Kate Middleton conspiracies, Willy Wonka’s nightmare and Rebecca Ferguson’s unnamed bully. This week’s viral headlines, explained.

It was a week that could rival the plot twists of a telenovela.

From conspiracies surrounding Kate Middleton's health to a Willy Wonka experience that turned sour and whispers about actor Rebecca Ferguson’s alleged on-set bully, the internet was ablaze with clicky headlines at every turn.

The stories may have gotten eyeballs on social media, but now it’s time to get to the heart of exactly why people simply can’t get enough.

Conspiracy theory: Where is Kate Middleton?

A series of no-shows and vague statements from the royal household led social media users to go “down the rabbit hole” of unhinged conspiracy theories involving the absent Princess of Wales, who was last seen in public during the royals’ annual Christmas Day walk.

Some online have suggested that Middleton is “dead, in a coma or locked up,” that she’s filing for a divorce from Prince William or experiencing a “mental health crisis.” Others have jokingly theorized that she’s getting a Brazilian butt lift or had an embarrassingly bad haircut and is “growing out her bangs.”

The hashtag #WhereIsKateMiddleton went viral on X, formerly known as Twitter. Those seeking answers have labeled themselves “Kate Middleton truthers,” with many insisting that the royal has “gone missing” without a trace.

The discourse surrounding Middleton’s whereabouts first began on Jan. 17, when it was announced that Middleton was in the hospital following a “planned abdominal surgery” and that more updates would be provided when “there is significant new information to share.” Hours later, Buckingham Palace revealed that King Charles was seeking treatment for an “enlarged prostate.” It was confirmed that the monarch was diagnosed with cancer on Feb. 5.

According to a statement from Kensington Palace, Middleton returned home from the hospital on Jan. 29. Weeks later, Prince William backed out of a Feb. 27 memorial service for his godfather due to “personal reasons.” That led people to question Middleton’s condition and whereabouts, given that she hadn’t been seen publicly since 2023, although the palace previously stated that she’s “unlikely to return to public duties until after Easter.”

According to investigative reporter Ellie Hall, it also didn’t help that the level of public information surrounding King Charles and Middleton’s health ordeals wasn’t equal.

“The question is, ‘Why is Buckingham Palace sharing new footage/video/photos of the king?’ and ‘Why can’t Kensington Palace share a similar piece of media featuring the Princess of Wales?’” Hall told Yahoo News. “Only William and Kate’s press team can answer that question.”

Meanwhile, Kensington Palace told NBC News on Feb. 27 that Kate is “doing well.” William has continued his public appearances in Wrexham, Wales this week.

The palace addressed the theories in a Feb. 29 statement to the press, reiterating their prior statement that she won’t be making public appearances until after Easter: “Kensington Palace made it clear in January the timelines of the Princess' recovery and we'd only be providing significant updates. That guidance stands,” it read.

For some “Kate Middleton truthers,” however, the official statement has done little to quell speculation.

Willy Wonka and his deep fake chocolate factory

It’s been called the Fyre Festival for kids. On Feb. 26, a Willy Wonka event in Scotland went viral after photos were released that showed a clear discrepancy between what was promised and what was delivered.

For $44 per ticket, Willy’s Chocolate Experience promised to be an immersive “chocolate fantasy.” Organized by House of Illuminati, AI-generated marketing images enticed families with whimsical visuals of an “Enchanted Garden,” “Imagination Lab” and “Twilight Tunnel.”

As it turns out, it was anything but fantastical. Families showed up to discover a poorly decorated warehouse with knock-off characters and decor that looked nothing like the AI-generated images. It didn’t even include chocolate! To put it lightly, they were duped.

Guests described the event to multiple outlets as being “poorly done” and “terrifying.” The actors who played Willy Wonka called the show’s script “AI-generated gibberish,” while another who played an Oompa Loompa recalled kids being “quite upset.” Parents resorted to calling the police.

The event’s director, Billy Coull, apologized in a Feb. 27 interview with STV News. House of Illuminati also addressed the scandal in an apology posted on the company’s Facebook page. The page has since been deleted, according to the New York Times.

Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory may have turned into a nightmare, but for those who followed it far and wide, it was certainly one for the books.

Which A-lister allegedly screamed at Rebecca Ferguson?

There’s a witch hunt in Hollywood after Dune 2 star Rebecca Ferguson recounted a story about an “idiot” co-star who screamed at her on set. The individual, she explained, was “number one” on the call sheet, which some have taken to mean that they were one of the stars of the movie she was filming at the time of the incident.

“I would cry walking off set,” she recalled on the Feb. 27 episode of the Reign with Josh Smith. At one point, Ferguson claimed the person berated her in front of the entire cast and crew, shouting things like, “You call yourself an actor?” and “This is what I have to work with?”

Ferguson said she eventually challenged the individual by telling them to “F off” and to “get off my set.” She also made a request to act “towards a tennis ball” so that the person wouldn’t need to physically be in front of her. When producers refused, she opted for acting to the back of their head instead.

“I remember going to the director afterward and saying, ‘What is happening?’” Ferguson explained. “The director said, ‘You’re right. I am not taking care of everyone else. I’m trying to fluff this person because it’s so unstable.’ And [the experience] was great from that moment, but it took so long for me to get to that.”

The actress later confirmed on the podcast that the individual was neither her The Greatest Showman co-star, Hugh Jackman, nor Mission Impossible leading man, Tom Cruise.

Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, who worked with Ferguson on Hercules (2014), was ruled out after he took to X to support her. “I’d like to find out who did this,” he said.

Emily Blunt, Ferguson’s co-star in The Girl On The Train (2016) was also ruled out. In a statement to Daily Mail, the star’s rep insisted that “Rebecca and Emily are friends and there’s nothing but love between them.”

Internet sleuths are still trying to identify the person who screamed at Rebecca Ferguson.

Speculations have included Jake Gyllenhaal, her co-star in Life (2017) and Ewan McGregor, who she worked with in Doctor Sleep (2019). Some fans have pointed to Michael Fassbender, her co-star in The Snowman (2017) as well as Hugh Grant, who she worked with on Florence Foster Jenkins (2016).

McGregor fans have been quick to rule him out, pointing to the chemistry he and Ferguson seemed to have during talk show appearances in years past.

Those betting on Gyllenhaal, however, have dug up old interviews to make their case. While promoting Life in 2017, the actor told the Guardian, “It seems to me that anybody can be an actor nowadays,” which is reminiscent of the words Ferguson’s alleged bully told her on set.

“Wait the rebecca ferguson culprit has to be jake gyllenhaal he literally says the same insult in an interview promoting their film,” one X user wrote.

Many people are pointing to Hugh Grant, who has admitted in the past to throwing a “terrible” tantrum on the set of Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves.

“As for who I think yelled at Rebecca Ferguson, it’s gotta be Hugh Grant, right?” one user wrote on X. “There ain’t no interviews or joking around with the two of them together that I found.”

Yahoo Entertainment reached out to both Gyllenhaal and Grant for comment but did not immediately receive a response.