JT performs at SpelHouse Hip Hop Concert at Forbes Arena on October 23, 2024, in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Nykieria Chaney/Getty Images)
JT teased her sound as a solo artist on her City Cinderella EP, but now she’s putting in work on her upcoming debut album. Speaking to Wonderland Magazine, she shared some details about what’s to come on the project.
The album has not yet been named but is filled with club records that are going to make fans dance. “Everything is going to be very upbeat,” JT says. “Even if you don’t know the lyrics, when I perform it, you’re going to want to move your body.”
Though she worked alongside producer Burke “Chicken” Battelle, she says she is due some credit for taking part in production.
“I need to start getting my producer credit, because I do a lot of producing in that studio,” JT says. “They don’t be giving me credit from when we put it together.”
She says she’s also “very hands-on” with other aspects of her music, including “post-producing, telling [her team] yes, telling them no, coming up with the concepts.”
“Working with people who have the same passion, we do our thing, and they add their touch,” JT adds.
Her overall goal in this new era is to “drop music freely without a second thought.”
“I want to try things and be more out there,” she says.
Via her MuttNation Foundation, Miranda Lambert has announced that this year’s Idyllwind Award, which honors outstanding equine rescues and sanctuaries, is being given to Horse Haven of Tennessee in Seymour, Tennessee. Horse Haven will receive a $25,000 donation toward its work, which includes providing emergency equine rescue to the entire state. “That’s huge,” Miranda says in a statement, while praising the “amazing work” that the rescue facility does “to help rehabilitate and rehome the animals that come into their care.”
Lainey Wilson will appear on Talk Shop Live on Dec. 11 at 6 p.m. ET to chat about her Peace Love & Cowboys holiday EP, which will be available on 7-inch or 12-inch vinyl, bundled with the deluxe edition of her album Whirlwind. Also included: an autographed insert signed by Lainey. You can preorder her items now.
The 2025 Country vs. Cancer benefit concert, held at Nashville’s Pinnacle Club on Tuesday, featured performances by HARDY, Miranda Lambert, Dierks Bentley, Lanie Gardner and McCoy Moore. The show raised $350,000 for the American Cancer Society.
A man plays a trumpet on Bourbon Street, November 29, 2025, in New Orleans, Louisiana amid reports of federal immigration enforcement surge. (Ryan Murphy/Getty Images)
(NEW ORLEANS, La.) — More than 200 federal agents are expected to begin fanning out across New Orleans on Wednesday after the Department of Homeland Security announced the start of an immigration crackdown dubbed Operation Catahoula Crunch.
Named after the Louisiana state dog, the immigration enforcement operation in New Orleans is the latest stop in the Trump administration’s nationwide effort targeting undocumented migrants with criminal records, according to the DHS.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) commander-at-large Greg Bovino is expected to lead the operation in New Orleans, sources with knowledge of the plans told ABC News.
“We are here arresting criminals who should not be here,” Bovino said on Wednesday in a post on X, announcing the operation. “The state, local and federal law enforcement partners in Louisiana are excellent partners!!”
The actions of the CBP have previously ignited protests and pushback from Democratic leaders in Chicago, Los Angeles and Charlotte, North Carolina. The crackdown has also prompted violent clashes between protesters and federal agents, who have deployed tear gas to quell demonstrations.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, DHS alleged that New Orleans’ sanctuary policies have led to the release of immigrants “who continue committing crimes against innocent Americans.”
“Sanctuary policies endanger American communities by releasing illegal criminal aliens and forcing DHS law enforcement to risk their lives to remove criminal illegal aliens that should have never been put back on the streets,” Assistant DHS Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement.
McLaughlin said the immigration operation will go after “violent criminals who were released after arrest for home invasions, armed robbery, grand theft auto and rape.”
But some leaders in other cities where immigration sweeps occurred have criticized the tactics of masked federal agents they allege have instilled fear in their communities by snatching up people off the streets for simply being in the country illegally.
“What we are seeing unfold in our community is not public safety; it is a political stunt wrapped in badges, armored vehicles, and military uniforms,” Rep. Troy Carter Sr., D-La., who represents New Orleans, said in a statement on Tuesday. “These are militarized forces who are not trained in our local laws, not trained in community-based de-escalation, and do not know our neighborhoods or our people. That is a recipe for fear, confusion, and dangerous mistakes.”
New Orleans Mayor-elect Helena Moreno, a Democrat who immigrated to the United States from Mexico as a child, issued a statement last month advising immigrants in New Orleans to know their constitutional protections.
Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry, a Republican, has welcomed the federal immigration enforcement in New Orleans.
“New Orleans is a place under which we’ve had illegal criminal activity, alien activity,” Landry said in an interview on Fox News last month.
In a social media post on Saturday, Bovino hinted at “next level” immigration enforcement, but didn’t reveal where that would occur.
“Hold on to your hats ladies and gentlemen, immigration enforcement is going next level,” Bovino said in the post. “Illegal aliens, utilize the CBP Home app. to self deport — immediately.”
Bovino has come under fire after video from a protest in October showed him throwing a tear gas canister at demonstrators in Chicago’s Little Village neighborhood without giving a verbal warning, a violation of a U.S. district judge’s earlier temporary restraining order limiting the use of force.
U.S. District Judge Sara Ellis admonished Bovino during a court appearance in November, saying he admitted to lying about the rock-throwing incident used to justify the deployment of tear gas against protesters. She then issued a preliminary injunction limiting the use of force during immigration arrests and protests.
The Trump administration appealed Ellis’s injunction. The Department of Justice argued, “This overbroad and unworkable injunction has no basis in law, threatens the safety of federal officers, and violates the separation of powers.” On Nov. 19, the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals issued a stay on the injunction.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, the FBI New Orleans Field Office and the Louisiana State Police announced a joint enforcement effort to “deter assaults on federal officers and attempts to obstruct law enforcement actions.”
“We will not tolerate assaults on law enforcement officers in Louisiana and there will be consequences,” Jonathan Tapp, the special agent in charge of the New Orleans Field Office, said in the statement.
Tapp warned that FBI agents and State Police will “investigate and arrest anyone assaulting law enforcement officers, unlawfully impeding federal law enforcement activity, or assisting anyone to commit this criminal activity.”
Rolling Stone has revealed its 100 Best Albums of 2025 list. Bad Bunny tops the list with Debí Tirar Más Fotos, followed by Lady Gaga’s Mayhem at #2. Also making the list are Taylor Swift’s The Life of a Showgirl, Sabrina Carpenter’s Man’s Best Friend, Addison Rae’s Addison, Olivia Dean’s The Art of Loving and Justin Bieber’s Swag.
George Clooney famously said he hasn’t had an argument with his wife, Amal Clooney, in over 10 years. Is Travis Kelce following that same model with fiancée Taylor Swift? On the latest episode of his New Heights podcast with Clooney as guest, Travis joked, “Well, it’s only been 2 1/2 years, and you’re right. I haven’t gotten into an argument. Never once.”
Sabrina Carpenter looked back on some of her favorite moments from the Short n’ Sweet tour in a new video with Variety. She talks about her favorite “Juno” arrests, performing with her idol Christina Aguilera and more.
Bailey Zimmerman attends ‘The 59th Annual CMA Awards’ live from Nashville, airing Nov. 19 on ABC (Disney/Michael Le Brecht)
Bailey Zimmerman and Ella Langley aren’t even 30 yet, but they’ve certainly accomplished a lot. That’s why both of them have made Forbes’ annual 30 Under 30 list in the musicians category. According to the publication, they’re just some of the young artists who are determining “what the future sounds like.”
Bailey, 25, has “already proven that he’s more than just a flash in the pan by notching two back-to-back No. 1 hits on country radio,” Forbeswrites. The publication also notes his award nominations, his strong TikTok game, his 14 million monthly listeners on Spotify, and his “playful and refreshingly unpolished presence.”
ForbessaysElla, 26, has “emerged as a major force in contemporary country music,” thanks to her multiple award nominations and wins. She’s also scored a string of hit singles, including her two Riley Green duets, “you look like you love me” and “Don’t Mind If I Do,” plus “weren’t for the wind” and “Choosin’ Texas.”
Other under-30s on the list include Jessie Murph, pop star Alex Warren and Audrey Nuna, one of the singing voices behind the KPop Demon Hunters group HUNTR/X.
(NEW YORK) — A doctor who admitted to distributing ketamine to Matthew Perry weeks before he died was sentenced to 30 months in federal prison on Wednesday — the first to be sentenced among the five people convicted in connection with the “Friends” actor’s 2023 overdose death.
Salvador Plasencia pleaded guilty in July to four counts of distribution of ketamine. He is one of two doctors convicted of providing Perry with ketamine before the actor died in October 2023 at the age of 54. The actor was discovered unresponsive in a jacuzzi at his Los Angeles home, police said. An autopsy report revealed he died from the acute effects of ketamine.
Plasencia, 44, who operated an urgent care clinic in Calabasas, had been set to go on trial in August in the case prior to reaching a plea agreement. He faced a maximum sentence of 10 years in federal prison for each count, prosecutors said.
The former doctor sobbed as he addressed the court before his sentencing.
“I should have protected him,” Plasencia said, saying he failed Perry and the star’s family.
“I have to accept responsibility,” he said.
Judge Sherilyn Peace Garnett sentenced him to 30 months in federal prison for each count, to run concurrently, as well as two years of supervised release. She also fined him $5,600.
The judge highlighted that Plasencia did not give the fatal dose of ketamine, but agreed his actions led to Perry going down a road toward his ultimate demise.
Plasencia was immediately remanded to federal custody.
“He was a drug dealer in a white coat,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Ian Yanniello said during the hearing.
Several members of Perry’s family addressed the court on Wednesday. While standing next to Perry’s stepfather, Keith Morrison, his mother, Suzanne Morrison, said softly, directly to Plasencia, “I just want you to see his mother.”
Plasencia’s attorneys said he accepts the sentence “with humility and deep remorse” and maintained he is “not a villain” but was a compassionate doctor who “made serious mistakes.”
“He hopes that this painful experience will help other doctors avoid similar mistakes and prevent other families from enduring a tragedy like this one,” his attorneys, Karen Goldstein and Debra White, said in a statement.
The government recommended a sentence of 36 months in prison, arguing in a filing ahead of the sentencing that Plasencia “sought to exploit Perry’s medical vulnerability for profit.”
“Indeed, the day defendant met Perry he made his profit motive known, telling a co-conspirator: ‘I wonder how much this moron will pay’ and ‘let’s find out,'” prosecutors stated.
Plasencia’s attorneys asked for a sentence of one day credit for time served and three years of supervised release in a filing ahead of sentencing, arguing that prison time is unnecessary given “the punishment Mr. Plasencia has already experienced, and will continue to experience for many years to come.”
“He has already lost his medical license, his clinic, and his career,” they wrote. “He has also been viciously attacked in the media and threatened by strangers to the point where his family has moved out of state for their safety.”
His attorneys stated that Plasencia recklessly treated Perry “without adequate knowledge of ketamine therapy and without a full understanding of his patient’s addiction,” and that it was “the biggest mistake of his life.”
They said he accepts the consequences of his actions and is working to find ways to help people without a medical license and one day hopes to start a nonprofit focused on food insecurity.
His attorneys also tried to differentiate Plasencia from the four other defendants in the case who have also all pleaded guilty — two dealers who provided the fatal dose of ketamine to Perry, the actor’s personal assistant who administered it and another doctor who ran a ketamine clinic.
Plasencia, his attorneys said, treated Perry for “a discrete thirteen-day period in the physician-patient context for depression.”
“Despite the serious treatment mistakes he made, Mr. Plasencia was not treating M.P. at the time of his death and he did not provide him with the ketamine which resulted in his overdose,” they continued.
In an emotional victim impact statement, Perry’s mother and stepfather said they believe Plasencia “is among the most culpable of all.”
The doctor, they said in the statement filed ahead of Plasencia’s sentencing, “conspired to break his most important vows, repeatedly, sneaked through the night to meet his victim in secret. For what, a few thousand dollars? So he could feed on the vulnerability of our son … and crow, as he did so, with that revealing question: ‘I wonder how much this moron will pay. Let’s find out.'”
“Some things are very hard to understand,” they added.
In a victim impact statement addressed to Plasencia, Perry’s father and stepmother, John and Debbie Perry, said, “You don’t deserve to hear our feelings. How you devastated our family contributing to the loss of Matthew our only son. A warm, loving man who was to be our rock as we aged. An uncle to our grandchildren and the mountain his siblings could turn to.”
They said Perry’s recovery “counted on you saying NO.”
“Your motives? I can’t imagine. A doctor whose life is devoted to helping people? What ever were you thinking?” they said while asking the court to hand down a prison term beyond the mandatory sentence “to give you plenty of time to think about your actions.”
According to Plasencia’s plea agreement, he distributed 20 vials of ketamine, ketamine lozenges and syringes to Perry and the actor’s live-in assistant, Kenneth Iwamasa, between Sept. 30, 2023, and Oct. 12, 2023.
Plasencia “admits that his conduct fell below the proper standard of medical care and that transfers of ketamine vials to Defendant Iwamasa and Victim M.P. were not for a legitimate medical purpose,” his plea agreement stated.
Iwamasa, who admitted in court documents to administering the ketamine on the day that Perry died, pleaded guilty in August 2024 to one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine causing death, the DOJ said.
According to Iwamasa’s plea agreement, Perry asked Iwamasa to help him procure ketamine in September 2023 and provided his assistant with “money, or promised to reimburse him, and directed him to find sources from whom to acquire the drugs.”
One of Plasencia’s patients introduced him to Perry on Sept. 30, 2023, with the unidentified patient referring to the actor as a “‘high profile person’ who was seeking ketamine and was willing to pay ‘cash and lots of thousands’ for ketamine treatment,'” according to Plasencia’s plea agreement.
Plasencia contacted his mentor, Mark Chavez, who had previously operated a ketamine clinic, to discuss Perry’s request for ketamine and purchased vials of liquid ketamine, ketamine lozenges and other items from him, according to the agreement.
Chavez pleaded guilty in October 2024 to one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine.
In discussing how much to charge Perry, Plasencia said in text messages to Chavez, “I wonder how much this moron will pay” and “Lets [sic] find out,” the Department of Justice said.
Plasencia administered ketamine to Perry at the actor’s home on several occasions, and left vials and lozenges with Iwamasa to administer, according to the plea agreement. In one instance, he was paid $12,000 for such a visit, according to the agreement.
One such instance occurred outside of the home, when Plasencia administered ketamine to Perry in a parking lot near an aquarium in Long Beach, according to the plea agreement. Upon learning about that, Chavez “reprimanded” the other doctor “for ‘dosing people’ in cars, and in a public place where children are present,” Chavez’s plea agreement stated.
Plasencia returned to Perry’s home on Oct. 12, 2023, to administer ketamine, during which the actor’s blood pressure spiked, causing him to “freeze up,” according to Plasencia’s plea agreement.
“Notwithstanding Victim M.P.’s reaction, defendant left additional vials of ketamine with Defendant Iwamasa, knowing that Defendant Iwamasa would inject the ketamine into Victim M.P.,” the agreement stated.
After receiving 10 more vials of ketamine through a licensed pharmaceutical company using his DEA license, Plasencia texted Iwamasa on Oct. 27, 2023, according to the plea agreement: “I know you mentioned taking a break. I have been stocking up on the meanwhile. I am not sure when you guys plan to resume but in case its when im out of town this weekend I have left supplies with a nurse of mine …I can always let her know the plan.”
Perry died the following day after overdosing on ketamine, which Plasencia had not provided, according to the plea agreement.
Plasencia “sold vial after vial of ketamine to Mr. Perry, knowing that Perry’s personal assistant was administering the ketamine without proper oversight or medical training,” the government’s sentencing file stated. “Even after defendant saw Mr. Perry suffer an adverse reaction to a ketamine shot, he still offered to sell Perry more. While the ketamine that killed Mr. Perry on October 28 was not provided by defendant, defendant’s egregious breaches of trust and abandonment of his oath to ‘do no harm’ undoubtedly contributed to the harm that Mr. Perry suffered.”
Following their convictions, both Plasencia and Chavez gave up their medical licenses.
Chavez is scheduled to be sentenced on Dec. 17 and faces up to 10 years in prison.
Iwamasa is scheduled to be sentenced on Jan. 14, 2026, and faces up to 15 years in prison.
Two other defendants in the case — Erik Fleming and Jasveen Sangha — admitted to distributing the ketamine that killed Perry.
Prosecutors said Sangha worked with Fleming to distribute ketamine to Perry, and that in October 2023, they sold the actor 51 vials of ketamine, which were provided to Iwamasa.
Fleming pleaded guilty in August 2024 to one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine and one count of distribution of ketamine resulting in death. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Jan. 7, 2026, and faces up to 25 years in prison.
Sangha, allegedly known as “The Ketamine Queen,” pleaded guilty in September to one count of maintaining a drug-involved premises, three counts of distribution of ketamine, and one count of distribution of ketamine resulting in death or serious bodily injury. She is scheduled to be sentenced on Feb. 25, 2026, and faces a maximum sentence of 65 years in prison.
ABC News’ Trevor Ault, Lisa Sivertsen and Alex Stone contributed to this report.
Mariah Carey’s ‘Protect the Dolls’ jacket is being auctioned on eBay to benefit GLAAD (Courtesy GLAAD)
When Mariah Carey performed at the Pride in the Park Music Festival in Brighton, England, last summer, she wore a specially designed jacket — and now you can own it. She’s auctioning it off on eBay to raise money for GLAAD, the world’s largest LGBTQ media advocacy organization.
The pink bedazzled jacket features the phrase “Protect the dolls” written on the back. That phrase is commonly used to indicate support for transgender women. For example, during Sabrina Carpenter‘s performance of “Tears” at the MTV VMAs, the drag queens joining her for the performance held up pro-trans rights signs, many of which included the word “dolls.”
The auction for Mariah’s jacket will run from Dec. 8 through Dec. 15 at eBay.com/glaad, with 100% of the proceeds benefiting GLAAD’s Transgender Media Program. The opening bid will be 99 cents.
Artwork for Ella Mai’s ‘Do You Still Love Me?’ Summers/Interscope Records
Do you still love Ella Mai? It’s a question she’s asking on her upcoming studio album. She announced the project on her socials Wednesday while unveiling its artwork and a caption that briefly describes her target audience. Do You Still Love Me? is set to arrive on Feb. 6.
“my 3rd studio album … wow. i cannot believe we are here!” Ella wrote. “this is for the lovers, right in time for love day & right on time for scorpio making season.”
Do You Still Love Me?, Ella’s follow-up to 2022’s Heart on My Sleeve, is now available to presave.
The announcement arrives days before the Friday release of the official T-shirt for Ella’s Did You Miss Me tour. The trek kicks off Sunday in London. The other stops on the six-city run are Amsterdam, Paris, Atlanta, New York and LA.
The 29-year-old claims his spot thanks to his breakout hit, “Sally, When the Wine Runs Out,” as well as his streaming and touring success.
Forbes also mentions his upcoming acting debut in the film Good Sex starring Natalie Portman, who previously played the role of Sally during a Role Model show at New York City’s Madison Square Garden.
As previously reported, Role Model is set to receive the Triple Threat of the Year Award at the 2025 Variety Hitmakers gala, taking place Saturday in Los Angeles.
In this June 18, 2025, file photo, Eric Dane attends the ‘Countdown’ premiere and after-party in Los Angeles. (Frazer Harrison/Getty Images for Prime Video, FILE)
Eric Dane is opening up about his future in acting while living with ALS.
During a panel hosted by the I Am ALS organization on Tuesday night, the Euphoria star said that moving forward, he plans to focus his acting career on roles that involve ALS.
“I’m fairly limited in what I can do physically as an actor, but I still have my brain, and I still have my speech,” Dane said from the stage, which he shared with the I Am ALS founders and his colleagues from the series Brilliant Minds.
“I’m willing to do just about anything. I’ll take on any role, but I think from here on out, it’s going to have to be, you know, ALS-centric,” he said.
“It’s gonna be very difficult for me to play any other role where, you know … look at the 800-pound gorilla in the room. And I’m fine with that,” he continued. “I’m fine with that. I’m grateful that I can still work in any capacity.”
Dane also discussed his experience acting in Brilliant Minds, in which he plays a firefighter living with ALS.
“I’ve never played a character who’s going through something … I’m dealing with in real time, in real life as well,” he said. “It was hard, and there were moments where it was very difficult for me to even get the lines out, but I overall, I was really grateful for the experience. I found it to be a bit cathartic.”
Dane said his condition can be disheartening, saying that though he has “no reason to be in a good spirit at any time” he still manages to find joy.
“It’s encouraging for me to know that I actually can have, like, a buoyant spirit in the face of something so horrible,” he added.
Dane also said he felt it was important to speak out about his ALS journey.
“It’s imperative that I share my journey with as many people as I can, because I don’t feel like my life is about me anymore,” he said.
The former Grey’s Anatomy star announced in April that he had been diagnosed with ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease.
In an interview that aired in June on Good Morning America, Dane told ABC News’ Diane Sawyer he was “fighting as much as I can.”
“There’s so much about it that’s out of my control,” he added at the time.
Dane, a father of two daughters, went on to describe himself as “resilient” in both his fight against ALS and his fight to stay optimistic.
“I’m very hopeful … I don’t think this is the end of my story,” he said, speaking with Sawyer. “And whether it is or it isn’t, I’m gonna carry that idea with me.”
ALS, short for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, is a degenerative neurological disorder where the symptoms worsen over time, according to the National Institutes of Health.
The NIH states that ALS causes motor neurons — a type of nerve cell in the brain and spinal cord — to deteriorate, causing the muscles to weaken, and eventually leads to paralysis, taking away a person’s ability to move, speak or even breathe.
There is currently no known cure for ALS, but some treatments, and physical and speech therapies, may slow down the progression of the disorder and improve an ALS patient’s quality of life.
The NIH states that the average prognosis for ALS patients is two to five years of survival from the time of first symptoms, but there is a range: 10% of people with the condition live 10 years or more.
