Author: business

In a statement provided to USA TODAY on May 7, Robinson’s attorney Christopher Frost said he will ask the Los Angeles County Superior Court to dismiss a complaint from four women accusing the singer, 85, of sexual battery, assault, false imprisonment, gender violence and creating a hostile work environment.

The requested damages in the complaint include payments of at least $50 million or more.

“As this case progresses, the evidence (the crucial element that guides us) will show that this is simply an ugly method of trying to extract money from an 85-year-old American icon — $50 million dollars, to be exact,” Frost said.

Robinson’s attorney went on to slam the “vile, false allegations against Mr. and Mrs. Robinson,” alleging the accusers are trying to create a “media circus.” Without providing specifics, Frost also alleged that numerous aspects of the complaint “defy credulity” and that there are “issues relating to purported timelines, inconsistencies, and relationships between the plaintiffs and others.”

In an appearance on the podcast “In Depth With Graham Bensinger,” former late-night host Jay Leno rehashed an old feud.

Leno, who has since squashed his beef with fellow comic Jimmy Kimmel, revealed to Bensinger that he takes partial blame for an infamous 2010 interview in which Kimmel skewered him for flip-flopping on his “Tonight Show” hosting duties.

“When Kimmel came on my show and humiliated me on my own show, I let it happen. I didn’t edit it,” Leno, 75, said. “It was my mistake, I trusted somebody. I went, ‘Ah, I made a mistake. Ok, I should pay the price.’ And it’s fine, it’s fine. I mean, we could have edited it out of the show.”

Jay Leno petitions to be conservator of wife Mavis’ estate after her dementia diagnosis

Leno is referring to a guest appearance by Kimmel, shortly after he had stepped down from his post at the “Tonight Show” for Conan O’Brien to take over, only to return as host less than a year later.

Perry’s Lifetimes tour kicked off its U.S. leg at Houston’s Toyota Center May 7, after the first shows in Mexico in late April.

During her five-act (plus encore), two-hour romp, Perry, 40, dons plenty of metallic costumes with a futuristic bent – think cone bras, thigh-high boots and arm cuffs – while battling an AI “mainframe.”

The tour is named for a track on “143,” her seventh studio album released in September, and seven of the 26 songs – or pieces of them – appear throughout the colorful production. Perry also leans heavily on her smash 2010 “Teenage Dream” album, dishing out the fizzy title track as well as “Wide Awake,” an alien-centric “E.T.” and the show-closing “Firework.”

The reality singing competition, which spices up a well-worn format by putting its contestants in elaborate disguises, entered its final episode of the year with just four candidates left.

Pearl, Boogie Woogie, Mad Scientist and Coral, all nicknames for the costumes the celebrities don for their performances, duked it out in one final showdown − the winner nabbing the Golden Mask trophy and being forced to reveal themselves.

‘The Masked Singer’ winner Vanessa Hudgens reveals if she plans on returning to music

Pearl ultimately reigned triumphant, impressing judges with a rendition of “Black Horse and the Cherry Tree.” Judges and viewers alike are kept in the dark on the identities of the masked singers, given clues on what (usually mid-profile) name they might be and tasked with recognizing their voice sight unseen.

Pear turned out to be country star Gretchen Wilson, an early-2000s staple, whose song “Redneck Woman” became an anthem.

The band fronted by singer Roger Daltrey, 81, and guitarist Pete Townshend, who turns 80 May 19, will kick off the aptly named The Song is Over North American Farewell Tour – billed as a “truly grand finale” – Aug. 16 just outside of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and wrap in Las Vegas Sept. 28.

The 16-show run, named for a song on The Who’s classic 1971 album, “Who’s Next,” will visit cities including Atlantic City, Boston, Toronto, Philadelphia and Seattle and showcase hits from the band’s six-decade career.

Tickets will be available during a Citi presale (citientertainment.com) and the Whooligan Fan Club starting from 10 a.m. local time May 13 through 10 p.m. local time May 15. The general on-sale begins at 10 a.m. local time May 16 at thewho.com/tour.

“We’re not a couple, but we are still very close friends,” Mellencamp says, “and I think it was an effortless decision for him to make sure that he was there for me and the kids when this happened.” Mellencamp shares four kids with Arroyave: Slate, 12, Cruz, 10, and Dove, 5, plus stepdaughter Bella.

“Everybody wants everything to be so black and white, but sometimes it isn’t exactly that,” she adds. “It’s like, OK, we’re all going to be there for this. Yes, we were nesting. Now this is how it’s going to work. This night is going to be your night. This is going to be mine.” She and Arroyave have been more fluid with their schedules, especially as doctors told her she shouldn’t feel immense stress during this time. What could cause stress? Going to court and getting divorced.

She’s in a state of appreciation for everyone in her life, including father John Mellencamp, but is focused on making time for her kids. What’s the No. 1 thing they want her do to on a given week? She tries to work that into her schedule, and listens to her body if she’s not up for it.

Beyoncé put on a stellar performance at SoFi Stadium on May 7 for her lucky No. 4 show, as she sang songs from her “Cowboy Carter” album, “Renaissance” project and classic hits, similar to night two and three of her tour.

The change first came at Beyoncé’s second show on May 1. During it, she moved some songs around and added songs like “Irreplaceable” (2006), “If I were A Boy” (2008), “Single Ladies” (2008) and “Love on Top” (2011).

Fans watching online and inside the stadium seemed pleasantly surprised with the changes and wondered if she might keep the new set list for the duration of shows in Los Angeles or how often she might change it. And she kept those tunes coming for a third time in a row.

Constructor: Zhouqin Burnikel

Editor: Jared Goudsmit

What I Learned from Today’s Puzzle

• EDDIE (19A: Activist Ndopu) South African EDDIE Ndopu was born with spinal muscular dystrophy. Although doctors said he wouldn’t live past the age of five, he now has a masters degree in Public Policy from the University of Oxford in England, was selected by the United Nations to be an advocate for its Sustainable Development Goals, and is a globally recognized humanitarian and activist. His 2023 memoir is titled Sipping Dom Pérignon Through a Straw: Reimagining Success as a Disabled Achiever. I appreciated reading this Time magazine interview with EDDIE Ndopu especially his words on ableism and anti-ableism. He said, “Ableism as a concept … basically says that there’s only one way of being … An anti-ableist framework basically says … there’s more than one way of showing up in the world, and all of that is valid.”
• DEB (55A: YA author Caletti) DEB Caletti’s young adult (YA) books are set in the Pacific Northwest, a place she knows about since she lives in Seattle, Washington. She has written over twenty YA books, as well as some for adults. Her recent books include True Life in Uncanny Valley, Plan A, and The Epic Story of Every Living Thing. I haven’t read any of DEB Caletti’s books, but after perusing her website, I have a feeling I would like them. In answering the question “Did you always want to be a writer?” she says, “Yes, I always wanted to be a writer. There was that brief period of wanting to be Nancy Drew. And I began the application process to become an FBI agent, until I realized there was no way I’d ever be able to climb that rope thing.”