Avenged Sevenfold’s M. Shadows reveals story behind AI deepfake “hack”

Warner Records; Art by Wes Lang

Earlier this year, a voice that certainly sounded like Avenged Sevenfold frontman M. Shadows announced on the band’s Trax podcast that they were canceling their sets at the then-upcoming Welcome to Rockville and Sonic Temple festivals. Shadows quickly tweeted that the voice on the podcast was not his, hinting that the band was the victim of some kind of AI deepfake hack.

If, however, you guessed that the whole ordeal was really just promo for A7X’s next album, you were correct. In an interview with Rock Feed, Shadows confirms that he and the band came up with the idea for the “hack.”

As Shadows explains, A7X worked with a member of their social media team named Samantha to keep the plan secret from the band’s management, and from Welcome to Rockville and Sonic Temple producer Danny Wimmer.

“We knew that everyone would say no,” Shadows shares. “I said, ‘Don’t tell anyone.'”

“I said, ‘Samantha, all you know is we got hacked and we are trying to fix it,'” he continues. “She’s like, ‘Are you serious?’ And I’m like, ‘That’s what we’re doing.'”

Following the podcast, the supposed “hacker” posted a bunch of things related to Avenged Sevenfold, which led fans down a rabbit hole of theories related to the new album. Beyond just being a fun prank — though, maybe not so fun for Wimmer and A7X’s management team — the ordeal was meant to illustrate a larger point about AI.

“The whole thing was, like, ‘We don’t need to be a real person. You will be fooled, you will feel something,'” Shadows says.

Avenged Sevenfold’s new album, Life Is But a Dream…, drops Friday, June 2.

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Child accidentally kills another child with father’s gun

Douglas Sacha/Getty Images

(RIVER GROVE, Ill.) — A child accidentally shot and killed another child in River Grove, Illinois, on Wednesday, according to police. The gun used in the incident belonged to the father of the deceased child, police said.

River Grove police said the child was severely injured and later succumbed to their injury. Both children lived in the same household.

There have been at least 122 accidental shootings by children in the U.S. this year, as of May 16, according to Everytown for Gun Safety. Fifty-three of those have been fatal. The total number of accidental shootings — 0.9 per day — is down slightly from last year, when there were 0.97 per day, according to data from Everytown.

The father of the child who was killed told police he was outside when he was alerted of the accidental shooting.

The father immediately called 911 for emergency services and is cooperating with investigators, police said. He holds a valid Illinois gun license and a concealed carry permit. He admitted to investigators that he owned the handgun used in the accidental shooting.

The father claimed the gun was stored on a high shelf in a closet, according to police.

The incident is still being investigated and those involved are being interviewed by police. Police said they would not release any additional information at this time.

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New ‘The Dark Side of the Moon’ box set celebrates visual history of Pink Floyd’s classic album

Sony Music

The 50th anniversary celebration of Pink Floyd’s The Dark Side of the Moon continues, with a new box set looking at the visuals associated with the record. 

Pink Floyd – Dark Side Of The Moon – Super Deluxe Edition: A visual History by Glenn Povey features a slew of goodies for the Pink Floyd fan. It looks at the complete recording history of the record, along with documentation of all the live performances, with previously unpublished photos, plus reproductions of rare memorabilia from the time period. 

Each set is signed and numbered by Povey, described as one of the leading Floyd authorities. It also includes a CD featuring rare interviews from back in the day, including one with the whole band, recorded in 1972, and a longer one with the late Rick Wright

Pink Floyd – Dark Side Of The Moon – Super Deluxe Edition: A visual History by Glenn Povey will be released June 16. It is available for preorder now.

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Search suspended for man who fell overboard from Carnival cruise ship near Florida

David Sacks/Getty Images

(NEW YORK) — The U.S. Coast Guard has suspended its search for a Virginia man who fell from a cruise ship balcony earlier this week.

Ronnie Peale Jr., 35, went overboard from a Carnival Magic cruise ship traveling off the coast of Florida on Monday, the Coast Guard said.

After searching more than 5,171 square miles over the course of 60 hours, the Coast Guard said Wednesday night that it has suspended search efforts for Peale.

“The decision to suspend the active search efforts pending further development is never one we take lightly,” Coast Guard District Seven search and rescue mission coordinator Lt. Cmdr. Christopher Hooper said in a statement. “We offer our most sincere condolences to Mr. Peale’s family and friends.”

Carnival Cruise Lines personnel contacted Coast Guard watchstanders at 6:36 p.m. on Monday to report that a passenger had fallen off the ship, which was 186 miles east of Jacksonville, the Coast Guard said.

Peale’s companion reported him missing late Monday afternoon and “an initial review of closed circuit security footage confirms that he leaned over the railing of his stateroom balcony and dropped into the water at approximately 4:10 a.m. Monday,” Carnival Cruise Line said in a statement to ABC News.

His partner, Jennilyn Blosser, told Richmond ABC affiliate WRIC that the footage showed him leaning over the railing and that it looks like he accidentally fell.

“It’s not like he was like jumping, like you know, it wasn’t like that at all,” Blosser told the station.

Blosser said she woke up at 11:30 a.m. that morning and spent hours trying to find Peale. His mother, Linda Peale, told WRIC she knew something was wrong when her son didn’t call that day to check in on his dogs.

Peale, from New Hope, Virginia, was on his first cruise and was celebrating Blosser’s birthday with her family, Linda Peale said.

She described her son as “full of life” and someone who loved old cars, gardening and cooking.

“My son was a wonderful man,” Linda Peale told WRIC.

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Lil Durk blesses homeless fan with mobile phone, money and more

Tim Mosenfelder/Getty Images

Lil Durk is thankful for support from his fans, so much so he recently blessed one with a set of gifts. In a recent Instagram Live, the rapper paid a visit to a homeless fan in LA who had gone viral for playing Durk’s J. Cole-assisted “All My Life” video on a projector inside his tent.

“I want to do something real special. I got kindness in my heart, right?” Smurk said in the clip while driving around LA. “So the homeless guy that was playing ‘All My Life’ in the tent, I found him and I’ma pull up on him.”

“I got him a hotel room for him,” he continued. “You never know what people are going through. I’m finna walk up to him, let’s get it.”

Durkio eventually located the fan, introduced himself and blessed him with a cellphone, money, gift cards and a monthlong stay at a hotel. The fan, whose name was later revealed to be Pedro, thanked the rapper and consented to be filmed.

“Pedro, I appreciate you so much, deeply, from the bottom of my heart, to come do this for you,” said Durk. Pedro replied, “I appreciate it, I love it. That’s actually helpful a lot.”

Durk also indirectly helped a fan by reportedly inspiring him to convert to Islam. After coming across a video that finds the supporter kneeling and cleansing himself in a thobe, with a wall decal featuring Durk’s Only The Family rap group, the rapper responded, “This what makes me feel good everything happens for a reason.”

It should be noted that Durk’s Almost Healed cut “Pelle Coat,” in which he sings about his faith, was included in the clip.

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Schwarzenegger, Gal Gadot and others help Netflix announce its annual TUDUM event will be live from Brazil

Netflix

TUDUM, Netflix’s annual fan event named after its boot-up sound, is going live this year. Showing off the streaming service’s global reach, a host of stars appeared in a sizzle reel Thursday to announce this year’s festivities will be held in Brazil.

Specifically, the livestreaming event will be broadcast from Ibirapuera Park (Parque do Ibirapuera) in São Paulo.

Among the celebs making an appearance are Extraction 2‘s Chris Hemsworth, Heart of Stone‘s Gal Gadot, FUBAR and Arnold lead Arnold Schwarzenegger, and Ralph Macchio and William Zabka from Cobra Kai.

TUDUM kicks off June 17 at 4:30 p.m. ET. Even if you’re not in Brazil that day, fans can get in on the fun at YouTube.com/Netflix to check out “exclusive news and debut never-before-seen footage, trailers and first looks at your favorite shows, movies and games.”

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Dierks Bentley’s about to become the hockey host with the most

ABC/Robby Klein

Self-professed hockey fanatic Dierks Bentley‘s on tap to host the 2023 NHL Awards at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena.

“Hockey plays a big part of my daily life,” the “Gold” hitmaker says. “I’ve been to rinks all over the country with my travel hockey son. I coach his spring league games and spend hours in the local hockey store, telling him, ‘No, you do not need a new stick!’ We love watching YouTube highlight reels, the whole family loves going to Nashville Predators games and watching the Stanley Cup Final together.”

“And, I am a proud member of a beer league team here in Nashville,” Dierks continues. “To get to add NHL Awards host to this list is truly an honor.”

You can watch the show Monday, June 26, starting at 8 p.m. ET on TNT, Sportsnet and TVA Sports in the U.S. and Canada.

If you’d like to see it in person, you can check out tickets online for the event that kicks off a week of hockey festivities in Music City, including the Upper Deck NHL Draft.

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Freddie Mercury’s handwritten “Bohemian Rhapsody” reveals alternate title for song

Queen Music Ltd / Sony Music Publishing UK Ltd

Personal items belonging to Queen’s Freddie Mercury are set to go up for auction at Sotheby’s in September, and a preview exhibit in New York has revealed some interesting info about the band’s classic hit tune “Bohemian Rhapsody.”

The exhibit will feature some of Mercury’s previously unseen handwritten working drafts of songs, including that of “Bohemian Rhapsody,” which spans 15 pages. The draft shows that Mercury originally planned to call it “Mongolian Rhapsody,” before crossing it out and replacing it with “Bohemian.”

The sheets also reveal possible alternative lyrics to the second verse, which begins “Mama, just killed a man.” The lyric sheet reveals Mercury originally intended to sing, “Mama, There’s a war began, I’ve got to leave tonight.” And, in addition to the well-known chants “Galileo,” “Fandango,” “Scaramouche” and “Thunderbolts and lightning,” the pages reveal the words “Matador” and “Belladonna” were almost included, as well.

The estimated value of those lyrics is between about $1 million and $1.5 million.

Also on display will be lyrics for such Queen classics as “Don’t Stop Me Now,” “Somebody to Love,” which spans 19 pages, “We Are the Champions” and more. Many are autographed by Mercury. 

The lyric sheets, along with early notebooks of lyrics, costumes and more, will be on display at Sotheby’s New York June 1-8, before moving to Los Angeles June 14-18 and Hong Kong from June 26-20. The full collection will be on display in London from August 4 to September 5.

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‘The Bachelorette’ season 20 cast revealed: Meet Charity’s suitors

ABC

The group of 25 men who will compete for Charity Lawson‘s heart on The Bachelorette season 20 has been revealed.

Lawson, a 27-year-old child and family therapist from Columbus, Georgia, will meet a group that includes a professional wrestler, a tennis pro, a world record jumper, an underwater welder, a yacht captain and a biomedical scientist.

Charity, who first appeared on Zach Shallcross‘ season of The Bachelor earlier this year, was announced as the franchise’s next Bachelorette during the Women Tell All episode. Lawson said in a statement that she hopes to find “a life partner who loves dogs, thrifting and a good tailgate; but, above all else, is honest, empathetic and values her for who she is.”

Lawson’s season of The Bachelorette premieres Monday, June 26, at 9 p.m. ET on ABC.

Meet the 25 men who will vie for Charity’s heart:

Aaron B., 29, a software salesman from San Diego, Calif.
Aaron S., 33, a firefighter from San Diego, Calif.
Adrian, 33, a realtor from Northridge, Calif.
Brayden, 24, a travel nurse from San Diego, Calif.
Caleb A., 29, a resident physician from Ann Arbor, Mich.
Caleb B., 24, a pro wrestler from Orlando, Fla.
Christopher “Chris,” 27, a world record jumper from White Plains, N.Y.
Dotun, 30, an integrative medicine specialist from Brooklyn, N.Y.
James, 28, an attorney from Chicago, Ill.
Joe, 32, a tech operations director from San Francisco, Calif.
Joseph “Joey,” 27, a tennis pro from Lawai, Hawaii.
John., 27, a data scientist from New York, N.Y.
John Henry, 30, an underwater welder from Virginia Beach, Va.
Josh, 28, a Harvard grad student from Bethlehem, Pa.
Kaleb K., 26, construction salesman from Norcross, Ga.
Ahmad Khalid “Khalid,” 28, a tech recruiter from Dearborn, Mich.
Michael, 28, a yacht captain from Chicago, Ill.
Nicholas “Nick,” 32, an HR executive from Bayonne, N.J.
Peter, 33, an airline pilot from New York, N.Y.
Sean, 25, a software sales representative from Tampa, Fla.
Spencer, 32, a medical sales director from Moorpark, Calif.
Tanner, 30, a mortgage lender from Pittsburgh, Pa.
Taylor, 32, a loan officer from Springboro, Ohio
Warwick, 27, a construction manager from Nashville, Tenn.
Xavier, 27, a biomedical scientist from Carrboro, N.C.

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Son of Home Depot worker who was fatally attacked during theft seeks crackdown on organized retail crime

Courtesy of Rasor Family

(HILLSBOROUGH, N.C.) — On Gary Rasor’s 80th birthday, his children asked him to retire because there was no financial need for him to work. Rasor refused and told his children that he loved working at Home Depot, where he trained young employees and enjoyed interacting with customers.

Rasor continued to work for more than two years at The Home Depot in Hillsborough, North Carolina, until he was confronted by a man stealing three pressure washers last October. The man violently pushed Rancor, who crashed to the floor and was taken to the hospital — where he died of his injuries a few days after turning 83.

“He was just going to ask him for a receipt,” Rasor’s son Jeff said of the man who attacked his father.

The elder Rasor was attacked in the course of what authorities call organized retail crime — the large-scale theft of high-value items, which are then illegally resold.

In an interview airing tonight on “Nightline,” Jeff Rasor told ABC News’ Erielle Reshef that he wants authorities to crack down on the growing phenomenon.

“There has to be consequences in my mind, and the consequences have to fit the crime,” he said. “I can’t imagine that any piece of equipment in Home Depot is worth a life — and so when you find out it’s $837, it’s just pretty bad.”

Five months after Gary Rasor’s death, another Home Depot employee was killed after confronting a shoplifter in a California store. Blake Mohs, a 26-year-old loss prevention employee, was shot in the chest while trying to stop a theft at a Home Depot in April. Two people have been arrested on murder charges in the case.

The two deaths come as law enforcement officials and advocates warn of an increase in violent and brazen acts during the commission of organized retail crimes.

According to a report released by the National Retail Federation in April, stores and retailers reported that the number of organized retail crime incidents increased by an average of 26.5% between 2020 and 2021.

“It’s growing double-digit year over year,” Scott Glenn, The Home Depot’s vice president of asset protection, told ABC News. “We don’t have enough resources to handle, [so] we have to prioritize the biggest impacts.”

“More and more we’re seeing the risk being brought into the stores, and people being hurt or people even being killed in many cases because these folks, they just don’t care about the consequence,” Glenn said.

In response, Home Depot stores across the country have implemented increased security measures, including more cameras and security guards, and have added new technologies to track merchandise.

“The 500,000 orange hooded associates that are working in our stores and distribution centers, we want them to feel safe when they come to work,” Glenn said.

Jeff Rasor told ABC News that his father would want the “appropriate measures” to be implemented to discourage retail theft and to help people avoid a life of crime.

“He [wouldn’t want] this guy to be in jail the rest of his life,” Jeff Rasor said of the man who fatally attacked his father and has since been arrested on a murder charge. The case against him is still pending.

“He would rather that guy be graduating from law school and be on an internship right now somewhere,” Jeff Rasor said. “That’s what he’d want. But he’s not, he’s sitting in jail.”

ABC News’ Claire Pedersen contributed to this report.

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