Hasan Piker can stream, but can he stump?
Deep inside the sprawling campus acreage of Michigan State University, leftist political pundit and streamer Hasan Piker stood before a packed lecture hall, taking in a rapturous welcome. The crowd of about 400 people, many wearing hoodies and headphones, plus the occasional kaffiyeh scarf, had waited hours outside on a...
‘Ketamine Queen’ gets 15 years in prison for selling Matthew Perry the drugs that killed him
LOS ANGELES — A federal judge on Wednesday handed down a sentence of 15 years in prison to a woman who pleaded guilty to selling “Friends” star Matthew Perry the ketamine that killed him in 2023. “You’re going to have to show some epic resilience,” Judge Sherilyn Peace Garnett said...
Wireless Festival canceled after U.K. bars rapper Ye over antisemitic remarks
LONDON — The rapper formerly known as Kanye West was barred Tuesday from entering the U.K., where he was scheduled to headline the Wireless Festival in July, after a backlash over Ye’s history of antisemitic remarks. Festival organizers canceled the three-day outdoor event as a result of the travel ban...
Rapper Offset shot and in stable condition, spokesperson says
HOLLYWOOD, Florida — The rapper Offset was shot Monday and is stable, according to a spokesperson for the Migos rapper, but his exact condition is unknown. He is being treated at a hospital and being closely monitored, the spokesperson said in a statement. Offset was formerly married to Cardi B,...
Todd Bridges wants divorce official after recent word that he and Bettijo Hirschi were splitting up
LOS ANGELES — Todd Bridges has taken steps to make his split from Bettijo Hirschi official after announcing in January he and his spouse had separated. The former “Diff’rent Strokes” actor, 60, filed paperwork asking to end his marriage Tuesday in Arizona, Us Weekly reported Thursday. This will be the...
Eugene Mirman of ‘Bob’s Burgers’ ‘thankful beyond words’ and ‘doing relatively alright’ after fiery crash
LOS ANGELES — Eugene Mirman appears to be in good spirits after being injured in a fiery car crash. The comedian and “Bob’s Burgers” actor shared an Instagram update Friday to reassure fans he is “doing relatively alright, all things considered.” Mirman was hospitalized for serious injuries on Tuesday after...
Megan Thee Stallion returns to sold-out ‘Moulin Rouge!’ after hospitalization
NEW YORK — Megan Thee Stallion has made her return to “Moulin Rouge! The Musical” after a mid-show hospitalization earlier this week. The Grammy-winner was greeted by a sold-out crowd when she took the stage inside New York’s Al Hirschfeld Theatre on Thursday . She stars as nightclub owner Harold...
Viral Whitehall food pantry gets message from ‘Boy Meets World’ actor
A Whitehall resident who went viral after anonymously receiving thousands of dollars for a pop-up food pantry is drawing new attention — including a message from “Boy Meets World” actor William Daniels. On Thursday, AJ Owen, who had operated a food pantry outside his home since November, posted another viral...
Actor Blake Lively’s sexual harassment claims against actor Justin Baldoni are tossed out
NEW YORK — A federal judge in New York tossed out actor Blake Lively’s sexual harassment claims Thursday against actor Justin Baldoni over their roles in the movie “It Ends With Us,” but he left intact three claims, including retaliation, that will let a jury hear about many of the...
Italy seizes millions in assets allegedly stolen from Bond co-star Ursula Andress
MILAN — Italian authorities have impounded 20 million euros ($23 million) worth of property, artworks and financial assets in and around Florence that were allegedly purchased with money stolen from original Bond girl Ursula Andress, Italy’s financial police said in a statement on Thursday. The seizures were the result of...
Bill Maher will win the Kennedy Center’s Mark Twain humor prize following White House denial
WASHINGTON — Bill Maher will win the prestigious Mark Twain Prize for American Humor, the Kennedy Center said Thursday, less than a week after the White House forcefully denied that the comedian, who has had a hot-and-cold relationship with President Donald Trump, would win it. “For nearly three decades, the...
Stephen Colbert and son will co-write a ‘Lord of the Rings’ movie
NEW YORK — Stephen Colbert, famous devotee to J.R.R. Tolkien’s Middle Earth, is co-writing a “Lord of the Rings” movie with his son. Warner Bros. announced early Wednesday that Colbert will script “The Lord of the Rings: Shadow of the Past” along with series veteran Philippa Boyens and Peter McGee,...
Bill Cosby loses sex assault lawsuit and faces $19 million judgment
SANTA MONICA, Calif. — A civil jury in California on Monday found that Bill Cosby had drugged and sexually assaulted Donna Motsinger, a former server at a Sausalito, California, restaurant, after escorting her to one of his comedy shows in 1972. The jury awarded Motsinger $19.25 million in damages, a...
‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’ actor Nicholas Brendon dies at 54
Nicholas Brendon, an actor best known for his role as a loveable underdog sidekick on the hit television series “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” has died. He was 54. Brendon’s family announced the death in a statement posted on his social media accounts Friday. They said he died in his sleep...
Police video of Justin Timberlake’s 2024 drunken driving arrest releasedVideo
NEW YORK — Justin Timberlake struggled to perform field sobriety tests requiring him to walk a straight line and stand on one leg after he was pulled over in New York’s Hamptons in 2024 by police officers who suspected him of driving drunk, according to video footage released Friday. The...
Chuck Norris, martial arts master and actor whose toughness became internet lore, dies at 86
Chuck Norris, the martial arts grandmaster and action star whose roles in “Walker, Texas Ranger” and other television shows and movies made him an iconic tough guy — sparking internet parodies and adoration from presidents — has died at 86. Norris died Thursday, in what his family described as a...
Rapper Afroman wins lawsuit against police over mocking their 2022 raid in viral music videos
The Grammy-nominated rapper Afroman won a defamation lawsuit filed by seven Ohio sheriff’s deputies who sued him over music videos in which he used home security footage to mock their raid of his home. “We did it, America! Yeah, we did it! Freedom of speech! Right on! Right on!” the...
Kevin Spacey settles out of court with 3 men over alleged sexual assaults
LONDON — Three men who alleged that actor Kevin Spacey sexually assaulted them have settled their civil claims before going to trial at the High Court in London, courts document show. The three men alleged that the Academy Award-winning star abused them at times between 2000 and 2013. Spacey has...
Bill Cosby, out of prison and the public eye, faces civil trial
He is not expected to be in the courtroom, but Bill Cosby is front and center at a civil trial in California this week as he faces accusations from one of the many women who have accused him of being a sexual predator. The suit in Los Angeles Superior Court...
Cher’s son is expected in court on charges he broke into a New Hampshire home
Cher’s son is scheduled to appear in court Wednesday after being accused of breaking into a New Hampshire home this month. Elijah Allman’s arrest on March 1 was his second in New Hampshire in a matter of days. Allman, the 49-year-old son of the iconic singer and actress, was also...
After a president-filled celebration, Rev. Jesse Jackson’s family gathers for an intimate homegoing
CHICAGO — A day after former presidents, sitting governors and local Chicago residents alike attended a vibrant, televised celebration for the late Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr., the family and friends who knew him best hosted a more intimate gathering Saturday to grieve the civil rights leader at his organization’s headquarters....
Britney Spears arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs
LOS ANGELES — Britney Spears was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs near her Southern California home and released, authorities said. A statement from Spears’ representative calls the arrest “inexcusable.” The California Highway Patrol said officers received a report shortly before 9 p.m. Wednesday...
Savannah Guthrie says her family is offering a $1 million reward for her mother’s return
“Today” show host Savannah Guthrie said her family is now offering a $1 million reward for information leading to the recovery of her mother, Nancy Guthrie, who went missing from her Arizona home more than three weeks ago. Savannah Guthrie said Tuesday that her family is still holding out for...
British comedian Russell Brand pleads not guilty to new rape and sexual assault charges
LONDON — British comedian Russell Brand pleaded not guilty on Tuesday to new counts of rape and sexual assault. Brand, who was already facing similar charges involving four women, denied the new charges in Southwark Crown Court. The alleged offenses took place in 2009, the Crown Prosecution Service said. Brand,...
Former ‘Jersey Shore’ star Snooki says she has cervical cancer
FLORHAM PARK, N.J. — Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi said Friday that she has cervical cancer. The former “Jersey Shore” star said in a video posted to TikTok that a biopsy had revealed the stage one cancer. “Obviously not the news that I was hoping for,” she said, sitting in her car...