More than 100 kids own new athletic gear, thanks to a generous donation from Lil Wayne.
Over the weekend, the rapper and Young Money Entertainment President Mack Maine invited 150 kids to a Dave & Busters in New Orleans to celebrate the holiday season. The children, selected by Lil Wayne and local organizations, were chosen as they “work hard and are training to be the best athlete and team member they can be,” a press release reads.
As part of A Weezy Christmas, kids played games and took photos with Santa. They also received basketball, football, baseball, soccer and tennis equipment, courtesy of Wilson Sporting Goods.
“This Christmas Mack & I wanted to give these kids everything necessary so that they could enjoy all the benefits of being a top tier athlete,” Wayne said in a statement. “Whether it’s learning about sportsmanship, teamwork, or just using the field as a way to escape everyday stresses; we wanted to make sure these kids get to experience impactful moments.”
The reality competition show returns for season 15 next month, bringing 16 talented contestants to the stage as they vie for the title of America’s Next Drag Superstar and a cash prize of $200,000.
The celebrity guests this season hail from a variety of different corners of the entertainment industry, with Maren repping country music, along with Orville Peck. Also on deck to make appearances are comedian Ali Wong and actor Julia Garner. Pop superstar Ariana Grande will be the guest judge in the two-part premiere episode, which airs January 6.
Maren is one of country music’s most vocal advocates for the LGBT+ community. Earlier in 2022, she made headlines during a social media feud with Jason Aldean’s wife, Brittany, over transphobic comments Brittany made in an Instagram Reel. Ultimately, Maren leveraged the feud into a T-shirt design that raised over $500,000 for GLAAD and the Trans Lifeline.
Season 15 of Ru Paul’s Drag Race will air on MTV. As always, Ru Paul helms the show, with mainstay judges Michelle Visage, Carson Kressley, Ross Matthews and Ts Madison appearing in every episode.
Rebecca Sapp/Getty Images for The Recording Academy
The Chainsmokers and “my ex’s best friend” singer Machine Gun Kelly are heading to the Super Bowl.
The EDM duo will be among the headliners of the forthcoming Sports Illustrated Super Bowl bash on February 11: Sports Illustrated The Party.
The Chainsmokers will be joined by Machine Gun Kelly at the Scottsdale, Arizona, venue Talking Stick Resort. The venue teases the show will feature “over the top production and performances,” such as a “custom-built, festival sized mega-structure.”
“Guests will experience an immersive and breathtaking mainstage along with mesmerizing activations throughout the 100,000+ square foot mega-structure,” a press release teases.
Fans can register on the venue’s website for a presale, which opens Wednesday, December 21, at 12 p.m. ET.
In just a few months, Birdman‘s government name will no longer be Bryan Christopher Williams. The Cash Money Records co-founder has announced plans to change his name.
“In February 2023, I won’t be Williams no more,” he said on social media, per HipHopDX. “I’ll be Bryan Christopher Brooks … 2023 I’m changing my name.”
According to Birdman, he was “born Bryan Brooks.” His name was changed to Williams after his father took him in.
“My momma died and my daddy came and got me out the foster home and I became a Williams and I love him with every piece of my soul,” the rapper explained. Despite expressing his love, he said he hopes “to die Bryan Brooks.”
Although he was born Paul Hewson, most people know him as U2’s Bono thanks to the nickname Bonovox, given to him by a friend when he was very young — although that wasn’t the first nickname he was given. Bono confirms to Virgin Radio UK that his good friend once gave him a much longer name, but apparently it didn’t stick.
“I’ve been called a lot of things over the years,” he shares. “I was 3 years old, [my friend] was 4, and we had a sort of street gang into our teens and I had many nicknames. I’m very pleased that I qualified to Bono, though even that is tricky in some quarters.”
As for why he and The Edge decided to stick with their nicknames when they became famous, Bono explains, “The really significant thing is, I suppose, that we decided to be called by those names when we went out into the public because it implies a kind of intimacy with your audience, which is nice.”
He adds, “Some people will occasionally come up to me and say, ‘Hey, Paul, how are you doing, Paul?’ as if that’s getting close. The last person to call me Paul was my dad, and he’s dead. So don’t call me Paul.”
(NEW YORK) — Sam Bankman-Fried, who is facing charges in the U.S. following the collapse of his cryptocurrency company, FTX, did not waive his right to an extradition hearing at a court appearance in the Bahamas on Monday as expected, casting uncertainty around his potential transport to the U.S. for prosecution.
Bankman-Fried said he wanted to see a copy of the U.S. indictment and speak to his New York-based attorney. A phone call, in the presence of his Bahamian counsel, was approved by the judge.
The proceedings were adjourned to an as-yet-unspecified date and Bankman-Fried was remanded back into custody.
Bankman-Fried, 30, was arrested last week in the Bahamas after federal prosecutors in New York filed an eight-count indictment including allegations of fraud and conspiracy.
Bankman-Fried has been held in the medical ward of the island’s Fox Hill prison, after an application for bail was denied when a judge determined he was too much of a flight risk.
At the outset of court hearings, Bankman-Fried declined to waive his right to challenge extradition to the U.S., but he had reversed his position and was prepared to waive extradition, setting up a move to custody in the U.S., multiple sources familiar with the matter previously told ABC News.
It is not immediately clear whether Bankman-Fried had another change of heart but a frustrated Bahamian prosecutor called Monday’s proceedings “incredible” and said Bankman-Fried’s local lawyer was not to be believed.
A U.S. government plane is waiting to fly Bankman-Fried back from the Bahamas, where he lived in a $30 million penthouse while running FTX until it collapsed in a $32 billion bankruptcy in November.
In addition to the criminal charges, Bankman-Fried faces related civil lawsuits from the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission.
There are more than $8 billion in customer losses, said Gretchen Lowe of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, a federal agency.
Some crypto traders, who deposited their savings on the platform, fear they may never get their money back.
John Ray, the new CEO of FTX, who oversaw the dissolution of Enron, told members of the House last week that FTX lacked corporate controls to an extent he had never witnessed, characterizing the company’s conduct as “old-fashioned embezzlement.”
“I’ve never seen an utter lack of record keeping,” Ray said. “Absolutely no internal controls.”
Bankman-Fried, in an interview with ABC News’ George Stephanopoulos in November, denied knowing “there was any improper use of customer funds.”
“I really deeply wish that I had taken like a lot more responsibility for understanding what the details were of what was going on there,” Bankman-Fried told Stephanopoulos. “A lot of people got hurt, and that’s on me.”
An upcoming new MTV docuseries is set to focus on the children of artists including Linkin Park and Van Halen members.
The show is titled MTV’s Family Legacy and will premiere in 2023.
“Through exclusive footage and brand-new interviews with the children of our favorite music stars, MTV’s Family Legacy gives fans a unique insight and a fresh take on MTV’s most celebrated events and iconic artists,” a press release states, adding that the series aims to “capture the hearts of ‘90s music fans and take viewers on a tour of pop culture through a new lens.”
MTV’s Family Legacy will also spotlight the children of musicians including Backstreet Boys, *NSYNC, Boyz II Men, TLC, TheNotorious B.I.G., Sean “Diddy” Combs, Brandy and Melissa Etheridge.
Rick Anderson, bassist and co-founding member of the band The Tubes, passed away Friday, according to a post on the band’s social media pages. He was 75.
“We lost our brother on 12/16/22,” reads the post. “Rick brought a steady and kind presence to the band for 50 years. His love came through his bass.”
The Tubes formed in San Francisco in 1972. They released their eponymous debut album in 1975, which featured the song “White Punks on Dope,” which was later covered by Mötley Crüe. They are probably best known for their hit track “She’s A Beauty” from their album Outside Inside. The song peaked at 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart in 1983.
Nearly four years after his last trek, Drake is preparing to hit the road again. During an interview with gambling site Stake, the rapper revealed his plans to tour in 2023.
“Tour. I can’t wait,” Drake said. “You know, it’s so unfortunate. The other day I was rehearsing a bunch of days and one of the shows got pushed back. But yeah, man, I’m just looking forward to going. It’s like one thing to make the music but to see it is the most gratifying feeling.”
Drake last hit the road with Migos in 2018 for their Aubrey & the Three Migos Tour, which supported Scorpion and the group’s Culture II album. He’s since released Certified Lover Boy and Honestly, Nevermind as well as his joint effort with 21 Savage, Her Loss.
(DALLAS) — A jury began deliberating the sentence Monday for former police officer Aaron Dean after he was found guilty of manslaughter in the 2019 shooting death of Atatiana Jefferson.
The prosecution and defense rested their cases in the sentencing phase Friday and delivered closing statements early Monday.
The same jury decided to convict Dean on Thursday for manslaughter as opposed to a harsher murder charge during roughly 13 hours of deliberations. Manslaughter is a second-degree felony, according to the Texas penal code. It’s punishable by two to 20 years in prison and up to a $10,000 fine.
Dean psychologist called as witness
The prosecution called on its first witnesses in the sentencing phase of the trial Friday morning.
Kyle Clayton, the psychologist who conducted a pre-employment psychological evaluation on Dean back in March 2017, took to the stand to speak about the results of the evaluation.
“There were indications from the [evaluation] of grandiosity and some interpersonal difficulties, including that this person would likely to be seen as domineering or over-controlling,” Clayton said Friday during sentencing testimony.
“These profile types tend to be those who are very concerned with sort of the facade of superiority and not appearing passive or weak in any way,” he added.
Clayton testified Friday he asked Dean to rank himself on a scale from zero to 10, with 10 meaning he had zero flaws.
Dean ranked himself as a nine, Clayton said, adding Dean said he’d be a 10 “if not for what he categorized as some stupid things that he had done in the past to — as he described it — piss people off.”
“He was not psychologically suitable to be a Fort Worth police officer,” Clayton testified.
Assault accusation against Dean
The prosecution brought a woman who accused Dean of assault in 2004 to testify in front of the jury.
She spoke about physical altercations between her and Dean and the verbal report and written statements she gave to University of Texas at Arlington police.
Jefferson’s brother speaks out
Adarius Carr, Jefferson’s brother, said his younger sister was like his “best friend.”
“Being the only boy in the family … she was a tomboy, she was the one who, if I was playing basketball, she was playing with me, and if I was hanging out my friends, she was playing with me,” Carr said. “Video games, I’m pretty sure I’m the reason she started playing them.”
Jefferson had been staying at her mother’s home to help take care of her mother’s health and her own, according to Carr.
Defense character witnesses begin
The defense called on Tim Foster, who attended Dean’s church for several years.
He described Dean’s work with the church, including directing and putting together a musical program every year for the holiday season.
Foster described Dean as “dependable, upright, noble” and a “humble servant.”
Another churchgoer and friend of Dean’s family who has known him for more than 20 years testified that Dean is “a great guy.”
“He led by example,” the family friend said. “Of course, he’s been raised to be that way.”
Dean’s mother Donna told the jury Dean became an officer to “make a difference in people’s lives and wanted to help people.”
Officer, detective both take the stand
Christina Livingston, a court officer for the Tarrant County probation office, was also called by the defense. She outlined the restrictions and terms of probation that may be considered by the jury in Dean’s sentencing.
Fort Worth Detective Thomas Dugan, who was one of Dean’s field training officers several years ago, also took the stand Friday.
Dugan testified that Dean was “willing to learn and wanting to learn.” He said he was open to corrections in his training.
The fatal night
Jefferson, a 28-year-old Black woman, was fatally shot by Dean, a white police officer, in her Fort Worth, Texas, home on Oct. 12, 2019.
Dean and another officer responded to a nonemergency call to check on Jefferson’s home around 2:30 a.m. because a door was left open to the house.
Dean did not park near the home, knock at the door or announce police presence at any time while on the scene, according to body camera footage and Dean’s testimony during the trial.
Dean testified that he suspected a burglary was in progress due to the messiness inside the home when he peered through an open door. When Dean entered the backyard, body camera footage showed Dean looking into one of the windows of the home.
Jefferson and her young nephew Zion were playing video games when they heard a noise, according to Zion’s testimony. Zion said his aunt had left the door open because they burned hamburgers earlier in the night and were airing out the smoke.
Jefferson grabbed her gun from her purse before approaching the window, Zion testified. Police officials have said Jefferson was within her rights to protect herself.
Dean’s lawyers argued during the trial that he was confronted by deadly force when he saw Jefferson with the gun and was within his right to respond with deadly force. However, Dean admitted on the stand that his actions constituted “bad police work.”
In body camera footage, Dean can be heard shouting, “Put your hands up, show me your hands,” and firing one shot through the window, killing Jefferson. According to a forensics video expert, there was half a second between his commands and when he shot Jefferson.
Dean resigned from the police department before his arrest. Fort Worth Chief of Police Ed Kraus has said Dean was about to be fired for allegedly violating multiple department policies.
