Author: business

But the most buzz-worthy performance Sunday night came not from one of those up-and-comers, but from Ashanti, an R&B darling who treated audience members to a medley of her greatest hits.

In a shimmering floor-length gold gown, Ashanti kicked off the performance with a rendition of “The Way That I Love You,” as judges Carrie Underwood, Lionel Richie and Luke Bryan danced along in their seats.

She then moved into “Foolish,” which brought the judges out of their seats for a two-step.

‘American Idol’ 2025: The best performances from Season 23 so far

Underwood, with a tropical flower in her hair to signal the show’s mid-season voyage from California to Hawaii, swayed back and forth and whooped a few times as Ashanti hit the high notes.

The identities of the six cast members playing Albus Dumbledore, Minerva McGonagall, Severus Snape, Rubeus Hagrid, Professor Quirrell and Argus Filch were announced Monday as the series approaches its first planned filming date.

“We are happy to announce the casting of John Lithgow, Janet McTeer, Paapa Essiedu, Nick Frost, Luke Thallon and Paul Whitehouse to play Dumbledore, McGonagall, Snape, Hagrid, Quirrell and Filch,” said Francesca Gardiner, showrunner and executive producer and Mark Mylod, director of multiple episodes and executive producer, in a statement. “We’re delighted to have such extraordinary talent onboard, and we can’t wait to see them bring these beloved characters to new life.”

More: Harry Potter fans will be able to cast new magic with next-gen Universal Orlando feature

In the video, Jones is seen with Beyoncé as she struts in her denim shorts inside a diner. Jones is featured on “Just For Fun” on Beyoncé’s eighth studio album. In the ad, the diner’s menu makes a nod to Beyoncé’s previous collections with Levi’s, including “Pool Hall” and “Launderette,” with a B’s combo special and more. The “Chapter 3” collection is now live on the Levi’s website.

In an Instagram post about the collection, Beyoncé shows off her curves, giving fans more outfit inspiration for her upcoming “Cowboy Carter” tour. She poses in denim shorts paired with a denim shirt and a white tank. Many fans left comments pointing out just how fierce the diva looked.

As fans know, Beyoncé first announced her collaboration with Levi’s in September. She followed up the announcement by teasing her first drop, “Chapter 1: Launderette,” in a cheekily nostalgic ad. In the video, the “Cowboy Carter” creator strips down as she recreates the brand’s 1985 “Launderette” commercial, which featured model Nick Kamen in his underwear.

Blue Origin’s NS-31 touched down Monday morning after bringing Katy Perry, Gayle King and Lauren Sánchez to space and back. The stars, part of a six-woman, all-female cadre, rocketed off alongside former NASA rocket scientist Aisha Bowe, bioastronautics research scientist Amanda Nguyen, and film producer Kerianne Flynn.

The mission marked the first all-female space voyage in more than 60 years.

As celebrity guests like Oprah Winfrey, Khloe Kardashian and Kris Jenner watched on, the capsule fired off into zero gravity, and the women were all smiles, tearful and in awe of their intergalactic trip when they returned.

Katy Perry, Gayle King go to space on Blue Origin flight: Live updates

Katy Perry ‘connected to love’ after space flight

“I feel super connected to love,” Perry said of her trip to space. “This experience is second to being a mom.”

Holding the daisy she took with her on the mission, Perry remarked that she brought that particular bloom because it’s a common plant and it can grow through any circumstances. It’s also the name of her 4-year-old daughter Daisy Dove, who was present at the launch.

The Kardashian-Jenner family members supported the celebrity space flight as it made history with the first all-female space crew in more than 60 years launched Monday from Texas.

“It’s really something,” Jenner said, adding that Kim Kardashian was supposed to attend as well but was studying for a law school exam. “It’s a very brave thing to do,” she added of the space flight. The Kardashian family is friends with Lauren Sánchez, one of the members of the flight’s six-woman crew, and her fiancé, Blue Origin (and Amazon) founder Jeff Bezos.

“It’s a really unique experience, and we’re just so honored to be here to support them and watch this amazing part of history. And I’m so proud of her,” Jenner said. “It’s very inspirational.”

Stewart is teaming up with World Central Kitchen founder José Andrés for a new NBC cooking competition show, “Yes, Chef!” (premiering April 28, 10 ET/PT), whose dual premise is not just to find the best chef among 12 contestants but also to coach the dozen past whatever personal demons stand in the way of their success.

“Our job is to be judge and mentor,” Stewart, 83, tells USA TODAY. “As for the issues, well, there’s anger management, there’s also ‘I’m the best and no one else can do anything as well as I do.’ There are those who can’t cooperate with others or can’t delegate. Perhaps all normal issues, but they’re heightened because it’s a competition setting where you’re trying to put out the best food you can for two foodie people like me and José Andrés.”

Stewart, the doyenne of eponymous home decor and fashion brands, has lived an emotionally charged life. As detailed in the 2024 Netflix documentary “Martha,” that includes a hardscrabble childhood, love affairs and a famous stint in prison after she was convicted of conspiracy related to insider trading. Put another way, there’s likely little these aspiring chefs can throw at Stewart that she hasn’t already experienced.

“The Last of Us” returned April 13 on HBO for the premiere of its second-season, which is based on the game franchise’s 2020 second installment. But even more so than in Season 1, the “Part II” story relies so heavily on the way a video game works that translating it to TV requires major changes.

In Sunday’s premiere, co-creators Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann’s plan for tackling that challenge comes into focus. Here’s how the episode differs from the game and what that means for the future of the show.

How does the dance scene compare to the game?

Sunday’s premiere culminates in one of the game’s most famous scenes: a dance where Ellie (Bella Ramsey) and Dina (Isabela Merced) kiss, which makes local bigot Seth (Robert John Burke) upset and sparks Joel (Pedro Pascal) to defend them. The scene is roughly the same in the game, though the show’s version of Joel is more aggressive; Joel knocks Seth to the ground in the show, but only lightly pushes him in the game. A bigger change is that this scene comes at a much different point in the narrative.