Oliver Tree feels that The Kid LAROI‘s new video for the track “Thousand Miles” steals from his own video for his collaboration with Lil Yachty, “A**hole.”
In a tweet last week, Tree posted multiple clips from the “Thousand Miles” video that seem to be copied exactly from the “A**hole,” including shots of both Tree and LAROI being dragged down the street on their backs and being hit by an ambulance. Both visuals also feature a falling piano, and shots of both Tree and LAROI sprawled on the ground in near-identical poses.
Tree, who directed the “A**hole” video, further expands on the copying allegations in a new interview with Rolling Stone.
“The exact same frame, the exact same ambulance, the exact same thing,” Tree says. “It just seemed a little bit odd that even the framing is exactly the same.”
Tree feels the fault lies with “Thousand Miles” director Christian Breslauer, who Tree notes follows him on Instagram. Breslaur, who’s directed videos for artists including Doja Cat and Lil Nas X, wrote in his own Instagram post last week that he “only had a week” to create the “Thousand Miles” video, which makes Tree even more suspicious.
“It’s a lot easier to just build off the things that already exist and flipping it than doing something new,” Tree says.
Tree says he hasn’t heard from either LAROI or Breslauer, and neither responded to Rolling Stone‘s request for comment. The “Life Goes On” artist adds that he’s not planning to take legal action, but wanted to speak out in support of other smaller artists who also feel they’ve been copied.
“My contributions just get buried under the rug, which is something smaller artists feel all the time,” he says.
(NEW YORK) — As the country music world mourns the loss of Naomi Judd, the legendary singer is being remembered for the way she spoke publicly about her battle with mental health, opening up about a struggle that is often kept private.
Judd’s death at the age of 76 was announced Saturday by her daughters, Ashley Judd, an actress and activist, and Wynonna Judd, with whom she performed as part of the duo The Judds.
The sisters wrote in a statement that they “lost our beautiful mother to the disease of mental illness.”
“Today, we sisters experienced a tragedy. We lost our beautiful mother to the disease of mental illness,” they said in a statement. “We are shattered. We are navigating profound grief and know that as we loved her, she was loved by her public. We are in unknown territory.”
Naomi Judd, who was to be inducted into Country Music Hall of Fame, a recognition her daughters received on her behalf, told ABC News’ Good Morning America co-anchor Robin Roberts in 2016 about her battle with what she called treatment-resistant depression and anxiety.
“When people meet me, they think, because they see me in rhinestones, you know, with glitter in my hair, that really is who I am,” Naomi Judd said, speaking of her fans. “I’m sort of a fantasy ’cause I want to provide that for them, but then I would come home and not leave the house for three weeks and not get out of my pajamas, not practice normal hygiene. It was really bad.”
The “Love Can Build a Bridge” singer said her battle with depression began six years prior, in 2011, during The Judds’ encore tour and the airing of their reality TV show. Two decades earlier, in 1991, the mother-daughter duo had stopped performing together after Naomi Judd was diagnosed with hepatitis C.
Judd told Roberts she battled a “completely debilitating and life-threatening” depression that led to several stints in psychiatric wards, where she was treated with a heavy regimen of medication and electro-convulsive therapy.
Another part of Judd’s treatment for depression was to confront a difficult past that she said includes being molested by a member of her family at the age of 3.
“Nobody was there for me. In a way, I had to parent myself,” she told Roberts. “I realized that I got a raw deal, OK, now I’m a big girl. Put on your big girl pants and deal with it, and I started in therapy.”
Judd told Roberts her treatment got her to a place where she practiced “radical acceptance” and found joy in her everyday life.
She wrote about her mental health journey in the 2016 book, River of Time.
“I want someone to be able to see that they can survive,” she said. “It’s not just to help the people that have depression. It’s so the people around them can understand this is a disease.”
In addition to her daughters, Judd is survived by her husband of over three decades, Larry Strickland.
He told Roberts in 2016 that his advice for a person with a loved one with depression is to “get ready to walk that path with them because they’re going to need it. They’re going to need you every minute.”
Reading from her own book in the interview with Roberts, Judd spoke about being “still here” after her battle with depression.
“My everyday life is not only manageable, it’s even enjoyable once more. I laugh a lot. I have told my story and you can tell yours. You’re not alone. I am still here,” she said.
In their acceptance speech Sunday at the Country Music Hall of Fame, Judd’s daughters said they were sorry their mom “couldn’t hang on” to accept the honor.
“My mama loved you so much, and she appreciated your love for her. And I’m sorry that she couldn’t hang on until today,” Ashley Judd said through tears while accepting on her mom’s behalf. “Your esteem for her and your regard for her really penetrated her heart and it was your affection for her that did keep her going in these last years.”
“This is the first time I’ve talked since saying goodbye to her,” said Wynonna Judd, describing herself as both “broken” and “blessed.” “At 2:20, I kissed her on the forehead, and I walked away … the last thing we did together as a family with her is…we all gathered around her and we said ‘The Lord is my shepherd…'” before continuing to recite the 23rd Psalm.
If you or someone you know is in crisis, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255) or contact the Crisis Text Line by texting HOME to 741741. You can reach Trans Lifeline at 877-565-8860 (U.S.) or 877-330-6366 (Canada) and The Trevor Project at 866-488-7386.
Tim McGraw was showered with love on his birthday.
The singer and actor turned 55 on Sunday, and to celebrate, his family, friends and tour mates honored the occasion with cake and sing-a-longs.
Tim shared a video that shows tour opener Russell Dickerson leading the crowd in a group sing-a-long of “Happy Birthday.” Meanwhile backstage, Tim’s wife, Faith Hill, surprised him during soundcheck with a candle-adorned cake, and led another rendition of “Happy Birthday” alongside all his crew members.
“This is going to be your best year yet my man,” Russell shares in a compilation video of tributes to the country legend.
Faith also used her husband’s birthday as an opportunity to share a screen grab from the couple’s steamy bathtub scene on 1883. ”Oh, you say it’s your birthday Tim McGraw? Um……What a about a date tonight? K…see ya later. Love you, too,” she writes alongside the photo.
“Wow, thanx for all the birthday love out there!” Tim replies to the influx messages.
Tim is currently headlining the McGraw Tour as his current single, “7500 OBO,” rises through the country charts.
Jack Harlow was a good sport after a video of two referees admitting they had no idea who he was went viral.
The exchange between the two refs happened during the Milwaukee Bucks and Boston Celtics game on Sunday, where the “First Class” rapper was spotted in the crowd. ESPN SportsCenter caught the hot mic moment and captioned it, “Scott Foster and Ed Malloy trying to figure out who Jack Harlow is,” along with a crying laughing emoji.
The hilarious exchange ends with both men admitting they never heard of him, with Foster encouraging Malloy to “go ask him.”
Harlow retweeted the video and joked, “clearly these [guys] have never seen Narnia,” a reference to him looking like a character in the 2005 film Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. The joke is he looks a lot like like the faun Mr. Tumnus, who was played by James McAvoy, because of his curly brown hair and beard.
The “Industry Baby” rapper is getting ready to drop his next album, Come Home the Kids Miss You, on May 6, the follow up of 2020’s That’s What They All Say.
Earth, Wind & Fire played a seven-show Las Vegas residency last November at Venetian Resort’s Venetian Theatre, and now the band has announced plans for a similar limited engagement at the venue this fall.
The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductees have scheduled seven new concerts taking place October 26, 28 and 29 and November 2, 4, 5 and 6.
Tickets for the shows go on sale to the general public this Friday, May 6, at 10 a.m. PT at Ticketmaster.com, VenetianLasVegas.com and any Venetian resort box office, or by calling 702-414-9000 or 866-641-7469.
Citi card members can purchase pre-sale tickets starting this Tuesday, May 3, at 10 a.m. PT via the Citi Entertainment program; visit CitiEntertainment.com for more info.
Live Nation and Ticketmaster customers and members of The Venetian Resort’s Grazie Rewards program will be able to purchase pre-sale tickets beginning Wednesday, May 4, at 10 a.m. PT. A limited number of VIP packages also will be available.
The legendary funk/soul group also has a bevy of U.S. headlining concerts scheduled this year, as well as joint trek with Santana dubbed the Miraculous Supernatural tour that scheduled to run from a June 17 show in Chula Vista, California, all the way through an August 27 performance in Tampa, Florida.
ABBA is ready to embark on their first-of-its kind Voyage concert series, which will feature a digital version of the band on stage. Singer Björn Ulvaeus previewed the upcoming effort and admitted a lot is riding on its success.
Speaking to London’s Sunday Times, the Swedish pop legend opened up about ABBA coming together for the first time in 40 years, which saw them release the Grammy nominated album Voyage. Now, the group will perform a series of “revolutionary” concerts and Ulvaeus admits he is feeling the pressure.
“It’s an immense risk and most people I talk to don’t appreciate that,” he said. “They say, ‘Oh, it’ll be fine.’ Sometimes I wake up at four in the morning and think, ‘What the hell have we done?'”
ABBA Voyage, the concert experience featuring a performance by digital avatars of the band’s four members, accompanied by a 10-piece live band, will take place at the specially built ABBA Arena at London’s Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.
“Lots of artists are going to be studying us, definitely,” Ulvaeus added. “I won’t name names, but I can think of a few.” He cryptically teased, “I wonder who’s going to be first. I couldn’t possibly comment.”
ABBA fans certainly have theories and will be sure to watch out for the famous faces who will be among the audience when the concert series kicks off on May 27.
(NEW YORK) — The NFL told a federal judge in New York on Monday it will try to move former Miami Dolphins head coach Brian Flores’ race discrimination lawsuit into arbitration.
“It is the defendant’s position that all the matters raised by the plaintiffs … all are covered by the arbitration agreement,” the league’s attorney, Loretta Lynch, said during a hearing, the first since Flores filed the lawsuit.
Flores wants the case to remain in federal court and pushed for discovery so he can view relevant material held by the league. His attorney, Douglas Wigdor, said a motion to compel arbitration would be improper because the arbitrator is league commissioner Roger Goodell.
“The failure to hire is not subject to arbitration,” Wigdor said.
In his lawsuit, Flores alleged systemic race discrimination within the NFL in hiring practices, termination practices and the terms and conditions of employment.
The NFL and several teams named in the lawsuit have denied the allegations, saying they have not discriminated against Flores nor the other plaintiffs.
“This is a contract issue. Is there a valid agreement to arbitrate? Does it cover the kind of claims raised here?” Lynch said in previewing the NFL’s motion, due next month.
Judge Valerie Caproni offered the two sides a settlement conference but neither was interested.
“We’ve always been interested in talking about making the NFL a place that fairly represents blacks,” Wigdor said.
“The league is also focused on the important issues,” Lynch said. “We have invited Mr. Wigdor and his client” but Lynch said they’ve declined the invitations.
Wigdor said Flores would not meet with Goodell only to have him arbitrate a case later.
Caproni conceded neither side is ready to talk about a settlement yet.
(WASHINGTON) — The House Jan. 6 committee on Monday requested the cooperation of three more House Republicans linked to the Jan. 6 Capitol attack and former President Donald Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election results.
Reps. Andy Biggs of Arizona and Mo Brooks of Alabama were among the group of far-right lawmakers who met with Trump at the White House in December of 2020.
Biggs’ name was also mentioned in connection with an effort by some House Republicans to seek presidential pardons after the riot, according to the committee.
Brooks also recently disclosed that Trump has repeatedly asked him to “rescind” the last election — in a statement made after the former president endorsed his opponent in the Alabama GOP Senate primary.
Rep. Ronny Jackson, R-Texas, Trump’s former White House doctor-turned-congressman, was mentioned in encrypted communications between members of the Oath Keepers militia group as someone who “needs protection,” according to court records. He also was in the House chamber at the barricade with Capitol Police officers as they held off rioters.
Already, the Jan. 6 committee has requested information and testimony from GOP Reps. Jim Jordan of Ohio, Scott Perry of Pennsylvania, and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy of California. All have refused to cooperate.
Committee members say the panel has been reluctant to issue subpoenas to sitting members of Congress to compel their cooperation, given the practical, political and legal ramifications of such an action.
Ozzy Osbourne is “on the mend” amid his bout with COVID-19.
That’s according to his son, Jack, who tweeted a video of the metal legend on a FaceTime call with his wife, Sharon Osbourne. On the call, Ozzy seems much more concerned with Sharon pointing the camera at their Pomeranian Rocky than he is with talking about his health.
In the clip’s caption, Jack wrote, “Dad is on the mend and back to FaceTiming the dogs” alongside a face-palm emoji.
Jack added, “Thank you for all the love & support!”
Sharon revealed last Thursday that Ozzy, 73, had tested positive for COVID-19. She said that while she’s “very worried” about her husband, he was doing “OK.”
Taylor Swift isn’t just a musician: She’s also a screenwriter, director and actress. Those talents will be on display this June at New York City’s 2022 Tribeca Film Festival.
The festival will include a special screening of Taylor’s acclaimed short film All Too Well, which she directed, wrote, produced and starred in, along with Sadie Sink and Dylan O’Brien. After the screening, she’ll host a conversation in which she discusses her approach to filmmaking.
All Too Well accompanied the 10-minute version of Taylor’s song, which appeared on her re-recording of her album Red. It topped the Billboard Hot 100, becoming the longest song ever to do so.
The event takes place June 11 at 3 p.m. at New York’s Beacon Theatre. Single tickets for the festival are available for purchase today at TribecaFilm.com.
Other celebrities who’ll be giving special Tribeca talks include Pharrell Williams, Tyler Perry and Cythia Erivo. Plus, Robert De Niro and Al Pacino will celebrate the 25th anniversary of their movie Heat on a special panel. The casts and crew of Velvet Goldmine and Eve’s Bayou will also celebrate the 25th anniversaries of those films.
