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Bobby Brown announces Celebration of Serenity in honor of Bobbi Kristina, domestic violence awareness month

October 4, 2022 by WDNY Radio

R&B legend Bobby Brown and his wife, Alicia Etheredge–Brown, have announced the return of the Celebration of Serenity Gala and golf tournament in support of the fight against domestic violence during October’s Domestic Violence Awareness Month.

After a two-year hiatus, the celebration returns to shed light on staggering domestic violence statistics and to honor leaders who use their professional and personal work to advocate for social change.

“Pre-pandemic statistics show that nearly 20 people per minute are physically abused by an intimate partner,” Bobby Brown said in a statement. “That’s more than 10 million women and men a year. These numbers have heightened more behind closed in the midst of the pandemic.”

He added, “Our foundation is committed to doing our part through the BKSH to give a voice to the voiceless.”

Emmy-winning journalist and talk show host Tamron Hall will be honored with the Courage of Voice award for her humanitarian work with creating The Tamron Renate Fund for women, children and families who experience abuse. Singer-songwriter Angela Winbush will receive the Thrivers Award, which honors those who persevere and achieve their goals despite life-altering circumstances.

The event will be hosted by actress Tisha Campbell with entertainment provided by DJ Cassidy.

The Bobbi Kristina Serenity House is a nonprofit organization founded in 2015 with a goal to provide crisis intervention, emergency shelter, access to resources and advocacy for social change. BKSH was formed by Brown, whose daughter Bobbi Kristina was a victim of domestic violence.

Jinkies! Velma is now officially gay in new ‘Scooby-Doo’ animated film

October 4, 2022 by WDNY Radio

After years of hints and being embraced by the queer community, Velma, the bespectacled brains of the Scooby-Doo team is canonically a lesbian.

In the new movie, Trick or Treat Scooby-Doo!, Velma’s famous glasses are figuratively — and literally — steamed up by a female character named Coco Diablo. The clip has already gone viral. “OMG LESBIAN VELMA FINALLY CANON CANON IN THE MOVIES LETS GOOOOOO,” read one tweet that got more than 130,000 likes.

The official revelation, however, isn’t news to the orange sweater-wearing character’s fans. In fact, James Gunn, who wrote the live-action Scooby-Doo movies before embarking on the Guardians of the Galaxy films, had tried to make it official back in 2001.

Linda Cardellini played the character back in the original and its sequel, which starred Freddie Prinze Jr. as Fred, Matthew Lillard as Shaggy and Sarah Michelle Gellar as Daphne.

For his part, Gunn retweeted a Variety story on the news, which quoted now-deleted tweets from the filmmaker.

“In 2001 Velma was explicitly gay in my initial script,” Gunn wrote. “But the studio just kept watering it down & watering it down” with Velma’s sexuality “becoming ambiguous [in] (the version shot), then nothing (the released version) & finally having a boyfriend (the sequel),” referring to 2004’s Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed.

Tony Cervone, who was a supervising producer with Gunn on the series Scooby-Doo: Mystery Incorporated, corroborated Gunn’s take in a recent Instagram post. “…Velma in ‘Mystery Incorporated‘ is not bi. She’s gay. We always planned on Velma acting…out of character when she was dating Shaggy because that relationship was wrong for her, and she had unspoken difficulty with the why.”

Trick or Treat Scooby-Doo! debuted Tuesday on digital.

Elon Musk proposes to buy Twitter at original price, reversing effort to nix agreement

October 4, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — Tesla CEO Elon Musk proposed the completion of a deal to acquire Twitter on Tuesday, reversing a monthslong effort to terminate the agreement.

Musk — the richest person in the world, according to Forbes — put forward a proposal to Twitter that would complete the deal at Musk’s original offer price of $54.20 a share at a total cost of roughly $44 billion, a person familiar with the proposal told ABC News.

Twitter filed a lawsuit against Musk in July over his effort to terminate an acquisition agreement. That trial is set to begin in less than two weeks.

Musk reached an acquisition deal with Twitter in April, but over the ensuing weeks, he raised concerns over spam accounts on the platform, claiming Twitter had not provided him with an accurate estimate of their number.

Twitter rebuked that claim, saying it had provided Musk with information in accordance with conditions set out in the acquisition deal.

“This is a clear sign that Musk recognized heading into Delaware Court that the chances of winning vs. the Twitter board was highly unlikely and this $44 billion deal was going to be completed one way or another,” Dan Ives, a managing director of equity research at Wedbush, an investment firm, told ABC News Tuesday in an email.

The move from Musk marks the latest reversal of course in a saga that started in January when the billionaire first invested in Twitter. By March, Musk had become the largest stakeholder in Twitter and the following month the social media company announced that Musk would join its board. Days later, however, Musk said he had decided against joining the board.

In April, Musk offered to buy Twitter at $54.20 per share, valuing the company at about $44 billion. The offer amounted to a 38% premium above where the price stood a day before Musk’s investment in Twitter became public. Roughly 10 days later, Twitter accepted Musk’s offer.

One month later, however, Musk said he had put the deal “temporarily on hold,” citing concern over what he said was the prevalence of bot and spam accounts on the platform. Roughly two hours later, Musk said he was “still committed” to the deal.

Eventually, Musk moved to terminate the deal in July. Soon after, Twitter sued Musk in Chancery Court in Delaware to force him to complete the deal.

A scheduling decision made by the court in July — to hold the trial over five days in October — appeared to align more closely with a timeline requested by Twitter, which had sought a four-day trial in September. Musk asked the court to set a trial date no earlier than mid-February 2023.

Now, it appears the court case may not take place, if the two sides reach a deal.

Northeastern employee who allegedly duped FBI about explosive package arrested by police

October 4, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(BOSTON) — A worker at Northeastern University’s virtual reality lab was arrested Tuesday for arranging an apparent hoax that evacuated parts of campus and touched off a search at other Boston colleges and universities, according to the FBI and the U.S. attorney’s office in Boston.

Authorities have charged Jason Duhaime with one count of conveying false and misleading information related to an explosive device and one count of making materially false statements to a federal enforcement agent.

Duhaime was employed as the new technology manager and director of the immersive media lab at Northeastern University.

“In a recorded 911 call and in a subsequent recorded conversation with a federal law enforcement agent, Duhaime reported that he was injured by ‘sharp’ objects expelled from a plastic case that he opened inside the Immersive Media Lab (the ‘Lab’) on the evening of September 12, 2022,” the complaint said.

There was no evidence the package, contained in a hard plastic Pelican case, ever exploded. The package also included a threatening letter directed at the lab, the complaint said.

The FBI said Duhaime himself authored the threatening letter and the case contained no “sharp” objects. Agents are still investigating a motive.

Forensic analysis of one of the computers seized during a search of Duhaime’s office at Northeastern allegedly revealed a word-for-word electronic copy of the letter stored in a backup folder. Meta data associated with the file reflected a date and time of Sept. 13 at 2:57 p.m., roughly four hours prior to when Duhaime called 911, according to United States Attorney Rachael Rollins.

It’s unclear if Duhaime has obtained a lawyer.

Northeastern is a private research university located in Boston.

ABC News’ Alexandra Faul contributed to this report.

Rage Against the Machine cancels 2023 North American dates due to Zack de la Rocha’s torn Achilles tendon

October 4, 2022 by WDNY Radio

Rage Against the Machine has canceled their 2023 North American tour dates as frontman Zack de la Rocha continues to recover from a torn Achilles tendon.

De la Rocha suffered the injury over the summer during the Chicago stop of the band’s reunion tour, which was originally scheduled for 2020 but postponed to this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The concert was only the second date on the tour, and de la Rocha performed the remaining shows while seated.

“It’s been almost three months since Chicago, and I still look down at my leg in disbelief,” de la Rocha writes in a social media statement. “Two years of waiting through the pandemic, hoping we would have an opening to be a band again and continue the work we started 30 some odd years ago. Rehearsing, training, reconciling, working our way back to form.”

“Then one and a half shows into it and my tendon tears,” he continues. “Felt like a sick joke the universe played on me.”

De la Rocha also shares that the tear was so severe that just 8% of his tendon was “left intact” and says he has a “lot of work and healing” ahead of him.

“It’s not simply a question of being able to perform again, but extends to basic functionality going forward,” de la Rocha writes.

“I hate canceling shows,” he adds. “I hate disappointing our fans. You have all waited so patiently to see us and that is never lost on me. I never take that for granted. For you I have the ultimate gratitude and respect.”

Those who purchased tickets to the affected shows, which were among the dates originally postponed from 2020, will be refunded.

Michael Jackson’s ‘Thriller’ to be focus of new documentary

October 4, 2022 by WDNY Radio

We will finally learn the complete story of Michael Jackson‘s groundbreaking album, Thriller, in a forthcoming documentary.

Billboard reports the doc is helmed by Sony Music Entertainment and will further celebrate the album’s 40th anniversary. Music historian Nelson George has been tapped to direct the film, which has already started production.

“The release of Thriller redefined Michael Jackson, taking him from teen star to adult superstar, who composed memorable songs, sang beautifully and reached the highest level of on-stage performance,” said George in a statement. He continued, “The album, and the short films they inspired, created a new template for marrying music and image. It’s been a privilege to explore this extraordinary album and revisit its magic.”

The upcoming tell-all will look into the album’s origins and the effect it had on the music industry, including its influence on the music video format. The documentary will bring to light some never-before-seen interviews and other video content to further demonstrate how Thriller transformed Michael’s legacy.

Sony is teaming with Optimum Productions for the work. A release date is forthcoming.

This isn’t the only celebration Sony Music has in store for Thriller. On November 18, the company will release Michael Jackson Thriller 40, a double CD set with a bonus record filled with rare audio recordings and demos that Jackson worked on during the 1982 album’s sessions.

Sony Music will also host pop-up events and other Michael Jackson-centered celebrations across the globe.

Thriller was released on November 30, 1982 and is hailed one of the best-selling albums of all time. The album, which won the Grammy for Album of the Year in 1984, is RIAA-certified triple Diamond in the U.S.

Constance Wu opens up about allegations of sexual harassment against ‘Fresh Off the Boat’ producer

October 4, 2022 by WDNY Radio

Constance Wu, the star of Crazy Rich Asians, Hustlers, and the recent Amazon hit The Terminal List, sat down with ABC News’ Juju Chang for a wide-ranging interview airing Tuesday on Good Morning America and later on Nightline.

In the emotional conversation, Wu opened up about her recent allegation that she was sexually harassed by a producer on her hit ABC show Fresh Off the Boat, as well as a separate alleged date rape experience from a different man years earlier, both of which she details in her new book, Making a Scene.

Wu recently returned to social media after retreating in 2019 when she complained on Twitter that Fresh Off the Boat was being renewed for its sixth and final season. As she stated this past July, the blowback led to her attempt to take her own life.

Wu told Chang she was silently suffering behind the scenes of the show.

In her book, the actress said she was allegedly “sexually harassed” and “intimidated and threatened a lot” by one of the show’s producers, an Asian American man whom she did not name. The harassment, she said, included the producer asking her for “sexy selfies at night,” making inappropriate comments, and unwanted touching.

Wu said she was “constantly terrified of being fired” from what was her first-ever network TV job if she were to speak up, noting that this was “pre-#MeToo Movement.”

“…I didn’t want to talk about it because I didn’t want to … stain the reputation of the one show Asian Americans had to represent themselves,” she added.

She said the harassment she went through “…was pretty common … in Hollywood those days.”

When the show became a hit, Wu explained, she felt able to “say no” to him, “and that is what made him furious.”

Director David Bruckner and star Jamie Clayton on bringing ‘Hellraiser’ back from the dead

October 4, 2022 by WDNY Radio

A reboot of the iconic horror franchise Hellraiser makes its debut at Beyond Fest in Santa Monica, California on Tuesday evening, ahead of its exclusive debut on Hulu Friday.

Director David Bruckner, veteran of the horror hits The Ritual and The Night House, takes over Clive Barker‘s frightening franchise for the new film.

In it, Hulu teases, “a young woman struggling with addiction comes into possession of an ancient puzzle box, unaware that its purpose is to summon the Cenobites, a group of sadistic supernatural beings from another dimension.”

Bruckner tells ABC Audio what it was like getting the reins. “Well, you really want to get it right. It’s a beloved franchise,” he explains. “And any time there’s the energy to mount one of these movies, there’s an opportunity to capture at least a touch of the, you know, the lightning in a bottle that was, you know, the old films.”

However, he allows with a laugh, “every movie’s terrifying! You know, every one of them is a massive leap of faith.”

“And that gets very real when you’re on the ground and, you know, you have people in full prosthetic Cenobite suits…,” he continues.

Hellraiser also stars trans actress Jamie Clayton in the iconic role of The Priest or as the lead Cenobite is commonly known, Pinhead. She called his casting decision “really dope” in terms of trans representation.

“[O]riginally when I got the audition, I never thought that in a million years I would book this,” she admitted. “….And when I met David and did the callback, he was everything I could ever dream of as an actor…in a director. And…in that moment I was like, I want to do this.”

Chris Martin battling “serious lung infection,” forces Coldplay to postpone Brazil shows

October 4, 2022 by WDNY Radio

Coldplay has been forced to postpone its shows in Brazil, as Chris Martin has come down with a “serious lung infection.”

Coldplay, who was set to perform in the country from October 11 to October 22, apologized to their Brazilian fans for the cancellation via a lengthy Twitter note.

“With deep regret, we’ve been forced to postpone our upcoming shows in Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo until early 2023. Due to a serious lung infection, Chris has been put under strict doctor’s orders to rest for the next three weeks,” the band wrote.

Coldplay assured, “We’re working as fast as possible to lock in the new dates and will follow up with more information in the next few days.”

The group understands that the news is very disappointing and said they are “extremely sorry” for having to make this announcement. “We’re so grateful for your understanding at this challenging time where we need to prioritize Chris’ health,” they wrote.

Coldplay encouraged fans to “hold onto your tickets” because they will carry on to the rescheduled dates and said refunds will be available for those who will be unable to make it.

“We’re optimistic that Chris will return to good health after the prescribed medical break and look forward to resuming the tour soon,” they closed.

It is unknown at this time if Coldplay will be forced to postpone any future dates; their tour is expected to resume October 25 in Argentina.

An itinerary of their ongoing Music of the Spheres Tour is available on their official website, which has already been updated to reflect the postponed dates.

“Rest now you angel”: Darius Rucker reflects on his friend Loretta Lynn

October 4, 2022 by WDNY Radio

Darius Rucker is sharing kind words about his friend Loretta Lynn in the wake of her passing.

Darius was one of the many artists who paid tribute to Loretta’s storied catalog in 2019 during her 87th birthday celebration at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville. He performed a cover of one of her signature hits, “The Pill.”

Darius is now reflecting on the late singer’s legacy with a series of photos from the special night, which capture him sharing a hug and kiss with Loretta backstage and greeting her onstage.

“She was an iconic legend and did things the way she wanted,” Darius says. “I am so blessed to call her a friend. I miss you already @lorettalynnofficial. Love you. And rest now you angel.”

Lynn passed away October 4 at her home in Hurricane Mills, TN. She was 90 years old.

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