Was 2025 a bad year? The last 12 months brought mass federal job layoffs, destructive wildfires and natural disasters and AI-enabled deception. There were many shocking deaths, from Pope Francis and Charlie Kirk to Gene Hackman and Rob Reiner. Not to mention the government shutdown, economic unease and global instability.
But enough with the bad stuff. You didn't click on this story for that. You're here for the good stuff, which we found in abundance through a pop culture lens. That's the power of entertainment – to inspire us, lift us up and make us feel seen when we need it the most.
From stars' historic achievements to their outrageous shenanigans – and everything in between – here are the things that brought joy to USA TODAY's entertainment staff in 2025, in no particular order.
