Culture Daily: Remembering Freddie Jackson, the Skydance Era Begins, and Mariah Carey Night

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2026 — Some days in culture hit different. Today brought the loss of an R&B legend, the closing of the biggest media merger in modern Hollywood history, and a ballroom full of celebrities about to dance to Mariah Carey. Plus: the biggest movie of the year finally hits your living room, and Jamie Foxx is back on stage tomorrow. Here's your rundown.

Freddie Jackson, 1956–2026

The "You Are My Lady" singer died Monday at 70, his family announced Tuesday on Instagram. "It is with profound sadness and heavy hearts that we share the passing of our beloved Freddie Jackson, who went home to rest last night," the family wrote. "Freddie was more than a legendary voice. He was a kind, generous soul who loved his fans, his family, his friends, and his music with everything he had."

Jackson trained as a gospel singer before moving to the West Coast in the '70s and joining the band Mystic Merlin. But it was as a solo R&B artist that he became a defining voice of the '80s quiet storm era — "You Are My Lady," "Rock Me Tonight," and "Have You Ever Loved Somebody" turned slow dances into sacred rituals. "For decades he gave us the songs that became the soundtrack to our love stories, our celebrations, and our most treasured memories," his family wrote. "That gift will live on forever." No cause of death has been released. Details on arrangements will be shared in the coming days.

The Skydance era begins

Say goodbye to decades of Hollywood history and hello to the era of the mega-studio. Paramount Skydance officially closed its purchase of Warner Bros. Discovery today, folding two historic Hollywood studios into a single corporate entity now called simply Skydance. The new colossus controls two streaming services, cable and network news, and channels ranging from MTV to Food Network, TLC to Comedy Central and HBO.

The franchise math is staggering: Harry Potter, Mission: Impossible, DC Comics, and SpongeBob SquarePants all under one roof. It's a monumental moment in media history — and both companies had already been through their own mergers in the last five years. What it means for everyday viewers: expect changes to what gets made, who controls major news outlets, and yes, probably your monthly streaming bill. The full implications will play out over months, but today the deal is done.

Mariah Carey Night on DWTS

Week 4 of Dancing With the Stars is "Mariah Carey Night" — and the 12 remaining celebrity-pro couples will perform to the pop icon's catalog tonight at 8 p.m. ET. The lineup includes Maura Higgins and Mark Ballas waltzing to "If It's Over," Jenna Dewan and Val Chmerkovskiy's rumba to "My All," Amber Glenn and Pasha Pashkov's rumba to "Hero," and Julia Stiles and Ezra Sosa's Viennese waltz to "Vision of Love."

Last week said goodbye to Taylor Hanson and Britt Stewart during "Yacht Rock Night" — the fourth elimination of Season 35. A fifth couple goes home tonight.

Spider-Man swings home

The biggest movie of the year is finally available at home. Spider-Man: Brand New Day — Tom Holland's fourth outing as the web-slinger, which grossed $2.5 billion worldwide and became the highest-grossing domestic film of all time at $954 million — hit premium video-on-demand today. It's $29.99 to buy and $24.99 to rent on Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, and Google Play, with a 4K UHD and Blu-ray release set for December 15.

The film picks up in the aftermath of No Way Home, with Peter Parker living in a world where everyone has forgotten he exists — facing a new telepathic threat as his powers begin to evolve. Zendaya, Jacob Batalon, Mark Ruffalo, Sadie Sink, and Jon Bernthal co-star.

Tomorrow: Jamie Foxx on Hulu

Don't sleep on tomorrow's premiere: Jamie Foxx: Take Care of Yourself, the comedian's first Hulu stand-up special, drops October 7. Foxx gets candid about aging, back pain, and lifestyle changes in what's billed as his most honest hour yet — his fifth special and his second since the 2023 medical emergency he addressed in 2024's What Had Happened Was.... Read our full preview here.

Quick hits

Wynonna Judd opened up about "losing herself" navigating her daughter Grace Kelley's addiction battle: "I became so consumed with worrying about Grace — where she was, if she was safe, if she was alive — that I lost myself," the country star told AARP. "I had to learn I can't save her."

Jessica Simpson went public with musician Thomas Eisenhood, spotted together at Albuquerque's Balloon Fiesta Park over the weekend — six months after romance rumors first surfaced.

Kim Kardashian shared a carved pumpkin portrait of Kylie Jenner and Timothée Chalamet from a Calabasas Halloween event — misspelled "Kyle ❤️ Timothy." Fans noticed immediately.

Netflix added 60 new movies and shows to its October lineup. Hulu premiered Reasonable Doubt Season 4 today. Insidious: Out of the Further hit digital. And Mojo Brookzz's I Know You Lying is now streaming on Netflix.

Our culture desk has more on the stories shaping the season, and the newsroom is tracking everything else.