Music

A judge has dismissed a case accusing Marilyn Manson of sexual assault. 

According to TMZ, which obtained legal documents, the lawsuit was dismissed on Tuesday due to the statute of limitations having expired regarding the claims. 

The case was filed against the shock rocker in May by an accuser known only as Jane Doe. She claimed that she dated Manson in 2011 and when things went south, he raped her. The accuser also claimed that she had repressed the memory, but was unable to specify how the memory was repressed. 

Manson, born Brian Warner, still faces several other lawsuits from women with their own allegations of sexual assault by the rocker, including actor Esmé Bianco, model Ashley Morgan Smithline and Warner’s former assistant, Ashley Walters.

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Nicki Minaj says she’s headed to the White House after her recent controversial comments about the COVID-19 vaccine. 

On Wednesday, responding to a fan on Twitter who said she should speak at the United Nations General Assembly, the rapper revealed, “The White House has invited me & I think it’s a step in the right direction.”

“Yes, I’m going. I’ll be dressed in all pink like Legally Blonde so they know I mean business. I’ll ask questions on behalf of the ppl who have been made fun of for simply being human,” Nicki continued, adding “#BallGate day 3.”

Following the tweet, a White House official clarified that what Nicki tweeted isn’t actually the case — though they confirm that the White House is in touch with the rapper.

“As we have with others, we offered a call with Nicki Minaj and one of our doctors to answer questions she has about the safety and effectiveness of the vaccine,” the official said.

The recent controversy comes after the “Super Bass” rapper revealed that she did not attend Monday’s Met Gala because she was not vaccinated and later made claims about a cousin of hers refusing to get the vaccine after “his friend” got the shot and suffered an alleged reproductive side-effect.

“If I get vaccinated it won’t [be] for the Met. It’ll be once I feel I’ve done enough research,” Minaj said in a tweet Monday. “I’m working on that now.” She later polled her followers about what vaccine she should get, adding she is “sure” she will get the jab in order to tour.

The comments sparked a response from White House COVID-19 task force head Dr. Anthony Fauci, who stressed the dangers of misinformation, especially coming from those with a large platform. 

By the way, there were also rumors Wednesday night that Twitter had suspended Nicki’s account, presumably for spreading COVID-19 misinformation.  However, a Twitter spokesperson told ABC News, “Twitter did not take any enforcement action on the account referenced.”  And Nicki’s account is still active as of Thursday morning.

The White House has invited me & I think it’s a step in the right direction. Yes, I’m going. I’ll be dressed in all pink like Legally Blonde so they know I mean business. I’ll ask questions on behalf of the ppl who have been made fun of for simply being human. #BallGate day 3 https://t.co/PSa3WcEjH3

— Nicki Minaj (@NICKIMINAJ) September 15, 2021

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In the early eighties, Ricky Skaggs topped the chart with “Don’t Cheat in Our Hometown.” Now, another Kentucky native’s changed that to “don’t steal from my hometown.”

You see, on September 2, Carly Pearce traveled home to be honored with a sign that read “Welcome to Taylor Mill: Hometown of Country Music Star Carly Pearce.” Within the next week, however, it disappeared. 

And obviously, the “I Hope You’re Happy Now” hitmaker — is decidedly NOT. 

“You know, it honestly pisses me off if I’m completely honest with everyone,” Carly asserts. “If this is a super fan — and I hope that they hear this — but if this is a super fan, just [direct message] me that you want freakin’ tickets to a show.”

“My town spent so much time and money to honor me in this way,” she goes on. “And people are now not really affecting me. They’re affecting my town and I’m pissed.”

“And if I ever figure out who did this, I will put them on blast because it is wrong,” she adds.

While Carly is clearly angry, she seems willing to negotiate some sort of peace with the culprit.

“I will give you tickets,” she offers. “I will give you a large photo of me for your bedroom, if that’s what you need. But don’t steal from my damn hometown.”

“I’m getting mad,” Carly laughs, realizing how outspoken she’s been. 

On Friday, the expanded version of Carly’s CMA-nominated 29 arrives, adding the secondary title Written in Stone. It features her new duet with Ashley McBryde, “Never Wanted to Be That Girl.”

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Kyle Harvey, better known as Kyle, agrees that it’s never a bad time to learn about our rights as American citizens, regardless of our age. That’s why the “iSpy” singer still refers to his We the People song “Federal vs State,” which teaches about the differences in federal and state power, as his most impactful song to date.

“Attaching myself to [We the People] was a no-brainer for me,” Kyle tells ABC Audio of the Netflix series. “Because it was like, one, I get to be a part of something that the Obamas [who are the show’s executive-producers] are part of. Two, I get to actually help young people understand how our government works, which for me was…really awesome.”

Kyle explains that his participation in the 10-episode animated music series, which has been compared to Schoolhouse Rock!, wasn’t just an opportunity to “give back,” but “an opportunity to actually do something… really good.”

“For me like this is like the most important song I’ve ever made,” he shares. “Because I know that it will help kids out there learn.”

We the People, which also includes episodes featuring H.E.R., Cordae and Janelle Monáe, is available to stream on Netflix.

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Many, many artists have covered David Bowie‘s “Heroes.” Dead Sara‘s “Heroes,” however, is very much not David Bowie’s “Heroes.”

On the track, which is the current single off the “Weatherman” rockers’ upcoming album, Ain’t It Tragic, lead vocalist Emily Armstrong sings, “All my heroes are dead.” As Armstrong tells ABC Audio, it was that lyric that really brought the song together.

“I just happened to read [that line] down on my list of lyrics that I have,” Armstrong recalls. “I just started singing that, and I was, like, ‘Oh, that’s the song.’ We had a shell of a song, but then it really made sense when we started actually honing in on what the album was gonna be.”

“From there, everything else just kind of rolled out,” she notes, adding that the sentiment “just made so much sense” to her.

“As a kid, all the stuff you’re gonna fight for and fight just in life, and nobody’s really gonna be there,” Armstrong explains. “When you’re an adult, you just go, ‘Oh, f***, I’m here. It’s just me.'”

And if it isn’t clear by the song, Armstrong definitely believes in the “You should never meet your heroes” adage.

“Yes, 100 percent,” she laughs. “And that’s all I’ll say about that.”

Ain’t It Tragic arrives this Friday, September 17.

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While Shawn Mendes’ past week has been filled with glamorous celebrity events like the MTV VMAs and the Met Gala, he can still appreciate the simpler times that the pandemic afforded him.

Appearing on the Spout podcast, the singer reminisces about being in lockdown with Camila Cabello and how everyday tasks took on new, special meanings.

“I was getting really into the coffee mug,” he says. “I was, like, waking up in the morning and I was like, ‘Which coffee mug am I today?’…I was getting really technical about it and it was just like everything to me. You know, it was my home. I would go to bed super excited for that moment.”

The time off also forced him to reflect on what he enjoys doing outside of music and to explore different hobbies, like archery, which he says was inspired by one of his favorite shows, Game of Thrones. But so far, nothing has really stuck.

“I think the real reality is that I struggle to put down the guitar and figure out what to do besides my job and besides music…,” he says. “So for better or for worse, I am searching for a hobby at the moment, but like, I think that all those things are just exploring for me. I think that something’s going to click sooner or later, but until then, I’m going to stick to coffee and working out.”

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Idris Elba may not be a fan of 40-degree days, but, apparently, he doesn’t mind the rain sometimes.

The English actor, who’s also a musician and DJ, has released a remix of grandson‘s single “Rain” with Jessie Reyez, which was recorded for the new movie The Suicide Squad. Elba, of course, stars in the DC Comics film as Bloodsport.

“We shot a sequence in the rain and I remember it feeling like a music video at the time,” Elba recalls. “In my head, I thought how sick it would be to write a song about the rain sequence. When I heard grandson and Jessie’s song I was so happy to get a chance to remix it and contribute it to the universe.”

Adds grandson, “What can you say when a legend agrees to work with you? It was a natural opportunity that came up through The Suicide Squad soundtrack, and I’m beyond grateful Idris, a multifaceted artist I’ve been a fan of since I was a kid, agreed to add his touch of London house music to our song ‘Rain.'”

You can listen to the remix now via digital outlets.

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