State Champ Radio celebrity news
Page: 14
HipHopWired Featured Video
John Boyega is now a solidified actor due to his various stage, television, and film roles for more than a decade and counting. Before landing his big role in the Star Wars franchise, John Boyega shared a heartwarming story of how his finances were in a bad place before being cast as Finn in the last Star Wars trilogy.
John Boyega sat down at the Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo last Saturday (April 12) with Happy Sad Confused podcast host Josh Horowitz, as reported by PEOPLE. In the chat, Boyega, 33, shared that he endured a grueling auditioning process with director and producer J.J. Abrams that ended up being not for naught.
“I had been auditioning for so long, so I felt like he kind of took away my dignity a little bit,” Boyega said during the chat. “So I decided to pretend as if I was busy, you know, when you just pretend that you’re busy. ‘I got other stuff to do, J.J.,’ “
Boyega added that he pretended to be busy and attempted to brush Abrams off, saying that he was out at an art show. The reality for Boyega was that Abrams wanted to meet at a local restaurant, and Boyega was compelled to make the meeting. However, with just £45 in his bank account, which is just under $60 in USD, Boyega had to use a good amount of his funds to meet with the director.
Fearful that Abrams was setting up the meeting to tell him he didn’t get the part, Boyega began to appeal that he could audition again and rattled off the various accents he could do. However, Abrams ended all suspense by using the moment to tell Boyega that he would be appearing in the latest Star Wars films.
John Boyega would star as the defecting stormtrooper Finn alongside Daisy Ridley, who played the role of chief protagonist Rey, and Adam Driver in the role of Kylo Ren. Boyega has been critical of the Star Wars fandom, which has engaged in reported toxic behavior online over Abrams’ casting choices.
—
Photo: Getty
HipHopWired Featured Video
CLOSE
Megan Thee Stallion took to the Coachella 2025 stage and delivered one of the most dynamic sets of her career, and there were several surprises in store for the fans watching in person and at home. On X, the reactions to Megan Thee Stallion’s high-energy performance and the surprise guest appearances of Queen Latifah, Victoria Monet, and Ciara added to the excitement.
Megan Thee Stallion was one of the last two headlining acts for the first weekend of Coachella, and her set on Sunday (April 13) was one for the ages. Running through hits like “Star,” “Body,” “Big Ole Freak,” and dipping into earlier mixtape cuts like “Cognac Queen,” the Houston Hottie looked and sounded marvelous. But just when we thought Hot Girl Meg was all we were getting, Queen Latifah appeared out of nowhere to drop some quick bars.
Following that moment, Victoria Monet’s cameo was another shock out of thin air, and the chemistry the pair shared was incredible to witness. And just when the crowd was already worked to a frenzy, Ciara came out and showed off some of her legendary dance moves and solid vocals.
Megan Thee Stallion was the next to closing act, yielding the stage to Post Malone after briefly running over time as she exited the stage to her global smash, “Star,” and told the crowd she’ll be back to rock the Coachella stage next weekend. Some fans online were rightly upset at the Coachella stage crew cutting off Megan’s microphone just as “Star” was set to roll.
Not for nothing, the show could’ve ended there, no diss to all of Posty’s fans out there.
On X, formerly Twitter, fans are still processing what they witnessed tonight at Coachella, and we’re in the same boat. Check out the reactions below.
—
Photo: Christopher Polk / Getty
HipHopWired Featured Video
Source: Allen Berezovsky / Getty
Manzaro Joseph filed a lawsuit against Sean “Diddy” Combs, alleging that at a 2015 party for King Combs, he witnessed a bevy of questionable acts and detailed superstar couple Jay-Z and Beyoncé as attendees. Manzaro Joseph has since amended his lawsuit, taking out the names of Jay-Z and Beyoncé, but still intends to move ahead on Diddy.
TMZ Hip Hop reports that Manzaro Joseph’s lawsuit from earlier this month, where he claimed Diddy forced him to wear a mask afixed with a penis, has since been amended to and no longer has the couple named as witnesses to the alleged “freak off” event. Joseph’s earlier account said that he was forced to wear the mask and paraded around the party, claiming the singer confronted him at one point.
The outlet added in its reporting that sources close to the matter say that Joseph’s attorney was warned by Alex Spiro, the attorney for Jay-Z and his wife, adding that the Carters were not in or near Miami at the time of the alleged party for Diddy’s son.
Manzaro Joseph is still going ahead with the lawsuit, which also names Emilio Estefan and other celebrities who lived on Star Island in Miami, where Joseph claims these acts took place.
—
Photo: Getty
HipHopWired Featured Video
A star attorney who has represented Hunter Biden, Chris Brown, and Michael Jackson in previous times has been named to lead the defense team for Sean “Diddy” Combs. Mark Geragos was named as an advisor along with his daughter, Teny Geragos, but it appears he’s all but set to take the reins of Diddy’s explosive case.
Page Six ran an exclusive report regarding the addition of Mark Geragos to the legal team for Sean “Diddy” Combs, getting those details by way of insider sources providing information to the outlet. As noted in the report, Geragos has worked with the Menedez Brothers, Roger Cinton, and several other high-profile clients throughout his career.
Combs is set to face trial on May 5, and his team is currently headed by Marc Agnifilo, who has represented Luigi Mangione and Martin Shkreli, among other notable cases. Currently, this is a six-person team; one attorney, Anthony Ricco, left the case last month. It isn’t known if Geragos is Ricco’s replacement or if other members will join the legal defense team.–
—
Photo: Getty
HipHopWired Featured Video
Source: MEGA / Getty
Soulja Boy will have to pay his former assistant $4 million in compensatory damages and an additional $250,000 in punitive damages in connection with a civil lawsuit. Jane Doe accused Soulja Boy of assault, sexual battery, and harassment and launched a lawsuit in 2021.
Both Rolling Stone and Pitchfork have extensively covered the case involving Soulja Boy and Jane Doe, with details coming forth that the pair did enter into a consensual physical relationship that later took a turn for the worse, according to Doe.
Speaking with Rolling Stone, Jane Doe said that while she feels vindicated, her hope is that the “Crank That” rapper won’t do this again to anyone else.
“I feel like I got justice. Obviously, it’s not going to return everything I lost. I lost way more than I gained. My hope is he doesn’t do this to any more women,” Doe told the outlet.
In a statement to the outlet, Soulja Boy is vowing to appeal the matter.
“The district attorney never filed charges. I was never charged or convicted of this, criminally. So, to be accused of this civilly is beyond me. I’ve never done any of the things they’re accusing me of. I just feel like this is very unfair,” the rapper born DeAndre Cortez Way said to Rolling Stone.He then added, “I want to make it clear that I’m innocent. This case was never about justice. It was about money and personal gain, and I will not let that stand. I am committed to filing an appeal and fighting for the truth to be revealed.”For victims of sexual assault, domestic partner violence, and abuse, please see the following to find out how to get assistance:
RAINN National Sexual Assault Hotlinehttps://www.rainn.org1 800 656 HOPE (4673)
Crisis Text LineSMS: Text “HELLO” or “HOLA” to 741-741
The National Domestic Violence Hotlinehttps://thehotline.org1-800-799-SAFE (7233)
—
Photo:
HipHopWired Featured Video
Eugene “Big U” Henley Jr. has pleaded not guilty to a flurry of charges he’s facing in connection with racketeering, gang violence, and murder. The mother of one of Big U’s alleged murder victims, Rayshawn Williams, believes that the music executive and assumed gang boss committed the crime.
TMZ Hip Hop spoke with the mother and sister of Rayshawn Williams outside of a Roscoe’s Chicken & Waffles location in California. Shadonna Brown took questions from the outlet’s reporter regarding Big U’s ongoing case, and she didn’t mince words about her assessment of Henley and his alleged involvement in the death of her son.
Court documents highlight that Henley carried out a hit against Williams, who was a rapper signed to Henley’s Uneek Music label, after a dispute in Las Vegas went awry. FBI agent Andrew Roosa said that Williams was flown to Las Vegas in January 2021 by Henley and was slated to record music, but didn’t show up to the sessions. This appeared to anger Henley, who flew to Las Vegas to oversee the sessions. After that, what occurred remains a mystery.
Brown says her “mother’s intuition” is what led her to believe Big U was responsible for her son’s murder. Even further, it appeared that Williams recorded a song dissing his label boss, even down to how he would pass away. Williams was found shot several times in a Nevada landfill, and some suggest that the hit was carried out due to the diss track.
Williams and Henley’s son played football together in high school, highlighting the depth of the bond they seemed to share. Brown has since launched a GoFundMe to relocate for what she says are safety reasons. She also added that Henley never contacted her after the death of her son.
—Photo: Getty
HipHopWired Featured Video
Sada Baby, one of the many buzzing rappers from the Detroit Hip-Hop scene, was pulled over in Michigan at the top of the year due to the tint on his windows. During that stop, officers found a curious substance suspected to be drugs in Sada Baby’s vehicle, and after testing, it was determined that it was narcotics, thus leading to his arrest.
Local outlet Detroit Free Press reports that Sada Baby, real name Casada Sorrell, was pulled over in his Dodge Ram with tinted windows on January 9. After his plates were run, it was discovered that Sada Baby had an outstanding warrant for driving without a license. From there, police discovered the substance after arresting him on the warrant.
It appears that Sorrell was arrested again after tests determined that the substance they found in the vehicle was indeed drugs. A mugshot from the arrest has emerged and showcases Sada Baby displaying a zany look in the photo.
The rapper faces a charge of possessing less than 25 grams of a controlled substance (narcotic/cocaine), which is a felony in Michigan.
Sada Baby released his latest project, Bridge Kard Blessings, at the end of March.
—
Photo: Sterling Heights Police Department/Getty
HipHopWired Featured Video
Source: Eric Charbonneau / Getty
KeKe Palmer had what normally would be a top media grab in the likes of a Jonathan Majors sit-down interview. However, considering the controversy surrounding Jonanatha Majors, Keke Palmer has elected not to air the episode after public backlash.
As spotted over at The Daily Beast, Palmer was set to have Majors on her Baby, This Is KeKe Palmer podcast with an air date of April 8. The episode was teased on the show’s website and a quick video clip of the recorded chat made its way around social media.
Titled “No Easy Answers: Accountability and Moving Forward with Jonathan Majors,” it appears that the accountability some might be seeking from Majors is sorely lacking. The observation of the clip is that Palmer didn’t dig deeper into Majors’ mindset and the incident that occurred between the actor and Grace Jabbari.
Fans online gathered to decry Palmer’s decision to interview Majors, who is back to starring in films after appearing in Magazine Dreams. Many of them also noted that Palmer was involved in a domestic violence incident and wondered why she would give Majors a platform.
Instead of Majors, Palmer is now promoting an interview with Kash Doll as the next episode of her podcast.
—
Photo: Getty
HipHopWired Featured Video
Source: Eric Charbonneau / Getty
KeKe Palmer had what normally would be a top media grab in the likes of a Jonathan Majors sit-down interview. However, considering the controversy surrounding Jonanatha Majors, Keke Palmer has elected not to air the episode after public backlash.
As spotted over at The Daily Beast, Palmer was set to have Majors on her Baby, This Is KeKe Palmer podcast with an air date of April 8. The episode was teased on the show’s website and a quick video clip of the recorded chat made its way around social media.
Titled “No Easy Answers: Accountability and Moving Forward with Jonathan Majors,” it appears that the accountability some might be seeking from Majors is sorely lacking. The observation of the clip is that Palmer didn’t dig deeper into Majors’ mindset and the incident that occurred between the actor and Grace Jabbari.
Fans online gathered to decry Palmer’s decision to interview Majors, who is back to starring in films after appearing in Magazine Dreams. Many of them also noted that Palmer was involved in a domestic violence incident and wondered why she would give Majors a platform.
Instead of Majors, Palmer is now promoting an interview with Kash Doll as the next episode of her podcast.
—
Photo: Getty
HipHopWired Featured Video
Source: Eric Charbonneau / Getty
KeKe Palmer had what normally would be a top media grab in the likes of a Jonathan Majors sit-down interview. However, considering the controversy surrounding Jonanatha Majors, Keke Palmer has elected not to air the episode after public backlash.
As spotted over at The Daily Beast, Palmer was set to have Majors on her Baby, This Is KeKe Palmer podcast with an air date of April 8. The episode was teased on the show’s website and a quick video clip of the recorded chat made its way around social media.
Titled “No Easy Answers: Accountability and Moving Forward with Jonathan Majors,” it appears that the accountability some might be seeking from Majors is sorely lacking. The observation of the clip is that Palmer didn’t dig deeper into Majors’ mindset and the incident that occurred between the actor and Grace Jabbari.
Fans online gathered to decry Palmer’s decision to interview Majors, who is back to starring in films after appearing in Magazine Dreams. Many of them also noted that Palmer was involved in a domestic violence incident and wondered why she would give Majors a platform.
Instead of Majors, Palmer is now promoting an interview with Kash Doll as the next episode of her podcast.
—
Photo: Getty
