Category: Entertainment

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Diddy apologises for ‘disgusting, shameful’ actions

Sean “Diddy” Combs has apologised in court on Friday ahead of his sentencing on prostitution charges, telling a federal judge he has “changed for the better.”

“I can’t change the past, but I can change the future,” Diddy apologised for his actions and told Judge Arun Subramanian at the U.S. District Courthouse in Manhattan.

According to CNN, the music mogul apologised to former girlfriends Casandra “Cassie” Ventura and another woman identified as “Jane,” both of whom accused him of abuse.

“My actions were disgusting, shameful and sick. I was sick from the drugs. I was out of control. I needed help, and I didn’t get the help.

“I lost all of my businesses and lost my career and destroyed my reputation, and most of all, I lost my self-respect,” he said.

“I have been humbled and broken to my core. I hate myself right now. I’ve been stripped down to nothing,” he added.

Combs broke down in tears as he addressed his mother, Janice Combs, who was seated in the courtroom. “You taught me better,” he said. “You raised me better.”

Prosecutors are seeking more than 11 years in prison, arguing that Combs is “unrepentant” and poses a risk to others. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christy Slavik told the court his behaviour is “something the public must be protected from.”

His lawyers painted a different picture, with attorney Nicole Westmoreland describing him as an entrepreneur who has supported social justice and the Black community. Lead counsel Marc Agnifilo said, “I don’t think he needs any more punishment.”

Combs’ children also spoke in his defence. Quincy Brown described him as a “changed man,” while Christian Combs asked the judge to “please give us grace and please give him mercy.”

Federal prosecutors last year accused Combs of running a criminal enterprise and organising drug-fuelled events. He denied wrongdoing but was convicted in July on two prostitution charges after a seven-week trial. The jury cleared him of racketeering and sex trafficking charges.

His legal team argued that he never led a criminal scheme and that his accusers participated willingly in the events.

(Punch)

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Lionel Richie reveals nickname for Michael Jackson due to poor hygiene

Lionel Richie has revealed details about the late Michael Jackson’s hygiene habits, which he said led to the singer earning the unsavory nickname “Smelly.”

The 76-year-old “All Night Long” singer made the revelation in his debut memoir, Truly, published Tuesday.

In the book, Richie wrote about how Jackson was “very close with his siblings and his mom,” but once he went solo, “making these monster albums, movies and videos, he was in charge of his own ship.”

“His day-to-day life was what you could call eccentric,” he said of his friend. “Like an absent-minded professor but still a kid.”

Richie noted that fellow music icon Quincy Jones would often tease Jackson by calling him “Smelly.”

“Michael would laugh too, realizing that he was oblivious to the fact that he hadn’t changed or washed his clothes for a couple of days or so,” the Grammy winner added. “We all have our quirks.”

Richie suggested that Jackson’s poor hygiene was a byproduct of his significant level of fame, as the King of Pop was constantly touring and had little time to run errands like visiting a department store.

“He was on tour performing in the elaborate costumes made for him by his stylists, or he was in his pajama bottoms and slippers in the studio or he was in his going-out attire,” he penned. “Or he was at home in something loose and comfortable so he could practice his dance moves and play with his menagerie of pets.”

Whenever Jackson “came to visit me, he was wearing whatever — jeans and a t-shirt,” Richie recalled. “And the jeans were either falling off him or too short to even be jeans and, well, smelly.”

Richie once asked the superstar about his pants, only to have him respond: “Lionel, I walked by a store in the Valley. The owner came out and gave me a free pair.”

The “Endless Love” singer further explained that Jackson couldn’t simply send his clothes to get drycleaned, because more often than not, his items wouldn’t be returned.

“Everybody kept something for a souvenir,” Richie said. “He just got into the habit of wearing the same pants until they were unwearable.”

Jackson has previously been described as “the dirtiest, most unsanitary person in Hollywood” by five of his former housekeepers.

In a 2014 interview with the New York Post, they claimed the singer “lived in a house of filth and urinated on the floor.”

“Michael sometimes ran around where the animals were, and he’d track… Poop throughout the house and think nothing of it,” Anonymous Maid 1 alleged. “Then, if you said something, he’d threaten to make doo-doo snowballs and throw it at you.” (Independent)

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AFRIMA lauds Tinubu, CBN for National Theatre revamp

The All Africa Music Awards has commended President Bola Tinubu, the Central Bank of Nigeria, and the Bankers’ Committee for their role in the successful revamp and unveiling of the National Theatre, Iganmu, Lagos.

AFRIMA, in a Wednesday statement, described the restoration of the cultural landmark as a bold step in safeguarding Nigeria’s creative heritage and empowering the arts sector.

The historic edifice, originally opened in 1976, has been revamped and upgraded as part of efforts to reposition Nigeria’s creative economy. The project, undertaken by the CBN and the Bankers’ Committee as part of their commitment to giving back to the nation, was unveiled during the country’s 65th Independence anniversary celebrations on Wednesday.

The Bankers’ Committee had in July announced the completion of the renovation and upgrading of the facilities at the theatre.

The renovation covered different spaces, including the 4,000-seater main bowl, over 3,000-seater banquet hall, exhibition halls, cinemas, VIP spaces, actors’ changing rooms, industrial kitchen, over 300 new toilet cubicles, clinic, fire station, lobbies within the four National Theatre entrances and extensive roof repairs.

AFRIMA President and Executive Producer, Mike Dada, described the development as a milestone for Nigeria’s cultural industries and a symbol of renewed confidence in the creative sector.

“The National Arts Theatre has played a crucial role in nurturing African creativity, serving for decades as a hub for music, theatre, film and cultural festivals. Its revival speaks volumes about Nigeria’s vision and the dedication of stakeholders like the CBN and the Bankers’ Committee to supporting the creative economy. This is not just a building restored, but a renewal of cultural confidence and an investment in future generations of Nigerian and African talent,” Dada said.

Beyond the theatre, AFRIMA used the occasion to congratulate Nigeria on its 65th Independence Anniversary. Dada hailed the country’s resilience and influence in shaping Africa’s creative and cultural industries, pointing to its leadership in music, film, fashion and digital culture.

“On behalf of the International Executive Committee of AFRIMA, I extend heartfelt congratulations to Nigeria as the country marks 65 years of independence. Nigeria remains a vital partner to AFRIMA and a key pillar of Africa’s cultural identity. Its creative energy continues to inspire not just the continent but the world,” he added.

He further noted that Nigeria’s role as host of the 9th AFRIMA had amplified African music on the global stage while promoting unity across the continent.

AFRIMA reaffirmed its commitment to promoting African music, nurturing young talent and using culture as a tool for continental pride and development. (Punch)

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Burna Boy, Wizkid, Ayra Starr top Spotify’s 2025 Afrobeats list

Spotify has named Afrobeats star, Damini Ebunoluwa Ogulu, widely known as Burna Boy, as one of the top Afrobeats artists of the year.

The list, unveiled by the streaming service in an Instagram post on Monday, is dominated by Nigerian artists.

Ranked alongside Burna Boy are Divine Ikubor, known as Rema; Balogun Ayodeji, popularly called Wizkid; Ahmed Ololade, Asake, and Ayra Starr, as the only female artist on the latest ranking.

Spotify posted:  “Afrobeats continues to expand its reach, with fans streaming artists such as #heisrema, #wizkidayo, and #burnaboygram from Nigeria to Brazil.

“Check out some of the top songs, artists, and countries fuelling the genre’s discovery and growth globally.”

The platform also unveiled the top Afrobeats songs on Spotify for 2025.

Accordingly, top songs are Santa by Ayra Starr; Rauw Alejandro; and Rvssian; Shake It To The Max (FLY) – Remix by MOLY, Shenseea, Silent Addy, and Skillibeng; Calm Down (with Selena Gomez) by Rema, featuring Selena Gomez, WE PRAY by Burna Boy, Coldplay, Elyanna, Little Simz, and TINT; and People by Libianca.Spotify also said Afrobeats songs were most discovered in 2025 in the US, Brazil, France, the UK, Germany, and Nigeria. (Vanguard)

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Jane Fonda relaunches Cold War-era Hollywood free speech movement

Jane Fonda and hundreds of Hollywood celebrities have relaunched a Cold War-era free speech protest movement, warning that the Trump administration is engaged in a coordinated campaign to silence critics.

Actors Natalie Portman, Sean Penn and Anne Hathaway are among the more than 550 signatories to the revived “Committee for the First Amendment,” along with director Spike Lee and “West Wing” creator Aaron Sorkin.

“This Committee was initially created during the McCarthy Era, a dark time when the federal government repressed and persecuted American citizens for their political beliefs,” said a statement published on Wednesday.

It added: “Those forces have returned. And it is our turn to stand together in defense of our constitutional rights.”

U.S. actor and activist Fonda is spearheading the effort.

Her father, actor Henry Fonda, was an early member of the first “Committee for the First Amendment” in the 1940s.

Back in the early days of the Cold War, Senator Joseph McCarthy led draconian measures in the United States to stifle supposedly “Un-American” dissent, with a particular focus on Hollywood.

The original committee, which also featured Golden Age icons Judy Garland, Humphrey Bogart and Frank Sinatra, called out government repression and harassment, sending delegations to Washington and delivering radio broadcasts to highlight the threat.

The relaunch of the committee “is not a warning shot. This is the beginning of a sustained fight,” said its website.

It comes in the wake of Disney’s decision to briefly pull late-night show Jimmy Kimmel off-air following pressure from the U.S. government and its broadcast regulator.

Kimmel — who had made remarks about the killer of right-wing activist Charlie Kirk — was restored to the airwaves last week following widespread outrage over alleged government censorship.

The comedian described the efforts to silence him as “un-American.”

But President Donald Trump has described domestic media coverage of him as unduly negative and therefore “illegal.”

The newly reconstituted committee’s statement pledges to “stand together — fiercely united — to defend free speech and expression from this assault,” and warned Hollywood companies against succumbing to government pressure in future.

“And to those who profit from our work while threatening the livelihoods of everyday working people, bowing to government censorship, and cowering to brute intimidation: we see you and history will not forget,” it said. “This will not be the last you hear from us.” (JapanToday)

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Demon-hunting HUNTR/X to debut live performance on ‘The Tonight Show’ next week


The singing trio behind HUNTR/X, the fictional music group at the center of the summer’s massively popular animated film “KPop Demon Hunters,” is scheduled to perform live for the first time Oct 7 on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.”

The NBC show announced that Ejae, Audrey Nuna, and Rei Ami will perform their smash hit “Golden” from the Sony Pictures/Netflix film that gave Netflix is first No. 1 box-office title in the streaming company’s 18-year history. The film’s soundtrack topped the charts.

The three will also join Fallon on the couch for interviews. Their appearance will stream the next day on Peacock. Jennifer Lopez is also a guest.

The film centers on Huntr/X, the superstar K-pop trio who double as demon hunters. The members, Rumi (Arden Cho), Mira (May Hong) and Zooey (Ji-young Yoo), must protect their fans and face their biggest enemy yet: a rival boy band made up of demons in disguise.

Fans have flooded the internet with art, covers, cosplay and choreography in response to the movie, which continues to be a mainstay on Netflix’s weekly Top 10 list since its launch 14 weeks ago. (JapanToday)

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Nicole Kidman files for divorce from Keith Urban after 19 years of marriage

Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban are getting divorced.

The actress has filed for divorce from the country star, PEOPLE confirms, just one day after news broke that the couple had separated after 19 years of marriage. TMZ was first to report the news.

Kidman filed for divorce on Tuesday, Sept. 30 in Nashville, where the couple has lived since 2007, according to court documents obtained by PEOPLE. She listed their date of separation as the date of filing, and cited irreconcilable differences as reason for the split.

The pair were married in June 2006 after meeting at a gala in Los Angeles the year prior, and share daughters Sunday Rose, 17, and Faith Margaret, 14.

A source previously told PEOPLE that Kidman, 58, “didn’t want this,” and had been “fighting to save the marriage.”

“Nicole’s sister [Antonia] has been a rock and the entire Kidman family has come together to support one another,” the source added.

The filing comes after a summer apart, as Kidman was filming Practical Magic 2 in London and Urban, 57, was traveling on his High and Alive World Tour.

Kidman and Urban often spoke about their bond in the press, with the actress telling PEOPLE in 2024 that she was “so lucky that I have Keith who’s just my love, my deep, deep love.”

Ahead of the 2024 Met Gala, Kidman added that she overcomes her nerves ahead of the annual event by “[having] my man with me.”

A second source told PEOPLE after the pair’s separation that their separation “really hasn’t been a secret,” and the stars have “been living separately for a while now.”

“People close to Keith felt like the split was kind of inevitable,” the source added.

Reps for Kidman and Urban did not respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.

The separation came just three months after Kidman celebrated the couple’s 19th wedding anniversary with a sweet Instagram post of the pair cuddling.

“Happy Anniversary Baby ❤️ @KeithUrban,” she captioned the post at the time. (People)

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Bad Bunny Super Bowl show has MAGA hopping mad

Supporters of President Donald Trump, including a senior White House official, have lashed out after Latin megastar Bad Bunny was named as the headliner for next year’s Super Bowl halftime show.

The Grammy-winning Puerto Rican rapper had already sparked right-wing ire after saying he would skip the United States during his upcoming world tour due to fears of immigration raids at his concerts.

But Trump’s Make America Great Again movement was doubly infuriated by the naming on Sunday of an artist who mainly sings in Spanish as the star performer for the NFL’s flagship event in February.

“Is the @NFL incapable of reading the room?” Sebastian Gorka, Trump’s Senior Director for Counter Terrorism, posted on X late Monday after the announcement.

Gorka’s comment accompanied a post by a conservative podcaster calling Bad Bunny “a rapper with a catalog of vulgar lyrics in Spanish and English” — including one aimed at Trump.

Former racing driver turned right-wing commentator Danica Patrick said separately on X: “No songs in English should not be allowed at one of America’s highest rated television events of the year.”

Sage Steele, a former host on sports network ESPN who appeared in the White House’s “new media” seat at a briefing earlier this year, called Bad Bunny “DEMONIC” and added: “NFL…I just don’t get it.”

The artist himself said in a statement released by the NFL that his naming as Super Bowl halftime act was “for my people, my culture, and our history.”

Puerto Rico, where Bad Bunny hails from, is a U.S. territory in the Caribbean. In June, Bad Bunny posted video footage on his social media channels from an ICE raid that took place on his home island.

Super Bowl halftime shows have traditionally attracted the biggest names in the music industry, including the likes of Michael Jackson, the Rolling Stones, Madonna, Bruce Springsteen, Prince and Paul McCartney.

More recent performers have included this past year’s headliner Kendrick Lamar, the rapper who cut out profanity but still performed a viral diss track of his rival Drake. (JapanToday)

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Taylor Swift to release 12th album on Friday

With the meticulously planned release of Taylor Swift’s 12th album this Friday, the country singer-turned-pop star demonstrates again that she is as business savvy as she is musically adept.

From hints dropped during her last tour in 2024 to movie screenings this coming weekend to accompany the new album’s release, “Taylor Swift has perfected marketing as narrative art,” said Robin Landa, a professor who studies advertising and branding at Kean University. “She doesn’t simply release an album — she orchestrates a cultural phenomenon.”

The massively hyped “The Life of a Showgirl” album was inspired by Swift’s experiences during her record-breaking “Eras” concert tour, which coincided with the singer’s romance with her now-fiance Travis Kelce, a three-time Super Bowl champion football star.

The 12-track record “comes from the most infectiously joyful, wild, dramatic place I was in in my life — and so that effervescence has come through,” Swift herself promises.

That appears to signal a return to pop after her darker 11th album, “The Tortured Poets Department,” last year.

Swift, 35, has said to expect “bangers” — high-energy, dance-friendly songs — in the ilk of her fan-favorite “22” and “Shake It Off,” and created with the same Swedish production duo, Max Martin and Shellback.

To call “The Life of a Showgirl,” which features a duet with rising pop star Sabrina Carpenter, eagerly anticipated is an understatement.

The album is the most pre-saved album ever on the Spotify streaming platform, breaking the record set last year by Swift’s last album.

Accompanying the album, movie theaters in dozens of countries will host special screenings from Friday through Sunday of a music video, a making-of featurette, personal commentary by Swift about her songs, and a karaoke-style singalong.

The one-off movie event is estimated to gross between $30 million and $50 million, according to film industry website Deadline.

Swift, who first announced the album on Kelce’s popular podcast last month, is “really taking ownership of the whole process, in every aspect of her music and her presentation to the public,” said Toby Koenigsberg, a music professor at the University of Oregon.

Swift’s “Eras” tour also spawned its own movie theater event, and underlined “the importance of having fan communities that interact in real life, not just on social media,” he added.

One element that has long connected “Swifties” — the nickname for her die-hard fans — online is the frantic search for “easter eggs,” or clues about Swift’s upcoming projects scattered through her album booklets, music videos, concerts and social media posts.

Swifties noticed that, in a letter to her fans in May, Swift spelled the words “thiiiiiiiiiiiis” with 12 “i”s — taken by some to indicate her 12th album was imminent.

Once the first album images of “The Life of a Showgirl” were released, featuring cabaret-inspired outfits in orange and green tones, thrilled devotees rushed to social media to point out clues supposedly buried in Swift’s 2022 music videos, as well as certain costumes from her latest tour.

“Taylor’s Easter eggs are one of the most brilliant fan engagement tools in modern music,” said Landa. “This strategy creates free marketing through fan theories and social media speculation — essentially turning her audience into her promotional team.”

So, is Swift a musician or a businesswoman?

“Sometimes people talk about her business acumen, which is really remarkable… but at the core of what she does is her songwriting,” said Koenigsberg.

Swift is “able to consistently write good songs, year after year, album after album, in a way that almost nobody else can.” (JapanToday)

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J.K. Rowling attacks “ignorant”Harry Potter star Emma Watson

Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling on Monday condemned Emma Watson as “ignorant” over her transgender rights views, in a stinging riposte to the former child star.

In a long post on X, the writer expressed her irritation that Watson, 35, and Daniel Radcliffe, 36 — who starred in the film adaptations of Rowling’s best-selling books — “continue to assume the role of de facto spokespeople for the world I created”.

Radcliffe, who played boy wizard Potter, and Watson, who played his friend Hermione Granger, have both taken issue with Rowling’s stance on gender issues.

But Rowling, who has not previously been so outspoken about Watson, suggested that the star’s privilege meant she was unable to properly grasp the issues at stake.

“I wasn’t a multimillionaire at 14. I lived in poverty while writing the book that made Emma famous,” she said. “I therefore understand from my own life experience what the trashing of women’s rights in which Emma has so enthusiastically participated means to women and girls without her privileges.”

Rowling has long been at the forefront of the debate about gender identity and has previously denounced trans activism, leading to accusations of transphobia.

She has defended herself saying her concern was the impact it has on women’s rights and single-sex spaces for women.

Rowling, 60, also revealed her annoyance at receiving a one-line note from Watson in 2022.

Following an awards ceremony at which Watson publicly made a dig at Rowling she sent her a message saying “I’m so sorry for what you’re going through”.

“This was back when the death, rape and torture threats against me were at their peak, at a time when my personal security measures had to be tightened considerably and I was constantly worried for my family’s safety,” the author said.

“Emma had just publicly poured more petrol on the flames, yet thought a one line expression of concern from her would reassure me of her fundamental sympathy and kindness,” she said.

Rowling also hinted she had only decided to be “this honest” about the “Beauty and the Beast” and “Little Women” actress now because of comments last week in which Watson announced that she still loved and treasured the author.

This was “a change of tack I suspect she’s adopted because she’s noticed full-throated condemnation of me is no longer quite as fashionable as it was,” Rowling said.

“Adults can’t expect to cosy up to an activist movement that regularly calls for a friend’s assassination, then assert their right to the former friend’s love.

“Emma is rightly free to disagree with me and indeed to discuss her feelings about me in public — but I have the same right, and I’ve finally decided to exercise it,” she said. (JapanToday)