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Metallica is using their platform to give back to communities within Los Angeles that have been affected by the catastrophic fires across the city. The band’s philanthropic foundation, All Within My Hands, is granting $500,000 to relief efforts carried out by the California Community Foundation’s Wildfire Recovery Fund and the Pasadena Community Foundation’s Eaton Canyon […]
Doja Cat is doing her part to give back to her home city as wildfires continue to devastate Los Angeles.
On Monday (Jan. 13), the rapper — who was born and raised in the L.A. area — shared on Instagram that she has partnered with the American Red Cross to specially design a line of merchandise benefitting the charity organization’s relief efforts in California, where tens of thousands of people have had to evacuate since the outbreak of unrelenting wind-fueled fires last week. At least 24 people have been reported dead so far, according to CNN, while countless structures have fallen as the blazes have torn through a collective 38,549 combined acres.
“Please help me and @americanredcross support my beautiful state of California,” Doja wrote, captioning photos of some of the pieces. “100% of proceeds go to American Red Cross to support the people of California affected by the wildfires.”
Designed in partnership with artist Pini, the merch line features T-shirts and hoodies in different shades of blue and gray. One graphic features a sketch of Doja hugging the outline of California while modeling a dress made out of ocean waves; another shows a similar sketch riding the Golden State like a surfboard.
The “Paint the Town Red” musician first shared one of the designs two days prior, writing, “Holding my state with love.” Pini also posted about the collaboration on Instagram Saturday (Jan. 11) and wrote, “LA has been my home for the last ten years, to see the destruction of these fires over the last couple of days has been devastating.”
The clothing pieces are available for purchase now online. Billboard is also collecting resources and ways to support L.A. residents in crisis.
Doja is just one of many Californians left reeling amid the wildfire crisis, which began Jan. 7 when a rapidly spreading fire first broke out in Pacific Palisades. More blazes soon emerged in areas affecting the Hollywood Hills, Pasadena, Altadena, Sylmar and Calabasas, with numerous residents — including stars such as Mandy Moore, Jhené Aiko and Tina Knowles — reporting losing their homes in the destruction.
One loss that may hit close to home for the “Woman” artist is the burning of Malibu’s Harbor Studios, where Doja worked on her 2023 album Scarlet. Owner Zach Brandon announced on Instagram that the legendary recording space had been lost to the fires Jan. 8, writing, “Harbor was taken from so many artists who cared so deeply about Harbor. It was a place of musical freedom… a sanctuary in the most literal sense of the word.”
See Doja’s post and designs below.
A woman accusing Diplo of sharing “revenge porn” has dropped her lawsuit against the DJ, just weeks after a federal judge ruled she would need to reveal her identity if she wanted to proceed with the case.
In a court filing on Monday (Jan. 13), attorneys for the unnamed “Jane Doe” asked the judge to dismiss the lawsuit — a case that claims the DJ (Thomas Wesley Pentz) filmed sexual encounters without the woman’s knowledge and shared them on Snapchat.
The motion asked the judge to dismiss the case “without prejudice” — meaning the woman could still refile it at some point in the future. Her attorneys did not immediately return a request for comment on the decision to drop their case or whether they plan to refile it.
The move came two weeks after Judge Mónica Ramírez Almadani ruled that the Doe must use her real name to keep pursuing her accusations against Diplo. The judge acknowleged that the allegations were “sensitive and of a highly personal nature,” but said the accuser had failed to legally show that she needs to remain anonymous.
“Those using the courts must be prepared to accept the public scrutiny that is an inherent part of public trials,” the judge wrote, quoting from another old ruling. “Plaintiff has not sufficiently demonstrated that this case warrants an exception.”
At the time, Doe’s attorneys vowed to appeal that ruling, saying revealing her name “risks permanently linking a survivor to their trauma.” The status of any such appellate effort is unclear after Monday’s voluntary dismissal.
Diplo’s attorneys did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the voluntary dismissal of the case against their client. In previous statements, they have strongly denied the lawsuit’s allegations, calling it an “obvious shakedown attempt.”
In a complaint filed in June, Diplo’s accuser alleged she’d had a consensual sexual relationship with the DJ from 2016 to 2023, and that she occasionally “gave defendant Diplo permission to record them having sex.” But she said she later learned that he had sometimes secretly recorded them and then shared footage on the internet “without plaintiff’s knowledge or consent.”
“Plaintiff brings this action to recover for the emotional and physical injuries she endured because of Diplo’s actions and to make sure no one else is forced to suffer the privacy invasions and physical and mental trauma she felt and continues to feel to this day,” Doe’s attorneys wrote.
The lawsuit accused Diplo of violating the federal Violence Against Women Act, which was amended in 2022 to ban the sharing of “intimate” images without the consent of those depicted in them. The case also cited an earlier revenge porn law enacted by the state of California.
The abrupt dismissal of the Jane Doe case came a week after lawyers for Diplo announced a deal to resolve a messy legal dispute with Shelly Auguste, another former romantic partner of the DJ/producer, as reported by Rolling Stone.
In that case, which had been set to go to trial this month, Diplo accused the woman of stalking, trespassing and releasing revenge porn of him. She had also leveled her own set of legal claims against him, including sexual battery and assault.
Legendary hip-hop producer Madlib has become one of the thousands of people to lose their homes in the devastating fires that continue to rage across Los Angeles. Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news In a post shared to X on Monday (Jan. 13), DJ Premier shared a Donor Box […]
Carrie Underwood is set to perform during Donald Trump’s upcoming presidential inauguration ceremony on Monday, Jan. 20, at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., Billboard has confirmed. Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news The eight-time Grammy winner will perform “America the Beautiful,” accompanied by The Armed Forces […]
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences has announced updates to its 2025 Oscars key dates and schedule of events due to the impact of the Los Angeles-area fires. The Oscar telecast is still set for March 2, but the nominations announcement is being delayed for the second time to Jan. 23 — and will now be held virtually. The Oscars nominees luncheon, always an A-list event, will not be held this year.
“We are all devastated by the impact of the fires and the profound losses experienced by so many in our community,” Academy CEO Bill Kramer and Academy president Janet Yang said in a joint statement. “The Academy has always been a unifying force within the film industry, and we are committed to standing together in the face of hardship.
“Due to the still-active fires in the Los Angeles area, we feel it is necessary to extend our voting period and move the date of our nominations announcement to allow additional time for our members.
“Additionally, as we want to be sensitive to the infrastructure and lodging needs of the region in these next few weeks, it is imperative that we make some changes to our schedule of events, which we believe will have the support of our industry.
“Our members always share how important it is for us to come together as a community, and we are determined to use this opportunity to celebrate our resilient and compassionate industry. We also look forward to honoring our frontline workers who have aided with the fires, recognizing those impacted, and encouraging people to join the Academy in supporting the relief efforts.
“We will get through this together and bring a sense of healing to our global film community.”
Updates are outlined as follows:
The nominations voting period is extended through Friday, Jan. 17, at 5 p.m. PT. The voting window was originally set to close on Sunday, Jan. 12. That was pushed back to Tuesday, Jan. 14, before being pushed back again today.
The nominations announcement is rescheduled for Thursday, Jan. 23, at 5:30 a.m. PT. The live announcement will be a virtual event without in-person media coverage. The nominations were originally set to be announced on Friday, Jan. 17, which was pushed back to Sunday, Jan. 19, before being pushed back again today.
The Oscars nominees luncheon, scheduled for Monday, Feb. 10, will not be held this year.
The Scientific and Technical Awards, scheduled for Tuesday, Feb. 18, will be rescheduled to a later date yet to be determined.
The Academy stresses that all dates are subject to change.
The 97th Oscars, hosted by Conan O’Brien for the first time, will still be held on Sunday, March 2, at the Dolby Theatre at Ovation Hollywood and will be televised live at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT on ABC, streamed live on Hulu and air live in more than 200 territories worldwide.
Metalcore band Ice Nine Kills has stepped up to offer relief for some of the people who’ve been impacted by the devastating Los Angeles wildfires. The Boston-bred group announced over the weekend the launch of a fundraiser they’ve dubbed “Heed the Call For California,” with 100% of the proceeds going to the California Fire Foundation […]
The 2025 Grammys are still set for Feb. 2 at Crypto.com Arena, the Recording Academy announced on Monday (Jan. 13). There was some question whether the show would go on as scheduled, given the wildfires that have devastated many neighborhoods in the greater Los Angeles area in the past week.
Other Grammy Week events, such as the MusiCares Person of the Year event and the Recording Academy’s Special Merit Awards, are up in the air at this point.
In a statement, Recording Academy and MusiCares CEO Harvey Mason Jr. addressed the trauma that has befallen the region since the first fires broke out on Tuesday Jan. 7, whipped by ferocious Santa Ana winds. “Our hearts go out to everyone affected by the devastating wildfires in Los Angeles. This city is our home, and we mourn the loss of life and destruction that have come to it in recent days.
“In close coordination with local authorities to ensure public safety and responsible use of area resources, the 67th Grammy Awards telecast on CBS on Feb. 2 will proceed as planned. This year’s show, however, will carry a renewed sense of purpose: raising additional funds to support wildfire relief efforts and honoring the bravery and dedication of first responders who risk their lives to protect ours.”
Those local authorities reportedly include the office of Mayor Karen Bass, public safety agencies and fire marshals. “In challenging times, music has the power to heal, comfort, and unite like nothing else,” Mason added. “The Grammys will not only honor the artistry and achievements of our music community but also serve as a platform to amplify the spirit of resilience that defines this great city of Los Angeles.”
The show will be produced by Fulwell 73 Productions for the Recording Academy for the fifth consecutive year. Ben Winston, Raj Kapoor and Jesse Collins are executive producers. The show will be broadcast live on CBS from 8 to 11:30 p.m. ET/5 to 8:30 p.m. PT, and will be available to stream live and on-demand on Paramount+.
Winston, Kapoor and Collins will have the very difficult task of somehow combining an awards show, which is a joyous celebration of achievement, with something far more serious and sobering.
Not everyone thinks it can, or should, be done. A major ancillary Grammy event, the Milk & Honey party, was canceled on Jan. 12 with a pointed message on founder Lucas Keller’s Instagram Story. “I regret that we will be canceling our annual award season pre-Grammy event in partnership with Reservoir and others. … It would be tone deaf to celebrate and I hope all other companies will follow suit,” he wrote. “Don’t come to town for the Grammy’s and take up hotels that people need desperately. Release your hotel blocks or donate them. In the meantime, if you can, please give money to MusiCares at this link to support wildlife relief. Everything counts.”
The Recording Academy and MusiCares launched the Los Angeles Fire Relief Effort last week with an initial $1 million donation to support music creatives and professionals. “Thanks to additional contributions, we have already distributed over $2 million in emergency aid to those most in need – and we remain steadfast in our commitment to providing ongoing assistance,” Mason and Hurt said in their statement. This is the third time in the last five years that the Grammy telecast has been impacted by outside events. The 2021 and 2022 shows were both postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The 2021 show was bumped from Jan. 31 to March 14. The 2022 ceremony was pushed all the way from Jan. 31 to April 3, and its location was moved to the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, due to scheduling conflicts with the Crypto.com Arena.
The Recording Academy has yet to announce the host of this year’s Grammys. The announcement was expected last week, but has been delayed to avoid stepping on the main news about whether the show was going to proceed or not. The announcement is expected soon.
Beyoncé is the top nominee for the 67th annual Grammy Awards with 11 nods, followed by Charli XCX and Post Malone with eight nods each, and Billie Eilish and Kendrick Lamar with seven nods each. Final-round voting closed on Jan. 3 at 6 p.m. PT.
Iron Maiden guitarist Adrian Smith is the latest musician to share that they’ve lost a home in the Los Angeles wildfires. The longtime heavy metal veteran’s wife, Natalie Dufresne-Smith, announced the news in an Instagram post over the weekend, writing, “We are safe. We have each other. We will start again. #malibustrong.”
She added a thank you to everyone supporting the family during these difficult times.
Last week, Dufresne-Smith posted footage of smoke billowing over the hills in an update telling her followers that the their family was safe at that point, though at the time she was not sure if their neighborhood would make it. She also posted a clip of the Smiths packing up their house as she narrated the harried flight from the smoke a fire. “Here we are, it’s pretty nasty, the closest we’ve been [to the fires],” she narrated as the longtime Iron Maiden guitarist did a final look around at the property and checked on a neighbor.
According to CNN, at least 24 people have died to date, with many more missing and nearly 200,000 Angelenos under evacuation orders as experts expect the deadly Santa Anna winds to whip up again this week, threatening further fire spread. Two of the larger fires, the Eaton and Palisades blazes, are already the second and fourth-most destructive fires in California history, burning a combined 38,000-plus acres to date; the Eaton fire is currently only 27% contained, with the Palisades Fire around 13% containment.
Smith’s post came around the same time that Primus bassist/singer Les Claypool revealed that his band’s guitarist, Larry “Ler” LaLonde and his family had lost their home in Pacific Palisades, a historic L.A. neighborhood that has been all-but-destroyed by the Palisades fire. Among the thousands of Angelenos whose homes have been burned to the ground by the fires are a number of musicians and entertainment industry veterans, including Mandy Moore (and her husband, Dawes leader Taylor Goldsmith), Paris Hilton, Beyoncé’s mother, Tina Knowles, Jhené Aiko, Paris Hilton, songwriter Diane Warren and The Hills stars Spencer Pratt and Heidi Montag and many more.
In addition, Smashing Pumpkins leader Billy Corgan said his family had to flee the home they were staying in in Los Angeles.
On Monday (Jan. 13), Beyonce’s Beygood foundation pledged a $2.5 million donation to the L.A. Fire Relief Fund to assist families in need. In addition, Regional Mexican stars Fuerza Regida are renting out hotel rooms for displaced families and Hilton — whose Malibu home burned down live on TV — launched an emergency fund through her 11:11 Media Impact nonprofit to support families who’ve lost homes.
MusiCares and the Recording Academy launched the Los Angeles Fire Relief Effort to support music professionals impacted by the crisis, with a combined pledge of $1 million to kick off the effort. Anyone who has worked in the music industry for more than five years may qualify for immediate assistance, including up to $1,500 in financial aid and $500 in food vouchers.
For health alerts, evacuation updates and additional shelter information as the wildfire battle continues, go to L.A. County’s emergency website here. A number of organizations, listed here, are also offering help to those impacted by the wildfires, which began last Tuesday. Musicians and music industry professionals who are affected can get more details about assistance here.
See Dufresne-Smith’s post below.
As the devastating California wildfires continue to rage across the Los Angeles area, Primus singer/bassist Les Claypool took to Instagram over the weekend to reveal that the band’s guitarist, Ler LaLonde, had lost his home.
“All that is left of our good friend Larry ‘Ler’ LaLonde’s home,” Claypool wrote of the band’s longtime guitarist alongside a photo of a house reduced to ash, with just the remnants of a brick fireplace still standing. “When Mother Nature gets up on her hind legs, it can be brutal,” Claypool added. “My heart hurts for him and his family.”
The post included supportive responses from a number of fellow musicians, including former Police drummer Stewart Copeland, who wrote, “Dang. Ler did not deserve this,” with singer Carina Round adding, “Oh my. So much love to them.”
LaLonde’s wife, Shane Stirling LaLonde, posted a series of pictures and videos of the fires that ravaged the family’s home in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood, which has been almost completely destroyed by the Palisades fire, which is still raging. “Our home is gone, and so are the homes of every one of our friends and neighbors. I am still in shock, not quite sure what just happened. The first photo is the video confirmation we received that our home was lost. Ours is the second property with the tree still with oranges in the front yard but nothing else,” she wrote alongside a video of the destruction.
“We lost everything. It doesn’t sink in easily that you have nothing…. It’s still sinking in minute by minute. I know we are safe and yes I am grateful, but I can’t even begin to be close to grace yet as I can’t even comprehend this yet,” she added. “Not just the things, but our town, our community. We all no longer have a home, a neighborhood, a school,a community. I am gutted to the core.”
LaLonde is among the thousands of Angelenos who’ve lost everything during weeklong spate of out-of-control fires that have been fueled by strong Santa Ana winds, burning more than 38,000 acres so far (roughly 60 square miles) and destroying more than 12,000 homes and buildings. In addition, 24 people are confirmed dead and nearly 200,00 have been displaced to date, according to CNN.
A number of musicians and entertainment industry folks have spoken about the loss of their homes — including Mandy Moore, Paris Hilton, Beyoncé’s mother, Tina Knowles, Jhené Aiko, Paris Hilton, songwriter Diane Warren, Iron Maiden guitarist Adrian Smith, The Hills stars Spencer Pratt and Heidi Montag and many more — while others are stepping up to offer help.
On Monday (Jan. 13), Beyonce’s BeyGOOD foundation announced a $2.5 million donation to the L.A. Fire Relief Fund to assist families in need, while Regional Mexican stars Fuerza Regida are renting out hotel rooms for displaced families. Hilton — whose Malibu home burned down live on TV — launched an emergency fund through her 11:11 Media Impact nonprofit to support families who’ve lost homes.
In addition, MusiCares and the Recording Academy launched the Los Angeles Fire Relief Effort to support music professionals impacted by the crisis, with a combined pledge of $1 million to launch the effort. Anyone who has worked in the music industry for more than five years may qualify for immediate assistance, including up to $1,500 in financial aid and $500 in food vouchers.
For health alerts, evacuation updates and additional shelter information as the wildfire battle continues, go to L.A. County’s emergency website here. A number of organizations, listed here, are also offering help to those impacted by the wildfires, which began last Tuesday. Musicians and music industry professionals who are affected can get more details about assistance here.