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'The Life of Chuck': Tom Hiddleston headlines Stephen King movieMovies
‘The Life of Chuck’: Tom Hiddleston headlines Stephen King movieMovies
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Bono talks ‘Stories of Surrender’, new U2 ‘sounds like the future’
Biden awards Medal of Freedom to Hillary Clinton and Bill Nye
President Biden presented the Presidential Medal of Freedom to 19 people, including Denzel Washington, Robert F. Kennedy, and Earvin “Magic” Johnson.
Bono turns his head and pulls off his tinted glasses, the profile of his aquiline nose and hint of stubble on his chin drawing your attention.
“If I turn to the left, I’m younger,” he says over a video call. “And that’s the person who played Bono.”
He twists his neck the other direction, the shimmering ocean of the French Riviera behind him.
“If I turn to the right, I’m older. I’m the person who played my father,” he says. “For such a demonstrative performer as I am with U2, (I learned) that just turning your head is enough.”
Bono is seated in a hotel suite in Cannes, preparing for the city’s famed film festival to premiere “Bono: Stories of Surrender” the next night. It’s set to debut on Apple+ on May 30.
It’s a striking film – black and white and exceedingly vivid – and, like the memoir it pulls from, “Surrender: 40 Songs, One Story,” is alternately stirring and poignant, heartbreaking and wickedly funny and, as with all things Bono, deeply philosophical in an Irish-bloke-knocking-back-pints-at-the-pub kind of way.
Before the book became the film, it inspired Bono’s one-man stage show, “Stories of Surrender: An Evening of Words, Music and Some Mischief…,” performed in select cities around the world in 2022-23, including a mini-residency at the Beacon Theatre in New York.
In his 25 performances, Bono – one of the most mega of music stars on the planet – played to intimate theater crowds a fraction of the size of the stadiums U2 commands and learned that sometimes the most gripping props are an empty chair and a spotlight.
“There’s a sense of undressing yourself in taking off the armor and your sword and your shield and just letting people in,” Bono, 65, says. “I can pull off the swagger. I can do the macho thing. I’m Irish. I can give you lots of that. But at this point, I just thought it would be better to be closer to who I am when I’m at my most insecure, I suppose.”
Bono says he’s ‘done singing about all the dead people I was close to’
Throughout the almost 90-minute film, Bono touches on the tenets of family, music, faith and charity.
He opens with the devastating and dramatic tale of his 2016 surgery to repair a potentially fatal aortic aneurysm, leaping on a table that will become symbolic for many reasons in the show. He shares the unfathomable story of his mother collapsing at her father’s funeral and dying that day from an aneurysm when Bono was only 14.
Close-ups of his visage amplify the lived-in lines that crease around his eyes when he smiles. “The face, after a while, it just is a map. It tells a story of where you’ve been,” Bono says from France, adding that director Andrew Dominik encouraged him to embrace his sincerity by reminding him, “The lens will know if you’re lying.”
He weaves in U2 songs including “Vertigo,” “City of Blinding Lights,” “Sunday Bloody Sunday” and “Where The Streets Have No Name,” reimagined inventively by producer Jacknife Lee, who plays in the onstage shadows along with cellist Kate Ellis and harpist Gemma Doherty. Using empty chairs as stand-ins, Bono unwraps his U2 mates Larry Mullen Jr., Adam Clayton and his brother in all but name, the Edge.
But the star of the show isn’t Bono, says Bono. It’s his father, Bob Hewson, whose emotional distance and hard-shelled manner shaped his son.
“He’s got all the best lines!” Bono says with a smile before imitating Bob, who died in 2001, bellowing at him as a teenager, as he does with that subtle head turn in the show. “ ‘You. You’re the baritone who thinks he’s a tenor,’ ” Bono sneers before pulling out of character.
“I ended up, as much as loving my father, I ended up liking him,” Bono says. “That’s a beautiful thing, to end up closer to him. My mother, I’ve always felt close to. I’d just wished I’d known her and because my father or any of us never spoke of her after she passed, I lost all of those memories. The book was an attempt to retrieve memories of her and I’m still getting some of them returned to me.”
He leans back and clasps his hands with a slight laugh.
“But I think I’m done now singing about my dead ma and my dead da, all the dead people I was close to. Edge says, ‘Nostalgia is a thing of the past, Bono.’ And I agree. U2 are getting ready for the future and this is, well, a privilege to be given a chance to record this most intimate story that, in a way, the band wrote. Edge wrote this story. Larry, Adam, (wife) Ali wrote this story, not just my father and mother. So now it’s time to face the future and dance.”
New U2 music ‘sounds like the future’
That future for U2 has ignited anticipation from fans eager to hear what the band creates, now a year removed from their groundbreaking residency to open the Las Vegas Sphere.
Mullen, who was sidelined for the Vegas run to recover from neck surgery, is “back from his injuries, that’s for sure,” Bono says. “I’ve never seen him play like this. He’s at his most innovative, I would say.”
While there is no timeline or specific blueprint about the stylistic leanings the band is crafting, Bono mentions “the songs we’re making presently sound like the future.”
Edge, he says, is “determined to take the guitar into the future.” And as for Clayton, Bono jokes that U2 has to make another record “just to get Adam off Gardeners’ World,” the long-running BBC gardening show where Clayton showcased his shovel skills last year.
Bono shares an anecdote that he was standing next to Clayton when the latter received a text from JJ Burnel, a punk legend and bassist for the London band the Stranglers. U2, it turns out, played on a bill with the band in the ‘70s, but because Burnel refused to wear a button stating “U2 can happen to anyone,” Bono and the boys robbed their dressing room.
Bono cackles at the memory.
“JJ was a tough guy and a genius bass player and he’s texting Adam 40 years later to say, ‘So excited to see you on Gardeners’ World tonight.’ I said to Adam, ‘this is a long way from punk rock,’” Bono says. “And Adam went, ‘No, it isn’t. Doing precisely what you want to do is the most punk rock thing we can do.’ ”
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Why Misa Hylton attended ex Diddy's sex-crimes trialCelebrities
Why Misa Hylton attended ex Diddy’s sex-crimes trialCelebrities
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Streamer and PBS get beloved show
Elmo sad! ‘Sesame Street’ on hiatus as non-profit search for new home
Sesame Workshop, the non-profit behind “Sesame Street,” is looking for a new distributor after HBO decided against renewing the series.
Following several months of upheaval, a sense of calm is coming to “Sesame Street.”
In a series of announcements May 19, the beloved children’s show producer Sesame Workshop revealed it will begin airing original episodes on PBS for the first time in nearly 10 years, and that both new and old episodes would be available later this year on Netflix, replacing an expiring pact with HBO.
“I strongly believe that our educational programming for children is one of the most important aspects of our service to the American people, and ‘Sesame Street’ has been an integral part of that critical work for more than half a century,” Paula Kerger, president and CEO of PBS, said in a statement.
“We’re proud to continue our partnership in the pursuit of having a profound impact on the lives of children for years to come,” Kerger continued.
‘Sesame Street’ changes amid PBS funding cuts under Trump
The decision comes as President Donald Trump’s administration moves to cut funding to PBS and the Ready to Learn Grant, which has historically been allocated to children’s programming.
That may be why the non-profit the Sesame Workshop inked the PBS deal alongside the new one with Netflix. The program’s 56th season will air later this year on the streaming giant and be made available alongside 90 hours of previous episodes.
“This unique public-private partnership ensures children in communities across the U.S. continue to have free access on PBS KIDS to the ‘Sesame Street’ they love,” Sesame Workshop CEO Sherrie Westin said in a statement. “This combined support advances our mission and ensures we can help all children – everywhere – grow smarter, stronger and kinder.”
The announcement is a welcome reprieve for fans of the furry creatures first introduced in 1969, after news broke late last year that Warner Bros. Discovery had opted not to renew its contract to air the program. HBO, which began airing new episodes in 2015, after the show’s original PBS exodus, also announced at the time that its streaming service Max would no longer premiere new seasons and would halt streaming older episodes in 2027.
With the future of beloved characters like Big Bird, Elmo and Cookie Monster in jeopardy, some fans began to fret that a program once widely available to children across social classes would soon become obsolete. The twin announcements from Netflix and PBS offer a different path forward, however, promising a “reimagined” 56th season with one 11-minute storyline driving each episode.
Netflix also teased a “Sesame Street” video game, part of a growing effort to make the show interactive. PBS Kids digital platforms will also offer games.
“Sesame Street,” alongside shows like “Dragon Tales” and “Clifford the Big Red Dog,” has become synonymous with a golden era of children’s television. It features a lovable if flawed cast of creatures residing in an urban neighborhood, remixing with each episode the same formula: a mashup of educational content, music, and celebrity cameos.
Often weaving in subliminal messaging, the show imparts lessons of inclusion and teaches young viewers, little by little, the realities of the world they’ll inherit.
“We still teach numbers and letters, but our primary focus is on the emotional and social development of the child,” Matt Vogel, who plays both Big Bird and Count von Count, previously told USA TODAY. “The audience sees themselves in these characters, and ‘Sesame Street’ can address these really important issues.”
Contributing: Patrick Ryan
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Dawn Richard, Diddy trial and Danity Kane: Singer testifying in court
The controversial legacy of Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs. Here’s what we know
Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs faces federal sex crime charges. Here’s what we know about his controversial legacy.
With Sean “Diddy” Combs’ federal criminal trial underway, Dawn Richard has taken the stand.
Richard, discovered by Combs, was a prominent collaborator of the music mogul for a decade, formerly of the Bad Boy Records girl group Danity Kane and also part of the trio Diddy – Dirty Money. Her September 2024 lawsuit, then, came as a shock, as she claimed Combs subjected her to physical and sexual abuse throughout their professional relationship. Combs’ lawyers at the time said Richard was trying to “rewrite history.”
Her lawsuit points to apparent behavior that did not escape fellow artists and the people he stood next to professionally.
Richard accused Diddy of subjecting her to “inhumane” working conditions, including deprivation of food and rest, as well as assault, groping and false imprisonment. She also detailed multiple instances where she claimed to have seen the producer assault his ex-girlfriend Casandra “Cassie” Ventura Fine, who last week finished four days of harrowing testimony in his trial. Richard’s testimony on May 16 focused on her witnessing this abuse.
Richard returned to the stand May 19 in Combs’ trial. “I’m expecting justice,” she said during her testimony.
Richard’s accusations, which included alleged incidents during the production of Diddy – Dirty Money’s highly-lauded album “Last Train to Paris,” introduce a disturbing refrain into their collaborations, changing how some fans may now hear the music. Fellow Danity Kane member Aubrey O’Day has also been critical of the rap mogul.
Revisit Richard and Diddy’s relationship, her testimony and why she’s suing the rap mogul.
Dawn Richard testifies about violent assault on Cassie
In testimony on May 16, Richard described witnessing Combs attack Ventura Fine as she was making eggs in a kitchen in Combs’ Los Angeles home.
“He came downstairs screaming, belligerent,” Richard said, noting Combs asked where his eggs were and yelled that Ventura Fine never gets anything right.
Combs grabbed the skillet Ventura Fine was cooking in and tried to hit her with it, Richard testified. The skillet didn’t seem to hit Ventura Fine “fully” because “she went into the fetal position,” according to Richard.
Combs grabbed Ventura Fine’s hair and then dragged her upstairs, Richard said. Then, Richard heard glass breaking and yelling.
Combs later told Richard what she saw was passion and Ventura Fine was OK, Richard testified. “Where he comes from, people go missing if they talk,” Richard recalled Combs saying.
Dawn Richard, Diddy’s collaborations: From Danity Kane to Diddy – Dirty Money
Diddy’s music competition series “Making the Band,” which ran from 2000 to 2009 mainly on MTV, led to the formation of multiple music groups, including Da Band and Day26. In “Making the Band 3,” the rapper held country-wide auditions to form a girl group, putting contestants through a series of intense competitions for five spots.
Finalists Richard, O’Day, Aundrea Fimbres, Wanita “D. Woods” Woodgett and, later, Shannon Bex would go on to form Danity Kane, releasing their self-titled debut album in 2006, which produced the Billboard Hot 100 top 10 single “Show Stopper.” Their second album, “Welcome to the Dollhouse,” included their second top 10 single, pop-dance hit “Damaged,” in 2008.
Since its inception, the group has gone through multiple lineups, with D. Woods leaving the group in 2008 and Fimbres leaving in 2014, before the release of the group’s third and final studio album, “DK3.” The group has split up and reunited multiple times over the years, including as a duo for the 2020 extended play “Strawberry Milk,” featuring just Richard and O’Day.
Diddy – Dirty Money, with Richard and singer Kalenna Harper, was formed in 2009.
The trio released “Last Train to Paris” in 2010, a cult-classic ensemble effort that has gained critical praise over the years, given its forward-thinking R&B-pop sound. The album included singles “Coming Home” with Skylar Grey, “Hello Good Morning” with T.I. and “Loving You No More” with Drake.
The group disbanded in 2012 without a sophomore effort, but reunited for Diddy’s 2023 album “The Love Album: Off the Grid.”
Why is Dawn Richard suing Diddy?
Richard’s September lawsuit, obtained by USA TODAY, alleged abusive behavior during her time with both Danity Kane and Diddy – Dirty Money.
Richard sued Diddy on 21 counts of sexual assault and battery, sex trafficking, gender discrimination and copyright infringement. She claimed the producer stole her work, withheld payment and subjected her to “inhumane” working conditions, which included assault, groping and false imprisonment, throughout their association together.
Richard accused the rapper of promising to advance her career in exchange for favors on the set of “Making the Band” in 2005. According to Richard, Diddy belittled and harassed the female contestants during filming.
Once the group was assembled, Richard said the label founder regularly deprived them of sleep and meals, referred to them derogatorily and “denigrated their physical appearances,” telling Richard in particular she was “too skinny and needed to ‘do something about (her face).’”
The singer also recalled an incident during rehearsals in New York for Diddy – Dirty Money’s “Saturday Night Live” performance in 2010, in which she claimed she and Harper were denied food and rest. Enraged and screaming at the pair for being late, Richard alleged Diddy nearly hit her before she was escorted away by a bodyguard.
When Harper ran after her, both were locked inside a car without door handles, she claimed. Richard used Harper’s phone to call her father, but Harper was later removed, leaving Richard locked alone in the car for two hours. It was only after her father arrived from Baltimore that she got out.
Richard also claimed to have witnessed Diddy’s party behavior, including bringing in underage girls to attend dayslong “drug-fueled” parties at his homes in New York and Miami, where he and his guests “performed sexual acts on them.”
Dawn Richard claims she witnessed Diddy assault Cassie, Kim Porter
The singer also recalled run-ins with Diddy’s exes, Kim Porter and singer Ventura Fine, that made her fear for her safety.
The singer claimed to have seen Porter’s face battered while she cried, leaving a music studio in 2005. Combs had an on-again, off-again relationship with Porter from 1994 to 2007. She died in August 2018 from pneumonia at 47.
Richard also details in the lawsuit multiple instances where she claimed to have seen Diddy assault Ventura Fine.
In one, she said a “high on drugs” Diddy slammed Ventura Fine against a wall, choked her and dragged her up the stairs in his home in Los Angeles during the recording of “Last Train to Paris” in 2009. The following day, she and Harper were locked in a room for over 20 minutes as Diddy threatened them and told them not to speak of the incident.
Richard “wanted to intervene,” she claimed in the lawsuit, but Harper refused to get involved and led her out of the house. On other occasions when Richard or Harper did intervene by encouraging Ventura Fine to leave, she claimed Diddy threatened them with statements like, “You want to die today,” and “I end people.”
Richard, O’Day and D. Woods voiced their support for Ventura Fine when she filed her November 2023 lawsuit. At the time, Richard tweeted she was praying for “peace and healing” for Ventura Fine.
Ventura Fine accused Diddy of trafficking, raping and viciously beating her over the course of their relationship. The “Me & U” singer’s lawsuit, settled just a day later, triggered the chain reaction of lawsuits and an investigation that ultimately led to his federal criminal charges.
In her own filing, Richard said that Ventura Fine’s “bravery” in suing Diddy empowered her to come forward, saying years of Combs’ alleged abuse “had become normalized for her.”
What other Danity Kane, Dirty Money members say about Diddy
In June, O’Day said she did not feel “vindication” amid her former record label boss’ legal trouble. “Anyone being exposed, or any truths being told, don’t change the reality of what you experienced,” O’Day told People.
In a December 2022 episode of the “Call Her Daddy” podcast, O’Day also alleged Combs fired her because she wouldn’t do things he requested “in other areas” besides music.
D. Woods spoke out in the Investigation Discovery docuseries “The Fall of Diddy” in January, recalling sexually charged remarks aimed at O’Day, verbal abuse of the five women during her brief time with Danity Kane. “I see myself standing in those dark, scary, predatory spaces and hearing somebody say some of the most degrading things to me and … having to figure out how to navigate and not let that person break me down.”
Harper distanced herself from Richard’s claims shortly after her lawsuit was filed. In an Instagram stories post, according to People, she said, “Many of the allegations and incidents described in this suit are not representative of my experiences.” She added she was not “involved in” nor “aware of, any behavior that could be considered abusive or unlawful.”
Contributing: Edward Segarra, USA TODAY staff
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‘American Idol’ 2025 winner Jamal Roberts just welcomed a baby
‘American Idol’ judges Carrie Underwood, Luke Bryan talk 2026 season
Carrie Underwood and Luke Bryan reveal the talks they’ve had about coming back for Season 24 as Lionel Richie reflects on Season 23’s star talent.
Mississippi P.E. teacher Jamal Roberts is an “American Idol.”
John Foster and Breanna Nix were the runnersup, with Roberts crowned the Season 23 winner in a May 18 finale.
With his win, 27-year-old Roberts became the first Black man to earn the title since Season 2’s Ruben Studdard in 2003. For his winner’s song, Roberts crooned Anthony Hamilton’s “Her Heart” as the Top 14 contestants crowded around him in celebration.
But Roberts’ crowning is just the latest celebration for the singer this month, as he just welcomed a baby girl to the world, his third.
Minutes after he was named Season 23’s winner, getting some sleep and spending time with the little one was top of mind for Roberts.
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“I’m going to see my daughter, Gianna,” who’s nine days old, the Meridian, Mississippi, native tells USA TODAY on the “Idol” red carpet after the finale taping wrapped. “I’ve got a lot of making up to do.”
Roberts revealed his new bundle of joy on Instagram May 16. With his daughter pictured in a ladybug costume, the singer wrote, “Hey world, meet my little ladybug, Gianna Grace Roberts. I’m so proud to be her father #girldadforlife #idol.”
Roberts has two other daughters, Harmoni and Lyrik.
After Roberts heads back to Mississippi to reunite with the new baby, he’s all steam ahead when it comes to music. But the elementary school coach says he won’t leave teaching behind for good, necessarily.
“I wasn’t really doing the teaching thing for the money. It was really the kids, (who are) just my inspiration,” he says. “So even if I could go back every now and then, just show up and be a part of something, I plan to do that.”
Contributing: Taijuan Moorman
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‘General Hospital’ star Steve Burton weds fiancee Michelle Lundstrom
‘General Hospital’ actor Leslie Charleson dies at 79
Leslie Charleson, who played Monica Quartermaine on “General Hospital,” has died at the age of 79.
unbranded – Entertainment
It’s a love story fit for daytime television.
Longtime “General Hospital” star Steve Burton married television chef Michelle Lundstrom in a private ceremony May 17, the pair revealed to People. Burton, 54, and Lundstron, 44, who got engaged in January, tied the knot in California’s picturesque Laguna Beach.
“This day isn’t just about a ceremony,” Burton told the outlet. “It’s the beginning of forever with the love of my life.”
“It was beyond special,” said Lundstrom, who wore a strapless gown and had her makeup done by two artists and friends who work on “General Hospital.” The wedding party was comprised of Lundstrom’s two daughters from a previous relationship and Burton’s three children, along with “General Hospital” stars Jonathan Jackson and Lisa Vultaggio, People reports.
“I get to spend the rest of my life with my best friend, growing together each day in faith and love,” said Burton, who has appeared in over 2000 episodes of “General Hospital,” beginning in 1991.
“Gosh, he’s proven that fairy tale love truly exists,” Lundstrom, a star of Netflix’s “Barbecue Showdown 2,” told People. “He’s like pure sunshine – always uplifting, endlessly caring. His love makes me a better person every single day.”
“To have the most incredible man I’ve ever known by my side forever brings me so much peace and happiness. He is the love of my life, and I feel so blessed to call him mine,” she continued. The pair met on social media and bonded over a love of ’80s music and movies.
“Honestly, I’ve never felt so loved and cared for in my entire life,” Burton told the outlet. “I’m incredibly grateful to have her by my side. She is the most amazing, beautiful, and selfless woman I’ve ever known. I love her so much.”
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Nicole Scherzinger on ‘Sunset Blvd’ Broadway show
STORY: REFILE: EDITORS PLEASE NOTE VIDEO CAPTION AMENDED TO REFLECT THAT SCHERZINGER HAS NOT JUST MADE HER BROADWAY DEBUT :: Nicole Scherzinger says she’s ‘never been more fulfilled’ by her Broadway debut in ‘Sunset Blvd.’ :: Sunset Blvd. on Broadway :: April 1, 2025 :: New York “I’ve always prayed that I get to share all of my talents, all of my gifts, and my prayers have been answered so I
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Queen Camilla shares first pic of Moley, her new rescue dog
Queen Camilla misses Qatar visit; Kate Middleton steps in
Queen Camilla is unable to attend the welcome ceremony for the Emir of Qatar’s state visit to the UK, leaving the King to host alongside the Princess of Wales, Kate Middleton.
unbranded – Entertainment
Meet the new royal doggy.
Queen Camilla, 77, posed with her new rescue dog Moley in a photo shared on May 18 by the British royal family. “Meet mischievous Moley,” read the caption of the picture shared on the royal family’s official Instagram account, which described Moley as the queen’s “new much-loved canine companion.”
Camilla adopted Moley from Battersea Dogs & Cats Home, the nonprofit of which she is a patron. The organization is dedicated to “rescuing, rehabilitating and rehoming animals,” according to its website.
Camilla previously confirmed in February that she “just got a new” rescue dog named Moley, who was eight weeks old at the time, in a video shared on X by Daily Mail editor Rebecca English.
“Looks just like a mole,” she quipped.
In November, Camilla confirmed the death of her dog Beth, whom she adopted from Battersea in 2011. An Instagram post, which shared photos of Beth with Camilla and King Charles III through the years, said the dog “brought such joy, whether on walkies, helping on official duties, or curled up by the fire.” In a comment on Instagram at the time, Battersea thanked Camilla for “giving Beth the most wonderful life and for always supporting rescue.”
Camilla also has a rescue dog named Bluebell. In 2023, she honored her dogs Bluebell and Beth by wearing a coronation dress that had two Jack Russell terriers embroidered on it, according to People magazine. King Charles, meanwhile, also has a dog named Snuff.
On Monday, Camilla was scheduled to visit a garden in London that is “designed with dogs in mind,” according to the royal family. The garden will have the names of Bluebell, Moley and Beth, as well as Charles’ dog Snuff, inscribed on a path.
Charles’ late mother and predecessor, Queen Elizabeth II, was famously a lover of dogs and according to the American Kennel Club owned more than 30 Pembroke Welsh Corgis during her lifetime. After her death, The Kennel Club, a nonprofit based in London, remembered Elizabeth as “one of the most dog loving monarchs in history.”