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Everything you need to know about 'The Bachelorette' Rachel Lindsay's reported $100,000 engagement ring

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rachel and bryan bachelorette

The INSIDER Summary:

  • "The Bachelorette" Rachel Lindsay accepted the proposal from Brayn Abasolo.
  • The custom Neil Lane engagement ring was her dream ring.
  • The pear-shaped diamond ring is 3 carats and reportedly cost $100,000, a show representative told INSIDER. 
  • Viewers had mixed reactions to Lindsay's engagement ring.


"The Bachelorette" Rachel Lindsay accepted the proposal from Bryan Abasolo with her dream ring. 

Abasolo, a 37-year-old chiropractor from Miami, Florida, proposed to Lindsay, a 32-year-old Dallas attorney, in Spain with a customized Neil Lane ring. 

The pear-shaped 3-carat diamond ring is surrounded by a diamond halo and accented with 80 more diamonds along the band, a representative for the show told INSIDER.

Lindsay told People that she had wanted a pear-shaped ring, but that the halo was inspired by Beyoncé.

“He told me on our second time together that he felt like I had a halo around my head, and he explained it, and the Beyoncé halo song has kind of been our thing,” she said. “So for him to incorporate that into the ring, it’s beautiful.”

rachel bachelorette ring

E! Online reported that the ring cost $100,000, though a show rep told INSIDER that they won't be commenting or confirming the price of the ring.

The ring resulted in some mixed reactions from fans. 

Some fans absolutely loved the design.

 

Others hated it. 

 

 

The romantic moment was shown during a dramatic episode that infuriated many fans and resulted in Peter Kraus, a 31-year-old personal trainer, as the runner-up.  

Lindsay showed up without her ring to the "After the Final Rose" special, but quickly put it on after Abasolo re-proposed.

"Rachel, I was in love with you when I proposed to you on top of that castle in Spain," he said. "And every single day that has passed, I fall deeper and deeper in love with you. I never want you to take this ring off your finger ever again. Will you remarry me?"

"Yes," she excitedly said. 

rachel bryan bachelorette

Congratulations to the happy couple.

Jethro Nededog contributed to the reporting for this article.

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NOW WATCH: A mother and daughter stopped speaking after Trump was elected — here's their emotional first conversation 6 months later


'Game of Thrones' actor says fans are pissed at his character now: 'My postman won't speak to me'

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game of thrones bronn season 7

Warning: Spoilers ahead for "Game of Thrones" season seven.

"Spoils of War" could go down in "Game of Thrones" history as one of the best episodes of all time, and much of that hype was due to the emotional conflict fans felt while watching Jaime and Bronn go up against Daenerys and Drogon. 

"I spent weeks on that sequence,"Jerome Flynn, who plays Bronn, told HBO. "But I was on the edge of my seat, the adrenaline was running — they really nailed it."

Both sides of the battle had characters we've come to love and this came to a head when Bronn was tasked with taking down Daenerys and her dragon. According to Flynn, some fans have been peeved with him because Bronn managed to strike Drogon in the shoulder with the gigantic scorpio.

"Although since the day the battle aired, I’ve been a little unpopular, I have to say,"Flynn said. "My postman won’t speak to me, because I shot the dragon."

Bronn scorpia crossbow Drogon Game of Thrones season 7 spoils of war

But while Flynn's postman and others might be upset with the actor, there were plenty of fans online cheering Ser Bronn of the Blackwater.

Unfortunately, both Jaime and Bronn were absent in both the teaser and new photos released for the next "Game of Thrones" episode. We'll have to wait until Sunday to learn Bronn's fate, but rest assured the fandom will always find a new reason to love and cherish the series' best sellsword.

Read HBO's full interview with Flynn on the "Making of 'Game of Thrones'" site.

To get INSIDER's coverage and analysis delivered straight to your inbox, sign up here for our weekly "Game of Thrones" newsletter.

SEE ALSO: We talked to the guy who makes dragons come to life on 'Game of Thrones' about Sunday's big, fiery battle

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NOW WATCH: A mother and daughter stopped speaking after Trump was elected — here's their emotional first conversation 6 months later

Facebook's big push into TV shows is an attack on YouTube, not Netflix (FB, GOOG)

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Susan Wojcicki and Mark Zuckerberg

  • Facebook’s foray into original shows, dubbed Watch, is a direct shot at YouTube, and less of a play to compete with more premium services like Netflix and HBO.
  • The first round of shows Facebook plans to debut in Watch include daily series from internet celebrities, many of whom have already built large followings on YouTube.
  • Facebook could still compete more directly with Netflix and HBO when it debuts its more expensive, longer shows in the coming months.

When Netflix CEO and Facebook board member Reed Hastings was recently asked if the two companies were competing, he said there wasn't a conflict because "we are not bidding on the same shows."

Now we know what he meant.

Facebook's recently announced push into shows is a direct attack on YouTube, not Netflix.

The company's new video tab, Watch, will showcase a slew of original shows from a wide range of partners, including digital content studios like ATTN and more conventional TV channels like National Geographic.

But what separates Watch from Netflix or HBO and makes it a direct YouTube competitor is Facebook's plan to feature videos created by individuals, not just entertainment and media companies.

"We hope Watch will be home to a wide range of shows — from reality to comedy to live sports," CEO Mark Zuckerberg said in a Facebook post announcing the initiative. "Some will be made by professional creators, and others from regular people in our community."

For example, one of the first shows to debut on Watch is called "Nas Daily," a daily show featuring a former YouTube star who tellingly ditched the platform a year ago and has since been posting his videos on Facebook instead.

Facebook has been aggressively courting other homegrown YouTube stars in recent months. To help with that effort, it's working on a standalone app for video creators that would allow them to interact with fans and get analytical data on the content they share. Another inducement: Watch partners will be able to keep 55% of the revenue from mid-roll ads that run in their videos, a Facebook representative told Business Insider on Thursday.

If Facebook can convince more internet celebrities to ditch their large followings on YouTube, Watch could deal a severe blow to YouTube's Red subscription, which features similar types of shows.

No "House of Cards" yet

08 TV_Shows

For now, Watch looks more like YouTube than Netflix. Facebook appears to be kicking off Watch with lower-tier, less expensive shows.

But Watch could soon take more direct aim at Netflix. Facebook has shown that it's willing to spend millions of dollars for exclusive rights to the kinds of series you would see on traditional TV.

Multiple people familiar with the matter mentioned Netflix's own "House of Cards" as a representation of the caliber of shows that have been pitched to Facebook. Another person familiar with the matter cited "Scandal" as an example.

Shows on Watch will debut in waves. A handful of them will be available starting on Thursday to the small percentage of Facebook users with access to the new tab. Facebook plans to make Watch available to everyone across its desktop website, mobile app, and TV app in the coming weeks.

Here's a handful of some partners who have already announced shows coming to Watch:

  • Tastemade’s "Kitchen Little" will feature "kids who watch a how-to video of a recipe, then instruct professional chefs on how to make it."
  • Condé Nast Entertainment will debut a five-episode "Virtually Dating" series later this month. "In this innovative and fun dating show, two people are set up on a blind date that takes place entirely in a virtual reality world."
  • Major League Baseball will stream one game live every Friday.
  • ATTN's "Health Hacks" starring Jessica Alba "will focus on several healthy living issues, ranging from diet to drinking habits."
  • A&E’s “Bae or Bail" dating show will put "unsuspecting" couples "to the test as they’re thrown into terrifying scenarios."
  • Cheddar, a business and financial news network that targets Millennials, will stream its daily broadcasts live in Watch.
  • Mike Rowe of "Dirty Jobs" fame will host a show that highlights "people doing something extraordinary for their communities." Viewers will be able to use Facebook to nominate people to be featured on the show.
  • Business Insider will stream "The Great Cheese Hunt," a five-episode series about a "global quest to find the most delicious cheese dishes the world has to offer.”
  • National Geographic’s "We’re Wired That Way" will be about "all the things that make us us: how your canine teeth tell the story of walking upright, why being in love makes you feel the way it does, why you instantly recognize a stranger you met six months ago."

SEE ALSO: Facebook is going to let publishers start charging readers to view stories

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NOW WATCH: INSIDE QVC — the retail powerhouse that plans to buy rival HSN for $2.1 billion

The best HDTV indoor antennas you can buy

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The Insider Picks team writes about stuff we think you'll like. Business Insider has affiliate partnerships, so we get a share of the revenue from your purchase.

antenna 4x3

The Insider Pick:

  • There are many circumstances that factor into an HDTV antenna's performance, but in our testing, the Antennas Direct ClearStream Eclipse came out on top in terms of reception without sacrificing ease of use or aesthetics.

So you’ve cut the cord, and you love your Roku, but you still want to watch "The Bachelor", "Masterpiece Theatre", and the Super Bowl in real time on your big screen TV in crystal clear 1080p. What do you do?

Well, you turn to technology that’s been around for decades and pick up your own antenna.

You'll have access to major networks like CBS, NBC, ABC, Fox, PBS, and local stations, with comparable, if not superior picture quality to cable, and no regular fees.

The trouble with TV antennas

Which antenna you should buy, however, is a much more complicated question — especially if you’re looking at one of the many indoor, “set-top” antennas that are most common at retailers. Frankly, it’s one that can't be answered with any succinctness, the way you might say “just buy this tablet” or “here are your best cheap laptop options.

No one antenna will acquire every broadcast signal with perfect clarity for everyone on its own. At least, no affordable one you’d find in stores will.

Instead, it’s largely dependent on your location — if you have lots of hills or buildings in the way of your nearest towers, those will naturally interfere with the signal. The direction each broadcast tower is pointing plays a role, too, as does the weather, where the antenna is situated in your TV room (higher is always better), how your home is constructed, and a range of smaller factors you probably can’t account for.

How did we pick the best antennas?

The search to find a serviceable indoor antenna is different for everyone because we all live in diverse areas with varying signal strength. To find the best antennas, I tested several on the eastern edge of New Jersey, around 10 miles from the nearest broadcast towers in Manhattan. I set everything up as high as I could in a window facing the most significant cluster of signals. That didn’t mean the antennas were super elevated, but, as best I could tell, my path wasn’t obstructed too much. 

Because location plays such a big role in how well these common indoor antennas will work, your experience with them may be different than mine. If you live in an urban, suburban, or well-populated area like I do, you can expect similar results.

Aside from that, I’m presuming you want an antenna that’s easy to install and move around, and that you’d rather tape a lighter antenna to a wall or window than mount a bulkier antenna on a roof or attic. I focused on passive devices, too — stronger, amplified antennas can be helpful picking up more distant signals, but they aren’t always necessary, and they often aren’t the cure-all they’re advertised to be. 

I also put some weight into aesthetics. If you’re really close to your towers, an old-school loop and rabbit ears could do the job, but it’ll be a little unsightly. Finally, I’m guessing you don’t want to break the bank, so I stuck to affordable models.

How to pick a good antenna

mohu 1

  • Signal strength in your area: The number one thing you should do before buying an antenna is check out resources like TVFool and AntennaWeb. Neither are perfect, but they’ll give you accurate representations of what the signal strength situation is like in your area, and they’ll help you see which channels you should expect to pull in reliably with a set-top antenna like the ones here.
  • Indoor antennas get fewer channels: Almost by nature, very few indoor-only antennas are capital-g Good. Compared to a heavier duty option that might go on a roof, they’ll attract fewer channels and suffer more broken signals. For instance, AntennaWeb claims 71 channels are available in my region, but even in that not-too-stressful environment, the most I got was 67 with the Mohu Leaf 30. The majority settled in the mid-to-high 50s or low 60s. That didn’t cause much harm with casual use, but it's not to say you can’t do better. The idea here is to get enough of the channels you care about.
  • UHF vs. VHF bands: It’s worth learning which networks near you broadcast in the UHF and VHF bands. The sites above can help you see the divide. Without getting too deep into the physics involved, most indoor antennas do much better with UHF, which is the band type most of the popular networks use. All of the models below were still able to pick VHF networks near me for channels like ABC, PBS, or the CW without much issue, but it’s no coincidence that on the few occasions I did experience breakup, those were usually the channels that had trouble. 
  • Mileage range may be deceiving: Don’t put much stock an antenna’s advertised mile range — they’re best seen as broad generalizations that are quickly rendered obsolete by the many disruptive elements in between your antenna and the signal tower. TVFool founder Andy Lee says: “There are no standards for how [manufacturers] specify the mileage rating, so usually if they have one, it's just kind of a shot in the dark. It's pretty random and doesn't mean anything.”

Read on to learn about our top picks for the best indoor antennas you can buy. We have a great all-around pick, one that got incredible reception, a budget pick, a pretty antenna, and more. We tested all of these antennas to ensure that they are truly effective, but we also took user and expert reviews into consideration.

Although the Antennas Direct ClearStream Eclipse is our top pick, for various reasons laid out in the slides below, you should also consider the Mohu Leaf, the Mohu Curve, the Winegard Flatwave, and the Mohu Leaf Metro.

SEE ALSO: The best laptops you can buy

The best HDTV antenna overall

Why you'll love it: In terms of overall convenience, the best of the antennas I tested is the Antennas Direct ClearStream Eclipse.

The Antennas Direct ClearStream Eclipse starts around $40 for a 35-mile version, but my demo unit was the $60 Amplified model, which is currently only available through third-party sellers. The model I tested claims to double the range and includes a separate amplifier. It’s not much of a value, but it mostly makes up for that with steady performance and a tremendously simple setup.

Once everything was hooked up, tuning in with the Eclipse was smooth. All the major networks came in clearly, quickly, and consistently, in both UHF and VHF, with just about all minor channels working the same way. That’s to be expected given my location, but the fact that it lived up to those expectations is appreciable all the same, especially since it's on the smaller side.

Although it had the highest advertised range of any antenna I tested, the ClearStream Eclipse Amplified (without the amp) pulled in slightly fewer channels than the cheaper, 30-mile Mohu Leaf. Again, this points to the relative uselessness of mileage ratings. While it gives me a little pause about the performance of its entry-level model, the two were very close — based on the returns from every other comparable antenna, it seems to say more about the Mohu’s ability in my area than anything else.

For what it’s worth, the ClearStream family has a 4.5 rating on Amazon after more than 2,000 user reviews, which is unusually high for a device as inherently fickle as an indoor antenna.

What sets the ClearStream Eclipse apart is how painless it is to set up and use. Unlike the hordes of Mohu-aping “mud flap” antennas roaming the market, the Eclipse uses an even slighter loop design — which is better suited to picking up UHF channels — with adhesive right on its back. You can stick it where it’ll work best without the need for extra pins or tape. It peels off easily if you ever need to adjust, and if you wipe it down before reapplying, it’ll be just as secure as it was before. This kind of all-in-one build takes seconds to get ready to go. 

Beyond that, its thin coaxial cable is sufficiently long at 12 feet, and it uses a smooth, rounded connector that’s easy to twist into place. However, it is non-detachable. The antenna itself is a breeze to keep behind a curtain, but you can also paint over its front to match the color of your wall if need be. It’s small margins that separate these things, but since it had enough strength, the Eclipse’s straightforward design gave it the edge for me.  

Pros: Good reception and range, easy to use, pretty good looking

Cons: It's more expensive than most of the other options on this list

Buy the Antennas Direct ClearStream Eclipse on Amazon for $39.99



The second-best HDTV antenna

Why you'll love it: In our tests, the Mohu Leaf 30 had the best reception without sacrificing aesthetics or usability.

The Mohu Leaf 30 is easily the most popular indoor antenna on the market, and while it’s far from perfect, it provides the best signal of all the indoor antennas we tested. 

The Leaf 30 was the strongest performer in my testing. It pulled in the most channels, and the major networks all came in at a crisp and smooth 1080p. The lesser networks were perfectly usable, too, with virtually no instances of stuttering. The only hang-ups were two quick instances of FOX taking an extra moment to load. 

While some user reviews say otherwise, the Leaf was just about ideal for me and many other buyers. It’s also $20 cheaper than our top pick, the Eclipse.

The Leaf popularized the flat paper look you’ll find on many indoor antennas. For the most part, it’s aged well. Like the Eclipse, it’s omnidirectional, meaning you have less of a chance of needing to angle it toward a specific spot. However, there’s a good chance you’ll still have to, and you’ll likely have a harder time picking up especially distant signals. It’s not ugly, it doesn’t feel as cheap as some of the knockoffs, and it’s certainly not bulky. Its white half gives it a better chance of blending in with your wall, too. 

The Leaf is about par for the course in terms of setup, though. If you don’t want to rest it somewhere, you can use tape or put an included set of pins in its little cutouts to keep it stuck against the wall. Moving it around isn’t complicated, but it’s more of a process than the Eclipse. I’m a little iffier on the included coax cable, too. It’s sturdy and detachable, but weightier and slightly shorter than the other options here.

One small detail I did appreciate about the Leaf was its tidy packaging. Everything in the box is laid out clearly, and it includes a simple directions pamphlet and a customer support number if you’re having trouble. You shouldn’t run into too many issues, though.

Pros: Very good reception, great packaging

Cons: Less intuitive to set up, short coaxial cable

Buy the Mohu Leaf on Amazon for $37.99 (originally $39.99)



The best designed HDTV antenna

Why you'll love it: The Mohu Curve will fit right in with your decor so no one will even know you have an antenna.

If your main concern is how the antenna looks in your home, the Mohu Curve is an appealing option. It’s got a pleasing sense of heft, it’s easy to mount on its included stand, and its slight contours come off as well-crafted. It’s more “minimalist” than “basic.”

That said, the lack of flexibility here means the Curve isn’t as simple to pop in a window as thinner options. Due to its shape, it performed slightly worse than the Leaf or Eclipse. even so, it was largely dependable and most channels worked.

However, it pulled in a handful fewer channels, and at times, I noticed some breakup with major networks like NBC, which use the more favorable UHF band. If there are more objects in between your antenna and the signal tower, it’s worth noting. 

Nevertheless, while the idea of a “luxury indoor antenna” is goofy, the Curve could be worth the premium if aesthetics genuinely matter to you and the signal in your area isn't too shabby.

Pros: A great look, pretty good reception

Cons: Its design makes it hard to move around, current lack of direct-from-Amazon availability

Buy the Mohu Curve from Target for $79.99

Buy the Mohu Curve on Amazon for $34.54 and up from third-party sellers



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

Here's what 'Bachelorette' runner-up Peter Kraus has to say about becoming the next 'Bachelor'

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peter kraus the bacheloretteThe INSIDER Summary:

  • Peter Kraus' experience on "The Bachelorette" has definitely affected his desire to be the next "Bachelor."
  • The 31-year-old dietician went through a heartbreaking breakup and reunion with Rachel that frustrated many fans.
  • When asked about potentially being the next "Bachelor," he said he would consider it but as of now, he's not thinking about it. 


Peter Kraus has made no secret of his desire to be "
The Bachelor." The 31-year-old even included it as a future goal in his high school yearbook. And after his Earth-shattering breakup with Rachel Lindsay and a subsequently  frustrating on-air reunion during the show’s finale, it seemed as though the reality star just might be in line to get his wish. But with so much heartbreak to deal with, the dietician recently revealed that he just might have had a change of heart when it comes to taking on the role of America’s next heartthrob.

“As of right now, am I thinking about it? No,” the 31-year-old Wisconsin native told "The Hollywood Reporter" when asked if he’d be up for a starring role on "The Bachelor." He admitted that there’s still some inner turmoil to resolve about how things shook out on "The Bachelorette," as well as his recent reunion with Rachel Lindsay, an experience he says left him feeling “very isolated and alone. This entire process has been tough on me,” he revealed to the outlet. “I know as soon as I get back home, I’m going to jump right back into it to process all of this.”

Are you Team #Pachel? 😍😍😍 #TheBachelorette

A post shared by The Bachelorette (@bacheloretteabc) on Jul 21, 2017 at 11:33am PDT on

 While that may not be the most encouraging sentiment from the man many fans are hoping will step back into the limelight to continue his search for love, Kraus didn’t completely shatter our dreams: When blatantly asked if he would *at least* consider being "The Bachelor," he replied“Consider? Sure.”

😎😎 📸 @natalieshabtai

A post shared by Peter J Kraus (@peterkrauswi) on Jul 24, 2017 at 4:48am PDT on

Of course, there’s also the question of whether or not he would be able to get past the issue of committing to someone in such a short period of time. “I went into this entire process totally open-minded and ready for whatever was thrown at me, and even with that I don’t think I was prepared,” he acknowledged. “I don’t know if I can get to that level with someone that fast, but I certainly know that I tried. In this one instance, I couldn’t. I can’t really speak to my future. In this one time, it wasn’t what I was able to do at that point.”

Fingers crossed!!!

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NOW WATCH: We may have been wrong about ‘good’ cholesterol all this time

HBO reportedly offered $250,000 in 'bounty payment' to the hacker who stole its episodes and emails

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Jon Snow Battle of the Bastards Game of Thrones

The HBO hacker has leaked a message in which an unnamed HBO executive offered a "bounty payment" of $250,000 after the data breach that came to light last week, Variety reports

The hacker — or hackers — in question stole"thousands of Home Box Office (HBO) internal company documents," in addition to leaking unaired episodes of the HBO shows "Ballers" and "Insecure," and company emails. 

In HBO's new message, leaked by the hacker and dated July 27, a network executive offers a $250,000 payment to the hackers as part of program in which "white hat IT professionals” are rewarded for "bringing these types of things to our attention," according to Variety. 

The message also asks the hackers to extend a ransom deadline for one week in order for the network to secure and transfer the requested bitcoin payment.

“You have the advantage of having surprised us," the message reportedly reads. "In the spirit of professional cooperation, we are asking you to extend your deadline for one week."

HBO declined to comment on the leaked message to Variety, but the publication confirmed the veracity of the email with someone close to the investigation.

SEE ALSO: The HBO hackers stole 'thousands' of internal company documents, and 7 times as much data as the Sony attack

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NOW WATCH: 7 details you might have missed on season 7 episode 3 of 'Game of Thrones'

7 secrets to selling your TV show and movie ideas to Hollywood, according to a successful producer

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The entertainment industry has always been a tough club to gain entry to, which makes what Jaime Primak Sullivan has accomplished in a few short years pretty amazing.

Sullivan, who some may recognize as the star of the Bravo reality series "Jersey Belle," transitioned from a career in publicity to producing content.

In only five years, she has sold a stable of projects ranging from TV, to movies, to books — at varying levels of development. In addition to "Jersey Belle," her projects include two horror films and two thrillers. One of them, the home-invasion drama "Breaking In," stars Gabrielle Union and is currently shooting in Los Angeles.

Sullivan, who serves as the head of digital development and production for Will Packer Media, is sure that anyone with enough passion and great ideas can sell them in Hollywood.

“To anybody who is looking at content creation as a business model, I’d want to let them know it is a seller’s market," she told Business Insider. "Everybody is buying. You just have to sell them what they're looking for."

To help others accomplish what she has, Sullivan shared some of the lessons she picked up along the way with Business Insider. Here are her seven tips to selling an idea in Hollywood.

1. Find a void in the marketplace.

Sure, Hollywood studios and TV networks are all about the franchises right now. Why? If an idea was successful in one medium – a book, a play, a comic, a movie, or TV show – there's a better chance that it will do well if adapted to another medium. But Sullivan doesn't think that should scare people off from pitching original ideas.

"Making money in Hollywood is very difficult, so people want a proven concept," Sullivan said. “It can be very difficult for someone to want to buy something that originated from your mind if there’s nothing proven."

jersey belle on bravoSullivan says that people can take advantage of proven concepts and create from there. She used her Bravo show, "Jersey Belle," as an example.

The reality show was based on her own "fish out of water" story of being raised in New Jersey and moving her family to her husband's hometown in Alabama. She capitalized on the trend of shows based in the South, but wanted to show a different side to the culture.

"We’ve seen the 'Honey Boo Boo' version of the South a million times, but what you haven’t seen is the most appropriate beautiful parts of the South that are rich in tradition and culture and etiquette, right?" she said. "So what if you take an outspoken Jersey girl and you put her in the most refined part of the South? That’s funny, that is highly commercial, that is a big idea! I’m creating based on voids in the marketplace."

2. Find ways to make your idea appeal to the biggest demographic.

"I think the biggest mistake people make when they’re trying to sell an idea is keeping it too narrow," Sullivan said. "It speaks to such a small demographic that there’s no way that it can be financially successful. Creatives become so attached to their ideas that they’re afraid to make it bigger, because they think it waters it down. But it doesn’t. It actually gives you a better chance for a sale. The broader and more commercial your idea, the bigger audience you can speak to, the better."

When crafting the horror movie, "Fear Followers," Sullivan understood that pitching a movie based in the US that captured the American obsession with fear could be successful, but incorporating the characters' use of technology to grow their fan base overseas would give the concept a more global feel. This gave it a much better chance for international success, and in turn gave it a much better chance to sell. 

3. Keep your pitch simple.

Sullivan said a good pitch should be one to three sentences long.

"If you cannot summarize what you are trying to sell in a way that grabs the buyer in one to three sentences, you’re over-complicating it," she said.

"People work themselves up. They feel like they need to give it all away in the detail. They don’t, because [Hollywood is] buying an idea. A broad concept. You don’t have to know every twist and turn your character’s going to make. You don’t have to know exactly how episode seven of season five is going to work out. That’s not what you’re selling. You're selling an idea that has longevity potential."

4. Know your buyer.

One pitch doesn't fit all, Sullivan said. She believes that pitches should be tailored for each potential buyer, so do your research. Again, she used her Bravo show as an example.

"I knew my target demo. I knew who would most appreciate a live-out-loud Jersey Girl," she said. "You have to know your buyer and their audience because that’s who they’re buying for. The pitch would have been different if the focus of 'Jersey Belle' was on Southern food and the experience. I may have gone to Food Network. For a network like TLC, it would’ve been a much softer show. You have to know who you’re pitching to. You have to know as much about your buyer as you do about your concept."

5. Partner with someone with experience, but not just anyone.

Jaime Primak Sullivan James Lopez, Head of Motion Pictures for Will Packer Productions .JPG"I highly recommend partnering, I want to be very honest," Sullivan said.

She has been developing with blockbuster movie producer Will Packer for several years. Packer, whose film “Girls Trip” made $30.4 million in its opening weekend in July, has had several of his films open at No. 1 at the box office. They include "Straight Outta Compton,” and the "Ride Along” and “Think Like a Man” franchises. Together, Sullivan and Packer have partnered on three film projects, including "Breaking In," an unscripted show, and two scripted concepts – all based on Sullivan’s original ideas.

"You want to attach yourself to someone that you think can move the ball down the field," she said. "But I highly recommend that you do not give the farm away."

Sullivan said she didn't team up with Packer just because he had a successful track record, but also because he understood her vision, her process, and her longterm goals.

"Everyone wants the sale and I get it. There is no greater feeling for a creative to be able to turn around and say, 'Someone validated me in buying my idea.' That is the greatest feeling," she said. "But if you partner with the wrong people, it can make the process excruciating and heartbreaking. Everything in Hollywood is about vision. If they don’t share your vision, you will find yourself contractually stuck to somebody that doesn’t have the same goals for the project as you, and that is the biggest downfall I believe creatives make. They so badly want to sell that they partner with anybody waving an offer then find themselves sidelined while their project is dissected."

Packer told Business Insider that he teamed up with Sullivan because she impressed him with her vision and ability to know what sells.

"The thing that separates Jaime is her ability to tell vividly specific stories in an incredibly engaging way," Packer told us. "She actually brings you inside that crazy brain of hers. You're not listening to a pitch, you're watching a movie. She is a masterful storyteller and has a cache of commercial ideas. Usually, folks I encounter have one or the other."

6. Great! You've sold your idea to Hollywood – but you may want to keep your day job.

"There is a gross misconception that anyone who has ever sold anything in Hollywood is rich," Sullivan said. "I would recommend that you have a short-term financial strategy, as well a long-term financial strategy."

While she and Packer began developing “Breaking In" four years ago and it has since sold to Universal, Sullivan said outside of the treatment sale, she hasn't seen any income from that movie yet.

"Here’s something that many people don’t know: No matter how big a producer’s fee is, they don’t see a penny of it until the movie gets made, and most don’t see anything until it’s a success," she said. "Don’t spend the money before the check is in the bank, because most producers spend well over three years working on the project before you see a dime."

"It sometimes can be a very long and often discouraging road, and you have to be emotionally and financially prepared for setbacks," she continued. "And I don’t mean there may be setbacks, I want you to hear me, from pitch to production there will be so many setbacks that you doubt why you got into this game in the first place, that’s how many setbacks there will be. But if it is your door, if it meant for you, it will open. That is a fact: You have to ride the wave and sometimes it takes four years as in my case, sometimes more, sadly."

But it's not like Sullivan hasn't seen some return from selling her ideas – even if it isn't monetary at first. While she’s recently shifted into producing content full time, she continues pitching through her publicity business, Bridge and Tunnel Entertainment, on a much smaller scale. She's partnering with unique clients, promoting her own projects, and only working on others' projects when she feels passionate about them. 

"I'll take stuff that is much more interesting to me, because I still get to craft a story and bring a narrative to life," she said. “But my business model has changed. The day-to-day talent handling and working red carpets, that part of my career is over."

7. Find ways to extend your successful idea into a franchise.

jersey girl Jaime Primak Sullivan.JPGHere's where Hollywood's desire for proven products works in your favor.

"When you have a successful brand, take your concept and find ways to re-tool it for other media," Sullivan said.

In the case of "Jersey Belle," Sullivan found an opportunity to extend the brand to people who wanted to know more about the experience portrayed on the show, and those who hadn't watched the show at all, with her book, "The Southern Education of a Jersey Girl."

And now, the book is being developed for a scripted series.

SEE ALSO: ABC aired a show that could have brought America together, but no one noticed until Trump was president

DON'T MISS: These are the 10 best shows on TV, according to critics

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: 7 details you might have missed on season 7 episode 3 of 'Game of Thrones'

Jimmy Kimmel gave a touching update on the health of his baby son

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jimmy kimmel baby billy

The INSIDER Summary:

  • In May, Jimmy Kimmel revealed that his son, Billy, was born with a rare heart defect. 
  • In a tearful monologue, he explained how an emergency surgery saved Billy's life. 
  • In a new interview with the Hollywood Reporter Kimmel said Billy is "doing great" but will need two more open heart surgeries.
  • For now, his interests including smiling and watching ceiling fans. 


Back in May, late night host Jimmy Kimmel delivered an unexpected, emotional monologue about his newborn son, Billy, who was forced to undergo emergency open-heart surgery mere hours after he was born. The story captivated viewers — it's now been watched more than 11 million times on YouTube. 

Now, nearly three months later, Kimmel has revealed that Billy is still doing well.

"He's doing great,'" Kimmel said in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter published Thursday. "He's juggling. He's translating Flaubert from French into English. He's really an amazing kid. No — he smiles. That's pretty much it. He is very interested in ceiling fans. He likes those a lot. I could get him to pay the same amount for Netflix just to watch ceiling fans."

Back in July, Kimmel tweeted this adorable photo of Billy to thank fans for their support (guess he wasn't lying about the smiling!):

But Billy will need two more open heart surgeries, Kimmel said — though he didn't offer details on how they will happen. 

"We would like to get them over with and not have to think about it all the time, but it could definitely be worse," he said. 

Watch Kimmel's original monologue about Billy right here, and read his full interview over at The Hollywood Reporter.

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NOW WATCH: This family is using their parental leave to travel the world with their baby


Watch Bill Hader do a hilarious impression of Anthony Scaramucci on SNL's new spinoff

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bill hader scaramucci SNL

"SNL" alum Bill Hader brought a great impression of short-lived White House communications director Anthony Scaramucci to the first episode of the show's "Weekend Update: Summer Edition" on Thursday night.

"I heard you two nutless liberal a--wipes mention my name earlier, and when I hear my name three times, I appear like a Goomba Beetlejuice," Hader says, interrupting hosts Michael Che and Colin Jost with a fake FaceTime call.

Hader's "The Mooch" goes on to say that he isn't surprised by the brevity of his White House Tenure, which ended after just 11 days last month, following a controversial and explicit interview in The New Yorker.

"Hell no. Not after what I said to that a--wipe from The New Yorker, which was all off the record, by the way," Hader says.

"But I guess people didn't like it when I said that," he continues. "And let me see if I can clean this up for primetime — that Steve Bannon was trying to 's' his own 'c.' And by the by, I was completely misquoted. I didn't say Bannon tried to 's' his own 'c.' He did it! He made contact. I saw it, tongue to tip. Next question."

After labeling himself "human cocaine,""The Mooch" says he has "no regrets, baby" about his 15 minutes of fame.

"All I did was sell my company, miss the birth of my child, and ruin my entire reputation, all to be king of idiot mountain for 11 days," he says.

Watch the segment below:

SEE ALSO: Anthony Scaramucci's wild ride in the Trump administration

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: 8 details you might have missed on season 7 episode 4 of 'Game of Thrones'

Everything about the 'Bachelor in Paradise' scandal, and what's next

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corinne and demario bachelor in paradise

The much-anticipated fourth season of "Bachelor in Paradise" is set to premiere on Monday, after a misconduct scandal threatened to not only cancel the show, but forever change ABC's long-running hit "Bachelor" franchise going forward.

Even though an investigation into the incident by show producer Warner Bros. concluded that that there was no misconduct, there continues to be more to the story.

The alleged "sexual misconduct" incident occurred in early June while taping in Mexico. It temporarily shut down production, but has since resumed after Warner Bros. wrapped its investigation.

But both "Bachelor in Paradise" contestants who are at the center of the scandal, DeMario Jackson and Corinne Olympios, have claimed that they're victims and have sought legal counsel. They've since announced their continuing participation with the show.

How did we get here? and what's next? Ahead of Monday's premiere, catch yourself up on all the twists and turns.

Here's a rundown of all the events so far:

SEE ALSO: 'Bachelor in Paradise' has been suspended over alleged misconduct

SEE ALSO: 

Sunday, June 4: Day of the alleged sexual assault.

With three seasons under its belt, taping on its fourth season started on this day in Mexico. Taping was slated to last three weeks. It also happened to be the day when the reported incident occurred.

Sources told news outlets that a sexual encounter between Jackson ("The Bachelorette" season 13) and Olympios ("The Bachelor" season 21) occurred when she was too drunk to give proper consent and the show's cameras were rolling.

TMZ published a graphic description of the alleged sexual encounter between the contestants in a hot tub.



Tuesday, June 6: An investigation was underway, production halted, and the contestants were placed on lockdown.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, production continued on the show Monday. But at some point between Sunday and Tuesday, a producer filed a complaint of potential sexual misconduct. It isn't clear whether that producer was present while the incident was being taped.

On the condition of anonymity, a contestant told People that taping was being suspended and the cast members were placed on lockdown Tuesday, meaning they were sent to separate rooms, couldn't contact one another, and were under constant supervision by production.

"We were told to stay in a certain part of the [resort] while they figured out what the hell had happened,” the contestant said “We knew something bad had happened; there was a dark energy that came around the house. You have to understand that we weren’t even there a week. The game hadn’t even really begun yet."

THR reported that Jackson and Olympios had been questioned ahead of the other contestants after the complaint was filed and were sent home.

 



Thursday, June 8: The cast members were informed of the investigation and told that the season will probably be canceled.

The anonymous cast member told People that the producers officially informed the contestants that an investigation was underway and it didn't look like they show would be returning this season.

"One of them was crying. She told us that it was over and we'd all be going home,"the contestant said of a meeting with a producer held after the lockdown.

"[The producer] was like, 'I don't think that's realistic,'" the cast member continued of the likelihood that production would resume. "She said that there was an investigation going on, and that could take days, weeks, or even months. And by that time, we all have lives and jobs and things to go back to, so it just wasn't going to work out. They told us that we'd be considered for future seasons and opportunities in the franchise, but that this adventure was probably over."

Over the next few days, the cast and crew were questioned individually, according to The Hollywood Reporter.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

All the most shocking things about Scientology, according to Leah Remini's revealing show

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The second season of "Leah Remini: Scientology and the Aftermath" is set to premiere on Tuesday at 9 p.m. But before you tune in, you'll want to get caught up on all the revelations about the notorious church from the show's first season.

After splitting from the church in 2013, "King of Queens" star Leah Remini gave other former Scientologists a platform with the A&E series to discuss their experiences.

She was joined by former high-ranking people in the organization, who each have stories about secretive teachings, alleged shady business dealings, and purported abuses of its followers, former members, and their families.

In the upcoming season, Remini is stepping up the stakes. She hopes to provide enough evidence of wrongdoing to prompt a federal investigation into the religion.

"I'm talking about the FBI, the police, the Department of Justice, the IRS," Remini said. "If the FBI ever wanted to get anywhere, all they would need to do is do a raid. Everybody who's ever gone to Scientology has folders, and anything you've ever said is contained in those folders."

The church declined to take part in the series. It said that the statements Remini and the other contributors to the show have made about Scientology are false and driven by a desire to profit or gain publicity from their time in the religion.

To prepare you for the season two premiere, here are all the most shocking revelations about Scientology, according to the show:

SEE ALSO: Conan O'Brien says Scientology is 'not happy' about his revealing Leah Remini interview

DON'T MISS: Scientology created a website to bash Leah Remini and her new TV show of 'liars'

Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard was under investigation in multiple countries and lived on a ship supposedly to evade any one country's jurisdiction.

Scientology's former international spokesman Mike Rinder explained that in the early years of Scientology, the church was under investigation for being a cult. In fact, Australia banned the church in 1965 after an investigation.

L. Ron Hubbard lived on a ship called the Apollo. Rinder described it as the "floating headquarters for Scientology." Since he was being investigated by the UK and other countries, Hubbard found that he could sail away into international waters when necessary and away from the jurisdiction of any one country.



Hubbard based Scientology on his claim that he healed himself from war injuries — a claim that "Going Clear" author Lawrence Wright says is fabricated.

Lawrence Wright, the author of the best-selling book on Scientology, "Going Clear," says his research found that Scientology's documentation of Hubbard's injuries and military service was faked.

Wright said his research into Navy documents found that Hubbard had no serious injuries, which Wright sees as a major fault in the church's foundation.

Additionally, Wright said he found that Scientology's claims that Hubbard received many military service awards and records were false. In response, Wright said, the church told him that the records were "sheep-dipped"— that the military created a whole set of fake documents to cover up Hubbard's covert military duties.

"That's the person that the church has to protect," Wright said. "With encasing [Hubbard] in this myth, they try to cover the efforts of people like me and others to uncover the truth."



David Miscavige rose to lead Scientology by capitalizing on Hubbard's death.

After steadily rising through the ranks and becoming Hubbard's adviser, David Miscavige announced the founder's death in 1986. Hubbard's passing was framed as an intentional decision by him to leave his body to go onto even higher levels of spiritual being.

"The core belief of Scientology is that you are a spiritual being," Remini said. "L. Ron Hubbard had reached, obviously, the highest level of Scientology there was to reach, promoting this idea that there's an afterlife, and he found the answer to it by deciding to discard this body to go explore new OT levels. All of this is bulls---. L. Ron Hubbard died of a stroke."

As Hubbard's closest adviser, Miscavige assumed the leadership of Scientology. His official title is chairman of the board of the Religious Technology Center. But according to Rinder, Miscavige likes to refer to himself as "the pope of Scientology."



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

See how the 'Game of Thrones' deaths are transformed into haunting artwork each week

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Robert Ball Beautiful Deaths Game of Thrones season seven

Warning: Spoilers ahead for "Game of Thrones."

On Monday mornings, while most of us are busying about in preparation for the start of our weeks, illustrator Robert Ball sits down to watch the latest bloody episode of "Game of Thrones."

"The week starts with me watching 'Game of Thrones,' usually over breakfast," Ball told INSIDER. "I'll be there eating my cornflakes while somebody's being stabbed to death on the television."

Ball is the artistic mind behind HBO's "Beautiful Death" series — a weekly homage to the latest character (or characters) murdered, sacrificed, or tortured

"I first started doing the 'Beautiful Death' series right before season four of the show," Ball said. "The idea was to create a poster for each episode to remind people of the previous three seasons. Luckily they went down well with the fan base, so I've been doing them for every season since."

Beautiful Death poster Game of Thrones season seven Spoils of War Robert Ball HBO

As he created the most recent piece for "Spoils of War," Ball recorded a time lapse of his drawing process. Watch the creation come to life below:

Here's how Ball described his process:

I usually start out with a pencil, pen or pencil, and a bit of scrap paper. I jot down notes, then I scan those in, draw over them, and then I build shapes in Adobe Illustrator using vectors, which means that I can create big chunks of color immediately and go straight into color rather than linework.

Then I get the artwork to a stage that I'm happy with in vector, and port the whole thing over to Photoshop and draw over the top, and mess up those nice, clean, sharp vectors, textures, blood splats.

Lysa Arryn Barristan Selmy Game of Thrones Beautiful Death Robert Ball

Ball sends a rough outline to HBO early in the week before he finalizes any details. "I send the sketches off to HBO on a Monday or a Tuesday, and they approve the direction that I want to go," Ball said. "On Wednesday I start creating the artwork. I finesse it on Thursday, and then send the finished piece of art on Friday to HBO."

As Ball explained, he was already a big fan of the show before he started the "Beautiful Death" series.

"I think it's the biggest, most entertaining program on television," Ball said. "I think it's actually the funniest program, and I think that's really what gives it the edge over all the programs of the same genre. It's sometimes violent, gory, but its always tongue-in-cheek, and I like that. Tyrion in particular is hilarious."

Battle of Blackwater Beautiful Death Robert Ball Game of Thrones

And no, Ball doesn't get a sneak preview at the episodes before they air. "People sometimes ask me what's going to happen in the next episode," Ball said. "But the truth of the matter is, I haven't got any clue."

Ball is careful not to put too many easily identifiable character faces in the posters. This has the added effect of making each artwork more mysterious and morbid, but the reason behind the choice actually has to do with spoilers.

"The idea was that you should be able to see these images, and if you haven't seen the episode they wouldn't spoil what happens in the episode if you just see them for a split second," Ball said.

The Waif Game of Thrones Robert Ball Beautiful Death

"Symbolism plays a massive part in the posters," Ball said. "As the series has gone on, I've crammed more and more references and details in as much as I can in there. I always think that fans of the show may not like the drawing, but appreciate the effort that's put in."

One of the common threads to Ball's artwork is the callback to already dead characters or symbolism of the various house sigils (the Stark direwolf, Lannister lion, Tyrell rose, etc). The posters can even make references to prior scenes.

"One of my favorite 'Beautiful Death' images that I created was when Jon Snow beheaded the coward Janos Slynt at Castle Black," Ball said. "It mirrored exactly the very first episode with Ned Stark beheading the deserter. What I could do with an illustration was make something explicit that was implicit in the episode." 

Beautiful Death Robert Ball HBO Game of Thrones Jon Janos Ned

"In that illustration I've got the back of Jon Snow, but the shadow cast is of Ned Stark, his father, or who he thinks is his father," Ball said. "He's finally stepped into his shoes, and is ready to become King of the North. Any posters where I can add some meaning or tell a story, that's very satisfying."

Ball's "Beautiful Death" series has become so popular that fans can buy puzzle versions of the most iconic artworks. Overall, Ball is thrilled people have enjoyed his artwork over the last several seasons. 

"The reactions to it have been mostly — for the very, very large part — very enthusiastic from the fans, which is lovely," Ball said.

You can follow Ball on Instagram or Twitter, and keep a close eye on HBO's official social media accounts each Friday to see the newest "Beautiful Death" during the seventh season of "Game of Thrones." 

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The top TV show from every year since 1967

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friends

There's too much good television.

It's hard to keep up with every new or returning show, but some shows stand out each year, whether it's a particular season or a strong debut. 

George Clooney won hearts on "ER," the dysfunctional folks at Dunder Mifflin made "The Office" memorable, and "Game of Thrones" is still one of the best shows on TV. 

Aiming to name a different program every year, we used Nielsen ratings, award nominations, and our own takes to choose the most popular show airing on TV from every year since 1967. 

Here are the most popular shows from every year you were born:

1967: "The Andy Griffith Show"

Source: IMDB



1968: "Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C."

Source: MeTV



1969: "Bonanza"

Source: "A Reference Guide to Television’s Bonanza"



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

Here’s your first peek at the 'Jersey Shore’s' reunion road trip trailer

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"Jersey Shore" is BACK, y’all! Rumors of a reunion first began swirling last month, as everyone’s fave fist-pumping crew got together to film a Burger King commercial (weird, we know). Lucky for fans, their unexpected gig was just the tip of the iceberg, as it was confirmed soon after that the gang was merely prepping for a return to the small screen for an E! special titled "Jersey Shore Road Trip."

Set to air on August 20, the special will be part of a larger docuseries that reunites a different TV show cast on each episode. Though the cast appears to be down a few (Vinny Guadagnino, Ronnie Magro-Ortiz, and Deena Cortese are noticeably absent from the clip),  Nicole “Snooki” LaValle, Jenni “JWoww” Farley, Pauly D, Mike “The Situation” Sorrentino, and Sammi “Sweetheart” Giancola, are all back and rocking just as much fake tanner and hair gel as ever, if at least if the newly released trailer is any indication.

Sure, everyone has aged and grown up a bit (LaValle  and Farley are now parents, after all!), but it’s pretty clear from early on that some things never change: As the cast takes a stroll down the boardwalk (and memory lane), LaValle declares, “The best thing that could happen is Jenni or Pauly getting arrested.” Oh, my!

The pint-sized Etsy star also teased the big reunion on Instagram, posting a short video of her Jersey Shore #fam getting rowdy in a car, which she captioned, “ITS HAPPENING GUYS! August 20 on E! with my best friends! Love my roomies forever,” along with a bunch of heart emojis.

The only thing we’re missing now is a little GTL… fingers crossed!

Join the conversation about this story »

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Here's the preview for the next episode of 'Game of Thrones'

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The INSIDER Summary:

  • HBO has released the preview for "Game of Thrones" season seven, episode six.
  • Jon Snow, Tormund, Sandor "The Hound" Clegane, Jorah Mormont, and the brotherhood without banners are heading beyond the Wall to fight off the White Walkers. 
  • We'll also finally get to see Beric Dondarrion and his flaming sword in action.
  • Arya and Sansa will continue to navigate their tense relationship as Littlefinger threatens to pull them apart.
  • The next episode of "Game of Thrones" will air Sunday, August 20 at 9 p.m. Watch the trailer below.

 

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: How the US's futuristic new aircraft carrier will change naval warfare forever


'Game of Thrones' may have just confirmed a contentious theory with huge implications for Jon Snow's future

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Game of Thrones season seven Jon Snow Helen Sloan   HBO (Photo 6)

Warning: Spoilers ahead for "Game of Thrones" season seven.

Another major piece of the puzzle that is Jon Snow's parentage was just unveiled on "Game of Thrones."

While reading old texts with Gilly, Sam Tarly learned that Rhaegar Targaryen — Jon's father — had his marriage to Elia Martell annulled.

The sixth season finale showed Bran's flashback to the Tower of Joy, where Lyanna Stark lay dying in a bed of blood after giving birth to Jon. We didn't see Rhaegar there, nor was there any mention of him, but book readers have long assumed Rhaegar was Jon's father. HBO even confirmed the theory when they released an infographic in the week after the Tower of Joy scene aired.

And now we know that Jon isn't just a bastard born from a secret love affair between Lyanna and Rhaegar — he's likely their legitimate child and could now surpass Daenerys when it comes to the Iron Throne's Targaryen successor.

Lyanna Stark Ned Jon Snow Tower of Joy Game of Thrones

Rhaegar and Lyanna's marriage was always hotly contested

"R + L =J" (Rhaegar + Lyanna = Jon) is the oldest fan prediction among fans of George R.R. Martin's "A Song of Ice and Fire" series. For a full rundown of that theory, read our analysis of all the book and show clues. But even though most people got on board with the assumption that Rhaegar and Lyanna were Jon's parents, the circumstances around their union was always a fierce topic of debate.

I was a panelist at the Con of Thrones recently, and one of the discussions I moderated was a "R +L =J" panel. The room was packed with around 150 people, and towards the end of our allotted 50 minutes the crowd was literally yelling over each other in debate over Rhaegar and Lyanna's relationship.

Martin has been deliberately vague in his published books so far about Rhaegar and Lyanna's relationship, which means fans have had to fill in the blanks with their own assumptions. A search through the "A Song of Ice and Fire" subreddit or Westeros.org forums will show you many discussions among diehard fans about this very topic.

S1E1 Robert Baratheon and Ned Game of Thrones

The story told by most people in Westeros is that Rhaegar kidnapped Lyanna, raped her, and then she died as a result of either the repeated assaults or another mysterious tragedy. 

Given how honorable men like Barristan Selmy and Ned Stark think about Rhaegar in their point-of-view chapters or on the show, people doubted that Daenerys' brother was the horrible kidnapping rapist Robert believed. Instead, it made more narrative sense to think that Lyanna and Rhaegar were actually in love and ran away together in a brash act that led to a horrific war and both of their deaths.

But now we know, at least on the show's version, that Rhaegar and Lyanna were probably actually married.

The divorce twist no one saw coming

Even after fans became convinced that Rhaegar and Lyanna were in love, the question of Jon's legitimacy was always the next debate. Rhaegar was already married to Elia Martell and they had two children together — Aegon and Rhaenys. 

How Jon Snow and Daenerys Targaryen are related Game of Thrones

Book readers always wondered two things: Did Elia know about Lyanna and approve, making their relationship polygamous? Dorne is certainly more progressive when it comes to the idea of mistresses and lovers outside of marriage and polyamory, and Elia was Dornish. Or was Jon simply a bastard born in secret outside of marriage?

The show just handed readers a third and rarely discussed solution. Rhaegar divorced Elia and then married Lyanna instead under the Faith of the Seven, legitimizing Jon and making him the next heir in line after the Mad King Aerys and Rhaegar's deaths.

Divorce is not a concept mentioned often (if at all) in "A Song of Ice and Fire" or "Game of Thrones." Tyrion and Sansa's marriage is referred to as a "sham," but Tyrion seems to hinge that annulment argument on the fact that it was never consummated. 

Interestingly, Oberyn Martell might have been hinting at this divorce back on the fourth season.

S4E1 Oberyn and Tyrion Speak about Elia Game of Thrones

"The last time I was in the capital was many years ago," Oberyn told Tyrion. "Another wedding: my sister Elia and Rhaegar Targaryen, the last dragon. My sister loved him. She bore his children [...] and beautiful, noble Rhaegar Targaryen left her for another woman."

Maybe Oberyn wasn't simply referring to a love affair between Rhaegar and Lyanna, but instead it's possible he knew about the divorce/remarriage situation.

Funny enough, now Bran Stark and Sam Tarly have more information about Jon's parents than he does. So far Jon is still operating under the assumption that he is Ned Stark's bastard. How will he react when he learns the truth? And perhaps more importantly, how will Daenerys respond?

Game of Thrones season seven Daenerys Targaryen Jon Snow Helen Sloan   HBO (Photo 5) (1)

This makes Jon her nephew and it means he's the next legitimate heir to the Iron Throne — not her. The line of succession from Daenerys' father, the Mad Kind Aerys, would have gone: Rhaegar, Rhaegar's trueborn son, Viserys, then Daenerys.

Of course, none of this matters if nobody knows the truth and Jon doesn't seem to be scheduling any meetings with either Bran or Sam anytime soon. We can only hope that someone has a heart-to-heart with Jon and fills him in on everything we now know.

In the meantime, if you're looking for even more proof of Jon's parentage, read our roundup of every hint the show has given since the first season.

To get INSIDER's coverage and analysis delivered straight to your inbox, sign up here for our weekly "Game of Thrones" newsletter.

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'Game of Thrones' fans are cheering after a long-lost character finally returned to the series

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Warning: Spoilers ahead for "Game of Thrones" season seven, episode five, "Eastwatch."

After three full seasons, Robert Baratheon's last surviving bastard son has made a triumphant return to "Game of Thrones." Gendry, as it turns out, wasn't rowing in circles this whole time after all. Instead, he was working back at a smithy in King's Landing.

Ever since watching Gendry row a boat away from Dragonstone on season three, "Game of Thrones" fans helped his character make the classic move from "minor character" to "beloved meme." Joe Dempsie, who plays Gendry, even got in on the joke with a series of "Row, Row, Row Your Boat" tweets that aired after each season finale that went by without Gendry.

But now Gendry is back, and fighting on Jon Snow's side. This is particularly touching since Ned Stark, the man who raised Jon, was best friends with Gendry's father — King Robert.  Fans who have long joked about Gendry's return could barely contain their excitement — especially after seeing him with a replica of Robert Baratheon's warhammer.

Gendry season seven Game of Thrones

That warhammer was King Robert's signature weapon, which makes Gendry's choice not only sentimental but also incredibly badass. Here's one fan's re-imagining of Robert in his prime withe the hammer:

Robert Baratheon Ned Stark fan art Lensar Deviant Art Game of Thrones

Needless to say, people were hyped.

This episode, "Eastwatch," had an interesting emphasis on royal bastards versus trueborn children. Gendry is the last living child of the dead King Robert Baratheon, whose other bastard children were murdered on Joffrey's orders on the second season.

Then there was the surprise of Cersei and Jaime's pregnancy, which will be the fourth bastard born of their incestuous love. 

And even if Jon Snow still knows nothing about his parents, we watched as Sam and Gilly learned that Rhaegar Targaryen had his marriage to Elia Martell annulled and married someone else — likely Lyanna Stark, Jon's mother. That makes Jon Snow a legitimate heir to the Targaryen dynasty, not a bastard as he's always believed.

Clearly in Westeros, even baseborn children are destined for greatness. Welcome back Gendry — we can't wait to see you swing that warhammer again.

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NOW WATCH: 7 details you might have missed on season 7 episode 3 of 'Game of Thrones'

5 most talked-about moments from this week's 'Game of Thrones'

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Warning: Spoilers ahead for HBO's "Game of Thrones" season seven, episode five, titled "Eastwatch."

This episode was a game changer for Jon Snow on "Game of Thrones."

Intrigue was the order of the day as Daenerys showed no mercy for those who wouldn't bend the knee to her. Jon Snow received news from the North, and decided to venture beyond the Wall with his ragtag crew in order to capture a wight. Meanwhile, Littlefinger's plan to cause mistrust between Arya and Sansa progressed, and Sam Tarly missed out on a huge breakthrough about Jon's parents — but viewers paid a whole lot of attention. Oh and by the way, Gendry is back!

But which moments had fans talking the most?

Social-media monitoring platform Brandwatch found more than 28,400 "Thrones"-related mentions on Twitter while Sunday's episode aired on HBO and identified the scenes when conversation peaked.

Here are the five most talked-about moments from the latest "Game of Thrones" episode:

5. Fans had a lot to say as the episode began and we discovered that Jaime was still alive.

9:03 p.m. ET – around 640 mentions

In a dramatic play on our emotions, Jaime refused to back down at the end of the last episode's battle and charged at Dany and Drogon. If it weren't for Bronn risking his life, Jaime would be toast. But the episode ended in a cliffhanger as Jaime sunk to the bottom of the river.

We learned in the opening moments of "Eastwatch" that he had survived and fans had some feels about the moment.



4. Viewers cheered the first meeting between Jon and a dragon. Drogon looked fierce at first, but seemed to sense that Jon is really a Targaryen.

9:16 p.m. ET – Around 690 mentions

Fans have been anticipating Jon Snow's first meeting with a dragon since last week's preview, and perhaps the entire run of the series. This is especially poignant now that the show has become very transparent about Jon's Targaryen bloodline.

 



3. Fans got a kick out of the motley crew Jon Snow brought together to hunt down a wight in order to convince Dany and Cersei of the danger that lies beyond the Wall.

9:59 p.m. ET  around 750 mentions for both moments

In a plan hatched by Tyrion, Jon Snow assembles a fellowship of men to go beyond the Wall and capture a wight, so that he can convince Daenerys and Cersei to join forces to defeat the Night King and his army.

Jon's ragtag team includes a group of men who all have reasons to not trust each other: Jorah Mormont, Tormund, Gendry, Sandor "The Hound" Clegane, Thoros of Myr, and Beric Dondarrion.

 



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The best movies, TV shows, and stars in Hollywood, according to teenagers

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The annual Teen Choice Awards named the best movies and TV shows and brightest stars in entertainment – all chosen in a vote by teenage fans.

This year, teens went on Twitter and to FOX.com and cast more than 63 million votes in support of all their favorites in entertainment. 

The night's biggest winners came from The CW's "Riverdale," Freeform's recently wrapped "Pretty Little Liars," and the movies "Wonder Woman" and "Beauty and the Beast."

In addition, band Maroon 5 received the decade award, singer Bruno Mars was honored with the Visionary Award, and actress/singer Vanessa Hudgens was presented with the first-ever #SeeHer Award.

Here are the best and brightest in TV and movies, according to teens:

"Riverdale" (The CW)

Also: Choice breakout TV show



Cole Sprouse, "Riverdale" (The CW)



Lucy Hale, "Pretty Little Liars" (Freeform)



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9 details you might have missed on the latest 'Game of Thrones' episode

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Warning: Spoilers ahead for "Game of Thrones," including speculation of future events.

The seventh season of "Game of Thrones" continues to accelerate towards its finale with the latest installment: "Eastwatch." In this jam-packed hour fans received an explosive reveal about Jon Snow's parents and their possibly legitimized marriage, plus fan favorite Gendry returned and Cersei told Jaime she's pregnant with his twincest baby. So, we're here to round up the biggest details tucked among all that excitement. 

Keep reading for a look at the nine biggest moments you might have overlooked.

Daenerys made her case to the defeated Lannister and Tarly army by echoing her "break the wheel" speech.

Daenerys tried to convince the lords and men brought before her to bend the knee or die. She warned them that Cersei was the real danger, not her.

"All I want to destroy is the wheel that has rolled over rich and poor to the benefit of no one but the Cersei Lannisters of the world," Daenerys said.



This was an nod to the speech she gave to Tyrion during their first conversation.

"Lannister, Baratheon, Stark, Tyrell — they're all just spokes on a wheel," Daenerys said. "This one's on top and that one's on top and on and on it spins, crushing those on the ground. I'm not going to stop the wheel. I'm going to break the wheel."

Daenerys wants to be a revolutionary, which will mean steering clear of the mistakes her father made and approaching war differently than Cersei.



In Oldtown, Gilly uncovered a bombshell revelation about Jon Snow's parents.

While going through an old maester's records, Gilly found a telling note. 

"He issued an annulment for Prince Rhaegar and remarried him to someone else at the same time in a secret ceremony in Dorne," Gilly read.

Prince Rhaegar Targaryen was Daenerys' older brother and next in line for the throne after the Mad King Aerys. Fans have long known Rhaegar and Lyanna Stark (Ned's sister) were the parents of Jon Snow, but this new information suggesting they were married adds a whole new twist.

This would make Jon the legitimized heir to the Targaryen dynasty, and place him ahead of Daenerys in the line of succession. For an expanded look at this development, read our full explanation of its meaning.



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