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One of R. Kelly’s alleged live-in girlfriends levels serious accusations during trial testimony

August 24, 2021 by WDNY Radio

R. Kelly‘s sex trafficking trial continued Monday, with a woman who claimed to be one of his live-in girlfriends testifying that the singer gave her herpes and forced her to get an abortion.

One woman, identified as Jane Doe #5, testified that she became involved with the 54-year-old singer, born Robert Sylvester Kelly, in 2015, when she was 17 and an aspiring singer. She claimed their relationship lasted five years.

Billboard reports the woman said she met Kelly at one of his concerts and he coerced her into a sexual relationship after inviting her to “audition” for him. Jane Doe claimed he knowingly gave her herpes, a sexually transmitted disease. Kelly’s physician testified Thursday that the singer has had herpes since 2007.

Other claims from the witness include her being forced to get an abortion in 2017 when she allegedly became pregnant with Kelly’s child, along with various accusations of physical and mental abuse — including being left in a room for three to four days and having Kelly control nearly every aspect of her body.

Jane Doe also spoke about Kelly’s controversial marriage to Aaliyah, who was 15 when the two secretly wed. She claims that Kelly told another live-in girlfriend that he impregnated the “Try Again” singer and that the two needed to be married to obtain an abortion.

Kelly faces state and federal charges for sex trafficking, racketeering, coercion and other charges related to the alleged abuse and exploitation of six women — three of whom were underage at the time — over the course of 25 years. Three of those women are scheduled to testify during the trial.

Elliot Page says ‘But I’m a Cheerleader’ helped him overcome loneliness, shame and self-hatred

August 24, 2021 by WDNY Radio

Elliot Page says the film But I’m a Cheerleader helped him overcome loneliness, shame and self-hatred.

The Umbrella Academy star was honored with Outfest’s Achievement Award on Sunday and in his acceptance speech spoke about the importance of representation, especially while growing up, according to Variety.

“I for one know that without the various representation that I was able to stumble upon as a kid and a teenager — there was very little — I just don’t know if I would have made it,” Page said. “I don’t know if I would have made it through the moments of isolation and loneliness and shame and self-hatred that was so extreme and powerful and all-encompassing that you could hardly see out of it.”

“And then, you know, at 15, when you are flipping through the channels and you stumble on But I’m a Cheerleader and the dialogue in that film, and scenes in that film just transform your life,” he continued, referencing the 1999 satirical rom-com starring Natasha Lyonne as a high school teenager whose parents send her to conversation camp after suspecting she’s gay.

“I almost think we don’t talk enough about how important representation is and enough about how many lives it saves and how many futures it allows for,” the Oscar nominee shared.

“It’s [Outfest] and organizations like yourself that are completely changing that. And helping get stories out in the world that I know are reaching people in moments where they feel desperately alone and afraid and like they have no sense of community. And it offers somebody a lifeline,” Page added. “And I know that representation has done that for me.”

‘The Morning Show’ drops dramatic final trailer before season 2’s September premiere

August 24, 2021 by WDNY Radio

Alex Levy and Bradley Jackson are back! The Morning Show returns to Apple TV+ on September 17, and the second season’s final trailer makes one thing certain — the show’s leading ladies have to work even harder to outsmart the nefarious forces working against them.

The season apparently takes place nine months after Jennifer Aniston‘s Alex and Reese Witherspoon‘s Bradley expose their media company — live on their morning show — for covering up for the show’s former male anchor Mitch Kessler, played by Steve Carell, who preyed upon several female coworkers.

Season two starts with Alex being convinced by Billy Crudup‘s Cory Ellison to return to the UBA network, telling her, “You are the only thing that can save us.”

The events then start to play out, with the arrival of COVID-19 and several employees of color taking note of the racism that holds them back from promotion, with Desean Terry‘s Daniel explaining, “There is a pattern of behavior around here that disadvantages the people of color.”

Not to mention that the journalistic exposé about UBA’s misdeeds that was being written during the events of the first season is now public, with the network also reeling from falling ratings and public outcry.

In all, season two will find even more UBA employees being pitted against each other in a play for power — with special focus placed upon tearing apart the truce between Aniston’s Alex and Witherspoon’s Bradley.

The trailer also introduces new characters, such as Greta Lee, who plays executive Stella Bak, and Julianna Margulies as Laura Peterson — a TV anchor with an agenda of her own.

Hasan Minhaj, Ruairi O’Connor, Tara Karsian, Valeria Golino and Holland Taylor will also join the new season.

The Morning Show‘s second season premieres September 17 on Apple TV+.

‘Buffy’ star Nicholas Brendon arrested for illegal prescription drug possession

August 24, 2021 by WDNY Radio

Buffy the Vampire Slayer alum Nicholas Brendon, who played Xander in the series, has been arrested for drug possession.

TMZ obtained a copy of the 50-year-old actor’s mug shot and reports that the arrest happened last week when Brendon was driving erratically in Vigo County, Indiana. Police, saying he was swerving his vehicle and disregarded a traffic signal, pulled over Brendon’s vehicle and noted he was sweating “profusely,” and also “appeared nervous due to a visibly racing pulse on his neck and shaking hands.”

The website reports when police asked for Brendon’s ID, he allegedly provided them with one bearing the name Kelton Schultz, saying it belonged to his twin brother. Brendon does have a twin brother by that name, who goes by the stage name Kelly Donovan.

A search of the actor’s car yielded a “small plastic bag that contained crystal/powder residue,” along with a pill bottle with medication prescribed to a “Nicholas Bender.” The prescription was for amphetamine salts, which are commonly used to treat conditions like ADHD and narcolepsy. Brendon told police he and his twin “have the same prescription and they fill each other’s prescription.” He also allegedly admitted to taking some of his brother’s pills.

Police brought out a K-9 search unit but the dog failed to locate more narcotics, only plastic bags that contained an unknown residue.

Brendon was arrested and charged with obtaining a prescription by fraud — along with failure to identify — with police writing in their report, “He was using his brother’s ID to procure more or that the ID he initially handed me belonging to Kelton is fraudulent.”

Brendon has struggled with addiction for many years, with rehab stays, incidents and arrests going back more than 15 years.

Louder than Life & Welcome to Rockville festivals announce Nine Inch Nails replacements

August 24, 2021 by WDNY Radio

The Louder than Life and Welcome to Rockville festivals have announced lineup additions after Nine Inch Nails canceled their 2021 touring plans.

Disturbed, Volbeat and Atreyu have joined the Louder than Life lineup, while the Welcome to Rockville bill now includes Slipknot, A Day to Remember and Gojira.

Additionally, festival promoter Danny Wimmer, whose production company Danny Wimmer Presents puts on both Louder than Life and Welcome to Rockville, confirms that Metallica is still set to headline both events.

Louder than Life takes place September 23-26 in Louisville, Kentucky. Welcome to Rockville will be held November 11-14 in Daytona Beach, Florida.

Last Thursday, Nine Inch Nails announced that they were scrapping all of their 2021 live shows due to the continuing COVID-19 pandemic. Along with Louder than Life and Welcome to Rockville, affected shows include two scheduled headlining dates in Cleveland this September, as well as the Riot Fest in Chicago.

Slipknot and Morrissey have replaced NIN on the Riot Fest bill.

My Morning Jacket announces new, self-titled album; listen to single “Regularly Scheduled Programming” now

August 24, 2021 by WDNY Radio

My Morning Jacket has announced a new, self-titled album.

The ninth studio effort from Jim James and company arrives October 22. You can download the lead single, titled “Regularly Scheduled Programming,” now via digital outlets.

My Morning Jacket is technically the follow-up to 2020’s The Waterfall II, but since that album was made up of recordings from the sessions for 2015’s The Waterfall, it’s really MMJ’s first collection of all-new music in six years.

Here’s the My Morning Jacket track list:

“Regularly Scheduled Programming”
“Love Love Love”
“In Color”
“Least Expected”
“Never in the Real World”
“The Devil’s in the Details”
“Lucky to Be Alive”
“Complex”
“Out of Range, Pt. 2”
“Penny for Your Thoughts”
“I Never Could Get Enough”

Alice Cooper, Eddie Vedder, Elvis Costello & more taking part in Audible’s ‘Words + Music’ series

August 24, 2021 by WDNY Radio

Alice Cooper, Pearl Jam‘s Eddie Vedder and Elvis Costello are among the artists hosting new episodes of Audible’s ongoing Words + Music series, an audio program described as a combination of music and storytelling.

Cooper will give a rare inside look at the real person behind his iconic shock-rock persona in Who I Really Am: The Diary of a Hollywood Vampire, debuting October 7.

Vedder’s installment, titled I Am Mine, is set to premiere October 21, and will find the grunge rocker “reflecting on a life at the intersection of art, sensitivity, masculinity, and ascendant pop/rock-super stardom that defined an age.”

Costello will host an episode titled How to Play the Guitar and Y that premieres September 16. The program is described as “[p]art masterclass, part madcap guitar-manual” that will feature the eclectic singer/songwriter delivering “a love letter to the guitar, to music, and to the restorative power of ‘play.'”

Other artists taking part in new installments of the Words + Music series include Dave Matthews and Against Me!‘s Laura Jane Grace. Previous episodes have been hosted by Sting, James Taylor, Patti Smith, Sheryl Crow, and Green Day‘s Billie Joe Armstrong.

“I’m not her boyfriend anymore”: Hardy’s engaged to longtime girlfriend

August 24, 2021 by WDNY Radio

Hardy is engaged!

The hit singer-songwriter revealed in an Instagram post that he proposed to girlfriend Caleigh Ryan at The Lyric, a historic theater and live music venue in Oxford, Mississippi.

Surrounded by white roses and with red rose petals decorating the floor, the pic shows Hardy down on one knee as Caleigh smiles in shock. “I’m not her boyfriend anymore,” he captions the moment.

Among Hardy’s friends to comment is Breland, writing, “Beautiful moment. Congratulations to you both.” Actor Taylor Lautner and professional golfer Zach Johnson also extended their congratulations.

Caleigh, who works in marketing at the Graduate Hotel in Nashville, also shared photos from the special occasion that shows the newly engaged couple sharing a kiss outside the theater and raising glasses of champagne. “WE’RE GETTING MARRIED!!!” she celebrates in the caption.

Hardy is the songwriter behind such hits as Blake Shelton‘s “God’s Country” and “Simple,” by Florida Georgia Line. His current single, “Give Heaven Some Hell,” is currently in the top 40 on country radio.

Alice Cooper, Elvis Costello & more taking part in Audible’s ‘Words + Music’ series

August 24, 2021 by WDNY Radio

Jenny Risher; Santiago Felipe/Getty Images

Alice Cooper and Elvis Costello are among artists hosting new episodes of Audible’s ongoing Words + Music series, an audio program described as a combination of music and storytelling.

Cooper will give a rare inside look at the real person behind his iconic shock-rock persona in Who I Really Am: The Diary of a Hollywood Vampire, debuting October 7.

Other artists taking part in new installments of the Words + Music series include Pearl Jam‘s Eddie Vedder and Dave Matthews. Previous episodes have been hosted by Sting, Smokey Robinson, James Taylor, Patti Smith, Alanis Morissette, Sheryl Crow, and Green Day‘s Billie Joe Armstrong.

Mekhi Phifer and Ron Cephas Jones discuss how ‘Truth Be Told’ introduced them to true-crime podcasting

August 24, 2021 by WDNY Radio

Mekhi Phifer and Ron Cephas Jones had something in common when they took on their roles in the Apple TV+ series Truth Be Told. The two actors admit they both had zero knowledge of the true-crime podcast world.

Jones, who plays the father of true-crime podcaster Poppy, tells ABC Audio that his “new appreciation” for podcasts began when he first started learning about them in season one.

“I didn’t have any appreciation at all,” he laughs. “It was the beginning of this particular show that…podcasts became something of an interest.”

He continues, “I much prefer reading a book than to just listen to somebody talk, or listen to some music. But, I’ve had a new appreciation for them and now it’s just about trying to find the right one that fits me.”

Ron’s co-star Mekhi, who plays former detective and Poppy’s longtime friend Markus, agrees, noting that he “really [hasn’t] listened to many podcasts” either.

“I’m an old school cat,” Phifer explains. “So when I’m in the car, I’m listening to The Groove on [satellite radio]. But I see the value in them though.”

Although he finds true-crime podcasts valuable from an investigation standpoint, Phifer says he also sees a downside to the popular audio programs.

“I also can see the destruction in them,” he says. “Like even with Octavia [Spencer]’s character, [Poppy]. Because of her emotion, she would go off the handle and gives information on her podcasts that affect other people and other people’s lives. And people wind up getting killed and it affects their families. So, you really have to have the responsible journalism.”

Season two of Truth Be Told is available to stream now on Apple TV+.

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