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Jimmy Kimmel is coming to Taylor Swift‘s defense after Donald Trump taunted the pop star on social media following the 2025 Super Bowl. On the latest episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live! Monday (Feb. 10), the late-night host recapped the night prior’s big game — which ended with the Kansas City Chiefs losing 22-40 against the […]
Ariana Grande has seen how fans have been shipping her with Cynthia Erivo during the Wicked promotional cycle, to the point where some people think there’s actually something going on between the two stars in real life.
And in a new interview with The Hollywood Reporter published Tuesday (Feb. 11), the “Yes, And?” singer addressed the theories surrounding her relationship with her costar. “People think we’re secretly married,” she told the publication.
It’s clear to anyone watching that Grande and Erivo are very close, often comforting each other during teary-eyed interviews and red-carpet appearances. But some fans have taken things one step further and have started speculating that there’s a romantic connection between them, despite the fact that both women are in relationships with other people; the Victorious alum has been dating fellow Wicked star Ethan Slater since 2023, while the Pinocchio star has reportedly been with actress Lena Waithe for several years.
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So why the rumors? Grande says it’s likely “the Gelphie stuff,” aka people shipping her Wicked character, Glinda, with Erivo’ s Elphaba.
“I wish I could unsee some things,” the two-time Grammy winner said of the sexual artwork people have made using their characters’ likenesses. “I mean, wow, I had a feeling, but I didn’t know it would be on this scale or this graphic.”
To be fair, the theory that Elphaba and Glinda are more than just friends is a little less unfounded than the theories about their real-life counterparts. Grande has said herself that she thinks her character “might be a little in the closet,” and in January, she told Variety, “[Glinda] loves Elphaba so much, and that forgiveness and that unconditional love that they share — I think they’re in love with each other.”
Despite the pervasiveness of the speculation surrounding Grande and Erivo, it’s not the first time the “We Can’t Be Friends” artist has had to deal with whispers about her love life during the Wicked era. The rumor mill went crazy when it was first reported in 2023 that she and Slater were in a relationship following their respective splits from ex-husband Dalton Gomez and ex-wife Lilly Jay, a tabloid cycle Grande slammed as “bulls–t” in a September Vanity Fair article, adding, “The most disappointing part was to see so many people believe the worst version of it.”
Now, Grande tells THR that dealing with rumors will “never be unpainful.” “But also, I walk with the awareness that I’m an artist and this is a path that I’ve chosen,” she added. “So I just try to protect myself so that I never start to resent the art.”
See Grande on the cover of THR below.
02/11/2025
Check out all the answers from this year’s honorees, including Usher, WNBA star Angel Reese and football legend Shannon Sharpe.
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The power ballads and rave-ups to best have you swooning this Valentine’s Day.
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South by Southwest has announced new keynotes and its latest round of featured speakers for its 39th edition, taking place March 7-15 across Austin.
Newly announced keynotes include Issa Rae, the creative force behind HBO’s Insecure; Meredith Whittaker, president of Signal; and Ben Lamm, CEO of Colossal Biosciences, who’ll be joined by actor Joe Manganiello to discuss advancements in… cloning. They join previously announced keynotes such as Creedence Clearwater Revival icon John Fogerty, Bluesky CEO Jay Graber, and IBM chairman and CEO Arvind Krishna.
The featured speakers lineup includes the cast and creators of HBO’s The Last of Us, game designer Hideo Kojima, Rivian CEO RJ Scaringe, comedian and podcaster Conan O’Brien, actor and musician Kevin Bacon, and Something Corporate singer-songwriter Andrew McMahon. Additional speakers include comedian Taylor Tomlinson food critic Keith Lee and social health expert Kasley Killam.
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This new slate of speakers complements SXSW’s rounds of announcements, which included Donald Passman, Ghazi, Dr. Peter Attia, Johanna Faries, Douglas Rushkoff, and more.
Highlighted sessions include “Colossal: Technology Company Turning Science Fiction to Science Fact,” where Lamm and Manganiello will explore advancements in gene editing and cloning. “A Conversation with Issa Rae” will cover her career and media company, HOORAE, while “A Conversation About Online Security and Confidentiality” will see Whittaker discussing privacy with Guy Kawasaki. Other panels include “Balloonerism – A Film Based on the Album by Mac Miller,” a discussion on a new film inspired by the late artist’s work, and “Breaking Barriers by Turning Prisoners into Firefighters,” focusing on rehabilitation through firefighting programs.
Entertainment-focused chats will include “Fans Over Fees,” where McMahon will address ticket scalping and fair access to live events; “Claiming the Future of Entertainment,” where O’Brien and gaming exec Johanna Faries will discuss gaming’s influence on media; and “DEATH STRANDING 2: ON THE BEACH,” where Kojima will reveal details about the video game.
Other notable discussions include “Fireside with Arm CEO Rene Haas,” covering AI’s impact on technology, and “Funny AF Comedy Showrunners,” where Universal Television’s top creators will share insights into comedy production. Business-oriented panels include “How America’s 33M Small Businesses Can Grow and Prosper,” featuring Mark Cuban; and “How Technology Is Transforming Urban Spaces,” examining AI’s role in city infrastructure.
Additional sessions will feature discussions on AI in media with Paramount CTO Phil Wiser, immersive storytelling with ILM Immersive, and influencer entrepreneurship with Keith Lee and Jennifer Quigley-Jones.
“Every year, SXSW assembles a group of speakers who are doing extraordinary and often surprising things, such as breaking boundaries in storytelling and representation, advocating for secure communication, and bringing back the woolly mammoth,” said Hugh Forrest, president and chief programming officer of SXSW. “Issa Rae, Meredith Whittaker, Ben Lamm, and Joe Manganiello make up a stellar group of changemakers who are a perfect fit for the SXSW community.”
SXSW will take place from March 7-15 in Austin, Texas, with full details regarding their newly-announced speakers and sessions available via their website.
Dave Chappelle will become the first comedian to receive the President’s Award during the 2025 NAACP Image Awards, which is set to air live from the Pasadena Civic Auditorium in Pasadena, Calif., on Saturday, Feb. 22, at 8 p.m. ET/PT on BET and CBS. This year, the broadcast will be extended 30 minutes to 2.5 hours.
The President’s Award is presented in recognition of special achievement and distinguished public service. Previous recipients include a wide range of public figures, including six recording stars – Ella Fitzgerald (1967), Ms. Lauryn Hill (1999), John Legend (2016), Jay-Z (2019), Rihanna (2020) and Usher (2024).
“The President’s Award honors an unwavering dedication to community, and throughout his distinguished career, Dave Chappelle has consistently been recognized as a powerful voice of social consciousness,” Derrick Johnson, NAACP president and CEO, said in a statement. “Through his unique ability to transform complex political issues into thought-provoking humor, Dave has solidified his place as one of the most impactful voices of our time. His work sparks conversations that compel people to examine their own beliefs, proving that in an age where open dialogue is increasingly rare, comedy can be both a powerful truth-teller and a driver of progress.”
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Chappelle, 51, was the 2019 recipient of the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor. On Feb. 2, he won his sixth Grammy Award for best comedy album, which is just one shy of Bill Cosby’s record seven wins in the category. Chappelle has also received five Primetime Emmy Awards – three for his Netflix comedy specials Equanimity (2018) and Sticks & Stones (2020), and two for hosting Saturday Night Live (2017 and 2021).
By visiting the NAACP Image Awards’ website, the public can vote to determine the winners of the 56th annual event in select categories. NAACP will recognize winners in non-televised categories virtually on Tuesday, Feb. 18, and Wednesday, Feb. 19, on its YouTube channel and at the 56th NAACP Image Awards Creative Honors Friday, Feb. 21.
BET Media Group, NAACP, JSSK (Johnson Shapiro Slewett & Kole, a media and entertainment law firm) and the WME entertainment agency have partnered with L.A. County to launch the Altadena Community Preservation Fund to support the recovery of historically Black neighborhoods impacted by the Eaton Fire. This effort, a collaboration with local community organizations such as Community Aid Dena, Altadena Heritage and WalkGood L.A., is aimed at protecting homeowners from displacement and preserving the community’s cultural heritage.
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Like when Elon Musk stupidly changed Twitter’s name to X, Google is doing the same for Donald Trump and has officially renamed the Gulf of Mexico to the “Gulf of America” for US users to see.
We’re still gonna call it the Gulf of Mexico; just saying.
Google has officially capitulated to Orange Mussolini’s dumb executive order calling for the name change of the Gulf of Mexico to be now called the Gulf of America.
According to a blog post, Google claims it made the move because Trump’s ridiculous administration has already updated the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS), which ultimately decides the “federal and national standard for geographic nomenclature.”
Google claims it has a longstanding policy of waiting for government resources to be updated before applying name changes, even though Trump signed the executive order renaming the body of water in January.
Hilariously, it’s not a complete name change. The Gulf of Mexico will only be visible to US Google Maps users. People in Mexico will still see the Gulf of Mexico, and people in other countries will see it specifically (Gulf of America).
Also, Trump ordered the Denali, the highest mountain peak in the United States, to be renamed Mount McKinley. Why, you ask? We are pretty sure it has everything to do with Barack Obama renaming the mountain in 2015 as a symbolic gesture to Alaska natives. So yeah, Trump is just doing this because he doesn’t like Obama.
After checking the map, we noticed that the location is still referred to as Denali.
Users On X Are Sounding Off On Stupid Name Change
Social media is clowning the name change because it’s just another one of Trump’s stupid stunts to take the focus off the real promises like lowering grocery and egg prices, things he already admitted weren’t top priorities for him.
“This petty, childish bullshit just serves to embarrass our nation on the world stage. It makes us look as stupid, weak, arrogant and petulant as the worst stereotypes about Americans globally,” one user wrote in response to The White House’s post showing the name change on the map.
Another user accurately asked, “And this is supposed to help Americans how?”
Welp.
You can see more reactions in the gallery below.
1. Same sis, same
3. At this point Idiocracy was a work of non-fiction
4. Eggxactly
5. Pretty much
7. This is what the MAGA cult wanted
9. Damn Google
11. Gulf of America Day?
Chris Brown scores a historic milestone on Billboard’s R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay chart, becoming the second artist to reach 100 cumulative weeks at No. 1 on the radio ranking, across 11 No. 1 songs in his career. The R&B hitmaker achieves the feat on the list dated Feb. 15 as current single “Residuals” jumps 2-1 for its first week in the top slot. The singer joins Drake, who has a record 176 weeks at No. 1 on R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay, in the triple-digit club among all artists since the chart launched in 1992.
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A CBE/RCA Records release, “Residuals” crowns R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay, which ranks songs by combined audience totals from adult R&B and mainstream R&B/hip-hop radio stations, with 15.8 million audience impressions in the tracking week of Jan. 31-Feb. 6, according to Luminate, up 3% from the previous week’s 15.3 million.
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The single advances to the summit in its 27th week on the list, the seventh-longest wait in the chart’s history. After 11 nonconsecutive weeks in the runner-up spot, “Residuals” likely crosses the finish line with added buzz from its official music video release on Jan. 23 and its nomination for best R&B performance at the Grammy Awards. While the track lost its nod at the Feb. 2 ceremony, Brown won best R&B album for 11:11, his second career trophy.
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Brown’s 100 weeks at No. 1 are spread across 11 No. 1s. Notably, more than half of his career total derives from just two songs: “No Guidance” featuring Drake, and a collaboration with Young Thug, “Go Crazy.” The former logged 27 weeks on top in 2019-2020, while the latter dominated for 29 frames in 2020-21. At the time, both tracks set records for the longest run by any song in the chart’s history; SZA’s “Snooze,” at 37 weeks in charge, now holds the title.
To recap his 100 weeks at the summit, here’s a review of Brown’s 11 No. 1s on R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay:
“Say Goodbye,” six weeks at No. 1, beginning Oct. 14, 2006
“Deuces,” feat. Tyga and Kevin McCall, nine, Sept. 11, 2010
“Look at Me Now,” feat. Lil Wayne and Busta Rhymes, eight, April 2, 2011
“Loyal,” feat. Lil Wayne and French Montana or Too $hort or Tyga, eight, June 7, 2014
“New Flame,” feat. Usher and Rick Ross, four, Oct. 25, 2014
“Hold You Down,” DJ Khaled feat. Chris Brown, August Alsina, Future and Jeremih, five, Nov. 15, 2014
“All Eyes on You,” Meek Mill feat. Chris Brown and Nicki Minaj, one, Sept. 26, 2015
“No Guidance,” feat. Drake, 27, Aug. 24, 2019
“Go Crazy,” with Young Thug, 29, Aug. 22, 2020
“Under the Influence,” two, March 25, 2023
“Residuals,” one (to date), Feb. 15, 2025
With an 11th No. 1, Brown breaks a tie with Beyoncé for sole possession of the fourth-most leaders on R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay. Drake leads the count with 29, with Usher (16) and Lil Wayne (12) in second and third place, respectively.
Elsewhere, “Residuals” pushes 15-13 on Adult R&B Airplay, sparked by a 49% surge in weekly plays. It also repeats at No. 6 on the Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay, a chart it topped for four weeks in December-January, and essentially remains even in plays with last week’s total.
R&B girl group Psiryn earns its first No. 1 on a Billboard chart as its single “Sober” rules the Adult R&B Airplay chart. The track ascends from No. 2 after an 8% jump that made it the most played song on U.S. panel-contributing adult R&B radio stations for the tracking week of Jan. 31-Feb. 6, according to Luminate.
In taking the summit, Psiryn — comprised of Anaya Chayenne, Jada Denise and Victoria McQueen — becomes the first all-female duo or group to crown the Adult R&B Airplay chart in nearly 23 years. The last? The duo Floetry, whose “Say Yes” ruled for seven weeks in May-June 2003. Among acts with at least three members, Psiryn is only the second girl group to reign on the 31-year-old Adult R&B Airplay chart. The trio joins Brownstone, which scored a pair of one-week leaders — “If You Love Me” and “Grapevyne” — in 1995.
As “Sober” advances, it knocks Coco Jones’ “Here We Go (Uh Oh)” from the top spot. The former champ ruled for seven nonconsecutive weeks beginning last December, including the last two frames.
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“It feels surreal and is an absolute honor,” Psiryn tells Billboard of its new No. 1. “We are the first girl group in 20 years to achieve this, and it feels truly out of this world – we still can’t believe this is happening!”
The journey to summit began nearly six months ago, when “Sober” debuted at No. 23 in September. A steady climb followed, but the single ran the risk of falling short of the apex — with five straight weeks at No. 5 around the holidays — before a final push put it to the finish line. The week-in, week-out support, the group notes, likely aligns with a wider mood. “The relatability of this record speaks volumes. So many people connect with ‘Sober’ and the feeling of needing a break from the real world,” the trio adds. “People just gravitate toward it, just like we did when we first heard it!”
“Sober” was released through independent label Kandi Koated Entertainment, a multimedia agency owned by Kandi Burruss. The entrepreneur rose to fame as a member of R&B group Xscape, which logged 10 hits on the Adult R&B Airplay chart in the 1990s, including “Just Kickin It” (No. 4), “Understanding” (No. 3) and “Who Can I Run To” (No. 2), all of which reached the top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. As a songwriter, Burruss co-penned hits include No. 1 Hot 100 hits from TLC (“No Scrubs”) and Destiny’s Child (“Bills Bills Bills.”)
Elsewhere, “Sober” repeats at its No. 18 high on the R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay chart, which ranks songs by combined audience totals from monitored adult R&B and mainstream R&B/hip-hop radio stations. There, the single climbed to 6.2 million audience impressions in the week, up 13% from 5.5 million in the previous tracking window.
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Irv Gotti, the longtime record label executive, and mogul, passed away from stroke complications on Feb. 5. The family of Irv Gotti has announced details of the funeral service for the Murder Inc. Records founder, which will take place in his native Queens.
As spotted in Vibe, Irv Gotti, real name Irving Lorenzo, suffered a stroke on Feb. 5, the second major stroke in under a year after revealing his struggles in handling his diabetes condition. Late last year, Gotti suffered a stroke with music insider Wack 100 sharing the news and claiming that Gotti needed walking assistance after the episode, although that account was never officially confirmed.
The funeral service for Gotti will take place in Jamaica, Queens at Greater Allen A.M.E. Cathedral and is expected to be a highly attended event considering Gotti’s music industry and entertainment connections.
Irv Gotti was instrumental in boosting the careers of DMX, Ja-Rule, Ashanti, Jay-Z, and fellow Queens native Mic Geronimo among others. He is survived by his children Angie, Sonny, and Jonathan Wilson, his brother Chris Gotti, sisters Tina and Angie, and mother Nee Nee Lorenzo.
Via Instagram, Gotti’s children shared a statement in honor of their father. We’ll share a portion of the statement below:
Our dad was an incredible man, a true visionary who transformed the hip-hop industry and changed the game for artists and fans alike. His passion for music and dedication to his craft inspired many, and his contributions will continue to influence future generations.
Irv Gotti was 54.
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Photo: Getty