MON SIX

"The Adventures of Cliff Booth," the follow-up film toQuentin Tarantino's "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood"starringBrad Pitt, debuted a surprise first trailer during the Super Bowl on Sunday, Feb. 8.

The footage starts by referencing the fiery climax of the 2019 original, in which Pitt's stuntman Cliff Booth andLeonardo DiCaprio'sRick Dalton battled followers of Charles Manson during a home invasion.

"So you helped Rick subdue those hippy intruders?" a character played byElizabeth Debickiasks, to which Pitt's Cliff Booth, who is now sporting a mustache, tells her, "Something like that." He adds, "I don't possess many talents, but I know better than to get in the way of a good story."

The rest of the footage is light on plot but teases the movie's cast of characters and establishes its throwback tone, ending with a retro "coming soon" graphic, but without the movie's title.

Netflix has not yet posted the trailer online.

Pitt starred alongside DiCaprio in 2019's "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood," Tarantino's most recent film as a director. The plot centered on the life of fading actor Rick Dalton and his longtime stunt double, Cliff Booth (Pitt), who wind up inadvertently saving the life of actress Sharon Tate (Margot Robbie) in 1969 Hollywood.

Advertisement

Tarantino wrote the screenplay for "The Adventures of Cliff Booth," though this time, he isn't directing it himself. He instead handed off directing duties to "Fight Club" filmmaker David Fincher. The follow-up movie has also made the jump to Netflix, whereas the original "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood" was a Sony theatrical release that grossed almost $400 million worldwide.

Review: 'Once Upon A Time in Hollywood'is a fairy tale only Quentin Tarantino could tell

Tarantino previously expanded the storyline of the movie in a novelization of "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood" released in 2021. The filmmaker, who has said he plans to direct only one more movie, explained onthe "Church of Tarantino" podcastlast year why he was drawn to the idea of another director bringing his screenplay to life.

'Once Upon a Time in Hollywood'is being re-released with 10 minutes of new footage

"I think me and David Fincher are the two best directors," Tarantino said. "So the idea that David Fincher actually wants to adapt my work to me shows a level of seriousness towards my work that I think needs to be taken into account."

Buzz Lightyear (voiced by Tim Allen, left) and Woody (Tom Hanks) are back on the big screen in Pixar's fifth "Toy Story." Check out our exclusive peeks at the animated adventure and all the other new films you need to see in theaters and on streaming services in 2026.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> "Greenland 2: Migration" (Jan. 9 in theaters): Ten years after a comet destroyed most of Earth, the Garrity family (Morena Baccarin, Roman Griffin Davis and Gerard Butler) leave the safety of their bunker to find a new home.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> "People We Meet on Vacation" (Jan. 9 on Netflix): Poppy (Emily Bader) and Alex (Tom Blyth) are college friends who go on holiday every summer in the romantic comedy based on the Emily Henry novel.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> "The Internship" (Jan. 13 video on demand): Ollie Roddy (far left), Alix Villaret and Lizzy Greene star as young assassins trained in a secret CIA program in the action thriller.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> "Night Patrol" (Jan. 16 in theaters): Dermot Mulroney stars as the leader of a LAPD task force that's also a group of vampires in the action horror movie.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> "The Rip" (Jan. 16 on Netflix): Ben Affleck (left) and Matt Damon play Miami cops figuring out what to do with a load of cartel money in the twisty action thriller.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> "Mercy" (Jan. 23 in theaters): Chris Pratt stars as a detective on trial for murdering his wife who has 90 minutes to convince an AI judge of his innocence.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> "Mother of Flies" (Jan. 23 on Shudder): Toby Poser co-writes, co-directs and stars in the horror film as a dark witch sought out by a young woman who gets a deadly diagnosis.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> "Untitled Home Invasion Romance" (Jan. 27 video on demand): Jason Biggs (right, with Justin H. Min) directs and stars in the comedy as a husband who fakes a break-in to save his marriage.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> "The Moment" (Jan. 30 in theaters): British pop star Charli XCX plays a fictionalized version of herself preparing for a headline tour in the mockumentary.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> "Send Help" (Jan. 30 in theaters): Linda (Rachel McAdams) and her sexist boss Bradley (Dylan O'Brien) get stuck on a deserted island after their plane crashes in the dark comedy/survival thriller.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> "The Strangers – Chapter 3" (Feb. 6 in theaters): Masked serial killers Scarecrow and Pin-Up Girl return to menace their prey one last time in the horror trilogy closer.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> "Whistle" (Feb. 6 in theaters): Nick Frost stars in the horror movie as the teacher whose students find an ancient Aztec death whistle that, when blown, will summon their future deaths to hunt them down.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> "Honey Bunch" (Feb. 13 on Shudder): Jason Isaacs stars as a father whose daughter is a patient at a facility for experimental memory treatments in the horror movie.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> "Wuthering Heights" (Feb. 13 in theaters): The romance between Cathy (Margot Robbie) and Heathcliff (Jacob Elordi) gets dark and complicated in the adaptation of the Emily Brontë novel.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> "I Can Only Imagine 2" (Feb. 20 in theaters): Trace Adkins (far left) stars as manager of the Christian rock band MercyMe (Mark Furze, Ezra Proch, Jason Burkey, Aaron Benward and John Michael Finley) in the biopic sequel.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> "Psycho Killer" (Feb. 20 in theaters): James Preston Rogers plays the Satanic Slasher, a serial murderer pursued by a police officer after the brutal death of her husband in the horror movie.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> "In the Blink of an Eye" (Feb. 27 on Hulu): Kate McKinnon (left) and Yeji Kim star in a sci-fi drama featuring three stories that explore themes of humanity and connection across thousands of years.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> "Scream 7" (Feb. 27 in theaters): Guess who's back? Masked maniac Ghostface haunts an old foe in the latest installment in the long-running slasher franchise.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> "The Bride!" (March 6 in theaters): Frank (Christian Bale) and his reanimated bride (Jessie Buckley) are the Bonnie and Clyde of Maggie Gyllenhaal's outlaw monster movie.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> "Hoppers" (March 6 in theaters): Thanks to some newfangled technology, Mabel (voiced by Piper Curda, center) gains new perspective on the animal world in the Pixar animated comedy.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> "Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man" (March 6 in theaters, March 20 on Netflix): Cillian Murphy reprises his role as soldier-turned-criminal Tommy Shelby in a continuation of the British period drama series.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> "Reminders of Him" (March 13 in theaters): Fresh out of prison, Kenna (Maika Monroe) comes home to rebuild her life and connects with local bar owner Ledger (Tyriq Withers) in the Colleen Hoover adaptation.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> "Project Hail Mary" (March 20 in theaters): Ryan Gosling stars as a junior high science teacher who goes to space to save humanity and befriends an alien in the sci-fi adventure.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> "Ready or Not 2: Here I Come" (March 27 in theaters): Grace (Samara Weaving, left) and her estranged sister Faith (Kathryn Newton) have to survive being hunted in the horror-comedy sequel.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> "The Drama" (April 3 in theaters): Robert Pattinson and Zendaya star as an engaged couple whose wedding week goes seriously awry after some information is revealed in the romantic dramedy.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> "The Super Mario Galaxy Movie" (April 3 in theaters): Luigi (voiced by Charlie Day, right) throws down with new villain Bowser Jr. (Benny Safdie) in the animated adventure sequel.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> "Apex" (April 24 on Netflix): In the survival thriller, Charlize Theron plays a grieving woman seeking solace in the Australian wilderness who's hunted by a ruthless serial killer.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> "Mother Mary" (April in theaters): A pop star (Anne Hathaway, right) reunites with her estranged best friend and ex-costume designer (Michaela Coel) in the psychosexual thriller.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> "The Mandalorian and Grogu" (May 22 in theaters): The Mandalorian (Pedro Pascal) and his little buddy Grogu star in a "Star Wars" movie continuation of their Disney+ show.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> "Disclosure Day" (June 12 in theaters): Colin Firth has an alien encounter in Steven Spielberg's mysterious sci-fi movie, also starring Emily Blunt, Josh O'Connor and Colman Domingo.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> "Toy Story 5" (June 19 in theaters): Old-school toys Buzz (voiced by Tim Allen, second from right) and Woody (Tom Hanks) face new technology in the Pixar animated comedy.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> "Supergirl" (June 26 in theaters): After debuting in "Superman," Milly Alcock reprises her role as the Man of Steel's party-girl cousin in the DC superhero movie.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> "Motor City" (2026 in theaters): Ben McKenzie (far left) and Pablo Schreiber star as Detroit cops on different sides of the law in the 1970s-set action thriller.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" />

From 'Scream 7' to 'Super Mario 2,' get a sneak peek at 2026 movies

Buzz Lightyear (voiced by Tim Allen, left) and Woody (Tom Hanks) are back on the big screen in Pixar's fifth "Toy Story." Check out our exclusive peeks at the animated adventure and all the other new films you need to see in theaters and on streaming services in 2026.

Pitt won the Academy Award for best supporting actor for "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood," which received 10 Oscar nominations in 2020, including best picture. It also won the Oscar for best production design.

DiCaprio is apparently not returning for "The Adventures of Cliff Booth," which hasn't been given an official release date, though it's expected to debut sometime in 2026.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Brad Pitt returns in 'Once Upon a Time in Hollywood' sequel trailer

NEED TO KNOW

• The Kid Rock–backed Rock the Country festival has canceled its South Carolina tour dates

• The move comes after several of the artists slated to perform withdrew from the show

• According to the festival's website, the seven remaining tour dates are set to proceed as planned from May to September 2026

TheKid Rock–backed Rock the Country festival has canceled its South Carolina tour dates after several of the artists slated to perform dropped out.

ThePost & Courierreported on Friday, Feb. 6, that Anderson County, S.C., officials confirmed that the two-day concert planned for July 25 and July 26 had been canceled.

The county learned that the festival would be called off on Feb. 5, but no specific reason for the cancellation was given.

Anderson was one of eight cities on the schedule for Rock the Country, which runs from May to December 2026, according to the event'swebsite.

eon Neal/Getty

The cancellation comes after several artists on the lineup said they would not be attending, including rock band Shinedown, whoannounced on Friday that they would no longer participate.

"Shinedown is everyone's band. We feel that we have been given a platform to bring all people together through the power of music and song. We have one boss, and it is everyone in the audience. Our band's purpose is to unite, not divide. With that in mind, we have made the decision that we will not be playing the Rock the Country festival," the band said ina statementposted on X.

"We know this decision will create differences of opinion. But we do not want to participate in something we believe will create further division," the band added.

Other performers who dropped out in recent weeks includedCreedandLudacris.Morgan WadeandCarter Faith's names have also been removed from the lineup.

Rock,Jason Aldean,Blake Shelton,Jelly Roll,Brooks & Dunn,Riley Green,Miranda Lambert,Hank Williams Jr.,Ella Langley,Lynyrd Skynyrd,Jon Pardi,Brantley Gilbertand many others are still listed on the festival's lineup.

Advertisement

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE'sfree daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

Barry Brecheisen/Getty

According to the festival's website, the rest of the tour is set to proceed as planned, with stops in Bellville, Texas, and Bloomingdale, Ga., in May; Sioux Falls, S.D., in June; Ashland, Ky., in July; Hastings, Mich., and Ocala, Fla., in August; and Hamburg, N.Y., in September.

Rock the Country has not explicitly said it has any political affiliation, but Rock and other headliners, including Aldean, have previously been vocal supporters of PresidentDonald Trump.

Rock, as well as country singers Gilbert,Lee BriceandGabby Barrett, are slated to appear atTurning Point USA's "All-American" alternative halftime show, airing in opposition toSuper Bowl LXon Sunday, Feb. 8.

News of the event came after it was revealed that Puerto Rican musicianBad Bunny— who has been outspoken about the Trump administration's aggressive immigration policies — would be taking the stage as the Super Bowl Halftime Show performer.

According to thePost & Courier,Rock the Country was expected to bring a large economic boost to South Carolina, as officials previously estimated that the 2024 event drew roughly 25,000 attendees and generated about $17 million statewide.

"We weren't told a reason," county administrator Rusty Burns told the outlet of the festival's cancellation. "It happens in the business. We had a good, two-year run."

"The last two events showed we can host large-scale shows successfully," he added.

Read the original article onPeople

NEED TO KNOW

• Green Day, Brandi Carlile and Charlie Puth are also performing before the start of Super Bowl LX on Sunday, Feb. 8

• The big game will take place at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif., on Sunday, Feb. 8

Coco Jonesdelivered an unforgettable performance ahead of the2026 Super Bowl.

On Sunday, Feb. 8, the R&B singer took the stage at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif., to perform a powerful rendition of the Black national anthem, "Lift Every Voice and Sing."

Jones sang the moving tune while supported by eight string instrumentalists, and the crowd erupted into applause for the singer upon the song's end.

Patrick T. Fallon / AFP via Getty

For her performance, Jones wore white cascading skirt and white sports jacket, which bore the colors of the Pan-African flag bedazzled on its right sleeve. The flag, which features a red, black and green stripe, is asymbol of Black unity and liberation: red represents the blood the community shed for freedom, black symbolizes people of Black ancestry and green represents resilience.

The outfit's designer, Karl Kani, was also inspired by Whitney Houston's iconic national anthem performance in 1991, according to a release.

Coco Jones kicks off Super Bowl LX with a beautiful rendition of Lift Every Voice and Sing@TheRealCocoJ#SuperBowlLXpic.twitter.com/EwsAobac28

— NFL (@NFL)February 8, 2026

The song has become a fixture of the big game since 2021, when ataped version of Alicia Keys performingplayed before kickoff. Last year, Ledisiperformed "Lift Every Voice and Sing"ahead of the Super Bowl.

In addition to Jones,Brandi CarlileandGreen Dayare performing during the pre-show.Charlie Puthsang "The Star-Spangled Banner" andBad Bunnyis set to take the stage for the Super Bowl LX Apple Music Halftime Show

In December 2025, theBel Airstarspoke to Apple Musicabout being selected to perform "Lift Every Voice and Sing."

"I don't know how to feel. I mean, I'm still shocked. It's just surreal, my life sometimes. But I do think it's an honor that, you know, they looked at me, and they said, 'Yup, she can represent culture in this worldwide moment,'" said Jones at the time.

Neilson Barnard/Getty

She added, "I don't know, it's just crazy and I'm super grateful about that."

While Jones noted 2025 was "a great year," she said she was looking forward to the future.

"I'm excited for next year and all of the new ways I will grow and the new blessings that will rain down. And, Lord I'm grateful!" said Jones.

The Seattle Seahawks and the New England Patriots will face off for Super Bowl LX, taking place at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif. on Sunday, Feb. 8 beginning at 6:30 p.m.

Fans can watch the Feb. 8 halftime show on NBC and Telemundo or stream the game and performance on Peacock, NFL+ on the NFL app, YouTube TV and Hulu + Live TV.

Read the original article onPeople

U.S. District Judge William Osteen rejected arguments by the College Democrats of North Carolina and some students that they were likely to win a recent lawsuit because decisions by GOP board members placed undue burdens on the right to vote.

The decision by Osteen — nominated to the bench by President George W. Bush — to deny a preliminary injunction or a temporary restraining order can be appealed.

Early in-person voting for the March 3 primary begins this coming Thursday. It features nomination races for U.S. Senate and House, the legislature and local elections.

Osteen also wrote that formally backing efforts to open the sites so close to voting could risk confusion.

Osteen's ruling marks a key decision on policy preferences by the State Board of Elections and elections boards in all 100 countiessince a state lawrecently shifted themfrom having Democratic majorities to Republican majorities.

Advertisement

The College Democrats of North Carolina — an arm of the state party — and four voters sued in late January accusing the state board and boards in Jackson and Guilford counties of violating the U.S. Constitution.

The lawsuit involves votes by the state board and the two county boards to not include early voting sites at Western Carolina University, the University of North Carolina at Greensboro and North Carolina A&T State University, also in Greensboro. A&T is the largest historically Black university in the country.

An early voting site at Western Carolina has operated regularly since 2016. Sites at the Greensboro campuses have been offered in recent presidential-year elections but not in midterm elections.

Voting sites are offered at college campuses elsewhere in the state. Same-day registration is available at early voting sites.

Without the sites, the lawsuit says, students will be forced to travel off-campus to vote, imposing time and money upon those least familiar with voting.

Lawyers for the boards defended the panels' actions, writing in legal briefs that there is no requirement boards must retain voting sites used in previous election cycles, and that site decisions were based on reasonable circumstances like parking access and past turnout.

The child, identified in the lawsuit as "Amalia," was released by immigration authorities underPresident Donald Trump's administrationafter her parents sued on Friday, Feb. 6. The parents, who also had been detained, were released as well. The suit had sought the release of all three of them.

The family was detained during a check-in with immigration authorities on Dec. 11 and held at a facility in Dilley, Texas, according to the lawsuit. Amalia was hospitalized from Jan. 18 to 28, and returned to the Dilley facility in the midst of ameasles outbreak, the lawsuit said.

After the fatal shootings of Alex Pretti and Renee Nicole Good by federal immigration agents (ICE), communities across the U.S. are protesting against Trump's surge of immigration enforcement actions.

Pictured here, Demonstrators gather for a protest calling for the removal of United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement on Jan. 30, 2026 in the Chinatown neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Protests were held across the United States in response to ICE enforcement activity.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Hundreds of people gather to protest ICE at the corner of Palafox and Garden Streets in downtown Pensacola, Florida, on Jan. 30, 2026.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" />

'ICE Out' protests spark marches, confrontations across US

After the fatal shootings of Alex Pretti and Renee Nicole Good by federal immigration agents (ICE), communities across the U.S. areprotestingagainst Trump's surge of immigration enforcement actions.Pictured here, Demonstrators gather for a protest calling for the removal of United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement on Jan. 30, 2026 in the Chinatown neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Protests were held across the United States in response to ICE enforcement activity.

"Baby Amalia should never have been detained. She nearly died at Dilley," said Elora Mukherjee, an attorney for the family.

Mukherjee said hundreds of children and families detained at Dilley lack sufficient drinking water, healthy food, educational opportunities or proper medical care, and should be released.

The Department of Homeland Security did not immediately respond to Reuters' request for comment on Saturday, Feb. 7. USA TODAY has reached out to the DHS for comment.

NBC Newsfirst reported on the lawsuit.

Sick children, no doctors:Life for immigrant families in detention

Lawsuit says child was hospitalized with respiratory issues

Amalia's parents, originally from Venezuela, have lived in the United States since 2024 with their daughter, who is a Mexican citizen, according to the lawsuit. The lawsuit says all three intend to file asylum applications in the United States.

Amalia developed a fever on Jan. 1 that reached 104 degrees, started vomiting frequently and struggled to breathe, the lawsuit states.

She was taken to the hospital on Jan. 18 with extremely low oxygen saturation levels and diagnosed with COVID-19, respiratory syncytial virus, viral bronchitis and pneumonia, according to the lawsuit. She was placed on supplemental oxygen.

Amalia was given a nebulizer and a respiratory medication upon her discharge from the hospital, but these were taken away by detention center staff upon her return, the lawsuit states. The girl has lost 10% of her body weight and was given nutritional drinks to help her regain it, but these were also confiscated by authorities, according to the lawsuit.

ICE says it provides 'proper meals.'Detainees see crystalized jelly, rancid beans and iced bologna

Trump administration faces scrutiny over immigration tactics

Trump's administration has been accused ofheavy-handed and inhumane tacticsas well asviolating court orderswhile carrying out hismass deportation program.

A federal judge in Michigan criticized the administration in a Jan. 31 ruling ordering the release of a 5-year-old boy − seen in a viral photo wearing a blue bunny hat outside his house as federal agents stood nearby − who was detained by immigration agents in Minnesota. The administration is nowseeking to deportthe boy.

(Reporting by Jack Queen in New York; Editing by Sergio Non and Will Dunham)

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Toddler returned to ICE custody and denied medication, lawsuit says

New Zealand Mosque Shootings

A panel of three judges at the Court of Appeal in Wellington will hear five days of evidence about Brenton Tarrant's claim that he was not fit to plead to the terrorism, murder and attempted murder charges he faced after the2019 attackin the city of Christchurch. If his bid is successful, his case would return to court for a trial, which was averted when he admitted to the hate-fueled shooting in March 2020.

He is also seeking to appeal hissentence of life without the chance of parole, which had never been imposed in New Zealand before. Tarrant's evidence Monday about his mental state when he pleaded guilty was the first time he had spoken substantively in a public setting since he livestreamed the 2019 massacre on Facebook.

Shooter says he suffered "nervous exhaustion"

The Australian man, a self-declared white supremacist, migrated to New Zealand with a view to committing the massacre, which he planned in detail. He amassed a cache of semiautomatic weapons, took steps to avoid detection and wrote a lengthy manifesto before he drove from Dunedin to Christchurch in March 2019 and opened fire at two mosques.

Along with 51 people killed, the youngest a 3-year-old boy, dozens of others were severely wounded. The attack was considered one of New Zealand's darkest days and institutions have sought to curb the spread of Tarrant's message through legal orders and a ban on possession of his manifesto or video of the attack.

Monday's hearing took place under tight security constraints that severely limited who could view Tarrant's evidence, which included some reporters and those hurt or bereaved in the massacre. Tarrant, who wore a white button-down shirt and black-rimmed glasses and had a shaved head, spoke on video from a white-walled room in prison.

Answering questions from a Crown lawyer and from lawyers representing him, Tarrant, 35, said his mental health had deteriorated due to conditions in prison, where he was held in solitary confinement with limited reading material or contact with other prisoners.

By the time he pleaded guilty, Tarrant said he was suffering from "nervous exhaustion" and uncertainty about his identity and beliefs and that he had admitted to the crimes a few months before his trial was due to begin because there was "little else I could do," he told the court.

Advertisement

Crown lawyers say no evidence of serious mental illness

Crown lawyer Barnaby Hawes suggested to Tarrant during questioning that the Australian man had other options. He could have requested a delay in his trial date on mental health grounds or could have proceeded to trial and defended himself, Hawes said.

Hawes also put to Tarrant that there was little evidence in the documentation of his behavior by mental health experts and prison staff that he was in any kind of serious mental crisis. Tarrant suggested that signs of mental illness he displayed hadn't been recorded and that at times he had sought to mask them.

"I was definitely doing everything possible to come across as confident, assured, mentally well," he told the court. Tarrant's behavior "reflected the political movement I'm a part of," he added. "So I always wanted to put on the best front possible."

He agreed that he had had access to legal advice throughout the court process. Tarrant's current lawyers have been granted name suppression because they feared representing him would make them unsafe.

The appeal outcome is due later

Bids to appeal convictions or sentences in New Zealand must be made within 20 working days. Tarrant was about two years late in seeking an appeal, filing documents with the court in September 2022.

He told the court Monday that his bid had been late because he hadn't had access to the information required to make it.

The hearing is due to run for the rest of the week but the judges are expected to release their decision at a later date. If they reject Tarrant's attempt to have his guilty pleas discarded, a later hearing will focus on his bid to appeal his sentence.

Advertisement

Extended Interview: Don Henley

50 years later, the Eagles' greatest hits still soar