Category: BUSINESS

  • Kylie Jenner, Timothee Chalamet embrace at BNP Paribas Open: See pics

    Kylie Jenner, Timothee Chalamet embrace at BNP Paribas Open: See pics

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    Love was in the air at the BNP Paribas Open on Sunday, and we’re not just talking about the score.

    Timothée Chalamet and Kylie Jenner were spotted in the audience of the tennis tournament in Indian Wells, California.

    Photos and videos showed the Oscar-nominated “Dune” actor, 29, and the “Kardashians” star, 27, kissing and holding hands while watching the game. Jenner’s sister, Kendall Jenner, was also in attendance.

    Kylie Jenner wore a red crop top and sunglasses, while Chalamet sported an Adidas jacket with a white and blue collared shirt underneath. The two were previously spotted together at the US Open in 2023, which helped fuel relationship rumors.

    It was the latest public outing for the couple, who attended the Academy Awards together earlier this month. Jenner skipped the red carpet but could be seen in the audience seated next to the actor, who was nominated for his portrayal of Bob Dylan in “A Complete Unknown,” and sharing kisses with him.

    The Oscars broadcast also showed Jenner laughing along during an opening bit where Adam Sandler approached Chalamet and said his name in a comedic voice, a callback to the Golden Globe Awards.

    Chalamet and Jenner, who sparked dating rumors in 2023, previously attended the Golden Globes together in January, again sitting together. The Kylie Cosmetics founder was seen applauding after host Nikki Glaser said the actor was “so good” in “A Complete Unknown.” She also smiled and laughed when Glaser joked that Tilda Swinton was nominated “for her role as Timothée Chalamet” and told the actor he has the “most gorgeous eyelashes on your upper lip.”

    Jenner did not, however, attend February’s Screen Actors Guild Awards, where Chalamet won best actor. That ceremony took place shortly after the death of Jenner’s friend and hairstylist, Jesus Guerrero.

    Chalamet generally avoids discussing his relationship with Jenner in interviews and on red carpets. During his SAG speech, he thanked his mother and shared his ambition to “be one of the greats,” saying the best actor award offered him “a little more ammo to keep going.”

    Contributing: Taylor Ardrey and Saman Shafiq

  • Druski, OBJ deny ‘gang rape’ lawsuit claims

    Druski, OBJ deny ‘gang rape’ lawsuit claims

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    Comedian Druski and football wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. have been named in an amended “gang rape” lawsuit against Sean “Diddy” Combs.

    In the lawsuit, initially filed in October, Ashley Parham accused Combs, 55, of sexual assault and battery, abuse, false imprisonment and kidnapping. The amended complaint, filed Friday, names Druski (born Drew Desbordes), Beckham, blogger Jacquelyn “Jaguar” Wright, Combs’ mother, Janice Combs, and eight others as co-defendants.

    Parham claimed to have virtually met Combs in February 2018 when she met a man – now identified as Shane Pearce – at a bar who started a FaceTime call with the Bad Boy Records founder. She goes on to allege that after she claimed in the call that Combs had a hand in rapper Tupac Shakur’s 1996 killing, Pearce “set her up” to be assaulted by Combs the following month. The alleged assault took place in the Pearce apartment in Orinda, California — a city outside of Oakland — on March 23, 2018, she said.

    During the alleged assault, Parham claims Druski, previously identified as John Doe, was instructed to assault her by Combs. She alleged the internet personality “doused” her in lubricant and jumped on top of her, “knocking the wind out” of her “due to his enormous size.” She claims Combs masturbated while recording the assault. She also accuses Pearce and Beckham of taking turns assaulting her during the ordeal.

    Druski, Odell Beckham Jr., Diddy respond to allegations: ‘Truly outlandish’

    In a statement shared to social media and echoed by his reps to USA TODAY, Druski, 30, called the claim false.

    “This allegation is a fabricated lie,” he wrote on X Sunday. “I wasn’t a public figure in 2018 — I was broke living with my mom without any connections to the entertainment industry at the time of this allegation, so the inclusion of my name is truly outlandish.”

    He continued: “My heart breaks for actual victims of abuse, but I’m fully confident that the evidence will expose this falsehood and the individuals who are maliciously trying to game the legal system to pedal false narratives.”

    Beckham, 32, replied to Druski’s post: “Boy I’ll tell u what. This world makes absolutely no sense. I am covered by God. He will prevail. … That name will be cleared. (It’s) stupid.”

    USA TODAY has reached out to Beckham’s reps for comment.

    “This new complaint – brought by an attorney who has already been sued for defaming Mr. Combs – demonstrates the depraved lengths plaintiffs will travel to garner headlines in pursuit of a payday,” said Combs’ team, who is suing one of the lawyers who filed Parham’s lawsuit, in a statement to USA TODAY Monday. “Mr. Combs was nowhere near Orinda, California on the day Ms. Parham claims she was assaulted there.”

    Parham claims after the assault, in an effort to convince her not to report the incident, a person identified as “Big Homie CC” showed her footage on his phone of her sister’s home and that Combs called his mother, Janice, 84, who yelled at Parham to “not hurt her son” despite Parham telling the woman that she was “violently raped.” Janice Combs seemed unfazed, according to the lawsuit.

    Police call Ashley Parham’s Diddy lawsuit claims ‘unfounded’

    Parham then describes an argument that ensued between Big Homie CC and Combs after the Revolt TV founder allegedly said “he had gotten off from bigger crimes than this and referred to Tupac again,” with the other man “asking (Combs) to repeat what he said.”

    Parham claims CC pulled a gun, and that she tried to grab it, but it went off. She alleges Combs then ran off, with Parham chasing after him with a knife she previously acquired after her assault, leading to a fight in which Parham grazed Combs’ abdomen. She says she escaped, and after shots were fired in her direction, she took cover in a neighbor’s home, who called the police.

    In a statement, the sheriff’s office said: “A report was taken on March 23, 2018. We take these cases seriously, and detectives thoroughly investigated the accusations. It was later determined the claims were unfounded.”

    She claims she told the neighbor about the assault, but that the neighbor didn’t know who Combs was. She alleges that a man showed up at the home “posing” as an officer from the Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Office, who gave the neighbor an envelope that she assumes included money. However, she says the sheriff’s office took a police report that day and has “refused to release any information related to the complaint.”

    Parham says in light of the alleged transaction, she returned to Pearce’s apartment for her belongings and, because she was “catatonic and in the state of shock,” decided to sleep at Pearce’s home at his urging. Once she woke up, she says he gave her the rest of her belongings, and she left. She says she went to the hospital, where she received a rape kit and X-rays. Her treatment team called Walnut Creek Police, she claims, and she says she gave a report but did not name Combs. She says she filed a report to the Orinda Police Department the following month, again not naming Combs.

    Last July, Parham says she called the Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Office to amend her complaint amid mounting lawsuits against the embattled media mogul, but aside from a call back from a detective, she says she received no response.

    Kristina Khorram, whom Combs previously described as “my right hand” at Combs Enterprises, is also among the co-defendants accused of assisting Combs’ “predatory sexual behavior and proclivities by setting up (Parham) to be sexually assaulted and raped by Defendant Diddy as well as assisting in covering up the crime thereafter.”

    If you or someone you know has experienced sexual violence, RAINN’s National Sexual Assault Hotline offers free, confidential, 24/7 support to survivors and their loved ones in English and Spanish at: 800.656.HOPE (4673) and Hotline.RAINN.org and en Español RAINN.org/es.

    Contributing: KiMi Robinson

  • Hannah Montana star Emily Osment files for divorce after five months of marriageEntertainment

    Hannah Montana star Emily Osment files for divorce after five months of marriageEntertainment

  • New Michelle Obama podcast ‘IMO’ to lean into unfiltered conversation

    New Michelle Obama podcast ‘IMO’ to lean into unfiltered conversation

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    The politics to podcast pipeline is alive and well.

    Four years after her husband teamed up with Bruce Springsteen for “Renegades: Born in the USA,” former first lady Michelle Obama is releasing a podcast of her own.

    Obama will collaborate with her older brother Craig Robinson for “IMO With Michelle Obama & Craig Robinson.” Debuting Wednesday, the series will feature candid conversations with celebrities and thought leaders.

    A starting lineup of guests, shared in a release Monday, included Issa Rae, Glennon Doyle, Jay Shetty, Dwyane Wade, Seth Rogen, Tracee Ellis Ross and Keke Palmer.

    “With everything going on in the world, we’re all looking for answers and people to turn to,” Obama said in the release. “My brother Craig and I launched the ‘IMO’ podcast to create a space for people to come as they are, ask honest questions, give their opinions, and have thoughtful conversations about life.”

    The announcement comes as Obama has drawn away from public political functions. The former first lady was absent from both President Donald Trump’s second inauguration and Jimmy Carter’s funeral earlier this year.

    “IMO” will mark a re-opening of public access to one half of the ex-first couple. A popular author and public speaker in her own right, Michelle Obama has oft been characterized as the more candid of the two. Her fiery speech at the Democratic National Convention in August was viewed as a powerful and indignant rallying cry for the party.

    That no-nonsense tone is central to the newest project, she wrote on Instagram.

    “I’m going to be honest. We don’t have all the answers. But there will be a lot of opinions,” Obama captioned a post announcing the project. “A lot of learning. And plenty of laughs. Because we all need some moments of light right now.”

    “We grew up talking through life’s big and small questions together,” Robinson, who is president of the National Association of Basketball Coaches, said in his own statement in the release. “And now, we’re inviting listeners into that conversation, with the hope that it sparks new ideas, new perspectives, and creates the connection we could all use right now.”

    The pair are the only children of Frasier and Marian Robinson, who died in May.

    The project will be produced by Higher Ground, a media company founded by the Obamas.

  • Dates, how to get tickets

    Dates, how to get tickets

    Two estrellas shine brighter than one, and Astropical is taking its heightened star power on the road.

    The Latin supergroup, which consists of the critically acclaimed bands Bomba Estéreo and Rawayana, will embark on a headlining North American tour this summer. The 16-date trek, which kicks off May 24, will include stops in New York City, Chicago, Atlanta, Houston and Las Vegas.

    Fronted by singer Liliana “Li” Saumet, Colombian group Bomba Estéreo has been charming audiences with its vibrant electro tropical sound, which combines euphoric dance beats with warm Caribbean rhythms. Bomba’s latest album, 2021’s “Deja,” cracked the top 20 of Billboard’s Latin Pop Albums chart, while the group’s 2022 collaboration with Bad Bunny, “Ojitos Lindos,” resulted in a Latin Grammy nomination for record of the year.

    Venezuelan band Rawayana, whose psychedelic alternative-pop fusion is led by singer Alberto “Beto” Montenegro, emerged victorious at the 67th annual Grammy Awards in February when “¿Quién Trae las Cornetas?” won the award for best Latin rock or alternative album.

    “I’m really excited about the Astropical tour because I’ve had many years playing only with Rawayana,” Montenegro told USA TODAY in a statement translated from Spanish. “I’m preparing myself to join forces with Li and bring the most beautiful thing possible to this world.”

    The tour follows the release of Astropical’s self-titled debut album on Friday. The experimental 12-track LP takes inspiration from astrology, with each song dedicated to a different zodiac sign.

    Here’s everything you need to know about the supergroup’s upcoming shows.

    How to get tickets to Astropical tour

    Tickets for the Astropical tour go on sale to the general public on Thursday at 10 a.m. local time. Concertgoers can purchase tickets via the official Astropical website or Bomba Estéreo and Rawayana’s respective websites.

    Additionally, there will be several presales ahead of the public sale.

    The artist presale will run from Tuesday at 10 a.m. local time through Wednesday at 10 p.m. local time. The venue presale takes place on Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. local time. The Spotify presale will also run on Wednesday from 12 p.m. to 10 p.m. local time.

    Astropical tour dates

    • May 24: Montreal, Canada – Fuego Fuego Festival
    • May 25: Toronto – Queen Elizabeth Theatre
    • May 28: Washington, D.C. – The Anthem
    • May 29: Philadelphia – The Fillmore
    • May 31: Bridgeport, Connecticut – Hartford HealthCare Amphitheater
    • June 1: New York – SummerStage in Central Park
    • June 3: Chicago – The Salt Shed
    • Aug. 23: Hollywood, Florida – Hard Rock Live
    • Aug. 24: Clearwater, Florida – The BayCare Sound
    • Aug. 27: Atlanta – Coca-Cola Roxy
    • Aug. 29: Dallas – The Bomb Factory
    • Aug. 30: Houston – White Oak Music Hall
    • Aug. 31: San Antonio – The Espee
    • Sept. 3: Phoenix – The Van Buren
    • Sept. 10: Las Vegas – Brooklyn Bowl
    • Sept. 12: Berkeley, California – The Greek Theatre

    Recommendations are independently chosen by our editors. Purchases you make through our links may earn us and our publishing partners a commission. Prices were accurate at the time this article was published but may change over time.

  • Taylor Swift will have a performance at iHeartRadio Music Awards

    Taylor Swift will have a performance at iHeartRadio Music Awards

    The iHeartRadio Music Awards will honor Taylor Swift with Tour of the Century accolades and the superstar will be performing … well, sort of.

    The show’s date marks the two-year anniversary of the Eras Tour opening night in Glendale, Arizona. iHeartRadio confirms there will be an “exclusive performance from that opening night show” that will air during the live telecast (Fox, March 17, 8 p.m. ET/tape delayed PT).

    The awards show has not announced which taped performance will be broadcast. When Swift brought her $2 billion-earning tour to State Farm Arena, her setlist included 44 songs. Her surprise songs the very first night were “Mirrorball” on guitar and “Tim McGraw” on piano.

    Long live the Eras Tour: How to buy the book

    In addition to Tour of the Century honors, Swift is up for 10 nominations, including an award with her boyfriend Travis Kelce:

    USA TODAY has reached out to Swift’s representative to ask if the star will be in attendance.

    Don’t miss any Taylor Swift news; sign up for the free, weekly newsletter This Swift Beat.

    Follow Bryan West, the USA TODAY Network’s Taylor Swift reporter, on Instagram, TikTok and X as @BryanWestTV.

  • Penn Badgley’s Joe Goldberg hides skeletons

    Penn Badgley’s Joe Goldberg hides skeletons

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    Hey, you. Yes, you. Are you tuning in for the final season?

    Netflix’s favorite romantic thriller “You” is back for a fifth and final installment, with a new trailer out Monday.

    In it, Joe Goldberg (Penn Badgley) returns as his same old slasher self. The twistingly haunty preview sees Golberg return to New York City, after his Season 4 stint in London. Living alongside his wife and son, Goldberg has one eye over his shoulder always, paranoid the (literal) skeletons in his closet might soon spill out.

    The trailer was teased Sunday by Cardi B, a longtime fan of the show, who Netflix enlisted to watch the preview first and share a reaction with fans. “When I tell you, girl, I am shook,” she said in a YouTube video for Netflix. Badgley and Cardi B previously voiced joint admiration for each other on X and the rapper’s music was used on the show after she jokingly promoted the idea of guest-starring.

    The final season promises to be as “killer” as the rest, as Goldberg’s happily ever after is threatened by a sordid past and that stubborn desire to, you know, murder. Season 4 left off with Goldberg’s return to the city with wealthy new partner Kate (Charlotte Ritchie), leaving beside his London alter ego.

    “I have been hiding certain things,” he says in the trailer, against the backdrop of scenes from the season that show an increasingly violent streak peeking through.

    “At heart, I am, a normal guy,” he says, gesturing at the internal logic of the entire series.

    A psychological thriller meant to play with the audience’s worst sympathies, “You” crafts commentary on real modern-day romantic phenomena like stalking, love-bombing and manipulation.

    “It’s a version of toxic masculinity you might find in various corners of the Internet, written by self-proclaimed ‘nice guys’ who can’t understand why they never get the girl,” USA TODAY television critic Kelly Lawler wrote in a review of the inaugural season.

    That Badgley is a heartthrob adds to the effectiveness of the series. In fact, he’s had to hop on social media a few times in recent years to remind viewers that not romanticizing Joe is the whole point.

    “It’s a strange time to be part of a show that encourages this kind of conversation and introspection. I think it’s interesting. It’s kind of a little bizarre,” Badgley told USA TODAY in 2019. 

    Watch ‘You’ Season 5 trailer

    How to watch ‘You’ Season 5: Premiere date

    The fifth season, which will arrive on Netflix April 24, is expected to tie up lose ends and present a final argument on Joe as a protagonist.

  • Rihanna gave birth to sons wearing pearls and sunglassesEntertainment

    Rihanna gave birth to sons wearing pearls and sunglassesEntertainment

  • ‘Harry Potter,’ ‘Doctor Who’ actor was 63

    ‘Harry Potter,’ ‘Doctor Who’ actor was 63

    Simon Fisher-Becker, a British actor known for his roles on “Doctor Who” and in the first “Harry Potter” film, has died. He was 63.

    Fisher-Becker’s death was confirmed by his agency in a statement issued to USA TODAY on Monday.

    “Today, I lost not only a client Simon Fisher-Becker, but a close personal friend of 15 years standing,” the statement said. “I shall never forget the phone call I made to him when he was offered the part of ‘Dorium’ in Dr Who. He had been a fan of the show since he was a child.

    “Simon was also a writer, a raconteur and a great public speaker. He helped me out enormously and was always kind, gracious and interested in everyone. My condolences go to his husband Tony, his brother, nieces and nephews and his legion of fans.”

    Fisher-Becker portrayed the Fat Friar, a ghost from Hufflepuff, who appeared in 2001’s “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone.” In the film, he comes through the floor of the Hogwarts dining hall as several ghosts arrive, including Nearly Headless Nick.

    The actor also starred as Dorium Maldovar on the British sci-fi series “Doctor Who.” He played the role in the fifth and sixth seasons of the modern reboot opposite Matt Smith’s Doctor.

    Fisher-Becker had additional roles on shows like “Puppy Love” and was a part of the ensemble of the 2012 “Les Misérables” film, according to IMDb.

    Posts on Fisher-Becker’s Facebook page showed he made frequent appearances at conventions to sign autographs for “Doctor Who” and “Harry Potter” fans. The actor’s husband, Tony, announced his death on the Facebook page on Sunday.

    In an X post, actor Dominic G. Martin remembered Fisher-Becker as a “legend” in the “Doctor Who” fan community. “I never got to meet him properly, but friends who worked with him have nothing but lovely things to say,” Martin said. “A real testament to his character. Farewell sir.”

  • Celine Dion pans ‘fake’ AI-generated music of her

    Celine Dion pans ‘fake’ AI-generated music of her

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    The one and only Céline Dion is warning fans of AI-generated music said to feature her.

    The legendary singer’s team took to Instagram Friday to flag fans regarding the artificial intelligence-generated music, calling it the “unsanctioned” use of “Celine Dion’s musical performances, and name and likeness.”

    The statement continued: “Please be advised that these recordings are fake and not approved, and are not songs from her official discography.”

    It is unclear what prompted the statement to be issued. Dion has released music as recently as 2024 for the soundtrack to her documentary “I Am: Celine Dion,” featuring her biggest hits. In 2023, she released five original songs for the soundtrack of the romantic comedy “Love Again,” her first feature film in which she plays a fictionalized version of herself.

    Aside from her official musical comeback at the 2024 Paris Olympics opening ceremony in July, live performances from Dion, 56, have been rare since her diagnosis with stiff person syndrome. Dion first revealed the diagnosis in 2022 as the reason she had to cancel her upcoming world tour dates and Las Vegas residency.

    During Dion’s return to the spotlight, she released her harrowing documentary, in which she suffers a violent episode of the syndrome onscreen.

    AI-generated music has become a problem in recent years. In 2023, the song “Heart on My Sleeve” went viral for its use of AI-generated vocals that replicated the musical likenesses of Drake and The Weeknd. In 2024, record label Universal Music Group briefly removed the catalogs of its artists from TikTok, citing the publication of AI-generated music as one of the reasons for its exit.

    The technology has also been a source for creative expression. In 2023, The Beatles treated fans to the band’s final song, “Now and Then,” and used AI technology to extract John Lennon’s voice from a late-1970s demo recording.

    In January, former Beatle Paul McCartney cautioned that artificial intelligence could be used to “rip off” artists, urging the British government to make sure upcoming copyright reforms protect its creative industries.

    Contributing: William James, Reuters