Category: BUSINESS

Nathan Fielder slams Paramount+ for episode removal

Nathan Fielder is biting the hand that feeds him.

In the latest episode of his HBO series “The Rehearsal,” the comedian, 41, called out Paramount+ at length for allegedly removing an episode of his previous Comedy Central show “Nathan For You” from streaming due to sensitivity issues related to the Holocaust.

USA TODAY has reached out to representatives for Paramount+ for comment.

During the “Rehearsal” episode that aired April 27, Fielder recounted his discovery in 2023 that an old episode of his show “Nathan For You,” which depicted his launch of an apparel line dedicated to raising Holocaust awareness, “mysteriously went missing” from Paramount+.

Fielder, whose shows blur the line between reality and fiction, told viewers that he wrote an email to Paramount asking why the episode was removed. He claimed the company “confirmed in their response that it was taken down intentionally and gave me a one-word explanation as to why: sensitivities.” Fielder went on to say he later received a more detailed explanation.

“In late 2023, a decision was made by Paramount+ Germany to remove the episode in their region after they became uncomfortable with what they called ‘anything that touches on antisemitism’ in the aftermath of the Israel-Hamas attacks,” said Fielder, who is Jewish.

‘The Rehearsal’ season 2 release date, how to watch with Max on Sling

Fielder plays a heightened and socially unaware version of himself on both “Nathan For You” and “The Rehearsal.” In the 2015 episode of “Nathan For You” in question, the comedian founded the apparel brand Summit Ice, which aimed to be a jacket company that also helped promote “the true story of the Holocaust.” He started the apparel line after discovering the company that made the jacket he was wearing published a tribute to a Holocaust denier in its winter catalog.

The episode mined comedy out of Fielder’s misguided attempts to evoke the Holocaust in Summit Ice marketing materials, including with an over-the-top store display filled with swastikas. Fielder’s business ideas on “Nathan For You” are typically meant to be ill-conceived in order to provoke a reaction from those around him. But despite originating from a comedy show, Summit Ice became a real apparel line that donates profits to the Vancouver Holocaust Education Centre, a Holocaust museum in Canada.

Comedy Central’s ‘Nathan For You’ is back with more marketing tips that go hilariously awry

On “The Rehearsal,” Fielder drew an intentionally absurd comparison between the removal of his episode from Paramount+ and World War II, showing the streamer’s logo spreading across a world map.

Fielder then visited a fictional version of the Paramount+ Germany office, where the streaming service’s logo was displayed on large banners on a set meant to look like a Nazi war room.

In this scene, the comedian made the case against removing the “Nathan For You” episode, saying that “when it comes to art, I think you have to know your place, and you have to let us Jews express ourselves because honestly, the way you’re approaching this whole thing, people might get the wrong idea about what you actually stand for.” It was unclear whether Fielder actually made this argument to Paramount+.

Fielder noted that his confrontation with Paramount put him in a tough position because around the same time he made the discovery about “Nathan For You,” Paramount was airing another one of his shows, the scripted Showtime series “The Curse.” “The Curse,” which also starred Emma Stone and Benny Safdie, has not been renewed for a second season. “How I spoke to them could have career repercussions,” Fielder deadpanned as he recalled emailing the company.

The “Nathan For You” episode, the second episode of Season 3, remains unavailable on Paramount+ in the United States as of Monday afternoon, although it is streaming on Max.

The “Rehearsal” episode aired on the same night that “60 Minutes” correspondent Scott Pelley called out Paramount on the air for its alleged heavy-handed oversight. “60 Minutes” executive producer Bill Owens resigned from the show last week, saying he had lost journalistic independence.

“Our parent company, Paramount, is trying to complete a merger. The Trump administration must approve it. Paramount began to supervise our content in new ways,” Pelley told viewers. “None of our stories has been blocked, but Bill felt he lost the independence that honest journalism requires.”

Contributing: Anna Kaufman, USA TODAY

April 29, 2025
Author’s houseboat death being investigated

German authorities are investigating a possible murder after best-selling German novelist Alexandra Fröhlich was found dead on a houseboat with signs of a violent attack, according to reports.

Fröhlich, 58, was found the morning of April 22 in Hamburg, CNN and the Guardian report. Relatives found a lifeless, unnamed woman, whom the outlets confirmed was Frölich, and called the fire department, according to a statement from German authorities.

“Prosecutors are now assuming it was a homicide and are asking for information from the public,” said the statement, translated from German.

Revealing they believed she “died as a result of violence,” authorities said they were investigating possible suspects and deployed both a 3D scanner and divers from the state police to aid in the efforts.

Fröhlich lives in Hamburg and is both a novelist and a freelance copy editor for various women’s magazines, according to Penguin publishers, which distributed both of her popular books: “My Russian Mother-in-Law and Other Disasters” (2019) and “People Always Die” (2016).

Both novels spent months on the Spiegel bestseller list, a collection of popular titles in the country as determined by sales figures, similar to The New York Times bestseller list in the United States.

Both novels follow twisty and lurid family dramas and deal in themes of difficult reunions, mystery, hidden family history and death.

April 29, 2025
Netflix has a new subtitle option. Here’s what’s different.

Netflix has launched a new subtitle option that gives viewers the choice to get rid of audio cues − background noises like door slamming or phone buzzing − in closed captions.

With the release of the fifth season of “You” on April 24, Netflix announced all new titles on the platform now have two options for subtitles in the show or movie’s original language.

Previously, the only choice for closed captions in the content’s original language was an option for those who are deaf or hard of hearing, which includes both spoken dialogue and audio cues.

The new, additional option only shows subtitles for spoken dialogue.

What’s different about Netflix’s new subtitle option?

Netflix launched its new subtitle option on April 24. Going forward, new shows and movies released on the platform offer viewers more than one way to use captions in the content’s original language.

The new choices include a regular spoken dialogue option in addition to the preexisting CC option, which was primarily created for deaf people and those who are hard of hearing.

For example, for a piece of content in English, the “English” option includes only spoken dialogue captions, while the “English CC” selection also includes audio cues.

The announcement coincided with the service’s release of the final season of “You,” so viewers looking for an aural reprieve from Joe Goldberg’s murderous tendencies can opt for the new option.

Will there be another season of ‘You’? Penn Badgley, co-showrunner speak on series’ future

How to use Netflix’s new dialogue-only subtitles

The new dialogue-only subtitle option is available in Netflix’s language picker.

Depending on the device being used, the language picker may be listed under the “Audio & Subtitles” option or through the speech bubble icon on the screen.

How many people use subtitles?

Netflix said in a release that its American viewers use subtitles or captions nearly half the time.

A Preply survey released last year found that half of Americans watch content with subtitles on most of the time, and more than half said it has become harder to hear dialogue in shows and movies.

Melina Khan is a trending reporter covering national news for USA TODAY. She can be reached at [email protected].

April 29, 2025
Travis Kelce and Justin Timberlake party in Las Vegas

JT and TK are living it up in Las Vegas.

Football stars Travis Kelce and his brother Jason Kelce were seen alongside Justin Timberlake at a Las Vegas blackjack table in an Instagram video on the 8AM Golf brand page.

The video was shared April 26, before the brand’s annual 8AM Golf Invitational during Wynn Celebrity Weekend, which also featured appearances from former NBA star Blake Griffin and comedian Andrew Santino. The group was also spotted together the following day grooving on the golf course, in a video posted by Timberlake, who is an investor and partner for the golfing brand.

The budding golf star and fellow Kansas City Chiefs star Patrick Mahomes will compete against Golden State Warriors stars Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson in an NFL versus NBA matchup for Capital One’s The Match 12-hole golf event.

Adam Sandler shares first ‘Happy Gilmore 2’ trailer with Travis Kelce, Bad Bunny: Watch

Kelce will also soon get to fully embrace his golfing era onscreen in Adam Sandler’s “Happy Gilmore 2.” Sandler has confirmed the film would likely debut on Netflix in July, adding, “We have a nice something for Travis (Kelce). He’s going to come by. He’s a very nice guy. You guys would love him in real life.”

It’s unclear what role Kelce has in the sequel to the 1996 comedy. In a trailer premiering on Netflix’s Christmas Day NFL Gameday 2024, the “New Heights” podcaster is dressed in vintage spiffy with slicked-back hair, telling Sandler’s famed golfer character, “It’s great to see you back, Mr. Gilmore.”

Travis Kelce talks Chiefs return on ‘New Heights’: ‘Don’t want to leave that life yet’

It has been a chill post-season for Travis Kelce, who lost to the Philadelphia Eagles at Super Bowl 59 in February. He’s now an uncle of four, after Jason and Kylie Kelce welcomed daughter Finnley Kelce in March. And since girlfriend Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour wrapped in December, the pair have kept a low profile.

Contributing: Bryan Alexander

April 28, 2025
Kim Kardashian jewelry heist trial kicks off after 2016 Paris robbery

Juliette Jabkhiro, Makini Brice, Richard Lough
| Reuters

PARIS − The trial over a 2016 heist that saw reality star Kim Kardashian robbed at gunpoint is kicking off.

The accused, a group dubbed the “grandpa robbers,” are on trial for stealing jewelry worth millions of euros from Kardashian during Paris Fashion Week nearly a decade ago.

Several of the accused were of or near retirement age at the time of the 2016 heist, which was considered, when it happened, to be the biggest robbery involving an individual in France for more than 20 years.

Kardashian will travel to Paris in May to give evidence in the trial, starting April 28 and expected to run for almost a month, her lawyer previously confirmed.

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The suspects, wearing ski masks and clothes with police markings, tied up the billionaire celebrity with zip ties and duct tape before making off with a $4 million engagement ring, given to her by then-husband Ye (formerly known as Kanye West), and other jewels, according to investigators.

“They kept on saying ‘the ring, the ring’,” Kardashian told David Letterman in a 2020 interview, during which she fought back tears as she recalled her fears of being raped that night.

“I kept looking at the concierge,” she continued, referring to the concierge of the exclusive building who had been forced at gunpoint to lead the gang to her apartment. “I was like, ‘Are we going to die? Just tell them I have children, I have babies … I have to get home.’”

Concierge in Kim Kardashian robbery speaks out

DNA traces found on plastic bands used to tie the wrists of Kardashian helped police make arrests the following January.

In total, 10 people will be tried by the criminal court. Five of them face armed robbery and kidnapping charges. The others are charged with complicity in the heist or the unauthorised possession of a weapon.

One of the accused, Yunice Abbas, 71, has admitted his participation in the robbery, writing a book about his role. Abbas, who had spent 20 years of his working life in jail, told French television channel TF1 the “big job was to be the last.”

He said he had been told a big diamond was the target, but was not aware the “The Kardashians” star was the one wearing it.

Chloe Arnoux, a lawyer representing Aomar Ait Khedache – nicknamed “Omar the Old” and accused of being the group’s ringleader, which he denies – said her client could end up spending the rest of his life in prison due to his age.

She said in an interview with BFM TV that he had written to Kardashian to apologize, but his letter had been intercepted by officials.

Contributing: Reuters

April 28, 2025
Garth Brooks joins Luke Combs for epic cameo

What’s enough to knock the focus off Luke Combs during his headlining set at Stagecoach over the weekend?

Try a surprise guest appearance by Garth Brooks to sing the country hit to end all country hits: “Friends in Low Places.” Yep, that’ll definitely do it!

And so, it was that Combs put a most thunderous finishing touch on what will surely go down as one of the most epic headlining sets in recent Stagecoach history.

Combs keyed up expectations as he told fans something special was on the way to help him close out an already-rousing festival set. Playing somewhat coy, he sang the first portion of “Friends in Low Places,” only for Brooks to quietly appear on stage and take over.

Why did Luke Combs write ‘Ain’t No Love in Oklahoma’? See the lyrics, story behind the song

The crowd, at first shocked, and then raucously delighted, seemed unable to believe their ears.

What transpired over the next few minutes felt like a shot — or three — of pure Stagecoach adrenaline, stronger and more intoxicating than any of the varied liquors that had been guzzled all over the Empire Polo Club grounds over the previous 72 hours.

The Garth Brooks news is a big disappointment − and an important reminder

It felt like nearly everyone in the crowd was singing along as Brooks and Combs — both sporting big grins — drank in the moment, turning the vocal work over to the crowd for large portions of the song but interjecting just enough to remind us that we were witnessing country music lore in the making.

Finally, Combs yelled, “It’s Garth Freaking Brooks, everybody!” We didn’t need the explanation, but the crowd, of course, roared anyway.

It was Brooks himself who delivered what will probably be the most-remembered line of the night when he referred to Combs as a “future Hall of Famer.”

It’s a title that Combs earned through a grueling 90-minute set in the California desert, leading the crowd through a commanding barrage of his biggest hits.

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The country music star headlined Stagecoach just three years ago, but his set this time around was strikingly different. Many of his most beloved hits, featured heavily during the April 27 show, had not even been released at the time of that last show.

It served as yet another sign that Combs’ career is as white-hot with success now as it was then.

While Brooks stole the show, he wasn’t the only high-profile guest to join Combs on stage. Pop punk band Good Charlotte also made an appearance to sing their hit “The Anthem,” alongside Combs and Bailey Zimmerman — an up-and-comer who appeared at Stagecoach in 2024 and 2023 — came out to perform a new song called “Backup Plan.”

Still, it was Comb’s voice that kept audiences captivating, his signature country croon ringing out over a rapt stadium.

Watch Cleveland native Tracy Chapman perform ‘Fast Car’ with Luke Combs at the Grammys

While there was no shortage of highlights, it was hard to beat the sheer power of his “Hurricane” performance, or the cover of Tracy Chapman’s “Fast Car” − a sleeper hit for the country artist. Then again, I’ll also have a hard time getting over the hard-charging spectacle of “Ain’t No Love in Oklahoma.”

When he was finished wrapping up his own set, Combs hopped stages to lend his talents to the festival’s actual final act: the Backstreet Boys.

Showing up to sing “I Want It That Way,” he helped give the classic 2000s hit a country twang.

I have a feeling it won’t be the last time we see Combs show up to blow the doors off someone else’s set at Stagecoach.

Someday, an elder Combs might even have to come back to crown the next “Luke Combs” just like Brooks did tonight.

Contributing: Anna Kaufman, USA TODAY

April 28, 2025
Kehlani responds to Cornell cancellation, denies being antisemitic

Kehlani is speaking out after her performance at Cornell University was canceled over what the school described as “hateful views.”

The R&B star, 30, in an Instagram video on April 26 said “I am not antisemitic” in response to Cornell scrapping plans for her to headline its “Slope Day” year-end celebration.

Cornell President Michael Kotlikoff said he rescinded Kehlani’s invitation after hearing “grave concerns” that a performer “who has espoused antisemitic, anti-Israel sentiments in performances, videos, and on social media” would be featured.

In Kehlani’s video, the “After Hours” singer maintained “for the millionth time” that they are not “anti-Jew” but is instead “anti-genocide” and “anti the actions of the Israeli government.”

USA TODAY has reached out to Cornell for comment.

“I’m asked to clarify because this keeps coming up as a means to silence me, as a means to stop things that happen in my career, as a means to change the course of my life, and I just don’t believe that,” Kehlani said.

Kehlani axed from Cornell performance over ‘hateful views,’ Gaza comments

Kehlani has been a vocal supporter of Palestine amid the Israel-Hamas war. The Grammy nominee appeared before a Palestinian flag in the 2024 video for their song “Next 2 U” and has expressed opposition to Israel’s blockade of the Gaza Strip and ongoing military campaign there.

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The artist also once described Zionists, a term which can take on different meanings but which many view as supporters of a Jewish state, as “scum.”

In the caption of the video, Kehlani said that in addition to the Cornell cancellation, “now there are attempts at other cancellations,” without providing details.

“This is a played out game,” the singer wrote. “all this because we want people to stop dying.”

Kehlani said she was filming the video while working on a new album and while in the presence “of my Jewish and Palestinian best friend and my Jewish engineer,” both of whom briefly appeared on camera in the background. But in the caption, she described this “friend flex” as “SATIRE & SARCASmmmmm.”

Kehlani’s video received more than 200,000 likes on Instagram, including from Melissa Barrera, the actress who was fired from “Scream 7” over comments she made in support of Palestine that production company Spyglass alleged constituted “hate speech.”

Contributing: Anna Kaufman, USA TODAY

April 28, 2025
Beyoncé's 'Cowboy Carter' tour kicks offEntertainment

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April 28, 2025
Drag queen Jiggly Caliente dies after leg amputationEntertainment

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April 28, 2025
Scott Pelley of ’60 Minutes’ wades into resignation, Paramount drama

Turmoil at “60 Minutes” spilled from behind the scenes to front of camera over the weekend.

In a rare on-air rebuke April 27, longtime correspondent for the CBS newsmagazine Scott Pelley said the broadcaster’s parent company Paramount had become heavy-handed in its oversight.

His comments came in response to executive producer Bill Owens’ resignation from the show last week. Owens resigned after saying he had lost journalistic independence.

“It was hard on him and hard on us,” Pelley said. “But he did it for us and you.

“Stories we’ve pursued for 57 years are often controversial: lately, the Israel-Gaza war and the Trump administration. Bill made sure they were accurate and fair. He was tough that way,” he continued.

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“But our parent company, Paramount, is trying to complete a merger. The Trump administration must approve it. Paramount began to supervise our content in new ways,” Pelley said. “None of our stories has been blocked, but Bill felt he lost the independence that honest journalism requires.”

Announcing his resignation, Owens wrote in an internal memo seen by Reuters that it had “become clear that I would not be allowed to run the show as I have always run it” or “to make independent decisions,” and that after defending the show “from every angle, over time with everything I could,” he had elected to step down.

We’ve got today’s trends: Sign up for USA TODAY’s Everyone’s Talking newsletter for all the buzz.

USA TODAY has reached out to a rep for “60 Minutes” for comment.

Pelley’s comments come as the Trump administration bears down on media outlets it views as biased or over-critical. Both as a candidate and now as president, Donald Trump has taken legal action against several of the major news networks, and his press office has shut out some legacy media outlets from access they previously enjoyed.

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“No one here is happy about it,” Pelley continued of the changes at “60 Minutes.” “But in resigning, Bill proved one thing: He was the right person to lead ’60 Minutes’ all along.”

Trump sued “60 Minutes” last year over claims the show favorably edited an interview with then-opposing political candidate Kamala Harris. The program later released the transcripts of the interview and the case entered mediation in April.

CBS as a whole is also under investigation after Federal Communications Commission chief Brendan Carr reopened a previously closed probe into the network’s alleged “news distortion.”

These disputes arrive against the backdrop of an attempted merger between Paramount, which owns CBS, and Skydance Media, a merger that Carr and the FCC have the power to block.

Contributing: Reuters

April 28, 2025