Bad Bunny, Taylor Swift lead MTV Video Music Awards

NEW YORK, United States - Bad Bunny, the Puerto Rican Latin trap and reggaeton artist who's among the world's biggest stars, scored MTV's artist of the year award Sunday at the annual Video Music Awards.

But the performer was conspicuously absent from the show: he was busy with his own blockbuster tour, playing the second night of a sold out concert at Yankee Stadium that over the weekend drew some 100,000 fans.

Bad Bunny, wearing a satin pink suit and white sunglasses, accepted the award via video and also delivered a seismic performance of his smash "Titi Me Pregunto" from the baseball stadium in New York, where the song has soundtracked the streets for months.

"Thank you so much, New York," the 28-year-old said in Spanish to resounding applause.

"From the beginning I always believed that I could be great, that I could be one of the biggest stars in the world, without changing my culture, my language," he said. "I'm Benito Antonio Martinez from Puerto Rico -- for the whole world."

In a sure sign that pandemic-stymied touring was back in full swing, another of the year's biggest stars, Harry Styles, also couldn't make it to the VMAs -- which aired from New Jersey's Prudential Center -- due to his own show at Madison Square Garden.

The artist who dropped "Harry's House" this year also accepted his award for the year's best album via video, before heading back to his own global concert run.

SWIFT ALBUM ON THE WAY

Taylor Swift was also among the night's big winners, turning heads on the red carpet in a dress dripping with crystals before winning the night's top prize of music video of the year for her 10-minute-long film "All Too Well." 

"I'm so proud of what we made," said the 32-year-old, who has been making good on her vow to re-record her first six albums so she can control the rights to them.

"We wouldn't have been able to make this short film if it weren't for you, the fans," Swift said onstage. "Because I wouldn't be able to re-record my albums if it weren't for you. You emboldened me to do that."

She then gave fans a gift in return, announcing that her new album will come out October 21.

Shortly after the broadcast's end, the megastar revealed the new project's name.

"Midnights, the stories of 13 sleepless nights scattered throughout my life, will be out October 21. Meet me at midnight," she wrote on social media.

Hip hop superstar Nicki Minaj reigned over the evening as the 2022 recipient of the prestigious Video Vanguard Award.

Wearing her signature pink wig, the hip-hop icon from Queens delivered a medley of her hits including "Super Bass" and her most recent single "Super Freaky Girl."

Brazil's Anitta also turned heads with a booty-popping performance before winning the award for best Latin video for "Envolver."

"I was born and raised in the ghetto of Brazil, and for whoever was born there, we would never think this was possible," she said when accepting the trophy.

JOHNNY DEPP APPEARS

Iconic stoner comedy duo Cheech and Chong awarded the Red Hot Chili Peppers with the Global Icon Award, before the California rockers performed and also paid tribute to Taylor Hawkins, the late Foo Fighters drummer.

Eminem and Snoop Dogg opened their performance sitting on a couch as Snoop smoked a giant -- albeit fake -- blunt, before the pair headed to the metaverse for a trippy, animated performance of their latest collaboration "From the D 2 the LBC."

Marshmello and Khalid performed "Numb" with neon, disorienting visuals that created a brief but heady rave effect, while South Korea's Blackpink gave their first show at a US awards night ever.

Lizzo also performed before scoring the Video For Good award -- which honors videos with social or political messages -- for her song "About Damn Time."

Wearing a cone-bra corseted dress that recalled Madonna, the superstar thanked fans for voting for her to receive the award before nodding to US politics.

"Vote to change some of these laws that are oppressing us," the star urged.

And at the awards show that's historically far better known for its antics than actual prizes, Johnny Depp -- fresh off his controversial defamation trial against his ex-partner Amber Heard -- appeared as the MTV Moonman, his head digitally superimposed on the flying astronaut.

"You know what? I needed the work," said the 59-year-old actor.

Agence France Presse

'Bullet Train' locked and loaded atop N.America box office

LOS ANGELES, United States - Sony's "Bullet Train" held the top spot for the second week running in the North American box office, industry watcher Exhibitor Relations estimated Sunday during a relatively flat mid-August period of moviegoing.

As the last major studio release of the summer, the action thriller starring Brad Pitt pulled in $13.4 million, less than half its take the previous week but still nearly doubling up on its closest competitor.

Pitt, who plays a professional assassin on a Japanese train seemingly loaded with them, heads a cast that includes Joey King, Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Latin music star Bad Bunny, as well as Sandra Bullock and Channing Tatum in bit roles.

Holding second spot was former number one "DC League of Super-Pets," Warner Bros.' animated film which pairs the likes of Superman and other action heroes with furry partners. It earned $7.2 million.

Jumping back up three spots to third was "Top Gun: Maverick," Paramount's long-awaited -- and extremely popular -- Tom Cruise sequel. It pulled in $7.1 million, for an eye-popping $674 million in North American ticket sales over the past 12 weeks.

Fourth spot went to Disney's action comedy "Thor: Love and Thunder," at $5.3 million. It stars Chris Hemsworth as the uber-muscular space Viking, who pines for his ex-girlfriend (Natalie Portman). It has now eclipsed $325 million over six weeks.

Following closely in fifth was Universal's "Nope," also at $5.3 million. The sci-fi/horror flick, boosted by the involvement of popular writer/director Jordan Peele, stars Daniel Kaluuya.

Overall, domestic releases are gradually getting back on track since the coronavirus pandemic hammered the industry, but the schedule remains relatively "thin," according to Franchise Entertainment Research's box office newsletter.

"There's no question, the total box office would be bigger with more studio releases," it said.

Rounding out the weekend's top 10 were:

"Minions: The Rise of Gru" ($4.9 million)

"Where the Crawdads Sing" ($4 million)

"Bodies Bodies Bodies" ($3.3 million)

"Elvis" ($2.6 million)

"Fall" ($2.5 million)

Agence France-Presse

Apple TV+ counts its 'Luck' as fallen 'Toy Story' exec makes comeback

LOS ANGELES, United States - Like all good animated family movies, "Luck" has a thoroughly optimistic premise: that no matter how hopeless or dire your circumstances may seem, something good will eventually come of it.

Apple TV+ will be hoping the same is true for John Lasseter, the former Pixar guru who resigned under a cloud of #MeToo harassment claims, and later became head of the new Skydance Animation.

"Luck" is that studio's first film, available to stream Friday, which follows 18-year-old girl Sam and a talking black cat called Bob on their adventures in the fantastical Land of Luck.

In this land of perfect fortune, all the world's good and bad luck is produced by magical creatures including leprechauns, dragons, unicorns and goblins, who then funnel it down to Earth.

The movie features a voice cast of Simon Pegg, Whoopi Goldberg and Jane Fonda, along with Broadway star Eva Noblezada in the lead role of Sam, the world's unluckiest girl.

The cast could have been even starrier, had Emma Thompson not very publicly withdrawn in 2019 over the hiring of Lasseter, publishing her resignation letter in the Los Angeles Times.

It was a decision that other cast members have mulled over, with Pegg telling AFP he "initially" had qualms before deciding to proceed.

"It's a dangerous thing to just write people off immediately, I think, if there's some accountability, if there's some acknowledgement and acceptance," he told AFP.

- 'Complicated' -

Lasseter, who transformed Pixar from a small Lucasfilm graphics department into the world's most successful animation studio with hits including "Toy Story," was accused of misconduct at the 2017 height of the #MeToo movement.

The powerful studio president apologized to "anyone who has ever been on the receiving end of an unwanted hug," and for "falling short" in ensuring a culture of "trust and respect." 

The following year, he resigned, acknowledging in an internal memo that he had made staff feel "disrespected or uncomfortable."

Multiple sources alleged that Lasseter was a heavy drinker at company social events who would try to kiss women, place his hands on their thighs and hug them in meetings. 

In her letter, Thompson said the case of Lasseter was "complicated."

Upon his hiring by Skydance, Thompson wrote that "any Skydance employees who don't want to give him a second chance have to stay and be uncomfortable or lose their jobs."

For Pegg, it was important that Lasseter had "admitted accountability for the things that had been aimed at him."

"We're all doomed if we are banished for stuff that we regret and apologize for, and mean that apology. That's the most important thing."

Goldberg had a more succinct take: "Everybody steps in it sometime," she told AFP.

- 'Real-world stakes' -

In the film, Sam -- an orphan who has reached adulthood without finding a permanent foster home -- follows Bob the cat (Pegg) into the Land of Luck in order to find a lucky penny.

She hopes this magical coin can help her young friend Hazel find the "forever family" she never had.

Of course, getting her hands on it is anything but straightforward, taking Sam on a physical journey through the realm's whirring Rube Goldberg machines and glittering waterfalls -- and an emotional one.

"I really love that element. It's a film which is the most outrageous environments and concepts but paired with genuine real-world stakes about friendship," said Pegg.

"Sometimes what appears to be bad luck can end up being good luck. Not least for Sam, who apparently lives an entire life of bad luck, only to go on this adventure and find exactly what she's looking for."

For the filmmakers, the withdrawal of Thompson led to the hiring of Oscar-winner and social campaigner Jane Fonda, playing an elegant dragon who is the CEO of the luck-making operation. 

"When Jane joined the cast, I looked to her as being such a legendary activist and feminist," said Pegg.

"I felt like she was a great person to take the lead from. And it was her involvement in the film that cemented my decision to do it."

Agence France Presse

Alleged shooter of Lady Gaga’s dog walker freed by mistake

US authorities were on Wednesday searching for the suspect accused of shooting Lady Gaga's dog walker in 2021, months after he was accidentally released from custody.

James Howard Jackson, 19, is charged with shooting Ryan Fischer with a handgun near Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles during an attempted kidnapping of the star's valuable French bulldogs.

Jackson was released in April due to a "clerical error," the US Marshals Service admitted, describing him as armed and dangerous.

It offered $5,000 for information about Jackson, one of three men charged with attempted murder and robbery over the attack.

Two of the suspects got out of a vehicle and demanded Fischer hand over the pets at gunpoint. Fisher was shot in a struggle before the men fled with two of the dogs, Koji and Gustav.

A third dog, Miss Asia, ran away during the encounter before returning to the badly-wounded Fischer.

Police said they don't believe the suspects targeted the dogs because of their famous owner, but because they are a coveted breed that can sell for thousands of dollars.

A 50-year-old woman turned the two missing pets over to police two days after the theft.

At the time, the three were described by Los Angeles police as "documented gang members." Lady Gaga had offered a $500,000 reward for their safe return.

Agence France-Presse

After sensational trial, Johnny Depp releases an album

Fresh off his highly publicized, controversial defamation suit, actor Johnny Depp sought to show his creative career was back on track Friday, releasing an album with English rocker Jeff Beck.

The 13-track album "18" on which Depp sings and plays guitar features mainly covers, and so far it has been critically panned. 

It's a record unlikely to figure prominently in the repertoire of Beck, the 78-year-old former member of The Yardbirds.

The album includes renditions of Marvin Gaye's "What's Going On" and John Lennon's "Isolation," as well as the Velvet Underground classic "Venus In Furs."

The choice to include a song focused on sadomasochism might seem bizarre to some, given the ultra-mediatized trial centered on alleged domestic abuse between Depp and his ex-wife Amber Heard, the actor best known for her role in "Aquaman."

The album also includes two songs the 59-year-old "Pirates of the Caribbean" star penned himself: "This is a Song for Miss Hedy Lamarr," and "Sad Motherfuckin' Parade."

"Erased by the same world that made her a star / Spun out of beauty, trapped by its web," Depp sings of Lamarr, who secluded herself in the final years of her life.

Bad Boys, Hollywood Vampires 

Depp and Beck met in 2016, bonding "over cars and guitars" before the latter said he began to appreciate "Depp's serious songwriting skills and ear for music."

They began working on this LP in 2019.

It's far from Depp's first foray into music: the actor for more than a decade has recorded and toured with the Hollywood Vampires, a supergroup he started with Alice Cooper and Joe Perry.

Beck is currently on tour in Europe with Depp as a special guest.

This spring Depp won $15 million in the defamation suit against Heard, who was awarded $2 million.

The jury found that Heard, 36, defamed Depp in describing herself as a "public figure representing domestic abuse" in 2018 op-ed published in The Washington Post, although she did not identify the actor by name. Depp held he suffered reputational damage following its publication.

Heard received $2 million in damages because the jury found that one of Depp's lawyers had defamed her.

The six-week trial gained widespread attention not least because it was televised and live streamed, with clips making their way to social media as Heard became a target of online vitriol and mockery.

In its aftermath, Depp is embarking on a return to acting, set to star in the forthcoming French movie "La Favorite."

He will play King Louis XV, with filming locations including Versailles.

Agence France-Presse

Justin Bieber says he's suffering from facial paralysis

NEW YORK — Justin Bieber on Friday told fans in a video posted on Instagram that he's been diagnosed with Ramsay Hunt Syndrome, which is causing him partial facial paralysis.

The 28-year-old pop singer recently announced he was pausing his Justice World Tour due to illness, hours before his first slated concert in Toronto.

Ramsay Hunt Syndrome is a complication of shingles that occurs when an outbreak impacts the facial nerve near one ear. In addition to facial paralysis, it can cause hearing loss.

"As you can see, this eye is not blinking, I can't smile on this side of my face, this nostril will not move," Bieber explained in a video.

"So, there’s full paralysis on this side of my face. So for those who are frustrated by my cancellations of the next shows, I'm just physically, obviously, not capable of doing them. This is pretty serious, as you can see."

The "Peaches" singer said he was doing facial exercises and taking time to "rest and relax and get back to 100 percent so I can do what I was born to do."

He did not give an estimated timeline for his recovery.

It's the third instance Bieber's tour has been postponed, the first two due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Agence France-Presse

Country music star Naomi Judd died of self-inflicted gunshot wound, Ashley Judd reveals

Naomi Judd, matriarch of the country music duo the Judds, died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound a day before being inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame, her family said on Thursday.

Judd, 76, suffered from mental illness, a disease that tells victims “you are not loved, you are not enough, that you are not worthy,” her daughter Ashley Judd said in an interview aired on ABC’s “Good Morning America.”

“Our mother couldn’t hang on until she was inducted into the Hall of Fame by her peers. That was the level of disaster that was going on inside of her,” Ashley Judd, a 54-year-old actor, said.

“She used a weapon. Mother used a firearm,” she said of the death, which was announced on April 30.

Ashley Judd said she was disclosing the cause of death in a televised interview to maintain “control” over the information before it became public, possibly through leaks about Judd’s autopsy.

The family’s revelation followed news that the rate of United States gun deaths surged during the pandemic to the highest point since 1994. Gun suicides, the leading cause of gun deaths, totaled 24,245 in 2020, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in a report published on Tuesday.

Naomi and her daughter Wynonna Judd, 57, made up The Judds, the singing, guitar-playing duo inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame on May 1.

It was Ashley Judd who found her mother’s body, just a few minutes after they had embraced during a visit at her mother’s Tennessee home. Ashley Judd said she stepped outside to meet a friend and when she came back inside she found her mother upstairs.

“I have both grief and trauma” from discovering the body, Ashley Judd said.

The family urged anyone having suicidal thoughts to reach out for help by calling the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255 (in the U.S.).

-reuters

U2’s Bono gives ‘freedom’ concert in Kyiv metro

KYIV — Irish rock group U2’s frontman Bono and his bandmate The Edge performed a 40-minute concert in a metro station in the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv on Sunday and praised Ukrainians fighting for their freedom from Russia.

“Your president leads the world in the cause of freedom right now… The people of Ukraine are not just fighting for your own freedom, you’re fighting for all of us who love freedom,” Bono told a crowd of up to 100 gathered inside the Khreshchatyk metro station. He was referring to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy.

Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24, pressing towards Kyiv before withdrawing its forces from near the capital at the end of March to concentrate its firepower on eastern Ukraine.

“I am grateful to [Bono, U2] for supporting our people and drawing even more attention to the need to help our people,” Zelenskiy said in his nightly video address.

Russia, which calls its action in Ukraine a “special military operation,” continues to carry out missile strikes across Ukraine. However, some life has returned to Kyiv even though air raid sirens sound regularly.

Bono rallied the crowd between songs during his performance.

“This evening, 8th of May, shots will ring out in the Ukraine sky, but you’ll be free at last,” he said. “They can take your lives, but they can never take your pride.”

-reuters

Johnny Depp rejects 'heinous' abuse charges by ex Amber Heard

US — "Pirates of the Caribbean" star Johnny Depp denied ever physically abusing Amber Heard as he took the witness stand on Tuesday at the US defamation trial against his former wife.

"There were arguments and things of that nature but never did I myself reach the point of striking Miss Heard in any way," Depp told the jury hearing the case at the Fairfax County Circuit Court in Virginia.

"Nor have I ever struck any woman in my life," he said.

Depp said the "heinous and disturbing" allegations of domestic abuse made against him by Heard were "not based in any species of truth" and came as a "complete shock."

Depp was asked by one of his lawyers why he had brought the defamation case against his ex-wife.

"I felt it my responsibility to stand up not only for myself, but stand up for my children," Depp said. "I wanted to clear my children of this horrid thing that they were having to read about their father that was untrue."

"It's strange when one day you're Cinderella, so to speak, and then in 0.6 seconds you're Quasimodo," he added.

The 58-year-old Depp, his hair slicked back in a ponytail and wearing a black suit, black shirt and floral pattern tie, took the stand on the fifth day of the blockbuster defamation trial.

Depp filed the defamation suit after Heard, who turns 36 on Friday, wrote a column for The Washington Post in December 2018 in which she described herself as a "public figure representing domestic abuse."

The actress never named Depp, whom she met in 2009 on the set of the film "The Rum Diary," but he sued her for implying he was a domestic abuser and is seeking $50 million in damages.

Heard, who was married to Depp from 2015 to 2017, countersued, asking for $100 million and claiming she suffered "rampant physical violence and abuse" at his hands.

Depp accuses Heard of seeking to "generate positive publicity for herself" ahead of the release of the film "Aquaman," in which she had a starring role.

Depp filed the defamation complaint against Heard in the United States after losing a separate libel case in London in November 2020 that he brought against the tabloid The Sun for calling him a "wife-beater."

'Never seen Johnny abuse anybody' 

In opening arguments, Heard's lawyers alleged that Depp became a "monster" during drug- and alcohol-fueled benders and physically and sexually abused Heard.

Depp's attorneys rejected the allegations as untrue and said they have had a "devastating" impact on the actor's Hollywood career.

He left his role as Captain Jack Sparrow in the "Pirates of the Caribbean" franchise and was asked to step down from the "Fantastic Beasts" series based on the book by Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling.

Depp took the witness stand following testimony from a member of his security detail, Sean Bett, and Keenan Wyatt, who worked as a sound engineer on many of his movies.

Both men testified that they had never seen Depp be violent in any way.

"I've never seen Johnny abuse anybody ever," Wyatt said.

Bett said he had witnessed Heard though once throw a "water bottle or a plastic cup" at Depp.

Depp filed his case in Virginia since the Post is printed there but he is not suing the newspaper itself.

Virginia also has defamation laws considered to be more favorable to plaintiffs than those in California, where the two actors live. 

In 2016, Heard sought a restraining order against Depp amid abuse allegations. Their divorce was finalized in 2017. — by Jim Watson with Chris Lefkow in Washington

Agence France-Presse

Police 'ready to arrest' Smith after Oscar slap: producer

LOS ANGELES, United States - Police officers were ready to arrest Will Smith after he attacked comedian Chris Rock at the Oscars, the show's producer said Thursday.

In his first public comments since the shocking episode that marred Hollywood's most important evening, Will Packer said he had sat with Rock when officers came to speak to him.

"They were saying, you know, this is battery.... They said we will go get him, we are prepared, we are prepared to get him right now, you can press charges, we can arrest him, you have -- they were laying out the options," Packer told ABC Television.

"Chris was -- he was being very dismissive of those options. He was like, 'I'm fine.'"

Los Angeles police "officers finished laying out what his options were and they said, 'You know, would you like us to take any action?' and he said 'No.'"

Police in Los Angeles said Sunday that Rock had declined to file a report.

Smith shocked the entertainment world by mounting the stage during the live broadcast of the Oscars and hitting Rock over a joke about the actor's wife.

Half an hour later, Smith was awarded the best actor Oscar for his role in "King Richard" -- the movie industry's highest honor for a male performer.

The announcement was greeted with cheers and applause from the crowd of industry insiders.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the body that awards the Oscars, said Wednesday Smith had been asked to leave the ceremony after the assault, but had refused.

Conflicting reports emerged Thursday over that detail, including one that suggested Packer had asked him to remain in the Dolby Theatre.

In the brief clip, aired Thursday on ABC ahead of the full interview scheduled for Friday, Packer denied having spoken to Smith.

ZOOM MEETING

The Academy said Wednesday it was mulling punishment -- including possible expulsion -- for Smith, one of Hollywood's most bankable stars, and only the fifth Black man to win a leading actor Oscar.

"The Board of Governors today initiated disciplinary proceedings against Mr. Will Smith for violations of the Academy's Standards of Conduct, including inappropriate physical contact, abusive or threatening behavior, and compromising the integrity of the Academy," the statement said. 

"The Academy may take any disciplinary action, which may include suspension, expulsion, or other sanctions."

Trade title Variety reported Thursday that Academy chiefs Dawn Hudson and David Rubin spoke with Smith on Tuesday, 24 hours before the organization issued its damning statement.

It quoted sources saying the Zoom meeting had lasted up to 30 minutes.

During the conversation Smith apologized for his attack on Rock, and said he was aware there would be consequences, Variety reported.

Smith issued an Instagram apology on Monday, in which he called his behavior "unacceptable and inexcusable."

"I would like to publicly apologize to you, Chris. I was out of line and I was wrong. I am embarrassed and my actions were not indicative of the man I want to be."

Rock, whose US comedy tour began in Boston this week told audience members he was "still kind of processing" the incident.

He made no further comment.

Agence France-Presse

Celebrities react to Will Smith's Oscars outburst

LONDON — Best actor winner Will Smith shocked audiences when he smacked presenter Chris Rock in the face and shouted vulgarity at the comedian for making a joke about his wife's hairstyle in a moment overshadowing the Oscars ceremony on Sunday.

Below are some of the reactions from celebrities on social media.

RAPPER AND ACTOR, JADEN SMITH, SON OF WILL SMITH AND JADA PINKETT SMITH:

"And That’s How We Do It."

ACTRESS MIA FARROW:

"It was just a joke. Jokes are what Chris Rock does. Always has been edgy. This was a mild joke for him. And I love GI Jane"

COMEDIAN KATHY GRIFFIN:

"Let me tell you something, it’s a very bad practice to walk up on stage and physically assault a comedian. Now we all have to worry about who wants to be the next Will Smith in comedy clubs and theaters."

ACTRESS SOPHIA BUSH:

"Violence isn’t ok. Assault is never the answer. Also? This is the 2nd time that Chris has made fun of Jada on the #Oscars stage, & tonight he went after her alopecia. Punching down at someone’s auto-immune disease is wrong. Doing so on purpose is cruel. They both need a breather."

TALK SHOW HOST CONAN O'BRIEN:

"Just saw the Will Smith slap. Anyone have a late night show I can borrow just for tomorrow?"

FILMMAKER ROB REINER:

"Will Smith owes Chris Rock a huge apology. There is no excuse for what he did. He’s lucky Chris is not filing assault charges."

AUTHOR BERNARDINE EVARISTO:

"What a thing to wake up to. Only the fifth black man in nearly 100 years to win an Oscar for male lead, and the first in 16 years, resorts to violence instead of utilizing the power of words to slay Chris Rock. Then he claims God and Love made him do it."

ACTRESS AND MODEL JODIE TURNER-SMITH:

"and as far as *that incident* goes….. i am still processing. I have second hand embarrassment for all involved."

ACTOR CARY ELWES:

The "vessels of love" I have known or admired never acted violently against another human being…"

-reuters

Kim Kardashian urges quick divorce from Kanye

LOS ANGELES - Reality TV star Kim Kardashian has urged a US court to expedite her divorce, saying it would help husband Ye to accept the relationship is over.

Kardashian filed for divorce last year after months of press reports about marital strife and as the rapper formerly known as Kanye West battled with mental health issues.

Ye has very publicly fought the separation, including with social media posts imploring Kardashian to reconcile.

"I very much desire to be divorced," Kardashian wrote in a declaration filed to a Los Angeles court on Wednesday.

"I have asked Kanye to keep our divorce private, but he has not done so.

"I believe that the court terminating our marital status will help Kanye to accept that our marital relationship is over and to move forward on a better path which will assist us in peacefully co-parenting our children."

The couple have four children: eight-year-old daughter North, son Saint, six, daughter Chicago, four, and two-year-old son Psalm.

The pair, who began dating in 2012 and married in a lavish ceremony in Italy two years later, rapidly became one of the world's most instantly recognizable couples.

But their union ran into trouble with reports of bizarre outbursts from Ye, who suffers from bipolar disorder.

"While I wish our marriage would have succeeded, I have come to the realization that there is no way to repair our marriage," Kardashian wrote in the filing.

"Kanye does not agree but at least it appears that he has come to the realization that I want to end our marriage, even if he does not."

Agence France Presse

Judge tosses most of lawsuit by Mariah Carey's brother over singer's memoir

NEW YORK — A New York judge dismissed most of a defamation lawsuit by Mariah Carey's older brother over her 2020 best-selling memoir, though the singer must still face two claims.

In a 29-page decision on Tuesday, Justice Barbara Jaffe of the state Supreme Court in Manhattan said Morgan Carey can sue his sister over passages suggesting he distributed cocaine to "the beautiful people," and implying he might have "been-in-the-system" -- in prison -- for a serious crime.

But the judge dismissed claims over seven other passages from "The Meaning of Mariah Carey," including one discussing a fight between Morgan Carey and the Careys' father that required police intervention.

Jaffe said that while that passage "reasonably conveys a defamatory inference that plaintiff was abusive toward his family," Morgan Carey, who is about a decade older than his sister, failed to show he suffered "special damages" resulting from harm to his reputation.

The judge also dismissed claims against the memoir's publishers, saying it wasn't clear how Mariah Carey's "alleged vindictiveness" showed that they knew the disputed passages were false or had serious doubts they were true.

Lawyers for Morgan Carey and the publishers declined to comment on Wednesday. Lawyers for Mariah Carey did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Mariah Carey's memoir described a dysfunctional poverty-stricken childhood and early career struggles for the 51-year-old singer known for songs including "Vision of Love," "One Sweet Day" and "All I Want for Christmas Is You."

The defendants included the memoir's co-author, the publisher Macmillan and Andy Cohen Books, an imprint named for the television producer and Bravo host.

The case is Carey v Carey et al, New York State Supreme Court, New York County, No. 152192/2021.

Reporting by Jonathan Stempel in New York; Editing by Mark Porter

-reuters

Emmy-winning actor Louie Anderson dead at age 68

Louie Anderson, a three-time Emmy Award winner, comedian and game show host, died on Friday morning after a battle with cancer, his publicist told Deadline. He was 68.

The star of the comedy series “Baskets” died in Las Vegas, where he was admitted into a hospital earlier this week for treatment of diffuse large B cell lymphoma, publicist Glenn Schwartz told the entertainment publication.

Anderson was nominated for three Primetime Emmy Awards for outstanding supporting actor in a comedy Series, winning one in 2016 for his role as Christine Baskets on the FX series.

He also won two Daytime Emmys for outstanding performer in an animated program for “Life with Louie,” a program that aired on Fox in 1997 and 1998.

The Saint Paul, Minnesota, native was a counselor to troubled children before he got his start in comedy when he won first place in the Midwest Comedy Competition in 1981, according to Deadline.

Anderson was in Eddie Murphy’s 1988 hit movie “Coming to America.” He also hosted “Family Feud” from 1999 to 2002 and starred in several situation comedies over the last two decades.

Anderson wrote several books, including “Goodbye Jumbo ... Hello Cruel World,” a self-help book for people struggling with self-esteem issues.

(Reporting by Brendan O’Brien; editing by Jonathan Oatis)

-reuters

'Nevermind': Judge dismisses lawsuit by man who was naked baby on Nirvana album

A federal judge in Los Angeles has dismissed a lawsuit by a man who said the grunge rock group Nirvana sexually exploited him by putting a photo of him as a naked, four-month-old baby on the cover of its classic 1991 album "Nevermind."

U.S. District Judge Fernando Olguin on Monday dismissed the lawsuit after the plaintiff Spencer Elden missed a deadline to respond to the defendants' motion to dismiss the case.

Olguin gave Elden until Jan. 13 to file an amended complaint to address alleged problems the defendants identified in his case.

A lawyer for Elden did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Tuesday.

In his lawsuit filed last August, Elden, by then aged 30, claimed he had suffered "lifelong damages" from the album cover, which depicted him swimming naked toward a dollar bill pierced with a fish hook.

Elden sought at least $150,000 in damages from each of several defendants, including Universal Music Group, Nirvana drummer and Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl, Nirvana bassist Krist Novoselic, and Courtney Love, the widow of Nirvana lead singer Kurt Cobain who died in 1994.

"Nevermind" is one of the best-selling albums ever, with sales topping 30 million worldwide. It features Nirvana's signature song "Smells Like Teen Spirit."

In seeking a dismissal of Elden's case, the defendants said his claim that the photo amounted to child pornography was "on its face, not serious" under the circumstances.

They cited a 1994 court ruling which said no one could seriously believe a painting by French Impressionist Pierre-Auguste Renoir of a nude woman, or an innocuous family photo of a naked child in a bathtub, violated child pornography laws.

 

The defendants also said Elden could not claim to be a victim after spending three decades "profiting from his celebrity as the self-anointed 'Nirvana Baby.'"

Elden has posed as an adult to recreate the photo, including with "Nevermind" tattooed on his chest. (Reporting by Jonathan Stempel in New York; Editing by Karishma Singh)

-reuters

Betty White, working actress into her 90s, dies just shy of her 100th birthday

Comedic actress Betty White, who capped a career of more than 80 years by becoming America's geriatric sweetheart after Emmy-winning roles on television sitcoms "The Golden Girls" and "The Mary Tyler Moore Show," has died less than 3 weeks shy of her 100th birthday, People magazine said on Friday, quoting her agent.

The agent, Jeff Witjas, told the magazine: "Even though Betty was about to be 100, I thought she would live forever." No cause was cited.

In a youth-driven entertainment industry where an actress over 40 faces career twilight, White was an elderly anomaly who was a star in her 60s and a pop culture phenomenon in her 80s and 90s.

Playing on her imminent likability, White was still starring in a TV sitcom, "Hot in Cleveland," at age 92 until it was canceled in late 2014.

White said her longevity was a result of good health, good fortune and loving her work.

"It's incredible that I'm still in this business and that you are still putting up with me," White said in an appearance at the 2018 Emmy Awards ceremony, where she was honored for her long career. "It's incredible that you can stay in a career this long and still have people put up with you. I wish they did that at home."

White was not afraid to mock herself and throw out a joke about her sex life or a snarky crack that one would not expect from a sweet-smiling, white-haired elderly woman. She was frequently asked if, after such a long career, there was anything she still wanted to do and the standard response was: "Robert Redford."

"Old age hasn’t diminished her," the New York Times wrote in 2013. "It has given her a second wind."

Minutes after news emerged of her death, US President Joe Biden told reporters: "That's a shame. She was a lovely lady." His wife, Jill Biden, said: "Who didn't love Betty White? We're so sad about her death.'

Betty Marion White was born on January 17, 1922, in Oak Park, Illinois, and her family moved to Los Angeles during the Great Depression, where she attended Beverly Hills High School.

A DEBUT IN THE 1930S

White started her entertainment career in radio in the late 1930s and by 1939 had made her TV debut singing on an experimental channel in Los Angeles. After serving in the American Women's Voluntary Service, which helped the US effort during World War Two, she was a regular on "Hollywood on Television," a daily 5-hour live variety show, in 1949.

A few years later she became a pioneering woman in television by co-founding a production company and serving as a co-creator, producer and star of the 1950s sitcom "Life With Elizabeth."

Through the 1960s and early '70s White was seen regularly on television, hosting coverage of the annual Tournament of Rose Parade and appearing on game shows such as "Match Game" and "Password." She married "Password" host Allen Ludden, her third and final husband, in 1963.

White reached a new level of success on "The Mary Tyler Moore Show," playing the host of a home-making television show, the snide, lusty Sue Ann Nivens, whose credo was "a woman who does a good job in the kitchen is sure to reap her rewards in other parts of the house." White won best-supporting actress Emmys for the role in 1975 and 1976.

She won another Emmy in 1986 for "The Golden Girls," a sitcom about four older women living together in Miami that featured an age demographic rarely highlighted on American television. White also was nominated for an Emmy six other times for her portrayal of the widowed Rose Nylund, a sweet, naive and ditzy Midwesterner, on the show, which ran from 1985 to 1992 and was one of the top-rated series of its time.

After a less successful sequel to "The Golden Girls" came a series of small movie parts, talk-show appearances and one-off television roles, including one that won her an Emmy for a guest appearance on "The John Larroquette Show."

By 2009 she was becoming ubiquitous with more frequent television appearances and a role in the Sandra Bullock film "The Proposal." She starred in a popular Snickers candy commercial that aired during the Super Bowl, taking a brutal hit in a mud puddle in a football game.

A young fan started a Facebook campaign to have White host "Saturday Night Live" and she ended up appearing in every sketch on the show and winning still another Emmy for it.

The Associated Press voted her entertainer of the year in 2010 and a 2011 Reuters/Ipsos poll found that White, then 89, was the most popular and trusted celebrity in America with an 86 percent favorability rating.

White's witty and brassy demeanor came in handy as host of "Betty White's Off Their Rockers," a hidden-camera show in which elderly actors pulled pranks on younger people.

"Who would ever dream that I would not only be this healthy, but still be invited to work?" White said in a 2015 interview with Oprah Winfrey. "That's the privilege ... to still have jobs to do is such a privilege."

White, who had no children, worked for animal causes. She once turned down a role in the movie "As Good as It Gets" because of a scene in which a dog was thrown in a garbage chute. (Writing by Bill Trott; Additional reporting by Jarrett Renshaw; Editing by Diane Craft and Howard Goller)

-reuters

Arnold Schwarzenegger and Maria Shriver are finally divorced

LOS ANGELES, Dec 29 (Reuters) - Arnold Schwarzenegger and Maria Shriver have officially finalized their divorce, more than 10 years after proceedings began.

Court documents filed on Tuesday showed that a final settlement had been reached between the "Terminator" star and the US journalist, formally ending their 35 year marriage.

The terms of the divorce settlement were not made public.

Shriver, the niece of slain US President John F. Kennedy, filed for divorce in 2011 after Schwarzenegger ended his term as California Governor and admitted fathering a child with the couple's housekeeper some 14 years previously.

Schwarzenegger and Shriver married in 1986 and had four children together

Reporting by Jill Serjeant; Editing by Giles Elgood

-reuters

BTS' Suga tests positive for COVID-19

SEOUL  - Suga, songwriter and rapper for K-pop sensation BTS, has tested positive for the coronavirus after returning from in-person concerts in the United States, the group's management said on Friday.

Suga, 28, whose real name is Min Yoon-gi, was confirmed to have contracted the virus on Friday during his self quarantine upon his return home on Thursday, according to Big Hit Music.

He had received his second COVID-19 vaccination in August, had not come in contact with any other members recently and was not showing any symptoms, the company said.

"He is currently administering self-care at home," it said in a statement. "We see the artists' health as our top priority, and will do everything we can to aid SUGA in his speedy recovery."

The band has had "a number of personal engagements in the United States" after holding their first in-person concerts in Los Angeles since the start of the pandemic.

Big Hit has said BTS would take a break over year-end holidays and prepare for a new concert and album.

Since their 2013 debut, BTS has spearheaded a global K-Pop craze with catchy, upbeat music and dances, as well as lyrics and social campaigns aimed at empowering young people.

The group won the top prize of artist of the year at the American Music Awards for the first time in November, and best pop song for their summer hit "Butter," among other awards.

As the pandemic swept the world, BTS postponed and then called off what would have been their biggest global tour involving nearly 40 concerts last year, resorting to online shows. 

-reuters

Beyonce, Jay-Z, Ariana Grande in Oscars race as shortlists unveiled

LOS ANGELES - Beyonce, Jay-Z and Ariana Grande are all in the running for the best original song Oscar, but French shock-fest "Titane" did not make the shortlist for best foreign film, as the Academy unveiled its annual shortlists Tuesday ahead of the formal nominations.

Pop superstar Beyonce's ballad "Be Alive" -- penned for the tennis biopic "King Richard," about the father of Serena and Venus Williams (played by Will Smith) -- was on a list of 15 tracks, which will be whittled down to a final five before March's Oscars.

She will compete against her husband Jay-Z, who produced Netflix Western "The Harder They Fall," and teamed up with Kid Cudi for the movie's track "Guns Go Bang."

Grande appears in satire "Don't Look Up," in which her pop star character sings "Just Look Up" to implore the public to take seriously the impending threat of a comet plummeting towards Earth.

Billie Eilish's 007 theme song "No Time To Die" also made the list.

So did "Dos Oruguitas" from Disney's animated film "Encanto," a song composed by "Hamilton" creator Lin-Manuel Miranda, who only needs an Oscar to complete the coveted EGOT collection of awards -- Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, Tony.

Fifteen contenders were unveiled for the international feature film Academy Award, from among 92 eligible movies. Each country is only permitted to submit one film.

France boasts the most foreign film nominations of any country in Oscars history, but will watch from the sidelines this year after its selection, Julia Ducournau's Palme d'Or-winning body-horror "Titane," failed to make the cut.

The ultra-violent movie about a female serial killer who has sex with automobiles, before tricking a firefighter into believing she is his long-lost son, may have proven too controversial for Academy voters.

The shortlist includes frontrunners such as Paolo Sorrentino's coming-of-age drama "The Hand of God" (Italy) and Ryusuke Hamaguchi's "Drive My Car" (Japan), based on a Haruki Murakami short story.

Iran's Asghar Farhadi -- among a select group of auteurs to have won multiple foreign film Oscars previously with "A Separation" and "The Salesman" -- again makes the cut with morality drama "A Hero."

The tiny Himalayan nation of Bhutan is a step closer to its first Oscar nomination with "Lunana: A Yak in the Classroom," a comic drama about a reluctant young teacher who is sent to work in the world's most isolated school.

Denmark, which won the foreign film Oscar last year for "Another Round," again has a strong contender in the form of "Flee," which chronicles a gay Afghan refugee's perilous journey to Europe.

The animated film was also included in the shortlist for best documentary, which was also unveiled Tuesday.

"The Rescue," about the headline-grabbing 2018 race to save a Thai soccer team trapped in a cave, and Questlove's "Summer of Soul," about the huge but largely forgotten "Black Woodstock" festival that took place in 1969 Harlem, also made the cut.

The final list of Oscar nominations will be revealed on February 8, and the awards will be handed out on March 27.

Agence France Presse

Billie Eilish says watching porn from age 11 'really destroyed my brain'

LOS ANGELES, Dec 14 (Reuters) - Grammy-winning singer Billie Eilish has spoken about an addiction to watching pornography, starting at age 11, and how it gave her nightmares and messed her up when she started dating.

Eilish, who turns 20 on Saturday, was speaking on "The Howard Stern Show" on Sirius XM radio on Monday.

"I think porn is a disgrace. I used to watch a lot of porn, to be honest. I started watching porn when I was, like, 11,” the "Bad Guy" singer said, saying it helped her feel as if she were cool and "one of the guys."

"I think it really destroyed my brain and I feel incredibly devastated that I was exposed to so much porn,” she added, saying she suffered nightmares because some of the content she watched was so violent and abusive.

Eilish, who was homeschooled in Los Angeles and has seven Grammy Awards, is known for her often dark lyrics.

In the ballad "Male Fantasy" on her second album "Happier Than Ever," she sings about being home alone and distracting herself with pornography as she recalls a broken relationship.

Eilish said she is now angry at herself for thinking it was OK to watch so much porn.

"The first few times I, you know, had sex, I was not saying no to things that were not good. It was because I thought that’s what I was supposed to be attracted to,” she said.

Eilish, who started her career wearing baggy clothes to prevent people from commenting on her body, became the youngest person in history to win all four of the top Grammy Awards in the same year when she took home the statuettes for new artist, album, record and song of the year in 2020 at age 18.

The singer said her fame had made it hard to date.

"It's really hard to meet people when, you know, people are either terrified of you or think you're out of their league," Eilish told Stern.

Reporting by Jill Serjeant in Los Angeles Editing by Matthew Lewis