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As conservative country stars such as John Rich and Travis Tritt continue their calls for a boycott of Bud Light, Anheuser-Busch CEO Brendan Whitworth has responded to the ongoing controversy on Friday (April 14).
In a statement posted to the company’s official Instagram page and Twitter account, Whitworth said that he felt a responsibility toward making sure “every consumer feels proud of the beer we brew,” pointing to Anheuser-Busch’s history of support for “our communities, military, first responders, sports fans and hard-working Americans everywhere.”
In regards to the ongoing backlash, Whitworth clarified the company’s objectives as a brand: “We never intended to be part of a discussion that divides people,” he wrote. “We are in the business of bringing people together over a beer.”
Conservative backlash to the brand began when transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney participated in a branded partnership with Bud Light, advertising its Easy Carry Contest across her social media accounts, in which she thanked the company for sending her a can of the beer with her face emblazoned on the side.
In response to Mulvaney’s video, artists including Kid Rock and Ted Nugent began speaking out against the brand, with Tritt and Rich starting their own respective boycotts of all Anheuser-Busch products.
Whitworth never directly referenced Mulvaney, Tritt, Rich, or the boycotts themselves in his statement. Instead, he focused on “the importance of accountability and the values upon which America was founded: freedom, hard work and respect for one another,” while also adding that he as CEO would focus more on “protecting [Anheuser-Busch’s] remarkable history and heritage.”
Closing his official statement, Whitworth said that he would “continue to work tirelessly to bring great beers to consumers across the nation.”
Check out Brendan Whitworth’s full statement below.
Halsey is teaming up with Hard Rock live to perform reimagined versions of their songs for a good cause.
“i’m playing a handful of intimate venues with a string ensemble this summer,” she tweeted on Friday (April 14), adding that donations and proceeds for the show will benefit two LGBTQIA+ focused organizations. Outright International advocates for human rights and equality for LGBTQIA+ people, and invests in the community as well as allies around the world to produce cultural, social and legal change. Human Rights Campaign aims to ensure all LGBTQ+ people — and particularly those who are trans, people of color or HIV positive — are treated as equal citizens around the world. In addition, the events will also benefit Hard Rock Heals, which provides assistance to health and wellness, disaster relief, humanitarian causes and more around the world.
The three shows will take place on June 24 in Hollywood, Fla.; June 30 in Gary, Ind.; and on July 2 in Wheatland, Calif.
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Halsey’s exciting announcement comes amid a treacherous time in the music industry, where a few artists have been sharing transphobic responses to trans activist Dylan Mulvaney teaming up with Anheuser-Busch to promote the brand’s Easy Carry Contest, including Kid Rock and Travis Tritt.
Additionally, conservative politicians have been targeting trans people, drag queens and queer culture in recent weeks, leading to a surge in anti-LGBTQ bills surging through Republican-led legislatures, particularly in Tennessee.
James Corden has long had a soft spot in his heart for the men of One Direction. He’s hosted them and done bits with the beloved boy band’s members over the course of his eight years hosting the Late Late Show. So naturally given their affection for one another speculation has been running rampant that Harry Styles, Niall Horan, Zayn Malik, Liam Payne and Louis Tomlinson would get the band back together to honor Corden’s final curtain call.
In a tweet on Thursday afternoon (April 13) — over a screenshot of a British tabloid report claiming that the five-piece would reunite for the first time in 8 years for Corden’s swan song — the show stamped the words “FALSE ALARM” in red letters. “Nobody loves the boys more than us … but this story just isn’t true,” read the let-down message to anyone who believed that the quintet are getting the band back together to honor their pal one lasat time.
“What is true is we’ve got an absolutely brilliant 2 hour finale planned to celebrate 8 years of #LateLateShow at 10pm on April 27th,” the tweet added.
One Direction visited the Late Late Show in May 2015, shortly after Malik took leave from the group, with Styles, Horan, Payne and Tomlinson cramming into a minivan for a “Carpool Karaoke” segment. Over the years Payne has dropped by to do a “Boy Bands Vs. Solo Artists Riff-Off” with Corden and perform “Strip That Down,” while Horan has done his own “Carpool” segment, a “500 Miles” song parody, and, just last month, a musical pirate sketch.
Tomlinson popped in last year and performed “Bigger Than Me” — while proving game to talk about whether he was open to being kidnapped in another long-running 1D bit on the show — and also performed in a number of sketches over the years. Styles has allowed Corden to film a low-budget music video for him, done a week-long residency, played a very spicy “Spill Your Guts” with Kendall Jenner, guest hosted, shot his own “Carpool” trip and even a Crosswalk Concert over the years.
Check out the Late Late Show‘s tweet below.
Nobody loves the boys more than us … but this story just isn’t true. What is true is we’ve got an absolutely brilliant 2 hour finale planned to celebrate 8 years of #LateLateShow at 10pm on April 27th. pic.twitter.com/Vyj75eB5qz— The Late Late Show with James Corden (@latelateshow) April 13, 2023
Bowen Yang just wants to fit in during the promo for this weekend’s Saturday Night Live. Standing next to host Cuban/Spanish actress Ana de Armas (Blonde), Colombian musical guest Karol G and Cuban-Dominican SNL castmate Marcello Hernandez, Yang is the odd man out in the first all-Spanish language preview for the show.
The host does the usual intro, saying her name and welcoming Karol as the musical guest in Spanish, while Hernandez tells the singer that it’s going to be a “tremendous night” as he gushes about how much he loves her musical. After Karol says she’s delighted to be there, Yang, desperate to prove his funky bilingual bona fides, casually drops all the Spanish he learned in high school, adding, “yo soy la playa.”
“You are the beach?” Hernandez wonders. “Yes, I am the beach,” Yang concurs confidently, as de Armas confirms, “Bowen is the beach.”
One of the other bits setting up this weekend’s show finds Yang telling de Armas that he loved her as Marilyn Monroe in Blonde, as Karol G says she also loved the actress in Bond, — as in 2021’s No Time To Die — while Hernandez keeps the rhyme time going by saying he is “fond” of her work in the movie Ghosted. This time, however, Marcello is the one on the outside looking in, as he apologizes for his clumsy attempt to keep the rhyme going.
The Spanish-heavy promo was fitting as Karol G’s Mañana Será Bonito made her the first artist to land an all-Spanish language album by a female artist to debut atop the Billboard 200 album chart last month; it was also Karol’s first No. 1 album on the chart.
Saturday Night Live airs at 11:30 p.m. ET on Saturday (April 15) and then streams on Peacock after.
Check out this week’s SNL promos below.
Drake Bell was reported safe on Thursday afternoon (April 13), just hours after police in Daytona Beach issued a missing person’s alert for the 36-year-old former Nickelodeon star. And while police have not released any information to date about where Bell (born Jared Bell) was before he was found or what caused them to issue a “missing and endangered” alert, the former Drake & Josh star broke his silence on Thursday evening with a jokey tweet about the incident.
“You leave your phone in the car and don’t answer for the night and this?,” he wrote along with a crying laughing emoji. At press time Bell had not further explained where he was or why the alert was issued and a spokesperson for the Tampa Bay Police Department had not returned Billboard‘s request for additional information on the search for the actor.
On Thursday morning, TBPD wrote on Facebook that, “He [Bell] should be traveling in a 2022 grey BMW and his last known location is potentially the area of Mainland High School… He is considered missing and endangered.” Hours later they sent out an update that read, “we can confirm law enforcement officials are in contact and Mr. Bell is safe.”
According to People magazine, Bell’s last public appearance before his brief disappearance was on April 11 when he was seen with his two-year-old son at SeaWorld in Orlando; Bell shares custody of the child with estranged wife Janet Von Schmeling, who the magazine reported in January had split with the actor/singer as he sought outpatient treatment for substance use issues.
See Bell’s tweet below.
You leave your phone in the car and don’t answer for the night and this? 😂— DrakeBell.ethᵍᵐ (@DrakeBell) April 13, 2023
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Khloe Kardashian and Travis Barker are taking fans inside their Italian nuptials in ‘Til Death Do Us Part: Kourtney & Travis, premiering on Hulu on Thursday (April 13).
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The 70-minute special includes private personal footage of “an intimate family event full of beautiful moments,” according to Hulu. The couple wed in Portofino, Italy on May 22, 2022.
“Our wedding felt like time didn’t exist. It just felt perfect,” Kourtney says in the special, which she produced with Barker. The special opens with the twosome tying the knot in Las Vegas and Santa Barbara, Calif., ahead of the Italian ceremony.
Kim and Khloe Kardashian are featured in the special along with mom, Kris Jenner, and sisters, Kendall and Kylie Jenner.
Read on for details on how to stream the special for free.
How to Stream ‘Til Death Do Us Part: Koutney & Travis on Hulu
‘Til Death Do Us Part is a Hulu exclusive streaming at no additional charge to subscribers. If you’re not already subscribed, Hulu offers a free 30-day trial, so you can stream the wedding special for free.
Hulu’s most popular plan is $7.99 a month (or $79.99/year) to stream thousands of episodes of TV shows and movies including The Kardashians, Tiny Beautiful Things, Unprisoned, Only Murders in the Building, The Handmaid’s Tale, Life & Beth, The Dropout, How I Met Your Father and other Hulu Originals, in addition to network TV and cable shows like Abbott Elementary, The Masked Singer and Snowfall, a day after they air on television.
Hulu also has ad-free plans for $14.99/month and student plans for $2/month.
Hulu $7.99/month after 30-day free trial
Looking for more streaming deals? Get Hulu, Disney+ and ESPN+ for $12.99/month.
Hulu subscribers can create up to six profiles under one account and stream from up to two different screens at once and from compatible devices including a smart TV, phone or computer.
If you’re looking for a streaming plan with live television, join Hulu + Live TV for access to 75+ live channels, plus everything on Hulu and Disney+, starting at less than $75/month.
Watch the trailer for ‘Til Death Do Us Part below.
Pete Davidson is giving a glimpse into his life as Hollywood’s most normal celebrity (with big d— energy) in his upcoming Peacock series, Bupkis. The comedian joined Charlamagne Tha God on The Breakfast Club on Thursday (April 13) to discuss his new project and unveil the jam-packed trailer.
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“It’s, I guess, a Yiddish or Jewish term meaning whatever or nothing. My grandpa used to say it all the time growing up, so we just thought it was a nice title,” Davidson said of the decision to name the show Bupkis. “He’s a big fan of TV and film, and he got a kick out of it. I also thought it looks cool on a t-shirt.”
The show, which Davidson revealed is three years in the making, features a jaw-dropping cast including Charlamagne himself, Joe Pesci, Machine Gun Kelly, Ray Romano, Edie Falco, Kenan Thompson, Charlie Day, Sebastian Stan, Cam’ron, Jadakiss, John Mulaney, Eli Manning, Steve Buscemi, Method Man and many, many more. Davidson’s real-life girlfriend Chase Sui Wonders also makes an appearance in the upcoming Peacock series.
Pesci, who seems to play Davidson’s mentor in the newly released trailer, was a serendipitous casting thanks to SNL creator Lorne Michaels, who is producing Bupkis. “We had an actor attached to play this role, and he backed out at the last second and I didn’t know what to do,” Davidson recalled. “I called Lorne and Lorne’s a wizard and he was like ‘What about Pesci?’ I was like, ‘How? Why would you say it like that?’ The guys only done The Irishman in the last 30 years. He was like, ‘You know, all he’s waiting for is a good part.’ Then, I met with him and we kind of hit it off.”
As for what the show is about, Davidson couldn’t really explain. “My favorite shows are The Sopranos, It’s Always Sunny [in Philadelphia], I love Curb [Your Enthusiasm], I love Everybody Loves Raymond and I tried to mix all those together and I cast half of the people that were in those shows anyway,” he said. “I’m such a fan of the people we got to work with. It’s such a good time.”
Watch the full interview with Davidson below, with the trailer beginning at the 8:15 mark. Bupkis will be available to stream on Peacock starting on May 4, just two days before the comedian returns to Saturday Night Live — this time as host — on May 6.
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Samsung and Jaden Smith have teamed up for an eco-friendly accessories collection in celebration of Earth Day on April 22.
The Samsung Galaxy x MSFTSrep Collection, released on Thursday (April 13), features eco-conscious accessories including four styles of cases for the Galaxy S23 Ultra, Galaxy Z Flip4, Buds2 Pro; in addition to Galaxy Watch bands and matching watch face designs.
The limited collection starts at $29.99 and is available at Samsung.com in black and white colorways, in addition to pink-blue and wavy rainbow.
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MSFTSrep x Samsung for Earth Day
Courtesy of MSFTSrep x Samsung
Galaxy Z Flip 4 MSFTSRep Classic Eco-Conscious Case $49.99
Drawing its inspiration from the “interconnectivity of humankind and the planet’s renewable resources,” the collection is made from consciously sourced materials, while the packaging is made from recycled paper and cardstock printed with vegetable ink.
“I think the public shift towards sustainability is amazing because people are waking up and realizing what we actually have to do to change the world,” Smith said in a statement. “We have to change the way that we produce and the way that we consume, and everyone is waking up.”
The collection features designs from Smith’s MSFTSRep clothing brand and graphics that he personally created.
Jaden Smith for MSFTSrep x Samsung for Earth Day
Courtesy of MSFTSrep x Samsung
The Samsung Galaxy x MSFTSrep Collection marks the third iteration of Samsung’s sustainable collection initiative. The company has pledged to reduce its carbon footprint and increase the use of recycled materials in all newly-released mobile products by 2025.
Earth Month is celebrated throughout April, making it a perfect time to re-up on sustainable tech gear. Shop items from the Samsung Galaxy x MSFTSrep Collection below.
MSFTSrep x Samsung for Earth Day
Courtesy of MSFTSrep x Samsung
Galaxy Watch MSFTSrep Spiral Eco-Conscious Band $49.99
MSFTSrep x Samsung for Earth Day
Courtesy of MSFTSrep x Samsung
Galaxy Buds2 Pro MSFTSrep Eco-Conscious Case $29.99
The Weeknd‘s long-awaited HBO series, The Idol starring Lily-Rose Depp, has been chosen by Cannes Film Festival as one of four Out of Competition Selections.
Co-created by the musician and Euphoria‘s Sam Levinson, The Idol follows Depp’s character, an aspiring pop star named Jocelyn, as she works to “claim her rightful status as the greatest and sexiest pop star in America,” according to a release.
“Her passions are reignited by Tedros (Abel “The Weeknd” Tesfaye), a nightclub impresario with a sordid past,” the release continues. “Will her romantic awakening take her to glorious new heights or the deepest and darkest depths of her soul?”
The other three Out of Competition selections — meaning, projects that will be screened but won’t compete for any prizes — are James Mangold’s Indiana Jones and The Dial of Destiny, Kim Jee-woon’s COBWEB and Martin Scorsese’s Killers of the Flower Moon. It’s unclear how many episodes of The Idol will debut at Cannes, taking place late May.
Described in trailers as the “sleaziest love story of all time,” The Idol has been in the works since 2021 and has reportedly undergone several delays and personnel changes. Some accounts say that one or more completed episodes were scrapped, rewritten and re-shot, starting when original director Amy Seimetz suddenly exited the show in April 2022. Tesfaye allegedly thought the original direction was straying too much into a “female perspective” and Levinson took over the project.
The Thursday (April 13) festival news comes one day after the “Blinding Lights” singer teased the release of The Idol‘s official soundtrack, posting a 17-second video of himself and super-producer Mike Dean overseeing an orchestra recording string instrumentals in the studio. “THE IDOL VOL. 1,” he captioned the clip with a CD emoji, “coming soon (double fantasy & jealous guy just a taste).”
See the full 2023 Cannes Film Festival lineup here.
With a rising tide of anti-LGBTQ sentiment making its way around the globe, Lil Nas X wants his fans to know that he is there to support them.
On Wednesday night (April 12), the “Old Town Road” rapper retweeted a report from a fan account that said his song “Sun Goes Down” off of Montero had reached No. 1 on the iTunes charts in Saudi Arabia.
In his tweet, the rapper sent a message specifically to his LGBTQ fans in Saudi Arabia, hoping that the song’s message resonated with them. “to my gays [sic] fans from saudi arabia reading this, i hope this song is getting you through whatever you’re going through,” he wrote. “and i hope someday soon the laws against us change and you can be free in your own home.”
The song traces Lil Nas’ personal journey from experiencing suicidal thoughts at a young age to self-acceptance of his queerness later on in life, with many seeing it as a hopeful anthem to coming out. “I know that you want to cry/ But there’s much more to life than dying,” he sings on the final post-chorus. “Over your past mistakes/ And people who threw dirt on your name.”
The rapper’s tweet was specifically referring to the Middle Eastern country’s criminalization of queerness. According to Human Dignity Trust, a U.K.-based legal advocacy group working to challenge same-sex discrimination laws around the globe, Saudi Arabia criminalizes same-sex sexual activity as well as public gender expression for trans people, with “a maximum penalty of death.”
Lil Nas’ touching message comes a few weeks after the rapper received criticism online for a tweet asking “where do the gays be in africa” shortly after Uganda passed a historically broad anti-LGBTQ law.
See Lil Nas X’s sweet message to his LGBTQ fans in Saudi Arabia below:
to my gays fans from saudi arabia reading this, i hope this song is getting you through whatever you’re going through and i hope someday soon the laws against us change and you can be free in your own home. https://t.co/Cn7j2FMdM3— pussy (@LilNasX) April 13, 2023