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Brazilian adult film actress Vitoria Beatriz is dead at 28 years old, days after her family publicly issued a plea for prayers after a health crisis.

The tragic news was confirmed Tuesday after the star spent a few days in critical condition at a local hospital. An official announcement released on the day she died did not cite the exact cause of death, and fans and fellow actors were left stunned, perplexed, and heartbroken.

Beatriz, who gained celebrity through her work with the Peruvian adult production house Inka Productions, had just acquired a significant following online and was most renowned for her bubbly nature, bright smile, and emotional complexity she brought to her work.

A Silent Struggle Behind the Scenes

Although everyone else knew her as a rising star in the world of adults, those who knew Vitoria best describe that her real story was far more complex than what transpired on the screen.

“She told me about the challenges she faced with her physical and mental health,” the admin of her fan page wrote in a tribute post shortly after her death. “It was difficult for her every day. She was very strong, but also very sensitive.”

A contemplative post had been added just a few days before her passing on her Instagram account, operated by her family or close friends, asking for restraint and empathy.

“I want to inform you that Vitoria remains hospitalised, and we, the family, have chosen not to share details of the situation. Just know that she is surrounded by care and love.”

That message, which everyone now believes to be an unheard plea for help, taints her senseless death even more tragic.

The Light She Left Behind

Inka Productions released a poignant statement mourning the loss of their colleague and friend:

“Her joy and the energy she radiated left a lasting impression on all of us who shared moments with her.”

Through a career in what is frequently a tainted field, Beatriz found rapport and esteem from the people in her life. A fan wrote, “In spite of her occupation, she was still human. She was also a sweetie. Passed away too early. R.I.P.”

Another fan posted on X (Twitter): “Vitoria Beatriz died too!? Her AND @missjohndough days apart is unfair.”

Second Tragedy Shocks Industry

To be sure, Beatriz’s death comes on the heels of another shocking tragedy in the adult film industry: the premature death of 24-year-old internet star Lina Bina, better known as MissJohnDough.

Bina’s family confirmed that she passed away due to complications caused by a blood clot in her heart and neck, a short while after receiving her third Brazilian Butt Lift procedure. Her sister, Moni, shared a heart-wrenching obituary on social media:

“I can’t believe you’re really gone, baby sister. I woke up this morning wishing it was a big nightmare.”

The timing of their death, two young women in their 20s, both social media stars, both active within the adult content creation industry, has shocked the online sex work environment. It has had many questioning the intense mental and physical strain that is put upon creators in the adult entertainment industry. 

A Mother Remembered

Beatriz has left behind a six-year-old daughter, who is now the focus of an upcoming GoFundMe campaign that her family will launch in the next few days. The plan is to fund the child in the long term, who has now lost her mother far too prematurely.

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This November, a little-known chapter of Black history is getting the cinematic spotlight it deserves.

This week, Amazon MGM Studios released the trailer of its upcoming film “Sarah’s Oil.” Based on a true story, the film recounts the life of Sarah Rector, an African-American girl born in Oklahoma Indian Territory in the early 1900s who believed in and, ultimately, discovered oil beneath the land allotted to her by the state. 

“Sarah’s Oil is a film that is truly a labor of love,” Julie Rapaport, Head of Film, Production and Development at Amazon MGM Studios told Deadline. “We’re honored to take part in telling the inspiring true story of Sarah Rector, and we cannot wait for audiences to experience it on the big screen.”

The movie stars Haitian-American rising talent Naya Desir-Johnson as Rector and pulls from Tonya Bolden’s book “Searching for Sarah Rector: The Richest Black Girl in America,” which traces Rector’s journey from a rural childhood to becoming the nation’s first African-American female millionaire at just 11 years old.

Behind the lens, the project has heavy hitters steering the ship. Ciara and her husband, NFL quarterback Russell Wilson, produced the film through their company, “Why Not You Productions,” teaming up with Amazon Studios to bring Rector’s story to life.

“Sarah’s Oil” is set to premiere in theaters on Nov. 7, 2025. As one user commented under Ciara’s post, “We’re pulling up to the theatre like we did SINNERS!!!”

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The WNBA has seen its fair share of bizarre fan behavior and viral moments this season, but no one is flipping the script better than Sophie Cunningham.

After being infamously struck by a sexually explicit toy thrown from the stands during a road loss to the Los Angeles Sparks earlier this week, the Indiana Fever forward didn’t sulk. Instead, she is staging a cheeky and calculated PR pivot, leaning into humor, charisma, and a bit of provocative flair to reclaim the narrative.

And now, she has brought backup.

Cunningham and Hull Go Full Rodeo Glam in Viral Pregame Fit

Ahead of Thursday night’s game in Phoenix, Sophie Cunningham and her Fever teammate Lexie Hull stepped out of their team hotel looking like they were headed to a WNBA honky-tonk rather than a basketball court. Dressed in matching yellow “Howdy Cowboy” crop tops and light denim bottoms, Cunningham in classic Daisy Dukes and Hull in a miniskirt, the duo strutted into PHX Arena in a confident display of unity, sass, and maybe a little protest chic.

Cunningham opted for black cowboy boots, while Hull rocked red. The duo’s twin looks were so striking that even the Indiana Fever’s official Instagram, in a shared post with the WNBA, couldn’t resist the caption:

“seeing double 👯‍♀️… Lexie Hull & Sophie Cunningham popped out in matching fits for tonight’s game in Phoenix 🤠”

It was a clever aesthetic statement that instantly set social media ablaze.

WNBA Toy-Throwing Controversy Reaches Boiling Point

The Fever’s rising star, Cunningham, has been at the center of one of the season’s most bizarre controversies: fan-thrown R-rated toys. During Indiana’s Tuesday night loss to the Los Angeles Sparks, one such item landed on the court near Cunningham, even after tweeted about the disgusting WNBA game trend right now:

“Stop throwing d****s on the court.”

Rather than allow the vulgarity to define her, Cunningham fired back with a stream of self-deprecating social media posts and, on her off-day, an exuberant solo TikTok dance filmed in her Phoenix home. Yes, she still lives there despite being traded to Indiana last offseason. She also moonlights as a Suns analyst in the offseason. Multi-talented queen.

But Thursday’s twin-themed fashion moment officially turned damage control into full-on pop culture performance art.

Unfortunately, the Fashion Was the Highlight

Despite the viral hype and fanfare, the Fever’s performance on the court didn’t match the heat of their outfits. The Phoenix Mercury handed Indiana a brutal 90–65 beatdown in what many dubbed the “DeWanna Bonner Revenge Game.”

Caitlin Clark, still sidelined with her second groin injury of the 2025 season, did not play and has yet to comment on the night’s events, on or off the court. With the Fever’s five-game win streak now snapped and their star player still in street clothes, morale looked shaky heading into the end of their four-game road trip.

WNBA Fans Are Eating It Up… and Tearing It Down

As expected, reactions to the matching “Howdy Cowboy” look were loud, lusty, and divided.

“Unapologetically a Fever fan,” one person commented.

“Didn’t know it snowed in Phoenix,” joked another, presumably referencing the icy-hot combo of the duo’s style and demeanor.

“Yo maybe the WNBA isn’t so bad 👀” someone else wrote, perhaps capturing the attention of a new type of viewer.

Others, however, criticized the moment, saying:

“Their own team and fans sexualize them to the max and they are so happy, you can’t be more hollow.”

Another person added, “Got they ass beat, Mercury don’t care nothing bout that…”

Still, one commenter pointed out a hilarious twist in team dynamics:

“Sophie looks more like Lexie’s sister in this picture than Laci does and Laci is her identical twin 😭 lmao”

Best Friends or Competition? Both

Though Cunningham and Hull have technically been battling for minutes, with Hull being benched when Cunningham was inserted into the starting lineup in Clark’s absence, the duo appear closer than ever. Thursday’s twinning moment solidified a strong bond that goes beyond rotations and stats.

On the court, both have been crucial to Indiana’s 17-13 record prior to Thursday’s blowout. Cunningham is averaging 8.0 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 1.0 steals per game. Hull is putting up 6.6 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 1.7 assists per game.

Friendship, not friction, seems to be their answer to adversity.

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Never underestimate the power of community, especially when it comes to Black women looking out for each other. That superpower has always been our armor, our refuge, and our resistance. And now, in the face of rising Black maternal mortality rates, it’s becoming an essential lifeline, especially in places like Brooklyn, New York.

The numbers don’t lie: Black women in the United States are nearly 3.5 times more likely to die from pregnancy-related complications than white women. In Brooklyn, where the city’s largest Black population resides, that statistic hits even harder. But amid the crisis, one organization is showing what it looks like to turn care into action, and concern into community.

Founded in 1982, the Caribbean Women’s Health Association (CWHA) has grown into the largest free, community-based doula service provider in New York City. And for hundreds of Black families across the borough, that has made all the difference.

“Sometimes you hear a lot of horror stories about being a Black woman giving birth,” Ana Nunez, a mother who worked with CWHA’s doula service, told CBS News. “So I wanted to feel heard, I wanted to feel included.”

And that’s exactly what she got through her doula, Reshonah Williams, who was by her side from the third trimester all the way through postpartum.

“We worked on comfort measures to help ease the condition of natural labor,” Williams explained. “Because the hospitals automatically come up with the idea of, ‘You can have an epidural if you want, you should have an epidural.’ And we’re like, ‘Mom says she wants to do this.’”

That kind of advocacy is everything when navigating a healthcare system that too often ignores the pain and preferences of Black women. For fellow new mom Raven Lopez, her doula, Dadreama Sandiford, became a guiding light during a tough postpartum journey with her colicky newborn daughter.

“If they’re saying that they’re experiencing pain, they’re experiencing pain,” Sandiford said of her role as a doula. “For the physicians, listen. For the lawmakers, make it accessible for everyone.”

That’s been the ethos behind CWHA from the start. Executive Director Cheryl Hall says the organization was born out of a need—and a refusal to accept the unacceptable.

“There’s a whole birth plan put in place and what the expectations are,” Hall said. “Doulas, of course, they are providing psychosocial care. They’re not providing clinical care.”

And yet, that psychosocial support can be life-saving. In addition to doulas, the nonprofit runs multilingual workshops on sleep safety, lactation, postpartum recovery, and more; all designed to meet families where they are.

Despite losing a seven-year grant with the National Institutes of Health and Mount Sinai after a change in administration, CWHA keeps showing up for the babies, for the mamas, for the village because everybody wins when Black women are heard, supported, and empowered.

The U.S. Air Force said Thursday it would deny all transgender service members who have served between 15 and 18 years the option to retire early and would instead separate them without retirement benefits. One Air Force sergeant said he was “betrayed and devastated” by the move.

The move means that transgender service members will now be faced with the choice of either taking a lump-sum separation payment offered to junior troops or be removed from the service.

An Air Force spokesperson told The Associated Press that “although service members with 15 to 18 years of honorable service were permitted to apply for an exception to policy, none of the exceptions to policy were approved.” About a dozen service members had been “prematurely notified” that they would be able to retire before that decision was reversed, according to the spokesperson who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal Air Force policy.

A memo issued Monday announcing the new policy, which was reviewed by the AP, said that the choice to deny retirement benefits was made “after careful consideration of the individual applications.”

All transgender members of the Air Force are being separated from the service under the Trump administration’s policies.

Separation process has hit some bumps

The move comes after the Pentagon was given permission in early May by the Supreme Court to move forward with a ban on all transgender troops serving in the military. Days later, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced a policy that would offer currently openly serving transgender troops the option to either volunteer to leave and take a large, one-time separation payout or be involuntarily separated at later date.

A Pentagon official told reporters in May that they viewed the policy as treating “anyone impacted by it with dignity and respect.”

However, in late July, transgender troops told Military.com that they were finding the entire separation process, which has included reverting their service records back to their birth gender, “dehumanizing” or “open cruelty.”

Shannon Leary, a lawyer who represents LGBTQ+ people in employment discrimination cases, says she expects lawsuits to challenge Thursday’s decision. “It seems quite arbitrary on its face and cruel,” she said. “These military members have dedicated their lives to serving our country.”

Normally, Leary said, when early retirement is offered in the military, it’s available to all members who have served over 15 years. She said she expects other service branches to follow the Air Force’s path.

One Air Force service member says he’s ‘devastated’

Logan Ireland, a master sergeant in the U.S. Air Force who has 15 years of service, including a deployment to Afghanistan, is one of the airmen impacted by the policy. “I feel betrayed and devastated by the news,” he said.

Ireland said he was told that his retirement was being denied on Wednesday when his chain of command, “with tears in their eyes,” told him the news.

Officials have said that as of Dec. 9, 2024, there were 4,240 troops diagnosed with “gender dysphoria” on active duty, National Guard and Reserve. Pentagon officials have decided to use the condition and its diagnosis as the main way to identify troops who are trans.

However, the two are not an exact match — not every transgender person has the condition. As a result, there is an understanding that the actual number of transgender people within the military’s roughly 2 million troops may be higher.

Under the latest policy, active duty troops had until June 6 to voluntarily identify themselves and receive a payout while troops in the National Guard and Reserve had until July 7. Pentagon officials previously told reporters that they plan to lean on commanders and existing annual medical screenings to find any transgender service members who do not come forward.

Wendell Pierce has teamed up with Roc Nation to give back in a major way.

This week, the 61-year-old actor announced that, alongside Roc Nation, he is partnering with Caesars Palace Times Square to launch the New York Coalition of Legacy Theatres of Color Fund, which will support theatres in New York City that serve communities of color, Playbill reported. 

Caesars Palace will be investing $10 million in the fund.

In a statement, Pierce—who recently earned a Tony nomination for his role as Willy Loman in the Broadway revival of “Death of a Salesman,” becoming the first Black actor to play the role in a major production—explained how he sees this fund fitting into the larger social justice conversation. 

“As an artist and advocate, I believe that the social justice movement of the 21st century is economic development and creating opportunities that sustain and uplift our communities—both on stage and beyond,” he said 

“This project will not only be transformative for our creative Broadway community but for the broader labor force as well,” he added. “I fully endorse this project and recognize this is a powerful step toward ensuring that cultural groups of color are not just included but are leaders in shaping the future of Times Square — with a commitment to workforce inclusion, community partnership, and artistic vibrancy for all.”

According to a release, the new fund will focus on revitalizing and sustaining New York’s landmark Black and Brown theater institutions. Inspired by persistent funding disparities in the arts, especially in off-Broadway and community theater, the fund aims to create a lasting financial foundation for organizations that have historically amplified the stories and talents of people of color.

The donation will benefit theaters including The Billie Holiday Theatre, the New Heritage Theatre Group, Black Spectrum Theatre, and The Negro Ensemble Company. These institutions will receive direct support not only for production and performance, but also for infrastructure, marketing, and operational needs. 

“Representation doesn’t just matter on the stage, but also behind the scenes and in the systems that support artists,” said Desiree Perez, CEO of Roc Nation. “Creating this fund is a step toward equity in the entertainment industry, and we’re proud to be part of a project that centers the people and places that built New York’s creative legacy.”

In a video posted to Instagram on Thursday, August 7, announcing the fund, Pierce also publicly stated his support of Ceasers Palace Times Square. 

“Today I am publicly supporting the Caesars Palace Times Square development,” he said. “This is a development that’s going to bring job opportunities, and at the same time support the theater community in the heart of Times Square.”