A new film capturing the Waitress Broadway musical is making its debut at the Tribeca Film Festival in June. Star and composer Sara Bareilles will be on hand to deliver a special performance following the world premiere of the film, Waitress, the Musical – Live on Broadway!
Adam Lambert and Jax are among the artists participating in an upcoming fundraiser to support drag performers amidst recent anti-LGBTQ legislation. The Drag Isn’t Dangerous telethon is set to take place Sunday, May 7, and will be broadcast live at moment.co/dangerous.
Justin Timberlake is helping raise awareness for Ralph Yarl, the 16-year-old who was shot twice after accidentally ringing the doorbell of the wrong house while trying to pick up his siblings. Yarl remains hospitalized and the man who shot him was taken into custody, police announced Tuesday. In an Instagram post, Justin urges his followers to share the story and demand justice.
NOW That’s What I Call Music! Vol. 86, featuring hits from 16 major artists, including Pink, Lady Gaga and Lewis Capaldi, comes out May 5. NOW That’s What I Call Proud, featuring hits from LGBTQ artists including Elton John, Adam Lambert and Melissa Etheridge, goes on sale the same day.
Will Trent will be back on the case for another season on ABC.
The network has renewed the drama based on the bestselling book series from Karin Slaughter, which stars Ramón Rodríguez in the title role.
Trent, an unorthodox investigator with the Georgia Bureau of Investigations, quickly became a fan favorite for the author, who Rodríguez called an “amazing” resource as they told her stories on screen.
“Karen was amazing,” he enthused to ABC Audio. “You know, she came down the set, and we got to hang out, and she got to see sort of the stages. And you know, I can’t imagine that feeling: these are characters that have lived in her head and worlds that have lived in her head. And now here they are sort of in the physical realm.”
He added he’s “just grateful that she created some really complicated, compelling humans, and I’m just trying to do my best to, you know, fill those shoes.”
The show, which launched in January, emerged as ABC’s #1 new drama this season in total viewers, with nearly 10 million, and goosed the total viewers for the Tuesday 10 p.m. hour compared to last season by 143%.
In the renewal announcement, Rodríguez expressed, “We’re so thankful to our ABC and Hulu fans for joining us on this wild ride and watching Will Trent. When we set out to bring the series to television screens, we wanted to do justice to the gritty, thrilling world that Karin Slaughter created with her bestselling book series.”
50 Cent emerges from his behind-the-scenes roles for an upcoming movie titled Boneyard. The film follows 50 and Mel Gibson‘s characters as they attempt to find a serial killer nicknamed The Bone Collector.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, 50 plays the chief of the Albuquerque Police Department, while Gibson takes on the role of an FBI agent. Inspired by true events, the indie crime thriller has already begun filming in Las Vegas.
Boneyard, directed by Asif Akbar and produced by Colin Bates and Vincent McDaniel, will also star Brian VanHolt and Nora Zehetner. No release date has been announced.
According to the LA County coroner, the cause of death was drowning. Contributing factors included effects of difluoroethane (propellant in canned air) and Alprazolem (generic Xanax).
The report says multiple cans of electronic dust canned air were found near him and that he had a known history of inhalant abuse. Multiple bottles of prescription medications were also found.
Aaron Carter, younger brother of the Backstreet Boys‘ Nick Carter, died last November at age 34. He was found in a bathtub at his home in Lancaster, California.
Those little red DVD envelopes from Netflix are going the way of the Betamax and free AOL CDs.
In what will come as a surprise to millions of Netflix’s subscribers, the company has still been sending people DVDs through the mail as they did in the days before streaming.
However, that will come to an end in September, the company announced Tuesday. Cue Green Day‘s “Good Riddance (Time of Your Life):
“After an incredible 25-year run, we’ve decided to wind down DVD.com [service] later this year,” Netflix announced. “Our goal has always been to provide the best service for our members, but as the business continues to shrink that’s going to become increasingly difficult. So we want to go out on a high, and will be shipping our final discs on September 29, 2023.”
The company continued, “Those iconic red envelopes changed the way people watched shows and movies at home — and they paved the way for the shift to streaming….DVDs also led to our first foray into original programming — with Red Envelope Entertainment titles includingSherrybaby and Zach Galifianakis Live at the Purple Onion.”
Netflix’s retrospective continued, noting its first DVD was shipped on March 10, 1998, and it was the 1988 Michael Keaton classic Beetlejuice.
Since then, it has shipped more than 5.2 billion discs to more than 40 million subscribers.
And for the record, its most popular DVD to be shipped out was Sandra Bullock‘s Oscar-winning 2009 football family drama The Blind Side.
The Black Crowes are set to headline the annual Mempho Music Festival, taking place September 29 to October 1 in Memphis, Tennessee.
The festival, happening at the Radians Amphitheater at the Memphis Botanic Gardens, also features headliners My Morning Jacket and Turnpike Troubadours, with Ween, Lake Street Drive, Joe Russo’s Almost Dead, Band of Horses and more also on the bill.
Tickets for the festival are on sale now. More information, including a complete lineup, can be found at memphofest.com.
Talk about a long courtship. Singer Leo Sayer married girlfriend Donatella Piccinetti on Saturday after almost 39 years together.
The 74-year-old “You Make Me Feel Like Dancing” singer announced the news on Instagram, sharing, “This past weekend was truly a dream…”
The post goes on to reveal that the couple tied the knot in their garden in the Southern Highlands of Australia in front of 40 of their closest friends and celebrated with a lunch at a local restaurant.
The announcement adds, “The weather was sunny, the bride was radiant, the groom looked handsome and they couldn’t be happier with how the day went.”
(NEW YORK) — Dominion Voting Systems, in a $1.6 billion defamation lawsuit, has accused Fox News of knowingly pushing false conspiracy theories that the voting machine company rigged the 2020 presidential election in Joe Biden’s favor, in what Dominion claims was an effort to combat concerns over declining ratings and viewer retention. Fox has defended its coverage, dismissing the suit as a “political crusade in search of a financial windfall.”
Here’s how the news is developing. All times Eastern:
Apr 18, 4:55 PM EDT
Fox has ‘admitted telling lies,’ says Dominion CEO
“Fox has admitted to telling lies about Dominion,” Dominion CEO John Poulos said outside the courthouse following the announcement of a settlement. It was not immediately clear where this admission took place, beyond Fox’s statement that “We acknowledge the Court’s rulings finding certain claims about Dominion to be false” — or whether Fox News had agreed to a more formal acknowledgement in a public way.
And at the end of the press conference, Davinda Cook, another lawyer for Dominion, might have teased potential future actions when she told reporters, “Thank you … to help expose what we were able to discover over the course of this process.”
“Thank you, and we’ll see you at the next one,” she said.
– ABC’s Lucien Bruggeman
Apr 18, 4:37 PM EDT
Fox to pay $787.5 million in settlement
“Truth matters. Lies have consequences,” said Justin Nelson, an attorney for Dominion Voting Systems, as he announced details of the company’s settlement with Fox News during a press conference following the court’s adjournment.
“Today’s settlement of $787,500,000 represents vindication and accountability,” Nelson said. “Today represents a ringing endorsement for truth and for democracy.”
Dominion had sued Fox for $1.6 billion.
The CEO of Dominion, John Poulos, called it an “historic settlement.”
“Throughout this process, we have sought accountability,” Poulos said. “Truthful reporting in the media is essential to democracy.”
Apr 18, 4:20 PM EDT
Fox News ‘pleased’ with settlement
“We are pleased to have reached a settlement of our dispute with Dominion Voting Systems,” Fox News officials said in a statement after an agreement had been reached. “We acknowledge the Court’s rulings finding certain claims about Dominion to be false. This settlement reflects FOX’s continued commitment to the highest journalistic standards.”
“We are hopeful that our decision to resolve this dispute with Dominion amicably, instead of the acrimony of a divisive trial, allows the country to move forward from these issues,” the statement said.
Apr 18, 4:11 PM EDT
Settlement reached between Dominion, Fox News
A settlement has been reached in Dominion Voting Systems’ defamation lawsuit against Fox News, Judge Eric Davis has announced in the courtroom.
“The parties have resolved their case,” the judge said.
“We wish to express our deepest appreciation” to the court, a Dominion attorney told the judge.
Davis commended both teams, saying, “I’ve been on the bench since 2010 … and I think this is the best lawyering I’ve had, ever.”
Terms of the settlement were not disclosed before court was adjourned.
A press conference was expected to follow.
Apr 18, 3:22 PM EDT
Opening statements delayed
Opening statements were scheduled to get underway at 1:30 p.m. ET, but have yet to begin.
No word has been provided regarding the cause of the delay.
Neither Judge Eric Davis nor the jury are in the courtroom during the delay.
Apr 18, 1:34 PM EDT
Judge authorizes special master over potential ‘discovery issues’
After sanctioning Fox News last week for a delay in turning over evidence, Judge Eric Davis has now officially authorized a special master to investigate Fox News’ potential “discovery issues,” according to a new order from the judge.
The order comes just before opening arguments in the case are scheduled to begin.
According to the order, the investigation by the special master will “include a determination” of whether Fox News and Fox Corp “complied with their discovery obligations.”
The special master, who was previously appointed to oversee discovery in the case, is now “further authorized and empowered” to look into multiple declarations made by Fox attorneys in the case, the order says.
Apr 18, 11:40 AM EDT
You aren’t ‘Dick Tracy,’ judge tells jurors
In his initial instructions to the jury, Judge Eric Davis told jurors not to talk amongst themselves or discuss the case with family or friends.
“You have to fight human nature. This is the hardest thing you’ll have to do during the trial,” Davis said. “You have to refrain from talking about the case with your fellow jurors or a third party.”
The judge also reminded the jurors that they are not Dick Tracy.
“Do not do any detective work,” he said. “You cannot do any independent research about this case.”
Davis told jurors they can bring water or some other beverage into the courtroom, provided it has a cap or lid.
“You can bring some type of drink,” Davis said, jokingly adding, “non-alcoholic.”
The trial is expected to last about six weeks.
Apr 18, 11:30 AM EDT
Jury is seated
A jury has been seated to hear the defamation accusations against Fox News by Dominion Voting Systems.
The jury is made up of six women and six men who were previously asked about their Fox News viewing habits. Six women and six men were also seated as alternates.
The jurors will remain anonymous for the duration of the trial. Judge Eric Davis had expressed concern about possible jury tampering amid the international attention on the case.
Immediately after the jurors were sworn in, alternate juror No. 3 raised his hand from his seat and told the judge, “Sir I can’t do this. I’ve been up all night. I can’t do this.”
Judge Davis offered to talk with the man off the bench and, ultimately, opted to dismiss him from service.
“I’ve excused alternate No. 3 and we will swear in a new No. 3,” Davis said.
Apr 18, 9:30 AM EDT
Jury selection underway
Jury selection is underway Tuesday morning at Delaware Superior Court in Wilmington, Delaware.
The jury is expected to be seated by the end of the morning, with opening statements expected to begin shortly thereafter, according to the judge in the case.
Apr 17, 10:42 AM EDT
Judge says trial will proceed Tuesday
The judge overseeing Dominion Voting Systems’ $1.6 billion defamation lawsuit against Fox News said Monday morning that the trial will proceed Tuesday, saying a delay like this “is not unusual.”
Judge Eric Davis’ remarks in court Monday morning came after an [eleventh-hour delay]} in the case was announced Sunday night before the trial was set to begin Monday morning.
The Wall Street Journal — a publication owned by Fox Chairman Rupert Murdoch — reported Sunday night that Fox had made a “late push to settle the dispute out of court,” according to “people familiar with the decision.”
Judge Davis made no mention of potential settlement talks Monday morning.
“It’s a six-week trial, things happen,” he said.
Apr 18, 9:30 AM EDT
Jury selection underway
Jury selection is underway Tuesday morning at Delaware Superior Court in Wilmington, Delaware.
The jury is expected to be seated by the end of the morning, with opening statements expected to begin shortly thereafter, according to the judge in the case.
Ice Spice‘s real name triggered Instagram’s removal of a recent post. The rapper had shared a post of an image from the music video for her and Nicki Minaj‘s song “Princess Diana (Remix)” alongside the caption, “Ayo Isis.”
Isis, however, apparently drew the platform’s attention as it’s also the name of an infamous terrorist group. The post was taken down and a message was sent to Ice Spice.
“It goes against our Community Guidelines on violence or dangerous organizations,” the explanation reads. “Our guidelines encourage people to express themselves in a way that’s respectful to everyone. If you think we made a mistake, you can ask us to review our decision.”
Ice reacted to the removal, noting, “Can’t type my name is ode.”
Ice’s “Princess Diana (Remix)” dropped Friday as part of her new partnership with Nicki Minaj and her Heavy On It record label. Nicki says the “song has recently been proven by an independent study to increase your dopamine leading to a better quality of life- curing anxiety & depression within the first 90 mins they said.”
(BATON ROUGE, La.) — A pregnant woman was fatally shot after a group of teenagers allegedly fired at her car in an apparent case of mistaken identity, police said.
Kerisha Johnson, 36, was shot early Sunday while attempting to pick up people from a party in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, police said.
Johnson, who was nine months pregnant and “due to give birth within several days,” was found dead inside her car by officers responding to reports of shots fired, according to an arrest warrant.
During their investigation, police found that the event was promoted as an Easter party, attended by mostly teens.
Detectives learned that Johnson was driving toward the party when “several individuals” began firing at her white sedan — believing she was someone who, driving a similar car, earlier shot into the air near the party, according to the warrant.
Johnson attempted to flee but was struck by gunfire, killing her and her unborn child, according to the warrant.
“It was just senseless,” Deanna Williams, a childhood friend of Johnson, told Baton Rouge ABC affiliate WBRZ. “She was an innocent person.”
The alleged gunmen were captured on video footage “raising firearms, pointing them at the victim’s vehicle and then firing,” before fleeing the scene, according to the warrant.
Baton Rouge police arrested three teenagers in connection with the shooting. Marques Porch, Gregory Parker and Derrick Curry, all 19, were charged with second-degree murder and first-degree feticide, according to the Baton Rouge Police Department.
They allegedly told detectives they were armed at the time of the shooting, according to the warrant.
“They all stated that they believed the white car was a vehicle from earlier in the night where [an] occupant had fired a round into the air as it drove past the teen party,” the warrant stated.
Porch allegedly told authorities he provided the firearms to the other two teens before the shooting, according to the warrant. He was shot but sustained non-life-threatening injuries while fleeing the scene, police said.
The three suspects were ordered held without bond during a court appearance on Monday, East Baton Rouge Parish Courthouse officials confirmed to ABC News. They are being held at the East Baton Rouge Parish Prison, online jail records show.
Porch was, up until his arrest, a corrections employee with the West Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office. He was a corrections officer from June to November 2022, before returning as a part-time employee in February as a transportation driver, according to a sheriff’s office spokesperson. He was “immediately terminated” on Sunday upon notification of his arrest, the sheriff’s office said in a statement.
