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A woman who once appeared “obviously intoxicated” in a Kanye West music video cannot sue for defamation after the footage was used in the Kanye-focused Netflix documentary jeen-yuhs, a federal judge says, even if she later got sober and “turned her life around.”
Cynthia Love sued last year, claiming jeen-yuhs filmmakers Coodie Simmons and Chike Ozah defamed her by including the footage in the 2022 Netflix series. The clip, which showed Love dancing and slurring her words at a Chicago barbecue spot, was originally shot for the 2003 music video for Kanye West’s debut single, “Through The Wire.”
Love’s argument was unusual. She admitted that the footage was authentic — normally the death knell for a libel lawsuit. But she argued that because she had later gotten sober, it had become false and defamatory to use it in the present day.
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In a ruling Tuesday (Feb. 27), Judge Steven Seeger sharply rejected that argument, ruling that the footage was “historically accurate” and shows a “a past truth,” even if it was a truth that Love did not want to remember.
“Holding up a mirror isn’t defamation. Holding up a 20-year-old picture isn’t defamation, either,” the judge wrote. “They both reflect reality, like it or not.”
It did not matter that Love had later “turned things around,” the judge wrote, or that the Netflix doc depicts her at her “darkest moments” years ago: “The ‘Jeen-yuhs’ video accurately portrays Love in a moment of time several decades ago. The video does not suggest that Love remains in an intoxicated state, or anything of that sort.”
Directed by Coodie & Chike (the moniker used by the filmmakers), jeen-yuhs depicted West’s career through unreleased archival footage, much of it filmed by Coodie over decades of working with the rapper. After landing at Netflix for a reported $30 million, the series was released in February 2022 — just months before West would receive widespread condemnation for a string of antisemitic statements.
Years earlier, Love had briefly appeared in the “Through The Wire” video, which was directed by Coodie & Chike in one of their first projects. The video showed Love drunkenly dancing in Chicago eater Original Leon’s Bar-B-Q. That footage, plus additional unused footage showing her interacting with West, later appeared in jeen-yuhs, making up about two minutes of footage total across two episodes.
Love sued last year, accusing Coodie & Chike and Netflix of defamation and a wide range of other wrongdoing. (West was not named or accused of any wrongdoing). She claimed they had “recklessly disregarded the truth” that she had made “an amazing transformation” since the ugly footage was filmed, hurting her reputation among present-day peers: “Neighbors, co-workers, and family cannot help but view and treat her as someone less worthy of their respect, esteem and trust,” her lawyers wrote.
But in Tuesday’s order dismissing those allegations, Judge Seeger pointedly noted that “sometimes the truth hurts, and when the truth hurts, it isn’t defamation.” Summarizing her argument as “the footage was true then, but it isn’t true now,” the judge told her that’s simply not how defamation law works.
“Plain and simple, any allegations about Love in the ‘Jeen-yuhs’ docuseries are true,” the judge wrote. “The docuseries includes real-world clips of Love, without doctoring the content or adding any false material. It shows true clips of a real event.”
Attorneys for both sides did not immediately return a request for comment.
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Mea Culpa, the latest film from Tyler Perry, was released to Netflix over the weekend starring Kelly Rowland in the lead role alongside co-star Trevante Rhodes. While the film catapulted to the top of the streamer’s Top 10 listings for movies, fans on X are handing in mixed reactions.
Mea Culpa follows the tale of Mea Harper (Rowland), a criminal defense attorney who begins representing artist Zyair Malloy (Rhodes) who is accused of killing his girlfriend. Without delving too much into the plot, Mea and her husband Kal Hawthorne (Sean Sagar) are going through some relationship issues involving another woman.
Amid her troubles at home, Mea takes on Zyair as a client, who is being prosecuted by her brother-in-law, District Attorney Raw Hawthorne, the brother of her husband. Zyair, using his charm, begins to seduce Mea and all hell breaks loose from there according to what we see in the trailer for the film.
Tyler Perry joined forces with Netflix as a content partner back in October of last year and the multiyear deal will see not only movies from the celebrated director and screenwriter but also several series as well.
The issue that some online have with Mea Culpa is some of the plot twists within the film, and others have been critical of Rowland’s acting skills. Others are also saying that it’s time that Perry allows someone else to handle his scripts, a common refrain from detractors of his work.
Check out the reactions from X, formerly Twitter, below.
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Photo: Bob Mahoney/Perry Well Films 2/Courtesy Netflix / Mea Culpa
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Netflix is just one of the various streaming options out there to entertain you with fresh and original TV shows and movies. As more media production companies come out with their own platforms, it can make streaming the latest and greatest programs pricey.
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Even as the competition to get subscribers becomes more cutthroat, Netflix is still dominating the entertainment sphere with around 260 million paid subscribers worldwide, according to data collected from Statista during the fourth quarter of 2023. This is partly due to the hit original content that the streaming platform has in its library, including Love Is Blind, Bridgerton, Griselda, Stranger Things, Squid Game, The Vince Staples Show, One Day and upcoming content like the live adaptation of Avatar: The Last Airbender.
Plans for Netflix start at around $6.99/month, but rather than add another monthly cost to your budget, there are some current promos going on that can score you free Netflix. That way, you can use your savings toward that merch you’ve been eyeing on the official Netflix Shop.
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Keep reading to learn the current promos and deals going on.
How to Get Free Netflix With T-Mobile
Need an excuse to switch your phone carrier? T-Mobile’s Netflix On Us promo gets you Netflix’s ad-supported plan for no additional cost. You just need to be a part of a qualifying carrier plan such as: any Go5G or Magenta plan with two or more lines, Go5G Next, Go5G Plus or Magenta MAX plan. Military, First Responder and 55 plans are also eligible to receive the promo.
New and active account holders can activate the discount by going to their account, select add-ons and then manage data and add-ons. From there, you’ll be able to create a Netflix account or add an existing one.
How to Get Free Netflix Through Verizon
You can also bundle Max and Netflix for $10 a month with an Unlimited Welcome, Unlimited Plus and Unlimited Ultimate plan — and, since a Max subscription is $9.99 a month on its own, you’re basically getting Netflix for free. This promo will give you access to both of the streamers’ ad-supported plans. You can add existing streaming accounts to your MyPlan — no canceling required.
For more product recommendations, check out our roundups of the best streaming device deals, tv deals and wifi extenders.
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Vince Staples has long established himself as not only a talented musician but also one of the wittiest minds in entertainment. Vince Staples is currently basking in the early positive chatter around his new Netflix series, The Vince Staples Show, with some saying this could be the start of an epic series run for the rapper.
Vince Staples, 30, has long been considered one of the brightest minds both in music and other forms of media due to his sharp intellect, command of language, and ability to remain deadpan during the humorous retellings of his life. The Vince Staples Show, in that regard, is a direct look into the mind of Staples, which puts him in a variety of zany situations that he somehow navigates through his mental savvy and the fact that he’s a famous figure.
Kenya Barris of Black-ish fame serves as one of the executive producers for the show alongside Corey Smyth and showrunner Maurice Williams. The writing room gets a boost from Staples himself, Williams as mentioned earlier, Winter Coleman, and Crystal Jenkins.
The Vince Staples Show follows Staples around his hometown “The Beach” which we can safely assume is based in his native Long Beach, Calif. His character is semi-famous but still very connected to street life and adjacently finds Staples in the middle of some surreal moments that only could work in this medium.
Stapes isn’t new to acting as he’s made an appearance on the hit sitcom Abbott Elementary, along with other roles over the years. Fans of Abbott Elementary should get a kick out of Staples’ show during a key moment.
On X, formerly Twitter, Vince Staples had his name trending with fans celebrating the genius of the program while noting that he also is urging folks to demand a second season of the show. Based on this reaction, that appears to be in the bag.
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Photo: Getty
Queen Bey is back outside! Notorious for her elusiveness, Beyoncé has been out and about since the 2024 Super Bowl, where she kicked off her new country era — also known as Act II of the three-act project she began with 2022’s Renaissance. On Thursday night (Feb. 15), the “Break My Soul” singer graced the […]
Source: Hip-Hop Wired / iOne Digital
Vince Staples is multitalented and multifaceted, but you probably won’t ever hear him calling himself a genius or whatever ego-stroking adjective of the moment creatives choose. Instead, the guy who you probably first came to know as the critically acclaimed rapper repping North Long Beach, California,—or maybe as an actor, like the scene-stealing Maurice in Abbott Elementary—is simply, and humbly knocking his creative endeavors out of the park, as is the case with The Vince Staples Show.
The series, whose five-episode season premiered Thursday (Feb. 15), was commissioned back in 2019, before COVID-19 changed history’s trajectory. But while many shows ended up abandoned, Netflix stood steadfast with the series—loosely based on Staples’ everyday life—which includes Kenya Barris (Black-ish) as an executive producer.
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“Covid kind of stopped everything so for us to still be around after Covid when a lot of things got canceled, [that] said a lot about how they felt about the project,” Staples told Hip-Hop Wired. “So we wanted to make sure that we executed, and we executed in a timely manner and did something that was specific and special for the platform. And so many things are on Netflix so we just wanted to make sure that there was no other show like the one we were creating.”
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The Vince Staples Show, which itself can be considered the evolution of his YouTube series, will garner plenty of comparisons. Chappelle’s Show is an easy one, along with Curb Your Enthusiasm or Atlanta. That’s not bad company to keep but it’s Staples’ dry wit and deadpan delivery often seen and heard in his interviews that filter onto his onscreen persona and gives the series a sharper edge and tone that makes it anything but derivative.
In one moment, Staples could be getting the “otherwise qualified Black guy seeking a loan” treatment at the bank, then conversing matter-of-factly with the leader of the bank robbers who happened to be starting the heist when the protagonist was trying to walk out the same building. The crashing of everyday struggle with “is this really f*cking happening right now?” instances, and plenty of hilarious moments, is a staple, no pun, of the series.
“We definitely wanted to do that,” explains Staples, who co-wrote all the episodes with a team of writers that include Maurice Williams and Ian Edelman. “It was intentional because that’s life, you never know what it’s going to throw your way and within these environments, sometimes it can get extremely crazy. But also, we’ve been taught to keep our composure. And if something is normal you don’t understand when it’s abnormal to the rest of the world.
He adds, “That’s something I wanted to make sure the characters felt; when things get crazy to their standards that doesn’t mean it has to be crazy to our standards. And we wanted to make sure we played that fine line of being able to know the environment is outrageous, but not thinking it’s too much for the characters because it is their environment.”
The aforementioned bank episode (Episode 2 titled “Black Business”) features one of Staples’ favorite scenes, and for good reason. “I think it was shot really well. I think the dialogue was very unique and specific, and it was something I think people aren’t going to be expecting to come from me, or to come from the show. So I’m actually very happy we were able to pull that one off.”
The episode is when The Vince Staples Show really finds its rhythm and is destined to become a fan favorite. One particular line from Staples that resonates is when he waxes philosophic on dealing with redlining, gaslighting and gatekeeping—just several realities even the most upwardly mobile people of color deal with inevitably.
“The line is just typical to what we deal with within these communities,” says Staples. “It never goes away and I think that was an important part of this show. To showcase that a lot of the issues that we have as people, as Black people, as Black people from these environments; they’re not gonna go away just because you get a little bit more money because the systems are so deeply rooted in the structure, in the fabric of this world, of this culture, everything. It was definitely something that you still feel and something that I try to string throughout the episodes.”
Vince Staples keeping it cool as everyday life in North Long Beach, whether blatantly or subtly, goes off the rails? Definitely on brand.
The Vince Staples Show is streaming right now on Netflix.
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Top Boy, one of the most thrilling crime dramas to emerge since the heights of The Wire, recently concluded its fifth and final season but more action might be on the way. Ronan Bennett, the creator of Top Boy, says he’s currently in talks with Netflix for a spinoff series featuring Jaq, one of the central characters of the show.
As spotted by Deadline, Ronan Bennett, 68, sat down with BBC’s Nihal Arthanayake and shared scant details about the possible spinoff featuring Jaq Lawrence, who is played by Jasmine Jobson. Bennett says that he’s in talks with the streamer and production company Cowboy and that Drake would return as an executive producer.
Bennett says that while he believes Netflix might be a bit upset for him mentioning the development, he can’t confirm if the show will see the light of day.
“You just never know if they’re going to get made,” Bennett said. “And in fact, most shows that are developed actually don’t get made. You can write the script and, for whatever reason, they don’t get made. So you end up looking like a bit of a fool for mentioning it. But I have hopes that this will work.
Starring Ashley Waters, Kano, and the aforementioned Jobson, Top Boy remains one of Netflix’s top British shows. The show initially aired on the British network, Channel 4, and was initially canceled after two seasons. Drake helped revive the show, spawning seasons 3 through 5.
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Spotify shares gained 4.7% to $214.13 this week, helping the Billboard Global Music Index improve 2.3% to a record 1,595.11. Spotify’s fourth consecutive weekly increase came two weeks ahead of its fourth-quarter earnings on Feb. 6, which will show the full impact of its recent price increases in the United States and other major markets.
If a rising tide lifts all boats, Netflix’s superlative fourth-quarter earnings report explains why Spotify shares posted yet another positive week. Netflix shares rose 18.1% to $570.42 this week — including a 10.7% gain on Wednesday alone — after the company said it added 13.1 million subscribers in the fourth quarter, the most since 2020, with revenue up 12.5% to $8.8 billion. Not only was the quarter encouraging for streaming in general, the video streaming giant offered the music business some insights about finding growth in a maturing market: Netflix’s growth hasn’t been hurt by either the company’s constant price increases or its recent efforts to limit password sharing. In fact, pricing played an important part in that growth.
“As we invest in and improve Netflix, we’ll occasionally ask our members to pay a little extra to reflect those improvements, which in turn helps drive the positive flywheel of additional investment to further improve and grow our service,” the company stated in a letter to shareholders. Cutting down on password sharing has made an impact, too. Netflix said “millions” of subscribers are using features such as Transfer Profile (a user transfers a profile from a shared account to a new account) and Extra Member (adding a user to an account for $7.99 per month in the United States), and that paid sharing “is now a normal course of business.”
Because of its large market capitalization, Spotify’s gain was a major factor in the Billboard Global Music Index’s 2.3% gain this week. The top-performing music stock of the week was iHeartMedia, which gained 26.7% to $2.85, putting it 68% below its 52-week high of $9.01. Music streaming company LiveOne was another high performer, gaining 13.5% to $1.51. The company announced on Thursday that Podcast One — LiveOne spun off the podcast company and remains a majority owner — reached new agreements with two of its most popular podcasts, The Adam Carolla Podcast and The Adam and Dr. Drew Show. Elsewhere, Sphere Entertainment Co. shares rose 8.7% to $34.45 following the company’s recent hire of Jennifer Koester, a former Google executive, as president of Sphere Business Operations, effective Feb. 5. One of Koester’s duties will be to develop a corporate conference business for product launches and other events.
Eight of the index’s 20 stocks fell this week — although none dropped more than 3%. SiriusXM shares fell 1.5% to $5.34; the company announced Wednesday that it would maintain its quarterly cash dividend at $0.02666 per share. Hipgnosis Songs Fund fell 2.1% to 0.7057 pounds per share amidst multiple regulatory filings that hinted at tension between the company’s new board and its investment advisor, Hipgnosis Song Management. Hipgnosis shareholders will vote on Feb. 7 on a proposal that would result in paying a fee to bidders on its catalog.
Stocks were broadly up in the United States this week as positive economic news made an impact on markets. The tech-heavy Nasdaq climbed 0.9% to 15,455.36 and the S&P 500 rose 1.1% to 4,890.97. Microsoft, Alphabet and Meta reached new highs this week, though Tesla shares fell 13.6% after the company warned vehicle unit sales in 2024 “may be notably lower” than last year. On Friday, Intel shares fell 11.9% after the company offered investors a disappointing outlook for the current quarter during its Thursday earnings release.
On Thursday, the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Economic Analysis released data that showed gross domestic product grew at a better-than-expected annualized rate of 3.3% in the fourth quarter of 2023. Then on Friday, the Department of Commerce released data that showed personal incomes ended the year on a high note by increasing 0.3% in December. What’s more, a measure of how much people are spending showed that price increases have slowed. Personal consumption expenditures in December were 2.6% higher year over year (and 2.9% higher excluding food and energy). Last week, new consumer sentiment data showed an improvement in Americans’ feelings about the economy and their expectations for future inflation.
Stocks also improved outside of the United States. In the United Kingdom, the FTSE 100 rose 2.3% to 7,635.09. South Korea’s KOSPI composite index improved 0.2% to 2,478.56. And China’s SSE Composite Index jumped 2.8% to 2,910.22.
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Rejoice ’80s and ’90s babies for it seems like Netflix’s upcoming live-action iteration of Avatar: The Last Airbender will be as faithful to the 2000’s animated series as it can possibly get.
Netflix released its latest trailer for the highly anticipated series and even with fanfare already as high as can be, the fandom was kicked into overdrive as the series seems to encapsulate everything that made the original Nickelodeon series such a hit in the mid-2000s. Centering around the young boy known as Aang (Gordon Courmier) who’s tasked with taking down the oppressive Fire Nation, the trailer takes us back to the fantasy world where the four nations of the Air Nomads, the Earth Kingdom, the Fire Nation and the Water Tribes reign supreme.
With some superb CGI being used to create the likes of the beloved air bison Appa and adored winged lemur Momo, you’d think Avatar: The Last Airbender was some big budget Hollywood film set to release this summer. With some pretty cool action sequences showcasing how the four elements are manipulated during combat along with some witty dialogue between the characters in the story, it’s pretty safe to say that this series may very well redeem the reputation of Avatar that M. Night Shyamalan destroyed with his own film based on the series back in 2010. (That joint was hella struggle.)
Check out the latest trailer for Avatar: The Last Airbender below. Let us know if you’ll be checking for it when the series drops on Netflix Feb. 22.
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The Billboard Women in Music Awards are back! Tracee Ellis Ross will host the awards. The annual event will feature musical performances and honor women powerhouses who are shaping the music landscape. Beyoncé’s mom, Tina Knowles, sets the record straight on if she was really shading Janet Jackson online. Lovers & Friends announced the lineup for this year’s event, and it’s stacked. The trailer just dropped for Kelly Rowland’s new Netflix film ‘Mea Culpa.’ Billboard caught up with the cast and creatives of Netflix’s ‘Griselda’ on Karol G’s acting debut and Sofía Vergara’s “challenging” new role. And more!
Tetris KellyBillboard’s Women In Music 2024 is honoring some major stars, Karol G makes her acting debut alongside Sofía Vergara, Tina Knowles says “Sorry,” Kelly Rowland’s starring role and a super nostalgic festival lineup. And we learned five things about Don Omar. Happy Hump Day, I’m Tetris Kelly it’s Wednesday, January 24 and, we’re kicking off this episode of Billboard news with an exciting announcement. Women in Music is around the corner. And I’m so excited to let you know some of this year’s superstar honorees.
Alyssa CaverleyBillboard’s Women In Music is back!
Quinta BrunsonTonight, we honor the women who have been leading the way.
Alyssa CaverleyWednesday, March 6th at the YouTube theater in Los Angeles.
Sabrina CarpenterI wanted to take a moment to say what an amazing inspiring night this has been.
Lainey WilsonThis is absolutely insane. I feel so honored and blessed to be here.
Olivia RodrigoThank you, Billboard.
Alyssa Caverley Honoring Charli XCX, Ice Spice, Kylie Minogue, Luísa Sonza, Maren Morris, NewJeans, Tems, Victoria Monét and Young Miko and soon to be announced Billboard’s Women of the Year with host Tracee Ellis Ross.
Tracee Ellis RossAnd it’s about to be an epic night. Come celebrate the start of Women’s History Month with us
Alyssa Caverley General tickets on sale January 27th with Amex card members getting early access on January 24th.
Karol GThis is me and I’m happy to be here, thank you Billboard.
Kim PetrasThis is a huge honor. Thank you so so much.
Taylor SwiftI want to first thank Billboard from the bottom of my heart.
Alyssa CaverlyGo to BillboardWomenInMusic.com for all the details.
Watch the full video above!