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Ricky Gervais was feeling a little FOMO ahead of the 2025 Golden Globes, so he went ahead and shared some of the jokes he would’ve told had he hosted the ceremony — and unsurprisingly, he didn’t mince words when it came to roasting the likes of Sean “Diddy” Combs and Justin Timberlake.
The famously crass comedian shared a goofy selfie from his bathtub and wrote on X, “Wondering about what I would say if I were hosting The Golden Globes on Sunday,” noting, “It’s been a pretty good year for material.”
The After Life star went on to let it rip with a few digs at two of the biggest stories in the entertainment industry this past year: the *NSYNC alum’s June DWI arrest and the Bad Boy Records founder’s ongoing legal battle surrounding allegations of sexual misconduct and racketeering. Starting with Timberlake, Gervais wrote, “If he’d have gone to jail he’d have heard the words ‘Sexy Back’ a lot more often,” referencing the musician’s 2006 Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 hit.
Timberlake was pulled over in the Hamptons and arrested on suspicion of driving while intoxicated June 17, 2024. He pleaded guilty to impaired driving in September and was sentenced to a $500 fine with a $260 surcharge, 25 hours of community service at a nonprofit of his choosing and the requirement to make a public safety announcement.
As for Combs, Gervais suggested a joke poking fun at the music mogul’s so-called “freak-offs” — sexually charged parties Diddy allegedly hosted that have spawned multiple accusations of abuse carried out by the producer. “Kevin Hart said that being at one of Diddy’s parties was uncomfortable, as he wouldn’t leave him alone,” Gervais tweeted. “Eventually he had to shout ‘Imma Midget, not a child.’”
Gervais hosted the Globes for three years back-to-back in 2010 and 2012, and then again in 2016 and 2020. This year, Nikki Glaser led the program; and while the U.K. Office star wasn’t there to make a crack at Combs, the Someday You’ll Die stand-up did the job herself. Shouting out Luca Guadagnino’s Challengers, Glaser quipped, “That movie was more sexually charged than Diddy’s credit card.”
“The afterparty isn’t going to be as good this year, but we have to move on,” she’d continued, joking that Italian-American actor Stanley Tucci would be hosting instead. “No baby oil this year; just lots of olive oil.”
Combs is currently being held in prison — having been denied bail multiple times — while he awaits trial for alleged crimes that federal prosecutors have described as a “pervasive pattern of abuse toward women.” The musician has repeatedly denied all accusations against him.
Glaser’s joke about the disgraced hip-hop titan was met with some backlash. Ariel Mitchell, an attorney representing several people accusing Diddy of sexual assault, told TMZ after the ceremony that she “hopes Nikki herself has never been sexually assaulted or mocked for it,” and that “making light of this ugly situation is exactly why so many sexual assault victims never come forward and report their abuse.”
See Gervais’ tweets below.
Kevin Hart said that being at one of Diddy’s parties was uncomfortable, as he wouldn’t leave him alone.Eventually he had to shout “Imma Midget, not a child.” https://t.co/SwFijcB4EW— Ricky Gervais (@rickygervais) January 3, 2025
Film composer Danny Elfman has lost a bid to dismiss a defamation lawsuit over statements he made to the media defending himself from sexual harassment allegations.
The ruling came in a case filed last year by former friend and fellow composer Nomi Abadi, who claims that Elfman defamed her when he issued a strongly-worded statement to Rolling Stone denying her accusations that he had exposed himself and masturbated in front of her.
Elfman had argued that he couldn’t be sued because his comments were made in the course of litigation — a form of legal “privilege” designed to ensure that the adversarial American court system can function properly without fear of defamation lawsuits.
But in a decision issued Dec. 24, Judge Gail Killefer denied Elfman’s motion and allowed Abadi’s case to advance. In her ruling, the judge said Elfman’s comments to Rolling Stone had been more akin to a “press release” than a protected legal motion.
“To allow defendant Elfman to make statements and permit their publication while hiding behind the litigation privilege would decimate the purpose of the privilege,” the judge wrote.
In a statement to Billboard on Monday, Elfman’s attorney Camille Vasquez vowed to appeal the order: “We respectfully disagree with the court’s ruling and are optimistic that the Court of Appeal will agree with us that this case ought to be dismissed.”
An attorney for Abadi did not immediately return a request for comment.
Abadi’s allegations against Elfman — a prolific film composer best known for the famous intro to The Simpsons — were first publicized in a 2023 article from Rolling Stone. The story reported that Elfman had entered into a previously unreported $830,000 settlement in 2018 to resolve her accusations and that Abadi had recently sued him for failing to make payments under that deal.
In the article, Elfman responded with an extensive statement. Calling the allegations “vicious and wholly false,” he described Abadi as having a “childhood crush” on him and intending to “break up my marriage and replace my wife.” Elfman said that when he attempted to distance himself from her, “she made it clear that I would pay for having rejected her.”
Last summer, Abadi added defamation to her list of accusations against Elfman. In a lawsuit filed in Los Angeles court, she claimed that his media statement had falsely tarred her as an “extortionist” and as a “scorned woman seeking revenge and money,” leaving her career as a composer “in tatters.”
“In publicly branding Nomi as a liar, and a failed temptress who lied about him for reasons of revenge and greed, Elfman and his representatives defamed Nomi,” her lawyers wrote at the time.
In moving to dismiss that case, Elfman’s lawyers cited California’s anti-SLAPP statute — a law that aims to make it easier for judges to quickly dismiss cases that threaten protected speech. They argued that the response statement came in a letter threatening to sue Rolling Stone if it published Abadi’s allegations, meaning it was shielded under the litigation privilege rule.
But in her order last month, Judge Killefersaid said Elfman’s letter had been “more than just an attempt to dissuade Rolling Stone from republishing allegations of sexual misconduct.”
“It was an effort to litigate the issue before the court of public opinion, permitting Elfman to publicly deny the veracity of plaintiff’s claims while preemptively hiding behind the litigation privilege to prevent any defamation claim,” the judge wrote.
Judge Killefersaid also rejected other defense arguments from Elfman’s legal team, including their claim that his statement to Rolling Stone had merely been a statement of “opinion” that was not capable of being proven false. To the contrary, the judge ruled that his denial statement was an “assertion of fact” that could potentially put him on the hook for defamation liability.
With the anti-SLAPP motion denied, Abadi’s case against Elfman will now proceed into normal litigation, which could take years to resolve if the case is not settled.
A recent hunting trip led to the emergency room for country singer/songwriter Riley Green.
“At the emergency room ’cause I stepped on a nail,” Alabama native Green said in a video posted to his Instagram Stories, which showed Green and a friend sitting in a hospital room. The camera panned down to show that one of Green’s boots had been removed. “Impaled my foot, and when I took my boot off, corn fell all over the floor,” Green said in the video, before laughing.
“The lady came in here wanting to know where all the corn came from. It’s from my boot. You don’t want me to take this other one off, either,” he said, laughing again and adding, “It’s real-world problems.”
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He posted other photos and videos to his IG Stories chronicling his emergency room visit; one photo depicted Green’s bootless foot (the photo was captioned “Hospital vibes”). In another video, Green’s friend gets to the important matter: asking when Green can resume hunting.
“Just hit us with it straight, doc,” Green said, before the doctor replied that Green could resume hunting immediately.
Indeed, Green wasn’t off his feet for long. On Monday afternoon (Jan. 6), he posted another video to his Instagram Stories, which depicted Green back out in the snowy woods, ready to put in another round of hunting.
“Somethin’ might be wrong with me at this point,” he captioned the video.
Beyond hunting, Green has been gearing up for his headlining Damn Country Music Tour, which launches in March. The tour will feature his “You Look Like You Love Me” collaborator Ella Langley on all tour dates, while Drake White, Vincent Mason, Lauren Watkins, Jake Worthington, Preston Cooper, Erik Dylan, Wyatt McCubbin, and Channing Wilson will open various shows throughout the tour.
Green recently earned the Billboard Country Airplay chart-topper “You Look Like You Love Me” in collaboration with Langley. The tour follows Green’s most recent album, Don’t Mind If I Do, which also includes another Langley collaboration on the title track, and features the fan-favorite favorite track “Jesus Saves.”
With a booming wave of salsa artists including Luis Figueroa and Christian Alicea, there’s no doubt that the tropical genre is catching the attention of the new generation. More so, reggaetón artists are also dipping their toes into salsa music, introducing it to their younger and/or non-Latino fans. Salsa music has its origins Cuba and […]
Benny Blanco was the biggest winner of the night at the 2025 Golden Globes! The producer was in attendance at the Jan. 5 ceremony, where his fiancée Selena Gomez was nominated for best supporting actress motion picture for Emilia Pérez and best actress in a television series for Only Murders in the Building. After the […]
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Source: Xbox / LG Smart TVs
Yup, that’s right, your new LG Smart TV is now an Xbox. Microsoft announced at CES 2025 a partnership with LG Electronics to bring the Xbox app to select LG Smart TVs as part of its push, allowing players to play Xbox games on devices not called a Series X or S.
Soon, gamers will be able to enjoy titles like Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, upcoming releases like Avowed (launching February 18, 2025), and hundreds of others via Game Pass Ultimate on the television’s Game Portal.
“We are thrilled to announce the partnership with Xbox, which aims to enrich the gaming experience on LG Smart TVs with a broader selection of popular games,” said Chris Jo, senior vice president of platform business at LG Media Entertainment Solution Company. “The Gaming Portal will provide users with a seamless, convenient, and exciting way to enhance the gaming experience on LG Smart TVs.”
“Our partnership with LG will help players easily discover and play games through the new Gaming Portal on LG Smart TVs,” said Lori Wright, Corporate Vice President of Xbox. “We’re fortunate to have a great partner in LG who will bring Xbox Cloud Gaming to more players, letting new and longtime Xbox’ers find their favorite games and play with friends across screens.”
Xbox Is Dead Serious About It’s New Vision
This latest move comes as Microsoft launches its new “This is an Xbox” campaign. The campaign aims to sell gamers on the idea that their smartphones, gaming laptops, handheld gaming systems, and smart TVs are all Xbox consoles.
Team Green has straightforwardly changed its company approach, ditching exclusivity by bringing games like Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, Hi-Fi Rush, and other future Xbox exclusives to the PS5 and Nintendo Switch.
Depending on who you ask, the decision is either good or a slap in the face, but with the PS5 currently torching the Series X in sales, Microsoft had no choice.
On Sunday’s Golden Globes red carpet, media personality Brianna LaPaglia (a.k.a. Brianna Chickenfry) spoke to Us Weekly about what characteristics she’s looking for in a potential new romantic partner, and LaPaglia appeared to throw a little shade at her ex, “I Remember Everything” hitmaker Zach Bryan, with her response.
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“Height, hair and kindness,” she listed.
The now-single LaPaglia noted to the outlet that she’s in a happy place at the moment, saying, “I’m doing good. I’m doing well, I’m doing well. I feel like myself again. It’s good to be back here. Like last year, I was in a bad spot when I was here and now, I’m in a good spot. I’m just excited to be here and I’m like, ‘Where’s the champagne?’ Let me have some fun.”
LaPaglia also noted that she recently filmed an episode with her BFFs podcast co-host Josh Richards and that the two had made a bet that LaPaglia can’t have a new romantic partner until mid-2025 — and that she’s not looking to quickly return to the dating scene.
“Dating looks like a dark hole that I don’t want to jump into,” LaPaglia said. “Actually, we made a bet on the first episode of BFFs: I’m not allowed to have a boyfriend until summer. … June 21st. He doesn’t think I can do it. I think I can do it. I have no boyfriends.”
Bryan and LaPaglia began dating in 2023 and made their debut together on the Grammys red carpet in February 2024.
In October, Bryan confirmed the couple’s split. Shortly after their split, LaPaglia opened up in a BFFs episode about her experience following the 2024 Golden Globes, where she wore a sparkly, golden-hued gown with a high slit. During that BFFs episode, LaPaglia alleged that she and Bryan argued after the Golden Globes, noting Bryan apparently “didn’t like” her choice of outfit to that year’s ceremony.
“He said he didn’t want to date someone that presents themselves that way. And he unfollowed me, he unfollowed everyone. … When I flew home — I flew home after the Golden Globes. He ruined my night,” she said. “He’s like happy in the beginning, then all of a sudden it turns to, ‘I can’t believe you’re wearing this, blah blah blah blah.’ It ruins the night. I’m crying to Grace [O’Malley] the whole f—ing night, and he unfollows me because of the dress. He tells me all the Instagram pictures that I have to delete, and I’m like, ‘OK, yeah, I guess.’ He makes me believe that I have to change my image to keep up with his or something.”
Billboard has reached out to Bryan’s camp for comment.
Nikki Glaser, who hosted the 2025 Golden Globes on Sunday night (Jan. 5), is facing criticism after poking fun at the allegations against Diddy during her opening monologue. Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news Attorney Ariel Mitchell, who represents a number of clients accusing Diddy of sexual assault, […]
ROSÉ and Bruno Mars’ “APT.” tops the Billboard Global 200 and Billboard Global Excl. U.S. charts for a milestone 10th week apiece. In November, the song debuted as the stars’ second leader on each list.
Plus, as seasonal songs have been boxed up and brought back up to the attic, a host of year-round hits return to the top 10 on each ranking, while one reaches the region for the first time: Lola Young’s “Messy.”
The Global 200 and Global Excl. U.S. charts, which began in September 2020, rank songs based on streaming and sales activity culled from more than 200 territories around the world, as compiled by Luminate. The Global 200 is inclusive of worldwide data and the Global Excl. U.S. chart comprises data from territories excluding the United States.
Chart ranks are based on a weighted formula incorporating official-only streams on both subscription and ad-supported tiers of audio and video music services, as well as download sales, the latter of which reflect purchases from full-service digital music retailers from around the world, with sales from direct-to-consumer (D2C) sites excluded from the charts’ calculations.
“APT.” rules the Global 200, rebounding 5-1, with 144.8 million streams (up 3% week-over-week) and 19,000 sold (up 11%) worldwide Dec. 27, 2024-Jan. 2, 2025. The track is the fifth to top the Global 200 for double-digit weeks, joining Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas Is You” (19 weeks, since December 2020; it falls from No. 1 to No. 27 on the latest list), Harry Styles’ “As It Was” (15 weeks, 2022), Miley Cyrus’ “Flowers” (13 weeks, 2023) and The Kid LAROI and Justin Bieber’s “Stay” (11 weeks, 2021).
Lady Gaga and Mars’ “Die With a Smile” jumps 10-2 on the Global 200, following eight weeks at No. 1 beginning in September. It drew 130.1 million streams (up 3%) worldwide in the latest tracking frame and has tallied over 100 million streams globally in each of the last 18 weeks, the longest such streak since the chart began.
Billie Eilish’s “Birds of a Feather” wings 20-3 on the Global 200, after three weeks at No. 1 beginning in August; Gracie Abrams’ “That’s So True” roars 21-4, returning to its high; and Sabrina Carpenter’s “Espresso” reheats 40-5, after three weeks at No. 1 beginning last June.
Plus, Lola Young’s “Messy” blasts 56-8 on the Global 200 with 36.1 million streams (up 20%) and 6,000 sold (up 36%) worldwide. It’s the Londoner’s first top 10, after she charted as featured on Tyler, The Creator’s “Like Him” (No. 37 peak in November).
“What I’m realizing about myself as an artist is that I’m not about the glitz and the glam – I don’t scream ‘Hollywood’,” Young recently told Billboard. “For a long time, I wanted to represent this ideal of Westernized beauty – but then I realized I’m not that. I now choose to give realness and truth. I’ve got a bit of a belly out, I f—ing swear a bunch and I have fun. And that’s what people are resonating with.”
“APT.” concurrently crowns Global Excl. U.S. (3-1) with 125.7 million streams (up 1%) and 12,000 sold (up 6%) outside the U.S. Dec. 27-Jan. 2. It becomes the fourth song to dominate for 10 or more weeks, joining Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas Is You” (14 weeks) and Cyrus’ “Flowers” and Styles’ “As It Was” (13 each).
The top five ranks on Global Excl. U.S. mirror that of the Global 200, as “Die With a Smile” climbs 6-2, following eight weeks at No. 1 starting in September; Eilish’s “Birds of a Feather” soars 17-3, after three weeks at No. 1 beginning in August; Abrams’ “That’s So True” surges 22-4, revisiting its high; and Carpenter’s “Espresso” climbs 27-5, after eight weeks at No. 1 beginning last May.
Also as on the Global 200, Young’s “Messy” vaults to No. 8 (from No. 48), becoming her first top 10, with 23.8 million streams (up 19%) and 3,000 sold (up 30%) outside the U.S.
The Billboard Global 200 and Billboard Global Excl. U.S. charts (dated Jan. 11, 2025) will update on Billboard.com tomorrow, Jan. 7. For both charts, the top 100 titles are available to all readers on Billboard.com, while the complete 200-title rankings are visible on Billboard Pro, Billboard’s subscription-based service. For all chart news, you can follow @billboard and @billboardcharts on both X, formerly known as Twitter, and Instagram.
Luminate, the independent data provider to the Billboard charts, completes a thorough review of all data submissions used in compiling the weekly chart rankings. Luminate reviews and authenticates data. In partnership with Billboard, data deemed suspicious or unverifiable is removed, using established criteria, before final chart calculations are made and published.
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On New Year’s Day, rapper Gloss Up got into a fight with her former manager, Tati, at Dreamz Restaurant and Lounge in Duluth, Georgia. The fight went down around early morning and quickly turned chaotic. Gloss Up, who used to be signed to Quality Control, and Tati had been having issues for a while, and things finally popped off that night. People at the restaurant said the argument between them got real heated before it turned physical. Videos from the scene started popping up on social media, showing a lot of pushing and shoving, with others trying to break it up. No serious injuries were reported, but the fight definitely made a scene.
Gloss Up hasn’t spoken out about what exactly went down, but Tati made a statement on her side of the story, “Out of nowhere, I was hit from behind. I didn’t see it coming at all I feel intimidated when I go out, not knowing if someone might be watching or following me,”
In late 2024, someone from Gloss’s close circle leaked a screenshot of a close friend’s post on Instagram of her confirming that the rumors are true about being a free agent. Stating “Finally free! Finna pop it”. Which seemed like our girl is in good spirits before the fight with her former manager, Tati.