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Sedona Prince, a standout player for Texas Christian University’s women’s basketball team, was thought to be a valuable WNBA prospect due to her size and experience. However, Sedona Prince went undrafted in this year’s WNBA draft amid abuse allegations and other concerns.
As reported by Page Six, Sedona Prince, who played her seventh and final year at TCU, did not have her name called in the WNBA draft despite helping the Horned Frogs reach the Elite Eight in this past NCAA women’s basketball tournament. At 6-foot-7, Prince averaged 17.2 points and 9.4 rebounds per game.
However, the reports of a January altercation between Prince and a woman she was dating at the top of this year hung over the player’s head. Taking to TikTok, Olivia Stabile accused Prince of several instances of physical and emotional abuse, prompting Prince to fire back with her account countering the claims. They both filed charges of domestic violence against one another as well.
Beyond the altercation with her former partner, Prince has been dogged by injuries, and at 24, she would be coming in as one of the older players in the WNBA as a rookie. Still, Sedona Prince’s size and abilities are sure to be in demand for teams, and she may be able to earn a tryout.
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Photo: Sarah Stier / Getty
With his sex trafficking and racketeering trial looming next month, Sean “Diddy” Combs has beefed up his trial team by hiring Brian Steel – the veteran Atlanta defense attorney who won Young Thug’s release from prison last year.
In a motion filed Tuesday in Manhattan federal court, Steel requested to be admitted as one of Combs’ lawyers ahead of the upcoming trial, which is currently set to go to jury selection on May 5. Such approval is necessary for out-of-state lawyers to practice in new courts.
The move marks a significant addition to the team representing Combs, the once-powerful rap mogul now charged with abusing women for decades. Steel will join Marc Agnifilo, a former federal prosecutor and longtime criminal defense attorney who has previously repped Martin Shkreli and Keith Raniere, and his law partner Teny Geragos.
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Steel made headlines with his recent work defending Young Thug (Jeffery Williams), who faced a slew of felony charges in Georgia over allegations that his “YSL” rap collective was actually a violent street gang that had wrought havoc on Atlanta. The attorney often took center stage during that case, which captivated the music industry for more than two years.
A well-regarded defense attorney for years in Atlanta, Steel is known for his unique demeanor in the courtroom – polite, calm and scrupulous, but also relentless. Case in point: In June, he accused the judge overseeing Thug’s trial of holding an illegal secret meeting with prosecutors and a key witness. When the judge demanded to know how he’d learned of the meeting, Steel refused to answer so steadfastly that he was eventually held in contempt and ordered into custody. Weeks later, that judge was removed from the case over the incident and Steel was later cleared of any wrongdoing.
In some ways, the case facing Combs is similar to the one leveled against Thug. Both were charged with violating RICO laws (Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations), accused of serving as the bosses of large criminal organizations. But Thug’s case was centered on accusations that his group committed drug dealing, carjackings and an alleged drive-by shooting; Combs is accused of using his fame and his sprawling business empire to sexually abuse numerous women and then keep them silent.
Differences aside, Combs is no doubt hoping for a similar result to the one Steel secured for Thug.
After botched testimony from a state’s witness in October sparked talk of a mistrial, prosecutors began reaching plea deals with multiple defendants. But Steel and Thug refused to take one, instead opting to simply plead guilty and hope the judge would set him free on probation rather than the 25 years the district attorney was seeking.
That gamble paid off: After sentencing Thug to only 15 years probation with no time to be served in prison, the judge urged the Grammy-winning rapper to use his platform to set a good example for young people in the future: “Good luck to you. And there better be no violations.”
Since he was indicted in September, Combs’ legal team has seen several shakeups. He hired Alexandra Shapiro, an well-known appellate specialist, in October. Anthony L. Ricco, another prominent New York defense attorney, withdrew from the case in February for undisclosed reasons.
The Elton John AIDS Foundation and Brandi Carlile‘s Looking Out Foundation announced a new initiative on Wednesday (April 16) to address what they call an urgent global humanitarian crisis caused by recent drastic cuts to HIV/AIDS funding in the U.S. The emergency initiative “Who Believes in Angels?” campaign — named in honor of the duo’s recent joint album of the same name — will bring communities together to raise funds for John’s long-running AIDS Foundation and its Rocket Response Fund to continue their lifesaving work around the globe.
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“Without prompt action, decades of progress in the global fight against HIV could be reversed, creating a global health crisis that we have both the power and the tools to prevent,” John said in a statement about the urgent need to raise funds in the wake of the Trump administration’s termination of USAID support for such efforts. “Our mission is more important than ever – we refuse to leave anyone behind – and I’m so fortunate that Brandi is not only a wonderful collaborator and artist, but a dear friend who shares my vision of a world where HIV care is prioritized and protected.”
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According to the statement, the Rocket Response Fund will direct resources to open shuttered clinics, restore access to essential medications and maintain prevention services to ensure that people around the world can get the HIV care they need.
The Hill reported this week that the deep cuts enacted by Health and Human Services (HHS) Sec. Robert F. Kennedy to the nation’s public health workforce as part of Trump’s drastic cuts to the government workforce threaten to undo decades of working combating HIV, as well as potentially delaying upcoming scientific advances. Kennedy’s plans to reduce HHS staffing by 20% will effectively zero-out a number of divisions within the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Hit especially hard are offices focused on HIV/AIDS, including the firing of the entire staff of the Office of Infectious Disease and HIV/AIDS Policy, as well as the lay-off of one-quarter of the Global Health Center Division of Global HIV and TB, as well as the National Center for HIV, Viral Hepatitis, STD and Tuberculosis Prevention. In addition, five branches of the CDC’s HIV prevention division were entirely eliminated, including the research, surveillance and prevention communication branches.
Hit particularly hard were grants for HIV research focused on transgender, Black and Latino individuals — who’ve been disproportionately impacted by the epidemic — in what the Hill said was likely tied to the Trump team’s efforts to eliminate what they deem diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) in federal agencies. The Hill noted that before being named as HHS secretary, Kennedy publicly questioned whether the HIV virus causes AIDS and promoted the unsubstantiated belief that AIDS could be cause by the recreational drug known as “poppers,” which is popular in the gay community; the CDC and World Health Organization have long acknowledged that if left untreated HIV can lead to AIDS.
“It was a lifelong dream come true for me to come together with my hero and friend Elton John to make our album Who Believes In Angels? and now, we’re excited to announce that our foundations are also partnering to make our music mean even more,” said Carlile in a statement. “Elton’s activism and work with the Elton John AIDS Foundation was what led me to Elton before I even heard a note of his music. It’s an incredible honor to launch this partnership and raise funds for the life-saving work of the Elton John AIDS Foundation and the Rocket Response Fund at a time when support is needed the most.”
The announcement noted that international funding has been crucial to reducing new HIV transmission and deaths worldwide. But with a number of countries joining the U.S. in considering aid cuts the Lancet HIV projected that — based on data from 26 countries — up to 10.8 million additional HIV cases and 2.9 million HIV-related deaths could occur by 2030 if international support dries up.
Donations to the campaign — which the Looking Out Foundation will match dollar-for-dollar through Friday morning (April 18) — can be made here.
Something went wrong with Spotify this morning, leading to a widespread outage of the streaming service that impacted its desktop and mobile apps, as well as its web player, on a global scale for several hours. According to the company, the issues were not due to a security breach. The platform appears to be returning […]
It may only be April, but a handful of music’s biggest stars — Ed Sheeran, ROSÉ of BLACKPINK and Snoop Dogg, to name a few — have already dominated the year so much that TIME100 has named them on its list of Most Influential People of 2025.
As announced Wednesday (April 16), the “Shape of You” singer, K-pop superstar and hip-hop legend are just a few of the many celebrities honored on this year’s list, which each year celebrates individual artists, icons, world leaders, industry titans, pioneers and innovators who are “transforming the world.” Hozier and Nicole Scherzinger also earned spots on the ranking, as did actors such as Adam Scott, Rashida Jones, Kristen Bell, Demi Moore, Adrien Brody and Blake Lively.
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The 2025 list also features Serena Williams, Simone Biles, Jalen Hurts and other athletes, as well as political figures such as President Donald Trump, Vice President J.D. Vance, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Elon Musk. Each honoree received a personal tribute written by a colleague, with Shaboozey, Alicia Keys and Becky G respectively penning words for singer-songwriter Myles Smith, artist Mickalene Thomas and designer Willy Chavarria.
Chris Hemsworth wrote Sheeran’s blurb, gushing that the four-time Grammy winner “has an almost supernatural ability to connect” with his audience through music while also being “one of the most kindhearted, down-to-earth people.” Lily Collins recalled befriending ROSÉ at a fashion show in Paris last year, praising the “APT.” singer for being a a “total bada–” and “such a dynamic performer and songwriter,” while Noah Kahan wrote of the “Take Me to Church” musician, “I’m not sure where my life would’ve gone if I hadn’t been exposed to his music … Thank you, Hozier, for sharing your gift with us mere mortals.”
“Snoop Dogg once told me he’s a ‘moment’ type of guy, and if the moment’s right, he’ll grab it,” wrote Hoda Kotb of the “Drop It Like It’s Hot” rapper. “I’ll say. The world’s warmest cool kid has been carpe diem-ing for more than three decades … There’s just something about this guy that makes me — and millions of his fans — feel so happy and loved.”
True to its title, the TIME100 list honors a total of 100 people. Last year, Dua Lipa, 21 Savage, Burna Boy, Kylie Minogue and Jack Antonoff were among the 2024 Most Influential honorees.
See Sheeran and Snoop on the cover of TIME100 below.
The Pilgrimage Music & Cultural Festival is set to bring surges of guitar-slinging rock, Red Dirt country, blues and Americana when the annual fest returns to The Park at Harlinsdale Farm in Franklin, Tenn., Sept. 27-28.
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John Mayer, Kings of Leon, Turnpike Troubadours and Young the Giant lead this year’s lineup, which also features Father John Misty, Sam Barber, Better Than Ezra, Colony House, American Aquarium, Grace Potter, Maggie Rose and Angel White.
Others on the bill also include Sam Grisman Project, The Heavy Heavy, Taylor Hunnicutt, Eddie 9V and verygently. The Americana Music Triangle will highlight Ben Chapman’s Peach Jam featuring JD Clayton, Meg McRee, Will McFarlane and Sam Grisman Project featuring Vince Herman, Lindsay Lou and Cristina Vane. The fest will offer a range of stages and amenities, including the VIP Village, the Midnight Sun Stage, the Gold Record Road Stage, the Craft Beer Hall and the Americana Music Triangle.
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Since its inception in 2015, the Pilgrimage Music & Cultural Festival has become a must-see experience, boasting headliners including Zach Bryan, Justin Timberlake, Chris Stapleton, Keith Urban, Eddie Vedder and Willie Nelson over the years. In 2024, the headliners included Dave Matthews Band, Noah Kahan, Hozier and NEEDTOBREATHE. The fest is produced by Better Than Ezra frontman Kevin Griffin, along with Michael Whelan and W. Brandt Wood.
Mayer’s most recent album, 2021’s Sob Rock, reached No. 2 on the all-genre Billboard 200, while Kings of Leon released its more recent album, Can We Please Have Fun, nearly a year ago. Turnpike Troubadours just released its new album, The Price of Admission, and launched a series of The Boys of Oklahoma concerts in Stillwater, Oklahoma, alongside Cross Canadian Ragweed.
Tickets for Pilgrimage Music & Cultural Festival go on sale starting at 10 a.m. CT on Thursday, April 17.
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Martin fans were treated to a heartwarming reunion last year and proved that the popular 1990s sitcom still has its fair share of fans in the 21st Century. Now, it’s being announced that Tommy Davidson will reprise a beloved character in a Martin spinoff series, Varnell Hill, which will be coming to BET+.
Deadline reports that BET+ has ordered Varnell Hill to the service with Martin Lawrence serving as an executive producer, along with Bentley Evans in the shared role. Jesse Collins is also named as one of the executive producers for the series. The outlet adds that while Lawrence hasn’t been announced to be a part of the show, it’s believed he’ll show up for some cameos.
The series will feature eight episodes and will examine the behind-the-scenes happenings at The Varnell Hill Show, the late-night talk show helmed by Davidson’s character. The series is promising celebrity cameos and will examine Hill’s attempts to keep his show going and some of the pitfalls that come along with running the shop.
“Did you miss me? Well, now you don’t have to! I’m excited and honored to be a part of such a creative project with the brilliant mind of Martin Lawrence, over 30 years in the making,” Davidson said about Varnell Hill. “Fans have requested it, and now it’s coming to BET+.”
Congratulations to Tommy Davidson!
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Photo: Michael S. Schwartz / Getty
With Pride Month just around the corner and a multitude of queer-focused music festivals kicking off in June, the folks over at LadyLand are here to give you one more headline-making event to consider for your Pride celebrations. On Wednesday (April 16), LadyLand announced that Cardi B and FKA Twigs are the headliners for its […]
Billboard’s Dance Moves roundup serves as a guide to the biggest movers and shakers across Billboard’s many dance charts — new No. 1s, new top 10s, first-timers and more.
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This week on charts dated April 19, Skrillex, 2hollis, PinkPantheress and others achieve new feats. Check out key movers below.
Skrillex
The influential DJ-producer dropped his fourth studio album, F*CK U SKRILLEX YOU THINK UR ANDY WARHOL BUT UR NOT!!
All products and services featured are independently chosen by editors. However, Billboard may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes. In celebration of their recent collaborative album, Selena Gomez and Benny Blanco are dropping exclusive album merch on Amazon. The album, […]
