's Gotta Have It, School Daze, Do the Right Thing, Mo' Better Blues, Jungle Fever, Malcolm XandDa 5 Bloods."

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"He also directed the double Emmy Award-winning documentary about the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina and the BP Oil SpillIf God Is Willing and Da Creek Don't Rise,as well as the Oscar-nominated feature documentary4 Little Girlsabout the 1963 bombing of a Black church in Birmingham that killed four young girls," the statement concluded.

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Earl Gibson III/Deadline via Getty

Lee — who recently also received theW. E. B. Du Bois Medal(Harvard's highest honor in the field of African and African American studies) — previously said histwo children will be a major part of his legacy.

"My No. 1 legacy is going to be through my children," he toldVultureof his kids, Satchel, 31, and Jackson, 28.

Lee added, "They both are definitely going to do something in the arts. And they are going to be successful too. I know they are going to be the best legacy that mywife, Tonya, and I leave behind."

Read the original article onPeople

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December 13, 2025

Spike Lee Reveals What He Thinks His Legacy Will Be After He Dies (Exclusive)

Brianna Bryson/WireImage NEED TO KNOW Spike Lee revealed what he wants his legacy to be after his death in an exclusive interview with PE...

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Abraham Quintanilla Jr., father and manager of Selena, dies at 86

TARA ZIEMBA/AFP via Getty; Arlene Richie/Getty I

Abraham Quintanilla Jr., the father and manager of legendary Tejano singerSelena Quintanilla-Pérez, has died. He was 86.

Quintanilla's son, Abraham "A.B." Isaac Quintanilla III,announcedthe news on Instagram on Saturday. "It's with a heavy heart to let you guys know that my dad passed away today," he wrote. He did not provide a cause of death.

Born in Corpus Christi, Texas, in 1939, Quintanilla developed an interest in music as a teenager, founding a group called the Gumdrops before joining the Dinos when Lupe Barrera left the group.

The Dinos' single "So Hard to Tell" became a favorite of local Corpus Christi radio stations, as did its follow-up, "Give Me One More Chance." Quintanilla's time with the group was interrupted when he was drafted in 1961 and later stationed in Fort Lewis, Wash., where he met Marcella Samora.

Quintanilla married Samora in 1963 and returned to the Dinos, who pivoted to Spanish-language music with their 1964 album,Con Esta Copa. The band released four albums in the 1960s and achieved moderate success, but after welcoming two children with Samora, Quintanilla opted to leave the Dinos in 1969.

Jordan Murph/Getty

The couple's third child, Selena, was born in 1971, and Quintanilla quickly recognized his daughter's musical gift. He established a family band, also named Los Dinos, with Selena on vocals, A.B. on bass, and his older daughter, Suzette, on drums.

Under Quintanilla's management, the group eventually signed with Freddie Records in 1984 and released six albums across various labels throughout the 1980s. Selena was rebranded as a solo artist with her 1989 album,Selena, though A.B. and Suzette continued to contribute to her recordings and play alongside her during live performances.

Abraham was credited as a songwriter and an executive producer onSelenaand on her Grammy-winning 1993 album,Selena Live.

After Selena's murder in 1995, Quintanilla became one of the guardians of his daughter's legacy and cofounded the Selena Foundation. He produced the 1997 biopicSelena, which starred Jennifer Lopez as the singer and Edward James Olmos as her father. He also co-directed the 2005 concert filmSelena ¡viveand executive-produced the 2020 biopic seriesSelena: The Series.

Get your daily dose of entertainment news, celebrity updates, and what to watch with ourEW Dispatch newsletter.

Quintanilla is survived by his wife, Marcella; his son, A.B.; and his daughter, Suzette.

Read the original article onEntertainment Weekly

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Abraham Quintanilla Jr., father and manager of Selena, dies at 86

TARA ZIEMBA/AFP via Getty; Arlene Richie/Getty I Abraham Quintanilla Jr., the father and manager of legendary Tejano singerSelena Quintani...

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Jack Nicholson May Make More Movies After All, Says Longtime Friend James L. Brooks (Exclusive)

Kevin Winter/Getty

NEED TO KNOW

• James L. Brooks believes his longtime friend and collaborator Jack Nicholson is not done acting

• Nicholson last appeared on the big screen in Brooks' 2010 movie How Do You Know, which was also Brooks' last movie as a writer-director before releasing Ella McCay

• "I think he's one of the greatest actors we've ever had," Brooks says of the three-time Academy Award winner

Jack Nicholsonmight not have appeared in a movie sinceJames L. Brooks' 2010 comedyHow Do You Know, but as the Oscar-winning filmmaker tells PEOPLE, Nicholson hasn't "stopped" acting.

Brooks and Nicholson, both 88, built a professional collaboration and personal friendship worthy of Hollywood lore through Nicholson'sOscar-winning performances in Brooks' beloved dramediesTerms of EndearmentandAs Good as It Gets, as well as a small role inBroadcast News.

Although 15 years have passed since Nicholson last stepped onto the big screen inHow Do You Know, Brooks says the movie legend will one day grace it again.

"Oh, I don't think he stopped," Brooks says. "I mean, he's gotten scripts, he's reading them, and I'm sure we'll be seeing them."

(Brooks previously told PEOPLE in a 2023 interview that he believes Nicholson will "get itchy and scratch" his interest in acting once more.)

Brooks repeatedly refers to Nicholson as "the greatest actor of the generation" as he discusses his new film,Ella McCay,and his own directing career, which helped bring Nicholson two of his three career Academy Awards.

Paramount/Kobal/Shutterstock

The pair first met afterDebra Wingerbrought Nicholson Brooks' script for 1983'sTerms of Endearmentand convinced him to costar in the movie alongside her andShirley MacLaine.

"I didn't have a second choice," Brooks recalls. "I didn't because the guy has to have license from an audience when he walks on, and he was the only [one]. I was a fledgling [director], and I had to get the greatest guy going or not make the movie."

"He's great to work with. I once asked him — I just think it was one of the best things to say to other actors. I asked him, 'What do you do if you're in a scene and the other actor isn't particularly talented?' " Brooks recalls of an interaction with Nicholson. "And he said, 'No, no. Whatever the other actor does is perfect.' And that is not only a gorgeous answer, it's severely true."

Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE's free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

Noel Vasquez/GC Images

While Brooks tells PEOPLE he did not attend Nicholson's 88th birthday party this year, he says he and the legendary actor do "keep in touch.""I love him — he's Jack. He's Jack Nicholson, for God's sake. He actuallyisJack Nicholson! I go over and we have great visits. We do great catch-ups. We hang every once in a while," Brooks says. "He's an amazing man. He's a good artist; his painting is really really good. He's an athlete and he's well read and he's a fascinating, monumental figure."

Brooks' new movieElla McCayis in theaters now.

Read the original article onPeople

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December 13, 2025

Jack Nicholson May Make More Movies After All, Says Longtime Friend James L. Brooks (Exclusive)

Kevin Winter/Getty NEED TO KNOW James L. Brooks believes his longtime friend and collaborator Jack Nicholson is not done acting Nicholson...

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Another Arctic Blast Of Bitter Cold Air Pushing Temperatures Below Zero In Midwest This Weekend

Yet another arctic blast of bitter cold air spread into the Central Plains, Midwest and Great Lakes and will spread through much of the East by early next week, sending some temperatures plunging below zero with much colder wind chills in areas shivering through a cold start to December.

Some will see temperatures plummeting over 30 degrees below average by Sunday and Monday mornings.

Timing

Another powerhouse arctic front is on the way. Here is when even colder air will arrive:

- Sunday: The Northeast and much of the South, except Florida

- Monday: Lingering in the Northeast, Southeast (including northern Florida) and Great Lakes

(MORE:Need A Cold Escape? These Areas Are Record Warm Right Now)

'High'lights

Put simply, it will be bitter cold the rest of the weekend in the Midwest.

Highs may not make it out of the single digits from Minnesota into parts of Indiana.

On Sunday, teens may be as warm as it gets in the Ohio Valley. These may set some record cold highs for this time of year in Cincinnati and Indianapolis, among other locations.

For Sunday and Monday, highs may struggle to rise much above freezing for the Northeast from Boston to Washington, D.C., and 40s for highs are as warm as it could get in parts of the Deep South and northern Gulf Coast Monday.

(MAPS:10-Day US Forecast Highs/Lows)

'Low'lights

Subzero morning lows are expected not just in the typical cold spots, but also as far south as Indiana, central Illinois and northern Missouri by Sunday morning, possibly again Monday morning.

Sunday morning, lows in the teens, even 20s below zero are forecast from the eastern Dakotas to Minnesota, Iowa and western Wisconsin, including the Twin Cities.

A few of these areas could flirt with daily record lows Sunday morning.

Elsewhere, the coldest morning lows in the Northeast and South will be Monday and Tuesday morning. Lows in the Northeast will range from the teens in the interior to low 20s along the immediate I-95 corridor. Twenties will dominate the Deep South, with a freeze expected to the northern Gulf Coast and northern Florida.

Dangerous Wind Chills

Unfortunately, winds will also accompany the Arctic front.

This combination of cold and winds will sendwind chillstumbling into the teens, 20s, even 30s below zero, at times this weekend in the Northern Plains and upper Midwest.

So, minimize your time outdoors in these areas this weekend. If you have to venture outside, make sure any exposed skin is covered up.

(MAP:Current Wind Chills)

Any Relief Ahead?

It has beenamong the top 10 coldest first 10 days of December on recordin several locations in the Great Lakes and East, according to the Southeast Regional Climate Center. Among them are New York's JFK Airport (seventh coldest), Roanoke, Virginia (seventh coldest), and Grand Rapids, Michigan (sixth coldest).

We do expect another brush of cold air along the northern tier from the Dakotas to Great Lakes and Northeast later next week.

After that, however, longer-range computer models are suggesting this persistent cold pattern will be shoved back into Canada by late next week into Christmas week in a potential pattern change.

Jonathan Erdman is a senior meteorologist at weather.com and has been covering national and international weather since 1996. Extreme and bizarre weather are his favorite topics. Reach out to him onBluesky,X (formerly Twitter)andFacebook.

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December 13, 2025

Another Arctic Blast Of Bitter Cold Air Pushing Temperatures Below Zero In Midwest This Weekend

Yet another arctic blast of bitter cold air spread into the Central Plains, Midwest and Great Lakes and will spread th...

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Russia and Ukraine trade attacks as US and European officials prepare for peace talks

Moscow pounded Ukrainian power infrastructure with drone and missile strikes on Saturday and Kyiv launched a deadly strike of its own on southwestern Russia, a day before talks involving senior European and U.S. officials aimed at ending the war were set to resume.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyysaid Ukrainian, U.S. and European officials will hold a series of meetings in Berlin in the coming days, adding that he will personally meet with U.S. President Donald Trump's envoys.

"Most importantly, I will be meeting with envoys of President Trump, and there will also be meetings with our European partners, with many leaders, concerning the foundation of peace — a political agreement to end the war," Zelenskyy said in an address to the nation late Saturday.

Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff and his son-in-lawJared Kushnerare traveling to Berlin for the talks, according to a White House official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

American officials have tried for months to navigate the demands of each side as Trump presses fora swift end to Russia's warand grows increasingly exasperated by delays. The search for possible compromises has run into major obstacles, including which combatant willget control of Ukraine's eastern Donbas region, which is mostly occupied by Russian forces.

"The chance is considerable at this moment, and it matters for our every city, for our every Ukrainian community," Zelenskyy said. "We are working to ensure that peace for Ukraine is dignified, and to secure a guarantee — a guarantee, above all — that Russia will not return to Ukraine for a third invasion."

As diplomats push for peace, the war grinds on.

Russia attacked five Ukrainian regions overnight, targeting the country's energy and port infrastructure. Zelenskyy said the attacks involved more than 450 drones and 30 missiles. And with temperatures hovering around freezing, Ukraine's interior minister, Ihor Klymenko, said more than a million people were without electricity.

An attack on Odesa caused grain silos to catch fire at the coastal city's port, Ukrainian deputy prime minister and reconstruction minister Oleksiy Kuleba said. Two people were wounded in attacks on the wider Odesa region, according to regional head Oleh Kiper.

Kyiv and its allies say Russia is trying tocripple the Ukrainian power gridand deny civilians access to heat, light and running water for a fourth consecutive winter, in what Ukrainian officials call "weaponizing" the cold.

The drone attack in Russia's Saratov region damaged a residential building and killed two people, said the regional governor, Roman Busargin, who didn't offer further details. Busragin said the attack also shattered windows at a kindergarten and clinic. Russia's Defense Ministry said it shot down 41 Ukrainian drones over Russian territory overnight.

On the front lines, Ukrainian forces said Saturday that the northern part of Pokrovsk was under Ukrainian control, despite Russia's claims this month that it had taken full control of the critical city. The Associated Press was not able to independently verify the claims.

The latest attacks came after Kremlin foreign affairs adviser Yuri Ushakov reaffirmed Friday that Moscow will give its blessing to a ceasefire only after Ukraine's forces have withdrawn from parts of the Donetsk region that they still control.

Ukraine has consistently refused to cede the remaining part of the region to Russia.

Ushakov told the business daily Kommersant that Russian police and national guard troops would stay in parts of eastern Ukraine's Donbas even if they become a demilitarized zone under a prospective peace plan — a demand likely to be rejected by Ukraine asU.S.-led negotiationsdrag on.

Ushakov warned that a search for compromise could take a long time, noting that the U.S. proposals that took into account Russian demands had been "worsened" by alterations proposed by Ukraine and its European allies.

"We don't know what changes they are making, but clearly they aren't for the better," Ushakov said, adding: "We will strongly insist on our considerations."

In other developments, about 480 people were evacuated Saturday from a train traveling between the Polish city of Przemysl and Kyiv after police received a call concerning a threat on the train, Karolina Kowalik, a spokesperson for the Przemysl police, told The Associated Press. Nobody was hurt and she didn't elaborate on the threat.

Polish authorities are on high alert since multiple attempts to disrupt trains on the line linking Warsaw to the Ukrainian border, including the use of explosives in November, with Polish authorities saying they have evidence Russia was behind it.

Associated Press reporter Seung Min Kim in Washington contributed to this report.

Follow AP's coverage of the war in Ukraine athttps://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine

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December 13, 2025

Russia and Ukraine trade attacks as US and European officials prepare for peace talks

Moscow pounded Ukrainian power infrastructure with drone and missile strikes on Saturday and Kyiv launched a deadly strik...

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1 dead in U-Haul truck explosion in Idaho parking lot: Officials

One person is dead after a U-Haul truck appears to have accidentally exploded in a parking lot in Idaho early Saturday, according to officials.

The explosion caused damage within the blast radius including to a Courtyard Marriott and Old Navy, according to the Lewiston Fire Department and City of Lewiston Police Department.

Initial findings indicate the vehicle was transporting stored materials, including flammable items such as gasoline and propane tanks, according to officials.

Washington residents evacuate amid catastrophic flooding, National Guard going door-to-door in Burlington

"At this time, there is no indication the incident is criminal in nature," Lewiston Fire Marshal Julian Sorrell said in a statement.

There was no fire after the explosion, officials said.

The investigation into the incident remains ongoing.

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December 13, 2025

1 dead in U-Haul truck explosion in Idaho parking lot: Officials

One person is dead after a U-Haul truck appears to have accidentally exploded in a parking lot in Idaho early Saturday, according to officia...

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Matthew Perry Remembered by the “Friends” Cast 2 Years After His Death with a Heartfelt Tribute

Matthew Perry Foundation/Instagram

NEED TO KNOW

• The Friends cast teamed up with the Matthew Perry Foundation for a charity fundraiser that honors their late co-star

• Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, David Schwimmer, Matt LeBlanc and Lisa Kudrow each autographed a collection of limited edition artwork

• Matthew Perry was found dead in October 2023 following an accidental overdose

Matthew Perry'sFriendscostarsare continuing to honor his life two years after hisdeath.

On Friday, Dec. 12, the Matthew Perry Foundation shared a series ofphotoson Instagram capturing the moment thatJennifer Aniston,Courteney Cox,David Schwimmer,Matt LeBlancandLisa Kudroweach signed a collection of abstract artwork that will be used to raise money for charities of their choosing.

"The cast has teamed up with@soundwaves_artand artist Tim Wakefield for a very special collection of artwork this holiday season," thenonprofit, which is dedicated to continuing Perry's legacy by fighting the stigma surrounding addiction, wrote on Instagram.

Matthew Perry Foundation/Instagram

"Tim has transformed the actual soundwaves of theFriendstheme song into these beautiful designs each inspired by a different character, and each cast member has autographed their own small run of artworks," the caption continued.

In collaboration with Perry's estate, a limited number of the prints will also feature the late actor's official signature.

The17 Againactor wasfound dead at his Los Angeles homein October 2023, following an accidental drowning, which was determined to be the result of the acute effects of ketamine, according to an autopsy.

The actor had openly struggled with alcoholism and opioidaddictionthroughout his life before his death.

Matthew Perry Foundation/Instagram

Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE's free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

In a recent interview withElle, Aniston, 56, admitted that hearing the news at the time was "alarming and shocking, yet not shocking."

"[We] always said, 'I hope I never get that phone call,' " she explained of herFriendsfamily. "We miss him. He's missed. He was a brilliant human being and an extraordinary talent, loved deeply, and wanted happiness more than anything. It makes me sad that he never really achieved that, because he deserved it."

Matthew Perry Foundation/Instagram

Shortly after Perry's tragic death, the cast expressed their grief in a statement toPEOPLE.

"We are all so utterly devastated by the loss of Matthew," Cox, 61, Schwimmer, 59, LeBlanc, 58, and Kudrow, 62, and Aniston wrote at the time. "We were more than just cast mates. We are a family. There is so much to say, but right now we're going to take a moment to grieve and process this unfathomable loss."

"In time, we will say more, as and when we are able," the statement continued. "For now, our thoughts and our love are with Matty's family, his friends, and everyone who loved him around the world."

Read the original article onPeople

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December 13, 2025

Matthew Perry Remembered by the “Friends” Cast 2 Years After His Death with a Heartfelt Tribute

Matthew Perry Foundation/Instagram NEED TO KNOW The Friends cast teamed up with the Matthew Perry Foundation for a charity fundraiser th...

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