In this Feb. 26, 2018 file photo, Yvette Nicole Brown arrives at the world premiere of "A Wrinkle in Time" at the El Capitan Theatre in Los Angeles. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP, File)
NEW YORK (AP) --
Yvette Nicole Brown is filling in for Chris Hardwick as host of "The Walking Dead" and "Talking Dead" while AMC Networks reviews sexual-assault allegations against Hardwick.
AMC announced Friday that Brown will be "interim guest host" of "The Walking Dead Season 9 Preview Special" on Aug. 5. Brown also will host "Talking Dead" on Aug. 12.
Brown starred in the NBC comedy "Community" and already was stepping in for Hardwick as moderator of "Walking Dead" panels next week at San Diego Comic-Con.
Hardwick has acknowledged that an online post by his ex-girlfriend Chloe Dykstra alleging she had been sexually assaulted and emotionally abused referred to him. He has denied the allegations but has said the couple's three-year relationship was imperfect and included arguments.
Merman has officially announced the signing of director Ritesh Gupta for commercial representation in the U.S. Gupta had joined Merman last year but was working on a feature film for most of 2024 so the production company held off until now on making the signing public.
The director is a former award-winning sports journalist and creative director. He’s created noteworthy campaigns from Budweiser’s viral “Dwyane Wade: This Bud’s for 3,” which he directed, to the multi-award winning Beats by Dre campaign “You Love Me,” which Gupta worked on as group creative director at the agency Translation. The “You Love Me” film, which was directed by Melina Matsoukas, earned a primetime commercial Emmy nomination in 2021 as well as a DGA Award win for PRETTYBIRD director Matsoukas. This marked the second Emmy nod for Gupta. Back in his MTV days he was a producer on a documentary, Aftershock: Diary of Gideon in Pakistan, which garnered a News & Documentary Emmy nomination.
As a director, Gupta’s approach is to layer a truthful authenticity ingrained during his time as a journalist--along with an emotional intelligence he honed storytelling in the documentary world--to craft his own evocative and unique cinematic style. In addition to his two Emmy nods, he has netted four Webbys, six AICP wins, eight Cannes Lions, 25 Clios and recognition from ADCOLOR and the ANDYs.
“Ritesh brings a unique perspective to his storytelling,” said Merman global director Ellen Clarke. “He has the ability to identify the multilayers of a narrative and its characters, weaving them impactfully together. His strength lies in his connection to the talent’s performance and discovering the authenticity within the story.”
