Matt Lauer is hopeful that he may be able to return to media in some aspect, but he knows there might be "zero chance" of it actually happening.

"His friends would love to see him do something again," an insider told Page Six. "He'd be great at a podcast or his own production firm, using his skills behind the scenes. He looks at how someone like Megyn Kelly has reinvented herself on her own terms."

Further, Matt "thinks that he should be able to have a comeback," the pal added. 

A staple as a "Today" co-anchor for decades, Matt was fired from NBC in the wake of multiple sexual misconduct accusations, including rape. Since his high-profile ousting, most of Matt's media pals have shunned him, his inner circle has shrunk, and he rarely ever speaks to this former "Today" colleagues.

"He's still pretty upset about how he was ousted at NBC and upset at all the people he thought were his friends who turned their backs on him," the insider said. "He knows he made mistakes, and he is a lot more humble."

Still, Matt "has his confidence back" and the itch to get back into the media game is there, the insider says. It's really a matter of whether he can scratch it. 

"He understands that there might not be any sort of appetite for [a comeback]," said the insider. "In other words, he wants to see if there would be any chance — but he understands fully that there might be zero chance. He's not unrealistic."

The pal adds, "His problem is that he can't go back to mainstream TV, because advertisers would likely pull away. He could do a podcast or something on his own terms. All of his friends hope he can find a pathway. But he isn't rushing into anything."

Interestingly, a media source told Page Six that Matt has been presented with opportunities, but something always seemed to torpedo his plans, such as Katie Couric's book, which included private messages between her and the disgraced ex-anchor.

These days, the former newsman is spending time with his children and girlfriend of more than three years, marketing exec Shamin Abas.

"Things are going well .. Shamin is perfect for Matt because she is very supportive, but also busy with her own company. She has been traveling for work and he has been tagging along on a few trips. They seem to have a great symmetry," the friend said. "They are serious but they are not living together. She has her own place out in the East End [of the Hamptons]."

Although he's happy in his personal life, Matt romanticizes about his old life.

"I think once you're a journalist, you always are. You can't ever shake that. You're never not uninterested in the news," the source said. "He is at a new normal … he exercises daily. I think he feels like he's got a bit of normalcy in his life. But it's not what his normal was."

An actor who starred opposite Kevin Costner in "Dances With Wolves" was arrested in Las Vegas for sex abuse on Tuesday, Jan. 31, and police say he was a polygamist operating a cult.

Nathan Lee Chasing His Horse, who goes by Nathan Chasing Horse, was arrested after a three-month investigation. In a search warrant obtained by the Associated Press and TMZ, investigators alleged that the former actor targeted Indigenous girls without a father figure. He then allegedly groomed and coerced them into having sex with him — the girls were told that  "spirits" insisted they have sex with Nathan so they could join "The Circle," which authorities say was the name of the cult.

The alleged abuse — which included girls younger than 13 — spanned two decades.

Nathan, who played the young Sioux tribe member Smiles a Lot in the Oscar-winning film, gained a reputation among tribes across the United States and in Canada as a so-called "medicine man." Police said he performed healing rituals and used his position to abuse young Native American girls.

TMZ said Nathan, 46, "recorded his sexual assaults and arranged sexual encounters between his victims and other men who would pay him." Police contend that Nathan would give the young girls emergency contraceptive pills to prevent pregnancies after sex.

The 50-page search warrant claimed that Nathan shared his Las Vegas home with five wives, and they were instructed to take "suicide pills" and prepare for a shootout with police.

Nathan, who appeared in several TV movies, has been accused of human trafficking before. A 2015 warrant in Poplar, Montana, claimed, "Nathan Chasing Horse used spiritual traditions and their belief system as a tool to sexually assault young girls on numerous occasions."

Tuesday evening's arrest is related only to alleged crimes committed in Clark County, Nevada. 

Nathan was booked into jail on charges of child abuse or neglect, sex assault, sex assault against a child and sex trafficking of an adult.

"Baywatch" was once the most-watched television series in the world, and it continues to be viewed all around the world via syndication on streaming services, TV and cable networks. You'd think the stars of the show would be rolling in the dough with residual checks, but you would be wrong — at least in Pamela Anderson's case. 

In fact, despite Amazon purchasing the rights to the show in the United States, Australia and Canada in 2019, Pam is only getting $4,000 a year in residual checks.

While promoting her Netflix documentary, "Pamela: A Love Story," the actress and her son Brandon Lee spoke of her "Baywatch" pay discrepancies, something her son says is criminal.

"When I go back and I even look at past deals and residual checks people would be shocked to find out how people really took advantage of her and took advantage of a young girl making a bad deal on a big show, and she was the biggest star in the world at the time," he told "Extra." "I think a lot of people made a lot of money off that, people are going to have to have their day when we come knocking… when she makes $4,000 a year off of 'Baywatch?' That's a crime."

Along with David Hasselhoff, Pamela was among the most notable names to star on the beachside drama, having portrayed lifeguard C.J. Parker for six years.

"When a big company like [Amazon] buys the rights to the 'Baywatch' box set and she doesn't get a dollar? You tell me if that's right," he adds. "She is 'Baywatch.'"

Pam, however, said she's not really worried about the money.

"I always say, 'You can't take me away from me,'" the 'Barb Wire" actress said. "I'll always find my way."

Still, Brandon argues that his mother deserves to "get what's right."

"If it's your work and your face and your image, you deserve something," he said. "You couldn't get away with that today. There's no actress in the world that that would happen to today."

While Jessica Simpson and her ex Nick Lachey were on a break in 2001, she had a secret romance with a "massive movie star."

She soon discovered that he was involved in a relationship and Jessica was the dreaded other woman.

The "Dukes of Hazzard" star recalled the moment in time during a short story for Amazon called "Movie Star: They Always Say They're Single."

While attending the 2001 MTV Video Music Awards, Jessica first met the "massive movie star" via her bodyguard. 

"He was undressing me with his eyes," she wrote, noting she got the man's phone number but never used it. Instead, she quickly reconciled with Nick.

Jessica and the mystery man met up in 2006 after she and Nick divorced, and a secret love affair began. In the short story, Jessica said she and the man kissed and felt a "warm rush all the way down my body."

Jessica and the movie star began hanging out at nightclubs or friend's homes, and she even walked the stairs of a hotel fire escape to meet him in his room. As the hidden nature of the romance continued, Jessica began to feel "like a call girl" who was only there "to have sex" with the star. Plus, she found out the celebrity had a girlfriend, despite him telling the singer that that romance was "completely over."

She eventually called things off. 

"I didn't care if he was my teenage fantasy come to life, this was not a choice that same girl, my younger self, would be proud of," she wrote. 

Jessica never named the man, but told People magazine, "He is still a movie star!"

Amid backlash for a social media post that many interpreted as anti-vaxx, DC Comics is continuing to stand by Zachary Levi, the star or the "Shazam" franchise.

Last week, Zach publicly came out pharmaceutical giant Pfizer, and many immediately labeled him an "anti-vaxxer." 

The situation began after Moorhouse Group CEO Lyndon Wood asked in a tweet, "Do you agree or not, that Pfizer is a real danger to the world?" Zach replied, "Hardcore agree." Pfizer, of course, was one of the main companies to roll out a COVID vaccine in 2021. 

On Monday, Jan. 30, James Gunn, the new co-head of DC Studios, addressed Zach's tweet and future with the studio. 

"Just real simply: Actors and filmmakers that I work with are going to say things that I agree with and things that I don't agree with," he said, according to Variety. "And that's going to happen. I don't have a list of things that somebody should say because of what I think. And you know, I can't be changing my plans all the time because an actor says something that I don't agree with."

He added, "By the same token, if somebody's doing something morally reprehensible then that's a different story. We have to take all that stuff into account. It's a balance. It's modern world and it's a different place."

Zach's tweet comes less than two months before the release of "Shazam! Fury of the Gods." 

While the 42-year-old hasn't necessarily doubled down on his Pfizer criticism, he attempted to clarify his stance, posting a link to Pfizer's $2.3 billion fraud settlement from 2009. 

"Just one example of what I'm referring to…," he added.

In a very real way, Antonio Banderas is thankful for the heart attack he suffered in 2017. 

"It made me appreciate life in a completely different way and in a much more powerful way. It changed my life entirely and completely for good," he said on Britain's "This Morning."

The "Mask of Zorro" star began experiencing chest pains during a workout in 2017, and he later found out that it was a heart attack. 

From that moment on, he was a changed man.

With hindsight being 20/20, Antonio wishes he was more appreciative about life when he was younger, something he now hopes to imprint on the younger generation.

"After Covid, kids were asking themselves 'why can't we go to school,' it was there in the environment, we took a chance to reflect," he said. "Kids, they know more than we think. They understand and it's good to reflect with them on these issues." 

"What they are learning at the end is to praise life, how wonderful life is. Life is a beautiful thing, we have only one and we have to take care of it," he said. 

Earlier in the week, the 62-year-old actor also spoke about his health with The Radio Times.

"I had a heart attack six years ago. It probably was one of the best things that happened in my life. It was like putting glasses on and seeing what was important," Antonio said. "I came back to Spain and started looking at my professional life from a different point of view."

The heart attack, he added, was a "turning point" that prompted his decision to quit smoking. 

"Since my heart attack, I'm looking only for the pleasure of acting. That's it," he said. "I don't care about anything else. For me, life starts when somebody says, 'Action!' – or when the curtain comes up."

Just five weeks after finding out she was suffering from "mercury and lead poisoning," Christina Hall has discovered she has "an abnormal amount of gut bacteria."

On Monday, Jan. 30, the "Flip or Flop" star told her Instagram followers that she did "an expensive, super extensive panel" that tests for a variety of body toxins. 

"It tests for like 100 different types of molds, metals and bacterias, and my highest level of toxicity came back as an abnormal amount of gut bacteria, which is like SIBO [small intestine bacteria overgrowth] and also parasites. So those are my biggest conditions," she said. "I have a little bit of heavy metals going on too, so I'm on a cleanse and a parasite cleanse."

The HGTV star can feel the cleanse "definitely working," but she's bracing for a rough stretch.

"I heard it gets worse before it gets better," Christina said. "It's pretty brutal but I'm hoping at the end I feel good."

This is just latest in a string of health challenges that have come Christina's way of late. 

In late December, she revealed on Instagram that she had "mercury and lead poisoning," and she suspected her career was a factor.  The poisoning, she believed, was "most likely from all the gross houses I've been in (all the bad flips)."

Prior to that, she wondered if her breast implants were making her exhausted. 

"Some of my issues include: Inflammation, autoimmune issues (Hashimoto's disease, PCOS, Raynaud's syndrome), unexplained skin rashes, joint and muscle pain, dry eyes, GI issues, SIBO, acid reflux, brain fog, hormone imbalances, swollen lymph nodes and adrenal fatigue. I test positive for ANA," she said. "I'm gluten free and mostly dairy free. I had all my under eye filler dissolved as it was causing an inflammatory reaction as well. For now just working on detoxing and positive mind set."

As part of her health journey, the "Christina On the Coast" star also recently dissolved filler in her face.

Just call him the incognito Dutton of Disney.

Cole Hauser is known to many for his rugged looks and dark beard as Rip Wheeler in Paramount's "Yellowstone." However, in a family picture posted from Disney World on Monday, Jan. 30, Cole looked almost nothing like his famous character. In fact, fans said he was "unrecognizable."

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"Did anyone recognize you?" one fan commented on Cole Instagram picture, which showed him with a trimmed brownish-red beard, a vast departure from his look on the Dutton Ranch, where Rip is the top ranch hand. In the new real-life snap, Cole donned a baseball and polo shirt, not exactly a cowboy hat and duster.

"Way to go incognito Rip," one follower said of the Rip-less look. Another applauded his ability to "blend in."

"Is this the REAL Cole Hauser?," another questioned. Added another, "You are almost unrecognizable! Great disguise you got there."

In addition to the family photo — which included Cole's wife, Cynthia Daniel, and their sons, Ryland, 18, and Colt, 14 — the former "Good Will Hunting" star posted a video from a roller coaster. Naturally, a slew of followers spoke about the "Train Station," a clear reference to "Yellowstone."

While the majority of Cole's 1.5 million Instagram followers commented with well wishes, a smattering of others criticized Disney and Cole for choosing to spend his day at the Florida theme park.

"Cole – so many of us are not supporting Disney anymore – please research the programming and wokeness they have going on," one said. Another proclaimed, "Get your last ride in, Woke is shutting that down."

For his part, Cole used his Instagram caption to thank the Disney staff for the "great time" and "wonderful experience."

One could argue that "Yellowstone" is more of a roller coaster than Space Mountain!

Hulk Hogan, one of the most popular professional wrestlers of all time, has apparently lost feeling in his lower body after a surgical procedure.

Former Olympian Kurt Angle said he recently spoke to the "Hogan Knows Best" alum about his health, and it wasn't happy news. 

"Hogan had his back surgery again. He had the nerves cut from his lower body. He can't feel his lower body, so he has to use his cane to walk around," Kurt, who won gold in freestyle wrestling at the 1996 Olympics, said on "The Kurt Angle Show." 

Hulk, whose real name is Terry Bollea, is walking with the assistance of a cane.

"I thought he was using the cane because he has pain in his back. He doesn't have any pain. He has nothing at all. He can't feel anything. So now he can't feel his legs, so he has to walk with a cane," Kurt, a WWE Hall of Famer, said. "That's pretty serious, man. I mean, I really feel for Hogan. He put his heart and soul into the business and it ate him up."

Interestingly, Hulk, 69, appeared briefly on the 30th anniversary show of "Monday Night Raw" on Jan. 23. Kurt said the broadcast didn't show the severity of Hulk's situation.

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"I mean, if you're gonna kick off the show, the 30th anniversary of Raw, [it] should be Hulk Hogan. He's the name and face of the company," Kurt said. "He's the guy that revolutionized pro wrestling. I have so much respect for him."

The "Rocky III" star  — who spoke to Kurt backstage at "Raw" — has yet to comment publicly on the claims.