Category: BUSINESS

Alec Baldwin’s troubled movie at least looks great

Watching “Rust,” it’s easy to be rattled by the gunshots.

Being a Western drama, naturally there’s plenty of gunfights, showdowns and old-school cowboy justice. But this is also a movie haunted by one shot in particular, the bullet that killed Ukrainian cinematographer Halyna Hutchins three-and-a-half years ago when a prop gun held by Alec Baldwin discharged. That shot is the hardest one to forget.

After years of lawsuits, criminal charges and controversies involving Baldwin, filmmakers, crew members and Hutchins’ family, writer/director Joel Souza’s movie (★★½ out of four; rated R; in theaters and on demand May 2) is finally finished and being released for interested moviegoers.

Storywise, it’s a solid if overlong tale of family and redemption – fans of “Yellowstone” or “Horizon” will find stuff to love. Where “Rust” stands out is in its look, a gorgeously shot production with an emphasis on contrasts and dark colors that’s a testament to the talents of Hutchins and fellow cinematographer Bianca Cline.

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In 1880s Wyoming, orphaned 13-year-old Lucas Hollister (Patrick Scott McDermott) takes care of his little brother (Easton Malcolm), selling off valuable animals just to put food on the table. Lucas accidentally kills a man with whom he’s had a public beef and is sentenced to hang. As gallows are being built outside Lucas’ jail cell, his estranged grandfather Harland Rust (Baldwin), an infamous outlaw, shows up to break him out of jail and take him to safety in Mexico, murdering a couple of lawmen in the process.

His grandpa’s existence is a surprise in itself to Lucas – he believed the old man was dead – and even though the kid’s had to grow up fast, the odd pairing takes a bit to bond as Harland is hard on the youngster. “There’s alive and there’s ain’t. Try to focus on the former,” he says, attempting to get the youngster in a survival mindset.

Meanwhile, a bounty is put on the heads of both Lucas and Harland, which sends a wild-eyed and sadistic guy named Preacher (Travis Fimmel) hunting for them. U.S. marshal Wood Helm (Josh Hopkins) is tasked with tracking Harland down as well, though he struggles with leaving behind his ailing son.

Between the film’s strong opening and the bloody climax, “Rust” moseys along with subplots, side characters and various threats to Lucas and Harland’s well-being. Baldwin is positively gruff as the world-weary Harland, and he and McDermott fall into an interesting chemistry as the outlaw’s backstory and familial connection are slowly revealed. McDermott is aces as a kid who from the start is thrown into disarray, and Hopkins is pretty terrific as the good-hearted but troubled marshal.

It might surprise some that “Rust” was ever finished after the tragedy. Yet it’s clear that a good amount had to be redone. Because of scheduling conflicts, McDermott and Hopkins replaced original actors Brady Noon and Jensen Ackles in major roles. And Cline was tapped to finish the job as director of photography by Souza, who himself was wounded by the same bullet that fatally struck Hutchins. (The film is dedicated to Hutchins and includes a saying of hers at the end: “What can we do to make this better?”)

For someone not involved in the production, it’s a fool’s errand to try and pick out what’s Hutchins’ work and what’s Cline’s. Instead, let’s celebrate that the overall cinematic life that “Rust” conjures is exceptional. There are widescreen vistas aplenty and fantastic use of shadows throughout the movie.

There’s a stunning bit early on with Lucas at the graves of his parents seen from afar, and Baldwin’s character is a dark, unseen figure in scenes until he introduces himself to both Lucas and the audience. While people riding horses is a frequent trope for the genre, several moments set at dusk or against a cloudy sky deftly capture the movie’s melancholic mood.

There are uncanny echoes of real life in “Rust”: That an errant bullet and an accidental shooting death spur the main plot of the movie is remarkable, and the tale features several characters having to deal with the consequences of their violence. (Souza took out the scene that was the setting for Hutchins’ death.)

Like “The Crow” or “Twilight Zone: The Movie,” “Rust” is a film that’s forever tied to one fatal day. It’s not fair or perfect but finding beauty amid tragedy is something.

May 1, 2025
Crossword Blog & Answers for May 1, 2025 by Sally Hoelscher
There are spoilers ahead. You might want to solve today’s puzzle before reading further! TV Sets
Constructor: Michael Berg

Editor: Jared Goudsmit

Comments from Today’s Crossword Constructor

Michael: Happy May Day everyone! In lieu of a maypole dance, I offer you this puzzle. I hope when you finish it you can say to yourself, “I’m good enough, I’m smart enough, and doggone it, people like me.”

What I Learned from Today’s Puzzle

TATUM (63A: Celtics player Jayson) Jayson TATUM has played basketball for the Boston Celtics since 2025. The Celtics won the NBA Championship last year. Jayson TATUM was also on the gold-medal winning Team USA at the 2020 and 2024 Summer Olympics. Add Jayson TATUM to the sports figures I’ve learned about from solving crosswords.

KIM CHI (38D: “RuPaul’s Drag Race” contestant named after a Korean dish) KIM CHI competed on the eighth season of RuPaul’s Drag Race, and was the first Korean American contestant on the show. Although I wasn’t familiar with KIM CHI, the “Korean dish” hint in the clue helped me figure out the answer.

Random Thoughts & Interesting Things

CACTI (9A: Spiny plants in Joshua Tree National Park) Joshua Tree National Park in southern California encompasses two deserts, the Mojave Desert and the Colorado Desert. As one might expect for a park with a desert ecosystem, there are multiple types of CACTI in the park. One type of cactus in the park is the teddy-bear cholla. Although this cactus looks soft – thus its name – it’s not a good idea to touch it. In one area of the park where there is a high concentration of these CACTI, multiple signs warn, “Unless you are a cactus wren, be careful as you walk the trail not to brush against the cholla cactus. The slightest touch can cause the cactus spines to penetrate your skin. Removing the embedded spines is difficult and painful.” When my husband and I were in Joshua Tree National Park, we definitely heeded these warnings!

SIR (23A: Lancelot’s title) SIR Lancelot was a knight in Arthurian legend.

NEURON (25A: Cell with dendrites) NEURONs are the cells that make up the nervous system. These excitable cells use electric signals, conducted through long slender projections known as axons and dendrites, to communicate with other cells. Hooray for science in the crossword!

TEA (39A: Genmaicha or pekoe) Genmaicha is a Japanese TEA made of green tea mixed with roasted brown rice. Pekoe is a term used in grading black TEA based on the size of the TEA leaves. The term “orange pekoe” is sometimes used as a generic term for black TEA (which, interestingly, is not orange in color or flavor).

FBI (43A: _ederal _ureau of _nvestigation) In this kind of fill-in-the-blank clue, each blank corresponds to one letter. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is an agency of the U.S. Department of Justice.

UVA (58A: Charlottesville sch.) The University of Virginia (UVA) is located in Charlottesville, Virginia. UVA alumni include Katie Couric and Tina Fey.

WARRIOR (2D: Virabhadrasana aka ___ pose) In yoga, WARRIOR pose, also known as Virabhadrasana, refers to a group of standing poses that build strength in the legs, spine, and torso.

UBER (7D: Rideshare company with a German name) UBER, founded in 2009, is currently the largest ridesharing company worldwide. In German, the word ÜBER has multiple meanings, including “over” or “above.”

CANOE (9D: Innu boat) The Innu are Indigenous Canadians living in the eastern part of the country in the present-day province of Newfoundland and Labrador. Historically, the CANOE was a principal means of transportation for the Innu.

CIA (11D: Spy org. in “Argo”) The 2012 movie, Argo, is a historical drama that tells the story of a CIA (Central Intelligence Agency) agent named Tony Mendez (portrayed by Ben Affleck), who led the rescue of six U.S. diplomats from Iran under the guise of filming a science fiction movie. Argo was adapted from Tony Mendez’s 1999 memoir, The Master of Disguise, and a 2007 Wired article by Joshuah Bearman titled, “The Great Escape: How the CIA Used a Fake Sci-Fi Flick to Rescue Americans from Tehran.” Argo won three Academy Awards: Best Picture, Best Adapted Screenplay, and Best Film Editing.

TAR (12D: La Brea goop) Hancock Park in Los Angeles, California was formed around the La Brea TAR Pits. For tens of thousands of years, natural asphalt has seeped up from the ground in this area. The TAR preserved the bones of animals unlucky enough to get caught in the pits centuries ago.

RATATOUILLE (26D: Pixar film with the line “Anyone can cook!”) and EGO (30D: Anton ___ (26-Down critic)) RATATOUILLE is Pixar’s 2007 animated movie about Remy, a rat who possesses a heightened sense of taste and smell, and who dreams of becoming a chef. In the movie, Anton EGO is a cynical food critic.

NSA (28D: Intelligence org. in the film “Enemy of the State”) Enemy of the State is a 1998 movie starring Will Smith as a lawyer who unsuspectingly ends up in possession of a video exposing the NSA’s (National Security Agency’s) involvement in the murder of a congressman. I notice this puzzle contains FBI, CIA, and NSA … just making an observation.

SATURN (49D: Rhea’s planet) Rhea is the second-largest moon of SATURN. The number of confirmed moons orbiting SATURN is currently 274, following the recent confirmation of an additional 128 moons.

OVENS (57D: Tandoors, etc.) and NAAN (60D: Tandoori bread) Tandoors are cylindrical OVENS made of clay or metal. Flatbreads such as NAAN are sometimes baked in tandoors.

ELMO (61D: Muppet with a pet goldfish) ELMO’s pet goldfish is named Dorothy.

TAP (63D: Dance like Savion Glover) Savion Glover is a TAP dancer, actor, and choreographer. He won a Tony Award for his choreography of the 1996 Broadway musical, Bring in ‘da Noise, Bring in ‘da Funk.

A few other answers I particularly enjoyed seeing in the grid:

DYNAMO (54A: Energetic person)

AFFIRMATION (3D: “I am enough,” e.g.)

DRAGON (36D: Mythical creature associated with Chinese New Year)

Crossword Puzzle Theme Synopsis

TRIAL VERSION (20A: Demo product)

TOURIST VISA (40A: World traveler’s document)

TUNNEL VISION (59A: Single-minded concentration)

TV SETS: Each theme answer has the initials TV: TRIAL VERSION, TOURIST VISA, and TUNNEL VISION.

TV SETS (the kind you can watch shows on) are ubiquitous, so it was fun to see different things that could, theoretically, be referred to as TV SETS. My favorite theme answer here is TUNNEL VISION; that was a great find. Thank you, Michael, for this enjoyable puzzle.

For more on USA TODAY’s Crossword Puzzles
May 1, 2025
Tina Knowles launches ‘Matriarch’ book tour in Washington, D.C.
- Tina Knowles launched her nine-city book tour, “Matriarch: An Evening with Tina Knowles, Family and Friends,” on April 30.
- The event featured special guests like Michelle Obama and Ledisi, with virtual appearances from Oprah Winfrey, Beyoncé, Solange and Kelly Rowland.
- Knowles’ book, “Matriarch,” details her life journey and the importance of family, and has become a New York Times Bestseller.
- The tour will continue with other special guests and moderators, concluding in London on June 4.
Tina Knowles kicked off her her book tour, and the high-energy event was filled with storytelling, dancing and moving reflections.

The businesswoman, designer and mother of Beyoncé and Solange Knowles kicked off her nine-city book tour, “Matriarch: An Evening with Tina Knowles, Family and Friends”, on April 30 at the MGM National Harbor Hotel and Casino in the Washington D.C. area.

Grammy-winning singer Ledisi opened the event, performing her song “Blkwmn,” which she called an ode to Black women all over. Michelle Obama, the event’s host, welcomed Knowles to the stage and told the lively, packed crowd to “rest yourself. It’s going to be a night.” And that proved to be true.

In addition to the opening number, there was singing, cheering, impromptu dancing, and empowering stories from both Knowles and the former first lady.

During the event, Knowles said while it was scary to release a book, she understood the importance of sharing her own story and being in control of her own narrative.

“I never thought I’d publish a book. You don’t have to publish a book but leave it for your great-grandchildren, so they can know your story,” she said.

Throughout the event, Knowles shared memories and photos on the screen and opened up about her life journey and becoming a matriarch, which she calls the best job in the world.

“I just love mothering. It’s my gift I think God gave to me,” Knowles said.

The evening ended with Obama and Knowles dancing to 803Fresh’s hit song, “Boots on the Ground.” It marked Knowles’ first “Matriarch: An Evening with Tina Knowles, Family and Friends” book event. Her tour will wrap in London on June 4, and it will feature other special guests and moderators, including Keke Palmer, Gayle King and more.

Knowles released her book on April 22. In it, she shares intimate details about her life, including private and public battles. Oprah Winfrey announced the book is the latest selection for her famous Oprah’s Book Club. During the event, Obama congratulated Knowles on the book becoming a No. 1 New York Times bestseller. And there was a sweet surprise with Winfrey, Beyoncé, Solange and Kelly Rowland all sending their virtual support and congratulations.

As fans know, Knowles first announced her book last fall. She wrote: “I have always been a storyteller, and it’s something I learned from my mother,” she wrote. “When I had a family of my own, I believed that my daughters needed to know where they came from in order to know where they were going. I’m now ready to share my story with all of you, so that we can all celebrate these themes of strength, motherhood, Black pride, and identity.”

The next stop will be Los Angeles on May 2.

Follow Caché McClay, the USA TODAY Network’s Beyoncé Knowles-Carter reporter, on Instagram, TikTok and X as @cachemcclay.
May 1, 2025
‘Survivor’ Season 48, Episode 10 recap: Who’s voted out?

Not every player lies, cheats and steals, or lets paranoia and fear rule their “Survivor” Season 48 game, as was evident in the latest episode.

In the 10th episode, titled “My Enemies Are Plottin,’” some alliances were tenuous and distrust was continuing to grow following the surprise vote-out of David Kinne from last week. His top ally, Mary Zheng, felt herself on the bottom of the majority alliance and began to look for other ways to keep her spot and gain power in the game.

Meanwhile, the majority alliance continued to value physical strength and honesty as alliance members dominated this week’s reward and immunity challenges.

Even as a player on the bottom of the minority alliance was told to protect herself and that she was a target for the vote, she seemingly accepted her fate and did little in persuading other players to change their mind or use tools (like the shot in the dark) that could have changed her fate.

Here’s who was voted off this week.

Who went home on ‘Survivor’ Season 48, Episode 10?

There was both a reward and an immunity challenge this episode, although the winners were hardly a surprise. Both members of the majority strength alliance were successful this episode: Kyle Fraser won a chicken and waffles reward and Joe Hunter won the coveted immunity necklace for the second time in a row.

Kyle chose Eva Erickson, Shauhin Davari and secret alliance member Kamilla Karthigesu to join him on the reward, strategically leaving the remaining players disappointed and angry at camp in order to potentially push a vote toward Joe, as Kamilla was hoping to get him out.

But their plans were foiled at the immunity challenge, when Joe correctly spelled “immunity” on a board balanced by a wobbling rope and secured himself another night in the game.

The conversation back at camp quickly turned to either Mary, or to Star Toomey. Mary had previously used her “shot in the dark” successfully and had no other advantages, so she tried and convince the group of her trustworthiness and to instead vote for Star.

Star, meanwhile, sat back and did little to interfere with the night’s events, even telling host Jeff Probst at tribal council that she wouldn’t give into fear and that the “name of the game is to never get paranoid.”

Much to the surprise of the three members of the jury, Star chose not to play her “shot in the dark,” which would have allowed her to trade her vote for a one-in-six shot at immunity.

The vote was close between Star and Mary, but in the end, Star, a 28-year-old sales expert living in Augusta, Georgia, became the latest person voted out of the game and the fourth member of the jury.

‘Survivor’ Season 48 cast: Meet the 18 castaways hoping to win $1 million in Fiji

Who went home last week on ‘Survivor’?

Last week, the majority alliance consisting of David Kinne, Kyle Fraser, Joe Hunter, Shauhin Davari, Eva Erickson, and Mary Zheng, valued their physical strength and promised each other to play with honesty and integrity.

But all was not as it seemed, as Kyle had a secret alliance with Kamilla Karthigesu and was forming a side alliance with Shauhin, as both players distrusted David.

At the immunity and reward challenge, players had to stand on a small platform holding onto a bar holding a ball up on a metal chute. Should they step off the platform or move their arms, therefore moving the ball, they would be out of the challenge.

As has often been the case this season, the challenge became a showdown between the physically stronger players, and David and Joe battled it out for immunity. David eventually dropped out unexpectedly, letting Joe win and allowing him to take three others on a food reward.

Joe chose Eva, Shauhin and Mitch Guerra, who had not yet been on a reward challenge and was very hungry after days with low to no food.

Two names emerged as possibilities to go home as tribal council approached: David and Mitch. Feeling suspicious of fellow alliance members Shauhin and Kyle and a possible immunity idol that could be played on Kamilla, David urged players to vote for Mitch. Frustrated by David’s gameplay and possible knowledge of his secret alliance with Kamilla, Kyle urged players to vote for David.

It was a fairly close vote at tribal council between David and Mitch, but in the end, David, a 39-year-old stunt performer living in Buena Park, California, became the latest person voted out and the third member of the jury.

How to watch ‘Survivor’ Season 48

Season 48 of “Survivor” airs Wednesdays at 8 p.m. ET / PT on CBS and streams on Paramount+ for subscribers of the Paramount+ with Showtime plan.

Episodes can be streamed the next day for subscribers of any Paramount+ plan.

The previous 47 seasons of the show are all available to stream with a Paramount+ subscription.

Watch every season of Survivor on Paramount+

Who is the host of ‘Survivor’?

Jeff Probst has hosted all 48 seasons of the show, which has been on the air since 2000. He also serves as an executive producer.

‘Survivor’ 50: Jeff Probst talks casting all-stars season, whether he’d play ‘Traitors’

Who won ‘Survivor’ Season 47?

Rachel LaMont won Season 47 of “Survivor,” in a 7-1-0 vote against Sam Phalen, who got one vote, and Sue Smey.

Lamont, a 34-year-old graphic designer from Southfield, Michigan, was originally on the Gata tribe and became the fifth woman ever to win four individual Immunity Challenges in a season.

Where is ‘Survivor’ filmed?

While “Survivor” previously took contestants to remote locations around the world, from the Pearl Islands to the Philippines and Guatemala, the show has been filmed in the Mamanuca Islands in Fiji for the past 15 seasons.

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May 1, 2025
Gwyneth Paltrow balks at ‘ridiculous’ 2023 ski crash trial

Two years after Gwyneth Paltrow had her day in court, the Hollywood powerhouse is giving her verdict on the legal ordeal.

The Oscar-winning actress and wellness influencer, who won her 2023 ski crash trial against retired optometrist Terry Sanderson, reflected on the headline-making case in an April 24 interview on “The World’s First Podcast with Erin & Sara Foster.”

Paltrow was sued in 2019 by Sanderson, who claimed she seriously injured him during a February 2016 crash on the beginner slopes at Deer Valley Resort in Park City, Utah. Sanderson said the actress left him on the mountain without help, while Paltrow alleged in a counterclaim that Sanderson plowed into her from behind and then told her he was fine.

“It was ridiculous,” Paltrow told hosts Erin and Sara Foster after the sisters praised her in-court fashion. “And I have to say, the idea that somebody could ski into your back and knock you down and then sue you — I was like, ‘This is everything that’s wrong with our legal system.’”

Sanderson sought $300,000 in damages from Paltrow in his lawsuit, claiming the accident was a result of negligence that left him with physical injuries and emotional distress. The man initially sought $3.1 million in an earlier lawsuit, which was dropped.

Gwyneth Paltrow and ‘apartners’: Why some people live separately from their spouses

“It takes a lot of courage, does it not, for her to sit there for two weeks and be pounded like a punching bag?” said Paltrow’s attorney Steve Owens during the trial’s closing statements. “The easy thing for my client would have been to write a check and be done with it. … It’s actually wrong that he hurt her, and he wants money from her.”

The Goop founder emerged victorious after an eight-day trial in March 2023, with the jury finding Paltrow not at fault for the alleged “hit-and-run” collision.

“That’s why I felt like I had to fight it,” Paltrow said on “World’s First Podcast.” “I’m not gonna be shaken down here. I’m not doing that.”

Gwyneth Paltrow has ‘a lot of sex’ with Timothée Chalamet in new movie

Paltrow was awarded $1 in symbolic damages for her counterclaim, in addition to her attorney fees. Before the verdict, the actress vowed to donate any additional funds potentially awarded by the jury to a charitable organization.

Contributing: Naledi Ushe, USA TODAY

May 1, 2025
King Charles III says cancer journey showed him ‘best of humanity’

LONDON — King Charles III is opening up about the impact of his cancer diagnosis in an emotional new statement.

The British monarch, 76, used the message to share his experiences of the disease, which he said showed him “the very best of humanity.” The statement was issued to attendees of an April 30 reception that Charles and wife Queen Camilla hosted to highlight the work of cancer support groups and charities.

“Each diagnosis, each new case, will be a daunting and at times frightening experience for those individuals and their loved ones,” he said in the message published by Buckingham Palace. “But as one among those statistics myself, I can vouch for the fact that it can also be an experience that brings into sharp focus the very best of humanity.”

King Charles is skipping pope funeral, but Prince William will be there. Why?

Charles also thanked charities for their work to raise funds for research and reflected on the value of the human connection they offer patients in times of need.

“It has certainly given me an even deeper appreciation of the extraordinary work undertaken by the remarkable organizations and individuals gathered here this evening, many of whom I have known, visited and supported over the years,” Charles said.

“And it has reinforced what I have long observed during these visits — that the darkest moments of illness can be illuminated by the greatest compassion.”

Buckingham Palace said in February 2024 that Charles had been diagnosed with an unspecified form of cancer, detected in tests after a corrective procedure for an enlarged prostate.

King Charles and Queen Camilla step out with royal family for Easter

He has been receiving treatment since and returned to public duties a year ago. Although updates on his condition have been rare, a Buckingham Palace source said in December 2024 that the treatment had been moving in a positive direction.

On March 27, the palace revealed Charles had spent a short time under hospital observation after experiencing side effects from his cancer treatment, although he returned to his home, Clarence House, the same day. The king traveled to Italy the following month with Queen Camilla for a four-day state visit that saw Charles deliver an address to the Italian parliament.

May 1, 2025
Who is Diddy? What to know about hip-hop mogul facing sex crimes trial

Sean “Diddy” Combs, who rocketed to worldwide fame with his musical prowess and business acumen, has been thrust into the legal limelight.

A year after becoming the subject of a federal sex-trafficking investigation, the award-winning hip-hop mogul is set to go to trial May 5 on various sex-crimes charges, which collectively claim Combs used his multimedia empire as a criminal enterprise to victimize several people.

The court battle also follows a barrage of damning civil lawsuits — spearheaded by a civil complaint from singer and ex-girlfriend Casandra “Cassie” Ventura — that have upended Combs’ public persona and accused the rapper of numerous abuses, including sexual assault, rape and physical violence.

Despite run-ins with the law stretching back three decades, Combs managed to solidify his status as a pop cultural juggernaut thanks to a steady stream of platinum albums, hit TV shows and retail ventures that included a fashion label and alcoholic beverages line. Combs has denied all allegations against him and pleaded not guilty to the five criminal counts he faces.

Here’s a look back at the hip-hop icon’s life, career and fall from grace.

Why is Diddy going to trial?

In September 2024, Combs was arrested in New York based on an indictment filed by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York. He was subsequently charged with racketeering, sex trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitution.

Federal authorities claimed Combs turned his “multi-faceted business empire” into a “criminal enterprise” in which he and his associates engaged in kidnapping, arson and physical violence, sex trafficking and forced labor, among other alleged crimes.

A superseding indictment filed April 3 — the third revised indictment following an amended indictment in January and a superseding indictment in March — charged him with two additional counts: one of sex trafficking and one of transportation to engage in prostitution.

Combs has pleaded not guilty to all charges.

Is Diddy in jail?

Despite repeated attempts at bail, Combs was ordered to remain in custody at the Special Housing Unit in Brooklyn’s Metropolitan Detention Center ahead of his May 5 trial — a ruling his legal team has challenged. He’s been in jail since his arrest on Sept. 16, 2024.

Diddy on trial newsletter: Step inside the courtroom as rapper faces sex crimes, trafficking charges

How did Diddy become famous?

Combs got his start in the music industry in the early 1990s as an intern — and later talent director — at Uptown Records, where he worked with emerging acts such as Mary J. Blige and Jodeci.

He then founded his own music label, Bad Boy Records, in 1993. The company has sold over 500 million records, produced 38 platinum singles and earned multiple Grammy Awards, according to the official website for Combs Global.

The Bad Boy founder, under the stage name Puff Daddy, launched a solo music career in the summer of 1997 with the album “No Way Out.” The hip-hop LP, which featured the No. 1 hit “I’ll Be Missing You,” sold 7 million copies and earned Combs a pair of Grammys for best rap album and best rap performance by a duo or group. Combs has also gone by the aliases Puffy, Puff, P. Diddy, Diddy, Love and Brother Love.

Combs’ showbiz success wasn’t limited to the radio airwaves. He proved himself a television personality when he took on the reality-TV franchise “Making the Band.” The talent competition series spawned Combs-produced groups including Danity Kane, Da Band and Day26.

In the fashion world, Combs struck gold with his Sean John line, which launched with a sportswear collection in 1998. The style retailer, which expanded to include accessories, fragrances and footwear, won Combs a Council of Fashion Designers of America Award in 2004 for menswear designer of the year, the first Black designer to earn the honor.

As an entrepreneur, Combs also found success in the spirits world, collaborating with British beverage maker Diageo on its vodka brand Cîroc in a since-terminated “equal-share venture.”

Diddy’s songs: What music is he best known for?

As a producer, Combs helped define the sound of ’90s hip-hop by crafting hits for the likes of The Notorious B.I.G., Mary J. Blige, Mariah Carey and Faith Evans, such as “Juicy,” “Real Love,” “Honey” and “You Used to Love Me.”

Combs’ musical prowess seamlessly carried over to his solo act. The rapper has amassed 15 top 10 entries on the Billboard Hot 100, which include the No. 1 hits “I’ll Be Missing You,” “Mo Money Mo Problems,” “Shake Ya Tailfeather,” “Can’t Nobody Hold Me Down” and “Bump, Bump, Bump.”

Is Diddy married?

Combs is not married, although he has had several longterm relationships.

The rapper’s most enduring romance was with model-actress Kimberly Porter, who died of pneumonia in November 2018. The on-again, off-again couple officially called it quits in 2007 after 13 years of dating, but the two remained friendly, often spending holidays together.

Combs also dated R&B singer Ventura in the mid-2000s. The two became involved professionally and sexually when Ventura was 19 and Combs was 36. Their relationship spanned a decade.

Combs’ most recent high-profile relationship was with rapper Caresha Brownlee, better known as Yung Miami from the rap duo City Girls. Brownlee, who was first linked to Combs in 2021, confirmed she was single in an April 2023 interview with The Cut.

Why did Diddy’s ex-girlfriend Cassie sue him?

Ventura accused the rapper of rape, sex trafficking and physical abuse in a November 2023 civil lawsuit.

After being lured into an “ostentatious, fast-paced and drug-fueled lifestyle” and romantic relationship with Combs, the singer claimed he “took control” of her life, ranging from her healthcare to her career opportunities, and plied her with drugs and alcohol.

Combs also allegedly raped Ventura in 2018 and forced the singer into “repeated unwanted sexual encounters” with male prostitutes who he hired and recorded their encounters, per the lawsuit.

Ventura and Combs settled the legal matter one day later.

Does Diddy have children?

Combs has seven children. He had his first biological son, Justin Combs, 31, with fashion designer and stylist Misa Hylton.

The rapper shared four children with longtime girlfriend Porter, including Porter’s son Quincy Brown, 33, whom she had with R&B singer-songwriter Al B. Sure! The couple’s other children include son Christian “King” Combs, 27, and twin daughters D’Lila and Jessie Combs, 18.

Combs has two other daughters: 18-year-old Chance Combs, whom he shares with businesswoman Sarah Chapman, and 2-year-old Love from his relationship with model and cybersecurity specialist Dana Tran.

Why were Diddy’s homes raided?

On March 25, 2024, Homeland Security Investigations agents raided Combs’ Los Angeles home. Agents also searched Combs’ Miami residence at that time, Rolling Stone, NBC News and The Associated Press reported.

A Homeland Security Investigations spokesperson later told USA TODAY that the agency’s New York branch “executed law enforcement actions as part of an ongoing investigation.”

Authorities have since confirmed the searches were part of a state sex trafficking investigation.

Why did Diddy’s lawyer quit?

Just three months before the kickoff of Combs’ trial, attorney Anthony Ricco withdrew from the rapper’s legal team on Feb. 21.

Ricco declined to offer the specific details that led to the decision, but he said in a statement: “Although I have provided Sean Combs with the high level of legal representation expected by the court, under no circumstances can I continue to effectively serve as counsel for Sean Combs.”

Despite Ricco’s resignation, Combs’ defense received a boost on April 17 when Georgia-based attorney Brian Steel joined the case, according to court documents obtained by USA TODAY. Steel previously represented rap star Young Thug during his RICO trial.

Why was baby oil found at Diddy’s home? And what are the alleged Diddy ‘freak offs’?

During a September 2024 press conference, U.S. attorney Damian Williams detailed the paraphernalia discovered during the federal raids of Combs’ homes. The items included multiple AR-15 guns, large-capacity magazines, “evidence” of Combs’ alleged sex crimes and over 1,000 bottles of baby oil and lubricant.

According to Combs’ original indictment, the baby oil bottles were used during the hip-hop mogul’s alleged “freak off” parties, which were described as “elaborate and produced sex performances” that involved sex workers.

Combs and his employees conducted freak offs by booking hotel rooms and stocking them with supplies such as baby oil, lube, extra bedsheets and lighting, per the indictment. The rapper allegedly “arranged, directed” and “masturbated” during these sometimes dayslong “performances,” and drugs were reportedly distributed to victims, in part, to keep them “obedient and compliant.”

Contributing: Naledi Ushe, Anna Kaufman, Taijuan Moorman, Cydney Henderson and KiMi Robinson, USA TODAY

May 1, 2025
See Christina Applegate through the years: PhotosCelebrities

See Christina Applegate through the years: PhotosCelebrities

May 1, 2025
Tina Fey’s ‘Four Seasons’ is a ‘family’ affair with Erika Henningsen

NEW YORK — When you think of quintessential preteen movies, you likely don’t imagine a cozy marriage dramedy starring Alan Alda and Carol Burnett.

But growing up, “The Four Seasons” was a formative touchstone for a young Tina Fey, who worshipped at the altar of “M*A*S*H” and “The Carol Burnett Show.”

“I was like, they’re married? It was basically my version of ‘Twilight’ fan fiction,” says Fey, 54, who has now reimagined the 1981 film as a Netflix series (streaming May 1). Also, “at that time, there was something about it that defined for me, ‘Oh, that’s what grownup life should and will be like: caring, intelligent people who wear sweaters and walk around in the fall.’”

“That’s goals,” adds actress Erika Henningsen, 32, reuniting with Fey after Broadway’s “Mean Girls” and Peacock’s “Girls5Eva.” “And we did that! We really wore sweaters and walked around!”

Tina Fey gets to flex a new muscle with dramatic ‘Four Seasons’

Co-created with Lang Fisher (“Never Have I Ever”) and Tracey Wigfield (“Great News”), “The Four Seasons” follows three sets of couples – Kate (Fey) and Jack (Will Forte), Nick (Steve Carell) and Anne (Kerri Kenney-Silver), and Danny (Colman Domingo) and Claude (Marco Calvani) – as they navigate children, health, divorce and marital frustrations. Like the movie, the eight-episode series is set over one year and four (seasonal) vacations.

The show was “an exercise in restraint” for the razor-sharp Fey, who spent nine seasons as a writer and cast member on NBC’s “Saturday Night Live” and went on to make offbeat, joke-dense comedies “30 Rock” and “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt.”

“It was like, ‘OK, so we’re not going to end this on a joke? These people are just going to have their feelings and the scene’s going to end?’” Fey quips. But anecdotally, “people seem to appreciate it. Sometimes, when there’s 10,000 jokes, it can inhibit you from actually caring about the story.”

The series follows many of the same beats as the film while giving added depth to characters such as the bubbly, outgoing Ginny (Henningsen), whom Nick starts dating after leaving Anne. The close-knit pals initially rebuff her as the younger “other woman” but come to discover someone who is patient, empathetic and right for Nick at that stage in his life.

“She’s a disruption to the friend group, but not an antagonist,” Henningsen says. “Between Ginny and Anne, you’re given two compelling, interesting partners for Nick. The goal is that you walk away loving both these women.”

The show’s candid, droll observations will be recognizable to anyone who’s been in a long-term partnership. “Many of us in the writers’ room have known each other for 20 years, so everyone was very generous about sharing specifics of their relationships,” says Fey, who has two daughters – Alice, 19, and Penelope, 13 – with composer husband Jeff Richmond.

“Four Seasons” proved cathartic for the nine-time Emmy winner, who filmed the project last fall, mere months after she lost her mom, Jeanne, and Alice went off to college.

“It definitely kept me in the world, because I could have easily kept more and more in my house,” Fey says. “There are certainly themes and topics in this that were a little close to the bone, and it has been good for me to reenter the world.”

The series also resonated with Henningsen, who in 2023 married her “Mean Girls” co-star Kyle Selig. Both actors are back on Broadway this spring: she in Bobby Darin bio-musical “Just in Time,” and he in the Stephen Sondheim revue “Old Friends.”

During filming, “I was soaking up life experience through this cast, just hearing them talk about how they’ve maneuvered their incredible careers, remained very present parents, and are still with their spouses,” Henningsen says. “I would come home and tell my husband, ‘I’m working with people who are doing it the way I want to do it.’”

Erika Henningsen feels ‘lucky’ to be part of Fey’s TV multiverse

Fey and Henningsen met in 2017 in a sweaty audition room for the “Mean Girls” musical, in which Henningsen played brainy new kid Cady Heron. “I remember Erika was very clearly a great choice from the moment she came in,” Fey recalls. “She has this intelligent, wholesome quality to her,” which worked for Ginny, too.

Henningsen always appreciated the way that Fey would ask for her feedback throughout the show’s inception, and the two soon became good friends. They fondly remember their post-pandemic hangs, when Fey’s family rented a house outside New York and invited Henningsen and her husband to come barbecue by the pool.

“Penelope made me act in a music video; Jeff had gotten really into meats,” Henningsen says with a laugh. “You really make everybody feel right at home.” Through the years, “just seeing the way you take care of your deep-rooted friendships, it’s not surprising that you wanted to work on ‘The Four Seasons.’”

Fey has long kept a close circle of collaborators, beginning with her “SNL” days. (“The women there were so strong,” she says. “We were, in some ways, raising each other.”) Fisher and Wigfield also wrote for “30 Rock” as they were starting out.

“It was huge for me, to see her be a mom and running the show,” Wigfield says. “Now, I’m happy to say there are lots of women who do it all, but it didn’t seem possible before her.”

Forte (“SNL”) and Carell (“Date Night”) both worked with Fey previously, and much of this show’s crew came from her past TV projects. She’ll next reunite with “30 Rock” favorite Tracy Morgan on a potential NBC comedy.

“When you work with someone who’s great and smart and a good person, you want to do that again,” Fey says. “Why would you want to do it any other way?”

“You’ve crafted a little family that you carry with you,” Henningsen adds. “I feel lucky to be one of those people in the Tina Fey ‘Avengers Assemble’ Universe. The world is burning – let’s have a good time.”

May 1, 2025
Katy Perry addresses critics amid Blue Origin backlash

Katy Perry refuses to be grounded by her haters.

The “Roar” singer, 40, reflected in an Instagram comment on April 29 that “the ‘online’ world tries to make me a human Piñata.” The remarks came after Perry faced backlash for her decision to briefly fly to space on a Blue Origin flight that critics slammed as out of touch.

Perry left a comment on a video showing a billboard in Times Square congratulating her on the opening of her tour. In a comment left on a fan account, the Grammy nominee, whose latest album, “143,” received negative reviews in 2024, said she is “so grateful” for her supporters.

“Please know I am ok, I have done a lot work around knowing who I am, what is real and what is important to me,” she wrote. “My therapist said something years ago that has been a game changer, ‘no one can make you believe something about yourself that you don’t already believe about yourself’ and if I ever do have any feelings about it then it’s an opportunity to investigate the feeling underneath it.”

She continued, “When the ‘online’ world tries to make me a human Piñata, I take it with grace and send them love, cause I know so many people are hurting in so many ways and the internet is very much so a dumping ground for unhinged and unhealed.”

Perry concluded that “somehow through my battered and bruised adventure I keep looking to the light and in that light a new level UNLOCKS.”

On April 14, Perry joined a six-woman team, including Gayle King, on a Blue Origin flight to space. The trip sparked backlash and invited many negative comments on Perry’s social media accounts. One follower on Instagram described it as a “totally tone deaf moment” of a “bunch of rich people playing in space while the world is falling apart for the rest of us.”

Wendy’s says it has ‘respect’ for Katy Perry after salty tweet amid Blue Origin flight beef

Some celebrities also criticized the flight, with Olivia Munn slamming it as “gluttonous” and Emily Ratajkowski saying in a TikTok, “Look at the state of the world and think about how many resources went into putting these women into space, for what? I’m disgusted.”

Lily Allen also criticized the flight as “so out of touch” at a time when the United States is “on the brink of recession,” arguing that Perry was going to space for no “reason.” The singer later apologized on her “Miss Me?” podcast for “being mean about Katy Perry,” saying there was “no need for me to bring her name into it, and it was my own internalized misogyny.”

Katy Perry’s Lifetimes tour will be fueled by espresso, ‘California crunchy’ diet, meditating

“It was just completely unnecessary to pile on with her,” Allen said. “I mean, I disagree with what it was that they did, but she wasn’t the only person that did it.”

Even the official X account for Wendy’s joined in on the backlash, posting, in response to news that Perry had returned from space, “Can we send her back.” Representatives for Wendy’s told Entertainment Weekly and People, “We always bring a little spice to our socials, but Wendy’s has a ton of respect for Katy Perry and her out-of-this-world-talent.”

King addressed the Blue Origin backlash in an interview with “Extra,” telling critics of the flight to “do more due diligence.”

“And then my question is, ‘Have y’all been to space?’” King asked. “Go to space or go to Blue Origin and see what they do and then come back and say, ‘This is a terrible thing.’”

May 1, 2025